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He nodded.
You spoke into my mind earlier, she sent. You called me your woman.
At that he shook his head, and with his forearms resting on his knees, he said, “I only vaguely remember. The moment you stood up, I had to go to you, to get to you. ”
“ T h e breh-hedden. ” She said the word out loud so that she could start maki
ng sense of it. The call to him was still there, a ferocious beast that for now she had caged, but she’d never felt anything like this, like she had to be with him, be near him, touch him, take him into her body in as many different ways as she could, and do it now.
At the same time, she felt compelled to tell him of her dream. “I saw you battle last night. ”
“What?”
“I don’t know how, but I think I was in the darkening and I felt called to the Superstitions. I watched the battle, how you saved Santiago. I just didn’t know who you were. ” She told him several details of the terrible encounter, that he hadn’t been in wing-mount, and that he’d used both levitation and folding skills to slay the enemy.
“My God,” he said. “Do you do this often? I mean do you have these kinds of visions about other warriors?” Her heart sank. “Never. This was the first time. ”
“Then we’re connected somehow. ” His jaw worked a couple of times. He pressed his lips into a grim line.
Unfolding his legs, he rose , towering over her not just with his height but with his powerful physique. She was five ten, so she wasn’t exactly short for a woman, but he made her feel petite.
“You don’t need to worry,” he said, his brows pinched once more. “I won’t come after you. I’ll leave you alone. ” She sensed a deeper meaning behind his words, behind his intention, that he’d just spoken his natural state, his isolation.
What had her friends told her earlier, that Samuel never came to the workout center, that he’d been held captive for a decade and tortured, that though he was back, serving the Militia Warriors, he essentially kept to himself?
“I’m sure that would be for the best. ” Yet doubt squirmed.
The past few years suddenly ripped through her mind. She realized that what had just happened between them, this sudden onslaught of the breh-hedden, had somehow illuminated what now looked like her dreary existence.
And yet, she didn’t want a man like Samuel in her life, never again. She and Jeff had been married for over six decades and all that time, day in and day out, she’d lived with the possibility that he would die in the line of duty. Then the night had come when he’d been ambushed by death vampires and her life with him had ended.
She hated the war, its seemingly endless nature. Even getting rid of Greaves had only shifted the ongoing conflict and in some ways had made it worse. In one month, the activity at all the Metro Phoenix Two Borderlands had quadrupled, putting heavy pressure on those warriors assigned to Borderland duty.
“This was my last day at HQ,” she said. “I’m transferring to Fiona’s rehab center to begin my counseling internship. I start next week. ” At that, he met her gaze. She knew the tight set of her lips matched his now.
He nodded. “You’ll be doing important work. ”
“What I did here was important work, just different. ” She drew a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.
“I’m committed to building a new life for myself and that doesn’t include connecting with warriors on any level. I’m…I’m not built for this. Do you understand?” He nodded and his frown deepened.
“Okay. ” She believed they’d reached an understanding. “But I’ll probably have to touch you to take you out of this place. ” Her instincts told her that much.
“So where are we exactly? Do you know?” Vela thought about Havily and all that she’d said. “I’m pretty sure we’re in the darkening. ” He whistled. “You have that kind of power?” She shrugged. “Apparently, but I’m not happy about it. ” At that, he smiled, a kind of weary smile that squeezed her heart. He huffed a sigh. “I can relate,” he said. “Oh, boy, can I relate. ” In this moment, she knew two things; Samuel was too damn attractive and she actually liked him.
Without giving him a warning, she closed the distance between them, grabbed hold of his arm, and took him on a quick ride out of their hiding place.
She released him at once, letting her hand fall to her side. She flexed her fingers several times but other than that, she didn’t move away from him. She felt a powerful need to remain close.
Everyone had left except Havily, Jean-Pierre, and Luken.
Luken then gave the orders. “Vela, we’d like you to go with Havily and talk this over with her, even take a couple of trips into the darkening and explore this power with her. ” His gaze shifted to Samuel and he drew in a deep breath.
“I’ve persuaded Thorne and Endelle to back off a little. I reminded Thorne that when Marguerite left Second Earth he actually abandoned his post to follow her.
But we both agree on one thing, that you need to work with Jean-Pierre and get this power of yours figured out. You already know that one of Jean-Pierre’s gifts is facilitation, so will you at least agree to work with him?” Vela glanced up at Samuel. He met her gaze briefly, but his jaw looked pretty stiff. “I’ll do what I can,” he said, “but if I feel anyone’s in danger from the nature of my power, I’m out of here. ” Warrior Luken opened his mouth to speak, but apparently rethought his words because he closed his mouth, nodded, then said, “We thought when Endelle defeated Greaves that we would enjoy a long period of peace, that, moving forward, our primary tasks would be to dismantle his army and pursue every last death vampire he created to the ends of the earth. Then our job would be done.
“We didn’t anticipate three generals off the grid with nearly a million warriors under their different commands. But that’s what we’ve got. One month after the battle at White Lake, and we’re in deeper than ever. You know this. ”
