“It’s certainly worth considering. I've known them since they were kids—Maia and Ristéard grew up here, it makes sense she would return to her roots. She devoted her life to that little girl and put her own on hold to help raise her.”
“So Maia knows about the Sectorium?”
“That I don’t know. I suspect she does, but she was quite a bit younger than we were, didn’t hang out with us, not for her lack of trying, of course. Little sisters can be a pain, and she was no exception. She tried to follow Ristéard everywhere he went, but he always managed to ditch her, poor thing. You know, your mother babysat for her, but she never mentioned anything. By the way, you tell your mom she owes me a visit.”
“I will.”
It was a long walk back to Bart’s place. He lived at the end of a stretch of single-lane highway, which eventually turned into dirt. Cael had considered teleporting back to Bart’s but then figured the walk would provide a chance to talk. He kicked at a rock and sent it soaring up ahead where it slammed into a tree trunk.
“I suspected Addie had abilities the minute I met her, but I didn’t want to take a chance on questioning her just in case she didn’t. It’s good to know she’s starting to develop them.”
“She said you told her one of your stories the other day.”
Bart chuckled. “I wanted to see what sort of reaction I would get from her. The one I got told me she didn’t know much about her dad's capabilities but the idea of secret powers seemed to ignite a spark in her eyes, so I knew she’d been experiencing something.”
“Your story made quite an impression on her.”
“So did you. That girl is falling in love with you.”
Cael froze. “What?”
Bart stopped walking too, and turned to look at Cael. “That bothers you?”
Cael wasn’t sure how to answer the question but managed a slight nod.
Bart shook his head. “Well, I may not have any super abilities but I know when I see two people falling in love.”
“I’m not in love with her.” The defiance in his voice was an ill attempt to convince himself. He started walking again and kicked another rock, sending it far out of sight.
“You keep telling yourself that, boy, but if you’re not careful, you might start believing it and then you’ll find yourself heartbroken, lonely, and sorry.”
Cael considered what Bart said. He didn’t want to fall in love with Addison, especially now, since he knew who she was. But he didn’t want to lose her either; it was complicated. Addison was like a magnet pulling him to her and he couldn’t break the force. She was all he thought about and since he knew he needed to protect her, the only way was to be around her as much as possible. Physical attraction would be difficult to ignore. Yes, it was very complicated indeed.
***
As was her usual habit, Darcy sang while she gathered up dirty dishes and glasses and wiped down tables. The lunch crowd had dwindled to two customers who sat at the bar.
Addie took off her apron, walked over to Darcy, and put her hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I had no right to tell you how to act with Tim. You’re my best friend. I was just concerned.”
Darcy turned and gave her a hug. “It’s okay, I forgive you. Friends have disagreements and they fight and make up. That’s what they do. That’s what we do.”
“Right. Good. Um … I know you’re going to say this is none of my business but if I don’t tell you this, and you find out later that I knew—you’ll never forgive me.”
“Okay, what?”
“Um … I think Tim is married.”
Darcy stood with the tray in her hand and Addie worried she might throw it, but Darcy sighed instead. “Jared put this idea into your head, didn’t he?”
“Yes, but I think he may be right. He saw Tim with a woman and a little boy in town.”
Darcy carried the tray to the bar and set it down, removed the dirty glasses, placed them on the counter, and turned to Addie, her eyes blazing. “Jared still thinks he owns me.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “He wants to get back together with me and I’m sure he’ll say anything to make it happen.”
“Maybe, but ...”
“Look, when I see Tim, I’ll ask him. Will you be satisfied then?”
The front door swung open and the wind sent a shiver through Addie’s bones as Chief Thompson and Lieutenant Whelan walked in.
“Hello, ladies,” Lieutenant Whelan said in his easy, southern drawl.
Darcy blushed and Addie rolled her eyes. Sometimes her friend seemed so fickle about men. Addie's concern over Darcy's feelings was pointless. She’d probably be in love with the lieutenant before the week ended.
Darcy took their orders and then joined Addie at the bar. “They found another dead woman last night—this time on the beach. Chief Thompson just told me and showed me her picture, wanted to know if I knew her.”
“Did you?”
“No, but, holy crap, Addie.”
“What?”
“She looked just like you!”
A cold chill shimmied down Addie’s spine.
As Darcy turned to walk away, Addie grabbed her arm. “What else did the chief say about the woman they found?”
“They really don’t have any clues about her identity yet, but they said they were checking missing person reports and stuff. Jeez, when they showed me the picture of the woman, Addie, I swear, if you hadn’t been standing here in the bar at that very moment, I would have ID’ed her as you. You should see the picture.”
“That’s okay. I’ll take your word for it.”
“They told me to keep my eyes and ears open and not to go out at night alone.”
“Okay, so no one leaves this establishment unescorted. Do you two hear me?” Gerry's voice startled Addie. She hadn't realized he’d walked to the bar.
“Yes.” Addie looked up as Cael entered the bar. “I have to go. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Chapter 21
Thick grey fog hovered over the cliffs, making it almost impossible to see the ocean as it crashed against the rocks below. Addison had given Cael the keys and asked him to drive, which was fine with him, hoping it would provide some distraction from all those thoughts of relationships and love.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her watching him. Her mood seemed to mirror his. He knew he was frowning, and hell, who wouldn’t be? The boyfriend comment Gerry made was extreme, and then Cael had used the same dimwitted term himself. He wasn’t ready to be anybody’s boyfriend. What was it his uncle said about love? Was he deeply in love—just because they happened to enjoy each other in the sack? Ah fuck, no one said anything about being deeply in love.
He cared for her, sure, maybe too much. He knew it would be more than just casual sex with her. But love? Deeply in love? Using the term “boyfriend” was way over the top. He wondered if Addison thought of herself as his girlfriend now. No, he thought, she had looked shocked at the term, too. She had her life here. He lived in New York. She knew that, knew this couldn’t possibly last, right? After all, long distance relationships rarely worked out anyway.
“Is everything okay?” Addison's voice yanked him from his thoughts.
“What? Oh, yeah, why do you ask?”
“You’re frowning.”
“Yes, well, so are you.”
“Yeah. Look. I’m sorry about the way Gerry and Darcy acted. If I’d had any idea they were going to come across like two possessive baboons I would never have told them we spent the night together.”
“I know. It’s not your fault.”
That whole scene had made him uncomfortable. Maybe he should back off, stick to business. He didn’t want to hurt Addison, though he would have to pull back eventually. Better now than later.
“So, where did you go when you left with your uncle?”
“Are you trying to keep tabs on me now?” The minute the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
“No, I just thought …”
“
Sorry, that was uncalled for. I didn’t mean to sound so callous. I walked my uncle home and visited with him.”
“I guess I should tell you ... Chief Thompson and Lieutenant Whelan came in for lunch today. They found a dead woman on the beach last night.”
Cael pulled to the side of the road, slamming on the brakes and the truck screeched to a halt, jerking Addison forward so hard she had to brace herself with her hand on the dash.
“What did you say?” Cael wanted to punch something.
“I said …”
“Never mind, I heard you.” His voice sounded a bit harsher than he had intended.
“They showed Darcy a picture of the woman. Darcy said she looked just like me.”
He was angry, not with Addison, but at the situation and the sudden urge to protect her. It was getting too complicated, too many emotions.
“Ah ... fuck me.”
Addison cringed.
“Sorry. This changes everything. I think Eidolon is sending a message to us. He wants us to know he’s here. He wants the book and crystal and he’ll stop at nothing to get them, even killing innocent people. He knows he can’t kill you yet, because then he’ll never find what he wants. But I bet he thinks by killing someone who looks like you, he might scare you enough to persuade you to tell him where they are.”
“But I don’t know where they are.”
“I know you don’t. Let’s ditch this truck at your apartment and do some brainstorming.”
“I have to be back at the bar by five.”
He glanced at his watch. “That gives us almost three hours.”
***
A light mist floated through the air as they walked up to Addison's apartment. A woman ran to the dumpster, threw a bag in, and hurried back to the building. Cael unlocked the door and they went in. Addison gathered up some things while Cael sat on the sofa and put his head in his hands. His convoluted emotions overwhelmed him. He didn’t know if he was in love with Addison but he sure as hell didn’t want anything to happen to her and the thought was harrowing. She sat next to him, touching her hand to his shoulder.
The beauty of her face forced a lump to his throat. He wanted to love her and didn’t want to all at the same time. Searching her eyes, Cael ran his fingers over her hair. He wanted to protect her but wasn’t sure how, and it ate at him. A burning desire for her wrenched at his heart and he pulled her to him, kissing her as he’d kissed no other.
Addison’s hands moved from his back to his chest as she eased out from his firm embrace.
“Come on let’s get out of here,” he said.
***
They teleported back to his beach house and Addie concentrated on managing the flow of the sparks she could emit from her fingers. After thirty minutes of pounding stream after stream into the stone fireplace, she gained control over the intensity of the current and Cael thought it might be time for her try something new.
“I want you to hit me with some sparks.”
“No. I might hurt you.”
“No you won't. I can take it. Just try a small one to start.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I need to know the impact.”
“There must be another way, Cael. I don’t want to hurt you.”
He laughed. “I’m sure you won’t hurt me.”
“Shouldn’t we go in the kitchen just in case, close to the faucet?”
“Good point.”
He stood close to the sink, arms at his sides, hands fisted. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Addie took aim.
“Wait!” he said, putting his hands up in front of him, palms toward her.
“What?”
“I’m left-handed so go for my right arm … just a little spark, okay?”
“Okay, I’ll try. Ready?”
“Yes. No! Wait.” He removed his shirt and set it on the counter. “No sense ruining a good shirt. Okay, I’m ready.”
“This is a bad idea.” Addie closed her eyes; veins warmed in her wrists and hands as the surge of sparks bolted from her fingertips. Her eyelids sprang open when she heard Cael scream and she watched in horror as he flew back, slammed into the counter, and then slumped to the floor, clutching his shoulder. Her aim was off and the stream had gone high, hitting him below his collarbone.
“Holy shit! Cael, are you okay?”
“Why did you close your eyes? You were supposed to send a small spark to my arm. Not a nuclear blast to my shoulder.” He rolled his shoulder and winced as the three-inch gash oozed blood.
“I told you this was a bad idea.” She grabbed a towel from the drawer and dabbed at the wound. “This looks deep.”
“Check upstairs, maybe Tom keeps a first-aid kit in the bathroom.”
“Here, hold this on it.”
Upstairs, Addie searched the bathroom. In her frenzy, she dumped the contents of a drawer onto the floor. Rummaging through it, she found nothing to help, not even a band-aid. She ran to the hall closet only to find sheets and blankets. She grabbed a couple of sheets, went to the bedroom closet, spied a box with a red cross on the top, and grabbed it. She ran back downstairs to find Cael slouched on the floor, his eyes closed, his face pale, and a puddle of blood pooling beneath him.
Addie raced to his side, removed the towel from his shoulder, and using one of the sheets, dabbed some blood away to get a better look. She had to stop the bleeding or he would die. There were no neighbors, no phone—not even a car to take him to a hospital.
“Damn it, Cael, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Please, wake up. Tell me what to do.”
He opened his eyes. “I’m awake, try to stop the bleeding.” He closed his eyes again, wincing at the pain.
She bunched a section of the sheet up, placing it on the wound, and pressed hard, hoping to stop the bleeding. “Can you teleport us to a hospital?”
“I don’t think I ...” His eyes rolled up and his body went limp.
“Don’t you die on me! Please don’t die. I need you. Please, please stop bleeding, you can’t die! Not now. Not when I …
“I love you.”
She wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks with the back of her other hand. She lowered her head and placed both hands on the gash, pressing with all her strength, blood soaking the cloth and her hands. Addie closed her eyes, her fingers making contact with Cael’s flesh as the sheet slipped away from the wound.
Archaic words flashed to her mind. Strange words she’d heard somewhere before, but where? She found herself whispering them repeatedly, “Vis curatio vox secundum arts, vis curatio vox secundum arts, vis curatio secundum arts.” A warm sensation flowed through her hands as she pressed. She didn't ease the pressure, determined to stop the bleeding, and continued chanting the words as a white light glowed through her hands.
Cael groaned and she opened her eyes then gasped.
The bleeding had stopped and the wound closed as if nothing had happened.
“Cael, can you hear me?”
“Yes, I hear you,” he grunted and opened his eyes. He reached up, and touched her cheek with his finger. “You’ve been crying.”
She laughed and wept at the same time. “Yes, you stupid idiot, I thought you were dead.”
“I think I was, because I heard an angel tell me she loved me.”
He tried to sit up, winced, and fell back again.
She hadn't realized she said she loved him aloud, but he heard her say it. Did she really love him or did she say it because she thought he was dying?
“I think you’re a little light-headed from the loss of blood. Careful, let me help.”
She helped him to a chair and then went to the fridge and retrieved a container of orange juice. She poured a glass full and handed it to him. “Here, drink this, the sugar will help.”
He grabbed her arm and held it. “Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Love me.”
She turned her head, avoiding his stare. “I think you were delirious.”
She pulled her arm away from his grasp and using the sheet, wiped up his blood from the floor. What she'd felt flowing through her was powerful, and Addie thought it might be love, but they hardly knew each other. Even if she really did love him, it wasn't the time to say it.
Cael regained enough strength to stand. He reached for her arms and pulled her against him. “You healed me.”
“I know, I ... it just happened. I don’t know how I did it. Something came over me, like ... like I was possessed or something. The words just flowed from my mouth and I couldn’t control them. I’ve heard them before—I don’t know where or when, but I’ve heard them.”
Frightened and mystified by the experience, she turned from him and ran out of the house, sprinting across the grass to the trees by the edge of the cliff. She sat, pulled her knees up to her chest, buried her head in her arms and wept. She had almost lost Cael. It was an unimaginable thought and her heart ached because ... she did love him.
The ocean filled up the small cove below and retreated again with a mesmerizing motion. She spotted an archway formed by the rocks, almost a gateway, leading out to the ocean beyond. Looking through the arch from this angle, two small rocks peeked out of the water, just on the other side of the arch. She stared at them, noticing how they formed a shape—the shape of an angel, an angel in the archway.
Someone said her name.
“Addison.” A commanding melodic voice that she recognized called to her and Addie looked up into her father’s eyes.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, sweetheart, I’m here.”
“How are you here?” She reached for him.
He cradled her as he spoke. “Addison, sweet, sweet Addison. I’m so sorry I’ve left you this way. You have many great gifts. Don’t be afraid of them.”
“Daddy, I don’t understand any of this. Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t know how to use them.”
He stroked her cheek and she grabbed his hand.
“I wanted to protect you. I’m sorry. You will learn how to use them. The knowledge is in you, it’s always been in you. I love you with all my heart and soul.”
Whisper Cape Page 16