I was surprised that he was so comfortable leaving until I remembered the guards. He felt like I was sufficiently protected, especially after he’d learned from talking to them that the current guards—five of them—were trained as well as he was.
I watched him hop in his car and drive away before saying goodnight to Mindy and heading to my room to get ready for bed. The clothes I’d worn that day went straight into the trash. There was no way I would ever wear them again. They were stained and disgusting from the boils.
I’d just finished getting into pajamas—ones I knew I’d also toss—when smoke built in the corner of my room. Holding the amulet, my hand hovering over my CZ on my nightstand, I watched as a hound took shape and shifted into a man. It was Omar.
Thank goodness. “I still freak out when I know a hound is coming, but I’m trying to get over that. Especially knowing that pretty much any hound who comes to visit is going to be a good one.”
He shook his head, holding up a finger. “Remember, even good hounds still have moments where they turn evil. That’s one reason why they’re not coming as quickly. The trap loses effectiveness and has to start over when they revert to their good side.”
He made an excellent point. I wouldn’t ever be able to relax, it seemed. “What can I do for you?”
I pulled my legs up, wrapping my arms around them, but keeping my CZ in sight, just in case Omar’s loyalties suddenly shifted. He sat at the foot of the bed and stared up at the ceiling as he tried to word what was on his mind.
“Lord Kenan has left his graveyard, as I’ve already told you. He’s making his way across Europe. You’ll be grateful to hear that few are joining his cause. He doesn’t have power over regular humans, and as you know, there aren’t many Aretes in Europe.”
I nodded. “How long until he gets here?”
“At the rate he’s traveling, I would say a little over a week.”
My stomach dropped. A little over a week? There was no way I’d be ready in time. Not with these plagues disrupting everything. I hadn’t had time or been in a position to meet with my supporters or train more with Abel or Sir Christopher . . . In fact, I hadn’t heard from Sir Christopher at all since the plagues started.
“How is he traveling?” I asked.
“By foot.”
My eyebrows shot up. “How is it possible, then, for him to be here in a little over a week when he’s currently in Europe?”
“He’s magical,” Omar said. “I’m not sure how he does it, but his army doesn’t need to sleep or even eat. You saw how I was when under his spell. I wasn’t normal, right?”
I shook my head. When he and Alexander had been pulled in by Lord Kenan’s powers, it was as if a different personality inhabited their bodies entirely. I guess it didn’t surprise me to know that Lord Kenan was somehow overcoming the physical needs of his followers. Still, that was a lot of ground to cover in a very short period of time.
“They’re not taking cars or trains or anything like that?”
Omar shook his head. “No. One thing your attack did last week that helped you, by the way—it eliminated a significant portion of his followers. They’d only been under his power for a short while and escaped the moment they weren’t under it any longer. The more time someone spends in his grasp, the harder it is for them to escape and the harder it is to defeat them. So, good did come from your attack.”
That was great to hear. I’d stressed so much over the stupidity behind trying to fight him in Holland and how badly it had turned out. How naïve I’d been and eager to start and end one quest before finishing the other. I couldn’t be blamed for that, I knew, but still. It had been disastrous.
It was nice to hear that my decision had resulted in something good.
“Thank you for bringing me an update. I appreciate it.”
Omar waved me off. “It’s no problem.”
I nodded, watching as he shifted back into a hound and left through the corner of the room. Once alone, I turned off the light, settled into bed, and fell asleep.
I’d only been asleep for maybe an hour when I heard scratching at my window. I jerked awake, my senses warning me of impending danger.
20
Something smashed against my window, and glass erupted into the room, pelting me with shards. I screamed, dropping to the floor by my bed and grabbing my CZ in one quick motion. Whatever was coming wasn’t supernatural—the amulet was quiet around my neck.
A man jumped through the broken window, followed by another, at the same time as three more men burst through my bedroom door. I shot two before another wrestled my gun out of my hands, tossing it under my bed, then pinned my arms behind me.
Help me, I commanded the amulet. If you can.
I will.
With my arms behind my back, I swung my legs out, kicking the nearest attacker in the throat. He fell to the floor, choking.
My sudden motion knocked off balance the guy who was holding me, but not enough, and he tightened his grip on me just as the last guy punched me in the face. Where was Mindy? There was no way she hadn’t heard all of this.
“Stab her!” the man holding me said.
The guy in front of me pulled out a twelve-inch knife as the one I’d kicked in the throat got to his feet. The man with the knife lunged at me.
Relying on instinct and the amulet to quicken my actions, I again swung my feet through the air. This time, in smooth motions, I feinted at Knife Man, kicked the other in the throat again and slammed my foot backward, hitting the one behind me in the knee.
He grunted in pain, slackening his grip, but only a little. He was good.
But it was enough for me to wriggle out of his arms. I dropped to the floor just as the man with the knife lunged at me again.
I rolled under my bed, grasping for my CZ. I couldn’t quite reach it, though, and one of the men grabbed me by the ankle and dragged me out from under the bed.
Again, with my motions amplified by the amulet, I punched and kicked, getting in as many hits as possible. Regardless of how much the amulet helped, though, I was barely able to keep up with them. They were huge men, and had years and years of training. I wasn’t going to win this battle.
And then I remembered. I’m a Fire Arete! I didn’t need to rely on the amulet or my gun.
My mind suddenly caught on to another important detail. These were my guards—I recognized their faces and clothes. And they didn’t have any guns on them. They had planned this attack from the beginning.
Shrieking in anger, I again knocked the knife away as one of the men scrambled to stab me. And then I gathered my magic to myself and created a fire on the nearest man’s shirt. The polyester cotton blend he wore practically exploded as I fed more magic to the flames.
He screamed in pain, dropping the knife and trying to get out of his shirt. I almost felt bad for the agony he had to be in. Almost. Burns on top of boils would be excruciating.
The other two ignored him, continuing their quest to kill me. They should have brought more weapons. One knife—while big—wouldn’t do it.
I directed my magic to them and started their shirts on fire too. Both howled, also trying to escape their clothes. I didn’t let them burn for long, though. With a quick jab of my powers, I extinguished the fires on all three men, then grabbed my phone, retrieved my CZ, and speed-dialed Chief. I put my hand over the phone and said, “Attack again, and I won’t stop the fire.”
The men were in too much pain even to look at me.
“Lizzie, what’s going on?” Chief asked.
He’d obviously been asleep. A quick glance at my clock told me it was almost one in the morning.
“Chief, the guards you sent just attacked me. I’ve already dispatched two of them, but the other three are still in my bedroom. What do you want me to do with them?”
Chief cursed. It was the first I’d ever heard him swear. “I’m so sorry. I’m coming now.”
I could tell from the resignation in his voice that he knew
sending anyone else would be pointless. I still hadn’t gained back the trust of the officers under him, except for maybe one or two. I was grateful I still had his trust. Knowing, though, that Alice was not on my side upset me. I tried not to think about her too much these days, but I hoped helping me wouldn’t cause problems between Chief and his wife.
We ended the call, and I sat on my bed glowering at the guards before realizing there wasn’t enough room in my bedroom for me to be comfortable. I did not want them in my private space.
“You two, get up. Help the other guy into my living room. Then come back and get the bodies out of here.”
The men grimaced from the pain of their burns, but they did as I asked, and quickly. Yeah, that’s right. Don’t mess with me.
I had them stand in the middle of my living room, not allowing myself to feel bad for them. Their attack had been premeditated—they were going to kill me, I had no doubts about that, and they would probably end up in prison. I itched to go check on Mindy—my stomach turned whenever I thought of her—but I couldn’t leave them alone.
Chief showed up five minutes later and inspected the guards, shaking his head.
“One thing’s for certain, Lizzie. You definitely aren’t helpless.”
He’d brought a couple of his officers—the two who still trusted me—and soon, the men were out of my house and on the way to the hospital.
My heart raced as I knocked on Mindy’s door, fearing the worst. No one answered, and I walked in and gasped.
She was lying on the floor by the closet, unconscious or dead, I couldn’t tell.
21
I dropped to my knees and checked for a pulse. It was there.
“Mindy?” I whispered.
I checked over what I could see—no wounds—so I gave her a gentle shake on the shoulder.
She groaned, rolling her head toward me, and I saw a huge gash on the side of her scalp. She’d been hit with something heavy. And I hadn’t heard anything. I shook my head in anger.
Chief growled behind me. I hadn’t realized he’d followed me. “We’ll get an ambulance here for her as well.”
I nodded, my heart aching for her. She wouldn’t be assisting me anytime soon. Please, please don’t have permanent damage.
Even though Chief instructed me to go back to bed after the ambulances left, I knew there was no way I’d be able to sleep. My bedroom window had been shattered, my space violated, and I’d killed two men. Plus, it would take forever to get all the glass shards picked up. Not to mention the blood that had soaked into my carpet.
I grabbed my phone, debating texting Abel and asking him to come back, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I taped a big garbage bag over my window to keep bugs and the heat out, then made sure everything was locked up as best I could before heading to the living room and turning on chick flicks.
I’d gone through two of them before Abel made it back. I must’ve dozed off throughout both movies because I couldn’t remember parts of either show. But I was awake when he entered. It was six in the morning, I’d started the next movie, and was debating checking out my pantry for any food that might be available.
“What’s up?” he asked, obviously surprised to see me already awake.
Whoa—emotions. Just seeing him made me want to cry. I leaned my head back on the couch and blinked. “The guards Chief stationed here attacked. I killed two of them. The other three are in the hospital with third-degree burns.”
A dark expression crossed Abel’s face. He’d given his own guards the night off in favor of Chief’s. He walked quickly into the kitchen, and I frowned. Was he hungry? I got up to follow, but saw that he was checking the window. I trailed him as he checked all the windows in the house. He grimaced when he saw the one in my bedroom.
He turned to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. “I never should’ve left.”
I shook my head. “Abel, there’s no way you can be around me constantly. There’s just too much for us to do.”
“Regardless, if I need to do anything else, I’m taking you with.”
Too tired to contradict him, I simply nodded, letting him lead me back into the living room.
“Here, rest,” he said. “I’ll make you some hot chocolate.”
“You need rest too,” I called to his retreating back.
He didn’t respond, and a few moments later, he returned with two cups of hot chocolate. He sat on the couch next to me and we watched the chick flick I’d started. I finished my cup, then set it on the end table and rested my head on his shoulder. My eyes shut on their own, and with the only man I trusted one hundred percent next to me, I was finally able to relax enough to go to sleep.
I woke some time later to the sound of incredibly loud thunder.
22
I jumped to a sitting position. Abel was standing in front of the window, hands in his pockets, watching the incoming storm.
“Is this a regular storm, or is it the next plague?” I asked.
He shook his head. He didn’t know. I got up to join him, then yelped as a sheet of hail dropped from the sky. The chunks of ice were huge. Golf-ball size. I shuddered to think of my poor, brand-new (to me) car, wishing I had a garage.
Lightning followed soon after. I barely heard my phone ringing in my bedroom through all the thunder. I dashed to answer it, seeing that it was the Pleasant Grove fire chief.
“Miss Ashton?” the man barked.
“Yes?”
“This storm has brought in a lot of fires. Are you free to come help fight them?”
I knew it must’ve taken a great deal for him to call me. I hadn’t heard anything for several days from any of the agencies, despite all the looting and fire problems that had been happening. Those issues hadn’t stopped. The people who usually called me in for help just didn’t trust me anymore. What he was faced with had to be a big deal.
“Yes, I am. As soon as the hail stops—I don’t think I’ll be able to leave my house with it coming down like this.”
The man grumbled on the other line. “Totally understood. The hail only lasted twenty minutes here. It looks like it’s about to start again. This lightning is hitting everywhere. Not just the mountains, but houses, churches, and schools, too. We’ve got a mess on our hands.”
I promised to come as quickly as I could and ended the call. He said he would send me the address of where to meet him.
Almost as soon as I hung up, text messages and calls started pouring in from several agencies across Utah and Salt Lake Counties. I rolled my eyes, trying not to feel exasperated and upset. Apparently, when everything really fell apart, prejudices were forgotten and I was suddenly good enough to help again.
Or maybe Nicole’s campaigns really were working. Regardless, I answered the best I could, telling them I would help as much as possible. Pleasant Grove came first, though.
It wasn’t until that point that I realized my boils were starting to fade and no longer itched and burned. Oh, my heavens. What a relief.
While waiting for the hailstorm to stop, I pulled the globe from my pocket. Abel stepped behind me, putting his arms around my waist and peering down at the globe with me.
“How many left?” he asked.
“Ten.”
“That’s fantastic!”
I nodded. It took me a moment to respond. “Almost all of them are with Lord Kenan, though.”
“Almost all of them?”
“Yes. Alexander and Omar are still out there, along with two random rogues who haven’t been attracted to either trap.”
Abel turned me around to face him, his dark blue eyes serious as he studied my face. “Have you put anymore thought into the idea of returning the device?”
He’d asked me a while ago, but yet again, panic bubbled up in my chest. “Yes, of course. Giving it back won’t stop the plagues, though.”
“But if it does?”
I shook my head. “It won’t. They already told me. But maybe . . . maybe we can get the man hims
elf to stop them. He might accept a bribe.”
Abel frowned. “Are you sure?”
“No, I’m not. But I was able to sway him to allow me an extra day. Maybe he’d stop the plagues if we gave him something he wanted.”
“How about you talk to Nicole and get her thinking on that?”
I shook my head. “I’ll go to Koven. They have better information there than Nicole would have, and if they tell me there’s something he wants desperately, she’ll know where to find it and how to get it. I’ll bring her in at that point.”
“Then let’s go to Koven now.”
I again shook my head. “I need to get those two rogues first, and before that, I have to stop these fires.”
“Lizzie.” He sighed, rubbing my shoulders, his gaze concerned. “You realize that with this amount of fire . . . you’re not going to be able to stop all of it, right? And going outside is exceptionally dangerous.”
I nodded. “Yes, I know. If I don’t do something, though, the people will feel they have reason to believe what Governor Boggs said. They have to see me at least trying to resolve the problems I’ve created.”
Abel nodded. He could see the wisdom in that.
“Besides,” I continued, “with Mindy in the hospital, I’ll have to go out anyway to visit her.”
Abel’s eyebrows shot up, and I realized I hadn’t told him about her. Holy cow. I couldn’t believe my insensitivity toward her. Especially with how much help she’d given me.
“What happened to Mindy?” he asked.
“The guards attacked her before they even got to me. Hit her upside the head with something. She was unconscious when I found her, and definitely has a concussion. I’d like to go visit her.”
Abel nodded. “Of course. We’ll do that.”
While waiting for the hailstorm to stop, Abel and I pulled ancient bacon from the freezer and eggs from the fridge, making a quick breakfast. Thank goodness eggs have hard shells that flies can’t penetrate.
The food was delicious. I couldn’t believe how practically malnourished I’d been over the last few days. The boils had removed my appetite almost completely, but the bugs and such had made eating almost impossible. I’d subsisted on candy almost entirely. And, I figured, if magical flies wouldn’t touch that stuff, neither should any of the rest of us.
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