Atoning (Darkness Rising 3.1)

Rae stared at him.

"I'm kidding," he said to her. "Mostly. Don't you joke around like this with your instructors? Oh, wait. You don't have any. Which is why you got tricked--again. And got captured by these guys."

"Can we tie him up now?" Rae said. "And gag him?"

"Doesn't do any good," Derek said.

"We could try."

"No, actually, Derek's right," I said. "Tying him up is pointless. He's an Evanidus."

When she frowned at me, Moreno groaned. "No fight training. No intelligence training. And no cultural training? You are a half-demon, right?"

"Yes, but--"

"Evanidus half-demon," he said. "Special power?" He disappeared and reappeared a foot away.

"Oh," Rae said.

"So there's no sense tying me up. Just take my keys, and I'll find my way..."

He trailed off as I held up the syringe from his backpack.

"I know you used tranq darts when you hunted Maya and the others," I said. "I guessed you'd have some sedative in your first-aid kit, just in case one of us decided to be difficult."

"Smart girl. Now, uh...before you use that on me..."

"Get you away from here, so if you aren't one of the bad guys, and the actual bad guys come looking for Luke, they won't find you conveniently passed out in the tent."

"You got it. Hands on my head, I presume? Quick march to a secluded spot in the woods where I can take a long nap?"

I nodded. "First, though, we're taking your cell phone. Both to check for calls and so you can't wake up early and get in our way."

"And don't forget--"

"Luke's phone," Daniel said. "It's our best source of intel. Take that and search him for a backup."

"Gold star, kids. Gold star."

Ten

Moreno didn't walk quietly to his resting place. I don't think that would be physically possible. He had us bring the phone and tell him what was on it, and then he spent the ten-minute walk speculating about who might be behind the intended kidnapping. It wasn't blind speculation--it was advice. If it was a Cabal, did we remember our lectures on the differences between them, how to handle each one? If it was independent contractors--mercenaries hoping to sell us to the highest bidder--did we remember what he'd taught us about them? And the various splinter groups--those who'd want to control us and those who'd want to "free" us, what did we know about them? His money was on the splinter groups, but we shouldn't make any presumptions until we knew more.

We left him, unconscious and resting comfortably, in a safe spot. Then, we plotted. We knew what we had to do. Or three of us did. No, Derek did know what we had to do; he just really, really didn't like it. In the end, we made an adjustment to increase his comfort level, and then we put the plan into action.

"You're making the right choice," Rae said.

We were darting along a path, lit only by Moreno's penlight. I stumbled over a root, and she helped me upright. Dry leaves crackled to our left, but we pretended not to hear them.

"I-I don't know," I said. "It doesn't feel right."

"And staying in Badger Lake doesn't feel right either. You know something's up there. That's why you're doing this."

"I-I just want to talk to these people. I can do that, right? Just talk? You said that would be okay."

"It's definitely okay," she said, gripping my elbow and propelling me along the path. "They aren't the bad guys. They want to help. Just talk to them, and you'll understand."

"B-but what if..."