Betrayal (Blood Haze: Book Three) A Paranormal Romance

by Shuler, Tara

  Chapter Sixteen – Strategizing

  Over our meal, we discussed a strategy. Alexi insisted that using dark magic might be the only way. He had done it before, and with the talisman inside him, it should have been easy for him to pick up again.

  Father Jacobs came to join us when we were almost finished eating, and he brought news from Rome.

  “I spoke to Father Giovanni, a friend of mine in Rome,” he explained. “He says he knows of an ancient ritual that is supposed to be able to exorcise wraiths. It hasn’t been actively used in centuries, though, so the evidence of it working is purely historically anecdotal.”

  “And what about Dmitri?” I asked. “Is there a way to help him?”

  “That may be more complex,” Father Jacobs admitted. “If he has delved too far in the dark arts for too long, it may be impossible to bring him back.”

  “But we promised him!” I argued.

  “I understand, Alice,” the priest said gently. “And we will do everything we can for him. But such things are not always possible.”

  All at once, I began to panic. If it might not be possible to bring Dmitri back, how could I allow Alexi to risk such a thing?

  “Alexi, why don’t you tell Father Jacobs what you are planning,” I growled, certain Father Jacobs would side with me.

  “He knows,” Alexi said softly.

  “It was my idea,” Father Jacobs admitted.

  “What?” I gasped. “Your idea? Are you crazy? Why would you let Alexi risk something like that! You’ve seen what can happen!”

  “I would never ask something like that of him if I didn’t believe he could handle it, Alice.”

  “But you haven’t see what I’ve seen,” I snapped.

  “What do you mean? What did you see?” he asked.

  “I believe Alice had a vision in the car when we were going to see Dmitri,” Alexi explained.

  “Why didn’t you tell me this? Alice, what did you see?”

  “It was fuzzy, and I couldn’t see much. But I saw Alexi, and I felt this darkness, almost like evil.”

  “But you didn’t see anything else?” Father Jacobs asked.

  “No, nothing. I only saw Alexi.”

  “Then you can’t be certain the evil you felt had anything to do with him,” Father Jacobs said.

  “No, but…”

  “Alice, look. I know you’re worried about him. But I truly believe he will be fine. He won’t be in this long enough to matter. We’ll be able to get it out of him.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a risk I’m willing to take, Father,” I told him.

  “Well, that’s something you’re going to have to think about,” Father Jacobs told me.

  I wasn’t prepared to put Alexi at risk that way. I’d only just found him. I wasn’t prepared to risk losing him, especially not so soon. No one could understand the darkness I felt when I had that vision. They didn’t feel what I felt, and they didn’t see what I saw.

  Suddenly, I felt unable to breathe. I tried to pull my collar away from my neck, but the tightness in my throat and chest just ached more. I stood up and backed away from the table. Alexi reached toward me, but I jumped back.

  “I’m sorry,” I gasped. “I need some air.”

  I fled from the room and escaped out the front door. I ran around to the side of the house and collapsed in the grass, gasping desperately for air.

  “Alice?” I heard Kai’s voice behind me.

  “Kai? What are you doing out here?” I asked.

  “I needed some air,” he explained. “I came out here to think.”

  “Me, too,” I told him.

  “Are you alright?” he asked.

  “I’m fine, I… just needed to get out of there for a while.”

  “I know the feeling,” he muttered.

  “Kai, I’m sorry I…” I started to say.

  “Stop,” he interrupted. “You don’t have to apologize. I get it.”

  “I’m not sorry I married Alexi,” I clarified. “I’m just sorry it happened so fast, and I didn’t have a chance to talk to you about it, first.”

  I could tell my words stung him deeply, but he tried to keep his face as stoic as possible.

  “I know,” he said. “You don’t owe me anything.”

  “What I felt for you was real,” I said softly. “I want you to know that.”

  “Like I said, you don’t owe me anything. No explanations, no excuses.”

  “Kai, you may not believe this. But I loved you. I still love you, but not the way you want me to.”

  “Don’t do this to me,” he pleaded, his voice breaking. “Can’t we talk about something else?”

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered weakly.

  “Why did you come out here?” he asked, changing the subject. “What happened?”

  “I can’t talk about it.”

  “Can’t? Or don’t want to.”

  “Both, I guess. It’s too raw right now.”

  “Trouble in paradise?” Kai asked, and I thought I detected a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

  “No, nothing like that. They just have a different idea of how things should go than I do.”

  “They?”

  “All of them. Alexi, Father Jacobs, my family… I get the idea they’d all gang up on me if given the chance.”

  “And me?”

  “What about you?”

  “Do you think I would join them? Gang up on you?”

  “I don’t know, anymore. On this, you just might.”

  We were silent for a few moments, neither of us knowing what to say.

  “Liam called a little while ago,” Kai said.

  “Really? Is he okay? Is he coming home?”

  “He feels really guilty for missing his brother’s wedding… and for not being there for you.”

  “Oh.”

  “And he says it hurts too much to come back right now.”

  I knew it was the truth, but hearing it said aloud made it hurt that much more. Liam still felt like my best friend, and I missed him terribly. There was no one else who could make me smile and laugh the way he had.

  “God, why do I keep doing this?” I muttered.

  “Doing what?”

  “Hurting people! No matter what I do, I always end up hurting someone. And Liam… he was supposed to be the one uncomplicated relationship. A friend. Someone I could talk to. And now… this.”

  “You can’t help it, Alice. It’s who you are.”

  “Who I am?” I shrieked. “You mean I’m a person who just goes around hurting people? What am I… a monster?”

  “I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that people can’t help the way they feel about you, and you can’t help but hurt them. You can’t be with everyone who falls for you.”

  “But it’s probably not even me you fell for, Kai. It was probably my charm ability.”

  “You really believe that?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Alice, that first day I met you, I was enchanted. I wasn’t under some kind of spell. You were beautiful, smart, talented… I listened to you play that piano and it was like an angel singing. You were the most enchanting creature I ever laid eyes on. I never felt that way about anyone else.”

  “But it could have been my charm ability, couldn’t it?”

  “Theoretically, I suppose it could have been. But it wasn’t.”

  “How can you be so sure, Kai?”

  “Look. If you were unattractive, or dull, or whatever, then maybe I could believe that. But look at you! Alice, you’re everything anyone could want! You’re kind, caring, supportive, selfless… you’re everything… everything someone would want in the love of their life!”

  I was starting to get uncomfortable. I didn’t feel it was appropriate to be having such a deep emotional conversation with someone other than Alexi.

  “Kai, I…”

  “No, wait,” he interrupted. “I’m sorry. I’m out of lin
e. It won’t happen again.”

  “I really need some time by myself,” I said. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Wait,” Kai called, but I kept walking.

  I found the bench by the edge of the wooded area where I’d dreamed of Alexi and realized how much I loved him. It seemed like the ideal place to sit and reflect without being disturbed.

  I heard the pleasant twitter of a bird chirping in a tree above my head, and I crossed my ankles and leaned back against the cold wood of the bench. The sky overhead was mostly gray with a smattering of clouds blocking out the blue in all but a few spots. It threatened to rain.

  I wanted to burst into tears, but I would not allow myself the luxury. I was a grown woman, now. As much as I felt like I wanted to dissolve, and to hide away from my problems under the shelter of my mother’s ever-watchful eye, I could no longer do it. I was an adult, and it was time to put away childish notions.

  Alexi was my husband. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing him when I’d only just found him. However, my logical side knew Alexi might be out best hope of controlling the situation. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t know. There were so many questions I hadn’t asked – too many I’d been blinded by love to see.

  This was the crux of my problem. The love I had for Alexi – and for Kai and my family – was blinding me. How could I make such a critical decision, when my logical brain was being clouded like the gray clouds that blotted out the blue sky over my head?

  I’d heard a million times before that running away was never the answer. Yet, I had done it again and again. It had always worked in the sense that we survived, but there was always a sense of loss – like I’d surrendered and allowed the other party to win.

  Right now, I felt like running away from my conversation with everyone had been the right thing to do. I now realized how overshadowed my mind had become, and how emotion had managed to take away my ability to think and reason. Now, I had purpose. I had the answer I needed – I needed to ask more questions.

  More than that, I realized something. All along, the one person who had been my rock was Alexi. He had been strong and solid, never wavering in his love or devotion, never questioning my intentions or trying to force me into anything. Who was I to question him? Whether or not the evil I saw and felt in my vision was Alexi, I had no doubt he would find his way back to me. I believed in him. I knew he would never let me down.

  With renewed hope, I marched back into the dining hall with my head held high. I felt like a new woman – mature and intelligent – without the weight of a schoolgirl’s fear on my shoulders.

  Kai had joined the others, and he noticed me before anyone else. Everyone eyed me suspiciously, as I strode confidently to the table where they were gathered. I noticed Alexi raise his eyebrow curiously. He could sense the change in me better than anyone could.

  “Father Jacobs, how would the process of exorcism work on the wraiths? I need specifics. How long would it take? What would you do?” I asked.

  He looked confused and surprised for a moment, then he answered, “I would need at least five minutes, I suppose. The process is similar to a traditional exorcism, but the wording is different. I don’t need to touch the wraiths, but they need to be close – within twenty feet or so.”

  “Okay, so you need the wraiths to be nearby for five minutes or longer,” I repeated. “Alexi, what could you do to stop the wraiths?”

  “I would have to control them the way Dmitri does,” Alexi replied.

  “You have the talisman, so presumably it would be easier for you than for him, correct?” I asked Alexi.

  “That is the theory,” Alexi agreed. “But Dmitri has had decades of practice controlling wraiths. I have never done it. I cannot even practice, because to do so would require the summoning of a new wraith.”

  “No, you definitely shouldn’t go summoning more of the things,” I granted. “So you’re going in with no way of knowing whether it will really work – whether you can actually control them.”

  He nodded in acknowledgement.

  “Alright, we can work with that,” I muttered, pausing to think before continuing. “I have my ability. If we can lure the wraiths outdoors, I should be able to buy some time by blowing them back with my wind vortex. Even if Alexi can’t control them, I might be able to hold them off for five minutes.”

  “Do you have a plan?” Kai asked.

  “Hold on, I’m thinking,” I mumbled.

  My mind raced as I thought of the layout of Dmitri’s property. I hadn’t seen much of it, but I couldn’t risk going back there. The wraiths might become suspicious. In fact, I had no way of knowing whether or not the wraiths suspected something was amiss because of our earlier two visits. They might have some sort of telepathic connection with Dmitri. Still, I thought perhaps it might be smarter to go to Dmitri rather than having the wraiths come to us.

  We could trick the wraiths by going to Dmitri’s compound and staging a mock attack. We would have to count on Dmitri to understand what we were doing and play along, because we couldn’t risk alerting the wraiths if they weren’t already aware that Dmitri was conspiring against them.

  “We’re going to have to attack at Dmitri’s compound,” I said at last. “The wraiths will have to think we’ve come for Dmitri, and Dmitri will have to pretend to compel them to attack us.

  “Alexi, you’ll try to gain control of the wraiths while Father Jacobs performs the exorcism. I’ll stand ready as backup in case you are unable to gain control. And Kai, we’ll need you, too.”

  “What can I do? I don’t have any abilities,” he said.

  “Yes, you do. You’re strong, and you’re fast. You can pretend to physically attack Dmitri – make it look real. We need the wraiths to believe this is a real attack against Dmitri. Otherwise, they’ll turn on him and we may not be able to save him in time.”

  Kai’s perked up. This would be the first time he had a real role to play, and sly grin spread across his lips and lit up his eyes. I could tell he was glad for the hand-to-hand training he’d participated in at the hidden compound.

  “Got it!” he acknowledged.

  “You’ll need to let Dmitri know we’re not there to hurt him, too, Kai,” I warned him. “But you have to be subtle, because the wraiths can’t know what we’re really doing. The element of surprise is going to be one of our biggest assets.”

  I turned to Alexi.

  “What do you think? Will this work?” I asked him.

  “I believe so,” he admitted. “If the wraiths believe we are there to attack Dmitri, they will be more apt to pay attention to his directions.”

  “Great, that should keep them somewhat distracted,” I commented.

  “When do you propose we do this?” Alexi asked.

  “As soon as you believe you’re ready,” I answered. “You should spend some time practicing some dark magic before we go. I don’t want you going in unprepared.”

  “What made you change your mind about this?” Alexi asked curiously.

  “I trust you,” I told him, smiling at him with all the love in my heart and placing my hand on his shoulder. “I know this may break you. I understand the risks. But I believe with all my heart you’ll find your way back, and I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

  Alexi placed his hand on top of mine and looked up at me. His violet eyes overflowed with the love and passion I knew he felt for me, and my own eyes matched his gaze with equal devotion. I believed in him. I trusted him. He would not let me down.

  It was agreed that we would spend the next three days preparing for the assault on Dmitri’s compound. We could not tell Dmitri about our plans, lest we risk alerting the wraiths. But we would have to be prepared.

  Kai spent most of his time working out and training hand-to-hand combat. His role was to attack Dmitri without actually hurting him, so he needed to practice control.

  Father Jacobs worked to memorize the wraith exorcism rites. He would need
to know the process thoroughly, and he would need to recite it with unwavering speed and confidence. We could only hold the wraiths off for so long, and the faster he could perform the ritual, the greater our chance of success. Jamie worked to help him memorize it and practice it.

  My mother and Will helped me train my abilities. We went to the back field and they created targets for me to use as dummies while I refined my ability to control the wind. I soon learned to control two vortices at once, doubling my effectiveness. I could control one vortex with each hand, sending them each in different directions.

  And Alexi struggled to learn the dark arts. He spent most of his time alone in the basement, and he refused to allow me near him while he was training. I wanted to be there for him, but he was adamant that I should not see him in such a state. I knew he wanted to avoid me thinking of him as evil or dark, but he had no reason to worry about such things. I could not have seen Alexi as anything but pure and beautiful, because that is what he was. There was no darkness within him, and I knew that if practicing the dark arts temporarily shifted his alignment, he would always still be my Alexi, and he would always come back to me.

  For three long days, I hardly saw him. He trained for hours, and I knew he must have been nearing exhaustion. Finally, I knocked timidly on the door to the room in which he trained. He opened the door, looking haggard and weak.

  “Oh, Alexi,” I breathed, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around him. “You must rest, now, my love. Please, come with me.”

  He opened his mouth to object, but the lure of being with me was too tempting. He followed me willingly. I took his hand and led him upstairs to our bedroom. I had already drawn a hot bath for him, and he submitted to my demand to get into it and relax.

  The bathroom was dark and soothing. The candles I had lit flickered joyously, and they cast a romantic golden glow across Alexi’s pale skin. I knelt beside him, and I brushed his white hair away from his face soothingly.