Mason - Archaic #4 (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 4 - Part 2

She remained distant and quiet for the rest of the trip to her house. Her gaze fixed to the window, she was deep in thought. Only when I pulled up in front of her house did she turn to me.

"Are the bruises gone?" she asked. I tilted her chin with my finger and took a closer look at the side of her face that had taken a hit, and it was fine. The swelling around her eye had gone down and there was no evidence of what had happened.

"It's fine. As good as new," I told her. My healing, although it had been Hue energy, had healed her perfectly.

"Thank you for everything," she said as her hands dropped to her lap. It was hard for her to face what had happened to her today because it had been the result of her decisions.

"Everyone makes mistakes, don't let them define you," I said, sharing my thought with her. It was what I told myself every time I remembered the cruel and pure evil things I'd done to countless people, Archaic and human. "Learn from them."

I'd made so many of them. I'd murdered people, and now that I could feel the regret, I wanted to change. I wanted to be a better person but it was hard closing the door on the evil that had controlled me my whole life.

"Thank you for everything," she said as she climbed out of the car. Her eyes met mine and I felt something pass between the two of us. Like most of the new emotions I was feeling, I couldn't tell exactly what it was. She closed the door and I watched her walk to the front door of her house.

She monopolized my thoughts on my journey home. The house was silent when I walked through the front door. It meant Ava and Jared were probably at her house.

Back in the sanctuary of my bedroom, I couldn't stop thinking about Neve and what had happened. I was also trying to figure out the emotions I was feeling when I interacted with her. We'd definitely bonded in some way today and I wanted to get to know her better. I wanted to find out what she was really like below the quiet exterior she portrayed to everyone else. It had been the glimpses of the firecracker inside that fascinated me.

It was only then I realized that while I'd been with Neve, I hadn't been overwhelmed by my emotions. I was a little surprised.

Maybe that's why I wanted to be around her, because when I was with her my emotions didn't seem to suffocate me. I wondered why. Was it because she distracted me or did she just have some sort of calming effect on me that seemed to ease the power of the emotions I was feeling?

The strongest emotion I'd felt since I'd started to feel them was guilt. It was overwhelming. I couldn't stop my thoughts from drifting to Emma.

I ran a hand through my hair as my agitation increased. She'd been avoiding me. I couldn't blame her after everything I'd done to her. The guilt of my actions added to the heaviness in my chest. As much as I wished I could undo what I did, it wasn't possible. I let out a heavy sigh as I rubbed my eyes.

There was nothing I could do about it at the moment. I couldn't force her to listen to me so I was giving her the space she needed. When she stopped avoiding me, then I would try and talk to her.

I pushed all thoughts of Emma out of my mind.

Before I got stuck doing my homework, I had a quick look at the trackers. Everyone was where they were supposed to be so I closed my laptop and started my assignments.

Once it was done I did one more check of the trackers. I couldn't help but focus more attention on the flicker of the pink tracker on the screen. It pulled something inside of me, something I'd never felt before.

I glanced at the time. I still had a couple of hours before Catherine got home.

Thoughts of Neve kept filling my mind and the heaviness in my chest began to grow. I needed to do something to keep my mind preoccupied so I grabbed my car keys and jacket before I left the house.

There was no clear destination in mind when I started my journey. I just got in the car and began to drive. I drove around the neighborhood and, after a while of concentrating on the road ahead, thoughts of Neve eased and the tight hold on my chest eased as well.

On my way back home I noticed a white SUV parked on the side of the road a couple of blocks from my house. It was parked by the forest. What made it noteworthy was it was the exact same type of car the Hue usually drove.

I slowed the car down and scanned the surrounding area but I didn't spot any of them. It could just be a car that belonged to a human, but something made me pull up behind it and get out of the car.

The fact that it was parked in the road by the forest made me feel there was a good possibility the car belonged to the Hue. I pulled my phone out and dialed Jared.

After ten rings it went to voicemail.

"I found a white SUV on Albert Street. It looks like the type of car the Hue use so I'm going to check it out." I put my phone in the pocket of my jeans as I began to walk toward the forest.

The sun was starting to set but there was enough light for me to see where I needed to go. If it got too dark I could use the light from my energy. I walked into the forest, my footsteps crunching into the ground while I scanned the area for the enemy.

I didn't see anybody until I got to the edge of the clearing.

There were four of them and they stood in a circle, talking. I recognized them. I'd known them my whole life. It was Ash, Jace, Steven and Pierce.

I stood hidden at the edge of the clearing, watching them.

Then I heard a noise that made fear begin to build inside of me. It was human voices coming from the opposite side of the clearing, deep inside the forest. My eyes scanned the area to find them but I couldn't see anyone. It was unusual because humans didn't tend to venture this deep in the woods. Maybe they were taking a walk or walking their dog.

My eyes flickered back to the group of Hue. The expression on Pierce's face as he turned in the direction of the voices justified my fear.

I had to do something. There was no way I was just going to sit by and do nothing. Even though I was a Descendant Hue, and more powerful, there was no way I could take on all four of them and survive. I was outnumbered.

But knowing that wasn't going to make me stay where I was, either. All I needed was to distract them from the humans in order to save them. I put a hand to my chest to ease my beating heart. I pushed down the emotion of fear as I stepped into the clearing. My decision had been made.

Pierce spotted me first as I walked toward them.

"Mason," he said. The others turned to face me.

My features were mirrored in theirs, no emotion. Pierce cocked his head to the side and stepped forward to stand closer to me as his eyes swept over me.

"Pierce," I said, acknowledging him. My eyes held his without blinking. I pushed any feel of emotions deep down inside of me. I didn't want them to see the change in me.

"We've been sent to bring you back," Pierce said while Ash, Jace and Steven stood in a semi-circle around me.

So I was the reason they were here.

"I'm not going back," I informed him calmly. I could still hear the chatter from the humans but it was more distant now. Just a few more minutes and they would be safe.

His eyes narrowed in confusion.

"We're not asking," Pierce said, steely. I watched the other three Hue step closer behind Pierce.

They were going to take me back to the Hue headquarters willing or not. At my sides I opened my hands and I allowed my energy to flow. There was no way I was going to let them take me without a fight.