02-17-2019, 04:43 PM
The woman had to sink on the bed. And with that, he was a world away once again. She tugged from the shadows, pulling them both into light. Already crimson blushed her skin like a warning against life in the blinding light too long. She would do so again, burning them both in the process. But damn what a way to go. It would be so easy. A few steps separated wasteland from bliss. All it took was to break one small chain holding him back.
He scrubbed a hand through his hair and let Natalie take her rest. Previous efforts was half-hearted attempts at coercion. But Jay lied to himself primarily, and under that pretense: “Yes of course I thought it would work. I am a terrifying beast whose orders are followed to the letter.” The mild grin accompanying the mighty speech sabotaged all attempts at seriousness, but there was a hint of sharpness buried in the cruelty of any such joke.
Maybe if Jensen and he cornered her together. Talked her into reason. Though he knew it would be a foolish attempt. Natalie wore defiance like other women wore jewelry. Not even that would work. Short of restraining her.. no. He’d never do it. Probably not even to save her life? Maybe. Best not to go there yet. Unless he knew it would absolutely save her, but it would cost her a chip of her soul to do so. Where Natalie wore defiance, Jay wore self-sacrifice like a hangman’s noose waiting for the final knot. Only if it was absolutely necessary would he ever physically restrain her. Even then, it was unlikely to work for long. Not after his thumbs grazed the scars at her wrist. She may live through the experience, but what survived would be a grey version of herself.
Fact was, Natalie’s presence posed a real complication. Her attendance at this meeting would compromise the quickness of his reflexes. Blunt the ferocity of his retaliation. Simply because he couldn’t bear to let her witness it. He’d lose her then.
He scrubbed a hand through his hair again. Dammit.
Oh this was certain to be a trap. If tonight wasn’t the snap of a cage, then the next would be. Jay knew about the bounty. He counted on it, actually. If he showed his face enough, paraded around the right people, someone would attempt to collect.
So. Rather than stand there and watch Natalie literally unfurl herself like an open invitation he was on the verge of accepting, he went to his bag and rummaged through the contents. Eyes landing on the uniform, he paused before exhuming it.
Since the lake, at some point Jay tended to the cloth. It was clean and freshly pressed by irons of power. He reverently laid the coat on the dresser alongside the coffee he definitely intended on drinking and removed a very specific pin.
At the time the pin was presented, Jay wielded vows strong as iron. Ascendancy’s pride was all the mattered. He would lay down his life to defend him, though he never considered himself so heroic . But now, half a world away, the pin was a symbol of leverage. What a poor soldier he made. Vows constantly scattered to the wind; words meaning the world at the time, but abandoned at first convenience.
With a sigh, he showed it to Natalie. She would remember it from the ball. “At his swiftest, Amengual is days away. I looked in his eyes, Natalie. He doesn’t want me dead. Not for a while anyway. This pin is feeble protection, but it shields only me. Your name shields you. Jensen’s art shields him. But Cayli is alone. Without us. She will never have a normal life as long as Zacarias lives.” A hint maybe at Jay’s end game. Governments, doctors, conspiracies would live on. A future battle for another day. But they would forget about one little girl. For Amengual, it was personal. The bet was whether or not Amengual feared Ascendancy more than he hated Jay.
His palm closed around the pin, it’s points piercing his skin one last time before he gave it to her. “Take it. Take it back to Ascendancy. Take Cayli with you. Please promise you’ll do it if it comes to that.”
He knew what he was walking into. Counted on it, anyway.
Next he retrieved a gun. It was a smaller caliber. Easy to conceal. Which was why it was stashed in his bag and not with the rest of the firearms. That he also laid at her side. Its weight sank into the Downey blankets as it did.
“This is my mother’s. It’s easy to cock, low recoil. Do you know how to use one?” He’d show her if not. “If you’re coming, this should fit in a jacket pocket or a purse. Not that you’re going to need it.” A confident grin.
They had plenty of time till midnight. The remainder of the evening, Jay studied maps of the area of the meeting. He cleaned his own pistols. Ate all the steak at the dinner table. Checked in with Jensen and Axel. Even hung out with his parents for a short time watching tv.
It wasn’t like it was the last time he would see them. But men have strange routines on the eve of battle.
Cayli didn’t need her alarm. She watched the clock religiously. It was worse than when she was chained to the hospital bed, this endless waiting. Having snuck into the governor’s closet, she borrowed a black t-shirt for the night, changing into it only after she was dutifully confined to her bedroom. Finally, at twenty till midnight, she snuck with all the talent of a teenager, toward the garage.
Axel typically relinquished his shift for the night at 10 PM, but tonight was special. “A gut feeling”, he explained to the night guards, and sent them on patrol around the rear of the estate. Well away from the garages.
Dutifully, he swiveled the camera’s line of sight away from Jay’s vehicle.
Cayli wished she could see in the dark. Luckily, that creepy guy believed her story earlier. He let her in the car that she left unlocked. She was terrified of being caught and moved as fast as she could to the car. She lifted the hatch and climbed in where their luggage was stowed away on the drive down. Hood drawn up over her eyes, nobody would see her unless they specifically opened the back hatch. She locked the car from the inside and held her breath.
Only the most up and up activities took place in the middle of the night, and Preston Hollow was a far cry from their derelict destination. They needed to depart on time. Axel opened the gate, giving him a nod as they drove through it. It was good to see him, but some things never changed. At least Jay hoped they hadn’t. It was a bet, and even if he didn’t win this hand, he would before the game was done. Assuming his count of the cards were accurate.
He scrubbed a hand through his hair and let Natalie take her rest. Previous efforts was half-hearted attempts at coercion. But Jay lied to himself primarily, and under that pretense: “Yes of course I thought it would work. I am a terrifying beast whose orders are followed to the letter.” The mild grin accompanying the mighty speech sabotaged all attempts at seriousness, but there was a hint of sharpness buried in the cruelty of any such joke.
Maybe if Jensen and he cornered her together. Talked her into reason. Though he knew it would be a foolish attempt. Natalie wore defiance like other women wore jewelry. Not even that would work. Short of restraining her.. no. He’d never do it. Probably not even to save her life? Maybe. Best not to go there yet. Unless he knew it would absolutely save her, but it would cost her a chip of her soul to do so. Where Natalie wore defiance, Jay wore self-sacrifice like a hangman’s noose waiting for the final knot. Only if it was absolutely necessary would he ever physically restrain her. Even then, it was unlikely to work for long. Not after his thumbs grazed the scars at her wrist. She may live through the experience, but what survived would be a grey version of herself.
Fact was, Natalie’s presence posed a real complication. Her attendance at this meeting would compromise the quickness of his reflexes. Blunt the ferocity of his retaliation. Simply because he couldn’t bear to let her witness it. He’d lose her then.
He scrubbed a hand through his hair again. Dammit.
Oh this was certain to be a trap. If tonight wasn’t the snap of a cage, then the next would be. Jay knew about the bounty. He counted on it, actually. If he showed his face enough, paraded around the right people, someone would attempt to collect.
So. Rather than stand there and watch Natalie literally unfurl herself like an open invitation he was on the verge of accepting, he went to his bag and rummaged through the contents. Eyes landing on the uniform, he paused before exhuming it.
Since the lake, at some point Jay tended to the cloth. It was clean and freshly pressed by irons of power. He reverently laid the coat on the dresser alongside the coffee he definitely intended on drinking and removed a very specific pin.
At the time the pin was presented, Jay wielded vows strong as iron. Ascendancy’s pride was all the mattered. He would lay down his life to defend him, though he never considered himself so heroic . But now, half a world away, the pin was a symbol of leverage. What a poor soldier he made. Vows constantly scattered to the wind; words meaning the world at the time, but abandoned at first convenience.
With a sigh, he showed it to Natalie. She would remember it from the ball. “At his swiftest, Amengual is days away. I looked in his eyes, Natalie. He doesn’t want me dead. Not for a while anyway. This pin is feeble protection, but it shields only me. Your name shields you. Jensen’s art shields him. But Cayli is alone. Without us. She will never have a normal life as long as Zacarias lives.” A hint maybe at Jay’s end game. Governments, doctors, conspiracies would live on. A future battle for another day. But they would forget about one little girl. For Amengual, it was personal. The bet was whether or not Amengual feared Ascendancy more than he hated Jay.
His palm closed around the pin, it’s points piercing his skin one last time before he gave it to her. “Take it. Take it back to Ascendancy. Take Cayli with you. Please promise you’ll do it if it comes to that.”
He knew what he was walking into. Counted on it, anyway.
Next he retrieved a gun. It was a smaller caliber. Easy to conceal. Which was why it was stashed in his bag and not with the rest of the firearms. That he also laid at her side. Its weight sank into the Downey blankets as it did.
“This is my mother’s. It’s easy to cock, low recoil. Do you know how to use one?” He’d show her if not. “If you’re coming, this should fit in a jacket pocket or a purse. Not that you’re going to need it.” A confident grin.
They had plenty of time till midnight. The remainder of the evening, Jay studied maps of the area of the meeting. He cleaned his own pistols. Ate all the steak at the dinner table. Checked in with Jensen and Axel. Even hung out with his parents for a short time watching tv.
It wasn’t like it was the last time he would see them. But men have strange routines on the eve of battle.
Cayli didn’t need her alarm. She watched the clock religiously. It was worse than when she was chained to the hospital bed, this endless waiting. Having snuck into the governor’s closet, she borrowed a black t-shirt for the night, changing into it only after she was dutifully confined to her bedroom. Finally, at twenty till midnight, she snuck with all the talent of a teenager, toward the garage.
Axel typically relinquished his shift for the night at 10 PM, but tonight was special. “A gut feeling”, he explained to the night guards, and sent them on patrol around the rear of the estate. Well away from the garages.
Dutifully, he swiveled the camera’s line of sight away from Jay’s vehicle.
Cayli wished she could see in the dark. Luckily, that creepy guy believed her story earlier. He let her in the car that she left unlocked. She was terrified of being caught and moved as fast as she could to the car. She lifted the hatch and climbed in where their luggage was stowed away on the drive down. Hood drawn up over her eyes, nobody would see her unless they specifically opened the back hatch. She locked the car from the inside and held her breath.
Only the most up and up activities took place in the middle of the night, and Preston Hollow was a far cry from their derelict destination. They needed to depart on time. Axel opened the gate, giving him a nod as they drove through it. It was good to see him, but some things never changed. At least Jay hoped they hadn’t. It was a bet, and even if he didn’t win this hand, he would before the game was done. Assuming his count of the cards were accurate.
Only darkness shows you the light.