In Embers (The Ember Series Book 3) (5 page)

With an ache in my chest, I said, “She’s better off without me.”

“Why would you say that, Max?”

“I hurt everyone I love,” I said, as fact. Staring into my uncle’s ghostly face, I mumbled, “Or worse.”

“Max, I need you to listen to me now, I don’t have much more time.”

“Okay.”

“The answers are all around you, you just have to listen.”

“Huh,” I grunted.

“Trust the pain…
”
he said, with his voice fading
.
“…and wake up.”

“What? I don’t understand,” I said, bewildered. His body began to fade away, leaving only a soft silhouette.

“Wake up, Max.”

“Uncle? Uncle!” I screamed out. Nothing. I was alone again. I closed my eyes once more, giving up. When I opened them again, I was in my freezing cell, back at the correctional center. No Uncle Frank. No mother. No Madi. Just me and my uncomfortable pillow.

“Damn it,” I grumbled, sitting up in my bunk.

“Ahh…he’s alive,” Officer Fitzgerald teased. “You gave us all a nice scare, Valentine.”

“I did?”

“Yup. One second you’re talking to your uncle’s casket, the next second you’re on your back screaming, TRUST THE PAIN,” he snickered.

“What?” I huffed.

“Thankfully you passed out after a few moments, cuz you were scaring the bejeezus out of that crowd. Especially your family.”

“Family? What family?” I asked, embarrassed.

“You mother.”

“Pfft. I don’t have a mother anymore,” I said.

“Is that so?” he asked, with an eyebrow raised.

“Not now, Fitz. It’s been a long day. Save the Oprah intervention for another time,” I kidded, but I wasn’t really joking. I missed my uncle something fierce and the last thing I wanted to think about was my mother.

“Valentine, has anyone ever told you that you have a bit of a temper? You’re like a hothead,” he laughed.

I let out a long sigh and rubbed my hands together. Staring down at them I wondered where my fires had gone. I worried where Asia and Sam were. I missed my daughter. Looking out my tiny window at the glowing moon, I whispered…

“Story of my life.”

~ Stars: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals ~

New Years Eve: Hidden apartment in Dubai

Saturday night - 11:57 p.m. - December 31
st

Sam:

Asia was in bad shape. Actually, that was putting it optimistically. She was close to death. She had been shot twice during our escape. Thankfully the bullets had gone all the way through her body and not lodged themselves inside her stomach causing much more damage. She had lost too much blood, though. Asia needed help. She needed proper care from an emergency room staff, and she needed it now. But she wouldn't allow it. We were fugitives and needed to keep a low profile in this strange, foreign desert city. I had blown up our only cell phone during the escape, and amazingly there was no phone in this room. It was best to keep a low profile for now, but how long? I was lucky to retrieve enough info from Asia before she passed out completely, to find this secluded hotel sanctuary. If only I had little Madison here with her brilliant healing touch.

“Is she still breathing?” one of the four refugee’s asked. She had wild blue eyes and her hair was a tussle of almost white curls on top of her head. She fidgeted in her stance. Quickly, I checked Asia’s lips with my fingertips. A slight rustle of air tickled the beads of sweat along my palm.

“She’s fine,” I smiled politely to the young lady.

“You’re lying,” another girl grumbled.

“What?” I asked, shocked.

“I can tell.” She blinked her matching bluish eyes up at me. Her face wore the exhaustion of being a lab rat.

“How can you tell that?” I asked her, slowly kneeling before her, trying my best to distract her gaze from Asia’s pale body.

“It’s one of my secrets. We all have a special secret,” she smirked, and pointed to the rest of the girls. “I have a few different ones. I know the truth, or I know when people lie.”

Rubbing some dirt off her round cheeks, I smiled, “That’s right. You’re one of the special ones. While I was locked up, I think I heard Avery refer to you girls as Project Seven.”

“Yep,” she chirped, then quickly asked, “What number are you?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, blankly.

“What number? We all have them.” She held up her right wrist and tattooed in tiny red writing was the Roman numerals for TWO. “See.”

“I don’t have a number. They didn’t give me one.”

Scratching her head she wondered aloud, “They didn’t? Why not?”

“I’m just not that special, I guess,” I giggled in her ear. She took a moment to digest my words before speaking again. I looked around our quiet room and noticed the other three girls were sitting silently with wide, intent eyes.

“I think you’re very special,” Number One said, joining the conversation.

“Why’s that?”

“Because…” she pointed over to Asia. “She came for you. She saved you. Saved us. She wouldn’t have come for you if you weren’t special.” Slowly, she turned around and walked over to her sisters-in-numbers, and sat next to them.

“Is she going to live?” Number Three asked. Her eyes watched me with uneasiness.

“Not if we don’t get her some help soon.” I’m not sure why I admitted the truth to them, I just did. I figured there wasn’t any need to lie to them, especially with little Number Two’s talent.

A few quiet moments passed with the girls watching Asia and I closely. I figured I should keep things positive until I knew what to do next.

“Well, I have a special little girl back home too. I think you girls would love her. She’s gifted, just like all of you.”

“Really? What’s her number?” Number One asked, excitedly.

“She doesn’t have a number, she has a name…Madison,” I corrected her. All the girls looked around the room at each other in a confused state. “Don’t you have names?” I asked, softly.

All four girls answered me in unison, “No.”

“Wow…how long were you girls held captive there?”

Girl Number One sighed, “We were born there.”

“Unbelievable…” I said, under my breath. “My name
’s Samantha.”

“Samantha Summers,” Number Two said from behind her bangs.

“Yes, how did you know that?” I asked, even though I was sure it was one of her other special talents.

“Because I dreamt of you.”

“You did?”

“And Asia,” she smiled, pointing to her. Finally, she added, “And Max.”

“Max too, huh…” I was dumbfounded.

“Yes, the boy with the sad eyes who’s made of fire,” she added.

I was almost speechless, “That’s my Max.”

Suddenly, fireworks exploded from outside the window of our apartment startling all the girls. They all screamed, clutching one another.

“Easy, girls…it’s only fireworks,” I announced. With a small yawn I looked over at the clock on the wall. It was midnight. New Year’s had arrived. Realizing they had no idea what I was talking about, I pointed at the flashing balls of wonder in the night sky. The room shook softly with their beautiful detonations.

“Go to the window. They’re just fake explosions, like painting the sky with lights. They can be quite beautiful. Enjoy them while I try and figure out our next move,” I said, feeling the day’s adventure catching up with me. A vicious headache was upon me. My eyes felt heavy, and I missed my Madison Lee completely. I hoped she was safe. I hoped she was with Max.

I closed my eyes while the thuds from outside mesmerized the young escapees. Moments later I was awoken by a curious touch. It was Number Two again, and I could hear her thoughts inside my mind.

“I think I know how to save her.”

I took a moment to understand what she was doing. “How?” I asked, quietly. She shook her head no, and placed a finger to her lips, instructing me to not speak out loud.

“I know how to save Asia,” she said again, in my head.

With my thoughts, I answered her, “All right, I’m listening.”

“When we arrived here, as we rushed past the other apartments, I read one of the neighbors thoughts. I didn’t hear much, but I think he is a doctor,” Two said, inside my pounding brain. “I bet he could help.”

“A doctor?” I said aloud, and she grimaced up at me. A couple of the other girls stole a quick glance back at us. I smiled back, and waved for them to turn back around. They did immediately, with a mouthful of nervous giggles.

Softly, she spoke again in my head, “We need his help.”

With my thoughts, I asked, “Do you remember which apartment he was in?”

“Sorry, no.”

“It’s okay.” I smiled at her, letting her know she had done well. With a small hug, she stood up and rejoined her sisters as the fireworks began to die down. I walked up to Asia and checked her pulse then temperature, with the back of my hand. She was starting to run a fever. I was out of time. We had two options; take her to the hospital and compromise our escape, or we bring the doctor to us. Lightning flickered in the far off distance, filling the night sky with flashing white light. From Asia’s mouth fell one word. It was labored and raspy, but it was clear.

“Asher.”

Who the heck was Asher
?
No time for that now. I had to act fast.

“All right, girls, Two and I will be right back,” I announced.

Thirty minutes and five doors later, Two and I had finally found the mysterious man who might be able to help. I was at my wits end. Banging on strange doors in the early hours of the morning, in a foreign country, was not the best way to keep a low profile. We were lucky no one had called the authorities on us already. As the stranger opened his front door just enough to get a good look at us, Two wrapped her hand around mine.

“Who’s there?” he asked, upset.

“Hello, I am so sorry to bother you this evening…”

“Do you understand what time it is?” he grumbled. The door began to close and I reached out as fast as I could.

“Please. I know it’s late. We need your help. It’s an emergency.”

“I don’t care. I don't know you, goodnight…”

“Wait! Someone’s hurt. She may be dying,” I begged.

“Who? Who is dying?” he asked, opening his door another inch.

“My friend…she’s been shot…” I swallowed hard. Quickly, I looked down the hall to make sure no one else heard me. He stared at me for a long minute. “Please.”

“Why me?” he finally asked.

Without missing a beat, Two chimed in, “Because you’re a doctor.” He looked down at her and frowned.

“How do you know that?”

“There’s no time to explain…please, we need your help,” I begged again. Asia had done everything in her power to find me, to save me. I wasn’t going to let that go unanswered. I reached for his hand and he pulled away from me, making me angry in the process. Two stepped forward, squinting her eyes as if she were deep in thought, and the man froze in place. He stared down at her in bewilderment. She was talking to him with her mind. It was calming him and freaking him out at the same time. It filled me with a
queasy fear and I wished I knew what she was telling him. Just then, he wilted.

“Okay, I’ll come.”

Gasping a little, I started to tear up. “Thank you.”

A few minutes later we were all walking into the strange apartment room where a dying Asia was waiting. The doctor pushed inside, offering the other girls a nervous wave before hunkering down next to Asia. I knelt down next to Two and smiled softly.

“What did you tell him, sweetie?” I asked her.

She smiled at me and nodded no.
“I can’t tell you yet.”

“Huh?” I wilted.

“It would only upset you, and I don’t want to do that. I’ve just met you, but I’ve seen that we’ll be the best of friends, in the future. I don’t want to ruin that,” she sighed. “Samantha, I don’t want to hurt you.”

Her words stung me to my core. I was tired, scared, and an emotional wreck. I had to focus on getting everyone home safe and sound. I had to get back to Madison. Back to my parents, Kai, and Uncle Frank. Back to Max.

Startling me from my thoughts, the doctor said, “I think I can save her.”

Number Two slapped her hands together in a bright clap. “See, I was right.”

Number One walked up to her sister with a smug smile. “You’re always right.”

Both girls huddled up with the other sisters by the open window. I walked up to the doctor and asked if I could use his cell phone. He politely handed me an older flip phone and I retired into the small bathroom and locked the door behind me. I dialed Max’s number
, but only reached his messaging service. I tried his Uncle’s house next, with the same results. Frustrated, I dialed one last number. The voice on the other end was my breaking point.

“Hello? Who is this?” he asked.

“Kai!” I sobbed, losing all my strength in one exhausted moment.

“Sam!” he shouted.

I cried into the receiver until the doctor was finished with Asia.