“Damnu!” Duncan’s hands balled into fists as he started back the way he had come, Nicolas fast on his heels.
“Duncan, what’s going on?” Nicolas asked, matching the warriors pace stride for stride.
“Hawkins has her,” Duncan growled.
“He wouldn’t risk it, Duncan. It’s treason for anyone entering into intercession and parlay to carry weapons or harm any party.”
“Since when does Hawkins care about honor and rules? This was all a ruse from the beginning…a carefully designed trap and we kent it.” His words were clipped as he focused on getting to Caitriona.
“Duncan, stop,” Nicolas said, grabbing the warrior’s arm. Duncan pulled away sharply and quickened his pace. “Duncan, I would feel her fear if she was in danger.”
Duncan stopped in his tracks staring at the younger man. He was right. Because of Caitriona and Nicolas’ bond, Nicolas would be able to feel Caitriona’s emotions. If Hawkins’ men had taken her, Nicolas would have sensed her fear. “Are ye sure, lad?”
“I’ve been able to feel every deep emotion with her since we bonded,” Nicolas said, the unspoken words a searing reminder to Duncan that Nicolas held a part of Caitriona that he would never be able to touch. “If she was in fear, I would know it.”
Duncan scowled, the memory of Caitriona’s earlier meeting with Hawkins’ man sitting like curdled milk in his gut. Perhaps she had planned this with Hawkins and had willingly gone with the maniacal leader. He quickened his pace, as Nicolas broke into a run to keep up.
“Duncan,” Nicolas shouted.
“He has her,” Duncan growled. “And what’s worse is that she likely went with him, the traitorous bastard. She thinks she’s going home, but all she’s doing is going to her own execution.”
Both men were now at the stairs leading to the second story dormitories where Caitriona had been told to wait. Taking the stairs three at a time, Duncan pushed open the first door only to find it empty. Nicolas swept down the hall, pushing open the next door and surveying the room. When they had swept the remaining rooms, they met on the landing.
“Where is she?” Duncan demanded.
Nicolas took a deep breath and Duncan watched as the younger man closed his eyes. He knew Nicolas was trying to find the connection to his charge.
After several seconds, Nicolas opened his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing,” he told Duncan. “It’s as if there’s a black void where she should be.”
Duncan watched as the empath tried again. At length, Nicolas opened his eyes and shook his head again. “I cast an even wider net this time only to come up with the same black hole. There’s nothing there, Duncan. It’s as if she’s disappeared.”
A low growl escaped Duncan. “They’ve drugged her.” His voice was low and calculating.
“Ouí,” Nicolas nodded, his hands balling into fists.
Duncan ran a hand through his hair, a shroud of dread settling across his shoulders like a heavy mantle. He had failed the Seer again.
“Gather our armies,” he told Nicolas. “We’re going to war.”
Chapter Eighteen
“I have to believe in a better world,” Nicolas barked at Danika. Their heated debate had escalated, causing Dwellers and soldiers alike to vacate the spacious great room. Dani was alone with Nicolas, but she wouldn’t have cared if the others had remained in the room. She and Nicolas needed to have this conversation.
“Go ahead,” she retorted. “But I live in this one.” She pushed past him and opened the door intending to leave. She turned and looked at him, a perplexed look on her face. She started to say something, but he cut her off.
“I’m here to help you,” he told her, his tone softening. She eyed him suspiciously.
“You’re supposed to help me? Is this a get-in-my-skirts kind of thing?” she scoffed. “Because if it is...”
“You don’t believe I want to help you?” he interrupted. “I want Hawkins dead every bit as much as you.”
“Wrong. I want him to suffer and then I want him dead. And I want my sister back. Alive.” The last statement was no more than a whisper.
“Dani, no one wants Katerine back more than I, but we can’t force our way into Hawkins’ camp outmanned, outgunned, and without a plan. That would risk not only her life but yours as well—and that’s not something I’m prepared to trade. Ever.”
She stared at him, shocked at his admission.
“There is nothing here for you except violence and danger,” he continued. “I promise you, we will get Katerine back. And then, I am going to take you both to a safer place—a safer time.” The last was a whisper.
She shook her head. “This is my home, Nicolas. I can’t leave Gabe—it would kill him and it would kill me. I love him too much to do that.”
“This planet belongs to the Order,” he stated, as if he was searching for the right words. “I suppose it always has. Perhaps we’ve been deluding ourselves that we could ever end this war. I don’t know that there is anything more we can do. Not here. Not in this time.”
“My home will never belong to the Order, Nicolas. Not now. Not ever. Duncan and his soldiers will see to that. And with mine and Catie’s powers fueling Duncan’s war, we will bring this back around.” She touched his arm and watched as his eyes followed her movement. “You used to believe that. What’s changed?”
“Dani, the Order is more powerful than we imagined. Hawkins and his men, they’re simply the people that pull the strings from behind the scenes. Who knows how deep this runs or how many more lives have been manipulated by the Order’s vast armies? I need to get you and Katerine away from here.” He looked at her, the intensity of his blue eyes in stark contrast to her dark brown ones.
“I can’t explain this feeling I have, Nicolas, but I know that it centers around the four of us. Together, we are destined to do something big to turn the tides on this war.”
“Oui, mon couer. But I am beginning to think Katerine is right—that the only way we will have a true impact is to go back before all this started. That’s where we will win the war, mon couer.”
Dani shook her head. What Nicolas said resonated deep within her, but right now she couldn’t think about that. Not when her sister was in the hands of a mad man who wanted nothing more than to strip her powers from her and use her as an example for other ‘gifted’ Dwellers. She remained in Duncan’s camp on this one: get the Seer back and use their powers to put an end to the bloody war. Once and for all.
She closed her eyes and tried to picture a world free of the New World Order. Catie and Duncan could be together and she’d be able to pursue her interest in Nicolas…assuming he felt the same way about her. It was all so complicated because of the bond he shared with her sister. She wished she could find a way to sever the bond—without injury to either her sister or Nicolas. She sighed and faced him, concern etched deeply in the furrow of her brow. His fingers were tangled in his hair, his eyes shut tight. She touched his arm gently. “Nicolas?”
“I’m fine,” he said between clenched teeth.
“You’re not,” she whispered. “Not when it comes to Catie.”
His head snapped up and she thought she saw denial in his eyes.
“I failed her,” he murmured. “I knew what Hawkins was capable of. I knew the intercession and parlay was a ruse. And while we were busy trying to hatch a plan that all but delivered Caitriona into his hands, she was living in fear of what she knew was coming. It’s no wonder she felt alone and that she had to do something. I wasn’t listening to her.” He groaned and reached for Danika’s hand.
“We will find her,” she said, watching the pain flash across his face. She wanted nothing more than to erase the pain she knew he felt; the guilt he harbored at having left her sister unprotected.
He gave her a weak smile and squeezed her hand. Standing, he brushed his hand through his hair. “Let’s get on with it, then, shall we?” he said, pulling Dani to her feet. “I haven’t felt her presence for two days, which
means Hawkins is keeping her sedated. If she’s that sedated, she hasn’t been able to use her powers. Which means this is a personal vendetta for Hawkins.”
“He could be keeping her sedated because he fears her power,” Dani said as she pushed open the doors that led outside to the public plaza. She squinted at the midday sun, an almost painful shock after the dark recesses of the inner chambers.
“Can you try again, though?” She added the last part imploring him with her eyes. She knew Nicolas had been trying to feel for her sister’s presence since she’d been abducted. She saw the almost-blank look that crossed his face as he reached out with his mind to try and find her once again. After a few seconds, he shook his head.
“We need to find Duncan,” she pressed, disappointed that Nicolas had been unable to connect with her sister.
“Oui, mon couer. I need to find Duncan.” He stressed the word “I” and she knew where he was headed with this.
“Negative.” She dropped his hand and continued walking, hoping he wouldn’t ignore her. In truth, she felt every bit as guilty as he did. She hadn’t listened to Cat’s concerns. She too-easily dismissed her sister’s ideas and had pushed her sister into a desperate act. I am the worst sister ever, she thought as she nodded to a handful of Templar soldiers who were making their way to the training grounds.
Stumbling on a crack in the old cobbled pathway, she almost fell, had it not been for Nicolas’ strong arms. He pulled her to him, brushing the hair from her eyes.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded, her chestnut eyes mesmerized by the intense blue ones staring back at her. She started to pull away, unsure of where her feelings were headed, but he tightened his hold.
Dani hitched her breath as Nicolas’ thumb stroked her knuckles. Her stomach flip-flopped as she struggled to gain control of her accelerating heartbeat. The contact was brief and isolated but it set every nerve in her body on alert.
“I can see the appeal Cat finds from being in your arms,” she said haughtily, instantly regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth.
He released her and stepped back, a pained expression crossing his handsome features. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, a delightful flush covering his face.
Dani grinned. She did that to him.
“Sir?” They were interrupted by one of Duncan’s soldiers.
Dani stepped back and watched as the two saluted. “Commander MacKinnon has requested your presence,” he said to Nicolas. “He said to tell you the preparations are complete and you are to join him in la cocina,” the soldier said, his Spanish at odds with his English heritage.
Nicolas nodded. “Tell the commander I will be there, shortly,” Nicolas stated, his eyes never leaving Danika’s.
“Sir,” the soldier replied, “Commander MacKinnon asked that you accompany me immediately.”
Nicolas sighed. He turned to Dani. “Go back to your rooms and stay put. Even though Hawkins and his men have left, it may not be safe for you unescorted.”
She nodded, but knew he was overreacting. She was as safe at the estancia as she always had been. Besides, Hawkins still didn’t know who she was or her connection to Caitriona. She knew they needed to keep her identity secret.
“I will come see you later,” he said, kissing her lightly on the cheek.
She smiled, already missing him. Watching as he scurried off with the Templar, she couldn’t help the heavy feeling that settled around her. Shivering, she turned and headed back to the loneliness of her rooms.
Chapter Nineteen
Hawkins stared at the lifeless eyes of the rabbit whose usually pristine white fur was now covered in blood. The pink eyes stared up at him as he spat a stream of tobacco next to it, the brown juice staining the snow that had fallen sometime during the night. Hawkins’ boot flipped the rabbit out of his sight over the embankment where it would soon be a meal for an animal unlucky enough to be caught in the cold. He eyed the blood coating the tip of his boot. Disgusted, he dragged the top of his shoe through the snow, trying to remove the stain from his otherwise perfectly polished shoes. He eyed his handiwork with disdain.
Capturing MacKinnon’s witch had been too easy. He had wanted more of a challenge, more fight from her. After all, she had been his prisoner once before. He smiled wickedly at the earlier memories.
He shook his head at her stupidity. She’d walked right into their trap. A lopsided grin took over his face as he remembered how easy it had been for his man to convince her that he was granting her safe passage home. It was even easier for Hawkins to separate Caitriona from Duncan and her other guard, LaFelle. He laughed out loud, envisioning the look on MacKinnon’s face as he realized his witch was missing and that Hawkins, once again, had proven his adversarial superiority.
Hawkins pulled his stocking cap down over his ears, which were turning red from the exposure to the cold. He looked up as a pine tree, overburdened from a layer of snow, sprang free from the weight and dropped its snowy load to the ground below. Hawkins glanced nervously around, ensuring his soldiers were alert and in sight. He wasn’t taking any chances. This time he planned to carry out his plans for the genetically inferior woman who would soon be his to abuse and control.
He glanced up as he caught sight of one of his soldiers making his way toward him. His gait was clipped and Hawkins could see, even at this distance, that the young soldier was agitated. As the soldier came within shouting distance, he saluted, his right hand briefly touching his chest, snapping forward at eye height before lowering to his side.
“Sir,” the soldier shouted. The sound was flat as it was swallowed by the deep drifts of snow.
Hawkins stared at the young soldier but didn’t acknowledge him any more than he would have acknowledged a stranger who entered a room. He could see the irritation spread on the soldier’s face as he was forced to close the distance.
“The woman is coming around,” the soldier said as he stopped several feet in front of Hawkins. “Do you want us to keep her sedated?” Hawkins watched as the soldier’s breath rose in white wisps in front of him. He had forgotten how cold it could get in D.C. He missed the hot desert of Mexico.
“No,” Hawkins stated. He was annoyed by this man and he wasn’t sure why. He spat another stream of tobacco into the snow and watched as it stained the ground brown. “Make sure she’s secured. I want two guards on her at all times.”
“Sir. Are two guards necessary? She hardly looks like she can stand.”
“You’re questioning a senior officer?” Hawkins’ upper lip curled as he fought to control his rage. He should kill the insubordinate whelp.
“No, sir,” the young man stammered, saluting awkwardly. He turned and all but ran back the way he came. Hawkins spat once more and started back to the historical building he was calling home. He exhaled a large breath and watched as it dissipated in the cold November air. A grin settled across his harsh features as he thought of the lovely Caitriona Sinclair and the magical power that would soon be his to control.
“There is nothing I admire more than misplaced courage in the face of overwhelming opposition,” Hawkins whispered in Caitriona’s ear as his hand cupped her breast through the torn fabric of the thin gown she wore. “It’s a shame, really. But there can be no progress without sacrifice,” Hawkins added sadistically as he squeezed her breast hard, a sneer curling his lips as Caitriona cried out and pulled against the chains that held her hands bound above her head to a thick ring protruding from the cemented ceiling.
“Duncan will kill you, Hawkins,” she said, a mulish expression on her face as she tugged again on her chains. Her feet were shackled to the floor, her legs splayed wide. Her dress was dirty and stained with her blood. It’s exactly as he wanted to see her. At least for a little while, he thought as his eyes lingered on her exposed breast. He was willing to bet she’d look a whole lot worse after he finished with her.
“Empty threats, my sweet witch,” he hissed. “You and I both know that.” He walked behi
nd her and ripped the remnants of her dress so that her backside was exposed. She struggled in earnest as he ran his hand across the smooth skin of her back, pausing just above her buttocks. He picked up the cat o’nine whip that lay hanging just out of her sight. He licked his lips as he slowly ran the whip across his hand. He was going to enjoy this. Flicking the whip behind him he laughed as it sailed forward and slashed across her buttocks and thighs. Caitriona screamed and arched her back as her body sought to escape the sting of the leather. His eyes followed a trail of blood as it made its way down her leg. Crossing in front of her, he stroked the leather against her cheek, delighted when her sharp intake of breath gave away her fear. Her eyes blazed with fury as she pulled her upper lip in tight to her teeth.
Hawkins watched her like a cat watches a mouse. He knew better than to underestimate this woman, yet the way she provoked him made him want to bring her to heel.
Caitriona pulled hard against her restraints, fixing him with a piercing glare. His heartbeat accelerated and he could feel himself grow hard. Her hair was wild, disheveled from her abduction, and fell in glorious curls down her pale back. The deep auburn locks looked even darker against her pale skin.
“Tell me what you see, witch,” Hawkins hissed.
“A man who’s small-minded, bigoted, and afraid that his men will see him for the pretender that he is,” she susurrated. A smug smile settled across her face.
Hawkins could feel the ire in him grow. He drew his hand back and slapped her hard, instantly gratified as a trickle of blood beaded at the corner of her perfectly shaped mouth.
“Do you know what happens to people who keep secrets from me?”
“I will never tell you anything,” she spat.
“A noble gesture on your part, my pet. But you will soon learn to come to heel.”
She glared at him, tugging harder against her restraints. Blood oozed from under the chains where they bit into her tender flesh.
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