After Sundown: Illumination

by Eden Robins

  “Your plan includes taking over the w-world?” she asked in disbelief.

  He nodded smugly.

  “Of course. It is our right as Wiccan to rule over this world of puny humans and other base creatures.”

  Suspicion grew in her mind. “And who exactly w-would lead this t-takeover and the world afterward?”

  “I would, of course. Because I am the most powerful wizard of our time,” he answered arrogantly. “As such, it will be my place to rule.”

  “I see,” Rebecca said, not really seeing at all.

  “I’m not so sure you do,” he said, staring at her intently. “But it doesn’t really matter at this point. There’s something else you need to understand, something more pertinent to you.”

  Rebecca braced herself, expecting the worst.

  Xander resumed pacing.

  “You see, Rebecca, I’ve come to a realization during our time apart. I understand something that I never did before.”

  Xander paused.

  She knew he wanted her to ask what he meant.

  But she didn’t want to.

  She really didn’t.

  Because it wasn’t going to be good.

  She just knew it.

  Xander waited a few seconds more for her to say something but when she didn’t comment he began again.

  “I know I will rule the world, there is no doubt in my mind about that. The realization I came to is that I don’t want to rule this world alone. I may be a wizard but I’m also a man,” he explained, stopping in front of her and kneeling down on one knee. “I’m a man, Rebecca. And I realize you are a powerful witch. I know that. I feel that. But you are also a woman. A woman who used to be mine. I want that again. I want you by my side, Rebecca. True mates, ruling the world together. I want you as my wife.”

  Rebecca stiffened at his words. She was stunned. She had never expected this, not in a million years, especially after the way Xander arranged for her attack and tried to have her killed.

  “Are you insane? How can y-you say that, Xander? You sent your goons to attack and k-kill me. I thought you wanted me dead.”

  Xander shook his head.

  “That was stupidity and fear on my part, Rebecca. Nothing more. I thought you were a threat but when I brought you here, held you in my arms and watched you as you slept so peacefully, all the memories of the good times we had together came rushing back. It helped me remember your sweetness, your beauty, your strength, your intelligence and your incredible goodness. You’re a balm to my troubled soul, Rebecca. I admit that now. You give me strength, focus and self-control. All traits I need help with. I want you, no, I need you in my life, by my side,” he said, his voice growing hoarse with emotion.

  Rebecca could tell Xander was being sincere. She knew he actually believed what he was saying. He wanted to marry her. But how could he think she would be okay with that after everything he had done to hurt her? After everything that had transpired between them? No sane person would believe that was possible.

  Maybe that was the crux of it.

  Maybe sanity had finally left Xander Davis completely.

  Before she could recover from her shock Xander took something out of his pocket. Taking her left hand, he slid the object on her ring finger. Rebecca stared down at it. Two emerald-cut diamonds sat on each side of a white gold setting that was made for a much bigger stone. But there was no stone there. It was empty.

  “It was wrong of me to try to change destiny, Rebecca. Killing you is not the solution. You are meant to find the Stone of Chandra and bear it as its rightful heir. I won’t interfere with that.”

  So Jason was right. Xander thought she was destined to find the Stone of Chandra. But that couldn’t be it. There had to be more. There had to be a catch.

  There was always a catch.

  Silently, Rebecca waited.

  She wasn’t disappointed.

  “We’ll share the power. We will rule together, Rebecca, bound to each other by love and marriage. As it should be, as the two most powerful Wiccan in the world deserve.”

  Rebecca peered into Xander’s blue eyes. They looked so clear, so pure, so good. It was ironic, because in truth Xander was none of those things. He was clouded, corrupted and evil. And she now understood that he was without a doubt absolutely insane.

  She had to tread carefully. At least until she knew where she was and what was going on. At least until her mind cleared.

  “What a b-beautiful ring, Xander. But why is it m-missing the middle stone? What happened to it?”

  “The stone is yours to find, Rebecca,” Xander explained. “It’s waiting for you. You are destined to be the bearer of the Stone of Chandra. I have read the prophecy. It’s you, without a doubt. I know now I shouldn’t begrudge you that. Instead I should rejoice and share in that power with you, as your rightful mate. We were made to be together. You know it and I know it.”

  Damn, this wasn’t good. Not only was Xander nuts, but now he was even more obsessed with her. And she knew perfectly well that if she were destined to hold the Stone he wasn’t going to let that go. Unfortunately, things had changed. To Xander she now represented power and control, just as the Stone of Chandra did. In his mind they were one and the same.

  And being an object in someone’s eyes was not a good thing. Objects held little value other than for what they could do for you. Xander may think he was in love with her but Rebecca knew better. He wanted to own and control her, just like he wanted to own and control the Stone. And if he accomplished that, who knows what he would do with her.

  She wasn’t about to wait around to find out.

  “I’m not about to wait around to find out,” Jason growled, pacing Vlad’s office. “Who knows what Xander will do with Rebecca in the meantime.”

  After blacking out, Jason had woken up back in the offices of Sundown Security. Luckily the real Malcolm had walked out of Twice Charmed, found Jason unconscious in the parking lot and brought him back to the office. Once there the fairy had used his Fae powers to awaken him. Waking up and finding Malcolm standing there hadn’t gone well. Jason had lunged at him, thinking he was the same person who had cast the spell on him. It had taken Vlad’s vampire strength to pull him off the fairy. Once Malcolm explained about transformation spells and that it hadn’t been him in the parking lot, the pieces fell together.

  It had to have been Xander. Which meant that now the warlock had both Shaina and Rebecca. And they both were in danger. Jason would rescue them and bring them safely home tonight.

  “I understand but it’s almost sunrise. What can you do?” Vlad asked.

  Jason didn’t want to think about that. All his mind could wrap around at that moment was the fact that Rebecca had been taken from him. His woman, his heart, had been ripped away.

  “I’ll find a way.”

  Vald shook his head.

  “No you won’t. In flesh and blood you’re an asset, a strength to this agency and to Rebecca. In stone you’re vulnerable,” Vlad explained. “Understand this, gargoyle, if Xander Davis finds you in your stone form, he will destroy you. From everything we know about him, there’s little doubt in my mind about that.”

  “That’s why I’m leaving now,” Jason said, shooting to his feet. “I can’t wait for Daniel any longer.”

  “You don’t need to wait any longer, bro. The cavalry is here,” Daniel said. The elf walked through the door with a big grin on his face.

  “Calvary?” Jason said, raising an eyebrow doubtfully.

  “You know what I mean, man,” Daniel said with a casual shrug.

  “Enough talking, let’s go,” Jason said before turning to Vlad. His words were for the vamp even though he was speaking to Daniel and Malcolm. “And listen up. If I end up turning to stone along the way you two need to make sure I’m out of sight so Xander has no leverage. Do you both understand that?”

  “Yeah, we understand,” Malcolm bit out.

  Jason knew the fairy wasn’t happy about the thought but tha
t was too damn bad—they all needed to be aware of the risks.

  “No problem,” Daniel said just as curtly.

  Jason nodded, giving Vlad a knowing look before stalking toward the door.

  Vlad said nothing as he watched them leave. The grim expression on his face said it all. He respected Jason’s decision but was concerned for his safety. Jason understood that but still needed to do this. He had to save Rebecca and his mother.

  “Good, then we’re all clear on that. Now let’s go.”

  As they walked to his car Jason laid out his plan.

  “I’ve located Xander’s whereabouts. We’re going to hit his place from the back,” he explained pulling out the quick sketch he had made. “Here’s the main entrance. There’s an alleyway backed up to Xander’s property. The wall isn’t very tall so we should be able to scale it.”

  “How do you know all of this?” Daniel asked as he opened the passenger side door of the car. An unconscious man slid sideways, falling onto the ground.

  It was Digby Riggins. The snitch who’d helped Jason—for a price.

  Jason picked him up and shoved him into the backseat.

  “Let’s just say I have friends in low places.”

  Rebecca closed her eyes.

  Enough was enough. She couldn’t sit back and listen to Xander’s insanity a moment longer. Her mind was starting to clear. Now was the time.

  She reached out for her powers, envisioned them wrapping around her like a warm blanket. Comforting and giving her strength as they always had.

  Nothing happened.

  Her eyes fluttered open in surprise.

  Xander’s satisfied grin filled her vision. She stared into his eyes. He knew. He knew she couldn’t conjure her powers.

  Fear slithered down her spine like a deadly snake overtaking its prey.

  “What have you d-done?” she gasped.

  He shrugged casually. “I needed insurance.”

  “Insurance?”

  “Yes, insurance. I had to make sure you couldn’t conjure your powers right now. I needed you to hear me out then think about my offer for a while,” he replied. “Don’t forget, we spent a lot of time together at one time, Rebecca. I know you. I know how you think. And I knew that once you heard what I had to say you would try to escape. I couldn’t allow that.”

  Rebecca gritted her teeth, trying not to let his words frighten her even more. Things had taken an unexpected turn, one that could prove deadly for her. She needed to stay focused. Although Xander thought he could predict her reactions, she didn’t know exactly how he would react. He was like a loaded gun and she wasn’t sure what would set him off.

  “I’ll ask you again, Xander. What have you done?”

  “I used a disable spell.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “This isn’t just a disable spell. There’s something else. What is it?”

  “Very perceptive of you. Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Rebecca.”

  She didn’t thank him or comment on his compliment. She didn’t care about that. She just wanted to know what the hell was going on.

  He must have sensed that because he continued almost right away.

  “I’ve experimented with certain natural substances over the last several years, traveled around the world, visited primitive societies and learned much about natural medicine. During my travels I came upon a substance that piqued my curiosity. It was an inhibitor, one used by shamans for certain ceremonies.”

  Rebecca didn’t like the sound of this. Not one little bit. “An inhibitor? What kind of inhibitor?”

  She suspected just what kind of inhibitor he was talking about but wanted to hear him say the words.

  “Not your everyday physical inhibitor. This is more of a metaphysical inhibitor,” he explained. “It’s able to harness metaphysical energy and suppress it. Kind of like antihistamines suppress your body’s allergic reaction to something, these inhibitors keep a preternatural being from gathering their power.”

  Rebecca was in shock. Xander had taken away her powers.

  She asked the first thing that came to mind. “How long does the drug last?”

  “Several hours. But understand this, Rebecca. I will keep giving you the drug, by force if necessary, until I believe you’ve come to see my way of things. Only then, only after you agree to marry me and get the Stone of Chandra, will I stop giving you this drug. You and I are destined to be together, to rule the world together. Eventually you will come to understand that,” Xander said, getting to his feet and walking around behind her.

  “I’m going to untie you now but please don’t try to do too much. Your muscles are still fairly incapacitated. I would hate for you to hurt yourself.”

  As Rebecca’s arms were freed and blood started to pump back into her extremities, she thought how utterly ironic it was that Xander was so concerned about her hurting herself. After all, he was the one who had caused her the most pain in her life.

  After releasing her he strode to the door, opened it and then looked back over his shoulder at her.

  “You don’t understand all of this now but I’m sure with enough time to think about it, you’ll agree. I’ll be back to check on you in few hours. Try to rest, and try to comprehend the perfection of my plan. Accept it, accept me. It’s meant to be, my love.”

  Rebecca was still in shock as Xander left the room and closed the door behind him. Her shock turned to fear the second she heard him click the lock into place from the outside.

  She was locked in.

  Without her powers.

  All alone.

  The walls seemed to close in around her.

  She couldn’t catch her breath.

  The thought of living without her powers, living without that ability, was like living without one of her senses. It would be like losing her sight or hearing. She wouldn’t be able to function long that way. It would drive her insane.

  Panic filled her.

  She started panting.

  What would she do without her powers?

  She’d never survive. She had to get them back. She had to find a way, no matter what it took, no matter what she had to do, to recover her witchcraft. It was part of her, part of who she was.

  Rebecca’s mind scrambled in a million different directions. All panicked, all scared, all desperate. Her eyes skittered around the room. There had to be a way out. She had to get out. She ran to the door. Maybe it wouldn’t be locked. Maybe she had only imagined hearing Xander lock it. She tried to twist the knob. It didn’t budge. She slammed her fist on the door.

  No!

  She had to get out!

  She slammed it again.

  She would die in here. All alone. Without her powers.

  She was about to pound on the door again but stopped mid stroke.

  What was she doing?

  She had to get a hold of herself. She needed to calm down. She needed to think. She had to figure out a way out of this. She was an intelligent, capable woman with or without her powers. Now was not the time to crack up. Now was the time to prepare and plan, so when Xander returned she’d be ready for him.

  Rebecca took several deep, cleansing breaths in an attempt to settle down. Her heartbeat slowed. Her body relaxed somewhat. Calm filled her as an idea began to form in her mind.

  Yes, it might work.

  She would make it work.

  When Xander returned, she’d be ready for him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jason climbed over the wall and landed quietly in Xander’s backyard. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Daniel silently appear at the far corner of the enclosure, and Malcolm closer to the back of the house. They both looked to him for the silent signal to proceed. He waved them forward. As discussed, each of them would enter the house from different directions, preventing anyone from exiting without their knowledge. One would go around to the right side, the other would circle to the front and he would target a direct back entry.

  Jason knew Xan
der had a basement. And the things that went on in that basement, according to Digby Riggins, weren’t pleasant. The thought that Xander held Rebecca down there panicked him. Was he hurting her? And what about his mother? Was she down there too? Fury filled him at that thought, easily replacing the fear. If Xander hurt Rebecca or his mother in any way, shape or form, he would die a slow, horribly painful death. The wizard was already as good as dead in Jason’s mind but the way he died was still an undecided factor.

  Jason was leaning heavily toward slow and painful.

  Picking the lock was easy—he had learned how to do that when he was young, and Daniel was disabling the alarm system. Elves were known for their ability to get into what most would consider secure areas. Daniel was a pro at it. They had discussed the timing of it all, synchronizing their watches so no one screwed up. Jason checked the time, and after one more minute of waiting, he turned the knob and opened door.

  If Daniel had done his job the alarm wouldn’t go off. If he hadn’t, well, the proverbial shit would hit the fan. Jason pushed the door slowly in. Other than a small squeak as it swung open there was nothing. Jason let out the breath he had been holding. Daniel had gotten to the electrical system. And disabling the security network without interrupting regular electricity to the rest of the house was no small feat. Especially in the limited time he’d had to do it.

  Jason owed the elf for that.

  Big-time.

  But he would think about that later.

  He had another concern.

  Although the physical barriers to entry had been disabled there were other barriers he had to consider.

  Magic.

  Specifically, safeguard spells. If Xander had placed safeguard spells on the house they would prevent Jason’s entry. That’s where Malcolm came in. The fairy had a way with spells. Malcolm’s Fae powers were incredibly strong, and he could not only detect the safeguards but also neutralize them. It wouldn’t be permanent but it would temporarily mask their entry and allow them to move freely in the house until they found Rebecca.