Sepia Blue- Nameless: A Sepia Blue Novel- Book 4 by Orlando Sanchez (small books to read .txt) 📕

Pira said as Destin did the same to his combat armor. “Chamai don’t stop pursuit until—”

“They or their prey are dead,” Destin finished. “Got it. Let’s go.”

The roars faded behind them as they ran. Several minutes later they arrived at the outer circle of wards surrounding the Hunter’s Keep. Pira came to a sudden stop.

The Keep was an imposing structure sitting in the center of an open field. From a distance, it appeared to be a small castle. Like with distances, however, appearances weren’t always what they seemed in the Park.

The Hunter’s Keep was the original base of operations for the elite group of class-one Hunters, led by Emiko, Sepia’s mother, the original Jade Demon. They had situated their base in the Park to send a message:

You may be dangerous, but not as dangerous as us.

“Stop,” Pira said, holding up a hand. “We have to stop.”

“Stop?” Destin asked confused. “Angry Chamai and Dreadwolves headed our way. Ring a bell?”

“If we cross the threshold of this ward circle we will fry where we stand.”

“Not a fan of being fried,” Destin said, staying outside the ward circle. “I thought the wards in the Park only worked on the Unholy?”

“They’ve been changed,” Pira said, pacing the perimeter of the wards. “Someone is taking the security of the Hunter’s Keep seriously.”

“I think that the individual who thought of placing a base of operations in Unholy territory would consider security an important feature of said base.”

“That would be Emiko; she was a class-one Hunter.”

“Not surprising,” Destin answered looking at the Keep. “She was either dangerous, suicidal or both.”

“She and her group were most likely equal measures of both,” Pira said. “It takes a special individual to be a class-one Hunter. I think confronting the Unholy requires the capacity to ignore the danger staring you in your face.”

“Or you just accept that you will probably find your end fighting them.”

“Agreed. Emiko was KIA.”

“That’s usually how class-ones go down,” Destin said, his voice grim. “I’ve never heard of a class-one retired somewhere taking it easy. They all fall in the line of duty—occupational hazard. They’re all a little touched.”

“Similar to those Regional Agents who decide to leap onto an angry Chamai, followed by a detonation of explosive charges,” Pira said with a nod before returning her attention to the ward circle. “This heightened security does pose a challenge, though.”

“No kidding,” Destin said, looking down at the pulsing violet wards. “Does seem to reinforce the Director’s theory, though.”

“That it does,” Pira said looking up at the Keep. “The extra security could mean they grew tired of being attacked or—”

“They have a special guest they want to protect,” Destin finished. “My guess is the latter.”

“Either way,” Pira said, crouching down and looking at the intricate wards, “we’ll need to visually confirm.”

“I’m not exactly feeling safe out here.” Destin said, standing behind her and staring into the night. “Can you bypass those wards?”

“Yes, I can,” Pira confirmed, inscribing symbols around the existing wards on the ground. “It won’t be easy, but I think I can manage a messy bypass.”

“I don’t care what kind of bypass it is,” Destin said. “We have both Chamai and Dreadwolves incoming. If you don’t get us past that circle, the only mess will be our bloody body parts all over this grass.”

“How long?” Pira said, working faster. “Do you sense them yet?”

“I’d give you three minutes on the outside,” Destin said, sniffing the air. “No pressure.”

“This isn’t as easy as I make it look, you know,” Pira said moving faster as she drew more symbols. “I’m trying not to alert whoever is in the Keep.”

“I think you should forget about that,” Destin told her, his voice low. “We have company.”

Pira glanced over her shoulder and strangled the kernel of fear that formed in her stomach. In the distance, three Chamai were moving silently in their direction. Behind them, she did a quick count of twenty Dreadwolves keeping pace. They looked angry.

Angry and hungry.

“Shit,” she said under her breath. “That was faster than I anticipated.”

“You keep bypassing the wards,” Destin said. “I’m going to go have some words with our hosts.”

“There’s too many of them, Des. Fall back.”

“It’s only three Chamai and two packs of Dreadwolves,” Destin said. “This should remain a cordial conversation.”

“You tried to blow up one of the Chamai, after you cut him,” Pira answered. “I don’t think conversation is its plan. Unless it’s a conversation consisting of ripping your arms off and beating you to death with them.”

“If it goes sideways—”

“Goes?”

“If it gets worse than it currently is, then you’re free to bring the hurt.”

“That will only make matters worse,” Pira said. “Then we’ll be facing most of the Unholy in the Park.”

“I know,” Destin said with a smile. “Now that would be exciting.”

“I worry about you sometimes,” Pira said, inscribing more symbols. “Go delay them. I’ll get these wards down. If it gets heated, fall back to my position.”

“Right, out here in the open with no cover or protection, sounds perfect,” Destin said, shrugging off his pack and removing some items. “Don’t worry. Besides, I have a few surprises for them if they want to dance. Get those wards down. Be right back.”

Destin headed off to meet the Unholy.

EIGHTEEN

Rafael followed as far as he was allowed.

Even as the Director of Regional, his position held little sway in this procedure. They afforded him an extra measure of courtesy, but he would not be allowed to be in the actual recall procedure room. The nurse wasn’t exaggerating. The risks were great, not only for Gan, but for those in the room with him.

The procedure had been modified since the early days of battling the Akitsu. Mindswipe victims were often triaged on the battlefield with disastrous results. Victims of a mindswipe exhibited abnormal displays of power as parts of their brains were erased.

It was a testament to Gan’s mental strength that he hadn’t degenerated into a mindless weapon of destruction. That risk, however, meant the Director of Regional would not be allowed into