The tumbler turned. “Finally,” Jessie whispered with a silent prayer of thanks. Turning the knob, she slipped inside and crouched low. Breaking and entering were something she would never have imagined doing a couple of years ago. That was before her world had imploded. A professional dancer and antique collector turned thief. “Doesn’t look good on a resume,” she mused.
Scanning the small space in the waning light of the sun, Jessie tried to figure out the lay of the room. “Okay, where do they keep the antibiotics?” Examining the bottles on the shelves managed to frustrate her perfectionist mind. “Maybe here,” she whispered. Yanking open the refrigerator door, Jessie studied the bottles stacked neatly in rows. Penicillin, Tetracycline, and Bactrim. “Bingo!” Stuffing her hoody pockets full, she spotted the morphine. “Maybe this can help those I can’t.”
Her jacket caught on a tray filled with empty prescription bottles. The bottles clattered to the floor in slow motion. All she could do was cringe. Frozen in place for a half a beat, she listened. Better not wait any longer. The alarm had already been tripped, her scattered brain reminded her.
Jessie slipped back out the way she’d come. Wasting no time, she sprinted to the edge of the back lot then vaulted over the fence. Her long legs carried her to the outskirts of town. No police sirens yet. What? Was the alarm set for five minutes? “Small towns,” she quipped dryly.
Her throat burned. “Just the cold,” she whispered. Bending at the waist, she concentrated on breathing deeply through her nose. Her hands shook. Her eyes wanted to tear up. “Just the cold.” Swiping at the moisture, she stood then blinked. This was no time to go all soft over the trouble she might be in with that little stunt back there. She wiped her nose before zipping up her jacket to the neck. Had to get back. Her father’s voice rang in her ears.
Life is just life, get on with what needs doing.
Knuckling back the moisture, Jessie tried for composure. “Maybe I’ll get back with all of the meds this time.” Her mode of travel was hell on glass and other fragile objects. Reminded of the loss of several of the precious liquid antibiotics she had taken last time, she rearranged the contents of her pockets before zipping up the zippers sewn in to protect the pockets’ contents. Next, she examined the pouches, she had sewn into her jacket for the trip. Filled to the brim with medicines and traveling at a speed faster than light was a good combination for disaster. She winced. “Well, this is training by fire.” Jessie reached for the amulet around her neck. As if on cue, the metal heated in her hand. “Here goes nothing.”
Surging forward, she gathered momentum. The ground, under her feet, began to disappear. Soon, she was flying until everything was a blur. When all she could see were colors rushing by, she pushed harder. The magnetic pull of the time millennium always surprised her no matter how often she traveled through time. The struggle to free herself from the present world wasn’t easy, but she had faith all would occur as foretold by the gods. Freedom came with a roar coupled with a surge of wind. Without glancing back, Jessie knew she had succeeded. Next stop, the Netherworld.
***
Landing always came with obstacles. The transfer from one location to another continued to surprise her with where time chose to dump her. Rolling in the grass in front of Nybbas’ mansion, she came to a bone-jarring stop in the soft, emerald green grass of a meticulously manicured lawn. When the ground stopped spinning, she carefully stood.
“Like being shot out of a cannon,” she murmured. Her ears popped. She still needed work on a quick decompression tactic. Jessie opened her mouth wide to release the pressure built up from the change in air pressure before giving the side of her head a thump with the heel of her hand. “I’ll add it to my ‘to do’ list,” she grumbled under her breath.
She heard birds’ lilted song coming from the oaks and cypress trees. A fat cat sprawled in the dappled sunshine near the front porch of the opulent manor.
“Wonder where you came from?”
The cat’s bi-colored eyes followed Jessie as she skirted the exterior. She had another way inside. Glancing back, she decided the cat wasn’t there to keep tabs on her. He lounged on his side, his eyes closed and his whiskers twitching. “Probably dreaming about mice,” she muttered as she stepped into the shrubbery.
Wet slime coated the narrow opening. Jessie slid through before brushing at the muck. “This stuff stinks.” Up ahead, the corridor widened to accommodate a person walking forward instead of shuffling sideways.
Thankful for small improvements, Jessie slowed. With elbow room, she stopped long enough to examine the pockets of her jacket. She decided the medicine had made the trip through time and space unscathed, except for a hairline crack along the neck of the bottle containing the morphine. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Now, to get back to the slave camp. Her watch revealed the time as half past six.
Darkness was falling, and the forest was coming alive. Creatures of the night would soon wake and begin the prowl. She bent to check the camera set up in the hollow wall. Such a find wasn’t without its problems. She realized the unit was an old cinema camera from a century before. Fragile and challenging, the camera had been left behind by someone. Imagining a spy or the Sultan himself using such a means to observe and gather intel on anyone snooping around worried her on several levels. How did he use the footage? To jack off or did he have other plans? The fact the camera lay discarded meant perhaps the Sultan’s power had grown. Maybe he did not need the antiquated technology anymore. Even a blood demon like the Sultan could expand his techy skills. The last thought had her blood running cold. What if he knew who she really was here in the Netherworld? Such a thought caused real fear.
Footsteps echoed nearby. Someone was inside the parlor. Jessie’s breath caught. The need to escape warred with curiosity as to who the intruder might be.
“No time to waste,” she sighed. Turning, Jessie slid through the slim opening before sprinting down the path leading away from Nybbas’ mansion. When she was out of sight of the windows in the mansion, she veered off the path and into the darkness of the dense woodland interior. Then, she gripped the amulet, and with little more than a flash, she vanished into the inky blackness.
Chapter 3
“Stand still, will you?” Katie’s order came on the heels of Aubrie’s tense fidgeting.
Aubrie glanced down at her best friend, Katie Tibideaux, rear-end sticking out like a protruding belly beneath the hem of her wedding dress. “Okay, but I can’t stop shaking. What’s this J.T. like anyway?” Waving away Katie’s exasperated sigh, she wrung her hands. I wonder if I’ll be able to see his thoughts too “Holy, mother, of the gods.”
Katie appeared from beneath the skirt of the wedding dress Aubrie wore, pressing the heal of her palm to her temple. “He’s an ordinary guy, just a vampire.”
Aubrie glanced down. “That sounds weird coming from you, girlfriend.” She glanced out the window to her bedroom overlooking the valley behind her house. “I’m doing the right thing, aren’t I Katie?”
The exasperation in the sigh followed Katie as she stood. The change of subject added to her irritation. “Yes!” Hands on hips with a pincushion strapped to her wrist, Katie continued, “If you don’t stop, I swear I’ll never get this hem straight. Your mother’s dress must be dropped off at the dry cleaners by five this afternoon, Aubrie.” The arch of her brow when she examined her watch was telling. “I’ve got less than an hour to get this done. Now stand still.”
Aubrie sucked in a breath. “Okay.” She closed her eyes, intent on concentrating on her love for her farm rather than the newest member of Shadow Company. J.T. Leighton was a vampire. That shouldn’t matter, she told her inner voice. He had already proved his talents by getting the charges against Logan dropped. The fact he was a vampire was irrelevant. Her eyes flew open as she stared hard in the mirror. She wrinkled her nose. Yes, it was irrelevant. Guilt wanted to wag its finger at her. What if he decided to snack on one of them? She tapped one
toe against the stool Katie had her perched on before she wondered aloud. “What does he do for food?” Since no answer came from beneath the dress, Aubrie offered up her own idea. “Probably pig’s blood. I hope he doesn’t go for other animals. That’s when we would have to talk.”
“Who?” The skirt rustled as Katie shifted a few inches right.
“J.T. What does he do for food?”
“Have mercy, chere. I don’t know.” Irritation slid from Katie’s muffled answer.
“Okay, change of subject,” Aubrie announced to the room at large. “I’ve decided. I want Traveler and the Curs to be at the wedding. Traveler can drop me off, and Pilot can walk me down the aisle.” Satisfied with her decision, she careened her neck to peer at Katie. “What do you think?”
From beneath the creamy billows of the wedding dress’ skirt, Katie mumbled something unintelligible.
“Katie, what do you think?”
A thumb popped up from beneath several layers of crepe. Aubrie smiled, satisfied that Katie approved. Had to run everything by the wedding planner.
Katie’s muffled voice came from under the billows. “Move right about a half a step.”
Aubrie smiled. How she loved the man, the warlock, and yes, even the ex-SEAL. Logan Latimar was going to be her husband. She would become Mrs. Latimar.
“Okay, a little bit more. Oh, not too much, chere. That’s good. Stop.” Katie grumbled from under the skirt. “My leg’s gone to sleep.”
Twisting her fingers together, Aubrie strained to see how much progress Katie had made. If only she could see her future as easily, Aubrie felt confident she would calm. Instead, she shifted from one foot to the other. Her seer side took the opportunity to remind her she had to take the good with the bad. Her mother had always warned her about searching too far ahead. Nothing good ever came of knowing everything.
“You’re doing it again. Please stand still, Aubrie.” Katie’s irritated directions came back muted and a little foreign. Throwing back the dress’ skirt, she appeared, hair mussed, face flushed and mouth set.
Aubrie couldn’t contain the giggle that erupted at Katie’s serious look. Coming to an abrupt halt in her foot shifting, she threw up a hand to quiet the laughter. Her best friend since high school had a narrow window of control when it came to folks obeying her directions. Stifling the giggles, she cleared her throat. She and Katie had been through a lot. Aubrie knew deep in her heart she could depend on Katie to have her back no matter what. Still, she froze in place to appease the warden.
A sniff came from the hall. The young woman that appeared in the door to the bedroom wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.
“Meagan, what’s wrong?” Aubrie’s concern for the girl they had rescued from directly under the Sultan’s nose overshadowed all else. Picking up the dress’ skirt, she hurried over, gathering Meagan in her arms.
“Hey!” Katie appeared once more resembling a fledgling hatchling flung from the nest. Her static-filled hair stood out from her scalp like a wild witch’s coffer. “Where are you going?”
“Katie, it’s Meagan.” Aubrie cut concerned eyes at her maid of honor/seamstress.
Struggling to stand after so long in a crouch position, Katie hobbled over. “Oh, sweetheart, don’t cry.”
Aubrie crossed to the nightstand for some tissues. “Tell us what’s wrong.”
Meagan sniffed and hiccupped. “I had a dream. No, more of a nightmare. I wasn’t even tired when I sat down to read. The next thing I know, I’m fighting off shadow walkers with my bare hands.” She passed two fingers under her nose before wiping them on her jeans. “There was nothing I could do for them.”
“For who?” Aubrie brushed at the girl’s ebony curls.
“For my family. He killed them all.” The tears flowed unheeded now. “The Sultan killed each one of them.” Reaching for Aubrie, Meagan buried her head in her shoulder.
Katie gazed over the young woman’s prone back and sighed. “It wasn’t real, Meagan. You’ve got to remember what we told you. Even though it feels real, the Sultan can’t hurt you or your family. Remember, Logan cast a spell over all the mortals locked away in the Netherworld. They are safe as he can make them, and so are you.”
“I know.” Meagan shoved at the tears. “The nightmare was so real though.” She shuddered. “A real shock, that’s all.” Lifting her head, Meagan peered at each of them. “I miss them so much.”
“Oh, we know you do.” Aubrie stroked the girl’s hair. “Come here and sit.” Leading Meagan to the bed, she shoved her down with a finger warning. “Don’t move. I’ll get you something Logan gives me when things rear their ugly head. Wait right here.” Cocking her head as she headed for the door, Aubrie signaled Katie to take over.
Katie threw an afghan over Meagan’s legs before sitting down beside her. “You know, I keep some lavender oil in my nightstand drawer especially for times like this.” Reaching over, she drew open the drawer. “Here we go.” Winking, she smiled a crooked smile. “I gave Aubrie some when things were difficult after her return from the Netherworld.” Dabbing some of the oil on her index finger, Katie placed some on the inside of Meagan’s wrists as well as the center of her collarbone. “How’s that?”
Lifting her gaze to Katie, Meagan attempted a reassuring smile. The quiver in the corner of her mouth gave her away. “Aubrie transformed into Valcura, didn’t she? Like an Amazon warrior, right?”
Katie smiled. “Right. The dredges of the transformation potion were still in her system when Logan brought her back. We weren’t sure she was going to make it. But she did.” Katie touched Meagan’s hand. “You know when I was in college, one of my requirements was a speech class. My teacher knew I was terrified of standing up in front of the class to saying anything. She suggested I look out over the people in the room and imagine them all naked. It worked.”
Meagan nodded. “Maybe if I keep imagining me killing him, I’ll get the nerve actually to do it when the time comes. Huh?”
Katie swallowed over the girl’s idea. “Yes, repetition is good for your control too.”
“Here we go.” Aubrie returned carrying a tray filled with a small teapot and cups. “We’ll have an afternoon tea party. Just like we were in England.”
The hint of a smile crossed Meagan’s face. “You both are so kind to me. I won’t forget it either. Someday I’ll be able to repay you for your kindness, I promise.”
“Hogwash,” Katie blustered. “You’ll do no such thing. All we want you to do is concentrate on school and your grades. That’s reward enough for us.” She winked at Meagan and won a small smile in return.
“How many lumps?”
Meagan cut a puzzled eye at Aubrie who held the sugar bowl and tongs elevated as if formally serving High Tea.
The giggle escaped. Then a rather labored sigh seeped out. “Two please.” Meagan dabbed at her face where the tears stained her cheeks.
“You know what, Meagan?” Katie reached out giving her wrist a slight squeeze. “I think I need your help. Can you be my seamstress assistant this afternoon? We’re working on a tight deadline here.” Flinging her free hand behind them at the staging area where a stool rested amid thread, a sewing box, and a hem gauge, she indicated the problem by glancing sideways at Aubrie. “This one here is a bit unruly.”
Aubrie shrugged. Her mischievous grin sealed her fate. “Guilty! I have a problem standing still. Besides, Logan offered to wiggle his nose at the dress, but Katie would not hear of using magic.” Aubrie pursed her lips. “It’s kind of what she asked for.”
Their banter earned a grin from Meagan. The warmth of color filled her cheeks.
Aubrie exhaled in relief. “All right my sewing magicians, let’s get to work.”
Chapter 4
Aubrie’s place sat on a hill. As hills went, it wasn’t a big hill, but for North Louisiana, an elevation of two hundred, seventy feet constituted a hill. The white frame house was small and comfortable. Not a statement home, but a homely place, J.T. mus
ed. He liked the decks that ran the length of the house in the front and back. The views were impressive for a Louisiana hill. Presently, the house glowed with lights streaming from the windows without curtains. Unadorned and welcoming, they made him smile. Living in the middle of nowhere had its perks, J.T. supposed.
Glancing at his passenger in the shotgun seat of his truck, J.T. had to admit, hiding Nybbas in the middle of a metropolitan center would have been a bit too much, even for a former Navy SEAL like him. His middle name might be ‘difficult,’ but he would just as soon not have to go there. “Come on, they’re expecting us?”
“Can I watch television?” Nybbas’ straggly eyebrows winged up like a young child in anticipation.
“If you keep the volume down, we are having a meeting.”
Nybbas nodded, his double chin expanding with the effort. “What are you talking about tonight?”
J.T. considered his passenger. Telling Nybbas shouldn’t be a big deal. After all, he was a bit of a couch potato these days. “Taking care of your boss, once and for all.”
The green grandpa glanced out the truck’s side window into the darkness. “Good,” was all he said.
“Come on, let’s go.” J.T. motioned for Nybbas to follow, but at the door, the ex-Navy SEAL stalled out. He wasn’t much good with etiquette and manners. Sure, there was military etiquette or more like tradition, but civilian manners were something he was still learning. “Ring the bell, you moron,” he murmured under his breath. The musical chimes echoed through the door. Now he felt like a suitor on the front steps of his date’s house, all nerves, and anticipation.
Nybbas snorted and hocked up a loogie. Spitting into the shrubbery, he wiped his crusty mouth. “Sorry.”
J.T. rolled his eyes. “Remember what I said about noise. Keep it down in there, all right?”
“Okay.” The scarred head bobbed in response.
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