Behind |First book in The Risen Saga|

Chapter forty-Seth

"Seth," Darrel's voice rung through his ears from the phone, "I think you need to get down here." Seth sighed. Darrel sounded worried but also excited, like something happened or was going to happen. He had sent maybe half of his Night Children to attack the rebellion and retrieve Ava. 

"Why?" Seth snapped, getting in his car, "What went wrong?" He knew he shouldn't doubt Darrel but he couldn't help but jump to conclusions. 

"Ava got away but we have two of the rebellion that we might be able to trade for her," he sighed and Seth heard a mumbled voice in the background. "Like I said, you need to get down here."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm on my way," he answered and pressed the red end call button, then turning to slide the keys into the ignition. 

He thought that his Night Children would be able to take care of them easily. But they hadn't. Ava had shown up and saved them and then she had fled with several of the rebellion Night Children. But she left two of her friends. Seth thought she probably forgot them but then, Ava would have known that they weren't there. Maybe she wanted them to die. 

Seth heard the sirens before he saw the trucks. He turned on the corner and saw the huge firetrucks, firefighters were spraying water all over Starbucks. Then he saw the depot. It looked like it hadn't been damaged and so that's why they were meeting there. A human's ears wouldn't be able to pick up the sound of several people breathing or the soft patter of feet. A human's eyes wouldn't be able to see the slight tremor in the shadows where a figure stood. A human's nose wouldn't be able to smell the stench of blood that had been spilled. But Seth wasn't a human. 

He turned off his car and then got out, walking to the entrance. He heard the soft crying of a girl, clearly, and as he walked up the stairs he heard a ripping noise and then a muffled scream. "Where are they?" a voice Seth recognized whispered. Jason. The crying got louder and then another voice. A girl.

"Fuck you," she said, through her tears but still firm. Seth entered the open room and stopped in his tracks. Darrel was standing not far away from the door, holding a tall Night Child with black hair and tan skin. The only problem with his otherwise flawless skin was the blood and the cuts running up his arms and his neck. The Night Child struggled against Darrel's grip but it was no use. Jesse was standing beside a broken window, looking down at Jason. She was wearing the normal Night Children gear and her hair fell in waves around her but she looked disgusted. Seth trailed his eyes to Jason and realized why. 

He was keeling beside a girl with bloody brunette hair, tears rolling down her face and blood coating her arms. Her left arm was missing and her right hand. But even if she was being tortured she still looked at Jason with a look of pure hate, no fear, no cowering. 

Jason stood up and turned to look at Seth. He saw that Jason's hands were covered in blood. Obviously it wasn't his though. Darrel turned his head slightly to look at him, his arms still wrapped tightly around the man as he struggled to get free. Jesse stared down at the girl; a look of pure sadness and longing on her face. She felt bad for the girl. 

"You heard what happened?" Jason asked, stopping in front of him. Seth nodded his head, still staring at the girl. 

"I'm guessing these two are the hostages?" Seth asked, indicating the woman on the floor and the man Darrel was holding. 

"Yeah," Darrel answered, "I found this one trying to get out with that one over there." He jerked his chin towards the girl. 

"I need to go," Jesse said suddenly, her face getting more pale and, to Seth, she looked like she was going to puke. She rushed out of the room, her footsteps fading as she left the depot.