by D. N. Leo
They hadn’t gone far before the car hit something and spun around. The car rolled, smashed into a tree trunk, and stopped. All of the interior airbags went off. One headlight still beamed out into the misted air. Tadgh unfastened his seatbelt and reached over to Jo. "Are you okay?"
"Yep." Jo wriggled her way out from behind the airbag, and they both climbed out of the car.
It was a dark night. No stars. No moon. No street lights.
Jo grabbed Tadgh's hand. "Run!"
"We can’t. It’s too late. Juliette is here already!”
Chapter 8
A body thudded into the mud right behind them, splashing rain water onto the wet grass. Tadgh and Jo turned around to see Stefan's dead body on the ground.
A beam of light appeared, and the holographic image of Juliette swung back and forth as if not sure whether to fly away or stay.
"He's unfixable," Juliette growled, looking at Stefan's dead body.
"Apparently!" Tadgh stepped in front of Jo. "What do you want?"
The hologram turned toward Tadgh. "I want your brother of course!"
"And you think you can capture me and lure Ciaran out here? You and your dead brother were scamming Ciaran for years. Did that get you anything?"
Juliette swung her arm up. Tadgh's body lifted, spun around, and was flung down to the ground.
Tadgh grunted with pain and stood up. "Overreacting a little, don't you think?"
Juliette's face had lost all of what Ciaran had once loved. In front of Tadgh was a demon to the core. Tadgh didn’t know what had caused this change. He wasn’t sure whether the real Juliette was still alive or not. Her body wasn’t in her coffin. He had no idea what to make of this situation. But what he did know was that the demon standing in front of him wanted Ciaran, and it would kill to get what it wanted.
This was no ghost. The thing standing in front of Tadgh was real. It wasn’t solid because it was a hologram. But it certainly was no spirit seeking revenge.
"You.” Juliette pointed at Jo. “Go back and tell Ciaran to come and claim his brother."
"I . . . I don't drive . . . I'm sorry. And besides, you trashed the car."
That was such a lie, Tadgh thought.
"Want to fly?" The air around Juliette started to stir as she spoke.
"Oh, no, no!" Tadgh waved Juliette off. There was no way Jo's fragile body could survive the impact that Ciaran had suffered this morning. "You'll kill her. A dead messenger is no good to you."
Tadgh didn't know what to do, but he was willing to try anything. He pulled out his phone. "I could call him. But, unfortunately, you and your weird energy kills all the phone signals."
Juliette smiled. "All right. I can keep my distance," she said and stepped back.
Tadgh dialed. "Yep . . . sure . . . yes . . . cemetery? What?” Tadgh looked around. “Yeah, the cemetery. The second one of the day. Yep, that's where I am."
Juliette raised an eyebrow in question.
Tadgh shrugged. "What? Phones these days have Bluetooth signals and map tracking. You think I need to shout out the exact address?"
"Stay here and run when you can, okay?" Tadgh mumbled to Jo.
"I'm not going to leave you."
"I don't want to have to protect you. Go when I say so."
Tadgh approached Juliette. "I saw your coffin this morning. There was no body in it. What happened to you?"
Juliette snorted. "When will Ciaran be here?"
"Half an hour. He’s not flying . . . He chose to drive."
Juliette smirked. "You like her?" She nodded toward Jo.
"She's all right. She obviously doesn’t compare to you, Juliette."
Juliette laughed. "Sorry, darling. I love one man, and one man only. And that's your brother. I think you're a good man, Tadgh." Juliette glanced at Jo. "You're lucky. He likes you."
"He's not exactly my type," said Jo.
"Look, there’s no point keeping her here. Let her go,” Tadgh said.
Juliette shrugged. "All right. Sure. But you’re waiting here with me, Tadgh."
"No, I'll stay," Jo stated firmly.
"Well now." Juliette cast a warm look at Jo. "You do like him."
"I'd do that for any friend. I have faith in people. I don't scam and cheat those I care for."
Juliette's face turned red.
"Oh, no. Let's calm down, ladies,” Tadgh suggested.
He reached out his hand to grab Juliette and felt a jolt of energy. A substance. Tadgh got closer to Juliette. He looked into her eyes. Juliette looked up at him. Tadgh knew he had a few of the same characteristics as Ciaran. He stepped closer. So close it was almost intimate. He reached his hand up.
"May I?"
Juliette looked as if she had tears in her eyes.
Tadgh touched her face. There was something there. Not flesh. But energy. It felt solid.
"What does my brother have that I don't?"
Juliette looked at Tadgh as if she wanted to devour his face. "Not much. You have everything Ciaran has. He just happened to come first."
Tadgh smiled. He gently slid his hand toward the back of her neck. He could feel her tremble. Tadgh touched his lips to hers. There was a feeling of contact. He deepened the kiss. He could feel her body pressed against him. Tadgh caressed Juliette, moving his hand down her back and to her hip. Then as quick as lightning, he pulled the dagger from her side. His right arm still holding her tight, Tadgh stabbed Juliette with his left. He pulled the dagger out and stabbed again for good measure.
Juliette staggered back, hissing in anger and pain. The thick smell of burning electrical current filled the air. Something sparked underneath her skin.
Tadgh yelled at Jo, "Run!"
Instead of running away, Jo rushed toward Tadgh. She grabbed a tree branch and whacked at Juliette.
The holographic figure was distorted severely as the branch went through it. It hissed and screamed.
Tadgh stabbed again. This time, he aimed at Juliette’s heart.
Her holographic figure suddenly stood straight. It poked its chest out to take the dagger. Then it laughed. It grabbed Tadgh's hand twisted his arm, and flung him away.
Tadgh hit a tree and fell to the ground. He moaned and stood up, leaning against the tree. Jo darted toward him. She picked up another tree branch and stood in front of Tadgh protectively while Juliette approached them.
"I told you to run,” Tadgh said.
"Shut up."
"I don’t need your protection."
"Sorry to tread so heavily on your manhood. But you’re going to have to let us girls fight it out."
Jo wouldn't stand a chance with Juliette one-on-one, Tadgh thought.
Juliette approached slowly, like a leopard playing with its dying prey.
"Run, please. I'll keep her here,” Tadgh said.
"You can't be a hero. And you can certainly choose not be an idiot."
Juliette raised her arm. Tadgh had no idea what was coming, but he knew it was going to be bad. Tadgh and Jo felt the air pressure coming from Juliette. There would be an explosion. They would be dead very soon.
Juliette smirked and was about to swing her arm.
Tadgh grabbed Jo from behind. He turned her around and kissed her. Long and deep. He had to match what she had done before. A man had his pride, after all. If they were going to die, this was something he had to do.
Something exploded behind them. But they didn’t feel anything. Surprised and confused, Tadgh and Jo opened their eyes.
In front of them stood a man in his late sixties with a sword in his hand. The sword blade glowed bright orange. Juliette grabbed her right shoulder, which was dripping with blood.
"You grew strong fast, Sciphil Nine."
"You have three seconds to disappear,” the man said dryly.
Juliette cast a last hateful look at Tadgh and whirled away, disappearing into the darkness.
Tadgh stood still, bracing himself with one hand on the tree trunk, measuring the man with his eyes as
he approached them. He was as tall as Tadgh. His salt and peppered hair was slightly long and tied back, revealing kind eyes. He looked Tadgh up and down.
"You're a strong man, Tadgh. You'd make a good warrior. Is your brother as strong as you are?"
"Stronger. Are you stronger than Juliette? Tell us how we can fight her."
The man laughed. "The LeBlanc boys live up to their reputation."
The old man turned around and walked away so fast that Tadgh didn’t have time to ask another question. Unlike Juliette, who had simply disappeared, this man walked away at an impossible speed.
Standing in the quietness of the night, Jo asked, "You didn't call Ciaran, did you?"
"No. I was just pretending . . .”
“So what’s that then?” Jo asked and pointed toward car headlights flashing in their direction.
Chapter 9
Madeline followed Ciaran as he bolted to the fence line of Mon Ciel as soon as security cleared Lindsay’s car.
She was anxious about Jo and Tadgh, but her psychic mind was telling her they were unharmed. Ciaran had no psychic ability. Regardless of what she had told him, the short hour had dragged like a torturous decade for him. He was worried sick about what might have happened to Tadgh and Jo.
Madeline yanked the car door open on Jo’s side. Jo hopped out.
“I’m all right,” she said and rushed to Tadgh’s side. Tadgh pushed the door open. “I can get out of the car myself, lady!” he muttered and wobbled out.
“What’s the problem, Tadgh?” Ciaran asked.
“Nothing,” Tadgh snapped.
“He twisted his ankle,” Jo said.
“I landed wrong. That’s all. And I can certainly speak for myself,” he grumbled.
“I appreciate this, Lindsay,” Ciaran said when his assistant stepped out of the car.
Madeline knew Lindsay was more than Ciaran’s right-hand man. They were friends. After losing Robert, it had taken a lot out of Ciaran to call Lindsay to handle this task. From the corner of her eye, Madeline saw a blue dot just outside the fence. It hovered there, trying to catch her attention.
She was sure it wasn’t Juliette. Juliette’s blue dots would be inside Mon Ciel because she knew better than anyone that the shield didn’t work against thoughts and humans, only against extraterrestrial energy. Whoever waited out there wanting to talk to her might never have entered Mon Ciel before.
She glanced back just before entering the house and saw the blue dot had grown larger. She could hear a clear voice now. “This is Ayana, Madeline. If you want to know exactly what you and Ciaran have gotten yourselves into, come outside Mon Ciel, and we’ll talk.”
Madeline wanted to respond, but she didn’t know how. She could trace thoughts and could see them, but she had never interacted with them before. Speaking out loud wasn’t a good idea—that much she knew.
She closed her eyes. Concentrated. She willed her response into her mind and sent her stream of thought toward Ayana. “You want me to go out there so you can beat the hell out of me again?”
“I withdrew my attack on you as soon as you’d given your consent to the Sciphil One successor position. No harm from me will ever come to you again.”
Madeline smiled to herself. Her communication channel with these extraterrestrial people actually worked. Wish I’d known this before and saved Tadgh and Jo the trip, she thought privately. “What about others like Juliette? Will they respect the rules as you do?”
“I can’t speak for others. I have a vested interest in Ciaran staying alive. I think you do, too. Come alone, and we will sort this out.”
“Why can’t you tell Ciaran directly?”
“I sealed his Sciphil successor position at the cemetery. That connected him directly to our communication network. Any message to him at my level will be recorded. Your psychic ability is unique, but I’m not sure how long it will be before it is intercepted. We need to speak face-to-face if you care for him. I promise you my protection.”
“Damn it. Okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Do what?” Ciaran asked.
She opened her eyes and realized she had spoken the last sentence out loud. “Find a different way to talk to those Sciphils,” she said.
She smiled at him. She tucked a strand of stray hair on his face back and looked into his intense gray eyes that had lost some of their shine due to fatigue. Still, he was too beautiful for her to stare at for a long time without losing her control and telling him whatever was on her mind. She reached up and kissed him.
“I told you Tadgh and Jo would be fine.”
“You were right. Let’s get inside before you catch a cold.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder to take her inside the house.
The warmth of his body and the virility in his aura made her want to curl up in his arms and live there for the next millennium. She wished she could forget the conversation she’d just had with Ayana.
Jo was waiting for them in the hallway. She gave Ciaran a small electronic pad. “I made this. It’s a portable game console for beginners. Could you give it to Tadgh? With his wrecked ankle, I think he has to lie still for a while. I don’t want his brains to turn to mush from boredom.”
“I’ll fix his ankle now, and he will be chasing you around in an hour. But the game console is a nice idea. Why don’t you give it to him yourself?”
“We don’t talk anymore. He’s like a petulant child.”
Ciaran took the game from Jo. “All right.”
Madeline could see a flash of intrigue in Ciaran’s eyes. He very much approves of Jo and Tadgh together. “Can I have a word with you, Jo?” she asked.
“Sure.”
“I’ll fix Tadgh up now. And I’m still going to make him play this game.” Ciaran smiled and strode away.
Madeline waited until Ciaran disappeared around the corner of the seemingly endless marble corridor. She turned to Jo and found her friend observing her with questions in her cat green eyes. Her long black hair cascaded down the sides of her foxy face. She was focused on Madeline.
“Secret talk?" Jo asked.
“What a trip! I just want to calm you down."
Jo snorted. “You think I’m in need of your soothing therapy?"
Madeline shook her head. "Maybe not. Maybe it’s just an excuse for some quiet time."
Jo laughed. "That's better."
“You like Tadgh, Jo.”
Jo shrugged. “Perhaps. It’s weird, though, because he’s not my usual type.”
Madeline nodded. “Zach is more your type.”
Jo giggled. “He’s every girl’s type, except yours.”
Madeline glanced at the door. Through its small glass panel, she could see the blue dot still hovering outside Mon Ciel. “Next time you talk to Zach, could you tell him that what happened in Australia wasn’t his fault?”
Jo narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t ask, Jo. Please. Just for once.”
“For once? You’ve never told me what happened. I didn’t even know that Zach had been feeling guilty. People died in that house, Madeline. And I wiped all records of our involvement. Don’t you think I’m entitled to know what happened?”
“I told you it was an accident. The house caught on fire.”
“Accident how?” Jo waved her arms in frustration.
“We fought in the kitchen. Larry fell onto a knife, and the house caught on fire. I told you.”
“That’s lame, Madeline. You’re telling me that Larry and his entire family fell onto knives? That wouldn’t even make a believable black comedy. I was stupid enough to wipe the record, so I effectively gagged myself. But come on!” Jo stomped around the corridor.
“Look, Jo, I’ll tell you more—but later. All I need you to promise me is that you’ll tell Zach what I asked you to. I don’t want him to live his whole life in doubt. I wasn’t sure before. But I’m sure now. It wasn’t his fault.”
“Why can’t you tell him yourself? What are you trying to do, Madeline?”
“All right. I’ll tell him myself. Maybe tomorrow. But I want to tell Ciaran first.”
Jo nodded. “And when will you tell me the truth?”
“Tomorrow,” she stated as firmly as possible.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Jo said and turned on her heel.
Madeline peeked through the glass panel of the door once more and could see the blue dot looming as large as her pilates ball. She turned and headed down the hall toward Ciaran’s room.
Chapter 10
She found Ciaran in the bedroom looking out the window. She was one hundred percent sure he couldn’t see Ayana’s blue dot the way she did. She approached him from behind, embraced him, and took the empty glass from his hand.
"Scotch isn't exactly the prescribed medication Doctor Thomas ordered."
Ciaran turned around. He touched the dimple on her left cheek with his thumb. Then he kissed her. She kissed him back.
Outside Mon Ciel, the blue dot now was as enormous as a hot air balloon, glowing a white and blue light. She stared at it.
“What is that?” Ciaran asked and turned to look outside. Then he turned back in, looking at her. “I saw a blue reflection in your eyes. Have you been seeing those blue dots again?”
“What? Oh. No, no.” She waved her arm dismissively and moved toward the bed. “You need to take your meds.” She grinned and sat down.
"I'm not a sick old man. I don’t need drugs."
“Well, I have some activities in mind that I think you might be interested in. But if you don’t take your meds, then I could exacerbate your injuries and hurt you even more." She kicked her shoes off and lay back on the two big pillows on the bed. “These activities could be very physically demanding.”
Ciaran winked. “Ah, now that’s worth consideration.”
She smiled and pulled her blouse off in one swift move.
Ciaran strode to the bed as quick as a cat. She swore she heard him purr. “All right, then. Drug me,” he said and climbed onto the bed to kiss her. She put her finger on his lips to stop him.
"You know where the meds are," Madeline said.
“I can take them afterward.”
