by M. D. Archer
“Why. Won’t. You. Die?” I yell, slashing at him with frustrated abandon.
Again, he smiles.
Then I hear the rumble of an approaching train. I thought it would never get here. I stagger forward with a poorly aimed attempt, giving him a chance to rain several brutal blows to my head and shoulders. My ears ring with the impact and my knives clatter as they hit the concrete platform. I stagger to the ground, dropping my head in submission, but every muscle in my body is ready for action.
He steps forward, checking my state, lowering his weapons only a fraction, but it’s enough. As the train barrels down on us and the wind howls around me, I spring forward lightning fast, scoop up both knives and plunge them into his neck just under his jaw, one on each side. He clutches his throat with bulging eyes, blood spurting out from between his fingers. Then, with the clanging bells and the chugging of the motor as my orchestra, I dart forward again and plunge my smaller wrist knife into his heart. Just as the train screams into the station, I lift my leg, plant my foot squarely on his chest, and push him onto the tracks.
But at the last second, he grabs hold of my foot and pulls me with him.
Chapter 36
The room I wake up in is smelly and dark.
“She’s going to be okay.” A woman’s voice. Older. Unfamiliar. As I connect to my body, I become aware that I’m covered in some sort of viscous ointment—a concoction that smells both herbal and medicinal. And gross.
“Thank you.”
This voice I recognize. Nikolai.
“I wish you would tell me how she sustained these injuries,” the woman says. I can tell this is not the first time she’s asked.
“It is not your concern.”
“You’re lucky she’s strong.”
“Tell me about it.” His voice is almost a whisper.
I try to open my eyes. His warm hand covers mine.
“Tamzin, are you awake? Can you speak?”
I open my mouth and lick my lips. “Where am I?” I croak.
“With a healer.”
“Where?” But my eyelids close, weighing a million tons, and sleep takes me before I can ask anything else.
When I wake again, I think I’m alone. I look around the room. The windows are covered with amber-colored cloth, incense is burning, and there are beads and crystals hanging from the ceiling. A huge bookcase covers almost an entire wall. Shelves against the other wall are filled with more bottles and jars than I have ever seen in one place. Then I see a tiny old woman in front of the table, scooping a strange colored cream into a jar.
“What happened?”
The woman turns and shakes her head and shrugs, exasperated.
“You were hit by a train,” Nikolai appears at my side.
I gasp as it comes back to me. “I-I…” I cough. Nikolai holds a cup of water to my lips and I take a small sip before coughing again. My throat is raw and painful.
“Just rest. You’ll be fine, but you need to sleep.” He squeezes my hand.
THE NEXT TIME I wake, I don’t feel too bad. Not amazing, but not like I was run over by a train. Nikolai is sitting at the foot of the bed, flicking through his phone.
“Hey.”
“Good, you’re awake.” He moves closer to sit at my side.
“What happened? Did the train actually hit me? I mean, how...?”
“Yes, it hit you… It definitely hit you.” Nikolai swallows and looks away.
“Nikolai… what are you doing here? How did you know where I was?”
“I followed Miguel.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why? To help you. To stop this.” Nikolai stands up and crosses the room. He seems angry as he stands at the covered windows, facing away from me. “Do you remember what happened?”
“Yes. Miguel… is he…?”
“He’s dead.”
“Thank God,” I breathe.
“Did you…? Was that your plan? The train?” Nikolai asks, turning back to me.
I try to nod, but pain shoots up my neck, and just like that, unbidden, tears start streaming down my face.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay.” Nikolai crosses the room to pull me into a hug, taking care not to squeeze me too tightly. Despite his efforts, darts of pain shoot through me, but I don’t tell him to stop.
“I called Dana,” Nikolai says, sitting back. “Well, she called me. Several times. You should call her back.”
I sigh. “How much does she know?”
“She knows about Miguel and the train.”
“And Rica?”
Nikolai hesitates, then shakes his head. “No one knows where we are. For now. I just thought you could use some time away. To heal and to think.”
I study Nikolai’s face, trying to make sense of all this. “Nikolai,” I start to say, but another rush of sleep surges up and I have to let my heavy, heavy eyelids close.
“I’ll let you rest.” His voice grows distant as I succumb to sleep.
Chapter 37
Nikolai lifts his hand toward my exposed shoulder. I flinch in anticipation, but his hand stops just short of touching my bare skin.
“How’s it looking?” I ask.
“I can’t believe how fast you’re healing.”
“But isn’t that we do? Heal fast.”
“You were hit by a train two days ago.” Nikolai swallows.
I search his eyes. He hasn’t and won’t give me any more details than that. All he will say is that it was bad. He steps backward, and I release the breath I’ve been holding.
We’re in another, much nicer, motel that Nikolai checked us into earlier today. He paid cash for one twin room, explaining that Rica has the means to trace credit cards. That’s how Miguel found me so quickly.
I take a seat on the bed on the far side of the room and fiddle with the zip on my hoody. My life isn’t in immediate danger, and we’ve been contained in this small room for several hours. The atmosphere is riddled with tension. Or maybe it’s awkwardness. Either way, it’s uncomfortable. The last time we saw each other, he stormed away from me, and even though he rescued me from the train tracks, I don’t think he’s forgiven me yet. Underneath my anger at the Consillium, I know he’s entitled to feel at least a little betrayed, but I can’t bring myself to apologize because I’m still so angry.
Nikolai paces the room, picking things up, putting them down, checking his phone. I would probably do this too, except the room is too small to have both of us stomping about.
“So… what about the Campus Crawler?” I say into the silence.
“Nothing. No leads, but no new victims either.”
Some good news at least. But what does that mean? Is it because I’ve been out of town? Or has something happened to him.
Nikolai checks his phone again.
“Are you expecting a call?”
“Rica hasn’t responded to my last text.” Nikolai shoves his phone into his pocket with a frown.
“Where does Rica think you are right now?”
“He thinks I’m looking for you.”
“Does he know Miguel is dead?”
Nikolai nods. “I told him I got there too late and you had gone, but I would keep tracking you.”
“Why haven’t you told him where I am?”
“Because I want this all to work out in the best possible way… and I think for now, this way is best. Sending three Enforcers…” He shakes his head, then rubs his forehead as he sits down on the bed next to me. “I came looking for you as soon as I found out. I don’t know that Rica…”
I wait, but he doesn’t finish. In the silence, I take a long swig from the bottle of water sitting on the bedside table.
“So, do you know anything about the last Enforcer?” I ask, walking to the other side of the room. I’m about to get the Consillium dossier file to show Nikolai when I realize that this might get Vincent in trouble. Instead, I pretend to check my phone, shove the file further into my bag, and return to my spot on the bed.
“Yes, Tamzin. That’s why I’m here. I can’t let you face him.”
Enforcer # 3: Cedric Gunnarsen, 31, Norwegian. Off the Consillium radar until aged twenty-five, he is relatively new but I shouldn’t underestimate him. He’s a strong, skilled fighter, but also a powerful telepath. So powerful that some believe he is capable of mind control.
“Tamzin, there’s a story about a Rogue that Cedric was sent after in Belgrade a few years ago. When they found the Rogue’s body, his eyes were gouged out, his tongue had been ripped out, and he had been disemboweled.”
“Holy crap.”
“That isn’t the worst part. The forensic reports confirmed that he—”
“Don’t say it.”
“He did it to himself.”
“Cedric made him do it?” I whisper.
“That’s what they say.”
When Nikolai’s eyes meet mine, they’re troubled. “Tamzin, I….” Nikolai places his hand on mine. Its warmth and strength is comforting, but I can feel his unease. He is worried. And I know why. Even though I’ve already taken down two Enforcers, Cedric is easily the deadliest.
Looking at Nikolai, his hazel eyes clouded with concern, I know he cares. He wants this all to work out; he wants me to be safe. I don’t think he ever wanted anything else. And in return, I lied and hid stuff from him. And he might have saved my life. I probably would have healed by myself—all that healer did was cover me with goopy crap—but I’m glad he found me. And I haven’t even said thank you yet. I grip his hand, entwining my fingers with his as the warmth of his body reminds me of our connection.
“Tamzin…”
Every part of my body wants him closer, so when he stands up, I do too.
“…I wish that…” He reaches into his pocket, and even before his hand emerges, I know what it holds.
The amulet.
I drop his hand and take a step backward, shaking my head in disgust. “Are you kidding?”
“Tamzin, it would solve things, at least for now. Please.”
“I can’t believe this.”
“It’s the only way to stop Cedric. I know it’s unpleasant—”
“Unpleasant?”
“But it’s not forever. And it’s not just about you. It’s about Rogues and the Crawler. It’s about innocent victims, and the Consillium community. Why can’t you see that?”
“Because I don’t think that’s the way it is. This is about the Consillium controlling me. They’re scared of my strength, my unpredictability, and they want to shut me down,” I spit. “They make me wear something that sucks the life out of me, and when I take it off, they send three assassins after me?” My words erase my fear, making me angry. “It’s insane. All of this. It is totally crazy.”
“Tamzin, I think Rica will call off the last Enforcer if you wear it.”
“I don’t believe that,” I retort immediately. But is that true? I don’t know anymore, but I do know that I’m done. Even if I did believe the simple act of putting on a fucking necklace would end all this, it’s gone past that. “You know what, no. I know your position. If this is what being part of the Consillium means, then you can forget it. Screw you. Screw the Consillium.” I start toward the door.
“Tamzin!” Nikolai stands in front of me, blocking my exit. “I don’t want you to die.” He swallows as his eyes lock with mine, pleading with me.
“I don’t want to die either,” I say, softening my voice, “but I’m not putting it on.”
We stare at each other until Nikolai’s phone rings, breaking the stalemate.
“Dammit, Tamzin,” Nikolai says in frustration, striding out of the room to answer the call. I’m motionless at first. Then I kick into gear, moving around the room to collect my few belongings. I can’t stay here.
But I don’t get far. Just outside the room, Nikolai is marching toward me with an alarming expression on his face. He grabs my hand and pulls me back inside, slamming the door.
“He’s gone too far. It’s not right.” He shakes his head, then sits down, head in hands.
“Nikolai?”
“I need to tell you something.” His voice is breathless and his eyes are troubled.
An icy chill washes over my shoulders. “What? What’s happening?”
“It’s Dana.” Nikolai’s voice is low. “Rica has taken Dana.”
Chapter 38
Breathe, just breathe, I tell myself.
“Tamzin?”
I bend down, focusing all my energy on calming my respiratory system, my heart rate, and the fire that has been ignited inside.
“You have to know, I didn’t know he would do this.”
I can’t listen to him; I have to focus all my energy on controlling the rage.
“How is this even happening? Dana didn’t do anything. And she’s dating the friggin’ head of the West Coast Consillium. How can Rica do this? Is this what the Consillium is all about?”
“No. Tamzin, this is totally out of line. I don’t know what Rica is doing, what he is thinking. This has never happened before, and it’s not the way it’s supposed to be.” Nikolai’s face is twisted with anguish.
“What has he done to her?”
“Nothing, yet. I think the point is… he wants you to come and get her.”
I laugh. A bitter sound. It doesn’t even sound like my voice.
“Well, his plan worked. He wants me? He’s got me.”
“Tamzin, wait. It’s wrong. This is wrong.”
“No shit.”
“I want to help.”
“Well, then help. Where is she? What has he done with her?”
“He has her in this place downtown… at the dockyards.”
“Take me there,” I look up and growl, “now.”
Outside, I turn back to Nikolai, holding out my hand. “Give it to me.”
“You’re going to wear it?”
“No, but somebody is.”
WE DRIVE BACK in convoy. I couldn’t leave Dana’s car; she would be so mad at me.
I let Nikolai take the lead because I’m too angry to take notice of things like highway exits and street signs. I just follow his taillights and try not to think about what Dana is going through right now. What is Rica doing to her? What is his plan once I get there? Or is it already too late? And why didn’t I call her back? Why didn’t I just let her know I was okay? At least I could have talked to her, heard her voice.
Wait. I have all those messages she left.
I reach over to where my phone is sitting in the passenger seat. Taking my eyes off the road for only a second, I call voice mail then put it on speakerphone, dropping it in my lap. The first four message are brief—she wants me to call her. The fifth, left just this morning, is longer.
“Damn, you can be stubborn!” A cheerful start. “Okay. So in case you ever check these, you need to know something important. Remember that trip I went on, to London, to the Writer’s Festival? Well, that’s not where I was. I went back to go through some of Grandma Tessa’s stuff. I went to find out about you, us, our bloodline.”
“Why?” I say, even though she isn’t here with me. Weirdly, she answers my question as if she were.
“There are legends, Tam, specific ones about the Cursus bloodline. Remember how I told you that ours is unusual because it is only carried by females and it’s inconsistently passed down the generations? Well, it’s kind of to do with that. There’s a legend that… well, I guess it’s more of a prophecy, but… how do I put this? God, this would be so much easier in person. If I could show you.” I can hear papers rustling. “Your abilities, Tam? I have never seen anything like it. Neither has Vincent. You are off the charts. You have had telepathic abilities from day one, you can read human minds whenever you want, and you are way stronger than me, and I’m strong by Lucan standards. And your healing? I think… uh….” She pauses, and even through the phone, I can hear a thump. “Um… listen...” She sounds distracted. “I need to tell you… and… hang on. Uh, I’ll call you back.
” There’s another thump just before the call ends.
“Dana?” I say pointlessly, gripping the wheel.
Why did the call end like that? What was she trying to say?
“Nikolai, can we pick up the pace?” His car is only twenty feet away, directly in front of me. He doesn’t respond but indicates to move into the fast lane. I follow, noticing as I do, that a nondescript dark sedan behind me also indicates and crosses into our lane. I squint in the rearview mirror, but the lights are too bright and I can’t see into the passenger seat. When Nikolai changes lanes again to overtake a van, the same car behind me changes with us. I look in my rearview mirror again. There is something familiar about the figure behind the wheel. I divert my attention away from the traffic for a split second to zero in on who is in the car behind me. I work it out straight away.
Detective Parsons.
This is the last thing I need. He’s going to want to question me, I’m sure of it.
“Nikolai, we got company. Parsons.”
“Damn. He must have an alert on Dana’s car.”
Parsons flashes his lights at me. The meaning is clear. He wants me to pull over. I can’t believe this is happening. I didn’t do anything wrong except be psycho-bait.
“What do I do?” I ask Nikolai, gripping the wheel.
“I don’t know. Let me think.”
“He’s going to want to question me again. Find out where I went. He could keep me for hours!”
Parsons flashes his lights again and beeps his extra loud police horn. I have to get to Dana, now, but I don’t think starting a police chase is a great idea.
“Okay, I have an idea. Switch lanes. Get yourself into the right lane.”
“Then what? I can’t pull over, Nikolai. I have to get to Dana.”
“There is an exit coming up. Make like you’re going to pullover before the exit, but then don’t, speed up at the last second take the exit.”