by Tina Folsom
As they crossed the Golden Gate Bridge about a mile behind the witch’s vehicle, Yvette glanced out the dark window. The view of the city was stunning. But she wasn’t on a sightseeing tour. If everything went well, she’d come back here with Haven one night to look down at the lights of the city. Share an embrace. A kiss.
“They’re heading for Mount Tam.”
Because of thinning traffic up the winding two-lane road toward Mount Tamalpais, they had to fall further back in order not to be noticed. Nervousness crept up Yvette’s gut and settled in her throat. What if they lost them?
She didn’t notice that she’d started fidgeting again until Zane put his hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. She won’t get away.” His voice was uncharacteristically soothing, so much so that she gave him a stunned look.
He shrugged as if guessing her surprise. “All evidence to the contrary, I’m not entirely heartless.”
She nodded, speechless at his unexpected show of compassion. The slowing of the van made her look back at the monitor. The two green dots now blinked without moving. “They stopped.”
“Stay back,” Zane instructed the driver. “We don’t want her to hear the car engine or see us.”
The driver stopped and turned off the engine. Then he turned back to them. “I’ll check it out.” He pulled a curtain between driver’s compartment and passenger area before he opened the van door and stepped out, careful not to allow any daylight into the area Zane and Yvette occupied.
Despite knowing that their driver was one of their best human bodyguards and trained in stealth just as she and Zane were, Yvette couldn’t help but worry. “What if the witch detects him?”
“He’s human. She won’t think anything of it. There are hikers around this mountain all day, and he’s dressed the part.”
Feeling silly, she didn’t answer. Of course, Zane was right. But waiting for sunset had never felt so torturous.
Thirty-Four
The cabin to which Bess had brought them was rudimentary: one large room with a corner area that served as a kitchen and a small bathroom off to another side. It felt damp and cold. Haven hadn’t noticed anybody following them, but hoped that the vamps weren’t far away. With several more hours of sunlight—even though very little penetrated through the heavily wooded area—no rescue mission would come before sunset.
When he and Wesley entered the cabin with the witch at their back, his eyes immediately searched for Kimberly and found her curled up on the only bed in the room. She jumped up when she saw them.
“Haven, Wesley! You shouldn’t have come! Now she has us all,” Kimberly wailed.
Wesley pulled her into his embrace. “It’s gonna be okay, sis.”
“At least you’re all right,” Haven noted with relief and patted her shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” the witch droned behind them. “How I hate sappy family reunions.”
Bess was unarmed, except for the ceremonial dagger sheathed at her hip. Haven eyed the weapon covertly. He’d have to get his hands on it later.
“Now sit, and don’t bother me,” she ordered and pushed a blast of air against him. Haven’s balance was uprooted, but he caught himself quickly enough. There was no need for the witch to have any weapons to keep them in check with when all she needed were her powers. Haven recalled his last conversation with Wesley before Bess had swept them away and hoped he hadn’t miscalculated about how to defeat her.
***
As soon as night fell, Zane and Yvette joined Gabriel under a copse of trees. Francine was with him. The remaining vampires scattered, creating a wide circle around the cabin the human bodyguards had scoped out.
Yvette slipped her earpiece into her right ear. It would allow their team to communicate with each other to coordinate the attack.
“We’ll need ten minutes to hike to the cabin, another five to get to the clearing where we believe the ritual will take place,” Gabriel explained.
Francine nodded. “Haven, Wes, and Katie will have to stand in a half-circle around the altar. We’ll have to wait until Bess starts the ritual chanting. Her concentration will be on the ritual and her cognitive senses dulled. It’s the only time she’s weaker than normal.”
“Francine will use her powers to take out the witch,” Gabriel elaborated. “Once she’s defeated, any wards she’s put up will fall and allow us to get the three out and to safety.”
“Understood,” Zane confirmed.
Yvette swallowed hard. It sounded so easy, but nevertheless, she knew a million things could go wrong even with Francine’s help. “Thank you for helping us, Francine. I’m sure it can’t be easy to have to fight one of your own.”
A tight smile formed around Francine’s lips acknowledging Yvette’s words. “Sometimes we have no choice about what we do. Certain things are stronger than us.”
Francine’s comment conjured up a vision of Haven and her feelings for him. Yes, certain things were more powerful than Yvette was. Once this was over, she’d tell Haven that she loved him, whether that meant exposing her heart and making herself vulnerable or not. If he didn’t love her back, it would hurt. But if he did, then she had everything to gain.
They hiked in silence, careful where they stepped so as not to create any noise as they approached. The moon rose, lending more light to their path even though they could have easily done without it. A vampire’s night vision was as good as a human’s vision during daylight. Everything was sharp and clear. Yvette concentrated on the mission ahead, on the importance of what they had to do: not only to destroy the witch who could upset the power balance in their fragile world, but more importantly to save the man who had come to mean everything to her. And to preserve the family he had fought so valiantly to keep.
She understood his fears now, because as she hiked up the mountain to their destination, she walked in Haven’s shoes. For years, he’d looked for the sister he’d lost and protected the brother he loved. Yvette realized now that family didn’t have to mean giving the man you loved a child. Family was everything: a brother, a sister, friends, trusted colleagues. She already had a family, and she’d fought for it too, protected them when she had to just like they’d protected her. Even saved her life. Zane had done that months earlier. And now they were all by her side to save what was dearest to her.
“I love him,” she whispered.
Next to her, Zane turned his head and locked eyes with her. “I know.” And, hell, if that wasn’t a kind smile playing around his mouth.
As they reached the small wooden cabin, they already knew it was empty. Yvette switched on her earpiece, making sure she was connected to the rest of the team. One by one, her colleagues checked in announcing themselves by name. The only one who wasn’t going to join their fight was Samson. He’d stayed back with Delilah, torn between his duty as their leader and his love for his wife and child and the need to protect them.
For the first time since finding out that Delilah was pregnant, Yvette felt true joy for the couple. Her feelings of envy had dissipated. She would have a talk with Maya, letting her know that she didn’t want to continue with the futile attempts at forcing a pregnancy, when it truly didn’t matter anymore. It never really had. Because all she’d ever wanted was somebody who loved her. And if Haven was that somebody, it would be enough. She wouldn’t have to give him a child to make him love her. She alone would be enough.
When Gabriel’s pace slowed and then came to a stop, Yvette stepped right next to him and followed his gaze into the distance. In the middle of a small clearing past the protective canopy of the trees that sheltered her and her colleagues from view, moonlight flooded onto a large flat stone long and wide enough for a person to lie down on. On three sides, the area was surrounded by trees in which her colleagues were now hidden. But on one side, behind the large stone altar, a formation of rocks formed a near vertical wall, making it impossible to approach from behind.
The stone altar held several items: lit candles, a dagger, and a caldron. Behind
it, the witch stood looking up at the sky as if waiting for the moon to move into the position she needed. Surrounding the altar stood the siblings. They weren’t tied up. Noticing them shift ever so slightly, Yvette realized that while they were most likely bound by some ward or spell not to escape, they could move their arms and legs.
Yvette pushed down her worry about Haven and his brother and sister, not wanting to destroy her concentration. She had to fight and needed a clear mind.
Francine followed the witch’s gaze to the starry sky. “It’s time,” she whispered. “So close, I can almost feel it.”
In her earpiece, Yvette heard her colleagues confirm that they were in position; Gabriel had brought three-dozen vampires and human bodyguards. There would be no escape for the witch tonight.
The chanting broke the silence of the night, forcing the sounds of the forest into the background. Strange words in an ancient language whispered through the air, stirring up the wind to blow out the candles. Only moonlight shone onto the scene now. Her arms stretching high toward the stars, the witch raised her voice, repeating the same chant louder now. A gust of wind blew across the altar, rattling the caldron and the dagger lying next to it.
“Now, Francine,” Gabriel urged.
A look of pain and horror crossed Francine’s features before she stepped into the clearing, pointing her hands toward the ground beneath her. “I command the earth,” she mumbled and raised her arms. Her lips trembled with words that didn’t carry to Yvette’s sensitive ears.
From Francine’s fingertips, lights like little electrical charges sparked. A moment later, the earth beneath Yvette’s feet trembled with earthquake-like tremors. It only lasted a second, but whatever Francine had tried to do, it was sufficient.
Bolts of lightning shot from Francine’s fingers as she charged toward the other witch, targeting her. Her adversary’s head snapped toward her, the chant interrupted now, her concentration broken. Collecting her strength for a counterattack, Bess stretched her arms out toward Francine.
Gabriel’s command came through Yvette’s earpiece. “Move in!”
From all sides, shadows emerged from the trees in stealth-like fashion, descending swiftly onto the clearing as the first bolts of Bess’ counterattack illuminated the night.
Yvette sprinted forward, conscious to stay clear of Francine’s path. As the two witches sent lightning bolts at each other, Francine moved closer to her adversary. Besieged by not only Francine, but the many vampires closing in on her from three sides, Bess sent charges into all directions while seemingly still preventing the siblings from moving.
Yvette dove as a flash of bright light shot into her direction and rolled onto the ground, narrowly avoiding the burning flame. The moment she jumped back up, she saw three vampires attacking Bess from the side. As one managed to grab her arm and twist it behind her back, her fighting force was instantly cut in half. Within seconds, the other two vampires had her in a firm grip, disabling her from launching any further fire bolts.
Relieved, Yvette charged toward the scene. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a flash pass her. A split-second later, the energy bolt hit Bess squarely in the chest. The vampires who’d restrained her were thrown into the air and landed several feet away.
The stench of burnt hair and flesh traveled through the air as Bess fell to the ground, her body in flames, her cries echoing in the chilly night like the wailing of a child in agony.
Yvette snapped her head into the direction the bolt had come from and stared at Francine. “We had her!” Disbelief rolled over Yvette as she called out, “What were—?”
But a lightning bolt coming from Francine’s hands hit the ground in front of Yvette’s feet, instinctively making her jerk back.
“No further!” Francine yelled.
Shock, and the sharp warning in Francine’s voice, made Yvette freeze instantly. When she looked into Francine’s eyes as the woman approached the altar, holding out her arms like a shield, Yvette saw a glint in her eyes that could only mean one thing: Francine had turned against them.
“No, Francine!” Gabriel yelled as he ran toward her. She shot a warning bolt toward him, making him stop in his tracks.
“Move!” Gabriel’s whispered command sounded through the earpiece. “Take her down!”
But it was too late. As Yvette and her colleagues advanced on her, they suddenly bounced against an invisible wall, which separated them from Francine and the altar and the siblings in front of it.
She’d erected a shield.
Angry shouts came from all sides.
“Francine, you don’t have to do this!” Gabriel cried.
The hunted look on Francine’s face was chilling, but her next words brought the horror home. “I’ve tried for too long to resist it. No more.” Then she looked at the three siblings, her hand reaching toward them. “Don’t you see? I tried everything not to submit to the temptation. But the power is too strong. I fought it. I did.”
Yvette pressed her body weight against the invisible shield, but the ward stayed in place. Why had Francine betrayed them? How could she, after all she’d done for them earlier? How long had she planned this? And why hadn’t they seen this coming?
“Francine,” Gabriel urged. He glanced at Yvette, stretching out his arm as if to tell her to calm herself. “Let them go. You can resist this. You’re stronger.”
Francine shook her head, a sad look on her face. “No. It’s too late. The power is too close, too real. I did everything to prevent this, everything! I tried to stop Jennifer from going through with it, but she wouldn’t be persuaded. Even when I had Katie kidnapped when she was a baby, it wasn’t enough. I wanted to make sure the prophecy would never come to pass. I even made him promise never to tell me where he left her. I made him promise so I wouldn’t have a means to find her.”
“You kidnapped Katie?” Haven yelled, fisting his hands, clearly trying to move toward her, but he was held back by an invisible force. “Oh, God! I should have known. You and mom, you fought! You betrayed her!”
“I had to. I couldn’t let her harness the Power of Three. I had to stop her, so I sent a vampire to take Katie. I sent Drake to take her—”
The familiar name jolted Yvette. Drake? Was she talking about the shrink several of her colleagues were seeing?
“Doctor Drake?” Gabriel asked, his voice tight.
“He wasn’t a doctor back then. He took Katie, because I told him he had to. I told him about the prophecy, that he had to protect the balance of power. So he did. And he protected me from the temptation at the same time. With Katie gone, I was able to resist. I hadn’t even thought of it for years. I thought I’d conquered it. But now …” She trailed off, her gaze moving back to the three siblings. “I need the power. I’ve denied it for too long. Don’t you see that I can’t do anything about it?”
Then her eyes shot back to Gabriel, angry and accusing. “You should have never involved me in this. You should have never asked me for help. It’s your own fault. You should have never trusted me.”
Then Francine lifted the dagger from the altar and began her chant.
Thirty-Five
Haven exchanged a look with Wesley, silently reminding him of their plan. Nothing had really changed: a witch was still performing the ritual, only now it was Francine, not their original captor. It made no difference to him. He’d never suspected her, never thought she’d turn against them, but the moment Bess had burst into flames and died, he’d seen the glint in Francine’s eyes that could only mean one thing: a lust for power.
Now that the vamps had lost their ally and could only fight with mortal weapons rather than witchcraft to combat witchcraft, Haven steeled himself for what he had to do. He cast one look into Yvette’s direction, watching her struggle, trying to fight the invisible shield Francine had put around them to prevent the vampires from approaching.
Haven knew with absolute certainty that he loved Yvette, and he wanted to cause her no pain, but there was no time
to communicate to her what he’d planned. He hoped she would understand when the time came.
As the chanting reached a crescendo, Francine rounded the altar and approached them. She reached for Kimberly’s hand, opening up her palm. Then she took the dagger and sliced through the middle of it, leaving a trail of blood. Kimberly cried out in pain. The sound cut through Haven’s heart, but he didn’t move to help her.
Instead he concentrated on his mother’s last words, “Remember to love.” Haven understood it now. She’d given him the key with her dying words. Only with love, he would be able to draw on his original powers and collect enough strength to execute his plan.
When Francine moved on to Wesley, his brother dutifully stretched out his palm to let himself be cut. As the blood spread on his open hand, Wesley winced, but just like they’d discussed it beforehand, he didn’t fight her and only widened his stance to get ready for his part.
Francine took a step toward Haven, her hand holding the dagger which was covered with the blood of his two siblings. She would only need his now. As she reached for his hand and turned it palm up, Haven closed his eyes for one moment, allowing the love to flow through him: love for his brother and sister, and more importantly the love for Yvette. As it surged higher, he felt a charge travel from the soles of his feet upwards through him as if a foreign, alien force took hold of his body.
His first instinct was to fight it, but he suppressed the urge, and instead let his love for Yvette guide him and welcome the invasion. As the sensation spread in him, he opened his eyes, suddenly seeing everything with more clarity. He knew that his original power was back. It was weak, but it would be sufficient enough to perform one action with cunning speed and stealth.