Kate skipped over, a smile on her face. “I love the chase.”
Really? That wasn’t something I’d noticed about her before. She’d been pretty quiet over the last few weeks, frustrated with herself for not being able to read Lucien’s movements. However, finally being able to give us some clues had boosted her confidence. It made a big difference.
Retreating, Jake went behind the van to shift. Shifters sometimes had a thing about shifting in front of people, especially when not in fight or flight mode. Not that I minded, it looked extremely painful when their bones cracked and realigned.
“Dave, you’ve laid out a brilliant brief and plan of attack, thank you.”
His cheeks flared red as he gave me a curt nod. “No problem.”
“Jake’s in front, Gemma and Dave behind, me bringing up the rear. No problem.” Kate tied her big bouncy hair into a bun, her brown eyes alight with excitement.
Nerves made my hands shake as I tightened my own ponytail. My leather trousers were paired with knee high boots and a T-shirt that read Fantasy is the new Reality. The open book and quill pen shimmered gold when the sunlight brushed against it. I was ready for the fight.
“We only have half an hour before the darkness comes. We’d better hurry.” Dave waved the wolf form of Jake over as he came out from behind the van.
The size of him always shocked me. He was almost as tall as me, his bright blue eyes looking straight into mine as he huffed his dog breath in my direction. Reaching up to stroke him behind the ear, I grinned to myself when Dave huffed in a similar fashion. Surely, he wasn’t jealous?
“It’s time,” my desk friend said as an alarm on his wristwatch beeped.
Glancing at each one of them, I nodded. “It’s time.”
Without another word, Jake took the lead. We were in the street outside Battersea. The other teams were assembled. Dave had his tablet on him, ready to call them in for backup if needed. Passing the walkie talkie to Kate, I allowed her to take control of communication. I would be too busy trying to kill the serial killer.
Well, kill was a strong word. I had to try and get him alive, but if he wouldn’t come alive, I would take him back dead. I wasn’t messing around anymore. Too many lives were at stake.
Following Jake, Dave and I kept our focus on the building in front of us. The old power station rose tall, its height disturbing to me. What if Lucien used that to his advantage?
The walkie crackled as we ducked through a broken doorway, the previous door completely gone. “We can detect movement on the ground in the very centre of the clearing,” one of our field agents said.
Kate affirmed, her voice low as we slunk into the shadows. There were outer walls, but the inside was completely empty. It was open to the elements, the inside and roof completely vanished. That would make it harder for us to hide, but also for them to hide too. They had no advantage.
“Is that...?” Dave whispered.
My gaze focused on where he pointed. Yep, in the middle of the area, Xvair’s house sat proudly. The bastard had physically moved it. Did they know that we were here? I hadn’t felt any barrier spell.
“Let’s go.” My order was followed as Jake trotted out, straight towards the house.
Our footsteps were silent as we walked in a line. Grabbing my gun, I kept it beside me as I checked around us. Dave was doing the same, his eyes not staying fixed to any one thing.
Sniffing the air, Jake growled low in his throat. The sound was barely audible, but I heard it as he burst into a run, heading straight for the house.
Hesitating, I held back for two seconds. When Jake ran freely for a while, I picked up my pace, Dave and Kate following closely behind. What was going on? This was too easy.
“Keep on guard,” I told the others as we got nearer the house.
Jake stood at the bottom of the steps, his head nudging my side when I reached him. He looked at the door, seemingly indicating that they were in there. When his huge nose sniffed again, I nodded to confirm that I understood.
“My turn to lead,” I whispered as quietly as I could to Dave and Kate.
Leaving Jake to keep guard, we crept up the steps. Trying the handle of the door, I cringed when it opened freely. Too easy, way too easy.
Pushing my shoulder, Dave indicated that we should go in. Maybe Lucien had been expecting us, and decided to welcome us with open arms. He was confident in his power, yet not aware that I’d visited the ancestors.
Our feet were quiet on the wooden floorboards as I led us into the hallway. Sticking my head around the archways of several rooms, I shook it to let the others know it was clear.
Dave pointed at the library. I hadn’t wanted to go in there, my heart tripping at the idea of meeting Lucien in a place full of beauty. My skin tingled as I followed my desk friend, my breath rushing out of me when we found the place vacant.
The whole place was empty, I could feel it within me. So, why had Jake led us here? He must have smelt our killer.
About to go up the stairs, we all halted when a howl, followed by a squeal, sounded from outside. We were running before any of us said anything. Jake.
Flinging open the door, I tried to go outside, but my whole body jolted as it smashed into an invisible wall. On the porch, Lucien stared straight at me, his eyes wild. Jake’s wolf form was at the bottom of the steps, blood evident on his side.
“What have you done?” Fury exploded inside me as spittle flew from my lips.
Pressing my hands against the barrier wall, I pushed my magic into it, my anger propelling it into the spell. A slow cracking alerted me to the shattering of the wall. My hands fell through, my feet able to exit the house.
Lucien backtracked, his feet stumbling down the steps as I charged for him. My face screwed up; I could feel the distortion of my mouth as I gritted my teeth.
Throwing up his hand, Lucien screamed a spell. A brush of flames licked me as I burst through the circle of fire he’d tried to place around me.
“I don’t think so!” he shouted.
My brain suddenly squeezed, the pain forcing me to my knees. Shit, the bastard was using my own spell against me. The others were on the ground behind me, their faces contorted in agony. If he could stop me, he could kill them. My magic thrummed through me, as powerful as it had been when I was connected to the ley line. I was the only one who could stop him.
“I’m here to ask you to marry me,” I shoved through my teeth. Yeah, it was a weird lie and one that just popped from my mouth.
The pain decreased, my breath able to suck into my lungs. As I glanced around, the others started to get to their feet.
“This is between us,” Lucien shouted, his finger clicking.
Both Dave and Kate dropped to the floor, their eyes rolling into the back of their head. I stared at them, watching their chests to make sure they were alive. They were.
Turning back to the mass murderer, I tried to steady the rapid beat of my heart and the shake of my muscles. It was just me and him now. The extended team would join me soon, hopefully seeing that I was alone out here.
“You’re on your own now. You’ve treated me so badly, Gemma. All I ever wanted was for us to be married.”
“Where’s your father?” I changed the subject, not quite ready to talk weddings.
Cocking his head to the side, he stared at me.
Studying him, I took in the light ginger stubble on his chin, the grey eyes and the mousey hair that was cropped at the sides, longer on top. He wore jeans and a black cotton shirt. He looked like a normal man in his thirties. However, he was a psychotic serial killer with a father to match.
“He’s popped out for some milk.” The smirk that accompanied his words made my stomach flip.
Closing my eyes briefly, I pulled on the ancestors’ magic as hard as I could. I wasn’t going to stand around and chat. It was time to bring him in.
“That’s a shame, he won’t see his son fail.” Throwing out my hand, I envisioned binds wrapped around Lucien
.
They instantly appeared as the ground vibrated. The magic was working. His eyes widened as long vines entangled themselves around him, trapping his arms to his sides and his legs together.
“No, you cannot do this. What is this?” He struggled hard, his eyes rolling around as he tried to get free.
Holding the spell, I kept my focus completely on him. He shouted the same spell as before, but I blocked it with a reversal spell. He almost went on his knees when it hit him square in the head.
Laughter suddenly erupted from him as he incited a water spell. A circle appeared around me and water poured from the sky. It instantly started to rise, unable to break free of the invisible tube that surrounded me.
“Really?” I screamed as he carried on laughing.
He was still trapped, but his magic was strong. If I didn’t get backup soon, he might have been able to break free of the bounds. Glancing around, I punched the invisible barrier that circulated around me. The water was up to my knees now, the thundering of it drowning out my pleas for help.
Peering through my prison, I searched for the agents who should’ve been assisting us. There they were, trapped outside by another barrier spell. We’d given them instructions on how to get through spells like that, but they were thrusting against it uselessly, unable to break through.
“If you let me go, I’ll let you go!” Lucien cried. “I’ve had enough of fighting. Let’s get married and have a baby.”
The crazed look in his eyes prevented him from keeping eye contact with me. The water was cold against my butt as it rose even higher. If I didn’t break the wall, I would drown.
Pushing against the barrier, I repeated what I had done earlier to get free from the house. He had obviously learnt his lesson, because this time, it didn’t work. He had me solidly trapped. Just like I did him.
“Give up!” I shouted. “You’re disgusting. I’m never allowing you near me.”
Snarling, he pulled his lips back from his clenched teeth and seethed. The pink in his cheeks grew red as he muttered a few words. Shit, he had speeded up the spell. Water was literally crawling up my stomach, over my chest and to my neck.
Maybe provoking him hadn’t been the best idea. Keeping him placated had worked better in the past. I should’ve kept my cool, but my agent head had disappeared. Okay, it was time to disconnect from the personal.
“Gemma,” someone shouted from behind me. “Duck!”
Duck? In an invisible tank of water? What was Dave playing at? Sucking air into my lungs, I did as he said, forcing myself under the water. A smash of what sounded like glass echoed around me as the water poured away, leaving me choking on the floor.
“End it!” Dave shouted, although it sounded like he was-
Spinning to look at him, I scrambled to my feet. He was hovering in the air, his face turning blue. Lucien was strangling him to death. Running over to Dave, I grabbed his leg and tried to pull him to the ground. My fingers burnt where I touched him.
“I’ve got some...” he muttered, even though he could hardly breathe.
What did he mean? Suddenly, Dave’s head exploded. Blood rained down on me as I screamed, unable to look away from the gaping hole where his head had been. His body released to the floor amid the sounds of laughter coming from Lucien.
Turning slowly, I wiped the blood from my face. My gaze found the killer’s as he stared at me, his laughter fading away.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “That was a bit thoughtless. I was going to ask him to be best man.”
Before I could think about what I was doing, I created a circle around Lucien. He was still unable to get free of his binds.
“You’ll pay for that.” My words were quiet as I stayed where I was.
Reciting the spell that Helga had used to bring back my father, I concentrated within the circle, using my power to open up a hole from the underworld.
“What the...?” Lucien’s struggle intensified when the demon that Joseph had called upon appeared.
The hovering black shadow had bright red eyes and stared at me before turning its attention to Lucien.
Tears streamed down my face as the image of Dave’s death played over in my mind. My breathing was laboured as I held the spell, not strong enough to keep it going for long. My best friend had just died right in front of my face because of the bastard who had already killed so many people.
It was his time to pay.
“Don’t!” Lucien cried. “There’s something you should know. I’ll surrender.”
The demon flew around Lucien a couple of times, eyeing him up. That was good, hopefully the evil thing would kill him slowly.
“What should I know?” I screamed, unable to control the power that suddenly erupted in me.
Vibrations in the ground moved my feet as I watched the demon get closer to my enemy. Maybe I wasn’t using the best resources, but the witch had to pay.
“Brianna!” Lucien’s statement made me pause.
“Gemma,” Dave’s voice came from beside me.
Looking around, I almost tripped over my feet. He caught me, his smile widening when he shook his head. “You’ve always been a little clumsy, even when you are at your most powerful.”
“How are you here?” I was at a loss as to why he was alive after what I had just witnessed.
“Gemma!” Lucien screamed when the demon reached towards him. “Listen to me!”
Shrugging, Dave took my hand. “I’m an illusionist witch, remember?”
Almost shoving him away, I concentrated on Lucien. What had he said about Brianna? Dave’s re-appearance had totally thrown me off track. The demon was hesitating as he flew around Lucien. What would he do?
“I need to concentrate,” I told Dave.
“I know, let me help you to keep that demon trapped in that circle.” Taking my hand, he forced me to allow my magic to flow through him.
Actually, my power instantly surged, allowing me to focus. If the demon did try to escape before my spell dropped, it wouldn’t be good.
“What about Brianna?” I shouted to Lucien as a swift wind picked up.
He was draining the magic. Shit, if I didn’t stop him right now, he would take us all down with him. No longer looking at me, he watched the demon. When he heard my voice, he glanced at me, the demon’s head turning to look too. That thing had a problem with me, it was obvious by the way its red eyes flared.
The corner of Lucien’s lip sunk into his cheek as an evil grin emerged. “You might have got the better of me, but I have her. She’s trapped, unable to get out. If she doesn’t feed soon, she’ll desiccate and you’ll never find her.”
Not bothering to wait, I thrust the last of my power towards the circle. It was then it clicked as to why Archie’s name had come up during the conversation. He was a fellow vampire, a close companion to Brianna. Was he now aware of her predicament? Had he tried to communicate with the kidnappers, or had they approached him first? Well, whatever transpired, Kate had seen the correspondence in her vision and all would be revealed in due course.
The link was getting weaker as my heart thundered in my head. Brianna would be fine, he was bluffing.
The demon glanced at me as I glared back, my feelings enforced with a new sense of power.
“Get him!” My words were loud as they travelled across to the pair.
Lucien’s eyes widened as he wiggled against his binds, trying desperately to escape.
The demon lunged for him just as I conjured the spell that allowed the earth to open up.
A vast hole exhumed and the demon, though eager to consume its victim, was pulled by the powers that lurked below. However, its arms managed to wrap around Lucien, dragging him down into the abyss with him. Blood splattered over my invisible wall as the echo of Lucien’s screams faded away and the hole closed up.
“Gemma!” Kate called from where she crouched over Jake.
My magic slowly started to filter up my legs. The line, it was strong again.
Lucien had been disconnected as soon as he’d been dragged to wherever the demon dwelled.
Turning, I almost collapsed as tears stung my eyes. Dave held me tightly, his arms almost crushing me against his solid chest. “You did it...” he whispered.
“I used evil against evil.” My muttered words were met with raised eyebrows as we gazed at one another. Adrenaline still pumped within my veins, but I was so relieved that Dave hadn’t died.
“Is he okay?” I shouted, kicking myself into gear.
Giving me a thumbs up, she instructed the first agent who reached us to get a paramedic for our shifter friend. Running to them, I bent down and checked Jake over. He had shifted back to human form, a cringe on his face. He had a gash in his side, but his eyes blinked up at me. “I’m good,” he said through clenched teeth as a Paranormal MI5 medic arrived.
Kate tapped my shoulder before she threw her arms around me. “I’m glad you’re okay, but...” Pulling away, she paused as she looked down at her phone. “...look what your mother sent. It just arrived in every Paranormal MI5’s agents’ inbox.”
Glancing at the photo she showed me, I gasped.
Tied to a wall in a cavernous dwelling, was my friend, Brianna. Lucien hadn’t been lying. He had captured my friend, which meant that I had to find her.
My mother would never allow me to take time off work. Which meant only one thing.
I would have to give up being an agent while I rescued my friend.
The last book in the Paranormal MI5 series is here! Grab Spells & Magic HERE now.
*
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by Rachel Medhurst
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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