Emergence (The Primogenitor Chronicles Book 1) (49 page)

Geoffrey, the Hunter from the team, shrugged his shoulders as he sat. “He looked a little run down and worn out but otherwise good. What did you pick up, Eric?”

The Seer cocked his head as he thought for a moment. “Geoff’s right. He’s had a time of it if his outward condition says anything. But he’s strong in his power. Stronger than anyone I’ve had contact with before. I only got the most basic of a preliminary scan before he detected me and threw me out of his mind. He has incredible Seeing abilities; I was able to get that much. And we already know his telepathy has a huge range. Farther than anyone I’ve tested before. But other than that, my attempt wasn’t terribly useful.”

Eric gestured for Geoffrey to continue. “Since he’s finished his change and is no longer inhibited, it was impossible for us to hide our presence from him. He sensed us, I think, before he even left the restaurant. He looked wary as he came out, scanning the rooftops. No way to download the chip without showing ourselves.” He reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

Marcus accepted it, idly spinning the small piece of plastic in his fingers. “What was his reaction?”

“He seemed a little dumbfounded if you ask me. I tried to distract him with conversation and some images while Eric did the transfer and scan. It really wasn’t very long, he caught Eric so quickly and threw us both out.”

Marcus mulled over their observations for a minute then dismissed the two. “If you remember anything else of import, let me know. You’re free to resume your duties.”

When he was alone, Marcus inserted the chip.
Oh, Dad. You’re looking awful.

“Hello, Marcus. Nothing outward has changed since my emergency communication. But keep a presence at Dustin’s. It’s only a matter of time before they’ll have to fly. As more come off the drugs, we won’t be able to keep it contained. As you see, Nick has completed stage four. It’s been hard on him. I’ve included a copy of his past and current records for Beth, but we were right; he’s not a Seer. His scans and tests are off the charts.

“He’s not forthcoming on what he can do. The talents I have been able to pinpoint are exceedingly strong. Telepathy, coercion, clairvoyance, possible precog. But he’s not talking. It’s going to take time to learn anything from him. You know how stubborn he is. I wonder where he got that from.” Ian laughed, then the recording continued. “Chris and his Second are now taking the plunge. Hopefully that will keep them all occupied for a bit.

“Jessica’s doing as well as can be expected. She’s still not overly cooperative, but we’ve managed to avoid any more jail breaks. She’s halfway through her metamorphosis, but condition-wise she seems farther.

“So here’s the bad news. There’s a spy somewhere. Gabriel is getting information he shouldn’t have. He not only knows that you are in the process of setting up a new community of Valkyries, but he knows your drop town. It’s only a matter of time before he has the exact location of your new site. It’s less isolated than Aurora, so he’ll find it. Warn Dustin and his family. Gabriel won’t care if they are unfledged, Marcus, he’ll bring them in. He’s setting a trap for you.

“The next shipment is ready. I’ll have Jays at the warehouse two days from now, at eleven in the morning. We focused on the more difficult drugs for you to obtain. I don’t know how many more drops I’ll be able to put together. Things are heating up around here.

“All my love goes out to you. Please watch out for Gabriel’s trap. Clear skies.”

The screen went blank and Marcus leaned back in his chair, absorbing all the information. After taking a deep breath, he mentally reached out.
*Robin?*

*Yes, Marcus?*

*Please come to my office.*

*I’m on my way.*

He pulled the chip out and filed it with all the others he’d received over the years. After a preemptory knock, Robin strode in, not waiting for permission. Marcus automatically glanced at Robin’s neck. Only a few red marks from the stitches remained to fade.

Kelley’s recovery was, of course, much slower. “How’s Kelley doing?”

“Good. Still a little discomfort breathing, but she can move her wings on her own now. Several weeks to go before they can support her weight though.”

“Not being able to fly is always the hardest in a recovery. Well, I didn’t call you in here to ask about your Second. The mule is back in the traces. I just received a message from Ian. Jays will meet you at the warehouse in two days. So you should join the Flight at Dustin’s. But I want you to take a Wing of Seers and Casters with you.”

Robin cocked his head and wrinkled his forehead. “Why?”

“There’s a leak somewhere. Ian’s looking, but we have to be careful. Gabriel has learned of our plans for expansion. I don’t want anyone going out without protection. And that includes Dustin.”

Nervous, Robin sat down. “How do you want us to play this?”

“Protect yourselves at all costs. If you have to hurt or kill someone, do it, but otherwise try to just get everyone out and run. I know that goes against the grain for most of the Hunters, but it’s necessary. We don’t need to develop a vicious reputation with the general public.”

Thoughts swirled through Robin’s eyes before he said, “I’ll get my team together and meet with you tomorrow morning.”

Marcus nodded his head. “That sounds good.”

Nickolas watched the storefronts slip past and ignored Jays’s chatter with the other two Valkyries sitting behind him. Control of his new abilities proved more of a challenge to learn than he’d expected. But he could almost overlook that, thanks to the relief of having his mind back under his own control.
I just wish I could remember more. It’s been two days since Ian cleared me, and I still feel so raw inside. The drive to get to Jess…
Snippets wandered through his thoughts. Her voice, his.
Did I really think I could get her out?

He tried to adjust his wings a little and took a calming breath of the air that blew in the open window. He had to remind himself for the hundredth time that he wasn’t trapped, that he could get out and fly if necessary.
I haven’t had this much trouble since I was first released from the Hub fifteen years ago.

Then, most of his difficulties stemmed from the trauma of his isolation. Now, he still battled that trauma but in the form of memory. Shards that worked their way out of the abscess he'd created, that his resumption of his change had lanced.

He shied away from them.
I hope Chris and Donald are ok. It feels strange not to have them hovering. They're just getting in bad shape too. Anything could happen without me there to help stop it. Why did Ian insist that I had to leave now? Chris and Donald need me. He knows that. This resupply could have been done at a later time or without me. What’s the point?

Jays pulled up to the gate of the warehouse complex, and after opening the mesh, pulled up to the loading bay they normally used. He got out and stretched his wings, keeping tabs on the grounded as he unlocked the doors, then made his standard excuse about needing to go to the office and double check the paper work.

Suspicious, Nick watched Jays leave before he said in a low voice, “Kieran, you and Dylan get the truck loaded. I want to keep an eye on Jays. I’ll be back.”

He ignored Kieran's questions and slipped off to follow in Jays’s wake. His suspicions were confirmed when Jays bypassed the stairs to the office and slipped out the rear door. He followed. Outside the back door, he flattened himself against the wall, then slipped behind a dumpster when his new senses warned him of several unknown Valkyries approaching. He wove a quick barrier, the kind he'd learned from Jessica, and hid his presence from the others.

From the protection of his hiding place, he watched Jays let a group of eight Valkyries into the building next door.

Still feeling out his abilities, he closed his eyes and dipped into that source of power he'd found the other day. Like a deep wide pool inside himself, he let the slippery warmth coat his “hand,” then flicking his real world fingers, the droplets spread out in small tendrils. Something like a snake’s questing tongue, the power wound through the group.

Knowledge poured in.
Half of them are Hunters; the other four are different. They must be Casters and Seers.

He followed them up to the door and peeked in.

In the shadows of the interior, Jays clasped forearms with the dominant Hunter of the group. It took all of Nick's will to control his hackles. The Alpha aura surrounding the chestnut-haired male challenged him.

“You’re looking much better, Robin. How’s Kelley recovering?”

“She’s not out of the infirmary yet, but she can move her wings on her own now. How’s Jess doing?”

Nickolas froze. Jessica? What?
She said she had a brother named Robin, I remember now.

“She’s changing quickly. We aren’t having as much trouble with her as we did at the start, but we still can’t trust her. It’s impeding our abilities to help her. She’s having a difficult time as a result. And the added complication of her and Nick’s reaction to one another has made it more tricky.”

Robin shook his head. “She never did know when to quit. She’s just too stubborn.”

“She’s certainly his match in that department. They’ve been separated for almost three weeks, and it’s quieted down, thank goodness.”

“So I hear he's pulled through and is now clean and in control of his talents.”

Shrugging, Jays said, “Well, I wouldn’t say control yet. Nick’s still discovering his abilities, and they seem to overwhelm him at times. We aren’t sure what all he can do. He seems to have the strongest talents in the Seers caste, but since he’s not a Seer, we just don’t know what to expect.”

His lungs seized, and Nickolas’s mind spiraled. Not a Seer?
What the hell am I?
He snapped back to the conversation and noticed the two wild Seers had stiffened and scanned the area.
Pay attention, Nicky, this isn’t the time to lose concentration.
He rebuilt his shield and watched a confused look pass between the two, but they started to relax after he hid his power signature again.

“Is something wrong?” Robin asked them quietly.

They shook their heads, then one of them replied, “I don’t think so. We both thought we felt something, but it was fleeting. Neither of us can trace it.”

Jays scanned the building, his gaze pausing at the slightly open door, and Nickolas pulled back some; there was an edge to the young doctor’s eyes that surprised him, though it shouldn’t have. Jays wasn’t stupid and he would suspect. And since he was getting closer to stage two, his instincts would be strengthening.

Still staring at the crack in the door, Jays said, “We should get you out of here. This is the stuff.”

The doctor turned to pull a tarp back and Nickolas watched him show the group a rather large pile of stuff for them to take. “Same drill as usual. Make sure you lock up. I need to get back. They should be almost done. And I don’t trust Nickolas’s contentment to stay with the others.”

“Thanks, Jays, hopefully we’ll see you in a couple of weeks,” Robin said.

He started toward the door and replied, “If things haven’t blown to hell and gone by then. Stay safe.”

Nickolas bolted and returned to the loading bay. He grabbed one of the last of the boxes and handed it off to Kieran at the edge of the truck

“Any trouble Nick?” Kieran asked as he took the load from him.

“Not now,” he said and turned, taking the last box from Dylan as Jays walked up.

“Well the paper work all checks out,” Jays said cheerfully. “It looks like you guys are all done here.”

“Just finished, Jays,” Kieran replied. “If you want to lock up, I’ll get the back of the truck secured.”

Climbing into the front seat of the truck, Nickolas watched Jays padlock the warehouse door.
What do you know, Jays? If I’m not a Seer, what am I? How do I get around you and Ian to find the information? Where would Ian keep it?
The magnitude of the deception coming to light astounded him. The truck dipped as the others got in, and Jays started the vehicle, pulling out and turning back onto the road leading home. The questions kept circling through his mind and he couldn’t stop thinking about all the lies he had been taught about the wild Valkyries. What was the point?
Technically, I’m wild now too,
he thought as he stared quietly out the window.