Eight of Hearts: The Rift Blade - Book 1

Chapter 38

James watched as the last of the Lost escaped through the portal. The oppressive silence that followed was unbearable, so he was glad when Jonas finally broke it.

"What are we waiting for? Everyone is through, so we should get going too."

"Hey, we're not going anywhere without the loser and Isaac," Adriana snapped, her green eyes flashing aggressively.

"Kaya isn't back with Pahana yet either," James added. He leaned against the wall, allowing his body a moment to rest now that the immediate excitement had subsided.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" A crisp voice cut through the air, bringing everyone to attention.

A suave man in a tuxedo strolled casually into the large room, tapping his cane rhythmically as he walked.

"Cecil!" Both James and Jonas shouted at once.

"Did Holmes send you to babysit us or something?" Adriana's voice was harsh, but she smiled like she was glad to see him.

"Jonas is right, James," Cecil said, walking briskly towards James and the open portal. "We should leave as soon as we are able."

James shook his head. "I'm not leaving until everyone gets here."

"When Euclid Higgins gets here, it will truly be too late for all of us." Cecil placed a solemn hand on James's shoulder, not allowing him to turn away. "As a leader, you are responsible for whatever happens to us, whatever path you choose."

James swallowed, then answered in a firm voice: "I am not leaving until everyone gets here."

Cecil stared at him a moment, then smiling, he patted his shoulder affectionately. "Very well; as long as you understand the risks."

Shyla stepped forward smartly. "Dr. Higgins has already escaped," she said, then tapped the emblem on her uniform. "His safety is top priority, so he sent me to stall while he retrieved a warp drive."

Cecil gestured broadly with his cane. "And yet I saw his assistant destroy the warp drives in storage," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "He will be coming to loot one from the dead here, and he will kill us if he finds us remaining."

"He's just an old man," Bryce muttered to Jonas. "Sure he's a nutter, but he's not that dangerous."

"He is powerful enough to have captured and restrained people who sought to be gods," Cecil reminded them. "He has tenfold the strength of any man you've met before."

The group reflected on this, then Jonas cleared his throat. "If we're going to wait, we should find someplace more secure," he suggested.

"How will the others find us if we're hiding away?" James asked.

"Apparently both Isaac and Kaya are psychic," Jonas answered with a shrug, "As strange as that is to say, I doubt they'll have any trouble tracking us down."

James hesitated a moment, then dismissed the open portal with a wave of his hand. "Alright, do you have some place in mind?"

Jonas nodded, "There's a vault where they took our stuff when we were arrested."

Tobias was forced to half-carry the small girl who, despite his numerous protests, refused to let go of him. Flora followed close behind, while Isaac led the way, insisting that he knew where they were going.

"James is evacuating everyone now, so we need to hurry," he had said, before dashing away. His fuzzy-white hair bounced with each step, like a beacon for them to follow.