Page 33 of Revenant (Spirit Realm #2)

RUE

I don’t realize that I passed out until damp grass seeps through the back of my shirt, and I’m blinking up at the smokey sky. My eyeballs ache like they were scrubbed with sandpaper, and I suck in a deep breath of fresh air into my oxygen starved lungs.

And practically cough up said lungs.

I curl up on my side as my muscles protest the abuse. A hand rubs soothingly up and down my back, while another hand tucks a sooty strand of my hair behind my ear. When I’m panting, too worn out to cough more, I see flames licking up the building in the distance.

Emergency personnel are on the scene, working to contain the blaze, while nursing staff, doctors, and a slew of orderlies struggle to keep the patients corralled. From the distance, everyone looks like ants crawling over the property.

Worry over whether the guys made it out alive obliterates all rational thought, and I jolt upright, frantically scanning my surroundings. I sag in relief when I find them gathered around me, sprawled across the grass. Ellis and the twins are breathing hard, their skin streaked with soot. Gunner looks like he tried to crawl up a chimney. Hicks is without his shirt…and looks perfectly unruffled.

Somehow, I’m not surprised.

He is standing guard, an unnatural stillness to him that catches my attention, and I glance in the direction he’s looking. My blood chills in my veins when I spot them—soldiers standing along the ridge, overlooking the asylum.

They aren’t the same ones hired to work at the hospital. No, these soldiers radiate authority and power, especially one man wearing a full military uniform. I instinctively shrink away, not wanting to draw their attention, but we’re protected by a line of trees.

The soldiers only stay a few minutes, then turn on their heels and disappear into the woods. Not much later, three vehicles start and drive away.

“We’re not safe here,” I murmur, pushing to my feet with a painful groan, and Hicks grunts in agreement.

“The doctor might be dead, his research gone, but we have no idea who accessed the information before we destroyed it.” He turns away and places his hands on his hips as he meets my gaze with a hard expression. “Someone hired the doctor to find answers. Those people are still out there. We can’t be sure that they won’t start up again.”

I shudder at the thought, forking my fingers through my hair and dragging the smoke drenched strands away from my face. “None of us will ever be safe.”

I knew it, but it’s another thing to have the truth slap me in the face.

The guys drag themselves to their feet, their movements stiff as they gather protectively around me. Gunner gazes off in the direction where the soldiers disappeared, a protective growl rumbling in his chest, his muscles bulking up as if he wants to go after them and eliminate the threat. Before he can take a step, I plant myself in front of him, then thread my arms around his waist and press my cheek against his chest.

The frantic thrumming of his heartbeat slowly calms, the growl fades, and his arms close around me as he tugs me closer. When I’m sure he’s not about to stride into danger, I peer up at him. “We can’t afford to march off without a plan. We need time to heal and adjust to our new reality before we start a war.”

He sighs heavily, then leans down and kisses the crown of my head in grudging acceptance. I linger in the comfort of his arms for a moment longer before pulling away.

That’s when I spot that we’re not alone.

Sue, Mabel, Brad, and DJ stand together, their group lingering a few yards away. Dallas hovers protectively near his brother, his arms crossed over his massive chest, his face smudged with soot. A handful of other patients stand behind them, a lot of them looking a little worse for wear. I expected them to scatter the instant they gained their freedom, but they remain huddled together, looking shell-shocked and terrified, and I can’t blame them.

Their life was uprooted by the doctor, and I doubt any of them have a place to go.

Nowhere safe, anyway.

Not with their abilities.

They probably don’t want to drag trouble back to their families…or maybe their families were the ones who turned them over to the asylum in the first place.

I’m shocked when I spot Crystal’s body lying in the grass, her crumpled form resting a few yards away from everyone else, like no one wants to be anywhere near her. I don’t blame them, not after the way she acted, and I grimace at the fact that she somehow managed to survive.

I’m horrible.

I know I should feel bad for my thoughts.

But I don’t.

Ugh…I really need to work on myself.

I’ll start tomorrow.

“Rue—” Hicks stands in front of me, blocking the view. “Don’t.”

“Don’t?” I lift my brows, then mimic his pose and plant my hands on my hips, blinking up at him innocently. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Not the least bit swayed, he scowls and shakes his head. “We can’t take them with us.”

“Can we afford not to help them?” I counter, my hands dropping to my sides and my shoulders wilting. “If not for a chance of fate, I would be one of them.”

“Never.” He cups my jaw, a fierce expression crossing his face. A tiny purr, no more than a whisper of sound, emerges from his chest, and my stress melts away. I gingerly rest my hand on his arm, unable to keep from touching him. He sighs heavily, then glances at the motley crew of patients with a scowl.

“We can’t afford to have people with special abilities wreaking havoc on the world. Many of them don’t even know how to use their powers without harming themselves or others.” Without being aware that I even moved, I shuffle closer to the delicious heat that radiates from him, craving the contact. “If they draw enough attention, it’s only a matter of time before we’re all hunted down.”

A rumble fills his chest, one of defeat, and he reluctantly nods.

I should be elated. Unfortunately, I suspect this is just the beginning, and my worries come tumbling out. “If there is one facility…”

“There are probably more,” he finishes, his expression turning grim.

“We can’t go home.” Gunner joins us, his voice solemn.

“No, we can’t,” Hicks agrees. When he turns, his gaze lands on Jameson, and he only says two words. “Plan B.”

“Yes!” Jameson’s eyes light up like the Fourth of July, and he pumps a fist in the air as he does a victory dance. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

He glances about the area, a furrow between his brows like he’s searching for something. When his eyes land on Ellis and the computer resting in his hands, he bounds over with the energy of an overeager puppy.

“Does that thing still work?” Jameson points to the computer, practically squirming in place. If he had a tail, it would be wagging.

“Yes?” It comes out as more of a question, and it’s not long before they are both hovering over the computer screen.

“What is plan B?” I glance at the others in curiosity, not wanting to disturb the pair as they work. The guys glance at each other in confusion, and I peer up at Hicks for the answer. If anyone would know, it would be him.

Only, he shakes his head. “No clue.”

“What?” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Hicks is such a control freak that I didn’t think it was possible for him not to demand answers.

“James often helps battered women escape from their abusive husbands or boyfriends,” Jaceson admits, glancing over at his brother with a fondness that has warmth filling my chest. He looks back to catch me staring, and a wry smile tugs at his lips. “When he rescues them, he creates escape plans so elaborate that no one can ever find them again.”

I’m not the least bit surprised he would help a woman in need, and my heart melts at his thoughtfulness. “And this plan B?”

“Plan B is for you,” Hicks admits, running his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture that has my stomach somersaulting. “I asked him to create an escape plan for you when I learned about your father, just in case something happened. Unfortunately, you were taken before we could implement it.”

I’m more than a little shocked at his response.

That meant he created the plan before the night of the party.

Before the incident with the ghosts.

Unable to tear my gaze away from Hicks, I notice the stiff way he holds himself, the way he avoids my gaze. “But I thought you didn’t even like me?”

I’m completely baffled.

Gunner snorts so hard that I’m afraid he might hurt himself. When I glance at him, an amused smile crosses his face. “He was as hooked as the rest of us. He’s just better at hiding it.”

Disbelief rocks through me, and I’m struck mute. My attention swings back toward Hicks…in time to see a hint of red sweep through his cheeks. My brows shoot up to my hairline, and my insides flutter with such hope that it’s hard to catch my breath. “You asked him to help me?”

Hicks shrugs like it’s no big deal and easily deflects. “James is good at what he does. He worked on your escape plan almost every day since you went missing, ensuring every detail was perfect.”

Jaceson nods in agreement, his expression turning serious. “Plotting is his love language. Plan B was a labor of love for him. He probably has the rest of your life planned out for you.”

I’m speechless, my gaze sliding toward Jameson, and a wave of love for him crashes over me. He’s gesturing wildly at whatever is on the screen, talking enthusiastically to Ellis, his blue eyes intense as he explains his plan.

When his gaze flicks toward me, he catches me watching. A brilliant smile crosses his face, then he strides toward me, closing the distance between us with big steps. He doesn’t slow down when he reaches me, just sweeps me up in his arms and spins me around in a circle.

I laugh at the joy etched on his face and slip my arms around his neck as I snuggle closer. “Where are we going?” I don’t even care about the answer. Though my father and the asylum might come after us, we will be together—that’s the only thing that matters.

“A place where no one will ever find us.” He stops spinning, then lowers me until I’m sliding down the hard length of his body, and I shiver at the intensity of his gaze. “Promise.”