I nodded, smiling. “I understand.”
He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss to my forehead as he slipped the chain with the amulet back around my neck.
My body felt numb and almost lifeless. I slipped through the crowd, easily working my way past the throng of people and barely catching anyone’s notice. All eyes were focused on the glass windows of the Diamond City Savings and Loan. A row of patrons were standing along the windows, a shield for the men with the guns just behind them. Some were crying, some were stoically staring outside, others were trembling and pleading with their eyes.
I took a step just to the edge of the police tape, stretching it a little in front of me with the pressure of my body leaning forward to watch. Most of the law enforcement officers were to the right of me, standing in little groups and discussing plans of action, I was sure. There was one with a phone to his ear, his gaze focused in the direction of the bank. I decided he must be the hostage negotiator.
The media was to my left, reporters standing near their cameramen, all of them vying for the best position, the best shot. I willed one of them to catch my eye, but for the moment they were all distracted.
I felt some movement beside me and looked down to find a young girl with brown curls, about fourteen. Her cheeks were pale and her eyes were rimmed with red as if she’d been crying. “Do you know someone in there?”
Her pink lips trembled and she nodded. “My mom. She’s there.” Her finger lifted to point. “It’s my birthday. We’re supposed to be going to the mall to shop.”
I nodded, expressionless as I looked at her mother’s terrified gaze. “It will still be a good birthday.”
Then I lifted the yellow tape and began to cross the street. A few cops rushed me, but without even sparing a glance, I lifted my hand and willed my magic to stop them. My peripheral vision saw them slam into an invisible wall. It didn’t take me long to reach the door to the savings and loan, but in the time it did take me, I saw several reporters also breaking the police tape, advancing just to get a closer look at me.
There were two men with guns in the building. I knew nothing about guns so I had no idea what type or what kind of damage they could do. Only one was near the door and when I opened it, his eyes widened in alarm, then he pointed his weapon in my direction.
“What the…”
His partner saw what was happening and reacted with a little more intent, grabbing one of the hostages and holding his pistol to her head instead of aiming in my direction. “Don’t move another step, lady. What the hell do you think you’re doing just walking in here?”
I considered him a moment. He was the more methodical of the two. His actions would be measured and well-thought out. My eyes cut to the other man, and I could see that he was nervous and unsure. His finger twitched at the trigger, and I knew it wouldn’t take much for him to let loose at me.
And I decided that was exactly what I wanted to happen. I took a quick step in his direction and raised my arms. His eyes widened and his face blanched, then he rushed backwards to get away from me. I aimed the fingers of both hands as if they were guns. “Bang, bang!”
The man tripped over his own feet and started firing. I used my magic to deflect each bullet, sending them in an arc towards the floor and away from me or anyone else. The hostages instinctively crouched low, hiding from the gunfire and leaving the crowd outside a clear view of what was happening. From the corner of my eye, I saw the journalists push forward like sharks smelling blood in the water.
Until that moment, I was using magic that wasn’t visible to the naked eye. Now that I had an audience, I let loose with a strand of red and blue energy from one hand, clasping the shooter with it and squeezing him in the ribbons of color until he dropped the weapon.
If he’d been methodical before, the other man at that moment lost all nerve. He shoved the woman he’d been holding away from him, and when he did, she stumbled, knocking her head into the concrete floor. I saw blood. And then I saw red, hot anger.
My other hand reached out to grab that man with the same red and blue magic. Now I had them both in my grip, struggling and wailing for release. I smiled.
“Lynlee. Lynlee, let them go.”
I recognized Tig’s voice from behind me, but I didn’t react outwardly. Both arms were outstretched, solid and firm in my magical grip on the two criminals. It would serve the world just as well if they both disappeared. The human judicial system was imperfect, and they’d probably be out on the streets sooner rather than later.
“That isn’t the way, Miss Lincoln. That isn’t what you want to do.”
Prieto. Where Tig’s voice failed to break through, somehow his managed to get to me. I loosened my hold ever so slightly and cocked my head as if I might turn to look behind me. Then my mind pressed back to my original goal, and I shook my head to get rid of any doubt.
“The world needs this.”
I knew what to do. And any nagging doubt creeping forth from the inner crevices of my psyche was insignificant. My mission was clear and nothing could stop me. I pulled my arms out, the two criminals moving with the energy coming from my palms, then I slammed them back together, watching as both men were knocked out from the force.
I began to lift my arms, intent on throwing them both down in one final, finishing blow, but before I could build the momentum, two arms reached around my body, hauling me backwards.
Prieto’s hands on me felt heavenly… or perhaps sinful would be the better term. I knew immediately it was him, and I moaned, arching so that more of me could touch more of him. His chin was pressed into my shoulder, putting his lips so close to mine all he had to do was turn his head to touch my mouth. I tried to meet him halfway, but he turned away, denying me what I wanted.
Denying me what I needed… what I knew at that moment I required to live. At least that was what it felt like. As if all of my being and all of my survival depended on mating with this man. Every nerve in me pulsed and popped as desire crackled, and I found myself clawing for him, begging for him. It was a craving that was unworldly and wholly consuming.
And then it disappeared, and I was left void and empty and spent, collapsed into a heap, sobbing.
It was hard to believe what I was seeing. Did video lie? According to Tig, this one didn’t. I had to massage my head as I watched myself walk straight into a bank robbery. How the hell had that happened?
The video progressed, and I could clearly see sparks as I used my magic against the two gun-wielding assailants. What was even more astounding was that I wasn’t even using my wand as a buffer. What the hell?
Tig, Prieto and I were in my living room, watching the clip which one of the Neutralizers had stolen from a television station. I had a blanket wrapped around my body because even though Tig had a thin layer of sweat across his brow, I was trembling with cold. Prieto said my reaction was natural under the circumstances. I still didn’t understand what those circumstances were exactly.
“How did you guys know to get there so fast?”
Tig grinned and approached the couch, sitting down on the opposite end from me. “You can thank your boyfriend for that. He said he was talking to you when something happened to you. He called me, and I called Prieto. From there, it didn’t take us long.”
I nodded as my thoughts turned to him and the kids. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to have his arms around me and to hear Justin and Jilly chattering and playing somewhere in their house. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my heart constricted. Something was so wrong with me. “I should call him to let him know I’m okay.”
“Already done. Talked to him about twenty minutes before I brought you back here.”
I focused on the television again. Prieto and Tig had just entered the scene, both of their mouths moving as they cried out to me. The camera angle was from the outside and unable to pick up the words being said. My memory was foggy, but I could recall bits and pieces. After a few moments, Prieto turned to Tig. My mentor nodded
his goblin head in a signal of understanding, then Prieto, grabbed me up in a bear-hug and pulled me away from the robbers.
A shudder passed through me now. I did remember that. The feel of Prieto’s hands on me wasn’t something I would forget any time soon. The sensations his touch evoked were so very strong that I couldn’t help longing for more even if deep down inside me I could feel how wrong they really were.
I was surprised by what I saw next. Tig aimed his hands towards the Enforcer and struck him in the back with a ball of energy. Prieto arched then fell unconscious. My own legs buckled, and I too dropped into a heap beside him.
“You zapped an Enforcer?” I murmured, touching my hand to my mouth before facing Tig with an astonished glare.
“He told me to.” Tig flicked his thumb in Prieto’s direction. I looked at the Enforcer, but he had his eyes stubbornly focused on the television and wouldn’t face me.
“The only way for me to break the spell Nelson had on you was to overpower it with my own magic. Touch is the most direct way to do that.”
“Okay, but why did he have to fire at you?”
I watched him chew his tongue a moment, and I could tell he was carefully choosing his words. The vulnerability I saw in him at that moment was endearing. For whatever reason, I wasn’t overcome by the magnetic attraction to him now. Finally, his eyes blinked a few times and he looked at me. “I recognized that once I had you in my arms, I wouldn’t let you go. If he hadn’t knocked me out with that burst of magic, I would have taken you away and never would have brought you back.”
And I knew he meant that. I could also tell that the confession and the truth in it were very difficult for him. That made me appreciate it all the more. “So Nelson had me under a spell? That’s what his angel power does? Lets him make people do whatever he wants them to?”
Prieto turned away and part of me thought he was probably taking a moment to compose himself.
“Eh, not exactly,” Tig piped in, apparently eager to tell the story. “The way Prieto told me, it’s more like it lets him attach to something you already want and then twist it and strengthen it. Somewhere inside, you really want MAUCs and humans to live together in the open. Hell, I’ve always known that about you. He just made you a little irrational about it.”
I considered that a moment, swallowing and pulling the blanket in closer to me. I felt empty and void inside. There were two other people, strong magical people, here in my little living area and yet somehow it seemed like I was the only person in the room. The only person in the world.
“He says you’ll feel out of sorts for a bit, until your mind and soul find their equilibrium again. You look like you’re getting a bit of color back now.”
I wasn’t so sure. After a moment, I looked around the room and realized something was missing. “Where’s Patch?” The last time I’d seen her was when Nelson kidnapped me. My heart palpitated as I worried that maybe he’d done something to my pup.
“Oh, yeah, the flea bag is with your neighbor. I didn’t know what to do with her when we couldn’t find you, and when I took her outside to use the bathroom your busy-body neighbor was there. I asked her to look after the dog.”
I rolled my eyes. Assuming he meant who I thought he did, he was right. Mrs. Fenton was a busy-body. I could just about imagine the conversation I was going to have with her about the strange men always coming and going from my house.
Prieto turned back to us, and as if on cue Tig hopped up from the couch. “I’ll go get the dog while you two finish chatting.”
While he left the room, I shifted my arms from inside the blanket and rubbed my eyes hard with the heels of my hands.
“There is nothing wrong with you, Miss Lincoln. This is entirely my fault and for that I apologize.”
I didn’t remove my hands from my eyes just yet, only sniffed and nodded my head. Before I could help myself, my shoulders began to shake. I tried my best not to start sobbing, but I knew I was fighting a losing battle because emotion like I hadn’t felt in a long time was surfacing.
“And there is nothing wrong with crying either, Miss Lincoln. It is a healing method for the soul. You’ve been through a traumatic time. It isn’t unusual with a possession like this.”
My head shot up, and I wiped away the tears to glare at him. “A possession? Is that what you call it? I thought that was a demonic thing?”
He shrugged apologetically.
“You’re an angel, just like Nelson” I hiccupped, the words more as an accusation than a revelation.
“Fallen angels, Miss Lincoln. Fallen and separated from the divine, but still in possession of the power to feel and sense emotion and sometimes thoughts.”
“So you’re not really an Enforcer?”
“Oh.” He smiled, approaching me just a few steps, still appearing to be cautious about getting too close to me. “I am an Enforcer. These days, I’m in recruiting. You were on my list, prior to these events.”
I took a deep cleansing breath, motioning him to continue.
“There had been reports of public displays of magic for over a year now. The Enforcer Bureau was on alert for them. They were small at first, little ways of bringing magic to the forefront. But soon they began to escalate and always precipitated by a different MAUC. We knew there had to be someone powerful behind it. That was when I developed the theory that it might be an angel.”
“You would. Since you understand the process so well.”
He ignored the sarcasm in my voice and continued. “I was given special permission to investigate. When that investigation crossed paths with one of your MAUCs, I thought it was a good opportunity to work with you and to recruit you for the force. I didn’t expect you to be so very alluring, Miss Lincoln.”
I rolled my eyes and blushed a little. I didn’t think I was bad looking, but alluring wasn’t a term I had ever applied to myself. “Thanks.”
“You remind me of someone I used to care for, Miss Lincoln. The person I fell for—literally. The woman I came to earth to be with looked very much like you. And she was full of spunk and moxie just as you have proved to be.”
He paused, and his eyes got a faraway look. I imagined he was thinking of this person, this woman who had meant enough that he’d forsaken Heaven to be with her. Clearly there was a story there, but it seemed inappropriate to pry at that moment.
After a bit of silence, he continued. “I learned a long time ago to control my powers, but my attraction to you was almost my undoing. That is what happened each time we were together. It was my desire for you that made you want to abandon propriety.”
Abandoning propriety seemed a pretty weak description of what I’d wanted to do to him, but I decided to let that slide. “So why don’t I feel that now?”
“Ah, that would be because Mr. Durnham assisted with a spell of his own. It will wear off, but for now it is blocking my powers.”
“Well,” I began, swallowing when my throat went dry. “Clearly I must have felt something too. I mean, from what I understand of your powers, it isn’t as if you can just impose something completely foreign on me. I’m attracted to you, too.”
Prieto smiled a little, then reached a hand up to scratch at the stubble on his face. “Yes, and as much as I appreciate that you are attracted to me, I need to be completely honest with you. Remember, I can read your emotions and some of your thoughts. You’re in love, and just because you find me to be somewhat handsome doesn’t diminish that love.”
My heart tightened as I thought of my boyfriend and what had possibly happened with Breena. Not to mention what might have happened with Prieto if I’d slipped just the tiniest bit.
“Give me some credit, Miss Lincoln. Just because I’m separated from the Divine doesn’t mean I can’t still detect His hand in things. You’re meant to be with that man, with Beck. Have a little faith.”
No sooner had Prieto finished that sentence than my front door opened, and Beck rushed in. He peered up the stairs first, calling me name. I
stood on wobbly legs, dropping the blanket.
When he caught sight of me, he wasted no time hurrying towards me, and I stumbled to meet him halfway. He scooped me up, catching my weight and nuzzling his face into my hair.
Cue sappy romantic music. It was like the scene from just about every sentimental Hallmark movie that I hated.
At that moment, I loved every single minute of it.
Prieto had disappeared by the time Beck and I were in each other’s arms. I only took enough time to be sure he was gone before I pulled Beck’s head down so that I could kiss him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered over and over.
“C’mon, gorgeous. Sit down. You feel weak as a kitten.”
He guided me back to the couch, and I obediently dropped onto the cushions. His hands cupped my face, brushing back my hair and examining me as if searching for injuries.
“Well, you look okay? Are you hurt?”
I shook my head, managing a smile. “How are you here?”
“Ah, the boy-wonder showed up,” Tig interrupted, entering the room with a wriggling Patch in his arms. He tried to place the dog onto all fours, but she leaped from his grasp, landing with a little thud and then trotting fast to jump into my lap. I deflected her puppy kisses and nuzzled her while she crooned as if I’d been gone a month.
Which was funny considering she’d only been my pet for less than a week.
“When you disappeared and I realized something was wrong, I called Tig here. He said he would call me back, but in the meantime I arranged for Rhiannon and Sandy to get the kids from school. I immediately hit the road to get here. I could tell by his voice that things were serious, and I wanted to be as close as humanly possible.”
“Well, but all’s well that ends well,” Tig interjected. “You good here, girl? I gotta date I’d like to make.”
“The mermaid?”
“Pfft.” He waved his hand at me. “Nah, mermaids are good for one thing and… er, you’re not old enough to hear what that one thing is. Maybe one day.” And with that he turned on his heel and knocked on the front door, then disappeared through a goblin portal.
A Bundle of Trouble (The Lynlee Lincoln Sets Book 1) Page 27