Scornful Sadie

by Felicia Tatum

  Chapter Eleven-Danger Lurks In All Corners

  When I woke sometime in the middle of the night, I kicked off my boots and secured my dagger under my pillow. I threw my pants to the ground and slipped under the covers, hoping the nightmares didn’t return.

  They did. The prophecy was fresh on my mind and every scenario I could dream up, literally, happened throughout the night. I woke multiple times, drenched in sweat and shaking. Was this what my life would be like until this was over?

  The sound of my door lock being picked sometime in the wee hours before sunrise woke me. Startled, I lay still and slipped my hand under the pillow, wrapping my palm around the hilt. The door creaked open and I controlled my breathing so they wouldn’t know I was awake. When I heard the steps growing closer, I jumped to my feet, swinging the dagger in front of me and screaming.

  “Sadie!” Aiden screamed, jumping barely out of reach of the knife. He was dressed in shorts and a tshirt that stretched tightly across his chest and arms.

  “Oh my god, Aiden! What the hell?” I yelled. “I could have killed you.” I lowered my arm, breathing heavy as I realized what I almost did. My dagger was inches from his flesh. It would have killed him if I’d hit like intended.

  “Why do you have a huge knife in your bed?” he wondered, looking at my hand, then lowering his eyes down my body.

  Shit. Looking down, I groaned inwardly. Here I was, standing in a tank top and panties and Aiden was in my bedroom. “Why are you sneaking into my room at,” I screeched, looking at the clock, “six a.m.?”

  “I was trying to check on you!” he yelled back. “I was worried. I knocked and you didn’t answer.”

  Wrapping my arms around myself and crossing one leg in front of the other, I said, “I didn’t sleep well. Guess I was sleeping pretty hard.”

  “Well, are you ok? I heard you cry out a few times during the night.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded, ashamed he’d heard me. “Yeah. Fine. Just a nightmare.”

  “Sadie,” he started, shuffling toward me, but was interrupted.

  Suddenly, the sound of water filled the room and the water fae appeared, perched on top of the footboard. “Hello, Sadie Tabors.”

  “Not you again,” I said through gritted teeth. Pushing Aiden out of the way, I stalked to her with my dagger extended. “This will be the last time you come after me.” How did she get in? She’d probably been planning to off me in my sleep.

  She held up both palms and stood, backing away. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here with a warning.”

  “From Bram?” I mocked. “Don’t care.” I pushed forward.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “You spared my life yesterday. And I’m sorry I interrupted whatever this was with your boy toy, but your friends are in danger.”

  “What?” I questioned. Was she for real?

  “Bram’s planning an attack on your Charleston friends today. In a couple of hours. You spared me, so I’m sparing your friends. We’re even.” She disappeared then, leaving me wondering what in the hell was going on.

  Aiden came up behind me, fingers wrapping around my upper arm. “Sadie, I’m sorry I scared you,” he said huskily.

  Oh, yeah. Panties and a tank. I spun to face him. “Don’t ever do that again. If you hadn’t screamed I would have killed you.”

  “It would have been worth it to see you looking as sexy as you do right now,” he said. His eyes scanned the length of me and he winked.

  Did he have to keep making me want him? “Thanks?” I refused to let him see how much he affected me.

  “No, thank you,” he replied. He leaned forward, brushing his lips against mine and raced out the door.

  His taste lingered. I couldn’t get caught up in Aiden drama, though. Tessi and Mel were in danger. Dressing quickly and tossing my dark hair into a ponytail, I unzipped my bags and began pulling out my weapons.

  Locking the belt around my waist, I began filling it with potions and charms, my stake, and an extra dagger. I put my favorite in the top of my boot and was ready to go.

  “What are you doing?” Santos said from my door.

  “Gotta go to Charleston for a few.”

  “With full on battle gear?” he chuckled. “What’s going on?”

  “She had a visit with some water lady this morning,” Aiden said. “Who randomly appeared in her bedroom.”

  “What were you doing in her bedroom?” Santos accused.

  How did I forget he was here when magic happened and didn’t freak? “Listen, no time for that. Aiden, there’s a lot to tell you, and we will eventually, but right now I have to go get Tessi and Mel. Santos, we didn’t protect this house like Mom’s and she got in. Told me Bram was going after my friends in Charleston, so I have to stop it.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  “You’re not coming with me,” I declared.

  “Yes, I am,” he asserted.

  “How are you getting to Charleston in one day? You can’t get there before whatever water chick was talking about happens. And how did she make that water sound when she came in?” Aiden asked.

  Pressing my finger to his lips, I shook my head. “No time. Anything you see will be explained. Wait for me.”

  I lifted my hand as I prepared to transport to my old apartment, and at the last second, Santos grabbed onto my jacket and came with me. We landed just outside the apartment and once I regained balance, I hit him hard in the chest. “What are you doing?!”

  “You’re not doing this alone,” he said. “Let’s go.”

  Handing him my extra dagger, I rolled my eyes in frustration. “Here. Stay behind me.”

  The door was open. Not a good sign. Kicking it the rest of the way open, I called for my friends.

  No answer.

  Cautiously, I stepped in and scanned the area. No one was around, but the place was a wreck. The couch was overturned, pillows strewn all over the room. The few pictures on the wall hung sideways, and the vase from the table was smashed to pieces. The TV was blown up, parts lying in various parts of the living room and kitchen.

  I headed to the workroom, looking in every direction every few steps for any surprise attacks. Opening the door, I gasped upon seeing Tessi sprawled in the floor, blonde hair matted with blood.

  “Tessi!” I cried. I dropped to my knees, found her pulse, and sighed. At least she wasn’t dead. I rolled her over slowly, seeing a nasty cut on her face to go with the bleeding bash. “Santos,” I hissed. “You have to take her to Grandma to heal her. I have to find Mel.”

  “Will you be ok?” he whispered.

  I nodded. “Careful,” I instructed when he lifted her in his arms. He was gone in an instant and I assessed this room. No Mel, but all our research was gone. The map was missing and our computer holding the files on all the fights was gone.

  Had Tessi hidden them when she heard the intruders, or had they stolen them?

  I heard grunting from one of the bedrooms and I tiptoed from the room. It had to be Mel. I snuck my way to her door, listening carefully. Another grunt, followed by a painful groan.

  Kicking the door in, I sent my magic in and froze everyone present. Mel was being beaten by two huge men with white auras. Were all the rogue unbound working with Bram?

  Touching her, I unfroze her and grabbed her hand. “Come, Mel. We have to get out of here!”

  “Sadie?” she asked. She grabbed her stomach as she tried to get up. She finally stood, wrapping her arm around my shoulders for help. “They’re coming out of it.”

  “You ready?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  I gave them one last glance, imagining them both bursting into flames, and popped out, the smell of smoke fresh in my nose.