She didn’t try to hide them; she wasn’t ashamed of them, they were hers to own, but they were also a reminder not to give too much away, not to get involved, not to put too much trust in others. The marks had faded over the years, but the original injuries had sliced her to the bone as a child so the scars would never fade.
Now a faint pink, they were nothing like the ragged, raw wounds she once bore after chains tore through her flesh and embedded in her bones. Because her skin had healed over them, it took her hours, a lot of tears, and some passing out before she finally worked the chains binding her from her flesh and bone.
She hadn’t screamed. Shecouldn’tscream; it might lead to certain death, and she’d barely escaped it the first time. The pain was unbearable, but she hadn’t cried out.
She had learned her lesson, and it followed her throughout life. It dogged her every move and colored her every decision. If her visions hadn’t led her to Cabo and Zina, they wouldn’t be in this van; she never would have trusted them enough otherwise.
They led you to Asher too. Brie rubbed the marks on her wrist as she contemplated this. It was true; they had led her to Asher too.
And when she lifted her head to meet his gaze, she saw nothing but concern there. He glanced at her scars before meeting her eyes again.
“I want to help,” he said. “Icanhelp.”
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
“The Alliance can’t be involvedin this. This ismymission, and while I realize we’re all on the same side, it’s something I have to carry out on my own.” When he started to speak, she held her hand up to silence him. “Don’t ask me why. I can’t explain it, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
Just as she’d known to bring Zina and Cabo in, her instincts and premonitions were telling her to trust him. She wouldn’t have been led to him if she couldn’t trust him. It had taken her months to open up to Cabo and Zina, but they didn’t have months. Everything was going so fast now; it was all screaming toward the end, and they needed his help.
She was certain of it. And she was as certain she would stop him if he tried to get in her way. He was strong, it would be a hell of a fight, but she’d kick his ass if he did something wrong.
“The Alliance won’t be involved,” Asher told her. “I won’t tell them anything you don’t approve of them knowing.”
He didn’t exactly like keeping things from his brothers-in-arms, but he would do whatever it took to destroy the demons. And he would do whatever was necessary to earn her trust. He didn’t know why, but that was extremely important to him. Once he gained her trust, he wouldnotbetray it.
“How do you know about these stones?” he asked.
Brie decided to trust fate, her visions, and whatever else was conspiring to propel her onward in her quest and plunged in. If she came to regret it, so be it. It wouldn’t be the first time she made a giant mistake in her life, and it wouldn’t be the last.
He wouldn’t do anything to destroy the stones or take them from her, but he was determined to destroy the demons too and would do whatever was necessary to ensure that happened. She was certain of it.
“The same way I knew you shouldn’t return to your compound; I saw it,” she stated.
“Wait,” Asher said as he leaned back and tried to process what she said. “You have visions?”
“Yes. I have no ideahowwe’resupposed to use the stones to defeat the demons, but I believe it can be done.”
Asher rested his head back against the side of the van as he shoved his bound hands between his knees. “I know someone who can see the future, but nowhere near this level.”
“I’m a five-hundred-year-old, purebred vampire. I’ve been receiving visions my entire life. During that time, they’ve gotten alotstronger. It used to take me years before I could find a stone. Now, I retrieved one yesterday, and we’re going after another today as my visions guide me faster.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know for sure, but the fact my ability has grown stronger as I’ve gotten older has helped. Also, I think everything is coming to a head soon. I can’t be sure, but I feel like the war with the demons is almost upon us.”
This was not the best news he’d ever heard. He’d known it was coming; it was inevitable, but since the fall of the compound, the Alliance was not as prepared for it as they had been before. But they would destroy those monsters, and if these stones could help, then he would take it.
“Once we have all ten stones, I know we’ll be able to find some way to use them to force those monsters back into Hell, where they belong. I’m not sure how it will happen, but ithasto happen,” Brie continued.
“And what if you don’t receive a vision telling you how to do this?” Asher asked.
“I’m not going to think about that. I can’t.”
But she did. Too often, at night, she lay awake pondering the possibility and the horrible reality she may collect all the stones and still not know what to do with them. She couldn’t admit that; she wouldn’t let those bleak musings crush the spirits of her friends like they sometimes did hers.
“Once they’re all together, I’ll figure it out. Until then, I’m going to finish collecting the stones, and then they will be used to destroy the monsters stalking this earth.”
“Holy shit,” Asher muttered
