Nikki's face faded into the darkness. `Blessing for you all.'
`Damn it.' Mullet lent against the railing of the Monarch. `Bloody bladder.' He whistled as he emptied it. `What the—?'
The Monarch rocked, making him grab the railing with both hands. `Son of a gun. Waterspouts! Goddamn monster, freaking waterspouts!' He fumbled with his fly as the boat lurched again.
The radio crackled. `Monarch, Monarch, do you copy, over?'
He staggered into the cabin, watching the waterspouts roar past, grabbing the radio. `Jesus Christ, boss. This is the Monarch.'
`Monarch, Monarch, what's going on over there? The weather satellites just went freaking nuts. There's a tsunami and severe weather alert but the radar isn't working.'
`That's a copy on the damn waterspouts. Two big sons of bitches just came out of nowhere.' Mullet fell into the captain's chair as the Monarch lurched again. `And they're hanging around. Damn it, here they come again.' Mullet strapped himself into the chair as the waterspouts raced across the water. `Sweet Jesus, they're huge' He craned his neck, looking up as they passed by.
`Monarch, Monarch. Goddamn it, are you there?'
`Still here,' Mullet yelled, watching as the waterspouts stopped moving. `It's freaking weird. They're just off the bow. Not moving.'
`Mullet, get Monarch the hell out of there!'
`Aye, aye, boss. Oh, shit.' His fingers froze over the engine's preheat buttons.
`Mullet. You there?'
`Nope,' he whispered. Mullet switched the radio off. The waterspouts had vanished and a tall woman covered in silver lines stood on his deck. He reached for the deck lights switch and she vanished.
`Mason needs your help.' Words echoed from behind him.
He didn't move. Hair stiffened on his neck. A long hand rested on his arm. `You'd be one of them, then?'
`Yes.' Her breath brushed cool against his ear. `You owe him, the Douglas, a blood debt.' She squeezed his arm. `Leave your weapon where it is.'
Mullet eased his hand away from the hidden knife.
She moved to stand beside him. `You don't react like other humans do when they see me.'
He looked up into a lopsided smile that wasn't comforting.
`Very few reach for a weapon.' She touched the stumps of his missing fingers, making his skin tingle. `You're a gifted storyteller. Many hear you. None would really understand how close to the truth those stories are, particularly the story about Mason.'
`Sometimes the truth is unbelievable.' He flexed his hand, the stumps still tingling. `No one could do what he did, no one.'
`Hmm. He was strong even before?'
Mullet finally had the strength to pull his arm away from her. `Before hell rained down all the shit it could find on him and his family?'
`Yes. And now he needs your help. See,' She pointed to the bow of the Monarch, now linked to the beach by an ice bridge. Three women were lifting a body on board.
`Mason.'
More women ran towards the Monarch, carrying more bodies.
`Damn it. Ruth. And Wilson? What did you do to them?' His hand itched for his knife.
`Nothing.' She looked down at him. `We're not the ones who have harmed him and his family. Take us back to the mainland.'
He looked right into her eyes. Mason had said that if he met one of the dark ones, he would know. He needed to know.
`Cold, hard, evil things that kill for fun he called the dark ones.' He touched her hand. `He never mentioned anything like you.'
`He only met us today.' She didn't pull away from his touch.
He watched as Wilson was carried on deck. `The fact I'm still alive probably proves you're not one of them. What happened?' He blinked in surprise as she sighed and patted his shoulder.
`We're not sure. As Mason might say, some weird shit went down tonight.'
`That's Mason for you.' He leaned forward. `Get your people to hang on. We're leaving.' The anchor winch hummed into life and he reached for the prestart buttons.
`Hmm.' Her lips brushed his cheek and Mullet swallowed hard. `Mason seems to make good friends.'
`Damn right.' He looked up but she had gone; just the sensation of her kiss remained. Mullet shook his head and started the twin diesel motors of the Monarch. He checked the front lower deck was clear as the anchor seated in its cradle. `Coming about!' he yelled out of habit as he manoeuvred the Monarch around so her bow faced towards the mainland.
`Welcome aboard the Monarch,' he said with a grin into Monarch's on-board announcement system. `People, hold onto your hats 'cause the Monarch is about to depart, Douglas-style.'
Mullet drove the dual throttles flat onto the helm. Huge motors roared into life, thrusting him back into the chair.
`Welcome back, Mason, you crazy bastard!'
CHAPTER 13
Max stood watching the Douglas Special Forces men go through their weapons drill. It helped him relax. The flight seemed to be taking far too long.
`Sir?'
`What is it?' Max glanced at the co-pilot beside him.
`The direct line has a call, sir.' He glanced at the phone on the bulkhead of the jet.
Max caught the slight sheen and loss of colour in the co-pilot's face. `You okay?'
`It's an unauthorised caller, sir.' He swallowed and wiped his face with a hand. `But she was very clear on what would happen if you do not take the call, sir.'
`She?' Only Sir Robert and Mason could make contact through that phone. Max strode over to the bulkhead, then hesitated. `It wasn't Ruth Douglas, was it?'
`No, sir.'
Max picked up. `Identify yourself.'
`Maxwell Henderson?'
He swallowed. Her tone was sharp but he had heard the power in it. An Unnatural. `Identify yourself.'
`Are you the one Mason Douglas trusts with his life?'
`What have you done to him?' He sat down, activating his laptop. Something must have happened on the island. Damn it.
`You are correct.'
`What?'
`Something did happen on the island.'
Max went cold. `Who are you?'
`Are you Maxwell Henderson?'
He took a slow breath. `Yes, but you already know that.'
Max could hear her breathing into the phone. `I am Eleanor Darkells.'
`I do not know you or that name.' Max typed her name into his laptop, searching the Fund's database.
`That is correct. Nor will you find it in the database you're searching right now.'
Max closed the laptop. She was right. The search showed no name. `You seem to know a lot about me.'
`Mason and his family have been hurt and they are coming here to my home.'
`What?'
`This is why I have called you, Maxwell. I know what you and the Fund are capable of. We are not the Bloodells.'
`And you expect me to believe that?'
`Yes.' The word sizzled down the line.
Max flinched. His head hurt. This was no ordinary Unnatural. `You did something then, to me?'
`Yes, so you will listen and understand, boy. I am nothing like the things you hunted in London.' Her voice dropped and cold crept from the handset into his body. `I am the reason there are no Bloodells in Australia.'
Max struggled to breathe. His breath fogged before him. `If you act against my kind, or my home, you will not survive. Are we clear, Maxwell?'
Air flooded into his lungs and his own anger warmed him. `You have no idea of what we are capable of. If you have harmed the Douglas family then no mind games will save you.'
`We have not harmed them. My own children have been hurt as well.'
Her tone had changed. He frowned. Children? But he couldn't afford to be curious. Mason and Ruth and Wilson were his priority. `Where are they?'
`You're tracing this call. Here we will be. You are invited to come and see for yourself, but remember we can defend ourselves, Maxwell. Send your men to watch over them, but do not act against us.'
`Whatever.' He opened
the laptop, connecting to the Sydney offices. `What happened to them? How bad are the injuries? '
After a time she replied, concern echoing in her words. `We're not sure what happened.'
Max stopped moving. `What about the injuries? Ruth and Wilson?'
`They have no physical injuries. Mason will heal. My daughters…'
Max strained to hear her. `What? What daughters? What the hell happened?'
`I will be expecting you, Maxwell. Goodbye.'
Max stared at the phone.
`Orders, Sir?'
He looked up. The squad leader stood watching him.
Eleanor was no Bloodells, he was sure of it. Still, everything felt wrong about her. `The Douglas family have been hurt and a, ah, family of unknown Unnatural origins has them.'
`Hostages?'
`Not sure, but we will not engage. I need to assess the situation first.'
`Understood, sir.' He hesitated. `And if it is a hostage situation, then what?'
Max sat back. `Then we recover and cleanse.'
Tashia braced herself.
`Get out of the way!' Miekia yelled, punching the horn on the steering wheel.
`Please,' Tashia begged, closing one eye, as they weaved through the traffic. Miekia's driving made her uncomfortable. `We don't want to attract any more attention so close to home.'
`It's a bit late for that, Tash.' Miekia bullied her way past another car, using the bulk of her SUV to make room. `We're carrying the entire Douglas family, unconscious. The Fund no doubt thinks we've taken them hostage. A convoy of cars is following us. None of them seem to understand the concept of keeping a reasonable distance.'
She swerved around a slower car and Tashia took a deep, calming breath as they accelerated. Miekia glanced in the rear-view mirror. `Most concerning of all, whatever is happening to them keeps seeping out and covering the SUV in static energy. So we're in a glowing truck, with a convoy, most likely being hunted down by the Douglas Fund with orders to kill us on sight. Which part of that says slow down?'
`Hmm.' Tashia reached over and touched Renee, who huddled against Mason. Ruth and Nikki clung to each other. `They're still unconscious and there has been no sign of the Fund.' Tashia smiled at Renee's grip on Mason's arm. So possessive.
`Oh fuck, fuck, fuck. Look. Coming up fast on either side.'
Tashia's focus snapped up as Miekia's fear filled the cabin.
Miekia gunned the SUV to its limit.
`Slow down, girl.' Tashia touched her arm. `I don't think they're going to try and stop us.' She watched two armoured vehicles push their way through the traffic behind them.
`You're kidding, right? Look at those things. They're not out for a Sunday drive.'
`Exactly — yet here we are, still moving.' Tashia focused on the closest vehicle, trying to sense the men inside. She felt nothing. Shielded.
`Only two of them?' Miekia's fear wavered.
`Yes.' Tashia searched with her gift but found only frightened Darkells. No other vehicles stood out to her.
`What the hell are they doing, then?'
`Slow down and we will see.'
`Are you crazy?'
`Yes.' Tashia turned to her, touching the fear lines on her face with a finger. `Slow down and watch.'
Miekia eased the SUV back.
Tashia nodded as the armoured vehicles dropped back. `See? They're here to follow only.'
`But they'll follow to the House of Eleanor. She will be discovered.'
`Eleanor would be expecting it, Miekia.' Tashia winked at her. `The priestess will be prepared for our guests.'
Miekia slowed further and indicated to exit the freeway. `It's just so odd, everything that's happened, and now we're leading them in.'
`Hmm. It will be the same for them and for the Douglas family, little one.' Tashia squeezed her leg. `Both families will struggle to accept each other. Now, where is that remote thing?' She recognised the area, they were close to the house.
`Glove box. I don't believe you remembered what it was called.' Miekia's tone lightened as Tashia dug around for the remote.
`Do not make fun,' she muttered, finding the security gate remote.
`Wait until we can see the estate before activating it.' Miekia looked around as they headed down a residential street. `Don't want to risk having any of the Fund people entering before we get there.'
`Hmm.' Tashia eyed the cars parked along the street and sensed the many eyes watching them. `If they wanted to do so it would have happened already.' She pressed the remote button.
`Just once, Tash,' Miekia said, slowing down. `Otherwise it will not open.'
`I remember, little one.' Tashia raised an eyebrow, then movement outside drew her attention. `They knew we were coming, Miekia.' Men stood watching in the street. `They are already here, waiting.'
`Goddess,' Miekia said, looking in her rear-view mirror as they drove up the estate driveway.
Tashia looked back at Mason slumped against Renee. `Soldiers. Awaiting orders.'
She scanned the faces at the gate. All had the same look. She had seen men with that look before, on the battlefields of centuries ago. Men who didn't fight for money or glory, but for something they believed in.
`You all right, Tash?'
`Yes.' She turned to face the expansive house looming in front of them. `Just making sure none followed us through the gate.' Tashia didn't like the lie. It soured in her mouth. The Douglas clan soldiers had no intention to follow.
`You sure? You look rattled.'
`Stop worrying about me and let's get everyone inside.' Tashia smiled for Miekia, pushing away old memories of soldiers like the ones at the gate, dangerous men who believed in a cause and would kill for it or die trying.
Eleanor stood, watching.
The men of the Douglas Fund had scattered on the streets around her estate, waiting.
`There are a lot of them.' The voice was uncertain, reminding her that while he may have grown older, he was still only a boy when it came to the ways of the world.
`Yes.' She didn't look away from the driveway below. `More will come.' She felt him move closer, his body heat building.
`I… We cannot help you if they—'
`It will not come to that, Ralph.' She touched his arm and flinched at the intensity of his warmth. `You're not here to fight, but to help.'
`You've never asked me to come here before.' He moved away from her, fists clenching and unclenching. `This is about Renee, isn't it? Something has happened to her?'
`You're right.' Her breath caught at the sight of Miekia's SUV approaching the front gate. Her daughters were nearly home.
Ralph moved closer to the edge of the rooftop turret. `What are they doing here?' He pointed to the armoured vehicles following Miekia's convoy.
`An insurance policy, I believe.' The gates opened but none of the men moved. The armoured vehicles remained stationed at the gate after it closed behind the string of vehicles.
She turned, touching his arm again. `I need you to be yourself today and not let the past cloud your mind. Can you do that for me? For Renee?' She waited, looking up at him, watching him process the request into a frown. `Can you be that scruffy surfer boy who appeared in my house years ago?'
He shrugged but she saw humour reach his eyes. The memory had worked. `I didn't just appear. Renee invited me over.'
`Yes, good. Let's move.' Eleanor didn't wait, shifting down the stairs. She opened the huge front doors as Miekia's SUV stopped at the steps. Cold fingers of fear touched at her when Tashia climbed out of the SUV.
`We have them.' Tashia looked odd, unsettled. `His men did not follow, but—'
`They will wait.' Eleanor opened the passenger door. Her hands shook as she reached in for Nikki. `My child.' She unclipped Nikki, lifting her out of the SUV. Eleanor studied her closely and then looked to her youngest daughter.
`They are all like this,' Tashia said waving the other cars in the driveway to go around the back. `Renee is a challenge. She can be
unruly, even when unconscious, if she is separated from him. And she is more than she was.'
`Let me help.'
Eleanor stepped back, surprised. `Ivy?' It had been decades since they had spoken. And to see her now so... soiled.
`Hello Eleanor,' Ivy said, rubbing at her eyes. `Yes, I'm tired. Yes, I'm dirty and yes, we once again have a treaty between our houses, thanks to Nikki.'
Ivy nodded at two young girls who joined her. `And this is Rose and Lilly. We're here to help.'
`Take the boy,' Tashia ordered the girls as she opened the rear of the SUV. Eleanor blinked as Rose and Lilly's faces lit up. Then they manhandled a tall, good-looking young man out of the SUV. Wilson, she supposed. The girls were bloodied and dirty but oddly excited.
`Don't ask,' Ivy muttered as she took Ruth from Tashia's arms. `The island was an initiation unlike one I've seen before.'
`Hmm, yes,' Tashia said, and opened the other side door. `Much has happened but we must get everyone inside before we speak of it. Miekia, you will have to take Renee, and I will handle Mason.'
`I'll take Renee.'
Eleanor fixed her eyes on Ralph while Tashia rounded on him.
`What are you doing here?' she hissed.
Ralph's jaw clenched and Eleanor wondered if he would stay the surfer boy.
`I was invited,' he said. `To help.'
`We don't need your help.' Tashia stood across the SUV door, arms crossed.
Eleanor said nothing, thinking that old wounds needed to heal without her help.
`Stop it,' Miekia pulled at Tashia's arm. `Ralph's okay, you know that. Besides, he might be able to lift Mason.'
`Who's Mason?' Ralph peered around Tashia into the SUV. `Renee!' He stepped closer and Tashia made a warning sound.
Miekia pulled her aside. `Let him help, Tash! Let the past be past. We need to get them inside.'
`Jesus, Renee,' Ralph reached in to touch her. `Oh, shit!' He backpedalled, gagging, and Eleanor felt everyone tense.
`We'll go inside.' Ivy bumped her and glanced at the Flowers girls standing wide-eyed as they held Wilson.
`Upstairs to the healing rooms.'
`I remember.' Ivy moved off with the girls following.
`What's wrong?' Miekia let Tashia go and looked into the SUV.
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