“Small problem,” Will said with a grimace. “We don’t have a clue where Jake is.”
“So we focus on what we do know. We know the Cavallo took him. Then Alex took Jake from them and went to Montana. The next time we saw Alex was days later in South Dakota and we learned from Kramer that Jake was no longer with Alex.”
“So either Alex gave him to someone or they stole him from Alex.”
“And you don’t think Emma has him?”
Her cries still echoed in his head. “No.”
“We need to figure out who else has a motive, and our best source is Emma.”
Will’s breath hitched in his throat. “You’re saying we should find her? You think she’s going to agree to getting her son back and then turn him over to Alex?”
“No, I have no intention of finding her. Even if I did, I don’t have a fucking clue where she is. But she might have left clues when she was with you. We backtrack and retrace your steps with her.”
“How can we do that when I can’t remember any of it?”
“We focus on what we know. I know you were at the compound with her. And while you were there you saw the book, which we went back and stole.”
Will nodded. “Yeah, that’s good.”
“I know you were in Arizona at some point looking for the boy, but you said he’d been moved, which he had. To Montana. I don’t know what you did after you left Arizona, but you went to your apartment right before you came to see me. We should go to your apartment and see if either of you left any clues there.”
Home. He released an exhale of relief. Finally, something solid from his past to latch on to.
***
“It’s a little thing, Emma. Why do you refuse me?” Raphael stood in the backyard with his feet shoulder width apart, hands on his hips.
She blew a strand of hair out of her face. “I’m not refusing, Raphael. I’m trying.”
Raphael’s eyes narrowed as he scanned her up and down. “You look exhausted, my love. I thought you planned to get a good night’s sleep.”
“I did, Raphael.” She lied, which killed her, even if it was a lie to Raphael. She’d stayed out in the pasture half the night learning to focus and control her power. By the time she’d gone to bed, she’d made real progress. Unfortunately, none of her improvements showed today in Raphael’s presence. Which wasn’t surprising after Alex’s revelations.
“Then why can’t you move a stupid log, Emma?”
He’d been ordering her around all morning and afternoon, becoming more and more irritated with her lack of development. Her temper snapped. “Maybe I’m not supposed to move a stupid log, Raphael. Maybe that’s in your job description, not mine.”
He moved next to her before she had a chance to react and threaded his hands through her hair, jerking her toward him. She rose on her tiptoes, crying out before she could stop herself.
Raphael smiled, his eyes filling with perverse pleasure. “We must learn to work together,” he said in a soothing tone, then jerked harder. “Your lack of cooperation is disconcerting, my love.”
She gritted her teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry out.
“I want you to move the log, Emma. It’s such a little thing to ask.”
“I…can’t…” she panted, her scalp screaming in pain.
“You can.”
“You’re earth…I’m…fire…”
He paused, then loosened his hold. “Perhaps you’re right.”
“Let me try…”
His hand dropped, releasing her.
Stumbling backward, she seethed in anger. Her chest burned and a golden glow surrounded her. While biting back her tears, she reached out her hand and shot a mass of energy toward him.
His reaction was delayed half a second and he jumped sideways as he reached for her, making the ground shake.
She struggled to stay upright. “That good enough for you, Raphael?”
He laughed, taking a step toward her. “Looks like someone found herself.”
“You stay the fuck away from me!”
He took another step. “I think you’re ready for the second step.”
Sucking in several short breaths, she watched him, her nerve endings screaming in anticipation. “Stay back.”
“You’ve asked for this, Emma. Don’t you want to learn how to get power from another source?”
She did, but not from him.
He took another step, less than an arm’s reach away. He was too close.
Stretching out her arm, she released her power. He lunged and pushed her arm sideways as a burst of energy shot into the trees, the foliage igniting.
Raphael wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to his chest, leaning into her ear. “Good show, my love. I think you’ve earned a reward.”
Her resolve faded, his presence turning her head fuzzy. She tried to concentrate, to stay out of his control, but his energy overpowered hers, demanding subservience.
“Don’t fight me, Emma.” Keeping her in his arms, he dragged her closer to the house. “Let me show you what we can become.”
Panic flooded her mind as she fought for control, desperate to find a lifeline. Will. His image popped into her head. Thinking of him always helped her keep her grasp on reality. She latched on to her memories of him. Think about Will.
“You can get energy from so many sources, Emma. It’s best to start small and work your way up.” He stopped beneath a power line and smiled. “But time is short so I’ll give you a larger demonstration of what can be yours. Be ours.”
She was losing herself, falling down the rabbit hole.
His arm dropped and she stepped back in surprise as her senses returned. Her anger, which bobbed below the surface of her control, ignited.
Raphael leaned closer. “Good, Emma. Very good. Let it build, let it boil.”
Her anger grew, her insides a raging mass of energy. She would kill him.
“What do you use to make your power? What’s your source? Tell me.”
The pressure crushed her internal organs. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could last.
“Do you know what would happen if I touched you right now when you’re full of power?”
She shook her head, her eyes wide with fear. Would she join with him? “No!”
“If I let my power build to match yours…” His eyes glowed and a green light encased him. “If we joined together, we could be indestructible.”
Panic clawed at the surface of her consciousness. “Will!” But Will was gone. The only one who could save her was herself. “No.”
Raphael’s eyes danced. “It would be magic.”
She pushed her power toward him, but the flow stopped when his hand touched her arm.
Raphael pulled her to his chest, wrapping an arm around her back. A rush of emotion and sensations assaulted her. Hot and cold. Pain and ecstasy. Belonging and loneliness. Terror and anger.
Satisfaction filled his eyes and he grinned. “Do you feel it, Emma?”
She couldn’t answer, paralyzed by the overstimulation.
“And do you know what would happen if we add more power with the two of us united together?”
She couldn’t move, couldn’t think.
“This is what happens if we add more power.”
The sparks flew from the power line overhead, surging through her. Her every nerve ending begged for release.
“And just a little bit more.” He grinned as light bulbs on the outside of the house exploded, a shower of glass raining down around them but avoiding them directly. Their glows filled the space around them, sending strands of sparks and electricity in all directions.
The pain was unbearable. She made a desperate attempt to release the energy, but Raphael’s connection stopped her flow out while adding more from his source. He was going to kill her.
Her body arched back and she began to fall before he pulled her to his chest. “That is only the beginning. If we say the joining words, we
would be unstoppable.”
Was this what he planned to do? Kill her if she didn’t join with him?
“Do you remember the words, darling?”
“No,” she choked out. The burning tears streaming down her cheeks offered a miniscule relief. “I don’t know them.”
The pressure increased, power pinpricking every inch of her skin. “Will!” It was pointless to call for him but she was past rational thought, running on instinct. Her vision fading, Raphael’s face was the last thing she saw as she screamed then passed out from pain.
Chapter Thirteen
“Goddamn son of a bitch piece of shit car.” Will kicked the tire and spun around on the highway shoulder in frustration.
“Yeah, that’s gonna make it start.” James laughed. “Calm your ass down. It’s just overheated. It’ll cool down and then we’ll add water and move on.”
“For the second time today.”
“It’s a motherfucking heat wave and beggars can’t be choosers. It wasn’t like we went car shopping. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t feel like sticking around and testing out all the keys from those creepy dead guys.”
James was right, but Will had been on edge since he’d heard Emma scream his name in his head several hours before. He thought he’d left crazy-ass shit back in South Dakota.
“The forecast is for cooler weather tomorrow with some rain. It might be best to find a motel for the night and start again tomorrow. I’d rather be sitting around on my ass in an air-conditioned motel than sitting in the godforsaken heat on the side of the road.”
Will grunted his approval, not that he had much choice in the matter. James was right again, but Will had a sudden urge to be home, to make contact with something familiar. His apartment could wait until tomorrow night.
Once they added the water to the radiator, they headed to the nearest town and checked into a motel. After an early dinner, James researched on his laptop while Will sprawled on the bed and watched a baseball game.
His eyelids grew heavy and he fought to keep awake before everything faded to black. He plunged into total darkness before a voice called out to him.
“Will.”
It wasn’t Emma and it wasn’t the voice in his head at the compound. This was a child’s voice.
A soft light filled the darkness and the scene became an outdoor garden overlooking a vineyard. A child with curly blond hair sat on an ornate concrete bench, staring at the view. “Sit with me, Will.”
Nerves tingling, Will took the few steps to the bench and hesitated.
A little boy looked up, his big blue eyes too serious for a child his age. “We have to hurry before he finds out.”
Will sat. The concrete beneath his ass felt more real than any dream he’d ever had.
The boy’s mouth pursed. “This isn’t a dream. You have to listen to me.”
“Okay.” Will’s voice shook. Get it together.
The boy turned back to the view, his small hands twisting in his lap. Tears filled his eyes. “He’s killing her.”
“Killing who?”
“Mommy.”
Will’s mind scrambled to piece this all together. Who was this boy and who was his mother? Even as he asked, he knew. His stomach plummeted.
Emma. This had to be Jake.
“He’s doing it wrong. He’s killing her.”
Will’s breath froze. “Who’s killing her?”
Tears slid down Jake’s cheeks. “I heard her in my head when she screamed for you.”
Holy shit. That was real.
No it wasn’t. This was just a dream.
With a scowl wrinkling his forehead, Jake’s chin quivered. “I think she’s still dying.” He looked up, his huge blue eyes holding Will’s. “Will you make sure she’s okay?”
Will choked on his fear. “I…how…”
“Through your dreams. You can find her and then tell me. But we can only do this once. Aiden will find it out and I won’t be able to try it again.”
She was dying. But if this was a dream or even if it wasn’t, how could he save her?
“Tell me what to do.”
“Close your eyes and think about her. Do you feel her?”
Will’s eyes sank closed as he thought about how crazy this was, but it wasn’t any crazier than what he experienced in captivity. Besides, he had nothing to lose by trying. He focused on her and the dream that had felt so real two nights ago.
Her warmth washed over him, then her faint floral scent. His pulse picked up. “I think I’ve found her.”
“Call to her.” Jake said.
“Emma. Emma, it’s Will.” Nothing. “She won’t answer.”
“I don’t think she can.” Jake’s voice broke and he sniffed.
A small hand slid onto Will’s outstretched palm. His fingers curled around the smaller ones.
“Now push through the darkness toward her.”
The black surroundings were a thick fog. Will shoved through, concentrating on her while maintaining his grip on Jake’s hand. A soft light appeared and then a room. It was a bedroom, and a woman lay on the bed. She appeared to be sleeping, but a heavy pall hung in the air.
“Do you see her?”
Her long dark hair was a sharp contrast to her overly pale face. Will watched the shallow rise and fall of her chest. “Yes, but something’s wrong.”
Jake squeezed Will’s hand. “You can help her.”
“How?”
“Just touch her.”
Will sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his free one.
She lay still and unresponsive.
Anger burned through Will like a wildfire. “What did he do?”
“He wants her power.”
Emma’s fingers wiggled in Will’s hand and she released a sigh. Her eyelashes fluttered open. “Will?” Her voice broke.
“She’s awake,” Will whispered, and Jake squeezed his other hand, his nails digging into Will’s palm.
Emma’s eyes glistened. “I miss you.”
And then she was gone.
***
She woke with a start. “Will!”
Disappointment sucked her breath away when she realized she was alone in the dark. Her dream had felt so real, that Will had really held her hand.
“You’re still dreaming of him.”
Her head whipped around to the voice. Raphael sat in the chair in the corner, his face hidden in the shadows.
Her disappointment increased and fear rolled down her back. She forced her words to sound firm. “What are you doing here?”
He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. The moonlight streaming through the windows cast long shadows across his face. “I was worried about you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Okay? She was far from okay. Terrorized and traumatized, she wanted to bury her head into her pillow and sob, but she refused to give him the satisfaction. “You almost killed me, Raphael.”
He stood and inhaled a deep breath. “I know… I don’t know what I was thinking.” He grabbed his head in his hands. “Your progress has been so slow and I’ve been so frustrated.” Pivoting, he looked down at her, his eyes wild. “I’m pinning everything on you. My entire existence. I was sure you were hindering your progress to get back at me.”
“That’s crazy. Why would I want to get back at you?”
His mouth opened and closed before he pinched his lips. “You blamed me for everything. Losing Will. Losing your baby. I figured this was retaliation.”
She hated him for those things, but that wasn’t what kept her from progressing. “No, Raphael. You’ve pushed too hard and made me too nervous. You scare me.”
He moved to the bed and sat next to her, reaching for her hand then stopping himself.
She held her breath. She couldn’t do this again so soon.
Silhouetted in the moonlight, his face was unreadable, but she smelled the alcohol on his breath. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I think I just need a good night
’s sleep. Tomorrow I’ll be better.”
“But you keep saying that, Emma, and it just doesn’t happen.” The sharp edge was back in his voice.
She released a tiny exhale of fear before she could contain it. “I’m trying my best, Raphael.”
“Your best hasn’t been good enough, Emma.”
“Raphael, please.” Her voice broke. She was so fucking tired of being at his mercy, but she couldn’t fight him. Only one person could.
His hand reached for her hair and stroked lightly. “I’m sorry, Emmanuella. I’m sorry.” He leaned forward and buried his face in her neck.
“No.”
“Shh, Emmanuella. I’m so sorry, I’ve hurt you again.” He pulled her head to his shoulder, stroking the back of her hair. “I love you, Emmanuella. I don’t want to hurt you.”
His touch made her lightheaded, but she was prepared. She pushed against his chest. “No!”
He pulled her mouth to his, his lips bruising hers in his desperation. Wrapping an arm around her back, he held her to him.
She was drowning, spiraling down into her pit of abandon. If he took complete control of her, she might as well be dead.
Fight.
The word floated in the void and she latched on to it. Fight. She couldn’t give up.
One hand held her hair while the other held her against him. Fight him. She searched for her power, finding a small spark. The hand on her back reached under her shirt, fueling her anger. She sent her power through her hands into his chest, only slightly stronger than a strong spark of static electricity.
He sat back in surprise, his hands falling to his sides. His head turned so the moonlight lit one side of his face, revealing his eyes wide in confusion.
“Raphael, please go. Don’t do this. Don’t make me hate you.” If she appealed to his need for her to love him, he might leave her alone.
His mouth twisted. “Do you hate me, Emma?”
It was a trick question. She couldn’t tell him yes, yet she refused to encourage him. “I’m tired, Raphael. I almost died and I’m just so tired.” Her voice betrayed her again, revealing her fear.
He reached for her and she shrunk back.
Sacrifice Page 12