“You know the best way out of here?” Jax asked.
“I’m taking the alley behind the building. I’d rather be unseen right now.”
“Good plan.”
“What way are you taking?” She asked out of sheer curiosity. “You know that they’ll be looking for you right? So, walking out of the front would be a bad idea.”
“I was going to follow your lead.”
She frowned at him. “You can’t come with me. I’m not headed to a safe house. I’m headed to my sisters.”
“What do you mean? We haven’t found Damon yet. We need to keep looking.”
“Do what you want, I have to make sure my sister is safe.” Taylor may not understand Alan’s odd ways or why she was the way that she was, but they were still family. And Alana would protect her over everything else.
“So, you’re just going to give up because we didn’t catch him tonight?” He held the door leading out to the alley behind the building open for her and she slipped through.
“If you hadn’t stopped me, I ‘d have caught him tonight.”
He growled. “I did that to protect you.”
She nodded, picking up her pace to get further away from him. She needed some space to think and to figure out what the hell happened back in that library, and what the fuck she was going to tell Mason when he asked her why she wasn’t there for the raid.
“Sure, whatever you say.” She didn’t mean the words, but she couldn’t deal with him next to her right then. She needed some time to process.
Jaxon grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop and spinning her to face him. “Hey. What’s your problem?”
“You’re my problem right now.” She huffed out a breath, pulling her arm from his grip. “I don’t have time for this. I need to check on my sister.” She walked backwards away from him. “We’ll talk soon.”
“We need to talk now.” He argued, moving towards her.
“Stop. We’re not doing this right now.” She wave a hand. “You need to lay low. We’ll regroup later.” With that, she spun on her heel and took off at a dead run.
Who said you can’t outrun your problems?
10
After Alana was sure that she’d lost Jaxon in the maze of alleyways in Chicago’s seedier part of town, she slowed down to a jog, texting Taylor to let her know that she was on her way.
No response.
Taylor was either ignoring Alana, sleeping, or something happened. She broke into a run again, quickly flying past the last few blocks to her apartment building.
Too much energy to burn, Alana couldn’t wait for elevator, so she hit the stairs and took the three floors with ease, the exercise doing little to quiet her mind.
“Taylor? I’m home!” She called out for her sister as she opened the door, more concerned with knowing Taylor was safe rather than waking her up if she was asleep.
“Shh!” Taylor hissed at Alana from the island in the middle of her kitchen. She was on the phone. Alana shuffled her feet and her own phone rung.
She looked down at the display. Unknown Caller. With her current mood she could yell at a telemarketer.
She unlocked the phone and pressed the green button. “Hello?”
“I need to speak with you.” It was Jaxon. His voice gravelly.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” She cursed under my breath. “How did you even get this number? You know what? Now isn’t the time. We’ll talk later. I’ve got your number now.” She clicked off as her sister dropped her phone on the counter.
“What was so urgent that you came in here shouting at me?” Taylor asked, her eyes narrowed as she took in Alana’s appearance. She winced. She probably still had sex hair, dirt smeared across her face, and dust all over her black shirt.
Alana’s phone buzzed in her hand. Unknown Caller again. Persistent bastard. She sent it to voicemail.
“Well, Taylor, I’ve been thinking about everything you said, and I think we should talk. I think it’s time I tell you what’s really going on with me.”
Her eyebrows flew up into her hairline. “As in right now?”
“Yup. Here and now. No more lies.” Her phone went off again and Alana gritted her teeth. “Can we sit?” She looked around the room nervously, her palms sweating.
She was really going to tell Taylor the truth about everything.
Taylor grabbed her glass of wine and walked over to the couch, crossing her legs underneath herself and facing Alana. “Sit. Let’s chat.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Alana sat on the edge of the couch, rubbing her palms onto her jeans. “Okay, here goes.” Fucking spit it out, Alana. Jesus Christ. Before she dies of old age. “Taylor, the world as you know it is a lie.”
Taylor choked on the sip of wine she’d just taken. “Is this a joke, Alana?”
She held up her hands defensively. “No, it’s not. Please hear me out. I know I’m going to sound crazy, but I need you to hear me out.” Alana met her gaze. “Please.”
“This world isn't just one plane, one realm. There’s hundreds, thousands or planes. Maybe more. And some people, those with magic can shift through them and travel from plane to plane. It’s called time jumping. And I’m one of those people, a timejumper.”
Alana exhaled a large breath, the weight that had been sitting on her chest since her sentence as a bounty hunter for the Wardens finally eased now that she’d told someone who was non-magical.
Taylor slammed her wine glass down on the side table and turned to face Alana. Her eyes were practically glowing with anger.
Great. So, she didn't believe her.
Alana tensed, bracing for the berating she was about to receive. Her phone buzzed again in her hand, the same unknown caller, aka Jax, and she was so tempted to answer it to avoid the confrontation with Taylor, but she didn't.
“Alana, I thought you were finally going to be honest with me.” Taylor clenched her jaw.
“I am being honest with you!” She shouted, frustrated.
“This is ridiculous even for you.” Taylor shook her head and stood. “I can’t deal with this right now. I just can’t.” She walked to the door of her apartment and Alana stood up to follow her.
“Taylor, please. Please believe me. I’m not crazy. I’m telling you the truth.” Alana pressed her palms together in a praying position, begging her sister to believe her. To trust her for once.
She just shook her head again and grabbed her jacket at the door. “I’m out of here. I can’t be around you right now, Alana.”
“Taylor, wait!” She walked back towards the couch, grabbing her boots where she’d kicked them off. But Taylor didn’t wait. The door slammed shut behind her. “God damn it all.” Alana hopped on one foot, grabbing her phone and sliding the vibrating device into her back pocket as she pulled on her other boot and opened the door, following after her sister.
She’s wasn’t in the hallway, or in the stairwell, or the lobby of her building. Alana left and went outside, looking left and right. No sign of her either way. Of course not.
“Hey!” She walked back to the doorman standing under the awning. “Did you see which way Taylor went?”
He sighed and pointed right. “That way.”
“Thanks.” She took off in the same direction, hoping that Taylor was safe. It was never a good thing when humans worlds were turned upside down. They never reacted well, and god knows that Taylor would go looking for proof like the good little detective that she was.
A shriek sounded up ahead and Alana pumped her arms, picking up her pace. She rounded the corner and skid to a halt. Before her were three shades blocking Taylor’s path.
“Chicago PD, put your hands up and get down on your knees!” Taylor shouted at them, but they clearly didn’t listen. Their spectral bodies bounced lightly on the wind as they advanced on her. “I mean it. Get down or I’ll shoot.” Taylor screamed.
“Taylor! Look out!” Alana cred as one of the Shades lunges forward. Her gun fired, the shot lighting up the da
rk street for a second before all hell broke loose.
Alana jumped into the melee, trying to get Taylor out of the way of their boney hands. “Taylor, run!”
“Alana, don’t. I’ve got this handled.” She fired another shot, the bullet passing through the Shades spectral forms with ease, only annoying them further.
Alana ignored Taylor, calling on her elemental magic within. It laid silent and still like a pool of water until she summoned it, and then there was nothing but pure magic running through her veins. “How about you guys play with someone your own size, eh?” She taunted them before blasting them with her gale force winds. One flew into a building, shattering as her magic hit him. The other two weren’t a direct hit. One split off and headed straight for Taylor.
Shit. Alana couldn’t throw magic at it if she’s too close.
“Taylor, your gun is useless. Hand to hand combat only!” Alana saw her nod out of the corner of her eye and she lunged at the Shade in front of her with a battle cry that would make a highland warrior proud.
Alana stepped backwards towards her, covering her back and drawing the other shade closer at the same time.
“Come and get me, you stupid bastard.” She waved him towards herself and smiled when he took the bait. She spun her hand in the air, her hair flying all over the place as she threw a mini tornado at the Shade. He shifted at the last minute, narrowly avoiding the spinning cyclone, but not completely missing the effects. He stumbled back, clearly affected, just not destroyed.
She glanced behind to see Taylor holding her own against the Shade now that she fought him with her fists. Not half bad. She’d never kill him with her bare hands though. Not without magic or a blade forged from the underworld, but if she could just hold him off while Alana finished off his friend they’d be okay.
Alana’s Shade finally shook off his stupor and advanced full force. She waved a hand, throwing up some leaves and debris in his face hoping to slow him down, but it only angered him further.
Great. Just fucking fabulous.
“Taylor, you have to run. I can’t fight them with you here. You could get hurt.”
She grunts behind her and Alana chanced a glance at her sister. Taylor was dead locked with the other Shade. “I won’t leave you, Alana.” She ground out between gritted teeth.
“Don’t be stubborn. Get out of here!” Alana shouted at her, throwing another gale at the Shade who was only a scant five feet away from her now. She focused back on the Shade in front of her and draw deep from the magic within. “Take this you shadowy bastard.” Alana said as she tossed a hurricane force wind at him, sending him flying into the brick wall across the street. He disintegrated on impact and she dusted off her shoulder giving herself some props.
“Alana! Help!” Taylor’s voice was high pitched with panic and Alana spun around, but she was too late. The Shade has Taylor firmly in his grasp.
Before she could take a step forward or gather magic to throw at him, a horizontal lightning strike appeared, and the Shade stepped back into the Rift with Taylor in his arms and a smile on his twisted face.
11
Pissed didn’t even begin to fully explain how Alana was feeling.
Down from the ceiling she yanked the attic stairs with a vengeance that nearly snapped the string in half. The narrow space above the rafters wasn’t somewhere the tenants were supposed to store things, but when she’d moved into Taylor’s tiny living space, she hadn’t been left with many options.
There were some things that simply weren’t made to be left lying around.
Into the cold, dusty attic she heaved herself, into a low crawl across the spaced out beams. One wrong step would send her crashing down through the ceiling, not that the damage could really do much to ruin her reputation now.
This wasn’t how she’d wanted Taylor to learn the truth.
Her teeth grit in a mash of upset and guilt as she reached the chest she’d barely hefted up into the space all on her own. Padlocked tight and warded with magic, she fumbled with the combination before finally, it clicked free.
Grumbling a low string of obscenities beneath her breath, she flung the lid open and narrowed her eyes into the chest. In the low light it was hard to see what was there, but she recalled vividly the myriad of weapons she’d stashed away that weren’t entirely necessary in the mortal world. Sifting through, she two elixirs, chalk, a rune dagger and tucked them near to the attic’s exit.
The moment she pulled out the last one and let the trunk swing closed, another creak from somewhere below left her breath held tight in her chest.
“Alana?”
Her teeth grit upon hearing Jaxon’s voice. Who the hell did the asshole think he was, showing up after everything that had happened? Anger fueled her exit, as she hurriedly crawled back to the safety of the stairs and dragged her weapons down with her.
“What in the fuck are you doing here?” She snapped the moment she stepped low enough for him to come into sight.
“What?” His word escaped him on the exhale of an angered breath. “If you answered my calls I wouldn’t have needed to!”
“Oh, right.” She shoved past him with a slam of her shoulder. “So, this is all my fault, isn’t it? Fucking typical.” Onto the table she dropped her weapons to better take stock of what she had, and what she just might need.
Jaxon had other ideas.
Taking hold of her arm, he spun her in place and stepped forward, pinning her tight against the table. “I’m trying to save your ass. That’s all I’ve been trying to do.”
“If that was the case,” she growled while her hands tightened to fists, “then why the hell didn’t you let me go after Damon when I had the chance? Oh, right, because you’re a goddamn liar.” With the flats of her palms she shoved against his chest, forcing him off of her. Across the room she stalked, to snatch up her phone. She wasn’t entirely sure she’d need it, but it seemed a reason good as any to shove him away.
“Would you stop being so blind?”
Fueled by anger, she stalked back to the table and again eyed her arsenal. Question was, would she be able to kill him before he could kill her? Being the end of him had the potential to bring her a hell of a lot of pride and relief, but she wasn’t certain of the odds. Not to mention that would be putting Taylor’s life on the line.
“I swear it, I’ve been trying to keep the both of you safe,” he reiterated, drawing a vapid stare from Alana. “Why don’t you trust me?”
“Oh,” she flippantly remarked, “I’m supposed to trust you because we almost screwed? Is that it?”
“What? Why would you-”
From the depths of her pocket her phone’s shrill cry pierced the air, silencing his pleading question. Too pissed off to even care what the interruption could mean, she stalked away from him while thrusting the phone to her ear.
“Alana,” she snapped in greeting.
Before he even spoke, she knew it was Mason. She’d know the anticipatory draw of his breath anywhere. “What in the hell have you gotten yourself into now?”
“Excuse me?” She had plenty of answers to the question, but none that she felt like sharing in the moment.
“You need to get down here to headquarters, now. Someone reported you for being on a scene you were no longer cleared for. I’ve read it, Alana. You were sneaking around in the mansion? For what? Shits and giggles?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly it,” she hissed, before her shoulders slumped with the rush of an exhaled sigh. “I don’t have time for this right now.”
“You don’t have a choice. You need to come in now to be questioned and cleared. Don’t keep me waiting.”
The line went dead, and in her hand she cradled the phone while staring at it with another death wish. Everything was culminating into one giant shit storm and suddenly she realized the odds of making it out unscathed were dwindling to nothing.
“What was that?” Jaxon asked with the first bit of hesitance she’d ever heard come out of his mouth.
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“Nothing,” she snapped, but it was everything. Disobeying Mason’s order meant turning her back on her probationary agreement, which inevitably would mean trading her freedom for jail, not to mention an extension on her sentence due to disobedience.
The latter though, seemed a worse option. Going meant keeping her freedom from a life behind bars, while waiting on the sidelines for her sister to die. Hell, she could have been dead already, but there was that small chance of hope that Alana still clung to.
It wasn’t a difficult choice, she knew what she had to do. Shoving her phone back into her pocket, she made her way back to the table and began to load up.
12
Where the hell are you going?” Jax said as he fell into step beside Alana on the sidewalk outside their apartment.
She tried to ignore him, but he loomed over her, his tense lethal energy enough to suffocate any nearby non-magic users.
“To get my sister back.” Alana snapped, and gave him a sidelong glare. His long black duster flowed behind him like he was god damn superman or something. What was it with magic wielders and their flare for dramatics? Yes, Alana was technically one herself, but she’d never identified with them. Since she never was accepted, she now flat out refused to fit in.
She tugged her backpack further over her shoulder, gripping the strap as though it would disappear. She’d gather as many elixirs and defensive objects as she could, including a blessed blade. She’d never battled a Warlock like Damon—not in all her time working for the TBH. Sure, she’d bested him years ago in the tombs, but that was a matter of favorable circumstances and sheer luck.
Now, he had the upper hand.
“You’re rushing into action based on emotion, not logic. It’s an inevitable way to get yourself killed—or worse.”
“Don’t act like you care about what happens to either of us.” Alana turned the next corner, heading South and out of the Loop. Her goal was to reach the empty building near the water’s edge. Two blocks. That’s all she needed to cross, then she’d have enough privacy to rift and follow Damon.
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