~ ~ ~
Alex grabbed the phone off the counter and answered on the second ring. “Hello,” he said, relieved to hear Nick’s voice. “You’ve had us worried.” Kate entered the room as Alex put the phone on speaker.
“What for?” Nick said. “I can handle myself.”
“We were attacked,” Alex said. “They captured me, but Kate overpowered them.”
“They use poisoned weapons?” Nick asked.
“Yes,” Kate replied. “You know about those?”
“Came upon them at Daevas’s castle. Dude literally lives in a castle,” Nick scoffed. “Talk about an inflated ego.” Nick ran his hand through his hair. “We also found Michael Bradford.”
“The Michael Bradford?” Alex asked. Now everything made sense to him. Kahan had thrown the net far in exacting his revenge for Axilian’s death. Hayden’s capture. The poison. Everything came down to revenge, an unholy monster that destroys everything in its path. The problem with revenge is the never-ending cycle of conquer and destroy. It needs to stop somewhere.
“The very one,” Nick said. “And he’s invaluable. We’ll fill you in more when you get here. Check your messages box and get the GPS coordinates. I’ve also included a few supplies to bring.”
“Will do,” Alex said and ended the call.
Kate focused on Alex and tried to read his face. “Refresh my memory on Michael,” Kate said. “The name sounds familiar.”
“Hayden saved him during his transition and smuggled him out of Charleston during the Civil War. When she did that, she killed Axilian, who was Kahan’s friend. She disappeared shortly after that.”
“Hmm, Kahan really knows how to hold a grudge,” Kate said. She stepped to Alex’s side so she could see the list of supplies Nick had texted them. “What’s that?” Kate asked.
“You’ll see,” Alex replied. “Let’s get our stuff together.”
Kate made her way through the house filling two backpacks with water and healthy snacks while Alex ran to the boathouse. He jogged up the stairs to the second floor. Weapons cabinets lined the wall. He’d shown this room to Kate, but he hadn’t told her the room’s secret yet.
Alex slid his fingers to the back of one of the cabinets and scooted it across the floor to expose the wall. This hiding spot was not perfect, but frequently people don’t see what’s hiding in plain sight. He rotated the dial on the safe and opened the door. He quickly located what he needed.
The handle fit perfectly in his hand. He pulled the metal blade from the sheath. It was uncommonly cold against his skin. He admired the elaborate scrollwork etched along the blade. Such pride in workmanship went into this double curved blade, but the most significant feature wasn’t even visible. What made this knife important, truly priceless, was the fact that it was forged by ancient oracles in the shadow of Hade’s Well.
Alex strapped the knife around his ankle. He’d soon find out if the legends about it were true. He locked the safe, slid the cabinet back in place, and ran to meet Kate.
Kate sat on the floor of the kitchen, a backpack on each side of her. As Alex walked in, she zipped up the backpacks. “This one’s yours,” she said, pointing to the backpack. “We’ve got food, a first aid kit, and water.”
“Looks good,” Alex said. “Good thinking on the first aid kit. We usually don’t need stuff like that, but with the poison, who knows?”
Kate nodded. “That’s what I thought.” She paused and studied Alex. He looked calm, focused, but the tiny lines around his eyes betrayed his concern. “So this is a first? This poison threat’s never happened before?”
“Not where we could lose our powers. They’ve gotten creative, stepped outside of their typical way of doing things.” Alex offered her his hand.
She wrapped her fingers around his and he pulled her to standing. She wiped her hands down her pants and gripped the strap on the backpack. It was loaded down and heavy. “I hope we have enough water,” Kate said as she followed Alex out of the cabin.
“We can refill the bottles in the other side. There is plenty of fresh water.” Alex locked the door with a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Kate asked, intrigued by Alex’s smile.
“We always keep this place locked up, but locks are meaningless against our enemies.” He shoved his house keys into a zippered pouch in the backpack.
Kate smiled. “I guess everyone jumps through hoops in order to feel safer.”
Alex stared at Kate. His love for her had grown daily. They’d shared so much, and now she was going into a battle unlike any she’d faced before. His heart wept for her, the total loss of innocence, the knowledge of unfathomable evil, but his soul loved her. She would walk through fire to save her friends. He knew he could count on her.
They ambled to the SUV and pulled open the doors. Kate took one last look at the cabin and then eased onto the passenger seat. She typed in the coordinates as Alex backed out of the driveway. They’d be reunited with their friends soon enough.
~ ~ ~
Nick paced around the camp, tension gripping his muscles. Everyone was up and ready. They’d eaten breakfast as the unicorns munched on grass by the lake. Now he waited for the others to arrive. Without the forward movement, his nerves coiled and sat heavy in his gut. After seeing the conditions Michael lived in, he couldn’t help but picture Hayden in a similar hell. Nick feared that her gentle soul had altered. Would she ever become herself again, or would she live as a shadow of the woman she used to be?
Michael lay in the sun, the heat warming his skin. Blades of grass tickled his legs, and he loved it. The animals’ hushed noises filled his ears like the songs of angels. The simple pleasures of life had been denied him for so long that he reveled in the exposure as if it was his first time.
Gabriella was content. She was anxious to free Hayden, but she knew they needed to regroup. This waiting period also gave her a chance to search for more unicorns. They needed another five.
Justin happily joined Gabriella on the search for unicorns. As they wandered through the woods, they walked in silence, keeping their eyes peeled for the magnificent beasts. Of course, it didn’t hurt that unicorns were intelligent animals or that the unicorns they’d rescued communicated with each other in their special way. They soon found another five that would travel with them.
Evan pulled the car to a stop beside a forest. “It looks like this is as close as we’ll get driving.” He confirmed the coordinates again with the GPS. “Hope you’ve got your hiking shoes on,” he teased, looking over his shoulder at Netra.
Netra gathered her hair and secured it in an elastic hair band. Nerves fluttered about as she realized that this was the point of no return. She’d been out of the game for so long, living a peaceful life, that she couldn’t help but be a little nervous. “Is it a long walk?”
“No,” Zoe pointed to their location on the GPS. “It looks to be about a mile. That way.” She pointed with her hand.
Branches and twigs snapped as they walked through the woods. They came to the spot and crossed over.
Nick stopped suddenly when he heard their voices. He turned and saw Evan, Zoe, and Netra standing before him. She’d changed her look, but he recognized her immediately. “Welcome,” Nick said. He extended his hand. “It’s good to see you.”
Netra took his hand in hers and gave it a firm shake. “Ditto,” she said. “It feels good to be needed again.” She looked around the campsite. “We’ll make a good size group.” The new unicorns stood nearby, chuffing and huffing with the other unicorns.
“Not nearly an army, though,” Evan said.
Nick cocked an eyebrow. “When have we ever needed an army?” he asked, with a cocky grin.
“Are the unicorns going with us?” Zoe asked. She walked to the closest one and gently stroked its neck.
“Yes,” Justin said. “That one’s available.”
“Perfect,” Zoe said. “Patches you are,” she whispered in the unicorn’s ear. “I love your colors. You look
as if angels found the prettiest coats and sewed them together to cover you.” She stroked the patches of red, white, and brown that covered the unicorn as he whinnied and pressed against her.
Evan approached the dark brown unicorn. “I’ll take Niko,” he said, naming the unicorn. It tilted its head towards Evan, sniffed and huffed. “We’ll be good together.”
Netra saw the one she wanted. The beautiful black coat glimmered in the sunlight and felt like velvet against her fingertips. “Do you mind if I call you Onyx?” she asked. The unicorn nodded its head and stomped its hoof on the ground. “You are gorgeous. I know you’ll be a solid warrior. Just look at that horn.” The unicorn’s horn burst with scales of iridescent color. Various shades of pink and purple dazzled in the sunlight.
“Are we waiting for Alex and Kate?” Netra looked around the camp. She didn’t see her old friend. A day didn’t go by that she didn’t think of Alex or Sarah. That horrific night had played on an endless reel for her for so long. After a few decades, she’d learned to tamp down her emotions. She had more control of her thoughts now, so she chose when to allow the past to haunt her. But she was anxious to rid herself completely of that burden, and she couldn’t wait to meet Kate. She wondered how alike the two women were. Would she recognize Sarah in her?
“Yes,” Nick said. He thought he could wait patiently all day, but his patience was wearing thin. He wasn’t a ‘hurry up and wait’ type of guy.
“They should be here soon,” Gabriella said, joining the group. She extended her hand to Netra. “I’m Gabriella, and that stranger over there,” she pointed across the field, “is my friend Li. We’re honored to help you in this fight.”
Netra liked Gabriella immediately. She felt the woman’s strength flow in the air around her. She’d lived a hard life, but lived it honorably. And according to Netra, that’s what makes one a hero.
A short while later, Alex and Kate crossed over and joined them. Netra spotted Kate from afar. Her heart rate accelerated as she neared the newcomers. Kate’s smile was beautiful, lighting her face just as Sarah’s had done. But Netra noticed the stark difference in hair color. Sarah had hair the color of mahogany while Kate’s sparkled golden in the sunlight.
Kate stopped talking to Zoe as Netra approach. Suddenly she didn’t know what to think or do. Netra had her sole attention, but Kate couldn’t keep her mind on the new addition to their group. Thoughts bombarded her. Had Netra stolen her human life and given her this miraculous life instead? Without Netra, would she still be an Asteri, but one without the past hijacking her future? Would she be this powerful?
Netra stopped in front of Kate. Her eyes bounced over Kate’s petite frame as she sized her up. Netra felt the passion that motivated Kate to live the life of an Avenger. Sarah would be proud of the woman who took her place by Alex’s side. “I’m honored to meet you,” Netra said.
Kate smiled. She wasn’t sure what to do. Should she offer Netra a hand or embrace her in a hug? What do you do when you meet your maker? “The pleasure’s mine,” Kate said softly. She opened her arms and pulled Netra to her.
Netra appreciated the embrace and squeezed Kate ever so softly. Positive energy coursed through Kate and spilled over onto Netra. She pulled away and stared into Kate’s face. Kate’s eyes dazzled blue and held intelligence. “I’ve longed for this day for more days than I can count,” Netra said. “I’d almost given up hope, but you are a treasure.” Netra glanced at Alex and knew for certain of his love for Kate.
Alex smiled as he watched the interaction between the women. He appreciated Netra’s acceptance of Kate. When he first found Kate, he hadn’t thought of how Kate’s existence would affect Netra. He’d been so focused on Kate and her ties with Sarah that he never thought to enlighten Netra on the success of her spell. Besides, he’d lost contact with Netra long ago.
“Thank you,” Kate said. “I’ve seen you in my dreams, but this is even better. Now we’ll work as a team and free Hayden. Together we will destroy Kahan and Daevas.”
Nick liked hearing those words. He hadn’t thought of anything else all day. He wanted to plan the attack and come up with scenarios that would ensure their success, but without knowledge of Kahan’s fortress and its grounds, he was forced to wait.
“Perfect.” Alex nodded and pointed to the unicorns. “Which ones are ours?”
Zoe led the two unclaimed unicorns to Alex and Kate. “I think you’ll like these.” She stroked the side of one of the unicorns.
A silver unicorn nuzzled Kate as she stroked down his neck, enjoying the velvety softness. A black mane contrasted nicely against the silver. “Are you Blaze?” Kate looked into his eyes. “I bet you’re fast.” Blaze snorted, and Kate felt the warmth of his breath on her face. “You like that name, don’t you?” Blaze rubbed against her.
“Look at the horn on you,” Alex said as he stroked the unicorn’s withers. “You look like a force to be reckoned with. May I call you Eclipse?” The magnificent beast snorted and stomped a hoof on the ground.” Your black and white coloring is beautiful.”
Kate looked at their little army and focused on Nick. She could tell that he was anxious to head out. “Let’s hit the trail,” Kate said. “We can get to know each other better as we go.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Nick replied, thankful that Kate read his mind. “But first we must gear up.” He thumbed towards their campsite as he headed towards his gear. “We have some parting gifts.” He opened one of the oversized bags and lifted out the unicorn leather protective gear. “Try these on for size.”
Zoe lifted the leather to her face and caressed her cheek with its supple softness, but then suddenly her stomach turned and a wave of nausea swept through her. Her eyebrows pulled together as she asked, “Is this what I think it is?”
“Afraid so,” Gabriella replied. “Daevas dedicated a wing of his castle to housing the unicorns. We freed most of them. We kept a few. There was just too much to carry without their help. If they wish to leave once we get to Kahan’s, they may. No one is required to fight. We would not rob anyone or anything of their freedom of choice.”
Kate slipped the shirt over her head and pulled her arms through the sleeves. The leather conformed to her body. “This is amazing,” she said, running her hands down the fitted sleeves. “It fits like a glove.”
“That’s the magic of unicorns,” Gabriella said. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen their leather used this way. They’re intelligent animals. There’s always been a respect for that. They have few predators.
“Don’t forget the gloves,” Justin said. “All the weapons we collected are covered with poison.”
Niko pressed lightly against Evan’s leather-covered shoulder and whimpered. Evan rubbed Niko’s head and said, “Let’s get the monsters that did this.” Niko snorted and bobbed his head up and down.
Everyone donned the leather clothes and gloves while Nick opened another bag. He laid weapons on the ground. “Divide these up between yourselves. We already have ours.”
Kate picked up an egg-shaped weapon. She fingered the pin at the top. “Is this a grenade?”
“Yes,” Michael said. “It’s filled with fire powder. That will explode and distribute the fire powder poison through the air. I’m not sure of the blast radius, so be sure to throw it far.”
“I’m guessing this should be saved for groups?” Kate asked. She knelt and examined the arrows. They didn’t look any different from most arrows, but Kate did notice a slight glimmer on the metal. It looked as if a bead of liquid had dried and left a subtle residue. Was that how they applied the poison? Liquefy it and allow it to dry on the item of their choice.
“Yes,” Alex replied as he grabbed various kinds of weapons. “They’ll have weapons like this too, so be sure to protect each other. The leather protects you from the poison, but I’m not sure what will happen if they cut through the leather. I’m assuming it would be bad. Also, remember, if you breathe in the powder from a bead or a grenade, the pow
der will get in your lungs. It will be there until your body metabolizes the poison. You’ll be vulnerable for quite a while, so be sure to grab face masks.
The newcomers went through the weapons, selecting a variety for their personal arsenal.
Nick zipped up the oversized bags and saddled them onto the unicorns. “If we leave now, we should make it by nightfall.”
Michael gazed at the group around him and realized how lucky he’d been. If not for them, he’d still be a prisoner. His life would be under the control of Nephilim who enjoyed torturing their captives. His heart beat fiercely to mete out punishment on the wicked monsters. “Let’s do this,” Michael said.
16. Hade’s Well
The full moon hung high in the sky, its light shimmering through the wisps of clouds that adorned it. The sounds of life around them bounced from tree to tree. They caught glimpses of animals around them, but none dared to approach the large group of unicorns and people traveling quickly through the forest. Instead, the animals scurried away, bounding over shrubs and fallen branches.
Ghost stopped and moved his nose through the air. His nostrils flared as he breathed deeply. Nick stroked Ghost’s neck and smelled it too. They weren’t alone. Cerberi were close.
Everyone stopped and looked around slowly. Lush vegetation surrounded them, blocking their view of the predators. They each pulled a weapon, ready for a fight.
Li gripped his knife. He nervously rubbed his thumb against the handle. Killing wasn’t his gift, but he was good at faking it. He had no trouble killing when it was required of him.
Li watched Nick and Kate. They appeared calm and unfazed. He knew they had no trouble killing the wicked. It seemed as if Nick lived for it. From the first moment Li had met Nick, he’d sensed Nick’s taste for justice. He wasn’t sure about Kate, but he knew that she’d reveal her true nature soon enough.
Synchronicity (Scintillate Series Book 3) Page 24