by J L Lawrence
“Yeah, I think we’ll be covered in that department. But I also don’t want my muscles and bones to be jelly if I’m gonna have to fight.” Angie had been trying to work the kinks out of her arms and legs, while wiping sweat out of her eyes.
Kate was grateful, as Xander used his magic and freshened up both her and Angie.
Gregory held up his hands and smiled. “Okay, okay, I get it. We’ll take a short run and only do a few other exercises for today, since we don’t want to tire the humans out.” They both glared at him. “But we’re going to have to spend a lot of time working on strength and endurance at some point.” He looked over at Angie. “Especially for you.”
“I don’t need the constant reminder. I know I’m human and will stay human. I get it, all right?” Angie moved directly in front of him. “Everyone doesn’t have to keep reminding me how hard I’ll have to work to fit in your world. I’ll gain the strength I need and the knowledge to defeat the damn demons. I won’t be put on the sidelines, so I’ll learn to fight just like any of you.”
She enunciated each word with a poke to his chest. She grabbed her bag and marched a little ways into the forest, with her arms across her chest. She leaned back against a tree, avoiding Kate’s stare. An outburst like that was unusual for Angie.
Gregory whistled. “Touchy subject, I see.”
“What was that about?” Xander asked.
“It’s hard on Angie, knowing she’ll be the only human in your world. She’s a fighter by nature and used to being the best. Now, she constantly feels like the weak link.” She could understand what Angie was feeling since lately she felt the same way herself most of the time. But, at least she’d gain powers at some point; Angie didn’t even have that coming her way. She was stuck having to deal with the friction between her and Gregory. She missed their team. It was a challenge to trust new people.
Xander pulled Kate’s back against his chest and kissed her lightly. “She’s good, and she’ll learn how to hold her own and be that much better for it.”
“Maybe, but she’ll never be able to go back to a normal life after this, will she?” Kate didn’t wait for his answer. She already knew it. “She’ll always feel out of place like I have all my life. I don’t want that for her, but I can’t do all this without her. How selfish does that make me?” Kate sighed and tried to believe there was a special destiny out there for Angie in this new world. That way, she might feel like she was meant to be in the magical communities. But it would never be a natural fit.
Xander tucked her head under his chin and rubbed her arms. “Not at all. We all depend on someone to see us through. I need Gregory and Xavier. You need Angie. This is not a battle that can be won alone. It takes hundreds of people, maybe thousands. We have to remember, we are doing this to save mankind from a fate worse than death. Angie wouldn’t have it any other way, nor would you if you were in her shoes. In your heart, you know this.”
Kate relaxed against him, letting his strength and belief in her convince her she was doing the right thing. She felt caught in a constant state of turmoil. Everything she had always clung to didn’t seem to make sense anymore. The world was a brand new place she didn’t understand. She’d have to make new friends and create a new family in a place that couldn’t be found on a map. She hadn’t asked for any of this, but it was her burden to bear. Would she see it through? What would be the final cost? She needed to take a stand but it was easier said than done.
As Angie walked back toward them, Gregory finished stretching. He sauntered over to her and punched her lightly in the shoulder. “Let’s head out,” he said with a grin, then started running, leaving everyone else to catch up.
Angie groaned as she tried to keep pace. “Did I ever tell you how much I hate running?” she asked, panting. After a bit, she started massaging her side, but eventually moved into a rhythm.
Kate smiled, keeping a steady pace. “At least it’s not five in the morning.”
Angie harrumphed, and they stayed silent and focused for the rest of the run. Sweat drenched Kate’s clothing and ran down her face, but she refused to quit.
They doubled back and finished at the riverbank, not far from camp. Kate and Angie sat down to cool off and stretch. Xander and Gregory hadn’t even broken a sweat. That was so not fair. Kate could feel her own face was red from the heat and exertion. Even her ears were burning. Once she became the Mystic, she fully intended to give them the workout from Hell. It was only fair.
Gregory laid down and rolled over on his stomach. “Push-ups and squats next, and not the girly kind either.” He was enjoying this.
Kate glared. They rolled over and endured yet another torture session. Oh yeah, she was going to make the guys suffer some day real soon. Kate focused on those thoughts to get her back to camp.
Angie snickered, as Kate used their link to show her the plans for her revenge. Once they got back to camp, the atmosphere became filled with renewed tension. The time drew closer to Gregory’s departure. During the workout, everyone had forgotten about it, or at least it wasn’t on the forefront of their minds.
Xander nodded toward Kate. “We finished a little earlier than expected. Why don’t you and Angie catch an hour of sleep, while Gregory and I finish up details and get ready?”
For once, she didn’t argue at all.
Not even a peep.
* * *
Preparing for the worst-case scenario, Xavier flashed into Xander and Gregory’s meeting. Xander knew his brother was uncomfortable and hoped to stay in the shadows while Gregory was gone. Existing in a realm where emotions were muted, Xavier had difficulty coping with the clarity in this realm.
Xander reached out to help soothe him. He kept praying for a miracle. The emotions coursing through Xavier threatened to overwhelm him, but Xander could tell he held them back.
“Xavier, it’s great to see you.” They embraced. Xander held on a little longer. It felt good to actually feel his brother in the flesh, instead of only a presence in his mind. But Xavier wouldn’t be able to control his emotions for long. He had to relearn everything in this world. “Let’s go through everything before the girls wake up.”
Xander watched his twin closely as they covered all of the information. Xavier’s nervous twitches and the sweat on his brow proved he was shaken, but Xander could feel the strength in him wanting to break free. His greatest desire was to come out of the shadows and be the warrior he once was.
“I will take a look at the demons’ position before you leave, Gregory,” Xavier said. His voice held confidence and composure, whether he truly was or not. “Then I’ll be in the Shadow Realm right here at the campsite. If there is an attack, I’ll try to bring them in the shadows. If need be, I can step out and fight.”
Xander could sense Xavier’s reluctance to have a fight in this realm, where his emotions were rampant and hard to control. He could only hope his brother could handle it when the time came. Likely, he would have to fight sooner than later. “Hopefully, nothing will happen, and everything will go smoothly, but I’m counting on you if we do get attacked.” Xander stared at Xavier, wanting a commitment.
“Have I let you down so far?” Xavier snapped, scowling. Xander glared at him, but Gregory put a stop to their interchange.
“Ladies, pardon the interruption,” Gregory said. “But I’m going to leave out in about thirty minutes. I’ll break off communication so nothing traces me to you, and I will travel at a high rate of speed to get a good distance away. That will leave a window of fifteen to twenty minutes when there is no communication. Our greatest weakness is in that time frame. The possibility of a traitor worries me the most. Have you or Zane been able to trace anything?”
“No,” Xavier said. “But I’ve checked all around the campsite for any life forms and will again before you leave. Once I’m in the shielded area, it will be hard for me to see anything coming, traitor or demon.” Xander noticed Xavier was beginning to fidget and knew he wanted to return to the shadows. He fully m
erged their minds to siphon off some of the emotions.
Xavier took a deep breath. “One possibility that Zane discovered is that of a forced traitor.”
“What the hell is that?” Xander growled and started pacing. It wasn’t like they needed anything new to deal with.
“It’s actually not as bad as you think. This means that the traitor might actually be a good person under duress. Their conscience would be clear in regards to how we search for evil. Maybe Fury captured a loved one or Braxus dreamed up something even more horrible. Maybe they were manipulated into believing they are doing the right thing. Any of these scenarios would make it much more difficult to find a traitor, because they simply aren’t one on the conscious level. Zane has begun using everything at his disposal to target the subconscious level.” Xavier shrugged.
Xander decided to switch to their mental link. “So basically, this person is impossible to track. How is this supposed to make me feel better? Could you not have told me these ideas after the girls are safe? Now, I have one more issue to figure out.” This whole mission had gone from bad, to worse, to miserable. Xander had come to the realization that he would probably not survive, but he had to make sure that Kate made it to the magical realm, where she would be safe until the battle.
“No, Xander, you don’t get it. If a person is not evil, then there is still hope for undoing the damage. If we can figure out the problem, we can set them free. It’s worth a try. Zane has it covered. All you have to do is stay focused on the task at hand and get to the Meadows. For now, we will keep this between us, until we know more.” Xander honestly thought it was a fool’s errand, but maybe Zane needed something to hold onto, like him. He needed to refocus and worry about the next few hours.
After finalizing details, Xander felt fairly confident that they had everything ready. Gregory packed his backpack, while he and Xavier discussed last minute signals and strategies that they could use in both realms.
Xander glanced at his brother and struggled against the doubt swirling in his gut. Would Xavier be able to fight off demons if there was an attack? He looked toward the girls’ tent, and knots of dread tightened in the pit of his stomach. This could end very badly.
* * *
As Kate stepped out of the tent, she caught sight of two Xanders and gasped. Her eyes darted back and forth to make sense. After the initial shock, she began to notice subtle differences between the two, and realized she was finally meeting Xavier. It was the weirdest feeling, looking at a replica of Xander, with the exception of a small scar across Xavier’s cheek and a dimple in his chin. Their eyes were an identical blue, and their dark brown hair had been cut in the same length and style.
Xavier wasn’t as filled out as Xander, but Kate suspected it was because of all the time Xavier had spent in the Shadows, not eating and sleeping properly. Catching herself staring and feeling stupid, she smiled at Xavier and held out her hand. “Xavier, it’s so nice to finally meet you. You’ve helped us tremendously and provided for us. Thank you.”
He cleared his throat and shook her hand. A slight flush appeared on his cheeks. “No problem, it’s nice to meet you too.”
Kate smiled gently, sensing how uncomfortable he was, and how hard it was for him to stay outside the Shadows. Angie stepped up behind Kate and touched her shoulder. Through their link, Kate noticed Angie’s shock and instant connection to Xavier. Like a moth to a flame. She could feel the pull inside Angie to move closer to him. Kate turned and reached behind her. “Xavier, this is my friend, Angie.”
“Nice to meet you, Angie.” Xavier stepped forward to shake Angie’s hand. Their hands touched. Kate felt the electrical current pass between the two. Her entire body responded to their energy surge, trying to pull it in for her own power.
Angie’s head jerked up to look into Xavier’s eyes. They stared for a few seconds before he broke the contact, clearly shaken. He backed up toward Xander.
Feeling the power of the connection, Kate nearly doubled over. She reached for Xander to stabilize the energy pulsing through her. What the hell?
Chapter 8
“I’ll be in touch and waiting,” Xavier said, while looking blankly at Xander.
Angie cocked her head. “What was that about?”
Xander shrugged, with a bewildered look on his face, anchoring Kate’s powers. “I have no idea. It’s different than anything I have experienced.”
Kate shook her head. Electricity still singed the air. “That was intense. I could feel the currents of energy moving through me.” Her blood continued to pump from the energy at an alarming rate.
“You’re the bloody Mystic,” Gregory growled. “Energy is supposed to move through you. Don’t you pay attention?”
Xander took a step toward him. “Hey man, what’s your problem? Don’t snap at Kate if you’re having jealousy issues.”
Gregory froze, and his pupils dilated to a solid black. “Jealousy—what?” He moved toward Xander, clearly looking for a fight.
Silently willing Angie’s help, Kate nodded toward her. So she stepped up and placed her hands on Gregory’s chest to distract him. This was the last thing they needed right now. Kate wrung her hands to soothe her nerves. Besides, it had happened to Angie, not him. “It was probably nothing. People shock people every day. It’s called static electricity. But right now, we need to focus on the task at hand.”
Kate finally had control of her internal energy and knew Gregory needed to get moving. Angie’s mind was still scattered from the encounter, so Kate sent her calming energy. She reached down and grabbed his backpack. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah, I’m ready. Sorry about that, not sure what came over me. For some reason, Xavier always brings out the worst in me. We never could see eye to eye on anything.” He slung his backpack over his shoulder and looked at Xander. “Sorry, man.”
“We’re cool. Get this over with quickly. I’ll feel a lot better once you’re back and we’re on the move. I think we’re all going to be strung tight until we get to the Meadows.” He paused. Kate held her breath, afraid he’d start an argument again. “I also know at some point you and Xavier need to work out your issues. This battle is going to be a rough one, and your focus needs to stay clear. That will be difficult if you two still have unresolved crap causing problems. Maybe that’s something we can work on once we’re in a secure place.” Xander grabbed Gregory’s forearms. “For now, be careful and be safe.”
Gregory nodded. “I know you’re right, and we do need to at least call a truce and begin working together. Our focus needs to stay on the Mystic and the survival of the world. If only it was that easy.” He walked through the trees and disappeared.
Kate tried to feel relief, but couldn’t help a sense of foreboding that was weighing heavily in her chest. She kept herself busy with small tasks around the campsite.
* * *
Xander watched Gregory walk away. Since he was still fully connected to Xavier, he picked up on his brother’s hatred for his best friend. Xavier wanted to lock down the camp so Gregory couldn’t get back, like a child pitching a fit, because he didn’t get his way. His bigger concern of the moment was his brother’s reaction to Angie. He wasn’t an idiot and neither was Xavier. They both knew what it meant. Angie was a strong candidate to be his mate. When Rowena had refused to bless Lily and Xavier’s union, she had told him then that his destiny lay within the human world, where he would be blessed with an incredible connection worthy of his lineage.
Xavier had been furious and refused to listen. He wasn’t a huge fan of humans. Xander hadn’t even known about the prophecy until Lily had died, and he had transferred part of the sorrow from Xavier to himself. Regardless, Xavier firmly believed he could never have a mate again. He wouldn’t survive it, especially not a human one.
He also couldn’t deny his possessive instincts or overwhelming attraction to Angie. Xander had his doubts and distanced himself from the connection as best he could. No one knew better than him that you can’t outr
un destiny. It knocks you flat on your ass and makes you its puppet.
Xander cleaned and packed everything up. But only a couple of minutes had passed. He had to do something to make the time go a little quicker, or they would be basket cases by the end of the night. Xander turned back to the girls, hoping they had some ideas. “So, what do you want to do to pass the time?”
Unfortunately, he never got their answer, as their protection alarms began shrieking.
“The demons are here!” Xavier thundered into Xander’s head. “They’ve surrounded us! There must be an informant or a damn good Seer, or both, who informed them the second Gregory left. He felt the shift in power, but they have trapped him in some sort of magical prison. He is skilled enough to break through, but it will take time. They flashed straight into our location, and they’re coming with a hell of a lot of power. Braxus is even lending his powers to bring in enough cloud cover for many of the demons to operate. We are screwed. The shields won’t hold up if an Omega adds to their power.” Xander prayed the shields would hold. He wasn’t sure if Xavier could fight in the Human Realm.
Xander immediately positioned himself in front of the girls. He pushed his conversation with Xavier into Kate’s mind and heard her responding, Oh shit! She sent the information to Angie who immediately jumped up.
Xander scanned the area. They were surrounded...
The solid tree cover mixed with all of the clouds gave the advantage to the demons. Kate and Angie grabbed their swords. They stood back to back, ready to fight.
The clouds darkened.
The demons came closer, snarling and snapping their teeth
Rain soaked them and turned the ground into slippery mush. Darkness continued to descend like an eclipse. There was no escape.
* * *
Kate looked at Xander. “Can they come through the shield?” She tried to keep her voice from shaking. “Why is it getting darker?”
“They shouldn’t be able to. Our magic is absolute against demons. But if Braxus is using his power to bring in the weather changes, he’ll probably break through the shield. He won’t waste an opportunity. Your full mystic powers are the only thing that could hold the shield against him. Gregory is locked in some sort of spell, so I don’t know how long it will take him to get here. I’m so sorry, Kate. We shouldn’t have risked it.” Xander circled them. His eyes darted in all directions, to be ready for the attack.