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

“This dark blade, it forms a nimbus of black energy around this Hunter?” Wake asked. “It almost seems sentient?”

“You’ve seen him?”

Wake and Jas nodded.

“Velos,” Wake said “He recently ran into someone wielding something stronger than his blade.”

“Much, much stronger,” Jas said. “Made his dark blade seem like a pocket knife in comparison.”

“This Velos has killed two Hunters,” Cade said. “I couldn’t stop him. His blade was too strong.”

“Whoever he faced tonight scared him,” Wake said. “It was a powerful Unholy.”

“That can’t be good,” Cade said. “Did you see which way Velos went? His trail went cold here.”

“No, but I do know where he’s going to be at sunrise,” Wake said. “He’s been given a specific task.”

“A specific task,” Cade said, looking down the street. “Maybe you two can help me. My Hunter recently became a Sister. I need to know where she is.”

“I’m in no condition to help anyone at the moment,” Wake said. “But we can certainly try. I owe you that much.”

“A Hunter who became a Sister?” Jas asked. “Does that usually happen?”

“Hunters don’t become Sisters,” Wake said. “At least not willingly. The Sisters have suffered severe casualties lately. What is your Hunter’s name?”

“Sepia. Her name is Sepia.”

“Sepia?” Jas asked. “You’re Sepia’s gunman?”

“Of course he is,” Wake said. “That makes perfect sense, given the circumstances.”

“Why do you say that?” Cade asked. “Do you know where she is?”

“The specific task Velos was given was to eliminate Sepia,” Wake said. “He’s on his way to the Park to eliminate her at sunrise.”

“The Park?” Cade asked. “She’s in the Park? Alone? At night?”

“Apparently,” Wake said. “It does make sense.”

“I don’t know how any of that makes sense,” Cade said. “The Park alone is suicide at any hour.”

“You really need to get up to speed,” Jas said. “Calisto took her to the Park after Sepia went all dragon lizard.”

“Excuse me, she went what?”

“Sepia has started her transformation into the Jade Demon,” Wake said. “Fuma, a ward master, caused her to change. We’re not sure it’s still Sepia.”

“You faced her in this form?” Cade asked. “And survived?”

“Just barely,” Jas said. “Calisto was the one who stopped her. Sepia’s stronger now. Much stronger.”

“That’s why Calisto took her to the Park,” Cade said, making the connection. “I still think it’s too dangerous. The Park is a death sentence, particularly at night.”

“The Unholy I saw tonight only reinforced that,” Wake said. “He was stronger than anything I’ve ever seen. I would assume Calisto took her to the Keep.”

“I need to get going. Can you get to safety?” Cade asked. “I can’t call for backup, but I can get you some help. Give me a second.”

Cade stepped away, pulled out a phone and made a call. A few seconds later, he rejoined them.

“Why can’t you call for backup?” Jas asked. “I thought that was part of the deal with the Order. You get in deep shit, you call the cavalry to save your ass.”

“You’re TAG, aren’t you?” Wake said. “One of the Hunters Velos killed was yours, wasn’t it?”

“Red Jen,” Cade said, his voice low. “She never stood a chance. We didn’t know what we were facing until it was too late. If I go back now, it’s a review board and mandatory desk duty. Sepia is in danger. I can’t help her from a desk.”

“I understand,” Wake said. “Who did you call?”

“His name is Hep—he works for the Gray and is about the size of a small bus,” Cade said. “You won’t miss him. Overalls and ink. Looks like a renegade mountain man, but he’s solid. He’ll be here soon. Stay out of sight and he’ll make sure you two get to safety.”

“I appreciate it,” Wake said. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go find Sepia.”

“But she’s in the Park,” Jas said. “Going in there at night is suicide.”

“I’ll manage,” Cade said, tightening the straps on his rifle. “Besides, some of us senior citizens still have some tricks up their sleeves.”

He disappeared a moment later.

“He’s good,” Jas said, looking around. “No trace at all.”

“I would imagine he’d have to be, to be Sepia’s gunman.”

“I hope he’s good enough to survive the Park.”

“Me too.”

TWENTY-SIX

“I need to create a ward bond with him,” Rafael said. “It should allow me to coax him out of this stasis.”

“This sounds dangerous. What do you need me to do?”

“Do you know how to maintain a ward bridge?” Rafael asked. “I could do both, but it would make this process easier if you could maintain the bridge while I construct the bond.”

“I’m not supposed to know how to create a ward bridge,” Deb answered. “That level of energy manipulation isn’t authorized.”

“I think we’ve established that authorization is not the issue here,” Rafael said. “I know you can—in fact, I know you have on two occasions, one of those being the reason you’re still Nurse Stern and not Director Stern.”

Deborah narrowed her eyes at Rafael.

“I was assured that incident would be expunged from my records,” she said. “That ward bridge saved a patient’s life.”

“And relegated you to being passed over for a rightfully earned advancement.”

“Doctors and their egos,” Deb said with a head shake. “If I had to do it again, I would.”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Rafael said. “I need you to do it now.”

“Even with me maintaining the bridge, this is risky,” Deb said. “He’s gone too deep.”

“If he had gone too deep, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Rafael said. “He’d be gone. He’s deep, but I think I can reach him. If you help.”

“I’ll maintain the bridge,” Deb said. “I’ve never seen a successfully executed ward bond. It’s not a method that’s used by the Order.”

“That would be because it’s not from the Order,” Rafael said. “In essence I will be connecting with him through our energy signatures. The bond forms the connection; the bridge allows me to traverse it and hopefully reach him.”

“What if you get lost trying to find him?”

“I’ll be tethered.”

“To what?”

“Initially I was going to create an anchor, but I have a better