Dark Moon Magick [The Moon Series: Book 4]

by Rose Marie Wolf

  There was silence for an interval of a few moments then she began again. Yes, I'm afraid so. I don't fully understand it all, but it's not just you, it's all of us. He's trying to create some sort of superior race. I'm still not certain why, or how. He's been using us as experiments. Again, there was a pause. There must be something special about you. He went straight to the blood work with you.

  Jason didn't respond right away. The man had said something about Jason's blood possessing the elements he had been trying to create. Something do with were blood and witch blood. It made no sense to him. He had no witch blood in him. The man had to mistaken.

  There's nothing special about me, he thought to her. He took a few deep breaths as he waited for her to say something. Several minutes passed before she said anything again.

  Whatever it is does not matter now. It is time.

  Time for what?

  We wanted to do the final push last night, but Quenten did his worst. There isn't much time left. We have to do it now.

  I don't know what you're talking about. Jason stood up, and began to pace. Moving after being motionless for such a long time hurt, but he endured it anyway. The pain in his muscles was familiar, like the beginning of a shift. The wolf within was agitated. He wanted out.

  Jason kept him locked away. Now was not the time, and the strange woman's earlier words made sense. He did need to conserve his energy. Shifting would be a useless waste.

  Instead, he allowed his vision to cut through the darkness of the room. There was once a time when he found the darkness soothing. It was a place he could hide in, be alone.

  But not this time. This time, the darkness was stifling. He couldn't stand it anymore. He had to get away from it and out of this cell.

  The final push, the woman's voice came again, sounding louder closer. We're going to get out of here, tonight.

  How do you plan to do that? Jason asked, resisting the urge to scoff aloud at the idea. He hadn't been able to get out before. What made her so sure they would get out now?

  As if picking up on these thoughts, the woman responded. We've have been waiting a long time for someone with enough mental power to aid us in the final push. You are going to help us.

  "Mental power?” Jason stopped pacing and stared at the dark wall. The only mental power he possessed was the occasional visions he had, and they were bothersome at most and hardly reliable.

  How can you expect me to help you? I don't know anything about this psychic bullshit.

  We will help each other. The voice in his head became edgy and frantic. She must want out worse than Jason did. She had been here longer. Of course she'd want out.

  Jason thought on it then shook his head, though she couldn't see it. She seemed to sense it though, because she began again.

  You must help us. You are our last hope.

  Whether it was her pleading tone or the fact that he wanted to get out of here almost as badly as she, Jason resigned with a soft sigh.

  "Fine. What do I have to do?"

  He waited for her instructions but none came for a long time. The silence in the room grew heavy and when he grew tired of waiting, he started to pace again. He had already reached one end of the room and was halfway across the floor when she answered.

  Stand in front of the door. Do it quickly, we haven't much time and my power is weakening.

  Jason didn't argue as he found his way to the door. He didn't know what to expect. He thought of asking, but he didn't get the chance.

  He thought his head would explore from pain. He was blinded and he couldn't breathe. Though he gasped, Jason couldn't get the air he needed. The pain in his head lessened only to strike again with more force.

  It was like getting hit by a semi-truck. At least it felt like it to him. He almost fell back from the force of it. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

  Steady. Through the pain, he heard her voice. Do not fall down.

  Then he felt a curious sensation. He felt a prickle start at the crown of his head, moving down through his body. It tingled all over, as if his entire body was asleep. He was paralyzed, unable to move.

  The tingling prickle turned into something else. It was power, he knew that, and it was strong. It was almost electric around him, growing and buzzing. He had never felt anything like it before.

  The pain stuck with him, growing then ebbing as the power swelled. Still breathless and reeling from the pain, Jason tried to focus on what was happening. He realized the power was coming from an outside source, from her, but his own power—a thing that he wasn't really aware of, was very strong—combined with hers. He felt it leaving him, drawing away and mingling until it no longer belonged to either of them.

  Suddenly, the power was ripped away. It shot out of him like a bullet from a gun, spreading like a wave through the room. It hit the door and he heard a click and a snap. The door slid wide open.

  Despite the woman's instructions, Jason sank to the floor in surprise. He hit his knees on the unforgiving concrete, hard, and stared in disbelief at the open expanse in front of him. The door was open. He was free.

  Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Jason climbed to his feet, his legs weak and unstable after the power left him. He held onto the door frame as he wobbled out of the room on his unsteady legs.

  The hallway was easier to tolerate now that there were no bright lights blinding him and no guards dragging him forcefully. He began to walk quickly down the hall. Unlike before, when he hadn't been able to spot an exit, the corridor wasn't quite so shut off.

  There were doors open along either side of him. The doors hadn't been there before.

  Jason curled his hands into fists. Either he was in a new area, or the doors had been hidden before. It pissed him off to think on it, but he forced himself to let it go. One of those doors had to lead to another hallway or an exit.

  As if picking up on his thoughts yet again, the woman spoke in his head. He stopped to listen.

  There is a door on the right at the end of the hall. It leads to another hallway. Take it and move fast. The guards are already on the move.

  How do you know this? What happened? Jason asked. She didn't answer and Jason couldn't wait in a stationary position for much longer. He could hear the guards shouting, their voices echoing off the walls and giving away their position long before they would even reach him.

  Jason moved fast, following her direction and taking the door at the end of the hall. It was another corridor, identical to the one his cell was located in. He raced down the endless hall. He was nearing what appeared to be a dead end when two burly men burst out from one of the doors on his left.

  Surprised, Jason was taken off guard as one of the men grabbed hold of his arm. The other, a taller, hairier man, held a handgun pointed at Jason's chest. His buddy fought to secure Jason with a pair of handcuffs.

  The man holding him was very strong and his grip nearly crushed Jason's lower arm. He felt the cold of the handcuffs touch his wrist and his struggles renewed with stronger effect.

  Ducking down so the other man had difficulty holding him, Jason threw his head back. The impact of his skull hitting the man's face jarred his teeth and left him with a massive headache, but it worked. The man let go of him and doubled over, clutching the bleeding mess of his broken nose.

  The goon with the gun didn't hesitate. He pulled off a few rounds, but succeeded in hitting his fallen companion. Jason had already scrambled away and was heading into the doorway they had exited from.

  Another endless hallway greeted him. Behind him, a man shouted. Another gun shot went off, the sound deafening. Jason instinctively ducked, but the bullet was off and hit the wall high above him. He didn't slow down or look back. He knew the shooter was on his tail.

  He ran for the end of the hall, knowing there had to be another door, another exit there somewhere. The man was behind him, his boots echoing loudly on the hard floor. Jason knew that although he was part werewolf, this man had the upper hand. He was stro
nger, faster somehow. If he didn't find the exit soon, he would be in deep shit.

  Turn right, now. The woman was back, her voice insistent but faint. Jason obeyed and turned to the door on the right. The goon followed.

  "Now!” A woman's voice shouted aloud and Jason felt the curious rise of power again. He wasn't alone in here. The power rose quickly and went away just as fast as the door behind him slammed shut. Immediately, the room was plunged into complete darkness. Jason blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden blackness. The goon slammed his fists against the door, the sound echoing in the room.

  "He'll tire out quickly,” someone said. It was the female who had shouted. She sounded out of breath.

  "He'll have to,” a male voice said. “He can't get in here until the power comes back on and we shorted that fucker. It'll take hours, if not days to fix."

  Jason's vision began to come back to him and he surveyed the room, trying to find the source of the voices. The room they were in looked just like Jason's cell, only smaller.

  He spotted the others, three of them, crowded in the corner.

  He didn't approach them right away, but breathed in their scents. He smelled were, full-blooded and female. He smelled human, a woman. The male, he wasn't sure because his scent was faint and unlike anything he had smelled before.

  And lavender. He smelled fresh lavender in the room.

  He couldn't make out their faces in the darkness, but he watched their movements. One of the women sat on the floor, her legs pulled under her. She had a mass of curly hair that obscured her face from his sight. The other woman, thinner, with shorter hair, was the were. The male stood, watching Jason. Unlike the others, his pale face seemed to glow in the darkness.

  "Who are you people?” Jason demanded, keeping his distance.

  "We're just like you.” It was different hearing the woman's voice out loud, instead of in his head. She stood, slowly, her arm supported by the other woman. “We were brought here to have experiments done to us, to be lab animals for Quenten.” She paused, slumping against the woman. The male rushed to their aid, his bright white hands reaching out to grasp her arm.

  "There's no time to explain.” She sounded weak. “We have to go now. I haven't much strength left and you'll need me to get out of here."

  "How are we going to get out? We're locked in this room."

  "Haven't you learned anything?” the male snapped at Jason irritably. He sounded older than he looked. “She's the one who got us together and combined our abilities to shut out the power so the doors can't open. She's the one who shut the door just now to save your ass. She—"

  "That's enough, Toby,” she said softly. That was all it took and Toby went silent He glared at Jason, but Jason didn't meet his stare. He looked to the woman.

  "That's what happened?"

  "Yes,” she said quietly. “I must open the doors twice more, at least, so we can get out of here. This was meant as a temporary stop. We haven't much time.” She stopped, taking a deep breath. “Once the doors open, follow the hallway to the end. There is a door on the left that will lead you to the staircase. Take it to the bottom floor. There is a door to the side. It is probably chained or locked, but it will be our only chance."

  "What happens if the guards come after us?” the other female asked. Her gaze turned to Jason, as if he had the answers.

  "We run,” Toby answered instead, “or we fight. Personally, I'd say fight."

  "We can't fight, Toby.” The were sighed, raking a hand through her hair. The goon was still pounding on the door, loudly. “We have no choice."

  "I can fight,” Jason said. “If we have to, I'll hold them off."

  "You can't fight them all by yourself.” Toby sounded incredulous. He narrowed his eyes at Jason until they become nothing but black slits on his stark white face.

  "I can handle a lot more than you think.” There was an edge in Jason's voice. He knew he was coming off stubborn and tough, but he didn't care. There was something about this little punk he didn't like.

  And their situation wasn't making things any better.

  "We have to go, now,” the human woman said. The others didn't argue. Standing to either side, the were-woman and Toby supported her arms as the woman stood to her full height. She was tall and very thin. Her simple gown hung limply from her body. She closed her eyes.

  Jason knew what she intended to do, but it happened so fast he was shocked. The moment she closed her eyes, the power rose. It swelled away from her. Jason felt the rush of it as it swept past him.

  The door behind him flew open. He spun quickly.

  The goon that had been pounding on the door incessantly was thrown back with the force of the power. He lay sprawled against the wall, his gun a few feet away from his outstretched hand.

  Jason didn't hesitate. He rushed out the door and grabbed the gun before the man came to. He didn't look like he would though. Through the darkness, Jason could see his head was turned at a strange angle and blood had begun to trickle from his nose and ears.

  "He's dead,” Jason announced. He tightened his fingers on the grip of the gun and held it ready.

  "That doesn't matter,” Toby said. They had followed him out of the room. The woman between them didn't look so good. Her head fell forward, her long curls covering her face.

  "Is she okay?"

  "She will be,” the were answered. “But we need to get out of here first. Let's go."

  Jason led the way down the hall, taking point. He found the door leading to the staircase with little difficulty and began heading down. The others followed, moving as fast as they could. Jason was concerned for the psychic. Her skin was almost as white as Toby's and that couldn't be good.

  "I see the door,” he said quietly. “We're almost there."

  "Halt!"

  "Oh no,” Toby groaned. All of them looked up at the group of armed guards that swarmed through the door. Two by two, they raced toward them down the stairs. A few of them took aim with their rifles.

  "Shit,” Jason cursed. “Go, I'll catch up.” He motioned the others forward, pressing himself back against the wall. The were and the psychic went past him, hurrying as fast as they could. Toby followed, but grabbed Jason's arm as he made to go back up the stairs.

  "What are you doing? You can't take them."

  "I sure as hell can try."

  "Fuck that. We need you."

  "No, you don't.” The men were getting closer. Jason could smell the aftershave they wore and the sharp, oily smell of their freshly cleaned rifles. He tensed when Toby pulled on his arm. “Let go of me."

  "Amelia needs you."

  Jason stared at him, forgetting for a moment that the guards were closing in. “Amelia?” The name sounded familiar.

  "There's no time to explain. Come on.” Toby gave one final pull and Jason let himself be tugged away from the wall. He moved after him in a daze. A gun went off, but the bullet missed. Someone was shouting at them, but Jason didn't hear what was said.

  They were at the door before he knew it. The locks had been broken and the doors thrown back. The women were already outside and once he and Toby hit the gravel, they ran. They didn't stop to look back, or pause to fire the gun. They were gone.

  "Run,” Toby shouted. The were-woman looked back at them, unable to hurry any faster. The psychic woman, Amelia, was about to drop where she stood. Her feet were dragging the ground.

  Gunshots fired and the scent of blood spilled into the air. Toby screamed and they were shrieked. Blood poured down Toby's upper left arm. The crimson was bright against his pale flesh. It gushed out from the huge exit wound, but Toby didn't stop. He pressed his hand against the wound, the thick blood pouring through his fingers.

  "Oh, God,” Jason breathed. The guards were right on them. There was no time. Amelia had fallen to the ground and the were was trying to pull her up.

  "Just grab her,” Toby shouted. “There's a car over here. Let's go!"

  Jason turned, spotting his Camar
o pulled neatly into the drive. The iron gates were closed, blocking access to the road. He wasn't looking forward to what would happen to the Camaro, but he didn't see another alternative.

  "Get in the car,” Jason shouted as Toby ran past him. He knew how to hotwire the car, but he prayed he wouldn't need to. He turned back to the females. They had hoisted Amelia to her feet, but the psychic was faltering in her steps. The men were bearing down on them. Rifles were raised.

  "No,” Jason shouted. He made a mad dash for them. His body collided with the were and together, with Amelia, they crashed to the ground just as a volley of bullets rang out.

  They had to move fast.

  "Go.” He pulled at Amelia's arm. “Move or die!” They were already moving, crawling across the ground. Her clothes were soiled with mud, grass and gravel.

  The gunfire ceased to angry shouting. Jason hated to admit it, but he knew the voice.

  "No,” Quenten yelled. Jason pushed Amelia forward and they were resumed pulling her along. He looked back to see the lab coat man, red in the face, moving to stand in front of the armed guards. He waved his arms wildly, gesturing toward Jason and the others.

  "No bullets; tranquilizers only. I want them alive!"

  The men listened to the doctor and backed down, and Jason took advantage of it. He scrambled to his feet and hurried toward the car. Toby already had the doors open and was helping Amelia and the other woman into the back.

  He hurried to the driver's side, thankful when he saw the glint of metal dangling in the ignition. The keys were still there.

  He climbed inside his car. The inside already smelled like blood, dirt and sweat. Everyone was in and Jason slammed the door. He started the engine, thankful once more when it came to life.

  "Let's get out of here,” Toby shouted.

  Jason revved the engine, the back-wheel drive making the tires spin loudly on the pavement. They squealed as he pulled it in reverse and raced it backwards down the drive. He hoped it was fast enough to break open the iron gates.