Colt squeezes tighter around Rafe's neck.
"Do you really want to test it?" Rafe coughs.
"Look at me, Colt," I say. His eyes slowly meet mine. I shake my head.
Colt eventually loosens his grip. Rafe turns around and shoves him hard.
"You all need to get control of yourselves," Rafe snaps. "We have the same goal. Take out the Institute. That's exactly what I plan on doing. And to prove to you that I'm not this horrible monster you think I am, as soon as our mission is over, I will destroy the chip. These two will be free. Although I don't know how much good it will do them, seeing how they only have a few weeks left to live anyway, but at least those days could be lived out in peace."
"What are you talking about?" Colt asks.
Rafe looks from me to him. "You haven't told him, have you?"
"Shut up, Rafe," I say.
"That's sweet," Rafe coos. "Trying to protect the man you love. You should finish this war quickly so you two can spend out your last days together." He glances back at Link. "I expect to see you at dawn when we leave for Charlotte. Oh and Tank? I want you there too."
"Like hell. You have nothing on me."
"Oh, but you'll want to go. You'll be leading the mission to rescue all the Originals, whoever you can get." His eyes flash to mine. "And to make sure you're invested in this mission as much as possible, I learned Max is being held in Elise Tower."
24
Rafe turns on his heel and leaves the room. No one says anything for almost a full minute. I'm thinking about Max, relieved that I finally know where he is, but when I see Colt's back to me, every muscle in his body tight, I remember the other bomb Rafe dropped. My heart sinks into my stomach.
He turns around slowly. "Why didn't you tell me, Sage?"
I look at him with pleading eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you. We had just gotten you back."
"Does your father know?" he asks.
"Not everything, but he did take a blood sample. He probably knows by now."
"Then we’re going to see him right away. Maybe he already has something. And maybe he will have some clues as to what’s inside your head. We need to get it out as quickly as possible."
"What are the rest of us supposed to do?" Raven asks.
"Get ready to go to Charlotte. Research everything you can about the city. We want to save as many Originals as we can."
Colt looks at me and motions his head toward the door. "Let's go."
He walks through the door, not looking to see if I'm following, but of course I am. He hurries through the building taking a route that seems longer than usual. He turns left down a darkened hallway, and when we pass an open door he turns around and pulls me into the empty room, closing the door behind us. He presses me to the wall and stares deep into my eyes. My heart beats fast, and my stomach spins a motion that burns deep inside me.
His lips crash into mine, and I kiss him back just as fiercely. His hands go up the back of my shirt and press me closer to him. I cling to his neck, my palms warmed by his skin.
There's desperation in our movements. Time is short, and I can feel every lost second in the way his fingertips slide across my flesh, and the way his lips seem to want to take in everything about me. I cling to him just as passionately, my heart aching to hang onto something that can't last.
After what feels like a very long time, we separate. I lower my head to his chest hearing the steady beat of his heart. He rests his chin on top of my head. "I can't be in this world without you."
I look up at him. "But you must. There are so many people that need you, that need your strength." I swallow. "Anthony spoke about Eden often, but he said it isn't a place. He said Eden is in our hearts. It's a place where we are free to choose happiness or sadness. You must protect this choice for others. You are one of the few who understands this."
"Sage—"
"But more than that. I need to know that you will live a long life full of happiness and love." I grip him tightly. "I have to know this. Please, promise me."
He looks towards the ceiling, his eyes glistening. "I promise."
We remain in each other’s arms for a few more precious minutes before making our way through the all the tents on the Green across to my father's lab. It's full of people many of them injured. They must be spilling over from the hospital.
As soon as my dad sees me, he rushes over. He takes me by the arm and guides me to his private office. "I’ve been desperate to talk to you."
"Sorry," I say. "It's been crazy."
He closes the door after Colt, who stands next to me, his hand on the small of my back.
"The super pDNA you received, where did Rafe get it?" my father asks.
"I'm not sure. I assume he stole it from the Institute."
My father walks to his desk in the corner and picks up a paper. "As you know, I try to stay abreast of anything related to the Institute experiments. I have people all over the country who let me know when there are new developments, and in exchange, I update them on my progress with the cure for the KISS.
"A few months ago, I received word that two vials of super Prime DNA were stolen from the Institute. This was cause for alarm because the injections are illegal for their high toxicity. As far as I know, only five have ever been produced."
"Five?" Colt repeats. "Are you saying there could be more super Primes out there?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. Ebony wants to win this war. I wouldn't put it past her to do something this reckless."
"But how were the vials stolen from the Institute?" I ask. “I'm sure Ebony had them well guarded. We would've known if it was one of our guys." My eyes widen as realization dawns on me. "Mother. When she saw that I had changed, she knew exactly who it was that had turned me. She said she told Rafe that it wasn't supposed to be used for this."
I expect to see surprise on my father's face, but there is only sadness.
"Can you fix it?" Colt asks.
"I've been studying the chemical composition since I drew her blood. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. There's a chance that the Institute has something that will work, but I don't know how to get it."
"In the morning we’re going to Charlotte to rescue the Originals," Colt says. "Rafe will be raiding their labs. I'll send a guy with him to copy all the files he can. Maybe there will be something in them you can use."
"I want to come," my father says.
Colt shakes his head. “There's no way. We can't risk your life."
"But you have no idea what to look for. Besides, if your men are successful and take over Charlotte, then I can use their lab to mass-produce the cure for the Kiss. I heard Rafe was destroying Institute labs. That can't happen, especially with this one. It's the biggest lab in the West."
"Sorry, but you can't come," Colt says. "But we'll save the facility and get you there as soon as it's safe."
"Can we take a vote on it?" My father looks at each of us. I think he already knows what we’ll decide without us saying anything. There's no way I want him to go. I need to know someone I love will be safe.
"Never mind," he says, "I will stay behind, but I'll give specific instructions of what I need. It's crucial. And as soon as Charlotte is secure, I want to fly out there. That's the only way we can start healing people, and the only way I might be able to save Sage."
Colt holds out his hand toward him. "It will be my only priority."
They shake hands.
"There's one other problem," Colt says. "Rafe put some kind of death chip in Link and Sage's head. He controls it with a device just under the skin on his arm. If they don't do everything he says, he vows to activate the chip. We can't kill him either, I tried. The device senses his heartbeat and will trigger the chip if the beat stops."
Blood drains from my father's face. "I can't believe he would do something like that."
"Is there a way to fix it?"
My father places his hands on both sides of my face and looks into my eyes as if he can see th
e chip. "We could try to short circuit it with electricity, but it might give her a heart attack."
"What are our other options?" I ask.
"Get Rafe to deactivate it." He shakes his head. "This isn't my area of expertise, but while you're gone I'll do some research."
He embraces me tightly, his eyes sad. "I didn't think things could get any worse."
"They can always get worse," I say.
That night, as everyone prepares for the big battle, I sneak away from Jenna to go find Colt. I only make it halfway when we run into each other.
"Great minds, huh?" he says.
I take hold of his hand, heat igniting between us. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be tonight."
"Come with me," he says and pulls me along.
He takes me all the way to the great wall surrounding Enfield, glancing over at me several times. There's a look in his eye, one I haven't seen before. It makes me blush.
"What are we doing here?" I ask. Moonlight spills through the canopy of trees above us. It makes Colt's blue eyes practically glow.
He doesn't answer, but he does pull his shirt over his head and drops it to the ground. I suck in a breath. His chest is well defined, every muscle tight and bulging, and his pants hang low on his hips.
I reach my hand up and slowly trace my fingers from the top of his chest all the way down to the front of his jeans. I hook my fingers into them and pull him toward me for a kiss. Our lips move over each other tentatively. I want to taste everything about him. Feel every part of him.
He releases me suddenly and steps back. His great bat-like wings snap out from both sides, easily extending eight feet on each side.
"They're all better," I whisper.
He nods and opens his arms. I fall into him, holding on tightly as he lifts into the cool night air. He turns slightly to fit between the branches, then shoots straight into the night. I inhale a quick intake of breath and giggle.
He pulls me tighter to him, and I bury my head into his shoulder. He smells like the wind as it blows across the ocean. I kiss him there on his collarbone then look up at him. He stares into my eyes, his great wings flapping in the darkness. With his arms tightly around me, he lowers his face to mine and kisses me deeply. It's an incredible feeling, being kissed this high in the sky. I wish it could last forever.
Colt finally breaks away and continues to fly me high above the forest, moonlight glistening off his wings. The cool night air blows across my face, and from this height, looking down on the earth, I don't feel so vulnerable, like I have to fight to survive. It's the first time since being transformed that my mind is clear. It is true peace.
Eventually he lands back within Enfield's walls.
"Thank you for that," I say.
"For what?"
"For helping me feel peace. I wasn't sure I would ever feel it again."
"Don't talk like that. We're going to find something that will reverse the effects."
I notice he doesn't look at me when he says the words. But I understand. He has to say those words to make himself feel better.
We spend the night together again just like we did the night before, but this time we aren't in a hospital room. We’re in his small cabin, the one he used to sleep in before he was taken. It feels good to take comfort in his arms. I fall asleep within minutes, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, but it doesn't last. The sun comes up much too soon.
When I open my eyes, Colt has already left. I'm surprised I didn't notice with my good hearing. I must've been more tired than I thought.
I find a note on the door from Colt. He explains that he wanted to get an early start but promises to see me before I leave. I shower and dress quickly, anxious to find out what happened in Boston. Maybe Ebony will have seen all the people leave and canceled the mass release of Fenoquel.
Even though the sun is just pushing past the horizon, I still feel like I'm late as I hurry toward the Green. Many people are already up and preparing. Behind our hangars are the tops of three giant airships. Rafe must have brought them in overnight.
I can't tell from this distance if they are airships from the West or if perhaps he has stolen them from the Institute. Seeing them makes me both nervous and relieved. With those, we will get to Charlotte much quicker, which is good. I want to see Max. But at the same time, that means the fighting will begin much sooner. Which means I could die a lot sooner, too.
My mother's words have not left me, no matter how hard I tried to forget them. I was afraid Link would tell everyone how fighting speeds up our cell degeneration, but thankfully he didn't say anything. I'm sure he doesn't want to be held back from saving the people we love either.
I make my way toward command, maneuvering my way through the crowd especially on the Green. Rafe's men are already in full force recruiting mode. They talk to whoever will listen about helping them destroy the Institute. Their language and enthusiasm are so strong that many are convinced to follow along, even those who are clearly not prepared.
I'm about to turn left toward command when someone calls my name. I turn around. Rafe motions me over to him. He's standing with his usual cronies inside an open tent. A table is laid out in front of them with different images projected on top.
I glance back toward the direction I want to go, which is toward Colt, but when I look back at Rafe, he motions me forward again then taps his arm right where the device that controls my very existence is embedded.
Groaning, I walk toward him. Something has to be done about that chip. I feel like I'm in prison all over again.
A couple of soldiers step aside so I can get close to the table. Link is on the other end, his expression grim.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"This is the layout of Charlotte," Rafe says. "Over here at Kendel Field is where they are holding most of the Originals." He points to a fenced-in section that looks a little like Enfield, but smaller. The living quarters are much smaller too, and there's so many more of them. Rows and rows of tiny shacks. There are no lawns or parks, just spaces for people to exist. Their conditions create a tight knot in my stomach.
"I have already gone over the plans with Tank," Rafe continues. "He and his team will try to sneak through the back entrance and free them there. It won't be easy, though. Ebony has ordered all guards to Charlotte, including troops from the government. They know we are coming."
"What happened in Boston last night?" I blurt.
Link speaks first. "They gassed the entire city. There were hundreds of people left, if not more. Ebony no longer needs her guards there."
I turn to Rafe. "This is your fault!"
He straightens tall, pulling his shoulders back and growls, "We couldn't stop what happened in Boston, but what we did yesterday will help any more attacks from happening again. And if we win in Charlotte, we can stop the attacks altogether."
"You’re a liar," I spit. "If we would've focused our soldiers on Boston, we could've easily prevented Fenoquel from being released, but you didn't want that, did you?"
He closes the space between us and stares down at me. "Don't ever question my methods, do you understand? Fall into line, or I will make you fall." His eyes flash to his arm.
I breathe a few deep breaths before I lower my head and step back. Most of the group stares at me with hateful eyes, but there are a few that look confused. Those are the ones I need to focus on.
"As I was saying, Tank will lead the fight over here." He points to Kendel Field. "We need to be over here.” He drags his finger to a large building several stories high and only a few blocks from Kendel Field. "This is Elise Tower and it is heavily fortified. We’ll face our most powerful Primes here. That's where you and Link come in."
I glance up and meet Link's gaze. He looks as apprehensive as I feel.
"We will have some advantages," Rafe says. "Myers will be inside Elise Tower and will shut off their security giving us access to all doors. While Sage and Link keep the guards occupied, me and a small team will ma
ke our way to the third floor to secure Fenoquel and destroy the lab."
"You can't destroy it!" I blurt again.
I speak quickly before Rafe can silence me. "My father needs it to mass-produce the cure for the Kiss. The lab in Charlotte is the best place for this."
Rafe shakes his head. "He will have to figure something else out."
Shred, who is standing next to Link, clears his throat. "If I may, a lot of people are depending upon that cure, most are soldiers fighting this war. If they get wind of any of this, I worry we may lose a lot of them."
"Rumors are a nasty thing," I agree.
Rafe scowls at both of us, his nostrils flaring. "Fine. We’ll leave the lab, but we are taking all of the Fenoquel."
I give Shred a grateful look, but he keeps his expression even.
Rafe continues giving instructions on where the airships will land, how we are to enter the city in different ways. I listen to it all while also memorizing a map of Charlotte, including the few sewage tunnels that lead in and out of the city. When Rafe starts talking about how to get everyone into the airships efficiently, I circle my finger through the image of Elise Tower. The image pixelates and changes into a blueprint of each floor. I quickly study the layout, committing it to memory.
When Rafe finishes speaking and several soldiers have begun to leave, I turn to him and ask, "Where are they holding Max?"
Link, who was studying the layout with me, lifts his head.
"After the way you just embarrassed me in front of my men, I'm not telling you a thing." He practically spits the words.
Rage builds inside of me. Before he can blink, I take hold of his arm and twist hard until he grimaces. "Go ahead and press your stupid button. I'd like to see you take Charlotte without me and Link."
"Sage—" Link warns.
I twist harder, knowing that with just a little more pressure, I can snap Rafe's arm.
"Okay!" he gasps, and I ease off just a little. "They’re keeping him on the fourth floor, east side. Scarlet has been taking care of him."
"Is that the truth?"
Saving Eden (Original Series book 3) Page 19