The Seventh Immortal (Hearts of Amaranth #1) by J.M. Parry Page A

Otherwise... You are dangerous. You will lead the world
astray.”
    Kait shook her head. “No!” she shouted. “I
don't want to lead anyone. I can't lead anyone. I don't remember
anything.”
    “ You're too late.”
    Christa forced the tablet computer towards
Kait. There was a new figure on the camera feed. It was a young man
that Kait instantly recognized: Paul Gordon. He was there, at One
Metropolitan Square.”
    “ No...”
    “ He followed you. He came for you. Whether you like it or
not, he believes in you.”
    For now, Paul was standing behind the lines
of cops surrounding the building. But, ever so slowly he dared to
approach. It wouldn't be long before he worked up the courage to
break through and then...
    “ Join us, and we will protect him.”
    “ What?”
    Christa pulled the tablet away so Kait could
no longer watch Paul's approach. “Mayor Levin killed your friend
Mr. Smith because Mayor Levin kills anyone who discovers our
immortality. He is afraid of the chaos that would follow from our
discovery. I am not. While I would never reveal myself... I am very
curious what would happen.”
    “ You're curious?” Kait asked, incredulous.
    “ It would be chaos. We would finally have to stand up for
ourselves against them. So yes, I'm curious.” Christa sighed. “But
none of that matters right now. Your friend down there won't tell
anyone about us. There's no reason for anyone to kill him, but
Mayor Levin doesn't care for reason. If you decide to support us,
we'll make sure he makes it out of this alive.”
    This didn't comfort Kait. It just made her
angrier. “Chaos? Order? I don't even know the choice I'm
making!”
    “ Yes you do. Freedom or domination. Life or death, for your
poor friend.”
    “ This... This is extortion,” Kait said. “You're such a
hypocrite, giving me this fucked up false choice.”
    “ I do what I have to do,” Christa replied.
    Kait glared at her. “So do I.” She pushed
past the intimidating woman and towards the door. The elevators
down to the lobby weren't far away. She just had to make it...
    “ Where the hell are you going?” Christa asked as Kait
stormed out of the office.
    “ If it makes you feel better, you can tell yourself that I
chose freedom. I just did it my own way. I'm going to save Paul on
my own.”
     

Chapter Six
    The elevator ride down to the lobby of One
Metropolitan Square felt like the longest thirty seconds of Kait's
life. She kept waiting for someone to stop her. It would be fairly
trivial for Christa to halt the elevator car, forcing her back into
the same awful choice between swearing allegiance to the Fractal
CEO and watching Paul die.
    To Christa's credit, she did no such thing.
She stayed true to the principles she claimed to espouse, and
allowed Kait to create her own solution to this dilemma.
    With a lurch, the elevator car came to a
stop on the first floor. The door slid open, and Kait found herself
confronted with at least a dozen armed men. They wore makeshift
body armor around their street clothes. No uniforms, no badges,
nothing... They were Obshina gang members, the foot soldiers of the
organized crime family that dared stand up to Mayor Levin's
iron-fisted regime.
    Their presence in the lobby of the office
building would have seemed odd to Kait if she didn't already know
that Obshina was in bed with Fractal Capital. The Obshina were just
another arm of the Gospels, and Kait was about to find herself face
to face with their leader.
    “ What the hell are you doing down here?” A voice barked.
Kait looked to her side to see the man who addressed her. He was
tall—at least a few inches over six feet—with skin the color of
smooth dark chocolate. Unlike the Obshina footsoldiers, he didn't
wear any armor. Instead, his muscular body was wrapped in a tight
gray t-shirt and jeans. Kait could see every sharp edge of his
form, and couldn't help but feel intrigued. But she knew who he
was.
    He was the only person in the foyer without
a