He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out. It seemed like he’d been asleep for days. His back hurt, his head hurt, even his knees hurt. He tried to open his eyes but they seemed sealed somehow. Reaching out with his mind he felt awareness in the room. Three minds, previously connected with his, reached back to him. One was silent almost nonexistent but he felt it there.
“Raise the seal.” Tristan’s deep voice spoke out in the room. He must be back at the safe house. How did he get there? “We found you, with the help of Adrian. She somehow was able to tap into your ability and use it as if it were her own. She continues to be a surprise to us.” He massaged his eyes with his fingertips and raised and lowered his eyebrows. “We found you in a café, a working café; you could have been captured or even injured. We tell you to let that woman go and yet you defy me.” Tristan’s voice was angry and loud. He spoke from his chest and pushed influence from his body but just before it fully transferred Chase through up a hand. His eyes were open and slightly glowing.
“Don’t throw your weight on me, Leader. It’s not because I once loved the woman that I follow her. I’ve been charged by the Council for a mission I will not forsake.” His head lolled and he turned his face, observing the sheets next to him had been previously slept in.
“Once we figured out that you not being here was the reason that Adrian was sick, we laid you two in bed together. It seemed to work for Mendax when he was sick.” Technik, who sat in the claw footed chair in the corner of the room reading wavelengths in the air, continued his signing but projected towards Chase. “Fortunately, it worked but we aren’t sure why. Arinth was only able to give us some of the information but I’m digging deeper to see what happened.”
Chase knew something was off with that statement but couldn’t entirely figure out why, he chewed the inside of his cheek, brow furrowed. Their auras seemed off. Looking over at Mendax, Chase remembered what Ana Guile had said. His mood darkened but until he had a talk with Arinth, or Cook, he wasn’t going to say anything to the warrior. He was standing there suspiciously silent, just watching the scene. Usually he would have made some snide remark or a joke about him being tied down or something.
“Did Ana say anything before she left you chained to a chair bolted to the floor?” Mendax’s voice rang out and he watched him silently for a moment. The question seemed genuine enough but Chase wasn’t going to trust him just yet. It was either he had something to hide or Ana was trying to wedge a distance between the two men. Either way he’d keep his guard up until he knew more.
“She asked me why they wanted her, questioned their authority and was still a traitor. Anything that she had to say was moot point. I was supposed to bring her in and that is my mission and I will continue to do so.” He rolled to his feet and shuffled, as he realized he only wore boxers. “Who?”
“Arinth. You were covered in sweat and grime from that filthy little town we found you in. She undressed you and cleaned you up.” Julius stepped forward and placed a hand on the side of Chase’s face. There was a tiny cut there where Ana had drawn her nail. He healed it before stepping back and throwing a bundle of folded clothing they’d put together.
“How long was I out?”
“I’d say this was day two but its night time. We don’t know how long you were knocked out in that chair though. Also, I know you want to ask about her. She’s downstairs with Arinth. She recovered a little faster than you did. She woke yesterday.” Tristan chuckled slightly as he called Hunter out, knowing the man was avoiding asking about the one thing he seemed really worried about.
“Thanks” Chase said gruffly.
“No problem, I know you were commissioned to bring her in but Chase, be careful. Next time you’re bound we might not necessarily be available to just come find you. We do have missions of our own and I was very well about to be gone and out of reach. You will be more careful.” With those words, Tristan forcefully nodded to him this time letting his Influence leave his body and enter Chases’.
Chase accepted it as oath and began undoing the bundle. He didn’t tell them that the sickness he’d felt had nothing to do with Ana Guile, that he’d felt it before he went to find her. He didn’t tell Tristan about how just before he’d passed out he’d heard Adrian’s voice whispering in his mind. If they knew they could speak mentally they would be quick to mistrust Adrian again. She seemed to be coming along with new abilities every day, he needed to find out more about her without his team or he might have to give over the woman he loved to the men he’d been sworn to protect. Love? He loved her?
"The only way to be a writer is to write, write and write. The only way...is to write." -Jade Elyzabeth
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