by Jo Penn
Their scents and Rico’s natural pouvoir characteristics were covered by potions and the coverings he’d placed over them both.
Arriving on the island, they stayed with the tourists and joined a guided group. Rico was constantly scanning for crāwan, while Freddie was enjoying someone else being tour guide and took in the buildings and what the guide was telling them. He paid attention though, studying everything and everyone around and waiting for Rico to give the signal they could break from the group.
So far there were no disturbances and the tourists appeared just like them.
This made Freddie wary. He wasn’t just like others. He wasn’t really here as a tourist, so who else was wearing a facade?
Taking his hand, Rico stroked his thumb across Freddie’s twice. This was the signal, a caress anyone would give to their lover. Rico smiled, Freddie returning the smile, excitement building over what they were about to do.
They walked into an old building, pausing to study the walls, allowing the other tourists and guide to pass, and then, with supernatural speed, Rico spun them around and into an alcove and quickly put up a shield that looked just like a wall.
For three minutes they stood silent and still. Once sure there were no stragglers, both of them scenting the air, he removed the shield and Freddie peeked out, looking every way, then gave a nod.
They couldn’t teleport, as another creature might sense this and come to investigate, so they very quietly dashed farther into the building and turned into another stone alcove with a door. Placing his hand on the doorknob, Rico turned it once. There was a slight creaking noise, a lock snapping Freddie guessed, and then the door was open and Rico went through first. Once through this door, they were on their own unless they called for assistance.
After they’d ducked through the door, Rico closed it silently and placed a shield to stop anyone else from being able to open it. He began leading the way in the near darkness. Fortunately, Rico saw perfectly in the dark. Freddie had fairly good night vision, but it was pitch-black in here aside from tiny slivers of light coming from a few old slits in the walls that were once windows.
Two flights of old stone stairs took them down into the very bowels of the building and complete darkness. Rico knew exactly where he was going, leading them into a small room, which had probably once been a storage area for the monks.
Here Freddie took out his gun, took off the safety, and with his side to Rico, who was studying the walls, kept an eye on him and the door. He couldn’t see more than a few inches into the blackness, but all those years of training had taught him to utilize other senses, like smell and hearing, and Freddie had damn fast reflexes.
Rico must find the old stone the parchment was hidden inside of and break through whatever tricks had long ago been placed there to keep the piece hidden and safe.
So far, the task was going well, better than he’d thought it would, which only made Freddie more cautious. Surely if there had been a spy in the meeting there would be crāwan on the island well before the set time of four o’clock when they were to originally come for the parchment, creatures lying in wait to snatch the parchment as soon as it was taken from the stone?
Freddie’s thoughts wandered momentarily to the large old Tarok castle.
He loved the professor. It was a cool feeling. He loved the pouvoir and their ways. And he loved the big black castle with dragons, the Taroks, and Uriel Golden, who had the softest heart. Freddie had never been sappy, but he sure felt it today. What he and Rico had was different. He was believing in soul mates and destiny and wanted it badly. He was staying right by his mate’s side in that big old castle and would buy some paint and rollers, because damn, Freddie liked color in his life!
Freddie glanced back at Rico as he crouched on the dirt floor and smiled. Rico Arkman Tarok was unlike anyone he’d ever known. Rico had a special something that pulled Freddie to him constantly. Freddie wanted to be with him, and when he decided something, that was what he did.
He felt rather than saw movement. Acting on instinct, reflexes fast and accurate, Freddie slammed a foot into a creature’s stomach, the force knocking the intruder over. Ducking, he narrowly missed a sword coming to take off his head. Raising his gun, he shot the next attacker in the shoulder as he was knocked from the side by the creature who’d swung the sword at his head.
Rico caught him, turning fast, and dropped Freddie behind him. Damn his pouvoir need to keep Freddie out of the fight! If he did that one more time, Freddie would shoot him again!
Two more figures emerged from the blackness. Freddie crouched, took aim, and shot one attacker in the chest as Rico thrust his dagger into the chest of the other, lifting the creature off his feet. With a small thrust, the creature was thrown through the air to crash into a wall at the far end of the basement.
Jumping to his feet, gun at the ready, Freddie looked past Rico as a stir in the air alerted to more intruders that the blackness hid.
“Get back.” Rico spoke into Freddie’s mind. “I’ve called for Torrent. We need to stay back when they come in.”
Great. As he hadn’t seen the pair earlier, he doubted he’d see them in here and would have to be careful not to shoot them. Placing a hand on Rico’s back, Freddie lifted his jacket and removed the gun tucked into Rico’s jeans. Clicking off the safety, Freddie handed the weapon to Rico, who was watching something intently.
They were surrounded. Freddie could sense the presence of other supernaturals all around and felt Rico tap his gun hand twice. Keeping his smile to himself, his movements closed at first, Freddie suddenly burst into action and shot in the direction of two o’clock, scoring a direct hit, a creature falling as soon as the tranquilizer penetrated. Rico shot at four o’clock, and though the creatures returned fire, their bullets and weapons bounced off the shield covering them, a shield Rico erected as soon as they were surrounded.
“I’ve blocked you from your backup, Rico.” A female voice floated through the darkness. “How long does your logic say that shield of yours can hold out against all of us?”
“So, it’s you, Zenobia.” Rico had an arm out, half sheltering Freddie. “I’m surprised, but then, I would have been surprised by any of those at the meeting turning out to be a disgusting betrayer.”
The female, Zenobia, laughed softly. Freddie remembered her from the meeting. He never would have suspected her to be the betrayer, she’d seemed so earnest.
“True. No one suspected. I cover myself well, have the twins’ fabulous potions, and, of course, no disfiguration. I got the feeling you suspected me though. What was it that gave me away?”
“As if I am going to tell you.”
“Whatever, it makes no difference. Hand over the parchment piece.” Zenobia’s voice became hard.
“It wasn’t there.”
“Bullshit. I saw you take it from the stone. I was patient, I waited, I watched. It wasn’t any effort for you to break the code, amazing really.”
“There was no parchment piece.” Rico nudged Freddie closer, probably knowing he wished to lunge at the creatures and fight them. “Go from here quickly. Death is descending, justice coming, and you know the crimes that each of you have committed will not go unpunished. It is imperative to leave immediately.”
There was a shift in the air, movement, and Freddie was sure some of the people had quickly left. Rico’s projector ability was damn useful. Unfortunately, it had not worked on Zenobia.
“That nearly had me leaving, Rico. The whispers were true. You have full projector magic, not a small touch we all assumed you possessed. Luckily I am always prepared.”
Something blasted the shield, and intricate weavings lit up brightly before Freddie’s eyes then crumbled away. In that second, he caught full sight of three people. Zenobia, a male troll, and a female with magic, though he couldn’t be sure whether the woman was a witch or magi.
Thrust suddenly behind Rico, Freddie lost his footing and landed on the dirt ground, cursing his mate for again re
moving him from harm’s way. About to jump up and fire on the troll, Freddie found he suddenly couldn’t breathe, a pressure on his throat so strong he stumbled back. His hands went to his throat, thinking there must be something there squeezing the life out of him, but there was nothing. No hands, no rope, or wire. With no air coming in and his throat crushing under the pressure, Freddie dropped to his knees, gun falling onto the ground. He fought to keep calm, not to panic, not to fight too hard.
“Be careful now, Rico, or your mate dies.” The betrayer laughed. “Is the soul globe worth his death?”
Growling, Rico did something Freddie did not expect and was very impressed with. The betrayer didn’t expect it either by her gasp of shock. A warrior never gave up what little defense they had and for Rico to lay down his weapons on the off chance they would not choke the life out of Freddie would be death for both of them.
Instead, he glared at the betrayer, hung his head a little, then, with a speed that surpassed sight, he plunged a dagger into the other female’s throat while, at the same time, shot the troll then the betrayer. The pressure on Freddie’s throat disappeared, leaving him gasping for air.
“You bastard! For that—”
Rico scooped Freddie up, and for good measure and no longer choking, Freddie grabbed his gun from the ground and shot at the troll and betrayer over Rico’s shoulder as his mate ran from the old storage room into the next small room.
“You’re not getting out of here, brethren.”
Twisting on Rico’s shoulder, Freddie caught a glimpse of four figures and quickly checked for the betrayer and troll. The betrayer was behind them, moving fast with a sword in her hand. Freddie translated this to Rico by tapping the clock location on his back.
Sliding to his feet, Freddie went to shoot the betrayer while Rico went for the four others in front of them. But the betrayer never reached them. She screeched to a halt, sword going up to defend herself.
“Wild!”
“Bonjour, betrayer.”
A pale-haired, dazzlingly stunning pouvoir appeared in the room, his head tilted slightly to the side, watching the woman. Freddie instinctively knew this pouvoir could handle himself against the betrayer. He felt the immense power rolling off the stunning supernatural and turned to assist Rico and saw another man, this one cutely beautiful, fighting alongside Rico.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Freddie kept his gun ready and touched his incredibly sore throat, having trouble breathing without causing pain. A big dark figure appeared beside him and turned Freddie into his large arms, sniffing and giving waves. Daray Darkness and in front of them was Urian Golden, glowering at everyone, light shining off him and fangs out.
“Drop dead,” the cutely beautiful man said, and to Freddie’s amazement, two people fell dead on the ground.
Holy crap! Freddie was going to remember never to annoy this dude!
Withdrawing a long, thin sword, the pale blond man circled the betrayer. “Come, betrayer, let us test your skills.”
“You want a test, Wild? Fine, I’ll give you one!” With a snarl, the betrayer clashed swords.
Rico was coming over to them with the other man when the ground beneath them shook, like an earthquake tremor but far stronger than any he’d felt before. He felt dark magic causing the tremors, the feeling was slimy and clogging. Bad, evil magic was being used. Darkness’ arm tightened around Freddie, his eyes going to the ceiling. Freddie looked up too.
“Jumeau! The roof!” the cutely gorgeous pouvoir called out.
Flicking the betrayer’s sword away with a precision move, Wild, as he had been called, picked her up, holding her above the floor with a hand around her throat, then slammed her into the ground.
Another tremor, even more fierce than the first, rattled the building, shaking the foundations beneath their feet. The ground opened up. Baring fangs at the betrayer, Wild released her just as the ground crumbled beneath them and he was snatched back by the cutely gorgeous pouvoir out of harm’s way. The betrayer screamed and fell through the floor.
“Hold up the building, cuz!” Torrent appeared and thrust up his hands.
Darkness did the same, Freddie rushing over to Rico and knocking him out of the way as part of the stone wall imploded with force, stones and rocks flying everywhere. They fell back together, Freddie landing beneath Rico’s large body, cringing as someone, he thought Uri Golden, swore.
When the shower of stones and rocks stopped, Freddie opened his eyes to find Rico kissing the marks on his throat. The action somehow soothed the pain, even while it turned him on and made his heart flutter.
Looking past Rico, Freddie managed a smile for Torrent. “A shield?”
“Yep. Your mate placed a shield over all of us.”
“Thank goodness.” The force of those stones flying out of the wall could have done some major damage.
Released and pulled to his feet, Freddie took inventory of the mess around them and was surprised there was very little. The wall was back together, and the long deep craters in the ground were gone.
“The parchment?” Gloom asked.
“I have it. What the hell happened?”
“Lots of crap!” Uri dusted himself off. “Bloody crāwan were everywhere! There we were, admiring the architecture, when Doom goes and reports we’re surrounded and to get out and help them hold off the hordes coming to cause the usual shit. Can you believe that? Those scum suckers were planning a big attack on innocents and the island.”
“Bastards.” Freddie’s voice came out in a croak.
“We must have arrived moments before the crāwan. They were preparing early, which gave us an advantage to see them coming.” Torr lifted Freddie’s chin to examine his throat. “Did you pass out, Freddie?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“Healing Chambers immediately. Magi magic can never be trusted not to leave a lingering assault. And you’re bleeding a fair bit, Rico.”
Freddie glanced down in the darkness but could not see where Rico was bleeding from.
“Thanks for the help, twins,” Rico said quietly.
“Non problem. I must track, not sure betrayer did not escape out of ground.” Wild responded somewhere in the darkness with heavily accented English.
“Give us some light here, Golden.”
“Bossy demanding Arkman.” Uriel suddenly glowed brightly, illuminating everything in the room. “Twins are gone. I’ll get Rico and Freddie to the healing chambers. You lot clean up the island and erase people’s memories.”
“Twins?” Freddie asked.
“The de Ville twins. Jett Wild and Orlando Calm.”
“Who we didn’t call in. Apparently, Wild had a sensory feeling while protecting Oslo today and, like you, was suspicious. He’s been tracking the betrayer’s scent since then,” Darkness said.
“Yeah?” Rico smiled in a weary way.
“This is why I left the meeting early,” Gloom said quietly. “Doom and I had an instincts flare, but we could not let anyone know.”
“Come on. The Hawaiian pouvoir, Kaimi Akana, he’s a healer, real strong Gloom says. He has organized all the brethren healers and set up the old healing chamber at the palace. Kai’s waiting to heal you both.” Uri shuffled around to Freddie’s other side and sniffed him. “Good fighting, but not fighting anymore.”
“What? You can’t stop me!” Freddie exclaimed. Uriel Golden was a lot of fun.
“No fighting!” Uri bellowed.
“How about we discuss that later, before I pass out from blood loss, bro.”
Freddie frowned at Rico. “Will you?”
“Err, no, just thought that would stop the argument.” He smiled. “Mind teleporting us, Golden?”
With a snap of his fangs, Uri teleported them to the palace in Austria. They appeared in a white marble room where beautifully scented candles were burning and two males were waiting, both he had seen at the palace in the meeting.
The healer named Kaimi held his hand above Freddie’s throat once h
e was seated on a high white-padded bench. A white light shone out of Kai’s hand. The sensation tickled a little, but within a few moments, all the pain was gone and Freddie could breathe normally again.
“That is some awesome magic.”
Kaimi smiled. “I like it. You’re fine. Have a good sleep ride and you’ll be sprite fit by tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
Hopping down from the bench, he waited with Uri as Rico’s few cuts and bruises were healed.
The last piece of the parchment was in their possession, Freddie now curious as to how Rico would work out where the soul globe was. And he wouldn’t mind a long “sleep ride.” He was completely buggered.
Chapter Thirteen
After receiving healing from Kai, Rico sensed that Darkness was feeling the pain of Zenobia betraying. He couldn’t take away that pain, but he could be there for his brother. And maybe he could do something that would help the brethren and his family.
Asking Uriel Golden if he’d mind taking Freddie back to the castle to rest—he could feel his mate was tired—and letting Freddie know what he was going to do, Rico made some quick notes then left the healing chambers and walked through the ancient Palace to the judges’ offices. They’d certainly set themselves up quickly. Mace’s office contained a lot of weapons and files that were piled everywhere. Ale Light’s office was bright and inviting, not overly ordered but fairly organized. Defender of Justice, Judge Tobias Cranshaw’s was a tightly wound, overly organized space that no speck of dust would dare to intrude upon.
Rico hurried into Talent’s office, which was comfortable, a little organized, a little messy. Dark was there speaking to Talent about the shields and locking Zenobia out of pouvoir lands.
Torrent was leaving as Rico entered the office, his cousin turning around and joining them.
“How long before you crack the parchment code, Rico?”
“No idea, boss Judge. It could be a few hours, hopefully no more than a few days.”
