Relics and Runes Anthology

by Heather Marie Adkins

  ‘Just tired. See you in a sec.’ I hung up, my heart pounding. Hopefully I was right and his phone wasn’t wired. If it was, I could be in serious trouble in five minutes. And I could be putting Paul in danger.

  For eight long minutes I paced in the shadows, peering down each of the four streets, checking for black fourbys. Nothing.

  When at last a sleek black BMW pulled over, I froze against the building, waiting in the darkness. The back door opened and Paul Eisen climbed out. I stepped into a streetlamp’s orange cone of light.

  ‘Meghan? Hey, beautiful, we must stop meeting like this! Whatcha doing so far from home?’ He leaned back into the car and said something to the driver, then shut the door. The car accelerated away, leaving Paul walking beside me.

  He threw a companionable arm around my shoulder and fell into step. ‘What’d you do to your hair?’ He tweaked an auburn curl. ‘I like it. Almost didn’t recognise you.’

  I wormed my way out from under his arm and put a space between us, kicking myself for leaving the house without remembering my wig. How stupidly complacent.

  ‘You got here fast.’

  He opened his arms expansively. ‘Our house is up the hill. Just on my way home for dinner. I’m supposed to bring some special bubbly we’ve run out of. There’s a bottle shop down the road.’ He peered at my face. ‘Enough about me. You ok now? Y’look ok. Coming to school tomorrow?’ His eyes widened. ‘Hey. You weren’t just hiding out and avoiding me or anything, were you? I mean, you don’t have to go to extremes. I can take rejection, I promise.’

  In spite of my discomfort, I had to laugh at his expression of comic dejection. ‘No, just migraines again.’ The truth was the easiest lie to remember.

  ‘So...what?’ He surveyed the opulent suburban street. ‘You’re in a hospital somewhere here? I didn’t know there was one out this way.’

  ‘No, I...’

  Maeve’s words about information getting to the wrong people gave me pause. Insane though the whole thing was, I couldn’t put Maeve, Jennifer and Logan in possible danger by blithely revealing where they lived.

  ‘I’m staying with a friend for a while. Having treatments to help the headaches. It’s just quieter here than in our city apartment.’

  ‘Fair enough.’ He shrugged. ‘When do you come back to the land of the living?’

  A musical jangling interrupted his question. He pulled out his phone and pressed it to his ear before I could reply. With a wry shrug and raised eyebrows, he spoke into the device, still holding eye contact.

  ‘Hey, Dad. Just had to stop for wine, remember? Be a few minutes.’ He listened for a second and I moved off a little in an attempt to give him some privacy. Difficult to do when he had a booming voice and we stood in an open area. I inspected my shoes.

  ‘Hey!’ He grinned at me and, sensing what he was about to say, I shook my head emphatically. He gave me a non-comprehending frown and shrugged. ‘Guess who I just ran into? Meghan! Yep. Corner shop. Shall I ask her over for dinner?’ He waggled his eyebrows enthusiastically at me. I shook my head again, waving my hands in negation. He nodded. ‘Great. I’ll drag her if I have to. See ya.’

  Thumbing the End button he spread his hands wide, clearly pleased with himself. ‘Can’t refuse, now, can you? Anna’s there. It’s fate. You need to come over.’

  I glared at him and folded my arms across my chest, thinking fast. ‘Actually, I can refuse and I damned well will, Paul.’ I plucked at my creased, green linen pants. ‘For one I’m not dressed for it and I’m also expected back in the next few minutes.’

  ‘Call and tell ‘em you’ll be late. You said you wanted to catch up.’ He shrugged. Inspecting me critically he added, ‘Anna’ll have some spare clothes at Dad’s place you can borrow.’

  I gaped at him as an appalling thought struck me: if my mother was watched and monitored as closely as I believed then so was Michael. Which meant, thanks to Paul’s big mouth, they probably now knew exactly where I was. All I’d wanted was to talk with Anna, and now she, Paul, Michael and I were all in danger.

  21

  She’s gone to the shop. When she returns, play it carefully, Logan. She’s not stupid.>

  Stay out of it, Maeve. I can handle this.

  Paul threw his arm over my shoulder again and walked me to the shop. ‘So how about it? You get what you came for. My driver’s getting the wine. When he gets back we can head on over.’

  The doors swooshed open and I found myself inside the shop, unable to think of a polite way to say no.

  And in breaking news...

  The TV in the top corner of the shop caught my attention. Paul inspected the array of chocolate bars, apparently not noticing the screen.

  Police today boarded a cruise liner searching for a missing woman, but she wasn’t amongst the passengers. Her burnt out car was found abandoned near Smithfield. A tipoff led police to believe that this woman...

  A clear photo of myself – taken from the driver’s licence I’d used to buy my car two weeks before – flashed up on the screen. It was under a different name, of course, but the image was recognisably me. I grabbed Paul’s face, my hands conveniently covering his ears. His eyes widened as I planted a kiss on his mouth and dragged him to the door. Away from too much information. He went willingly. His arms slid around my waist and he carried me outside.

  There, he backed me up against a wall and kissed me in earnest, his hands sliding under my shirt to caress my back. I was already on edge with the tension between Logan and I. Even though Paul wasn’t Logan, I couldn’t help reacting. It was almost impossible to keep my mind on the reason for the distraction. I had to stop this before things got out of hand. More out of hand.

  I broke the kiss and leaned away. A quick check through the shop window showed a different news story on the screen and an interested shop assistant watching us.

  Paul smiled down at me, eyes glittering and heart beating hard against my palms. His salacious surface thoughts, all revolving around his obvious intent and desire, effectively switched off my own instinctive responses.

  I shuddered.

  Pushing memory aside before it could overwhelm sense, I forced a smile and stepped away. If I’d made it to the news, it was past time to get the hell out of the country, regardless of what else was going on. I couldn’t dodge police and the Mors Ferrum. And that meant I had to take Anna with me. If Anna and Michael were watched or bugged, and someone knew I wasn’t on the ship, then it was only a matter of time before they came after Anna to draw me out of hiding. There was no time to waste. I had to get her to safety right now.

  ‘Well, how about we do this, Paul?’ I briskly straightened my shirt. ‘I’ll zip back to my room and get changed and I’ll come past for dinner in about half an hour. Sound good?’

  He blinked at me.

  ‘Uh...’ He cleared his throat, audibly getting his derailed thinking back on track. ‘Sure, I guess.’ He pulled out a piece of paper and jotted an address on it. ‘Here’s the address, in case you didn’t see it the other day. I’ll make sure they hold dinner for you. Maybe after we can go out for a drink…or something?’

  ‘Sure.’ I leaned in to kiss him swiftly, turning a hip to prevent him drawing me close again. ‘Sounds great. I’ll see you then. Oh, do me a favour?’ He raised his eyebrows at me. ‘When you get into your car, call your dad and tell him you couldn’t get me to come. That way it’ll be a nice surprise for Anna when I do arrive. Here’s your car.’

  As if by magic, his beemer appeared and I hustled him into it, tucking the address into my pocket as the car disappeared into the darkness. My attempt to deceive anyone who might be listening in to Michael’s phone conversation may or may not work. Probably not. It was a long shot and Paul was just as likely to ignore it. Which meant I had little time to get what I needed from the house and get over there.

  ‘Shit.’ I turned and, with a swift check for witnesses, kicked into high speed and sprinted back up the hill.

  As I appro
ached the Freyson’s house, I slowed both my feet and my thoughts. I needed to think this through and make sure I had my mental shields firmly in place, otherwise Maeve would know instantly I planned to leave. There wasn’t much I wanted, just my passports, karambit, throwing knives and lockpicks – things hard to replace. I’d left them in the dojo so I needn’t even go into the house.

  At least there was no way anyone listening to Paul’s phone call could find me fast enough to follow me from the shop to here, so the Freysons should be safe.

  Or should I tell them? Should I ask Logan for help?

  No. I took several long, slow breaths and calmed my tumultuous thoughts. This wasn’t their problem and I couldn’t ask their help any more. I’d imposed enough. I’d blown my chance to destroy this branch of the Mors Ferrum. And staying with the Freysons would jeopardise their plans as well. As much as it burned, I had to run again. Now I just needed to be quick and get to Anna before anyone else did.

  The side gate was too tall to climb over, but had a security code pad with a flashing red light. I punched in the override code Logan had given me and the light went off. The gate opened silently.

  Easing along the side of the house, I found the back garden in unoccupied darkness. Each plant exuded that silver-green non-light aura, adding a kind of extra vision that made negotiating easy. How had I never seen this before?

  Inside the dojo I slid sideways through the doorway, into the shadows and paused, listening and watching. Unease slipped down my spine.

  I wasn’t alone.

  Warm golden lights flooded the building, blinding me. I deflected a punch aimed at my face. I grabbed the extended wrist, yanked and jabbed an elbow over the top.

  I pulled the strike at the last second.

  Logan.

  He shoved my elbow away with lighting reflexes and twisted aside. He leapt back, circling outside my reach with almost feral movements that hinted at some strong emotion hidden behind his smooth mental signature. His face was unreadable; blank and cold.

  What was going on?

  Whatever it was, I had no time for it. Anna’s safety was paramount. The Freysons could take care of themselves. Anna couldn’t.

  I backed away, waiting. I didn’t want to fight him and I didn’t have time for whatever games he played. He stood between me and my backpack, or I would have walked out.

  He slanted me a narrow look and held out a hand, palm up. I hesitated, still not sure what was happening. He turned away, picked up a small towel and threw it to me. I rubbed it over skin damp from the run back to the house.

  Outside crickets chirruped in the soft evening, competing with the frogs’ warning of another storm to come. I glanced surreptitiously at my watch. Off to one side of the room, on a window ledge, lay my backpack containing knives and passports.

  I tossed the towel back.

  Logan caught it. He seemed about to speak then shut his mouth, turned away and threw the towel into a corner with uncharacteristic vehemence.

  ‘The Mors cell here is more dangerous than you realise,’ he said flatly. He moved over to the window and stared into the darkness. ‘My cousin, Jonathan, was a Hunter. Over a hundred, experienced and well trained. His whole purpose was Hunting the Mors. He disappeared. Here.’

  He plucked my gear off the windowsill and turned the bag over. He zipped it shut and flicked it to me.

  ‘Were you looking for this?’

  I caught the bag, along with flashes of pure, unadulterated fury that slipped through his barriers. I almost dropped the bag. My first instinct was to ask, to soothe, to reassure, to calm. I liked him and it hurt to have him angry at me. I could, of course, guess why. He’d either seen me with Paul or I’d let something through my shields he’d misunderstood. But even as the words of assurance were on my lips, I stalled them.

  Wasn’t my aim here to get away? To take my mother and get the hell out of the country as fast as I could? How was reconciling with Logan going to help that? He and Maeve had a different agenda. One they hadn’t seen fit to share with me. Quite frankly, I’d had my fill of the intrigue and secrets.

  Protecting Anna was clearcut and something I could control. My feelings for Logan couldn’t be allowed to hold me here. He didn’t need me and any relationship started now, while I felt so uncertain and insecure, would end in disaster. I would cling to him like some pathetic romance heroine waiting to be rescued. Feelings like that would doom anything.

  No, I needed to find myself and my own limitations without having a backup net in the form of a partner. I had to know I could rely on myself with these new skills just as I could my physical abilities. Most of all, I needed to know I could manage the darkness inside my head. Once I had that under control, I could focus on getting the Mors off my back. After that I’d be free to bring something solid to a relationship.

  So I closed my mouth and turned away. He’d get over the anger. And, if I got out now, my vision for his death would not come true. That was the best way to protect him. Incentive enough not to mend fences.

  ‘Red?’

  ‘What?’ I kept my back to him.

  ‘You could try trusting me. It wouldn’t kill you.’

  I glanced over my shoulder at him. His jaw was sharp, his face hard and uncompromising.

  ‘Maybe,’ I said, ‘but it might kill you.’

  I walked out.

  22

  She’s gone?>

  Yes.

 

  I just thought…

 

  Yes.

 

  Slipping into the house, I changed into soft linen pants and a loose, grey silk blouse lent to me by Maeve, tucked a few more things into my bag and slid out again without seeing my hostess or Jennifer. I left everything else behind, including the possibility of knowing who I was and how to control my gifts. I’d work it out.

  Ten minutes later I stepped out of a cab in front of Michael Eisen’s mansion.

  ‘R-Meghan! You made it!’ My mother’s voice made me look up from navigating the root-broken sidewalk up to the front gate.

  The gate slid open and I smiled as Anna engulfed me in an enthusiastic hug. It was such a massive relief to find her ok. Tears spilled. I wiped them hastily away.

  She peered into my face. ‘What’s wrong? Everything ok?’

  ‘No.’ I gripped her wrists. ‘We have to get out. You’re in danger. There’s been three attempts to kidnap me. They’re watching you.’

  Anna gasped, blood leaving her cheeks. ‘Rowan!’

  ‘And,’ I added quickly, ‘whoever’s after me has tapped your phone and probably Michael’s. They’ll know I’m here. We need to go. Now. Have you got your passport?’

  Anna pressed her lips together but nodded. ‘Always…well, back at the apartment, anyway. But I can’t leave. If Mick’s being watched then I need to warn him. I...’ She flushed, her gaze drifting over my shoulder. Michael stood not far away, framed in the front door, talking with Paul.

  I groaned. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. We don’t have much time. I know he’s important to you and I don’t want to make you choose. I also don’t want to lose you or to have you be used as a hostage against me. Will you come?’

  Chewing on her lower lip, Anna looked again at Michael. ‘Yes, of course. But I need to get my things and at least say goodbye. Come in for a minute while I try and mend fences with Mick. Maybe I can come back.’

  Before I could reply with more than a nod, Michael called my mother’s name. Anna sent me a quick, worried look and put on her best social face.

  ‘Mick.’ Anna put out her hands. ‘Look who’s here.’

  He took them and smiled at me. ‘Lovely to see you again, Meghan. I’m so glad Paul bumped into you.’ His smile held something of Paul
’s carefree character but with an underlying vein of condescension I found annoying.

  Paul strode up, all teeth, tailored shirt and good looks - acting like a puppy with a toy. He stopped and openly admired me.

  ‘Man! You are gorgeous, girl!’ He slid an arm around my waist.

  Ignoring my subtle attempt to slide out from his embrace he pulled me closer and planted a kiss on my cheek. I pushed away with a smile to soothe any hurt.

  ‘Shall we go up to dinner ladies? Anna?’ Michael extended his arm, elbow crooked like an old-fashioned courtier. She hooked her hand inside his elbow and glanced quickly at me, nodding and holding up one finger to indicate she’d speak with him in a minute.

  I ground my teeth.

  Paul extended his arm and clicked his heels together on a bow. I smiled but my heart wasn’t in it. I didn’t want to sit through dinner. I wanted to get my mother and get out before the damned black fourbys turned up and trashed Michael’s expensive house.

  As we stepped inside, I was diverted to utter amazement. I’d gone in through the side door last time and hadn’t seen much of the place. The front entrance was a whole different ball game. The foyer ranked as ridiculously opulent - gilt and marble, red velvet curtains and Persian carpets were only the beginning. Some Italian designer had gone mad with an open bank account and dumped every classical decorative item and architectural feature possible into one building.

  Paul led me up an impressive flight of pink marble stairs, perfectly designed to be swept down by a debutante in a ball dress. At the top we emerged into an impressive indoor-outdoor living space, complete with chandelier, sparkling expensively in the discrete light.

  Soft jazz music played from some hidden source. In one corner, behind a timber-topped bar, Michael poured a cocktail for a serious-faced Anna as she spoke earnestly to him.

  I scrubbed sweaty palms on my pants. A now-familiar foreboding prickled, making me restless and antsy. How was I going to extract my mother politely from this? The longer we stayed, the more chance there was of collateral damage if, no when, the black fourbys showed up guns blazing. I couldn’t be responsible for the deaths of innocent people. The Eisens weren’t part of this, but the men who came for me wouldn’t care about that.