Chapter 14

Pavlina barreled through the room, pushing Anya aside with a determined urgency as she rushed to Marketa’s bedside. “Sissy!” she exclaimed, her voice a mix of relief and concern. “I’m so glad to see you awake. How are you feeling?” Marketa grimaced, her hand instinctively reaching up to her neck as she attempted to turn her head, the pain visible in her expression. “Where’s Aeden? Is he OK?”

Veronika sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers lightly tracing comforting patterns on Marketa’s arm. “He’s resting in the next room. You can see him later when you’re better.” Her tone was soothing, but Pavlina frowned at the subtle deception, shooting Veronika a stern look. Veronika met her gaze with a silent plea, urging Pavlina to let the matter rest.

Marketa’s relaxed visibly, and she slowly reclined back onto the pillow. “I have a splitting headache,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed momentarily.

Niklaus, their father, stepped forward, his voice gentle yet authoritative. “I’d like some time to examine her. You kids go see how Aeden is doing.” His eyes, wet with unshed tears, lingered on his youngest daughter. The years that had gone by seemed like it was only yesterday, yet this moment shattered that illusion, bringing back memories of fear he had hoped were long buried. The incident in 1993 seemed like a ghost from the past, but now it loomed large in his mind again.

Marketa, her gaze unfocused, began to speak to the room rather than any specific person. “She was right there in front of me, or what was left of her. Tara’s face was barely recognizable, just fragments,” she recalled, her voice haunted. She lifted her eyes to her father’s, searching for comfort. “How do you forget a sight like that? Pieces of her brain were scattered everywhere, even on Aeden.”

Niklaus continued his examination, his hands steady but his heart was heavy. Once he finished, he gently injected a sedative into her IV, a temporary respite for her turmoil. “You don’t forget,” he said softly, his voice a mixture of sorrow and hope. “But the clarity of it will eventually fade until the nightmares no longer hold you captive.” He stood by her side, watching as her eyelids grew heavy and her breath deepened into the rhythm of sleep. “I hope,” he muttered under his breath, barely audible even to himself.

Anya stood close to Aeden, her eyes fluttering and cheeks pink with admiration, a sight that made Pavlina’s stomach churn with jealousy. The idea of someone as unpredictable as Anya crushing on the man Pavlina planned to marry was disturbing. The knowledge that this dangerous woman had power and deadly skills surpassing anything they could muster together left Pavlina feeling powerless. Veronika, seated beside Aeden, tenderly caressed his arm, tracing patterns with her fingers as she had once done with Marketa. This time, however, she engaged in a silent, intimate dialogue with him, unbeknownst to the others in the room. Her empathic gift, heightened through the connection of touch, allowed her to delve into his thoughts and emotions, a skill she had honed through countless interactions with him. A knowing smile graced her lips as she turned to Pavlina.

“His first concern was for Marketa’s well-being,” Veronika conveyed, her voice soft yet assured. “I reassured him that she’s resting comfortably in the next room.”

Pavlina’s eyes widened with astonishment. “You can do that?” she inquired, her voice tinged with wonder. “Why are you surprised?” Veronika replied, a hint of amusement in her tone. “When you touched him at the club, you instinctively knew to call me. It seems we share this ability, though mine has been refined with practice over time.”

Just then, the duty nurse entered, her footsteps brisk as she approached Aeden’s bed to administer his medication and check his bandages. She glanced at his vitals, her eyebrows rising in pleasant surprise. “Wow, his blood pressure and pulse have really improved. You girls must be his lucky charms.” Pavlina’s gaze shifted cautiously to Anya, suspicion evident in her eyes. “I haven’t touched him,” Anya declared, raising her hands defensively, though a sly smile played on her lips as she added under her breath, “yet.” Veronika resumed her update, her voice calm and steady. “He’s aware of his severe injuries but remains ignorant of the details or the situation with Extor. I advised him to relax and focus on recovery so we can eventually return home. It’s crucial for one of us to stay by his side as much as possible. I’ll take the first shift.”

As she finished speaking, Niklaus entered the room, his presence commanding and urgent. “Pavlina and Anya, could you both come with me, please?” he requested, his voice leaving no room for hesitation.

Two weeks later ... The Outback of Australia.

Kosti crouched behind some bushes several hundred yards away from a campsite. He had been trailing a redheaded woman in her early to mid-twenties for the past few days and concluded that she must be the person Saug mentioned. She fit the description perfectly, yet Kosti couldn’t figure out what made her so special. Her abilities and survival skills seemed typical for someone who had lived in the area for a while, leaving him puzzled as to why Saug wanted him to find her. Kosti decided he would approach her the following morning to resolve the matter and return to preparing for the imminent arrival of the action team. The sun had barely slipped beneath the horizon, casting the world into a suffocating indigo shroud. Kosti focused intently on the blurred shapes captured by his tripod-mounted infrared camera when suddenly, an icy, razor-sharp pressure pressed against his throat, freezing him with terror. A boot smashed down on his lower leg, anchoring him to the jagged, icy ground as coarse fingers yanked viciously at his hair. A sinister, throaty growl—riddled with an unmistakable Irish lilt—burst from the shadows. “Who are you, and why have you been tailing me?” The words pierced the suffocating night like a sharp knife. With painstaking caution, Kosti lifted his trembling hands, desperately attempting to pacify this woman, his heart pounding like a drum in the cold silence. “I was sent to find someone named Avila. The description matches you. Are you her?” Before he could draw his next breath, she sneered and violently shoved him face-first into the dirt. “Who wants to know?” Her voice dripped with scorn.