Jack of Hart- Wild Card

by Violeta Bagia

  Somehow, I couldn’t imagine how Peyton would fit in there. She would really have to put in some effort to meet them half way, and I hoped that she could do it.

  But, as Alex had put it, they were maintaining cover which also meant that it wouldn’t be unheard of the FBI liaisons to be meeting with the Agency in person, so that’s what we were going with. No one could say my life was dull.

  Alex glanced over at me every so often making my heart swell with pain and more than that, anger. I was annoyed, every time he looked at me, every time he tried to make light conversation.

  ‘Not going to talk to me, huh?’

  ‘Nothing to say.’ I snapped.

  ‘Don’t be like that.’

  ‘Don’t be an ass.’

  He chuckled which in turn made me roll my eyes.

  ‘Just trying to make the drive more bearable.’

  ‘The drive will be bearable when you stop talking.’

  ‘Well, I’m not done conversing yet.’

  ‘Of course you’re not.’ I sighed.

  ‘You really don’t want to talk to me, do you?’

  This time his question was sincere, it wasn’t laced with sarcasm.

  ‘It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you.’ I said quietly. ‘I don’t want to talk at all, about anything, to anyone.’

  ‘I get that you’re pissed, Ace, trust me, I get it. But you know better than anyone, this is the best option.’

  ‘I do know, and I get it.’ I looked down at my hands and slowly across at him. ‘I appreciate your help.’

  Alex sighed. A few minutes of quiet driving did wonders for calming the nerves and this time when he spoke, I wasn’t on the verge of losing it.

  ‘I’m glad you and Illarion are working things out.’

  My eyes shot across to him and when he nodded down to my hand, I relaxed. The ring, right.

  ‘Why did you leave?’

  ‘Wow, Alex, I really don’t think that’s a conversation I want to have right now.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because it’s personal.’

  ‘And you and I have never shared anything personal?’

  My face heated up and reddened straight away.

  ‘This is different.’ I shook my head. ‘My life is not your business anymore, Alex.’

  His face hardened like I’d slapped him, I got that it hurt, but I was firm on my stance. A lot had changed. I was different, the woman he saw chained up in Grimes’ cave died that day.

  But he was still the same Alex deep inside, the haunted look on his face was a testament to the pain he’d gone through, seen and experienced—his expression softened, and he gave me a small smile.

  ‘You haven’t spoken to anyone, have you?’

  ‘No, Alex, I haven’t.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because it hurts.’

  For the first time since seeing him in the flesh after all these years, I saw the same, soft expression in his eyes I’d fallen in love with.

  ‘You can see it in my face. Can’t you?’ I asked quietly. ‘You can feel it.’

  ‘I can.’ He admitted.

  Like he could back then, when he lied to me and kept his and my life a secret. When I turned from him, a soft hand landed atop mine.

  ‘You went through a lot, I can see that too. I don’t know everything.’

  ‘No. You wouldn’t know everything. No one does.’ I pulled my hand free.

  ‘I know what happened changed you.’

  ‘It did.’ I confessed. ‘I’m not who I was when you knew me, Alex. I’m not that person anymore.’

  ‘But you’re still you, the essence that makes you, you, it’s still in there.’

  ‘Maybe.’ I shrugged.

  ‘It is.’

  Without another word, I turned my attention back to my window and pretty much gave Alex the non-verbal que that I was done talking.

  Thankfully he got the hint and the silent six-hour drive, turned into a silent eight-hour drive when he stopped a couple of times, checking the surveillance traps he’d set.

  The latest stop though, involved coffee and snacks. Alex offered me some of his Doritos which I eagerly took, earning a grin.

  When we finally reached our destination, I broke free from my daze and looked up—the house we were stopped in front of was very pretty, suburban, complete with a white picket fence, a luscious green lawn with rose bushes framing the perimeter.

  ‘The flowers were my mom’s. The house is now Clair’s.’

  My eyes followed his, there was a certain nostalgia in them.

  He’d never really spoken about home, or his family. I knew his mom died when he was sixteen and I knew his dad stayed with him as long as possible, but when Alex was old enough to go to the army, he left.

  ‘Is Claire around?’

  ‘She isn’t.’ He said unlocking the door and disarming the alarm. ‘She’s at her boyfriend’s back in DC, but she’s coming in on a later flight. Is that alright?’

  Nodding, I looked around. ‘She knows about this?’

  ‘Not everything, only the basics.’

  ‘Guess that’s safer.’

  ‘Yeah.’ He nodded, pointing to the stairs. ‘You can take the first room on the left, there’s a bathroom too. I’m going to get the surveillance set up.’

  ‘Thanks.’ I murmured, taking my bag up with me.

  Finding the room Alex pointed out, I stepped inside. It was gorgeous, the walls were painted in a soft pale white, while the wall above the provincial bed was covered in pale gold and white wallpaper. It was very much like the hotel Matt and I checked into in France.

  A gentle tap on the door drew my attention away from the décor.

  ‘Everything okay here?’

  ‘Yep. All good.’

  ‘I had Clair pick some stuff up for you, she left it in the bathroom.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘You should get some rest, it’s just after eleven.’

  ‘What are you going to do?’

  ‘Going to start getting in touch with my contacts around the country, let them know what’s going on and where we’re at.’

  ‘Alright.’ I forced a tight smile. ‘See you in the morning.’

  ***

  Ace

  There was a darkness I couldn’t recognize falling around me. I was afraid, I knew that before I felt the dense sense of panic fill the space and plunge the atmosphere into irrevocable terror.

  Up ahead I saw Illarion…his body was tense and rigid coming in and out of focus as a dark fog seemed to cloud over him and break the connection between us. He wasn’t alone, there were nine others around him, soldiers from what I could make out. They were all standing to attention, eyes glazed over and focused on the man ahead of them, his face was hidden from me, but not Illarion’s. He didn’t recognize me, I called for him and I waved, I tried whatever I could to get his attention, I was afraid, alone and I wanted him to hold me, to comfort me. But as I moved through the dense fog, he seemed to get further away and harder to see.

  “Ila!” I screamed. Then he was gone.

  No one was here, nothing sounded, just me and my footsteps, and around me, my own breath was barely audible, but it came out in small, write puffs of air.

  But there was something else, I heard it, far away, almost lost on the wind, caught in the horizon. I couldn’t make it out completely, but there was an odd familiarity…I strained in the dark, hoping that whatever it was would give me enough warning to tell me how to fight.

  As the feeling got worse, my heart started to race, and my mind quickly caught up and I knew what this was, I knew who it was.

  This couldn’t be happening again…only it was, he was here, right here, about to show his face and I was about to lose it.

  The air was sucked from my lungs and panic set in—strong hands gripped my arms and the thick air grew denser until I was barely breathing. He was close, his face inches from mine and that cruel, humorless grin met me.

  “
Acacia. We meet in the oddest of circumstances, don’t we?”

  “Get out of my head.”

  “I thought you’d have a lot more to say to me than that.”

  “Get the hell away from me.”

  He laughed; the bastard laughed. He released me, much to my relief because the bile that started to build in my throat was about to get real.

  But he didn’t leave, he circled me, like a vulture, a vile and sadistic creature, taking pleasure in stalking its prey.

  My heart slammed into my ribs, like each pump of blood was bringing me closer to my last. The heart wasn’t meant to take this much, was it? Surely, I couldn’t live much longer like this, in this much fear, with this much terror consuming me.

  Dalca grinned again. Of course, he’d heard every thought, and like always he thought he knew me better than I knew myself.

  “I’ve always known you better than you believed, Acacia. And now you know that I wasn’t lying to you, I’ve never lied to you.”

  “Let me out.”

  “Not yet, we have some important things to discuss.”

  “I’m not talking about anything with you.”

  “You don’t have a choice, Acacia.”

  Before I could open my mouth to protest, he’d shoved me so hard I stumbled, I was sure I’d fall and hit the ground at any moment, but the impact never came. Instead, it was endless space, we were both in a nothingness, neither on the ground or in the sky, the space around us that had been dark moments ago, I now saw was a park, no park I recognized, but it was almost like a sphere, where the ground ended, the sky began and the same way around. It was infinite, swirling around us gently.

  “What is this?”

  “This place is between planes. I’m no longer in yours, and you can’t come to mine.”

  “That’s a damn shame.”

  He laughed at my snide remark and while I was floating all over the place, he was completely in control. I rolled my eyes and tensed my stomach hoping that the core strength I was proud of, would help—it didn’t.

  “The people who are going to come for you are going to use you to create a weapon.”

  “We already know that.”

  “But what you don’t know, is where.”

  “And you’re going to tell me?”

  “I’ve already told you. You chose not to listen.”

  “I’m listening now.”

  “Where the two planes meet and the sky opens up.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  “It will. And when they come, Acacia, they’re going to show no mercy, there will be death, they don’t care who they kill, they don’t care if they kill you. Do you understand?”

  “They need me.”

  “No. They need your blood. And believe me, they can bleed you until you die and they’ll have ample time to do what they need. So, be careful.”

  “Like you give a shit about me.”

  “Acacia. I care a great deal. You’re still so important to me. More than you’ll ever know.”

  Oh God. My stomach churned.

  “Now. Listen to me very carefully.”

  Before my mind could conjure up the next set of creative remarks, my heart dropped when he stepped toward me, closing in on me and my personal space.

  “You cannot fight without me, so, I’m going to help you. Together we will be strong enough.”

  With every word, I shattered a little more.

  “I won’t let you do this alone.”

  For so long I’d worked hard to keep a brave front, not to flinch when someone tried to touch me or get too close, and now, now he was here, all over again, oh God, he was here, holding me, reaching for me.

  “When they come for you, you’ll be faced with a choice, now you’re familiar with this part I’m sure,” he said calmly, “You cannot be taken by force. Your will is the only way the weapon will work. When you’re ready, I will find you and I will show you how to end this.”

  The static around us started to charge, it began in the tips of my fingers, spreading through my veins and just as a scream built in my lungs, I pulled myself free and shot up.

  Alex’s eyes were wide, holding on to me. My eyes darted around, catching the sight around us, books, furniture, clothes, floating in the air and as I sucked in a sharp breath, everything dropped, crashing to the ground. Books were strewn across the floor, the cushions from the bed were on the other side of the room and the bedside lamp and the overhead one, were blown out.

  Only when Alex shook me, did I realize I’d been holding my breath, barely noticing the strain it took.

  ‘Ace? Holy hell. Talk to me. What just happened?’

  He tipped my chin up to him when I didn’t reply.

  ‘I, I don’t know…oh God, oh my God, I, your sister’s house...’

  ‘Forget it. Are you okay?’

  ‘Christ.’ I shook in his arms. ‘Oh my God.’

  He rubbed his face, moving back slightly.

  ‘Oh man.’ He ground out. ‘Sure you’re okay?’

  Dalca…my stomach tightened.

  ‘What did you dream about?’

  ‘It wasn’t a dream.’ I said quietly, looking down at the very real and very red mark around my wrist.

  Alex took my hand as soon as he saw the bruise.

  ‘What the hell is this?’

  ‘It wasn’t a dream.’ I repeated. ‘It was him, Dalca.’

  His brows shot up into his hair line.

  ‘How?’

  ‘Planes.’

  He didn’t move a muscle and he looked like I’d just told him Elvis was an alien, though, having said that, he’d probably have an easier time believing that.

  ‘When I killed him, he was erased from this timeline, this plane. But he exists elsewhere, I only speculated before, now I know for sure.’

  ‘So, he found you there.’

  ‘No. He found me in the middle. It’s a sort of half way mark—it’s where I met Aaryon for the first time.’

  ‘Shit, this is real.’

  ‘Pretty real.’ I gently rubbed the bruise around my wrist.

  ‘What can I do?’

  ‘Nothing.’ I rose and looked around at the mess, slowly collecting the things I’d thrown up into the air.

  ‘Leave it.’ He said sternly. ‘I’ll get it. What can I do? How can I help?’

  ‘You can’t help. No one can.’

  The reality of the situation dawned on me. This wasn’t over, he was here again. Taunting me, just like before.

  And what the hell did he mean he’d show me how to end this when it was time? Oddly enough, I was starting to think he wasn’t completely nuts after all.

  ‘Ace.’ Alex caught my hand. ‘What does he want?’

  ‘What he always wanted.’

  He didn’t say anything and for a moment, the only sound in the room was the quiet padding of my feet across the hardwood floors.

  ‘Ace…what did he do?’

  ‘Everything you’ve heard is true.’ I forced a tight smile.

  ‘Oh Jesus, I’d hoped it was just rumors, people talking, blowing shit out of proportion.’

  ‘No proportion blowing, all true. He knew it’d propel my powers, force evolution ahead of time—pure trauma and all that.’

  A quiet breath left his lips but he stayed completely still.

  For a moment, I didn’t know what to do.

  That’s when the tears came.

  ‘That’s why you left.’

  ‘Yes.’ I said. ‘Illarion was so good, so supportive, always did the right things, said the right things. But it was in his eyes, there was always so much pain, so much guilt. I couldn’t look at him and see that anymore.’

  Alex scrubbed his jaw, letting me talk.

  ‘And then when Aurel and Anna had Lucy, God, things got harder…’

  ‘Oh, Ace…’

  ‘We lost our baby, and we can’t…I can’t have...’

  Alex’s head dropped and that same, painful reminder of the very real t
ruth of my life, hit me, like always, though it seemed to be getting easier, just like Illarion said.

  He folded his arms across his chest.

  ‘But you know, it’s okay, I survived that, I’ll survive this. There’s a job at hand, people need my help, and that’s my priority now, that’s what I have to focus on.’

  ‘Then that’s what we do, find him and nail this son of a bitch and whoever else gets in our way.’

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Illarion

  Adeep, worrisome emotion jolted me awake and set me on edge, I seemed to be constantly on the precipice of wandering from this world into the sleep world, but after that feeling spread through me like a wildfire, I shot up, definitively unable to find sleep again.

  Aurel knocked on the door, further breaking me from the pit of emotion I’d let myself slip into.

  ‘You good?’

  ‘Fine.’

  ‘Really? Because you look like hell.’

  ‘Ace had a bad dream.’

  He leaned against the frame. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘It’s different, she pulls me into her dreams sometimes, but this was worse, I’ve felt this before.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘It felt like when she was with Dalca.’

  ‘When?’

  ‘When he’d taken her to the underground facility.’

  Aurel shifted, I saw the reluctance in his eyes.

  ‘Dalca’s dead.’ He said firmly. ‘We all saw that, you were there.’

  ‘I know.’ I snapped, rubbing my jaw. ‘I’m telling you what I felt now.’

  ‘Nightmares can feel real.’

  ‘This isn’t a nightmare. I know it isn’t.’

  ‘How can you possibly know? You’re not there with her.’

  ‘I should be.’ I said. ‘This whole thing is blowing up in my face. I should be there with her, not Alex.’

  ‘You’re frustrated, angry even. It’s normal, Illarion, but you’re letting your fear cloud your mind. You’re not thinking straight.’

  ‘What is there to think straight on? I’m here while she’s with Alex and the whole operation I’ve come to know, is a complete lie.’

  ‘And again, it comes back to Alex.’

  ‘What the hell is that supposed to mean?’ I shot him a look from across the room.

  He remained stoic.