I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “I loved you, too, Rafe. You changed me in so many ways—you made me a better person. I’m grateful for our time together, no matter how bittersweet the ending was.”
“The ending wasn’t bittersweet.” Rafe’s mouth set in a hard line. “It was violent and bloody and evil. And I plan to make the Hive pay for it, whatever that takes.”
I understood his need to see the Hive held accountable for their crimes, however that might look. But I wasn’t sure anything we could do here would ever make right the wrongs done to us.
“We’ll destroy them,” I agreed. “But you have to remember that what happened to us was meant to be. You’re with Nell now, and you know she is your destiny. My path was elsewhere. This little bit of time we’re together again is a gift, and it’s rare and special. But it’s not meant to last.”
“I know.” He pushed himself off the tree. “Still, I’m glad to have you back even for a little while, Joss. Putting aside how much I loved you, you were also my best friend.”
I grinned. “Now that’s something I treasure. We were good buddies, weren’t we? We had fun.”
“We did, indeed.” He began to follow the narrow trail again. “Now let’s finish this up so we can kick some Hive ass.”
“Did you hit all the huts and tents?” Lucas stood in the dark just outside the place where we’d been locked up earlier. “Are they all gone?”
“We managed to convince them all. Some were easier than others.” I cast a backwards glance at Rafe. “I was glad I had a manipulator with me.”
“Same on our end. For a couple of them, I had to shift into our buddy Donald so they thought it was him telling them to go, but most were pretty receptive to the idea of splitting.” Sionnach gave me a half-smile. “Maybe not everyone is cut out for the commune life.”
“All right.” Lucas rubbed his hands together. “I don’t know the time, but I’m pretty sure it’s getting close to daybreak, which means the ritual will begin shortly. We need to get over there.” He looked at each of us in turn. “You need to remember a few things in this first. First, killing the Hive leadership is not our aim. We want to stop them, but death that didn’t happen in the original 1967 will screw up the tension I’m holding. Second, don’t mention anything to them about the timing being off. Let them figure it out for themselves, like they did the first time.”
Rafe nodded. “Got it. Don’t kill, don’t share and stop the ritual. Let’s move, then.”
Sionnach groaned. “I’m exhausted. We didn’t sleep all night.”
“Who could sleep on a night like this?” I was too keyed up, too ready to see how this was going down.
“Only foxes, apparently.” Seamus laughed. “Chin up, Sionnach. You’ll get your second wind as we go along. We may need your talents up here again.”
The commune was eerily silent and still as we tramped through it. I wondered if fifty years in the future, Nell, Tasmyn, Marica and Daeglan were walking these same paths, preparing to fight a similar battle. I offered a silent encouragement to those friends.
“Lights are on inside,” Seamus murmured as we neared the leadership hut. “And I see movement.”
“Joss, can you make contact with Veronica?”
I nodded; I was already on that. Veronica, we’re here. Are you still all right?
She answered me immediately, and I wondered if she’d been waiting for me. Yes, they’re setting up the ritual circle now. We’re about to leave for the clearing where it will take place. It’s behind the hut. Make sure you’re undercover. Ben is on edge, and Donald is so confused and unsure.
Roger that. I’d always wanted to use that kind of radio lingo. We’ll be nearby. Be ready.
“We need to get out of sight,” I whispered. “They’re doing the ritual behind the hut, and Veronica says they’re heading there now.”
We ducked into the trees, and just in time, as it turned out: the door opened, and the Hive leadership began to file out. I spotted a tall woman with dark hair who moved with the same kind of grace I’d come to associate with Veronica and decided she was probably Liesel. The fact that she was leading Donald by the hand confirmed that hunch.
Several other hippies meandered behind those two. Paige was among them. She was laughing and teasing the guys around her, and I realized with a pang that the poor girl had no idea what they had planned for her. She thought this was nothing more than one of her brother’s crazy ideas, when in fact, if their plans succeeded, she’d never walk out of the woods again.
Bringing up the rear, with his hand gripped on Veronica’s elbow, was a man who had to be the infamous Ben Ryan. The power that shimmered around him was incredible, and not in a good way. I shivered, thinking that at this point, he was a Nephilim only. I couldn’t imagine what he’d be like with the addition of the demon juice.
He paused a few feet outside the door and glanced around, his scowl deepening. I held my breath, struggling not to even think too loudly, lest he sense our presence.
After a moment, Liesel called his name. Ben grunted and pulled Veronica along. They disappeared behind the building.
“God, he’s scary,” Sionnach breathed. “Do we really stand a chance against someone with that much power?”
“Fuck, yes we do.” Lucas set his jaw. “And we’re going in there now to prove it. Are you all ready?”
I was fairly certain that we were all various shades of terrified, but somehow, we nodded and launched forward, following Lucas. I was impressed and a little awed by the determination in his stride and his certainty that we would win the day, and I understood why he felt that way. Veronica had changed Lucas into a vampire to strengthen him for this fight. He’d been working shoulder-to-shoulder with Cathryn for a few years now to prepare and plan for what we were about to do. If anyone should be sure of our mission, it was the death broker slash vampire who led us into battle.
“Stop!” Lucas roared into the clearing, eliciting gasps from some of the people in the circle. I guessed those were the members who had no idea what this ritual actually involved; if we hadn’t interrupted, they would’ve been in for a big surprise.
Liesel turned, her eyes nothing but slits. “On the contrary, fools. We’re only getting started. So glad you could make it—this sort of sacrifice can always benefit from more blood, even it’s not all from the vessel.”
A woman with long blonde hair and flowers tucked behind her ear tilted her head in confusion. “Sacrifice? What’re you talking about, Liesel? This is a peace ritual.”
“Quiet,” the vampire growled over her shoulder before turning back to us. “You don’t really think you can change anything, do you? Do you have any idea who you’re up against here?”
Sionnach smirked. “Well, at last count, I think I saw a loser Nephilim and half-breed vampire who’re both trying to con some misguided folks into doing something pretty idiotic.” She shifted her gaze to the rest of the circle. “I mean, people, really. Aliens who want to come to earth to bring peace? I know you guys must’ve been tripping on some really righteous stuff the last few months, but did you seriously fry your brains so much that you believe the shit these people are serving you?”
There were a few stricken expressions among the leadership group. Sometimes, apparently, all it took to show delusional people that the emperor was naked was someone pointing it out.
“She’s right, you know.” Seamus spoke up with a note of regretful pity in his voice. “These people are duping you. Why don’t you all break it up now and go home?”
“No.” Ben grabbed for the arm of the nearest woman, twisting it until she cried out. “Nobody move. Don’t you see what’s happening? These people are agents of war, from the government, and the last thing they want is for us to succeed in our mission for peace. Let’s show them that we have the courage of our convictions. Stand with me. Stand with us.”
Lucas growled, assuming a low crouch. “Last chance, Ben. Last chance to stop this before I stop you.”
Ben’s eyes gleamed. “As if you could.”
I learned in the next second that it doesn’t do to provoke and mock a vampire. Lucas leaped into the circle, and then there was bedlam.
Lucas knocked Ben to the ground and straddled him, lunging for his neck. When one of the other men tried to interfere, Rafe jumped into the fray, pulling the hippie away from the vampire and Nephilim. Veronica, freed from Ben’s hold, whirled around and locked Liesel in a choke hold. Donald fell to the grass next to the two women vampires, bewilderment evident on his slack face.
“Holy fucking cats.” Sionnach bounced on the balls of her feet. “I don’t know where to jump in or how to mix it up. What should we do?”
“Stay back,” Seamus shouted. “Let the vampires work first. Joss, you ready with some fire power if the need arises?”
“On it.” I watched the brawl closely, looking for the moment that Lucas or Veronica might falter. Rafe had wrestled his man to the ground, and I could see him focused on the man’s brain, trying to alter his mindset. He seemed to have the situation well under control.
Meanwhile, Paige was crawling on the grass toward her brother, calling out his name, shock and worry evident in her eyes. Donald blinked slowly, his face beginning to clear.
“Paige.” He extended one arm to his sister. “Paige . . . I didn’t mean it. I wouldn’t have done it. You believe me, don’t you? I wasn’t going to murder you. I would’ve stopped them.”
The young woman froze where she was. “Murder me? Donny, what’re you talking about?”
“Liesel said it. She said you would be celebrated as a martyr in the new order. We have to have blood to open the door, don’t we? And it had to be yours. I’m sorry, Paige. I wouldn’t have done it.” His brows knit, and he stared up at Liesel, who was clawing at Veronica’s arm. “I don’t think so, anyway.”
Horror flooded Paige’s face. She sat up, wrapping her arms around herself. “Veronica! Did you know about this?”
Veronica frowned, distracted for a moment as she gazed down at Paige. Liesel wriggled up and bent her neck, sinking her long and powerful teeth into the other vampire’s arm. Veronica reacted by pulling away with a hiss, and suddenly, Liesel was free.
I expected her to attack Veronica again, but she didn’t. Instead, she dropped to her knees, and reaching into her skirt, she pulled out a knife before she shoved Paige to the ground, leaning until their faces were almost touching.
“Blood will be spilled! The vessel will die! The portal will open, and our children will be freed.” She crowed the words, even as I summoned the power to knock her away. I aimed the blast at Liesel’s back, and she went flying off the girl, rolling away with a frustrated moan.
“Nice shot, Joss!” Seamus called.
I flashed a grin his way. “Thanks, I—”
“Joss!” Sionnach screamed and dove toward where Paige was trying to sit up and get away. Veronica saw what was happening before I did and reached for the girl, too. But this time, Liesel was too fast for either of them. Her hand clutching the dagger shot up and slashed across Paige’s throat.
“No!” Veronica screamed and fell across Paige’s body, clamping her hand over the gaping wound as if she could somehow knit it together again. Donald groaned and began to weep, chanting his sister’s name. He dragged himself closer, taking her limp hand in his.
Meanwhile, Sionnach had knocked Liesel to the ground again and sat astride her back, pinning her arms back.
“You fucking, murdering bitch. Why did you do that? She was just a girl.” Sionnach was shaken and furious at the same time. I understood: I felt the same way, with a healthy dash of guilt over not paying enough attention to make sure she’d been safe.
The rest of the circle had shrunk to one side of the clearing, their expressions reflecting disbelief and shock. Lucas and Ben were still fighting, each of them trying to gain the upper hand. I began inching closer so that I could help if the opportunity arose.
“The portal!” Liesel screeched from her position beneath Sionnach. “Ben, Donald, it’s opening. I can feel it!”
“No, it isn’t, moron.” Sionnach used her foot to knock Liesel in the head. “You’re wrong. You made . . . a mistake. So it didn’t matter how much blood you spilled or how much power you have. It was never going to happen.”
“You’re lying,” Liesel gritted out.
“Yeah? Fine, you keep thinking that. Isn’t going to matter either way, bitch, because guess what? The sun is fully up. The time has passed.”
“No.” Liesel was beside herself now. “God, no. You ruined everything. You know nothing, and you destroyed our plans.”
“Lucas, let him go.” Seamus raised his voice. “The time is passed, and so has their chance.”
Rafe, whose fighting partner had slunk off docilely, leaned over his friend. “Lucas, remember what you told us. No death.”
“He doesn’t deserve to keep on living.” Lucas sounded odd, and a shiver climbed up my spine. He was becoming more vampire in front of our very eyes, his teeth elongating and his fingers curving into claws. “If we destroy him now, so much misery and pain could be avoided.”
“Lucas, come on, man. You know better. The bastard has to keep living, or your fucking time space continuum will be messed up. You’re holding us in tension, but these two have to stay alive, or we could be stuck back here.” Rafe paused. “You’d never see Jackie again.”
The mention of her name reached Lucas. He reared back, his brow knit. “Jackie.”
“Yeah, that’s it. Come on now. We did what we needed to do here, and now it’s time to go home.”
Slowly, Lucas began to return to himself. He straightened his back, though he continued to hold Ben down with one hand. “We should contain them. They should be . . . locked up somewhere. I know it won’t keep, but it might slow them down.”
Seamus considered. “Not a bad idea.” He approached Lucas and Ben, leaning down to haul them to their feet. The Irishman and the vampire together kept Ben from struggling away. “Joss, you and Sionnach bring that other one, too.”
“What about Donald?” I frowned at the weeping man. His face was covered in his sister’s blood, and from the expression on his face, I had the sense that he had detached from reality. It seemed Donald Parcy was doomed to mental anguish no matter how much we tried to change the past.
“Leave him.” The directive came from Veronica. “Leave him with Paige. I . . . know people. I’ll send someone to help him. But he should be able to take his sister’s body home and give her a proper burial, as he wasn’t able to do in the original case.” She raised her swollen eyes to me. “That doesn’t mess up any time line. Paige is dead, just as she was before. We didn’t save her. But she should have this much, shouldn’t she?”
I didn’t pretend to think I understood how time worked, but what Veronica said made sense to me. “Unless someone can think of a good reason otherwise, I agree.” I reached a hand to her. “Come on now. Help Sionnach and me move the murderer, and then we’ll finish up here.” I swept my gaze over the others who were still cowering on the edge of the clearing. “We’ll need to do something with all of them.”
“I’ll spin them a pretty story.” Sionnach’s voice was hollow. “Or maybe not pretty so much as believable. The cops will think they dropped some bad acid, and all will be forgotten.”
“I wish I could forget as easily.” I closed my eyes. “God, I was so close to saving her.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Joss.” Veronica patted my arm. “I begin to think that destiny had this planned for Paige all along, and nothing we could have done would have made a difference.”
I snorted and spoke under my breath as we perp-marched Liesel into the hut. “Destiny can go fuck itself.”
A couple of hours later, we were gathered again on the far side of the commune. Ben and Liesel were locked behind two sets of doors in the leadership hut—and we’d tied them to chairs for good measure, although as Lucas had said, we knew they
’d break free sooner rather than later.
Sionnach had woven her illusion for the other Hive leaders. They now remembered swallowing pills at Ben’s insistence, and they were certain that the murder was a hallucination. All of them had taken off, and I imagined most were between here and San Francisco, hitching rides back to the city. For them, the Summer of Love was just beginning. For us, it was over.
With Veronica’s help, I’d mentally reached out to her 1967 self, sending the message that it was safe to come back to the commune and that Donald needed her help.
“She’ll know what to do when she sees everything. Or rather I will.” Veronica shook her head. “I won’t miss that aspect of being back here. One me at a time is quite enough, thank you.”
“Aren’t you even the least bit tempted to stay here, Veronica? I mean . . . it’s an amazing time. All those people singing together, the peace marches, the music, the bands—you know Janis Joplin, for God’s sake.”
“I lived through it once, dear girl, and once was quite enough.” Veronica sighed. “I loved the sixties. But their time is gone now, and we must move forward. Our place is in 2017. We’re part of that world.”
“If there’s a world to go back to.” Sionnach shrugged. “I guess we need to go back and see if they did better than we did.”
“We completed our mission.” Veronica was firm. “We stopped the ritual. The door didn’t open. No demon at all crossed over. Ben Ryan will continue his life as a Nephilim, and I’m sure he’s going to get up to all sorts of nastiness, but he won’t do it with the additional power of the demon—which means the ritual in 2017 will be harder for him, too.”
“Yeah, I think we’ve done all the damage we can here.” Lucas coughed. He was still recovering from his full vamping out. “Seamus, you’ll do the honors?”
“Wait.” I held up one hand. “I know we have to go, but when we land in 2017, I’ll be non-corporeal again.” I hesitated. “If I even make it all the way back. Zoe and Nell weren’t sure that I would this time, after our mission was complete. The powers that be might simply redirect me to . . . my rightful place.”
Age of Aquarius Page 30