Azure (The Silver Series Book 5)

by Cheree Alsop

  Her smile turned to a grin. “When they first threw you in that cage, I didn't take you for the practical type.”

  “Oh really? What did you take me for, the beaten and bleeding type?” I asked with heavy sarcasm that made her smile even bigger.

  She shook her head. “The considerate type. You have sincere eyes.”

  That took me back. I opened my mouth to give a retort, but none came. “Thanks,” I said after a minute.

  She gave me another smile and wiggled her feet on the dash. “You're welcome.” She turned up the radio and began to sing off-key to a country song about horses and rain.

  About an hour into our drive, her head lolled against my shoulder and her breathing slowed. The trust she showed me soothed the burned edges of my heart and I drove carefully to avoid jarring her awake.

  She slept for a half hour when her muscles tightened and a yell tore from her lips. She stared unseeing at the land around us, her eyes lost in her nightmare. I pulled over quickly and put my arms around her. Her body shook like a leaf and I felt her bones through her skin, reminding me of how frail she was. “It’s alright, Gem. It’s just a dream. We’re not in Lobotraz anymore,” I breathed into her hair.

  She took several deep breaths, then held me with her surprising strength. “It was horrible,” she said, her voice soft and weak with fear. “He wouldn’t stop hurting me. I told him everything I knew, but he wouldn’t stop.”

  Tears soaked my shirt and I held her close. “I know,” I said. “But it’s over now. You’ll never have to go back there.”

  She looked up at me, pain and terror in her eyes. “Promise?”

  I nodded. “I promise.”

  She buried her head against my chest and the sobs that shook her body brought tears to my eyes. I closed them and felt the sorrow, fear, and desperation that made up those long days in Lobotraz well up in my chest. I forced it down and focused on Gem, rubbing a hand down her back and talking quietly until her sobs slowed. She eventually fell back into an exhausted sleep and I drove us slowly to the rehabilitation center. The fact that neither of us had a home to go to after all we had experienced at Lobotraz struck hard and I regretted my visit with my mom even more.

  Chapter 20

  “Need a break?” Jaze asked after I set Gem gently in her bed and shut the door.

  I turned to see him waiting down the hall with a pack in one hand. “What do you have in mind?” I asked. The thought of getting away from the walls and the scent of recovering werewolves was welcome.

  “I have a team following the first lead we’ve found. Until we hear from them, we’re sitting tight.” He tipped his head to indicate the walls and the scent of fresh paint that emanated from them. “Some of us wait better outdoors.”

  “Lead the way,” I said. “My thoughts are so jumbled I might send us off a cliff.”

  He laughed and glanced back at me. “I prefer to avoid cliffs if at all possible.”

  I grinned and followed him through the doors to find Jet and Kaynan waiting for us. Kaynan handed me a pack and we strode out across the desert, the night air cooling as it drove the heat of the day from the sand.

  We left the red rocks behind and crossed sand dunes spotted with sage and the occasional cactus. The fresh air was filled with scents of jackrabbits, snakes, and lizards taking advantage of the last vestiges of warmth before the night turned cold. After a short distance, Jaze knelt and untied his shoes. He knotted the laces together and slipped them through a loop in his pack so he could walk barefoot. Kaynan and Jet did the same.

  Jaze caught my eye with a smile. “Can’t say you don’t have some things figured out,” he said, pushing his feet into the warm sand.

  I shrugged. “The fewer clothes out here, the better.”

  Kaynan lifted an eyebrow. “Whoa now, we need to draw a line somewhere.”

  We laughed and I nodded. “I didn’t say there weren’t some downfalls to the situation.”

  Jet took a deep breath and turned his face to the rising moon. It was only a quarter full, but the brush of it across my face stilled the confusion in my heart like nothing else had been able to do. The others fell silent and for a moment we were four individuals linked by a related affinity to the moon. I regretted taking Gem inside. I should have let her sleep in the jeep, bathed in moonlight. We continued on and my thoughts turned to both girls. They were so different, and the hold they had on me so completely diverse that I couldn’t compare them.

  I concentrated on the landscape, losing myself in the waves of sand underfoot. It looked like we walked across a still, moonlit ocean, the waves frozen in soft curves that accentuated the rise and fall of the dunes. Kaynan jumped when a scorpion scurried away from the base of a cactus disturbed by his footfalls nearby. “I think we should put our shoes back on,” the red-eyed werewolf said warily, his eyes on the creature.

  Jet laughed, surprising us all. “Afraid of bugs,” he said in a tone laced with humor.

  Kaynan glowered at him. “They can kill you with their stingers,” he argued.

  The light in Jet’s dark blue eyes danced. “And you’re defenseless?”

  Kaynan grumbled something about deadly creatures who didn’t respect the dangers of a knife, but he didn’t put his shoes back on. Jet continued to smile, the light of the moon softening the hardened edge I was use to seeing from him. He was like a different person away from the dangers and pain of the other werewolves. It was like for a moment, he was allowing himself just to exist under the midnight sky. I tried to do the same and found myself appreciating the feeling of walking with three trusted companions with no worry of being jumped or fought for leadership. It was strange to find Alphas so comfortable with each other, a rare thing that I appreciated even more for having lived at Two.

  Jaze stopped us near a dead, twisted tree that had long ago succumbed to the desert heat. We lounged in the sand and he pulled out a bag of marshmallows and graham crackers.

  “S’mores?” I asked, surprised. Roasting marshmallows felt a bit trivial after all we had been through.

  He tipped his head to indicate my bag. I opened it and found several small logs. Jet dumped out the same and Kaynan built them into a teepee for a fire. He shoved newspaper and tinder scraps from the construction underneath, then lit it on fire with a lighter. I sat back and enjoyed the warm flicker that bathed the sand around the fire in rosy orange. The hum of the night insects sounded fuller somehow with the light of the fire coloring the edges of the darkness.

  Kaynan broke several sticks from the dried tree and used his knife to whittle the ends to a point. “Where did that come from?” I asked, curious.

  He glanced at the knife, then looked back at me. “Do you remember Mouse, the scrawny werewolf from the house who’s good with computers?” At my nod, he smiled. “He made this for me as a thank you gift for saving his life.”

  My eyebrows rose and Jaze said, “Tell it straight. You took a bullet for him. It was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen.”

  Kaynan shook his head. “I’ve seen braver,” he replied in a tone that indicated they involved the other werewolves around the fire. He pushed something on the blade and the knife edges slid back into the silver band to form a straight, thin bar. He hit the bar on his wrist and it wrapped around, creating a solid wristband that appeared to not have any edges. He pushed on the spot again and it opened, then the blades appeared.

  “That’s awesome,” I said.

  He nodded. “Mouse’ll surprise you. Better watch out for that one.”

  “He might avoid you to death,” Jet replied with a touch of humor.

  “Jet,” Jaze said in a tone of surprise.

  Kaynan glanced at me. “Mouse is the most loyal werewolf you’ll ever find. Jaze is the only one who holds his loyalty.”

  “Justly deserved,” Jet said quietly. “I admire him.”

  All of us looked at the black-haired werewolf in surprise. His dark blue eyes shone with a light of humility. “He’s taught me the wo
rth of loyalty,” he said quietly, his eyes on the fire.

  We fell silent and Jaze handed out the marshmallows to go with Kaynan’s sticks. I held mine over the fire and turned it slowly, watching the white flesh turn golden brown and then black in the heat of the flames. Memories of Two glowing red and gold against the sunset flooded my mind. I blinked against the surge of emotion that strove to chase away the quiet peace I found sitting by the fire.

  “I think it’s done,” Kaynan said.

  My eyes focused and I realized my marshmallow had been reduced to a pitiful black lump that no longer held even the interest of the lapping flames. I laughed and scrapped it off with another stick, then accepted a new marshmallow from Jaze. “Guess I’d better pay attention.”

  “Only if you actually want to make a s’more,” Jaze replied.

  “Charcoal does come in handy,” Kaynan said. He set a square of chocolate on his graham cracker, then pressed his perfectly golden brown marshmallow down with another cracker. “But s’mores taste better.” He held up his completed creation for everyone to see and was about to take a bite when Jet swiped it from his hand and had it in his mouth before the red-eyed werewolf could even blink.

  He stared at Jet in astonishment. “That was impressive.”

  Jet gave a wide grin that revealed partially-chewed graham crackers and squishy marshmallow mixed with chocolate.

  “Not that impressive,” Kaynan said, pushing his shoulder.

  Jet shut his mouth, but the grin on his face refused to leave. I had an impression that Jaze’s team seldom had the chance to relax like this. They savored the moments as I did; all of us were reluctant to return to the problems that would come back when we reached the rehabilitation center. Jaze handled so much I wondered how he could relax at all.

  I put my s’more together and took a bite, relishing the taste of the chocolate mixed with the roasted marshmallow and graham cracker. The feeling of being a young boy again trying to find his place in the world surfaced and I smiled. For now, it was enough to have a warm fire and good friends surrounding it. I looked up at the stars and saw the miracle Jaze spoke of in them. I glanced back and found him looking as well.

  ***

  A scent touched my nose when we reached the rehabilitation center. A werewolf dressed in black went to Jaze and they spoke quietly for a few minutes. The werewolf handed Jaze a small piece of paper, then disappeared into the night. Jaze’s eyes met mine and my stomach tightened. “Our lead turned out to be right,” he said. He waited until we reached the door, then handed me the piece of paper.

  A foul scent touched my nose. “What is this?”

  He watched me, his face carefully expressionless. “I took my team to the bodies you ran to the other night.”

  “Of the Hunters we killed?” I hazarded quietly.

  He nodded. “I had a team search through them. Your werewolves were thorough about burning wallets and any identification, but this was found in a jacket.”

  He gestured to the piece of paper and I opened it. An address was written in a barely legible hand. A flicker of hope began to burn in my chest. I could scarcely bring myself to ask, “Where does it lead?”

  He met my eyes, his brow creased. “An extremist Hunter training facility.”

  I stared at the address. If Ron was in charge of the Hunters, then we could find him through the facility. I would tear down every door and interrogate each person within those walls if I had to. It was the first thread of a chance to locate Nora, and Jaze’s team had gone through the pockets of decaying bodies to discover it.

  I swallowed the knot in my throat and held out a hand. “Thank you for finding this. I’ll leave right away”

  He stared at me a second, then shook my hand, a shadow of a smile touching his lips. “You're not going alone, you know.”

  “I figured as much,” I replied.

  He smiled and pulled the door open; it felt comforting to walk down the hall with a friend at my side once more.

  ***

  Footsteps rushed to meet us and I recognized the sound before Gem came into view, her face flushed and lit by a big smile that made her blue eyes glow. “Vance, Vance, I heard the news! That’s so exciting! We’re going to find her.” She flew into my arms and gave me a tight hug, then she hugged Jaze as well. I would have laughed at the baffled expression on his face if it wasn't for the fact that I was still recovering from the news. I don’t know how Gem had overheard, but being able to share it with her made it somewhat more manageable.

  “It’s the best lead we’ve got. It’s got to take us somewhere,” I replied.

  “Of course it does,” she agreed, beaming. “When are we going?”

  I glanced at Jaze. “I don’t think this is a safe expedition for you, Gem. You could get hurt.”

  A glimmer of ferocious tenacity sparkled in her eyes. “Don’t think you can leave me out on this one, Vance. We’ve been through too much together. I want to see Rob go down as much as you do.”

  Jaze let out a breath and when I glanced at him, he shrugged as if to say the choice wasn’t his.

  I gave in. “Fine, but you’ve got to promise me that if it gets too dangerous, I can ask you to hang back.”

  Her hand slipped into mine. “Still protecting me from the world, Vance?” she asked with a hint of teasing to her tone.

  “As much as I can,” I replied.

  I glanced over and saw Jaze watching us, but there was no judgment in his expression. I again appreciated his patience and understanding. “Let’s get ready to go,” I said quietly. Gem nodded and skipped off down the hallway toward her room.

  “Can we protect her?” I asked Jaze in an undertone.

  His brow creased. “After what she’s been through, I doubt anything scares her. My team will keep her safe.”

  I thanked him and walked quickly to my room to make preparations. Gem appeared a few seconds later with a scantily packed bag and a pair of shoes hanging around her neck. At my look, she sighed, “You never know when you might need them.”

  I grinned and slipped mine on. “They’re easier to wear than carry.”

  She hesitated, then followed my lead as though it was painful. I threw a few supplies into my pack, then straightened to find her watching me, her bright expression darkened by shadows that had nothing to do with the lighting in the room.

  “They haven’t found my parents yet,” she said. “What if I’ve lost them forever?”

  I shook my head. “There’s no way they’re not looking for you right now. There are just a lot of places to search.” I felt foolish for saying it, but it must have been the right thing because tears filled her eyes.

  “You're right, you know,” she said with a tremor in her bubbly voice. “Jaze will find them. I know he will.” A tear ran over and she wiped it away with another smile. “Look at me, falling apart before we go rescue Nora.” She eyed me sternly. “You're supposed to be the stalwart one, remember? Not the one who reduces girls to mere blabbering babies.”

  A laugh escaped my lips. “Oh that's my role now, huh?”

  She nodded in all seriousness, a touch of concern in her eyes. “Nora is safe, too, you know.”

  Her words tightened the pit in my stomach. “I sure hope so.”

  Gem touched my arm. “She is,” she said with the faith that had carried me further than I cared to admit. “I just know she is. You can’t give up until she’s out of Rob’s clutches. She’ll be alright, I just know it.”

  “She’s a strong person,” I agreed.

  She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed me on the nose. “Hang in there, Vance, my reluctant hero. You’ll save the world yet.”

  I laughed and she danced on her toes. “We’d better get going.”

  I nodded and she ran out the door, then paused halfway down the hall to make sure I was coming. I checked that the few meager belongings I owned were put away, then followed her to the front door.

  Chapter 21

  We pulled up to a small, brown-bri
cked security building that controlled the entrance to a fenced-in compound. The fence was twelve feet high and topped with razor-wire. A brick wall on the other side hid whatever was inside from view.

  Jaze pulled up to the security building and rolled down his window. A black-tinted pane of glass slid open to reveal two humorless officials in dark green uniforms.

  “Sorry, kid, but you missed the museum about twenty minutes back,” the first officer said in a tone that indicated we weren't the first strangers to show up at his window, he just didn’t know we were the first to arrive on purpose.

  “Really?” Jaze glanced at Jet with a lifted eyebrow. “How could we have missed it?”

  Jet shrugged, his eyes on the officers.

  Jaze lifted his gun and shot both men in the neck with tranquilizer darts before they could sound an alert. He set the gun back down and met my eyes in the rear-view mirror. “The museum would probably have less security.”

  I rolled my eyes and he chuckled. Jet slipped out the door, his dark eyes glittering as though he lived for breaking and entering into hostile compounds. Gem leaned against my arm as the werewolf silently tripped the lock for the door and disappeared inside. A few seconds later, the gate slid open in front of us. Jet appeared at the passenger door like a wraith, a half-smile on his face.

  “What's up?” Jaze pressed.

  “Cameras,” Jet said in his brief way. “You'll find this interesting.”

  Jaze gave him a doubtful look, but pulled slowly through the gate. “Which way?” he asked.

  “Left,” I replied. Mouse had somehow printed out an aerial view of the compound despite the fact that its existence was left out of every major satellite view of the area that I could find. I had suspicions that he used a government satellite for the shot. When I thanked him, he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about, then he handed me a security key card to use inside the compound and he couldn't hide his small smile no matter how hard he looked at the floor.