by Holly Kelly
For the rest of class, Fae only half listened to the lecture—or rather, the review. She heard enough to know that Nick could really play it cool. His lecture didn’t sound any different. He had to be worried about her. But he was smart. He’d figure out a way to keep her safe and save Morgan.
Finally, the class let out. Nick continued to act as if nothing were wrong as he spoke to students at the head of the class. Fae casually made her way to the hall. She had a semblance of a plan to enact.
As she stepped into the flow of students, she looked up and gasped. She pointed her finger at a blond student who looked to be in a hurry and said, “Lafayette,” as she backed into one of the agents. “That man’s Lafayette.”
The agents paused long enough to tell her to stay with Nick, and then they were after the student. Fae didn’t waste any time but ran in the opposite direction. She hoped they weren’t too hard on the poor, nameless kid.
In minutes, she was out the door. A dark-haired man stood directly in her path as she tried to side-step him to get to the school entrance. He didn’t let her, though. He stepped over to once again block her way.
Fae skidded to a stop and looked up. She recognized him immediately. He was the nerd she’d seen before—the one with the greasy black hair.
“Hello, Fae,” he said as she met his eyes. A chill ran down her spine.
He was dead!
There was no light in his eyes. It was like staring into the eyes of an animated corpse. Where did these people come from? Her whole life, she’d never come across a supernatural being, and now everywhere she turned, she saw glowing eyes, sharp fangs, and pointed ears.
She glanced around briefly, wondering why she was the only one who could see how incredibly…wrong he looked. No one else seemed to notice him. They were actually staring at her instead. It really sucked being the only one to see what these people were.
“Lafayette is waiting for you.” He turned and walked away.
Fae silently followed him. Nick, you’d better have a plan. I really don’t want to be locked in a dungeon again, and I absolutely will not see Morgan chopped into pieces!
* * * * *
Nick gathered up his things as the last of his students filtered out the door. His phone vibrated. He pulled it out and checked the screen.
It was Miller—one of the men guarding Fae.
“Yeah,” Nick answered.
“We have Lafayette,” Miller said.
“You’re kidding me.” Nick breathed a sigh of relief. “When?”
“Just now,” Miller said. “Fae pointed him out.”
Nick’s brows pressed together as his heart sank. If Fae had seen Lafayette, he should have felt it. In fact, he hadn’t felt her in a while. Of course, he had thrown up a loose block so he could concentrate during class. But he should have felt something that substantial.
He closed his eyes and reached out to her.
Nothing.
He should be feeling something—even if it were boredom. He clenched his hands as rage rose in his chest and escaped in a growl. “That’s not Lafayette,” he said as he rushed out the door. “Tell me where you are.”
Minutes later, his suspicions were confirmed. The kid they had handcuffed was a student he’d seen float around campus all semester—a kid who now looked like he was about to vomit.
Miller stepped up to Nick. “You sure this isn’t Lafayette? He does look like him.”
Nick met his eyes and scowled.
“Okay, okay,” Miller conceded. “But why would Fae say he was?”
“Because someone got to her. She has a kind, self-sacrificing heart, and Lafayette is using that against her.” Nick pulled out his phone and dialed Fae’s number. It rang until it reached her voicemail. Nick gripped the phone tight in his hand. He was hoping Lafayette would answer. He left a message for him anyway.
“Lafayette, this is Agent Nick Chase of the Order. I know you have Fae and I’m willing to make a deal. Release her unharmed and I won’t pursue you. I’ll let you live your unnaturally long life in peace. But, if you don’t release her, or if she’s harmed by you, I will hunt you down and kill you like the dog you are. And it won’t be quick. I’ll make you suffer. You will scream for me to end you by the time I let you die. I swear on my life.”
Nick swiped the phone off.
“Wow,” Miller said. “That was disturbing. You sounded convincing. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were serious.”
“I was.”
Miller shook his head. “There’s no way Thomas will let you follow through on your threat. We don’t work that way.”
Nick turned to him, grabbed him by his shirt, and yanked him to his chest so they were nose to nose. “I don’t care what Thomas, Jones, or anyone else says,” he snarled. “That monster has the woman I love. If he lays a finger on her, if she gets so much as a bruise from that maniac, I’ll kill him!”
Miller nodded. “Okay, okay. I get it. Now let me go before you get hurt.”
Nick noticed Miller’s eyes were glowing red. He’d almost forgotten that with the Order, he dealt with supernatural creatures. But with the threat Fae faced, Nick couldn’t care less what kind of creature he was. Still, he let Miller go.
Nick met the other agent’s eyes. This guy’s expression held nothing but understanding.
“You married?” Nick asked.
“Yeah.” He gave a quick nod.
“Do you think I’m out of line?” Nick asked.
Davis shook his head. “Absolutely not. If anyone touched my wife, I’d string him up by his entrails.”
“Exactly,” Nick said.
Miller frowned. “You guys are both crazy.”
“Just wait. When you fall in love with the right woman, you’ll feel the same way.”
Davis unlocked the handcuffs. “Sorry, kid. You’re free to go.” The young student rubbed his wrists for a moment, grabbed his backpack, and then took off running.
Miller wasn’t deterred. “First of all, I don’t plan on settling down. And second of all, even if I do, my job will always come first.”
“I believed that lie once too,” Davis said.
“We’ve wasted enough time,” Nick said. “Let’s get back to headquarters. I need to talk to Conall.”
Chapter 31
Fae decided that the worst part of riding in the trunk of a car was not knowing where in the world she was going! Nick wouldn’t be able to tell by reading her thoughts either. But, didn’t Conall say Nick would be able to find her anywhere?
He’d better!
Fae had finals she absolutely couldn’t miss.
She had a flash of guilt. Finals were the least of her worries. Who knew how much time Morgan had? Lafayette had given his word not to harm her, but he was a murderer. If anything happened to Morgan, she’d never forgive herself.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, they slowed, but then they were bumping over… a dirt road? It felt like she was going home, back to her and Brigitte’s place in the Bayou. At the thought of Brigitte, Fae’s heart sank. Lafayette had killed her too. Fae swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed her eyes shut against the stinging tears.
She’d never had time to properly mourn Brigitte. If she died, she never would.
No. Nick will save me.
Finally, they stopped. Feet crunched against gravel as they approached the trunk. Seconds later, it opened, and blinding light caused Fae to blink. Finally, Lafayette’s face came into focus. He smiled brightly.
“Well, well, my dear. It’s good to see your pretty face again.”
Fae began to tremble as she remembered the last time she’d seen him. “Where’s Morgan?”
“Oh, your pretty little roommate? She’s fine. I didn’t put a mark on her, and I won’t, as long as you don’t give me any reason to.”
“I want to see her.” Fae’s voice trembled.
“Oh, rest assured, you will be seeing her, but first, you have a punishment to endure.”
“
Punishment?” Fae’s blood turned to ice.
“I can’t let your previous escape go unpunished.” Lafayette spoke calmly. “You need to be taught a lesson. I can’t have you running off on me at every turn, now can I?”
“What kind of punishment is it?”
“Your adoptive mother would be familiar with it. Did she tell you what the guard did to those who betrayed us?”
Fae shook her head.
“Well, you’re about to find out.” Lafayette dragged Fae from the trunk. The edge scraped and bumped across her stomach and legs.
“Hey! I can get out on my—” Her words caught in her throat when she came face to face with a grizzly bear. He seemed to be glaring at her, but bears didn’t glare.
Lafayette wasn’t fazed by the enormous wild animal, but continued to drag her beyond the house and out to a forest.
She saw the old well a moment before he picked her up and dropped her into it. A scream tore from her throat as she plummeted down, her hands reaching out and brushing against the stone side on her descent. Pain exploded across her body as she slammed against the hard ground below.
Lights danced in her gaze as she turned her head up, attempting to draw a breath. Lafayette slid a metal grate over the hole. She could hear a drill in short bursts. He locked it down with bolts.
After several long moments, Fae finally started breathing again, and her panic turned to horror. She was trapped at the bottom of a well!
“Make yourself comfortable, Fae,” Lafayette said. “You’ll be down there for a while—I’d say at least as long as the days of freedom you’ve had.”
“That’s two months!” Fae gasped.
“I know it’s two months,” he bellowed in anger. “I’ve suffered each day of it—not knowing where you were. Not knowing if I would ever find you. I faced death once again—something I swore I’d never do. I will make you suffer for the pain you put me through. I’d say it’s an eye for an eye.”
“An eye for an eye?” she yelled in disbelief. “But you weren’t trapped at the bottom of a well! I did nothing to you but gave you youth. How is this even comparable?”
Lafayette didn’t respond. Was he still there?
“Fae?” a familiar, shaky voice called out.
Fae’s heart sank as she turned to see Morgan’s ghostly white face.
“Fae?” Morgan said. “You’re here! I know I should be horrified about that, but I’m so freakin’ glad to see you.” She sighed. “I didn’t think I’d see you, or anyone else I cared about, ever again.” Tears streaked down Morgan’s face as she visibly shook.
“It’s okay,” Fae said. “Nick is coming.” Fae took a step toward her friend. Morgan looked like she needed a hug—she was shockingly pale. What did Lafayette put her through?
Lafayette’s laughter came from above, and Fae froze. “So you are counting on him to find you.” Oh shoot, he’s still there. “I’m happy to say we’ve broken the bond. You’d think someone who drinks as many cokes as you do would notice when it’s been tampered with. And Nick wasn’t any better. Of course, coffee masks the taste much better than Coke.”
“You’re lying,” Fae shouted, even though she knew he spoke the truth. Her drink did taste a little off. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. The truth was just too horrifying to consider.
“You’d like to think I am. If the Order had any brains at all, they would have known how easily it is to break the bond. Well, I’ve got things to do, plans to make. I’ll check on you in a week. That’ll give you time to think about life’s consequences.”
At those words, she could hear his feet crunching the gravel above. This time he really was leaving, and not only was she trapped here, her most loyal friend was, too. Fae’s throat constricted as she tried to draw a breath in.
“Fae, settle down,” Morgan said. “You’re having a panic attack.”
Fae shook her head. She had no idea if she was or not. She’d never had a panic attack before.
“Yes, you are. I know what I’m talking about. Come on, hold your breath and then breathe out slowly.”
Fae did her best to do what she said. It wasn’t easy.
“Okay, now do it again.”
Fae found the tightness in her chest dissipating. When she finally breathed easier, she calmed down.
“He’ll never find us,” she said, dejected.
“Are you kidding me?” Morgan asked. “Nick is an FBI agent and he loves you. He’s going to find you. You have to believe that, Fae.”
Fae looked up at her, wanting so much to believe.
“He found you before,” Morgan said. “He’ll find you again.”
Fae nodded. She squeezed her eyes shut and said a little prayer. Please, let Nick come. And please let it be before someone else dies. She opened her eyes and looked at Morgan, in awe at her demeanor.
“How can you be so calm?” Fae asked.
“Oh, believe me, I wasn’t before I…” Morgan hesitated.
“Before you what?” Fae asked.
She looked away and shrugged. “Before I realized that no good would come of freaking out.”
Fae nodded. “So how do we get out of here?”
Morgan shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Fae looked up at the steel grate. “There’s no getting that thing off, I’m sure. Are there any loose stones? Maybe we can dig our way out.” She walked up to the side of the wall and tried to wedge her fingers through a crack.
“Even if you could make an opening through the limestone,” Morgan said, “we’re pretty far down. You’d have to do a lot of digging to get to the surface. Not to mention, you’d have to do it with your bare hands. I’d say that’s close to impossible.”
Fae looked up at her friend. She’d never seen Morgan in this state. She may be calm, but there was something disturbing in that calmness. Morgan spoke more slowly, and the pep that had always brightened her face and drove her unending optimism was gone. Fae frowned, even more determined to get them out of this. She needed to not only save her friend’s life but her spirit as well.
“Then,” Fae said, “I guess I’ll have to climb to the top and see if there’s a loose stone there.”
Morgan frowned back at her. “You’re lucky you didn’t break your neck when Lafayette pushed you down here. If you fall again, I doubt you’ll be so lucky.”
“Well, then, I guess I better not fall, right?” Fae attempted to smile.
Morgan cracked a weak grin. “Right.”
Fae looked up and saw one of the stones jutting out—a perfect hand hold—just out of her reach. “Okay, roomie, I just need a little boost.”
Morgan shook her head as shock and despair spread like a shadow across her face. She took a shaky step back. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? Of course you can. I really don’t weigh that much.”
“You don’t understand,” Morgan wailed. It looked like her calm façade had cracked. Morgan stood still for a moment as if trying to gather some courage. Finally, she took a step forward and raised her hand. It trembled as she reached out to touch Fae’s face. Just as Fae expected to feel Morgan’s fingers brush her cheek, an icy coldness washed over her.
“I’m already dead.”
Chapter 32
Fae staggered back, feeling like she’d had the wind knocked out of her again. “No… you can’t be.”
“Dead?” Morgan said. “Oh, believe me, I am.”
Hot tears filled Fae’s eyes and streamed down her cheeks. “But I came here to save you.”
“I know.”
“This is all my fault,” Fae sobbed.
“No,” Morgan said. “It’s absolutely not your fault. Lafayette’s the one to blame, he and those two other freaks who did nothing to stop him.”
“How did you…” Fae began, but couldn’t seem to finish her question. Did she really want to know how Morgan died? Could she handle the answer?
“I died quickly,” Morgan said. “But that’s all I’m
going to say about it.”
Fae nodded. It had to have been bad enough dying. She didn’t want to force Morgan to relive her experience.
“Okay so,” Morgan began. “Jenny and I have been working together on a few things.”
“Jenny?” Fae asked, still blinking through tears.
A beautiful, young blonde materialized in front of her. “Hi,” she said as she smiled sweetly and fluttered her fingers in a wave.
“You’re a ghost too?” Fae asked, even though the answer was obvious.
“Yeah.”
“As I was saying,” Morgan continued. “Jenny and I have been practicing channeling our energy and—”
“It’s a lot harder than it seems,” Jenny interrupted.
Morgan shot her a glare. “Yes, it is, but with this limestone well, we’ve found we can do a lot more. In fact, we can even move things. I think together, we might be able to loosen the screws holding down that grate.”
“I don’t know…” Jenny began.
“Shh!” Morgan said. “Just shut up, okay? It’s not like we have a lot of options.”
Fae wiped away more tears. “I’m still having a hard time dealing with the fact that you’re dead, Morgan. And Jenny, did Lafayette, um…?”
“Kill me too?”
Fae nodded.
“Yeah.” She glanced at Morgan with sadness in her eyes. “We’re both trying to not think about it.”
“How can you ignore something like that?” Fae asked, looking from one to the other.
“Being dead is not much different than being alive,” Morgan said. “Only people can’t see or hear you. I was pretty shocked when you saw me so easily.”
“Apparently, I can see a lot of unusual things,” Fae said, and bit her lip.
“Like what?” Morgan asked.
“I’m not really supposed to talk about it,” Fae said.