by Storm Savage
“Can I join the party, boys?” Flame purred while sashaying into their camp.
Their heads shot up. At first, they looked her over in open approval. Their welcoming expressions quickly transformed to hate when they spotted her daggers. Before her next breath, the creepers attacked. The first two ran straight into her drawn blades and died in the same manner as those she’d killed in her initial battle with the Satellite. They howled in agony as their bodies succumbed to her Sai daggers. Thick, foul-smelling bluish-gray smoke rose from their disintegrating corpses until nothing remained but ash.
“Wait your turn,” Von said from behind, then a thud sounded in the dirt.
She stole a quick glimpse and saw him physically overpowering the creepers with ease as they swooped in, temporarily holding them back. Wow…he’s tough…and fast. The thought came and went quickly as she turned to fight.
Strong hands gripped her throat from the side then were ripped away. Von growled his warnings along with indistinct profanities. She realized that he truly was helping her.
Ruthlessly, they battled evil fiends as wave upon wave of the minions advanced from seemingly nowhere. Apparently, Twilight had rebuilt quite an army since she’d last dealt with them. They seemed more determined than the first creepers she’d killed down in southern California. This lot possessed more stamina, and came on fast and mean.
“C’mon,” she taunted as three huge, ugly men boxed her in. “Let me send you back to hell!”
Von had his hands full controlling the others.
The three to her front pounced quickly, knocking her to the ground. She utilized a lifetime of training to maneuver her way out of their grasp by jabbing the knuckles of her Sai into their eyes. Though fast, they could not match her agility in combat. When two rolled back in pain, clutching their eyes, Flame immediately drove her dagger through the heart of the third. With him out of the way, she turned her attention back to the pair still struggling to see.
“Die!” She raised both blades then without a mere second of hesitation, plunged the pointed steel into their chests. They perished violently, thrashing about and shrieking while fighting death. The stench of dying creepers and horrific screams split the morning calm.
She swung around to face Von who had two fiends by the neck, one in each hand.
“I’ll hold them you dagger ‘em.”
They merged into a violent and deadly team as Von grabbed the minions and she drove her Sai into their hearts. Von was lightning fast and unbelievably strong. He had no trouble catching the ghouls as they attacked and Flame daggered each one with the same swift precision. Her heightened reflexes astounded her. Since the blood-bond, she’d noticed subtle changes taking place in her body. She and Von fought relentlessly against Cooper’s aggressive pack of creepers.
“Flame!” a familiar voice bellowed. Instantly the remaining fiends cowered and scurried into the woods.
She swung around to face a bear of a man who stood glaring at her with pure and unmistakable hatred. “Hello, Coop.” She panted for breath yet wasn’t about to let him see her fear. “How’s it going?”
His unshaven, pocked face appeared weathered with age. He’d never looked that great but he was even more unkempt now, staring with beady, angry eyes. “What are you doing here, little girl? You’re way out of your element up here and very far from home.”
“So you do know who I am.” She sheathed her daggers for the time.
Coop’s fiery gaze darted to Von. “You told her?”
Von took a step toward him. “I didn’t tell her you’re her father. I’m not that cruel,” Von countered with a scoff. “I simply told her the truth. She put the pieces together on her own.”
“You think she will take the word of the Satellite over her own father’s?”
“Payback time, old boy, I’ve brought the only weapon that can end your misery.”
“Flame, don’t believe a word this prick has said. He’d do anything to save his pathetic ass.”
“Did you forget that I watched you stab my boyfriend?” Adrenaline that had begun to subside rose again. “You may have sired me but you are no father of mine. My father died when he chose the evil side.”
“Are you sure it was me who killed Raef?” he sneered, then nodded toward Von. “Have you forgotten everything we taught you about the Satellite? He is the deceiver of the mind. Did you not learn anything from Ian? Will his death be forever in vain?”
“Ian gave me no choice.” She stood firm.
“And you’d trust this pussy ass Python over me? Who rescued you from him the first time? It was my pack who hauled ass across country to save you. Then Ian trusted you with vital information on how to kill this bastard.”
“I did kill him!” Her stomach tightened with tension. “But your evil realm brought him back!”
“You can’t possibly be so naïve as to believe this guy.” Coop’s voice softened. “I understand that you’re going through your own personal hell right now, but don’t let the Satellite get you, too. He already has too much power. Look around, look what he did to these men. Look what he made you do.”
“Wait!” She faced her palm toward Coop and averted her eyes. “You’re lying. Why else would you be here with a pack of creepers? I saw them die, I know what they were.”
“I’ve been monitoring the activity of this new breed of minions. Von brought you straight into his nest, not mine.”
“No, that can’t be true.” Her mind raced. “He wouldn’t help me kill his own pack.”
“Von would sacrifice anything and anyone to win.”
She turned toward Von. “You’re pretty quiet. Why aren’t you defending yourself?”
He feigned a yawn. “I never get involved in family arguments.”
Without thinking, she belted him across the face as hard as she could. His eyes flared with fury yet he maintained self-control. They faced off.
He grabbed her hand and spoke in a very low steady tone of voice, almost a growl. “Don’t. Ever. Do. That. Again.”
A shiver raced over her, through her. She glanced at his hand wrapped around hers. Heat radiated up her arm. For an instant, sudden fear threatened to overtake her. She choked it back and swallowed. Her throat felt very dry.
“Say something,” she demanded.
“Why?” He scowled. “Will it make a difference?”
“Maybe.”
She felt Coop’s hand on her shoulder. “I loved your mother, Flame. I turned against the Twilight Master to save you. I tried to save Tahira, but I failed.”
Slowly she turned. “Then why did you kill the only man I’ve ever loved?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t. This new Satellite has more power. The evil realm is determined to have you. He will do anything, say anything, and kill anyone, even his own creepers just to accomplish his ultimate goal. He has no heart, no soul, and no feelings.”
“But—”
“No buts, my girl, he is not human, not anymore. If you know that I’m your father then surely the Lioness told you about your mother, too.”
Flame lowered her eyes to hide the sorrow. “Yes, she told me. But she didn’t tell me what happened to you. She said she didn’t know.”
“It’s true. I went into hiding after I lost your mother. She was beautiful and brave…like you. When I betrayed the evil realm, the master placed the curse of accelerated aging upon me. He decided it would be more agonizing for me to walk the earth as an ugly old man than burn in the sulfur pit. He was right. No woman will have me.”
She forced herself to look at him. “Ian told me many things. He said you were demoted to a recruiter.” The Supreme Lioness’s words floated through her mind. He cannot create a new Satellite without tapping into the energy of an existing one. “Are you telling me that you are no longer a Satellite?”
“Ian is dead, darlin’. He never could get his story straight though,” Coop said with a relenting nod. “I’m just a foolish old man sentenced to a life of serving a power-hun
gry incubus. I have no special powers anymore.”
“Then why did you help me track down his creepers?” She recalled their night on the hunt but also remembered that Coop hadn’t made a move to kill the creepers that had attacked. “Were you in on the setup, too, like Ian?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, raking a hand through his short, gray hair. “Twilight’s fools are also Twilight’s tools.”
“You put your own daughter in harm’s way.” She fought back the internal struggle. Here stood her father, the one tangible connection to the mother she’d never known. She had a million questions but wasn’t sure if she had the time or if she should indulge her curiosity instead of pursuing her goal.
“For what it’s worth, I was hoping all along that you’d win and you did.” He gave a heavy sigh. “But now the fiend is back and clouding your thoughts just like he did to Ian. He used Cassie to drive poor Ian mad until my buddy went over the edge. Then that whore took him down.”
“You know about Cassie?” Flame wrenched her hand free of Von’s and stepped toward Coop. “Where did she get her power? What is her connection?”
“I don’t know. She just showed up to ride with Ian one day.”
Confusion inundated Flame. Everything Coop said made sense just as what Ian and Von had told her also seemed to fit. Still, she knew that they all couldn’t be telling the truth because one of them killed Raef. She decided to fish for info on her mother while struggling to sort her mental and emotional dilemma.
“Tell me about my mother. If you loved her, why didn’t you make the right choice?”
“Tahira was strong and pure. I had just begun to feel my humanity when the Twilight Master discovered our hiding place. When you set out to betray an evil ruler, you better have an ironclad plan. I let my guard down for but a minute and he stole into my thoughts to find us. He told me to finish it. I couldn’t deny her plea to save our child. After my betrayal, the master killed her and cursed me.”
“Because you lost track of me?”
“You are the prodigy both sides need. Whoever owns your heart holds the key.”
Flame shifted her weight in frustration. “What is this key that everyone is talking about?”
“Nobody knows except the high rulers. They won’t reveal its significance but it must be one hell of a prize because neither side will back down. Look at the man beside you. He’s not about to give up.”
She glanced at Von. “Why are you silent? Don’t you want to defend yourself?”
“What’s wrong, Calder? Afraid she’ll see the truth in your lying eyes?” Coop taunted. “Why don’t you tell her who really masterminded everything and manipulated the players? Tell Flame how you used a very willing Cassie to work poor Ian over. While you’re at it, tell her that the master can only mate with her via his Satellite, and that you struck a deal in order to receive a second chance to do the job.” Coop didn’t let up. “Does she know that you and Ian have teamed up this time to ensure success? I bet you failed to mention Aiden’s role. Did you let her in on the big secret?”
“What’s he talking about?” Flame stared up at Von. Every nerve in her body felt like it was on fire. “What have you done?”
Coop laughed outright. “Your ex-husband is the biggest secret of all, darlin’.” His eyes darted to Von then back to her. “Von knew all about Aiden’s involvement with Twilight. Who do you think enlisted his family? People don’t fall out of the sky and sign up with the evil realm. They usually have a helping hand along the way.” His hard stare sent chills down her back. “Your ex-husband is not who you think he is, Flame. But I can see that Calder, here, left out a few crucial details in his story.”
“Von…is this true?” She gripped the handles of her Sai.
Coop’s hand shot out and clutched Von around the neck. “Tell her you motherfucker! Tell my daughter who the real Satellite is! Be a man and confess that the Twilight Master ordered you to get her pretty boy lover out of the way, so you can win this war. For once in your pathetic miserable existence speak the truth and tell her who really killed Raef!”
Rage flashed in Von’s eyes. He reached up with one hand and yanked Coop’s hand from his throat. His left hand remained tightly fisted at his side, which scared her. The moment of truth was at hand.
“You,” Von growled through clenched teeth. “You’re the original Satellite and Raef’s blood is on your hands.”
“He’s lying, Flame. He’ll say anything to trick you.”
She looked from one man to the other then down at the ground and drew a deep breath. Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic, she told herself. Clear your head…breathe. With another cleansing breath, she slowly lifted her head. While blocking Cooper’s furious eyes from her mind, she turned toward Von.
“As strange as it is, I want to believe you,” she told him. “Remember the blood-bond?”
Open desire flickered in his eyes at the mention. “Hell yeah.”
“I kind of neglected to tell you everything. If you lie to me, the wound will reopen and fester with unbearable pain until the truth is told.”
He nodded with a faint smile. “I know…I read your mind.”
Flame gasped. “And you agreed to it anyway?”
“I had nothing to hide.”
Cooper groaned in open disgust. “Don’t listen to this prick, Flame.”
She ignored him and focused on Von. “Most of our conversation took place before the ritual. I need to ask you again, did you tell me the truth? Is this man a Satellite as you said? And most importantly…did you use your mind powers on me…did you kill Raef?”
“Of course he did!” Cooper let out a sardonic laugh.
Flame swatted the old man away. “Shut up.”
Von laid his right hand alongside her face. His eyes burned into her soul as they stood there during what would be a major turning point for everyone present. The intense show of emotion in those incredibly seductive eyes stole her breath.
Will I ride away with this enigmatic stranger and finish this mission after killing Coop? Or will I find a way to kill Von once again and make amends with my father? She held her breath, waiting and wondering which way this would go.
Coop finally shut up and waited, as if he, too, wanted to hear Von’s reply.
“Everything I said to you since I’ve returned is the truth,” Von began in a surprisingly calm voice that drifted over her like silk. “Coop is the one messing with your head—he is the original Satellite.” He lowered his head until their lips were dangerously close, speaking softly while gazing at her with sheer compassion. “I told you once, I am not a killer. I did not kill Raef. I would not do that to you.”
She searched his eyes then looked down at his hand. “Why not? He was in the way of your success.”
A reluctant expression shadowed his face. “Damn you, woman,” he muttered, then opened his hand and laid it over her heart. His hot breath feathered her lips when he spoke—he was just that close. “I never could and never will hurt you…I’m in love with you.”
“What a crock of shit,” Cooper growled.
Coop’s taunts fell into the background as Von’s words swirled around her. Stunned beyond belief at Von’s profession, she felt frozen to the ground, breathless, unable to move as they stood there locked in eye contact. Slowly, he turned his hand over, palm facing up for her to see. She managed to tear her gaze away from his entrancing eyes to look down. No change in the scar whatsoever. She waited cautiously for a few minutes just to play it safe. His scar remained healed with no signs of alteration.
He’s telling the truth!
Their eyes met again. She received his thoughts. They knew what to do next. Her hands had never released their death grip on the daggers at her sides. She slid them from the sheaths.
Coop let out a mocking laugh. “Don’t tell me that you believe his lies. He’s just using his enhanced power of seduction on you. Be smart, Flame. There’s no such thing as a blood-bond that can discern the truth.”
She swung around at lightning speed with fiery blades poised to strike. “Let’s test that theory, shall we?”
“Flame, no! Think of your mother. She almost saved me. She wouldn’t want you to do this.” Coop backed up. “You can help me finish what she started.”
“I will finish what my mother failed to do.” With that, she lunged forward. A flash of light sparked off the blade as she drove the first one into his chest. He staggered sideways. “That was for my mother,” she snarled, then raised the other dagger. “This one is for Raef.” Before he could blink, she plunged her Sai straight through his heart.
He crumpled to the ground. “Flame,” he managed to choke out. “He didn’t tell you about the…the…”
“The what?” She dropped to one knee.
A bewildered look flooded his dying eyes. “Kiss of death…ask him…if your blood-bond is real…” He coughed, blood trickled from his mouth. “Ask…him.” He drew one last ragged breath then died.
She tumbled backward when his body erupted into an explosive inferno. The ground shook violently. Flames shot high into the clearing. She sat back, hands braced behind her, staring wide-eyed as the original creeper met his demise. Thick smoke blanketed the immediate area, burning her eyes and stinging her nose. She covered her mouth and nose with a forearm, watching with mixed emotion, knowing all hope had been lost for her father.
No doubt, the Supreme Lioness had just seen what happened and now the mystery surrounding Twilight’s first tool had been solved.
The wind picked up strength and began howling through the mighty redwoods. Sudden fear gripped Flame. She scooted back against a massive tree trunk and wrapped her arms around it, hanging on tightly as a column of air developed over Coop’s remains. She could barely draw a breath amidst the vacuum created by the whirling wind. Squinting against violently rotating dirt and debris, she watched in astonishment as the dust devil spiraled downward instead of up toward the sky.
