Darkening Chaos: Book Three of The Destroyer Trilogy (24 page)

Milo
storms away through a cloud of hatred. I sink against the hood of Lance’s car,
shaking. I can’t make it stop. Naturalism fails me completely. If Milo ever
finds out about Braden being my Socius, about me breaking that bond by stealing
his talents and dooming this entire endeavor if I can’t figure out how to
reverse the Serqet … thinking of what that might do to him scares me. Suddenly,
I am back to lying in order to save my own life, and everyone else’s as well.

Chapter
19

Shatter

Spread out across the
table are the schematics for Drake’s hacienda. Saying they weren’t easy to get
a hold of would be as big of an understatement as saying my mom and I aren’t
close. Lance still won’t tell me how he found out who the builders were, but I
suspect hacking into his dad’s secure computer last night had something to do
with it. I just hope he covered his tracks. Even though his dad isn’t speaking
to him right now, I know he would never turn in his own son to the Guardians.
However, if someone else found out Lance stole confidential information, there
would be nothing his dad could do to protect him. The danger Lance put himself
in isn’t lost on me as I pour over the plans.

I’m
not the only one with my eyes glued to the drawings. Plans are already forming
as Lance’s eyes flick over the lines. Braden and Dean are pointing and
discussing. Cole Vera is practically lying on top of the table trying to get a
look at every inch of the papers. The only one missing is Milo. That’s been his
status for two days, ever since he found out about me and Braden.

He
made it clear that breaking Guardians into little pieces is still his number
one goal, and I was no longer anything more than a tool to get him there, so I
forced myself to text him about this meeting as soon as Lance told me he had
the plans this morning. I haven’t heard from him. I didn’t expect him to text
me back with thanks or congratulations for Lance’s achievement, but I did
expect him to show up and look at the plans. His absence is beginning to worry
me. Add that to the nauseating feeling I get every time I think about having to
see Milo again, and it’s enough to make me wish I hadn’t eaten breakfast this
morning.

“That
is one monster security system,” Lance says, breaking the concentrated silence.

“The
massive wall of rock surrounding three-quarters of his property is more
security than most people would ever need,” Cole pipes in. “He’s cut off any
approach but the front door!”

Braden
shakes his head. “The wall isn’t as big of an obstacle as you might think, but
handprint scanners, security cameras, and I’ll guarantee there are at least two
dozen guards on the perimeter alone are much more of a problem than the rock
wall.”

“That’s
a lot of men to take down,” Dean says solemnly.

My
ears perk up at that comment. “Take down? We’re not killing all of those men.”

The
guys in the room stare at me. The incredulity in there expressions gets on my
nerves immediately. “We don’t have to kill them all. Incapacitating them will
work just as well.”

They’re
still looking at me like I’m crazy. “Am I the only one who’s thinking about how
it will look if Drake’s cleaning lady shows up the next day and finds a house
full of blood and bodies? Who do you think going to get blamed for that?” I
point at myself, daring them to tell me I’m wrong. “If all anyone can figure
out the next day is that Drake’s guards were knocked out and he disappeared,
who’s to say he didn’t leave all on his own. We’ve heard rumors that he’s
planning something against Howe. That’s reason enough for him to bail.”

Slowly,
grudgingly, they all start nodding. Thank goodness.

“Actually
getting in there to do any
incapacitating
,” Lance says, emphasizing his
dislike for the word, “isn’t going to be easy. Every inch of this guy’s
property is under three different forms of surveillance.”

“Let’s
take them one at a time, then,” Braden suggests. “Cameras are by far the least
difficult to around …”

“If
you have an AV wizard,” Lance interrupts, “which we don’t.”

“We’ll
find one.” Even if I have to employ some manipulation, I’ll make sure we have
someone to take care of any video feeds floating around Drake’s hacienda.

“The
guards,” Braden continues, “are going to be Seekers for sure. Libby has already
proven Ciphers can get past them, but that hardly means we can walk right in
there.”

A
defensive posture pulls Lance upright. “Ciphers? I am not being left behind
again!”

“Neither
am I,” Braden agrees.

I
try to put in my two cents on the topic, but Braden talks over the top of me.

“The
Seekers inability to see Ciphers gives us an advantage, but not enough of one.
They still have eyes. The Concealment techniques you’ve been teaching everyone
could be the answer to hiding both the Ciphers and non-Ciphers, but only if
enough people can get them to work. So far Libby, Milo, and Hammond are the
only ones who’ve perfected the invisibility technique. And I don’t think any of
them can shield a second person yet.”

Finally,
I get a chance to speak. “There are others I’m sure can learn, but we need a
number. How many people do you think it will take to get in there and grab
Drake? If I don’t think we can get enough people trained in a short enough time,
we’ll have to come up with another idea.”

“Fifteen,”
Lance offers.

“At
least twenty,” Braden counters. Lance starts to argue, but he‘s stopped by
Braden’s raised hand. “You know a lot about Guardians, thanks to you dad, but
you don’t know everything they’re capable of. Fifteen might be able to do it,
but twenty will be better. And I think it’s still in the realm of what we can
manage.”

Braden
looks over at me for confirmation. In my head, I count up the members of my
team I think are capable of using their Concealment well enough to be useful. A
few seconds later, I nod hesitantly. “Twenty might be pushing it, but I think
we can manage.”

“Okay,”
Lance says, “then that leaves tactics. How on earth are we going to get into
this guy’s fortress?”

Not
even Braden has a quick answer for that question. We all fall back into silence
as our attention returns to the schematics. Dug out of sandstone and lava rock,
Drake’s hacienda is very well protected. Even with Concealment going full-tilt,
walking up the driveway is out of the question. Cole starts to say something
when the groan of an opening door makes him pause. Something about the
innocuous sound alerts everyone. Eyes turn toward the creak.

Palm
flat against the solid oak door, Milo glares at everyone in the room. Lance and
Braden step closer to me. Their protective movements only irritate Milo more.
No one moves. No one says anything, either. I think everyone expects me to take
the lead since I’m the one who caused this awkward confrontation. I open my
mouth, but finding the right words seems impossible as the hurt, guilt, and
ache of seeing him again bear down on me.

“You
couldn’t be bothered to wait for me?” Milo demands as he finally steps into the
room.

Cole,
who has never cared much for Milo, glances at the phone perched in his hand.
“It’s like noon. Libby’s text said to meet her here at—”

My
razored glare cuts him off. Pointing out that Milo should have showed up two
hours ago like everyone else is
not
going to help the situation. Cole
shoves his phone into his jeans pocket, quiet now. I drag my voice back from
wherever it was hiding, and say, “Sorry, Milo. We weren’t sure if you were
coming, but now that you’re here you can help us figure out how to get past
Drake’s guards.”

I
know he heard me, but my words drift past him like they never existed. Milo’s
eyes are locked on Braden. He marches forward. I tense, readying myself for his
reaction. Movement to my right startles me, because that’s where Braden is standing.
Milo’s voice cuts through the room.

“Braden’s
here? You don’t need my input now that he’s back?” The sneer in his voice makes
me cringe.

“Milo,”
Braden says, “maybe we should step outside.” He moves away from me and toward
Milo. I grab at his hand, but he slips away from me.

“I
don’t need you to tell me what to do,” Milo snaps. “I don’t need you to tell me
what you think, either, or how to get into Drake’s place. I don’t need you to
train me, or criticize my technique or decisions. I don’t need you at all.”

My
lips beg me to defend Braden, to calm Milo. I want to intervene. I don’t need
the quick shake of Lance’s head to tell me what a bad idea that would be. For
two days, I have been terrified of this moment. I had hoped to avoid it, but I
know it needs to happen. Keeping these two apart isn’t realistic. It kills me,
but I stand back and stay quiet, and say a silent pray that they won’t hurt
each other.

“If
it were only your decision,” Braden says to Milo as he approaches him slowly,
“I would leave right now. I know you’re angry with me, and I deserve your
anger.”

“Don’t
patronize me,” Milo growls. “Don’t act benevolent and understanding after what
you did! You took her from me. You don’t understand my anger. You don’t know
what it feels like to lose her!”

The
air in the room crackles as Braden’s emotional control weakens. Panic begins trickling
through my veins. Lance tenses up, but doesn’t move.

“I
do know what it feels like to lose her,” Braden says. His hands clench and
unclench. “I know what it feels like to be physically tortured because I loved
her so much and could be turned into a weapon to kill her. I know what it feels
like to have her life in my hands and hate myself for wanting to take it. I
know what it’s like to be in love with her and be certain she’ll never love me
in return.”

Braden
takes a breath, and I fear Milo will lash into him. He stays eerily silent.
Bottled rage simmers like a furnace gone molten.

“I
have lost Libby again and again. To you. To a forced Oath. To a lost
Companion.” Frustration and anger, laced with compassion ripple out from
Braden. “I know I took Libby away from you, and I’m sorry you were hurt because
of me. That wasn’t my intention when I first sought her out. I just wanted to
know who she really was. Falling in love with her just happened. She wanted you
for so long, and I tried to give her what she wanted in the end, but how could
I make any other choice when she came to me? I couldn’t let her go. I couldn’t
live without her.”

“And
I can?”

Braden
loses it. “You’ve done it well enough for the past year!”

Milo’s
cloudy grey eyes darken to blackest night. “What is that supposed to mean?”

"How
many times did you put the Ciphers ahead of her? How many times were you too
busy to be there when she was scared, or exhausted, or in pain? How often did
she cry on your shoulder?” Braden demands. “Libby didn’t seek me out all those
times. You left her alone and I stepped in to do what you should have.”

“You
have no idea what you’re talking about,” Milo says angrily.

“I
know that I was there and you weren’t.”

Braden’s
accusation electrifies the air. Every muscle in Milo’s body bunches into
power-filled knots. “I was trying to rescue the Ciphers!” Milo yells. “Why am I
the only one who understands that? I was focused. I needed to be focused. I was
trying to save them!”

“So
was everyone else,” Braden argues, “so was Libby. All she wanted was for you to
care as much about her as you did the Ciphers.”

 Milo
flings his hands up. “There were more important things to worry about!”

The
pang Milo’s words send through me is echoed in Braden’s frustrated growl. He
looks at Milo squarely, demanding. “Was saving the Ciphers worth losing her?”

Braden’s
question incites a storm of emotion in Milo’s eyes. It hurts so much to see the
indecision he’s battling. Despite his anger, I had hoped, prayed his answer
would be no. Braden holds my heart in his hands now, but pieces chip off and
fall into an emotional abyss. Braden is still waiting for an answer, but I have
mine. I tuck it away somewhere I won’t easily find it again and dry the tears
from my cheeks.

“I’m
not proud of how I ended up with Libby,” Braden admits in the face of Milo’s
silence, “but I can’t change anything now. None of us can. To be honest, I
wouldn’t even if I could.”

I
suck in a horrified breath as Milo’s fist launches at Braden. My eyes close
against the image, but I hear the impact all the same. The crack of knuckles on
cheekbone staggers me. Talent meeting no talent is a sickening sound. Opening
my eyes feels like torture. Fear that I stood back when I should have stopped
them makes the motion slow and dread filled. When I finally force myself to
look, the image of Milo standing over Braden is too much to bear. I dart
forward, but a firm hand holds me back yet again. I glare over at Lance, but Milo’s
acidic voice makes me shiver and hold back.

“Stay
away from me,” Milo spits at Braden, “and stay out of my way. I want nothing to
do with either of you anymore. I want the Guardians dead. That’s all I have
left.”