Mark shook his head. “Got to give your man some slack.”
“I have a weird feeling about this.” She huffed and pushed her fingers through her hair. “Something is going to change. I don’t understand it. I don’t get it. But things are going to be different.”
His head cocked, and he really looked at her. “Like what?”
“Damn it, I have no clue,” she snapped, then sighed. “Just something big.”
Dane lifted a shoulder. “Relax. Dominique is in there, and my girl has luck on her side. They’ll get out of this.”
“I hope you’re right. Wish we were there.”
Dane sighed. “Yeah, but I guarantee I’d hunt down anyone who attempted to touch my girl.”
Mark scrubbed a hand over his face. “I feel like I’m cracking apart without her.”
Delilah squeezed his shoulder. “Feel the same about Christian.”
“I want to be there, with them, when they find her.”
“She’s stronger than you think,” Delilah said.
“It’s not that I think she’s weak. She’s not. But you can’t tell me you don’t want to kick some vampire ass when they get Christian out. And you and I both know he’s gotten pretty damned good at all the things he never thought he’d be able to do.”
“Don’t remind me. At least she’s a werewolf.”
“Yeah, but he’s a mage and finally tapping into his magic.”
Her brow arched. “Yeah.”
Mark knew the kid was something else, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. Christian’s magic worked a hell of a lot more like mage magic than witch.
A shiver traveled down his spine, and not the good sort. He looked around, but no one seemed to be watching them. There were a hundred random people. A few familiar faces, but none caught his attention.
“What is it?” Delilah asked.
“Nothing,” he muttered. Except he definitely felt eyes on him.
Then he caught sight of one of his oldest friends. Cora August. A doppelganger had taken her husband’s place. She refused to go to the mages to stop the psychic attacks from the creatures. She didn’t want to believe what he’d claimed.
Their gazes locked as she walked closer. Then her head cocked, her eyes nearly bugged out of her head, and she turned, disappearing into the crowd.
He wanted to chase after her, ask her what happened to everyone. Then he remembered the way Kindra was brainwashed by the little people, how she went from a loving wife to a deceitful bitch. Had Cora fell under the doppelganger’s sway?
“Who was that?” Delilah asked.
“Don’t know.” And how could he really know who she was now?
“She seemed to recognize you.”
“And then she walked away. Must have realized I’m not who she thought.” He could hope.
“Looks like she was afraid. I know the rumor is no one knows where you came from. You sure she’s not just shocked you aren’t what you were?” Delilah asked.
That hit too close to home. His attention swung back to her. “What do you mean by that?”
She lifted a shoulder, staring back with wide, innocent eyes, though there was a hint of mischief. “I always got the sense you were something more than human before.”
Mark shook his head. “All that’s in the past and has been for fifty years.” He glanced back at the woman. “I don’t recognize her.” She had watched her husband deteriorate until he died. Cora had refused to go to the council. All because she didn’t want to believe something was taking his place.
* * * *
Pain danced through her bloodstream.
Her body ached.
Her mind hurt.
That dark voice was so loud, screaming through her head.
Shh, dear one, the voice full of light whispered. Almost over.
Gina’s eyes fluttered open. A woman stood above her, chanting in some ancient language. Dark hair flowed in a wind that whipped through the small room.
The dark voice receded as the tendrils of evil were sucked out of Gina.
The pain ceased with a pop as brightness swirled in, chasing away the darkness.
That voice full of light sang, Together, we can heal your mind. You’ll be yourself and something more.
What are you? Gina wasn’t afraid anymore, but curious.
Badb, a protector. You were about to be lost to the abyss if Crom Cruach had his way. I need to take the lead. We need to finish what Amelia started.
Gina sucked in a breath. I’ll still be me?
Yes, you will. Please, I need to help Amelia before she’s forever bound to Crom Cruach. We can end the chaos here.
Do it, Gina answered.
Badb took control of her body. She walked with grace to Amelia. Power flowed around the young woman. The same dark power the strange vampire had tried to force into her.
Light burst from Gina as words flowed from her mouth in a beautiful language she couldn’t comprehend.
Badb shared memories, showing her what they were doing, the language they were speaking.
This entity within Gina felt at home, like a missing part of her. Maybe that was always the case.
Taking Amelia’s hands, Badb wove a spell that cleansed the darkness from Amelia, forcing the evil voice to ball up between them before being drowned out by the light. Amelia turned to deal with another vampire who looked at her with the same loving gaze Brent did. Gina could see he was dying. He had moments left, if that.
Robert moved in front of her and looked into her eyes. “Are you ready to go to Mark?”
“Now, please.” She needed to be in his arms. Maybe he could calm her frazzled nerves and stop her from trembling.
He touched her shoulders and they appeared somewhere else. She grabbed Robert’s arms as her stomach dropped.
Badb whispered, I’ll be here, but won’t interfere until you have need.
Gina wanted to ask questions, but Badb faded away.
Robert stepped away as Mark swept her off her feet.
Then Mark set her down and leaned back. His eyes widened, his tone frantic. “Gina, what happened?”
“I’ll be back.” Robert disappeared.
She blinked, then looked up at Mark and smiled. “Missed you.”
The concern in his blue eyes faded a small amount, but that didn’t deter him from his quest for answers. “What happened? Whose blood?”
She frowned, trying to piece together exactly what had happened, but so little of it made sense. Shaking her head, she captured his face. “I don’t know how to explain. I’m fine, though. Promise.”
He pulled her against his body, hugging tight. “God, you scared me. I wish I’d been awake to talk you out of going.”
She pressed her lips to his, then slipped her tongue into his mouth. His hands caressed her back as a groan escaped his lips.
Mark pushed her back. “You’re not hurt?”
She shook her head, a smile on her lips. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” he whispered.
“Scaring you.”
“Oh, baby, that’s not your fault. I should have been there.”
Gina kissed him again. She wasn’t sure how he would take the truth.
* * * *
Mark lost himself in Gina’s kiss. She washed away his earlier concern about Cora. Then he felt the sensation he used to get when his wife was near.
Kindra was there. Cora’s presence made more sense.
Once upon a time, he’d loved the spark, the excitement. Now it felt wrong. It didn’t make sense for Kindra’s eyes to be on him. He killed her—and the baby—or tried to.
Guilt hit him for the first time in ages. He had to remind himself Kindra stabbed him and meant to have that thing drain the rest of his essence, killing him in the process. He acted in self-defense. And still, the guilt could be overwhelming at times.
“What is it?” Gina asked.
No one was w
atching them. No one he could find. “Nothing, don’t worry about it.”
“Talk to me.”
Gina was right to wait to discuss whatever happened wherever she was. He needed to keep this quiet, for now. Especially if he were right, and Kindra was somehow still alive, which would mean that thing was still alive. “Not here. As soon as we go home, okay?”
She nodded slowly, looking through the large room. “How long?”
He shook his head. “I have no clue. Whenever they get done dealing with everyone?”
His skin crawled. Kindra was there. He could feel her, but he couldn’t find her, or Cora.
“You’re worrying me,” she whispered.
A startled laugh escaped. “You’ve been gone two days, and me looking around freaks you out?”
She sighed. “That long? I was out most of it.”
He touched her throat where dried blood formed two dots. Like fang marks. The blood brushed away. “Who bit you?”
She shook her head. “She’s dead.”
“What happened?”
This time she looked around. Then she whispered, “Later.”
Right. He pulled her into his arms and held on tight. And now, he really was worried. What the fuck would make her quiet?
He guided her into a corner and sat down with her. He wanted to strip her down, wash her, and make sure she wasn’t hurt. And until they got to go home, he couldn’t do any of that.
* * * *
Kindra felt the familiar spark the second she was zapped into a giant cafeteria with a bunch of the captives. As soon as the mages were out of sight she pulled her hood down low and hid her pale blond hair out of sight.
Then she spotted Anders. Her first love. Sweet, caring, and meant for greatness. He fell for her, and he refused to reach for the power he was meant for. Instead, he was happy to be a lowly member of the coven.
Her parents pushed her on him, and she fell hard. But their prying and prodding drove a wedge between them. He fought to hold on, and then Gerard changed everything.
Fifty years ago, she’d been startled as she was hanging the clothes to dry. A wounded little man came to her, limping. She sat him down and healed the wound, but he pulled on her magic and she backed away.
“What are you?” she demanded.
An evil smile spread on his lips. “Some call me doppelganger, others, the little people.”
“What does that mean?” she whispered.
“I can become the improved version of anyone you want.”
“That I want?” she whispered.
“You did offer kindness. I would offer you the same.”
“What is it you want?”
He moved closer, staring into her eyes, and a funny feeling floated through her head. Memories clouded and floated out of reach. “You to be happy. Something weighs you down. What would make you happy?”
And as if she couldn’t stop the words from flowing from her mouth, she shared the most heinous of thoughts she’d kept bottled up. “To be powerful. For my husband to want to share that power.” She slapped her hands over her mouth. A tiny part of her had wanted that, but those were her parents’ words, not hers.
“What if I could become him, only better?”
Kindra snorted. “How are you going to look like him?”
“That will take time but trust me when I say I will.”
She glanced back at the house.
He touched her chin, pulling her gaze back. She fell deep into those gray eyes. “Tell me yes, and you will grow in power too.”
“What happens then?”
“None of my kind will touch you if I claim you.”
“You would look like him?”
“Look, feel, seem like him, except I’ll push for more than he does.”
That dark part of her perked up and she nodded slowly. “Tell me what I need to do.”
The love she shared with Gerard was nowhere near as powerful as what she’d felt for Anders. Some days she felt as if she’d been manipulated. Other days, she thought she’d made the right choice.
And then she spotted Anders holding the blond woman the head vampire bitch kept to herself. There was something more to the woman now. Her aura burst bright and colorful. And Anders held her close, a smile on his lips. Then he looked around, his eyes sweeping past Kindra. She turned back to find Cora, who’d wound a scarf over her head and up her face.
“There you are. We’ve been worried sick about you,” Cora exclaimed. She hugged her tight. Cora had never accepted the creature who took her husband’s place, but she continued to stay her friend, even though they rarely saw eye to eye.
Since Anders’ supposed death, the coven had changed. Anders was now a step down from the high priest and priestess, though Gerard guided the coven to become more prosperous.
Cora pulled her deeper into the crowd. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” She rubbed at her head. Something was wrong, but maybe it was finding out her husband was still alive, and the rituals tying them together were still there, strong as ever, pulling her toward him. But they had both moved on.
Maybe it was for the best to let him go and forget Gerard wasn’t truly Anders.
Kindra focused on Cora, the only one there for her. “Where is my husband?”
Cora’s eyes shot toward the real Anders.
Kindra’s glared back, whispering, “So what? He looks like Anders.”
Cora sighed, glancing back at Anders. “Fine. He’s at home, sick. Dying. They all are, Kindra. We can finally be free.”
“Free?” Kindra hissed. “I love him.”
“I don’t understand why,” Cora answered.
“Doesn’t matter. When can we go?”
“Hopefully soon. The mages scare me.” She looked around. “One of them said as soon as they have everyone out of the place you were kept.”
Kindra nodded slowly.
Cora leaned closer. “Tell me you don’t think that werewolf is really Anders?”
Her eyes traveled back to the man who felt like the original Anders and her heart nearly broke as he looked around. Ducking her head, she sighed. “He looks like him. What do you want me to say? If he is, he has clearly moved on.” She needed more information. But how to find out without letting him know who she was?
Looking away in disgust, Cora shook her head.
Then she had an idea. “Did they give you a way to contact one of them in case I know more?”
Her gaze swung back. “They did.”
“Then I know how to get more information.”
Hope filled Cora’s features. “You do think he’s Anders.”
She lifted a shoulder and glanced back. “Doesn’t matter.” The sinking feeling that it was him persisted. But what did it mean?
Chapter 4
Robert pulled Preston aside, then translocated them to his office. He turned to him. “What the hell did we see in there?”
Preston snorted, his eyes narrowing. “Which part, Robert?”
“Gina, whatever flowed into her.”
“What are you talking about?” Preston asked.
“I heard it—her.” Robert scrubbed at his face. “I don’t know. She called herself Badb.”
Preston’s brows shot to his hairline. “That’s interesting. I’ve been doing research into my family.” A laugh escaped. He shook his head. “I think she was related to Morrigan. Possibly her sister.”
“Fae don’t stick around as ghosts, right?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Anything is possible. You know that.”
“I guess so.” Robert paced away and came back. “There is something inside Gina. Something like that entity they stopped from getting into her. We need to watch her.”
“Wouldn’t Brent be worried if Badb was something to fear? He’s clearly not worried about Amelia.”
“I’m not sure we shouldn’t worry about Amelia, honestly,” Robert answered. “Sudd
enly, she knows an awfully lot about ancient beings. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”
“We’ll keep an eye on her, but we can’t assume the worst. She stopped an ancient evil.”
“One she created.”
“Robert, we’ll keep an eye on her, on Gina, and on a number of vampires. But we can’t assume the worst of everyone.”
“Yeah, I’m trying, but I can’t wrap my head around any of this.”
“Well, in the meantime we should take them home. If anything happens, we’ll know. But there are too many Others here, a lot who won’t get along with different Others for long. We’re going to have a problem if we don’t get them going.”
“You’re right. You should escort those who drove to the parking garage. The rest I’ll deal with.”
“Just those from Edenton, right?”
“Brent and Amelia, too,” Robert answered.
“Let’s get everyone going, and we can go from there.”
* * * *
A fine tremble worked through Mark. His demeanor scared Gina. She wanted to help, and nothing she could do in a crowded cafeteria would work.
Preston moved to the center of the room, getting everyone’s attention. He mentioned taking everyone to their cars and Gina sighed. Mark had already told her Robert had brought him.
Badb whispered, There, the pale one. See her?
Gina scanned the room and stopped on the woman who had her eyes locked on Mark. She had beautiful, long blond hair, bright green eyes, and oozed a darkness that made no sense.
A hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up at Robert. “You two ready to go home?”
She nodded slowly, wondering why Mark looked at the other woman as if she were a potential enemy.
Mark stood and pulled her to a stand. Robert translocated them to their living room.
“Gina, I’d like to talk to you tomorrow. It’s important.” Robert seemed far more concerned than normal.
“Of course. But have I done something to concern you?”
His face screwed up a second, then he smoothed his hands down his lapels. “No. But you have something inside you now that I want to understand.”
Woven Fates Page 4
