I looked over to see that Elizabeth was staring at us with a peculiar expression on her face. What was I doing anyways? Sitting here chatting about a time long gone. It was pathetic how much Nickolas had meant to me and how little I meant to Dominick. Sure, I was his property, but nothing more. I tucked my head further into my arms and tried to sleep.
Chapter Thirty-
Seven
I was surprised when I woke up and it was light around me. I had slept through the entire night. My heart thrilled to see that Dominick was still beside me. He smiled tenderly at me, making me forget how to breathe. I pushed my hair out of my face, smiling shyly.
But then I caught myself and steeled my expression. This was Dominick Letrell. Nickolas was dead, but worse. He had never really existed.
I stood up and brushed the dirt from my pants. It took all the restraint I had not to look back when I walked away from Dominick to rejoin the others. They all wore similar masks of anxiety.
“
What’s wrong?” I asked David.
“
We can hear Nadia.”
“
But?”
“
But she is very weak. We need to act quickly if we want to save her.”
“
Alright, let’s go.” I tried to brush past them but was pulled back by Dominick. I shook his hand off my arm with a scowl. “What are we waiting for?”
“
We have to decide how to proceed.” Claudia chewed on her bottom lip. “I think it would be best for Marcus and I to head to the border and make a path of escape. Nadia won’t be able to handle much more and the VC will be chasing you. Achilles could come with us.”
“
That leaves Dominick and Elizabeth,” Marcus stated what was already clear.
“
I’ll go,” Elizabeth offered with a shrug, as if it were simple. It sounded logical to me. She was a warrior after all.
“
Neither Elizabeth nor Dominick should go; or Achilles — for the same reasons.”
“
Why?”
“
They…don’t care about Nadia. She is not in good shape.” Claudia looked only at me.
Even though any of the others could easily get to Nadia, they wouldn’t really care if she lived or died. “So it’s only you, Marcus, David…and me.”
“
That’s what I figure.”
“
You two need to go ahead so we can escape once we have Nadia.” My mind spun quickly through our options. “I’m going.”
“
David, it has to be me. You’re no fighter. Besides, I have my shield.” I turned then to Marcus, who seemed anxious to be doing something.
“
Do you have any blades?” I wasn’t trained to use modern weapons. Without a word he produced two solid looking knives. I put them in the tops of my boots and flexed to make sure I could still run.
“
Wait,” Dominick held up his hand. “I’ll go.”
“
Dominick…”
“
I am going, it has already been decided.” I looked at David, waiting for him to back me up.
“
Her heart rate is down to seventy.” My heart sped up in response.
“
You guys go.” Everyone seemed so undecided, but it was all very clear to me.
“
David and Elizabeth should come with us,” at least Claudia seemed ready for action. “That would leave Dominick to carry you, Eva, and Achilles to carry Nadia. They are the fastest,” she continued to explain even though I didn’t care what her reasons were. I trusted Claudia to do what was needed. “And Marcus may need Elizabeth’s help.”
“
Her scent would be easy to follow,” Achilles commented. Claudia nodded.
“
Ok,” I brought my hands together. “It’s all figured out.”
“
I should stay here with Eva.” I knew why David really wanted to stay.
“
Dominick will take care of Eva. You will just slow them down. You won’t let anything happen to her, will you Dom?” He only grunted in response. Was that supposed to mean yes? It didn’t matter; I could take care of myself.
“
Will the child be able to hold on or will I be expected to carry her?” Achilles asked with a raised brow.
Marcus and Claudia exchanged a look. Marcus dug around in the bag until he found a small syringe with a purple cap. I regarded it with suspicion. “What’s that?”
“
An injection for Nadia.” He was inches away from me in a swift motion. He pulled my pant leg up and taped the small tube to my leg with a piece of white tape. “You need to give her this right when you are ready to run with Dominick and Achilles. It will give her the strength she needs.”
“
Within an hour, the pain will cripple her.” Claudia’s eyes had turned very solemn.
“
What pain?” Did they mean the pain she was in now?
“
David, Elizabeth, are you ready?”
“
Wait,” Dominick interrupted again. I saw the vein in his head popping and his jaw flexed. He was obviously angry. Would he try to stop me? He shot me a dark look before turning it on his brother. “She is human.”
“
She’s worth saving.”
“
Are you talking about Nadia?” No one answered. I pushed Dominick’s shoulder to try to make him look at me. He obliged. “Are you?”
“
She is not worth getting killed over.”
“
I’m not planning on getting killed.”
“
What happens when something goes wrong?”
I shrugged. “You’ll storm the colony and save me.”
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. I couldn’t stop my own lips from turning up. “True,” he acknowledged with a shrug of his own. “Alright.” Everyone seemed to let their held breaths out at one time. “But come brother, let us at least take a minute to see what the situation is. To at least give her a chance at success.”
Marcus’s look was torn with indecision but Claudia made the decision for him. “You go. It might actually help if she has a plan of what to do.” As the two men started to walk away Claudia called out to them, “No more than ten minutes.”
Claudia sank gracefully to the ground and tucked her shapely legs under her. She patted the ground beside her. “Sit.” My first reaction was to resist but I smiled and sat — less gracefully — beside her. Elizabeth squatted on her knees to look at me.
“
You certainly know how to handle him.” I pretended to not know who she was talking about. “I haven’t seen him smile so much in a very long time.” I worked hard not to glare at her.
“
It’s hard to think that Dominick is in love,” Claudia cooed. I ground my teeth together. “Oh Eva,” she scolded happily, “don’t you find it romantic?”
Romantic? I refused to answer. He had killed and tortured. Elizabeth could think he did it in the name of love, but I knew better.
David got all of our attention when he let out an exasperated sound. He began pacing and wringing his hands together. “Is that what love looks like?” I asked to no one.
“
No,” Elizabeth answered first, “That is what David looks like. He worries too much.” I had never seen David this emotional.
“
If you are asking if David loves Nadia; I would say yes,” Claudia responded.
“
Is it selfish for me to not want him to love her?”
“
Do you love David? Dom would never…”
“
No,” I cut her off abruptly, “not that I care what Dominick thinks, but no, I don’t love David. I just don’t want him to leave me.”
“
Then yes, that would be very selfish.” She winked to show that she was teasing but I wasn’t sure. Claudia was right, I was being selfish. Why shouldn’t David have someone to love?
I was still thinking about love when Dominick and Marcus came back. Dominick looked at me curiously. Even though I should have been used to him invading my thoughts, it still irritated me.
“
Is it bad?” Claudia asked nervously.
“
It’s not impossible,” Marcus turned his attention to me. “The colony is enclosed by a wall. Not as high as the border but at least eight or nine feet. It looks really solid, with some sort of sensor at the top. Speed will be the only way. Nadia may still be sedated. Her heart rate is low and she hasn’t moved since last night.”
“
But she is still alive.”
“
She is.”
“
Then the plans haven’t changed.” I was ready to go.
“
Once you get over the wall, look for building three. Nadia will be in there. And if…” he swallowed nervously, “if you can’t save her…”
Claudia took my hand and finished for him. “Don’t put yourself into danger. If you can’t save Nadia, at least get yourself out.”
“
And don’t feel bad about it.”
“
I’ll get her.” I smiled to reassure him but Marcus still looked undecided. He looked past me to where David and Dominick were deep in conversation. “What is he saying?”
“
He’s trying to talk David into making you go with us and David goes to get Nadia.”
“
The plan is already set.” I clenched my fists. “David needs to stick to the plan.” Fresh anger washed over me. How dare he try to make David feel guilty? David was not a warrior.
“
Eva, stay out of this,” Dominick warned before I even had a chance to say anything.
“
No, you stay out of this,” I flared back. “You leave him alone.” I pushed Dominick’s chest, to try to make him move back. It didn’t work as well as I would have liked.
Dominick started laughing and soon had everyone else laughing too. I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed loudly. “Are you guys ready yet?” I asked angrily.
“
It seems as if I am outnumbered,” Dominick began soberly, “but there is something I want to do first. Something that will help you.”
I let my arms fall to my sides, immediately on guard. Dominick wouldn’t really be willing to help. “What?”
“
I want us to exchange blood.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “That won’t be necessary,” I assured him.
“
If everyone insists that you go,” he shot a dark look at David, “then I must insist that you are at least prepared.”
“
I am prepared.”
“
I would be more comfortable if we could be in contact.”
“
I don’t care what would make you more comfortable,” I turned to David. “David, tell him.”
“
Eva, if you exchanged blood with him…”
“
No! Out of the question.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I knew I had lost, but it wasn’t in my nature to give up easily. Dominick crossed his arms and leaned against the tree, mocking me. In another life I would have pushed him off balance and he would have chased me around… I shook my head and pulled my mouth down in a frown, mad at myself for having such thoughts.
David, misunderstanding my anger, frowned too. “Eva, the benefits are enormous. You would be faster and stronger. Your perceptive senses would be considerably intensified.”
“
And the communication abilities would most certainly help,” Claudia added.
“
What communication abilities?” I didn’t relax my stance, no need for them to think they won. I didn’t miss Dominick’s chuckle. I glared at him before turning back to Claudia.
“
When you exchange blood,” Claudia began in a wistful tone, “even just a little — the bond between you two would be intense.”
“
Forever?” I let my hands drop.
“
No, not forever. It would be a day — two tops,” David was quick to assure me.
“
And how does that help our communication?”
“
It’s never been fully tested,” David warned, “but you two would be able to communicate telepathically from any distance.”
“
Any distance?” My eyes widened despite my reluctance to exchange blood with my sworn enemy.
“
Yes, we believe so.”
I sighed and lowered my head. That kind of communication would be like having undetectable super talkies; I couldn’t deny the benefits of that. Besides, I doubted if I had much choice from the beginning and we were wasting so much time arguing about it.
“
Well then,” Dominick said loudly, “do you mind giving us some privacy?” His eyes locked with mine, holding me captive. It wouldn’t have mattered to me if everyone stayed, I could only see him anyway. He moved in on me like a lion closing in on a wounded gazelle. I took a step backwards, out of instinct.
In a flash he had my wrist up to his lips. I watched in mute fascination. His tongue moved slowly over the inside of my wrist. The only sound I could hear was the thumping of my heart in my ears. The sound seemed to cocoon us, and everything else disappeared.
I felt no pain when his teeth broke the thin skin at my wrist. It was over in less than a second. My disappointment was immediate and shocking. “Are you sure you even got any?” I asked without talking.
“
Yes.” He raised his own wrist to my lips and urged me to take his blood. Without taking my eyes from his I bent my head to drink. At first it tasted sweet and I drank greedily. I couldn’t believe how happy I felt. What was I thinking to even hesitate? I looked up at Dominick with a huge smile on my face. His smile was more guarded.