Cipher (22 page)

She stood and rubbed her hands down her legs, brushing off sand. “Fine. But there’ll be no funny business.”

“Not even a little bit of funny business?” I couldn’t help but tease her.

“No!” She sounded scandalized, and I loved it.

I grinned. “How about only moderately amusing business?”

“Shut up.”

“How about silly business? Surely we’ve got time for that.”

“You’re a moron,” she said, but she was grinning.

“True. But at least I’ve got my good looks to fall back on,” I said.

She laughed, and I nearly patted myself on the back.

Nicely done, Knight. Nicely done.

I climbed inside the tent and she followed. I’d almost zipped the two sleeping bags together to make one big bag, but that would’ve been presumptuous. I wasn’t about to make her more uncomfortable. I clicked on the lantern for her; it might keep me awake, but I doubted I’d be able to sleep alone in the dark with Emma. It was more important that she felt comfortable and relaxed.

I checked the com one more time, and saw we were clear. This was going just as planned. Now, all I needed to do was get Emma to fall for me.

After we settled in, Emma was quiet for a long time. I hoped she was coping. The whole point of being here was to get her to trust me so I could help with her abilities. We were making progress on the former, but the latter…we needed more time and unfortunately, our hours here were numbered.

I laid thinking for so long in the quiet that I was sure she’d already fallen asleep.

“Knight?” She said, surprising me.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For helping me.”

She still didn’t get it. “I don’t need your thanks.” That wasn’t why I’d done anything.

“Okay. Well… Just… Thank you anyway. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone around who cared this much.”

That couldn’t be true. “What about Mona? It seems like she cares a lot about you.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t know what I was. You did—do—and you’re still helping. No one’s done that except my parents. And even then, it was stressful. They were so scared. All the time. It was hard, you know. Being the cause of all of their stress and fear and knowing that there wasn’t a damned thing I could do to change it.” She was quiet for a second. “Just thanks.”

I grabbed her sleeping bag and slid it closer to mine. With the bags to keep us separated, I couldn’t get as close to her as I wanted, but I spooned her and kissed the top of her head. “You’re welcome.” I kissed her again, and she pulled her hand out from inside the sleeping bag to hold mine. I rubbed my thumb along the back of her hand. “Go to sleep, princess. Tomorrow is a new day, full of possibilities.”

“Goodnight, Hunter.”

That was the first time she’d called me by my real name, and I loved the sound of it. “Goodnight, Emma.”

I listened to her breathe for hours, thinking about the huge responsibility she was. Not that I didn’t want it. I’d never want anyone to take my place. The idea of that made me seethe. I was glad she was starting to accept my protection, even though she was more than capable of protecting herself. Hell, she’d saved me when I couldn’t save myself. I fully knew what she was capable of.

But as much as I wanted to shield her from all the bad things, Jack was headed our way. Both of us would need to use everything we had to stay safe.

I had to help prepare her for that day, so we’d be that much more likely to kick ass.

“Hunter,” Emma mumbled in her sleep as she rolled over, and rubbed her nose into my sternum.

“I’m here, princess,” I whispered, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “For as long as you’ll have me.”

She sighed, and I relaxed, finally allowing sleep to overcome me.

***

I woke to an empty tent. I unzipped the sleeping bag and rushed outside, fighting the urge to call out to her. If something had happened, I would’ve heard.

Biting back
what ifs
, I dashed toward the beach.

Emma lay a few feet from the water in a new bathing suit—still black, but two pieces instead of one. Her flat stomach was bare, and the tiny gold ring in her navel glinted in the sunlight. The low-cut top finally gave me a clear view of the stars that covered half her chest and collarbone. I took a moment to catch my breath as the last of my fear faded.

Well, that was one way to wake up.

I started toward her, and she called out. “I couldn’t take anymore diarrhea or vomit.” She held up the dried fruit. “Want some?”

“Well, when you make the packets sound so appealing, it’s hard to turn them down.”

She laughed, and sat up, finally looking at me directly.

In my rush to get dressed, I hadn’t changed. I fought the urge to adjust my white boxer briefs under her watch, but it was worth it to see the blush. Pink covered the top half of her body. It was glorious.

I plopped down beside her as she stared, and grabbed a piece of fruit from the bag she held. I took a bite. “Thanks.” She stayed frozen for a moment longer before visibly swallowing.

“It’s fine,” she said in a high-pitched voice. I’d grown to love that tone. She only used it when she was uncomfortable. Sometimes it was worrisome. But not right now.

I grinned. Definitely not right now.

She broke away from my gaze to stare up at the sky like it held all the answers she was searching for. “I was practicing.”

“And how did that go?”

“Shitily.” She pulled on her lip ring with her delicate fingers. I wanted to bite them, but focused on her words instead.

“Why? What went wrong?”

“Nothing, I guess. I just have a hard time feeling the electricity around me. I did everything the same as yesterday, but nothing happened. Not even a spark.”

“What about now?”

“It’s everywhere. I can feel it.” She shot me a look. “But if I need you around to control this, that doesn’t count as having control. I need to be able to be on my own. You can’t be around forever.”

I wanted to argue that, but it was pointless. She wasn’t ready to really hear me. “Maybe I make things easier, but we’ll work on it. I’m going to grab some clothes. I’ll be back.” I stood up and brushed the sand off myself. “Don’t worry. We’ve got a couple more days to figure this out.”

“Right. Because that’s all it’ll take.” She snorted and plopped back down on her back.

I kicked sand on her legs. “Good attitude.”

She threw a handful back at me. “Asshole.”

“What did you call me?” I fake gasped.

She laughed. “With your genetically enhanced hearing, we both know you heard it.”

I shook my head at her, trying to look fierce when all I wanted to do was laugh with her. “I sure fuckin’ did.” I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder, hanging on to her legs, and headed straight for the water.

“No!” She pounded on my back. “Don’t you dare throw me in the fucking water!”

“Whoa. Way to talk like a lady.” I couldn’t resist the urge to slap her on the ass.

She let out a string of curses that made me blush. “I never said I was a lady.”

“That’s right. You’re a princess.”

Emma laughed. “Well princesses can say whatever the hell they want.”

The water splashed against my legs as I entered the water. “Take a breath.”

I threw her into the deep. She screamed, and the water electrified as she hit the surface.

She came up sputtering, pushing the hair from her face. “I stand by my statement. You’re a real asshole.” She was mostly teasing until she noticed the limp shapes breaking the surface of the water. Her face fell. “And you made me a fish killer.”

I nearly laughed at the whine in her voice. There weren’t that many fish—maybe twenty—floating around her, but she was probably pissed at herself for losing control again.

I waded out to her, hoping to lighten the mood. “Want me to collect them and do a proper burial?”

“I didn’t mean to kill anything.” She swam away from the floating fish. “I’m a horrible person.”

Suddenly I felt like a total jerk. “Just because you lost control doesn’t make you a horrible person.”

Her gaze met mine. “Killing people makes me a horrible person.”

“So what does that make me?” I’d lost count how many lives I’d taken,
knowing
it was wrong. All to build my cover. All to help the Ravens, but that didn’t ease my conscience.

Her forehead crinkled as she drew her eyebrows down. “It’s different.”

I gave her a sad smile. “No, it really isn’t.”

“It is. I never mean to, but everywhere I go, people get hurt.” Pain and regret filled her face, and she quickly looked away, hiding from me.

This had gone south fast. “How many?”

“Six.”

I hated that. Six times she’d had to defend herself. Six times I should’ve been there for her. “My dad and…”

“A Seligo, two Black Helixes—different times—this junkie that tried to jump me, and a douchebag that got too handsy.”

The first three hardly counted, although I wished I could’ve protected her. But the last two…

My fists bunched hard. If I’d been there, I would’ve done so much worse. “You did what you had to do to survive. No one will hold that against you.”

Emma laughed, but it wasn’t the kind that I loved to hear. The sound was too bitter. Too filled with regret. “I doubt the junkie had anyone who cared whether he lived, but I’m pretty sure the helixes had families. They were just doing their jobs, and I killed them.” She finally met my eyes. “There are two things about me that you should never ever forget. I’m not a good person and I’m dangerous.”

Anyone with powers as strong as her was dangerous, but nothing she could say would make me think she was bad. “You’re the best kind of person. You stood in front of me and protected me at your own expense. You’d do the same for anyone you called a friend.” I let that sink in for a moment. “And you’re not dangerous to me, Emma. You don’t have to worry about hurting me.” At least not physically.

“I wiped out five transformers last time, but I’ve done worse than that. That’s a lot of power.”

“And I can take it. Believe me. I’ve been tested. It doesn’t do much to me, except make it hard to sleep.” I closed the distance between us. “I’ll balance you until you can find it on your own. Then, we’ll go from there, okay?”

“Fine.”

That word again. She wasn’t fine, but I’d brought up some bad memories. I’d get her back to that happy place. I hoped. “So, fishy funeral, or let the ocean take care of it?”

She shoved me away. “I’m not eight anymore. Ocean is fine.”

“Fair enough.” I started to walk toward the shore.

“But, Knight?”

“Yes, Emma?”

“Thanks for offering to have the funeral. That was sweet.”

“Anytime.” I grinned. “Now turn around unless you want to see the show.” My briefs were going to be completely see-through when I got out.

“Oh, yuck!” Emma laughed—exactly the sound I wanted to hear.

When I hit the sand, I looked over my shoulder. She was taking in the view.

She whistled. “Nice ass!”

I rolled my hips and walked a little slower.

Chapter Fifteen

CIPHER

Sand exploded around me, hitting my legs and flying outward in a cloud.

This wasn’t working. I knew that we didn’t have much longer here. Knight was trying to be discreet when he checked his com, but last night some choppers got pretty damned close to the island. He was nervous, and I knew I had to get this down. Both our lives were counting on it.

“Better.”

My mouth dropped open. “Are you nuts? That wasn’t any better.” We’d been at it all afternoon and my patience was totally shot. We’d figured out that when Knight was close to me I could draw ambient power, but when he was more than ten feet away, no dice. I couldn’t generate the tiniest spark.

“You only disturbed the sand in a two-foot radius. That’s
much
better.”

I shook my hair out as I surveyed the area. He was right. When we’d started, the trees were getting singed. We kept moving down the beach as I tried again and again to take control. But I wasn’t getting better fast enough. I needed to have a total handle on this. Like yesterday.

“What did you do differently?”

“I don’t know!” I yelled, and instantly felt like shit. It wasn’t his fault I sucked at my own ability. “Sorry.” I was getting crankier by the second. “I’m just tired.”

“Or maybe you’re gaining control.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re too positive. It’s annoying.”

He grinned and knocked his shoulder against mine. “Eh. It’s growing on you.”

“Like mold.” I quickly braided my hair as I scanned the area. The beach glittered with tiny bits of glass. If I didn’t get it together, I was going to ruin the beach for anyone who came after us. “I don’t think we’re getting anywhere.”

“Have some faith. It takes most Reds months to work their powers out. You’re trying to do it in a matter of hours. Give it time.”

Right. Time. Because we had so much of that.

I’d lived with a certain amount of pressure my whole life. It was part of being a Red. Part of hiding.

Spending time with Knight, that overwhelming burden had lessened for the first time. The thought of going back to life on the run—basically back where I’d started, with no progress on my power…

Can I go back to that now?

I fought a wave of chills. Now that I’d tasted true freedom, I wanted more. So much more.

Being greedy wouldn’t get me anywhere. Rushing meant mistakes. Ones I couldn’t afford.

“Let’s take a break,” Knight said.

There wasn’t time for a break. Not if I was going to learn how to control myself in the next twenty-four hours, and I was determined to leave the island with something to show for it. “Let’s not. I have to keep pushing.”

I closed my eyes once more. Knight sighed, but I ignored it.

The familiar tingle rushed along my skin, tickling me. It came slowly at first, just a whisper, until it grew—making the little hairs on my arms stand on end.

I opened my eyes. The glow along my skin was barely visible in the bright daylight, but it was there. Energy coursed through me and dots danced in my vision.

“Focus. Send it straight to me.”