Awakening: A Timeless Series Novel, Book Four (4 page)

Nakari began giving directions, making eye contact with Daniel, but bypassing Colt and
me. It didn’t matter. From what I could tell, the place was a decent size and there was plenty of room to spread out. Nakari and I could stay as we’d always been, distant.

A large staircase was just behind
us. Colt and I took the creaky steps and headed to the second level. Dim lights flickered in the hallway; there were no windows. Colt stopped at the first door on our right and opened it. The aroma of a rotting carcass hit my nose and Colt closed it again.

We
moved further down the hall and tried another door, this time on the left. Again the scent of closed-up rooms hit us, but this time there were no rotting animals. Colt ran his hand across the wall in search of a light switch. I heard the click, but it remained dark.

“Hold on,”
he said and disappeared into the dark room.

A moment later
, sunlight streaked through two large windows.

I
pushed past a few cobwebs and took account of the room. Four bunks lined the far wall, and what appeared to be a couch covered in a dusty sheet sat before a stacked stone fireplace. Colt went to the fireplace and dropped the damper. A pile of leaves, dirt, and twigs dropped to the floor.

“
I guess we can start in here,” he said.

It was as good a place as any
, and Colt said we were staying here for a purpose. Not that I completely understood. I would’ve thought we’d travel further, maybe hide out in a city where we’d blend in. I was sure there was more to it than Colt was letting on. He probably didn’t want to tell me yet, afraid it would upset me.

I
headed toward the closet doors, hesitating for a moment. Cobwebs meant spiders, and I hated spiders. I blew out a breath and opened the doors, ready to jump back if needed. The closet was filled with stacked boxes. Some were labeled
sheets
and
blankets
. I pulled a box down and blew off the layer of grime before pulling away the tape. At least they were sealed, which meant nothing could get in unless it chewed through the cardboard.

Inside the boxes
were sheets wrapped in plastic. I started to pull them out, but when I glanced at the bunks, they were missing mattresses. I frowned. Sleeping on the wood base would be uncomfortable. Unless…

“Colt?”
I turned to find that he was no longer in the room.

I
made for the door and glanced both ways. He must have gone to get cleaning supplies. I headed down the dark hall. If someone had taken the time to carefully pack linens away, chances were they’d stacked mattresses in another room.

I
tried the first door on my right, opening it slowly. I didn’t need another whiff of decay. Specks of light drifted through the long, heavy curtains. I went straight for them and pulled what was left of them open.

A sneeze escaped
me.

“Bless
you,” Colt said, leaning in the doorway. “Got bored cleaning the first room already?” He lifted a brow.

“
I was looking for mattresses.”

I
glanced around the room. It was like the first room; four bunks without mattresses, a sofa covered in a sheet, and a fireplace. What was this place?

Colt stepped inside.

“Maybe in here?” He stopped before closet doors.

I
shrugged.

He
pulled open the door, and I screamed as a fuzzy brown animal leapt out at him. Colt jumped and cornered it quickly. Several sets of heavy footsteps pounded down the hall, but they weren’t all human.

Maes bolted around the corner in
his Tresez form. I pointed to Colt. Daniel, Brogan, and Clayton burst in behind him.

Maes inched closer
, and a moment later, a small squeak sounded. He turned around and shifted.

“
It was a squirrel, Cheyenne.” Irritation flared in his voice.

“
She didn’t know,” Colt defended me. “It scared her.”

At least I knew Maes would still come to help if needed—maybe.

Maes eyed him for a moment. “What are you looking for anyway?”

“Mattresses,”
I replied.

He
pushed the others out of his way, and I followed. Brogan rolled his eyes as I passed. Four doors remained, three on the right and one on the left. Maes went for the second door on his right.

“
Here.” He pushed it open, and clicked on a light, revealing wrapped and stacked mattresses. It was a storage closet of sorts.

Who did stuff
like this, stacking mattresses with protective wrappings? Did they plan on coming back here one day?

“Just what is this place?” I couldn’t hold back my curiosity any longer.

“It was an old training facility. Marcus is particular about certain things,” Maes answered. “It’s been abandoned for years, but I knew there’d be supplies here, and halfway decent housing.”

“And hidden,”
I murmured. At least it was now starting to make sense why Maes had chosen this location. It was obvious he knew it, knew the area.

He
nodded for me to follow him, and Colt and Daniel tagged along. We stopped in the hall.

“A main bathroom is here.”
He pointed to a door further down on the right. He took a step across the hall, opening another door and turning on a light. “And this is where I think you should stay, Cheyenne.”

A large bed
filled the center of the room, with a gold chandelier hanging over it. The fireplace was marble, with chairs sitting around it covered in cloths. I stepped over the threshold and my skin prickled. This was Marcus’s room.

“No.”
I shook my head and stepped back, bumping into Brogan’s chest. “I won’t stay in here, Maes. Give me a bunk.”

“So you can murder us in our sleep?” Brogan said
coolly.

I
turned to face irritated brown eyes.

“Well,
you’re the ones who brought me here, so obviously I can’t go anywhere.” I held my ground. Sleeping in the same bed or even staying in the same room Marcus had wasn’t going to happen.

“
It was a mistake,” he said. “Just like putting our faith in you.”

Colt pulled
me away from Brogan, pushing me behind him.

“And what are you going to do, Colt?
You’re powerless, thanks to Cheyenne!” Brogan snapped. “Not that you had much in the first place…”

“Enough!” Maes shoved
them apart. “Go make up the other rooms. There’s plenty to do yet.”

Brogan hissed as
he passed. Judge as he might, I was right in the decision I made, even if I didn’t know how I was going to defeat Marcus. They’d see that what I was telling them was true one day, but I hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

Colt and Daniel pulled the mattresses from the storage room and began stacking
them as I went back to the room and dusted the bunks. Colt had found a broom and cleaning supplies. Within hours, we had the two rooms cleaned and aired out.

Daniel disappeared to let
the others know of our progress while I sat down on the red runner in the hall. I was getting tired again, and the ache behind my eyes had returned. I leaned against the wall, rubbing my temple.

“
You’re tired, aren’t you?” Colt commented as he squatted beside me. He brushed a stray hair back.

“
It’ll pass,” I replied, trying to convince myself. I wasn’t sure I wanted to sleep after my last dream.

“In time, but
it’s already been five days since your marriage.”

I
stared at him blankly. I’d been awake for at least two of those five days…

“
You held me while I slept for three days?”

“Well,
I couldn’t just lay you down and leave.” He gave a faint smile that quickly faded. “I was more than willing to take care of you after all I put you through.”

And Callon had been gone for five days as well…

My mind whirled around the past events. All the cruel words he’d spoken to me, all the torment I had to endure at his hands…but he was the one who shoved me into the room that led me to find Sahara’s journals. And without those journals I wouldn’t have found the truth.

“
I almost killed you, Colt,” I whispered. “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I had.”

“But
you didn’t. You stopped.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it. He glanced down the hall, soft footsteps pattered on the steps. “Why don’t you go rest? I’ll take care of the other rooms.”

He
helped me up and led me to a bunk, pulling down the covers.

“
I’ll come and check on you later. I’ll find out the bathing arrangements and then you can get cleaned up.”

I
crawled under the blankets and lay staring out the open window. Birds were chirping, and the sun’s last rays were filtering through the space. At least we’d have more sunshine here than in Ireland, although my sunshine was now leaning down to kiss my forehead before he disappeared out the door.

Rest
would help me regain my powers. It shouldn’t be too much longer till they were restored, but then would come a whole new set of worries. I’d be gaining Marcus’s powers too, and I didn’t know exactly what they were.

My eyes fluttered at the rain pattering against the windowpane.
I rolled over, pulling the covers from my head. There’d been no sign of rain clouds when I fell asleep. I drew the covers down and glanced around. It was dark, but I was in the same room I went to sleep in.

I
sat up on my elbows and waited a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Lightning flashed and lit up the room. The other bunks were empty. Brogan had said no one wanted me here, but would they be so petty they refused to sleep in the same room?

My thoughts drifted towards Nakari
—yes, she could be that petty, and chances were, she’d persuaded the others to stay away. I sat up, as my irritation rose. Nakari blamed me for stealing Callon’s heart and then crushing it into dust. She’d been against me from the start, with her cold glances and cruel words. She herself had even tried to seduce Callon, forcing him to choose between her and his destiny.

Anger began to burn in my veins. Now she was turning everyone against me, including Colt and Daniel?
She was angry and wanted nothing to do with me, wanted to ensure I was isolated and alone. She hadn’t made eye contact in days; she hadn’t even acknowledged my presence.

I
threw the covers aside. She and I were going to have it out. She could ignore me, but she shouldn’t influence the others. They needed to make their own choices. I’d show her what it meant to turn others against me... I stomped to the door, opening it and listening for any sounds. It was strangely quiet.

My anger simmered as
I padded down the hall, stopping to open the other bunkroom we’d cleaned out. At least three of the beds were filled with large bodies. They must have made this the guy’s room.

I
closed the door and continued, stopping at the top of the stairs. A dim light was coming from the large room, and the sound of a fire crackling. I grabbed the handrail as I made my way down. Nakari had to be down here…

I
rounded the corner; chairs had been pulled closer to the fire with their backs facing me, and several heads protruded above the high backs. Brogan and Layla lay snuggled together on the couch, Layla’s shoulder resting on Brogan’s.

Nakari’s auburn locks tumbled off the side of a
highback chair. I clenched my fists. I didn’t care if everyone heard. This needed to stop.

“Nakari,”
I called out and moved closer. She didn’t answer.

“Nakari!”
I said again and stopped before the fireplace.

I
stood motionless, and my breath caught. Nakari’s head lay slumped over the arm of the chair, her blood pooling on the floor.

I
flipped myself to face the others. Brogan sat unmoving; his eyes open and mouth gaping. Burn marks laced his shirt. Layla’s head limply rested on his shoulder, blood dripping off her chin.

I
began to shake as I whirled around and saw Skylar, his body contorted in the chair, and what looked like bite marks riddling his body. A gaping wound at his neck caught my attention. It was as if it had been sliced open.

I
opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. I pressed my hands to my face and felt a sticky residue smeared across my cheek. I pulled them away. They were covered in blood, their blood. But I hadn’t touched them…

I
bolted from the room and headed for the stairs. Colt! He had to be upstairs sleeping. He and the others had to be sleeping while this attack took place!

I
took the stairs two at a time, my chest pounding. I flew down the hall and grasped the doorknob, throwing the door open.