Legacy of the Watchers Series Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Nancy Madore

  “Words cannot express what we all feel in our hearts. Each of us will have to find our own way to heal. As for me, I couldn’t move forward without paying one last tribute to Hollywood. It is a shamefully inadequate gesture for all that was lost. I am aware of this. But let’s not allow the inadequacy of our gestures to prevent us from making them. Let’s keep trying, no matter how pitiful our attempts might seem. No offering is worth turning away. Not if it will help even one life go on.”

  Beth found herself standing even before she realized that everyone else was doing the same. She had been moved to tears—not just for the loss of those poor people in California, but for her own loss too. Asmund’s daughter was right. Life did go on. Still, it was hard to move on while Wayne was still out there, possibly trapped in limbo unless she helped him.

  After her standing ovation, Asmund’s daughter promptly left the stage.

  The curtain rose once again to reveal an enormous choir in glorious robes of blue and gold—the California state colors. But this was no ordinary choir. This choir was made up of the most popular musicians of the day. After a moment of silence, they began to sing, a cappella, The Beautiful Ones by Prince. It was a song from the movie Purple Rain.

  Beth listened in awe. This incredible choir was not just singing a song. They were creating the impression of a full orchestra comprised solely of human voices. Slowly, one small group at a time, they joined together two, then three—then four and five and six—different songs to bring about a precisely harmonic rendition of The Beautiful Ones. Each underlying song subtly contributed the strain of an accompanying instrument, from the cadence of the keyboard, to the raspy twang of the guitar. There was the low rumbling of the bass and the nasal drone of the alto sax. In lieu of drums, they had the notorious rapper, Ess Shay (a stunning sight, in and of himself), creating beat-box sounds with his hands and mouth. The result bordered on surreal. The audience didn’t utter a sound. It was as if they were all collectively holding their breaths. Even the Chewbaccas stopped what they were doing and stood as still as the Queen’s royal guards. Spontaneous tears flooded Beth’s eyes. It was a spectacular moment.

  As this unique choir of superstars continued to sing, it became apparent that they had composed a medley of songs from popular movie soundtracks. In increments of perhaps three minutes each, they worked their way through a host of songs, from The Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing to a rousing rendition of Lady Marmalade from Moulin Rouge.

  At some point Isabella’s hand touched Beth’s arm.

  “It’s time,” she said.

  Beth just stared at her in confusion.

  “I’ll need the rings, Beth.”

  Beth hesitated. She’d been so sure when they’d made their plans, but now she felt a moment of fear.

  Isabella glanced at Nasterson’s retreating form. “It has to be now!” she whispered urgently.

  Beth nodded. She reached up and unclasped the chain around her neck and slipped it into Isabella’s outreached hand.

  Isabella paused before getting up. “I will be back with Wayne’s rings,” she promised.

  Chapter 53

  It was really happening! Nadia couldn’t believe that it was really happening!

  She had turned her seat away from Will’s, slightly, so that she could keep an eye on Nasterson’s table while pretending to look at the stage. She struggled to keep her composure as she watched Nasterson get up from his table and walk toward the exit that Clive had directed him to.

  “Are you okay?” whispered Will.

  Nadia whirled around to face him. “Of course!” she exclaimed. “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, you were squeezing my hand pretty hard,” he said. “I thought you might be upset about something.”

  “Oh…no,” she stammered, trying to smile. “I…I was just thinking about that…thing in the kitchen.” Will squeezed her hand reassuringly as she turned back to face the stage.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” said Will. “Everything has been perfect so far.”

  Nadia barely heard him. She was staring in horror at the table where Elizabeth Timmons was sitting—alone. Her date—the woman wearing the Guy Fawkes mask—was gone!

  Nadia did a quick scan with her eyes and spotted the black cape. The woman was leaving the room from a different exit than Jeremy but, somehow, Nadia knew that she was going after him.

  She stood up.

  “What are you doing?” asked Will.

  “If I don’t check on that thing in the kitchen I’ll never have any peace,” she said. “I’ll only be a minute.” She left through the same exit as the woman wearing the Guy Fawkes mask.

  The ballroom was surrounded by long hallways on all four sides. The exit the woman had taken led out to one that crossed over to the kitchen. Nadia looked around. The kitchen was still bustling with activity. There was no sign of the woman anywhere.

  “Ms. Adeire,” said one of the Chewbaccas, approaching her. “Can I help you find something?”

  “No,” said Nadia. “Go attend to the guests.”

  She went around the corner and rushed down the long hall that led to the stage. The hallway was only partially lit to discourage guests from wandering in that direction. At the very end of the hallway, just around the corner, was the bathroom where Nasterson was walking into a trap. It was possible that Poseidon was entering his body that very minute. Nadia was practically panting as she made her way down the long hall.

  I am peace, she thought. I am calm.

  There was no sign of the woman in the Guy Fawkes’ mask, but this had to be the direction she was going in. Nadia slowed her pace as she neared the end of the hall. Little beads of perspiration were breaking out all along her forehead. Her hands and feet suddenly felt numb. And her heart was pounding erratically in her chest. She looked down and could actually see it hammering against her chest cavity, almost as if it were struggling to get out! Her whole upper body was vibrating from the force of it. She was having another panic attack.

  “Oh God!” she whispered frantically. She whirled around and stared down the other end of the hallway. It seemed so much longer than she remembered it—much too long for her to make it back. “Oh God!” she whispered again.

  She threw herself back against the wall. It was mildly comforting to feel it there, cool and solid against her back.

  Her chest ached. It suddenly seemed three sizes too small for her thrashing heart. The dress wasn’t helping. It was too tight! Why had she worn a corset? She was going to suffocate!

  You are not going to suffocate, she told herself firmly. All you need is a little courage.

  Nadia held on to the wall and closed her eyes. She forced herself to slow her breathing in time with her words, which she whispered very, very slowly.

  “I am peace,” she whimpered with all the determination she could muster. “I am calm.”

  Chapter 54

  Beth tried to focus on the show. It seemed like Isabella had been gone for hours. What was taking her so long?

  In spite of her anxiety, Beth couldn’t help being distracted by the event. The entertainment surpassed anything she had ever seen before. The current act featured three top pop stars and a host of incredibly talented dancers performing a very modern version of Singing in the Rain. The music and dance styles were too diverse to categorize, but there were definitely elements of hip-hop, jazz, Latin and even disco. It was astonishing what they had done to the familiar old song. Gene Kelly would most certainly have approved. Though they were well into the program by this time, all of the guests were still riveted to their seats.

  Or most of them were.

  Beth glanced at Nasterson’s table. He hadn’t returned either. That was a good sign.

  She wondered if she should check on Isabella. Maybe she needed help. But there really wasn’t all that much that Beth could do. The plan had been simple. Isabella would release Asmund from the ring and he would take over the body of Jeremy Nasterson. From there, Isabella was supposed t
o return to the table and leave the rest to him.

  Beth glanced at the doorway that Isabella disappeared through again. Where was she?

  Beth suddenly felt someone at her elbow. She whirled around to find that it was only one of the Chewbaccas.

  “I’ll have another vodka rocks,” she said.

  “Of course,” he replied, “but I was asked to deliver this to you.” He handed her a folded piece of paper.

  Beth stared at the paper a moment before accepting it. “Thank you,” she said, and even managed to wait until he left before opening it.

  “There has been a change of plans,” it read. “Stay until the festivities are over and then go back to the hotel. I will meet you there.”

  Anger gripped Beth’s insides. Isabella had absconded with the rings! Beth had foolishly trusted her and now she would never see Wayne again. Her eyes filled at the thought.

  She had known this would happen all along. It’s why she didn’t want to give up the rings. And seeing how Nasterson didn’t return, it was obvious that Isabella’s plan had succeeded. She and Asmund had probably left the building by now.

  Why hadn’t Beth gone after her?

  She glanced at Jeremy Nasterson’s table and blinked in surprise. Another Chewbacca (or was it the same one?) was delivering a similar note to Nasterson’s date. Immediately upon reading it, the woman got up and left the room.

  There has been a change of plans.

  What did this mean? Beth stared at the two empty seats at Nasterson’s table thoughtfully.

  Should she follow Nasterson’s date? She slid her seat back slightly, preparing to get up. But something stopped her.

  Supposing Isabella had encountered some trouble and something had happened to interfere with their plan, the last thing Beth wanted to do was to make things even worse. If Isabella had wanted her help she would’ve asked for it in the note.

  So which was it? Had Isabella betrayed her, or had something actually gone wrong?

  The note to Nasterson’s date must have been from Isabella. It was sent at the same time. But why would Isabella send his date a message? What possible reason could she have for doing such a thing? Unless the note didn’t come from Isabella. Maybe Nasterson had somehow escaped and sent his date a note telling her where to find him.

  The Chewbacca returned, this time to deliver Beth’s vodka rocks. She drank half of it in one draught before turning to thank him. But the words never made it out of her mouth. She saw, to her amazement, that Nasterson’s date had returned to their table—and she was staring at Beth with the strangest look on her face! There was something eerily familiar in her expression.

  The woman immediately looked away when Beth caught sight of her, but Beth knew that she had been watching her.

  What was going on? Beth had a strong desire to walk up to the woman and ask her about the note, but she was hesitant to do so. She didn’t want to create a scene here, of all places.

  She turned back to the stage with a heavy sigh. There was nothing she could do now but wait. She had never really trusted Isabella, but she did trust Wayne’s friend, Asmund. She had to believe that Asmund would find Wayne and free him from the rings. And then Wayne would find her, just as he had promised in his note.

  It is my dearest hope and desire that you and I shall meet again, he had written.

  Wayne would be in a different body the next time she saw him. Would she recognize him?

  Beth took a deep breath. She had done all she could. Now all she could do was wait.

  No, she thought. That’s not all I can do.

  She could live. Asmund’s daughter was right. Life did go on. For too long, she had let Wayne define her existence. His apathy had made her a drunk, while his love had brought about her salvation. Now his death was quickly making her a drunk again. It was time for her to take charge of her own fate.

  Beth pushed aside her glass. She looked around her with a sense of pride. She felt honored to be a part of something so extraordinary. Her presence here was now and forever a part of history. And she had Wayne to thank for that. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel gratitude for all that Wayne had done for her.

  No. Not Wayne. Ephippas.

  If Ephippas ever did return to her, he would find a different woman. He would find Beth.

  Chapter 55

  The panic was finally subsiding, but now, with the physical crisis over, all kinds of terrifying possibilities about what was happening in the restroom flooded Nadia’s mind.

  What if the woman in the Guy Fawkes’ mask followed Nasterson into the bathroom?

  Nadia told herself that Clive, who was guarding the door from the outside, would never allow that.

  And yet, Lilith had a way of getting around guards. Nadia thought of how Thomas Gerard died and shuddered. Even while in the body of a poor, defenseless, homeless woman she had somehow managed to get the better of Max Wessler, who was the head of the United States Department of Defense.

  As Nadia slowly made her way to the end of the hall (which took a great deal of effort even though she only had about twenty feet to go), she glanced into the windows of the two conference rooms she passed. They were pitch black inside. She knew that the woman in the Guy Fawkes’ costume could be hiding in any of the rooms along the hallway, but there was no time to do a full search. She had to get to Clive as quickly as possible. She stopped when she reached the end and turned the corner.

  There was no one guarding the restroom door! In fact, the entire area was deserted.

  Nadia whirled around—and came face to face with Will.

  Before she had time to react he had hold of her arm. “Come with me, Nadia,” he said.

  “Will!” she exclaimed. “You startled me. I…uh…I thought I heard something…,” she let her voice trail off. The expression on his face was scaring her.

  “It’s over, Nadia,” he said.

  She stared at him in horror. “Will!” she cried.

  “Be quiet and come with me now!” he commanded in a harsh whisper. He was pulling her toward the nearest conference room.

  Nadia struggled against him. “Stop it,” she cried. “You’re hurting me!”

  “Shut up, Nadia!” His grip on her arm was much too strong for her to wiggle out of as he literally dragged her toward the room.

  Nadia began to fight for all that she was worth. She attempted to cry out again but, before she got the first word out, Will pulled her up against him and covered her face with a foul smelling cloth. Nadia stared up into his eyes in disbelief.

  The last thing she saw was that cold, determined stare. “Blue Eyes” was back.

  Chapter 56

  Long Island, New York

  Nadia was slow to come to. Her mind seemed foggy and sluggish. Details were making their way through the thick fog in vague pieces.

  She was lying in bed. The sixteenth century gown and corset had been removed, leaving only a flimsy undergarment to cover her. The hairpins that had been holding up her elaborate hairstyle had also been removed, but the copious amounts of hairspray that accompanied them was still with her—she could tell by the heavy feel of it as she slowly lifted her head. One touch of her hand confirmed that her hair was, indeed, a tangled mess. She rested her head back down on the pillow until the room stopped spinning and then tentatively tried lifting it again.

  She was in her bedroom in her father’s beach house. But how had she gotten there?

  The image of cold blue eyes glaring down at her flashed through her mind and she bolted upright in the bed.

  “Oh my God!” she cried, recalling the previous night’s events. “Will!”

  She flung the covers to one side with the intention of bounding out of bed—and then froze. There, sitting in a chair in a far corner of the room, was Will. His blue eyes watched her silently.

  Nadia suddenly felt vulnerable in the flimsy gown with her hair all disheveled.

  What a strange thing to worry about, she thought as she stared back at him. She h
ad no idea where to begin.

  Apparently neither did Will. Several long minutes passed before either of them spoke.

  “How did you know?” she asked finally.

  “I didn’t,” he said. “Not for certain. I kept hoping it wasn’t true.”

  When Nadia didn’t respond he continued.

  “There were several red flags, but the clincher was Nasterson,” he said. “Something wasn’t right about your visit in DC. I had a feeling about it, so I ran a check on him.”

  “The contracts with T.D.M.R.,” she guessed.

  “His company owns them,” he said. “I knew you wouldn’t be going after him all by yourself—which meant that Gordon, and possibly even Clive, had to be in on it with you.”

  Nadia was dying to know where Gordon and Clive were but she was too afraid to ask.

  “Will, if you’ll just let me explain,” she began.

  “You don’t have to explain,” he said. “It’s enough that you did what you did.”

  “But the reasons—”

  “Don’t!” he yelled. He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. “Please, Nadia, whatever else you might do, don’t give me your reasons for lying to me—and everyone else—while you were secretly planning this act of terrorism. Please don’t do that, okay? Because I’ve already heard the same reasons from every terrorist I ever met, starting with—”

  Will didn’t finish his statement, but Nadia knew what he had been about to say.

  Starting with my mother!

  Tears rushed to her eyes. “Will, I’m begging you to listen to me,” she pleaded.

  “I’m only here for one reason,” he told her. “And that’s because I couldn’t just sit back and let you ruin your life. Otherwise, you’d be in the same boat as Gordon and Clive right now.”

  The tears seemed to freeze on Nadia’s cheeks. “What boat?” she whispered. “Where are Gordon and Clive?”