Emergence (The Primogenitor Chronicles Book 1) (2 page)

The echo of the alarms still reverberated through the dark woods. Marcus picked up the pace, a vise around his heart, and he pushed his Flight to slip faster through the bushes.
They’ll make it. They’ll be ok. Jen would have sensed something…
When they reached the edge of the wild land, and the fence to the Facility, he motioned his Hunters to a stop. They crouched down and peered through the greenery. The vise squeezed tighter and he moaned, “No.”

Jennifer and Andrew lay sprawled, broken and bleeding on the ground like unwanted toys. Marcus silenced the rumble that rose around him with a gesture. He reached out with his mind, already knowing what he would find, hoping he was wrong.

The lance of power took him by surprise. Jennifer’s mind latched onto his with surprising strength, sparking hope. But then the contact wavered in and out.
*Marcus, go, while you have the chance. Escape.*

He clenched his teeth from the pain he could feel flood through the link.
*Hold on, Jen. We’ll come and get you. Take you home.*

*No. I’m just bait. He knows you’re close, and he’s counting on you to show yourselves trying to save me. Please don’t risk anyone. I’m not going to make it.*
She coughed and the contact faded then strengthened again. She turned her head toward them and Marcus could see the blood on her face. The tension emanating from the rest of his Flight soared. Marcus placed his hand on the arm of his Second to hold the Hunter back. Jennifer coughed again before she continued.
*We succeeded, Marcus. We destroyed the old network. But…Andrew found something else.*

A convulsion ripped through her body, and this time Marcus found himself held back by restraining hands. He pulled against them halfheartedly. Tears filled his eyes.
*Jennifer?*

*I don’t have much longer,*
she sent weakly. Extending her wings, she tried to flap them, but they sank to the ground.
*Andrew had the disks, Marcus…but Gabriel found them. I don’t know the details…worse, worse than anything imagined. Be careful.*
The link faded and he held his breath, willing strength down it to support her. She coughed again, and he could see more blood trickle down her cheek to mingle with her tears.
*Robin and Jessica. You have to watch out for them, Marcus. Please…promise me. Promise me you’ll take care of them when their time comes. They will both change. I have Seen it.*

Bowing his head under the weight of his grief, he replied,
*You know I will. We all will. I’ll move them to Aurora tomorrow.*
The fear that shot through the link when he said that surprised Marcus.

*No! Don’t. They need to stay where they are. Please.*
Her connection faded in and out again as she weakened.
*Jessica…she’s special, different. Watch out for her.*
Helplessly, he watched her body twist, the movement exposing the pool of blood that had seeped out onto the rocks around her.
*Marcus, I’m sorry. Tell them I’m sorry and that I love them.*
Heaving a breath, she lay still.

Then there was only silence.

Fifteen years later.

Nickolas Sinclair watched his brother, Christoff, shift his wing into a more comfortable position in the dimness of the van and wished he could do more than shift his. He took a couple of deep breaths and shoved the longing away. He needed the open air on his wings. The space was too cramped. He hated the van. Well, any vehicle really.
I guess I shouldn’t complain. I get more free flight than any of the others.

He settled deeper into the van’s seat and took another breath in an effort to relax his back muscles. They were almost to their destination—finally.

“Nick, why didn’t Ian send Gamma team out for this recovery? This is their territory,” Christoff asked.

Nickolas had wondered the same thing.
Especially since I still have a boatload of paper work to contend with. He knows that
. And the retrieval documents fell short of normal. Maybe that counted as an explanation for their assignment? “Jules, have they sent any more details?”

The small, dark-haired communications technician didn’t bother to turn away from his bank of monitors and equipment. The grounded just shook his head.

Nickolas sighed and turned back to Christoff. “I have no idea, Chris. We’re the only fledged team members, that’s my best guess. You’re right that Jeff’s team should be the one handling this recovery. They’re already stationed out here. It’s a six-hour drive for us.”

“Well, other than being stuck in this van for hours, it is nice to get out of the Facility for a bit. I haven’t gotten out for a few weeks.” Christoff raked a hand across his head, tousling his blond hair before he shifted again.

“Hmmm,” Nickolas returned.
Yes and no Chris. You know how much I hate recoveries.

Christoff laughed. “Don’t even try to pretend you aren’t glad to be out for a bit. You need to loosen up and relax. Enjoy some free time. You’re way too serious.”

Nickolas scowled halfheartedly at his brother. Too serious? What else was there for him to do? Between the piles of paper work and responsibilities to his little clan of Valkyries, the schedule of tests and training they were always under. What was he supposed to do to have fun? The closest he got was sparring in the ring. But that only occupied his mind for a brief period of time. The others all had each other for companionship; he never quite fit in.

“See, there you go again, Nick. Stop thinking so much.”

“Well, one of us has to, Chris.”

“Oh, ow.” Christoff gasped, dramatically clutching his heart. “That one was really uncalled for.” He laughed.

Nickolas’s lips twitched. He could always count on Christoff to be a clown. Somehow his little brother never failed to notice when he needed distracting.

“We have another couple of blocks before we arrive, Nickolas,” Flynn called from the driver’s seat.

Nickolas watched the levity leave his brother’s face. Christoff was fully aware of how hard a trip like this was for him.

Hating his weakness, Nickolas looked out the window onto the darkened pavement. They wound their way down a rustic, residential street. Unlike most cities, where the houses were so close they were touching, these houses had large yards, lots of space. Huge, big-leaf maples lined the road, blocking out a majority of the light cast by the street lamps. Flynn pulled the van up behind a dark SUV.

Before the engine died, Nickolas had popped open the door and was climbing out. He stretched his wings to their full extension before folding them closed on a sigh of relief. He could finally breathe. The sound of Christoff’s wings followed suit.

Jeff and Rick climbed out of the SUV and came over to join them. “What are we looking at, Jeff?” Nickolas asked.

The Gamma team leader smiled a greeting. “She was lethargic when she came home. She arrived about seven tonight. We haven’t seen any movement for at least four hours.”

“Good.” Nickolas caught Flynn’s attention when he came around the van. “Flynn, get the back ready for our guest. Jules, ready to get us inside?”

Smiling from ear to ear, Jules pulled a little black case out of his pocket and tossed it in the air. “I’m always ready, Nick.”

Nickolas rolled his eyes at the wiry little man before turning to address the Gamma leader. “You want to join us, Jeff? This should be your retrieval.”

The grounded snorted and shook his head. “No. It’s your job. We’ll wait out here.”

Glad that Jeff and Rick didn’t seem to be harboring any resentment, Nickolas turned to look at the old rambler across the street.

Blue paint, fading but not yet peeling, washed the walls. The yard had an overgrown quality to it that invited you to explore the paths and see what they hid. The effect appeared purposeful not neglectful.

Darkness shrouded the house. No lights shown from the windows or the shadow-filled porch. As Nickolas studied the house, the hair on the back of his neck rose. A feeling he couldn’t describe lightly brushed across his mind, like a breeze ruffling his hair. Narrowing his eyes, he cocked his head.

“The van’s ready, Nickolas.”

His absorption shattered, he pulled his gaze away from the house. Flynn’s greying red head popped out of the van.

Only a moment had passed, Jeff and Rick weren’t even back in their car yet, but to him it felt like everything had slowed down. He glanced at his team then made an attempt to shake off the disconcerting feeling. “Let’s get this over with.”

He followed in the wake of the other three.

The closer he got to the house, the more he felt like he was walking through molasses. Something inside him felt like it stretched. Not like a rubber band, more like he pushed through a balloon. Then, to compound it, that strange feeling crawled across his mind once more. This time stronger. It wasn’t repellant; in fact, it was the opposite.

He stumbled on the pavement. The desire for it twisted through him, quickly chased by fear. He repressed both ruthlessly.

Christoff’s wings flipped nervously up ahead and drew Nickolas’s attention to the porch. Vines wrapped around the pillar on the left, fading blossoms still clinging to the turning foliage.

Stepping over the curb, Nickolas crossed the sidewalk and passed down the plant-lined walkway.
Get a grip. Stop jumping at shadows.

Shaking his wings out, Nickolas followed the others up the steps. The moment his foot touched the wood, he went blind. Power swept through him, burning channels in his mind, clearing a fog he hadn’t realized existed. He opened his mouth to scream, but the fire seized his lungs and was gone. Instantly. Almost like it had never been. Shaking, Nickolas found himself clutching the pillar of the railing with one hand. A quick glance up showed the others still had their backs to him and were just gathering by the door. None of them seemed affected.

What the hell was that!
Pulling himself together by sheer willpower, he finished climbing the steps, glad for the darkness. He didn’t need the others noticing anything strange.

Christoff shot a quick glance at him when he joined them at the door, but then his brother went back to watching Jules pick the lock.

It didn’t take long. Jules could get through pretty much any lock out there, so a house was simple. The door released and Jules pushed it open. The two unfledged and his brother stepped back away from the opening, giving Nickolas the space to enter first.

That was a routine he wished wasn’t the case at the moment. Still uncertain about being fully in control, Nickolas swept past and entered the house.

Disoriented, Jessica clawed her way up out of the tangled images of her nightmare. A potent combination of adrenaline and panic made her heart race. Shoving a hand through her hair, her fingers tangled in the curls as she tried to push the mass out of her face. Tears stained her cheeks, and she wiped haphazardly at them. Her chest tightened with sorrow as the memories of the last night she saw her parents alive continued to circle through her head.

Angry, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to push them away. She gained some distance, but that allowed her to realize the panic and adrenaline weren’t fading. They were growing. Attempting to control her rapid breath, Jessica opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, but the urge to move overpowered her. She threw back her covers and swung her legs out of bed. The pounding in her head briefly masked everything else.

Tim’s right, I’m getting sick.
She laid her forehead on her knees, confused. It was hard to think.

Goose bumps rose all over her body. It felt like a cloud of static electricity had passed through her. That was the only warning she had before a blinding pain punched through her head. Her breath seized as her body tried to react—move, scream, anything. It was over instantly, but in the wake of it, the fog that had clouded her mind swept away.

She slowly sat up on her bed, taking stock. Her mind raced. The surety that she was catching a cold suddenly faltered.
What is going on with me?

A soft sound reached her ears, interrupting her contemplation.
That’s the front door. What is May doing back already?
A quick glance at her clock showed that it was just after midnight.
That can’t be May. She wouldn’t come home at this hour.
Already the clarity faded and the fog drifted back across her mind.

She reached out and switched on her bedside lamp. The light stabbed daggers into her head and she slapped her hand over her eyes.

What the hell?
Panic blossomed in her chest, momentarily superseding the adrenaline. “No,” she moaned. “No, I can’t be.”

Once over the threshold, Nickolas crossed the entryway and stepped into the living room. He kept his back to the others and pretended to study the titles on a bookshelf. He needed a moment to regain a calm façade to present to the rest of his team. The surge of energy that had mentally rocked him back on his heels on the porch had yet to completely dissipate. A slight tremor still shook his fingers.

Get a grip, boyo. You don’t need to attract Chris’s attention.
His brother could be annoyingly overprotective. It was an admirable quality, unless you were the one being subjected to it.
All I need is for him to decide something’s wrong and sic the rest of our Flight on me when we get home. I’ll never get a moment’s peace.
He ran his fingers through his hair. He was pretty sure he had the shock hidden now, even though he still reeled inside.

Flynn had just found the light switch with his flashlight and had turned the foyer light on. The grounded showed no indication that he was aware of what had happened on the porch.
Now, if I can just be so lucky with Chris.

As if his thoughts had called him, Christoff pulled his blond head out of the entryway closet. His brother’s boyish grin didn’t hide his intelligence, or his searching look, when he met Nickolas’s eyes.

Damn, he noticed. Or…he felt it too, maybe?

He thought about that for a second, but irritation washed it away when he saw worry enter Christoff’s green eyes.

We’re working, Chris, back off.
He hoped his body language would convey his thoughts to his Second. He didn’t need Christoff nursemaiding him.

Chris snorted a laugh and threw a salute in the air before he gave in and looked away.