His crew exchanged looks of concern, not liking the idea of leaving their Captain behind. Finally, Finn nodded to them, then met Ronan’s eyes.
“You haven’t much time before the curse takes full effect,” he warned.
Ronan acknowledged the statement with a nod.
“Hurry your arse up then and don’t get caught, the people of this time are a frenzied lot. The Tides will close in a few hours and that Nereid bitch won’t be inclined to go back on her promise of death.”
“I’ll be quick. Now, be gone you red devil!” Ronan grinned to put Finn at ease, “I’ll see you on the island, shortly.”
With that, he clapped the Irishman on the back and sent him and his crew through the portal that was invisible to the untrained eye, hidden in the mist between the man-made fountain and the rocky wall of the club.
Chapter Three
Time Keeper’s Safe Line
“This is Agent Six to headquarters. Do you copy?”
“Copy that Agent Six, this is Commander One. Line is secure. Over.”
“Subject is here in the city, safe and sound. We’ve just entered the base. Over.”
“Status? Over.”
“Seeking intel. I located Harbinger but he was not helpful. Over.”
“Keep your eyes peeled agent. Vortex 1 is a hotbed of activity right now. Have I mentioned before that I’m not happy about this little excursion?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“Copy that Commander. Eagle Eye said it was time, something about the equinox…”
“I don’t give a crap about Eagle Eye. He’s been wrong before. Just keep your wits about you down there…I know you have a lot going on and….”
A pregnant silence stretched out.
“Don’t worry about me Commander. This is what I was trained for. My head’s in the game no matter what.”
“I know it is Agent, just be sure to use your resources…”
There was a quiet snort on the other end of the line.
“That’s an order Six! I expect you to cooperate with the locals. The last thing we need is to arouse suspicions with law enforcement or have any civilians getting hurt, you copy?”
“Yeah, I copy.”
“Good. Any word on Flew the Coop?”
“She was here. I’m conducting interviews but, right now, the trail is pretty cold.”
“Well, keep on it Six. I hate the thought of having a civilian wrapped up in all of this.”
“Tell me about it. I’m just going to play it cool here with the subject until I can meet with Harbinger lat…Oh shit!”
“What’s wrong? Six? Talk to me!”
“Gotta go! Over and out.”
Chapter Four
“What the hell happened out here?”
Several voices could be heard at the front of the club. Someone was questioning the tavern’s patrons who had started to rouse from their stupors and Ronan resolved, in that instant, to make his getaway.
Pulling himself up, he scaled the side of the rock wall to hide on the roof. There he sat in the shadows and let out a breath. The only time he or his men ever set foot on earth was to perform some deed the sea-god saw fit to use them for. The idea was that they could more easily pass through to the human world than the gods could. The very presence of the greater gods in earth’s atmosphere sent the balance of things off kilter as it had been explained to him. Whenever those beings had the need to interact with earth or its inhabitants, they used messengers of a lesser cosmic station than themselves. And who better than a rag tag bunch of human sailors that had been duped by a Nereid and trapped in the Tides for eternity?
He had to get the elixir back from the woman.
Only the gods knew what powers of atrocity it harbored. Ronan had dealt enough in the immortal world to understand that the trinkets of the ancients were not to be handled haphazardly. One never knew what tribulations could be unleashed if a relic fell into the wrong hands.
Suddenly, a vision of stormy blue eyes, lush pink lips and gold curls came into his head. Her eyes had twinkled when she’d waved the vile on its chain at him ─ a tempting imp. He had the overwhelming urge to shield her from any danger that might be headed her way ─ not to mention the other urges she stirred in him of a more sensual nature.
Ronan shrugged that thought away. There was no time for that line of thinking. The woman was completely unsuspecting, he had to get the treacherous vile away from her before she came to harm by it.
Down below, he could hear more voices and moved across the roof to listen.
“Back here Detective. We have a homicide on the scene. Here’s the vic.”
“Looks like the party got pretty crazy in there. Where were you Atlas?”
Ronan looked down over the roof but could only see two men, the one called “Detective” and another in uniform.
“I was detained,” said a voice from under the eave.
“Do you see any others,” the detective asked the first man.
The officer swept his flashlight across the alley.
“Nope, just the one. A female, blonde – looks to be in her mid twenties.”
He crouched down next to the dead girl.
“Same wounds as the others Detective ─ both were torn open at the chest and neck.”
“I told you this would get worse,” said the man that Ronan couldn’t see.
The detective gave a short grunt in response then said, “I’ll call in homicide, you and Davey secure the scene.”
Then he pulled out a small box-like contraption and started talking into it as he walked back into the building.
Ronan strained to see the bloodied woman in the dark as the officer shined a light over her still form. His gut clenched at the sight of her tangled blonde hair and lifeless eyes staring skyward. It wasn’t the blonde he’d met inside though. A relieved breath shot out of his chest in a way he chose not to dwell on, then he caught sight of the female’s wounds. There was a hole right in the center of her chest that looked like she’d been blown open from the inside out. He sifted through all his knowledge of hellkind, trying to think what predator did that to their victims but he couldn’t place it.
The two lawmen below had said there were others. If that was the case, then the situation was worse here on earth than he’d thought.
Ronan started to stand when a movement in the shadows caught his eye and he saw something in that peculiar way he had that was more feeling than seeing. He wasn’t alone on the rooftop and the presence wasn’t human by any stretch. As his eyes adjusted, the darkness before him unfurled and grew into the shape of a demon beast.
Glassy black eyes flashed in the moonlight and the creature sniffed the air. Its nostrils flared and its mouth opened wide to reveal jagged fangs that dripped bile. There was no demon glamour being employed by this one. Ronan grasped the handle of his boot knife, the muscles of his forearm tightening as he gripped the blade. The demon rolled its head and the sinews of its hide crackled before it trained its eyes on him.
“What manner of beast are you?” Ronan demanded.
The demon growled in response then spit out some garbled words that Ronan didn’t recognize but it touched on something, somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind and he registered the phrase “half born.” Regardless of what it had said, its tone was enough to assure him that it wasn’t here to make friends.
Ronan didn’t wait, he lunged at the beast. If there was one thing he’d learned about spirit creatures it was to never let them make the first move.
It was strong, but Ronan was eager for the fight and let the blood fury inside him take over the way he hadn’t down in the bar. He’d suppressed his strength with the humans but unleashed his power full force as he crashed into the beast. He gripped the thing’s throat in one hand while he sank his blade deep into the flesh between its neck and shoulder. The creature screamed and gnashed at his face and they rolled to the ground. In an instant, it was on top of him, trying to
drive its fangs into him.
He held it at arm’s length with one hand as he pulled his knife free of its thick skin. It snapped after him with its teeth but he held fast. Visions of blood and battles he’d never fought, on terrains he’d never seen, swam before his eyes the way they always did when he gave the blood fury that he was cursed with free reign.
In the visions, there were ancient armies at war with each other and he led one of them. With fighting men at his back, he charged through cities and villages alike, cutting down everything in his path. He stood, a conqueror at the fore of a legion with a bloodied sword in his hand and roared out a thunder of violence that made his enemies quake in fear. No mercy lived in the heart of the warrior that coursed through his veins during the fury.
Before he lost awareness, the feel of hot putrid breath on his face brought Ronan back into himself just in time.
He strained to hold the demon off of him and swiped at its face with his knife, taking out one of its eyes. It howled in pain and reared its head back, shaking out of Ronan’s grasp. Then it pulled free and vanished into the shadows.
Ronan rolled and sprang to his feet then spun and searched the darkness but it was gone. He’d been caught in a trance of images for a split second and it had been enough for the beast to escape. He stood there on the roof and waited for the demon to come after him again but it was long gone. If it returned, he’d sense it.
Wiping the ooze from his knife off on the bottom of his boot, he wished the monster would come back so he could finish it but quickly brought his head back around to the real reason he was here. A reason that had nothing to do with fighting off demon hordes or defending any of the humans they threatened. He looked over the edge of the rooftop. People, bright lights and fast moving vehicles zoomed past, oblivious to the battle with the paranormal that had just taken place above their heads.
Primordial evil was like a drumbeat that Roan could hear but the others down below could not. Apparently, it wasn’t only on his island that the dark ones were gaining in strength. He wondered if any of the greater gods had taken notice. Had Poseidon?
He scanned the sidewalk, searching for the figure of the woman with the blonde curls. She’d worn a slip of a black dress that Ronan had appreciated for the fact that it revealed more of her lush body than it covered. He hadn’t been able to help but notice her full breasts and long golden legs when she’d bumped into him and then sprawled on the floor beneath him.
Smiling, he remembered the way her skin had felt under his hands as he’d helped her to her feet ─ smooth and warm. He envisioned the way she’d feel underneath him, all that softness yielding to his touch, welcoming him. His manhood hardened painfully thinking about the little temptress that had thrown such a glitch in what should have been a simple task. He shifted, the sooner he took the elixir from her and made it back through the Tides, the better.
Everywhere spirits in disguise tried to mask their darkness and Ronan recognized them for what they were. But the woman was a mystery to him. That had to explain his fascination with her. He cleared away his curiosity of both the wench and this time that she lived in. He wasn’t there to explore either. Just then, his eyes caught on something.
There she was! From his perch, he spotted her hustling down the street with her friend.
Catching hold of an overhang, Ronan swung over the side of the roof like an acrobat and dropped down to the steps beneath. He sped down the stairs and was soon on the sidewalk, running through pedestrians.
He gained on the two women but hung back as they entered a large building at the end of the city street.
He wasn’t sure how to proceed. Should he just follow her inside or should he wait for her to exit the building? The place they’d entered had the feel of a luxurious inn of some sort with lots of people coming and going and he didn’t wish to endure another scene this night. Gods only knew how long it would be before she reappeared though.
The moon hung overhead looking pale in the sky. With only a few hours left before sunrise, desperation decided the matter. He’d get the elixir back – by force, if necessary.
Chapter Five
“I can’t believe we were in a bar fight,” Cindy panted once she and Marley were inside the elevator at their hotel.
Marley punched the button for the third floor as the door closed then turned.
“Good thing I got us out of there while the getting was good,” Cindy said.
Her friend rolled her shoulders back.
“I know self defense, Cin, you’re safe with me” Marley said. “Seriously, I have skills.”
Cindy rolled her eyes. Her friend worked out all the time, it was a known fact. She was also obsessed with martial arts and whatever else the latest fitness craze was but that didn’t mean she could take on a bunch of dudes. She was barely any bigger than Cindy and at five four that wasn’t saying much.
“I don’t think we’d have fared too well with that group of gladiators that showed up.”
Marley made a face that Cindy couldn’t quite read.
“Where’d those guys come from, anyway? I didn’t notice them when we first walked in.”
“I don’t know,” Cindy said. “It’s not like they were hard to miss. I bumped into one of them ─ it was like hitting a brick wall!
Marley stopped short at that and, for a moment, Cindy thought she saw a sick look come over her friend. Poor Marley she was probably thinking about Kay, who could have been abducted from that very club.
“Really?” Marley’s eyes rounded as she leaned in to study Cindy’s face, then the gravity left her demeanor and the twinkle came back to her eyes.“Did you cop a feel?”
“Marley,” Cindy huffed.
“Well…?” Marley persisted, lifting her eyebrows up and down, “I know how you like muscles.”
“No”, Cindy denied, “now I wish I had though. He was ripped. Tall, dark, the whole bit and he had amazing eyes,” she sighed. “I have to find him again.”
“Whoa, down girl,” Marley said. “I’m all for you finding a man, don’t get me wrong. But I’m not losing any more friends to this place.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Cindy said. Flustered because she really wouldn’t mind finding the mysterious stranger again and running her hands over every gorgeous inch of him. “He dropped this,” she pulled a necklace out of her purse. “It must have fallen when we crashed and I stuffed it in my purse on accident.”
Marley examined the charm.
“Kind of a weird thing for a guy to be carrying around,” she said. “It’s pretty though, it looks like an antique.”
“I know. What if it’s a family heirloom or something?” Cindy said. “I tried to get his attention, back at the bar, but when things got crazy, I just grabbed you and got the heck out of there.”
She held the strange little copper locket in her hand and studied it.
Just then, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Automatically, she took a step forward to exit and found herself staring into two startlingly blue eyes.
***
Chest heaving from the run, Ronan came up short at the sight of his quarry. When the women had disappeared behind two sliding doors he’d listened to his instincts and followed the stairs all the way up. Her full lips opened on a gasp of shock at seeing him and the sight sent a tight rush to his groin. He gritted his teeth.
“You have something that belongs to me cara,” he said.
His eyes took in the surprise on her face then traced a path down her body to the dangerous relic she held. A fierce anger at the gods whose careless games were putting her in danger seized him and he lunged into the elevator doorway to grab the vile from her when, out of nowhere, a sharp knee caught him in the mid-section with enough force to knock the air from his lungs.
“Back off psycho!” the dark haired woman from the bar yelled at him right before she shoved him back and the sliding doors shut in his face.
***
“What just happened?” Cindy
screeched.
“I don’t know, I just acted on reflex. That guy was menacing,” Marley panted “I thought he was going to snatch you out of the elevator. Did you see his face? Captain Insane-o!”
Cindy had thought the same thing…well pretty much. Never mind the unexplainable urge she’d had to lean into his hard body for a split second back there. The way he’d looked at her and that voice – it made her feel weak.
He was all hard commanding male, the likes of which she’d never encountered before. She definitely needed a man. It was worse than she’d thought if she was ready to fall into the arms of some crazed stranger. Forget the fact that he was tall, dark and gorgeous. Nice girls don’t go out with lunatics!
“Thanks for drop kicking him for me Mar,” she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “I’m not completely helpless you know,” she added, a little miffed at herself for her lack of action in the heat of the moment.
She gave Marley a look as they stepped out of the elevator on the second floor.
“What got into you up there anyway? You were like a prize fighter,” she said in wonderment.
Were all her friends leading double lives? First biker babe Leslie and now Marley was some kind of ninja operative. She’d really become a bore over the years. No wonder she couldn’t carry on a halfway exciting relationship.
“What can I say?” Marley said, acting a little weird, “I’m like a caged panther in a fight.”
“Uh… huh,” was all Cindy could muster up in response.
She gave her head a shake then followed Marley down the hall.
“What should we do,” she said, stopping, “I’m pretty sure he just wants this back.”
She held up the necklace again.
“I’ll just go back and return it to him, I feel like an idiot for running away like that…“
“Hold it right there missy,” Marley walked back to her, “you are not going anywhere near that freak show! He swooped down on you like a hawk on a chicken. I don’t care what he wants or who he is. I’m calling the police!”
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