As fast as the assassin who grappled with Jack, the woman Aareth so desperately believed was his wife attacked Sloan. Their blades moved through the air so wildly, they became blurs of red and blue light. Over and over again the swords clashed, sending explosions of sparks into the night air.
Jack made it to his feet, his head buzzing from a combination of pain and the sounds of chaos. He didn’t know what he was going to do to help, but he had to try.
A hand grabbed him by the shoulder and heaved him to his feet. Jack jerked his arm back before he realized who had come to aid.
“Take it easy. It’s me,” Abigail looked around with wild eyes. “Elizabeth read your thoughts when you left with Aareth. She told Sloan and me what was going on.”
“Well, I guess having your mind read isn’t always a bad thing,” Jack rasped through his swollen throat. “But it’s too dangerous for you to be here. You should—”
The look on Abigail’s face was one that would turn flesh into stone. Jack stopped halfway through his sentence.
“If you say I should have stayed home instead of coming to help you, I’m going to kick you in the groin.” Abigail stared at Jack, leaving no room for argument. “Do you know how hard it was staying hidden while I trialed Sloan and her regiment? I’m not going to sit around while you three risk your lives. Besides, who’s the one who needs help right now?”
Jack couldn’t argue with her. Abigail had placed one of his arms around her shoulders and was half-supporting his weight at the moment.
“Okay, but…” Jack’s voice trailed off. His eyes moved from Abigail and caught up with the mayhem around them. Whatever Order members had decided to fight instead of run from the queen’s army were rethinking their strategy. Jack could see, in every direction, black robes and steel helmets being tackled to the ground.
“Sloan, no, don’t!”
Aareth’s scream brought Jack’s attention to the two women still battling with mage swords. Casting all sanity aside, Aareth stood between Sloan and the masked woman he so desperately believed was his dead wife.
“Get back, you idiot.” Sloan bent her knees. She brought her sword high with both hands, ready to attack again. “She’ll kill you.”
As if to punctuate her words, the masked woman lunged at Aareth. Once again, Sloan was barely in time to push Aareth to the side and parry her strike.
Aareth fell into the woman, knocking the steel mask from her face. Abigail and Jack were still yards away, the former helping the latter walk. Jack was close enough to see the familiar face of Commander Brookhaven.
“Brenda! Brenda!” Aareth screamed like a man possessed. “It’s me. It’s Aareth. It’s me!”
For a brief moment, something like recognition passed over Commander Brookhaven’s face, but like a vapor against wind, it was gone.
“There! There, help the captain.”
Now that most of the members of The Order had been detained, soldiers were coming to aid Sloan.
A wild gleam crossed over the commander’s face. Jack had seen the same look a hundred times before while tracking in the Outland. It was the same mad expression that came over cornered animal’s faces.
The commander took off at a run for one of the fiery braziers.
“Stop her!” Sloan screamed as she gave chase. “Cut her off!”
Jack and Aareth were in no condition to race after the escaping commander. Despite his weakened state, Aareth stumbled after his wife.
“No, no, don’t leave me again!” Aareth fell to his hands and knees. “Brenda! Don’t leave me again!”
Abigail still supporting Jack was useless to lend aid, as well. It wouldn’t matter. In a few seconds, the commander reached the brazier, striking it with her blue mage sword. One of the metal legs supporting the large bowl of fire was severed in two.
Red hot fire spilled forward, creating a fiery wall between the commander and Sloan. All of the exits were guarded, but that meant little to the escaping commander. Two soldiers standing sentry at a side exit abandoned their batons and reached for their sidearms. Two shots rang through the air as the escaping commander raced toward them.
Jack couldn’t believe his eyes. The gleaming blue sword actually deflected the bullets. Two quick strikes decapitated one solider and impaled the other. Even before their bodies fell to the floor, she was gone.
Aareth
He was going mad. He knew that. Not only was he seeing his dead wife, but an animal rage was also building inside of him, clouding his better judgment and transforming him into something terrifying.But if he knew he was going crazy, didn’t that mean he was still sane? Crazy people didn’t realize they were crazy … did they?
Aareth remained on his knees as he watched the woman he loved, and lost, and found again, escape. He knew he should be happy she’d made it out alive. He just couldn’t lose her again. The woman he had fallen so desperately and totally in love with was still in there, somewhere. Whatever had happened to her, he would find the truth and a way to reverse what had been done.
Rough hands violently shaking him finally brought him out of his daze.
“Aareth, Aareth, are you all right?” Sloan looked him up and down for injuries. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Aareth lied. He was bruised in a dozen different places and bleeding from his left temple and lip. His long, black hair still smoked from where it was cut by Brenda’s mage sword.
“You were going to get yourself killed,” Sloan started in on him, now sure he was physically fine. “What good is that going to do anyone else?”
“She’s my wife, Sloan.” Aareth grimaced as he regained his feet. “Somehow she’s alive. I have to find her.”Aareth understood the second’s hesitation in Sloan’s eyes. The kiss they shared wasn’t something he had forgotten or would be able to ever forget. In a different place and time, maybe things could have worked out. But Sloan deserved to know the truth about Brenda.
“Well, your wife is the commander of Doctor Oliver Livingston’s personal security team. She won’t be hard to find, now that we know who she is.” Sloan cleared her throat. She refused to make eye contact with Aareth. “We’ll send out a notice to the city police and have her in custody soon.”
Aareth nodded dumbly as Sloan turned to her men to give orders and sort out the prisoner transfers.
Jack and Abigail made their way to Aareth’s side. Lack of sleep and food made him slow to notice their approach.
“You going to make it?” Jack rasped through his swollen throat. “I’m sorry we couldn’t stop your wife.”
Aareth just nodded. He knew he owed more to Jack, the person who stood by his side through the events of the night. At the moment, it was all he had.
“So your wife is alive.” Abigail tried to find a glimmer of hope in their dire situation. “That’s good, right? We’ll help you find her, Aareth. We’ll figure out what happened to her.”
Aareth nodded again. His mind was a million miles away. Something was nagging at his thoughts. It was a legitimate concern he would have picked up on in an instant under any other circumstance. Like a lightning bolt, it hit him.
Aareth snapped out of his trance like someone woken from a nightmare. “We have to find her before the city police or soldiers do. She won’t be taken alive. You saw her fight today.”
“Then we’ll do what we do in the Outland when we’re tracking a target.” Jack offered Aareth a hand. “We set a trap.”
Sloan
He was definitely a fool, maybe even a bit of an idiot, but he was her friend, and for a moment there had been the possibility of something more.
Sleep wasn’t even an option that night. After ensuring the captured members of The Order had been secured and transported for interrogation, Sloan had turned the scene over to the city inspectors.
Now, in the early hours of the morning, she was sitting with Aareth in the palace. Together they waited for the queen. Just looking at him, Sloan knew he was in no mental state to even be awake. Aareth r
efused medical treatment, insisting they speak with the queen immediately. Sloan had only consented because she, too, needed a conference with the queen before making a move on the most powerful man in New Hope.
Sloan retreated into herself. It was time to be the leader both men and women respected now. Fantasizes of love, a life with someone who cared for her, were shattered like they always would be.
“Whatever your plan is, you need rest and food.” Sloan studied Aareth with a raised eyebrow. “I could take you now with one hand tied behind my back. If Commander Brookhaven is your wife, like you say she is, she’s a force to be reckoned with. She’s good with a sword; maybe even better than good. She was prepared to kill you tonight. Whether you want to believe that or not, it’s the truth.”
“Sloan, I don’t know what’s happening to me, but the moment we shared—” Aareth struggled for the next words. “You and I—”
“Save it.” Sloan crossed her arms over her chest. “What matters now is that we get answers from Edison about what’s happening to you, and we find your wife.”
“It’s not her.” Aareth slowly shook his head. “Whatever was done … has changed her. She was never even a fighter.”
“Well, she is now. She’s an assassin.” Sloan thought back to the quick decisive killing strokes her adversary had tried using against her. The way the woman had fought, there was no room for quarter, no sympathy in her moves. “And she won’t hesitate to kill.”
“She needs to be taken alive,” Aareth pleaded. Even past the exhaustion, his voice was firm and clear. “Please, Sloan, she needs to be taken alive. This isn’t her. She’s being controlled somehow. You’d like her if you knew her.”
“I’m sure I would have.” Sloan stopped herself before she said something hurtful. Aareth was in no state for idle words. “I’m going to do everything in my power to bring her in alive, but not at the cost of the lives of my own men.”
Before Aareth could form a rebuttal, the doors to the room opened. The queen entered, dressed in a white robe and slippers, followed by Fenrick Trillion.
Immediately, Sloan bristled at the sight of the man. Fenrick was a snake looking out only for his own interests. Sloan had a deeper suspicion he was involved in more than he let on. Her own five senses wouldn’t be able to pick up the danger signs Fenrick carried; however, over the years, Sloan had developed a sixth sense that told her who could be trusted and who should be kept at arm’s length.
For whatever reasons, the queen was choosing to employ Fenrick. He had joined her during the early years of her rule. He had been there before Sloan could counsel the queen.
“Captain, Inspector,” Queen Eleanor addressed the two before she took a seat in a high-backed chair by the window. She took a moment to look outside at the early morning hour before she continued. “It’s almost time for the full moon.”
The three other party members looked at one another for direction. Fenrick even seemed to be at a loss with the queen’s comment. Bags lined his eyes, and he looked as though he were annoyed to be conscious at such an hour.
“My queen.” Sloan rose to bow. “We have urgent business that requests your attention.”
Aareth remained motionless.
“Of course, forgive an old woman for not staying on course.” The queen sat straight in her chair, and her eyes moved from the window to address the room. “I’ve been briefed by the messenger you sent, captain. I’m glad to see you both safe, and many members of The Order in custody.”
“Thank you.” Sloan cleared her throat, preparing herself for what she was about to say next. “I’m afraid this is only the beginning of a very tangled web. It seems as though one of the members of The Order is Aareth’s wife. She was presumed dead over five years ago. If that wasn’t enough, this woman is also Doctor Oliver Livingston’s employee and bodyguard, Commander Brookhaven.”
“This is preposterous.” Fenrick Trillion started with a jolt. “Are you inferring that one of the most well-established and loyal friends to the crown is involved in … in whatever this Order is?”
“I’m not inferring anything.” Sloan clenched her jaw in an effort to keep her temper in check. She skewered the weasel-like man with a death stare. “I’m stating facts.”
“And there is no room for error in this?” the queen asked, ignoring the tension between her treasurer and captain. “You are absolutely sure this woman is both the commander and Aareth’s wife?”
“I saw her with my own eyes,” Aareth spoke for the first time. “It was her. I don’t know how, but it was her.”
“I was going to order an arrest warrant for her right away,” Sloan continued. “However, I thought it prudent to check with you. Since the commander is so deeply involved with this, I’d also like to bring in Doctor Livingston for questioning.”
“Your majesty.” Fenrick took a stance next to the queen. He began gesturing wildly with his hands. “You can’t. Livingston Industries has always been our ally. Edison Reeves has worked side by side with him on numerous projects over the years, including the Vampire Project.”
“I am well aware of our history with Livingston Industries, Fenrick.” The queen’s eyebrow rose. Her gray eyes narrowed in thought. “You have my permission to bring in this Commander Brookhaven; however, detaining the doctor may not prove advantageous for our cause. Just because one of his staff was involved in the night’s escapades does not prove him guilty of the same crimes.”
The look of victory on Fenrick’s face made Sloan want to tear out his throat and beat him with it. At times, keeping the rage living deep inside of her at bay was easy. This was not one of those times. She needed more energy than normal to check her temper.
“As you command, my queen”—Sloan bowed once again—“so it will be done.”
“I want to help bring her in alive.” Aareth stood, reminding everyone just how wild and unkempt he looked. He hadn’t changed in days, half of his hair was shorter than the rest, and his face showed every hour of sleep he had missed. “I know her. Maybe she’ll listen to me.”
Sloan was on record pace for biting her tongue. What made Aareth think his wife would listen to him now, when she’d tried to kill him hours before, was beyond Sloan. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to voice her opinion. If she did so, she would ruin Aareth’s chances. Something like sympathy for Aareth’s position touched her conscience, and Sloan dismissed the idea.
“Capturing her alive will be our main priority,” the queen reassured Aareth. “I want answers as much as you do.”
“Thank you.” Aareth bowed his head.
“Captain.” The queen stood to take her leave. “Although I refuse to arrest Doctor Livingston, you may visit him for questioning. Remember, he is innocent until proven guilty.”
Fenrick looked as though he was about to open his mouth to protest. The expression he received from the queen was more than enough for him to remain silent. Sloan realized it was a petty victory over the man, yet she found herself hard pressed not to smile.
Sloan
It was so early in the morning, the sun was only just beginning to fight back the dark’s hold over the city. Already Sloan had ordered the capture of Commander Brookhaven. All around the city, word was being passed that she was to be detained on sight. Extreme caution was ordered upon her sighting. Even with these instructions, a sick feeling sat in the pit of Sloan’s stomach, whispering to her that many lives would be lost in the process of her capture.
As Sloan crossed the city streets only just beginning to welcome the everyday hustle and bustle of its citizens, she scanned the case document on loan to her from the city police. The second thing she had done after ordering the warrant for Commander Brookhaven was to request to see the death certificate and file of Brenda Emerson.
Sloan read the document slowly, ensuring she missed nothing. The report was clear. There was no emotion from whoever had penned the report. Only facts about Aareth’s dead wife covered the page.
Brenda Emerson was pro
nounced dead on August 29, 1880 at 8:40 am. The cause of death was due to strangulation. She is survived by her husband, Inspector Aareth Emerson.
The indifference of the note drastically contrasted Aareth’s emotion; the page of paper declaring his wife dead was cold and unfeeling. Aareth’s wrath and drive to find the truth was like a roaring furnace ready to consume.
Sloan carefully folded the report and placed it gently into her pocket. She knew it was silly, but it was her way of showing respect to Aareth and the woman he had lost.
In a few minutes, Sloan found herself once more in front of the wrought iron gates of Livingston Industries. Just as before, guards met her at the entrance. Unlike before, they waved her in without pause.
“Doctor Livingston has been expecting you, captain.” A barrel-chested guard waved Sloan inside the compound. “He said to let you in without question.”
Sloan’s sixth sense was working on overdrive. The chances that she was walking into a trap was building rapidly. The only way Oliver Livingston would know she was coming to see him was if he had had word from an inside source. Worse, if Commander Brookhaven had told him herself after her escape the night before.
Sloan walked across the grounds, her right hand resting lightly on the hilt of her mage sword. Her eyes moved on instinct, scanning every inch of her surroundings. If she was being surrounded or watched, there was no sign. Most of the guards and workers arriving for their day at the factory gave her nods, some even smiles. She was never stopped.
Regardless, Sloan readied herself for a fight. Her preparation would prove ill-conceived. She entered the building where the doctor’s office was found, with still not so much as a dirty look. She passed the construction area where a quicker means of ascent, called an “elevator,” was being assembled.
As she began walking up the stairs, her ears picked up heavy footfalls. There were at least four separate pairs of feet, maybe more. They were coming quickly, and the sound of the heavy boots meant they were guards. Loud voices fought for precedence over their footfalls. Sloan readied herself for the conflict. One practiced move brought her sword from its sheath. A flick of her thumb produced a shot of steam from her blade as it glowed to life.
House of Blood: (A Paranormal Urban Fantasy) (The Vampire Project Book 2) Page 10