by Vella Day
So now the true Devon McKinnon appeared. “Yeah, well that’s who I am. I’m just bad to the bone.” Something sharp pressed on her heart, but she pushed aside the anxiety.
“Then I suggest you go home and never come back. Leave me and my Clan alone. Understood?”
“Loud and clear.” Vinea had to get out of there, and it wasn’t because Devon told her to go. Something was happening to her body that she couldn’t let him see. She just hoped like hell that her inability to disappear when Devon had held her underwater had been due to the fact she was submerged, and not because her powers were finally gone. Vinea twisted away and strode off. A second later, she was back inside her car.
Phew. That was close.
Vinea leaned back against the seat, confused for the first time in her life. When Devon had held her down against that stone, she’d felt things she hadn’t experienced since she was a goddess of the light. She slammed her hand against the wheel. No way would she let that quartz affect her permanently.
Then inspiration struck. There was only one thing to do to counter anything that stupid stone might have accomplished. She needed to kill Zanedar. That would put her back in the good graces of Androf and restore her powers.
Chapter Twenty-Two
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Missy was sorting the cash at the register when Teagan walked out from the back room of the spa with Mrs. Andrews. Seeing how her face glowed, Teagan must have given her a facial.
“I’ll see you next week,” her cousin said.
“You bet.” The older lady dug her hand in her purse and slipped Teagan some cash. “Thank you.”
As soon as the door closed, Teagan bounced up to the counter. “I’m heading over to the Silver Lake Café. Do you want me to pick you up something for lunch?”
She knew what Teagan was doing—protecting her. Since someone needed to man the store, she had no problem letting her bring something back. “Sure. That would be great.” She gave Teagan her order and then stepped into the break room where her mother was pouring some coffee.
“How’s it going?” her mom asked.
She wasn’t sure what she was referring to. Given they hadn’t had a chance to chat yet this morning, Missy figured she was asking about Zane. “Okay. We’re on a wait and see time frame. So far the demon hasn’t made his move.”
“That has to be scary.”
“It is more than scary. I’m sick to my stomach all the time. I know I’ve only known Zane for a short while, but I love him.” Her mother had just opened her mouth to respond when Missy’s cell rang. She held up a finger. “Let me take this and then I’ll tell you how we plan to handle the demon.” She held the cell up to her ear. “Hello?”
“Missy, it’s Izzy.”
“Izzy?” She could barely hear her sister. “What’s wrong?” Mom leaned forward and her shoulders tensed.
“I’m sick. Really sick. I think I have the flu. It must be going around.”
A ton of questions shot to mind, but it would be better to go see Izzy, especially since a well-placed hand could help. “I’ll be right over.” She glanced up at her mom. “Izzy’s sick.”
“Go. I’ll hold down the fort.”
“No! Don’t come.” Izzy’s voice grew stronger.
That made no sense. “Why?”
“I need that broth you made for Anna. Can you still get those mushrooms?”
The ginger and mushroom broth had helped her friend. Driving over to Izzy’s would take time, and the cave was at least twenty minutes away. “Okay, but by the time I drive there, find the mushrooms and get to your house, it could be an hour.” Hopefully, Izzy would be okay until then.
“I’ll rest, I promise.”
“Do you want me to call your midwife?” The baby could be in distress, causing Izzy’s flu-like symptoms.
“No. I’ve called Rye. He’ll be here soon.”
Rye would get help if he thought her situation was dire. “Okay, but drink lots of fluids and rest.”
“I will. And thank you.”
Missy disconnected. Her Mom stood next to her. “You heard everything?” Missy asked.
“Yes. You need to go.” Her mother looked ten years older. “As soon as Teagan returns, I’ll check on Izzy. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“Good. Let me get my bag. There are crystals in there that should help.”
Once she retrieved the bag and handed it to her mom, Missy rushed out to the front of the store and left. Her hands shook so hard, it took her a few tries to unlock her car door. Her mind was trying to understand how Izzy could appear so healthy one minute and be so sick the next, especially when she was never ill. She was a strong witch. The only thing Missy could think of was that the baby must be in trouble.
Crap. Missy should have asked why she didn’t shift, but perhaps Izzy worried it would hurt the unborn child. Others shifted late in their pregnancy without any problems, but she might not want to take any chances—or else she wasn’t telling her something. Missy’s stomach churned at that thought.
Once she opened her car door, she jumped in and then locked it. “Zane, I have to run to the caves to get some mushrooms. Izzy is sick,” she telepathed as she started the engine.
“I can come with you if you want.” While he sounded calm, she sensed his internal radar was going crazy.
He’d be safer at the station. “I’m good. I won’t be long. I’ll let you know when I get back.”
“Be careful.” The hesitation in his voice confirmed he was seriously debating racing after her, but he really needed to stay put.
“I will.”
No sooner had she pulled out onto the road than Zane’s words popped in her head about the demon trying to get to him through her. Given it was possible, she wouldn’t step foot out of her car if anything looked suspicious. She would have to find something else to help her sister.
Missy kept a keen eye on the traffic. Once she left the main part of the town, not a single car was behind her. By the time she arrived at the path leading to the caves, her nerves had calmed down considerably. Thankfully, the base of the path was empty. At least the demon wasn’t waiting there to kidnap her.
After scanning the area to make sure no one was skulking about, Missy slipped out of her car, locked the door, and rushed up the path. Between Izzy’s illness and that damned demon, her stomach was in knots, and her heart was beating way faster than it should. She inhaled to help her focus, but it didn’t do much good.
Throughout her short hike, the only sounds came from the wind and the animals scurrying about. By the time she reached her destination, Missy was ready to find those mushrooms and return to her sister’s house pronto.
Because time was of the essence, she didn’t spend time searching for any fungi that existed outside of the cave. Instead, she headed straight inside. Missy clearly remembered where she had found them the last time, so it shouldn’t take her long.
As she traveled deeper into the cave, it wasn’t surprising that the image of Zane popped into her head. After all, this was where it had begun for them.
She quickly found a patch of the mushrooms and had picked almost a dozen when a noise outside startled her. Thoughts of the demon coming sent her heart into overdrive. Voices sounded, and she relaxed a little. It was probably hikers wanting to explore the caves.
She snipped a few more and quickly returned to the entrance, ready to let someone else have some privacy. Sunlight streamed in, and as she reached out her hand to block the rays from blinding her, yellow sparks skittered across the opening. She’d never seen that phenomenon before.
Needing to leave now, she stepped into the opening. Before she could lift her leg again, what felt like a bolt of electricity shot through her, tossing her backward with such force that she landed on her butt. When her head banged against the ground, the mushrooms went tumbling. Oh, no.
Dazed and in pain, Missy lay there, stunned and disoriented. She couldn’t fathom what had happened. Her bones ac
hed, and her head pounded.
Had it been the demon?
“Well, well. Sorry I had to put a force field in front of the cave, but I couldn’t chance you breaking out and interfering.” The sun backlit her captor, blinding Missy. All she could tell was the voice belonged to a woman.
“Who are you?” Her voice cracked.
“I didn’t mean for you to be hurt. Don’t you remember me? I’m Vanessa, the woman who sat next to you at the regatta.”
Missy shifted to the side, and Vanessa’s face became clearer. The woman Missy gave a sandwich to had blonde hair; this woman was auburn.
The woman moved closer, providing Missy with a better angle. She was the same height, but because Missy’s vision was still blurry, she couldn’t make out her features very well. “I can’t really see you.”
“That’s okay. You don’t need to. By the way, my real name is Vinea. Perhaps now you remember me?”
Vinea? That name sounded so familiar. When the pounding in her head subsided a bit, realization slammed into her, and her throat nearly closed up. “You’re the woman who tried to steal my cousin’s powers.”
“Give the lady a prize.”
Missy rose to her feet and swayed. She stopped moving until she regained her balance. This woman wouldn’t get away with this.
“Missy, are you hurt?” Zane’s voice nearly cracked, but his message came in loud and clear.
“I’m okay, but some woman who says her name is Vinea has me trapped in the cave with some sort of spell.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Her fists clenched. “No. It has to be a trap.” She didn’t see any demon, but why else would this woman try to keep her captive?
“What do you want?” she asked Vinea, trying to sound as strong as possible.
“I’m just buying time.”
Buying time probably meant she was waiting for Raymolt. It didn’t surprise her that this goddess of the dark would hook up with him. Being from two different realms must not matter. “Don’t come,” she warned Zane.
“You are my mate. Hold on. I’m on my way.”
“No!” Damn, she hadn’t meant for that to escape. “Don’t come, Zane. The demon will be here.”
Only he didn’t answer her.
“My, my,” Vinea said, pacing in front of the cave entrance. “Don’t tell me you’ve mated with Zane already? The expression on your face says it all. You’re in love. How sweet.”
Missy stood taller, hating this woman. “Yes, and he’ll be here soon to take care of you.”
The goddess laughed. “How can a shifter harm me? I have infinite power.”
Her chest caved from the pain. “Zane, it’s a trap. She wants you to come.”
While Missy could feel the waves of anxiety seep deep into her soul, he wasn’t answering. Didn’t he sense she was in extreme emotional pain? Missy returned her focus to this woman and painted on her most confident face. “Don’t underestimate him. He’s from a different realm.”
Vinea laughed again. “What makes you think Cargonia is any different from here? A shifter is a shifter. I know for a fact that he doesn’t possess any magical talents like many of your shifters here do. Even though you’ve mated, I don’t think his ability to heal will help him win a fight.” She cackled.
Defending Zane might cause more harm, but she couldn’t help it. “Don’t be so sure.”
“Just sit back down and wait. Then you’ll get to watch him die.”
Her heart nearly stopped. If Missy recalled correctly, Vinea had tried and failed to take Sam’s powers, so she wasn’t all that powerful. Zane should be able to stop her—unless the demon showed up.
Missy paced the cave. She’d been in there enough times to know there was no other exit. Damn. There had to be something she could do. As soon as Vinea disappeared from view, Missy edged closer to the entryway. Not wanting to touch the electric field, she tossed a rock at the entrance. Sparks shot everywhere, and the rock bounced back off the air. That wasn’t good.
Vinea couldn’t have known she’d be coming up here to collect the fungi, so how had she had time to set up this force field? Missy checked the entrance for wires or perhaps a battery. If she understood how the force field was created, she might be able to shut it off—or not. Crap! Where was MacGyver when she needed him?
Vinea reappeared again. “By the way, you don’t need to worry about your sick sister. She’s okay. I was the one who called you and pretended I was her.”
Missy froze. “That’s not possible.”
Vinea smiled then tilted her head, a pout forming on her lips. “Missy, it’s Izzy. I’m sick, really sick.”
Oh my goddess. She sounded exactly like her. Anger ripped through her at being duped. The only positive was that Izzy wasn’t ill. That meant when her mom arrived at Izzy’s house and found out she hadn’t called, she would send help.
Most likely she’d contact Rye, but even if he rounded up ten men, some of them would be killed if they came to rescue her, and Missy didn’t want that.
From the horror of it all, her legs gave way, and she dropped to the hard ground, tears streaming down her cheeks. Why was this mad woman doing this? “What do you want from Zane? He never did anything to you,” she choked out.
“He’s from Cargonia, and that’s all that matters. We can’t have knowledge leaked of its existence. The last thing we need is for their gods to interfere in our realm. No telling what dire events will occur.”
That made no sense, but Missy didn’t think anything she said would help. Acid accumulated in her stomach while she waited for the demon to appear, causing her body to weaken.
As if she’d conjured him up, heavy footsteps sounded outside, and adrenaline slammed through her. A large man appeared at the cave’s entrance. Had he been here the whole time? Was he the one Vinea had been speaking with before?
“What’s keeping him?” he asked Vinea.
“He’ll be here,” she said with such arrogance Missy wanted to smack her.
The man peered in at her and then faced Vinea. “Is that Zanedar’s mate?”
Missy’s heart almost stopped. This must be Raymolt. Only he would call Zane by his full name. She contemplated moving deeper into the cave to hide from view, but he’d find her eventually. There was no way out.
The only positive was that when Zane showed up—and he would—she could see him one more time.
Missy rose to her feet. “Yes, I am. Are you Raymolt?”
The demon stilled. “I see you’ve heard of me.”
That she had. “What do you want?”
“I want to finish something that happened a hundred years ago.”
Chills raced up her spine as she lifted her chin. A man like this demon would detest weakness. “I wish you luck, because you’ll need it.”
The beefy man with the short brown hair laughed then glanced over at Vinea. “She’s cute. I will have fun with her once I kill her mate.” Raymolt spit on the dirt. He then stilled. “He’s coming.”
Her heart dropped to her stomach. Missy couldn’t breathe. She was so focused on warning Zane that she rushed to the entrance, forgetting about the electric current. When her hand hit the barrier, the current burned her palm, and the jolt once more threw her backward.
Vinea shook her head. “Why do you keep doing that? Won’t you ever learn?”
“Run Zane, run!”
“I can’t. I won’t. This needs to end.”
Zane must not have seen Raymolt step out of view behind a few bushes, because her mate rushed toward Vinea who was standing guard in front of the entrance.
She blocked his path. “Well, well, we meet again,” she said. “Don’t try to get in the cave to save your mate. I’ve erected a force field.”
“Step aside,” Zane commanded. Even in the face of death, he wouldn’t stand down, and her love for him grew.
Missy pushed herself up onto her feet. All of a sudden, Raymolt charged up the path, and her throat tightened. “Zane! Raym
olt is right behind—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Raymolt smashed a large bolder on top of Zane’s head. Pain raced through her, almost as if he’d hit her. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. “No!” she silently wailed. “Get up Zane.”
As if he needed to hear her in his head, Zane rose to his knees. Blood dripped down the side of his face, and Missy cried out. Raymolt watched and smiled, clearly waiting for Zane to make his move.
He stood and faced Raymolt. “I see it’s time to settle old scores,” Zane said with acid lacing his tone.
“Settle a score indeed. You deserve to die.”
Raymolt’s features contorted as he once more lifted the rock. Zane ducked his head and charged, knocking the demon to the ground. Missy wanted to cheer, but drawing attention to herself might distract her mate.
Raymolt brought the rock down on Zane’s back and her mate grunted. She closed her eyes, willing him to be all right. “Please, Zane.”
Raymolt lifted the rock again, but before he could make contact, Zane rolled to the side and jumped up. A few seconds later, he shifted into his bear form. At least now he towered over the demon.
Raymolt laughed. He dropped the boulder at his feet and held out his palm. As if she were watching her sister perform her feats of magic, flames shot out of Raymolt’s hand, setting Zane’s flank on fire. Her mate dropped and rolled, extinguishing the flame, but clearly Raymolt intended Zane’s death to be prolonged and painful.
“Ready to die yet, bear?”
Raymolt used both palms this time to light Zane’s face. He screeched as the stench of burnt flesh filled the air. Putting out the fire with his paws, he dropped down onto all fours, his back sagging.
Raymolt laughed. “I can do this all day long.”
Zane growled then moved out of her view, forcing her to step closer to the electric field. Raymolt ran behind Zane’s bear, lifted his arms around his neck, and held on tight. Sparks shooting out from Raymolt’s arms encircled Zane.
“Zane, you can’t die. You can’t.”
Zane grabbed his attacker’s arms, and while it seemed as if he’d dug his claws into the demon, Raymolt didn’t cry out. He just kept squeezing until Zane’s bear collapsed. Raymolt pulled out a large ancient looking knife with some sort of serrated edge. Was this how Zane would die? With a slash to his throat?