Mark of Fate

by May, W. J.

  “She’s my—” both Julian and Gabriel started at the same time, before breaking off with a grin.

  “She’s my girlfriend,” Julian finished.

  “And she’s…well, she’s basically my sister. Who is very much alive,” Gabriel added with a radiant grin that lit up his entire face.

  Ironically enough, Rae saw Julian glance at Gabriel with a hint of that same ‘brother-appeasing’ supplication that Gabriel was looking at Kraigan with before he found out he was crazy.

  Kraigan was unimpressed. “Okay, so why does that matter? And more importantly,” his lips twitched as he looked Gabriel up and down but spoke to Rae, “he’s your great fighter?” His eyes lingered on the sling supporting one of Gabriel’s arms and the spattering of bruises and abrasions darkening his tan skin. “Please tell me that’s a recent development.”

  Rae was about to answer, but Gabriel got to his feet with a small smile. Despite the fact that he was being physically held together by nothing greater than bandages and force of will, there was still an unmistakable aura that radiated out of him. He was not someone to be taken lightly. “You steal things, right? That’s your thing?” he asked with that same little smile.

  Rae shot Molly another secret grin and they settled back in their chairs to watch the magic unfold.

  Kraigan was a force in his own right. There was no denying that. But to hear Gabriel reduce it down to petty theft? It was too priceless for words.

  Kraigan’s face turned a deep shade of red, but he stepped forward as well. “Amongst other things, yeah. And you—bookkeeper—how is it that dear little Rae thinks you walk on water?” He smirked at the look of horror that had abruptly transformed Rae’s grin. “Or do you and Devon take turns now?”

  Before anyone could say a word, both Kraigan and Gabriel flew suddenly backwards as a ball of molten fire crashed in between them. Rae ducked her head in fright, and then looked up to see her mother standing amongst the ashes of what used to be a recliner. The look on her face made Rae want to duck a second time.

  “Do you want to ask that again, Kraigan?” she hissed softly.

  For perhaps the first time in his life Kraigan bowed his head and took a step back.

  “And do you want to answer it, Gabriel?”

  Gabriel paled and shook his head, murmuring a respectful, “No, ma’am.”

  “Good.” Beth’s eyes narrowed. “Then suit up. It’s time we dropped in on an old friend…”

  Chapter 4

  The hell that Molly, Devon, and Julian raised when they learned they were supposed to sit this one out could probably be heard all the way back in London. If it had been only Rae insisting, they probably would have just picked her up and carried her with them to the car. But none of them seemed particularly eager to go up against Beth, and when she told them to watch the house in case Jennifer showed up there instead, they complied without another word.

  For his part, upon hearing the news Gabriel had stripped off his shirt and wandered casually to the bathroom, bravely volunteering to ‘guard the tub.’ He suffered no delusions that he was in any condition to fight, and while he was waiting to recover he had evidently decided to take pleasure in the finer things. Starting with what Molly complained was at least half of her coconut bath wash.

  Rae also suspected that he didn’t want to be anywhere in the vicinity when they finally tried to take Jennifer down. She could hardly blame him. Villain or not, the woman had helped take care of him as a boy. He wasn’t stopping them, or warning her. That said a lot. And today it was enough.

  “Take care of yourself, Rae,” he murmured softly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. He had yanked her suddenly into the bathroom as she was headed down to the car, and was watching her steadily as the room filled up with steam. “I don’t have to tell you how dangerous she can be.”

  Rae appreciated the bluntness. It was far better than Molly’s speech about ‘how Rae Kerrigan was a champion and Jennifer had nothing on her.’ It was even better than Devon’s half-hearted request that she stay out of the line of fire and let Kraigan take the brunt of it.

  It was honest. And it was true. Jennifer was bound to be one of the toughest opponents Rae had ever come up against. There was no point denying it. And there was no point avoiding it either. It was something she simply had to do…and try to survive.

  “Thanks, Gabriel,” she said a little awkwardly. Although it was no fault of her own she suddenly felt a bit guilty being locked away in a steamy room with him with his shirt off. “I should probably, uh, probably get going.”

  His eyes sparkled. “Yeah, you should.”

  Yet she found herself hesitating a moment longer. When he looked at her questioningly, she finally cleared her throat with a quick smile. “Any last advice?”

  He grinned. “Jennifer’s left-handed. She’ll come at you from that side. Anticipate it, and you should be fine. As I recall you’ve got quite a bit of firepower to you. Use it.” Hs face grew suddenly serious. “Use it—and come back.”

  A series of shivers ran up her arms, and she nodded quickly. Outside, the car horn honked twice. “I will. Thanks.”

  She was about to go when his hand shot out and caught her arm. When she turned around, all the playfulness was back and he was grinning again, cocking his head to the side as his blond hair spilled gracefully across his face.

  “What? No kiss goodbye?”

  She froze in place with her mouth half open. Was he serious? Then she remembered herself and narrowed her eyes with a glare. “You have no shame.”

  He chuckled and turned around back to the tub. “Nope. Not a bit.”

  Then he dropped his towel.

  * * *

  The drive to Staffin grew as quiet and uncomfortable as Rae thought possible. As they wound their way through the sprawling green hills, she couldn’t help but wonder at the irony. If it hadn’t been for Jennifer, and her adulterous father, how different this car ride could have been while being exactly the same.

  Kraigan could have been Rae’s full brother. They could have actually been in Scotland, living at their family house. Beth could have actually been driving them somewhere—to football practice or something else normal that didn’t involve bloodshed and death.

  In an alternate reality, this car ride could have been as normal as could be.

  “Shit,” Kraigan cursed, feeling around in his pockets, “I forgot my bigger knife.”

  Rae rolled her eyes and settled for looking out the window. Alternate reality was right.

  They arrived at Staffin early in the afternoon, breezing through a crowded lot next to touristy pier selling seafood and kayak tickets. Since Jennifer would always be on her guard, but would be ready for a fight, the plan was relatively simple.

  They would simply show up at her house, and pick a fight.

  “It’s just over the next bluff,” Kraigan instructed once they were close enough. Like Rae, he was exhibiting the telltale jitters that inevitably came before such a moment. But while Rae’s stomach was churning with both fear and dread, Kraigan had a manic smile on his face.

  Beth parked in a clump of trees with an overhanging view of the house Kraigan had confirmed was Jennifer’s. Although there was a chance she could have already heard them, Rae peered out the window curiously as she undid her safety belt. It was picturesque, nestled in the middle of a flowering garden with the sparkling blue waters of the ocean just beyond. There was nothing about it that indicated a cold-blooded murder lived inside. And yet here they sat, waiting.

  “I’m going to check the perimeter, make sure we don’t run into any surprises,” Beth breathed, glancing about. “I’ll be back in two minutes. Stay in the car until then, and when I get back we all go in together.”

  Both Rae and Kraigan nodded obediently as Beth slid out of the car. The second she was gone, Kraigan threw open his door and started heading straight down to the house.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Rae hissed, using Jennifer’s own tatù to dart
out and catch him at top speed. “We’re supposed to wait—”

  “If you think I’m going to sit back and wait, you’re even crazier than I am. But while you’re here,” he whirled around and grabbed her with a grin, “thanks for the tatù. It was the one I was hoping you’d use.”

  Rae’s skin flushed hot then suddenly cold as Jennifer’s prized leopard tatù was taken away from her. She clutched at her chest for a moment to steady herself, then shoved Kraigan as hard as she could.

  “You bastard!” she hissed. “I’m trying to save your ass here. Give it back!” She knew he couldn’t give it back, but she said it anyway. She couldn’t possibly overestimate how much she would need that tatù. Although her body had slipped automatically into the next best thing; it was stronger and faster than Devon’s—the only thing that would have put her on even footing if it came to hand-to-hand combat.

  In an act of desperation she grabbed Kraigan’s wrist, as if hoping the ability would flood back into her, but she was well aware it didn’t work like that.

  He yanked his arm away with a scoff. “I’ve been trying to stop myself from stealing it these last two days. And Julian’s. Plus, your new lover’s as well, but I had to keep the tracking ink I’d been using to hunt her down. Now that we’re here that’s no longer a problem.”

  “Actually…”

  A new voice entered the conversation, and Kraigan and Rae whirled around to see Jennifer Jones standing in the grass behind them.

  “…I’d have stuck with the tracking tatù.” She looked exactly as Rae remembered: Long, wavy hair. Tight leather clothes that concealed the secret burns underneath. Piercing eyes that missed absolutely nothing.

  Before Rae could get a good look, Jennifer was gone. Then Kraigan was gone too.

  Acting more out of self-preservation than anything else, Rae switched from Devon’s tatù to Cassidy’s, melting invisibly away into the air. Without Jennifer’s ink, she was at a clear disadvantage here. If the both of them could move faster than she could see, perhaps it was best if she couldn’t be seen at all.

  She certainly couldn’t miss the sound of them, the resonances of two bodies colliding together again and again. There was the sharp cry of a woman, and then the lower one of a man. Rae watched and waited with bated breath, looking for even the slightest blur of color to indicate where they were.

  When Kraigan cried out again, Rae saw them. Without stopping to think she dropped the cloak of invisibility and fired out a shockwave of Molly’s electricity. Both of them went flying into the air before landing in sudden focus.

  “Nice job, Kerrigan,” Jennifer panted, wiping a small smear of blood from her lips with the back of her hand. “Just as I taught you to do. Except you do remember that you never beat me in a fight, right?”

  Rae gritted her teeth. “Things change.”

  “And you,” Jennifer glanced over at Kraigan, “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure.”

  Although he had lasted longer than most anyone could, Kraigan was in much worse shape than Jennifer. He was bleeding from several large lacerations across his body, and one arm was sporadically twitching as if the muscle had been torn. While Rae had never seen him so discomposed, she’d never seen him so determined either.

  “No,” he murmured, leveling her with his gaze, “we haven’t had the pleasure. I believe you met my mother. The day Simon Kerrigan was killed.”

  For a split second, Jennifer paused. Her eyes swept him up and down, taking in all the little details before her mouth turned up in an almost wistful smile.

  “You do look a bit like Simon. I didn’t realize before.” Then her lips pulled back, revealing every one of her pearly teeth. “So you’re the orphaned bastard he didn’t want.”

  Faster than Rae could see, Kraigan reached into his coat and hurled a dagger straight at Jennifer’s throat.

  She deflected it with a simple flick of her wrist. “You may be his son, but you certainly don’t have Simon’s skill.”

  “We’ll see about that—”

  Rae wasn’t about to let Kraigan get taken down in this fight, even if he did steal her greatest offensive weapon. Before her brother could charge again, Rae slipped in between them, battling Jennifer’s ink with Devon’s.

  It was a rough fight. Devon may have been faster, but Jennifer’s leopard had more strength. After taking just a few hits to the face, Rae felt as though she might black out. But all she needed was one moment, a single moment to switch from Devon’s tatù to Angel’s. Then they would see who had the upper hand.

  “What’s the matter, Rae?” Jennifer gasped as she kneed her in the ribs. “You’re the one who showed up at my house, but I almost feel like your heart isn’t really in this.”

  Touching Jennifer gave Rae her tatù back, but she didn’t need it at the moment; she wanted Angel’s. Rae spat out a mouthful of blood and leapt into the air, coming down on Jennifer’s other side and kicking the back of her neck. She went flying forward but landed on her feet like a cat, launching herself at Rae before Angel’s ink had time to take effect.

  As Rae went skidding backwards, Kraigan leapt in for round two.

  Except, he was so reckless he didn’t stop to see that Jennifer had picked up his knife off the ground. He was so focused, he didn’t even hear Rae scream.

  “Kraigan—NO!”

  But it was too late. The blur of colors suddenly ceased and the clearing was dead still.

  Jennifer was standing behind Kraigan, using his body as a shield. One hand was holding a fistful of his hair and the other was pressing his own knife tightly against his throat.

  Rae pulled herself slowly to her feet as all the blood drained from her face. Kraigan may be just a teenager, but Jennifer would not spare him. She would not be talked down, and she had no reason in the world to let him live. It would be very easy for her. And it would only take a second.

  “Jennifer…” Rae tried again anyway, her mind racing for any trick she could use to set him free. “You don’t want to—”

  “Actually, I don’t care much.” Jennifer pressed the knife in tighter, and a thin trail of blood dripped down. “And seeing as how the second I let him go, the two of you are going to try to kill me again, I don’t see why I—”

  “Just do it, Rae,” Kraigan growled, pale but determined. “Use your mother’s fire—take us both down. It’s the only way.”

  Rae’s heart pounded in her chest as her eyes welled up with tears. On any given day, Kraigan might up and decide to try to kill her as well. His phrase from the day before flashed through her mind before she could stop it: Kill two birds with one stone. He posed a threat, just like Jennifer; he had from the day she met him. So why wouldn’t she take this opportunity?

  As her eyes locked on his murderous, bloody face, she set her jaw. Why? Because like it or not—and Rae didn’t like it one bit—she was stopped by a single, undeniable truth.

  Kraigan was family.

  “DO IT!” he shouted again, straining a bit under the pressure of the knife. “FOR DAD!”

  It was the first time Rae had ever heard him talk like that. Not his dad. Not the great Simon Kerrigan. Just Dad. Something that he and Rae shared.

  “No,” she said quietly. Then her eyes found Jennifer. “Take me instead.”

  Jennifer stared at her like she was crazy, while Kraigan’s mouth fell open in utter shock.

  For a second all was quiet, until Jennifer muttered, “You must be joking.”

  Unfortunately…no.

  Rae pulled herself up to her full height, suddenly all business. “You know how many abilities I’ve collected over the years; you know exactly what I’m capable of. If you kill him now, I’ll take you down in the process. You can be sure of that, but if you let him go you’ll have a fair fight with me. And you already know that I’ve lost my best tatù.”

  Jennifer’s lips twitched up into a smile, but Kraigan was staring at Rae like he’d never seen her before.

  “I thought this was the boy who r
epeatedly tried to do you in, Kerrigan,” she mocked, keeping the knife firmly in place. “He wants to kill you as much as he wants to kill me.”

  Rae sighed. “He’s my brother. I’ll chalk the rest up to sibling rivalry.”

  Jennifer laughed long and hard, then shoved Kraigan away from her with a sharp kick. He fell to the ground, holding his throat, trying to recover his senses as she beckoned Rae forward.

  “Then let’s have it, Rae. It’s the way I would’ve preferred anyway. Just you and me. Like old times.”

  Jennifer and Rae lifted their hands and squatted, ready to pounce at the same time. Just as they did there was a streak of smoke, and Jennifer was suddenly lying on her back.

  Bethany Kerrigan walked slowly out of the smoldering cloud, her fingers still dancing with the bright blue fire. “Oh but, Jenny, I’d rather have it be just you and me. Like old times.”

  Jennifer’s face simultaneously flushed then paled as she saw Beth walking towards her. “I thought I’d heard another set of footsteps getting out of the car…” she murmured, “but then these two idiots showed up.”

  “Well,” Beth flashed Kraigan and Rae a stern look, “they were told to wait.”

  It was incredible, to see a maternal flash when her hair was blowing around her in a cloud of smoke and flames. Despite being the most terrifying thing Rae had ever seen, her mother still managed to be her mother, no matter what she happened to be doing.

  “Kids these days,” she laughed lightly, before her face tightened with a mock frown. “Oh, I forgot, you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you now, Jenny?”

  Jennifer growled and flew towards her, but Beth sent her flying back on another wave of fire. The sickening smell of burnt leather and flesh filled the little clearing as Jennifer ripped off her jacket with a scream of pain.

  “You stole her from me!” she shrieked. “MY daughter! MY chance to have a child. He didn’t want to have her since he already had Rae!”

  Beth’s eyes flashed. “Something that had nothing to do with me, or Rae. And yet you felt the need to take away MY child. MY future with her. All for what? For Simon?”