Relief washed over Reagan when she saw his body relax.
“All security measures were executed. A small win on a bad day.”
For several seconds, they stood in silence, as if breathing the air of a small victory would empower them to face the rest of the day.
Madeleine broke the moment. “Do you know where everyone is?”
“Everyone but Winona’s group was with me. I sent Jessica and Sam to check when I lost contact with Ricardo and—”
“Winona!” Fear squeezed its powerful claws around Reagan’s heart as her sister’s name came exploding forth, interrupting Papa. Something was wrong. Why hadn’t Reagan sensed it before?
Madeleine placed a hand on Reagan’s arm. “We’ll find them.” Turning to Papa, Madeleine added, “Let’s start with the last coordinates and work from there.”
“I’m a few steps ahead of you—”
Rowan burst into the room. “Lucent just got word about another attack. About an hour west of here.”
“What do—”
“There’s no time to explain. Lucent and his crew are heading there now. We need to go. I’ll explain what little I know along the way.” Rowan took Reagan’s hand and led her back outside.
Lucent and his men would cover the distance quickly, so Reagan and her team morphed into wolves, hoping to catch up.
Everything had happened so fast. Just twenty-four hours before, she was hanging out, playing cards, and watching television. With three months before she’d turn eighteen, and the supposed fulfillment of the prophecy, Reagan thought she’d had time on her side. Time to train and formulate a plan to kill Rafe and put an end to his plan to unleash Hell’s army.
She should’ve known better. Rafe wasn’t going to sit back and let Reagan and her team build their skills. Splitting up had seemed like such a good plan—not to have all their assets in one location—but it had only served to weaken their defenses and give Rafe an opportunity to pick them off one by one. She mentally slapped herself, but it wasn’t the time to doubt Papa’s leadership or aptitude.
Still, answers never hurt.
“What do we know?” Reagan communicated to her team.
Rowan’s voice filtered into her mind first. “We caught a break.”
Another small victory, Reagan thought.
“Yes,” Rowan said before he continued. She sometimes forgot her thoughts were not her own when the lines of communication were open.
“One of Lucent’s men, who was on peripheral guard during our initial meeting with Lucent, recognized Ricardo and knew something was wrong.”
Reagan would never forget that meeting, watching Lucent fall to his knees before the angel of mercy; it had taken Reagan’s breath away. That image alone kept her trusting the vampire.
“Now all we can do is hope we get there in time.”
Rowan’s words weighed heavily on her heart. She couldn’t lose her sister. Not only had they only just found each other, but Winona was a key element in defeating Rafe. An option crept into Reagan’s mind, and she chastised herself for not having thought of it before.
Bringing forth an image of her sister, she concentrated. “Winona, can you hear me?”
Madeleine must have caught on, because Reagan heard her friend reach out to both Ricardo and Sasha.
It was a long shot. Their telepathic powers only reached so far. Reagan’s connection with Winona was strong—not only because they were twins, but because of their angel blood connection. In the short debriefing Papa could give as they left the cave, he shared that Jessica and Sam were farther away, so Reagan knew attempting to contact them was futile.
Each moment of silence overtook hope.
With faith, we fight. Reagan said the words over and over to herself. Then, she heard them being repeated back to her by Rowan, Madeleine, and Papa. They couldn’t give up. Winona had to be okay. Everyone had to be. So many had already lost their lives to the cause.
“We’re almost there,” Papa said.
Wearing a watch was problematic with shifting, but Reagan would’ve never guessed an hour was almost up. Of course, pushed by fear, they’d probably shaved off some time. Few things motivated speed more than lives on the line.
Reagan tried again. “Winona. Can you hear me? We’re coming.”
A soft sound pulsed in her brain. No more than a whisper. She couldn’t make out the words.
“It’s Sasha!” Madeleine’s scream pierced Reagan’s mind, causing splitting pain and a moment of ringing. It was like a bullhorn had gone off next to her ear.
She concentrated on a connection with Sasha. Odd noises floated through Reagan’s mind, almost as if someone were gargling mouthwash.
“Ric… ard… o.”
Each syllable was drawn out and barely audible. Was there some kind of interference? Reagan didn’t want to consider other possible reasons.
“Yes, we hear you. Are you—”
Before Madeleine could finish, they came upon the scene. At least fifteen demon wolves filled the space of a small clearing. Reagan couldn’t see much beyond their fur and glowing eyes.
“Spread out to each compass point. Let’s attack from the outside in,” Papa communicated.
As she watched each of her teammates break off and head in separate directions, Reagan chose the south point of attack. She considered shifting to have more access to her sword, which was safely secured to her, but while contemplating that option, two wolves targeted her. Only by a quick last minute movement did she avoid a head-on collision.
One wolf went to her left while the other went right. She managed to rake her teeth along the side of one while kicking the other away. Spinning to assess the bigger threat, another came at her. She wasn’t sure how many surrounded her at that point; demon wolves had no real distinguishing features other than wounds.
A piercing pain shot up her right side, originating in her hindquarters.
“Reagan.”
Winona! Detecting the weakness in her voice, Reagan knew she had to get to her sister.
But demon wolves filled Reagan’s vision; it would take more than fighting skills to beat such odds.
“Pain.”
Nana. Reagan had only heard directly from her beloved grandmother a couple of times since her death.
Concentration ebbed as Reagan fought off two more attackers. She clawed one’s eyeball out, sending it whimpering backward, and sunk her teeth into the neck of another. Tasting demon blood always left her queasy, but she pushed aside all thoughts except her sister’s safety.
“Use your pain. Make them feel it.”
Reagan couldn’t figure out riddles and fight off demons at the same time, especially when Rowan’s voice also entered her head.
“Jessica and Sam are close. Hang in there.”
“I’m—”
Words died in her mind as she found herself pinned to the ground with a snarling demon wolf bearing down on her. Pain. Use Your Pain. Nana’s words suddenly became clear.
Drawing on the devastating heartache from the last few months and the pain of multiple injuries—and even the piercing cry from Madeleine moments before—Reagan let out a scream from the depths of her soul, concentrating on the wolves around her. As she heard them yipping and saw them cower and retreat, she felt her power grow, juiced by determination and results.
Images of Nana lying on the ground, dying from her wounds, and watching Cheveyo draw his last breath, added to Reagan’s strength. Pain came in many forms, and sometimes the emotional kind was the hardest to endure.
With each step, relief settled over her, as if she were expunging some of her own suffering. Numbers dwindled; whichever wolves didn’t retreat were at least distracted.
“We’ve got this now, Reagan. Back it down!” Madeleine pleaded, her voice cracking.
With the warning, Reagan noticed Rowan, who was closest to her, reacting. She saw muscles tensing along his body and heard his similar plea in her head to pull back. Her pain had grown too large, and she w
as losing the ability to focus it.
Ahead, Reagan noticed a body not moving. Terror gripped her, and she ran toward the lifeless form. As she got closer, Sasha came into view.
Reagan shifted and fell to her knees at Sasha’s side, nudging her for some response.
Although not completely sure what to do, Reagan tried to find a pulse, which was made all the more difficult by her own raging heartbeat. She placed another hand on Sasha’s chest, praying for some movement.
Flashing images emerged, strong in force but weak in clarity. Demon wolves filled her mind along with a dark force, something Reagan couldn’t make out. Then an intense pain, much like she’d just inflicted on others, took her, and she collapsed, her knees no longer capable of supporting her.
As she struggled to remain conscious, she saw Madeleine rush over. “Sasha, can you hear me?”
“How is she?”
Reagan turned at the sound of Ricardo’s voice. Her vision still slightly distorted and her energy sapped, it took a second to register Winona’s body in his arms. Reagan tried to stand, only to crumble back to the ground. Something wet dripped onto her lip, and she reached up with the back of her hand. When she pulled it away, she saw blood.
“Whoa, take it easy,” Rowan said, suddenly by her side.
With everything fuzzy, the next few minutes barely registered. She heard sobbing and shouting, and then Rowan leaned close and whispered, “Can you shift? We have to get out of here.”
“I think so.”
Rowan helped her stand, and she transformed. Dizziness struck, and she sat back on her haunches.
“Rafe’s coming.”
“Winona? Where are you?”
“She’s just ahead. She came to a few minutes ago. We need to get to safety. Then, we’ll regroup and deal with…”
When his words faded, she hesitated. Something in the sound of his voice spiked her worry. He seemed to be searching for the right words to say. Not wanting to invade his personal space, she reached out to Winona.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, just…”
Whatever Reagan missed, it wasn’t just affecting Rowan.
“What is everyone not telling me!”
“Sasha’s dead.”
A scream of frustration and loss welled up in her, but she squelched it. Everyone was hurting, especially Rowan, Madeleine, and Ricardo. They’d been with Sasha since before Reagan was born.
Emotions swept through her like a river rushing out to sea. Intermittent commands from her teammates trickled through, which way to go or how much longer until their destination. More than anything, a numb feeling settled.
Reagan’s thoughts drifted to Madeleine first. An unfair amount of loss had been heaped on her: her parents, her only sister, her child, and her best friend. But then there were Rowan and Ricardo. Rowan’s losses were steadily mounting, and Reagan could only imagine the heartaches he had yet to share. And Ricardo. Although she hadn’t known him very long, she thought of him as part of her new family, especially with his growing relationship with Winona. At least he’d have her to help mend the pain.
For the last thirty minutes of running, an eerie quiet filled Reagan’s mind. Conversation had ceased as everyone seemed to be processing the day. Had it really only been a few weeks before that they all celebrated the joy of Christmas and family?
As she remembered waking up in Rowan’s arms Christmas morning, Papa announced that the destination was just ahead. Reagan slowed and came into a clearing. There she saw the team, minus Sasha.
Lucent and a few of his men were also there.
Taking several breaths, she had yet to shift when Lucent announced he and his men would have to leave soon but would check in again that evening. Reagan noticed the skies beginning to turn from pitch black to a charcoal gray. Sunshine couldn’t be more than an hour away.
A few other pack members joined them and handed out supplies. Reagan shifted and threw on some clothes, desperate to find Winona and answers.
Surveying the area, she caught Rowan and Madeleine in an embrace. Not that long before, the image would’ve sent white-hot jealousy coursing through Reagan’s veins. But she knew Rowan and Madeleine needed each other. Like Reagan would need Sam, Rowan and Madeleine were family, brother and sister in all the ways that mattered.
“How are you?” Jessica walked up, her hand in Sam’s.
Sam put an arm around Reagan. “It’s been a couple of rough days.”
“I can’t believe she’s gone. I missed it. Maybe I could have healed her…”
“You had no energy. Winona, either. Madeleine tried what she could, but Sasha was too far gone,” Sam said.
“You should go check on Winona. She’s just over there.” Jessica pointed to a clearing where Ricardo and Winona sat, their foreheads touching.
Reagan took two steps, but then turned back to Jessica. “Wait, how are Mom and Dad? Aunt Sarah?”
“Worried sick. We need to get them word that we’re all—” Jessica halted. “Well, that we lost Sasha but have everyone else.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Sam and Jessica walked away, hands clasped together, and Reagan started back toward Winona. As she approached, they pulled apart. Ricardo stood, wiped off the debris from the back of his sweatpants, and helped Winona up.
Winona and Reagan covered the distance between them and embraced.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” they said in unison.
They loosened their grip and created enough space so they could allow Ricardo into the warmth.
“You, too,” Reagan said. “What in the world happened?”
“We were ambushed in our hiding place. Vamps.”
Reagan pulled back. “Are you sure?” She knew their alliance with Lucent and his men was tenuous, and that he didn’t command all vampires, but a modicum of doubt wouldn’t do anything for them working together going forward.
Leaning in, although she noticed his eyes stared just past her, Ricardo whispered, “Why is he here? You know we can’t trust him. Ask yourself how those vamps knew where we were.”
She’d asked herself many questions since Lucent had come into their lives. Her mind spun in several directions. Turning her head slightly, she locked eyes with him. He simply shook his head.
Making a note to grill him later, a light touch brought her attention back to her small group.
“I did sense vampires; they give off a very, well, dark vibe. Anyway, Ricardo sent Sasha and me in one direction so he could draw our attackers the other way. It wasn’t long before a group of demon wolves found us. Guess evil keeps bad company.
“Then, the next thing I know, Sasha screams for me to watch out. That’s the last thing I remember until I woke up in the field with everyone there and all the fighting,” Winona said. “And it was too late, Sasha was dead, you were barely hanging onto consciousness, and word quickly spread that Rafe was on his way.”
Tears flowed down Winona’s cheeks as she spoke, and Ricardo reached up to wipe them away.
Before Reagan could gather any more information, Papa called everyone over. Lucent and two of his men followed.
“They shouldn’t be here.” Ricardo’s voice boomed through the night air as he moved toward Lucent. As if everyone else had disappeared, Ricardo’s intense stare never wavered as he lifted his finger and poked it in Lucent’s face. “You are responsible for this!”
Lucent took one step back as Papa grabbed Ricardo’s arm and pulled him away. “I know you’re upset, and I promise you, we will get to the bottom of what happened here. But for now, let’s take a moment for Sasha. For what we’ve lost.” Papa lifted his head and directed his words toward everyone. “Let’s have a moment of silence for Sasha, another family member gone too soon. May she be in Jackie’s warm embrace.”
Reagan sniffed back tears and prayed for Papa’s wish; the thought of Sasha in Nana’s arms brought some comfort. Lost in sadness, Reagan barely registered Lucent disappearing into the fading night. She
needed time to process the previous twenty-four hours, but she couldn’t focus her thoughts on anything. Conversation broke out around her with small groups of whisperings. Every part of her craved Rowan’s embrace, to hear him tell her everything would be okay, but she knew Madeleine needed him more in that moment.
Papa cleared his throat, and Reagan focused on his face as the voices around her quieted. “We aren’t safe here, and I’m afraid all our locations have been compromised. I’ve had men working on a new location for a few weeks, but it’s not quite ready yet. At this point, we’re going to stay together. We need to create some distance between us and Rafe and figure out where to go from here. It’ll be at least two days of travel, but I think we all need some sleep first.”
A list of instructions followed. Nearly everyone would go to a local hotel in the closest town, and Papa and Rowan would arrive by dinnertime with several more of the team. Some would go ahead to scout out a few locations Papa had in mind.
Just as Papa finished, Rowan made his way over to Reagan.
“I’ll be there soon,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Please take care of Madeleine. I don’t want her to be alone.” He whispered the words against her skin.
“Of course.”
Their eyes locked, and she wished a smile would crack Rowan’s face. It didn’t.
“I love you,” Reagan said, lightly touching her lips to his.
He mouthed the same words in return as he stepped back, their hands falling away as their fingertips lost contact. Then, his game face appeared just before he shifted and took off.
As described by Papa, the hotel was just about an hour’s run away. As it came into view, Reagan stifled a chuckle. Before her was some kind of local hotel. Its burnt out sign kept her from knowing the name, but it clearly wasn’t a chain. Enough bulbs still worked to illuminate the word: vacancy. A small diner, Brew and Stew, and a gas station finished off the scenery. Three cars filled the mostly empty parking lot.
As they entered the lobby—although lobby seemed too grand a word for the small room with an old man behind a window—Reagan made a conscious effort to adjust her clothing and stand out of direct sight, careful to keep the sword behind her. From the front, all anyone would see was the black strap of the scabbard. Although she felt assured the establishment had seen worse than a group of young people in tanks and sweatpants, attention was the last thing they needed.
Tala Prophecy: The Complete Series Page 52