Evermore, an Arotas Novella (The Arotas Series) (7 page)

“What’s
happened?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her
clothes feel sticky against her skin. Summer in Romania is always
uncomfortable for immortals. She longs for the cool winds of fall to
arrive, but they are still just out of reach.

He
clears his throat, shuffling from side to side as he buries his hands
deep into his pockets. That isn’t a good sign. “Come on,
Nicolae. Spill it.”

“I
didn’t want to ruin your arrival. Sadie has been bouncing for
the past day, wondering when you would return.” He sighs and
glances back toward Sadie. Roseline’s chest tightens when she
sees the fear glinting in his eyes. “There have been some
blackouts.” His turns his gaze back toward her. “They
aren’t good.”

She
knew it. Of course this would happen. Hadn’t she felt like
something was coming? Pair that with Ashir’s sudden arrival,
and this doesn’t bode well.

“What
kind of blackouts?”

“The
kind that hint that entire bases are being wiped out. It’s
strategic. We lost Dubai last night. China the day before. Last week
South Africa and New York went down.”

“Have
we sent teams in to investigate?” Of course they have. She
knows the protocol as well as anyone. If there is an attack, it is
immediately dealt with. So if he isn’t getting solid reports
back, that can mean only one thing. “The second group of
hunters didn’t survive either,” she answers for him.

His
jaw clenches as he gives a brief nod. “We’ve lost over
one hundred hunters so far.”

“And
immortals?” Her throat clenches at the thought. Hunters are
highly skilled warriors, but they are still human. Immortals aren't
so easy to kill.

“A
handful. Possibly more. Until we can get eyes in those bases, we are
flying blind.”

Roseline
runs a hand through her hair, feeling how matted with sweat it has
become. “What are you thinking?”

Since
the truce was forged a few months ago, Roseline, Gabriel, and Nicolae
have run the entire worldwide hunt from this location. Working side
by side, they have learned each other’s tell signs. Nicolae’s
nervous twitch is screaming at her now.

“I’m
not going to let you go,” Roseline says. “I need you
here.”

Nicolae
clamps his back teeth. She can see him ball up his fists in his
pockets. “Those are my men dying out there.”

Roseline
steps forward and places a hand on his arm. He doesn’t flinch
back or even stiffen as he once did when she touched him, evidence of
how far their relationship has evolved. “I know, but the only
way to honor their deaths is to figure this out, not run right into
the fire. You have more than just yourself to think about now.”

Nicolae
raises a hand and waves toward Sadie, plastering on a smile for her
benefit. “She can hear us, you know.”

“Of
course. As can Gabriel.” She smiles as he looks up. She can see
the tension in his shoulders, but he continues his casual
conversation with William, who appears to be completely in the dark.
Sadie struggles more than Gabriel to hide her growing anxiety.
Roseline can tell she longs to be near Nicolae again and she doesn’t
blame her. She wouldn’t mind being in Gabriel’s arms
right now either.

Placing
a hand on Nicolae’s shoulder, she forces herself to say, “We
will sort this out. I promise.” The hows and whys are left
unspoken. They both know this issue won’t be so easily solved.

Dinner
that night is a somber affair. The long rows of tables are filled
with bowed heads and the sound of forks tapping idly against the
sides of plates hardly touched. No one feels like eating.

Even
Williams's earlier carefree demeanor has shifted. His lips are
pressed tightly together and pale, his face slightly ashen in
appearance.

All
around her sit immortals and hunters alike, each still fully armed.
There is a haze of unease in the castle tonight. Roseline doubts
anyone will sleep well, if at all.

The
thought of who might be targeted next hangs heavily on everyone’s
mind. She has old and new friends in the field, spread to the far
reaches of the globe. The day after Costel Petran signed as one of
the founders of the newfound truce, he shipped off to England to head
up a group that chose to hole up in what remained of
Torrent.
The
former pub hasn’t recovered since she turned it upside down by
her torture and mutilation of Malachi. No one dares go into that room
even to this day.

Some
of the hunters wounded during the battle at Bran Castle have remained
behind. Some to heal as humans, others continue to learn how to
control their newfound abilities after being turned. None were forced
to make this decision. Roseline saw to that.

Katia
sits beside Gabriel, her own head bent low and her hands clasped in
her lap. Roseline knows how hard this transition into the world has
been for her. Most of her life was spent alone or with Seneh in the
frozen forests of Russia. At first she hid out in her room because of
Gabriel’s death, trying to find a way to come to terms with
losing a brother she had only briefly known. After his return for the
dead, Roseline quickly realized her withdrawal stemmed far deeper.

It
was the noise that bothered her at first. The constant drivel of
conversation and the clashing of steel in the courtyard not far from
her room. As the weeks passed, she began to emerge from her room for
short spells. Now, half a year later, she has fully adjusted to life
in the castle, but her reclusive personality has not changed much.

A
wallflower is what Gabriel kindly calls her. Roseline has seen
several of the men casting curious glances in her direction as she
passes in the halls, noticed the warm flush along her cheekbones as
she ducks her head and moves swiftly on.

Katia
is not a wallflower. She’s just shy around men. Having Gabriel
home seems to have perked her up a bit, at least until Nicolae’s
rousing speech this afternoon that left everyone with a boulder of
bile firmly seated in their guts.

“This
sucks.” Sadie growls, shoving her plate aside, right into her
water glass. It tumbles over, soaking the center of the table. The
white cloth darkens as the stain spreads, but no one makes a move to
help. “Why are we just waiting around here like something is
going to happen? The fight is out there.” She stabs her finger
toward the floor to ceiling windows that line the dining room. “That
is where we should be.”

“It’s
not that simple,” Nicolae mutters. Roseline casts him a warning
glance, but he shakes his head. “They have a right to know.”

“Nicolae…”
Gabriel starts as his friend rises. Roseline laces her fingers
through his. “This isn’t the time.”

“No,”
Nicolae shakes his head. “It’s the perfect time.”

Clearing
his throat, he rises and all heads to turn to face him. Roseline
can’t help but admire the strength that has grown within him in
such a short time. Under his Uncle Sorin’s thumb, he felt weak,
inferior. Free of his control, Nicolae has become the man Roseline
always suspected him to be.

With
a voice that calls out loud and clear, Nicolae recants the story of
her encounter with the angel Ashir at the Senthe Base. He doesn’t
leave out any details or skim over Ashir’s warning.

Looking
at the grim faces around her, Roseline feels pride swell within her.
These men are not afraid. Not of immortals, Fallen Ones, or faceless
beasts. They are warriors and she is proud to be among them.

“We
don’t know if these attacks are related, but I don’t
think we have the luxury of assuming they aren’t.” He
lifts his leg and steps up onto the bench so all can clearly see him.
“Ashir came to us at Elias’s request. You all know Elias.
You have fought beside him. I have no doubt Ashir is just as
trustworthy. The question each of you has to ask yourself is this:
will you stand and fight or run and hide? There are no other
options!”

Roseline’s
throat clenches at the roar that rises all around. Fists pound
against the tabletop, unsettling dishes as they topple to the floor,
shattered and unnoticed. Men rise to their feet as a unified shout
travels through the wooden rafters above, echoing off the stone
walls.

Gabriel’s
grip on her hand tightens and he turns to look at her. “I guess
we fight.”

She
nods in agreement. “It’s what we were born to do.”

Roseline
stares out the window at the twilight sky, the plush curtains drawn
back by a thick, crimson rope. The tension in the house is thick
tonight. No one talks and no one seems to want to leave the room.
People linger through dinner with no mention of eating, not that
anyone could even stomach food if they thought it mattered.

Everyone
seems to be waiting for the bomb to fall on the castle. Roseline can
sympathize. She has been pacing for nearly half an hour herself, her
hands fluttering against her thighs with mounting nerves.

There
were three more attacks overnight. One on the western coast of
America, just south of Portland, and another along the Canadian
border, not far from Niagara Falls. The final attack came not long
after dawn and started a riot in Dublin. According to the news, the
authorities suspect foul play of the terrorist nature, but Roseline
knows better.

The
thing that disturbs her most is the lack of bodies at the crime
scenes. No prints. No witnesses. Only massive amounts of blood
coating floors, walls, and ceilings. Their enemy is growing bolder
but also more reckless.

She
turns away, letting the curtain sway back into place. Goosebumps
ripple along her arms. She tries to rub them out but stops when she
feels Gabriel’s gaze upon her. She offers him a small smile and
sinks down onto the couch, hugging her knees into her chest.

“I
can’t take this any longer,” William mutters. His face is
pale and his lips drawn back into a grimace. Claudia squeezes his
hand, offering what little comfort she can, but Roseline can see her
own fears in her glazed gaze. “Why are you all just sitting
around here when you should be out there, stopping this?”

“And
what would you have us do, Will?” Sadie asks, turning around on
her couch to stare at her brother. Her hair is deflated from its wild
mane, slightly flattened on the right side from where she has been
pushed up against Nicolae’s shoulder all afternoon. “We
don’t know where they will attack next. We don’t even
know
who
they are!”

Roseline
finds herself tapping her fingers anxiously against her legs. Gabriel
reaches over and silently takes her hand in his. She smiles, grateful
for how easily he knows her moods.

“Sadie
has a point,” Nicolae speaks up. His voice is thick with anger.
Roseline can sympathize. These aren’t just his men dying. Some
of those who have fallen are friends that she has had for years.
Irreplaceable friendships. Good men and women who deserve better than
to be slaughtered in the night. “We have bases manned all over
the world. We can’t just pull everyone out now.”

“Why
not?” William counters. He slips to the edge of the couch, his
face pensive as he looks to each of them. “What could possibly
be worse than losing an entire army?”

“Losing
the rest of the world,” Roseline mutters. She blinks, realizing
that an awkward silence has fallen over the room. She looks to
Nicolae and Gabriel, and each nod in approval. She sighs and lets her
legs fall back over the edge of the couch, soaking in the cold from
the tile floor to help push away the stifling heat of the summer
night. She feels William waiting expectantly so she turns to face
him. “The only thing keeping the outside world from finding out
about us are the men and women in those bases. They cover up murders,
fight against rogue immortals, and keep the peace. If we pull them
back out of fear of losing a few, there could be mass chaos around
the world.”

“So
you are willing to just sacrifice them?”

Roseline
slowly nods, hating the way William’s expression hardens. She
knows all too well the trouble he has had adjusting to this new life.
Although there are plenty of humans living at Bran Castle, hardly any
of them can relate to him. William is not a skilled hunter; he does
not spend his hours training in the courtyard or across the castle
grounds. He has no real purpose here in the grand scheme of things
and he is painfully aware of that.

“I
know it is hard to accept.” Roseline begins but realizes her
poor choice of words. William’s lips press into thin lines and
he draws away from Claudia.

“I’m
not an idiot. I get it, okay?” He pushes up to his feet in a
huff. “Just because I’m not one of you doesn't mean that
I can’t comprehend battle tactics. I just think it sucks.”

“Of
course it does, Will.” Sadie’s response is softer than
before. “If we could stop what is happening, you know we would,
but we don’t even have a clue where to start looking.”