Synchronicity (Scintillate Series Book 3)

by Karen Tjebben

  Poison. The only reason for her inability to contain him. She cursed herself for touching the arrow. She’d noticed the gloves they’d worn. She should have known poison was involved.

  He stalked closer to her. His confidence returned as her understanding alerted her to the danger before her. He took pleasure in her concern and noted how she tightened her jaw and pulled her eyebrows together. Fear only made her more attractive to him. He fed off of fear.

  Kate thought about picking up the arrow. Could she drive it into him? Was the shaft poisoned as well?

  He noted how her eyes continued to glance from him to the arrow. He’d been around long enough to read his target’s thoughts. “You’ll never succeed,” he taunted. “I’m too strong.”

  Kate stepped behind the sofa, distancing herself from him. How long would the poison last in her system? All she had to do was outlast him. She focused on her anger and gathered her strength within herself.

  He was tired of games. He wanted to feel her windpipe crush beneath the strength of his fingers. He wanted to relish the fear in her eyes as her life slipped away.

  He leapt towards her.

  Kate reacted impulsively. She jabbed her hand towards him, and with every ounce of power, she threw him high against the stacked-stone fireplace. The stench of sulfur permeated the room.

  Breath was difficult. He couldn’t fill his lungs. Pain seared him. He looked down at his chest and knew it was too late. The buck’s antlers impaled him, sticking out of his chest like pins through a voodoo doll. His feet clattered against the mantel as he struggled. He gripped the bloody tines and helplessly tried to free himself.

  Kate watched as he struggled, making a pitiful site of himself. Even as he moaned and groaned, she couldn’t feel any pity for him. She was actually glad that he wasn’t dead. She could still get some information out of him.

  He gasped for air, ran his clawed fingers along the antlers, and searched for a way out as she neared him. He felt his strength draining.

  “Where is Alex?” Kate asked. “How many of you are there?”

  He gave a miserable laugh as blood dribbled from his mouth. “He’s ours.”

  Was he? Perhaps Alex escaped just as she had? Perhaps he’d return any moment. “How many?” she repeated. She needed to know what she was up against.

  “More than you can handle,” he replied with a shuddering breath. “Help me,” he begged even as blood saturated his clothes and dripped to the floor.

  Kate laughed. “Help you. You have to be kidding,” she snorted. “You’re as dead as your friend in the other room.”

  “Then why help you?” he stuttered. “I say nothing.”

  He was fading. It was obvious. Bloody spittle spewed from his mouth with each word. “What is the poison?” Kate asked.

  He shook his head and gave her the finger.

  “Nice,” she said. It looked just as stupid with claws as it did with fingers, but it did bring her attention back to the gloves.

  She walked back into her bedroom. The dead Nephilim lay at the foot of her bed, his clawed hands near his blown-out face. She knelt beside him and took his arm. The dead weight of his hand flopped back-and-forth easily as she examined the glove. She didn’t recognize the leather. She figured it must have come from the other side. She slipped her fingers along the edges of the glove and pulled. She worked the leather down his arm and over his claws. His arm fell to the carpet, and then she removed the other glove. Feeling the smooth leather against her fingertips, she walked back into the family room.

  He knew he didn’t have much longer. He felt his strength drain from his body as his heart continued to pump. They’d underestimated her. That always resulted in casualties. He just never thought that he’d be one of the casualties.

  She stood before him. She knew he wouldn’t be of much use, which was fine. She had everything she needed. “Where will they take him?”

  He huffed out a sad moan as his head bobbed. His strength was nearly gone. He could barely lift his head.

  Her heart constricted in her chest as it became more evident that Alex was not returning to her. Whatever had happened with him, he hadn’t overpowered them. If he had, he’d have returned by now to check on her. But her faith gave her the courage to believe that he was still alive. She needed to get to him before it was too late.

  She slipped her arms into the gloves. The leather magically configured to her size and the clawed fingers took on the shape of her human ones. “Definitely not from around here,” Kate murmured, admiring the glove. Anxiety bubbled in her. She wasn’t leaving without the other pair of gloves. Alex would need them when she rescued him.

  “Would you just finish,” she grumbled, looking up at the Nephilim. He gasped for air. His legs jerked and he hands slipped uselessly on the bloody antlers. She focused on his neck and constricted his windpipe. His body jerked as he tried to get air, but within seconds he was dead.

  Kate looked at the morbid prize looming above the fireplace. It was too high for her to reach and remove from the wall. She decided to rely on her skills. She levitated the buck’s head from the wall and placed it with a thunk on the floor.

  It was an awkward sight. The deer head looked blankly at the ceiling while a monster was suspended in the air from its antlers. His head draped backwards, and his arms and legs hung lifeless. Kate went to the body and pulled the gloves from his hands.

  She ran back into her bedroom and slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. She’d be able to move easily in these. She laced up her running shoes and grabbed the quiver and arrows. She noticed the gunman carried an extra gun. She pulled it free from its holster. Were the bullets poisoned just like the arrows? Probably. That’s why he was shooting at her. She grabbed the gun and checked the magazine. It was mostly full. She popped it back in place and lay down on the bed.

  She tried to relax. She needed to find Alex. She needed to know that he was still alive. She breathed in slowly, her hands and the gun resting on her stomach. She focused on the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in and out. Then she slipped into the sleep state and embraced the darkness.

  She felt herself slip free, and then she looked down at her body as it lay on the bed. This would be the easiest way to find him. She ran outside and scanned the area. She stood quietly and focused her thoughts on Alex. She waited to feel the pull, and then it happened. Kate spied a small glow coming from the forest’s edge. She raced toward it, listening for voices that would betray more information.

  With each step, the glow brightened. Cruel voices cut through the air as they jeered at Alex. Then she saw him. Alex leaned against a boulder. She recognized it. They’d run past there recently. A bag covered his head, and his hands were restrained with zip-ties. Blood stained his shirt, but relief flooded her as she watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. His legs were bound to prevent an easy escape.

  Four Nephilim surrounded him. One wore all black, except for the leather gloves. His black eyes darted around the forest, and his constricted red pupils appeared to give off their own energy. They reminded Kate of lasers. The shortest Nephilim was covered in chains that hung around his neck and draped over his clothes. He looked like a mix between Mr. T and a goth. The third Nephilim paced around Alex. He wore a quiver of arrows on his back, but his bow rested against the boulder, not far from Alex. The three argued about what to do with Alex when they weren’t mocking him. They couldn’t decide whether to kill him, wait for the others to return with Kate, or take him back alive?

  The fourth Nephilim stood ramrod straight with his arms crossed. He towered over the others. His height and muscular body added to his dominance and superiority. He’d been silent throughout their mockery. Kate intuitively knew that he was the alpha. He looked composed, and when he finally spoke, the others shut up and focused on him. “I grow tired of this,” he grunted. “You sound like a bunch of virgins on prom night. Quit your tittering and control yourselves.”

  Kate knew tha
t Alex was running out of time. She slammed back into her body and sat up breathlessly on her bed. Standing, she tucked the gun between her back and her yoga pants, slung the quiver of arrows over her shoulder and grabbed the bow.

  She ran up the stairs of the boathouse and swung open a weapons cabinet. Blades of all kinds lined the shelves. She pulled open a drawer. The blades were too small. She didn’t want a regular knife. She had her talon around her neck. She wanted something bigger. She pulled open another drawer and instantly knew what she needed. The hatchet’s blade would easily cut through bone with enough force. She grabbed the belt that hung on the door and cinched it around her waist, slipping the hatchet into the belt. She closed the cabinet doors and took a centering breath. She had a mission, kill four Nephilim and rescue Alex.

  Kate raced through the woods; branches scratched at her as she carved a new path. She slowed when the voices echoed around her. She watched her step, careful not to snap twigs or shuffle leaves. She did not want to alert them to her presence.

  “We should leave,” one of the Nephilim said. “The others can catch up.” He picked up his bow and rested it against his thigh as he scanned the area.

  “What if they need our help?” said the Nephilim in all black.

  “Pff,” snorted the Nephilim who wore chains around his neck. “That girl couldn’t hurt them. Look how easily we took him down,” he sneered and motioned to Alex. “Maybe they’re just taking their time with her.” He smiled wickedly as he snorted a laugh.

  The tall, dominant one took a step towards Kate’s hiding place, but his eyes leered at Alex. “Your time is coming,” he threatened.

  Listening to them talk sickened Kate. The Nephilim in chains would be the first one she killed. She studied the scene as they continued to argue. Taking on all four at once would be a challenge. They had weapons, which were most likely covered in whatever poison they’d developed. If they nailed her while she was distracted by another Nephilim, she’d be their captive too.

  She decided to use her powers to kill them. She could cut off their breathing without giving up her location. She focused on the one in chains and did her best to constrict his throat. But he wasn’t fazed. She tried again but failed.

  They were too strong. They’d learned how to block out Asteri powers. She needed a better plan. As long as they didn’t make any threatening moves towards Alex, she would wait for the right time.

  Kate circled around them, using the trees of the forest for camouflage, until she came to a large boulder. She knelt behind it and freed the hatchet from her belt. The hatchet would be quick and quiet.

  She threw a rock against the branches of a dead tree. The leaves rustled on impact and the branches scraped lightly against each other as the rock fell to the ground. Kate peeked around the boulder to observe their reaction.

  “Did you hear that?” the dominant Nephilim said. He took another step in Kate’s direction. “They’re back.”

  “We got your girl,” the one in chains bragged with a laugh as he kicked Alex in the ribs. “This is the beginning of the end for you.” He couldn’t help but laugh. He relished the power he felt as he watched his prey realize their impending doom.

  Alex grunted as the kick landed on his wound with the arrow still buried in it. He couldn’t believe it. They had her. After all this time, waiting for the fulfillment of Netra’s spell, now he would lose Kate. He was powerless to help her, and now she’d been rendered as powerless as he.

  Alex felt the coarse bag over his head brush against his lips as he sucked in a deep breath. His wrists were raw where he rubbed them against the zip-ties. There was nothing he could do to help her.

  Kate screamed.

  Her pained wail echoed through the forest and chilled Alex’s blood. Another scream pierced his heart, and the sound of branches snapping and leaves scuffling along the forest floor encouraged him. She was scared but still fighting.

  “Go check it out,” the alpha said to the one in chains. “She must be a handful,” he continued with a laugh and knelt beside Alex. He tore the bag off of Alex’s head, and his sour breath assaulted Alex’s nose. “She fights harder than you,” he snorted with a laugh. “But I don’t know which of you is more pathetic. She’s caught and stupid enough to think that if she tries really hard that she’ll get free, or you, a strong Asteri who doesn’t even bother to fight. Are you a quitter?” he mocked.

  Alex never quit anything. He would slug through any problem, use whatever resources he needed to succeed. And after being with Kate, he knew she wasn’t a quitter either. He was thankful that he could see now that the bag no longer covered his head. Now he’d be able to devise a plan to overtake the Nephilim. He and Kate would be partners in their escape.

  The alpha shoved Alex’s head back so that his head knocked into the boulder he leaned against. Then he looked over his shoulder at the laughing Nephilims. “Did you hear me? Check it out!” he yelled.

  The Nephilim in chains rolled his shoulders and gave a quick nod. “Be right back,” he said, adjusting the chains that lay around his neck. Sometimes they pinched the hairs on the back of his neck. He hated that. Why did chains always have a downside? He’d worn them for so long that they were part of his image. Everyone knew him. He was the guy with the awesome chains. Most of the chains were hundreds of years old. He had a few that were over a thousand years old. He’d killed lots of people with these chains, and he smiled as he thought about the ways he could use them on their captives. Chains always came in handy.

  Kate let out another scream as he neared her. Her plan to draw them out was working. She could handle them one at a time.

  His scanned the area. “Hey, where are you?” he called out, listening for his friends. He put his hand on the gun in the holster on his hip. Something wasn’t right. The only sound he heard was Kate. He didn’t hear the voices of his friends, and unless they were in hunting mode, they always made a racket.

  Kate stepped closer. She squeezed the handle of the hatchet until her knuckles turned white. She peeked again, her face rising slightly above the boulder.

  She’d lost him. She listened carefully, trying to ascertain his location. She scanned the area.

  His claws scraped against her scalp as they sunk into her hair. He pulled back and then smashed her face against the boulder.

  Explosions of light rattled Kate as pain numbed her brain. She couldn’t think. Blood poured out her nose and over her lips. She felt the tug again as her head was pulled back another time. She knew she couldn’t take another hit like that. If she blacked out, she’d be theirs. She pushed off the boulder with her legs and crashed against him. The momentum of her body knocked him off balanced, and they tumbled into a heap.

  Leaves and branches poked at her as they fought. Dirt clouded her eyes as she reached for the hatchet. Then a crushing weight stopped her forward movement.

  He straddled her. The weight of his body pressed against her. Her legs were pinned under him. His stench surrounded her. He gripped her shoulders and pulled her towards him. “What did you do, girl?” he seethed. Anger roiled within him. He’d never expected her to overpower her assailants. Where were his friends?

  Lights exploded as his fist smashed into her eye and pounded on her broken nose. It felt as if her eye would pop from the pressure of his fist. Fear filled her. What if she couldn’t win this battle? What if she lost?

  No. She couldn’t think that way. She would survive.

  “Where are my buddies?” The Nephilim pulled her close to him again. Rage and anger thundered through him. He could already taste her blood, and he couldn’t wait to feast on her flesh.

  Her face pulsed with pain. She took in a deep breath and focused on him with her good eye. She needed to get control. Now!

  The hatchet lay near the boulder. With a flick of her wrist, she willed it through the air. The handle and head spun in circles as it traveled towards them.

  She heard the quiet squelch a second before he roared. He let her drop to
the ground, and her head pulsed with pain. He reached around for the hatchet in his back, but his bulky arms couldn’t grab it. He wobbled over her.

  Kate pushed him off. She circled around him, leaving the hatchet in his back. The hatchet pressed against the ground and dug farther into his flesh as they wrestled. She grabbed the largest chain around his neck and got behind him on the ground. She wrapped her legs around his torso and pulled, leaning back on the ground so that his body was trapped by her legs. She turned and tightened the chain, closing off his air. His clawed hands flailed at her, but she leaned farther away from him, forcing him forward with her legs.

  He’d never had the tables turn on him so quickly before. Fear pulsed through him. He didn’t want to die, especially at the hands of a newbie girl. He’d forever be remembered as the weak link on this mission.

  His arms reached over his head in an attempt to seize her. She tightened the chain again and used the strength in her legs to restrain him. With the length of the chains, his claws couldn’t reach her face or her arms. She just had to wait him out.

  He gasped for air, but the chain blocked it. Again he felt the chain tighten as she twisted the cold metal that bit into his skin. The world before him turned fuzzy as his eyes lost focus. He couldn’t hold his arms up anymore. He tried to grip the chain around his neck, but his claws only got tangled amongst the other chains.

  She twisted and pulled harder. She nearly lay on the ground with him trapped between her legs. The chain cut into his skin and blood slowly seeped from his neck. She felt his body go limp. His hands dropped to his chest and his head drooped to the side.

  Kate held him tight, waiting to see if he was faking. She finally loosened the chain when she heard another voice call out.

  “Witta, where are you? What’s wrong?”

  Kate shimmied out from under the dead weight of the Nephilim and brushed her hand over her face. Her face tingled for a moment, but then the pain in her face disappeared.