The Compass

by Cindy Charity

  “Yeah, well, I scared me too.” Gaining her feet, Ali walked slowly to the sofa. “God, I feel like my insides have been through a shredder.” She rubbed her chest to relive the lingering heaviness. “It’s like there something sitting right here.”

  Finn exchanged glance with his comrades, then concentrated on Ali. “Can you tell us what happened?”

  His question was an expected one. However, Ali wasn’t sure if she wanted to go through it again. Yet, she must if she wanted to understand. “I saw a woman in battle. I knew her, but she looked different. Tired, she was so tired, but she had to do something—there was a star. It was so bright and it pulsed as if alive.” As the memory came back to her, Ali felt herself grow light. The men in her apartment fell away as she continued the retelling. “The star was scared, but she had to protect it, so she broke it—there were five pieces. A black, inky shadow came. It covered one piece. It wouldn’t come off. She cast pieces into the darkness. Voices, a few of them, all talking at once, I couldn’t understand. One stronger than the rest tried to get me to follow—it spoke of my destiny. Then she was there again, just as I remembered as a child. I have to find the thing that he has lost, I am the compass.” The memory drifted from her mind. Ali shook her head as if waking from a deep sleep. When she saw the expressions on the men’s faces, dread settled around her heart. “What?” The new guy was the one who answered. And he sounded—Russian? Sure, why not. Nothing else seemed to make sense.

  “The glass showed you the past—your, past.”

  Okay, whoa, that was not what she had expected. She really didn’t know what to expect since all of this was one giant sci-fi movie. “My past—I didn’t see my parents, or myself. The only thing remotely familiar to me was the woman, and up until now, she lived in my childhood imagination.”

  “It was your original beginning.”

  Her mouth fell open. “Just who the hell are you?”

  Her head whipped to the left when Drake provided her with a reply. “We’ve been asking that same thing for centuries. His name is Constantine.”

  “Cen-centuries?” Her eyes scanned the group of five. None looked older than their thirties. “You’re kidding right?” Their expressions didn’t give anything away. “You’re not kidding.” Oh boy, she really jumped into the deep end. Perhaps a double dose of her meds was in order. However something told her that she was way past the capabilities of modern medicine. Maybe she was crazy after all.

  “You are not crazy, Ali.”

  She laughed at Finn’s proclamation. “Tell that to my parents.” Her scepticism began to shift into guarded acceptance. “So, according to you,” she looked at Constantine. “What I saw in the glass was part of me—of what I used to be.” God that sounded so insane. Her gaze shifted to Finn. She tried not to let his intense gaze get to her. “You tried to kidnap me in order to protect me from the creepy guy—Lugus. He wanted to take me to someone named Mikel, who I’m guessing is a major baddy. Agrona, the woman who sent you here, the one who came to me as a child, somehow sent a shattered star from your world—wherever that is—here to earth, and it concerns me. Oh, and there’s magick involved.” She thought back to the vanishing swords and floating cup, and took in a breath. “How am I doing so far?”

  Tristan flashed a smile. “You’ve managed to sum it up beautifully.”

  She felt oddly—proud. “Thanks, I think.” She had fallen down the proverbial rabbit hole. All she could do now was hang on the best she could. Then, something snagged in her head. She looked at Finn. “Fragment, the man last night called me that, and Drake,” her gaze went to the brawler. “Also called me that, but I’m a compass, whatever that means.” She had a pretty good idea, however, she wasn’t about to voice it out loud.

  “Ali.” Finn’s voice reached her. “So much has been thrown at you. For that I am sorry. I wish there was a way for us to do what must be done without placing you, and the other Fragments in danger.”

  Barricading her heart against the appeal in his voice, Ali countered, “You’re asking me to blindly believe something that, in all truth, should be impossible.” She held up a hand to ward off interruption. Though she was teetering towards this situation being legit, part of her demanded that she reserve some doubt. “I have a life to live. That is tangible, that’s being threatened, and not by otherworldly warriors and a broken star, but by a real flesh and bone person. I don’t know if I can help you, or, if I should.”

  “You would leave the others in danger?”

  Ali turned, and gave Constantine a look and shrugged her shoulders. He had separated himself from the others. She got the feeling it was intentional, that he was somehow—different than the rest. A ridiculous thought, because they were all different. Yet, the feeling that this man—Constantine, was holding something back, made her uneasy. “To me, they are faceless, Detective Ballen, is my real problem. I can’t deal with something that started in your world.” Her answered obviously shocked him. It gave her satisfaction. That’s right buddy, this mortal has a spine. However, he wasn’t about to give up the argument.

  “It is difficult to believe that you would leave the others at the mercy of Mikel and his army. Your encounter with Lugus is just a taste of what’s to come.”

  The disdain she heard in his statement had her drawing in a deep breath. Narrowing her eyes at him, Ali set him straight. “You, don't know the first thing about me. I am none of your business. You are the ones,” she scanned the room. “Who have crashed into my life, expecting me to happily go off with you to face an untold number of crazy people.” She was dug in good into her temper. However, it had no affect on the men staring back at her. Although, the brute—Drake, was smirking at her. Finn caught her gaze.

  “Constantine is only speaking our truth lass. We’ve been here—fighting the dark for so long while searching for you. What has started cannot be stopped. There are many at risk.” Despite his intention of not overloading her, Finn gave her more. She had to be made to see the whole picture. “Just as there are realms above earth, there are those that dwell below. All are in danger. You, and the other Fragments, are our only hope to restore the balance.”

  His scent wafted around her—filling her senses. She closed her eyes, hoping to shut it out; she didn’t want to be affected by his reverent speech. She also ignored that annoying tingle that he seemed to cause in her body. Standing, Ali began to pace. She shook out her arms and rolled her shoulders in an effort to release some of the nervous energy that was coursing through her body. Her brain began processing everything in tandem with her gut. She was keenly aware of the tension of the men, and was grateful that no one interrupted her.

  Finn watched her, taking in every expression. If he were to touch her mind, he knew he’d find it a jumble of information. When she suddenly stopped, and spun around, he felt his body tense. Expecting a barrage of questions, her request momentarily stunned him.

  “I’m starving. I can’t think straight.” Ali knew it was a totally random statement, but it was the truth.

  She jumped when Drake clapped his hands accompanied by a declaration. “Hallelujah! Now you’re speaking my language doll.” With a wave of his hand, he conjured up a feast.

  Ali’s mouth fell open. “I—um—well—I thought I’d go fix us—something. But this will do.”

  Drake winked at her. “Dig in babe.”

  While the men had no trouble following Drake’s invitation, Ali sat there—dumbfounded. She was sitting in her apartment, surrounded by five huge men, who just happened to be immortals, breaking bread. Yeah, time to back up the crazy train.

  Discreetly, she pinched the side of her thigh. Yup, she was awake. Suppressing the urge to massage her temples, she glanced around the room. It was all just too much to digest. They were real, what she had seen in the cup, was real—at least, it felt genuine. She eyed the food with suspicion. While it looked appetizing, she couldn’t help but think of Alice in Wonderland. What in the world was she going to do? Immortal warriors, an a
ncient vessel, magick—none of it had a place in her life; one that, up until yesterday morning, had been unfolding beautifully. Her musings were interrupted by Tristan.

  “The life you have envisioned for yourself can no longer be, Ali.”

  Her laugh was wobbly and was followed by a sigh. The others, she’d noticed, had stopped eating and were now looking at her. “Thanks for the confirmation.” She winced. “Sorry, that was a heavy dose of sarcasm.”

  “Understandable.” Tristan then gestured to the food. “It’s perfectly safe, and delicious.” His eyes took on a humorous light. “And I assure you; you will not grow big, or become tiny.”

  Her lips quivered, wanting to smile. Damnit, why did these guys have to be likable on top of everything else? She reached for a particularly scrumptious looking quiche. “I’ll hold you to that.” Taking a bite, her eyes went to Finn. He watched her with an intensity that had the quiche lodging in her throat. Not wanting to make a fool of herself by trying to cough through it, Ali reached for a glass of water. She saw his eyes crinkle as he smiled, and that dimple flashed. Good lord, in spite of what was happening, the man made her want. And it scared the life out of her.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You requested my presence, my lord?”

  Mikel turned, and watched Lugus enter the room. “Rocco and his cronies grow restless. Take them; find Finn O’Shea and the Fragment. By now, her energy will be uncontainable.”

  Lugus inclined his head, hiding his resentment of being summoned like a common lackey, and turned to leave. However, Mikel wasn’t finished.

  “One more thing, Lugus,” Mikel waited until his commander met his eyes. “Send me Vega.” There was a flash of disgust. It amused him, the depth of Lugus’ distain for the demon. Nevertheless, he would obey.

  “Yes, my Lord.” He shimmered into dust, and then was gone.

  Mikel only had to wait a few minutes before Vega floated into view. She made quite the vision in her signature black outfit. It made her pale skin, and silver hair, stand out like a halo of light. He knew she used her looks to her full advantage and found it entertaining to watch mortals trip over themselves to please her. “My, my—he really dislikes me, doesn’t he? All I did was give him a little reminder of how important it was to succeed this time.” She made herself comfortable in a chair. Not bothered in the least that Lugus found her distasteful.

  Mikel laughed. “That is what the mortals would call an understatement. However, Lugus does have a legitimate concern. Demons are not known for their stable personalities. Fortunately for me, I am capable of harnessing some of your more destructive—urges.”

  Vega curled her lip, but held her tongue. Today, Mikel portrayed the persona of a caring benefactor, but she knew what lay beneath the shell. He thought he hid his true form well. She had seen what the great dark lord had become; yet she knew that he was gaining strength daily. She also knew that he had secrets. Well, he wasn’t the only one. Giving him a saucy grin, she waved off his words. “Lugus worries over nothing. You granted me my freedom—my loyalty is to you.”

  Mikel peered at the demon with interest. Her words, laden with honey, were ones that must have taken a great amount of practice to utter. He knew very well that Vega fought against his binding spell. It amused him. He knew exactly what to dangle in front of her to keep her distracted. Diluting her unique talents didn’t hurt either. At full power, she could bring entire cities to their knees.

  With very few defences against her, Vega was indeed a formidable weapon. And she was his to command in every way. “Ah yes, loyalty. It can be a fickle thing, can it not?” He really didn’t expect an answer. He just wanted to reiterate that he did, in fact, own her, and knew that she thought dangerous thoughts. “The first Fragment has been awoken. Agrona’s spell has reached maturity. My little addition allowed Lugus to locate it. However, his attempts at recovery were thwarted by Finn O’Shea.” The mention of the warrior gained Mikel the reaction he desired. Hearing Vega’s curses was like music. “I’m confident that your memories of Agrona’s warriors are vivid.”

  Vega shot out of her chair. Her energy stirred the room, causing the air to crackle. “Oh, my memory is well intact. It is because of them—of one in particular, that I was rotting away, bound in exile.”

  “Indeed. And now, you’re bound to me.” Colorless eyes met his. In them Mikel saw the same thing he saw in Lugus: hunger for vengeance. “You and Lugus will have your chance to extract your revenge on the warriors.”

  The silver strands of Vega’s hair flew out about her as she gathered her energy, “When?”

  Mikel absorbed the excess power that Vega’s ire sent out. It tasted wonderful. A chaotic demon provided so many services. What the donors provided for him, was nothing compared to the pure evil that radiated from the demon. Instead of answering her, Mikel put forth his own question. “Tell me, does the pleasure of tormenting these women who hold within them powers so great, that by our laws, they should be destroyed by it, tempt you? It tempts me. My former student thought she could win by hiding them from me. To see how these mortals deal with what they are should be excellent entertainment. The warriors will be so busy trying to contain the gowning strength of each Fragment, that their duty to Agrona will be tested.” Their divided focus would also allow him to continue regenerating. But Mikel kept that thought to himself.

  He painted a very vivid picture—and being a demon of chaos, the potential for mass despair whetted her appetite. Vega reined in her energy, closing it down until it was just a heated hum. She retook her seat and smiled slyly. “You do know how to entice me, dark one.”

  Mikel studied her. Not many could contain such an unstable being such as a chaos demon. While there had been many he could have chosen, none were the caliber of Vega. A timid knock at the door halted any further discussion. At his command to enter, a small man nervously crossed the threshold. Mikel heard Vega’s hiss of disgust but ignored her. Crooking a finger, he beckoned the man closer. “James. I trust everything is ready, and satisfactory to you?”

  The man jumped, but answered. “It is. The new location is perfect. The changes made will make detection difficult.”

  “Excellent. That is all.”

  The man bowed low and backed out of the room.

  “Why must we be subjected to these men? Filthy mortals.”

  Mikel chuckled at Vega’s venomous scorn. “James, and his son Paul, have proven their worth to me. They are necessary—for now.” He knew the demon had tried to gain information about what the father and son did, and he found her curiosity delightful.

  “I don’t see why. We’re more than capable of finding these women, and dealing with Agrona’s warriors. Your army, while littered with mortals, gives us the upper hand, even though they’re little more than parasites.”

  As much as he enjoyed her indignation, Mikel needed Vega to remember her place. “Impatience was what landed you in exile, is it not?” The question was a reprimand wrapped in velvet. He watched as she swallowed the bitter retort. Knowing that he had her, Mikel asked another question. “You enjoy your freedom, don’t you, Vega?”

  The sincerity of his question didn't fool her. Vega rose. Strolling across to gaze out of the window, she carefully pondered over her answer before she gave it. Mikel had made it very clear that her life, as well as her powers, were in his hands—subject to his impulses.

  Because of the spell he had cast, she was at his mercy. A hard and bitter spill to swallow, but she only had to be patient for a little while longer. Was she enjoying her freedom? Oh, very much so. Like Mikel, she found earth to be full of—potential, filthy mortals and all. She may be at his mercy, but she was discovering that there were other avenues that can be taken. She tossed Mikel a devious smile over her shoulder. “Though they are beneath us, mortals are proving to be helpful in many areas.”

  Mikel hummed his agreement. Oh, if only you knew demon, if only you knew. “Just see that your enjoyment doesn't interfere with what must be done.�
�

  Her eyes shone with chaotic glee. “Of course not—master of the dark, I wouldn't dream of it.”

  *****

  Ali sat on her sofa and fidgeted. She never fidgeted. She twisted her fingers, plucked at invisible fluff. Someone had better say something before she started playing with her hair. Although, she sensed that they were waiting for her to say something. Hysterical laughter bubbled up in her throat, making it itch. She rubbed a hand up and down her neck to try to get rid of the urge before it escaped.

  She marveled—again, how crazy this all was, and the kicker—her reaction to Finn. The way her body responded, how her breath hitched, how her skin tingled—if it were a normal guy, she would have to think that those reactions were good, just a healthy case of attraction.

  But Finn was not a normal guy. He was some warrior from another world, here to protect her and help find others like her. Being attracted to him can’t be good, could it? Tristan cleared his throat. Ali’s eyes jumped to his and she felt her cheeks grow warm. Damnit. Had he heard her thoughts? His smile suggested that he had. Great, she didn't even have her thoughts to herself.

  She saw Finn glare at Tristan and figured he had heard her thoughts as well. She suppressed a moan. It was going to get damn crowed in her head. When Finn looked at her, she felt her body grow warm and her heart fluttered. If he could read her thoughts, could she read his? The very idea of that had her squirming. When Finn cleared his throat—loudly, she jumped. She frowned at him. There was devilment in his eyes, but he didn’t voice it. Instead, he stuck to the business at hand. She had a feeling though, that a conversation about this would come up later.