The First Battle by Stuart Jaffe

Author:Stuart Jaffe [Jaffe, Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: action, adventure, Immortality
Publisher: Stuart Jaffe
Published: 2017-07-18T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Several hours drifted by as Crystal piloted them across the country toward the East Coast. She presented the attack plan in broad strokes, pointing out that because their assault force consisted of two people, they would have to be ready for a lot of improvisation. Most of the plan counted upon confusion, darkness, and the fact that the majority of the island’s population consisted of cooks, gardeners, and other mortal staff hired to maintain the premises.

“If we’re lucky,” she said, “Victoria will be the only Immortal there. That makes the killing situation easier.”

“You still won’t kill another Immortal?”

“That’s our most important rule for a reason. Even in a war, we do our best to avoid permanent death to each other.”

“Is that why you didn’t kill Persenet and Mather?”

“Of course. But look at it this way — we have wars that can last an inordinate amount of time, yet only a few fatalities ever. I’d rather have that than any of the wars mortal humans have suffered through.”

Nathan had no desire to debate Immortal morality — especially when that kind of thinking created part of the problem he fought against. He needed Crystal as an ally, so he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he thought over her plan once more. “As long as nobody is training, it might work.”

“They won’t be training. If there had been anybody new added to the Immortals, I would’ve heard. All of us would have. Well, maybe not you — you don’t seem to pay much attention yet.”

At a regional airport in Georgia, Crystal landed to refuel. Nathan wanted to call Robin, but she also had only just landed in California. He figured she would need time to battle Los Angeles traffic and get settled into her apartment before being ready to tackle any problems he sent her way. Besides, she had been through enough on this one. Better to let her breathe a little and not bother her until he had a serious need for her help.

Back in the helicopter, they flew out across the Atlantic, heading for the island of Balhova. Nathan recalled his days living there — mostly alone on a massive, empty campus. Victoria would wake him each morning, Octavia would train him each day, and he would collapse in exhaustion each night. He had been a stubborn fool at first, but after a year or so, he started to understand some of what he had become. Then he saw the Cardinal — an ancient Immortal soul who had never lost his original body. He was far more powerful than any other Immortal Nathan knew and far less sane.

And during all those long days learning to fight, to heal, and to grab souls, Nathan never once saw Larkin. It wasn’t until his graduation mission in New York City that he met the man. So, perhaps Crystal’s plan wasn’t so bad. Larkin rarely, if ever, visited his island, and Octavia stayed by his side unless she was training a newcomer. That left Victoria in charge.

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