The Watcher (Crossing Realms Book 2)

by Rebecca E. Neely

  CHAPTER 33

  They stood as a unit—Dev, Nick, Curtis, Saxon, and Meda. Nick’s eyes sawed back and forth between Meda and Dev, processing. “You need a direct source of dark energy for it to work.” From his pocket he yanked out the bag of stones that’d traveled from the warehouse and back again.

  “Yes.” The harsh reality of their situation hit Meda hard. “A Betrayer.”

  “Meda.” Dev’s voice pleaded. “No one wants to figure out how to create Similitude more than me. But you fainted earlier today when we tried, and that was just from the impressions from the stone. You could—”

  “Die?” she supplied. “That didn’t stop you this morning, did it?”

  As she expected, that shut him up. Oddly enough, the same reasons she’d fled this morning, after finding Dev in the salvage yard, fueled her need now to see this through. Her belief in fate, and the memory of her father, gave her strength. But Dev Geary himself trumped all. If she ran, the Betrayers won. She’d be damned if she’d let them steal anything more from Dev and the clan.

  Flaws and all, she loved him. Wasn’t that why she’d come back? Along with the fact that she, a human, was able to remember him. It was nothing short of miraculous.

  When she’d removed the Vitality stone—and that had been no easy feat—she’d been fearful. Furious. And heartbroken, with no idea what to expect. At first, she’d braced herself for the memories to disappear. Even willed them to. When they hadn’t, she’d slowly reconciled herself to understanding that Dev was a part of her. And maybe, in their own way, she and Dev possessed a bit of what people like Walt and Phyllis had.

  “I have to try.” She held a hand out to Nick for the stones. “We’re not going to get another chance.” If Dev was leaving for good, then she would do this last thing for all of them, and herself. No matter how much it hurt.

  As before, she had to go with her gut. In spite of his actions this morning, she trusted Dev. Because her path had crossed with his, she felt like she’d been given a second chance at living her life.

  He deserved one too.

  After she’d relived his death, her need to avenge him was overpowering. If the situation had been reversed, would she have gone after Abel, the same way he had?

  “Hold on.” Curtis stepped in. “Right now the network is still giving us a level of protection. If what you do works, the creation of the Similitude could very well take it down the rest of the way. When Nick and Libby were battling Haenus, the initial creation of the Similitude weakened the network, just as the additional Similitude Abel and his cronies created has.” He paused. “Then there’s the matter of the unknown consequences, like Dev pointed out in the Situation room.”

  Nick crossed his arms. “We have no way of knowing if harvesting a Betrayer’s energy will kill them.” He fixed them all with a look. “Are we willing to do that? To live with that? Maybe the consequences aren’t so unknown. Helping, guarding, healing. That’s the code Keepers have lived by for centuries.”

  He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “This is war,” he pointed out, unwavering. “It’s a risk, all of it. And I don’t see that we have any other choice but to take it.”

  “Agreed.” Dev’s somber gaze touched on the others.

  Saxon and Curtis nodded. “Agreed.” The clear conflict in Saxon’s one-word response reflected what Meda knew they all felt.

  “Betrayers are re-purposing the Similitude, same as the woman at the motel,” Dev said. “Judging from Abel’s reaction when I asked him about it at the salvage yard, it’s probably not working the way he intended. I don’t have any details, but that’s why Dreadlocks was sick at the motel. Maybe we weren’t able to feel cobwebs because the Betrayers weren’t here at the warehouse all the time, like they are now. Maybe they weren’t supposed to be here this long. I’m laying odds that whoever is here will be weak. They’ll be easier to overtake. It’s a calculated risk.”

  “Let’s do it.” Nick grabbed his phone. “I’m calling Libby. Zane is with them at the network. The clan knows what to do if it goes down.”

  “Before we do anything else,” Dev inserted quietly. From his pocket, he withdrew a Vitality stone. “Meda. This belongs to you.”

  Gently, he lifted her hair away from her neck.

  He tied the stone in place, his fingers warm and smooth against her skin. What a difference from the way he’d done it in her apartment. As before, energy, potent and alive, spiraled through her, warming and empowering.

  He pinned her with serious, loving eyes. “Please don’t ever take it off again.”

  Only hours ago, Dev had broken a promise to her. But Meda knew here and now was the beginning of a new one.

  In answer, she skimmed a finger over her stone, holding off on allowing the memories to pierce her. If she started thinking, she risked ending up huddled in the corner, babbling.

  Dev was leaving.

  Words were useless. Her actions would speak for her.

  Standing on tiptoe, she laid her palms against his cheeks, watching the flames of desire spark instantly to life in his eyes. And she knew those same sparks must be reflected in hers for him to see.

  “This is purely for protective energy,” she said softly. Pulling him to her, she covered his mouth with hers. Energy, his and hers, heated her system, igniting and clashing, the same as she and Dev always seemed to do. Reveling in the taste and feel of him, she forgave. Loved. And bade him farewell.

  Slowly, she released him. Like a mournful ballad in her soul, the tomorrows they would never share lingered, a single moment of loss.

  Everything she had, everything he’d given her, she’d take into battle. Clearing her throat, Meda held out a hand, palm up. “First things first.”

  Sighing deeply, Dev turned to Nick. “Give her the Vitality stones.”

  Wordlessly, Nick handed over the pouch.

  Emptying her mind of all other thoughts, Meda withdrew the stones, arranging them on the desk. Dev removed the Flint from around his neck and laid it in her hand.

  “How exactly is this going to work?” he asked.

  “Using my ability, I’m going to try to transfer energy from the source stone to the other Vitality stones.” She searched for the right analogy. “It’s like, if you would lay on a hot sidewalk, the energy would move directly to your body, via conduction. A source and a sink. Only instead, I’ll be using my ability as the conduction, to move the stored energy from one stone to the other. This should be much quicker than creating the Flint. It’s not as labor intensive.”

  The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. “I love it when you talk dirty.”

  How she’d miss him, in a thousand ways, including his sense of humor. Her lips twitched. “Shut up and let’s get to work.”

  Together, they prepared the Piezoelectric array as they’d done so many times in the past days. This would serve as the basis for harvesting the Betrayer’s dark energy, if it came to that.

  Inhaling, she closed her eyes and focused solely on the Flint and the Vitality stones. Visualized the energy flowing through her. Moments passed. Images flashed in her mind. Energy routed through her system. All of it she channeled to the Vitality stone. Opening her eyes, she exhaled.

  Another stone glowed a silvery gray.

  Nick whistled. “I’ll be damned.”

  Saxon gaped. “Holy shit. You’re the real deal, Meda Gabriel.”

  Pride rippling through her, she offered Dev a smile. They set up the next Vitality stone, and the next, until she’d transformed them all to Flint.

  Meda’s brow furrowed. “One thing I’m not sure about is if all of the Flint will behave the same. It could be the stone we initially created is the strongest. The power could diminish each time it’s used. It could be like making a copy of a copy, meaning it wouldn’t be as potent. I can’t be sure.
”

  “The only way to know is to use them,” Nick said.

  Gesturing to the stones, Dev reasoned, “But if we can hold them off with the Flint, the Vitality stone might kick in—”

  “And we could gain the advantage,” Nick finished.

  “Exactly.”

  Hurriedly, they helped one another fasten the Flint in place alongside their Vitality stones.

  Nick swept his gaze over the group. “Dev, you and Curtis and I will search the warehouse. Meda, you stay here with Saxon.”

  Meda shook her head vigorously. “Oh no. I’m going with you. I’m the only here who can’t be drained by Similitude. And if I need to, I can defend myself.” She lifted her chin, meeting Dev’s eyes. “I have a few boxing moves, remember?”

  “That you do,” he said, a note of admiration in his voice.

  Visibly resigned, Nick nodded. “All right. If we find any Betrayers, we use the Flint to fight them. And their Similitude.”

  “I’ll fight them with the Flint,” Dev clarified. “At first. And I’ll test one of the new stones. If I need it, we have the original.” He regarded everyone with a sweeping glance. “And all of you.” He inclined his head at Nick. “Okay?”

  Nick bumped fists with him. “If we’re able to capture the Betrayers, hopefully we can use them as bait to smoke out Abel.”

  “And in the meantime, Meda and I will try to create Similitude, using dark energy.” He turned to her. “I won’t leave until you’re done.”

  “No,” Meda retorted vehemently. “You have to. The others will heal me if need be.”

  “I will. Because you’ll be coming with me. I told you I’d protect you. And I’m going to keep doing that, down to the last second I’m here.”

  His tone brooked no argument. And she knew that look. No amount of reason would sway him. She’d been by his side for days. How would she ever get used to waking, sleeping, doing anything, without expecting to see him beside her? Knowing she’d have even perhaps thirty more minutes with him made her miserable heart soar.

  “You’ll stay at the network with Libby and Sean and Charlotte,” Dev told her. “And the rest of the Keepers.”

  “It’s settled, then. Let’s move,” Nick urged.

  Curtis held a hand up. “I’m turning audio on in five. Four. Three. Two. One.” Silently, they filed out of the office.

  As a unit, they crossed the warehouse. The cobwebs pulsed stronger. Meda gulped. Wordlessly, Dev pointed to the stack of wooden pallets in the far corner. As quietly as possible, they moved them aside, revealing a sheet of plywood laid across a roughhewn opening in the concrete.

  Dev and Nick stood on opposite sides of the opening. Nick mouthed a count of three. Curtis, Saxon and Meda flanked Nick, poised to swarm whomever lurked below. On Dev’s signal, Nick knelt, and flung the board aside.

  Meda sucked in a breath. “It’s the Betrayer from the motel.”

  CHAPTER 34

  “Dreadlocks,” Dev confirmed through clenched teeth.

  Her eyes wide, the woman froze on the ladder leading to the opening. Gasping, her hands shaking, she scrabbled down a few rungs.

  Throwing himself on the ground, Dev shot an arm through the opening and locked her shoulder in his grip. “Don’t even think about it. Jordan, is it?”

  She clawed at his hand. “Go to hell,” she snarled.

  In an instant, Nick joined him. Each grabbed one of her arms, and dragged her through the opening, bucking and cursing.

  “Looks like you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Dev told her. For once, it’s not me.

  He glared at the skinny female. So this is Abel’s niece. Pasty and filthy, the woman almost seemed a part of the underground bunker. The harsh fluorescents bounced off her skin, glossy with perspiration. She wore earbuds, their cord plugged into a Smartphone. The Betrayer said nothing, but her eyes spewed hate as her gaze darted from one Keeper to the next.

  The Similitude around her neck flickered black. Then clear.

  But this time Dev had the Flint.

  He channeled its energy, the way he’d done at the salvage yard.

  It held, protecting them all.

  First field test successful. But would it continue to work?

  “You’re done,” Dev promised Jordan. Lunging out at her, he grabbed her around the waist. With Saxon’s help, he bound her wrists with duct tape. Meda anchored the woman’s feet.

  Nick pointed to the underground space. “Going to check it out fast. Don’t need any more surprises.”

  Quickly, Nick descended the ladder that led to the opening, with Curtis close behind.

  Moments later, they ascended. Curtis wiped his brow. “Tunnels. They’re extensive. We need to go through it later. If anyone was with her, they’re gone.”

  “Bastards.” Dreadlocks seethed, struggled in Dev’s grasp, and Nick helped to carry her to the office, holding her firmly.

  Saxon patted her pockets, searching her, then passed the woman’s phone to Dev. “I’d save your energy, honey,” she suggested coldly. “You’re going to need it.”

  Dev’s eyes met Meda’s. Recalling their conversation about enemies a few days ago, he understood the conflict on her face. And hadn’t the clan pondered consequences, just minutes ago?

  Yet she stood strong.

  Dev relieved Dreadlocks of her earbuds. Her phone in hand, he swiped through her call history and showed it to Nick. With a grim smile, he tapped its screen. Waited.

  Then left a brief message. “This is Dev Geary.” He bit off the words. “If you want to see Jordan alive, come to the warehouse. Now.”

  Despite what Jordan had done to Dev that morning, despite her own desire to avenge his death, Meda fought a war on pity.

  In the office, Nick and Dev forced Jordan into a chair, duct taping her arms and legs securely to it.

  Quite a different situation from the motel.

  She’s a sickly young woman.

  And a Betrayer. Our enemy.

  Meda ordered herself to focus. “I can get the Similitude from her, as long as you’re backing me up with Vitality energy,” she told Dev. “But we have to do it together. And fast.”

  She knelt in front of the Betrayer, electrodes in hand. And wild-eyed, the sickly young woman twisted violently in the chair and head butted her. Knocked to the ground, Meda gasped, seeing stars.

  Dev surged forward, his fists raised.

  “No!” Meda yelled, rubbing her head. “I’m fine.”

  She scrambled to her feet and angled behind the Betrayer, gritting her teeth, feeling less sorry for her. “Now,” she commanded Dev. In one swift motion, she joined one of her hands with his. Gripping the Similitude in the other, she yanked, snapping the strap from around Jordan’s neck, and effectively disarming their enemy.

  “No!” The Betrayer shouted.

  Instantly, cold seized Meda and she dropped the stone on the desk, far from the woman’s reach. Fortified by Dev’s potent energy, she also channeled from her own Vitality stone. The burst was brief, nothing like what she’d experienced at the motel. This time they’d been prepared. And they’d worked together.

  “We did it,” she breathed, taking a precious second to meet Dev’s eyes.

  Grim approval shone in them. Snatching the Similitude from the desk, he punched in the code to the safe, tossed it inside, and faced her.

  “Now we use her as the conductor,” Meda said. Could it be that simple? “Like I was.”

  On autopilot, she attached wires to the woman’s arms, ignoring the fear flashing in her eyes. She no longer struggled, but her breath came in pants. “Don’t. Please,” she begged.

  “Quiet,” Dev ordered. “Give me your hand, Meda.”

  He thrust Libby’s Vitality stone into
her outstretched palm, wrapped her fingers around it. “Remember. Haenus had this on him when he died. Libby channeled its power against him, along with her anxiety. To defeat him.” His eyes were bright, confident, and she drew on his strength. “The others are guarding the entrances, the security cameras. They’ll let us know if there’s trouble.”

  “Okay,” Meda breathed, and buried her guilt. I can do this. Refusing to look directly at the Betrayer, she finished attaching electrodes to the woman and herself.

  And they began.

  The Betrayer’s dark energy flowed through Meda. The stone.

  Haenus’ voice, his image, Libby’s fate, stole through her mind, impressions from the past.

  Mongrel bitch. Human. Keeper. Betrayer!

  I’ll beat her bloody, the way I should’ve in the park. Then I’ll kick her lifeless body into the depths of Mount Verdant.

  “Meda!” Dev gripped her arms.

  Her head lolled back. Stars clouded her vision. Sweat drenched her.

  I’m falling! My arms, my legs. My teeth. Broken. Bones wrenching through my bloody, torn flesh. Bright, hot pain. Death. Mine. Rushing toward me. No! No! No! The quarry. Slippery, glistening green. My knee, it hurts, hurts. Bile choking me. Fire burning me. Lightning all around me. Inside me. Have to stop that Klink whore! Finish what I started!

  Meda gnashed her teeth. Clawed her hair.

  Genevieve! My love. My mate. How long we’ve waited . . . no! What’ve they done to you? Your hands. Your flowers. Your beautiful flowers, blood all over the petals . . .

  “Genevieve.” Dimly aware of being embraced, Meda came to in Dev’s arms, screams of the damned echoing in her brain. Shuddering, she fought her way to the surface. Clung to him. Breathed in his scent.

  “Meda, look at me,” Dev ordered.

  She opened her eyes slowly. Focused on him. His scowl.

  “You’re bleeding,” he said tersely, checking her over. “From your ear.”