Catch Me When I Fall

by Vicki Leigh

  “Goddamnit!” I screamed as I yanked my hand out of Tabbi’s. I’d tried to evaporate to Kayla as soon as she left the building, but nothing happened. Again.

  I kicked the wall so hard a shock wave of pain ran into my hip. Then I punched the wall and kicked it again. My chest constricted and my eyes burned. Raising my fist to punch the wall again, Tabbi walked into my arms. She wrapped hers around my waist.

  Tabbi said no words. She just hugged me like a little sister would. Embracing her back, I forced down the tears that wanted to explode. Crying wouldn’t help Kayla. Only finding her would.

  “I’m going to kill him, Tabbi.”

  “You better.”

  didn’t sleep when we returned to the room, no matter how exhausted my body felt. Kayla needed to be found now, before any more harm could come to her. I stole a laptop from a nearby store and, after setting it up, grabbed Giovanni’s day-planner off Seth’s nightstand. He must’ve spent an hour or so pouring through the details before falling asleep, considering he’d highlighted every time the same letter appeared in the book. Giovanni had visited Richard at least twenty times in the last two months.

  I typed the latitude and longitude into a search engine and waited for the results. A map appeared with a pinpoint in Amarillo, Texas. After jotting down the address on a piece of paper, I zoomed in on the picture and froze. This place looked familiar.

  Popping in the USB drive and remembering which keys Irene had pressed to decrypt the folders, I searched through the files until I found the image of Giovanni and Richard shaking hands.

  The picture wasn’t of a storage unit. It was a garage.

  I jumped out of my chair and flipped on the overhead light. “Everybody up.”

  Samantha growled, Lian and Tabbi covered their eyes with their hands and Seth covered his face with his pillow. Ivan, having fallen asleep on our floor, swore at me.

  “I’m serious. Get up. I have a lead.”

  They perked up. Samantha jumped out of bed and sat in front of the computer, fluffing her blonde hair. “A house in Texas? Are you sure?”

  “Positive. When Seth and I looked at that image earlier, we’d thought it was a warehouse or a storage unit. But if you look at that image of the house in Amarillo, you can see a detached garage. Look.” I zoomed in next to the garage door. “And they both share the same number—1031. It’s the same building.”

  “Holy shit, man,” Seth said. “You think he’s holding them there?”

  “No, Kayla’s in some sort of office building. But this is the first lead we’ve had. Maybe we can find something there that’ll tell us where he’s holding her. We’ll leave in an hour.”

  We picked a spot down the road to evaporate to. The last thing we needed was to appear too close to the house and give ourselves away. Richard was powerful and, as I’d learned at the coven in Kansas, would definitely be able to feel us, even if we were invisible. We needed to enter the house slowly to avoid detection as long as possible.

  After we loaded our weapons onto our belts, the six of us evaporated to our destination, making sure to stay invisible. Then, without a word, I led my team down the street.

  The house was a brick, two-story, colonial-style home, a style completely different from the white, detached garage at the side of the house. The front door and shutters were painted white, and the front lawn looked recently mowed.

  I approached the house cautiously and peeked inside the windows. Expensive furniture and the latest gadgets filled each room, but there was no sign of anyone. Someone needed to get inside.

  “Stay here.” I evaporated into the entryway. The house was dark, but smelled of lemons, like it’d been freshly cleaned. When there was no sign of life, I opened the front door to let the others in.

  “There’s definitely no one here,” Tabbi said. “I don’t hear a single thought.”

  “Good,” I said. “Let’s look around. Seth, Lian, go upstairs and see what you can find. Sam, Ivan and I will search down here. Tabbi, stay near the door and let us know if anyone’s coming.”

  I split off from the group and wandered until I found the study and walked slowly around the room, scrutinizing. If I were Richard, this is where I would hide my secrets. In one corner was a coat rack, and along that wall was a large bookshelf with cabinets underneath. I opened each cabinet and looked inside, but nothing appeared important. Then I peeked inside the wardrobe, moving coats around and pulling out boxes of old files for some sort of clue.

  Frantically, I searched through every drawer of his desk and between every book on every shelf, but I couldn’t find anything that might lead me to Kayla. With a roar, I threw books across the room.

  Then I noticed a large globe in the back corner. From a distance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But when I stood at just the right angle, sunlight bounced off a pinhead. I walked over to it and examined closer. The pin was pressed into Paris, France.

  I turned the globe around until the U.S. faced up. Pins of all colors were pressed into spots all over the country. There had to be at least fifty of them. He was definitely using the globe to track something, which meant he frequented the house.

  Again, I ran around the room, trying to find some clue to Kayla’s location. I tore the wardrobe to shreds, then looked through the cupboards under the bookshelves again, ripping everything out and feeling around for something out of the ordinary. When I was about to give up, I felt a small groove in the wood where there shouldn’t have been one. Grabbing a dagger out of my belt, I forced it into the opening.

  “Please,” I muttered under my breath. My blade pried the wood until a piece popped out, then I stuck my hand in the hole. The secret compartment went back further than expected, but my fingertips touched plastic. “Yes.”

  Pulling the object out, I jumped for joy when I saw what had been hidden. A hard drive. I ran out of the room.

  “Guys, I got something,” I shouted, knowing we were alone.

  From different directions came Samantha, Ivan, Seth, Lian and Tabbi.

  “Daniel, this place is definitely lived in,” Seth said. “And I don’t think just by Richard.”

  “That doesn’t matter.” I held up the hard drive. “I found this, hidden in one of Richard’s bookshelves. Whatever’s on here has to be important.”

  I was about to tell them it was time to leave when Tabbi’s eyes widened. “Guys, we have company. It’s him. And he knows we’re here. Daniel, you triggered some alarm when you opened the front door.”

  Blast. In my haste, I hadn’t considered what types of protection might be in place. We all immediately went invisible.

  “Okay. Everyone get out of here now.” With the laptop tucked securely under my arm, I tried to evaporate. But nothing happened.

  “Um, Daniel— “ Samantha said.

  “I know. I’m not going anywhere either.”

  “Are Magus always this powerful?” Ivan asked.

  The front door burst open. Richard walked into the house, followed by four others.

  “Feel that?” Richard said to his groupies. “Those Protectors always give off such a strong vibe.”

  Richard and the others walked through the house, their eyes searching for some clue to where we stood. They felt our energy, but our exact location was still hidden from them.

  I prayed they didn’t have any of that revealing powder with them and handed Tabbi the hard drive. It would stay invisible as long as she held it. “Do not let this out of your sight and stay far away from the warlocks. As soon as you can, evaporate back to the hotel. Got it?”

  Tabbi nodded, grabbed the hard drive and stepped behind me.

  I ran through the options in my head. Richard was mere feet away. If I could get a jump on him, I could kill him. But then we might die at the hands of the other Magus before we could find Kayla. Still, if I didn’t take my shot now, the next time I faced him, we could be more severely outnumbered.

  Before I could make my decision, Richard spoke again. “I know you�
�re here, Daniel. Don’t make me return without you. It wouldn’t bode well for Kayla.”

  Samantha grabbed my arm before I could assault him. “Daniel, going up against him is suicide. We need to sneak out while we have the chance.”

  My pulse raced, and my fists were so tight that my knuckles hurt, but I nodded. She was right. We needed an attack plan before taking him on.

  The six of us ran toward the back of the house, but instead of going through the wall like we were supposed to, we ran into it. We bounced off the wall and into each other like balls in a pinball machine.

  “What the hell?” Ivan yelled.

  “We can’t get through,” Seth replied.

  “No shit, Sherlock.”

  “All right, that’s enough,” I said. They quieted and let me think. We had no other choice. We couldn’t evaporate, we couldn’t walk through walls, we couldn’t break a window unless we wanted to give away our location. Other than being able to stay invisible, we were essentially human. Richard had robbed us of the powers that made us spirit-like. There was only one way out of here now. We had to fight.

  crossed through the kitchen and headed in the direction Richard had gone. Entering the hallway leading to the study, I jumped when one of his followers joined me from the bedroom on the left. He stopped and looked around with his hands open at his sides. He could feel me closing in on him.

  Knowing I needed to be quick, I sprinted around him and went corporeal when I was at his back, digging my blade into the side of his neck. Blood squirted onto the wall, and he fell to the ground with a shout. I went invisible before anyone else could see me. And just in time. Richard ran into the hall from his study.

  His nostrils flared as he took in the sight of his now-dead follower on the floor. I paused to see what his next move would be, gripping my blades tight. On the balls of my feet, I kept my gaze on his hands, prepared to jump out of the way if he tried to strike. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile.

  He pressed a button. My body turned cold as Kayla’s voice filled the hall.

  “Please. I’m sorry. No more,” she said.

  “I will send the Nightmares away if you give me a name. Who let you out of that room?” Richard asked.

  There was a long pause. Then Kayla screamed.

  My vision clouded, picturing her writhing around in a dark room while Nightmares filled her mind with images from her tortuous past. I squeezed my eyes closed as my heart raced and my ears roared. He was playing my weakness—and it was working.

  “I’ll make you a deal, Daniel,” Richard said. “Come with me, and I will never again give her to the Nightmares. And just to prove you can trust my word, I will let your friends go. Do we have a deal?”

  My hands were so clammy; I thought I was going to drop the daggers. Here was a chance to save my team and protect Kayla. And for my capture? That was it? Seemed too good to be true. But what choice did I have? If I tried to attack him, he’d call it off, and then not only would I leave my friends open to attack, but he would definitely ensure Kayla spent another night as Nightmare fodder.

  “Better make a choice soon, Daniel, or my offer will be off the table. You have ten seconds. Show yourself.”

  “Daniel, no,” Samantha said from behind me. I hadn’t heard her arrive.

  I looked at her. She knew I had to. “Find someone to hack that hard drive, Sam. You’re in charge now.”

  “Daniel, no!”

  I went corporeal.

  Richard smirked. “Knew you couldn’t resist, mate. Put your blades down.”

  As he asked, I set them on the ground in front of me, never taking my eyes off him.

  Richard snapped his fingers. “The seal is broken. Your friends may leave.”

  I turned to Samantha and whispered, “Run.”

  She shook her head.

  “Now.” I spoke the word more forcefully. With tears in her eyes, she obeyed. I waited until her blonde hair was out of sight then turned back to Richard. “I’ve surrendered. Now what?”

  The sinister look in his hazel eyes sent chills down my body. “Now I reunite you with my daughter.”

  Sharp pain stabbed my head, like lightning struck inside my brain. The room spun, and I gripped the sides of my skull with my hands, falling to my knees. A hard blow to the back of my head was the last thing I remembered.

  Ice-cold water poured over me, jerking me awake. I shook my head to get the water out of my eyes and shivered. This room was freaking cold. A boy not much older than Tabbi stepped away with a bucket in his hands. The wicked grin on his face sent another chill down my spine. He stepped into the hall.

  I leaned forward in my chair and tried to struggle out of the bonds around my wrists. Going invisible—or evaporating—would be pointless. The chair and binds would go with me. Not to mention, I was positive Richard put up spells to keep me here. He was way too intelligent to make a rookie move. He’d kept us from escaping his house in a matter of seconds, after all.

  Again, I tried to struggle out of the rope, but the binds were too tight. Whoever bound me knew what they were doing. I clenched and unclenched my hands, keeping the circulation flowing in my fingers.

  Glancing around the room, I tried to get a feel for where I was. To my surprise, I wasn’t in a dungeon-like cell as I’d expected. Instead, I was in some sort of large hospital-room-slash-science-lab. A window on the far side told me I was above ground. Metal tables stood sporadically throughout the area, and in a far corner was some sort of machine that reminded me of an electric chair. Cabinets lined the other side of the room from where I sat, and on them were chemistry-like sets, gizmos that I decided looked like prodding devices from an alien spaceship, and some sort of machine that reminded me of a lie detector.

  Why would a warlock need all of this?

  As if on cue, Richard strode into the room. Again, I fought against the ropes around my wrists when I saw who followed him. Giovanni. Baring my teeth, I swore at the both of them.

  “Now, now, Daniel. Don’t go injuring yourself,” Richard said.

  I avoided him and spoke directly to Giovanni. “Why’d you do it? Betraying us all—your own kind—the Protectors who swore allegiance to you. You’re going to Hell for this.”

  Giovanni’s stare was intense, fevered even. I’d never seen such hatred pouring out of him. “No. When I die, I will spend eternity in a black void, just like the rest of you. This world is Hell. Constantly slaving over pathetic humans who think they’re so much better than the rest of the world’s creatures. Never to be able to roam free, have a family, free will… never to be a member of society. I would’ve thought you’d understand, Daniel.”

  Oh, but I did understand. It’s what I still wanted—to be able to live a normal life. But starting a war, killing people? “There has to be another way.”

  Richard jumped in. “There is no other way. What do you think humans would do if they found out a warlock or a vampire lived next door? They’d shun us, hunt us down and treat us like a plague. No, we need to take a stand against them and take this world for our own.”

  “And what? You’ll destroy them all? How does that make you any better?”

  “Because they destroyed my kind first!” He yelled at the top of his lungs then cleared his throat and smoothed his shirt. “Did you ever hear the real story of Tamesis?”

  I rolled my eyes. What did that bloke have to do with this? “He was a warlock who used Nightmares to attack innocent people.”

  “Wrong. Those humans,” he spat the word like it was coated with venom, “were far from innocent. He destroyed the people responsible for raping his mother, repeatedly, and burning her at the stake for what she was—a witch who had only used her powers to save her infant son from death. Now tell me, what would you have done if the woman was your mother?”

  I pursed my lips and clenched my fists. Telling myself I would not have sought revenge would’ve been a lie. Still, there was no way I would ever compare myself to Tamesis. I wouldn
’t murder women and children in their sleep.

  “So what—you’re carrying out his revenge?” I asked. “You do know he died hundreds of years ago. The same people responsible for his mother’s death are long gone, mate.”

  Richard’s smirk sent a shiver down my spine. “Oh, but you’re wrong. Those people responsible for her death had children, and those children had children. The families of those bastards lived on. The Lancasters, the Fletchers… the Grahams.”

  Richard’s gaze cut through me like a knife. The hairs rose on my arm.

  “So, you’re going to make me pay for something my ancestors did, and for some warlock who’s been dead for god knows how long? You’re insane.”

  “No, my boy. I am far from insane. I’m Tamesis. And I’m going to make you pay for what your kind did to my mother.”

  After Giovanni had dealt a hard blow to the back of my head, I’d awoken to find myself strapped to a metal table, shirtless, and unable to break free of my bonds. Twice, Richard had cut into my chest, stomach, arms, legs… and twice he had healed me so he could start all over again.

  Now, his knife cut into my stomach for the third time. I fought against the metal cuffs around my wrists and ankles, unable to stop the screams from escaping my mouth. A trickle of blood ran down my side. My chest heaved up and down from the rapid breaths entering my lungs.

  “Ah, Daniel. This is so what I’ve been waiting for,” Richard said. “As soon as I knew it was you my daughter loved, I waited for my chance to carve you into pieces. Not only am I getting some revenge, but I’m learning just how you Protectors work. Wouldn’t it be amazing if I figured out a more permanent way to live forever?”

  I lifted my hand as high as I could and flipped him off. Giovanni, standing by my head, stabbed his knife into my hand, and I screamed.

  Richard leered at me then smiled at Giovanni. “I love when you fight for me.”

  “Anything for you, amore.”

  Even in the midst of my pain, I picked up on the emotion behind their words. No way. I laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You two? Wow.”