Bedeviled

by Sable Grace

  She’ll return to the familiar.

  It was why Panama City had made sense. If Haven was returning to places that held some trace of her humanity, why not Cassadaga? Why not a place where she might find answers that could possibly help free her of Cronos?

  Or even help her give him what he wanted?

  Her heart began to race. “Did she go there often?” she asked.

  Kevin stuffed a jacket into a beat-up duffel bag. “Her mother took her there all the time before . . . before our family fell apart.”

  Before you murdered your daughter, you prick.

  Leaving Kevin standing between his kitchen and bedroom, Kyana jogged out of the trailer and leaped down the stairs, landing on the pavement with a smack to her bare feet.

  Ryker and Silas looked at her with curious expressions.

  “You said Cronos might be telling her things she can’t possibly know,” she managed, excitement making it hard to be coherent.

  It was Ryker who answered. “Yeah. Haven knew how to get to the trident and claims to know where the other Eyes of Power are hidden. She can’t possibly know without a psychic connection.”

  Kevin loped down the steps to join them and she gave him a rough shove toward the vehicle. “Get in the car.”

  “Where are we going?” Silas asked.

  “Where the psychics go to retire.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Even without traffic as a hindrance, the trip from Panama City to Cassadaga was tortuously slow. Silas drove, Ryker navigated, and Kyana tried to lie in what some might call a backseat of the little red car. But lying down was impossible given the size of the seat and the bulk of Haven’s dad wasting space beside her. She’d considered stuffing him in the trunk, but was pretty sure he wouldn’t fit.

  He let out a rumbling snore and Kyana elbowed him in the ribs. She might have to put up with his presence but she didn’t have to put up with his obnoxious breathing patterns.

  “Sonofabitch.” Silas brought the vehicle to an abrupt stop. “Another barricade.”

  Haven’s father sputtered, knocking Kyana in the chin with his big ogre-sized palm as he flailed back to life. “Whasgoinon?”

  “Go back to sleep.”

  His eyes darted nervously around the car interior before focusing on the roadblock illuminated in the bright orb of headlights. “Another one?”

  The GPS chirped as Ryker punched buttons searching for another route. The damned thing had already given Kyana a headache. She didn’t do any better around electronics than she did automotives. It was the Lychen in her. She had hoped Artemis’s blood might quiet the static technology caused in her head, but that probably wouldn’t happen until her other breeds completely faded into the background.

  Her patience worn completely thin, she struggled to separate herself from Kevin’s bulky mass. “I swear I can walk faster than you two can drive. Let me out.”

  She wanted to get to Cassadaga and find out if her hunches were right. If someone there was peering into the unknown on Haven’s behalf, she wanted to find them and cut that connection off pronto. She didn’t want to leave Haven even more lost and alone, but evening the playing field meant not being two steps behind all the time.

  With a heavy sigh, Ryker exited the car, flipped his seat forward, then offered his hand to assist Kyana. She didn’t need a hand, she needed a bloody shoehorn. It took Kevin another five minutes to unfold himself from the tuna can on wheels, his joints snap, crackle, and popping as he tried and tried again.

  Finally Ryker reached in, grabbed the man by his collar, and lifted him out of the open convertible top as though he weighed no more than Kyana.

  Leaving their tagalong to Silas and Ryker, she stood in the middle of the interstate and took in their surroundings. The green highway marker declared they were just outside Tallahassee. At this rate, Ryker’s porting powers would be ready again before they even reached the halfway point.

  “This is ridiculous,” she snapped at Ryker. “If you don’t know how to read the bloody map, why don’t you let someone else navigate?”

  Ryker raised his eyebrows, but remained quiet. Silas wasn’t so polite. He climbed from the car and tossed the keys at her. She managed to catch them before they hit her in the nose.

  “If you think you can do better, you drive.”

  She felt a little guilty. It wasn’t their fault. Unfortunately, GPS didn’t mark Dark Breed destruction or military barricades. They were doing the best they could with what they had to work with. However, knowing that did nothing to cool Kyana’s frustration or motion sickness.

  She chucked the keys back at Silas. He wasn’t as quick on the draw and they caught him on the chin.

  “If you hadn’t gone for cute and sporty and had gotten us something useful, we could push our way through this mess.” She pointed to the wide patch of wet winter grass not yet fully greened by the approaching spring. “Or at least go around it.”

  “We’ll backtrack to the last exit and find a way around this,” Ryker said.

  “Fine, you two have fun. When you get back to the interstate, look for me.” She didn’t make it two feet before Ryker had her arm and Silas blocked her path.

  She snatched her hand away, knowing what they were going to say and not wanting to hear it. “I can take care of myself. And trust me, I’d rather take my chances on the road than in that contraption with the two of you.”

  She wasn’t used to needing a nursemaid. She understood their concerns—she wasn’t running on all cylinders yet and her role as Goddess of the Hunt was too precious to put in danger. But goddess or not, she wasn’t going to be babysat or held against her will. The Lychen and Vamp sides of her might be dying, but the independent woman inside her sure as hell was not.

  With one last look that warned them to back off, she vaulted over the first row of barricades. She shuffled her way around the second set of obstacles only to be brought up short by a very young, very nervous soldier and his rifle. Judging from the grunts and muffled expletives behind her, Ryker and Silas were giving pursuit and Kevin was desperately attempting to roly-poly his way over the barricade as well.

  She looked around for the soldier’s companions as she waited for her own to join her. There didn’t seem to be anyone else here. “Put the weapon down. You have nothing to fear from us.”

  The kid shook his head but did what she asked. She was surprised and a little put off that he’d given in so easily. She eyed the gun for a moment before swinging her gaze back to the man’s face. He was pale, but certainly didn’t seem to be in shock.

  “You all right?” she asked.

  He swallowed, a sheen of perspiration glowing beneath the fine hairs pressed against his forehead. “I’m not allowed to let anyone pass.”

  It took great effort to keep from snapping him in two for being another obstacle in her path. Instead, she dug deep and found a tiny bit of compassion for the lone soldier.

  “Your orders don’t include us.”

  His jaw clenched and he shook his head, but when he opened his mouth, he said, “You may pass.”

  He looked so startled by his own words, she expected him to pop his hand over his mouth. “You sure you’re okay?”

  Nodding, he stepped aside, and as Ryker caught up to her, she cast the man one last glance over her shoulder. “What was that all about?”

  “I’ll explain later,” Ryker mumbled, looking back to make sure Silas was following with Kevin.

  “Was he under some sort of spell or something?”

  The muscle in his jaw ticked, intriguing Kyana even more. “Something like that. Like I said, I’ll explain later.”

  Something had put him on edge, but the hope-on-wheels looming before them shoved Kyana’s questions to the back burner. A row of Humvees lined the barricade walls to the left, looking far roomier than the sports car, not to mention a better choice for avoiding obstacles like this.

  “Is your troop sleeping in those?” she asked, turning back to the soldier.r />
  “No.” He rubbed his temples. “They’ll be back at sunset.”

  “We’re going to borrow one. And a list of any roadblocks set up between here and Cassadaga if you have one.”

  “Ma’am, you’re going to get me in a lot of trouble.” Once again, he looked like he was going to object, but instead, he walked toward them, pulling a well-worn piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to her. “Blockades are marked in black. Open roads are outlined in green. Try to avoid back roads and smaller towns. They’re not guarded.”

  “We’re not the ones who need to be careful,” she said, tucking the map in the waistband of her pants. “Whoever left you out here alone should have his ass kicked. Stay hidden from anyone else that comes this way.”

  Without another word, the soldier turned, opened the door to a nearby armored car, and disappeared inside.

  “Well, he was certainly agreeable,” Kyana muttered when the door shut behind him. “Think he was on drugs?”

  “Didn’t expect it so soon.”

  She snapped her gaze to Ryker. “What? Drugs? I’m sure those who could get them started building a habit the night Hell broke open.”

  He held a serious gaze on her as he folded his arms across his chest. “He wasn’t a pushover, Ky. That was Artemis working through you. Humans have a hard time denying gods’ requests. Once we put some distance between you, he’ll forget your order and return to guard his post.”

  Not sure what to make of this revelation, she took a moment before following the men to the lead Humvee. Ryker offered her the front seat, but certain it was better for her stomach if she couldn’t see the trees flying by, she refused and climbed into the back.

  “So, I have the power of persuasion,” she finally said. “Interesting.”

  “Don’t abuse it, Ky.”

  She glared daggers at the back of his head as he jumped into the shotgun seat. “I wouldn’t.”

  “You drive,” Silas said, stepping in front of Ryker’s door. “I want to work on something that might help us.”

  Kyana peered over the shoulder of the car seat as Ryker moved to the driver’s side and Silas hopped in front of her. He began pulling items out of his bag and settling them around his legs.

  “What’s all that?”

  “You’ll see. If I have all the materials I need.”

  When Kevin crammed himself in the backseat beside Kyana, she tapped Ryker on the shoulder with her newly acquired map. “See if you can get us there without any more delays.”

  He shut his door and ripped the map from her hand. “Take a nap, Ky. See if Haven can show you where we go once we get to this place.”

  In other words, stop bitching and do something useful.

  Two hours later, it turned out Haven had nothing to show her but the backs of her eyelids, and they were approaching Cassadaga.

  Ryker pulled over next to the SPIRIT CROSSING sign Kyana had seen in the photo of Haven and Hope and turned off the ignition. “What now?”

  She eased out of the Humvee and stood in the middle of the road. Closing her eyes, she turned in a slow circle. She didn’t know what she hoped to sense, but apparently, all the spirits were crossing elsewhere because she didn’t detect a single human—or anything else, for that matter—in the entire area.

  With a sigh, she looked at Silas and Ryker. “One of you stays with Kevin. The other goes with me to search for Haven.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  It looked like a bomb had gone off in the center of town, destroying everything in its path. Bodies lay strewn in the streets and buildings—dismembered, broken, or disemboweled. While the odor was familiar, she’d not seen destruction like this in any city.

  The stench of death, much like what had plagued every city for days after Tartarus broke free, was enough to make Kyana retch. Fresh blood was rather appealing. Old, stale blood revolted even the hungriest of Vampyre. Though she supposed Leeches might be drawn to decay like this.

  Why hadn’t the psychics seen their own fate and gotten the hell out of here before the Dark Breeds struck?

  A shrill scream, much like that of a Banshee, pulled Kyana from her thoughts and stopped her in her tracks. Moving slowly, she unsheathed her daggers from her waistband as she turned in the direction of the screams. Peering through the broken window, she took only a second to spot the source of the noise.

  It wasn’t Banshee. It was Haven.

  “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t,” Haven threw her neck back and screamed again, her hands raking her hair, ripping at her scalp. She paced the littered shop, broken glass crunching beneath her bare feet, but she gave no indication of pain.

  Kyana watched, trying to form a plan. Making a reckless dive for Haven would be a bad choice. She’d expended all her ambrosia-charged goddess strength at the trailer park and it would be over quickly . . . and painfully for Kyana.

  She fingered the small pouch in her pocket. On the drive here, Silas had set to work crafting Binding Charms for all three of them. His hurried explanations on how to use them were barely heard, but she was fairly certain it couldn’t be that difficult. She knew Binding Charms could be extremely powerful depending on the Witch who’d created them. Silas was such a Witch, but would it work on Haven now that she had Cronos’s spirit inside her?

  She wasn’t letting Haven out of her sight for even a second to find Ryker. He’d taken off to inspect a building two blocks down. There was no time for backup. Her decision made, she pulled the charm from her pocket, hitched up her baggy pants, and stepped silently through the shattered window, avoiding as much of the debris as possible.

  Haven stared directly at her, but didn’t seem to see her. She was shaking her head violently, her lips pinched so tightly together they’d almost vanished in her milky white face.

  Kyana stopped, afraid to so much as breathe as she waited for Haven to move, to say something. Anything. She gripped the charm in her hand. She thought Silas said she had to be within five feet before discharging it. Or was it fifteen? Either way, she was well within that range.

  As she eased forward a step, Haven remained frozen in place. But then, her mouth opened and her lips moved as she spoke silent words. Kyana considered calling out to her, but if she was in some sort of trance, best to attack before it broke. Then she could take Haven in without a fight and no one would get hurt.

  She took another step, but then Haven’s gaze jerked to the corner of the room. Haven began shaking her head again as though violently disagreeing with something Kyana couldn’t hear. Everything moved in slow motion as Kyana turned to see what Haven pointed at. Her eyes burned from the golden glow of the object propped against the wall.

  Poseidon’s trident.

  If she bound Haven to her as the charm was meant to do, she’d have to fight Haven and figure out how to carry the trident at the same time. She wanted Haven badly, but the world needed the trident more. No, she’d have to bind Haven to her own body, make it difficult for her to flee until Kyana could get the trident to safety.

  The second she decided to be logical, the room suddenly filled with the suffocating odor of sulfur. Not giving herself time to think about her actions, or the consequences they might carry, she shot across the room.

  She tossed one end of the Binding Charm at Haven’s left foot, and the other around the right. At the same instant, her hand closed over the shaft of the trident, and she silently prayed that there was enough of Artie’s blood in her to keep the damned thing from killing her.

  When she wasn’t immediately stricken by whatever god force was attached to the conduit, Kyana jumped out a busted window, nearly impaling herself on the shattered glass, and took off down the street toward the entrance to town, her bare feet slapping the rough concrete. Her heels were on fire, shards of embedded glass shooting pain up her legs, but she refused to stop even long enough to look back to see if her charm had worked.

  She didn’t need to. Haven’s roar of outrage erupted like an explosion.

  “
Ky!” Ryker shot out from a large building on her left and she almost sagged with relief.

  “What the hell—” His gaze took in the trident. He vaulted over the railing and fell into stride beside her. He grabbed her arm, forcibly pulling her down the street.

  The instant Silas saw them coming, he leaped into the Humvee, dragging Kevin inside with him, and started the engine.

  “Go, go, go!” Kyana screamed when they were about five feet away. She took a running leap and threw herself and the trident into the backseat, nearly skewering Ryker in the process as he landed beside her.

  Twisting in her seat, she watched the sky darken overhead, watched the building they’d been in collapse on itself, and her heart twisted violently. Haven was in there!

  “I couldn’t get them both! She’s restrained in there. She’ll die if I don’t go back!”

  Grief and panic had her ordering Silas to stop the car, but he kept driving. She contemplated jumping out, running back to grab her friend, but Ryker must have sensed her intentions because he snatched the back of her pants and held her in place.

  “You can’t help her now, Ky.”

  She glared at him, wanted to hit him and ask him if he would have abandoned her back there too, but she was pretty sure the answer would have just pissed her off even more.

  To save the trident, damned right he would have.

  She buried her face in her hands, choking on the building need to weep like a baby. If she let loose now, though, she’d never stop. Haven. Her sister. Her closest friend in the entire world.

  The woman who’d held Kyana’s hair back when a spoiled batch of blood had curdled in her belly and kept her bedridden for three days. The woman who’d asked her to be the maid of honor at a wedding she’d known Kyana had disagreed with. The woman who opened windows to release spiders rather than squash them and purposely left crumbs in the attic for the mice who’d wandered in.

  How could all this have happened to someone like that? Certainly this couldn’t have been the destiny the Fates had chosen for Haven. So why then was it happening to someone as pure and good as Haven while someone as selfish as Kyana retained her free will? She choked back a sob, praying with everything she had that some miracle might have saved Haven from the explosion.