What does? Confusion was setting in.
We keep getting a warning from someone somewhere. ‘Do not trust the false prophets.’ I couldn’t grasp where these warnings were coming from. So far I had seen them in text form, heard them from Marshall, now from my brother. There had to be a reason for all of this.
Yeah, I was getting those for a while too. So for now don’t trust the prophet, I pleaded with him in my head.
I won’t. Once we have a plan what do you want me to do? He made a valid point. I couldn’t have him breaking into my train of thought while I was with Miranda.
Knock three times for ‘we are coming’ and twice for ‘get out of there.’ I was hoping he knew what I was talking about.
Knock? All right, sis, I will knock. If you can get away, reach out to me, he instructed.
As you wish.
The connection was broken and I started to read the magazine for real.
***
“What do you think?” Marshall was standing in front of me. Kyle had cut his hair short and styled it in a spiky fauxhawk.
“Well, I think it is different.” I looked at the stylist as he cleaned up the hair from the floor.
“Different is good, right?” He was glowing.
“Of course. It is nice to be able to see your eyes.” I smiled at him and reached out to touch his face.
“I feel great,” he said, laughing. For someone who was against me getting him anything he was sure grateful.
“That’s good.” I looked up as Kyle approached us.
“So what do you think, sis?” He asked, handing me a slip of paper. I reached in my purse and pulled out a twenty, putting it in his hand.
“He looks great, Kyle.” I smiled at him and batted my eyelashes.
“Is there anything that I can do for you?” His eyes were gleaming. I glanced at Marshall who was shaking his head.
“No, thank you,” I said to him as I pulled Marshall back toward the front of the salon.
“I hope to see you again soon. Prudence, was it?” Had he seriously overheard Marshall talking to me, or had Marshall fabricated some story about our relationship?
“Yes. And only if you play your cards right.” I gave him a quick smile and pushed the gushing boy out of the door and into the brightly lit hallway of the mall.
“What was that all about?” he said, laughing as I dragged him down the hall.
“Nothing,” I said dryly as we came to a stop in front of a large fountain. “You look very nice by the way.”
“Thank you, Miss Prudence,” he said, rolling his eyes. “We should probably get back before they think we jumped the border.”
“Probably.” I looked at my watch; it was nearing six.
“I had fun today,” he said, touching my arm.
“I did too, Marshall. We will have to do it again, sometime,” I said as we started walking back toward the entrance.
“You really think we will be able to get away again?” he asked softly.
“You are the one that wants to get away. I’m the one that is going to make it happen.” I looked at him and put on my sunglasses.
“You are one hell of a woman.” He shook his head at me.
“I’ve been called worse,” I said as we walked arm-in-arm toward the beautiful Bentley.
“So, what is next on the great list of things to do?” he asked, getting into the car.
“Now we need to figure out how to make all of this happen.” I answered him quickly and slid in behind the wheel.
“What do you think is going to happen to Lilly when she goes to see her mother?” Marshall asked, putting his head against the cool window.
“Hopefully nothing.” I smiled at him. “I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her.” I knew I was lying to a point. I wanted to be the one that looked down into her lifeless eyes.
“Here’s hoping.” He leaned his seat back. “In about twenty miles we need to switch. You know the drill.”
“If she trusts me to run the camp while she’s gone why doesn’t she trust me to know the location?” I shook my head.
“It has something to do with magic and fear. She’s scared that at any point someone can be followed.” He closed his eyes. “I can turn into a dog and run away. John can just kill them with a thought. Actually, I don’t know about that. He’s a pretty freaky man but I don’t know the extents of his talents.”
“Nor do I.” I raised an eyebrow, knowing full well I was lying.
“He does seem quite enamored with you. Been nice. Haven’t had to hear about those two Wardens he tried to kill.” Marshall’s face relaxed. “Twenty miles, Miss Prudence.” He reminded me one more time before his breathing slowed and he was asleep.
What could he possibly mean by John always talking about the two Wardens he tried to kill? Had I really been the focus of conversation around the campfire? Then again, why would he talk about it in the first place? Both of us were alive and his power over us had slowly decreased to nothing more than an occasional nightmare. Still, it had me thinking.
I had lost track of the mileage and at about thirty miles I pulled the car over. I felt like I was going to explode. If I just managed to drive a little further maybe I could make out the exact location of the camp. However, I didn’t need Marshall getting in trouble for it so I reached over and shook him.
“Marshall,” I said softly as his eyes fluttered open.
“Has it been twenty miles already?” He groaned and stretched his arms above his head.
“It’s actually been thirty—I was caught up in my own thoughts.” I looked at him sadly, thinking he was going to be upset at me.
“It’s OK. Let’s get this taken care of.” He brought the seat back upright and crawled out the door, walking dazed around the front of the car. He reached his hand out and helped me out of the driver’s side.
“You OK?” I asked as he rubbed at his eyes.
“Yeah. Just haven’t really been sleeping much I guess.” He gave me a tired smile as I walked around the car and crawled into the passenger seat. He grabbed the blindfold and put it over my eyes.
“I understand,” I said, securing the fabric over my face so that he could tie the back.
He pulled the car off the side of the road and drove the zigzag route back to the parking area. He put the car in ‘park’ and got out. I heard the trunk open and the sound of crinkling bags. He laughed to himself and then opened the passenger door.
“Take my hand, Miss Prudence,” he said, pulling me up and out of my seat.
I felt the cool air on my face and took a deep breath, the scent of forest hitting my nostrils.
Wait a minute.
“Marshall, do you smell that?” I asked, my heart starting to pound.
I heard him sniffing the air. The silence that fell over us made my blood turn cold.
“Stay here.” I heard the bags hit the ground and felt a small animal push past my leg.
I felt panic run through me. What had happened? I could hear people screaming, the clanging of weapons. Had the group of purebloods made it to the camp before they were supposed to? The minutes seemed to pass slowly as I waited for Marshall to return. I kept the blindfold on just in case something small had happened and it wasn’t an all-out attack.
“Miss Prudence?” Marshall’s voice rang in my ears and I jumped, forcing my hands to stay at my side.
“What is it?” I shot my head around. I couldn’t tell where he was.
“You can take that off.” I reached up and pulled the blindfold from my eyes and screamed.
A man dressed in a black robe had his arms around Marshall’s shoulders and held a knife to his throat. Next to him was another man holding a limp body over his shoulder. I couldn’t make out who it was at first. The smell of wildfire reached my nose. The trees were in flames. Suddenly a knock rang through my head, followed by two more. This was the Cavalry. The original plan must have been subst
ituted for a new one once Shawn told my parents about the leak. Maybe Mona felt compelled to pull me away before my cover was blown.
Too soon. Too soon! It wasn’t the right time. She was still in the camp. She was going to know. I was shaking. Panic was taking over as my eyes darted around.
“Priestess?” The man said with a snarl. All I could make out was his face. Why did it seem so familiar?
“Don’t hurt him!” I yelled, throwing my hands in the air, the lightening pulling to my fingers from the sky. I was just about to let loose the fury that was in me when I felt a hard smack to the back of my head. The world went dark.
Epilogue
Sis? I could hear Shawn in my head.
Shawn? I opened my eyes. I was lying in the back of the Bentley, my hands tied behind my back.
Don’t fight. It’s the Incubi. I looked in the front seat at the two hooded creatures.
Where’s Marshall? Where’s Wesley? I was panicking again.
They are in route to the same location. Don’t worry they are both OK. This wasn’t calming me down in the least.
Who is in my car? I tried to loosen my bands but my wrists were held fast.
That I don’t know. They were told to take you to the safe location. Aaron is waiting there for you. OK, so that sort of made me feel better: knowing that someone I knew was going to be where I was headed.
Do they know that it’s me? I asked.
Yes and no. Only three of them know. Those that are on the council. The others are unaware, they just know that you are to be brought there for questioning. Dad and your mother will be there in a few days. How had he managed this so quickly? Seriously it had only been a few hours, if that.
How did you get this done so fast? I asked him.
Dad made a few calls and the Incubi intercepted; said that they were just a few miles from the border of the camp. Miranda wasn’t even there, neither was John. We got all the prisoners and nearly wiped out her forces. He shouldn’t sound so proud of himself. There were innocent people in that place. People who had nothing to do with what was going on.
What about Marshall’s sister? I demanded.
We got her. We got the ones that were being held with lies. There was not a lot of blood, not many died. They just burnt the camp to the ground. Shawn didn’t sound pleased with himself anymore but he did sound relieved.
Will I be able to see them when we get there? I was scared now what were those that didn’t know who I was. What were they going to do to me?
It’s going to be hard for a few days. Aaron knows that he will be the one watching over you. Just remember—do not break character. Not until we know what we have on our hands. He told me exactly what to do. I had grown used to the skin of being Prudence but I still longed for the moment when I could be Dawn again.
“Maybe we should just pull over and end her miserable life now,” I heard one of the guys in front of me say.
“You heard Master Harold. He said to bring her in alive,” the other retorted and I gave a sigh of relief.
We better get there soon, otherwise these two are going to pull over and make sure that I don’t make it to the designated location, I thought to Shawn as I closed my eyes again.
They won’t do anything, they are bound to do as instructed. It would mean death to them if anything were to happen to you, Shawn said. It comforted me some but not enough to give me peace.
“Just a few more hours. Then we will be home,” the driver said to the other man.
“A few hours is one minute longer than I want to be in a car with this crazy bitch. What if all the things we have heard about her are true?” the passenger said, making conversation.
“Then we had better make sure we get her before she can get us,” the driver answered with some excitement in his voice.
“Do you think she’s as powerful as they said?” Another question from the passenger.
“She crumbled easy enough,” the driver laughed.
“Yes, but we had her lackey. She would give anything to save his hide for some reason,” the other grumbled.
“She has passion, nothing wrong with that,” the driver said as soft waves of classical music hit my ears, drowning out the remainder of their conversation.
Are you coming with Dad? My heart was pounding in my ears, the music not drowning out the sound as it did the conversation.
I will be there. Don’t worry about us. Nick knows nothing. We have him secluded, he knows zilch. His voice was a welcoming sound even though it had been mere moments.
Good. Just make sure I get to our destination. These two are plotting my death, I fear. I took a deep breath.
Silently I prayed that I got from point A to point B without finding my death. I was needed. The war had begun, the first drops of blood left on the battlefield. When Miranda returned to find her camp in ruins she would take to the night, searching for the ones that had caused harm to her men. When she came it would be as a demon in the darkness and, unless they were ready for it, she would kill them all. All of them, just to get Wesley and myself back into her grasp. I was the Priestess; I was meant to lead an army to victory. I could not be lost in the wildfire that tore through the mountains at this time. I was a part of the mighty plan. She just had no clue how much of a part I was going to play.
BOOK 4
FIZZLE
Prologue
Breathe.
I found myself thinking this over and over for three days. This constant reminder would keep me alive during these hard days. I would find that I kept myself from taking breaths when I was lost in thought.
Breathe.
The council of the Incubi had not allowed my transfer, or for Aaron to see me. My parents were there as well but were gagged by Mona’s spell. Nobody could tell them who the girl was whom they kept under lock and key in the dark room. I was a prisoner in my own mind as well. I was not allowed to say who I was; as long as I was Prudence there was no way that I could be Dawn. Then I had to think of the leak in the organization. What would Nick do if he found out that we all knew? Would he instantly strike against us, spoiling the whole plan?
The room was heavily guarded; they believed I was a threat. So, holding the threat at bay, they bound me in a neutralizing chamber, where no powers could be used. Trust me, I tried. Telepathic links were severed before they could even begin. I tried to reach my brother, but instead, there was a sharp pain in my temporal lobe. It felt like a nuclear ‘busy’ signal and it would drop me to my knees, screaming.
Only one person ever came to see me. He was handsome: tall, dark hair, dark eyes, and a thin smile. Never spoke one word to me, just watched. The few times he touched me were simply to move me from one location to another. I wondered what he was studying when he looked at me. Then again, the incubus alone was a confusing concept.
Breathe, Dawn. Breathe.
I never fought, never raised a single spark towards anyone. Yet they treated me like an animal in a cage, where my only companion was darkness. For those three days, I sat in silence and played out the events in my head. It was too soon. They shouldn’t have attacked the encampment; I was working on a plan, damn it! Now they had Wesley and had locked me away.
I’m not the criminal here!
The fourth day seemed different than the other days. I could smell the mountain air, taste its freshness on my tongue. I could hear Marshall screaming my name and his hands shaking me violently.
Wait!
“Marshall?” I cracked my eyes, looking up at him.
His face was bruised and his lip busted. He reached down and pushed my dirty blonde hair from my face. I had never been so happy to see someone in my life.
“Miss Prudence.” He smiled at me as I clasped his face with my hands and smothered him in kisses.
“Oh, Marshall.” I wrapped my arms around him. The boy was shaking.
I heard someone clear their throat and my eyes shot around, landing on Aaron’s face. He loo
ked the same. Pale with sparkling blue eyes, his lips were curved up in a smile. Looking at him brought an ache to my heart. If it had not been for me he would not be where he was now. On the other hand, immortality had suited him well.
“I would have come sooner,” Aaron said to me as he helped me stand. My knees wobbled, but I found my composure.
“No, it’s OK, I understand,” I answered delicately. My throat was killing me.
“My orders were to be your guard upon arrival. However, as you can see my orders were changed when the plan was two days ahead of schedule.” He tightened his lips together in a thin line. “It’s good to see you again, Prudence.”
“I have missed you,” I said to him as he held open the door at the end of the hall.
The last three days faded into nothing as I gripped Marshall and Aaron’s hands tightly. They led me from the dank room and into the light outside the door.
“I have mi …” The words fell from his lips.
The moment the lights hit my eyes I felt a sharp pain in my temple. I pulled my hand free from Marshall’s and put it to the side of my face. The pain was numbing to nothing. Then I pulled away from my temple and looked down at the liquid. I ran my thumbs over the drops; they were wet and sticky as I viewed the red blood on my fingers.
There was so much screaming! I didn’t even feel my body hit the concrete. Hands, lots of hands, grabbed at me. I focused my eyes on Aaron’s. He was speaking, the words were unknown, mute. The world faded, and I was falling.
Breathe.
Part One:
Prudence Must Die
Chapter One: Tunnels
I felt as if I was floating. The wind was holding me up, carrying me along with the breeze as if I was on a cloud. I had no pain, no remorse, and no regret. All I had was peace.
“Dawn?” I could hear Mona’s voice on the breeze.
“Don’t bother her. I believe she’s been through enough for one day. There was no time to even warn her.” My father spoke loudly.
“The plan went perfectly,” Mona groaned.
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