Grounded (Grounded #1) (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Aric, Jensen and Sage were unsuccessful in retrieving Kale and the others on their first attempt. With what happened to my mom, they decided to put it off until I was in a better place, figuratively. I had to spend the next week sitting through meetings where everyone else got to decide how we’d go about a second attempt at extraction.

Hearing what went wrong the last time and what we could do differently to make sure we were successful seemed like a waste to me. What no one on the counsel wanted to acknowledge was that when you’re out in the field on a mission, things went wrong and all the planning in the world wasn’t going to be able to stop it. We’d all have to adapt and overcome any obstacles on the spot.

At least I got to spend those days with Jensen and Aric, who somehow knew what happened between Jensen and me without being told. It was weird. Unless, of course, Jensen had said something, though I didn’t think that was very likely. Aric was there for me, always asking how I was doing, but with Dahlia in every other way. She hadn’t told me, though she would eventually, yet there was a familiarity between the two of them that could only mean things had gone to another level.

The best thing for me was to jump back into action. I knew it’d be a long time before everything felt normal again. However, war wasn’t going to wait until I was done grieving. If anything, being out of sorts made us more vulnerable. So, we’d try again to get Aric’s brothers out of Phoenix. Having them with us would be invaluable since they’d know how the Gobel were likely to react to any of our strategies.

***

Driving the ten miles with Jensen beside me, Aric and Sage in the middle row of seats, seemed like a terrible idea. I wanted to take two cars. Dad overruled, tossing me keys to the oversized tank, others would call it a SUV he kept around for these types of situations. I could handle the black beast, no problem. What I didn’t want was to be in such tight quarters with that group.

The ride didn’t take long. We pulled over just outside Phoenix to get to the rendezvous point with Aric’s brothers. They had to sneak away from their family and we had to get them inside my house without incident. Not everyone was overjoyed to have Gobel on the inside.

Jensen’s thumb stroked my hand as I drove with the other. Just feeling him beside me, his body heat bursting from his fingertips, made me relax and smile despite myself. With him, I felt at ease, grounded even.

“You two?” Sage broke the cone of silence when he noticed our intertwined fingers.

“Perceptive,” Aric said. “Is this why you’re part of security?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sage sounded offended.

I saw Aric roll his eyes in the rearview. “It’s obvious and you’re just seeing it now. Not exactly sharp, you know?”

That shut him down and he didn’t speak again until we were carefully pushing ourselves through the Michigan forest. Flanking each of my sides, Aric and Jensen both made comments I couldn’t hear as we climbed over downed tree trunks, careful not to make too much noise. Only Sage kept off to the side. Maybe he distanced himself for his own reasons. Perhaps we didn’t make him feel the most welcome. Either way, the reason didn’t matter to me.

“I don’t even know why Ash sent him with us,” Aric mumbled within ear range. “Does he not trust us or something?”

“A good Gremalian leader would never fully trust a Gobel,” Sage said.

“Shut up, Sage. No one asked you,” I countered, glancing over my shoulder at him.

“It’s true. I don’t even know why Ash is allowing this.”

“To save your ass,” Jensen growled.

“I’ve saved my ass plenty on my own.” He thought for a minute. I could see him contemplating his next words as if he were already speaking out loud. “Actually, I think I recall saving
your
ass more than once,” he pointed to me, “or something having to do with your ass anyway.”

Jensen let the comment pass, leaving tension in their air. I ground my teeth almost to the point of pain. “Shut your mouth, Sage.”

“I only take orders from your father.”

“Really?” I stormed over to him. “I think there are a few details my father doesn’t know. I could enlighten him.”

“I don’t even know what you’re yapping about.” Looking bored, he pretended to pick at his fingernails. “And if you had anything on me, you would’ve done it already.”

“Your mother and sister have been through enough.
That’s
why I haven’t said anything,” I took a deep breath to slow my heart beat and calm myself, “but keep talking, asshole.”

Aric and Jensen circled behind him, protecting me even when I didn’t need it. I could easily take the guy. I’d done it before, but it felt good to know that I had people who’d do anything for me.

“And what do you think you’d tell him? That I dumped you for someone else. I’m sure he’ll be crying in his cornflakes.”

Sage kicked a stick hard enough that it hit a tree and snapped in half. Jensen jolted forward. Aric threw out an arm to stop him and yanked him back a few steps.

I seethed, not believing he was going to make me say it. I could just let it go, let him continue being a jerk, say nothing. Who was I kidding? No, I couldn’t.

“Well, Sage,” I spat his name, “what I could tell him is that you tried to pressure me into something I didn’t want to do. He might not like that too much.”

Jensen was in motion before my eyes recognized it. Luckily, Aric’s reflexes were spot on and he grabbed the back of Jensen’s shirt, yanking him into place. He whispered something I couldn’t hear.

Sage’s face drained of color. “I did not.” I almost couldn’t hear him.

“Yeah, ya did and you weren’t even very creative about it. Now shut up, get moving and leave the rest of us alone.” I stalked away, not looking back. Then Aric and Jensen were beside me much closer than they had been before, their stride matching mine, eyes boring into me. Just what I needed.

“Later,” I muttered, picking up speed to put them behind me.

At least I was effective. Sage continued farther away from us without saying another word. I hoped he was pissing himself, wondering if I was really going to tell my dad what happened all those months ago. I had no intention of doing it but found that I really liked watching him squirm.

After a short fifteen minute walk into the area, three large shadows stood with the moonlight to their back. They looked similar to Aric once I got up close, although they were all less attractive. Kale, and who I’d later find out were Laken, Aric’s younger brother who looked to be about fifteen, and Stone, another older brother, approached slowly. I swear I’ll never be able keep the order right.

“Been a while, Brother.” Laken gave Aric that sideways guy hug that must be taught in ninth grade physical education. “When you took off, we thought maybe the aliens got you.”

“No such luck, Lake.” Aric mussed Laken’s hair, then quickly introduced us.

Several female voices found us in the dark and were coming closer. Whoever the women were, they weren’t trying to be quiet.

“Okay,” I tossed the keys to Kale, “you and your brothers head back to my house. We’ll distract whoever’s coming.”

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Stone asked. I figured he was referring to a bunch of Gobel arriving at the center of Gremalian government, because if I was him, that would be my concern.

“Yeah, you’ll have Sage. He’ll vouch for all of you.” I stressed my point for Sage’s benefit. “There won’t be any trouble.”

When they started out, Aric hung back. “You have to go,” I said.

“I’m not leaving you guys here. Let’s find out who’s headed this way.” He climbed up a small embankment to get a better view, swearing under his breath before jumping back down. “My sisters.”

“How many?” I asked, already formulating a plan.

“Just four.”

“Just four?” Jensen said, shaking his head.

Aric headed out in front to try to diffuse the situation. Just from their stride and posture he could tell they were pissed, he said. I stayed hidden behind a thick tree trunk and, across from me, Jensen did the same.

Then one of the girls started yelling about how they weren’t going home empty handed to disappoint their mother. The leaves rustled as if there was a breeze. There wasn’t one; the air remained still. The Brambles were using their powers. It was time to step in. Following my lead, Jensen moved out and we ran. I went right, he went left. I was too focused on what was in front of me to notice what the guys were up to.

Catching the tall, dark haired Amazon by surprise, I knocked her to the ground. We both hopped up, throwing punches, which, for me, was the best way to pick up a lot of energy quickly. She threw a right hook to my jaw, then a knee to my ribs.

Choking for air, I flipped her over, back to the ground, and then threw my hands up to pick up more electricity. A small jolt hit her in the chest. I needed more. I threw my hands up again. So did she. Two branches pinned my wrists to my sides and wrapped around my waist. I was trapped.

She stalked at me slowly. “So, you’re supposed to be uber powerful, huh? Doesn’t seem that way to me, not-so-scary-girl.” She stood just outside my reach. No matter how hard I tried to kick my legs at her, nothing ever made contact. I was pretty sure I felt a bone in my wrist crack. Searing pain climbed to my elbow. I didn’t make a sound, only gritted my teeth harder.

“You may have corrupted Aric with your ‘talents,’ but you’re not getting the others. How long ago did you send them off?” I didn’t answer, so she pulled a pocket knife out. “You want to answer, trust me,” she said, pushing the blade to my throat as the branches tightened again.

The white pain in my stomach indicated that the pop I’d just felt was at least one rib, maybe two. Still, I said nothing. The blade tore the skin on the side of my neck. A stream of blood hit my shirt. It hurt like a bitch, but my resolve was stronger.

Then a shriek crossed the night sky, loud, afraid and definitely female. Her eyes went from me, to the direction of the noise, then back.

“I’ll be back,” she spat before running off. I wouldn’t cry. I had to focus on getting out of her trap before she got back.

Jensen came out of nowhere and didn’t see me until the last minute. “Alyssum, are you okay?” He pulled at the branches that wouldn’t budge.

“Zap it,” I said.

He took a step back, twirled his hands the way I taught him, and threw some energy at my bark-covered cage. Nothing happened.

“More,” I whispered, feeling my consciousness slipping. The wound on my neck must have been worse than I thought. I’d lost blood before but had never felt lightheaded the way I did right then.

He picked up as much electricity as he could and I knew the outcome before it hit me. I screamed. My arms felt like they were on fire, like the skin was melting off the bone, and I couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. An acrid smell filled the air and I knew that I was actually getting burned. I was like the chair in the garage.

He hit the branches with enough force that they began to break away, spilling out toward the ground. He caught me when I fell forward. Right away, we were on the move. I don’t know how long it was before Aric and three of his sisters got to us. Jensen had just grabbed my hand when I felt a burst of energy flow through us. We turned around, ready to fight.

Instead of finding the sisters on our tail, they were on the ground, writhing in pain. Aric bolted over to them and checked for a pulse. They were alive but down and it was our chance to get away.

“What the hell happened to you?”

“One of your sisters.” I left out that the burns were from Jensen. I just didn’t have the energy. “Tall, Amazon, mean.”

“Cass. Alyssum—”

“Don’t.” I really didn’t want him to apologize for the others.

We kept moving and I was slowing them down. After I tripped a second time, Jensen lifted me into his arms without breaking stride. It was a much more comfortable ride, although he didn’t know to be careful of my ribs. I cringed with pain at every bump and possibly lost consciousness or drew blood through his shirt when I dug my nails into his shoulder.

Back at the main road, my dad’s black monster sat waiting with Kale in the driver’s seat. Carefully, I was placed in back, and as I got settled the guys noticed all the blood. Kale came back for us. When I sent them all away, I didn’t take the time to think about how we’d get back to Delaware. Thank god someone else did.

“Jesus,” Jensen said along with a few expletives. With my eyes just barely open, I watched Jensen yank his shirt over his head, bunch it in a ball and put pressure on my neck before climbing in beside me. Man, I must’ve been pretty bad off because nothing dirty came to mind when he took his shirt off.

The Bramble brothers whispered quietly in the front seats on the short drive back. I wasn’t overly aware of what happened once we were in my house. There was a lot of commotion. My dad’s voice was angry and Fern, the woman healer who’d worked with my mom and presumably taken everything over, called out a lot of instructions, which included telling Jensen to get me to my room.