He was wedged awkwardly, and I could tell he’d probably broken a leg or done some damage to it at least—it was at a bad angle.
The man still held explosives. When I reached out with my magic, I could tell that something was wrong with them—either he had made it so they’d explode easily, or they’d been constructed poorly. Wires were exposed—not just the wires themselves, but the actual metal inside of them. I knew that the bombs most likely wouldn’t go off if the wires were jostled, but my training also told me not to take risks.
Had the man done this to the bombs, or had the wires scraped against the stone as he’d fallen, thereby damaging them? I hoped it was the latter.
Regardless, I needed to make sure those bombs didn’t go off as they pulled the man up.
Knowing I’d have to be closer, I lay on my stomach, resting my head on my arms, with my face only a couple of inches from the crevice opening. “Am I okay here?” I asked the woman closest to me.
“Should be,” she said. “We have plenty of space to work with.”
Well, maybe not plenty—at least for someone untrained like me. I figured they were used to much tighter quarters, though.
“Let us know when you’re ready,” Ron said, startling me. He must have climbed up.
I closed my eyes and reached out, gritting my teeth as flies landed on me, trying not to swat them away, and counted all of the bombs that were within reach. There were several of them—at least twenty. Not just in the man’s arms, but in the holes that had already been drilled. I got a hold of them magically, and readied myself for whatever could possibly happen.
“Ready.”
Ron and his team started rescuing the man immediately. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting their actions to distract me, since the flies were doing a good enough job of that.
I gasped as one of the bombs ignited.
15
A clicking sound I hadn’t heard in a while echoed through the crevice, and my magic slowed things down enough for me to sense as the bomb went off. I commanded my magic to do its thing—contain the explosion. Power rushed from me, taking my breath away.
To their credit, the rescue people didn’t say or do anything. I felt their urgency increase, though, and I mentally thanked them for not dilly-dallying.
Several other bombs tried to go off. By the time they’d pulled the man up—him shrieking from the pain—I was exhausted. I hadn’t reached my magical threshold, however, and that was amazing. I’d gotten stronger since I’d started fighting hounds. At least there’d been one benefit from all of that.
The blasting crew dismantled the bombs as soon as the man had been pulled from the crevice. I rolled to a sitting position, putting a little distance between myself and the drop-off, and tried to see through a swarm of flies that was hovering around me.
“Get the bombs in the other holes too,” I said. “Just in case. These didn’t look like they’d been constructed correctly. I’m willing to bet the others have problems too.”
No one questioned me. What had happened to make the bombs so fragile? I couldn’t help but wonder. Either way, I’d helped save several people’s lives—if the explosives had gone off when they brought the man up, who knew how many would have been injured or killed.
Ron thanked me, then apologized when they put the injured man in the helicopter instead of me. The woman on top of the canyon volunteered to drive me home, and I gratefully accepted.
The ride was a bit awkward, to say the least. I could tell she was dying to ask about the plagues and the governor’s campaigns . . . or maybe I was just hyper-sensitive and the only thing she was dying to ask was how I liked being a Fire Impeder. Either way, we didn’t talk a whole lot, and I breathed a figurative breath of fresh air when I stepped out of her car.
There were too many flies around for me to actually breathe fresh air.
Only a few of the picketers were hanging around. I ignored them, stepping from the car and striding up my sidewalk.
“Out ruining more people’s lives, Miss Ashton?” a man called to me.
I ignored him.
***
The next morning, before the flies had even died off signifying the end of the plague, Abel surprised me by entering my room without knocking. I was still asleep. Maybe he had knocked and I’d just been so exhausted from everything we’d gone through that I didn’t hear him. For the first time in several days, I’d actually slept for several hours. I’d covered my face with a very light piece of cloth, and I hadn’t even noticed the flies.
“Mindy got called out on a job with Chief,” he said. “We decided not to wake you, but I need to talk to you about something that’s coming up.”
I sat up, wiping the mascara out from under my eyes and pulling my hair back. I really needed to get into the habit of removing my makeup at night, but I kind of sort of didn’t care about that level of personal hygiene right then. The fact that I still cared enough to actually put on mascara every day was totally different. “Oh, good. I’m so glad Chief is still having her help. She’s been so bored and miserable.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” He shifted his weight, his eyes running around the room. He was definitely antsy.
“Okay, what’s going on?”
“I want to take you with me to the underground.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I straightened. “Are you serious?” I’d asked him if I could a few days earlier, and his answer had been “Absolutely not.”
“I’m having a hard time convincing anyone to help us. Governor Boggs’ campaigns have been too effective.”
“It won’t do us much good anyway—trying to convince people to help. They need to be loyal.”
I picked up the globe from my nightstand and stared at it in surprise. “Holy cow. There are glowing lights over in the Russells’ house.”
“That’s the other thing. Three more hounds came while you were sleeping. Again, we didn’t want to wake you. I’ve been guarding them for the last several hours, making sure they didn’t turn tail on us and go bad.”
I shook my head. “You needed sleep as much as I did, Abel. You should have gotten me up.”
He didn’t respond, but I didn’t really expect him to.
“Let’s get going,” I said. I got up from bed, ignoring the flies that were still hovering around me, and stepped past Abel to brush my teeth.
I’d just finished up in the bathroom when I heard Abel give a whoop.
I stuck my head out the bathroom door. “What?”
“The flies are starting to die.”
“That’s great news.” It really was.
I joined him, helping him clean up as many of the dead flies as possible before heading to the Russells’. I was too nervous to eat breakfast, even though Abel offered it to me. I was going to go to the underground! Whatever and wherever that was. Eleanor and Abel both talked about it so much, it made me anxious and excited to finally get there.
But first, we had to take care of the hounds next door. They were easy—all of them agreed to have their memories wiped. Once that was done, I alerted Cole to their presence, and Abel and I headed to my new car.
I couldn’t believe how wonderful it was not to have critters flying or crawling all over me. This was the best I’d felt in a long time, and it wasn’t just because I’d actually slept the night before. Things were going to change—they had to.
The current plague was diseased livestock, and I felt awful about that. But as Abel and I drove through the streets of Lehi, I was surprised to see that many of the horses that lived near me were gone. As we listened to the radio, we learned that nearly everyone who owned livestock had long ago transported them outside the reach of the plague.
I couldn’t imagine how much that would have cost—probably hundreds of thousands of dollars. Of course, on the flip side, the cost would have been much, much higher if all of their livestock had died.
Abel pulled up at his warehouse and surprised me by saying, “Here we are.”
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nbsp; 16
I blinked. “The warehouse is the underground?”
He shrugged. “It’s sort of a co-op place. I own it, but the way I’ve got things set up, people who don’t have anywhere else to practice and fight come here. It’s working well. They pay me for use of the place, and it’s fully equipped.”
“You trust them?”
He glared, maintaining eye contact. “They know better than to cross me.”
A chill rolled up my spine and into my hair. Okay, Abel. Still intense, I see.
“Either way, it’s the best way to keep my thumb on the pulse of the community. I do this everywhere I live, and word usually spreads quickly when I set up in a new location.”
I stared at the warehouse, readjusting my thinking about it. I’d been under the assumption that Abel lived there alone. “So, how do you live here if people are coming and going?”
“I’ve actually got an apartment, one that’s way too small and dingy to show you. I spend more of my time here than I do at the apartment, though. And if I need the warehouse to myself, I let everyone know it won’t be open. That’s what I did when you and I came here.”
“Gotcha.”
I made to open my door, but Abel reached over and stopped me. “We’ve been so busy lately it’s been hard to remember we’re a couple.” He gazed into my eyes. “I miss you.”
My heart flopped in my chest as I sensed the sincerity and intensity in his face. This man was mine. And even though we’d faced a lot of horrors, and more were sure to come, he was still at my side, faithful and loyal.
He leaned over and placed a kiss on my cheek. I closed my eyes, putting my arms around his neck, and turning to him so he had to kiss my lips instead.
From how enthusiastically he kissed me, he didn’t mind.
I felt happy bubbles bouncing around in my tummy, knowing he felt the same for me as I did for him. This man was amazing. I so hoped our lives would settle down soon so we could actually enjoy each other’s company again. Because I missed him too.
After a few more minutes of kissing, we went inside, and my eyes popped out of my head. I expected the “underground” to be smoky and dark. And even though I’d been in the warehouse before, I was still surprised to find that while it was operating this way, it was anything but smoky and dark.
The place was well lit and the mirrors that lined the walls made everything look roomy and spacious, even with at least a hundred people there. Fans lined the ceiling where lights weren’t, and huge windows on the long sides of the warehouse let in plenty of sunlight.
Humanoid creatures and people of all shapes and sizes were there, nearly all of them watching others fighting on the mats Abel and I had practiced on before. Most everyone I saw was human, but there were many who obviously weren’t.
Abel motioned to a set of men and women near the back left corner who had several little horns sprouting from their heads, lining their necks, and disappearing under shirts. Their cheekbones also had the little stubby-but-sharp horns on them.
“Those are the ones I’ve been trying to get to join us. As I said, the campaigns haven’t been helping. They can’t be swayed one way or the other, but still, they choose to fight for causes every now and then. I don’t even know where I should start to get them to help us. I’m hoping having you here will be beneficial. They’re powerful fighters—some of the best I’ve seen.”
We approached and waited until the group of demons noticed us. Once they did, they fell quiet and indicated for us to join them.
“I’d like you to meet Miss Ashton,” Abel said, motioning to me.
Several of the creatures nodded in my direction, and I found myself having a hard time not staring at their horns. Once I got over that particular bit of difference, I found that there was something beautiful about them. They had nice features—good lips, good skin tone, pretty eyes, long eyelashes.
The horns definitely drew away from their attractiveness, though.
Abel engaged them in small talk for several minutes. They discussed the plagues, the weather, and a couple members of the group who weren’t present.
Finally, Abel brought me into the conversation. “This is the one you’d be helping, should you choose to join us.”
The woman closest to us shook her head. “Abel, we appreciate your efforts, but you need to know we mean it when we say our decision is final.”
A man from the back of the group stepped forward. “She’s right. We’ve discussed it several times. Enough to know this is not a battle we want to get involved in.”
I shook my head. “But Lord Kenan is committed to destroying everyone through death or enslavement. How can you turn away from that?”
The woman looked at me incredulously. “He won’t destroy us. And it’s impossible to enslave our kind.”
My face flushed. “Don’t you want those you care about to have freedom? There’s got to be someone you love who will suffer.”
The man shook his head. “We’ve survived many dictatorships. We will survive many more. Even if he gains control of this country, it will not affect us. We will simply move elsewhere and continue living the way we have through the centuries.”
I turned and scowled at Abel. “I guess that’s it, then.”
He nodded, recognizing my cue. “If you won’t join us, can we convince you to leave?”
“We realize you’re afraid we’ll join with Lord Kenan,” the woman said. “You have no reason to fear, though. He can’t control us through his magic, and even though he has offered us power and influence many times, it hasn’t brought us to his side. And it won’t this time.”
She continued. “Either way, we’ve already decided to move to Texas, where his influence won’t reach.”
“Is that far enough?” I asked. I hated thinking about them being in my home state when I didn’t really know anything about them. It was better than having them somewhere Lord Kenan could reach them, though.
“We foresee that he will head directly to you, Miss Ashton,” the woman said. “It does not take many of our abilities to sense that much.”
The man nodded. “The best plan would be for us to go north or south. We do not necessarily need to leave the country.”
Somewhat satisfied, Abel and I thanked them and turned away. We left the warehouse, Abel locking the door behind us. I raised my eyebrows, and he motioned to the number keypad that was by the lock.
“Everyone has the code to get in.”
“If everyone has the code, why lock it at all?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Okay, maybe everyone is an exaggeration. Those who need access to the warehouse and who I trust are able to get in whenever they need to.”
I linked my arm through his, thinking on this new revelation I’d gained about his warehouse. “So, why do you have a bed, kitchen, bathroom, and such here?”
He shrugged. “I sometimes stay the night. I find myself working late and don’t trust myself to drive to my apartment. I’d rather sleep in the warehouse than in the car on the road. Besides, my apartment isn’t as comfortable as the warehouse.”
“Then why don’t you live there full time?” I asked as we pulled onto State Street.
“Because I can’t afford to. The people who fight and practice there are paying money to do so. I don’t charge them a whole lot, but it covers basic utilities and the mortgage on the place.”
“That’s good to hear.” I liked knowing he had other money coming in besides mine. I definitely didn’t want him to starve to death because of what he was doing to help me.
17
We drove back to my place in silence, and I finally turned on the radio, a morbid curiosity overcoming me. I was surprised to hear my name mentioned right off the bat, but it wasn’t the same actor who’d voiced all the negative campaigns. No, this was a totally different person. And right away, I could tell that the tone of the message was more uplifting than the others had been.
“Unbeknownst to the citizens of Utah, Lizzie Ashton h
as worked hard behind the scenes to keep people safe from a very powerful and dangerous threat. Yes, her actions have brought problems and frustrations to the citizens of Utah, but if it wasn’t for her, a group of evil, immortal beings known as the Hounds of Tindalos would be destroying everyone and everything. The difficult task of stopping these evil creatures has fallen on Lizzie’s shoulders. She has done a fantastic job at it and has eliminated hundreds of them already. We now ask for your support and patience so she can finish what she was called to do.”
About halfway through the message, tears started running down my face, and I was glad Abel was driving. I knew Nicole was behind the campaign. I didn’t have to hear the “funded by the Williams Foundation” at the end to tell me that much. Nicole was the only person who would actually go out of her way to organize and pay for something like this. I was so grateful for her. For everything she’d done for me. She really was a fantastic best friend.
Two of Nicole’s messages played in a row. I didn’t know how much that cost, but I couldn’t stop crying.
And knowing that the current plague hadn’t truly plagued anyone was just icing on the cake. This was the least dangerous and annoying one that had hit us yet. I really hoped that the next few plagues would be just as easy.
I knew better than to rely on hope, though, especially with what was coming next. Boils. Yeah . . . that wasn’t going to be fun. My poor skin still hadn’t healed from the lice.
I removed the globe from my pocket. There were ten glowing dots all close to the Russells’ house. Ten dots that I would need to take care of in the next eight to twelve hours. Pulling away from the globe, allowing myself to see more of the surface, I was surprised that a whole bunch of dots surrounded the graveyard in Holland. Were these more of the hounds that had been hidden from me? If so, why could I see them now? Was Lord Kenan unable to cover them up? I really hoped so.
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