Absolution of Fate (Fate Series Book 3) (3 page)

Please, don’t apologize, I was only teasing. You know, I like it when you think about me that way.
 

She did love it. She loved him and she knew he loved her, even if they’d never actually talked to or touched one another. They’d spent the better part of the past week exploring each other’s minds, or at least, she had explored his and told him what was in hers. There was an openness in him that surprised her. He never tried to block her from his thoughts, even those which were most dark, so she literally knew everything there was to know about him.

I have to go, we’ll talk later. And don’t worry, it’s not him.
Chloe sent and was gone.
 

Kaleb found himself completely alone again. He strained to hear across the building to Chloe’s quarters, but was only met with the residual noise of the building.
 

It must be Asana
, he thought, feeling grateful to Chloe for reassuring him that it wasn’t his father who was disrupting her. He spent all of his time worrying about what that evil man might do before he had the chance to stop him. Lucias visited Chloe every day, and every day Kaleb sat poised, his body drawn like a bowstring ready to let loose at the slighted indication of distress from Chloe. Though, what would he really be able to do? His father was older and stronger, not to mention that he had the advantage of control through the sire bond. One resonant command and he could put Kaleb on his knees. No, Kaleb knew that when the time came, he would have to act quickly and strike before his father knew he was coming.
 

Lucias was an evil man, there was no doubting that, but still somehow, Kaleb struggled with the thought of patricide. Lucias was the only family he had in the world. Though he loved Chloe, in his heart, he knew her family would never give their blessing to a union with a man such as him. Especially her father. Still, he dared to hope.

✧

He’s growing impatient. I don’t know how much longer I can hold him at bay. Asana sent sitting cross-legged on the floor pretending to meditate. Chloe, are you there?

It was several moments before Chloe finally responded.
 

Yes, I’m here.

You were talking to him again weren’t you? You must be careful with him, he is his father’s son. It could be a trick.

No, Asana, you’re wrong about him. He is nothing like Lucias. He’s kind and sweet and yes, I realize how ridiculously crazy it is, but I love him.

I won’t question your judgment, as your abilities are far beyond my own; perhaps you can see things that elude me, but I just want you to be careful. Do not reveal too much to him.

Don’t worry about me; I know what I’m doing. Chloe replied. Before Asana could even ask, Chloe answered the question that was burning in her mind. I’m sorry, but I cannot see Anna either, even with the necklace.

Chloe looked down as she smoothed her fingers over the sterling silver locket. Asana had taken a great risk sneaking it to Chloe, in the hopes that having something that once belonged to her daughter would help focus her foresight.
 

It must be a spell. I have always had difficulty seeing anything about my own life no matter how hard I tried, but you are much stronger than any seer I have ever met. If you cannot find her, he has found a witch to block her from me, or it is as I have always feared.

Chloe didn’t need to ask what she meant; the grief in Asana’s next thought like a physical presence floating between them.

It had been decades since Lucias had allowed her to visit with her daughter, so long that she wondered if he had long ago had her killed. But it was too much of a risk to ask him. When Lucias first captured her she rebelled against him, refusing to use her ability to help him. That was until he abducted and imprisoned her only daughter as leverage. For many years he used threats against Anna to control her, then one day when he came to her there was no mention of Anna. Though it pained her, Asana did not ask about her daughter after that day, instead choosing to feign loyalty to the man she despised above all others, biding her time. Over the years, as she continued to give her visions freely, Lucias began to trust her more and more. Her prison was exchanged for a suite, her tattered rags for the finest of garments. He even allowed her some access to Chloe to aid with her visions, but only if he accompanied her, a privilege afforded to her alone. No one else was allowed to see or talk to Chloe, not even his own son or his favored pet Molly.

I
n those precious moments with Chloe, Asana found a kindred spirit, someone who could understand her in a way few others could. Like Asana, Chloe was merely a tool to Lucias, a means to the end he desired so greatly. To Asana, Chloe was the only friend she’d had in over two centuries, and she was Chloe’s only way out.
 

Chloe’s ability to listen to and read thoughts provided a unique opportunity. Lucias had placed cameras and recording devices in Chloe’s room, preventing Asana from speaking freely about her plans and visions. But that first day, when Asana stepped through the door, Chloe read her mind. Being the brilliant girl she was, Chloe let Asana know they could talk, really talk, without being heard, while appearing to be engaged in meaningless small talk. In that moment, Asana felt a sense of hope and relief that she hadn’t known for two-hundred years. That first night, she shared her long struggle with Chloe, telling her about Anna and the terrible things Lucias forced her to help him do. They spoke of Chloe’s family and how Asana had truly been trying to protect them all along, always holding back information whenever she could in order to give them time to escape.
 

It was impossible to hold her visions back entirely for, like Chloe’s grandmother, Josephine, Asana’s visions took a physical toll, often causing her to faint or even fall into a coma and Lucias was always watching. After learning all of that, Chloe began guiding Asana so that she could tap into her future stream, a feat which had even eluded her powerful grandmother, Josephine. In practicing her ability, Chloe had learned how to open her own future to the sight of others, so long as she removed the charmed necklace that still hung around her neck. In return, Asana swore to never reveal anything to Lucias that could hurt Chloe or the ones she loved.
 

Have you seen anything else?
Asana inquired, wondering how close they were to the impending battle she’d foreseen.

Nothing of consequence,
Chloe lied again. She had, in fact, had a vision of Anna. Lucias would bring her to the compound to punish Asana, for what Chloe could not see, nor could she see what transpired after. That was the way of her visions. Whenever a future involved a choice which could send it in more than one direction, Chloe’s vision remained unfocused until events drew nearer or a definite choice was made. This particular choice seemed to belong to Asana.

CHAPTER 4 -
A Plan Comes Together

“Jared, it’s been a week already. Isn’t there something Cami can do? He’s her brother; won’t they at least let
her
in to see him?” Alexa asked as she flopped down onto her brother’s bed.
 

“Trust me, she’s doing all she can, but she’s swamped with her duties now and even Father agrees it’s too great a risk until we know more about how the virus is affecting him. They are worried turning him and Layla over to us is a trick; that he’s given them a secret command or something to attack the first chance they get,” Jared replied, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“They are locked up behind impenetrable glass; what will it hurt to just let me see Ethan and Dante see Layla? Or at least tell Ethan I’m alive.”

“Alexa, from what Cami managed to get out of the assistant working for one of the few doctors allowed access, Ethan hasn’t spoken and he’s barely moved since he got here. You have to prepare yourself; he might not even understand if they do tell him.”

“And he might not recognize me when I do see him,” she recited, having heard the same words spoken again and again by people trying to appease and console her. “None of that matters; I’ve told you and everyone else already, our bond will bring him back!” she yelled growing frustrated.

“You realize that’s one of the main reasons they are reluctant to let you near him. What did you think would happen when you told them you want to let an infected vampire bite you? What if you’re wrong, Alexa? You’ll be infected and you’ll put everyone in the compound at risk.”

“Then they can lock me in there, too. At least then we’ll be together, but I’m not wrong and you all know it,” Alexa replied, feeling defeated. She’d shared Chloe’s vision with her brother and father, both also telepaths, so they’d seen firsthand what needed to happen in order for Ethan to be saved.

Jared sighed. The bed dipped under his weight as he sat down beside her. “I do trust Chloe’s visions, but you know how that works; the future is never set in stone. What she showed you was supposed to occur on the day she left, something could have changed; the virus may have taken a stronger hold. We all love you, sis; you have to understand the concern.”

“Of course I do, Jared, but what would you do if it was Cami?” Alexa asked pointedly.

Without even realizing it, Jared was clenching his jaw tightly with his fists squeezing so tight his knuckles were white.

“Exactly.” Alexa said correctly reading her brother’s reaction. They both knew he would take on the world to save the woman he loved.
 

“Yeah, okay,” Jared said as he started to relax again, “but what can we do? Dante told you that no one can get into that area without Commander Claesson, and it’s not just some code we can pull from his thoughts. We’re talking biometric security here; a retinal scan and full handprint, so unless you’re suggesting we cut off his hand and pop out an eye, we’re going to need to persuade him to let you in.”

“Ugh, if only there was some way I could sneak in when he lets the doctor in. Fucking vampire senses; he’d know I was coming from a hundred yards away, if I could even get
that
close. The guards in the corridors won’t let me past the training wing,” Alexa said with exasperation as she flopped down onto the bed.

“What about when the doc comes back out? Does the Commander have to open the door?” Jared asked.

“I have no clue; like I said, I can’t get anywhere near there. Why?” Alexa asked, her brows knitted together with confusion.

“I may have an idea, but we’re going to need some serious help. Come on,” Jared said jumping up and pulling her out the door.

✧

“Shit, that could actually work,” Cami said, her mouth turning up in an admiring half-smile as she looked up at Jared. “We’ll need Dante; he’s the only one who can talk Martinez into doing something so crazy, and Jasmine for the guard.”

“Martinez did it to sneak me out on that mission to the human’s farm house. How hard could it be to get him to help us now?” Jared asked somewhat sarcastically. They all knew this was a much more daunting task. Taking Jared off the compound during lockdown endangered Jared alone. Unauthorized access to infected prisoners put the whole compound, hell, maybe even the world, at risk.

“Getting Dante’s help won’t be a problem,” Alexa added. “He wants to see Layla as badly as I want to see Ethan.”

“Therein lays the problem,” Cami added. “Chloe saw you saving my brother, not Layla. The mate bond is a powerful thing. Seeing you may be enough to keep him under control, but Layla and Dante aren’t bonded; she’s too unpredictable. I don’t know if we can trust him in there with her.”

“Are you suggesting we tell Dante that he has to hang back while someone else goes in? Yeah, good luck with that,” Jared stated. Though Dante had been MIA most of the week since Cami had taken over his command, the few times Jared had caught a glimpse of him, Layla was the only thing on his mind and Cami had been witness to more than one shouting match between him and Commander Claesson about the same subject.
 

No, if anyone was going to get into that room, they weren’t doing it without Dante.

“Fuck,” Cami muttered, moving to the door. “Let’s get this over with. Who knows how much time we have before Lucias makes his next move.”

✧

A loud clang reverberated through the training room as the defenseless training dummy slammed into a metal pole. Dante had taken a page from Cami’s book, spending all the time he wasn’t occupied with Elite business punishing his body and inanimate objects unfortunate enough to be within striking distance. Since he’d been relieved of command, he didn’t have much Elite business to worry about anyway.
 

The soft squeak of the door opening raked across his nerves like nails on a chalkboard, since he assumed it was another idiot coming to spew the same old bullshit about how they would find a cure, that he needed to sleep, blah, blah, blah. What he needed was Layla and until he could have her, physical pain was the only thing that dulled the ache in his heart.

He didn’t bother looking to see who it was, intent on continuing his workout in the hopes that the intruder would take the hint and leave, but he stopped as the familiar and comforting scent of Alexa hit his nose. She was the only person he could stand to be around because she was the only one who truly understood what he was going through.

Turning to face her, he opened his arms. Alexa walked into them without hesitation. The embrace served two purposes; it provided them both with some measure of comfort and it allowed Dante, as a mirror, to take on Alexa’s ability temporarily. Unlike Chloe, Alexa couldn’t speak into the mind of another who wasn’t a telepath. Speaking directly into one another’s minds came in quite handy, since most of what they discussed involved disobeying Commander Claesson’s direct order to stay away from Ethan and Layla.

Before Cami and Jared had even stepped into the room, Alexa had telepathically relayed their entire plan to Dante. Unfortunately, because her mind was so open to him in that moment, he also knew of Cami’s desire to keep him from going in with Alexa.