Smoke burned my nose and then cleared as we disappeared inside a large structure. I blinked, trying to focus in the dim lighting, when I heard him…Marcus.
“You failed yet again, Conall?!” Marcus bellowed. We were in a living space, a sofa and chairs arranged near a fireplace. The room vibrated with electricity.
“She’s stronger than we realized,” Conall replied.
“It was simple,” Marcus growled. He stormed towards Conall, grasping his collar. “I told you how to control her—bind her hands! Without them, she’s no stronger than a human!”
Conall’s image became clearer; the same chiseled face, the same scar running from his eyes to his nose. The sound of dog tags rattled as Marcus shook him. Conall was larger than Marcus, yet he didn’t fight back.
“It was Maes,” Conall mumbled. “He interfered. We couldn’t get him out of the way.”
“That’s no excuse!” Marcus roared. “I had the enchantment opened for you with the promise you wouldn’t fail me! Why is it that a stupid dog like you has such a hard time following simple instructions?!” Marcus released him and turned away. “You’re not up to this job. Get me…”
“No!” Conall yelled. “I’ll get Cheyenne for you. Give me a second chance.”
“Second chance? You useless fool, you nearly killed her!”
Conall stepped back.
“Did you think I don’t know what happened? Did you think I didn’t see you try and strangle her? You don’t seem to understand what a precious gift she is!” Marcus growled.
“I can do this.”
“You can’t. I need someone stronger. Send a message to Ra—”
I didn’t catch the rest, as with a jolt we were in a forest, dark and misty. I could see Callon; a wispy ghost floating before me. I followed him, when abruptly he reached back, his fingers intertwining with mine. My eyes caught the glow of a fire ahead, and I heard horses whinnying. A cold chill ran over my skin.
“Get him secured!” A raspy voice hissed in the distance. “I ordered you to use the chains of Mozary, you fool! He’ll break through anything else!”
Our pace quickened, and we stopped just short of where someone lay on their side. His clothing was ripped and bloody, and his blond hair was dirty and matted. His arms and chest were covered in bruises, and there were fresh cuts on his face. My eyes went wide.
Colt!
My heart began to ache, and I fought to reach out and touch him, but Callon held me back. Tears welled in my eyes. After all the grief and pain, I was so happy to see him alive, but I felt my guilt rise. We’d left Colt to be captured. We’d deserted him…
Colt staggered to his feet. He was wearing the same shirt as he had that day, a huge hole burned through the chest where he’d taken the lightning bolt. His eyes filled with rage, and he attempted to step forward, but he was too weak and only managed to sink to his knees again.
From the shadows, Marcus emerged, looking smug.
“It’s a nice show you put on, Colt,” Marcus taunted, kicking dirt in Colt’s face. “So ready to give up your life for Cheyenne, and for what? So she could run off with Callon and leave you for dead?”
A bellowing growl vibrated across the trees, and the muscles in Colt’s neck began to bulge.
“Did you really think she’d fall for you?” Marcus went on. “Did you think I’d allow it?”
Colt’s nostrils flared. He lunged forward, when a bright light flashed before us.
“No!” I screamed and broke free from Callon. I ran towards Colt and tried to help him stand, but every time I reached for him, his image vaporized. It’s a memory. It already took place…
Several Trackers jumped on him, binding his arms behind his back and securing them with chains. They shoved him to his knees, and Marcus paced around him. I stepped back.
“You fool, you think you’re strong enough to fight me?” he scoffed. “I should have left you for dead on the hillside instead of saving your pathetic life. You’re only good for one thing…” He stopped mid-sentence, his head rising. A tingling sensation ran down my spine, when suddenly he looked straight at me. A cold smile flickered across his face.
“I see you, angel,” he whispered, “and I’m coming for you.”
My breath caught.
“Cheyenne!” a voice screamed.
I fought to free myself, pushing back the hands that held me down.
“Cheyenne!”
I blinked and panicked hazel eyes came into view. Callon…
“He knows,” I whispered.
“It was a memory, he can’t!” Callon protested.
“That wasn’t a memory, Callon,” Jayna said quietly. She kneeled beside me. “He broke in somehow.”
“What?” Brogan growled. “Marcus broke into the memory?”
“We’ve got to leave now!” Maes snapped. “Get her up!”
Callon and Jayna helped me to my feet, and the warehouse began spinning. Despite knowing the danger, I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off me.
“Callon,” I said, “Colt’s alive! We shouldn’t have left him…”
“There was no way he could’ve survived that hit,” Callon answered. “Marcus has done something to him…”
“There’s not time to speculate!” Daniel ordered. He’d jumped up the stairs and was reaching for my hand. “We have to go!”
“But we have to rescue Colt!” I cried.
“Daniel’s right. Now is not the time,” Callon said. “We need to get out of here. We’ll have plenty of time to discuss this later.” He nodded at Daniel. “Get her to the car.”
“What about you?” Daniel asked.
“Nakari will help me,” Callon said. He clasped my shoulder. “Cheyenne, don’t try to rely on your powers. They’ll be weak for a short while. Stay with Daniel, and he’ll keep you safe.” He pulled the cloak tightly around me. “Above everything, don’t let yourself be seen.”
“Okay.” I nodded, then winced as the movement triggered a dull ache behind my temples. How much power had they drained from me?
Daniel pushed the cloak’s hood over my head and grabbed my hand. A moment later, we were at the bottom of the stairs with Maes, Koda and Brogan.
“You know what to do, Cheyenne,” Maes reminded me. “Keep clear of them or break their hold. We’ll try to keep them distracted.”
We jumped outside into the alleyway. It was totally dark now; we’d spent a long time in there. The cold air hit me hard, and I began to shiver. At least the rain had stopped, but for how long?
“Keep your arm straight,” Daniel said. “I’ll keep hold, but I need to make it look natural.”
“Right,” I whispered.
Hand in hand, we took slow, deliberate steps, trying not to draw attention to ourselves. I looked up. The moon was starting to break through the clouds, providing more light. Would it help us see the Cloakers or would it prevent us from recognizing the black mists?
It happened so fast I had to blink to catch it. A murky vapor materialized at the end of the alley. Daniel released my hand, and I drew it into the cloak, concealing my entire body. At least I knew what to look for.
“Just out for a stroll, darling?” a whispery female voice said. “I thought you might have a package for me.” She stepped into the light; a slender woman in skintight black leather pants and strappy stilettos. Her Gothic duster fluttered in the breeze, and she began to stroke the black-feathered scarf around her neck. Her pale skin, dark hair and blue eyes stood out against the gloomy ensemble.
Daniel didn’t reply, nor did he jump. He remained completely immobile, waiting for something, but what?
“Raina,” Maes’s low growl gave warning.
I took a step to the side and pressed up against the brick wall. Maes and Koda strode past. Koda had his fists clenched.
“Maes, mi cielo,” Raina smiled. “I’ve missed you.” Her vapor suddenly appeared before him, but he didn’t move. Willowy fingers reached out to touch his cheek, but Maes’s hand instantly c
lamped around her wrist.
I knew enough Spanish to know she’d called Maes my heaven.
“Glad to see nothing’s changed, mi cielo.” Her ruby red lips produced a crooked grin. “But I’m not here for you.”
“The package you seek isn’t here,” Maes informed her.
My heartbeat quickened once more. I had to get away without being seen or heard. The Range Rover was only a short walk. I could make it. I glanced further down the alley. It veered to the left, but it was too dark to see what lay beyond. Would it take me out to an open street or a dead end? We’d crossed over three main avenues, right? I ground my teeth. I’d been too preoccupied with the smells and a growling stomach that now I wasn’t sure.
The stare down with Raina continued until Maes pushed her away, and she stumbled back, her eyes searching behind them.
“I’ll find her, mi cielo, and when I do there’s nothing you can do to save her.” Raina suddenly disappeared into a fine mist.
Maes, Daniel and Koda didn’t move.
“Get to the car,” Koda said, his eyes remaining focused on Daniel. “We need to leave.”
Daniel turned and swallowed, his eyes searching the alley.
Maes nodded towards the sidewalk, and all three vanished from sight as they rounded the corner. I was on my own.
I took focused steps in the opposite direction; I couldn’t afford to slip up here. If my foot ventured outside the cloak, Raina would be all over me. If I somehow moved a puddle, Cloakers would swarm me. How many Cloakers were here, anyway? I glanced up to the roofs. Were they watching now?
A black cat jumped out from behind a dumpster, and I shoved my hand to my mouth, holding back a scream. It hissed and then took off into the blackness. I exhaled, and then froze as the steam from my breath filtered out.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Cheyenne,” Raina said. A misty figure drifted before me. “You’d have thought with all the time they’ve had with you, you’d have learned something.”
The mist jerked to the right, but didn’t materialize.
I stepped back and felt the dumpster’s corner touch my shoulder blade. She was testing the waters; she didn’t know where I was yet.
A vapor taking the shape of a hand reached out, and I leaned back, narrowly missing her touch. The corner of the dumpster dug into my back.
“Toby, get back here!” A child ran past the alleyway opening, and the mist drifted away.
I lunged forward and suddenly was thrown back into the dumpster. I yanked harder and heard the cloak tear. It only took a moment for me to feel their cold presence around me. I yanked the tie at my neck and bolted past.
“Get her!” a female voice screeched.
I cursed. I’d blown my cover too soon. Sprinting as hard as I could, I made it to the end of the alley and turned left. Three Cloakers suddenly appeared, blocking my way. I thrust my hands out and sent a burst of air. It was weaker than I wanted, but they scattered into tiny particles. I ran past.
The glow of streetlights came into view, and my hopes rose. They wouldn’t appear in public, would they? They couldn’t take me if I stayed on the main thoroughfare and mingled with humans. I kept my focus on the roadway. I just had to make it.
Suddenly something clamped around my torso, dragging me back. I tried to scream, but it was quickly squelched by a large hand.
“Shh!” Maes crushed me to his chest. Without waiting for an answer, he turned and grabbed my wrist, racing towards the busy street. “Where’s the cloak?”
“It caught on a dumpster. I had to leave it,” I replied breathlessly.
We rounded the corner when Maes stopped. Raina sat on a bench just beneath a jewelry shop. Its sign read O’Shea’s of Killarney. Her red lips rose in a smirk.
Daniel brushed my shoulder, and we locked hands. We moved forward.
“And you said you had no package for me, mi cielo,” Raina tsk’ed. “You were never good at keeping secrets.”
We passed, and she moved directly behind Maes, her fingers stroking his black hair as we walked. She was taller than I thought, only a few inches shorter than he, though most of it must have come from the stilettos.
“I wish you’d come back, Maes,” she purred. “It hasn’t been the same since you’ve gone.”
Maes gave no reply, but our pace quickened. She couldn’t do anything in public, and not with our hands linked, either. Raina was forced back as the crowd thickened. The dinner rush was on.
Loud laughter broke out from a group of people gathered outside a narrow doorway. A construction barricade constricted the space on the sidewalk as the roundabout curved to the right. The sign hanging above the doorway lit up, Mustang Sally’s Bar.
Maes’s hold grew tighter on my wrist, and I had to move behind him to pass through the mass of patrons. I glanced back over Daniel’s shoulder; Raina followed, and a few others dressed in the same black Goth coats were directly behind her.
“Don’t leave my side,” Daniel whispered.
I caught sight of movement across the street. More Cloakers were gathering. They were creating a trap.
Maes shoved me closer to the barricade, and then I saw why. Just ahead was an alleyway opening, large enough to push someone inside of…
A horn honked. The Cloakers were moving on the crosswalk, heading straight for us.
I clenched my fists. The drain on my powers should have worn off by now, although they hadn’t told me how long it’d last. If I could just blast them away with a wind burst like before...
“Don’t,” Maes hissed, “too many eyes.”
I blinked. Did he just read my mind?
Maes’s pace quickened, and soon we’d crossed another intersection. Here stood a stone church with red metal fencing and stained glass windows. This wasn’t the same street we’d walked before. I’d have noticed it. We circled around it, following the path. Where was Maes taking us? The crowd was thinning. Were we heading out of town?
Screeching tires caught my attention. Two black Range Rovers sped up the street and skidded to a stop. The doors flew open, and Maes shoved me in the rear seat. I collided with Callon. He secured his arm around my waist and drew me closer. Daniel never lost his grip on my hand and the door slammed closed.
Maes straddled the seat, his eyes searching behind the cars, and Brogan concentrated on the road.
Maes and Callon exchanged glances.
“Now what?” I asked, not bothering to hide the trembling in my voice. There were more Cloakers than I realized. Would I be able to fight them?
“The forest,” Brogan answered.
“Marcus would have warned Raina not to draw attention to herself,” Maes explained. “They’re going to wait for the cover of trees to make their move.”
“I can fight them,” I said, my courage growing. “I hit some with a pocket of air in the alley, and they dispersed.”
Callon’s fingers tightened on my waist.
“I shouldn’t have risked bringing you out,” he lamented.
“I came willingly,” I reminded him. “You didn’t force me.”
“You don’t understand,” Daniel replied. “Raina’s here.”
“I met her.” I sat up straighter. “She doesn’t seem any different than the others. If I can get her out in the open…”
“Don’t even think you can match her,” Maes shot out. “She’s—”
The car jerked to the right, and I was thrown against Daniel. The headlights from the second car revealed the swarm of vapors outside the windows.
“Buckle her in!” Maes bellowed.
My eyes grew wide as I saw a large boulder about to hit the windshield.
Callon shoved me further into Daniel’s side, and a second later, we were tumbling arm in arm down a grassy ravine. Something sharp skimmed the back of my head, and I cried out. I pressed my fingers to my neck, and they came away covered with blood.
“I’ve got you,” Daniel whispered. It took a moment to recover from the fall, but soon we were on our feet.
&nb
sp; Nakari flashed before us, her eyes filled with panic.
“Get her out of here,” she yelled. “I’ll get Callon!”
She vanished, and Daniel jumped as well. Soon trees were whipping past us so fast they began to blur. But where were the Cloakers? Then I realized; the scenery was blurred because of the black mists. Daniel’s arms grew tighter around me. They’d found us!
“Pull your arms in and hold onto my jacket,” Daniel ordered, “It’ll make it harder for them.”
“But I can fight them, Daniel!” I was strong enough. I needed to help out.
“You don’t understand!” he snapped. “This isn’t—”
His words were cut short as I was ripped from his chest. I hit the ground hard, gasping to catch my breath. A wall of misty shadows covered me. On instinct my hands flew out, and I forced them away with a blade of wind, clearing a small path of escape. I just needed to get on my feet and create a whirlwind. That would get rid of them. I ran towards an opening in the forest and faced the misty figures.
I began to twirl my hands above my head, feeling the pressure change, and the wind whip my hair. The shadows didn’t move, only hovered in the wind. I narrowed my eyes and forced more power out, allowing the crimson-eyed beast some freedom. They weren’t going to take me anywhere I didn’t want to go.
The shadows merged with the winds. Water droplets sprayed the air, and my fingers began to tingle with the power within them.
A low murmur started to grow in my ear, a buzzing that increased in intensity until it turned into screeches and wailing. I cringed at the sounds, but refused to give in. The wind-filled wall grew denser, blacker, and started to glow with specs of iridescent blue, like a flame.
Soon the shadows emerged from the winds, hands reached out, grasping at me. I pushed the winds further away, but it didn’t matter. Their limbs grew, stretching to reach out. A vapory finger touched my neck, and a burning sensation instantly erupted.
I clenched my teeth as more and more touches tore into my skin; my clothing was no barrier at all. The scent of burning material, burning flesh, pierced my nose. They weren’t cutting me. They were burning me alive!
Daylight, a Timeless Series Novel Page 22
