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  “You flatter her,” Serenity said. “You are also wrong. I had no idea what would happen in New Orleans. I just played my part as I was asked to play it. Yes, by Odette, as is my duty and my obligation. The rest – how things turned out – is for people much smarter than me to figure out.”

  “Aren’t we little off topic here?” Reaper asked, stepping up to join the conversation.

  His body language was not as aggressive as Daniel’s was, but I could tell he didn’t trust Serenity either. It was in the change I noticed in his posture – the slight hint that he thought he was being played just by seeing her in his cave.

  “What are you doing here, and how on earth did you know we would be here now?” Reaper asked.

  “Reaper, sweet boy, it’s good to see you again,” Serenity said with a quick smile in Reaper’s direction. Her golden eyes had turned sultry. “You look positively handsome.”

  Reaper’s mouth twitched with the compliment, but he was not to be distracted.

  “You are evading the question,” he pointed out.

  “Oh, don’t be silly. I am not evading anything. I just find it rude not to say ‘hello’ to old acquaintances…before starting in on the business at hand,” Serenity said.

  “What about me?” Jackson asked. “Do I qualify as an old acquaintance?”

  Serenity smiled – it was the first genuine smile I had seen on her face. There was no flirting, no sense of trying to play him – just a person seeing an old friend. Jackson was different from the other men in the room; there was a more personal history there.

  “More like a brother-in-arms, I should think,” she said.

  Serenity’s eyes moved to Margaret, who was hovering near Jackson’s right arm with the sort of alien grace even most Watchers could not match. Margaret’s violet eyes were calm, despite the unwelcome surprise of seeing Serenity. Through the calm, I sensed a warning, a warning not to be overly familiar with Jackson. Serenity knew better than to test the power of that warning.

  “And Margaret, too,” Serenity said. “It’s good to see familiar faces among the new.”

  “There was a point somewhere, wasn’t there?” I asked, getting impatient at her continual disregard for straightforwardness.

  Serenity sighed. She looked at me, as if I was only one in the room.

  “I came to help,” she said.

  “Help?” I asked skeptically.

  Her version of ‘help’ tended to involve situations I liked to avoid…like murder, mayhem, and buildings exploding.

  “With the rescue mission,” Serenity said. “I would like to help you get Han and Beatrice back.”

  “How did you hear about that?” I asked.

  “I have my ways,” Serenity said.

  “Speaking of that…how did you find us again?” Reaper asked. “I don’t think you said.”

  “Odette,” Daniel said. “Serenity doesn’t go anywhere unless her owner says ‘go.’ I’m sure Odette has been spending her time keeping up with us…meddling as she often does.”

  “Ah,” Reaper said.

  “We don’t need the help,” Daniel added to Serenity. “We will figure it out on our own. I told you that I don’t need Odette to mess around in my life or Clare’s life. We will do fine on our own.”

  “Not to be a downer,” Spider said, “but were you not just talking about how impossible getting in to the fortress would be? My fiancée has a way in. I say we let her help.”

  Serenity’s eyes had widened at Spider’s casual use of the word ‘fiancée,’ but she didn’t argue with his words, not when they were the only words pointing out the need for her help. She took allies where she could get them.

  “I have a plan. It will work. Odette has foreseen it,” Serenity said.

  “No, thanks,” Daniel said through clenched teeth.

  It was all he could do to contain his pent-up anger. Serenity didn’t understand how strongly Daniel felt about Odette. She didn’t understand how he felt Odette had nearly taken something he loved from him – me. The last time he had given in and used her plan, everything had gone sideways. He had gotten hooked on a drug that made killing too easy – had made him feel lost in the anger – and I had gotten kidnapped and tortured. While Serenity had not done the evil things we had both found our bodies subjected to, it was her plan, and Odette’s, that had sent us there. We were still recovering from what had happened. She wasn’t going to do it again. Not as long as Daniel could help it.

  Too, what proof was there that Odette hadn’t sent Serenity to us for reasons unknown, knowing Han and Beatrice would not make it? What if Serenity really just wanted a chance to infiltrate Marcus’ fortress? What if Serenity somehow got Han and Beatrice killed because of her ‘help’? It was not a risk Daniel was willing to take.

  “Maybe we should at least hear her out,” Reaper suggested tentatively. “Words are words…they have no meaning until we act on them.”

  “I’m not interested in dealing with the devil. Han and Beatrice will never forgive me if I give up my soul to set them free,” Daniel said.

  “Oh, darling, you have gotten rather dramatic. It’s the girl’s influence, no doubt,” Serenity said, looking at me.

  I bowed ironically, even as Daniel’s face hardened in to a resolve I knew was deadly. The resolve in his face made me consider her offer. Violence was imminent – I didn’t want the fight. I trusted her even less than Daniel did, for different reasons. She was a liar; she used her body to get what she wanted. Two qualities I distrusted in a person. I also knew – especially in our circumstance – that we had to take help where we could get it. If she had firsthand knowledge of how to get inside, and how to rescue Daniel’s parents, then we had to hear her out. It didn’t mean we had to trust her, but hearing what she had to say couldn’t hurt, beyond the pain of her taking forever to get to the point. If her plan didn’t seem on the level, we could send her packing – or cave in to the desire to make her pay for her part in bringing Daniel and me the worst months of our lives.

  Decided, I reached out a hand and touched Daniel’s clenched fist. His mind was reluctant to let me in, so I could talk him down; his body was tense with the desire to fight. The darkness of his thoughts consumed him to the point of physical violence. It was taking all of his willpower to not attack. Dark swirled against the green of his eyes.

  I tugged on his hand, to get his attention, and moved his body around, so that he was forced to look at me, instead of Serenity. His green eyes moved away from Serenity’s golden ones reluctantly. His glare didn’t fade with the switch, though he finally allowed me in to his mind.

  We should listen to her, I said.

  His eyes narrowed at my suggestion.

  No, we shouldn’t, he replied.

  Do you want Han and Beatrice back? I asked.

  Of course I do, but I don’t want to owe her anything. She’ll make us pay for her help. She always does. It’s always a heavy price, he said.

  I understand that but…

  You of all people should know not to trust her, he interrupted me.

  I don’t trust her. Not at all. But I feel…

  I hesitated. It was hard to put in to words the emotion I felt in my chest. It was an irrational urge to do whatever Serenity suggested. The urge was too strong to ignore. Ignoring it was deadly. I knew that without having the words to express it. Her plan would work; we just had to trust it.

  I want Han and Beatrice back. Serenity is the only person I know of that can turn invisible. She managed to hide in the cave without any of you noticing, and you are all super-Watchers. She’s our best way in and you know that. Time to put on your big-boy pants, and man up to the situation in front of us.

  Clare…Daniel warned me, not liking my tone.

  Just hear what she has to say. If you think she’s up to something…kill her. I’ll help, even. At least then I won’t have to deal with her flirting with you.

  He was shocked at my suggestion. His face was boyishly surprised. The dark had l
eft his eyes. I laughed at him and touched him on the cheek with a playful gesture. His face softened, and he smiled back. Then, he lowered his gaze to search the ground as he thought over my words.

  “We’ll hear you out,” Daniel finally said. “But Clare just gave me permission to kill you, if I think you’re trying to harm us in any way.”

  “I did,” I agreed.

  Either Serenity took the threat seriously or she had gotten tired of games. She didn’t smolder or say something smart. She simply started talking, her words precise, as if she had rehearsed them.

  “Your man here can create illusions.” Serenity pointed at Preacher. It wasn’t a question, more like a reminder. “Can he create illusions with substance? Illusions that can be touched?”

  “I can,” Preacher said. “It takes a lot of effort, but if I have no distractions, it is possible.”

  Serenity nodded. “Good. This is the plan. Preacher creates an illusion of a group of people. We let them get caught and follow them in to the building. Marcus’ soldiers will be our way in – they’ll think they have caught a threat, when in reality they will be giving us free passage. It’s the only way to gain access in to the building. Sneaking in is impossible. Someone will notice us.”

  Spider looked disappointed by her words. It was as if she had broken a sacred promise between them. Her next words returned some of his adoration of her.

  “I should say, sneaking in without a distraction is impossible,” Serenity added. “We will have to be precise, but if we position ourselves near the door, using my talent and Margaret’s, we should have no problem getting past undetected.”

  “If you can get me close enough to the building, I can use my talent to make sure we get in,” Reaper pointed out. “Even if Preacher’s illusion fails.”

  “I can get you close enough…but we will have to be a small group. Four at the most,” Serenity said.

  “A four-person rescue mission…Are you insane?” Jackson asked. “You need force…you need firepower to get that sort of thing done.”

  “Normally, I would agree with you,” Serenity said. “But not this time. To get to them we need to be silent…at least, on the way in. Getting caught before we reach them will only cause problems.”

  “Or we could use both,” Jackson suggested. “Do you remember that valley with the old church? It was close to the same situation. The Nazis had it well fortressed; there was no way in without getting seen. So, we started a firefight to distract the guards, while you and your sister snuck in to get our men out. We could do the same here. We could start a fight and draw their attention away from you.”

  “You just want a reason to shoot people,” I said.

  Jackson shrugged at my words. He didn’t disagree. He looked around the group for their opinions.

  “The plan could work,” Jackson said.

  “It would have to be well-timed,” Serenity warned. “We do not want them locking the place down before we’re ready. There would also have to be a lot of chaos. They can’t direct their attention in any one place, or we’ll get noticed.”

  “It’s manageable, though,” Reaper said. “We could make it work. If my people keep their distance, we might even manage it without any casualties.”

  “That would definitely be a good thing,” I said.

  Daniel looked angry her plan was so good and that the others were on board with it. Her plan was obviously the only choice; it was not a choice he was going to accept easily, despite the logic. It was easier to be angry.

  “And what price must we pay for your helpfulness?” Daniel asked. “A lung? My firstborn? The world on a silver platter?”

  Serenity’s eyes were back to being playful. She did not take offense to his hatefulness; rather, she seemed to enjoy it. It was proof she had gotten under his skin. It was the sort of emotion she thrived on.

  “A trip. A simple visit,” Serenity said.

  Daniel understood her meaning. “No.”

  His voice was strong; there would be no argument. He had decided, and that choice could not be undone.

  “It’s not up to you, actually,” Serenity said. “It’s Clare’s choice. It always has been.”

  “What is?” I asked.

  “She wants you to go see Odette,” Daniel said, before Serenity could spin the truth to her liking.

  It was obviously a conversation the two of them had before. One I had not been privy to. Daniel had not wanted to share the idea of a visit to Odette with me. I didn’t blame him. From the sound of it, Odette was not the sort of Watcher I went and saw without it being a big deal.

  “Oh,” I said. “Why?”

  “She didn’t say why, just that she wanted to talk to you,” Serenity said. “So, a favor for a favor. What do you say?”

  The others looked at me, to see how I would answer. Though no one was eager to speak for me or make my choice, they all had opinions. Alex’s cool eyes were telling me I shouldn’t do it. She didn’t trust Serenity – she only trusted the fact that we would be double-crossed. Alex wasn’t the only one who cautioned against agreeing to Serenity’s demands. No one was certain that ‘yes’ was the proper response. No one could see the endgame of Serenity’s offer. Even Jackson, who knew Serenity longer than anyone else, was warning me with his eyes. They were all telling me that Odette was not a Watcher I took advice from without there being consequences I might not like. Her power was immense; her ability to see the future reached far beyond Daniel’s power. They all feared it, and questioned whether or not I would be manipulated in to a future none of us wanted to face.

  Despite the feeling that they were right to fear her power, I did not have the same feelings. I knew she was powerful, could see centuries in to the future, but that didn’t mean her future had any meaning for me. I could always change the future – it was easier than changing the past. There were no certainties in the future. And, it was possible she could give me answers to why I was hunted and different. Her answers might mean stopping Marcus. I would not let the others’ fear prevent me from that. Not only that, I couldn’t leave Han and Beatrice to certain torture and death simply because Odette wished to speak with me. They needed help, and I could provide that help. It was simple. All it took was a ‘yes.’

  I avoided Daniel’s eyes as I made my decision. His eyes were the most conflicted of the group. Two powerful urges – one, to protect me, the second, to protect his parents – were at war. I didn’t need the confliction any more than I needed the fear. It only clouded the truth.

  “I’ll do it,” I told Serenity.

  “I trust you’ll keep your word,” Serenity replied.

  Though her voice was silk-like, it was a threat; a threat that she would keep me to my word, even if I tried to back out. It was one I didn’t like.

  “I said ‘I’ll do it,’” I said in a firm voice.

  She nodded once, a silent promise to keep me to my word – no matter the cost. Then, she turned her attention to the others. They were the ones who would plan the attack. Not me. I was just the holder of the promise.

  “I believe we have some planning to do,” Serenity said. “Our timing needs to be precise. I would hate to get caught with my pants down, so to speak.

  “It’d be the first time,” Daniel muttered.

  Reaper took control of the room. Now that the promise was made, it was time to focus on the plan. He was used to such measures of command – he was also used to Serenity holding back. His eyes raked the darkness behind Serenity. Daniel and I were not the only ones who knew Serenity always held a hand she didn’t always show; not until it was absolutely necessary.

  “Before we began, I think you should bring your people in on this discussion,” Reaper told Serenity.

  “My people?” Serenity asked innocently.

  Reaper was not fooled by her innocent tone.

  “If we’re going to do some planning, I’d prefer to do it without a crosshair on my forehead,” Reaper said.

  “I would never point a weapon
at you,” Serenity said in a hurt voice.

  Reaper’s expression was sarcastic. Serenity sighed and snapped her manicured fingers once.

  Two figures immediately detached themselves from the shadows at the snap. The movement was graceful and perfect, two lions moving in for the kill. The others gripped their weapons again, though less dramatically as when Serenity had first spoken. It was a tensing of muscles and wary distrust for people they couldn’t see.

  The first figure had olive skin and dark, sultry eyes. His hair was curly, and his face was a combination of mystery and sexy appeal. He made the other Watchers in the room look as if they were trying too hard to be beautiful. His appeal was animal and unintentional. I recognized him. He worked with Serenity – he had bartended at Serenity’s bar in New Orleans and had been her spy at Marcus’ nest. His name was Mick. The moment I connected eyes with him I felt a subtle blush heat up my body. It was unstoppable. I looked away from his eyes and saw Alex having the same reaction. Her pale cheeks were flooded with color, highlighting the blue in her eyes. Mick didn’t even seem to register our looks – he was focused on Serenity and the scene that was playing out in front of us.

  The second figure stayed in the shadows a couple of seconds longer than Mick. I strained my eyes to see the figure, wondering at the hesitation that seemed to surround the movement. Through the darkness, the person felt familiar, yet foreign. It was as if I had met the person, but had never really gotten to know him or her. I wondered at the connection. Had I met the person? In the next moment, my unspoken question was answered. The shadowy figure took the final step forward. The light touched his somber face, and I saw the reason behind the sense of familiarity.

  It was Eli.

  He had changed. His blond hair was cut in a military style, and his face was more confident – there was no question of his heritage. He knew what being a Watcher meant and how he played in to the bigger picture of things. The quiet demeanor was the same, but the certainty was new. He had answers; answers brought him confidence. He was no longer the street kid. He was a Watcher. His eyes – one blue and one brown – searched our group in a question. They were the only place I saw doubt. His eyes moved from my face to Spider’s, and, finally, on to Alex’s. His cautious glance was uncertain – it questioned the meeting he was facing. It questioned if he wanted the coming drama.