by Lexi Ryan
He allowed the crowd a moment to cheer, then quieted them again with a wave of his hand. “Those who know about us will join us or fear us. Those who don’t will serve us. They will build our cars and plow our fields until we decide they’ve served their purpose. Then they will feed us. Never again will we have to be weak or settle for a lesser way to feed our powers. We have risen above common humans. We are the chosen ones. We are the Ascendants!”
The crowd roared and O’Leary pulled back a curtain, revealing a row of non-Special humans, half-conscious, strapped to boards. Waiting to serve their purpose.
Winston nodded and O’Leary wheeled a young woman forward.
In a soft murmur, the crowd began to chant.
Feed. Feed. Feed.
Winston peeled the bandage from her arm, and pressed his knife into her already mangled wrist.
Blood appeared, and he lowered his lips to taste. The hot coppery taste hit his tongue and he wrapped his mouth around her wrist and took long swallows. His powers popped to life—all the powers he’d taken from Specials in the last ten years and the single one he was born with—each one strengthening with each sip, swelling inside him. The thoughts of his audience were a cacophony in his head; their emotions became his own. His muscles flexed, reminding him he could throw any one of them through a wall if he needed. He was the most powerful of all. He’d made sure of it.
She whimpered softly, and he pulled away and replaced the bandage. The most beautiful thing about feeding off blood was that they needn’t kill the source, so the supply was endless.
He licked his lips. “Do my will, protect the Ascendants, and I will never let you be weak.”
* * * *
When Tara saw her sister—nude!—she jumped back and knocked into Raphael.
“Tara?” Paige had to audacity to look disappointed. With Tara—the one with clothes on! Paige looked over each shoulder then back at Tara. “Where’d you come from? How’d you get here?”
“What are you doing?” Tara asked. Maybe it was Paige’s turn to answer questions for a change.
Tara caught sight of a half-clothed beefcake and frowned. “Who’s he? What, Collin’s not good enough for you, but you’ll just hook up with random guys?”
The beefcake pulled a T-shirt off the ground and threw it over one shoulder before extending a hand. “My name’s Darian Lorring.”
Tara frowned. “Collin told me about you,” she whispered.
“Collin?” Paige threw up her hands. “Of course. Where is he? Or is he sending my baby sister to do his dirty work now?” She looked at Raphael, who wasn’t bothering to keep his eyes to himself. “And who the fuck are you and what are you looking at?”
Raphael threw up his hands. “Hey, I’m just the chauffeur!”
Paige yanked Tara against her. “Get out of here,” she said to Raphael between gritted teeth.
“Uh, Paige?” Tara said. “Could you let me go?”
Paige put her hands on her shoulders and drew back but didn’t let go. “Let you go? Obviously, I can’t let you out of my sight.”
“You’re a little too naked for this,” Tara reminded her.
Paige, who seemed to have forgotten about her unforgettable lack of clothing, looked down and dropped her hands. “Fucking monkey.”
Darian handed his shirt to Paige, who pulled it on begrudgingly before turning to Tara again. “We’re going to go sit down and, while we wait for the next boat out of here, you’re going to tell me everything you know. I want to know exactly why you’re here.”
A small smile curved Tara’s lips. “I’m here to save the world.”
Chapter Fifteen
Josie’s skin was warm with the sun and her body was relaxed, if her mind wasn’t. Every so often, she’d gone walking down the beach, running into strangers to try to get a read on them. She hadn’t gotten anything helpful from a single one.
“Hey, Chrissie?” she said, reaching out to the lawn chair beside her to get her friend’s attention.
“Yeah?”
She squeezed Chrissie’s arm. “Would you be a gem and get the sunscreen for me?”
The words were no sooner out of her mouth than the vision came to her mind.
Chrissie handed her the sunscreen.
Josie shook her head. “No. Never mind that. We need to find Darian and Paige now.”
Chrissie shot up.
“And grab your bag. Paige needs clothes.”
* * * *
“You’re going the wrong way,” a voice said behind Paige as they headed back to the beach.
Paige turned, and then frowned. “Rider? What the hell are you doing here?” She shook her head. “Never mind. I forgot. You work for Collin now.”
“What?” Tara stood beside Paige, mouth agape. Slowly, a smile appeared. “You’re Collin’s twin brother,” she said in an awe-filled whisper.
Paige rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and he’s just as untrustworthy as his brother. I suppose you’re drinking blood now, too?”
Rider set his jaw and shook his head, but not in denial. “You know everything, don’t you, Paige?” He turned to Tara. “You coming?”
Tara nodded a little too eagerly.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Paige asked.
Rider didn’t bother answering. He and Tara walked toward the island’s center.
Paige took a single step to follow and fell forward. Her legs were tied to the earth with vines.
Darian dropped to his knees and pulled out his knife, only to have it swatted away by another vine. Then he, too, was tied to the earth.
“We need you to wait here for the time being,” said a voice from the trees.
Paige and Darian looked up to see an ebony-skinned man sitting on a tree limb.
Darian was beside her on the forest floor, squeezing her arm. She turned to him, and he put a finger to his lips and projected calm.
“Ah,” the ebony-skinned man said, “your friends are coming. Pardon me while I help them get comfortable.”
* * * *
Josie and Chrissie had barely hit the tree line when Wiley and Fernandez appeared beside them.
“What’s going on?” Fernandez demanded.
“Fuck off,” Chrissie said.
Josie put her hand on Chrissie’s arm. “Don’t. We need them. Someone needs to keep Tara safe while we take care of the president.”
“Tara’s here?” Chrissie asked at the same time Wiley said, “The president’s here? Is he in danger?”
“He knows more than we think,” she whispered. “I think he’s a Special.”
“What are you talking about?” Chrissie asked, stopping.
Josie shook her head. “There’s no time. You have to trust me.”
Chrissie nodded and they started forward again.
Josie looked over her shoulder to see Wiley and Fernandez exchanging looks. Hesitating. “Trust me or don’t,” she said. “But we could use your help.”
* * * *
Collin and Raphael met Tara and Rider in the jungle just out of the view of Winston’s guards.
Tara’s eyes went wide when Collin appeared. “How’d you get here so fast?”
“I parachuted into the water and swam into the beach.”
“Wow,” she gasped, and the look of devotion she so often wore in his presence covered her face again.
He set his jaw against the regret that threatened to rise up inside him. He didn’t want to do this, but it was the only way. Winston had become too strong, and his way was not the right way.
“You’re ready?” he asked her, taking her frail little hand in his.
She smiled and her cheeks glowed. How many eon would Collin burn in hell for sacrificing someone so innocent?
“It’s okay, Collin. This is what I want.”
Collin looked to Rider. “Where are Paige and the girls?”
“Vince has them restrained in the jungle half a mile back.” Rider winced. “Darian and Paige saw me. Chrissie will know…” He shook
his head.
Collin squeezed his brother’s arm in reassurance and turned to Raphael. “Go and confirm that Winston is here. Our timing needs to be perfect.”
Raphael disappeared.
Collin turned back to Tara. “It’s not too late to back out.”
She trailed her long fingers over his cheek. “I’m not afraid of dying.”
* * * *
Everything is going to be fine. It wasn’t a voice but a feeling that spoke those words to Paige. She pushed through Darian’s projection and felt his confidence. He meant it.
She blinked, too afraid a nod might give away their silent communication.
Soft fingertips brushed Paige’s shoulder. She turned her head and saw no one.
“Shh,” came a voice on the air. Not Darian.
Paige lay perfectly still as, one at a time, the vines were cut and her limbs were released. Wiley.
She didn’t even see a knife. She looked at Darian, whose vines were also being cut by an invisible hand.
The man who had tied them—or rather, controlled the vines to tie them—was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Fernandez?” Darian whispered.
“With the girls,” Wiley said.
“We’re right here,” Fernandez said, coming into view.
A smile spread across Darian’s face, and Paige’s heart tripped as that damn dimple appeared. He was beautiful, and at that moment—as she stood in nothing but his T-shirt and readied herself for the unknown—she let herself love him. She reached out and squeezed his hand, wishing she could project as he could, wanting him to know.
His eyes locked with hers. He kissed her on the forehead.
“Where are your clothes?” Fernandez asked.
Paige shrugged and adjusted her bare feet on the rough earth.
“Did you take care of the vine-control guy?” Darian asked.
Fernandez gave him an incredulous look. “You doubt me?”
“We have clothes,” Josie said, digging into the bag on Chrissie’s shoulder. She threw a pair of Daisy Duke shorts, a halter tank, and wedge sandals in Paige’s direction.
Paige raised a brow.
Josie shrugged. “It was what we had on us!”
Paige slid them on, grateful for any sort of covering. “Okay,” she said, turning to Darian. “Now, tell us what you know.”
“What do you mean?” Chrissie said.
“They’ve been keeping something from us,” Paige said. “They found something.”
Fernandez groaned. “I told you it wasn’t safe to sleep with her.”
Darian glared at him. “We’re in this together now, so shut it.”
“Fine, but quid pro quo,” Fernandez said. “If we share ours, I want to know what she’s seeing.”
“You first,” Chrissie said.
Darian nodded. “We found an entrance that wasn’t on any of the schematics. It may be nothing, but the staff here doesn’t seem to know about it. Its placement would be appropriate for a fallout shelter or maybe a tunnel under the island.”
“See?” Chrissie said. “How hard was that?”
“Your turn,” Fernandez said.
All eyes turned to Josie.
“It’s not that simple. I see a lot of different things, and no one vision is—”
Fernandez cut her off. “Save me the speech.”
Josie expelled a heavy breath. “Okay. The president’s here, but I don’t know why or how.”
“Did Collin kidnap him?” Fernandez suggested.
“She said she doesn’t know,” Chrissie said. “Back off.”
Josie looked Paige in the eye. “I saw Tara here. On the island.”
Paige nodded. “I know, sweetie. We already saw her. She’s working with Collin and Rider.”
“I saw you die,” Josie said, her face so sad.
Everyone froze.
Josie exhaled slowly. “You died after drinking blood from Tara’s wrist.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Are you ready?” Collin asked Tara.
They were approaching the guards at the entrance to the tunnels. She squeezed his hand. She was terrified and excited all at once. Their plan was flawless.
She would try to kill him—which wouldn’t work because he was a powerful blocker—and in response, Winston would take her blood and take her power, having no reason to suspect she was a virgin. Then her blood would kill him. It was a flawless plan with a single wrinkle.
They didn’t know if her blood would kill Winston before Winston killed her.
She wasn’t sure which part of the plan scared her more. She’d never killed anyone before, but Winston was evil. On the other hand, she didn’t especially want to die, but Collin’s future reader had seen that the leukemia was going to take her in less than a year’s time. If she was going to die, she wanted it to be on her terms.
“We’re going to change the world,” she said.
He only nodded in response and waved to the guard. “Let President Winston know that Collin Raines is here with a friend.” He flashed a smile to Tara. “She wants to join the revolution.”
* * * *
Chrissie rolled her eyes as Fernandez fumbled with the tunnel door. “Would you get out of the way and let an expert do it?”
Fernandez frowned, and Paige bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Chrissie stepped over the guard that an invisible Wiley had brought down. She lowered to her haunches to touch the unconscious man. Seconds later, she was smiling and cracking the combination on the tunnel door.
“You can do that with people who are unconscious?” Fernandez asked.
“Easier,” she whispered, eyeing him. “That way, they can’t manipulate which memories I see.”
They followed Chrissie into the tunnels, Wiley staying invisible.
A hundred feet up, the tunnel branched into three.
“Split up,” Fernandez said.
“No,” Chrissie, Josie, and Paige replied in a harsh, unified whisper.
Fieldwork rule number one: Always stay together.
“We’re stronger together,” Paige explained.
Darian nodded. “Okay, then,” he said, leading the way down the far left tunnel.
They heard mechanical beeping in a room ahead.
Paige turned the corner to enter and gasped.
More than twenty people, seemingly alive but unconscious, were hooked to machines that were slowly draining their blood into vats. Paige turned to stop Josie, but it was too late. She’d seen.
The color left Josie’s face.
Chrissie pushed past in a rush, hurrying to get her hands on the people.
“You okay, Jo?” Paige asked.
“I dreamed this,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I didn’t know it was a vision. I thought it was just a dream.”
Darian reached out and squeezed her arm. “It’s okay.”
“They’re feeding off them,” Chrissie said. “They keep them sedated, barely alive.” She moved to another body. “They slip in and out of consciousness.” She stopped suddenly. “Winston. This is Winston’s doing.” Her eyes met Paige’s. “He’s dementedly evil, Paige. We’ve been protecting the wrong man.”
“Guests in the feeding room,” a deep voice said behind them.
They turned to see a guard entering with Collin and Tara behind him.
“The president will be here shortly,” the guard said, closing the door behind them. He lifted a hand. “Be still,” he said, and suddenly Paige couldn’t move her limbs.
A look to her right and left confirmed that neither could the others.
“Your invisible friend has been paralyzed too,” the guard said. “So don’t count on him.”
“What’s going on?” Fernandez demanded, frustration clear on his face. Paige wondered how he felt being controlled by a puppet master so much stronger than himself.
“You’re working with the president?” Chrissie demanded.
“Yes,” Collin said softly. “Winston’s br
inging the revolution.”
Tara looked at the ground.
Paige stared at Chrissie until she got her attention. Collin wasn’t able to speak freely. They were probably surrounded by surveillance cameras. Of course, she couldn’t say any of that, so she just widened her eyes meaningfully.
Winston burst in the room, surrounded by three large security guards.
“Collin, my old friend!” he said, pulling Collin into an embrace when he entered.
“Mr. President. I’ve brought you a recruit,” Collin said, motioning to Tara, who kept her eyes averted. “She’s the one I told you about.”
“Oh?” A smile grew on Winston’s face. Paige could practically see the man salivate. “Do show me what you can do, my dear.”
Tara looked to Collin. “Who?” she asked.
Collin’s eyes found Darian without hesitation, and he pointed. “But don’t kill him. No need to be wasteful.”
Paige tried to catch Tara’s eyes, but Tara wouldn’t look at her. She willed her feet to move so she could stand in front of him. They didn’t respond.
“We might as well let the cat out of the bag now, Collin,” Paige said.
Collin frowned for a half-second but quickly neutralized his expression. “I thought we’d wait.”
“I’m working with Collin,” Paige said, and she ignored Darian’s eyes on her, the heat of them. Tara also brought her eyes to Paige’s face for the briefest moment.
“Well, that’s an interesting development,” Winston said. He turned to Collin. “You’ve been holding out on me. Why?” Winston turned to the Special who had immobilized them. “Let her go, then.”
Paige was released and took a step forward. “We couldn’t tell anyone, or I might not be able to lead them here.” She cocked her head. “You wanted them here, didn’t you?” she asked, knowing they’d been baited, dinner walking into the trap. “I’m sick of working under non-Special rules. I’m sick of being told what I can and can’t do with my power.”
“Paige?” Josie said softly.
Suddenly, everyone but Winston and Paige froze. The machines stopped beeping. The air stopped moving. Her friends were no longer drawing breath.