Elves Invasion

62

Isaac had his back to them. He turned his head as they approached and smiled at Ava, relieved. As he motioned for her to come and stand next to him she saw that the person he’d been having words with was Alaric. There was a slight hitch in her step when their eyes met, but she recovered quickly, squared her shoulders, and joined him at the fire.

“Good to see you again,” Alaric said, watching her reaction carefully.

“Is it?” she asked. “I can’t say the same.”

His mouth ticked up with a wry smile as his eyes narrowed. “Well, apparently you wanted to see me because you sought me out,” he reminded her.

“I came for the rest of my army,” she replied. The fire popped between them as the silence grew heavy. Finally, Alaric nodded in concession.

“From what Isaac tells me, you can bring all of your claimed from place to place with no need to travel. They’d all survive the journey if they travel with you, and I can’t promise them the same.” His poker face was flawless. “But would they follow you into battle?”

“We both know their loyalty is with you,” Ava replied, making a concession of her own. “So here’s what I’m willing to offer you. Your voice will be heard with all things concerning the Outlander braves in my army. You’ll be one of my generals and you’ll report to Isaac. I offer you this under one condition. That you let me claim you.”

Alaric barked with surprised laughter. When he realized Ava wasn’t kidding, he looked to Isaac for someone to talk reason to her, but Isaac shook his head once in answer.

“You lost my support when I found out about the bombs,” Isaac said.

Alaric smiled and nodded. “And that’s what this is all about.”

“It is,” Ava said. “I want to know where the bombs are, and I want them dismantled and disposed of properly. They are no longer an option in this war.”

“Bomb. Single. I only have one left that still works—and it does still work”—Alaric nodded to one of his painted braves—“even though you sent someone to try to sabotage it.”

“What are you talking about?” Ava asked, not even trying to hide her confusion.

There was the sound of a tussle as someone was dragged into the light of the fire. She saw Erye pinioned between two braves. He was bucking against their restraints with real fear in his eyes as he was dragged before Alaric.

“Ava,” Erye said, baring his teeth as he breathed her name. “At last.”

Ava could feel all of her mechanics step closer to her as she shrank into Isaac’s side. Isaac said something to Erye in Cherokee, but Erye only laughed at his half brother and shook his head.

“Don’t think I don’t know you and Mia sent this uktena to undermine me,” Alaric said as he gestured to Erye with a foul look on his face.

“I have nothing to do with Erye,” Ava replied hotly. “Mia and I don’t agree on everything. I came here with my own plans about how to deal with you and the bombs—sorry, bomb—and it had nothing to do with him. And where is the second bomb? I thought there were two.”

Alaric sized Ava up with a guarded look on his face. A thought occurred to him and he tipped his head to the side. “She didn’t tell you that she stole the other and kept it for herself, did she?” Ava stared at Alaric, horrified. He gave a bitter laugh. “I didn’t think so.”

Ava shut her mouth with a snap and reached out to Mia in mindspeak.

Mia. Do you have a bomb?

There was no answer. She stalked over to Erye where he was still being held by two braves and slapped him hard across the face.

“Does Mia have a bomb?” She slapped him again before he even had a chance to answer. Erye’s face whipped to the side and came back to Ava wearing an indulgent smile. Her skin puckered as if something had slithered across it. “Answer me,” she warned.

“I don’t know. If she got one, it happened when I was following you,” Erye replied. “But it sounds about right. Mia plans to raze Bower City to the ground.”

I don’t think he’s lying, Isaac said to Ava in mindspeak.

He isn’t, she replied. Mia told me herself that she planned on destroying the city, but I never thought she’d use one of the bombs to do it. Never. It’s the last thing she would do.

And Ava knew that was why Mia was doing it. Mia believed that in order to win, she had to cross the uncrossable line.

“You came here to gather an army and join Mia, but the Outlanders are following Mia to stop her,” Alaric said. “We want to live in Bower City, if we can get past the Hive.”

They don’t know the whole story about Grace. The thought came from Caleb, who was only now joining them at the fire with Juliet and Samantha in tow. He stepped into the light and spoke aloud.

“Sachem, there is no getting past the Hive,” Caleb said. “Not without Ava and Mia and every single person they’ve claimed. The Hive is under the power of a witch named Grace Bendingtree. It’s bewitched. I’ve seen it myself. We can’t hope to beat her without a bewitched army of our own.”

Alaric heard what Caleb said, but his eyes kept darting over Caleb’s shoulder to the two women who stood behind him, his attention torn.

“Juliet?” he said, his voice softer and more plaintive than Ava had ever heard it. He stepped toward her with his halting gait and went to take her hand. She stepped back, uncertain and a little frightened by the intensity of his gaze. Alaric understood then.

“You’re not my Juliet,” he said. Juliet shook her head and Alaric turned his gaze to Ava. “Where is she?” he asked.

Ava pressed her lips together and swallowed, hoping to soothe the tightness that was closing off her throat. Her expression was all Alaric needed. His eyes shut for a moment and a held breath came rushing out of him.

“How? When?” he asked, suddenly looking a little smaller and a lot older.

“Grace Bendingtree. Last week,” Ava answered quietly.

Alaric nodded, his eyes looking inward. Anger began to mount in him the more he tried to push it down, like a smelting fire that gains heat from pressure. “This Bendingtree has claimed the Hive?” he asked through clenched teeth.