Scarred Protector (Midworlder Trilogy Book 2)

by Mundy, Maggie

  Charles strolled over to the large French doors that opened onto the roof. Pulling them wide, he took a deep breath and enjoyed the cool evening air as it washed over him. He turned back to his men.

  “Untie her and bring her here. With three of us, whatever attacked them should be defeated. Corman, I’ll leave you and the others to watch over our visitor here. You have my permission to play, but not to kill. I think I’ve taught you well enough.”

  Evie struggled and kicked his men as they all walked out onto the flat roof of the building. Heath’s screams filled the night air, and Charles smiled as the doors were shut behind them. Closing his eyes, he felt the slight stinging sensation as his wings erupted from his back. He wanted to get on with this before any other enclave got wind of his actions. He had no doubt others would want to be connected to an Elevated brought to Earth. He needed to make sure it would be his group, with him at the head, that would lead. In seconds, they had risen into the sky and even Evie had stopped struggling. He assumed she was afraid of falling. By the time they were finished with her it would be the least of her problems.

  His men’s minds connected with his and they made the link. It was always a sharp pain in the temple, which lasted only a few moments, and then the conduit would open in all its glory. Beautiful lights would shine hypnotically, tempting you to stay in their oblivion. He had thought about it once or twice when he was bored, but always sensed there was some other reason to continue. With this woman Evie, he believed he had it.

  The lights of the conduit did not appear as usual. This time, the stars of the sky over Bristol had been replaced by gray swirling mists. Charles closed his eyes and sent out a signal to Pergor again. One of his men started to scream as if his body were being ripped apart. Charles stopped his connection with the conduit and flew back to his man. One of his men was holding Evie, but she looked like she had fainted or collapsed again. The other man was curled up in a ball. Charles could smell burning and could see the glow of fire on the man’s wingtips.

  “Are you still in control?” Charles asked his other man.

  “Yes, but it feels as if there’s something in here with us. It’s like a shadow flowing around us.” The man barely got the words out when he started to wheeze. “It’s choking me.”

  Charles looked down at Evie, who appeared to be sleeping soundly. Was she doing this? There was only one way to find out. He reached out and touched her temple. The darkness that he had seen in her before was reacting on its own. It was clear that in the conduit, its power was much stronger. He could sense it didn’t want to go to Pergor but couldn’t figure out why. Before he could delve deeper, the darkness reached out like a black cloud and encircled his arm. It was reaching up toward his neck, and he had no doubt it wanted to strangle the life out of him.

  It was time to get out of here. Who would have guessed that Heath had not lied after all? “Men, remake the connection with Earth. We can try again later when we work out what this bitch is up to.”

  The minute they were back in Earth’s atmosphere, whatever was trying to hurt them was gone. He could only assume it had hidden itself away inside Evie again. If he was going to use her for his own ends, he needed to find out what it was. The darkness had been powerful, and he liked power, but only if he could control it.

  The lights of Bristol came into sight below him as they made their way unseen through the night back to the warehouse. He could see the roof of his building below him, and he could also see his people had a battle on their hands. Damn Heath and his enclave.

  “Take this bitch to my bedroom. If my men get hurt, she’ll pay for it later.”

  Chapter 4

  Back with Heath

  Evie came back to consciousness and heard Charles’ words. He could call her all the names under the sun, as long as he wasn’t winning. Her heart soared at the fact Heath’s people were here, and she hoped they kicked butt. She wanted Charles to get down on his knees and beg and cry like a baby.

  At this moment, she considered the best option was to pretend to be out for the count for now. Trying to take on Charles and his two henchmen might be a bit too much, and anger would only get her so far. She peeped through lidded eyes. The guy carried her around the roof to another set of doors. He pushed them open and turned on the light.

  She hated Charles, and if there was one place she didn’t want to be it was in his bedroom. The man unceremoniously dumped her on the bed. She could hear the noises of the fight coming from the other room and wanted to help.

  The man stood by the door, his wings now gone, but he looked ready to fight whatever came his way. She tried to clear her mind and work out what had happened when they tried to go over to that other place, called Pergor. There was no memory at all beyond them flying into the sky. All she could guess was it must be something similar to what went on when Heath tried to take her there the first time.

  One thing she was sure about now was that it was definitely her. The darkness within her was no longer just in her mind; it was something real. Fuck. All these weird guys around her and she was the strangest of them all. Why did that not surprise her? She should go back out on the roof and jump off. Then they all wouldn’t have to hurt each other fighting over her. It wouldn’t be the first time she had considered ending it all.

  “Don’t you dare.”

  Shit, what the hell was that? She could have sworn it sounded like Heath’s voice. Did the bonding thing mean he could talk inside her head? Last time she saw him he was hanging on a wall with electricity pulsing through him. When Charles had taken her into the sky, she heard the screams and thought Heath would be dead by the time she got back.

  She didn’t like the idea that he could read her mind and know the shit she had going on in there. It was bad, but it was her shit. Opening one eye, she peeked about the room to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon against the creepy guy by the door. She spied an ornate lamp on the bedside table with a base covered in pictures that came straight out of the Kama Sutra. She had no intention of hanging around for Charles to recreate any of those pictures with her. She would chop his dick off if he even tried. The lamp looked heavy and hopefully would knock the guy out. She didn’t have any time to think about it because the door to the bedroom suddenly burst open.

  She didn’t recognize the woman who came in, but she grinned when the woman thumped the guy on the cheek and caused him to fall backward across the edge of the bed. This was no longer the time to play dead. Evie sat up, but her head thumped, and the room spun as if she had participated in the world’s biggest pillow-fight. She grabbed the lamp and brought it down on the guy’s head. She closed her eyes as she did so, dreading to think of the damage she may have done. Opening her eyes, she saw he had a big lump forming but looked like he was out cold. The woman wasn’t tall but looked as if she had just gotten off a motorbike with her long black hair pulled back, black bike leathers and big boots that would kick ass.

  “Hi, I’m Suzie and I think it’s time we got the hell out of here, don’t you? By the way, nice work with the lamp.”

  Evie took her hand willing to go to any place that wasn’t controlled by Charles. When they entered the other room, Evie tried to hold back the tears but didn’t succeed. Charles and his henchmen were either unconscious or incapacitated. She didn’t care about them. It was the sight of Heath that made her breath catch in her throat. Damn it, she had hardly known the man a few hours, and yet he had risked himself for her. No one had ever done that for her before.

  He was lying on the ground next to Charles. Manacles were still attached to his legs and one arm. Glancing over at the wall he had been attached to, she could see wires hanging loose where he had ripped himself free. He was shaking and his arms and legs kept jolting involuntarily. She didn’t care what the others would think when she grabbed him and clutched him to her chest and rocked. As she pushed the fri
nge of hair back from his forehead, he tossed his head from side to side but seemed unaware of her presence. It was so strange to see him like this, as she had heard his voice loud and clear in her head only a moment ago. Evie turned to Suzie, who stood behind her. It was at that point she realized everyone was staring at her, either shaking their heads or wearing wide-eyed expressions.

  “Can we help him?” Evie pleaded with them.

  A tall black guy came over and touched her shoulder. “I’m Luke. Let me take him. He’s carried me enough times. We’ll get back to our place and see what can be done. This lot won’t stay down for long, and I don’t want to be around when they wake up and are pissed off because they lost their prize.”

  Evie didn’t want to let go but allowed Luke to scoop into his arms the now-unmoving form of Heath. She counted ten people still standing, and she followed them out onto the roof. One by one their wings appeared. Someone touched her arm and she jumped. A tall guy who looked like a wrestler by his size stood beside her.

  “I’m Tiny. I know. It’s a silly name, but it stuck. I’ll carry you if that’s okay. We’ll do our best to keep you safe.”

  “I’m Evie.” She nodded and was bundled up before she could even protest.

  Somehow she had gone from being on her own to having a whole group of people protecting her. No, not people, but angels or whatever they were. The night air was cold and she shivered as they made their way into the sky. She wanted to scream or cry or anything that showed she was feeling something. The problem was her brain was overloaded and exhausted, and no sensible thoughts came. It was all too much, so she just lay back to wait and see what would happen next.

  They flew high over the docks, along the Avon Gorge, and over the Bristol Suspension Bridge and out of the city. She didn’t have a clue where they were going. She could see the lights from roads in the distance, but it seemed like they were making their way over some sort of woodland. Then she saw a clearing and an old manor house lit up below.

  They landed in a courtyard at the back of the house. There were large walls and what she assumed was a stable. Large doors opened, letting light shine onto the area as two people came rushing out. Unlike all the others who appeared strong and relatively young, these two looked like your regular gray-haired older couple.

  “Bring them in. Don’t hang about. I can feel rain in the air,” the man said.

  Inside the house, Evie tried to stop her mouth from hanging open in shock and catching flies. She was carried in through a larder crammed with food on every shelf. Herbs hung in bunches from the ceiling, and there were large cheese rounds on the shelves. It smelt wonderful and a million years away from the world she had left. Then they made their way into a kitchen big enough to feed an army in. Two large wolfhounds bounded across and followed Luke as he carried Heath through to the next room. They entered a hallway with a beautiful old wooden staircase that led up to the next floor. Everything was stunning and suggested lots of money and history. Her eyes couldn’t take it all in, and it felt like she had walked onto the set of a costume drama.

  Luke turned to take Heath upstairs, and Tiny let her feet down. Her legs were like jelly, but she was determined to stay upright. She went to go up the stairs after Heath, but Suzie touched her arm.

  “Let Luke see to him for a bit. He’s a good healer and may be able to help. Follow me and I’ll get our housekeeper, Marge, to get you something to eat.”

  Evie sensed she wasn’t being told the complete truth but would go along with it. If she didn’t know better, she would say they were trying to keep her and Heath apart. Her stomach gurgled, and she realized she had only eaten a piece of cake in the last however many hours since this had all began. Reluctantly, she followed Suzie across the hallway to where two large doors opened into a library. Before Evie could react, Suzie slammed the doors shut behind her. Evie tried the handle but was not surprised to find it had been locked already.

  She couldn’t blame them for not trusting her, they didn’t know her from a bar of soap. Heath was hurt, and as far as they were concerned, she had to be one of the causes. She took her phone out of her jeans pocket and tried to find the text Heath had sent to his people. He had used both their phones to send messages. Maybe that would make some sense of all of this.

  Track this cell phone’s coordinates. It belongs to Evie. She has no guardian. Charles is attacking. Attempting bonding to stop him from taking her. Need help fast.

  Evie sat down on the couch and pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms about herself. It was illogical since she didn’t really know him, but she felt safe when Heath was near. Now they had taken him away, she could feel a panic attack coming on and couldn’t stop the shaking. At least the text meant they were aware she wasn’t the enemy. Shutting her up wasn’t going to help anything. She was about to get up and try the door again when it opened.

  The older woman she had seen in the kitchen walked in with a tray and placed it on the coffee table. It looked like there was a large dish of some kind of stew, biscuits, and tea. It smelt wonderful, and if they were not going to let her out of the room, she might as well eat. It might help with the shaking.

  “You looked scared out of your mind. Why don’t you tuck in to some of this and see if it helps. I always think the world looks brighter on a full stomach. They said your name is Evie. I’m Marge, Heath’s housekeeper. You met my husband, William, earlier in the garden. They wanted me to come and chat with you, but I think they meant interrogate you with my food as persuasion. They’re not always that good at talking with humans.”

  Evie started to eat, and the flavors rolled across her tongue, and she couldn’t stop the big smile from crossing her face. Marge had a Welsh accent like her husband. She picked up her own cup and sipped. It seemed strange and yet comforting that another human could talk in such a relaxed way about these beings.

  “I don’t know there’s much to tell. My father died at the hospital, then Charles and Heath showed up. They said I didn’t have a guardian angel and they both wanted to claim me. They had a fight on the car-park roof at the hospital and I fell off. I thought I was going to die and then Heath caught me. He tried to take me somewhere to get me a guardian, but it didn’t work and he was hurt. We went back to my home and Heath did some bonding thing to protect me. Then Charles and his guys turned up. He tried to go over to Pergor, too, but it didn’t work. That’s all I know, so locking me up won’t make any difference. I can’t tell them anymore.”

  Marge put her hand out and patted Evie’s arm. The small action was comforting, and Evie decided she liked this woman.

  “My husband and I are not like them. We’re human and have lived here for a long time. I believe you, for what it’s worth. After what I’ve seen over the years, I tend to think they’re a bit afraid of you because they don’t know what they’re dealing with.”

  “Neither do I.” Before Evie could say anymore, she placed her hand to her forehead.

  Come to me, Evie.

  “Are you all right? You’ve gone very pale.”

  “You may think this is crazy, but he’s talking to me inside my head. Heath is calling me to come to him. You have to convince them I won’t hurt him. I don’t know why, but he needs me.”

  The door opened, and Luke stood there with his arms folded across his chest. His lips were pulled into a thin line as he glared at her.

  “It seems Heath wants you nearby. I can sense the thoughts he’s sending to you. I can also sense the bonding did not go as planned. There’s darkness in him I’ve never seen before. We’ll let you see him only because it seems to agitate him more not to have you near, but we’ll be close by. I don’t trust you.”

  Evie breathed a sigh of relief as her body relaxed at the thought of being near Heath again.

  “Thank you. I sensed him calling for me. Believe me, I won’t do anything to hurt him. I promise.
” She followed Luke up the stairs as other Midworlders watched on. She didn’t really know Heath, but already she sensed she would rather hurt herself than him. How crazy was that? Whether it was the bonding, she didn’t know. Whatever was going on, they both needed to sort this out if they were to survive.

  She held her breath when they opened the bedroom door. He had a four-poster bed surrounded by thick drapery that had been pulled back. Who the fuck has four-poster beds these days? It was like she was walking into an episode of Pride and Prejudice. Heath lay on the bed, his eyes closed and his body still unmoving. Evie looked to Luke for permission to move closer. He nodded but stood behind her.

  She sat on the chair next to the bed and suddenly realized she didn’t have a clue why she was here. There was a man she didn’t really know laying on a bed and people standing around thinking she knew more than she did. The one thing she did know was that regardless of whatever had happened during this bonding thing, she wanted Heath to live. She took his cold hand in hers because it seemed the right thing to do. He gripped it tight, even though it was the only reaction his body gave.

  Evie turned to look at Luke. Maybe he could enlighten her, instead of the other way round.

  “I seem to be attached to Heath, but he didn’t really explain what he was doing with the whole bonding thing. He just said it wasn’t about sex, and it was the only way to stop Charles getting to me.”

  Luke pulled up a chair and sat beside her. For the first time since they had met, he softened his expression but didn’t quite smile.