Emerge: The Captive: (Book 3)(93)
“No time. Allie says I have to be here so I’m here. You’re supposed to take me up to the gates. Quinn will be with them.”
Liam nodded, turning up the path at a jog. They crouched among the trees to wait.
“The first wave came through a few minutes ago. I don’t know how, but they had a code to the gates. They’re circling the house now,” Liam said, pointing to the fires in the distance. “Nearly twenty. Mostly mortal.”
“When he sees me, I have to lead him back to the orchard. You have to stay here.”
“Sasha, I can’t leave you unprotected,” Liam protested.
“You know all about my training, Liam.”
“I know you’re capable, but I’m still not leaving you.”
“I’m not the same girl who left here—not by a long shot. I’m a trained assassin, Liam. I think I can handle a trip back through the woods on my own.”
“Please be careful, Sasha. Assassin or not, in my eyes you will always be my favorite little niece.”
“I’m your only niece, Liam.” She rolled her eyes.
“Well, I like you more than my idiot nephews.” He grinned down at her.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, pointing across the lawn. “Look.”
The gates creaked open and a familiar figure stepped onto the driveway. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes she would never have believed Quinn capable of such a betrayal. He’d entered the code. He was responsible for this.
“He’s succumbed,” Liam said softly. “This isn’t the Quinn we know, Sasha. Be very careful with him. Until we know more, we have to treat him like the enemy.”
“An enemy we intend to take captive.” She nodded, waiting for the flood of Immortals and Coalition to pass through the gates. There were at least twenty people with Quinn, in addition to the twenty that came in the first wave. Half of them crept over the lawns toward the house in the distance. The other half drove through the gates, their vehicles idling, waiting for the first strike to begin.
As the caravan of vehicles crept forward, Sasha and Liam watched in silence. More fires dotted the lawn as the second group set up a base point along the hillside just out of sight of the house. This group seemed to be patiently waiting for the others to do the work while they stood by to take charge of the prisoners.
Sasha waited for the opportunity to get Quinn’s attention as he closed the gate behind the last SUV.
She got her chance a few moments later when the fighting began up at the house. Sasha rushed out of the woods and onto the lawn, halting only steps away from him. He had his back turned to her.
“Quinn,” she called softly, almost afraid to reach for him.
He turned slowly in the moonlight. Their eyes met and she smiled, taking a hesitant step toward him.
Don’t get too close. Allie’s warning sounded in her mind. But this was Quinn. He would never hurt her.
“It’s just me,” she said, reaching for his hand. “It’s time to go home.”
His eyes narrowed to slits as he smiled. But it wasn’t the smile she remembered. Quinn lunged toward her—not in a help-me-escape way, but in an I’m-going-to-kill-you way.
“No….” Sasha turned and fled down the path back to the orchard. This was all too familiar for her. She’d killed that version of Quinn more than a hundred times. She refused to do it again. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure he’d followed. He was just steps behind her and getting closer.
As she entered the orchard, she dodged between the rows of trees, picking up her pace to lose him. She would get through to him, but she had to get her head on straight after the shock of seeing him so like the Quinn she’d fought during ankathari.
Sasha ducked into the barn, grabbing her bow, and hauled herself up to the hayloft where she could get the best vantage point. With her back against the wall, Sasha took a deep breath, settling back into the assassin’s mindset where emotion had no place.
She could hear activity coming from the direction of the beach house. She darted to the open window at the side of the barn and arrived just in time to fire her first shot. She needed only a fraction of a second to engage with her gift. Her wooden arrow sailed through the trees, striking the mortal chasing her father up the rocky path. She aimed for flesh wounds or joints, hoping to slow them enough to give her family the advantage. She’d get serious about it if they got back up. Tonight, the assassin in her wouldn’t be letting anyone get up a second time—not with her family on the line.
At the top of the path, Gregg and Emma turned to meet their attackers. Sasha watched as Allie met them, lunging for the man who’d followed them, but Allie hadn’t seen the woman just behind him. Sasha put a lodestone arrow through the woman’s head. She’d recover, but not tonight.
Sasha moved to the open hayloft door, scanning the scene below. The fight was coming to them. Sasha saw at least thirty people locked in battle across the orchard and the areas around it. But she couldn’t spot Quinn anywhere.
Then she saw the woman standing at the opposite end of the orchard. Sasha had never seen her, but she knew this was Livia. All of this—Quinn, the attack, all of it—was Livia’s doing, and Ming Lao was about to make her pay.
Sasha watched as Ming Lao stalked behind Livia, her long katana blade at the ready. Livia threw her sword up just in time as she turned to meet Ming’s attack. Livia seemed to taunt her, but she was no match for Ming. Their swords clashed and Ming quickly drew first blood. Daniel circled the two, looking for an opening. Mother and son intended to exact justice for Quinn.