Seeker, p.19
Seeker, page 19
And where had that gotten her?
She was glad to learn, to experience, to understand. And while AckPec and now Zodiac Academy was good for learning, she needed to figure out what sort of experiences she wanted. This was her life, and she wanted to choose it. She didn’t want to settle for what was expected.
“Holy shit!” Ellie exclaimed.
Brielle wasn’t sure how long it had been since they got there. It could have been a half hour or an hour. It didn’t particularly matter, in her opinion.
“Is that Jensen Irons?” she asked, pointing.
“The dean?” Brielle made a face and turned to try and see who Ellie was pointing at. She narrowed her eyes and saw the tall sweep of the dean, talking to Henry. “I think...I think it is.”
“I’m going to go see what they’re talking about,” Ellie said, looking over at Brielle. “Do you want to come?”
“I’ll stay here and grab us some drinks,” Brielle said. She grabbed Ellie’s wrist. “You sure you want to risk it? What if he catches you?”
“I want him to see me,” she said and then cleared her voice. “Look, this is where the fight club is, right? And Irons is here? I mean, isn’t he a little old for a nightclub? I mean, sure, he looks like he’s in his twenties, but come on. He’s a dean. I doubt he’s here because he wants to dance. And I’m going to try and figure out what that is.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid, Ellie,” Brielle said.
Ellie winked. “I would never.”
Brielle opened her mouth to tell her that she wasn’t sure she believed Ellie. However, Brielle also had to admit that Ellie was right. What was Irons doing here and why was he talking to Henry? Did this have to do with the research facility? With the fight club? Both? And it was part of their job to figure this out.
Finally, Brielle nodded. “Be careful.”
“Always,” Ellie promised before disappearing into the crowd.
As much as Brielle wanted to believe that, Ellie had proven to be reckless. She just hoped Ellie wouldn’t be reckless here.
Ellie
What the hell was Irons even doing here?
Ellie couldn’t help but think that there was more to this story, and she wanted to know what was going on. However, before she made it to Irons, a familiar face caught her eyes.
Michael?
Ellie halted. She needed to make a choice. Did she go after Irons and hope to understand why he was here in the first place, or did she go after Michael and figure out how he was still alive? She needed to decide now or else she would lose both of them.
Sucking in a breath, she shifted directions. Ellie shook her head, rubbing her arms. She probably shouldn’t be following Michael or Mikel or whatever the hell he was. But she didn’t feel like she had much of a choice.
Michael should be dead. He should be buried underground where he couldn’t hurt or get to anyone ever again. Not that he hadn’t made up for his selfish tendencies. And, if Irons and his class were to be believed, there was this biological drive to be with a mate. Michael sought out someone with his powers in order to extend his line. When Sophie Harper rejected him, he got upset - until he made an effort to listen to her, to want to protect her.
But this person?
Ellie wasn’t sure. She practically tiptoed down the secluded hallway, carefully watching him move in front of her. There was a swagger attached to his walk, one where his shoulders rolled back and his head was tilted up. Though she couldn’t see him from the front, she was sure he was looking down at everyone else with narrowed green eyes, as though he didn’t have time for this shit.
Which didn’t surprise Ellie. Michael never seemed like the party sort of guy. He had only come to that nightclub in Catalina - Aiden’s club - in order to get to Sophie.
And now?
Now, he was here, and Ellie didn’t understand how or even why that was possible. But she was determined to figure it out.
Every step she took was carefully orchestrated, thanks to the long, thin heels she wore. She wished she hadn’t been so fashion-conscious but it couldn’t be helped. These heels went with the dress she wore, and she looked damn good in this dress. After everything that had happened with Irons, she wanted to feel good about herself, and sometimes, the perfect outfit was all it took.
Now, however, there was more to tonight than forgetting about Irons and Aiden and feeling sorry for herself. Now, she was actually going to do something. She and Brielle had been sent here for a reason, and now, she was going to show everyone, especially Tom, that Ethan had made the right choice in selecting her for this mission.
Michael turned to the left, which probably led down another hallway. Ellie didn’t know much about this place, but once she left the main floor with dim lighting, spilled alcohol, and sweaty bodies, she realized the barn held a series of mazes that was difficult to untangle.
When Ellie finally turned left herself, Michael had disappeared. She froze, cocking her head to the side. This wasn’t possible. She had only been a few feet away. How could he just disappear?
Without warning, the door to Ellie’s left snapped open and Michael charged out. His hands grabbed her throat. Ellie was so caught off-guard that she couldn’t establish her balance. She tripped and wound up smacking the back of her head against the wall behind her before crumpling to the ground. Michael followed the ebb and flow of her body, still squeezing her neck as she hit the floor. It wasn’t long before Michael clamored over to his frame, straddling her.
“Why are you following me?” he said, spittle flying everywhere.
Ellie reached up and began to try and grab at his fingers, anything she could do in order to free herself from Michael’s grip. But his grip only tightened, cutting off more of her oxygen, and Ellie’s focus began to blot with speck of darkness. She tried to suck in breath, but she couldn’t. Stars filtered through her gaze and her hands slackened.
“Why do I know who you are without knowing who you are?” he asked.
But Ellie barely heard the words. They were sounds in the background.
Her gaze was turning black. Her lungs burned, trying to find even a hint of oxygen to fill themselves up with.
This was it, she realized. This was how she was going to die.
Until something hit Michael, forcing him forward. His head hit the wall and he was forced to release Ellie in order to brace himself for falling forward. Immediately, someone rushed to her side.
Ellie blinked once, twice, only to see Brielle there. She must have attempted to tackle him. It didn’t do much, but it did free Ellie from his grasp. Ellie crawled forward and attempted to stand. Her head buzzed, her breathing ragged. She was trying to get herself oxygen, but the rush of it filled her up and caused her head to pound in pain.
Michael stood up faster than Ellie anticipated and quickly launched himself at Brielle. Brielle tried to step out of his path, but wasn’t able to get away as quickly as she wanted to. She fell down and he turned, his eyes on Ellie.
“Both of you,” he said, more to himself than to either Ellie or Brielle. “Why do I know both of you?”
Ellie held up her hands. “You died,” she said. Maybe she could talk to him. Maybe if he understood, he might be willing to hear them. “You were dead. I don’t know -”
Michael roared. Apparently, that was the worst thing she could have said. He rushed for her again, circling her narrow waist in his arms. She jutted her palm up, clipping the underside of his chin. He grunted, spitting up blood. Ellie would have cheered at the fact that she was strong enough to make someone like Michael bleed but she thought it wasn’t the right moment for that. It wasn’t as though she and Brielle had subdued him, either.
Michael whipped around, locking his fiery green gaze on Ellie. His arm shot out and his fingers grabbed her throat again. This time, he lifted Ellie into the air after slamming her back against the wall behind her. Stars sparked her vision, and the blackness came quicker than it had before. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Brielle charge into him, but Michael only grunted in response.
“You...Sophie! You loved Sophie!” Ellie tried to get out but he seemed too focused on squeezing the life out of her.
The second she said Sophie, however, his grip loosened, but only slightly. She still couldn’t breathe, but it almost seemed as though he remembered her name.
Ellie’s eyes frantically searched for Brielle. It was hard to see anything, what with the white dots on the blackness, the way what she could see was melting into the floor in a pile.
“You loved Sophie,” Brielle said, struggling to catch her breath. She seemed to notice his reaction to her name as well. “Sophie Harper. She’s...she’s a physical like you. Don’t you remember her? You went after her. I helped you. I helped you find her.”
Michael grunted, but his grip slackened once again. Ellie was able to suck in a bit of oxygen, but it wasn’t enough. And if she wasn’t able to get anything else in her, she was going to pass out.
“Sophie,” Michael said softly.
“Please,” Ellie said, bringing her arm up to touch one of his own. It took way more effort than Ellie expected it to. “Please -”
Michael clenched his teeth. “You’re lying,” he said. His grip tightened back up and Ellie realized she was going to die.
Brielle transformed into a swan and started pecking at Michael’s skin, trying to do something, anything that would cause him to let Ellie go, but Michael’s focus was singular. He grunted when Brielle bit him but it didn’t seem to do any good. Brielle flew up and started pecking at his head, white feathers spilling everywhere.
Finally, Michael was forced to let Ellie go and reach for Brielle. Ellie knew if he caught her neck, he would crush it. Being a swan had certain advantages, sure, but there were other areas that left Brielle vulnerable, and there was no way Ellie was going to let Brielle die after she came to rescue her.
Michael managed to grab Brielle’s long neck just as Ellie lifted her leg. With as much power as she could muster, she kicked him in the gut. He didn’t release Ellie, but he was able to get him to release his grip on Brielle.
“Don’t,” Ellie said. “Brie, don’t.” She sucked in what air she could. “Get Irons. He’s -”
Michael grabbed her neck with both hands.
Until suddenly, Ellie could breathe again. Again.
“Why the fuck am I not surprised to fucking find you here?”
And there was Irons, holding up Michael with...nothing. He didn’t have anything on him. Which meant he was a physicus, a mental who possessed the ability to move things with his mind. Except, apparently, Irons could move things as heavy as a muscley person. Ellie wasn’t sure how much Michael weighed. At this point, she didn’t think it mattered. The only thing that mattered was that Irons was here, and that she and Brielle were both safe.
Without warning, Irons used his ability to throw Michael into the wall. Ellie closed her eyes because she couldn’t help it, and took a breath. Her throat burned with a rawness she hadn’t experienced before and tears pinched her eyes.
“Hey, now.” Suddenly, Irons was kneeling by her side. Ellie forced herself to open her eyes, to see if he really was leaning over her, or if she had been misinterpreting that. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. Maybe she was only seeing what she wanted to.
But no.
His dark eyes loomed over her, filled with concern. He wasn’t even trying to hide it.
“You okay?”
Ellie opened her mouth to try and answer, but it hurt. She closed her eyes and forced herself to nod.
“You and I are going to have a fucking conversation you aren’t going to like,” he said. “But it’ll wait for now.” He swooped down and picked her up with his arms.
Ellie’s head hit his shoulder and she tucked her arms close to her body, trying to keep herself warm.
“Brie-Brie -”
“Your friend is waiting for us outside,” he said. “She seemed fine. Not a scratch on her.”
Ellie frowned. That wasn’t right.
Except it was. Because Brielle could heal herself. She just hoped Irons hadn’t seen that Brielle should be hurt pretty badly as well. The last thing she wanted was Brielle’s exposure of a secret she shouldn’t have.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he said. That condescending, frustrating tone melted away until it was replaced with sincerity. Ellie was sure she was hearing the wrong things, that this had to be a dream. But she hung on longer, just to hear it. Just to hear him sound like he actually cared about her. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
And then, she slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
Brielle
Brielle was not going to let Ellie out of her sight. It didn’t matter that she was in the care of Dean Jensen Irons. She wasn’t sure she trusted him just yet. More than that, Brielle could heal Ellie in a way no one else could, and she needed to be able to do that but without anyone knowing.
“Well?” a voice growled. “Are you fucking coming or what?”
Brielle blinked. She had never personally encountered Dean Irons, but she had picked up bits and pieces of his reputation. He wasn’t exactly the most pleasant person, and he was direct. He also taught his own class on the biology of being a peculiar rather than simply looking at the being from the inside out. It was a class she wanted to take, actually, but couldn’t make work with her schedule. As such, Ellie was enrolled but hadn’t mentioned it yet. Hadn’t mentioned Irons, either.
Brielle didn’t answer him. Instead, she hurried to catch up to him. He had long, powerful legs that were difficult to keep up with unless she was practically skipping.
“You’re going to tell me what the fuck happened once we’re outside, do you understand?” he asked.
The two emerged from the hallway. No one seemed to notice them, which was a good thing. Brielle wasn’t sure what they would think if they saw someone like Dean Irons carrying an obviously unconscious Ellie. Unless, of course, they assumed she was being removed after passing out from drinking too much. That might work.
When they began to make their way through the dance floor, Brielle struggled even more to catch up. She could feel her body thrum with warmth, which meant she was healing. But it wasn’t like she was completely fine just yet, and a particular twist of her body or a sharp inhale caused the muscles to burn and twitch. She highly doubted Irons would care one way or the other, however, so she didn’t say anything. Instead, she pushed herself to not lose him in the crowd, though the way he towered over everyone else, she didn’t think that was possible.
By the time they walked out of the club, Brielle couldn’t help but glance around. Whether she was looking for Henry or Minka, she didn’t know. All she knew was that Ellie was hurt and she had to make sure her friend was safe. Which meant she couldn’t stay here.
But she’d be back next weekend, and that was enough for now.
The night air pinched her cheeks. She wished she had worn something warmer. It was still autumn, but the nights were growing shorter and colder.
“Well?” Irons barked as they stepped on the dirt path.
Brielle continued to struggle to keep up with him, even as he passed the line still hanging around outside.
“We came here because Ellie just broke up with her boyfriend,” Brielle said, thinking quickly. “She needed to let off some steam. She was upset. And we had heard about this place from someone she knew. The club catered to, you know, peculiars, and we’re new here, so we thought we’d try it out.”
Irons was silent for a moment. There was nothing but the sound of their footsteps against the dirt. Small rocks nearly tripped Brielle, but she righted herself quickly. Irons hadn’t even noticed.
As Brielle walked, she couldn’t help but stare at the man. Strange, how he clung to Ellie almost protectively. She didn’t know much about the dean besides the class he taught, and the fact that Arbuckle himself put him in charge. Which meant they couldn’t trust him. There was no way he wasn’t somehow involved in the terrible things Arbuckle had started here. What those things were, Brielle didn’t know. At least, not yet. She would find out, though. She would find out sooner or later.
And yet, as they finally hit paved road, past the old mailboxes, hailing a right towards the lake, Brielle could tell there was something there between Irons and Ellie. If there wasn’t, Brielle doubted he would have left the club as quickly as he had with Ellie in his arms. It was almost like he didn’t trust anyone else to hold her the way he was.
But Brielle had to be seeing things. There was no way someone like Irons…
She let that thought trail off because it had happened before. Jane Cabot and Nikolai Depogare were proof of that. Of course, Nikolai Depogare was the complete opposite of Jensen Irons. Though both men were tall and dark, Irons was attractive and rough, loud and boisterous, with a reputation as a lady’s man. Depogare was a quiet intellect who was rude, mean, and bitter. Until Jane.
Crazier things have happened.
But with Ellie? Irons was so not Ellie’s type. No way. She liked clean-cut guys. Leads in romantic movies. Captain America, not Peter Quill.
“You fucking deaf?” he asked, cutting through Brielle’s thoughts. “Or just mute?”
“Sorry,” she said quickly, her cheeks pinching even more in the cold. “I didn’t hear you.”
“Did she tell you why she was after Mikel?” he asked. “How the fuck does someone like Ellie get into it with someone like him?”
Brielle pressed her lips together. They reached the iron gates and Irons pulled it open for Brielle before following her inside the grounds. He had to shift Ellie around in order to do so but he held onto her without issue. Brielle doubted anyone could pry Ellie away from him even if they tried.
“I don’t know,” Brielle said. That much was the truth. She didn’t know how Ellie and Mikel had gotten into it, but she was certain it had to do with the fact that Ellie recognized him and perhaps followed him. When they were fighting, Brielle thought she heard him say something about how he didn’t recognize the two of them, and yet, seemed to know them at the same time.
