After Sundown: Illumination

by Eden Robins

  Rebecca had to drain him of his powers long enough to save Jason’s mother and get them out of there. And she had to have control long enough to take care of Xander once and for all. He was way past due and if she didn’t do it now she might not have another chance. She knew that instinctively. After this Xander would never trust her again. She had played on his vulnerability and weaknesses.

  He would never forgive her.

  Ignoring the pang of guilt she felt for deceiving him, Rebecca continued until the last word was spoken. Just as it left her lips, Xander let out a hoarse cry of despair. His eyes filled with accusation and hatred, stinging her with their intensity, but Rebecca didn’t let it affect her as she took a step away from Xander, then another, then another until she felt at a safe distance.

  The wizard looked around him, his eyes crazed and desperate, as if trying to find something to save him.

  Rebecca and he both knew that his search was in vain.

  There were only two ways to release Xander from her spell. The first was if she reversed it, which she wouldn’t be doing any time soon. And the second was for another witch or wizard to say a reversal spell. Since there were no other Wiccan that she could sense in the area, Xander’s only saving grace would be time. With enough time the spell, like most magic, would wear off.

  And a draining spell had an even shorter duration because the individual it was cast against would continually try to build back their power, slowly piecing it back together from the moment the spell was cast against them. Perhaps it hadn’t been the best spell to use but it was one she’d known would fully incapacitate him for a while.

  She had an hour, at the very least. Most draining spells lasted three hours or more but she didn’t want to underestimate Xander’s power. The guy was powerful and persistent. He didn’t give up easily. That was a lesson this experience had taught her well. Staring over at him, bound to the spot she’d left him, unable to move and shooting daggers at her from his eyes, she wondered once more why Xander had turned out so bad. What had done that to him? Or should she say who?

  Rebecca turned away, shaking her head to clear it.

  What was she doing wasting time?

  She had to get Shaina out of here. Jason’s mother needed medical care. After that Rebecca would return to the basement and take care of Xander once and for all.

  Jason heard someone cry out but it was too far for him to know who it was. What if it had been Rebecca, or his mother? Panic threatened but he tamped it down, focusing on the task at hand.

  Find Rebecca and his mother.

  That was all he would think about.

  The rest would come later.

  “At the end of this hall, straight ahead. Let’s go,” he barked to Malcolm and Daniel.

  They ran forward, trying to get to the door at the seemingly endless hallway. Jason reached the door first but when he tried to push it open it wouldn’t budge. He tried to force it using all his strength but still it held. He had started to back up, determined to give it another try, when Malcolm placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “No, Jason. This is magic. Something or someone is holding this door shut for a reason. I can feel the energy. Let me try to determine what it is.”

  Jason stepped back so Malcolm could get close to the door.

  “Go for it. But hurry. I heard someone yell and it didn’t sound good. That could be my mother or Rebecca I heard in there.”

  Malcolm nodded. “I know, man. Just hang on.”

  Closing his eyes, the fairy once again tried to “feel” the energy around the door.

  After about a minute, he took a step back and shook his head.

  “What’s up?” Jason asked, not liking the look on Malcolm’s face.

  “This is no ordinary security spell. It feels like a combination of witchcraft and something else—something my kind, the Fae, would create.”

  “Can you crack it?”

  Malcolm shrugged.

  “Don’t know yet. I’ve never encountered this kind of safeguard before. But I can try.”

  “Do your best,” Jason said before turning to Daniel and pointing to his right. “You go to that cell, I’ll go the one on my left. Let’s see if there’s another way into this room from one of the adjoining cells.”

  “Right,” Daniel confirmed with a curt nod, walking toward the cell on his right.

  Jason headed to the cell closest to him. It was unlocked. He was prepared for whatever or whoever was in the cell but was relieved to find it empty—almost. Like in one of those B-movie horror flicks, a skeleton in handcuffs hung from chains on the far wall, catching his eye. The only difference was that this pile of bones still had some of its rotting flesh on it. The guy obviously hadn’t been dead long enough for his bones to be picked clean by scavengers. Jason ignored the sight of insects crawling all over the corpse as well as the overwhelming stench of death and decay as he moved farther into the room. He scanned the wall that joined this cell to the room they were trying to get into. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping for, a window, a door, even a crack in the wall, but after several minutes of inspecting it from top to bottom he found nothing.

  Cursing under his breath, he headed out of the cell only to meet up with Daniel walking out of his cell, shaking his head.

  “I’ve got nothing in here but an almost-dead guy. I took off his cuffs but I’m not too sure he’s going to make it. He looks pretty torn up. Whatever got at him wasn’t gentle, if you know what I mean.”

  “Pretty much the same over here,” Jason said. “Except the guy’s already dead.”

  Turning to Malcolm, he noticed the fairy was in the same position he had left him in. Arms raised, palms out, eyes closed.

  There was just one difference.

  Malcolm was sweating and his whole body was shaking from his efforts.

  Whatever spell he was trying to decipher and undo was taking a lot out of him.

  Jason left him to it. Disturbing him right now could break his concentration and make Malcolm lose whatever ground he might have gained. But Jason needed to do something. His patience was wearing thin and thinking about what might be happening to both his mother and Rebecca was getting to him. He needed to make progress at something while Malcolm was deciphering the spell.

  “Do me a favor,” he said, turning to Daniel. “Go upstairs where you’ll get phone reception and call Christian. I’d call Vlad but I feel sunrise coming on and since Christian is the only day walker available we need to contact him. Tell him to get some medical and clean-up guys down here right away. We need all these cells checked and cleared. Whatever and whoever we find might help us figure out the extent of the mess Xander created.”

  “I’m on it,” Daniel said, heading back to the basement door.

  “Just watch the sunlight,” Jason called after him. “If it gets down here that’ll be the end of me until nightfall.”

  Jason turned away as Daniel reached the other end of the hallway and headed up the stairs. As long as the sunlight didn’t touch him he would remain flesh and blood. But if even a sliver of it made contact it with him, he would be calling it a day, willingly or not.

  As he returned his focus to Malcolm, the dim lights in the hallway didn’t prevent him from seeing just how much power Malcolm was exerting to unlock the security spell. Sweat poured down the fairy’s red face and he was breathing heavily. He didn’t know if his friend was going to be able to take much more but resisted interfering. If Jason disturbed Malcolm while in the middle of this, when he had almost broken the code, he would never forgive himself. So despite his impatience he silently watched and waited.

  And his mind wandered.

  As he knew it would.

  Why had someone cried out? What the hell was going on in there? Were his mother and Rebecca okay, hurt, scared?

  Damn!

  He needed to know what was happening.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Swinging around, Rebecca knelt down beside Shaina. The female gargoyle had
either passed out or she was dead. Her eyes were closed and she lay very still.

  What if Jason’s mother was dead? What if she was too late?

  Placing two fingers on her neck, Rebecca was relieved to find Shaina’s pulse. It didn’t feel very strong but Rebecca knew it was better than nothing.

  “Shaina. Are you okay?” Rebecca asked softly, afraid to wake her on the one hand but afraid not to try on the other.

  The gargoyle’s eyes slowly fluttered open. She stared up at Rebecca, confusion written all over her face. Then her vision cleared, her face smoothed and she smiled.

  “So it’s true?”

  Shaina’s voice came out hoarse and tired.

  “True?” Rebecca asked. Now she was the one confused.

  Shaina nodded her head.

  “I’ve been having dreams about you. Visions. I didn’t know why you were chosen or when we would make contact but I did learn from the dreams that you would have a large impact on not only my life but also on my son’s. Do you love my son?” Shaina asked abruptly.

  Rebecca felt herself blush. She couldn’t believe it. In the middle of this danger, she blushed.

  “I, well, um, yes, I think I do, very much,” Rebecca finally managed to reply.

  Shaina grunted her approval and nodded her head.

  “Good. Because he loves you as well. Fiercely, completely and with all his heart. And know this. When a gargoyle loves, especially one from the Jutaka clan, it is pure, strong and true. You are my son’s soul mate, Rebecca, just as he is yours. Jason just doesn’t know the true extent of the connection you two share yet. But he will. Very, very soon. Your place in his life and mine was destined from the beginning of time,” Shaina declared. “But not just in our lives, Rebecca the witch. You are also destined to forever affect the balance between all gargoyles and witches.”

  Shaina’s voice grew stronger as she explained what was obviously an important and emotionally charged issue for her and her people.

  “Considering the wizard’s plan, it makes sense that he would choose you to help him. It was destiny. You were meant to meet each other so you could one day return and stop Xander’s evil plans.”

  “But why are gargoyles so worried about his plan?” Rebecca asked. “I don’t see how witches can be any more of a threat to you than mortal humans already are. What’s the difference whether my kind or another rules?”

  “The difference is ignorance. We of the preternatural world gain a slight bit of security in the fact that few humans in the mortal world know of us. If Xander had seized control, using Chandra’s Stone, he could have enslaved anyone, anytime he chose. And since he is part of our world he knows just where to find us, as well as any other creature he wishes to control or destroy.”

  “I understand. Humans are the lesser of two evils in your eyes.”

  “Not exactly. Just as in any population, as in any person, there is good and bad. There are good humans and bad. It helps that most humans don’t know about us, so even the bad ones have little advantage over us.”

  Rebecca nodded.

  “Makes sense, in a roundabout kind of way. But enough of that. You can tell me more later, right now we need to get you out of here and get you some medical attention before Big, Bad and Cranky regains his power,” Rebecca said with a nod behind her toward Xander.

  Instead of her humor cheering Shaina up, the older woman’s eyes grew wide and her face grew serious as she gazed over Rebecca’s shoulder and gasped. Instinctively Rebecca started to turn around, but before she could something solid smashed painfully against her head. Everything faded away as she lost consciousness and crumpled to the ground.

  Rebecca’s eyes fluttered open.

  As the world around her came into focus, a face formed before her eyes.

  It was a gentle face. A woman’s face. Concern was etched in her expression. It was a face that was familiar, yet different.

  “Are you okay, Rebecca?”

  The woman’s voice was soft and melodic, bringing a soothing comfort to her from just the sound of it.

  Shaina.

  Her memories returned and she sat up with a start. Her head spun and nausea threatened to overtake her but she held herself upright. Narrowing her eyes warily, she glared at Jason’s mother and scooted back, putting some distance between them.

  “What happened?” Rebecca demanded.

  Shaina looked behind her to make sure no one else was around.

  “Big, Bad and Cranky recovered much sooner than planned,” she said in almost a whisper.

  Rebecca shook her head adamantly. The motion immediately made her regret doing so, as the urge to vomit almost overtook her. She held back, barely, but still couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “That’s impossible! My spell should have kept him out for—”

  “Shaina! Get over here, now!”

  Rebecca’s gaze shot to where Xander stood as he barked Jason’s mother’s name. Hissing, Shaina gave her one last look before scurrying off to do his bidding. As she did Rebecca noticed that she had a new rip in her shirt and a deep welt on her back. It was raised, red and bleeding freely.

  As Shaina moved away Rebecca got a good look around her for the very first time. They were still inside, but in a different room. If she had thought the other room was sparse, this was empty. Not one bit of furniture. The only things in the room were a door, a sole light bulb overhead and small, round opening in the ceiling above. Nothing else, not even windows. And from the dim lighting and dank smell, Rebecca guessed they were still underground.

  Her perusal of the area got cut short as Xander walked into her line of vision.

  She jumped to her feet, determined to meet him head-on.

  His blue eyes burned with fury and the vicious snarl on his lips told her exactly how angry he was.

  “Bitch,” he said, slapping her so hard across the face she almost fell down. “I’m not sure how you got around that drug I gave you but you thought you would get the better of me again, didn’t you? Just like in college. But I learned my lesson that night. And I’ve gotten so much stronger since then. I’m invincible, and your puny attempts to stop me are futile.”

  Righting herself, Rebecca laid a hand over the area he’d hit.

  She hadn’t seen that one coming.

  She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  “Touch me again and I’ll kill you, Xander.”

  He started to argue but stopped as Shaina spoke up.

  “You will accomplish nothing by hurting the witch,” she interrupted. Her hoarse, tired voice broke through the thick tension between them. “If you want the Stone she must have a clear mind, not one filled with fear and anger.”

  Xander hesitated. Rebecca knew he wanted to hit her anyway. She knew his anger was trying to get the better of him. She also knew it usually did.

  Not this time.

  To her surprise, the wizard stepped back.

  He took a deep breath, exhaled loudly and lowered his hand.

  Just as Rebecca started to relax Xander turned to Shaina, raised his hand again and slapped her hard across the face. Shaina staggered back from it but managed to right herself before falling. Rebecca started her way, determined to stop Xander’s abuse, but Shaina silently shook her head, her face fierce, telling Rebecca without speaking not to do anything.

  “Ah, that feels better. Thanks for pointing that out, gargoyle.”

  Shaina said nothing. She hung her head low for a moment, as if in submission, but when she raised her eyes again and caught Rebecca’s gaze, Rebecca saw the light of fury and rebellion there. The gargoyle was far from defeated.

  Rebecca didn’t have time to ponder this as Xander turned his attention back to her.

  “This is how it’s going to work, Rebecca,” he explained, walking to her and stopping mere inches from where she stood. “You are going to cooperate with me. We are going to get the Stone of Chandra together then you will marry me whether you want to or not. After that the world
will be mine. I gave you a choice earlier. I even had hope that we could share something special in our life together but you blew that into a million pieces with your betrayal. Now all that we’ll share is the Stone. Are we clear?”

  Xander grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her a little as he spoke, not enough to hurt her but enough to let her know who was physically stronger.

  Rebecca raised her chin defiantly and glared at Xander.

  “I am so not helping you,” she declared, pulling out of his grasp. “You can’t accomplish anything without my cooperation. I am the chosen one, Xander, not you. It is my destiny to receive the Stone, remember?”

  Rebecca thought he would go ballistic again. She expected it, but once again she was surprised.

  Instead of anger she saw satisfaction fill his eyes and an arrogant smile spread across his mouth.

  “I’m aware of all of that. Believe me, it’s not something I would easily forget,” he countered. “However, I’m also aware of your nature, Rebecca. Your love and caring heart hold you prisoner in a way you’ll probably never understand. By going through life with such an open heart you make yourself vulnerable, and controllable.”

  Rebecca narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She didn’t like the sound of this. With a growing sense of dread, she knew she wouldn’t like what Xander was about to say.

  “Yes, you’re vulnerable because you care. Isn’t that ironic?” he asked with a low chuckle. “Of course, I don’t need to worry about that. My heart is not an open book like yours, Rebecca. And because of your love and vulnerability you will do what I say.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Simply this. If you don’t get the Stone for me, I will kill Shaina. That’s right, I will kill her without a second thought. It matters little to me. After all, the only reason I have her around is to guide you to the Stone, so if you refuse to cooperate I no longer need her. And not only that,” he continued tauntingly, “I’ll also kill that son of hers. He’s trying to find us right now, little good it will do him. When he does find us I’ll be waiting. He will die a slow, horrible death right next to his mama.”