by J. C. Diem
Our whole team had been trapped by two succubae and had been kept beneath their control for a short time. That had been bad, but this was worse. At least we’d had a pleasant dream to keep our minds occupied while we’d slowly starved. This time, Flynn’s mind was completely empty. He might as well have already been dead.
I strove to reach out to him, but I couldn’t make contact. The wall between us was impenetrable. Putting my hands over my face, I tried not to fall into despair. Our team had already lost its leader and now we were in danger of losing Flynn as well. I wasn’t confident that calling Kurt Jorgen for help had been a good idea. Mark might not remember our past dealings with the half-faery, but I did, mostly. Some things were fuzzy, but I recalled enough to know that his help always came with a price.
Drawn to my pain, Zeus left my bedroom and padded over to me. He laid his head on my knee and looked up at me soulfully. He sensed that Flynn was in trouble and he was concerned for him. Flynn might be part snake, but he was still family.
Struggling to hold in my tears, I returned to my room and attempted to sleep. Zeus was a comforting presence on the floor at the end of my bed. Eventually, I drifted off, but my dreams were troubled.
Kurt arrived just after breakfast as he’d promised. He’d altered his glamor enough for Mark and Kala to remember that someone from the Mind Sweeper team was coming. Mark was sitting at the computer table, waiting for our visitor’s arrival. He triggered the gate without waiting for verification of the driver’s identification when a black SUV drove up. I wondered if this oversight in security measures was due to a mental command from Kurt.
There still hadn’t been any change in Flynn. We’d tried to feed him and give him water, but he’d ignored us completely. If the faery failed, we’d have to watch him die inch by painful inch. We could call in a medic to put him on a drip and to feed him through a tube, but he’d still end up dying eventually.
We exited through the kitchen door to greet the short, thin, pale, bald man who climbed out of the SUV. I kept my face neutral, pretending not to recognize him. To me, Kurt had almost colorless eyes and pointed teeth. To the others, he looked normal. Zeus walked over, sniffed him and backed away hastily. He sensed the same thing that I did; faery magic.
“Agent Steel,” Kurt said and offered his hand.
Mark shook it perfunctorily then unconsciously wiped his hand on his pants. The half-faery’s skin felt unpleasantly slick to us. He didn’t ask the agent’s name. “Would you like some refreshments?” he asked politely.
“We can dispense with the pleasantries. I know you are anxious for me to attend to your agent.”
Relieved that there wouldn’t be a delay, Mark led the way inside and down to the cells below. He opened the cell door then Kurt flicked a hand at us dismissively. “I do not require any further assistance. You may leave.”
With their eyes slightly glazed, Mark and Kala obeyed. I followed them out into the hall then darted up the stairs ahead of them. I raced to the coms room to watch the cell on the monitors. I needed to see what the Mind Sweeper was going to do. I just hoped he wouldn’t alter the footage until after he was done. Then again, how could I be sure that what I was about to see was real or if it was just a fabrication.
Kurt was examining Flynn’s face when I took a seat. His forehead became furrowed as he delved into his brain. “It seems the hydra was perhaps a bit too successful at taking over your mind,” he mused. “Let’s see if it left anything inside you at all.”
His irises darkened to a deep royal blue and began to spin. It was Flynn’s turn to frown and his eyes focused on the faery’s. “Ah, there you are,” Kurt murmured. “Now, let’s see what you remember.”
He went silent as he presumably rummaged through Flynn’s memories. “Hmm. That’s surprising. The hydra is an ultimate alpha reptile. It seems it can control any coldblooded creature. I hadn’t anticipated that.” He grinned, showing his sharply pointed teeth. “It’s a pity your mind is far too damaged to be repaired. It would have been interesting to see if you’ve been altered at all after being beneath the golem’s control.” I let out a groan of despair at the news that he couldn’t be saved.
After another few seconds of staring at the Sweeper, Flynn’s eyes went blank again. I’d caught a brief, confusing whirl of emotions from him before they’d been hidden behind a wall again.
The agent left the cell and closed the door on his way out. Mark and Kala were waiting at the bottom of the stairs like robots waiting for their next command. I realized it would be suspicious if I was still in the coms room when Jorgen returned. I raced down the spiral staircase and took up a spot next to Kala.
When Kurt entered a few moments later, he glanced at us to make sure we were still beneath his spell then took the stairs up to the coms room. I heard him tapping on the keyboard on the computer as he presumably tampered with the footage.
Descending the stairs again, he clicked his fingers. Mark and Kala started when they came out of their befuddled states and I copied them.
“Were you successful?” Mark asked hopefully.
Kurt’s expression turned regretful. “I am afraid there is nothing I can do for Agent Bailey. He is too far gone for me to be able to bring his mind back.”
“You mean there’s nothing we can do?” Kala’s tone was heartbroken.
“Sadly, no.” Kurt made a show of checking his watch. “I am afraid I am needed elsewhere.”
“Of course,” Mark said with a pitiful attempt at a smile. “I’ll see you out.”
I watched the Sweeper as he followed my boss to the door, disturbed that there had been no mention of payment of any kind. The half-faery hadn’t made a deal with Mark and that worried me. Maybe the price had already been paid and we just didn’t know it.
Kala moved to the couch, sank down and put her hands over her face. She began to sob quietly. Zeus hurried over to her and leaned against her legs.
Mark returned, saw her and joined her on the couch. He had tears in his eyes as well as he hugged her to his side.
Glancing up, she saw me standing there. “Don’t you care that Flynn is going to die?” she asked accusingly.
“Jorgen was lying,” I said flatly. I didn’t know how I knew this, but I did.
Mark looked bewildered. “Who?”
“The short, bald half-faery who just spent the past hour bamboozling you,” I said in frustration.
“What are you talking about?” Kala asked. “The Mind Sweeper wasn’t short, or bald. He was tall and had brown hair.”
“If this is a joke, it isn’t very funny,” Mark said tightly.
“When have I ever pretended to be a comedian?” I demanded. “Flynn is still in there somewhere. I think the Sweeper is deliberately going to let him die.” I didn’t know why he would do such a thing, but I knew it was true.
Kala gave me a look of intense dislike. “You’ve lost your mind,” she said coldly.
I realized I wasn’t going to get anywhere with the Mind Sweeper’s glamor working against me. Changing my tactics, I smiled and their tension immediately eased. “Why don’t you make some coffee, Kala? I’m sure we could all use one.”
“That’s a good idea,” she said with a watery smile. “Coffee always makes everything better.”
I kept the smile up until she was in the kitchen and Mark had returned to the coms room to keep a vigil over his slowly dying agent.
Taking two mugs from Kala when she was done, I climbed the stairs with Zeus at my heels. I handed one of the mugs to Mark then locked myself in my room. They could either call my cell phone or use the intercom if they needed to speak to me. I intended to spend the next few hours trawling through the PIA archives. Kurt might have given up on Flynn, but I wasn’t about to.
I really could have used Mark’s help, but that wasn’t about to happen. Thanks to the glamor that Jorgen had laid over him, he wasn’t in a fit state to point me in the right direction. I was up for most of the night searching for ways to break a fae
ry spell and came up blank. Either no PIA agent apart from Thomas had ever encountered the fae before, or the records had been expunged. After seeing Kurt in action, I thought the second possibility was far more likely.
Giving up on trying to find anything on faeries, I slept for a few hours. In the morning I left my room long enough to let Zeus outside. I had breakfast and made coffee before returning to my room again. Kala and Mark were mourning and were lost in their misery. Mark didn’t call a medic in to prolong Flynn’s life. I wasn’t sure if that was his decision or one that had been made by Kurt Jorgen.
After two days of searching diligently, I was desperate. The archives had let me down, but I had the glimmer of a plan. The only problem was that I had no idea if it would work or not. It would require me to do something I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do. Sacrificing my pride was a small price to pay if it would help Flynn.
The thought of contacting Reece again made me cringe inside, especially after his actions when Rick had tried to kiss me. Left without a choice, I opened the link between us.
Instead of the blissful happiness that I’d expected to feel from him at being with his pack, his mind was a whirling maelstrom of emotion. I felt a moment of joy coming from him when he realized it was me, then it was buried beneath confusion and resentment. The resentment was nothing new, but his fleeting joy was a surprise that I didn’t have the time or inclination to delve into.
What’s wrong? He spoke directly into my mind, but it was much fainter this time, almost as if something was blocking us.
Hasn’t Mark called you?
About what? What’s happened?
Flynn is in trouble. He’s dying.
Show me, he demanded. I sent him a barrage of information, omitting all references to Kurt. If I made the mistake of mentioning the Mind Sweeper, Reece would forget our conversation while we were still having it. What do you want me to do, he asked when I was done.
I need your help to try to reach him through our bond. Reece, Flynn, Kala and I were linked due to biting each other a couple of times before the full moon. I sensed his doubt and reluctance to leave his pack. I don’t need your physical presence. I just need you to send me a boost of power when I ask for it.
How sure are you that this is going to work?
I’m not, but it’s the only thing I can think of.
He was silent inside my head for so long that I was beginning to think he’d shut me out again. I’ll help you, he said at last. But this is the last time. After this, you’re on your own.
I grimly held onto the tirade that wanted to escape. He’d been the one to contact me last time. I hadn’t asked for his help when Rick had kissed me. He’d thrust himself on me without even asking. Understood. I’ll contact you again in a few minutes.
Taking a deep breath, I left my room. Mark sat at the computer, staring blindly at the motionless image of Flynn on the monitor. He didn’t even notice me as I walked past him.
Kala was sitting on the couch, watching the TV without taking in the movie that was playing. Crouching in front of her, I caught and held her eyes. “I need you to come with me,” I said in a commanding tone. I felt guilty using my status as her alpha to bamboozle her, but it was necessary.
Fully beneath my control, she nodded jerkily and stood. Zeus trotted after us when I motioned for him to come along as well. He’d been sitting at her feet, doing his best to cheer her up. Together, we trooped down the hall and took the stairs down to Flynn’s cell. His face was beginning to turn slightly gaunt from lack of food. He didn’t move or give any indication that he saw us when I opened the door. Mark still hadn’t rescinded our access to the cells yet.
“Why are we here?” Kala asked uneasily. The faery’s magic had kept both her and Mark away from Flynn. My control over her as her alpha was enough to trump the spell, but I didn’t know how long it would last.
“We’re just paying Flynn a quick visit,” I said soothingly and reestablished contact with Reece. Get ready, I warned him.
Just say the word, he replied.
“Why don’t you bite Flynn on the wrist?” I told her. She frowned, but her brow smoothed out when I gave her a mental push. She lifted his right arm and I took hold of his left. We bit down at the same time. Now! At my mental shout, Reece sent power flooding through me.
Flynn rocked back and his eyelids fluttered wildly. For a moment, his mind was wide open and so was Reece’s. A barrage of images hit me from both of them. I felt an overwhelming sense of being bound by mental chains. Then Reece’s mind slammed shut, cutting off his power so hard that I almost reeled. We hadn’t quite broken through the wall in Flynn’s mind, but we were too close to give up now. I sensed it would break if we sent everything we had at it. Zeus, bite Flynn!
Yelping at the mental command that I gave him, my guardian lurched forward and sank his teeth into Flynn’s calf. I drew every scrap of power I could muster through Kala and Zeus and flung it into Flynn. The wall in his mind flexed then shattered and he collapsed.
“What just happened?” Kala asked in a daze. She’d caught Flynn by instinct and looked down at the fresh bite marks in his wrists. We eased him over to his bunk and laid him down.
“We saved him,” I replied and hoped that I was right. Either that or we’d completely destroyed his mind.
A few seconds later, I sensed his thoughts stabilizing. Groaning, Flynn’s eyes opened and he looked up at us in confusion. “What happened?” he asked then clutched his empty stomach. “I’m so hungry I could almost eat Zeus.”
I snorted out a laugh and it immediately turned into tears. He sat up in concern and drew me down next to him. Zeus crept forward and licked Flynn’s hand in apology for biting him.
“What’s going on in there?” Mark said over the intercom.
Too emotional to give them an answer, I continued to cry. I’d done more than just use our energy to free Flynn from his mind trap. I’d also tapped into deep resources I didn’t know I’d had. Doing so had weakened something in me. The darkness that I’d been desperately trying to keep at bay surged up and began to spread through me.
I no longer had weeks to find and destroy my mother. I was pretty sure I now only had days left before I would turn into the undead.
₪₪₪
Chapter Thirty-One
Finally managing to get myself under control, I stood. Flynn was weakened by his lack of food, but not to the point where he couldn’t walk.
“I’d really like some answers,” Kala said grumpily. “I feel like I’ve missed something important.”
“It can wait until Flynn gets cleaned up and eats something,” I said wearily.
Mark was waiting for us when we entered the main area. He grabbed Flynn by the shoulders and pulled him into a bear hug. “I thought we’d lost you, kiddo,” he said in a choked voice.
Flynn had no idea what had happened or what he’d missed. “I’m fine, I think.” He wrinkled his nose at his rankness. “I really need a shower, though. Can someone make me a couple hundred sandwiches?”
“I’ll do it,” I volunteered. I was so tired I could barely stand, but I needed something to keep me busy or I’d fall asleep on my feet.
Mark helped me make the sandwiches while Kala made coffee. We had a heaped plate ready for Flynn when he returned a few minutes later. He sank into his usual chair at the dining table and stuffed a sandwich into his mouth.
“Talk,” Mark ordered me.
“Do you remember the Mind Sweeper who came to help Flynn?”
“Of course,” he replied.
“What did he look like?”
“He was tall and had brown hair,” Kala replied woodenly then frowned. “Wasn’t he?” She put a hand to her forehead and Mark unconsciously copied her as if his head hurt as well. Flynn continued to eat his sandwich, paying them little attention.
Apparently, faery magic was impossible to counter. It was only going to cause them pain and confusion if I tried to force them to remember. “That’s right,�
�� I said.
“Unfortunately, he couldn’t help us to save Flynn. I thought of a plan to use my status as his alpha to bring his mind back.”
All three immediately relaxed when I steered them away from thinking about Kurt. “I contacted Reece,” I continued. “He helped Kala and me to break down most of the wall in Flynn’s mind. It wasn’t quite enough, so I included Zeus as well and we managed to bring him back.” I didn’t mention that Reece had pulled away at the crucial moment, leaving us in the lurch and forcing me to use my own inner strength.
Mark shook his head in amazement. “That was sheer genius, Lexi. You have my deepest gratitude.”
“You rock,” Kala said with tears in her eyes.
“Thanks, sis,” Flynn said and winked. “I owe you one.”
I waved his thanks away and a surge of dizziness swept through me. “Now that you’re back, I think we should head to New Orleans soon.”
Mark immediately sobered. “Is it time?”
I nodded and tried not to show them how weak I felt. “Something happened when we brought Flynn back. I think it sped up the process of me being turned into a vampire.”
He inhaled sharply and the other two gave me looks of concern. Right on cue, Mark’s phone rang. Every time we’d decided to confront my mother, something invariably came up. He checked the number then looked at me. “It’s your father,” he said then answered it. “Philip?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” my dad said. He sounded as tired as I felt. “Is Lexi there?”
“Yes. She’s sitting near me.” It was a subtle warning that I could hear everything my father was saying.
“Good. Put her on, please.”
If he’d wanted to talk to me so badly, why hadn’t he called my phone? Mark handed his phone to me and I took it with trepidation. I hadn’t spoken to my father since before I’d disappeared for nearly a month.
“I’m here,” I said, well aware that my tone was far from welcoming.
“Lexi, I’m back in Texas and I need to talk to you. Tell me where you are and I’ll come to you.”