I searched her face. There was no yellow or orange light glowing from her eyes. There was no evil shadow hovering around her. I could feel no presence of evil on the child.
And yet, there was something odd about the girl. Something otherworldly. My spirit pack came to her. Mildred said the wild things didn’t know what evil was. But would they be drawn to it? The demon might not possess her now, but it had been inside her. And maybe because of that there was still some kind of connection open to the other side. To the dark abyss.
What if the child was innocent? What if the magic, the connection to the abyss, were all echoes left over from when the demon possessed her? If the child opened herself up to the demon, she could let it back in. Alienating her might only make that process happen faster. I might not trust her, but we needed her on our side. We needed to keep the beast from taking her over again.
I went down to my knees. I was face-to-face with her now. “You shouldn’t listen to those voices anymore. They’re evil.”
“They are?” she said.
“Yes, they are. They want to hurt us. Hurt you. I’m sorry I was so mad.”
“You’re scared of me,” she said.
“I was. But I’m not anymore. Mildred was right. You are my sister. My blood is coursing through your veins.” I reached up and touched the child’s hair. “You look like me, don’t you?”
“I do,” she answered.
“You look like me because we are sisters.”
“You don’t hate me?” she whispered.
“No, I don’t hate you.” It was true I didn’t hate her, I feared her. I was scared of the powers she had. Scared of the voices that talked to her.
“But the others, they’re scared of me. Everyone is scared of me but Mildred.”
“Then we’ll have to show them that they’re wrong. That there’s nothing to be scared of.”
She gave me a small smile. “I like Mildred. She sings fun songs. She’s the one that showed me how to sing to them.”
My hand paused in the air. “Mildred showed you how to sing to my spirit pack?”
She nodded her head. “Mildred said if I sang her favorite song, they would come.”
* * *
The ferry nosed up to the dock, and Dean drove the minivan slowly forward off the boat. Most of the passengers stayed on the ferry, but the happy party from the rear cabin followed us off and a refrigerated panel van led the way.
All around us, the small island town bustled with quiet energy. Less than a dozen shops lay loosely grouped along the main street, selling a variety of touristy stuff. Art galleries, antique and jewelry stores, and gift shops competed for attention. Tourists moved unhurriedly along the one street, occasionally meandering across it to whatever shop interested them.
As a result, we were limited to about five miles an hour and spent more time at a dead stop on the street peering through the windows than moving. Our final destination was another island five miles north, but the ferry didn’t go that far. Mildred had assured us we would find some floating transportation to the island. She’d conned drivers into picking us up and hijacked a minivan—how hard would it be for her to steal a boat?
We passed a large hotel on the edge of town and the delivery truck turned off. We kept driving slowly along the narrow road as it headed into the center of the island. Pretty houses nestled in the trees, mixed in here and there with bed and breakfasts as we headed to the north side of the island. In just a few minutes, the road began to curve back toward the south and we found a secluded spot to pull over and leave the van.
As we’d planned, we walked along the road, stopping often to take in the beautiful view. The vacation houses in the area had boat houses and docks, and we took our time looking for one that was vacant where we could take shelter for the night.
We weren’t the only group strolling aimlessly along the road, and we almost fit in. We weren’t dressed as festively as most of them, but we looked like a happy little family. Dean and Mildred walked in the front, each of them holding one of Jamie’s hands. In the rear Luke and I walked hand in hand, for all the world a normal young couple on holiday. His hand felt warm and firm in mine, and I almost forgot that we were getting ready to take on Gage.
We soon found what we were looking for. It was easy to spot the empty houses—storm shutters were closed over the windows, no activity, no vehicles outside. But many of the empty houses were situated next to a house with people out in the yard. We needed something more secluded, and it only took another fifteen minutes of walking until we stumbled onto it.
An empty house sat at the end of an isolated driveway against the sea, almost invisible in the trees. After a quick walk around the house, we spotted a large boathouse that sat on a dock. Closer inspection revealed the shape of a hull visible through the small windows of the boathouse.
We pried off one of the storm shutters on the back window of the house. Dean picked up a rock and raised it to the window.
“What if there’s an alarm?” I asked, looking around. There was no one in sight. No one to witness our breaking and entering.
“We hear an alarm, we run,” Dean said, smashing a hole in the window and carefully reaching in around the broken glass and unlatching it.
The window swung open, and Luke boosted Jamie through. As she opened the back door for us, I almost worried about the lessons we were teaching her. Was it possible to corrupt a child who’d been created to hold a demon?
The house was spacious and decorated by someone with money. The white leather sofa, the expensive-looking lamps, the silver coffee set sitting on a long mahogany wooden table in the dining room—it all screamed opulence.
I made myself comfortable on the couch. The walk had taken more out of me than I wanted to admit. My energy levels were decreasing daily. How long until I couldn’t force myself back onto my feet?
We would be heading out to Gage’s island tonight. Mildred said it was best if we set out before sunset. I looked over at her as she ran her fingers along the long, smooth wood dining table and muttered to herself. She’d gotten us this far. We had no choice but to trust her to get us the rest of the way.
“Does anyone know how to operate a boat?” I asked.
Dean settled himself in a high back chair on the other side of the room. Luke came and settled down beside me. Jamie was standing in the archway between the kitchen and dining room watching Mildred.
“I’ve driven a boat before,” Dean said. I watched him frown when Luke reached out and took my hand.
I looked over at Mildred. “How long will the boat ride take?”
“Twenty minutes, maybe thirty,” she said, lifting up the silver coffee pot. She held it high and admired her reflection in its polished surface. “Timing will be everything. We want to make it to the island just as it gets dark.”
“It’s a good idea. That will gives us cover as we make our way up to the castle,” Luke said.
“It’s a mad plan,” I whispered. How many followers had Gage recruited since we last saw him? How many mages would we be facing when we hit the castle?
Mildred put the coffee pot down and looked over at me. “We go in under the cover of night. We sneak in, find Wendy, get the dagger and Gage, and then get out before anyone spots us.”
“You really think that will work?” I demanded. “All it takes is one person to see us and cry out, and everyone in the castle will come running.”
“We’ll use these to hide our approach.” Mildred pulled out a blue pouch and held it out in her palm.
Luke exploded off the couch. “Where did you get that?”
Jamie’s face filled with fear, and she scooted behind Mildred.
Mildred raised her free hand, and her voice boomed. “It doesn’t matter. The more important question is: who made it?” The intensity of her voice stopped Luke in his tracks.
“Obviously gypsies made it,” Dean said.
Mildred looked over at him. “Not true, boy.” She lifted the pouch up to her
face. “Every magic has its own vibration. This was not made by gypsies.” She held out the pouch to Luke.
He stepped forward and took it from her hand. There was a look of anguish on his face as he held it. I knew he was reliving those moments in the woods. He had killed three men. His anger had gotten out of control, and he had burned the men alive. He had done it to protect me. When I first met him, he’d told me he only used his magic to protect himself and his family. He might possess dark magic, but he’d always tried to use it for good. That was not true anymore. He had used his magic to kill. Luke had held out his hands, and hellfire had flown from his fingers tips and burned the men until nothing remained of them but ash. There was such sadness in his eyes, such pain. I started to get up to go to him, but Mildred raised her hands and shook her head.
She turned back to Luke. “Well, boy?” she said.
Her words seemed to snap him out of the trance he was in. He lifted the pouch and said, “It’s not gypsy magic, but shaman.”
Dean gasped. My glance swung his way. What was it about Luke’s words that made him respond that way?
Dean’s eyes met mine. “Shaman magic does work on our kind, but it’s hard to come by. It’s not something that’s used very often.”
Mildred took a step forward and said, “It’s an old magic, a magic that is used mostly to work the land and animals. It’s not the best magic to use against a death dealer. Against our banshees.”
Her meaning sunk in. Animals. It was a magic that would work on animal spirits.
Our eyes met, and she nodded. “They weren’t looking for just any mages. They were looking for you, Colina. This pouch is meant to stop your magic.”
Her words shocked me. Those men had been searching for me specifically. That meant word had gotten out about what I’d done. What I could do. And the Redeemers were hunting for me.
“Why do I get the impression I’m being kept in the dark again?” Dean said. “Whose pouch is it?”
I waited for Luke to answer, when he didn’t I said, “The Redeemers we fought in the woods by Mrs. Olsen’s house.”
All I could think about was that the Redeemers were actively looking for me. A cold dread filled my body at the thought.
“I didn’t mean to kill them.” Luke’s voice was void of emotion.
This time I went to Luke. I wrapped my arms around him. All eyes in the room were on us, but no one said a word.
Dean finally broke the silence. “First Darla’s group and now Redeemers. Who’s not looking for us?”
Luke stepped out of my embrace. He gave me a small smile and turned to Dean. “It’s only a problem if they find us.”
Mildred spoke up, “I found you.”
I turned to Mildred. “Wendy told you where to find us. You used a reader to find us. The Redeemers would never use a reader.”
Luke raised the pouch in his hand. “The men all had magic pouches to protect them, and they carried enchanted steel.”
It made no sense. The Redeemers abhorred everything magical. It was their sole purpose to cleanse this world of the mage-born. Why would they suddenly abandon their beliefs?
* * *
The fridge was empty, which wasn’t a surprise. We had broken into an empty house. There were cans and packages of food in the pantry. We feasted on tins of sardines and boxes of fancy crackers. We went through two large jars of stuffed green olives and jar of marinated artichoke hearts.
“I’m sleepy,” Jamie said.
“I think we should all get some rest. It’s a few hours before sundown,” Luke said.
“I’m not tired. I’ll stay up and keep watch,” Dean said, moving from the high-backed chair over to a more comfortable chair with large blue pillows in the corner.
The rest of us ventured down the hallway. There were four bedrooms, each spacious and lavishly decorated.
Mildred stood in the doorway of one of the rooms. “Sweet dreams,” she said, turning and walking inside.
Jamie followed her into the room and closed the door.
I looked into the other three rooms and chose the one with the large four-poster bed. This room was decorated in creams and pinks and looked overly feminine.
Luke laid down on the big bed and motioned for me to join him.
I slid onto the bed.
He opened his arms, and I snuggled close, my head coming to rest on his shoulder. I enjoyed the feel of my body against his.
His hand came up and brushed through my hair. “If we can get into the castle without having to put up a fight, what are we going to do with Gage?”
“Why not just throw him in the dungeon?”
“Not a bad idea. Maybe we’ll find some nice torture devices in the dungeon we can use on him.”
I pushed my body up until I was looking into his eyes. “We can’t kill Gage. We might need his help to cross over the demon.”
“You think I’m a killer now?” I could see the pain in his eyes, hear the anguish in his voice as he said the words.
I reached out and ran my fingers down his cheek. “I know how you feel about him. It’s going to be hard for you to control yourself when you’re around him.”
Anger replaced the anguish. “I can’t promise I won’t kill him,” he said the words through clenched teeth. “But I won’t do anything rash until we know you’re out of danger.”
I gave him a smile. “This could work.” For the first time since we decided to head out to find Gage, I felt a glimmer of hope.
He reached up and grabbed my hand. “It gives us a fighting chance.” He pulled my fingers to his lips and kissed my fingertips, then opened my hand and kissed the center of my palm. “Are you tired?” Something besides anger now laced his voice.
I looked into his eyes. Desire shone back. I felt a wave of heat race through me. I wanted to be close to him. To press my body against his. I wanted to feel his hands glide across my skin.
“I guess we could find another way to pass the time.” My voice was teasing.
He grabbed me and rolled me until I lay below him.
His body hovered over mine. He supported himself on one elbow, and his free hand reached under my shirt. His cold fingers slid across my stomach.
“Your hand is cold,” I said, laughing.
“We’ll have to find a way to warm you up.” His mouth came down and claimed mine. He kissed me. Then kissed me again.
I enjoyed the feel of his tongue against mine. The kiss deepened and, ever so slowly, turned desperate and more urgent. Even my name was wiped away for a moment, lost in that kiss.
Chapter 10
When I woke, Luke was sleeping next to me. I stared up at the ceiling and realized there was no way I could go back to sleep. I’d dreamed of my mother. She’d been calling to me, screaming at me to run. Mama’s voice still echoed through my head, “Run. Run, baby, run!”
I rolled off the bed. Luke looked so peaceful. All the anger, the darkness was gone from his face. A rush of emotions came over me—I loved him so desperately. I didn’t want to lose him again. I didn’t know if I could survive losing him again. I quietly left the room and made my way to the living room.
Dean didn’t say anything as I came into the room and made myself comfortable on the couch opposite him.
“What time is it?” I reached up and brushed my fingers through my hair, feeling self-conscious. My hair was a mess, my clothes were rumpled. Could Dean tell that Luke and I’d been fooling around?
From the disapproving look on his face, I guessed he had.
“We have another hour before we have to wake everyone.” He got up from his chair, crossed the room, and sat down next to me.
He started to reach out his hand, but then he pulled it back. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been alone.”
I knew he was thinking of the cabin. I could see it in his eyes, the way his eyes kept glancing down at my lips.
“Dean…” I stopped, not sure of what to say.
“You think you’re in love with hi
m. But he’s not the same.”
“I know he’s changed.” My voice was defensive.
“Are you sure it’s really even him?”
“It’s him. He’s Luke.”
We looked at each other for a long time.
“I know you have feelings for me,” he said.
“I never meant to hurt you.”
“But it does. Seeing the two of you together... There are times I think maybe if I rush him and he throws his hellfire at me, I’ll turn berserker. And then I’d be a match for him.”
I was shocked by his words.
He gave me a sheepish grin. “I’d never do it. I’d never risk hurting you.”
“I’m sorry.” I reached out and touched his hand.
When I started to pull my hand away, he grabbed it. “You’ll see how different he is. You’ll come to your senses eventually.”
How could I make him understand? “I care for you. I don’t want to lose your friendship.”
His grip tightened. “Don’t say that to me. I love you.”
As he flung those three words at me, I felt as if he’d physically struck me. I looked into those blue eyes. They were pleading with me, asking, begging me to love him. I realized I was a fool to think that Dean would just get over me.
He seemed to take my silence as a hopeful sign. He moved closer. “Tonight we’re going after Gage and his spells. I know it’s dangerous as hell and that none of us might survive. I’m willing to risk my life to try and save you.”
I moved away. “I never asked you to risk your life for me. You can leave. We can go on without you.”
He still had my hand in his. “I won’t leave you. If there is a chance we can find what we need for the antidote, I’m going to be there to help. I see how ill you are. You try to hide it, but I can see how much you’re suffering. How much the poison is affecting you. We’ll get the horn, Mildred will make the antidote, and you’ll be cured. You’ll live.” As he said the words, love shone from his eyes.
I did care for him. I worried what would happen to him, but he wanted something from me I couldn’t give. I loved Luke, not Dean. I pulled my hand out of his grasp and got up.
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