by Dee, Bonnie
With this new situation, she rescheduled her time frame for Nolen’s naptime. “Feel my fingers on your flesh. Feel them ease your every care. Feel your spirit relax and your tension drift away. What slumberous delight. What peace. What rest.”
By the time the last words were spoken, Nolen was unconscious. He’d awaken the next morning with the false memory of unrestrained carnal bliss. The bastard. Aviva hated even the make-believe images she had entwined in the spell.
She went into his bathroom and ran the hot water until steam rose from the bowl, and dipped her fingers in the scalding liquid. Better some blisters than that disgusting application. Aviva put her clothes back on, leaving off her sandals. It would be easier to move without them. Holding her breath, she tiptoed down the stairs to the study.
She had hidden her equipment earlier in the day. For the first time that evening she smiled, as she retrieved the equipment from a large, ornamental potted palm, and used it to get back inside. Not wasting any time, she went straight to Nolen’s laptop.
She’d had an idea about the code word he’d use. Wiping the perspiration from her palms, she typed in the word BAAL … and entered his files.
Skipping over the duplicate information that Brigid, Gabe and Ethan had brought back with them from Ireland, she concentrated on anything new. He hadn’t used a code for the new files. Perhaps they were shared ones with James and he didn’t wish the human to see them? No matter.
Next she downloaded the ones marked “People and Places,” “Personnel” and also “Blueprints.” Perhaps that one would show the new additions to the mansion and the location of the fluichlari.
Satisfied with the evening’s work, she shut down the laptop, turned off the desk lamp and reset the alarms. Locking the door behind her, she crept back up the stairs to Nolen’s room.
It was going to be a long, uncomfortable night sleeping on the vanity chair.
* * * *
Aviva’s vibrating alarm woke her up. Nolen still slept, but she knew he’d awaken any minute. She undressed quickly and went into the bathroom, turned on the shower and ran it at full force. When it was hot enough, she stepped underneath the stinging spray and wet her hair. Aviva sniffed the shampoo he had on a shelf inside and scrunched her nose. Everything he used was tainted; even the shampoo had exotic ingredients used to enhance virility in males.
Aviva put it back and checked the liquid soap. At last, a commercial product! Lathering up quickly, she washed the soap from her skin and wrapped her damp body in the silky robe.
She dashed back in time to see Nolen stretch and yawn. “Darling, you’re finally awake! I’m sorry I couldn’t wait for you but I just had to wash some of the … residue from last night.” Her eyes widened and she injected a note of awe into her voice. “My, I’m surprised, I could hardly move. You were quite virile.” She purred. “And so very inventive. Why, I’m still worn out. I’ll need a nap after breakfast just to recuperate.”
Nolen stared, and Aviva thought for a moment he would call her a liar. He shook his head and grinned like the Big Bad Wolf. “It was rather incredible, wasn’t it? Perhaps again, tonight?”
Aviva picked up her jeans and blouse, slipped on her sandals, unlocked the door and paused. Her voice sultry, she used her Singer skill to pique his lust with one word. “Perhaps.”
* * * *
“Never.”
Aviva tore off her clothes and shoved them into the laundry bag she’d brought with her. What she really wanted was to burn them, but knew she couldn’t right now. She rushed into the bathroom, grabbed the soap and shampoo that she’d brought with her and stepped into the shower. Again.
After twenty minutes washing her hair and scrubbing her body, she started to feel clean.
There was no way she was going to stay another day fending off Nolen and enduring the anger of that sociopathic bitch. With the files on the flash drive and her reconnoitering of the grounds, she felt she’d done all she could do. It would be up to Gabe using his Protector abilities to formulate a strategy.
Her decision made, she prepared to leave today.
* * * *
“James, I’m so glad I found you! I just got a call from my building’s super. My apartment was broken into. I have to get back to the city.” Aviva didn’t need to pretend to be upset, but she did feel relief that James was alone in the dining room. At least with him, she needn’t worry about using her Singer ability.
“Viv, that’s horrible. Don’t worry. I’ll drive you back myself. You go and pack while I tell Arven what happened.”
“You’re a doll, James. I’ll be ready in a few minutes!” Aviva raced back upstairs, her relief a palatable thing.
* * * *
“Aviva received a call to say her apartment was burgled, Arven and she has to go back to Manhattan. I said I’d drive her.” James took in Arven’s frown. “That is all right, isn’t it? Would you want me to get in touch with Ricky? If I do that she’d have to wait until he was available and she really should be there as soon as—”
“Quiet! Take her back, James, take her back. I’m not angry with you, merely disappointed. I had plans for her … no matter. She’ll be back. I’ve decided to invest in her career, after all.” A smile crossed his face. “Just return as quickly as you can—dear boy.”
James’s heart swelled. He had feared that Viv had supplanted him in Arven’s heart as well as his bed. Oh, he knew she had slept with him the other night, but Arven’s appetite was so … voracious. He would have been willing to share as he did with Lorraine, but perhaps he still held first place. “I’ll get back as soon as I can, Arven.”
“Good.” Arven smiled. “Before you go, find Lorraine and send her to me. I’ll have breakfast later.”
James fled from the study, his heart broken once more.
* * * *
Manhattan, East 92nd Street
Aviva stood outside Gabe’s townhouse. “Thank you so much, James. I’m sorry I was such a boring companion on the ride down, but … I just couldn’t bear to talk about the break-in or, or anything. Leaving me at my attorney’s house will save me time. He has all my important papers and he and his wife were taking care of my darling cat. Thank heavens, Khat was with them and not home alone!”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in with you?”
“Of course not. I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to Arven. We’ll talk soon.” Viv leaned over and touched James’ hand. Her musical voice soothed his spirit and he felt relaxed. There was something about her that made him feel good about himself.
He could even try to look forward to Arven adding her to his bed.
He pulled away from the curb and headed uptown.
* * * *
“It’s Aviva! She’s at the front door.” Brigid sped down the stairs barefoot. Aviva was early. Why hadn’t she called? Had something gone wrong?
Brigid heard Ethan and Gabe’s footsteps hurrying behind her. So, none of them had known about the unexpected return. Something must have gone horribly wrong! Hopping onto the banister, she slid past the last set of stairs, landing in a heap on the carpeted part of the floor.
Aviva stood just inside the entry with her bags lying on the floor. For the first time since Brigid met her, she seemed frightened and unsure. What on earth had happened? Brigid picked herself up and brushed off her backside while Gabe and Ethan dashed over to the pale-faced woman.
“A chara, what the devil happened?” Ethan gripped Aviva’s shoulders and drew her into his arms. The Desert Terran sagged against him, crying.
“Are you injured?” Gabe patted Aviva’s shivering shoulders with caution, as if fearful that he might brush against some wound. “Come and sit down. We’ll take care of you.” Gabe ushered her over to one of the foyer chairs.
Brigid pushed the suitcase and garment bag out of the way and knelt at Aviva’s feet. “Do you feel like talking? Did Nolen hurt you?”
Brigid’s innocent question jumpstarted Aviva’s shaking. “He hurts and
pollutes everything he touches, but no, he didn’t hurt me.” Her eyes grew fierce as she raised them to the concerned others. “I wouldn’t allow it.” The fire died from her eyes. “But I had to escape. I couldn’t face another day in his presence, let alone another night fending him off.”
Aviva rose onto wobbly legs and picked up her purse from the top of the pile. Her fingers shaking, she pulled out the downloaded flash drive. “Here. Additional files about the project and the blueprints to the house and additions.”
Gabe retrieved them from her clammy fingers and smiled. “You did well.”
“How did you get Nolen to let you off early?” Brigid eyed the trembling female and took her hand to lead her to the vacated chair.
“I lied.” Aviva smiled for the first time. “Please, let’s go upstairs. I want you to take a look at the files I downloaded … and I need to take a shower.” Her smile died. “I still feel dirty. Gabe, could you ask Anthony to go to my house and bring my cat here? His carrier is in the kitchen and there’s a traveling kit with a container of food, bagged litter and a fresh box for him. I’ll give Anthony the code to get inside and the words to use to get Khat to listen to him. I’m sorry to impose.” She shuddered. “I can’t go home for the next few days. I told James there was a break-in at the apartment.”
Brigid looked over Aviva’s head to Gabe and Ethan. Aviva must have been desperate indeed to come up with such a weak story. Brigid patted Aviva’s back. “I’ll lend you some of my clothes. We’ll get you new ones later.”
“Let’s get you upstairs,” Gabe said. “I’ll carry you. Seems I’ve started a habit of this.” He lifted Aviva in his arms as if she weighed nothing and ascended the stairs.
Ethan grabbed the luggage and Brigid brought up the rear. She had had a bad feeling about the mission all along. She hated that it seemed her feelings had been correct.
* * * *
Clad in borrowed jeans and a T-shirt that were a shade too tight, Aviva sat curled up on the loveseat in Gabe’s study. After she had washed and shared a meal with the others, for the first time in three days, she felt at ease. “So, what did you get from the data I collected, Gabe? Something useful, I hope.”
“You brought jewels beyond price. We know where Nolen imprisoned the water demons. Even though Mach was able to communicate with their leader in the demon domain, they had no idea where they’d been taken. They’re not too bright. Still, we won’t be able to engage in a separate attack to free them. We’ll have to coordinate with our main offensive.” He looked toward Aviva. “Thanks to the information you gathered, we know all the weak points of the estate and where best to enter. And we know exactly what Nolen’s operatives look like and where each will be sent.”
“Can you talk about what happened there now, a chara?”
Aviva shifted away from Ethan’s casual arm around the back of the loveseat and set down her cup of tea on the round side table before she spoke. “It was terrifying. My group of Terrans speaks of Ba’al, but seldom did his servants’ names come up. This is the first time I’ve come face-to-face with one of Ba’al’s servants. We would rather they disappear forever.
“When Nolen was in the room it was like a blight striking the spirit of everyone present. His Speaker skills are very powerful, probably augmented by Ba’al. He can maintain a perfect physique before humans. They can’t tell he is missing a digit, though they see his eyepatch.” She broke off her sentence. “I think he believes it makes him appear dashing.
“He has total control of both James and Lorraine Foley. Of the two, Foley’s aura was so powerful and dark and evil, I didn’t even need to stretch my weaker Spirit Element to sense it. Only, Nolen’s aura was darker, deeper and bloodier than hers. James is much weaker than either of them. He is easily led by Nolen, believes that he is in love with him and that Arven, as they know Nolen, only wishes to cleanse the world of pollution through a one-time willing sacrifice of these converts around the world. He has been so mind controlled, he’s unable to remember that he hired these people, that they have records, and that some of them will be sacrificing other humans.”
Aviva paused and picked up her cup, her hand still unsteady, and sipped some tea. “Nolen makes him engage in over-the-top sexual acts. He would have done the same with me both nights, but I begged off the first. The second night … I bespelled him, and only had to strip naked for him and straddle his body and … touch his skin—”
She broke off her words, shivering, and tears poured down her face. “I haven’t let myself think about what I gleaned from being near him. I sacrificed the peace of the Sheekhrur, but it was worth it because my mission will save lives.” She took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. “He and Lorraine have managed to take BDSM beyond anything I’ve ever heard of. There are no safe words. There is only blood. His body is covered with wounds that he’s self-inflicted to produce blood sacrifices for Ba’al and to feed the fluichlari. I pity James, because I doubt he’ll survive if Nolen’s power over him is taken away. If he realizes what he’s done for Nolen…”
Brigid, Ethan and Gabe were struck dumb, then, as one, they gathered Aviva into their arms. For this moment, their balance embraced one more spirit.
Chapter Twenty-One
Manhattan, East 92nd Street
“Will you ever forgive me for agreeing to send you to Nolen’s home base?” Gabe stroked Aviva’s back, praying his touch wouldn’t repulse her.
Aviva gently extricated herself from the group embrace before she spoke. “You have nothing to feel guilty about, Gabe. None of you do. I was best suited for the mission.” She looked at each of the others one by one. “We are at war with Nolen and Ba’al. That means we may be asked to do things we don’t like or always agree with. I know Gabe realizes this. It warms my heart to know that you feel so strongly about me.” She held out her hands to them. “Whatever happens, it’s something I will cherish.”
Gabe cleared his throat before finally finding his voice. “You are cherished … and I think you have a lot more of your Protector father in you than you realize.” He grinned. “Now, little general, let’s discuss our strategy.”
“Strategy?” A voice at the door distracted them. Marty stood poised at the entrance, balancing two oddly-shaped packages in her arms. “Then I guess you might be needing these. They came by special courier from the KOTE lab. Here you go.” She continued into the room and handed the boxes to Brigid. “Aviva. I didn’t realize we were having company. I’ll set an extra plate. Still like your veggie omelets, I’m sure. Oh, and, gang? Anthony tells me everything. I’ll leave you to your work.” With that, she sailed out of the room leaving a wave of stunned silence in her wake.
Gabe smiled fondly after her. “The woman’s a marvel.”
“There’s a note attached addressed to you, Gabe.” Brigid handed it to him while she tore into the wrappings.
He unfolded it and began to read. “Listen. ‘Well, guys, you were right. We took slivers from the bow and dismantled one of the arrows (sorry, Brigid). We subjected every part of the bow and arrows to every test we could think of. We x-rayed it; carbon dated it (by the way, it’s over three thousand years old) and found nothing but a bow and arrows. Gabe, that spear had a lot of blood on its tip—a lot. It also had some strange carbon-based detritus that we couldn’t identify. After subjecting it to as many tests as Brigid’s weapons, we’ve come to our final results: we have no idea why they respond as they do when you guys use them. Go kill some bad guys. The boys at the lab.’”
By the time Gabe managed to finish reading the note, he could barely speak for laughing. Brigid gleefully held the bow aloft and did a little jig. Gabe withdrew the spear from its case and hefted it in his hand, running his fingers up and down the shaft.
Ethan cracked up. “‘Tis amazing how you’re caressing that spear, old man. If I didn’t know firsthand that your taste in lovers doesn’t run to men, I’d be concerned for my virtue.”
Gabe glanced over to Ethan, his expression se
rious. “Having the privilege of wielding this spear attests to my manhood.” He grinned, breaking the moment. “And merely offers a hint regarding the strength and endurance of my prick. The timing couldn’t be better to get these back.”
Aviva shook her head. “You three are like something from an old legend with your harp, spear and bow.” She flexed her fingers. “Me, I prefer modern weapons.” She sighed. “I miss my Barrack SP-21. I’ll need it if I come in contact again with Lorraine.” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t tell you yet. The woman seems to be impervious to my Singer ability—she’s tone-deaf.”
Ethan stared at her and shook his head. “Impossible. It must be a combination of the strength of Nolen’s Speaker skill and—”
“The fact that I’m not as strong a Singer as you. I’m sure that’s it, still, it means that we’ll need to remember that little thing when we plan our attack.”
“Which reminds me.” Gabe set the spear aside and strode over to the desk and his laptop and sat down. “Let’s get this assault going.”
* * * *
Boynton, New York
“This is annoying. I tried to get in touch with Viv and she has a message on her answering machine that she’s left New York to get away from the devastation to her ‘space’.” Nolen frowned. “James, does that sound a bit overreacting?”
James looked up from his laptop. Arven had been restless the past few days. James had returned from taking Viv home to find Foley so badly beaten even he had pity on her. Pity that was returned with scorn. The bitch had flaunted the welts, scars and slashes on her arms as if they were awards of merit. She hobbled on feet that were so swollen she could only wear slip-on slippers.
James couldn’t understand. He knew firsthand about Lorraine’s distorted expression of the “life,” and he knew that Lorraine went beyond that into the realm of murder. Why did Arven tolerate her?
He gasped and held his head. The headaches he’d had for the past few months had increased in frequency and pain. What had he been thinking of before this latest one had hit him? He couldn’t remember.