He noticed that the boys were handcuffed and looked scared to death. “It was just a joke, Sheriff,” one of them said.
“That dude said you would think it was funny,” the other chimed in. “We didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.”
“I want those cuffs off my boys this instant,” a woman said, pushing her way through the crowd. “I won’t have them treated like criminals.”
Michael took a deep breath. “Get this crowd out of here,” he said to the deputy. Then he turned to the woman. “The cuffs stay on until we get to the bottom of this,” he said. “They called in a false report, which is an arrestable offense.”
She gasped but stepped back, and Michael turned to the boys. “Okay, let’s all just calm down,” he said. “What dude?”
The boys looked at one another, then back up at the sheriff. “He said we weren’t supposed to tell,” the older one said. “Said he’d hurt us if we did.”
“But you’ve already told,” Michael said, his voice softer than it had been. “It’s too late to keep the secret now, and if you tell me, I promise you won’t be in trouble.”
“This man gave us some money and told us to make that call,” the younger one blurted out. “We were playing over there by the stream.”
Michael looked back at them, shook his head, then unlocked the handcuffs. “Next time something like that happens, I want you to go right to your parents or another adult,” he said.
The boys nodded. “Yes, sir, thank you, sir,” they said in unison, then scampered over to their mother.
“Well,” Michael said when he joined them again. “I could have gotten a description of the man, but it wouldn’t have told us much; kids that age aren’t big on details.”
Vincent shook his head. “No, I suppose not,” he said. “The question we have to ask is why?”
Gabriel nodded. “The most obvious answer is that they wanted us all here; nothing but that kind of threat would have gotten us all together,” he said.
“And away from town,” Adam said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I’m just going to call Molly. Michael, you’d better call Amy. Something is going on, and I don’t like it.”
Vincent suddenly thought about Charlie waiting for him. “I have to go. Charlie’s in town and I don’t think she has her phone. I don’t even have mine,” he said, panic swelling inside him.
“I’ll go with you,” Gabriel said, “but I’m sure she’s fine.”
As they raced back toward town, he tried to tell himself that nothing was wrong, that they’d find Charlie safe and sound, but he couldn’t quite believe it. Down deep, his instincts told him the Sebastian was up to something; he knew just by looking at the rest of the guardians that they all thought the same thing. They’d discussed the possibility of Sebastian trying to ruin the festival, had prepared for nothing else, now he could see that they’d been short-sighted.
“Should I go to the cabin or the park first?” Gabriel asked as they came into town.
He hesitated for so long, Gabriel had to slow down. “The cabin,” he finally said when he saw the trucks loaded down with the folded-up tents driving down the street.
That was when he realized how long they’d been gone, and the panic surged again. “Hurry,” he said.
Gabriel looked over at him. “She’s going to be fine,” he said. “You’ll see, she’ll probably be waiting for you, spitting mad that you left her behind.”
But when they pulled up in front of the cabin, it had a deserted look that made his blood freeze. He jumped out of the truck before it came to a stop, took the steps two at a time, and knocked on the door, calling Charlie’s name. After waiting only a second, he turned the knob and threw open the door, still calling her name.
When there was no answer, he ran back to the bedroom, then finding it empty, checked the bathroom, his panic growing with each second. Back in the living room, he stood frozen in place, trying to think, but the fear racing through him made it nearly impossible to concentrate. Then he spotted a note on the table, and some of the panic receded, but his relief didn’t last long.
As soon as he opened it, he knew that it wasn’t from Charlie. The message was unlike her, but as he read it, he began to piece together what was going on. When he came outside with the note, he found Gabriel deep in conversation with a man on the porch of the cabin next door.
“Vincent, you might want to hear what this fellow has to say,” he called.
“Charlie’s up at the cabin,” he called back. “We have to go.”
But Gabriel didn’t move, so he walked over. “We need to go,” he repeated.
“Not so fast; this might interest you,” Gabriel said, nodding to the man.
“I was out here sneaking a smoke last night, hiding back in the shadows in case the wife came out, and this big black car pulled up,” the man said, lighting up a cigarette. “Anyway, these two big guys got out and went into that cabin. When they came out, they were carrying a suitcase and a woman’s purse. I don’t think they ever saw me.”
Vincent waved the note in the air. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. Sebastian has Charlie.”
***Charlie***
Charlie came awake slowly, opened her eyes, and looked around the room, recognizing it at once. The memory of the night she’d shared with Vincent swam to the surface of her mind, but then she remembered why she was there and sat up quickly. Dizziness washed over her, and she had to lay back on the pillow until it passed and her vision cleared.
When she could focus again, she looked down, wincing when she saw the silvery band on her arm and the red burns on her skin. She pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to ignore it and the rushing fear that took her breath away as she realized that her power to shift was gone. Without it, she was helpless, nothing more than a weak female, a liability to anyone who cared about her.
Sebastian’s words echoed in her head: he was going to use her to get to Vincent and the other guardians. She was the bait, and she knew deep down that he’d come after her, that they all would. Feeling a bit stronger knowing that she wasn’t alone, she took a deep breath and concentrated on figuring out what she could do to help herself and them. She was a demon hunter, not a fragile human. Her training hadn’t been only about killing; there had to be something useful.
A weapon was the first thing she thought of. This time, she got carefully out of bed, giving herself more time to adjust, then looked around the room. The first thing she saw was her suitcase and purse stacked in one corner. Not sure why they were there, but relieved, she threw them onto the bed and riffled through both. She didn’t come up with a weapon but found a change of clothes and with difficulty, took off the dress in favor of sweats and a tee-shirt.
After stuffing the dress back in the bag, she started shoving everything back into her purse when her hand closed around the journal. She’d forgotten that she’d put it in her purse the day she tried to return the boxes, but now she was glad to have it, felt a sense of comfort knowing it was there. Tucking it under the pillows, she threw her purse into the corner and went back to searching the room.
She’d just closed the last drawer when there was a knock on the bedroom door and Sebastian came strolling in. “Don’t bother looking for weapons; we searched the room thoroughly,” he said. “I see you found your things.”
Charlie didn’t say anything, just maneuvered herself to the other side of the bed, putting it between them, her eyes focused on him. He raised his hand in the air. “I’m not going to hurt you. I need you alive and well for my plan to work, so you can stop cowering.”
“I’m not cowering,” she spat at him.
Sebastian shrugged. “Call it what you want,” he said, then grinned at her. “Would you like to hear my plan? It does involve you after all.”
“I won’t help you,” she spat at him.
“That’s the beauty of my plan; you don’t have to do anything but take the blame,” Sebastian said, humor in his voice. “You know, when I
sent you here, I had no idea just how helpful it was going to be.”
“What are you talking about?” she demanded.
“Well, it’s surprisingly simple,” he said, leaning up against the doorframe. “I’ll explain it to you just the way I’m going to explain it to the council at your trial. Desperate to become a guardian, you seduced Vincent, tricked him into coming up here, then killed him. When the other guardians came to investigate, you killed them too. Regrettably, I got here too late to stop you, but brought you back to stand trial.”
“No one is going to believe you,” Charlie said.
“Sure, they will,” Sebastian said. “I’ll have plenty of witnesses who will testify that you’re desperate, that they overheard you making plans. It will all be very quick, hopefully not too painful for you, and I will finally have Prospect Falls.”
“Vincent and the others will never fall for this,” Charlie said, more for herself than Sebastian.
“Oh, he’ll fall, don’t worry; I’ve made sure of that,” he said. “See, his love, that’s you, left him a note arranging to meet him here for...well, you get it. I put in all kinds of good things about you doing some shopping for something special, and having a spa day, so he’ll be here.”
Charlie immediately spotted Sebastian’s mistake and knew that Vincent would see it as well, but she pretended to be defeated. “It seems you’ve thought of everything,” she said, letting her shoulders droop.
Sebastian grinned evilly at her. “Maybe now you’ll learn that woman don’t belong in a man’s world,” he said, then stepped back and slammed the door.
She wanted to throw something, wanted to shift and dig her talons into Sebastian, but instead, she took several deep breaths. Flopping down on the bed, she searched her mind for a way to escape, but she could see the top of a guard’s head out the window, so there was no going that way, and she could hear another guard outside her door. Slamming her hand into the pillow in frustration, she felt the journal and pulled it out.
It fell open to the page she’d been reading, and soon she found herself wrapped up in the story of Vincent’s birth and the joy of motherhood. She knew she should put the journal down, do something more proactive, but the words held her, and it wasn’t until she turned the last page that she could set it down. She closed the book, feeling a sense of calm and well-being wash over her, and for the first time since she’d come to Prospect Falls, her future was crystal clear.
Chapter Twenty
***Vincent***
Vincent turned and paced across the crowded room. “I still think I have to go alone,” he said. “We have to let him spring his trap.”
“But we don’t even know what that trap is,” his mother cautioned.
“True, but we know there is one, and that probably means demons,” Adam said. “What else would he use, and if we let him spring his trap, we might figure out how he’s controlling them.”
“It has something to do with the portals,” Arthur spoke up. “I didn’t figure it out until I realized that Charlie was...” He paused and looked over at Roger. “Well, that she was female.”
“Yes, a sure sign that a portal is dying out,” Roger said. “I was the first McKensey not to produce a male to take over my guardianship because the portal will be gone when I die.”
Arthur nodded. “I think Sebastian has been at this a while, maybe since we were all together in training,” he said. “Portals fade out from time to time, change locations, but never one of the original five; they stay right where they opened the first time.”
“What does this have to do with Charlie?” Vincent asked, desperate for action.
Arthur raised his hand. “I’m getting there,” he said. “Sebastian has amassed an army of demons, pulling them from one portal and into another one. He has to be using black magic, which makes that all that much more dangerous. When you go up there, be prepared to face demons far stronger and much smarter than what you’re used to.”
Adam rose to his feet. “I think it’s time to call in some reinforcements,” he said. “Vincent, you will go in first, but we won’t be far away. Our number one priority is to get Charlie out of there; then we’ll worry about Sebastian. I need to know who’s with me.”
Everyone in the room rose to their feet. “It’s been a while since I hunted a demon,” Vincent’s mother said. “But I think I still remember a few tricks.”
Charlie’s father looked at her, surprised, then grinned and said, “I look forward to hunting with you.”
There was a burst of laughter, then excited chatter filled the room, almost blocking out Molly’s voice. “Everyone to the kitchen for a meal before you leave; we still have a few hours until dark,” she yelled over the clamor.
Vincent hung back, afraid that his stomach would reject anything he put into it, when Molly walked up to him. “You should really eat something,” she said, tugging him toward the kitchen. “She’s going to be fine, Vincent. She’s a demon hunter; have some faith in her.”
“I believe in her, Molly. I saw what she can do,” he said, the anguish clear in his voice. “But I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her.”
“That’s not going to happen,” she said. “Sebastian hasn’t won yet, and he’s not going to win this time.”
***Charlie***
Charlie heard footsteps coming down the hallway but still jumped when Sebastian threw it open, making it bang against the wall. “Showtime,” he called, stepping aside to let one of his men pass by him.
He grabbed Charlie and pulled her off the bed, barely giving her enough time to get to her feet, then dragged her past Sebastian, who was grinning. “This is going to be fun,” he crowed. “I’ve waited a long time to take this valley. What you’re going to witness tonight is the cumulation of decades of planning, years of moving slowly and cautiously. I want you to witness my final victory in person, since you had so much to do with it.”
Darkness had fallen. A full moon illuminated the forest, and even without her powers, she could see the demons in the forest around them as she was forced over to the porch railing. Wedged between Sebastian and the muscular shifter, Charlie felt small, defenseless without her powers, but refused to show the fear that was coursing through her.
“It shouldn’t be long,” Sebastian said, scanning the sky, his face full of an evil look of anticipation.
Charlie saw Vincent before he did, unable to stop the gasp that came rushing out. Sebastian followed her eyes. “Look, there’s your lover now,” he said. “I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist.”
She wanted to shout out to Vincent, to warn him about the demons already shifting around in the trees, but he was too far away. Next to her, Sebastian lifted his hand to a stone hanging around his neck and began whispering words she couldn’t understand. Then a light began to glow from deep within the stone, growing brighter until she had to look away.
In the forest around them, the demons grew, expanding, the air around them shimmering as brightly as the stone. They emerged from the trees, momentarily blinding Vincent, but he flew higher into the air, over their heads, and landed on the roof of the cabin. Charlie tried to pull away and run, sensing her chance, but the guard was quicker, and she was soon clamped in his strong hands.
“Bet you weren’t expecting to see me,” Sebastian called up to Vincent, who hadn’t moved a muscle since he landed. “Let’s not make this harder than it has to be. Surrender yourself or I’ll have my friend here throw Charlie off the porch. Did I mention that she has a new piece of jewelry? It’s a special piece I had made just for her. Sadly, it does have the unfortunate side effect of preventing her from shifting.”
Charlie looked up at Vincent, who was staring at her, completely ignoring Sebastian, and their eyes met. Even from that distance, she could see the love as well as the fear in his eyes and realized that she’d never told him that she loved him, that this might be her only chance. She wasn’t going to let him sacrifice himself for her; she’d jump off the porch before she’
d let him do that.
Bracing herself to jump, she yelled, “I love you, Vincent; you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, but I would rather die than live without you.”
Then a strange feeling spread through her, a power that wasn’t her own but that fed her body, filling her with a strength she’d never felt before. Vincent’s eyes were still locked on hers, the connection between them flowing hotly, when suddenly she felt a wave of new emotions wash over her. “I love you too, Charlie,” echoed in her head, and she almost laughed out loud.
Sebastian looked down at her. “What’s going on? Stop looking at him like that,” he ordered, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at him.
When Sebastian’s mouth came down on hers, it happened so fast, she didn’t see it coming, but almost instantly, she was filled with revulsion as the taste of evil filled her mouth. She pushed him away, anger flaring to life inside her, making the metal on her arm burn even more, but she didn’t care. She was done letting Sebastian push her around. Vincent’s power hummed through her veins, giving her more strength than she’d ever possessed, then with a loud pop, the band popped off and clattered loudly to the ground.
Sebastian looked down at it and then up at Charlie, his eyes suddenly full of fear. “That’s not possible; you can’t...” But his words were cut off when she shifted.
***Vincent***
Vincent watched, his heart soaring with joy as his petite redheaded temptress transformed into a fierce dragon the same color as her eyes, rose above Sebastian, then dove at him. He managed to shift at the last moment, rose into the air with a tortured cry, and headed for the trees, Charlie close behind him, her cries of pursuit echoing in the night.
On the ground below him, the demons shifted restlessly, the light that had illuminated them slowly fading, and he knew he had to do something, and fast. Rising into the air, he signaled the shifters hidden in the trees, and in only seconds, the air was full of dragons. It was a sight to behold, and for a moment, he could only watch as one demon after another was torn to pieces and left in a smoking heap.
Guardian Dragons of Prospect Falls: (A Paranormal Shifter Romance) Page 36
