Reset: Part 1 (The Awakening Book 4)

by Keri Armstrong

“What about Laurent?” I wasn’t sure I was ready for the answer.

  “He’s fine for now, as well.”

  “For now?”

  Liang nodded grimly.

  Great. I was all out of questions for the moment. I tried to muster a little magic even though I knew it was probably futile. I recognized that hated buzz. Nevertheless, I closed my eyes and tried to find a thread to connect with Nia as she’d been teaching me.

  Ammon straightened so fast I thought it might have worked even though I had felt nothing. A whirring noise accompanied the widening of his eyes before his mouth opened.

  “Subject 315 is engaging. Repeat. Subject 315 is engaging. Going online now.”

  The voice was his, but not. More robotic in nature, as if they had used his natural speaking voice to create a text-to-speech program. Liang gasped, which confirmed my suspicion that whatever was happening, wasn’t good.

  But not good for whom? A rush of adrenaline and hope filled my chest. Maybe the Mutts were attacking? Did my sudden absence make them finally move forward?

  “What’s happening?” I asked.

  Liang didn’t answer. She took Ammon’s arm and hurried him out of the room. Neither responded to my repeated question.

  I yelled for Allie. I yelled for Laurent.

  The only sound I heard was the incessant droning of the magic repressor. I tried to summon energy, hoping the prosthetic hand Laurent had given me could break through the noise. And fell back in a daze when I realized the hand was gone.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ALLIE

  December 16

  Arizona

  I left Mia with Nadia and ran after Az. He tried to stop me, but I could tell something major had happened when his hand flew to the com device at his ear and he ran out of the room where we had been sharing breakfast.

  He tried to make me stay behind, but I’d be damned if I did. “Is Phoebe all right? Did something happen?”

  “This has nothing to do with her. Go back to your daughter and Nadia.”

  I trotted alongside him. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  He frowned—generally his expression when looking at me—and his sigh was pure frustration.

  “I’m not repeating myself. This has nothing to do with you or Phoebe. Go back or I will lock you in your room.”

  I stopped, knowing he would make good on his threat. “I want to check on Phoebe.”

  His lips tightened. “Later.”

  That was as good as it was going to get. I nodded and watched him go. He looked back once, motioning for me to leave. I nodded again and turned around, walking slowly until I heard his footsteps go down another corridor. I hurried into a nearby bathroom before Az could send someone to take me back.

  Hiding in one of the cold stalls, I attempted to connect with Phoebe the way I had been able to do with Liang.

  Nothing.

  I tried again, concentrating harder. The hairs raised over my arms and pressure built in my forehead. In my excitement and concentration, I chewed so hard on my lip the salty-metallic taste of blood touched my tongue. I pitched forward, my hands banging against the tile when the awful sound of a magic repressor filled my head.

  Was that meant for me, or was I connecting with Phoebe?

  I weighed the odds of getting back to Phoebe’s room undetected, and decided against it. I tried to communicate with Liang and Ammon to see if one of them would tell me anything, but was unable to reach either one.

  Not a good sign. Most likely, they were wherever Az had gone.

  Nadia? No, she was entirely devoted to Azkuran in a way that was a cross between sweet and creepy.

  I tentatively reached for Laurent, afraid that if Az were with him, my mental presence might be made known but there was only a soft, dream state from him. A breath of relief flowed out. At least he seemed safe.

  The solution hit me suddenly and I sprang from the stall in time to see one of the food servers come in. I smiled as innocently as possible and washed my hands.

  She eyed me with suspicion. “Nadia is looking for you,” she said.

  “Oh, I know. I’m headed back there now. Just needed to talk to … my dad … for a minute then run in here.”

  She didn’t respond but her suspicious gaze followed me out the door.

  My hope for a quick escape to the Well of Truth was dashed.

  Mia’s face lit up as she ran toward me. “Where did you go?”

  “Just to potty and say bye to Gandpa Ash.”

  She and Nadia relaxed with that explanation. I knelt in front of my daughter, feeling all kinds of guilty.

  “But I need to do some homework Liang gave me. Why don’t you ask Nadia if she will take you to play? Maybe your favorite cave?”

  Her lower lip jutted.

  “I’ll read you an extra story tonight to make up for it,” I said.

  “Four!”

  Tough negotiator that one. “Two.”

  “Six!”

  Nadia laughed and so did I. “That’s not how this works,” I said. “Tell you what, I’ll read you three stories tonight if you be a good girl and go with Nadia while I do my homework. In fact, I’ll give you some homework, too.”

  That perked her up. She loved playing school. “What is it?” she asked eagerly.

  Thinking quickly, I said, “I want you to count how many crystals you see that are as big as your hand and let me know.”

  She nodded, her face beaming. “Let’s go, Nadia. We have cwystals to count!”

  I stifled a sigh of relief until they rounded the corner then I took off for the well at breakneck speed.

  The mist sucked me in immediately. Its calming effect washed over me and I relaxed. Whatever I needed to know, I could learn. Approaching the well with less trepidation than I had the cave entrance, I seated myself on the crystal ledge. I blew across the water, dispersing the pale mist that hung over the water. What did I want to know?

  Closing my eyes, I focused on the warm air going in and out of my lungs. The well could show me what was true about myself, and, if I worked at it, learn a few things about others.

  Liang had warned me that trying to learn about others wasn’t reliable. Mainly because it was my subconscious releasing suppressed information, along with information from any blood ties.

  Like, how I learned Laurent might actually be my father.

  Or, if Liang was to be believed, how I learned it was a toss-up who my father was, and I wanted it to be Laurent.

  She had explained the well would only show what someone really wanted to know. If they came at it half-hearted, it wouldn’t show anything, leaving people to interpret that however they wished.

  But if that were true, it was possible Azkuran wanted me to be his, so he refused to let his mind delve deeper. He might not have truly asked.

  And that tricky bastard of a well let him draw his own conclusions.

  Or let me, if Liang was right.

  Not sure how I felt about that, but couldn’t waste time thinking about it. I had to come up with the right questions.

  Can I see Azkuran without him knowing I’m watching? I had asked that one before, and the answer was still just as confusing. All I saw was myself smiling at him. I guessed that either meant no, or it meant I had to keep up the happy daughter charade and stay alert.

  Frustrated, I tried again. Is there a way I can help my friends?

  Nothing but darkness.

  The anxiety I’d left at the door returned; my desperation stronger than the mist. I searched the crystalline depths and saw only my own reflection for several more moments. Was I still asking the wrong questions? Was there some reason I might not want to know?

  The water darkened and I leaned closer, my breath caught. Slowly, other faces joined mine: Phoebe, Caleb, Sara, Laurent … then Ammon, Nadia, Mia, Liang and Az. All of them smiled happily around me.

  Fear and sadness tightened my throat. Of course. I was conflicted because I’d grown to care about the people—and non-people—t
here.

  Tears on my cheeks mixed with the warm moisture from the mist. I sniffled, wondering how I was going to reconcile the conflicting emotions and thoughts racing through me. Closing my eyes, I prayed desperately. Give me strength to face whatever comes next. Give me wisdom to save them all.

  When I opened my eyes, the faces in the water swirled until there was nothing but liquid, stone, and my own reflected face beneath my gaze.

  “Magic Well, you’ve been about as helpful as tits on a bull today.”

  It wasn’t until I had spoken aloud that I realized my reflection wasn’t actually reflecting. I peered closer. Was that my mother or me? The reflection looked more like a juxtaposition of us both. What did it mean?

  From behind my face, my mother’s face smiled. She/I made heart shape with her hands then pointed to me. I returned the gesture, suffering a bit of cognitive dissonance when the water images didn’t move, except for the smile growing wider.

  Love? Was that what she was trying to tell me? Or was she ….

  Get a grip, Allie.

  My mother was long dead. All I was seeing was some weird brain trick the well was playing. Or my subconscious was playing.

  Except ….

  There had to be a message in what I saw. I just needed to figure it out.

  Chapter Fifteen

  NATHAN

  December 16

  Chicago

  Alarms blared and I tapped into the building’s override sequence to cut them off.

  Not part of my circuitry.

  Engaged battle sequence.

  Communication cut off.

  Re-engage.

  Natural flesh response conflict. Initiated protocol to reroute program to safe brain zone.

  Success.

  The enemy’s throat worked under my hands. The muscles moved against my fingers and I felt his pulse race as he gasped for air. He was strong. He almost dislodged me twice, but I was stronger. I was built for this. Made for this.

  The communication sequence uploaded into a new zone and went online. I projected my location and line-of-sight to my commander.

  The enemy’s eyes widened.

  “Son of a bitch,” he whispered before he collapsed.

  My commander’s laughter sped cleanly through my circuitry, our connection complete.

  I straightened. “Ready for orders, Sir.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  ALLIE

  December 17

  Arizona

  Phoebe was still restrained and her face toward the wall when I snuck into her room. I didn’t detect any Awakened presence in the room before I entered, but didn’t know if the magic inhibitor might be masking them. Fortunately, she was alone.

  I supposed there might be hidden cameras, but I would deal with that later. My usual MO of “beg forgiveness rather than ask permission.”

  “Hey, Pheebes. How are you?” I spoke softly, trying to not startle her too much.

  Her face whipped around. “Allie!”

  I ran to her and hugged her as best I could, given that she was tied to the bed.

  Our eyes filled with unshed tears as I moved back to look at her.

  “Are you here alone? What’s happening? Get me out of here,” she said quickly.

  I examined the restraints. “I’ll try, but I don’t know how these work.”

  “Can you at least turn off that deadly buzzing?”

  I didn’t know. I’d only seen Az manipulate something that looked like a mini remote controller. I told her this as I searched the room for some way to stop it.

  Meanwhile, she explained how she had accidentally wound up in the cave.

  “Apparently, Ammon found me and brought me here. Oh, my God, Allie, is he still the original Ammon, or did they build a new one?”

  “I’m guessing original. Azkuran is unusually fond of him.” In fact, Az’s relationship with Ammon reminded me of Laurent in the brief time we’d spent together: a father figure to everyone. Guilt clutched at my heart but Phoebe interrupted my thoughts.

  “Weird,” she said. “When Nathan—” she stopped, swallowing. She fought back tears, and it hurt to hear her voice break like that.

  She rallied and continued. “When Nathan and I were held captive the first time, they told us they had destroyed Ammon because he was a traitor and no longer useful.”

  “Really? I never heard anything about that,” I said, surprised. “I only heard he had been badly injured and was in stasis while he healed.”

  “You mean re-brainwashed.”

  Her expression darkened and I thought of Nathan. And Laurent. I let out a shaky breath. “Probably.”

  I hated what had been done to them. To all of us. When my search for something to stop the inhibitor turned up nothing, I kicked the bedside table, stubbing my toe.

  “Damn it. We’ve got to get you out of here. I have a bad feeling that something big is going down but no one will tell me what it is.”

  “Do you think we’re being rescued?”

  Her voice was laced with hope. I hated to dash it. “We probably better hope that’s not the case. There’s a lot of firepower here and I don’t think Az will give up easily. Especially now that he has fam—ily. ” My voice broke. Mia. Fear, cold and swift, shot through my nerves. If we were under attack, she might get hurt.

  “Phoebe, tell me everything, quickly. Did Ammon or Liang say anything? Did you overhear Azkuran say anything about what was going on?”

  I clutched her hand and she shook her head, her eyes wide.

  “All I know is Ammon went weirdly AI and said something about subject number … three-something … being engaged, and they rushed out of here. But not before taking my hand.”

  Her face was furious and my eyes widened in shock. I looked down. Phoebe had always only had one hand. Had they done something to her mind?

  Worried, I let that go for the moment and focused on the other thing she said. “Subject three-something?” I echoed and she nodded. “Listen,” I said. “I’m going to go try to find where they went. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

  Her face filled with fear and she clenched my hand. “Wait! Can you do magic? I can tell you some spells that might work once you’re out of here.”

  My shoulders slumped and I shook my head. “No. Awakened, remember?” I pointed to myself. “I have some great tech—at least they do—and some weird connections and strange shit like a truth-telling well, but—”

  “The well is here?” she interrupted me, her face excited. “What about the flames of life?”

  “The wha—? Oh, right,” I said, remembering. “Not that I know of.” Her face fell again but her question had made me think. If there was one here, maybe we could use it to fix Laurent. “I’ll check,” I promised her. I started to leave but hovered at the door. I couldn’t leave her there alone. What if they came back and did something to her while I was out?

  “What are you waiting for? Go figure out a way to get me out of here so we can grab your kid and go.”

  I gave her a watery smile. We hadn’t ever really talked about Mia. “I just realized that I can’t leave you alone. What if Az or somebody comes back?”

  “We’ll just have to risk it.”

  Her face took on those stubborn lines I knew so well and I loved her for it. But another way had just occurred to me. “Look, I’m going to step just outside the door for a moment to call Nadia then I’ll be right back.”

  “How is she? Does she have her memory back?” she asked quickly.

  I shook my head. “Not yet, but I think I can get her to help, or at least use her to find out what’s happening.”

  My stomach twisted when Nadia showed up a little while later, looking cautious and sad. Mia skipped happily alongside her until she caught sight of me. She broke free and ran toward me, grinning.

  “I counted this many and this many cwystals the size of my hand!” She flashed all ten fingers at me, twice. “Can you believe it?”

  “Wow, that’s amazing.�
� I swooped down and squeezed her until she wriggled away, laughing.

  “I don’t think she should be here,” Nadia said quietly, her wolf eyes glowing gold.

  “Yes, she should. And I had no choice.” I whispered.

  Her brows lowered. “There’s always a choice.”

  “Is there?” My voice was flat as I took Mia’s hand and walked toward Phoebe’s door, grateful that in whatever rush Liang had been in, she hadn’t thought to post guards. I hoped we would be lucky enough to free Allie and grab Laurent as well.

  My grip tightened reflexively on Mia’s hand and with the uncanny intuition children have, she balked at the door. “What’s in there?”

  “Just a friend of mine, honey. I’m trying to help her.”

  “Do I know her?”

  “No, but you will. She’s really nice.”

  Satisfied, she went in with me, Nadia following.

  Nadia gasped when she saw Phoebe, and Mia scooted behind me, her little hand still holding mine.

  Phoebe smiled at them both, blinking back tears. “How are you, Nadia?”

  After Nadia’s short reply, Phoebe looked at Mia. “And who might you be?”

  Mia scrunched further behind my back, and the fingers of her free hand went in her mouth. I tried to scoot her forward a little but she hid her face against my leg.

  “This is Mia,” I said. “She’s the VIP around here.”

  Mia looked up at me. “What’s that?”

  “It means Very Important Person.”

  She giggled and returned her face to my leg. Sobering, she tugged my arm and I knelt beside her. She pointed to the restraints on Phoebe’s arms and legs. “What’s those?”

  “So she won’t fall out of the high bed and hurt herself,” I lied.

  She looked at the bed, Phoebe, and the floor then nodded. With a few careful steps, she approached Phoebe, who tried to look over the edge of the bed.

  “Are you hurt?” Mia asked.

  “I just need a little help,” she said.

  Mia’s courage flagged and she hurried back to me. I gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “She’s going to be all right,” I said. “Phoebe is very strong and brave, just like you.”