The Compass

by Cindy Charity

  “You can’t turn back time, Ali. And you’re mixing up your creatures. Vampires require an invitation.”

  She heard the smile in his voice. Her mouth fell open. She was trying to be flippant—guess the joke was on her. Now she had to worry about more demented things out there, waiting for her. “Terrific. Can we just go? I mean, isn’t there some kind of spell you can say that will pop us out of here?”Another tremor hit, the floor vibrated, just before there was a flash of light followed by a blast of ice cold wind. Ali held her arms out for balance, “Finn?”

  The urgency of needing to get her out of there had Finn blurting out what he’d hoped to keep from her for a while longer. “I can’t ‘pop’ us out of here, Ali, not without assistance.”

  Surly she hadn’t heard correctly. “What do you mean?”

  Cursing, he turned to her and reached for her hand. “I mean, that while I’m an immortal and a warrior, I possess no magick.”

  Ali pulled her hand back from his reaching one, his words echoing in her ears. He had no magic? “You came here, searched for me, knowing full well that all you had in your arsenal was a sword and a few immortal gimmicks?” Her voice went up an octave with each word. This had to be a joke. “You’re joking right?” Her stomach fell, he wasn’t joking.

  “Now isn’t the time for explanations lass, we have to go.”

  She deflected his hand when it reached for her again. “He knows, doesn’t he? Lugus knows you have no magick.” She felt sick. She recalled how Lugus had taunted Finn in the alley.

  The next blast caused the floor to buckle and groan. Ali was thrown to the floor, pictures fell, sliding onto the floor and smashing. In an effort to protect herself, she wrapped her arms about her head and curled her body into a ball. Thousands of sharp points dug into her skin, her clothing offering no protection. She heard Finn shout for her, but she could do nothing—her body seemed to be frozen. All around her, she heard things being destroyed in her apartment. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that it would end.

  There was zap of energy, and then Drake was there. “The two of you better get moving. Lugus has brought a party mix. I’ll cover your backs—go”

  Cursing, Finn made his way back to Ali. She moaned and tossed her head as if shaking something off of her. Cupping her shoulders, Finn gave her a gentle shake. “Open your eyes, Ali. We have to go.”

  Her vision was blurry and her ears were muffled, but she nodded and took Finn’s hand, grabbing her bag with the other.

  They went out onto the fire escape. Granted, her apartment wasn’t that far off the ground, but still, they could have taken the stairs inside. With her mind still trying to process Finn’s confession, she made her way down, Finn following close behind. She had a million questions. When they were on solid ground, she noted that they were in an alley—again. Her hand was grabbed up.

  “We have to keep moving.” Finn cupped her face with his free hand. Taking pleasure in the knowledge she was his. There was much they needed to talk about, especially now that he had admitted his inadequacy to her. However, this was not that time. “Things are going to get dicey, when they do, I want you to run.” He interrupted her protests. “I am a warrior of Agrona. My duty is to protect the Fragments—protect you.” The worry and fear Finn saw in her eyes made him want to sooth her. Before he could stop himself, he closed the gap and placed a tender kiss on her lips. The brief touch sent a burning through him. He caught her soft gasp of surprise, felt her lips tremble. He pulled back. “I need to know that you will run.”

  Her lips felt as though they had been branded. The kiss had been as light as butterfly wings, but it had reached down into her soul, evoking emotions she had never experienced before. Her body came alive. It terrified her. Feeling his stare, and not able to form words, she gave him a jerky nod to let him know she understood. She didn't like it, but she knew she wouldn't be much use to him as a fighter.

  The wealth of emotion, the kiss—it all caught her off guard. They had just met. She shouldn’t feel anything for him. Okay, maybe gratitude, he did save her from Lugus, and was now standing between her and the men sent to grab her. But how could she just abandon him? It didn’t matter that he was a warrior, Lugus wasn’t alone. She didn’t know how many others were lurking around; surely Finn couldn’t fight them all at once. She was jarred out of her thoughts when Finn jerked her arm, and pulled her into a run. They didn’t get very far. A bear of a man stood in their path.

  “Going somewhere buddy?”

  Finn didn’t hesitate, dropping Ali’s hand, he called up the wind and sent it toward the man, knocking him backwards, slamming him into the brick wall. It wouldn’t deter him for long, for he had seen the madness in his eyes, the mark of Mikel. Not giving a chance for recovery Finn advanced on him, his intent was to render the mortal unconscious, giving him and Ali a chance to escape.

  The man laughed and spit on the ground. “That all you got—thought you were some bad ass warrior?” With that, the man charged like a bull. Finn met the attack with a solid fist to his midsection. He didn’t want to kill him, tainted with dark magick; the man was helpless to its seduction. However, that didn’t mean he was going to allow him to get to Ali. Wrapping an arm around the man’s neck, Finn exerted pressure. Arms came up, searching for something to grab. Finn avoided them, but couldn’t miss the sharp jab of an elbow. His breath whooshed out. Fine, good old fashioned fisticuffs weren’t going to cut it. Calling for his blade, Finn raised it.

  The man laughed again before producing his own sword. “I got one of those too.” He then gave a signal and two more men emerged from hiding. “And I got back-up.”

  Swearing, Finn rolled his shoulders back. It looks like he was going to have to dispose of them after all. Centering himself, he prepared for battle.

  Remembering Finn’s instructions, Ali began to run. She resisted the temptation to look back. Her legs protested but she dug in, using pure adrenaline as fuel. Scenery blurred as she continued to move, putting more and more distance between her and Finn and his assailants. What if he didn't make it out? She slowed down, it was three against one. She had to go back, she couldn't leave him there. He was outnumbered, and if Lugus showed up, he’d be outmatched. Slowing down, she pivoted and started to make her way back to Finn. Drake appeared before her, two wicked blades gripped in each hand.

  “You were told to run.”

  Her mouth opened and closed a couple of time before the words came. “Finn—”

  “I’ll worry about that, go.” His eyes then looked passed her. “Keep her moving.” Then he turned and ran to where the sound of steel against steel echoed.

  Ali whirled to see Tristan. “How—I thought you guys had left.”

  Giving her a lopsided grin, Tristan took her bag, then her hand. “We’re never far, Ali. Let’s go, we’ll travel my way—hold on.” They didn’t get the chance. A staggered line of bright light slammed into Tristan’s shoulder, sending him back. Ali’s own shoulder was nearly pulled out of its socket from the force. Before her brain could understand what was happening, Tristan was yelling at her. “Run, Ali!”

  Like a fire had been lit under her, she took off, hoping like hell that he would be okay, that they all would be okay. When she hit the sidewalk, she stopped, her chest heaved with every breath. She made a quick assessment of which direction was best. Her mind fired information at her, sifting through it quickly; Ali took off to the right, heading up the street.

  When she came to an intersection, she stopped again, her head whipped around. Oh God, all these people. They had no idea what was happening. Looking at them, she felt a punch of envy for their ignorance. Knowing she couldn’t just stand around, she searched for a place she could hide. There was a club, across the street. She could hear the music pumping, and there were a lot of people, thank God for Manhattan’s nightlife. She could lose herself in the crowd, slip inside, and catch her breath. Yes, a plan. Now all she had to do was get there.

  “Impossible to believe you
have any magick within you.”

  Ice cold dread had her heart plummeting. She turned to see Lugus. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back. And just as he’d been the night before, he was impeccably dressed. She took a step back. He flashed a smile. Panic had her taking another step back. The blasting of a car horn made her jump. A driver yelled out to her, “You crossing here lady—or are you waiting for a particular shade of green?” Careful Ali, she chided herself, or you're going to be road kill. A wild thought almost had her call out to the driver, but that would only place him in danger. Lugus reclaimed her attention.

  “Mortals, a pathetic host for something as strong as the Star.”

  The venom in his voice sliced through her. Then, from somewhere, she didn’t know where, Tristan’s voice came to her, riding along the wind that had stirred.

  “Ali—I’m going to draw Lugus’ attention from you.”

  He was okay. Resisting a sigh of relief—she wasn’t even going to attempt to try and understand how he’d thrown his voice at her, Ali tried to keep Lugus talking. But conversing with a psychotic immortal was proving to be pretty limited. She prayed for Tristan to hurry, “I take it you don't like us—mortals I mean.”

  Tilting his head at her words, Lugus gave the woman a thoughtful look. “You wish to engage in conversation?”

  She tried not to laugh at the incredulous tone of his voice. It looked like immortals were prone to being caught off guard. Good to know. “To be honest, I’d rather not engage at all. I liked my nice, boring, safe, life. And I would really like to have it back.”

  Lugus laughed. “What you want is of no concern of mine.” He raised his arm, “Enough of this.”

  He was going to hit her with something whether she was facing him or not. That was Ali’s reasoning for turning and making a run for it—right into traffic. The squealing of tires, honking of horns and the curses of ticked off drivers gave her the most effective diversion. Behind her she heard a sizzle, but resisted the compulsion to look. She prayed that it meant Tristan had effectively stopped Lugus.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Finn watched as the men took off down the street. Once Drake had joined the fight, they had cut their losses and withdrew. Something wasn’t right. Using mortal puppets had proven useful for Mikel, so seeing that Lugus was using the same method of operation was not that great a surprise. However, these men had been of a lower skill set, telling him that they had been newly recruited. Lugus would have known with a Fragment discovered, all of Agrona’s warriors would protect it. Using such inept fighters didn’t make sense. Only one thing did. Lugus must have something—or someone else lurking close by. “We have to get to Ali—now.”

  Finn, are you okay?

  His heart tripped over hearing her voice in his head.

  Ali—

  Tristan was attacked; now he’s tangling with that Lugus guy.

  He swore, and informed Drake, who left immediately.

  Drake will go to Tristan, I am coming to you. Keep your mind open to mine.

  Standing in the alcove of a shop, Ali rubbed her arms. She had lost her bag, her legs were on fire from the running, and she was exhausted and hungry. Tears pricked her eyes, she fought them back. It would do no good to cry. Finn was okay. The fact settled into her mind and she felt her body sigh in relief. She didn’t even have the energy to wonder about the way she had communicated with him—she was just happy that she had been able to.

  Back at her building, when they had been ambushed, she had wanted to defy him. The thought of leaving him had been abhorrent to her. Nevertheless, she had complied because she had nothing to offer him in the way of help, and that, had made her mad. Where was this power she was supposed to have? She felt a pull, but didn’t have time to wonder about it because she heard Finn shout her name.

  Turning to his voice, she ran to him. Before she could reach him though, the ground before her was hit by a blue light. It scorched the concrete and sent her crashing into the brick wall of the club. She heard Finn shout, his voice was distorted, due to her ears ringing. It was though a bomb had gone off. There was smoke and the smell of garbage burning. She heard shouts coming from the club. Waving her hands in front of her, Ali tried to locate Finn. But like her ears, her sight was a bit scrambled.

  When someone grabbed her, she instinctively fought. Her hearing and sight cleared then, and she saw it was Finn. Relief had her grabbing on to him. Squeezing her eyes shut, she allowed his strength to seep in. The moment didn't last long. Finn took her hand and they were running. “What was that?”

  He didn't look at her when he answered. He was too pissed that he hadn't sensed the new comers. His suspicions of Lugus had been dead on. He did have someone with considerable talents on the sideline. “Lugus brought along more firepower than I realized.”

  Ali felt her stomach plummet. “Terrific, you don't happen to know who this more is, do you?”

  “No, but whoever they are, their specialty is combustion.”

  “Of course it is.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

  Finn plowed them up the sidewalk. Ali ducked her head down as obscenities were hurled at them. The need to apologize to each and every person they bumped into, burned in her throat. The sky rumbled and flashed. There was a vibe in the air that had her skin pimpleling. Finn suddenly changed directions and they were running across the street, weaving in and out of cars waiting for the light to change.

  They were going to die—correction—she, was going to die. She was going to be smeared on the streets of Manhattan. And, because she couldn't help it—’cause, you know, seeing if the light was going to turn green, was way more important than whoever was chasing them, she glanced at the traffic lights. Awesome, the eastbound lights were flipping to yellow. The horns were now sounding like an urban symphony.

  They hit the other side just as the lights turned green. The whoosh of the cars passing them added to the pounding of her heart. Pulling her arm free, she shouted Finn. “Are you crazy?” Given what she had gone through—what she had seen, the question was completely redundant, yet she was way beyond thinking like a rational person. “I don't know how it works for immortals, but when we mortals run into traffic—we get squashed!” Her body heated up.

  “Ali, now is not the time.” He tried to reach for her hand, but she dodged him. “We have to go—now.”

  “Hand over the Fragment.”

  Finn swore, too late, a lone man had caught up them. Finn had seen the man before—he was Nial, another defector. He wasn’t as tall as Finn, but he had a wider build. His hair was the color of snow with a streak of sliver shooting through the strands. His people were the brute forces of an army, rendering barriers into ashes. A sword would do no good against him, and what he did have as an immortal would be laughable. Finn pushed Ali backwards, gaining as much ground as he could, reaching back with a hand, he sought hers and held on tight. Get ready to run

  Not what she wanted to hear. Her body was already refusing the thought of more running. Yet, Ali prepared herself as she heard Finn’s response.

  “Not going to happen. You bring shame to your people by joining forces with Mikel.”

  The other man laughed. “I bring no shame—I chose the side that will be victorious.”

  Nial advanced. Looking up, Finn focused on the tree branches that stretched out over the sidewalk. He pushed, giving all his energy. While felling a tree branch was a paltry effort at a diversion, it was all he had at his disposal.

  Ali felt the energy course through him, felt it waver as he tried to concentrate it on the branches. Then she felt that familiar feeling she got when looking for a new case. Funny, she never thought to use her ‘quirk’ in other situations. Closing her eyes, she sought for a way to help Finn, not that he’d thank her for it.

  The vision came to her clear as day. She needed to join her energy with Finn’s, but how? Pushing for more, she saw their connection, like links in a chain. Concentrating on her connection to Finn, she envisioned a w
ave of light flowing from her to him. At first there was nothing but the image. Then, her body began to heat up. It rose like the red bulb in a thermometer. The force of it was almost too painful, but she held on.

  Finn felt the surge, and his first thought was to close himself off from it—from her. It would drain her, and because Ali had no control yet, she wouldn't know when to let up. It had nothing to do with pride and everything to do with protecting her. But her determination couldn't be swayed. He was awed by her strength.

  The branches clicked together, bending and swaying as if a great storm was passing through them. Lightening stuck with so much force, that it not only sent branches crashing, it also sent Nial, Finn and Ali sprawling to the pavement. Using his body to protect Ali from the flying debris, Finn rolled until she was cushioned by his chest. But they didn't stay that way for long. In one motion, he gained his feet dragging her up with him. “Let’s go before he recovers.” He didn’t give her a chance to take in what had just happened. He didn't slow down. Fear the likes of which he’d never known pushed him on.

  His grip on her hand was crushing he was sure of it, it couldn’t be helped, he was not a man used to fleeing from a fight. As they ran, he felt power pour into him, providing him with enough energy to transport himself and Ali to safety. He prepared to fade them both, felt Ali’s body resist, then he felt it jerk. A laser of light hit her in the shoulder. Her cry echoed, mixing with his bellow of outrage. Finn gathered her up into his arms, there wasn’t time to inspect her injury. He gathered his borrowed power and disappeared with an unconscious Ali.