Touched by Light

by Spangler, Catherine

  And wondered how much she’d have to drink to find oblivion.

  FIFTEEN

  JULIA had a headache the next morning—her punishment for drinking three glasses of merlot before finally stumbling off to bed. She was, however, spared the stress of a conduction, because Adam and Sean hadn’t been able to get close to the BCS at SeaWorld. The area was still crowded with police and reporters and lots of people with morbid curiosity. They’d try again after midnight.

  So they were in wait mode, because there wasn’t much else they could do. Sean and Miriam decided to check out the Riverwalk, the Alamo, and Market Square. None of those were far away, so they could return at a moment’s notice, if necessary.

  Adam used the day to take care of his PI agency business, touch base with his Sentinels, and read the numerous reports and e-mails he received on a daily basis. He did that at the desk in his room.

  Julia graded the papers she’d brought with her, worked on some lesson plans, and tried to read her Journal of Numerical Mathematics. But she was too unsettled to concentrate. Normally, she had formidable focus—like Energizer Bunny Adam, working away in the other room. But she knew this was just the calm before the storm, that there would probably be more death and destruction before this was over. She tossed the magazine on the dining table, and sat back with a sigh.

  She wondered how Adam could handle all this. How he remained so cool and calm, even among the horrifying loss of innocent lives, through the chaos and pain Belians were so adept at bestowing.

  Yet she knew how much he cared. Beneath that arrogant GQ facade were a heart and soul that were attuned to every Sentinel and conductor in his domain, and that felt a keen sense of loss whenever a life was snuffed out—be it his own people or innocent victims. She sure wouldn’t want his job.

  The ringing of her cell phone jarred her from her macabre thoughts. She pulled her purse toward her and got the phone. The readout told her it was Marla. It was Sunday, she realized, the day she always talked to her sister and her parents, although they often chatted through the week. But she’d been so far off any schedule or normal routine, the days had blurred together in a surreal mishmash of events.

  She clicked the answer button. “Marla! How are you?”

  “Oh, I’m great. Getting as big as a house. Good thing Luke is such a tank. I’d hate to outweigh my husband.”

  Hearing her sister’s voice, experiencing her flip wit, was a welcome diversion from the current scenario. Julia found herself smiling. “Isn’t that’s a woman’s prerogative when she’s pregnant?”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself while I’m shoveling in the ice cream and chocolate. And it’s really strange, but I’m craving pickles, just like the old wives’ tales about pregnant women. I’m going for those big, extra-salty kosher dills, so I guess the stories aren’t just tales.”

  Julia chuckled. “Maybe you’re just making up for being constantly sick the first four months.”

  “I don’t even want to think about those months. This baby owes me big-time. So, how are you? I’ve been thinking about you and worrying—just a little. Oh hell, I’ve been worrying a lot. Hanging out with Sentinels can become dangerous in a hurry.”

  “Tell me about it. I have vivid memories from Dallas to remind me.”

  “You didn’t call me Friday, or yesterday, even though I left you messages. Of course, I know how bad you are about checking them. Gotta give you an F there, big sister.”

  “Sorry. I haven’t even looked at my phone. I’m fine, really.”

  “Why did Adam drag you off to San Antonio? It seemed awfully sudden and secretive, although stealth is one of his specialties.”

  “You got that right.” Julia hesitated, not sure what to tell Marla. She was fairly certain Adam hadn’t told any of his Sentinels the reason for his trip to San Antonio. Although she usually shared everything with her sister, she knew Marla couldn’t keep things from Luke. “I’m helping Adam with a project here. He’s trying to trigger my visions to resolve a situation. No big deal.” And Marla buying that had very low odds.

  “Oh, please. Everything Adam does is a big deal. Actually, that applies to Sentinels as well. If a Belian is involved, it’s always a major problem. Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I am, really. I can’t talk about this project, except to tell you Adam is on top of things.”

  “You’d better not be lying to me,” Marla said. “I currently outweigh you by a significant amount. If I find out you’re holding out on me, I’ll come down there and sit on you.”

  Julia decided to divert her sister’s attention and bring up the topic she knew was on both their minds. “That would probably be over Luke’s dead body, especially under the current circumstances. Have you heard anything about Bennett?”

  “Not a thing, although I’ve been thinking a lot about that bastard. But you know, Jules, he’s going to have trouble finding us. Since he went to jail, we’ve all changed jobs, moved, and taken unlisted phone numbers. Mom and Dad live in the town house now, and since they’ve both retired, they travel a lot. You finished your doctorates and joined the university staff and I’ve only been at this job six years. We don’t go to any of the old places, or hang with many of our old friends. There’s no easy way Bennett can find us. Besides, he’ll be in violation of his parole if he comes anywhere near us.”

  Julia wasn’t so sure about their anonymity, especially with the all-seeing eyes of the Internet. “I hope you’re right.”

  “You and me both. I also hope Luke will lighten up. He won’t let me out of his sight. I can’t even go to the bathroom without him knowing about it—and believe me, right now, I have to pee a lot.”

  Julia laughed. “You always cheer me up, no matter what.”

  “And just why would you need cheering up? Beside the fact that you’re stuck down there with uptight Adam.”

  Julia glanced up and realized the object of discussion was standing in his doorway, watching her. He was in his usual black silk shirt and cashmere slacks, but the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, and he’d rolled the sleeves halfway up his forearms. Even with the bruising and stitches on his face, he was so alluring, it should be illegal. Her throat went dry, and her heart went into a trip beat.

  Good grief, she was like Pavlov’s dog, her body now responding to the mere sight of him. He raised a questioning eyebrow. Marla, she mouthed, and he nodded and walked to the coffeepot.

  “Julia! Are you still there?”

  Dragging her gaze from Adam’s butt, Julia said, “I’m sorry. A little distraction.” And a whole lot of hormones totally out of control. Either that, or she was going into menopause twenty years ahead of schedule. “I’d better go. If you talk to Mom any time soon, tell her I’ll call later this afternoon.”

  “Sure. You’re really okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine. And, Marla, don’t discount Bennett. We both know he’s not sane. Unless they pumped him full of antipsychotic drugs while he was in prison—and we know how flush the Texas Department of Criminal Justice budget is—he’s likely to do anything. This is a good time to actually listen to Luke.”

  “I know you’re right. When you get back, we’ll discuss this more. Don’t let Adam get too overbearing.”

  “Too late, but I’m working on it. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Stay in touch, okay?”

  “I will. Good-bye.” Julia clicked off, put her phone back in her purse. She looked up to meet Adam’s cold gaze.

  “You don’t need to worry about Bennett,” he said. “After we handle the situation here, I will deal with him.”

  But she knew Sentinels weren’t allowed to instigate vigilante justice on anyone—or maybe that should be anything—other than a Belian. At some point, she was going to be back on her own. She only hoped Bennett didn’t find either Marla or herself. Because then she’d have to do something that had been on her mind for twelve years.

  She’d have to kill him.

  WITH the
cursed Sentinel subdued for the time being, he had some time to look back over his accomplishments of the past few days. He had liked being able to take over and control someone to be his puppet, almost as much as he’d liked the blood. It was a heady feeling to be able to issue a mental command and watch it carried out.

  He was well aware he couldn’t do it without tapping into the Sentinel’s powers, but he also liked knowing the Sentinel had a part in creating the destruction. It was interesting that he could also tap the Sentinel’s memory, which is how he’d found the soldier puppet. And that had been extremely successful.

  Now he wanted to try something different—as soon as he got the Sent bastard permanently under control. Currently, it was still an in and out battle. But for the most part, he was maintaining the upper hand. As soon as he felt confident in his control, he’d put his new plan into action.

  He wanted to see if he could dominate a mind that was more primitive and instinctive. And nonhuman.

  ADAM hated having to wait for something to happen, rather than being in a proactive position to stop the Belian before it struck again. Sunday’s inactivity chafed on him, yet he had no choice in the matter. Neither Julia nor Miriam had gleaned any new information. They were all forced to play the waiting game, hoping the Belian wouldn’t do anything for another day or so.

  He was heartened by the fact that he felt frequent flashes of Matt’s essence, which told him the Belian was expending huge amounts of energy just to control Matt, and to complete self-healing. Adam had tried Matt’s phone several times, but now it went straight into voice mail, so it was either turned off or the battery was dead.

  So they waited. Julia had been on edge most of the day, which for her, translated to testy. He understood why, having heard the last part of her conversation with Marla. He agreed with Julia’s assessment—William Bennett was a major concern, not to be taken lightly.

  She didn’t believe Adam would be around long term to ensure her safety. He was well aware she planned for them to go their separate ways when this Belian was sent to Saturn, but she would learn differently. He expected that to be a major battle, but had no doubt as to the outcome. Arrogant? Perhaps. But then he had the power of divine destiny on his side.

  He also knew the murders in San Antonio were weighing heavy on Julia, and there wasn’t anything he could do about that. She was strong, resilient, her soul a bright light in the Universe. She was entitled to her attitude.

  Besides, he enjoyed her sarcastic comebacks and caustic wit. He found her formidable intelligence more than a match for his. Damned if she didn’t keep him on his toes, a rarity for him. If he hadn’t been so focused on the Belian, he would have found her company entertaining, even relaxing—another rarity. He didn’t know anyone else to whom he responded like that.

  Now he hated to ruin their growing rapport with desecrated Belian energy. But it was necessary when working with a conductor, especially one as precisely matched as Julia was to him.

  He looked at his watch as he entered the hotel suite. It was shortly after three AM, Monday morning. He and Sean had finally been able to access the BCS. It had been a mess, a mishmash of energies—from the shooter, Matt, the Belian, the police, SeaWorld employees, and all the others who had trampled the crime scene.

  When they’d gotten away from the area, Adam had worked with Sean on culling out extraneous energies, fine-tuning the process of distilling the Belian’s energy. Sean was holding up fairly well, considering the circumstances. It was a good thing; Adam feared he might need additional help to bring down the Belian.

  He told Sean to get a few hours of sleep before they woke Julia and Miriam. He planned to do the same. Even he needed some sleep, especially since he was expending energy to gradually heal his face. Plus he needed to be fully recharged when he came face-to-face with the Belian.

  Which would be very soon. Adam knew the son of a bitch wouldn’t wait much longer before striking again.

  JULIA blinked bleary eyes at Adam as she practically inhaled her coffee. She’d never been this caffeine dependent in her life, but hanging out on the dark side was exhausting. That, and two seriously sleep-deprived nights, just zapped the energy right out of a girl.

  Not so for Adam. He looked rested and sophisticated in one of his trademark dark Italian suits. Must be what all the coolest Sanctioned wore when going into battle against Belians. She had to admit it was easier for him to pack his Glock beneath a suit coat and not draw notice. He wore that gun in a waist holster, and carried a second gun in an ankle holster. She suspected he had other weapons at his disposal, but she hadn’t seen them. His Rolex probably had secret spy gizmos, à la James Bond.

  “The detectives from Saturday insisted on meeting me this morning in the lobby,” Adam said, obviously not happy about it. “They had more questions and took up almost an hour. Now it’s almost eight thirty.”

  Julia could practically feel the concern and impatience radiating from him. Funny, but when she’d first met him, he’d seemed so cool and reserved, she hadn’t sensed anything. She’d assumed he was cold-blooded and unemotional.

  Now she knew better. Now she was somehow attuned to him and could read his emotions. She wasn’t at all sure she liked it, but that didn’t negate the reality. She watched him settle beside her on the sofa.

  “We need to get a line on the Belian as quickly as possible.” He held out his hand. “Let’s try for a vision first.”

  Her visions had been pretty sketchy lately, unless fueled by a conduction, but she hoped it would be different this time. She placed her hand in his, thinking how familiar and normal this was becoming.

  The Belian energy was potent this time. She immediately felt a psychic punch that knocked the breath out of her and created the sensation of her body being tossed in a tempest of waves. The gray mist didn’t just descend; it exploded on her visual screen, an instant blackout.

  Then it disappeared just as quickly, and bright sunshine almost blinded her. A quick cinematic visual swept over large blocks of color in cement, then again the sunshine obliterated the view. When her eyes adjusted, she saw she was at a juncture of walkways. She heard the sound of children, then ahead of her she saw a profusion of brightly colored birds inside an enclosure. A sign above them said Lory Landing. Where was she? Turning, she saw a large sign in the shape of an elephant’s head, some distance back.

  The children’s voices drew her attention again, and she saw several groups of them on the pathways. Obviously they were on some sort of field trip, but she still didn’t recognize the place. The unmistakable roar of a lion cut through the voices, and then she realized the location. It had been years since she’d been there, and it had changed a lot, but she knew it.

  The lion roared again—an ominous harbinger of death and destruction.

  THE Belian energy had made Miriam throw up her toenails—again. And Sean had insisted on playing nice and taking care of her—again. And when he touched her to dissipate the negative results of the energy, she’d gotten turned on—again. Well, at least things, as crazy as they seemed, were following a predictable pattern. Unfortunately, the only thing unpredictable was where the Belian would strike next.

  Feeling shaky, and not just from nausea, she picked up her backpack and carried it to the dining room table. Sean went to the mini-fridge while she dug out her Tarot cards. He walked to the table, offered her a cold Coke. “Here. This should help your stomach.”

  “Thanks.” For a short-fused, supernatural bad-boy type, he could be really considerate. And sexy. Nope. No sexy allowed.

  Popping the can tab, she settled at the table. She was surprised when Sean took the chair next to hers. So far, he’d spent his time on the sofa, either using his laptop or watching news reports and listening to the scanner, which he ran nonstop. She’d gotten so used to the static and voices, she hardly noticed them anymore.

  He watched as she shuffled the cards. “Why these instead of the pendulum?”

  “I use the cards more th
an anything else. They’re not as invasive, yet they can be more detailed.”

  “What do you mean, ‘not as invasive’?”

  She paused the shuffling. “If I make the decision to look at someone’s aura, or open myself to the energies of an object, then I receive very personal, specific information about the person involved. It might be information I have no business knowing. If I use the pendulum, it’s limited to my questions—and I might not know which question I need to ask. But the Tarot cards have numerous answers and nuances and guidance. With them, I trust that I’m being shown the exact information I need at that moment.”

  Sean nodded, approval in his gaze. “That shows your spiritual integrity.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Miriam set the cards on the table. She cut them three times with her left hand, flipped the top card.

  “Which card is that?”

  “Strength, upright.” She stared at it. “Courage, energy, inner will.”

  “I guess that fits, since it shows a lion.”

  “Maybe. I’m just not sure what it means in this instance. It’s obvious we need those things to get the Belian, but we already know that.” She put the card back, started reshuffling. Cut three times again, pulled the top card. Strength, upright, again.

  “That’s interesting,” Sean said. “It came up again. Any other meanings?”

  “Well . . . the underlying message is that we are humans, not beasts, and we can channel our energy and our will. We can control our baser nature, can rise above weakness. It’s also the astrological card for Leo.”

  She put the card back, reshuffled. She felt funny doing this in front of Sean, especially since he’d been so antagonistic toward her at the beginning. “So you don’t think this is too weird?” she asked.

  “No. Actually, I think it’s kind of cool. I don’t really have anything against Gypsies. Especially since I met you.”