CHAPTER 10
They landed in a heap on the floor of Riley’s Vancouver apartment. Still numb with shock, she lashed out at Max, kicking, punching, screaming herself hoarse. He made no move to defend himself, just let her fury and grief run its course. Finally, she collapsed in exhaustion. Tears still streaming down her face, eyes heavy with sorrow, she croaked, “Why? Why did you kill Sarri?”
Slowly, Max got to his feet, his whole body aching. “She is not dead, wounded, yes. She will have a nasty scar but she will live.”
Riley sat up, eyes wide with disbelief. “Alive? Are you sure? Blood, so much blood.”
“I had to make it look good. A mere nip would not have convinced Mylor or the other members of the Higher Echelon.” He winced when she hurled herself at him, squeezing him tight.
She drew back. “Sorry, I should not have hurt you. I should have had more faith in you. I know that you will never hurt me or those that I love.”
Max looked away. It was true that he could not hurt her. Guardians were incapable of hurting their charges. But he would hurt someone she loved if that person was a threat to her. His sole reason for being, his purpose, was to protect her. She had a destiny to fulfill and he was charged with keeping her alive.
Riley moved around her apartment with a sense of disbelief. It felt familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Not quite a stranger in her home, but not completely at home either. She felt so different from the person who had had lived here, who had moved around these rooms, who had touched these things, who had picked out the furniture. Walking into the kitchen, she realized how hungry she was. Rummaging in the fridge, she sniffed at the carton of milk, fixed herself a bowl of cereal, and opened a can of dog food for Max. Watching him wolf down his meal, she asked, “What now? Do we hide out here forever? What will happen between the Dark Mages and the Light Bringers if I do not return to Avalyss?”
“We wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“A sign.”
Riley stared at him in exasperation. “What sign? Why are you being so bloody cryptic?”
Sighing, he walked over to her, put his head in her lap. “All I know is that we have to sit tight until we are summoned.”
“Well, that helps a lot. What shall I do until then?”
He walked over to the door. “Since we don’t know how long we’ll have to wait, why don’t you go to work? The bills need to be paid and we have to eat.”
Her mouth fell open in surprise. “Work? Good God, do I still have a job? I have been gone for weeks.”
“Time moves differently in Avalyss. In this world, you have only been gone a few hours.”
She looked out the window, the sun was just peeking above the horizon, the sky tinged with pink, crimson and orange. She stood motionless for a minute, drinking in the beauty of the sunrise. Shaking her head in disbelief, she set about getting ready for work.
Although it was still early morning, the streets of downtown Vancouver were already clogged with traffic, the city throbbing with activity and urgency. It took Riley twenty minutes to walk to work from her apartment in the English Bay area. She worked in the Accounting department of a large financial firm nestled on the top floor of a tall office building near the Waterfront. From her office window, she had an excellent view of the cruise ship terminal, watching the ships arrive and leave. Staring at her overflowing in-tray, she reflected on how different her life had been in Avalyss where she had discovered and learned how to use her powers. Suddenly she sat up straight, a sneaking suspicion forming in her mind. Concentrating on her open filing cabinet while reaching for what Toom had called her inner power center, she felt something shift inside her, and the file that she wanted leaped into the air, flew across the room and landed at her feet, the contents spilling out on the carpet. A thrill coursed through her. It was real and not a dream, as the logical part of her mind kept screaming over and over. Hearing a sound, she looked up and saw Polly leaning against the doorjamb, wearing a surprised look. Wondering how long she had been standing there, and how much she had seen, Riley greeted her as normally as she could.
Polly rubbed her eyes and laughed. “Good Morning, I must be imagining things. I thought I saw a file folder flying through the air.”
Riley bent to retrieve the folder, hiding her sudden flush. “Flying file folders? Sounds like you have been working too hard.”
A self-proclaimed workaholic, Polly laughed. “No such thing. Work is fun. People who say that accounting is boring have no sense.”
Rail thin with big, owl like glasses, a mane of shiny hair, and wearing an odious orange sweater sprinkled with pink bows, one of her own outlandish hand knit creations, Polly Fila was not only a fellow accountant but a friend. Riley longed to tell her about Avalyss but stopped herself. Logical, practical Polly would not believe a word she said and would probably fasten the straitjacket herself.
“Your 9am appointment is here,” Polly interrupted her thoughts.
Riley scrambled for her appointment book. “What? I don’t have any meetings scheduled.”
Polly grinned. “He is a potential client, wants to know more about our accounting set up. Offered to fill him in myself but he specifically asked for you. Some girls have all the luck.” At Riley’s blank look, she continued, “he is a serious hunk, straighten your blazer, brush your hair and wipe that lipstick off your teeth.”
“I don’t have time for hunks. Need to finish up the quarterly financial statements.”
“Trust me this one is worth making the time for. He’s waiting for you in the Boardroom.”
More than a little annoyed, Riley stalked down the hallway. Hunk or no hunk, she considered this a huge waste of her time. He was looking out the window, dressed in a snug business suit, his hair snaked back in a ponytail. Ponytail? She mused, some hunk. As he turned her heart whooshed to her throat, she stumbled and he grabbed her arm to steady her. She jerked her arm free as his fingers seared her flesh. His amber eyes burned into hers, branding her soul. She flushed at the memory of their last encounter, heard the blood pounding through her veins as all her senses sprang to life. Embarrassed at her physical response, she sank into the nearest chair. “What are you doing here?”
Cole’s physical reaction to her had been swift and unmistakable. He was sure all his blood was no longer in his head. The look of fear in her gorgeous bi-coloured eyes sickened him. Pretending a calm he did feel, he replied, “I need your help.”
Her mouth flew open in surprise. “How can I possibly help you? I don’t even know how to help myself.”
“Exactly. Neither one of us can deal with this mess on our own, we need to work together. We need each other.”
In more ways than one she thought, then quickly flushed. “Things did not go well the last time we agreed to work together. You were not willing to compromise.”
He nodded. “You have to understand, I was raised to believe that I would rule. Over and over I was told that my destiny was to usher in a new era. The time of the Dark Mages was at hand. I still believe in that destiny.” She opened her mouth to interrupt but he continued, “For now, let us agree to disagree. We have different objectives in Avalyss. But here our objective is the same, we are being hunted by both the Light Bringers and the Dark Mages. To survive we must join forces.”
“Hunted? How do you know this? The Higher Echelon has no power here. I assumed the same was true for the Dark Mages.”
“It is true that they cannot cross over to this realm, but there are creatures that can cross over and either take us back by force or kill us.”
“Like the Guardians?’
“They can cross over but only to protect the Light Beings they are bonded to. They cannot be compelled to harm either one of us but there are other creatures that can be persuaded. Powerful creatures. Alone we are vulnerable but with our combined powers we stand a chance.”
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “H
ow did you cross over?”
“With the help of a friend.”
“What friend?”
“I cannot say. If it were to become known that she helped me, her life would be in danger.”
She pushed to her feet, moved to the window, watched a tug boat chug by. “Why would they want to kill us? Each side needs one of us on their team in order to win the epic battle.”
“Yes, but there are renegades on both sides who want things to remain unchanged. Without us, things will continue as they are now. With the Light Bringers holding the majority of power and the Dark Mages relegated to the Dark Tower.”
She turned, a somber expression on her face. “What happens if only one of us dies? The other side automatically rules? So the Light Bringers can kill you or the Dark Mages can kill me?”
“One side will gain supremacy over the other only if one of us kills the other. Or if both of us choose one side.”
Fear flitted across her face. “So if you kill me right now, you win. You get to fulfill your precious destiny. How do I know you won’t do the deed the minute my back is turned?”
His eyes narrowed in anger. “I am a warrior, not a coward. You have my word that I will not kill you by stealth.”
She studied him for a moment, the sun flooding through the window, turning his hair and skin to gold. “And you have my word as well. Okay, temporary truce. So what is our next step? How do we protect ourselves from these creatures you mentioned?”
“Given that the two of us are more powerful together than apart, we should stick together at all times.” Noting her arch look, he amended, “Or as much as possible. So it looks like you just got yourself a roommate.”
A shiver ran up and down her spine at the thought of living in such close proximity to him. She was not sure she could keep her hands to herself. “My place is not big enough for the two of us. Plus Max will not like the idea.”
Cole threw back his head and laughed, a sensual throaty sound that caused her heart to beat faster. “That’s the understatement of the year. He will want to rip me apart. You need to convince him of the validity of this plan otherwise he will attack the moment he sees me. I do not want to hurt him.”
Anger flashed through her as she remembered the last time he and Max had met. “If you hurt him again, I will kill you and not by stealth.”
“You have my word that I will not attack him but I will defend myself if he attacks first, so you need to have a conversation with him first.”
She nodded. She only hoped that Max would not attack her when he heard this crazy plan. “Can I still work or do we have to hole up in my apartment?”
“Your apartment is the safest place for us. It is a kind of sanctuary. It would be very difficult for us to be attacked there. Our enemies will be reluctant to go up against both us and Max, at the same time.”
“Okay, I will take some vacation time, and talk to Max. I don’t like the idea of us all living together in such cramped quarters. We are bound to get on each other’s nerves.” She had an uneasy feeling that the danger may very well come from within rather than without.
Dusk had fallen by the time she stepped out of the office building. A few cars were on the road, headlights puncturing the twilight. Pulling her coat tighter against the chill of the night air, she hurried home, heels clicking on the sidewalk. She wanted to break the news to Max before Cole showed up. She was still not sure if she could handle living with him since any time she clapped eyes on him, she just wanted to jump his bones. But this was the only plan they had.
Preoccupied, she did not see the shadow slip beside her. It attacked in a flurry of snapping teeth and biting claws. Choking on its fetid breath, she tried to run, slipped and hit the pavement with a thud. Catching only a glimpse of baleful yellow eyes, the taste of fear sour in her mouth, she somehow managed to teleport herself to her apartment. All her breath was knocked out of her body as she slammed into the hardwood floor. Struggling to sit up, her heart stopped as a warm body hurled itself at her. Screaming, she struck out wildly and hit Max on the nose.
He reared back, took in the blood on her face, shredded clothes, and the look of wild-eyed terror in her eyes. Fear sliced through him. “What happened?”
She gasped, “attacked by something, not sure what.”
With a noise like thunder, the creature flashed into the room. It had a man’s body, scales instead of skin, the head and tail of a bull, and its hands were clawed like an eagle’s foot. Its mad yellow eyes focused on Riley. Roaring to reveal huge, jagged teeth, it charged straight at her. Max leapt on its back, biting deep into its neck. It shrugged him off as if he were a mosquito and he flew through the air and landed in a crumpled heap. As he stumbled to his feet, Cole materialized, took in the situation at a glance, and hurled a fire ball at the creature who howled in agony as the bright blue flame consumed it. Cole turned towards Riley at the same time that Max lunged for his throat.
“No!” Riley screamed, levitating Cole so high in the air, that his hair brushed the ceiling.
Max growled as his target floated beyond his reach. “Put him down so that I can finish him.”
“No. We have to talk. Cole will be staying here for a while.”
“Over my dead body.”
Riley scrambled to her feet. “Will you listen for minute? I am trying to tell you that Cole is on our side.”
“He is here to kill you.” Snarling, teeth gnashing, Max leapt in the air but Cole was beyond his reach.
Riley glared at Max. “Stop. Listen. Dammit, you can be so stubborn sometimes.”
Cold green eyes stared back at her. “And you can be so bloody trusting.”
Their angry gazes locked and held. Engaging in a heated mental conversation, they forgot about Cole who was still suspended in mid-air. As Riley’s anger escalated, Cole started to spin, slowly at first then faster and faster. Dizzy and nauseous, Cole closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths and yelled at the top of his lungs. “Put me down at once!”
Oblivious, Riley and Max were motionless, wearing identical angry expressions, they continued to engage in a furious verbal combat. Cole, now a whirling dervish, fought desperately to hang on to the contents of his stomach. While his mind reeled in panic, a cold, calculating part of him noted the strength of Riley’s raw power, and how potent it could be if it was controlled and focused. He suddenly stopped in mid- spin then floated gently down. Sinking to his knees, he grabbed his stomach, and looked at his companions.
Riley grinned. “Sorry.”
Max, ears pinned back, tail down, shoulders hunched, regarded him with murderous green eyes before stalking out of the room.
Cole’s eyes filled with concern. “You are bleeding.” He gently touched her cheek. His fingers were warm at first, then burning hot, she tried to jerk away but he held her fast. The gash on her cheek closed and the feeling of wet blood on her face disappeared.
He smiled, flashing those sexy dimples. “I have the power to heal. You won’t even have a scar.” His touch became gently caressing as hungry amber eyes devoured her face, coming to rest on her generous mouth. He bent his head, and touched his lips to hers. She leaned into the kiss, savouring the wild, dangerous taste of him. She moaned as his hand cupped her breast, searing the soft flesh through the silk of her blouse. Lost in a tide of love and passion, Riley jumped as an unearthly howl filled the air. Max, stood in the doorway, howling, his gaze flat and accusing. She started towards him, but his sudden snarl stopped her.
“Are you out of your mind? Cole is the enemy.”
Riley sighed in frustration. “We’ve already had that discussion. Temporary truce, combining forces against a mutual threat, any of this sound familiar?”
“Sorry, did not realize that a temporary truce meant that you planned on slobbering all over each other. Your taste in men is deplorable, by the way.”
“Enough!” Cole stepped between
them, ignoring Max’s warning growl. “We need to stick together, work as a team, if we are to evade the creatures that are hunting us. Riley could have been killed today. We have to be prepared for the next attack.”
Max glared at them. “Does this preparation involve you two pawing each other? You do realize that you could have been attacked while your tongues were stuck down each other’s throats.”
Riley flushed, trying desperately to dampen the flames of desire that still coursed through her. The passion between them burned white hot like a lit match igniting gasoline. Her eyes met Cole’s, his face an inscrutable mask, she could not tell if he, too, was struggling for self-control.
“You are both aware that I do not like this arrangement. But given the attack today, working together is a necessary evil. We have to be alert at all times. We need to set some ground rules. It is dangerous game you are playing and deadly if you are caught with your pants down, literally speaking.” Max growled.
Cole strode to the window, the night air cool on his face. “I give you my word that I will not touch Riley until we can get out of this situation.”
Riley huffed out a breath. “Now that we are all on the same page, what is the next step? How can we prevent future attacks? What the hell was that creature?”
Cole turned to face her, his face shadowed by the darkness seeping through the window. “It was a saphyr, a race created and used by the Dark Mages as assassins. It must have been sent by a renegade faction. But it should not have gotten inside the apartment, how did that happen?”
Max prowled around the room. “When it attacked her on the street, she teleported here. The magical energy she used left a trail which it followed.”
She stopped pacing. “What? Are you saying that these creatures can find us if we use magic?”
“This apartment is magically sealed. I have seen to that. No one, except you or me, could teleport inside but when you use your powers you create a momentary opening in the seal.” Max arched his brow in Cole’s direction. “How were you able to get inside?”
“She gave me the key.” Cole replied.
“I did not! What key are you talking about?”
“Don’t you see that by trusting him, by agreeing to the truce, you provided tacit consent for him to breach the seal? Be careful who you trust in the future. All our lives depend on it.” Max intoned in a preachy voice.
The throbbing in Riley’s head mushroomed into a raging fire which threatened to engulf her entire skull. “My head is about to explode. This is all too much. I am going to bed.”
Wanting to follow her in into the bedroom, Cole drew on every ounce of will power he possessed to stop himself. His body hungered for hers. A menacing growl interrupted his thoughts as green eyes glared into his before Max loped after Riley. Cole had the uneasy feeling that the wolf had read his mind. Obviously, Max did not trust him. In order to get to Riley, he would have to go through Max but if he harmed him, she would never forgive him. Somehow he had to gain Max’s trust. His entire plan depended on Riley’s co-operation. Without her help, he would never rule Avalyss. He intended to rule.