Moonlight and Magick

by Isobael Liu

  “Your place?”

  She looked at him in surprise. Her place? No way. She wouldn’t be able to handle her emotions with him being in her home.

  “I don’t think that’d be very…”

  “Safe?” He gave her a knowing grin.

  In so many more ways than you think.

  “Someplace more neutral,” she said.

  He pondered a moment and then nodded. “All right.” He took her by the arm, walked with her out of the lot and around the corner where a rather large motorcycle was parked.

  Lilian dug her heels in and balked. “No way.”

  Matthias looked at her. “What?”

  “There’s no way I’m getting on that death trap with you.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not a death trap.”

  “Yes, it is. I’ve seen the news. There’s not enough metal around me and there’s only two wheels.”

  “Scared?” he asked.

  Lilian narrowed her eyes. “Of your motorcycle? You betcha.”

  He laughed and before she could even think about darting away, he had her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, strolling toward his bike.

  Lilian shrieked and started to struggle. “You jerk! Put me down!”

  Matthias swatted her on the butt, and leaned down to deposit her on the seat with a threat. “If you move, I’ll kiss you again.”

  She froze to ponder his words, and wondered what the downside was. He chuckled, rearranged her legs so he could swing onto his motorcycle, and straightened the bike up. Her heart dropped out of her chest. She wrapped her arms around him, and held on for dear life.

  “Lilian, you need to relax a little.”

  She heard the amusement in his voice.

  “We could just walk to the park, you know,” she suggested in a hopeful tone.

  “I have a place in mind.” He put the key into the ignition and pressed the starter button.

  The motorcycle roared to life and he revved the engine. Lilian buried her face against his back.

  She had no idea where he was taking her and knew she ought to be wary, but all thoughts went out of her brain as she inhaled his scent. A heady aroma, it reminded her of the forest on a summer evening, warm and earthy, alive. She closed her eyes as she breathed in and out, taking in his scent. It calmed her, made her almost forget she sat on a moving death trap with a man she barely knew but had made out with, going who knew where. When Lilian did remember, she jerked upright, causing the motorcycle to wobble a little. She shrieked in alarm and threw herself back against Matthias. He chuckled, patting her hands as if to reassure her.

  Like that was going to happen.

  After what seemed like an eternity, he slowed and turned off the main road. The uneven feel and crunching sound made her think it was a gravel drive of some sort. She wasn’t entirely sure, since she refused to look up. When they finally came to a stop, Matthias killed the engine.

  “You can let go, sweetheart,” he said.

  There was definitely some amusement in his tone as she released him.

  “Stop laughing at me!”

  Lilian sat upright, looked around, and gaped as she realized he’d brought her home.

  She scrambled off the motorcycle and spun around to face him, furious. “I told you no. How do you know where I live, anyway?”

  “I asked around, found your mailbox when I drove by, and figured this was your place. Anyway, we’re not in your home and I see no reason why we can’t talk out here.” He shrugged and smiled.

  “Oh! You insufferable jerk!”

  He swung himself off the bike and stood. She refused to take a step back, even if he was just a bit intimidating.

  “Tell me about the men, Lilian.”

  “No.”

  He lifted a brow. “No?”

  Lilian looked around as she mentally went over her options. Could she run to her house and get inside before he caught up to her? No. Feasibly, she could fight him, but did she want to hurt him? No. Would it hurt to tell him, considering he was now involved? No.

  Lilian realized she didn’t have much of a choice now and her shoulders drooped in resignation. “Fine. They’re from an organization called Custodes Secreti. They’re…a secret group that gathers information and beings more enhanced than the normal human.”

  He removed his sunglasses and stared at her. “And they’re after you, why?”

  Lilian backed away a couple of steps. “Look, Matthias, I really don’t want to get into this with you. I don’t know you, and I’m not sure I trust you.”

  Not entirely true. Intuition told her to trust him. She could just read his mind to find out more, but with the agents so close, she didn’t want to give herself away by using her abilities.

  “You’re just going to have to,” he said.

  Okay, so maybe she trusted him, but she sure as hell didn’t like him. She’d just ignore the fact his mere presence made her tremble and his eyes made her feel like melting.

  Lilian glanced away from him, and looked around until her gaze fell on her house. It wasn’t very large, just two bedrooms and one bath. It could be considered more a cottage. It needed new paint, she noticed in a distant manner. The white paint was peeling off the siding and the trim faded. Still, it was her home and she didn’t want to have to sell it in order to move again.

  “Lilian,” he said.

  She looked back at him. “We better go inside. It’s going to take a while to talk about.”

  Lilian turned and walked away. Fishing her keys out of her pocket, she stepped onto the little porch. Her hand trembled as she put the key in the lock.

  Lilian hated telling anyone about herself. She had been so careful about keeping her secrets, but she should have known her past would catch up with her, and someday it would all come out.

  She turned the key, expecting to hear the usual click of the door unlocking. When it didn’t happen, she frowned and withdrew the key.

  “What’s wrong?” Matthias asked.

  “My door’s unlocked.”

  Matthias moved her behind him. “Stay back.”

  His tone was calm, but she heard the thread of steel behind it. Turning the knob with care, he opened the door at a snail’s pace, and his head tilted as though listening to the sound of it opening. When the door opened a crack, he paused and looked over his shoulder at her.

  “Maybe you should go stand by my bike.”

  Lilian shook her head. “No way.”

  Matthias appeared as though about to argue. Instead, he looked back through the open door. His body blocked her view, and she knew he did it on purpose. She poked him in the back to remind him of her presence.

  “Move. I need to see.”

  “No, you don’t.” He lifted an arm to block the doorway, like a gate.

  Before he could stop her, Lilian ducked beneath his arm and hurried into the house. She needed to see what he was trying to keep from her. This was her safe haven, and if something had happened to it, she needed to know. Plus, she wasn’t about to let him, a veritable stranger, dictate to her what she could and could not do on her own property.

  Her eyes widened in horror as she took in the sight of what had been once an ordered and comfortable living room. Her furniture was broken, tossed about like trash. Tears rose up in her eyes and she had to blink them back, forcing herself to look around. Her pillows and cushions had been slashed, the stuffing spilling out. She switched on the lights, and the damage to her home became abruptly clear. As did the message on the wall, written in red.

  Remember the pain, kitten.

  As though in a stupor, she made her way closer to the wall, her mind not taking in the message as much as the red liquid used to write it.

  Paint? Please, let it be paint .

  She reached out with a shaky hand to touch the ink but Matthias grabbed her hand, pulled her away.

  “No, Lilian. We have to call the police.”

  She looked away from the wall and glanced around yet again at the
destruction. It was then she saw the dead cat. If it hadn’t been for the blood, she would have thought it to be a stuffed animal, but in the bright light, the blood was a brilliant crimson.

  Lilian stood rigidly. She could hear Matthias call her name, but couldn’t make herself move. She could only stare at the carcass of the poor cat, slaughtered for the message on her wall. Even when he threw her over his shoulder and carried her outside, she could not react, could not protest. When he set her down, her knees gave out and she fell to the ground, with a faint sob. He crouched over her.

  “Look at me,” he said.

  Lilian shook her head, refusing, and instead drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rocked back and forth, still sobbing.

  “Lilian,” he snapped.

  She looked at him, startled, expecting to see a raised hand to strike her, or an angry expression on his face. There were neither. “I’m going to call the police,” he said in a calm tone. “This has to be reported.”

  Lilian nodded and he pulled out his cellphone. He kept his eyes on her even as he dialed 9-1-1.

  “Yes, we need the police. There’s been a break in and vandalism at…”

  His voice faded from her hearing as the reality set in. Someone had broken into her home and destroyed her sense of safety.

  Run! Get away!

  Lilian burst into motion, scrambled to her feet and ran into the woods as fast as she could, away from her home, and Matthias. She didn’t know why, where the feeling of urgency came from, she only knew she had to get away. Heart pounding, ragged breaths, mind foggy and unable to think clearly, she just ran.

  “Lilian!” Matthias yelled.

  She didn’t stop. Away from the road, deeper into the shadowy depths of the pine forest surrounding her home, she ran.

  Her right palm began to burn, but she continued to run, not stopping to see what it was. Matthias caught up to her, wrapped his arms around her and jerked her to a stop. She screamed and fought him, struggling against his hold, but he refused to let her go and pulled her close to him. She had little leverage to struggle, to fight. Lilian fell into him and cried. She dragged deep, broken breaths as she sobbed. He held her close, rubbing her back.

  After some time, when her sobs had died down and she could breathe without the ragged tearing of air into her lungs, Matthias leaned back a bit and tilted her chin up so he could look at her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She took mental stock of herself before she nodded. “I’m fine now.” Lilian lifted her right hand and rubbed at her burning palm.

  Matthias took hold of her hand and turned it over. There, in the center was a mark, a symbol of some sort with four circles, overlapping in a way to create a four petaled flower in the center.

  “How did I get that?” she asked.

  “You didn’t know you had it?”

  “I’ve never seen it before.”

  Matthias studied the symbol, tracing it with a finger. “It’s familiar. I’m not sure why though.”

  He pulled her close to him again and held her as she leaned against him, taking comfort. Neither said anything for some time until they heard the faint sounds of sirens in the distance.

  “We need to get back,” he said.

  * * * *

  The next couple of hours went by in a hazy blur. If it hadn’t been for Matthias, she doubted she’d have made it through the questioning.

  She was very careful about not mentioning the CS agents. However, she did give Stephan’s name to the police as a potential suspect.

  After what seemed like forever, Lilian just couldn’t handle it anymore.

  “Look, I’m tired, I’m scared, and I’m done with the questions. You know where to find me if you want to interrogate me further, but right now, I want to find someplace safe, curl up into a ball and cry. So, if you gentlemen will excuse me…” She turned and walked away.

  Matthias rattled off his number to the officers where they could reach him, jogged after her until he caught up, and walked her toward his motorcycle.

  “Do you need a place to stay?” he asked.

  “I’ll get a room at the motel.”

  “I have more than enough room at my place.”

  Lilian glanced at him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “You’re afraid of me.”

  She spun around to face him, furious. Her hands clenched into fists and a surge of adrenaline hit her. “Why, yes, I am! Of course, I am! I don’t know you and now you’re constantly around me. Why shouldn’t I be suspicious of you?”

  “Because I’m not here to hurt you. I might be the only person you can trust.”

  “It’s not that easy,” she said, walking once more.

  Her heart raced in her chest. She closed her eyes and took a ragged breath.

  “I know, but you aren’t willing to even try,” he said.

  “By staying at your place? Of course, it makes perfect sense. My house was broken into and vandalized. I have men after me, an ex-boyfriend stalker after me, and now I have a stranger who thinks it’s perfectly fine for me to go to his house, despite everything going on, so he can prove he can be trusted.”

  He lifted a brow. “Don’t forget we kissed.”

  Lilian felt her face heat. “You’re a jerk.”

  “I can help you.”

  “I don’t need your help. I’m going to have to leave town anyway.”

  “Running isn’t the solution.”

  “Thank you. Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked in a biting tone.

  “You still owe me some answers,” he pointed out.

  “I’m still not going to your place.”

  Matthias sighed. “Fine. Have it your way. However, we can’t walk all the way into town.”

  “It’s not very far,” she said. “I walk it every day.”

  “Get on the bike.”

  Lilian wanted to argue with him. The motorcycle, while sexy and conjured images of rebels and freedom, still felt unsafe to her. However, between his stony expression and her emotional exhaustion, she opted to give in without a protest and climbed onto the back of the bike.

  “It’d serve you right if the cops ticketed you for no helmets,” she sniped.

  Matthias laughed as he started the bike. Before she could poke him for laughing, he took off. Lilian grabbed onto him and buried her face into his back, nixing any other witty retorts she might have come up with.

  * * * *

  After checking her into the motel, they walked over to the diner. She had refused to get back onto the motorcycle, and she refused to allow him into her motel room. He had grinned at her, and she glared back, but neither said anything.

  Finding a booth in the back corner, they each ordered a meal and drank iced tea as they waited. An awkward silence enveloped them. Watching him fidget with the salt and pepper, she sighed.

  “All right, already. We better talk,” she said.

  He nodded.

  “Where to start?”

  “You could start with why those men are after you.”

  Lilian nodded and went silent, trying to put her words into some semblance of order.

  “Like I said before, they’re members of a secret organization called Custodes Secreti. They’re an off-branch of what used to be the Knights Templar. When the Knights were declared heretics and rounded up for extermination, escaping members took Templar treasures for safekeeping.”

  She took a shaky breath. She knew the next part would be a little strange to the uninitiated.

  “A small group ended up with paranormal items. Books, scrolls, magical items, those sorts of things. When they discovered what they had, they began to study the possibility of magic and supernatural beings.” Lilian took a sip of her iced tea, giving her time to think about her next words.

  Matthias, much to her gratitude, stayed silent and just listened, letting her speak at her own pace. She watched his facial reactions to gauge how much to tell him. So far, he was open
and receptive to her explanation.

  Odd.

  “When I was ten years old, my stepfather murdered my mother in front of me. He beat her to death. I killed him.”

  Matthias looked surprised. Before he could say anything, she hurried to continue.

  “At least, I think I killed him. The coroner said he died of a massive heart attack brought on by his stress and his overexertion when he beat my mama to death. I never told them that as he was dying of the heart attack, things were flying around the room and pelting him. After he died, I ran and hid in the attic. It took two days for them to find me.”

  Matthias reached over the table and took her by the hand, holding it tight enough to be reassuring, but not confining. She studied his face expecting disgust or at the very least, disbelief, but there was neither.

  “I spent a couple of weeks in a mental hospital. I had stopped talking, withdrawn into myself. When I did manage to come out again, I started developing odd abilities. I knew what the attendants were thinking. I could make things move with my mind and I could communicate with others without speaking.

  “When word got out what I could do, they isolated me away from the other children. They started running tests. Soon, I was being sent to other hospitals for more tests. After a few months of this, everything changed. I had new handlers, and they took me to a different location. I found out the group was called the Custodes Secreti. They apparently paid a hefty amount for me.” Lilian couldn’t help the bitter note to her voice.

  “Between the ages of eleven and eighteen, I became their guinea pig. They ran several examinations, both medical and psychological. I learned to control my abilities, use it at will, or when they wanted me to. I was given an education as well as physical training, combat training, and encouraging me to use my telekinesis to aid in combat.”

  Matthias frowned. “You were being trained to be an enhanced soldier.”

  Lilian gave a faint smile. “Yes. Project Knight.”

  “Project Knight?”

  Lilian paused when their orders were delivered. She smiled at her co-worker, Peggy, who gave her a pointed look, flicked her eyes toward Matthias, and looked back at Lilian with a wink and a smile.

  Needless to say, everyone would hear about it. She knew there would be an interrogation about the biker gang leader she “dated”.