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

by C. B. Haight

  After Collett passed out, Jenny’s condition seemed to stabilize. None of them understood what Collett did for her, but they all knew it had taken a tremendous amount of energy to do it. The entire event bothered Rederrick more than a little. He knew that Collett had somehow saved Jenny’s life, and though he was relieved, he couldn’t help but wonder at the cost. He stressed about it and wondered what would happen if Collet used too much energy. Could she kill herself if she wasn’t careful? He hated not understanding how the whole thing worked and dreaded that he may still lose them both. He decided he would have a serious talk with Collett on the matter if—no— when she woke.

  Presently, they were on their way to Lakefront Airport, located close to New Orleans. Rederrick cleverly worked out a military helicopter flight from Fort Carson. It wasn’t as comfortable a ride as a flight on The Brotherhood’s private jet would’ve been, but that would be too risky. Since The Faction knew everything about his home and found out about Ashley’s apartment, the hanger where the jet was kept was no doubt compromised.

  Rederrick glanced down at his watch, December 15th 1:15 a.m. It amazed him that 72 hours had passed since the attack. Everything had changed in such a short time.

  He turned his attention to Cynda, who held Collett’s head in her lap, and watched as she absently stroked her new friend’s hair while closing her own eyes to find what little rest she could on the loud, uncomfortable trip. He felt a tug in his heart seeing her so tired, and yet he knew she would not fully rest until she knew Collett would be okay.

  At least we know the kids were all safe, he reasoned. It was a small measure of relief in a situation full of turmoil.

  For years now, Rederrick, with Cade’s help on the front lines, had battled The Faction and its evil leadership on relatively safe terms. Today hit him hard, and he knew that there would be no going back. Rederrick understood that they were close to ending the evil group and the terror they inflicted upon people with extraordinary abilities. He also knew that they would have to finish it this time to get their lives back.

  He and Cynda knew personally how vicious they could be in their quest for control. He closed his eyes, and his mind drifted back to those days when he was a young, ambitious law student, meeting the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He could still imagine her standing in the autumn light on the college campus. Her long, red hair shone in the late afternoon sunlight, and her bright, full smile was apparent as she laughed at some unknown joke told by one of her friends. His heart had belonged to her from that moment.

  He almost lost her when The Faction found out about Cynda’s power and kidnapped her right before their wedding. If not for Cade, Rederrick’s family, his life, would be very different.

  To this very day, Cade still did not think risking his life to save Cynda, to save perfect strangers even, was anything special. Rederrick, on the other hand, understood how rare people like Cade were and would forever be grateful. He only hoped he mimicked Cade’s example and that he could keep Collett safe as Cade had once done for Cynda. He lifted his head and looked back to the unconscious Collett. He knew the problem lay not only in protecting her from The Faction, but he also needed to protect her from herself.

  His thoughts changed as the helicopter shifted. He understood the altitude change meant they were close. In the headset he wore, the pilot confirmed his assumption as he notified Rederrick they were clear for landing. He reached across to gently shake Cynda and informed her that they made it to Louisiana.

  The helicopter pilot set down, and they made their way from the craft. Delphene carried Collett, and Cynda followed her to the pre-arranged car that awaited them. Rederrick approached the pilot who began his post-flight maintenance checks.

  “Thanks again for the ride.”

  The pilot looked up at his V-22 Osprey. “No problem man. I am always looking for an excuse to get her in the air.”

  “Just the same, thanks. I hope there’s no trouble.

  “You heard my CO, I’m running maneuvers today. No problem with that,” the pilot implied the reason for the flight that would be recorded on the official records.

  Rederrick pulled out a card and passed it to him. “If you ever need help, call this number and mention my name. We’ll make sure you get it.”

  “Same goes,” he said, understanding Rederrick already knew how to reach him. “I don’t exactly know what is going on, but from what my CO did and all that other stuff you pulled off, that tells me you must be a good man, or fairly connected. Not many could’ve gotten results that fast.”

  “It’s a little of both, I suppose. I guess it pays to know the right people,” answered Rederrick.

  “Well, just a heads up, I’m flying back this way in a few days. I have extra room if you need it.”

  “Thanks,” Rederrick replied, smiling.

  “Will she be okay?” he asked, tilting his head toward the women.

  “I can only hope,” he replied. The pilot offered his hand, and after shaking it, Rederrick turned to catch up to the women.

  The pilot returned his attention to his helicopter maintenance. By the time he finished his checklist, Rederrick and company were gone. He climbed inside to grab his pack and was startled to see an empty saline bag. “Where did this come from?” he asked himself. He knew his three passengers were in good health.

  The confused pilot had already forgotten all about the unconscious woman who accompanied Rederrick, Cynda, and Delphene. He’d even forgotten that he was the one to give her the IV in the first place.

  Collett felt like she swam through a thick, murky soup. Her thoughts were muddled between awareness and a state of the dreams. She fought for some sort of control, but wondered if she would ever find it. There was place where she sat in a damp, dark room with someone. She had the sensation of pain and fear. It was frustrating because she couldn’t see anything, only feel. Then she would have periods in which she could feel the weight of her own body and distantly hear people around herself. Though, during those times, she was helpless to speak or move. Nothing about it felt clear, and throughout her ordeal, she had no concept of time. She occasionally wondered if it had been minutes or hours.

  Something had changed. Her body was lighter, and the thick soup became a fog that she felt was lifting. Her body was still weak, but she could move again. Opening her eyes, she nearly panicked when she only saw dim shadows and feared she was still lost in the dark hole. Then she realized it must be night, and the room she occupied had no light on.

  Her body ached, but the lingering pain was strangely reassuring. I’m alive, she thought. She knew she had lost control when she tried to help Jenny. The strange magic had overtaken her. Near the end of it, before she lost all thought, it occurred to her that maybe her power would kill her. “I’m alive,” she whispered in relief and closed her eyes to regain her bearings.

  “Collett?”

  She thought the deep voice from the corner was perhaps imagined. Then she felt warm fingers reach out and grip her hand tightly. She squeezed the familiar hand in return, and in the next breath, Collett was wrapped within Cade’s desperate embrace.

  “I thought I’d lost you!” he said with his voice muffled against her neck.

  “Cade!” she exclaimed, her voice was full of emotion. “You made it! You found us. I thought that maybe—”

  “I know,” he said, pulling back slightly. He cupped her cheek, and despite the dark, she could see his golden eyes looking at her. “I thought the same things, but we made it. We’re all here.”

  “Jarrett came with you?”

  “Jarrett came with me,” he confirmed.

  “Oh Cade, you did it!” she exclaimed joyfully. Leaning into him, she pressed her lips to his. He returned her kiss gently at first, careful not to hurt her, but she pulled him in deeper and brought the kiss to a more passionate level.

  After a long time, he pulled back and looked at her once more. “What happened?”

  “We were attacked.”


  “Rederrick already told me about that,” he interrupted. “What happened to you?”

  “Oh no, Jenny! Is she. . .”

  Collett sensed him shaking his head. “She’s alive, for now. She hasn’t woken yet, but the doctors told Rederrick that she’s resting easily and doesn’t seem to be experiencing any pain.”

  Collett’s worry lessened. She had felt Jenny’s pain first hand. She knew it was unbearable and possibly even causing her own heart attack.

  “She had a heart attack. Cade, do they know she had a heart attack?”

  “Collett!” he said with exasperation and rose, leaving her alone on the bed. Surprised by his frustrated outburst, she recoiled slightly. She heard him expel a breath to calm himself. “I know about Jenny. They know about Jenny. I know about the attack and the helicopter trip. I even know what happened the minute Ashley was dropped off at a Wal-Mart somewhere in the middle of Virginia.

  “What I don’t know—what no one seems to know—is what happened when you touched Jenny, and why you didn’t so much as move for two full days?” He stopped his rant and inhaled in deeply. He knelt down before the bed, took her hand into his, and tried again, “What happened to you?”

  To her own surprise, she burst into tears, and the words wouldn’t come.

  Surprised by her emotional breakdown, Cade couldn’t think of how to properly respond. “Shh, it’s alright. Don’t cry,” he soothed as he gathered her up and carefully maneuvered himself into the bed with her. Holding her, he gently rubbed her back, and the physical contact calmed both of them.

  Her sobbing eased, and she wiped at tears on his shirt as if she could dry them.

  “Okay now?”

  She nodded against his chest.

  “Talk to me. What made you cry?”

  “I thought…”

  “Thought?” he coaxed.

  “Can we turn on the lights?” she asked on a sniffle.

  “No. We don’t want anyone to know we’re here. For now, we’re trying to keep a low profile.”

  Collett nodded as if she understood. “This is all my fault.”

  “No, it’s not your fault,” he reassured softly. “We’ve been heading this direction for a long time. Even without you, we would have eventually made it to this point.”

  “Jenny was dying. I knew…I felt her giving up,” she explained. “The pain was so intense, and her heart...it…She couldn’t take it,” Collett paused.

  “Tell me,” he urged gently as he ran his fingers through her soft hair to help her relax.

  “The intruder beat her so badly. He kicked at her, and he kept using that stupid stun gun on her.”

  “You saw this?” he asked.

  “I was with her somehow and yet with you and Jarrett at the same time.” Collett detangled herself and hugged her knees. Cade, wanting to stay as close as possible, also adjusted by wrapping his arms around her and laying his head on her shoulder. “I couldn’t control what happened to her. I wanted to—I tried. I saw the demon’s face—his smile. I wanted to hurt him as he had hurt Jenny. The agony he’d dished out still coursed through me.” Collett stopped herself. She knew she had killed the half-demon with her projection and felt it had been the right thing to do - the only thing she could do to save Jenny. Still, she couldn’t let go of the guilt that churned in her stomach. She’d taken a life, and he’d been at least partially human.

  Keeping that part to herself, Collett moved on, “There was this sensation inside me when we were in the car. I can’t explain it, but I felt this slipping away, it was an emptiness in Jenny. She was dying. Her chest tightened, and her heart struggled to beat. I could barely breath, barely think, but I couldn’t watch her die. I only wanted to help her. I thought I could for some reason, like maybe I could heal her. But when I reached out to her, there was so much. It overwhelmed me, and…”

  “And…” he encouraged, gripping her hand.

  “We connected. I felt everything she felt. I saw what she saw. Her memories, her life— Then I lost control. Pretty soon, I felt like I was Jenny. Her pain went into me. Somehow, I took them from her. My own heart slowed while hers began to even out. I couldn’t get enough oxygen. My chest felt so tight. Everything poured from me into her and then from her into me. I couldn’t make it stop. I don’t even know what happened.”

  Reality set in, and he understood they really had almost lost her. He held on tighter and closed his eyes, grateful she was still alive. “Collett.”

  “Before you say it, I know I almost died, but the thing is, I’d do it again if I had to.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he said with a sense of pride and sadness mingled in his voice.

  After her confession, they held each other like that for a while. They had come to appreciate the true miracle that had occurred.

  “Cade?” Collett asked after the quiet moment passed.

  “Yeah?” he said, nuzzling her neck now.

  “Wal-Mart?”

  He couldn’t help it, he laughed lightly. He eased them back down and holding her close, told her the story.

  Chapter 18

  Collett and Cade woke early and carefully made their way through Delphene’s home. They reached the kitchen, and the warm scent of pastries assaulted them. The rich smell made Collett’s stomach grumble.

  “Mornin’ Cherie. It’s good to see you about finally,” Delphene said happily as she sifted powdered sugar over beignets resting on the center island counter.

  Cade snatched up one of the sweet pastries, took a generous bite, and hummed with pleasure. “Delphene, you’re still amazing,” he complimented and then easily finished it off. Picking up another, he passed it to Collett.

  Cynda entered the room and squeaked with joy at seeing her friend out of bed. “Collett! I’m so glad you’re okay. We’ve been so worried,” she said, embracing her.

  Collett watched Rederrick come in while she returned Cynda’s hug, and he smiled at her. Then, in all seriousness, he stated, “Try not to do that again—whatever it was—at least until you can control yourself a bit better.”

  “I didn’t mean to scare you all. I’m sorry I did. You’re right, I lost control of it,” she replied sheepishly.

  He nodded. “You’re alive—and so is Jenny for that matter, so I’ll thank you for that.”

  She nodded in kind.

  Cynda released her. “You’re alright then?”

  “Yes, I feel—” Collet began, but when a tremor of fierce emotion passed over her, she faltered.

  Footsteps echoed on the tile floor behind her. She didn’t need to look to see who it was. She could feel him, and she cringed inwardly from his outward animosity directed mostly toward her. Everyone went quiet, and steeling herself, Collett turned to face him.

  He looked upon her, and seeing the tick in his jaw, she held her breath, unsure of what was expected. He was clearly out of his element in such a gathering, and he was extremely uncomfortable being around her. She waited while long, drawn out seconds passed, and no one uttered a sound. The silence was so complete a needle hitting the ground would have been jarring. At last, with uncertainty in his eyes, he simply turned and walked away.

  Desperation clawed at her. “Jarrett,” Collett called to him pleadingly. He stopped and tilted his head slightly, showing that he thought about answering her, but he didn’t look back. Cade placed a hand on her shoulder, whether in support or protection she couldn’t tell. When she said nothing more, Jarrett went outside. The front door echoed throughout the house as it closed behind him.

  Cade squeezed her shoulder gently. “I’ll go after him,” he said, moving to follow.

  “Non. He needs space, mon ami,” Delphene said, stepping into his intended path. “From all I have been told, it must be hard for him to look upon her and not remember. Allow him the room for now, oui?”

  Cade clenched his jaw the same way as Jarrett did moments before, indicating he didn’t like the suggestion. He felt a light slap on the back as Rederrick came over. “Give him a bit
of time, Cade. He’ll come back.”

  Reluctantly, he finally offered a tight nod of agreement.

  “Okay then,” said Cynda, “while we wait, let’s talk about what we know and come up with a new strategy.”

  “Oui, take those into the living room,” agreed Delphene, pointing to her beignets. “I’ll finish up and join you shortly.”

  Everyone shuffled into the living room, except Collett. Instead, she scrutinized Delphene carefully, sensing her intent. “Go on, Une pettit. I’ll be gentle,” Delphene assured her. With no solid argument to stop her, Collett left, trying to hide the sad look in her eyes, but Delphene saw it.

  Quickly leaving through the back door, Delphene easily leaped over the iron fence that bordered her property and sought her target. Scanning the street and seeing no sign of Jarrett, Delphene considered where to go. She knew this town as well as she knew herself, and she loved every inch of it. She lived within its central hub, the French Quarter, in a beautiful home that was a “family inheritance,” or so she made it seem each time she returned.

  She lived in various other places of course, changing locations occasionally to protect her secret, but for the most part, this was home. It was easy to live in New Orleans. People here were used to extraordinary things and even reveled in it. You couldn’t go far without hearing legends of voodoo, magic, and even vampires and werewolves. Her nature was more easily accepted in this place than anywhere else.

  She had basically lived here since the city’s birth. Her historic home stood as a testament of endurance by weathering many storms of life, some natural and few that weren’t. Yet here it stood, always there for her. Of course, it became necessary to fix things up occasionally, and sometimes major repairs were required, like after Katrina. But for Delphene, the effort was the price paid when something was worth it.

  Though she knew very little about her fellow lycan, she saw the pain in his face earlier and considered it something to go on. Discreetly smelling the air around her, she made her way toward what she guessed was his likely destination. After a couple of minutes, she caught his scent and knew she was on the right path. Ignoring the cool morning chill, she wound her way through the busy city streets.