The MORE Trilogy (72 page)

“As if I could.” He played it off like a joke, but he hadn’t answered, and Ava knew it.

“You could,” she said softly. “Between you and Tiernan and Gideon and, God forbid, Adam, you could stop me. You would if you thought it was dangerous for me. You know you would.”

Caleb couldn’t disagree. The thought had crossed his mind.

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” she said, turning back to watch the children, her thumb rubbing little circles on the back of his hand. “I know what it will do to you if . . . if something happens to me.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you.” The thought filled Caleb with sick dread. His gift spiked, instinctively wanting to protect, and by Ava’s quiet sigh, he knew she felt it.

“Please,” she said, turning to look into his eyes and take his face in her hands. “I need you to promise me. I’ll do anything—whatever you and Gideon think is necessary. All the tests. Answer all the questions. I don’t care. But in return, I need you to promise that you won’t stop me if I’m needed.”

Caleb fought the rush of anxiety at her words, tears pricking at his eyes as he looked into hers. But in that moment, he couldn’t deny her.

“I’ll try,” he said, choking on the words as he covered her hands with his. “That’s all I can promise right now. I’ll
try
. I swear.”

Ava studied him for a long moment and then nodded, realizing that was the best she was going to get. She scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.
 

“It’s strange,” she said. “To think I have all these . . . siblings out there. And I don’t even know them.”

Caleb knew what she didn’t say:
and I might have to kill them
. He tightened his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close.

“And my parents,” she said quietly. “I have to explain all this to them somehow. I have to make sure they’re safe.”

“We’ll keep them safe,” he told her, the words quiet, reverent—a vow. “You have a lot of people on your side here, Ava. No one’s going to let anything happen to them.”

She nodded, leaning into his warmth, and he hoped he could keep that promise.

Eventually, the children went home and the sun slid below the horizon. Caleb pulled Ava to her feet and linked their fingers as they walked back toward the common room for dinner. They stopped on the path before the building came in sight, and Caleb surrendered to an urgent need to pull her close and wrap his arms around her waist. She sighed into the touch, tangling her fingers in his hair as he squeezed her a little tighter.
 

After a long moment, he pulled back. “No matter what,” he said firmly. “No matter what happens, we’ll get through this. I’m not leaving you again. We’ll face this together, and we’re going to make it. I know it.”

Ava nodded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I know.”

“And I want
 . . .
” He swallowed thickly, sure but nervous all the same. “I want us . . . together. Forever, Ava.”

She froze. “What are you saying? Do you mean
 . . .
”

He nodded, as certain about this as he was about anything. “I’ve been afraid, Ava. For a lot of reasons. And I want to explain them all so you know just what you’re getting into here. But I want you to know that I’m in this for the long haul. And for us, that’s a
really
long haul
 . . .
” He laughed, running a hand through his hair. He was rambling, and he couldn’t stop. “And I know it’s a lot to ask—”

Nothing else came out of his mouth, because Ava chose that moment to pop up on her tiptoes—and a little bit higher, thanks to her gift—to plant a soft kiss on his mouth.
 

He gasped into the touch of her lips, pulling her close and reveling in the feeling of their power mingling. It was like coming home. And it was only going to get better.

“Yes,” she whispered against his mouth when they drew apart to catch a breath.

He grinned. “I’m not sure I actually asked anything yet.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said, her grin matching his. “Yes. To everything. Anything. All of it.”

Caleb couldn’t find it in himself to push the matter, so instead he just kissed her again. And they stood, wrapped in each other’s arms long after darkness fell, forgetting all the challenges that stood before them and simply remembering what it was like to be together.
 

To be meant to be.

Chapter 1

A block of ice smashed against the wall above Ava, raining down a shower of freezing crystals. She cursed under her breath and made a dash for the adjoining building—a detached garage—and pressed her back against the wall next to Caleb.

“I thought you said she’d be reasonable,” she said, sneaking a glance around the corner and ducking back with a gasp as another bowling-ball-sized block of ice shot their way and landed at their feet.

“That’s what the intel said,” Caleb replied. He clenched his jaw as he scanned their surroundings.

They’d received word of a possible Half-Breed named Sophie near the border in Minnesota, and Caleb was supposed to get to her before the Council did. Ava had begged to come along, after going crazy with boredom while holed up at the Colony for almost a month. He’d agreed only because there’d been no time to argue and no one else to go with him. Since his kidnapping and manipulation, the Guardians had instigated a strict buddy system. Even Caleb was subject to it.

There had been a plan, of course. There was always a plan. But as Ava was quickly coming to realize, when it came to the Race, such plans often fell apart.

They’d driven to Minnesota but had left the car at the gate so they could shift into the neighborhood where Sophie lived. Caleb had been careful to materialize out of sight of the house, only to find the girl standing at her mailbox, staring at them wide-eyed and obviously scared out of her mind. When Caleb had stepped toward her, she took off running toward the house, and the ice bombardment had commenced.

“We should have brought Adam,” Ava said, shivering as the ice crystals in her hair melted and dripped down her collar.

“He was needed back at the Colony.”

The dampener could mute gifts, sometimes block them altogether, but Gideon was leery to let Adam go too far from the Guardian Colony ever since the Rogue attack. Caleb had assured his father that he and Ava could handle it. It was supposed to be a routine mission, after all.

“Well, he sure would have come in handy with Miss Ice Ice Baby over there,” she said with a disgruntled frown. Ava spotted a couple of garbage cans propped against the house and an idea began to form. “You think you can shift us behind that tree on the other side of the yard without her noticing?”

Caleb snuck a quick peek. “Yeah. What are you thinking?”

“I need to get where I can see her so I can try and bind her.”

Caleb stiffened. “No way.”

Ava bristled with a familiar nudge of frustration. “Come on, Caleb, it’s no big deal.” He’d been such a mother hen lately, and she was
fine
.

“You can’t use your gifts. You promised. Not until we figure out—”

Another ball of ice ricocheted off the corner of the building, and they fell to the ground, covering their heads.

A cryokinetic—that’s what they’d called her. Someone who used cold and ice like a pyrokinetic used fire.

More like a human snow blower
.

Ava still couldn’t believe this was her life.

“We need to do something!” Ava snapped. “I’m open to other ideas.”

Protectors would be coming soon—within a day or two if their intel was correct, not that Ava was counting on that—but Caleb and Ava had yet to get to the front walk, let alone the front door. Ava knew their only chance was to bind Sophie long enough to convince her they weren’t there to hurt her. Convincing Caleb of that, however, was easier said than done.

“We can wait her out,” he said as a burst of smaller ice pellets hit them. He pulled Ava into his arms and rolled closer to the wall to shield them from the worst of the blast. “She’s panicking . . . afraid . . . and her gift is lashing out. She can’t keep it up for long. When she calms down, or gets tired, we’ll be able to get to her.”

“And how long will that take?” At his silence, she pushed away from him. “You have no idea, right?”

Caleb rolled over to sit braced against the wall and glared at her with a mulish expression but said nothing.

Ava took a deep breath and crawled on her knees to sit between his sprawled legs. She touched his face, and the mingling of their power settled them both. “I’ll be okay,” she said softly. “I won’t use a lot. You know it’s only bad when I try to do too m—”

“We don’t know that.”

“I’m fine,” she said, willing him to believe it and ignoring the ache behind her eyes. “We have to do something. It’s only a matter of time before a neighbor calls the cops.”

As if emphasizing her words, another ice ball crashed into the garage door.

Caleb frowned in the direction of the noise, and she knew he was desperately trying to think of an alternative plan of action.

“Come on.” She got to her feet and held out her hands. “We need to do this. Now.”

Caleb tried to stare her down, but when she didn’t look away, he took a deep breath and let her pull him to his feet. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked, reaching out to touch her cheek, his gift sparking along her skin.

“I’m sure.” She stepped close and wrapped her arms around his waist as another ice ball flew past. “Let’s go.” Ava closed her eyes as Caleb shifted them across the yard and took a second to steady herself before peering around the trunk of the tree. She spotted the girl peeking out from the living room blinds.

Ava used her gift to rattle the garbage cans by the garage and smiled when another ice ball flew in that direction. She reached out for Caleb’s hand, using his gift to boost her own and to ground her. “Okay, I’m going to bind her so she can’t run then you shift us inside,” she said.

“I really don’t like this.” He squeezed her hand, though, so Ava knew he was with her.

“I can deal with anything she throws at us.” She glanced back at him with a wry smile. “You do the talking.”

“Great.”

“Hey, you’re the one with all the experience.”

Another chunk of ice crashed into the garage, but it was smaller.

Ava hoped that was a good sign.

Caleb yanked on her hand a little. “First sign of trouble and I’m shifting us out. She’ll just have to take her chances with the Council.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said with a reassuring smile. “Ready?” He gave a curt nod, and Ava turned back to the window. She let her gift flow up and out, willing it to wrap around the cryokinetic and visualizing ropes lacing around her in a tight web.

When they heard a muffled shriek, Caleb pulled Ava close and they shifted inside.

When Caleb released her, Ava swayed on her feet and tried to stay focused on keeping Sophie bound.

The girl screamed, and a small ice ball shot toward them that Ava deflected easily.

Caleb maintained a safe distance, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. “Please, calm down,” he said. “We’re not here to hurt you. We want to help you.”

The girl struggled against Ava’s grip, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She was young—maybe Ava’s age, possibly a little older—with warm brown skin and black hair wildly curling around her shoulders. She wore jeans and a red sweatshirt tattered at the sleeves.