“SEAN? EARTH TO SEAN?” I nudged my distracted boyfriend with my elbow. He blinked. “What’s up with you today?”
“I’m sorry, Mica. I’m beat.”
Hmm. He was tired today, but that didn’t explain his distraction yesterday or last week. He’s been distracted a lot lately. What’s going on with him? He’s always got a secret, but this seems different. He’s subdued, edgy. More serious than he usually is.
“Talk to me, please. I can tell something’s going on.” I was surprised to find his eyes unguarded. As before, I could see every strand of color in the iris and the gold flecks stood out in bold relief. He caught my intention and kissed my nose.
“That’s enough of that. I’m not in the mood to watch you puke,” he said as he drew me onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around me so I wouldn’t fall but then zoned out again.
Sighing heavily, I put my cheek against his shoulder and watched the snow fall. It was Sunday, and we were hanging out at his place. We were alone for now, and the house was completely quiet. The snow was coming down hard and the wind was whistling through the pine trees around the house. The roaring fire in the fireplace paled in comparison to my Christmas tree. The beautiful tree was still standing even though it had been three weeks since Christmas day. I couldn’t imagine taking it down and putting it into a box. Surely the box would catch on fire? How did you put a magical tree out? Why would you want to? I didn’t.
Sean was asleep. I snuggled against him and closed my eyes too. I was dozing off pretty well when Sean started mumbling. The words were indistinct, but the urgency wasn’t. Was he afraid? I strained to catch another word, but he was quiet again. I gently extricated myself and peered into his face. His eyes were moving under the lids, his breathing shallow. He twisted beneath me and flung an arm out to one side.
I patted his shoulder. “Sean, wake up. You’re dreaming.”
“Mica? Mica? Where are you?”
I tried to shake him by the shoulder again. One big hand caught mine in a death grip. He groaned like a wounded animal, and said clearly, “No! Mica!” and then he went limp. The dream was gone, but his tortured expression remained. Sleep was history for me now so I reached out and stroked his cheek. Come on, wake up.
“Did you finally kill him?”
I jumped, and loudly shushed Killian who was lounging in the doorway. I didn’t hear him come in. Did he even use doors?
“How long have you been standing there? I didn’t hear you come in.”
“No, you didn’t. And you never will unless I want you to.” He gave me a smirk and peeled away from the doorframe. “To answer your question though, about twenty seconds.” Gesturing towards Sean with his chin, he asked, “Nightmare?”
“How did you know?”
“He’s been having them for a few weeks. I’ve heard him through the walls.” At my alarmed look, he added, “No, he’s not that loud. We all have really good hearing. I can hear beads of sweat running down the back of someone I’m about to eliminate.” He smiled, showing his canines.
Normally I would have laughed, but this wasn’t funny. I’m supposed to be the one with the crazy dreams. That’s my job. He’s the not-quite-human one of us so I assumed he didn’t dream. Huh. Guess I was wrong. The object of my distress suddenly sat up straight and blinked.
Killian said, “Good, you’re awake. You might as well tell us about the dreams now or Mica will nag you about it until you do. Easier to get it over with.” With this statement, he pulled up a chair and sat.
Sean scowled in confusion and grumbled, “Dreams? What are you talking about?”
Was he serious? “You’ve been having bad dreams, haven’t you?”
“No, that’s your job. I don’t dream.”
Killian narrowed his eyes a bit and sat back, fingers tented under his chin.
“Are you sure? You were muttering my name over and over again and not in a sexy way.”
He pushed himself to his feet and practically yelled, “For the last time, I’m not dreaming. Leave it alone. Both of you.”
I was more worried than before and unconsciously fondled my locket. This was not over.
The next day was clear and sunny so we decided to go to Vermont for snowboarding. Maybe this would put Sean in a better mood. Fingers crossed for that small miracle. We took the ferry across the lake and ended up at Stowe. Mt. Mansfield is only 4,300 feet high but is rumored to have some nice trails. The mountain was totally blanketed in new snow with forests of bare grey trees reaching towards the sky. Here and there, an optimistic pine tree raised its face towards the sun. It was starkly gorgeous, and I couldn’t wait to jump on my board. I was in the mood for speed today . . . Sean better keep up or I would leave him behind. I was clipping my lift ticket to my jacket when Sean came up with our boards. He scanned the area while I checked my board straps.
“Are you worried about something? You’ve been on high alert since we crossed into Vermont. What’s up?”
He shook his head slightly, and said, “I’m sensing something . . . but I can’t place it. Just a feeling . . . I can’t explain it.” He shrugged. “Let’s go before we lose the daylight.”
Three hours later, I was catching my breath at the top of Bypass, one of the double diamond trails we were hitting today. The sun was getting low in the sky. This would be our last run of the day. Sean sat on the ground, adjusting his straps. I plopped down beside him. The view from up here was amazing. I could see for miles in every direction. There’s something about being out in the middle of the mountains . . . it’s humbling. This place could turn hostile in five minutes and eat us alive. We’re just little specks against the endless snow.
“You’re happy,” he observed with a cheeky grin. His black and silver Oakleys were propped on top of his head while he adjusted his straps one last time. Dressed in black board pants and an unzipped black and red fleece, he was ridiculously gorgeous sitting so comfortably in the snow. His flushed cheeks and glimmering sexy eyes only added to his hotness. A natural athlete, he moved with confidence that I envied.
A couple of snow bunnies slowed down to gawk at him. He politely inclined his head in their direction, and they erupted into giggles before speeding down the trail. I must’ve growled out loud because he snickered under his breath. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”
Breathing in the crisp air, I grinned. “Well . . .”
With a short bark of laughter, he tossed a handful of powder at me. “Come over here, you little witch!”
I scooted my butt a tad closer. Without seeming to move, he lunged, dragging me down on top of him. Kissing me dizzy in the snow, he finally rolled me to one side when someone whistled on their way down the mountain.
Pink with pleasure, I nibbled on his lower lip, and purred, “You’re crazy, but I like it.”
Kissing me thoroughly one last time, he helped me to my feet. “Come on, darlin’. We’re going to do this in the dark if we don’t get moving.”
Well, damn. My legs were like jelly after all that kissing. Did he think I could just stand up? I wobbled for a second or two. After his comment about darkness, I studied the sky to gauge the sun. The purple-grey clouds rolling in from the north promised more snow. They also promised slow driving home. I pointed to the clouds. He glanced at them without concern and jumped in front of me on the trail. In a flash, he was gone over the drop.
The trees blurred as I flew down the steep trail. It took all of my concentration to stay upright. I didn’t dare get distracted or I’d end up over the edge of a very steep ravine. We were mostly alone up here, so the race was on. I leaned to the right to pass him, and he blocked me. I swooped around his left side, and he blocked me again. He rode with amazing grace and skill. I was impressed. His body moved as one with his board, and he had wicked quick reflexes. It would have been entertaining to watch if he wasn’t beating me down the mountain! As it was, by the time we reached Lower Nosedive, the last trail leading into the lodge area, I was still behind him when he stopped smoothly
in front of me. I stopped too, but not as gracefully. As my board dug to a stop, I promptly fell on my butt and lay breathless and laughing in the snow. He plopped down next to me to catch his breath. Smiling, I held my lips up for a cold kiss.
“You are amazing! I don’t even feel bad that you totally kicked my ass today. It’s actually sort of sexy.” I stole another kiss as I ran my fingers through the fine spikiness of his hair.
“You’re not so bad yourself. You need to work on sticking your landing though!” He patted my butt for emphasis.
Snow started falling as we were putting the boards in the trunk, and the sun was nearly gone. I wasn’t worried about driving home in the dark, but wanted to get off the mountain roads before they got bad. Sean was frowning again and staring towards the west. The wind was picking up, swirling the snow around us. It was a little creepy.
“What’s out there?”
“I don’t know, and it’s bugging me. There’s something here . . .” His voice trailed off, eyes growing distant. After a minute, he snapped to attention. “Let’s go! I need to check something out.”
My knuckles were white on the arm rest as Sean slowly navigated the slippery mountain road. Conditions were shitty. Mother Nature had let loose with blinding snow and howling winds that shoved the car all over the lane. Snow was piling up, and the tires were slipping. Off to my right, the ravine was bottomless in the failing light. I gripped the arm rest harder and closed my eyes when the car suddenly slid sideways. Oh God, please get me off this mountain.
“Are you praying?”
“No . . .”
“Mica, do you really think I’m going to get us killed this way? In a car wreck? Come on, you should know better by now!” He was both amused and irritated.
The car slid across the road again, but he expertly brought it back to our lane. I sighed. Okay, so he was a good driver. Maybe I didn’t really need to pray, but I didn’t let go of the arm rest until we got to the main highway below the mountain. The weather was better here. It was still snowing, but the wind wasn’t blowing as hard. The roads weren’t covered in snow yet so I relaxed. We were probably safe enough. Sean seemed to be on autopilot. He was completely focused on something I didn’t see. He drove perfectly well, but I wasn’t sure he was really seeing the road. I asked him what he saw, and he shushed me. Intrigued, I sat back and shut up. We were on a small road out in the middle of nowhere. I was lost about twenty minutes ago. The road cut through a valley that had a series of rolling hills on one side and a forest on the other. The hills were probably part of someone’s farm; barns dotted the landscape in the twilight. The forest was dark and creepy as only bare trees in winter can be. It conjured up thoughts of werewolves.
It was fully dark when Sean pulled the car to a stop on the side of the road. “Okay, you stay here, and I’ll go check this out.”
“What? I’m not staying here! Are you crazy?”
He leaned all the way into my personal space, and ordered, “Stay here. I don’t know what’s over there, and you aren’t armed. Stay put and don’t make me chase you down when it’s time to go.”
I bristled at his bossy tone, but he was right. I wasn’t armed. “Fine, I’ll stay here.”
“Good girl. Turn the car around for me. I’ll be back as fast as I can.” He squeezed my knee, and added, “Don’t go anywhere!”
As he disappeared through the trees, I got out of the car to switch seats. The woods seemed to close in. Malevolent eyes weighed heavily between my shoulder blades, and I whipped around with a scream halfway out of my mouth. A shadow moved in the tree line. My heart stopped in my chest, and I froze with my hand on the door handle. What was it? Demon? Wolf? Vampire?
I frantically searched the trees but didn’t see anything unnatural. There was nothing but dark trunks against white snow for as far as my eyes could see. The feeling of being watched was gone. Geez. I’m going to give myself a stroke. Note to self—cut back on the horror movies.
With my imagination firmly in check, I threw myself into the driver’s seat. After turning the car around, per orders from Sean, I sat there trying to see into the darkness as if I had x-ray vision or something. Where was he? He’d been gone more than fifteen minutes. The snow was coming down so heavily that I couldn’t see out the window. Visions of being buried alive popped into my not-helpful imagination. I flipped on the wipers and defroster and fidgeted with the radio dials. Come on, come on. Where are you, Sean? In the movies, it’s always the girl who gets eaten first . . .
What was that? A flicker of light illuminated the trees. I strained to see, but the snow distorted everything. There it was again! This was a bigger flash, spread across a wider space. Slipping from the car, I peered into the woods, ears straining. Muffled popping noises accompanied more bursts of light.
“What the heck?”
I moved away from the car, trying to get a handle on where the sounds were coming from. The wind shifted and brought with it the staccato sound of automatic weapons.
“Shit, shit, shit!”
Where is Sean? The sound of weapons fire was getting closer now. I sprinted back to the car for cover. They were getting closer. The muzzle flashes were clearly visible. I counted six shooters.
Shadows moved in the tree line. Sean and Killian appeared dragging someone between them. They hit the car doors at a full run just as three men came out of the trees behind them. Bullets tore through the side window, imploding glass hitting me in the face. The sound was deafening. I threw myself across the seat and slammed my foot on the gas pedal. The tires slipped all over the place, but we managed to get out of range.
Perfectly calm, as if he did this every day, Sean said, “Nice driving. Now slow down and give me the wheel.”
“What?” I wasn’t slowing this car down until we were back in Plattsburgh or Canada maybe.
He laid his hand over mine and squeezed. “There’s time. Trust me.”
After a mile or two, I let off the gas just enough to climb out of the driver’s seat and crawl into the back. Sean took the wheel and floored it. Killian climbed into the front seat and started barking orders.
That was close. Too close. Thanks to a sharp jolt of adrenaline, my heart was pounding a hundred miles an hour. I was struggling to take a deep breath, wheezing as I gasped for air. Bright spots of color danced in my eyes and my head bobbed forward. Biting my lip, I slammed my eyes closed and tried not to faint.
Killian grabbed my knee. “Get it together! Now! There’s no time for you to lose it. Are you hurt?”
The smell of iron was overpowering. Someone was bleeding. My jacket sleeve was sticky with blood. I couldn’t tell if it was mine or not, because I was so full of adrenaline I couldn’t feel anything. Surprised at the blood, I held up my hand to Killian. He brought it to his nose.
“Not yours. It’s his. Finish checking yourself and hurry up. You could be bleeding to death right now.”
Yikes! Wouldn’t I know if I were bleeding to death? Maybe not . . . I did as I was told and took some of my layers off. Under the jacket and fleece, I found a neat little hole in my arm. It seemed to go right through my bicep. There was a hole on both sides. That was good, right? It was only my arm. Probably I wouldn’t bleed to death right now. Even so, I was bleeding a lot. My shirt was soaked. My stomach churned, and my head started to spin.
“Uh, guys, I have a problem back here . . .”
Cold hands on my neck dragged me from the black tunnel I’d fallen into. My eyes fluttered open to see Killian leaning over me. His scruffy cheek rasped against mine as he hissed commands into my ear. “Mica! Don’t pass out on me! You can be sick later!”
He tied a ripped piece of his t-shirt around my arm before strapping the other guy into a seat belt and covering him with one of Domino’s car blankets. Probably a smart move since Sean’s driving left a lot to be desired. The car slid wildly to one side, throwing Killian against him hard enough to make him grunt in pain. The guy in the blanket didn’t make a soun
d. That wasn’t a good sign.
“Please tell me this guy isn’t dead.”
“Not yet,” Killian replied.
Sean’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “Don’t worry about him. Keep pressure on your arm and don’t pass out! You might have to run.”
Killian seconded that order and added that there might be more shooting . . . while I was running . . . Don’t pass out? It was easy for them to say . . . They weren’t bleeding all over the place with a possibly dead guy strapped into the seat with them.
We had to slow down once we got into Burlington. The streets were mostly empty due to the crappy weather, but we still had to be careful not to slide into anyone. Sean was swearing softly in another language and tapping the steering wheel impatiently as we idled at a red light. Killian systematically scanned the area. An ambulance with its lights flashing drove by to the right, and a police car sat in the opposite lane. The officer looked into the car with interest. I slunk lower into the seat and crossed my fingers. Sean and Killian looked like suspicious people on a good day. Right now they looked worse. They were splattered with blood. The side of the car was riddled with bullet holes, and one of the side windows was spider-webbed with broken glass.
Sure, officer. We’re completely innocent.
The light changed, and we pulled forward at the same time as the police car. The officer considered Sean as he passed by. Sean fixed his eyes on the officer’s face, murmuring under his breath. Amazingly, the police car kept going.
“What did you do?” I asked, fascinated. I swung around to look behind us, but the police car was gone.
“I just reminded him that he had something important to do back at the station.” He turned onto the interstate with a tight smile.
We had to go a few more miles to the ferry, and then we’d be back in Plattsburgh in about fifteen minutes. This was too easy—I had a bad feeling about this—Time was running out. My chest was heavy with dread. Something bad was about to happen. Unable to resist the urge, I scanned the road behind us as if the boogey-man was going to jump out of the trees. A pair of headlights appeared, and they were moving really fast. Oh, crap!
“Sean! Go faster! We’ve got company!”
Killian swung around. “Sonofabitch!” He pulled out his Sig and checked the rounds. “Get to the ferry!”
The headlights were attached to a Humvee, and it was closing in fast. Sean punched the gas. The Humvee wasn’t as fast but stayed close. There was no way we’d be able to outrun it forever. I saw the sign for the ferry station and turned to peek out the back window. It shattered directly above my head. I screamed and threw myself across blanket-guy as another bullet crashed into the window. Chunks of glass rained down as I frantically unbuckled the seat belt and dragged him to the floorboards. I pressed myself on top of him and squeezed my eyes shut.
The tires left the ground as Sean whipped off the interstate to Hwy 2. The car landed hard but stayed on the road. Killian was calmly firing behind us, the sound deafening inside the car. I guess he hit someone because the bullets stopped crashing into us. He reloaded as we raced down the bridge to the ferry platform.
I peered up between the front seats and was relieved to see the ferry was mostly empty and just about to pull away from the dock. The car fishtailed down the lane and onto the dock with the Humvee close behind us. A ferry worker was about to hook the chain across the back of the boat when Sean punched the gas to launch us forward. The poor guy dove out of the way and rolled to the other side of the deck. We skidded to a stop without killing a single person. The ferry was already moving when the Humvee skittered onto the ramp. It was going too fast to stop and went off the edge into the lake with a splash.
The ferry crossing only takes twelve minutes. The police would probably be on the way to the Plattsburgh docks. We were trapped on this boat with no way to get off without being seen. I didn’t dare get out of the car, because I was covered in blood. I had to pee but now wasn’t probably a good time to bring that up.
“Killian, what are we going to do now?” I asked.
“Be quiet, I’m thinking.”
“Sean?” I asked.
“Shh!”
“What if you call Dec and he distracts the police? Could he do that?”
My idea was met with stony silence. Okay, so maybe that’s not a good idea . . .
Killian ruffled my hair, and announced, “That’s a brilliant idea. And it might even work too.” He closed his eyes and sent a telepathic message to Dec. Yet another awesomely cool psychic ability the Primani had.
Sean turned around and tried to smile reassuringly at me but failed. He was wound like a spring and ready to fight. Instead of smiling, he said, “Good idea, babe. I hope it works. We’ve got to get out of here and get him some help.”
“Who is he? What happened to him?
“I don’t know his name, but he’s Primani like us. He’s been tortured, and I don’t know if he’ll live or not. We need to get him to a safe house.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to teleport him somewhere?”
He sighed long and hard. “Yes, it would. But I can’t leave you here alone; especially now that you’ve been seen by Dagin’s crew.”
“Dagin?”
“He’s a demon. We go way back. We have a few clashes with him every so many years, and then he disappears for a while. We haven’t been able to vanquish him because he runs every time we close in. He’ll use you to get to us if he can.”
Killian spoke up. “That’s why I’ll take him to the safe house, and you two will drive down with Dec and our supplies. We’ll probably be in the city for a while so we’ll need things. Mica, make an excuse to your parents so they don’t send out more police. We don’t need more complications—this is going to be hard enough.”
“Where are we going?”
“Manhattan.”
Chapter 18: Escape to New York