The cool air was eerily still. As they approached the small white chapel with its simple wooden cross in front, Adam felt Matt’s life force flare and hold, and it was close. “He’s here,” Adam murmured in a low voice. He pulled his gun and motioned Sean to do the same. As they slipped to the side of the structure, he gestured for the women to stay there.
Julia thumbed her gun safety off, clenched her cane in the other hand. Leaning against the wall, she looked at him, her gaze steady and clear. “Stay safe, you two,” she said, very softly.
“Ditto,” Miriam said, looking solemn and worried.
Adam felt the energy around him surge as he moved into full Santioned mode. He and Sean stepped around the chapel. He followed Sean’s lead, straight ahead, through two trees standing like guards, then toward a group of grave-sites.
He saw Matt before they reached Susan’s grave. His back was to them, his head bowed toward her grave marker. A faded, dried-up bouquet of flowers sat in the bronzed flower stand, obviously placed there at an earlier date. Adam gestured to Sean to flank right as he moved left.
“I know you’re there, Adam,” Matt said. He turned, his arm hanging down, a gun in his hand.
Adam tensed, raised his own gun. Stood ready for whatever he had to do.
Matt looked terrible. His hair was matted, his clothing filthy. He had at least a week’s beard growth, and his face was gaunt and gray. His eyes were too bright, his motions jittery. He turned his head and looked at Sean, who had also raised his gun. “Hello, son.” His voice was ragged.
“Matt,” Sean said. “You’re in control now, right?” Adam could hear the hope in his voice.
Matt’s eyes rolled, flashed, and then glittered with hatred. His face hardened, his mouth twisted cruelly. “Fucking Sentinel,” he hissed, raising the gun toward Adam. He moved back, stepping on Susan’s grave. “I’m stronger than him, thanks to Belial. He can never hold on for long. I’m in charge here.”
Adam tightened his finger on the trigger. “Matt, you have to fight this thing. Gain control of it.”
Matt’s eyes flickered, but they still mirrored insanity. “That won’t work, Sanctioned. And in case you’re thinking of shooting me”—he swung the gun toward Sean—“it will be a two for one. Me and a cursed Sentinel.”
Adam hesitated, and the Belian laughed. “Fucking idiots, always trying to preserve life. I’ve got news for you—blood is life. Blood is power, and eternity. The ultimate offering to Belial.”
“Who is a petty, powerless being playing at being God,” Adam said.
The Belian hissed in fury, pulled the trigger. Adam sent a mental jolt just as it fired, forcing its arm to jerk upward, and the shot went wild. Anticipating, Sean had dropped to the ground and rolled. He came up as Adam deliberately shot the Belian in the right arm. It howled, dropping the gun. Blood flowed from the wound. Adam hoped the pain would weaken it.
“Matt, come back to us,” Sean said. “I’ve already lost Susan. I can’t lose you, too.”
“Susan.” Matt shook his head, sanity returning to his eyes. His face twisting with grief, he looked back at the marker. “Susan . . . she’s gone. Dead.” His shoulders shook. “It’s time for me to join her.”
“Sean needs you,” Adam said. “We need you. You’re one of our best Sentinels.”
“I can’t control this-this thing very long.” Matt turned back, tears making streaks on his ravaged face. In a super-fast blur, he swept the gun off the ground with his left hand. He pointed it at his head. “I have to end it now, while I can.”
“No!” Sean gasped.
Adam forced himself to remain utterly calm and impassive. He couldn’t let emotion cloud his mind at this crucial time. “Don’t do it, Matt. There might be another way.”
Matt’s eyes flickered again, and he staggered backward, into the marker. He gasped and started shaking. His arm sagged partway down.
“Matt! Stay with us,” Adam said, taking a step closer. “That’s an order.”
“No!” Matt jolted forward, bringing the gun back up. “You don’t know what I’ve done. Don’t know . . . the awful things.” He shuddered, more tears slipping down his face. “I’ll burn on Saturn for eternity for those horrible things, for all those innocent souls.”
“You didn’t kill those people,” Adam told him. “The Belian did. It’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is.” Matt’s expression was tormented. “I got weak, let it in. I didn’t stop it, even though I knew . . . By The One, I knew what it was doing.” He put the gun against his temple.
“Matt, no!” Sean pleaded.
Matt sent him an anguished look. “Good-bye, son.” He closed his eyes, fingered the trigger.
Adam gave another mental shove, jerking Matt’s arm downward just as the gun discharged. The bullet tore into his upper chest. Red bloomed though his soiled jacket. He stood there a moment, swaying, a stunned look on his face. Then he collapsed on Susan’s grave.
Sean started forward, but Adam moved to stop him. “Wait.”
Sean tried to shake off his hand. “Let me go, man. He’s injured!”
“We have to cast out the Belian. You know that.”
“But if the body dies, Matt dies with it,” Sean said fiercely.
“Then we have to move fast. Don’t forget that Matt would want this,” Adam reminded him. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Julia and Miriam rushing toward them.
“Why are you just standing there?” Julia demanded as she came up. She started past him toward Matt. “Aren’t we going to help him?”
Adam stopped her with his other hand. “I’m going to do everything I can for him,” he said, hoping it would be enough. “But we have to let the body start shutting down, or we won’t be able to shake loose the Belian soul. I want you to call 9-1-1 and tell them there’s been a shooting and we need an ambulance.”
He turned to Miriam. “Help me watch the aura around Matt.” He could see auras, but he needed to give all his attention to the Belian expulsion and hopefully, healing Matt.
She nodded, glanced at Matt. “Right now, his aura still has some color, but it’s turning gray.”
He’d seen that, knew the body was declining. “Good. Keep watching.” He looked at Sean, who was staring at Matt with a devastated expression. “Let me do my job,” he said. “Then be ready to apply first aid.”
He stepped closer to Matt. Closing his eyes, he held out his hands, palms up. He began the intonation to put a psychic barrier around the body and summon the High Sanctioned. The air around him began vibrating.
“The aura is almost completely gray now,” Miriam said. “I see some black.”
The body was shutting down. Hang on, Matt, Adam thought, continuing the chant. He drew energy from the Earth to form a brilliant circle of light.
“Oh, wow,” Miriam said. “There’s a very bright light around the body.”
Adam didn’t need to open his eyes; he could see everything that was happening in his mind. Four starbursts appeared in the light circle—High Sanctioned beings, there to take the Belian soul to Saturn.
“More light,” Miriam said. “Like four stars, or something. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Adam continued chanting to hold the light circle. Hissing, the Belian burst from the body, a black distorted form.
“What the hell is that black thing?” Miriam gasped.
Sean said something to her, but Adam tuned them out. The Belian was evading the High Sanctioned, was pummeling the light circle that contained it. The circle wavered, something that had never happened to Adam. He mentally dug in harder, kept chanting.
The black form screamed and slithered away from the High Sanctioned. It pounded the circle again, creating a crack. It was obviously still tapping into Matt’s power, and was pushing the limits of Adam’s power. He felt the energy weakening, and knew he was about to lose the circle—and the Belian.
He needed help. Julia. Her energy had boosted his when he’d been injured.
He reached his left hand behind him. “Julia, I need you, now. Give me your right hand.”
She didn’t hesitate or question. He felt her fingers curl around his, mentally saw the flash of indigo and sensed the third-eye link clicking into place. Then her energy was flowing through him. It was like a current had been turned on, as new power surged into the circle and strengthened it.
He started the last part of the intonation in the ancient Atlantian language: Be thou removed from this plane of existence. Be thou restricted to Saturn, to be purified by the flame of the Karmic Initiator. Be thou to remain there until thou recognizes The Light, The Truth, The One. Then shalt thou return to do penance.
The reinforced circle held. The Belian howled as the four luminous beings pinned it. Then it was gone, transported to Saturn, the High Sanctioned vanishing with it. Adam let the circle dissipate.
“All the light is gone, and so is that black thing,” Miriam reported. “The aura is gray again, but the black edges are getting more pronounced.”
“Sean, start working on him now!” Adam dropped down beside Matt, started channeling energy into him. “Stay with me, Matt,” he said, sending his will into Matt’s mind. “Don’t leave us. Stay.”
Across from him, both Sean and Miriam were applying pressure to the arm and chest wounds, using Sean’s shirt and her sweater. Adam felt a movement beside him, glanced over to see Julia kneeling awkwardly by Matt’s head. She leaned close to his ear and spoke to him.
“Matt, Sean needs you. He’s still young, and he respects and loves you. You have to stay here, for him. He. Needs. You. You can’t leave, do you hear me?” She reached out and stroked his matted hair. “I know you’re in pain, and you’re grieving. But Susan would want you to remain here. Your work isn’t done yet. Stay, Matt. Stay, and I’ll help you annoy the hell out of Adam.”
Matt suddenly stirred and groaned.
“The black is leaving his aura,” Miriam said. “Some of the color is returning. I think he’s better.”
Adam heard sirens in the distance and knew help was coming. He kept channeling the energy. It appeared Matt was going to make it.
IT was over—in more ways than one. The Belian soul had been sent to Saturn, a phenomenon she’d been able to see once she linked with Adam. That was something she wouldn’t soon forget, like a scene from a supernatural movie, one that was both creepy and mind-boggling.
Matt had survived. He would be all right. And so would she, Julia thought, as she let herself into the hotel suite. She and Matt had a lot in common, both survivors with more than their fair share of emotional baggage.
They’d spent hours at the hospital, waiting for Matt to get through surgery and answering questions for the police.
Adam had been able to convince authorities that Matt had been looking for the individual responsible for his wife’s murder and had followed leads that took him to SeaWorld, but that he hadn’t been involved in the mass shootings there. However, he had become distraught when he believed Adam was trying to interfere and had fought with Adam by the stadium. Tonight, when he attempted suicide at his wife’s grave, Adam shot him in the arm to stop him, causing the self-inflicted chest wound.
Since the evidence bore out Adam’s information, and since he did a little “mind-bending” while he was talking to the officers, they accepted the story. Another one of those creepy/boggling scenarios.
After the police left, the four of them continued waiting while Matt was in recovery; then Sean and Adam saw him briefly. He was finally moved to a room, and the men were going to remain with him for a while, so Julia and Miriam called it a night and returned to the hotel.
It was past three thirty on Thursday morning when Julia entered the suite. Utterly exhausted, she crawled into bed without bothering to change. She was up at ten. Adam hadn’t returned yet, which was fine with her. She took a quick shower and got dressed.
Then she turned on her laptop and sent Adam an e-mail, telling him she was returning to Houston. It was impersonal and cowardly, but it was the cleanest way to say good-bye. It was time for her to deal with reality and get on with her life—one that couldn’t possibly include him. If she thought otherwise, she was either stupid or delusional, and she was neither.
She also sent an e-mail to Tami Lang in the university math department, informing her she would be in tomorrow to teach her numbers theory course. Then she called a sleepy Miriam and told her she was leaving. Since Miriam had her car in San Antonio, she was driving back later.
That done, Julia packed her things and called the desk for a bellhop. Downstairs, she got a taxi to take her to the rescheduled lunch meeting with Dr. Curtis. She’d have to carry her luggage into the restaurant with her, because as soon as the meeting was over, she was going directly to the airport and taking a flight to Houston.
Then, at some point, she’d have to deal with William Bennett. Maybe that would distract her from missing Adam so damned much.
NINETEEN
MIRIAM didn’t wake up until almost three in the afternoon on Thursday. She felt sore and groggy, but became more alert when she remembered the Belian had been vanquished. That had been rather cool, actually—another weird quirk in the fabric known as reality. If ordinary people knew how much strange stuff went on in the Universe, they’d probably never leave their homes.
A shower eased her aching muscles. She decided to forego the makeup and hair products and go au natural until she went back to the hospital. In comfortable jeans and a sweater, she padded barefoot into the living area. Sean’s leather jacket was thrown on the couch; his wallet and key card were on the coffee table, so he’d obviously returned while she’d been asleep. His bedroom door was closed.
Stifling a yawn, Miriam went to the dining area and made herself a cup of tea. Figuring Sean would be up soon, she started a pot of coffee. She powered up her laptop on the table and checked her e-mail while the coffeemaker hissed and sizzled and the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air.
She’d just made herself a second cup of tea and returned to the table when Sean’s door opened. He ambled out, holding his cell phone to his ear. His hair was damp and combed back, and he wore only a pair of faded, low-riding jeans. A gold cross and chain glinted on his muscular chest. Oh, my. She was a sucker for crosses and sexy male chests, especially when they tapered down to ripped abs and a trim waist.
“You’re sure he’s doing okay?” Sean asked. “Not in any pain?” He went to the coffeemaker, displaying some very impressive biceps as he poured a cup. “All right. I’ll be there in a while. Do I need to bring anything, some clothes for him?” He listened a minute, nodded. “Will do.”
He closed the phone, looked at Miriam. “Hey.”
She forced her gaze away from his body. “Uh . . . hey. How’s Matt?”
“He’s okay. Adam said he’s awake and alert, has minimal pain.” He pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. “The collapsed lung slowed down the recovery, but he should be able to come home this weekend.”
“I’m so glad to hear it.” She sipped her tea, realized he was staring at her. She lowered her cup. “What? Is something else wrong?”
“Nothing, but . . . you. Your hair isn’t spiked. You don’t have on any makeup.”
Self-consciously, she raised a hand to her face. “I’ll fix it before we go to the hospital.”
“No, I like it.” He reached out, touched her head. “Your hair is so soft. Your eyes look larger, and very green.” He dropped his hand. “You look . . . really pretty.”
A shiver went through her. Wasn’t this a kick? He liked the way she looked without enhancements, and she liked—really liked—the way he looked without a shirt.
“Uh, thank you.” She took another sip of tea. “So, how are you doing? This had to be tough on you.”
His face took on a shuttered expression. “I’m fine.” He wrapped his hands around his mug, stared down at it. “I’m handling it.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to pry into your psyche
or anything like that.” She placed her hand on his arm. His skin was warm. “It’s just that I’m really close to my folks, and I can’t imagine how it would feel to lose one, and then face losing the other. I guess you think of Matt and Susan as your parents.”
He nodded and looked at her, and she saw the raw emotions in his eyes. “Yeah, they were the parents I never had. My biological mother—well, let’s just say her next fix was a hell of a lot more important than feeding me. But Matt and Susan took me in, showed me what a real family is like. Susan—God, I miss her.” His face crumbled with grief, and he looked away for a moment, worked to compose himself.
Miriam slid her hand along his arm and placed it over his clenched fist. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“No, it’s fine.” He shrugged, turned back to face her. Moisture sparkled in his eyes. She wanted to tell him it was okay to cry, but she wasn’t his shrink.
“My past isn’t a secret,” he said. “Besides, you and me, we’ve shared a lot—reading auras and Tarot cards, quality time listening to police scanners, tracking Belians, and some impressive first-aid maneuvers.”
“Not to mention me throwing up on a regular basis.”
He grinned, flashing those killer dimples. “Yeah, there’s that.”
The sadness around him eased, and the room seemed to grow brighter. He opened his fist, flattened his palm against hers. A current spiked and arced between them, vibrating with energy and strong physical attraction. They stared at each other.
“You have a great mouth,” Sean murmured.
He had a great everything. “So do you.” This is one of those moments, Miriam thought, where you know exactly what’s going to happen next, and there is no stopping it. Not that she wanted to.
Anticipation hummed between them as they leaned toward one another, as their mouths hovered mere molecules apart and time seemed to stand still. Until finally, finally, their lips came together. And the wow factor practically knocked her out of the chair.
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