Focus here, Marcella. On me. We need to combine powers. I have no idea what we can do together. You had powers as did I before we connected but we are not fully bound.
What?
I’ll explain later but basically you won’t have all of my powers.
“Can’t you two travel with the wind?” David asked.
“You detect a breeze, dipshit?” Sterling asked, clearly getting more on edge by the minute. “And you think we’d just leave you two here?”
Diego spoke to Marcella before she could reply to them. Ignore them. We need to get them untied. Use your mind. Imagine what you want to happen. Visualize it in your mind.
Her brows dipped. Like the ropes melting away?
Right. Let’s try. Reach for my mind and I will yours.
I’ve never done anything like this. Marcella felt her heart kick up a beat. What if she failed? No. What if they failed?
Focus. Don’t think about ‘what ifs’.
And like a warm blanket Diego was there in her mind, calming her. She wanted to hate him, but with the intimate touch of their connection she felt safe. Capable. Able to do this. She closed her eyes and focused…
To her shock and amazement her ropes loosened and then freedom. Her arms warmed with the blood flow. Lifting her hands, she stared at them and then around the room. David was free.
Sterling moved his hands to the floor in front of him. “About damn time.” He pushed to a sitting position, blood matted to his cheek. “What other tricks can you two do?”
Marcella looked at Diego who now was sitting. Their eyes locked. In that moment, she wanted to tell him she loved him. But she didn’t. He sent her aunt to death or some worse fate like torture. She should hate him for it. Instead she hated herself.
What kind of woman wanted a man who taught her to kill and cared so little for her only living family?
* * * * *
After the ropes had disappeared, Diego was confident in what he and Marcella could do together. If only she and David were converted fully. If they could travel with the wind, they could be to the Knight lab in no time.
But they couldn’t, which meant options were limited.
Diego went to Marcella and settled his hands on her arms. Her fingers went to his cheek. “It’s deep. You need stitches.”
“I’m fine,” he said, but he knew he wasn’t. His hand went to hers, drawing it away from his face. He was weak. Each push with his mind was making him more so. But touching Marcella gave him a sense of power. As if together they were stronger. And maybe they were. “Here is our real test,” he told her. “When we open that door, we have to make the camera think we didn’t. I think we should divide and conquer. Merge our minds and then think of different tasks. I’ll open the door. You make the camera think it doesn’t open.”
“How do you know this place?” she asked. “Where are we?”
“I’ll explain later, but we aren’t in Mexico anymore. We’re in Nevada, and for the first time in a long time, I’m thankful I have intimate knowledge of what obstacles these walls represent. If we get past this camera there will be two more.”
Her eyes went wide. “But how will we know if I’m successful?”
“We won’t.” It was the simple truth and he saw no reason to hide it. “We just have to hope.”
He turned to the door, taking her hand in his. David and Sterling stood side by side. Both looked like shit, but Sterling was by far in the worst shape. He needed food, vitamin C and sleep. All the more reason they had to make this work.
Diego looked at Marcella, a question in his eyes. She nodded and they turned to the door. They had to make this happen.
* * * * *
The door had opened and the Arions had never known a thing. Diego knew the compound like the back of his hand. Getting them out of the facility had been the hard part. But he knew places others wouldn’t. Ways to get to the outskirts of the camp unseen.
Now they were at the point of no return, to the edge of the woods that would lead them to safety. Diego stopped, knowing it was time to part with Marcella. He’d kept Marcella close as they had traveled, her hand in his. Three times she had tried to turn back. Each time she’d spoke in his mind, begging him to save her aunt.
He looked at Sterling. “I am trusting you with her life.”
Sterling shook his head. “You can’t go back on your own.”
“They won’t even know I was there.”
“I’m going with you,” Marcella said. “We are stronger together. Our power. You need our power.”
Diego turned to her. “No. You go with Sterling and David. I’ll bring Catherine back to you.” He hesitated. This was what his mate wanted. He felt her anguish and pain. “Or I’ll die trying.”
“I’ll go with you,” David said.
Diego looked at the man he had considered an enemy. Now he regretted the harshness of his shortsighted behavior. He patted David on the shoulder. “No, my new friend. You must go and heal. Your body is weak.” He paused. “And if I do not return, keep her safe.”
Marcella grabbed his arm. “Don’t go alone. You can’t go alone. No. Please.”
“I have to. Sterling and David are in no shape to come with me. Besides, Sterling is the only one who knows how to get you to safety.” Diego looked at him but spoke to Marcella. “Get food down him and fast.”
“I’m the one you need.” She grabbed the front of his shirt and stepped close. “We work well together and I’m fine.”
“I thought you hated me.”
“I…I need to go with you.”
“You need to go care for Holly. If we lose Mason’s mate, this battle will not fare well. We need him and he needs her.” Diego grabbed her and pulled her close. “Heal Holly for me. That is all I ask. I will get Catherine.”
And before she could protest he kissed her. Long and hard, he thrust his tongue against hers, absorbing all she was…afraid it would be the last taste he ever had.
The wind kicked up around them, tossing dirt around before he could force himself to lift his lips from hers. He’d already begun to fade into the wind. And when the moment came, he touched her cheek and whispered her name.
Praying she would make it to safety.
Chapter Thirteen
Marcella couldn’t believe how amazing being at a cave in the middle of nowhere felt. But when Sterling announced they had arrived at their destination, she had been ready to shout for joy. Only she had no energy. She watched as he moved a tree limb and did something to the wall. To her amazement a door slid open right smack in the middle of the side of the cave.
Sterling motioned with his chin. “Home sweet home.” The words came out weakly. Almost a whisper.
She’d gotten a feel for Sterling’s personality. He was not well, yet he tried to make light of the moment. It was his way. Hers was to remain calm. Memories of her panic when the Arions took Catherine flashed in her mind. Okay, so she used to be calm. She didn’t know what she was now other than tired and worried.
Inside the cave, she felt the closing of the cave entrance like a tight glove. Darkness surrounded her and seemed to suffocate. A flutter of nerves lifted in her stomach. But then a light flashed and a bit in the distance she saw Sterling standing in the warm glow. Another wall slid open.
And Marcella knew she was about to enter a new world. One where everything known to her was lost. The question was, would Diego be a part of that loss?
* * * * *
Mason stood in the doorway of the lab looking at Holly. She was doubled over with stomach pains yet she still worked. She was the most hardheaded woman he’d ever known.
“Please rest, Holly.” His voice held a plea.
She carried his child, though she barely looked pregnant. Food wouldn’t stay down, and she was dizzy more often than not. Before her conversion to Arion she’d been unable to have children. When she’d become pregnant the news had been both exciting and terrifying at the same time. No baby had been born to this new race t
hey had become. His mate would be the first to produce. And with that knowledge had come fear. Reality had delivered the hard truth. This was no easy path.
Holly was his life. He loved her beyond belief. And he needed her. “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll lie down with you.”
Blowing a strand of blonde hair from her eyes, she shook her head. “I’m really onto something.” She shoved a slide under the microscope. “I’m close to solving the vitamin C deficiency. But,” she said, “it’s better than just a cure. I have a surprise for you. It’s not fully tested.” She opened a drawer and pulled out a dart. “It’s laced with a special steroid formula Diego and I have been perfecting. It depletes vitamin C. For most people this would be a slow process but the lab tests show different results on GTECHS. Rapid metabolism makes it race through their system and weakens their healing process. In other words, if you shoot them, they are going to feel it in ways they normally wouldn’t. Bullets will be more effective.”
As much as Mason wanted her to rest, he realized that this was an amazing discovery. But then she was amazing. He’d known that from the moment he’d met her. “How fast will this work?”
“Well, I can’t say for sure. It’s only lab tested, but if I’m right, minutes. But it needs to be injected or shot into a major artery. The neck or near the heart is the best bet. I’m working on different distribution methods. Right now I have only a few loaded tranquilizer bullets.”
Holly turned towards the microscope again. “No,” Mason said, walking to her and reaching for her hand.
She looked up at him, a hint of impatience in her eyes. “Mason, this is important.”
“So are you,” he said and pulled her to her feet. His finger brushed her cheek. “I love you, Holly Heart.”
She smiled. “I love you too. Now let me look at my slide.” But she grabbed her stomach and a little sound slid from her lips.
“Sick again?” he asked concerned.
She nodded. He moved before she could protest and slid his hands under her legs. “Mason!” she complained. “Put me down.”
“In bed,” he said. “If you won’t rest, I know other ways to pass the time.”
A bit of laughter slid from her lips but then she moaned again. “The movement is making it worse.”
They reached the elevator just as the doors slid open. Inside stood Sterling looking like he’d been dragged behind the motorcycle he loved so much, and two other people he didn’t know. One of which, he assumed, was Marcella Hunter. But one was missing who should be present.
“Where’s Diego?”
Sterling leaned against the elevator wall. “Acting like he’s some superhero. I had to get Marcella back.”
The woman reached for the door. “That would be me but I wanted to stay. I didn’t want to leave him. I could have helped.”
“Put me down,” Holly said.
Mason ignored her and looked at the other stranger. “Crap. You’re half converted.” He looked at Sterling. “What the hell is going on?”
“Put me down, Mason Alexander,” Holly said. “Don’t you see they need medical attention?”
Marcella stepped forward and reached for Holly’s hand. “So do you.”
Mason looked at this newcomer, feeling a glimmer of hope. “Can you help her?”
She nodded but her eyes were big and hinted at tears. “Please go get Diego and my aunt.”
Mason sighed. “I need a rundown of what’s going on and fast.” He stepped forward. “Everyone upstairs. Sterling needs to eat and so do you…”
“The name is David.”
They all faced the front of the elevator as the doors shut. “Welcome to our world, David. It’s not much of a party, but it’s never boring.”
* * * * *
The room was as normal as a bedroom in a typical modern-looking home. It had pictures on the walls. Decorations around the room. Even very modern-looking black finished furnishings. It was almost possible to forget they were several levels beneath the ground.
Marcella sat on the edge of the bed where Holly lay looking too pale. She reached for her hand to confirm what she already sensed. Whatever was wrong was not yet fatal. She focused…but it could be.
Sterling sat nearby in a chair, orange juice in one hand and his third sandwich in the other. He was looking better but some of his cuts were deep. “I can help you,” she said to him. “I’m weak now, but if I rest I can help.”
A smile filled Sterling’s face. “I appreciate the offer but save your energy for people who need it.” He held up the orange juice. “You saw Michael’s wrist. We heal quickly as long as we have enough vitamin C and nourishment.”
“And sleep,” Holly added.
Sterling ignored her. “By tomorrow I’ll be ready to fight again.”
Holly snorted. “Hardly. The day after tomorrow. You’re not a super hero, Sterling.”
“That’s not what she said.”
Marcella blinked. “She?”
Holly made a face. “He’s being a man. Ignore him. Pretending to be a ladies’ man. He doesn’t even want a woman right now. He has no mate.”
“Back in the day the ladies did call me super.” He wiggled his brows.
Marcella laughed but heavy thoughts were in her mind. She wanted to ask about this mating they all talked about. Could Diego really never want another?
Sterling answered her unasked question. “Diego is lucky to have found you, Marcella.”
Holly pushed to a sitting position. “What?” She surprised Marcella by lifting her hair and touching her neck. “Oh my God! I can’t believe it. You’re Diego’s woman. I had so hoped for his day to come.”
Marcella turned to her and slid her fingers to her neck. “I…don’t understand all of this.”
She looked across the room, feeling the male eyes on her. Mason was taping Sterling’s injuries after forcing Holly to simply supervise his actions. But his eyes were on her. David had already been given an injection of some sort and was resting in some separate cavern. She was glad he wasn’t here, considering the subject now on the table.
It was all very overwhelming. Holly squeezed her arm, drawing her gaze. “We’ll talk later.”
And then, as if taking a cue from Holly he changed the subject. Or maybe he just wanted to move on to more critical matters. Whatever the reason, she was glad to be out of the hotspot.
“So where is Michael?” Mason asked. “When was the last time you saw him?”
“Mexico,” Sterling said. “I don’t know where the hell he is. We haven’t seen him or Marcus since we went lights out and woke up in 51. I hope like hell they are helping Diego.”
Mason finished wrapping the last open cut on Sterling. “Well, I can’t take a chance he’s not. We’ve not heard from him. I’ll take some men and go after Diego.”
He walked to stand in front of Marcella. She looked up at him. The man they called their leader. The man who Diego so believed in and trusted. And now he was going to save Diego. Mason stared at her. “If you have the power, I ask that you heal Holly.” Though his tone was flat, she felt his emotion. He was a ball of love and fear and even pain all wrapped together. “And I will bring Diego to you.”
Marcella pushed to her feet. Her hand went to his arm. “Is there any hope my aunt is alive?”
“One thing Holly has taught me…there is always hope.” He paused. “I need a moment with my mate.”
She nodded and Sterling pushed to his feet. Marcella followed him from the room. Moments later, she stood in the middle of a living room. Or a cave carved into the image. It even had a fireplace.
Sterling sat down on the couch and motioned for her to join him. “We need to talk, Marcella.”
She swallowed but she didn’t move. Standing there, her fists balled by her side suddenly, she felt very alone. Who did she trust? Any of these people? How did she know their agenda?
The man she wanted and needed might have been the very one who had caused her aunt’s death. And he was the reason s
he was now holding weapons and ready to become murderer over healer. She didn’t like what she had become.
“He told the Arions to kill me, not Catherine. They made him choose who would die first and he knew to say me. I had the most chance of living because of how my body works.”
Marcella felt the words like a punch in the stomach. “What?”
“Yes,” he said. “And the Arions laughed. They saw it for what it was. A way to protect Catherine and David. They would have killed all of us but you in the end. Diego might have lived. He has skills they need. But only if he changed sides and he would have died before he did that. He didn’t betray you.”
Marcella felt her knees tremble. Diego didn’t do what she thought. She felt the heat of panic. She’d told him she hated him. And now he could die with those words in his mind.
* * * * *
Mason sat down next to Holly. “I have to go.”
“I know,” she said, but her lip trembled. “How many men are you taking?”
“Only a few. Unless I take an army, this is covert. A few strong men in and out.”
“At least take the new steroid bullets.” She squeezed his arm. “And come back.”
He pulled her close and kissed her. Would this hell call war ever end?
Chapter Fourteen
Mason was indeed a strong leader. Diego often looked back at his decisions and recognized his good judgment. Like now. It had been decided months before that if ever the Knights were separated they would meet up at one of several underground checkpoints. Diego stood above ground at one of these designated areas, examining his entry points to the 51 compound debating his options. Diego knew his chances of finding Catherine alive weren’t good. Damion was as ruthless as they came. He wanted power and he would do anything to get it. But he had to try to save Marcella’s only living family member.
Suddenly, Michael appeared by his side. His heart about jumped out of his chest. “Shit,” Diego said in a hissed whisper. “How the hell do you do that without even a flutter of wind?”