Opening the bag with a thought, Seth shoved it in Jared’s face.
Jared tried to jerk his head back, but couldn’t with Seth’s hand squeezing his throat. “What the hell are you—?”
“Smell it!” Seth ordered.
“What is it?”
“The shirt one of the mercenary leaders wore when he met with whoever has been feeding him information and egging him on.”
Jared’s struggles ceased. After a moment, he slowly poked his nose into the bag and drew in a breath. His gaze shot to Seth’s.
“Smell familiar?” Seth asked.
“Yes.”
Seth released him and stepped back. “Now smell Zach.”
Jared looked at his brethren, then crossed to Zach. Leaning in close, Jared drew in another deep breath. Frowned. Moved closer, his nose touching Zach’s neck.
“I won’t lie to you,” Zach uttered. “This is making me a little uncomfortable.” He really wasn’t accustomed to being touched. Not by anyone other than Lisette.
Jared straightened.
Seth arched his brows.
“It isn’t Zach,” Jared announced, expression grim.
Mutters erupted among the Others.#p#分页标题#e#
“Do you know who it is?” Seth asked.
“None of us here.”
“I already knew that,” Seth retorted.
Jared shook his head. “The possibilities are few. We’ll discover the malefactor’s identity—”
“And nip this shit in the bud,” Seth interrupted. “I lost two Immortal Guardians because of this asshole and nearly lost a third. I want him taken care of.”
“We’ll take care of him.” Jared motioned to the bag. “Give it to the others. Let them get his scent.”
Seth handed over the bag. “When you catch him,” he said with a meaningful look as the bag was passed around, “do to him what was done in the past to those who transgressed similarly.”
Zach looked at Jared.
He didn’t seem happy about it, but must have agreed. “We will.”
“I mean it,” Seth said, deadly serious. “I want him buried so deep he’ll never see the light of day again.”
Jared nodded. “It’ll be done.” Reaching out, he grabbed Zach’s arm and tried to start back toward the Others.
Zach didn’t budge. No way in hell was he going to let them take him without a fight.
Seth held up a hand. “I was serious. Zach stays with me. He’s one of us now.”
Jared’s face tightened. “We let you slide thousands of years ago and have watched as the catastrophes you and your immortals foment continue to snowball. You just blew up a four-thousand-acre compound to cover up what happened when a second of our kind transgressed. Letting a third follow your example is unthinkable. Zach comes with us.”
Seth took a step toward Jared, eyes still glowing gold. “No, he doesn’t.”
“I fail to see how you alone can stop us.”
A slow smile curled Seth’s lips. “Me alone? I don’t know. I think I could give you a run for your money. But . . . I don’t happen to be alone.” He raised one arm and waved it in a circle.
The trees and foliage that formed a circle around them began to whisper with movement. Zach’s mouth fell open as men and women with glowing amber eyes stepped from the shadows and moved forward to stand atop the hills. Hundreds of Immortal Guardians, hands curled around weapons that glinted in the moonlight. All of them ready to battle ancient immortals to the death, if necessary, so Zach could remain among them.
His heart began to pound with some unidentifiable emotion. His astonished gaze alighted upon Lisette.
The Others drew weapons and put their backs together.
“Really?” Seth asked. “Are you that stupid?”
“Why are you doing this?” Jared hissed.
“Because it’s the right thing to do.” Seth shook his head. “Don’t you ever think about that? Any of you? Don’t you ever stop thinking about what the safe thing to do is and consider what the right thing to do is?”
Of course, they didn’t. The Others weren’t going to ferret out the betrayer and take him out of the game because it was the right thing to do. They were going to do it to save their own asses, because they—like all intelligent people—feared what the Apocalypse might bring.
No. They feared what they knew it would bring.
The Others put away their weapons.
“And don’t think you can grab him later,” Seth added. “If you try to take Zach, everyone you see around you will be out for your blood . . . with me in the lead.”
Movements stiff and radiating displeasure, the Others stretched their wings, leapt into the sky, and soon disappeared into the night.