Nocturnal Read Free Page B

bear. And if she did survive, how could he tell her he was a traitor?

Rebecka arrived with her news.
    â€œThey survived?” Salvatore said after she told Rathbone and him about finding Jack and Aiden.
    â€œWhere are they?” Rathbone asked. He was as surprised as Salvatore, but he was determined to remain the crusty, no-nonsense boss.
    â€œThey’ll catch up,” she replied.
    Rathbone frowned. “What do you mean,they’ll catch up?”
    â€œThe doctor—he survived, but not exactly intact.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Salvatore asked.
    She looked quickly at Rathbone, then at Salvatore. “The doctor died and was brought back to life.”
    Rathbone’s face went ashen. “No. Don’t say it.”
    She said it anyway. “Nocturnals.”
    Rathbone stared at her. “How did you and your crew make it out alive?”
    â€œWait, what are nocturnals?” Salvatore asked.
    â€œEvery mother’s nightmare,” Rathbone said. “An abomination, like the ferals, an almost human creature with black eyes and gray skin. A creature that can ride on the wind and steal your children and bite them and turn them into nocturnals, too.”
    â€œThey sound like something out of an old vampire tale,” Salvatore said.
    Rathbone nodded. “Anyone who’s wandered into a known area of nocturnals has never returned—except, apparently, for Rebecka here.”
    â€œI’m as shocked as you are,” she said. “The doctor told us to leave, said he would catch up, that he had to travel at night because he—because he’s now a nocturnal. Aiden stayed behind to protect him.”
    â€œAs if a nocturnal would need protection,” Rathbone said. “I guess we’ll have to leave some men behind to wait for them. We can’t waste any more time here, we have to get to the next safehold. They’re under attack.”
    â€œYou don’t need to leave anyone behind. Jack and Aiden will find us.”
    â€œWhat makes you so sure?”
    â€œBecause the doctor and Aiden are leading dozens of nocturnals toward us at this very moment.”
    Rathbone glared at her, but his eyes betrayed a hint of confusion as well.
    â€œYou know I couldn’t stop them,” Rebecka said. “And if we had tried, we might’ve killed the doctor. They’re coming to help us get the girls back, and to protect the doctor so he can find the cure.”
    â€œIf they don’t kill us all first,”Rathbone said.
    â€œJack won’t kill us,” Rebecka said. “He’s still … he’s still Jack.”
    â€œYou sure about that?”
    But Rebecka had already turned away to gather her troops and head out.
    Aiden ran like a bolt of lightning slashing through the sky, keeping pace with Dr. Tanner and his family of nocturnals. After several hours of nonstop running, his body was as full of energy as when he started. He realized that the three beings must have released something within him, something that allowed him to conquer his cat and reptilian sides, a feat he didn’t believe he could have accomplished by himself.
    Soon he detected a familiar scent—Pippa and Abby. He ran faster. The nocturnals kept pace. He looked up and found Jack’s perfect black eyes, knew that Jack had also picked up the scent. Pippa and Abby were still alive, and they were going to find them.
    Aiden was shocked when he realized that the doctor could communicate with him mentally, just as the three beings had. The link between them could span distances, enabling Aiden to better protect the doctor if they were separated.
    The group of winged beings arrived at the deserted site of what looked like a recent bloody battle. Dead ferals littered the ground around a large pit. Aiden ran to it, and the doctor hovered over it and then lowered himself down. Jack dipped a finger into a small puddle of blood and licked it. “They’re still