The Uninvited (The Julianna Rae Chronicles Book 1) (21 page)

He hastily swung his leg over the already crowded bike and turned the key. Julianna didn’t complain, she just closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his back.

More birds flew and wildlife scurried as the bike slipped in the gravel before gripping onto the interstate road stretching before them. Caden gunned it, aiming for as much distance between them and the camp as possible. There was no time to look back; he needed to be quick. He needed to find somewhere safe so he could help her.

Daniel precariously balanced on the back while holding Julianna. The suffocation of two men pressing against her triggered her eyes open.

‘We’re losing her, Caden!’ Daniel yelled over the howling wind. ‘We need to stop.’

She closed her eyes again. Her hands fell away and swung beside Caden’s legs, dangling freely as she rested her cheek against his back again. Daniel lifted her heavy arms into her lap and held them there as she slept.

‘Not here!’ Caden yelled back.

‘I’m telling you we need to stop
now
!’ Daniel responded. ‘She’s
dying
!’

The bike skidded off the road, picking up a fierce speed against the dirt track, rousing her with the bumps along the way. Caden glanced back briefly, but he had to return to the track. He needed to concentrate and her head rising was enough to reassure him. The cold wind whipped across them and her hair flowed back with it.

Concentrate, Cade, make us disappear.

The trees closed around them, bending as they rode past, sheltering them. The sky couldn’t be seen between any two branches; where they were going was dark enough that the devil would fear it himself.

A whimper reached his ears and tugged at what was left of his heart; her first noise made since they had taken her back. He glanced again, this time to Daniel and the darkness behind them. Daniel was helping.

Good for something. I taught him well.

The trees closed in more and the track disappeared.

Finally, they were safe.

0140 HOURS.

THE WOODLANDS.

The bike moved into the cover Caden had created with Daniel. The gears changed down, tugging the bike as it did, dying it into a halt. The engine cut to the silence of the night world taking over

The kickstand lowered. The bike tilted and the men gently lifted and then lowered Julianna into the cool grass. The stars twinkled above when she opened her eyes. The overhead branches danced in the wind, making them wink at her each time they swayed. Left and right, up and down, bobbing along, with each move blocking each star she focused on.

Caden knelt over her. He said nothing. Their eyes met and behind him the stars turned black. The sky was gone. The
world
was gone. Her eyes widened. From where she rested in the soft grass, all she could see was blackness and shadows that were even darker, dance against it. Caden lifted her singlet from her wounds and stared.

‘She’s lost too much,’ Daniel said.

Caden’s hands pressed against the largest of the holes and she screamed with the pain that he thrust into her. He leaned his weight through his arm, ignoring her screaming pleas to stop.             

Her eyes rolled back until they closed.

Daniel took the other wounds.

‘Come on, J Rae. Come back to me, darlin’,’ Caden called quietly.

The open gash reluctantly closed and drew in what little blood oozed over, but she didn’t react. Daniel sat back on his haunches, the smaller wounds already healed. Caden pressed harder as the sweat rolled into his eyes. He shook the dampness away; keeping them hidden and healing Julianna at the same time was wiping his energy. He nodded angrily at Daniel for more help.

No, you can’t, can you? Maybe if you had listened to me more, maybe—

Calm the fuck down, my brother, and focus!
Bastiaan’s ever-present voice snapped into his consciousness.

His voice called her again, stronger than ever, calling her name and pulling her back, demanding she respond.

‘She’s not answering,’ Daniel whispered.

Caden pulled away and all that he left underneath were the lines of dry blood caked around a crevice of freshly healed skin.

‘It’s not your time, Julianna Rae, come back to me now.’

Caden reached into her mind. Trying desperately to pull her back into their world. Julianna didn’t want his voice to keep calling her; she tried to ignore it. The place where she rested was peaceful and bright, he could feel the warmth that she felt. His dark world disturbed her but he kept calling, kept tugging and pulling, relentless in his quest to beckon her back. She moved her cheek away from his soft touch as he stroked it. Then the stroke became a gentle but annoying tap.

‘J Rae, come on, girl, it’s not your time...’ He slapped her. ‘There’s too much fighting to be done, sweetheart...’ He slapped her hard. ‘And I can’t do it alone.’

The last slap split her lip.

Her eyes flicked open and her lungs tightened as she sucked in her first new breath. Caden listened to her thoughts coiling in her mind: Was it a dream? No, dreams can’t hurt, but her side hurt a lot. She couldn’t recall ever feeling this from a dream. He held her side firmly to take away what pain was left and winked when she rested on his gaze and crawled into his embrace.

He wrapped his large arms protectively around her and rocked her gently. ‘It’s okay.’

Caden smiled over her shoulder at Daniel’s snarl.
Two for one deal,
Caden thought.
She’s all right and Daniel’s pissed off because I’m touching his sister.
He flicked him the finger and held her closer against his chest. ‘You’re okay, Julianna. You’re safe now.’

He tipped her chin to kiss her gently. She nodded when he moved and snuggled more into his strong embrace.

Daniel rolled his eyes. ‘Now what?’

‘She needs blood. Without it, we still risk losing her. She can’t fight without it, and right now I’m betting she fights more like a man than you do, Danny boy.’

‘Fuck you,’ Daniel said.

The sky parted and the stars above twinkled teasingly at their slip up. Both men looked into the sky. Time was running out, and they both felt exhausted. They needed to move again, or risk being found.

‘Concentrate, will you. I can’t do this by myself,’ Caden snapped and the sky closed up again, shrouding them in darkness. ‘Bas needs our help and we still have to get past any barricades Taris sets.’

Caden encouraged her to sit, but she slumped, and he bent his knees so she could prop between them.

‘She needs blood. She can’t fight,’ Daniel said. ‘Like you said.’

Caden started rolling his sleeve back. ‘Yes, she does.’ He said coolly and reached for her knife he’d taken from the car. He pointed its tip into his forearm.

‘Oh no, no you fucking don’t,’ Daniel shook his head and jumped to his feet. ‘Not her. You’re not having her.’

‘You want her to die then?’ He slit the blade along his skin, parting it deep enough for the blood to spill freely.

Daniel lunged forward. ‘This isn’t right!’

‘Hell, Daniel, I’m not binding her, I’m feeding her up. I’m sure she’ll forgive me in the morning.’ He put his arm to her lips. ‘
You
I don’t give a shit about.’

Caden held her head firmly against his wrist until she latched on, ignoring her attempts to pull from his grasp. He waited for her hunger to take over. ‘Drink as much as you like,’ he said gently as she started to feed. ‘Drink until you feel full.’

‘This isn’t right.’ Daniel paced again and then found the bike to lean on. He watched Julianna feed, unaware of what she was doing.

‘You could do it.’ Caden pulled her hair away from her face and then he screwed his face up. ‘Nah. A little weird, you being her brother and all, but she doesn’t know that one, does she?’

‘Yeah. Your job to tell her she’s the Seer, haven’t done that either, have you? Was meant to do that twelve months ago, but you didn’t, did you?’ Daniel crossed his arms. Their arguing broke their concentration and the skies opened again.

Caden glanced upward. He was too tired to fix the problem and she was too hungry. It was her first feed and she’d tear him apart if he moved. He liked where his arm attached to his shoulder, so he sat still, waiting for her to finish.

Caden calmed down. ‘Spoken with Isis lately?’

‘No.’ Daniel looked away. ‘You?’

‘Last we heard you became a Commander of the Militia.’

‘I lasted eight months in the rank. Didn’t like the discipline.’

‘You never did,’ Caden muttered. Julianna’s sucking slowed, and he helped end her temptation by holding his arm high and healing himself. She rested her heavy head against his chest, clutching at his shirt as she fell into a deep sleep. ‘Blood drunk,’ he said quietly, laying her down into the grasp of the tall grass. It curled protectively around her, blanketing against the wind, and he moved to his feet.

He looked up at the stars and felt his pockets.

‘Here,’ Daniel threw him his own cigarettes and lit one for himself with the tip of his finger.

‘Neat trick,’ Caden stated, and lit one of his own with the matches he still had tucked away in his shirt pocket. He threw the packet back and watched her sleep. The grass curled more. ‘She needs her brother.’

‘Needs her father more.’

‘She can’t have her father,’ Caden said quietly. ‘You know that.’

The conversation stopped. Caden crouched on his haunches and nodded silently.

‘She’s no great mystery, you know?’ Daniel said.

He glanced up. ‘Neither are you, sunshine.’

Daniel pushed from the bike and threw his cigarette to the ground. He held his arms out, pushing his sleeves to his elbows, and beckoned Caden to step into his space.

Caden flicked his cigarette away. ‘I’ve been itching for this for a long time, Danny boy.’

‘Me too, old man, me too.’ Daniel raised his fists.

‘The old-fashioned way? How about we settle this like the watchers we are instead?’ Caden threw a glance at Daniel, smashing him into a tree with his thoughts. He pinned him by his ability alone. His invisible hands stretched along Daniel’s body, raising him farther into the tree, scratching his body against the trunk.

Daniel kicked at the branches curling around his body to hold him. He kicked out again, and Caden ducked playfully as the boots narrowly missed his face.

Daniel chanted. Caden counter-acted and the tree tightened its grasp. The powers he invoked gifted the tree a cruelty. Caden admired his work and Daniel flailing against the rough bark.

Daniel chanted again. The tree fell timid and he dropped heavily into the grass. The self-preservation chant packed another punch, sending Caden sliding along the damp grass until he arched his back and flipped to his feet.

‘Now we settle this like the men we once were,’ Daniel hissed.

‘Have it your way,’ Caden said, and the first punch connected with Daniel’s nose. ‘I’ll still win.’

They rolled on the ground, throwing punches and cursing each other. Their noise pulled Julianna out of her trance-induced sleep, and she shouted for them to stop as she pushed the warm grass away. It slid back, offended by her rejection.

‘Just stop fighting, the both of you!’

‘Yeah, Caden,’ Daniel teased.

Caden stood up with a raised fist. ‘Fuck you, too, Danny boy.’

They were back to where they’d left off. Caden lined up Daniel’s nose again. Only when Julianna unsteadily stood between them did he abandon the thought of smashing it into his face.

She stumbled against Caden and he caught her around her waist before she hit the ground. He held her close, walking her to the bike, gently helping her throw a leg over the seat.

Daniel stood silently behind them, fingering the blood running over his top lip.

Caden started the bike. ‘You coming?’

‘Just like that?’

Caden shrugged. ‘Bas needs us and Julianna’s awake. So, yeah, Danny, just like that. Now, are you coming or not?’

Daniel looked toward the city lights that he could reach by morning – but his Sector pass had been confiscated by the Militia, along with his bike and everything else he’d held in his possession. Right now, a fight with a few more soldiers held brighter perspectives for them all, than being arrested for the lack of identification.

Caden lowered his tone and revved the bike. ‘We don’t have all night. I have to find my camp.’

‘How do you propose we get through the RV point? They’ll be on alert by now…she’s still weak.’ Daniel saddled behind Julianna and held onto her waist.

The trees parted from their bow and the night lightened again. Caden took the helm and turned the key in the ignition. Mother Nature obeyed its master readily as the bike slowly moved along the track. The grass retreated into the ground and the path opened up before them.

Caden moved the bike cautiously onto the road. He lowered his leg; with Daniel’s foot firmly on the other side, the bike balanced without Julianna needing to move. There was no one in sight. Caden looked behind and then in front. The road ahead was dark and misty and the night was truly upon them. The birds were asleep and the crickets still chirped for the air to be warmer. It was an impossible scenario – but, with some luck, they might just succeed.

Julianna’s arms slipped around his waist and he looked at the hands locking together. Her skin remained pale, and he knew Daniel was right. She needed more blood. It crossed his mind that he should bind her and feed her again, but they were out of time. He doubted she’d go along for the quest readily now she had her mind about her.

‘You okay, J Rae?’ Caden asked.

She nodded against his back. It was enough to convince him.

Caden revved the bike and gravity took Daniel once more as they traveled to their next evening battle. Very bad odds, dangerous circumstances, and the unlikely event they’d succeed.

Caden couldn’t think of a better night to tempt the angels of death.