by Karen Kelley
She tried rocking her body to a standing position, but she had no strength. Now what was she going to do?
Excoria strolled back into the room. “Good news!”
“You’re going to let me go?”
She frowned. “No, your father has the money. I told him where to take it. I said that as soon as I had it, I’d call and tell him where you are.”
Hope rose inside her. “You’re going to let me go after all?”
Excoria shook her head. “No, I just told him that.”
“And that’s your good news?”
“Well, yeah.” Confusion wrinkled her brow.
God, could she be that stupid? “You can’t just kill me!”
“Yes, I can.” She held up the small gun. “I’ll just load up the gun with enough of the drug to kill you. It won’t hurt. I’m not that cruel. Just think of it like this, you’ll be going to sleep … forever.”
She went to a black box that was sitting beside the sofa and began going through the pellets.
“Please don’t kill me,” Darcy begged. She hated begging, but it was her last hope.
“You know what I look like. You’d tell everyone. I’ve watched enough of your television and that’s what they do. The victim tells the captor she won’t say anything, but the minute the captor lets her go, bam, she runs to anyone who will listen. Then the poor captor is locked away when all the kidnapper was trying to do was make a decent living.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?” Darcy said, staring at her.
“No, I’m not. I saw it on television.” She stood and raised the gun, pointing it at Darcy.
“Yes, but did you see the CSI episode where they capture the kidnapper?”
“CSI?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s the show to watch. You’ve got to be careful of the evidence you leave behind. Pfftt, they could have you in custody within a few minutes after getting the ransom money. You wouldn’t want that to happen.”
Excoria glared at her.
“You’ll tell me everything you know about this evidence,” Excoria said.
“Or what? You’ll kill me?”
“I can remove the sleep agent and exchange it for something that will make you scream in pain for hours before you finally die.”
“You can do that?”
“I can do many things.”
“I’ll tell you everything I know,” Darcy said and wondered how many investigative procedures she could come up with before Excoria felt she knew enough, and then killed her anyway. It didn’t matter. Darcy would suck up every last second she could get.
Ten minutes later, Darcy knew she was quickly running out of time. Excoria’s eyes were glazing over. Hell, Darcy’s brain was glazing over.
“You’ll need to get some booties to wear on your feet,” Darcy said. Yes, she was inventing stuff now. “That way they won’t be able to trace the tread of your shoes. And a surgical mask.”
“Why would I need a mask?”
Mask? Why would she need a mask? Think! She drew in a deep breath. “So they won’t pick up your scent.” Okay, that was really lame.
Excoria nodded. “You’re right.”
“I am?” She cleared her throat. “I mean, of course, I am. I told you I could get you through this.”
“I have plenty of information.” Excoria looked sad. “Now I must say good-bye.”
She looked sad? Ha, she wasn’t the one about to sleep forever.
“You don’t have to kill me. Just leave me tied up. At least give me that much. We’re practically friends now. I swear I won’t tell a soul.”
Excoria shook her head and Darcy knew this was it. Her mother and father might never know what had happened to her.
“I’m truly sorry.”
“At least let my parents know I’m”—she cleared her throat—“dead. Give me that at least.”
Excoria nodded, tears filling her eyes. “I will send them a letter.”
Darcy sighed with relief, then closed her eyes and braced herself.
Something crashed through the window in the other room.
Darcy’s eyes flew open. “I’m saved!”
Excoria jumped and screamed. The gun went off, the pellet thudding into Darcy’s chest.
Well, hell!
She glanced down at her chest. “Great, someone crashes through the window to save me and it’s too damned late.” She blinked, wondering if it was the drug that was making her see a wolf. It was crouched in attack mode, teeth bared, hair standing up on its back.
Darcy’s gaze transferred to Excoria. She looked scared shitless, which served Excoria right for killing her. She sniffed. Now no one would ever know what had happened to her. The wolf could dine on them for a solid week. Her bones would be buried all over the neighbors’ estate.
Eww.
“No, don’t hurt me,” Excoria screamed.
A hawk suddenly flew into the room, circled, then landed on the coffee table. Next came a jaguar, then a unicorn.
Wow, she was really tripping. If this was what drugs were all about, she wanted no part of them. Although the unicorn was pretty. Still, she’d much rather live in the real world. Except that would never happen.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye as a heavy fog rolled across the room. This must be the end. Everything was getting foggy. Good-bye, Mom and Dad. Good-bye, Surlock. Oh, God, they could’ve been so good together.
The fog began to clear.
Maybe this wasn’t the end just yet. She blinked, but her eyes were still filled with tears so it was hard to tell what exactly she was looking at.
Had she died and gone to heaven? There were three naked men and a naked woman in the room and the animals were gone. She blinked again.
One of the men was Surlock. What a nice fantasy to have before she checked out. Damn, she was so sleepy, she couldn’t … she couldn’t …
She closed her eyes on a sigh.
CHAPTER 30
Surlock rushed over to Darcy and began untying the ropes that bound her wrists. He glanced at the woman who was cringing on the sofa, immediately recognizing her. She’d thrown herself at him more than once on New Symtaria, but he’d rejected her advances, knowing that she only wanted his wealth.
“Darcy, I’m here. Can you hear me?”
Nothing. Darcy didn’t move.
“I should kill you for this, Excoria,” he said.
“You can’t. It’s against Symtarian law.” Her voice trembled.
“Maybe I’ll get my father to change the law. He is, after all, the king.”
Excoria whimpered
“What did you shoot her with?” Rogar asked.
“Perepsicol mostly,” she whispered. “But I added the sleeper so she wouldn’t have pain. I’m not so cruel that I would want her to suffer,” she whined.
Karinthia had grabbed one of the sheets that covered a piece of furniture and was tucking the end between her breasts, but when she heard Excoria’s words, she drew in a sharp breath. “The drug of death. Do you have the antidote?” She didn’t wait for Excoria to answer, but rushed to the box on the floor and began searching inside.
“The green capsule, but it may be too late,” Excoria whispered.
Surlock hurled himself toward Excoria and wrapped his fingers around her throat. “By the gods, I’ll kill you for this,” he growled. He wanted her dead, no matter the outcome, no matter the consequences.
Rogar grabbed his hands, but couldn’t break his hold. Surlock watched Excoria’s eyes begin to bug out and felt intense satisfaction.
“Kristor, I can’t break his hold,” Rogar said.
“Leave me!” Surlock told his brothers, but they didn’t listen and pulled him off Excoria.
Excoria grabbed her throat, coughing, then curled into a ball and began to cry hysterically.
“Our laws will take care of her,” Rogar told him. “Would you end Excoria’s suffering now? Or let it carry out through the rest of her life?”
At his w
ords, Excoria began to cry louder.
“You’re right,” Surlock agreed.
“I have the antidote.” Karinthia loaded the capsule, aimed, and shot Darcy.
Darcy’s body barely flinched when the pellet entered. Surlock knew they might be too late. He couldn’t lose her, not after just finding her again.
“I have to cast a circle,” Karinthia told him, placing her hand on his arm.
“Can you do it alone?” Surlock asked.
Her expression was grave. “I don’t know, but I will try.”
“What can we do?” Kristor asked.
Karinthia scanned the room. “Take her to the long table.” She pointed to the other room. “Lay her on it.” She turned to the eldest of the siblings. “Rogar, you help Surlock. Kristor, bind the rogue.”
“With pleasure.” He walked toward Excoria.
Excoria tried to shrink into the sofa.
Kristor might not be the oldest, but he was the largest. He controlled the security on New Symtaria. No one dared invade their planet. He did not take kindly to someone in his family being threatened.
Surlock lifted Darcy’s limp body and carried her to the table while Rogar cleared the surface with one sweep of his hand. Darcy reminded Surlock of a broken doll. Only traces of the makeup she’d worn to the party streaked her face, and her dress was torn and tattered so that it barely covered her.
After he laid her gently down, he took her hand and raised it to his lips. Her skin was cold, lifeless. “Darcy, you can’t leave me,” he said. He knelt beside the table and began to pray.
Karinthia hurried from the room. When he heard her return a few minutes later, he looked up and saw his brothers had also knelt beside the table to pray with him.
They stood up as their sister placed on the table a wineglass, a knife and five small stones she must have found outside.
Rogar and Kristor had both donned sheets, knotting them at the waist. Rogar caught Surlock’s frown and smiled.
“We remember how our soul mates reacted to our nakedness. We don’t want to frighten your soul mate when she comes back to you.”
“Will she come back to me?” Surlock asked and all the pain he felt came through his words.
Rogar gripped his shoulder. “Our sister is powerful. If anyone can bring Darcy back, it will be she.”
“It is time,” Karinthia said.
Surlock brushed his lips across Darcy’s, then the three brothers stepped away from the table, moving out of the circle his sister would cast. For as long as he could remember, men were not allowed in the women’s circles. The most powerful of all Symtarians were high-born women. Magic had been passed down from the goddesses for centuries, though sometimes a little would spill over to the men.
Surlock only prayed this would work. Was his sister strong enough without their mother and other two sisters? Could she bring Darcy back? He drew in a deep ragged breath. Karinthia had to succeed. If she didn’t, he would surely go crazy without Darcy in his life.
The three brothers quickly lowered their gazes so that their sister could create her magic.
Karinthia began to chant the prayer of strength and guidance. Then one by one she raised the stones, invoking the spirit of the goddess to join her.
Next she took a knife of silver and made a cut above her wrist and let her blood run into the glass, then bound her wound tight before she raised the crystal glass once again.
“To the goddess of light, I ask that you bring this woman out of the darkness and back to us. To the goddess of rain, I pray you wash her soul clean of pain and let her live again. To the goddess of fire, I pray you will warm her blood. To the goddess of wind, I ask that you breathe life back into her. I give the goddess my blood and call on the powers of light, wind, rain and fire to save this woman, soul of my brother.”
Glittery light swirled around the stones like a snake, then illuminated the table as though a bright light had been turned on. Next came fire. Flames licked at the stones, then engulfed the table. But before it could burn, gentle rain quieted the heat and the fire became a warm glow. As wind blew softly in, it brought the fragrance of life and all things living.
Surlock clenched his fists as he offered up his own prayer to the goddesses, begging them to give Darcy back her life, to give him back his life. Without her, he knew he couldn’t live.
Karinthia poured the blood over Darcy’s still form. For a moment, it looked as if nothing would happen, then a shining light began to appear in one corner of the room. Karinthia dropped to one knee and bowed her head. The brothers did the same.
Surlock raised his head just enough to watch this miracle. His chest began to ache just looking at the beautiful sight before him. The light had begun to take the shape of a woman.
“Goddess,” Karinthia breathed.
“You have used your gift well, my child.” Her voice was as light as air.
The warmth of her voice flowed over Surlock. Tears filled his eyes. She was too beautiful to look upon for any length of time. Silver hair trailed over bare breasts and her body glowed with an ethereal light. Though her top half was that of a goddess, her bottom half was that of a prancing white horse.
“It is good that you wish to protect the ones who were born part Earthling and part Symtarian. They are not impures as some have called them. They are new life that will save our people from extinction.”
“Thank you, goddess.” Karinthia’s whispered words floated over to Surlock.
“You must protect them from the rogues. I give this charge to you, Karinthia.”
“Thank you, goddess, for placing your trust in me,” she replied reverently.
The goddess reached out, waving her hand slowly over Darcy. The goddess faded and as she did, Darcy sat up straight, gasping for air as though new breath had just been breathed into her body.
“Darcy!” Surlock ran to her, wrapping her in his arms. “I was so afraid I had lost you forever.” Tears filled his eyes as he clasped her tightly to him.
“Surlock, what happened?” She looked around. “Ohmygod, I thought I was dying. I saw the wolf again, and some other animals. But then there was a fog and the animals were gone, but there were two other men and a woman and they were naked,” her words spilled out, then just as suddenly stopped as she looked at his siblings. “Actually, they looked a lot like these people. What’s going on?”
“These are my brothers, and my sister.”
Darcy suddenly smiled. “You remember.”
“Yes.”
“Are you really a prince?”
“From New Symtaria. It’s another planet. We’re a race of shape-shifting people. The wolf, Chinktah, is my animal guide and he lives within me.”
She sniffed as tears filled her eyes. “I know a good psychiatrist. We’ll get you all the help you need.”
His siblings began to laugh. He frowned at them and their laughter changed to coughs.
“You’re part Symtarian as well. The humming in your ears is your animal guide trying to communicate with you.”
“Darcy, I’m Rogar, Surlock’s older brother and it was nice meeting you.”
“You’re leaving?” Surlock asked.
“I’m going to take Excoria back to the craft. I think you need time to explain everything to Darcy.”
“I’m Karinthia.” His sister stepped forward. “Surlock and I have always been close. I’m glad he found you.” She smiled.
Kristor was next. “Little Darcy, it is good you came back. I don’t think Surlock would have been worth being around if you hadn’t.”
All three stood together as the fog began to roll in. Surlock took Darcy’s hand. When she opened her mouth to ask about the fog, he placed a finger against her lips. “Just watch. This is who we are. Who you are.”
The fog cleared. Three animals were in front of them. Sheets on the floor. Darcy gripped his hand.
The jaguar jumped to the table, then regally bowed her head before jumping down. The hawk landed on the table, spread h
is wings, then flew away. The unicorn stopped beside the table and lowered his head briefly before joining the other animals.
Darcy turned to him. “I … I don’t understand.”
“I’ll explain everything. First, you’ll call your parents and tell them you’ll be home tomorrow. Then I’ll tell you everything.”
“Yes, I think you’re right,” she said. What else could she do?
He helped her off the table. As they went into the other room, Excoria was stumbling out the door, surrounded by animals.
Darcy stopped in her tracks. “Are you sure I’m not hallucinating? Maybe I’m dead and just don’t know it.” She looked at him. “If I am, then I must be in heaven because you’re here with me.” He shook his head. “You’re not dead. My sister used her magic to heal you.”
“I’m not going to die? I mean, like within the next few hours?”
He shook his head.
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, I’d hate to tell my parents I was alive only to keel over dead.” She looked around, saw the phone Excoria had been using, and punched in the number of the house.
“Hello?” Her father answered in the middle of the first ring.
“Dad. I’m fine. Everything is okay.”
“Darcy, is this really you?”
“Yes, Dad. Surlock and his brothers and sister saved my life. The rogue—uh, I mean my kidnapper—will be transported someplace where she won’t be able to hurt anyone else.” She took a deep breath.
“When will you be home?”
“Tomorrow. Surlock needs to explain some things to me. It’s complicated, Dad.”
“You mean about you being part alien and all?”
She moved the phone away from her ear and stared at it, then looked at Surlock. “You told him I’m part alien?”
“He needed to know.”
She nodded. Of course, he was right. She moved the phone back to her ear. “And you believed him?”
“Not at first. I thought he’d escaped from the state hospital, but when a man changes into a wolf right in front of your eyes, it’s hard not to believe aliens exist.”