Page 69 of Never Run from an Immortal

Aidan held his stare. “No.”

“Very well.” A shrug from Torrin, hands behind his back as he circled Aidan and the others. He wore a general’s coat, polished silver buttons down the centre and shoulder scales pressed into sharp tips, no doubt in an attempt to make him seem bigger than he was. His once black hair was now dashed with flecks of white, and Aidan wondered how much of the testing had been purely for the Fae’s own personal needs.

“We’ve reached a point in our testing where the weaker of our Orders… some are more useful to us than others. Witches. Powerful Vampires. But for those with lesser abilities… ” Torrin paused in front of Roak.

Evander pulled against his restraints, his unease at Torrin’s proximity to his brother palpable, but the hybrids held him back.

“All we need is a little drop of blood.” The hybrid’s hand shot out, a concealed dagger slashing across Roak’s throat. “And suddenly they become very useful.”

Chapter thirty-four

Evander and Rae’s shouts cut through the ringing in Aidan’s ears. The scientists who had ignored them moments before moved in a flurry about the room as the hybrids held them all back, and Aidan could do nothing but watch as the bastards collected blood from Roak’s corpse, filling vial after vial of red liquid.

Roak was a Gerentis just as his brother was; though both possessed very weak water-wielding abilities, it amounted to very little between the two of them. Aidan had never been interested in what powers anyone possessed. Those were not qualities he cared about when selecting members for his units. Roak was skilled with weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and unit tactics. And above all else, he was loyal. Had been. He had been all of those things, and now he lay at their feet, blood pooling around them.

“Now that I have your full attention,” Torrin said, a grin tugging at the side of the hybrid’s mouth Aidan swore to himselfhe would tear off with his bare hands, “I do hope we’ll have no more”—the hybrid glanced at Roak’s body—“missteps.”

Rae was shaking, lips moving but no sound was coming out, and Aidan didn’t dare draw any attention to whatever spell she was in the middle of creating, that hehopedshe was creating, because the alternative was she was about to have another panic attack.

Fuck. The scientists moved, leaving Roak’s body behind. Nine hybrids, ten including Torrin, and five of them. Aidan looked between Reed, Evander, and Orion, hoping they could work out a silent plan between them. Reed could likely still shift, but he had been ordered not to until backup arrived. It would only get him killed, but the Fae was new to this, and Aidan recognised the determined look that lit up his face. “Don’t,” he told him. “Think of Nim.”

Aidan didn’t get a chance to see what expression settled over Reed’s face in response before they were ushered down another corridor past cells with half-dead occupants, and still, Rae continued her silent spell. They were being taken to a holding cell, no doubt, to await their turn for testing. He tried to keep close to Rae, but as the corridor narrowed to funnel them through single file, she slipped between the hybrids, two in front of her, two behind, and an unpleasant feeling slid under Aidan’s ribcage.

He was only a heartbeat away from throwing himself into the hybrid in front of him when the Witch gasped and she called out, “I need a potato.”

“What?” Aidan snapped.Oh.A heat sink.

“Now.”

There was only one course of action; Aidan kicked the hybrid in front of him into Rae’s back as hard as he could, hoping it would slam the next one into her like dyshe tiles. Praying it was what she’d meant when she’d asked for a heat sink—that bodieswould suffice—and that whatever spell she’d created would take the brunt of the force instead of her.

A burst of light blinded him, and Aidan raised a hand to shield his eyes as screams rent the air, andheat, a heat he hadn’t felt since…

“Farren!” he called out, the hybrid behind him rushing forwards to try and reach the others. He slammed it into the wall, canines tearing at any part of the thing he could sink his teeth into and ripping away chunks of flesh. Another tackled him, but with his hands bound, Aidan only had his body weight to knock it away. He threw his arms up to its head, thumbs pressing into the Horns’ eyes, and with a sharp twist, snapped its neck as a roar ricocheted off the walls. Reed.

Aidan made short work of biting through the bindings at his wrists and pulling aside charred hybrids to find Rae, his heart in his fucking mouth. Up ahead, Evander and Orion fought the remaining hybrids alongside Reed; three, including Torrin, were all that remained.

Scorch marks lined the corridor like an explosive had detonated, smoke drifting from burnt bodies. He hurled the two Hooves on top of her aside, loosing a breath as Rae made a gagging sound.

“Goddess, that is a stench Ineverwant to breathe in again,” she wheezed as he slipped a hand into hers and pulled her to her feet. Two more hybrids lay dead and charred beside them as Aidan did a quick scan of her body. “I’m fine, Vampire. Don’t let Torrin get away.” She shoved at his chest, her eyes darting to his bloodied mouth before Aidan joined what remained of his First Unit.

The corridor had opened into an antechamber surrounding more cells, but there was no time to take in the details. He singled out Torrin; Evander and Orion circling him, leaving Reed to fight the remaining hybrid alone in his Fae form.

“Evander,” Aidan commanded. Light grey eyes met his. Aidan didn’t know if Reed could take on a hybrid alone, even if he was currently three times as large, but the Fae served another purpose: his frame was so huge he blocked the only exit, and Aidan needed to ensure Torrin wasn’t leaving this room. Evander moved, covering the Fae’s position.

Orion grappled with the hybrid, Torrin’s unnatural strength slamming him against a cell door. “Shall I kill your whole team? Your wife too?” Torrin asked Aidan over his shoulder, one hand squeezing Orion’s neck.

“I was top of your list,” Aidan replied, arms opened wide. “Come and get your prize.”

Orion fell as the hybrid released him, and Aidan moved. He lunged for Torrin at the same time Torrin moved for him, hands at each other’s throats, Aidan to get at Torrin’s vein, Torrin to keep Aidan away.

“You’re too late,Lord Vale.” The hybrid’s eyes gleamed, a ripple of something passing through them. “We’ve planned for every outcome. Every possibility. The reign of Vampires is over.”

“Thank fuck for that,” Aidan spat, taking Torrin by surprise and lunging for him again. Torrin moved at the last moment, slamming Aidan’s back into the wall. Reed’s roar echoed in the antechamber beyond as Aidan swung at Torrin with his fist, shifting the hybrid off him just enough for Aidan to slip out of his hold.

He reached for the hybrid’s collar to yank him back as Torrin’s body went slack in his grasp, blood running over his fingers from a gunshot wound. His Provident abilities slammed back into him at the same time Torrin’s body fell from his grip, and Aidan turned around to see Rae slumped in the doorway, a gun in her hand and a smirk on her face.

Took your time, he told her with a grin, taking in the way she held herself against the wall for support. His grin faded whenhe realised how exhausted she was, though she’d only push him away if he drew attention to the fact.

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