Fluidus Rising: A YA Paranormal Novel: (The Ardere Series Book1)

by Margo Ryerkerk

  Gavin rubbed his temples, willing himself to find a clue when he felt a stab in his chest. The air was knocked out of him. He let out a groan.

  “What is it?” Jillian’s eyes went wide. “Are you okay?”

  His fingers closed around the lapis pendant, which pulsated with cobalt light. He dug out his cell phone, gritting his teeth against the agony. Waldeburg answered on the third ring. “Where’s Sierra?” he demanded.

  “She went on a walk around the campus. Why?” Hearing jangling noises, he figured Waldeburg was probably reaching for her keys.

  “The lapis pendant, it just acted up.”

  “In what way? Describe it.”

  “Like a stab to my chest.”

  “No!” There was the pitter-patter of footsteps.

  “We need to split up. Waldeburg, search around the student housing. Jillian will take the west side. I’ll take the east.” Gavin hung up.

  “The lapis pendant, it really works.” The awe disappeared from Jillian’s features when she noticed Gavin’s scowl. She hurried after him to the staircase. “You don’t think the killer got her, do you?”

  “I don’t know what happened, but we need to find her!”

  Three hours later, the whole campus had been combed up and down. Both Waldeburg and Jillian sat on the couch, staring into empty space, a thread away from breaking down, and Gavin could do nothing. His phone vibrated.

  Unknown: I always get what I want.

  The number was blocked, but Gavin didn’t need to see the digits to know who was behind this. Only one person was brazen enough to brag about an abduction. Damn! Why hadn’t he thought about this earlier?

  “Louis has her.”

  Waldeburg’s head moved slowly. “What? But you said—”

  “I know. I told Louis no. Clearly, he doesn’t understand the word no. Olga, his second-in-command, showed up a few days ago, trying to convince Sierra to join them in Atlanta.”

  “Why am I hearing about this just now?” Waldeburg’s face hardened.

  “I thought the situation was under control.”

  “Obviously it’s not.”

  “I’ll retrieve Sierra. Alone.” Gavin was out the door before Waldeburg or Jillian could protest. Louis was his problem, no need to put a target on anyone else’s back.

  Sierra pulled against the handcuffs to no avail. When the pain of her raw wrists became too much, she switched to working on her blindfold. She rubbed her head against the wall of the van, but the material refused to come off.

  When the driver pumped the brakes, Sierra’s head banged against the wall. Her moan reached the cloth gag, where it died down. Terror warred with fury within her. She was furious at herself. Why hadn’t she tried harder to learn how to use her telekinesis? It could’ve saved her now. Sure, the few times she tried almost nothing happened. Gran said that was normal, that it would take a while until Sierra could reliably call upon her telekinesis. Still, if she had tried harder and learned how to control it, she wouldn’t be as helpless now.

  She strained her senses, trying to get any hints of who her abductors were and where they were taking her. Everything had happened so fast. She had been ambushed and hadn’t seen them. She didn’t even know if they were supernatural or humans. If they were Umbra, her life was over.

  Sierra leaned her head back and rotated her fingers. She couldn’t afford to lose circulation in them. When they finally reached their destination, she needed to grab the opportunity and ambush her abductors.

  A bitter laugh rose in her throat. Just because you can now run a few miles without getting a side stich, doesn’t mean you can fight anyone. Sierra ignored her critical inner voice, knowing she couldn’t yield to it.

  The van jerked to a stop, and two doors were flung open and close. Quickly, Sierra analyzed the situation. Being blindfolded meant she wouldn’t see where they were or where she was taken. The gag made it impossible to scream or bite. Her wrists movements were limited by the handcuffs. Legs. She could do some serious damage with them, maybe even escape far enough to have time to remove her other restraints.

  The door opened. Sierra sat perfectly still as a hand reached around to unbuckle her. Click. Without hesitation, she brought her feet in and kicked as hard as she could. Her move earned her nothing more than an annoyed growl.

  “Relax. You’re only making this harder on yourself. We’re not trying to harm you.” A man hauled her over his shoulder, his muscled arm holding her thighs in place.

  Yeah, right. If they didn’t want to harm her, why abduct her? Poor Gran would be worried sick by now.

  The man carrying Sierra marched up some stairs. Her body jiggled with the impact of the up-and-down movement. Then he stepped into an elevator, at least that’s what she presumed from the lounge music and the citrus-scented air. Good, at least she wasn’t being dragged to an abandoned warehouse. Whoever was in charge of this operation clearly enjoyed luxury.

  The realization hit Sierra like an anvil. She had been so stupid, so incredibly stupid not to put one and one together. The blonde woman at Veneficia, the one who had introduced herself as Olga and told Sierra to call when she was ready. Sierra hadn’t called, and Louis must’ve grown tired of waiting for her to come willingly.

  With a ding, the elevator opened.

  “Let me down,” Sierra tried to scream, the gag garbling her words. Trying to claw at the man, her fingers grasped at the material of his jacket. He swatted her away like a fly. She bet he was a Dragoon.

  Abruptly, he stopped and put her on her feet.

  “Welcome, Sierra. I’m glad you decided to join us.” Sierra’s teeth clenched at Olga’s smug voice. That manipulative snake, pretending Sierra had a choice, all along planning to snatch her.

  Olga continued. “We’ll remove all your restraints, but if you behave like an animal, they’ll be put back on. Understood?”

  Sierra nodded, willing to agree to anything that increased her chances of escape. First, came off the handcuffs, then the gag, and finally the blindfold. She glanced around, past Olga’s self-satisfied face. The suite had a crystal chandelier, a dark coffee table, and several purple sofas. An oriental rug covered the floor. There were two doors, one of them had to be the exit, while the other one probably led to a bedroom. Each one sported two massive bodyguards positioned on either side. The bodyguards’ red auras identified them as Dragoons, while Olga with her blue aura was a Blur.

  The door opened and a tall, lanky man with a purple aura sauntered in. Everyone bowed their heads. This had to be Louis.

  Louis didn’t acknowledge Sierra as he positioned himself on the couch. He shoved away unruly ebony curls, a shade darker than his skin. His skinny body was covered in mahogany leather pants and a white, silk shirt, the outline of a nipple ring pushing through the material. What a strange combination.

  Two boys and girls, not much older than Sierra, waltzed in after him. They stood awkwardly next to the couch, swaying side to side, their eyes glazed.

  “Sit down.” Louis motioned to the floor, and they collapsed in a heap, like puppets whose strings had been released by the puppeteer. Their attention was glued to Louis, as if he were the sun they revolved around. Had he entranced them? Gran had said Charmers could do that, not just to humans but also to supernaturals. The stronger the Charmer, the more mind manipulation power he or she wielded.

  Louis murmured something, and one of his lackeys hurried to bring a bottle of vodka, while the second delivered some ice and glasses, the third grapes, and the fourth a white powdery substance.

  The suicidal part of Sierra wanted to demand whether this was a joke. Certainly, the man in front of her sipping vodka before noon, while getting high, couldn’t be the ruler of the Southeast.

  “I normally don’t do this,” Louis drawled. “But—” He paused dramatically. “—what can I say? I like a challenge.” He took a long sip and gestured to one of his admirers. “Too warm.” Ice cubes were added to his glass. Louis tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Where
was I? Oh yes. I told Gavin to bring you, but being the petulant creature he is, he refused, so I decided to get creative.”

  Sierra’s eyebrows shot upward. Seriously, this guy thought other people were petulant?

  “I hope your trip wasn’t too unpleasant. Either way, your stay here will more than make up for any discomfort you’ve experienced.” He played with his ruby ring before he abruptly turned his gaze on Sierra. “You do speak, don’t you?”

  She cleared her throat. “So, I’m not a prisoner?”

  Louis laughed. “Is that what Gavin told you? That I hold people against their will? Sugar, believe me, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone who’s with me is with me willingly. I offer what everyone wants. Designer clothes, VIP tickets, exclusive parties. I transform life into an never ending party.”

  “I want to go back.”

  Louis sighed exaggeratedly. “No, you don’t. You were trained to think that this is bad, but this is what you truly want. To be famous, to be a star.”

  She almost laughed. Was that Louis’s official pitch? Did anyone actually buy it? The only celebrity in the room was him; everyone else was here to grovel in front of him. Whether Louis manipulated them with his Charmer skills or with threats and presents, it didn’t matter, Sierra would never become one of his brain-dead puppets. Gavin might be wrong about some things, but his distaste for Louis was justified. “I want to go back to my Gran.”

  Louis puckered his lip, like a child who had dropped his lollipop. “Why? From what I hear, she’s an overprotective, boring crone.” His clique laughed like a group of hyenas.

  Sierra became aware of her nails digging into her skin and released her clenched fists. To escape this dreadful place she had to be smart. Play along. This was Louis’s territory; he had countless resources. She had to exploit his only weaknesses. “If I stay, what would you want in return?”

  Louis’s body relaxed. In his mind, he had already won. “See, this wasn’t so hard.” He snapped his fingers. “Olga.” The blonde rushed across the room to his side. “Prepare the contract. Once Sierra signs it, we’ll celebrate.”

  Goose bumps broke out on Sierra’s flesh from Louis’s grin. What would he do once he figured out this was a ploy? “And get her something to wear, plus a hair and makeup artist. She looks so plain.” Without a word of goodbye, Louis exited, his posse trailing behind.

  “I’ll be back with everything in less than half an hour.” Olga glanced back at the door. “He’s not always like this. He’s having a bad day.”

  Sure. Sierra forced her lips into a tight smile. “Is it okay if I order room service? I missed breakfast.” She clutched her belly.

  Whether out of generosity or because she was afraid of being blamed for Sierra passing out, Olga nodded. “The menu is on the table.” Then she teleported from the center of the room to the door.

  Chapter 16

  Room service entered, and Sierra breathed a sigh of relief. Either mind manipulation worked over the phone or the hotel was so used to Louis’s peculiar requests, they didn’t mind sending exactly what Sierra had asked for—a human, similar enough in stature and size to her. Perfect.

  The girl set down the spinach cheese ravioli, and Sierra’s mouth watered. She hadn’t lied about missing breakfast.

  “If you could sign here, please.” The girl’s name tag read “Corinne.”

  Sierra ignored her hunger pangs and kept her fingers still as she took the pad. This was her only chance. She established eye contact. “Corinne, listen to me. I need you to switch clothes with me and then crawl into bed and sleep or at least pretend to.”

  Corinne’s eyes glazed over. Robotically, she began to strip off her clothes. Sierra did the same. She discarded her jeans and tee and slipped into the black slacks and buttoned shirt.

  With Corinne in bed, Sierra moved toward her second hurdle, praying it would be a long time before Olga returned and discovered Corinne.

  Sierra slipped out the room and found the elevator. She felt like sobbing and dancing at the same time. With a ding, the doors opened on the ground floor. Several supernaturals congregated in the lobby, a mix of purple, red, and green auras. She hurried past them to the exit, praying nobody would look up and notice her golden aura.

  Focused on escaping and with her heart rate sky high, it took her a while to notice a presence behind her. She quickened her step and whirled into a side street, a cul-de-sac. It was either: stay there and face whoever had followed her or dart into the parking garage of the hotel. She chose the second option.

  Gavin rushed past the cocktail and canapé reception. When he spotted straight, blonde hair and endless legs, he pounced on Olga, grabbing her arm.

  “Ouch.” She looked up, her vexation melting into surprise.

  “Where’s Sierra?”

  A brittle laugh. “Louis couldn’t resist, could he?”

  Gavin didn’t bother confirming her suspicion. Instead, he applied pressure to Olga’s arm. “Where. Is. Sierra?”

  “Resting. I can escort you to Sir Duchamps if you’d like.”

  He let go of Olga. “Fine.”

  She led him down a corridor. “I have someone who wishes to see Louis.” She smiled at the two bodyguards, and they opened the suite.

  A satin-sheeted bed took up half the room. Louis and an Asian man about twenty years his junior were spread out on it. The boy toy rose when he noticed Olga and Gavin. Louis’s only acknowledgement of his guests was to zip up the fly of his leather pants. He pushed up on his elbow. “How are you, Gavin? Long time no see.”

  Each muscle in Gavin’s body was rigid. He gulped down air. “I want to see Sierra. Now.”

  “How interesting. You seem very fond of her.”

  “She’s under my protection.”

  Louis made a clicking noise with his tongue. “If only you’d care as much about the corpse showing up in Savannah as you do about her.”

  Gavin didn’t reply, knowing Louis would warp his words and use them against him.

  “Do you plan on doing something about the situation?”

  “Of course. I’ll catch the murderer and bring him to justice.” Gavin pressed his lips together before his tongue betrayed him.

  “I do expect you to solve this murder—” Louis emptied his glass with one gulp. “—swiftly.”

  “I will. Once Sierra is reunited with her grandmother, I will dedicate my undivided attention to it.”

  Louis chuckled. “Oh no. Sierra is staying here where she belongs.”

  “You can’t keep her against her will.”

  Louis bared his teeth. “While we were talking, Olga went upstairs to hand Sierra the contract. I’m certain by now Sierra has signed it.”

  The last word was barely out of Louis’s mouth when Gavin broke out into a run. Screw etiquette! Screw Louis! He wouldn’t let Sierra fall into this trap.

  Gavin forced the closing elevator door open. Once Sierra signed the contract, there was nothing he could do. She would be bound for life.

  With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and Gavin almost collided with Olga, whose eyelids were twitching. “Where is she?” Olga demanded.

  “Sierra isn’t—” Gavin didn’t finish, because at that point, an invisible force knocked the air out of his chest. Sierra. She was in danger.

  Against rational judgment, he dashed out of the building and took the corner, his internal compass guiding him toward the garage. Why or how Sierra could be there, he didn’t know, but for once his instinct overpowered logic, his sole focus on finding Sierra and ensuring her safety.

  Gavin sensed the Umbra’s presence, and then he heard a shriek—Sierra’s shriek. She was on the ground, the Umbra looming above her. Gavin tore the male off her and threw him against the wall. The Umbra slid down into a pitiful heap, moaning. He recovered quickly and reached into his holster for his blade. Gavin pounced and twisted the Umbra’s wrist until his tendons snapped, then pinned him to the ground. He was about to administer another blow when Ol
ga teleported a few feet away from him. Two Ardere Dragoons joined them. Louis was nowhere to be seen. He probably didn’t even know about the situation. The Dragoons took the Umbra from Gavin.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure he won’t tell anyone about the Fluidus, or do much of anything else,” Olga said.

  Gavin pulled Sierra up. Her body quivered, and her skin was leeched of color, but otherwise she seemed fine. No injuries that he could detect.

  “Did you sign the contract?” Gavin asked, warring against his rising desire to wrap her in his arms. He had sworn to never again care about a woman in this way.

  “No.” Sierra glared at Olga. “I’m going back to Savannah. If you ever come for me again, it won’t end nicely for you.”

  Olga blinked, and even Gavin had to admit he was taken aback by Sierra’s fighting spirit. Right now, this was an empty threat. But that would change with training and time.

  “Let’s go.” Gavin put his hand between Sierra’s shoulder blades, guiding her toward his car. He turned on the ignition and was about to drive away when Olga teleported outside his window. He rolled it down.

  “Louis won’t stop until he gets what he wants or until someone above him claims Sierra.”

  Gavin gave a curt nod. His mind was already made up; he knew what he had to do.

  Gavin let out a low whistle after Sierra finished telling him how she escaped. Resourceful and ingenious—she possessed both qualities. Instead of waiting to be rescued or giving up, she had fought back.

  The waitress refilled Gavin’s coffee while Sierra devoured her waffle topped with bananas and strawberries. She had jumped at his suggestion to grab some food before returning to Savannah. He had notified Waldeburg and Jillian that Sierra was safe, and now they were at Rosie’s diner.

  “Weren’t you tempted to accept Louis’s offer?” Gavin took a sip of his crappy filtered coffee, his need for caffeine outweighing his disgust.

  “No. I saw how he treated his subordinates. Louis is not exactly a nice man.”