22. Raegan
Chapter twenty-two
Raegan
“Kell,” I whisper roughly. “Who are these people?”
Kellan tugs and pulls on the Kevlar vest he’s strapped me in until he’s satisfied. He pats it and grins. “Just some of the Guild members who wanted to help. They’re the ones whose gifts will be useful, and Aiden trusts enough to follow directions.”
I smack his hands away and twist to get a feel for the weight. “Isn’t this overkill?”
“With you?” He laughs. “We should have wrapped you in one of these from the start.” Kellan waves at the rest of the room while others don their protective gear. “Everyone’s getting it, so no complaining, beautiful. This will make a few of us more at ease to know you’re in this.”
“Everyone except you and Jack?” I nod toward my shadow, who smirks at me while leaning against a wall. As if summoned, he stalks toward us.
“Well, we both know there’s no point in me having that. It would only get in my way. And Jack’s already wearing his.” Kellan turns to look at him once he’s stopped in our space.
Jackson taps a finger to his chest to indicate his is beneath the hoodie.
Damn. I see the point of it, but it’s so heavy that I’ll be much slower in a fight.
Glancing around at the others, I catch more than a few stares before they hurriedly look away.
Dane walks up from behind and nudges my arm with his. “Don’t worry about them. They won’t bite. But as long as Jackson is near you, I doubt any of them will try and talk to you.”
Anger pulses in my chest, and I frown. “They don’t like Jack?”
Kellan and Dane laugh. “Easy, beautiful. Don’t go planning any murders on his behalf before you know the whole story.”
“They do like him,” Dane answers my question once he’s gotten over his laugh at my expense. “He saved the Guild from Thorne once he learned what he was up to, and he’s the one who brought Aiden in.”
“Then why…?”
Dane shrugs. “Just because they’re grateful for what he did doesn’t mean they’re not still scared of him.”
Jackson smirks and raises my hand in his. He kisses the edge of my matching tattoo that’s peeking out of my long sleeve. “As they should be,” he remarks coolly, his eyes locked on mine. My blood heats beneath his look, which holds me hostage until Aiden’s raised voice announces his arrival in the training room.
“Everyone, gather around for the mission plan.”
My breath catches when I see him. He reminds me of the soldiers in one of Kellan’s video games. All black, long sleeves and pants, wearing a vest and black baseball cap to shadow his already dark eyes. The stubble on his face looks darker as well, and I might not have placed him immediately if not for his voice and the iconic cross of swords strapped to his back.
What skin should be exposed between his sleeves and hands is covered in metal gauntlets, not to mention the metal around his neck and likely strapped somewhere under his clothes. His greatest weakness is the lack of metal he’s touching, so he’s making sure that won’t be an issue. The whip sword is retracted, and the diamonds that usually spread out are pressed tightly together to resemble a jagged sword on his hip.
Cibrina stands to his right, her hands tapping the air in front of her as golden light fades in.
We all move to a half-circle formation around them before Aiden begins. “This is a rescue mission. A trial one at that. We’re testing their response time, the setup of these islands, and how well our plan works to save the trapped gifted with minimal casualties. They’ll be brought to the quarantine floor that we roughly carved out last week.” He nods at someone like that instruction was meant for them.
Following his gaze, I see Reid geared up with arms crossed over his chest. Tinsley’s bouncing on her feet beside him with a grin stretched from ear to ear.
“Once we’re on the island, we’ll split into two groups. Kellan will lead the rescue team, and my team will be the distraction. You are not to seek out or engage in a fight unless you have to, and only if it is to incapacitate them so you can escape.
“Raegan, Jack, Reid, Tinsley, and Evie will be on the rescue team. Silas, Fabian, and Harvey, you’re with me and Dane.” Aiden continues to go over the plan, pointing to the map Cibrina has in front of us in shimmering, golden lines that outline the island and the buildings on it. The specific areas he speaks to glow brighter when he mentions them as he discusses the highest probability buildings where the prisoners are likely to be.
I try to stay focused on the plan, but after he lists out specific gifts of a few of the members in this circle, I’m too stunned to keep listening.
I cast a glance to Kellan, who shoots me a grin and bends down to murmur, “You have no idea.”
A familiar blond-haired member raises his hand. “Uh, Master? Can I switch to the rescue team? I think my ability is better served there, don’t you think?” He grins and shifts his blue gaze toward Kellan.
“No, Harvey, I’m keeping you with me. If you’ve got a problem with that, you can stay behind. I’m only taking members who can follow orders,” Aiden states matter-of-factly.
Harvey laughs and raises both hands, palms out. “Nope. My bad. Whatever you say, Master.”
A guy with styled black hair and dark eyes scoffs. He jabs the large, broad-shouldered guy with short curly hair standing next to him, who’s been binging on a plastic container of food the entire time Aiden’s been talking. “I’ve got money on him disappearing the second there’s trouble.”
The guy eating shakes his head. “I’m not taking that bet, Silas,” he mumbles with food still in his mouth.
“Damn,” the betting one—Silas—mutters. Then he leans forward to look at the only other female Guild member here, aside from Cibrina. “Hey, Evie! Care to make a wager?”
A tall woman with light brown skin and dark brown hair folds her arms but doesn’t look his way. Her focus doesn’t falter from Aiden, who is now whispering something to Cibrina. “If it’s about me hitting you for getting distracted, then sure.”
I lean around Jack on my other side to whisper to Dane. “These are the dependable members Aiden chose?”
Dane smirks. “Don’t let their laid-back attitudes fool you.”
Hm. “Last question, and please don’t take this the wrong way. I heard you were always being held back to stay out of danger and GE’s hands. Why are you coming on this mission?”
“Thorne warned me there’s a spy in the Guild,” Jackson answers between us, his voice low.
“What?!” I gasp, and Dane sends me a look to stay quiet.
“It could have been a lie since GE doesn’t know where we are, but rather than leave it to chance, Aiden wants us to stick together. So, where you guys go, I go.”
Fuck me. A spy?
If there was one, they would have given away where the Guild has been hiding the last few months already, right?
Or else, what are they waiting for?