by Maggie Walsh
“Sorry, nope. Never heard of them.”
“Well now you have. And it’s time we leave.” The vamp reached out to grab Sage’s arm and he took a step back.
“No. I am not going back there. Not yet at least. I need to figure some things out first before I can go back. I don’t want to put Maddy and the others in danger if I go dark,” Sage explained.
“If you go dark? Don’t you mean when?” The vamp reached out as quick as lightning and grabbed Sage’s wrist, pulling it closer and turning it over to expose the underside. “You have the mark of the Tribeca clan, but in spades, and to the second power.”
Sage’s eyes went wide. “What does that mean?”
“Your tattoo. The triangle is the symbol of your ancestral clan. The Tribeca’s. But I have never seen it this big. Usually the tattoo is a quarter of this size and is only black. But yours is two triangles, one over the other. One light, one dark, and they are a perfect contrasting match. The size and shape are exactly the same.”
“So what does that mean?” Sage whispered.
“I’m not sure, but I think it means you are struggling with which side will claim you. The lighter one is going into the darker one, half covering it. But the pale one is framed by a line just as black as the one below. So if the dark side claims you, will the lighter one be engulfed by the darker one and disappear? Or if the battle is won by the light, will the pale one cover the darker one, blocking it until it fades away?”
Sage swallowed thickly as he stared at his wrist. “How do we find out? I need to know before I go home. I don’t want to hurt them. I don’t want to betray them.”
“Come with me. I know of a coven who can answer these questions.”
“But I thought you were helping Chandler and Monica chase me?” Sage asked, trying to trick the man, as he pulled his arm away and took a step back. Something wasn’t right about this guy. He could just feel it.
“I was, but now that I have seen this, I think you’re right. You need to find your answers before you return to them. It may be too dangerous until you know for sure.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to go back to Mayberry if I go dark. Too many innocents could get hurt. So where is this coven you know of?” Sage asked as he took another small step back. If this guy was really the vampire he had seen with King Dante, then he would know that Sage was lying the minute he used the fake names and town.
“It is located near Santa Monica. If we leave now, we can get there by sundown.”
“But I thought you were a vampire? Can’t you just disseminate us there?”
“As I said, I am a daywalker. We are a different type of vampire. My car is just over here.” The man pointed to a car parked across the street and down a little from where they stood. Sage looked over at the car and red flags started going off in his head as his heart began to pound in his chest. Across the street sat a McLaren P1. The car was worth a whopping 1.15 million dollars. The only person Sage had ever known who owned anything like it was Francis. The man had a hard-on for the most expensive things in life and drove the most luxurious sports cars. Even Alpha Micah and King Dante, who were both a hundred times richer than Francis, would never own a monstrosity like this. Which meant this guy must work for Francis, or at least knows him.
“Nice wheels. How much did that set you back?” Sage asked.
The vampire smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “More than you will ever make in a lifetime shaking that ass.”
“Hey, no need to get rude now. Thanks for the info, but I’ll find my answers all on my own,” Sage said angrily and moved farther away.
“I can’t allow that, Anthony.” The vampire sneered and grabbed for him.
Sage jumped back and turned, then began to run. As he hit the corner he turned right and spotted Maddy, Raith, and the others standing in front of the house that he had been at earlier. The vamp was standing there with them as well. How did he do that? Sage stopped short and panted as he stared at the group. Maddy’s head turned in his direction and their eyes met. Sage could see the happiness and excitement in Maddy’s eyes.
Shit. Maybe I do need them? Maybe I should go to them and they can help me? He took a step toward Maddy. Just then the smile fell from Maddy’s face and his eyes went wide as his mouth opened. Sage couldn’t hear what he was screaming, but he knew it wasn’t good from the look on Maddy’s face. The others all turned in his direction and Raith came racing toward him as he, too, was screaming something. A hand wrapped around Sage’s mouth from behind at the same time an arm snaked around his waist and held him tight.
Sage tried to chant to get away from whoever had him, but then he heard the man chanting in his ear. It wasn’t one that he was familiar with, but suddenly he found himself sitting in the expensive car, seat-belted in, and the daywalker vampire sitting next to him, dropping the car in gear and racing off. Sage shifted his eyes to the side-view mirror and saw Raith and the others running down the middle of the street after them. But it was too late. The car sped up and Sage’s heart dropped as Raith’s image grew smaller, then faded.
Sage turned toward the man. “Who are you? And what do you want from me?”
“Now that just breaks my heart, baby. Forget me so soon?” the man said. Sage watched in horror as the man driving started to shimmer and transform. Suddenly Francis sat next to him. He turned and gave Sage an evil smile. “It’s time you came home and faced your punishment for leaving me. And that will only be the beginning. I will have to punish you for stealing from me as well. So sit back and enjoy the ride. We’ll be home before you know it.”
Sage sat immobile for a moment as he tried to wrap his head around what he had just seen, and the fact that he now sat trapped in a car with Francis. What the hell was he going to do now? He couldn’t go back with Francis. The man would pump all that shit into his veins again, and make him do all those porns again. He would use Sage’s body and let others use it as well. He wouldn’t go back there. He wasn’t helpless anymore. He had powers now and he knew how to use them. Well, some of them.
Sage turned back to face the front and began to chant under his breath, but nothing was happening. He swallowed and took a deep breath, then tried another, but still nothing. He was still trapped inside this expensive prison.
“Try all you want, but you can’t escape. This car has been spelled. Nothing you do will help you now. So sit back and shut up. We’ll be home before you know it. Then the fun will begin,” Francis said happily, then began to laugh maniacally.
Chapter 3
“Son of a bitch! He was right there! And I could see it in his eyes. He was coming to us,” Maddy yelled in frustration.
Josh wrapped his arms around Maddy from behind and pulled him close. “We’ll find him, baby. We won’t give up.”
“Of course we won’t, son. And you’re right. I saw it, too. He was walking toward us and it looked like he was happy to see us,” Raith said as he placed a hand on Maddy’s shoulder.
“So who was the asshole who grabbed him?” Valor asked.
“Von Cleef,” Slade answered through clenched teeth.
“So what do we do now? Where do we go?” Maddy asked.
“Von Cleef has two main compounds. One in Vegas and one near Santa Monica. We need to check them first,” Slade answered.
“But which one? What if we choose the wrong one and he has Sage at the other? You said yourself that this guy is pissed because Sage left him and stole his money. He could be doing anything to him,” Maddy said in distress.
“Then as Raith has said, it is a good thing we travel with different types of paranormals. We can disseminate or jump through one of those portals and be in either place within seconds. Let’s try Vegas first. That is the last place Von Cleef was living when I was looking for Anth…Sage.”
“We need to go back to Tempest and get Milo first,” Josh said.
“It’s only noon. There is still at least seven hours before Milo can be outside. We can head over to Von Cleef’
s Vegas mansion and check things out, then come back for your mate,” Slade answered.
“I don’t like leaving Milo behind, but Slade has a point. At least then we’ll know where they are by then and we can move in when it’s dark,” Maddy added.
“Okay, so everyone hang on and let’s go,” Slade said and held out an arm.
“Shit,” Valor groused. “Can’t I just open a portal?”
“You don’t know where you’re going and someone may see your light. I know the layout of Von Cleef’s estate and can disseminate us into a hidden spot.”
“Fine,” Valor stated and placed a hand on Slade as everyone else did. Once they were all touching, they disappeared.
* * * *
It had been three days since Von Cleef had taken his mate and Slade was beginning to get worried. They checked the Vegas house and nothing was there. Absolutely nothing. As if the man had moved out. Then they popped over to his Santa Monica estate and found no one but a skeleton crew of guards. No one was inside the house when they snuck in and checked around. So now here he sat in New Orleans again, trying to figure out what their next move should be.
Damn it! If only he had known when he was looking for Anthony to begin with that the sexy creature was his mate. He would have moved faster and he would have taken Von Cleef out already.
The one thing he did know about the man was that he was a sadistic bastard and loved to inflict pain on others. It was bad enough all the things he had done to Anthony in the past, but if the man laid one finger on his mate now, he would live to regret it for a long time. He would make sure of it.
“Slade, Dante, Rory, Adam, and Colby are back,” Valor announced as he peeked his head into the room.
Slade turned to face the fae warrior. “Are the king’s mates and children okay?”
Valor smiled. “Yes. They’re all fine. Everyone is safe over at the Prime’s.”
“Good. Now maybe we can focus on Anthony,” Slade said tightly, then turned to look back out the window.
Valor moved farther into the room. “So tell me something. How is it that a vampire can walk in the sun?”
Slade smiled to himself. People always wanted to know that answer. He had been hearing it for over three hundred years. And usually they guessed wrong. Everyone assumed he was what was called a daywalker. A vampire who could walk in the day. But true daywalkers had distinct features, like sharp nails they used as claws to hunt. And they had very pale eyes. He was not a daywalker. Actually, he was far from the creature.
“It is a gift,” Slade answered without turning.
“So it’s your gift and not because you are one of those special vamps I’ve heard about?”
“I didn’t say that,” Slade answered and turned to face the fae warrior. Valor tilted his head slightly and gave him a confused look.
“Slade, Valor, we’re getting ready to head out again,” Raith announced as he walked into the room.
“Then I guess Dante will not be joining us, seeing as it is still only afternoon,” Slade said as he started heading toward the door.
Raith smiled. “Well not exactly. Once he returned, he grabbed Milo and popped out. Then popped back in a few minutes later and now…well, come and see.”
Slade and Valor gave each other a confused look, then headed out the door, following Raith. They walked through the house toward the front door. Raith opened it and stood to the side so they could go out first. Slade stepped out onto the porch and stopped. “What the fuck?”
“How? What happened? How is this possible?” Valor asked from beside him.
Dante turned and smiled at them. “Gentlemen, why don’t you come and join us out here. The sun is wonderful.”
“How did this happen?’ Slade asked as he moved closer.
“A cute little god by the name of Demetrius. He has made it possible for Viktor, Nicco, and myself to walk in the sun. When I got back here and took one look at Milo, I wanted the same for him. I knew that losing the day was one of the hardest things for Milo to deal with, so I took him to see Demetrius and, well. Here we are,” Dante explained.
“And I will never be able to thank you or Demi enough,” Milo said, his voice choked with emotion, and then he hugged Dante.
“So what happened? Is everyone safe?” Valor asked.
“Everyone is fine. We needed to go to the Underworld to battle with Hades, but other than that, all is well. For now,” Dante answered as he released Milo.
“Hades? As in the Hades?” Valor asked in awe.
“Yes, and it seems he is the one who has been pulling all the strings, not Minos.”
“Are Micah, Jesse, and everyone else okay?” Raith asked.
Dante smiled. “Everyone is more than okay. Let’s get a plan together on what our next move is and I’ll fill you all in on what happened and what the gods told our dynamic duo.”
Raith’s eyes went wide. “Micah and Jesse went back to see the gods?”
“Yes, and what they found out is amazing,” Rory said as he wrapped his arms around Raith’s waist and leaned against his side.
“Well, I can’t wait to hear this,” Raith mumbled and they all headed back inside.
* * * *
“How many?” Micah asked Haven as they walked down the main hall of the training facility.
“Seventy-two. We’ve placed them all in the holding cells for now,” Haven answered.
“Who captured them?”
“We sent a group of trainees into the city to see if there was anything left behind around Dante’s estate. When they got there, the place was swarming with rogues.”
“Any injuries or loss of life on our side?” Micah asked and looked around as they stepped into the large training room. Paranormals of all breeds were spread out around the room, locked in some kind of battle or another. The gym was specifically made for hand-to-hand combat training. Mats were spread out across the floor in various sizes and thickness. The far wall was covered in different types of fighting instruments, from short swords, to fighting slicks, nunchucks to stars.
“We had a few scrapes but nothing serious,” Haven answered.
A yell from the right caught Micah’s attention and he turned. A group of trainees were standing in a circle observing as Lexi gave a demonstration on Kata, his movements fluid and smooth. “So where is this group of trainees that captured the rogues?”
“They’re waiting over here,” Haven said and motioned to a group sitting in the bleachers watching.
Micah and Haven made their way over to the group and each of the men quickly stood when they saw Micah approaching. “Prime,” they all answered together respectfully and bowed their heads.
“Relax, gentlemen. I just wanted to come by and offer you all a word of thanks on a great job. Haven has told me about your mission. Seventy-two rogues captured alive is impressive. Who led this group?”
A large man of about six feet five and 250 pounds of rock-hard muscle and a shaved head, stepped forward. “I was the point man on this mission, Prime,” he stated.
“This is Caleb Jones, Micah,” Haven introduced.
“Well done, Caleb. Keep up the good work. All of you. Haven has informed me that the prisoners have been secured. Caleb, I would like for you and four men of your choosing to grab five of the rogues and escort them to the pack house. I will have my enforcers waiting there to take them off your hands,” Micah instructed.
“Is that wise?” Caleb blurted. A few men groaned as other’ faces turned pale in fear and their eyes widened to the size of saucers.
Micah stood stone-still as he stared at the trainee. Caleb swallowed hard and looked down. A smirk came to Micah’s lips and Haven began to chuckle. “Oh no,” Haven whispered.
Micah reached back and pulled his cell phone from his pocket, then dialed, and put it to his ear. “How busy are you? And where are you?” Micah listened as the person on the other end answered. “Perfect. Can you come to the main gym? Oh, and bring your rogue special with you.”
&nb
sp; Micah hung up and put his phone back in his pocket, then looked to the men. He met each of their eyes and turned to face the rest of the room. He brought a hand up to his lips, placed two fingers in his mouth, and whistled loud, catching everyone’s attention. All activity stopped and the eyes of over two hundred turned to face him.
“Thank you. Now that I have your attention. Who here has faced off against a rogue?” About seventy hands went up. “Well, thanks to these men behind me, you will all be getting a chance soon. I’m sure your instructors have already warned you of the dangers of fighting a rogue. For those of you who have already gone up against the beasts you know how difficult it is to take them down. This new breed of rogue was created by a very twisted demigod and he has made them harder to kill. So as they change and improve, so must we.”
Just then Aaron walked into the room and headed right to Micah. “Perfect. Now our demonstration can begin. I’m sure you all know Dr. Collins.” Everyone nodded. “Lexi, I need you to go to the cells and bring back the feistiest rogue we have,” Micah ordered and Lexi immediately left the room. “Aaron, while we wait, can you remind everyone of the difference between regular rogues and created rogues?”
“Sure thing, Micah. As you all know it is very rare for a paranormal of any kind to go rogue. Once that happens, they become feral and fighting one of them can be a challenge, but not impossible. Their minds go to only survival mode and they are usually loners. But these new forms of rogue, especially the vampire rogues, have been created by an evil demigod and because of this he has given them more power. They are faster, stronger, and can think. They also band together and create their own kind of packs. So it is now very rare for you to come across a single rogue. Most likely you will cross paths with a group. One-on-one, they are hard to take down. As a group it is almost impossible if you are alone.”
Just then Lexi came back into the room restraining a rogue with his arms behind his back. The beast was snapping and snarling, kicking his feet, trying to get loose. Lexi brought the rogue to Micah.
