The Price of Knowing: A Powers of Influence Novel (The Powers of Influence Book 2)

by C. B. Haight

  “I suppose,” she hesitated. “It felt different somehow.”

  “It’s simply coming easier to you, that’s all,” he assured.

  She nodded absently.

  Tired of the serious conversation, and knowing this was their last night together before he went hunting for Jarrett, Cade pulled on her arm. “Come here,” he growled playfully and maneuvered her beneath him once more. She laughed lightly as he pressed down on her and nuzzled her neck. She ran her hands up his back to lace her fingers into his thick hair.

  He began teasing her with his lips and teeth, and she giggled. He raised his head to look at her and caressed her cheek. Then he watched in horror as her eyes suddenly rolled back and she stiffened unnaturally.

  Collett cried out in terrible pain, and her body convulsed.

  Chapter 10

  Cade yanked his hand back as if it was burning. Shocked and with fear coursing through him, he knew she couldn’t see him anymore. Her pretty, iridescent eyes twitched back and forth.

  She convulsed a second time. Cade’s heart rate increased. She moaned, pulled away from him into the fetal position, and pressed a hand to her shoulder.

  “Run,” she pleaded in a painful, choked gasp. “You have to run!”

  In the recesses of his mind, Cade heard pounding on his door and voices in the hall, but he ignored them and wrapped his arms around Collett, pulling the covers up around them when she shivered. “Shhh, I’ve got you. Come back to me. Come on baby, come back.” He noted the color in her cheeks was gone, leaving her ghostly pale and felt panic creeping in.

  Cynda used magic to open the lock, bursting through the door with Rederrick on her heels. “Cade, what is going on? What happened?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered fearfully.

  “Is she dreaming again?” asked Rederrick as Cynda reached down and placed a hand over Collett’s brow.

  “No, she was awake. We were… she was wide awake, and she…” he muttered. Unwilling to look away from the sight of his wife in such a state, he laid his forehead to hers and whispered again, “I’ve got you.” His worry was so consuming that Cynda felt a pang in her chest for him.

  “Run, Jarrett! There’re too many,” Collett called weakly, crying now. “Run you idiot!” Then she went completely limp, her eyes fluttered closed, and her breath left her.

  Cade cursed his brother and shook her slightly. “Collett! Come on, come back.”

  Nothing happened. He rolled her onto her back again, praying he would find a pulse while Cynda checked her pupils. He was getting ready for resuscitation when she sucked in a deep, gasping breath as if rising from deep water. Her heavy lids slowly opened.

  “She’s coming back,” Cynda voiced with hopeful relief.

  It took some time to focus. When she did, she turned and clung to Cade sobbing, “Cade! You have to go! You have to go! You have to help him. He won’t make it this time!”

  Cynda took control while he held her, “Rederrick, go and get Jeffery, tell him to meet us downstairs! Cade, I’ll go find Nate. You two get dressed.” Cade finally looked up, and she met his worried eyes. “Hurry! I have an idea, and I am guessing we don’t have much time.” Then she darted from the room.

  Before Cade could move to help her, Collett began scrambling out of his arms to dress. He stood and watched her as she pulled out clothes. Her face was sheet white, and he could see she was favoring her shoulder as another ghostly wound plagued her. He hated seeing this, seeing her hurt. His worry morphed into frustration.

  “Why him? Why now?” he couldn’t help but ask as he reached for his own clothing.

  She turned to him, wiping at her wet cheek. “What?”

  “Why Jarrett? Why is this happening? Did you ever dream of him before? I mean, he must be pretty important to you to have this connection to him.”

  “Cade.”

  “Did you?”

  Even though his words sounded like an accusation, she knew they weren’t. He only wanted to understand, but she didn’t have any explanations. In truth, she shared his concerns. “No, not that I can remember, but you know things are different now. I didn’t know about my powers either.”

  He sighed heavily and began to dress. “I know, but I don’t like this. This link or whatever you call it. It’s getting worse.” He paused and noted she hesitated mid-movement as she readied to put her shirt on. Then, when she pulled the sweater over her head and tried to hide a wince as she did, he felt the anger surface again. “Do know how hard it is to see you go through this? I know he needs help, but what he’s doing to you…pulling you in. Dammit Collett, we were-” he gestured to the bed, “You were wide awake this time!”

  She turned back to him, and he turned away while pulling his own shirt on. “Hold on a minute, Cade. He’s not doing this on purpose. In fact, he’s not doing it at all. It’s me. I don’t know how, but I understand that much. I’m the reason this is happening.”

  He shook his head.

  “Cade?” she questioned desperately.

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “We have to do this later,” Collett insisted.

  “Yeah,” he said coldly as he grabbed his shoes and sat on the bed to put them on.

  She moved to sit with him and laid a hand on his back. “There is no time to argue right now. Remember what you said about God and balance earlier. I must have the link for a reason, and eventually it will all make sense.

  “We should just be glad that this makes it possible to help him. I know you’re worried about me, but Jarrett needs a miracle.” He angled his head her direction, listening. “You and I are going to find a way to give him one. Maybe, if we find him, it’ll stop. I may even get more of my memories back.”

  Sighing, he looked at her fully then took her hand and stared at her shoulder with a scowl, knowing it still hurt. “I can’t stand to watch you suffer like this.”

  She forced a smile. “I promise I’m okay, but he’s hurt and maybe even dying. We’re out of time. Help him, and it will help me.”

  Seeing the fear in her eyes and knowing she was right whether he liked it or not, he nodded grimly. “Let’s go.” He pulled the door open and, looking to her, confessed, “I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to you.”

  “I’m stronger than I look,” she assured him with a half-smile then pulled him out the door and down the stairs.

  As they neared the den, Cade and Collett overheard Cynda questioning Jeffery. “Can it be done?” she asked firmly.

  Jeffery looked over to them and answered hesitantly, “Possible but risky.”

  “What’s possible?” Cade asked as Nate entered with Rederrick.

  “Jeffery can blink. I have been thinking about a way to use it since he told me,” Cynda explained.

  “Blink?” Collett didn’t understand.

  “Jeffery can use magic to jump from one place to another, even over long distances. Cade could reach Jarrett instantaneously,” Cynda told her.

  “What are we waiting for? Send them now!” Collett insisted.

  “I need to have been there before. I can’t jump to a place I haven’t seen. Do we even know where he is?” Jeffery supplied skeptically.

  They all looked at Collett. She shook her head. “I can’t be exact, and he may have left. I hope he did. He was severely outnumbered, and he’s been shot.”

  Cade clenched his jaw to hold back his curse. He suddenly understood why she favored her shoulder. He couldn’t help but wonder: if she kept feeling all of his brother’s injuries, what would happen if his brother died?

  Cynda stepped toward her. “Can you see it though? Do you remember what it looks like—the place, I mean?”

  “Yes, I see it all very clearly,” she replied softly.

  Cade put his arm around her and lightly rubbed her back to comfort her. “What are you working up to Cynda?”

  “If she can project what she sees to Jeffery, it would be as if it was his memory too, like in the glen when we
all saw what she saw. Then Jeffery could blink there. Even if Jarrett isn’t there anymore you’d be close enough to track him.”

  “How?” Cade questioned. “Jeffery can’t track him and may pop right into a war zone. He may be good, but if it’s as bad as Collett thinks…What then?”

  “If it works, and I am not sure it will, I can take you with me. One extra traveler per trip. Like I said, it’s risky. I may jump into the wrong place, or worse—into a wall,” he muttered.

  “Can’t you go to him and bring him here instead? Then nobody gets hurt,” Collett asked.

  Jeffery looked apologetic. “It won’t work. First, because I can’t force him to come, and you can bet he won’t trust me enough to do what I tell him. Plus, it takes a fair amount of concentration and energy to blink. If he’s engaged in a fight, I won’t be able to blink him out of it easily.”

  “How many times can you do it? How many trips before you lose too much energy?” Cade asked.

  “Three, maybe four if I push it.”

  Cade nodded. “One for me, once back, and one to bring Nate if we need him.”

  “Time’s wasting,” Nate replied.

  “Can you do it Collett?” Cynda asked, “Can you project it to him?”

  “There is only one way to find out.” She stepped toward Jeffery and held out her hands. Jeffery grabbed them, and she closed her eyes. Focusing on Jarrett and her newest vision, Collett tried to share what she saw. Instead, she projected emotions and physical pain.

  Jeffery gasped and let go. “That’s intense.”

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t really have full control yet, and I’ve never projected images.”

  He waved it away and steadied himself. “Try again, but don’t focus on the pain. Don’t even focus on him. I don’t need to see him. Think only about the place, not on who’s there. I don’t know if it helps, but when I use magic, I know what I want and focus only on that. You have to block everything else out. Know what you want to do, then do it. Don’t hesitate.”

  “Okay, let’s try again.”

  She did as Jeffery suggested and blocked everything but the place from her mind. She first focused on the dismal exterior of the dark warehouse she’d seen Jarrett escape into. Incomplete lettering stood out near the roofline where a business name once existed. She saw the crumbling, paint-chipped walls. Then she pictured the interior with everything in it. She saw the rusted metal staircase leading to the second floor, dirty and broken windows, and long beams and cross beams. She shared it all as quickly as she could, knowing how dire Jarrett's situation was. When she finished, she opened her eyes. “Did it work?

  He nodded, “I can see it. It might work.” He took a few minutes to process it all carefully and then stepped back, brushed his hands together, and said to Cade, “Alright then, let’s take a ride and hope we land.”

  Determined to leave her on positive terms, Cade turned to Collett and kissed her cheek. “Keep the light on. We’ll be back before you know it.”

  “Be careful.”

  “I’m stronger than I look,” he said, copying her own words and winking at her. He then turned to Rederrick and Nate and advised, “Be ready, Nate, in case we need you, and don’t forget Delphene old man. Tomorrow, at the airport.”

  “Got it,” Rederrick replied, and Nate gave him a mock salute.

  “Ready?” Jeffery asked.

  Cade lifted a single brow and joked, “Do we hold hands?” Jeffery gave Cade a genuine smile for the first time.

  “No hand holding,” he chuckled and placed one hand on Cade’s shoulder. He waved his other hand, and right before they blinked out, they heard Cade tease, “No parties while I’m gone.”

  They all stared at the empty space. All they could do now is wait.

  The trip took a single second, but in that minute span of time, Cade felt a sharp tingling pain pull him inside and out. The transfer was quick, but terribly uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there was no time to adjust because, a few feet in front of them, a very large man stood with his back to them. The man turned and grinned, displaying his sharp, pointed demon teeth. There was a loud crash from somewhere in the distance, and Jeffery jumped, startled by the noise.

  Cade growled low, claws began to form, and his eyes glowed. “Go! Get out of here!” he commanded Jeffery as he rushed the half-demon.

  The sorcerer was transfixed for short time as he watched Cade transform and engage the demon. His clothes ripped from his body, and he became a deadly monster of legend right before his very eyes. He’d seen Cade as a werewolf before, but he had never before witnessed the change from man to beast. In the past, he’d been busy defending against Cade, and Jeffery couldn’t help but feel grateful that he wasn’t the target of those sharp teeth any longer.

  While Cade attacked the demon, Jeffery saw another figure emerge above them on the second floor. The stranger lifted his hand with a 45mm Glock aimed right at Jeffery’s new ally.

  Acting fast, Jeffery angled his hands up and cast his magic to force the man back, disrupting his aim. The gun discharged, and the bullet flew wide, right past Jeffery, pinging against the metal railing on the other side of the expansive space. With a deft movement, Jeffery gestured once more, pulling the man forward and knocking him back again, as if he was a puppet on a string. Slamming the assailant into the wall again, the sorcerer watched the gun fly from his grip and clatter on the stairs.

  A sense of satisfaction filled Jeffery. He had never fought for anyone but himself, and he was surprised by the amount of loyalty he felt toward Cade. He prepared to jump back and retrieve Nate when another crash echoed in the distance. Reluctant to leave Cade alone, Jeffery hesitated.

  The werewolf looked at him with blood-red eyes and snarled with a guttural, beastly voice, “GO!” Jeffery jerked his head in assent and forced himself to concentrate. In no time, he found himself back in Colorado with several wide eyes locked anxiously on him.

  Putting a hand to the bridge of his nose, Jeffery squeezed his eyes tight to steady himself. He snapped, “Nate, hurry! We gotta go!” His body hummed and tingled as pinpricks of pain from the successive blinks faded. He’d expended a lot of energy already, and he was far from done. Tonight would push his limits, but he knew he would do whatever it took to help his new friends.

  Nate stepped forward holding heavy backpack. Jeffery finally opened his eyes and noticed that Nate had added a few things to his attire in the brief time he was gone. The warrior before him was sporting a black bulletproof vest and carried two deadly daggers within scabbards strapped to his waist.

  Jeffery looked at the bag, curious about what it held. Nate, understanding his puzzled expression, responded, “Some essentials.” He then looked to Collett who stood watching with fear and worry in her eyes. “We’ll be back before you know it,” he reassured with wink.

  She nodded, but Jeffery felt a knot twist in his stomach. He wasn’t so confident after seeing what awaited them. He took Nate’s arm. “Get yourself ready. They already started without you,” he warned. Jeffery then drew on the supernatural energy within him a third time, hoping it wouldn’t be his last.

  Collett stared at the empty space once more before saying, “He was afraid. I could feel it. It must be as bad as it felt in my vision.”

  “Don’t worry. They’re all good at what they do,” Cynda said as much to herself as to Collett. The worried women clasped hands, and Rederrick began to pace.

  Jeffery and Nate appeared amongst complete chaos. Because Jeffery had been here once already, blinking in was easier to direct, so he chose to appear on the second floor this time. He hoped to be out of any direct combat upon materializing.

  No such luck. Only two feet away from where they appeared was yet another armed man. If things were less tense, Jeffery might have laughed at him. It was the second man he’d seen with a gun, and the weapon still seemed out of place here, surrounded by demons and magic. Luckily, the sudden appearance of the two men shocked the gunman, and Nate easily disarmed and i
ncapacitated him.

  “You didn’t say it was going to hurt,” Nate accused while he zip-tied the unconscious man’s hands.

  Jeffery shrugged, looked over the railing for Cade, and replied, “Magic has a price.”

  “Maybe a little warning next time, huh?” Nate rose and followed Jeffery’s line of sight.

  They saw Cade was flanked by two men, and a woman with thick black hair shouted commands from a few feet away. “Finish the traitor!” she shrieked at them and began to moving her lips in a chant.

  Nate acted on instinct developed from years of training. Vaulting over the railing, he fell the significant distance to the floor and rolled to absorb the impact. In a crouch, he swept out one leg, dropping the surprised woman on her rear.

  Jeffery searched carefully for any sign of Jarrett. He noticed the half-demon Cade had attacked when they appeared together was lying bloody and still against the far wall. Well, one down, he thought and moved to the stairs. Jeffery practically slid down them in his rush to search the warehouse. At the bottom, he darted toward a hallway on the other side of the massive space.

  He stopped short when he saw a squat, balding man step through a side entrance that led outside. Four more burly men, whom Jeffery recognized as leech demons, followed the man, Victor. His eyes widened at the group, and fear churned in his gut.

  These powerful demons were the source of vampire legends. They looked like men, except for their long, canine-like fangs, and they relished stealing and drinking blood from whomever they could in vicious and calculating ways. However, they were unable to turn others into leech demons. They also weren’t the source of Jeffery’s dread.

  The bespectacled man possessed no special traits. He didn’t command magic, wasn’t part demon, and couldn’t hold his own in a fight. He was however, as Jeffery knew, an important part of The Faction’s upper management and one of the few who actually knew the leader’s identity. Victor reported directly to the master himself, and even the newest Faction members knew to fear this portly man by association.