Dark Sight

by T. G. Ayer

  Adrenaline ran through her, flooding her veins, so intense that she had little idea of what she was doing. Now, confronted with the semi-conscious, moaning man she felt a little guilty.

  She’d broken his ribs, and probably his nose too. Where had this violent Allegra come from?

  She grimaced as her back twinged. All that violent movement to subdue her would-be killer had not done it any good. Her injuries reminded her that she still had a score to settle.

  And that she didn’t have time to wait until someone else came to kill her. Still trembling from shock and pain, she snuck out of her cell and inched her way down the dim stone-walled corridor.

  At the end of the passage, she took a left and scurried down the empty corridor. She was surrounded by stone.

  Had she been underground this whole time?

  The thought of going back to her cell spurred her to move onward, to look for a way out. She was so desperate to get away that she almost walked headlong into danger.

  She was about to take a left turn into the end of the corridor when she heard footsteps and voices.

  Slamming back against the wall, she held her breath as a group of men walked past. Peering round the corner, careful not to expose the white fabric of her pajamas, she recognized the high priest leading the group, a semiautomatic machine gun in his hand. Thankfully she’d come up on their corridor right after they’d passed it and were moving away from her.

  “He was just supposed to go and get the job done and come back. What in Hades is taking him so long?” He spat the words, so furious that even in the shadowed tunnel Allegra could make out the tense bulge of his eyes.

  One of his guards mumbled something to which he replied, “How hard is it to kill one small woman?”

  She remained silent, unmoving as the high priest hurried down the corridor. Backtracking quickly, Allegra turned right and ran as fast as she could. This time she didn’t hear the oncoming boot-steps or the voices. She ran headlong into a firm, well-defined chest, bounced off it and fell backward to the ground, clutching her gun to her.

  The man staggered, then straightened and began to walk toward her.

  Controlled by her terror, and refusing to get caught by one of the Hermes brothers, Allegra convulsively squeezed the trigger. She realized too late that the sound of the gunshot would call the high priest and more of his men toward her.

  Her heart pounded and her breath came in short, shocked gasps. She scrambled up, her back to the cold stone wall, aiming the gun at the face of the man approaching her. She was sure she’d shot him, having aimed at his heart.

  She’d always been a very good shot. But he looked fine to her. Was she hallucinating? Even if he wore a bullet-proof vest, a bullet to the chest should have stopped him, torn his outer garments at the very least.

  “Are you alright?” the stranger asked softly. “My apologies for giving you a fright.”

  Without moving the gun, she asked, “Who are you?” Odd that he hadn’t shot her, or grabbed her to take her back to the high priest.

  “My name is Inspector Pienius. We’re here to save you.”

  Allegra gasped. She’d shot the man who’d come to save her? What a total idiot she was.

  “But . . . I shot you.”

  He shook his head and smiled. “You must’ve missed. I’m still intact.” And his hand, stroking over the unmarred front of his jacket and shirt, confirmed his words. Allegra breathed a sigh of relief.

  Before she could question him further, a familiar face popped up beside him.

  Max.

  Chapter 39

  Allegra only had eyes for Max.

  Never before had she been so happy to see someone’s face. From the look in Max’s eyes, he was more than just professionally glad to see her too.

  Filled with joy and relief, she flung herself into his arms and looped her hands around his neck.

  When Max’s arms went around her in response, she lifted her head and kissed him. She hadn’t expected him to respond, but he did, and for a brief moment Allegra enjoyed the feel of his firm lips against hers, the heat between them rising rapidly.

  They ended the kiss when the sound of someone clearing their throat broke through. They drew apart reluctantly.

  “We have to get out of here.” The inspector looked on, his expression amused. His eye twinkled, almost benevolent.

  Odd.

  “Let’s get out of this rabbit warren,” Max said with a sheepish smile.

  Allegra shook her head sharply. “Before we leave, we have to find that madman.”

  “What madman?” asked Max, his expression now all business.

  “He’s some kind of high priest. He sacrificed a little boy earlier . . . in front of my eyes . . . I couldn’t do anything to stop him. And he just now . . . he-” Allegra hesitated, not sure how she could put into words what the high priest had done to her.

  Her back still ached abominably.

  Proof enough.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Max, looking at her with concern in his eyes.

  “He tortured me, Max. He wanted me to tell him what I saw, but for his own personal gain. And when I refused to cooperate, he . . .”

  “What did he do to you?” Max’s face had paled, and the tendons in his neck stood out.

  He grasped her arm, holding her gently, yet firmly. The movement sent pain stabbing into her wounds, where clotted blood tore away from her skin, releasing fresh bleeding.

  She flinched and patted his hand. “I’m fine now, Max. I’m okay. The most important thing now is to find and stop him.”

  Footsteps echoed along the passage and Allegra gave the inspector and Max a desperate glance. “We need to find the high priest. I’m sure he has killed other people too.”

  They hurried after the footsteps, following as close as possible, but they were soon lost in the maze of complicated passages, their presence cloaked by encroaching darkness.

  After about twenty minutes of searching, the inspector stopped, bringing them to a halt. “It makes no sense for us to keep going around and around. We aren’t going to find anything. Not with this darkness, and just a few flashlights. They have the upper hand because they know where they’re going. It would be best to head back. Get you to safety.”

  “I agree.” Max’s eyebrows scrunched. “Allegra does look like she’s ready to fall down. She needs to rest.”

  Pienius led the way through the tunnels, until stone turned into narrow passages lined on either side by long depressions filled with shapes that resembled bodies. Allegra’s eyes widened as she peered into one of the spaces and caught sight of a skull peeking through rotten bandages.

  Catacombs.

  She shuddered and stayed in the middle of the tunnel, reminding herself that the dead couldn’t hurt her. Still, she walked as fast as she could and kept close to Max and the inspector.

  She felt half in a daze, almost questioning her escape, almost wondering if it had all been a dream.

  Almost.

  Pienius led them to the surface, lifting a flat stone slab and guiding them up a set of jagged stone steps carved out of the side of the wall. It was dark outside, no moon to give them light.

  Allegra was glad. No moon meant it would be hard for her captors to see them escaping.

  Two figures emerged from the darkness causing Allegra to flinch. She’d opened her mouth to scream, but Max was quick, covering her lips with his hand.

  “These are Flavius and Corina, my field team,” Max whispered in her ear. The somber man and woman, both dressed in black, wore dark woolen hats that sat low on their brows. They carried torches that gave off a dull yellow light, which they aimed at the ground.

  The light shone on the bodies of two acolytes, their weapons lying at their sides. Allegra had wondered how her rescuers had entered the tunnels without alerting the high priest.

  Now she knew.

  Allegra nodded at the two. No time for pleasantries.

  They were hurrying away
from the tunnel entrance when something hit her hard at the back of her head. All Hades broke loose as two men attacked, one landing a punch to Flavius’s face, the other swiping a jagged blade at Max. The four men fought, the high priest’s acolytes hampered by the long skirts of their robes, and losing the fight faster than they ought to have, considering they were meant to be keeping the tunnels safe from intruders.

  Max grunted as he wrapped an arm around his attacker’s neck, squeezing hard. Eventually the man passed out from lack of air, sliding to the ground in a heap of fabric and limbs.

  Flavius’s attacker was worse off, having received his own blade to his ribs. The man lay staring at the black sky as life drained from his body.

  Allegra flinched as Max touched her back. “We need to go.” Allegra said nothing. Best not to reveal the extent of her injuries to him at this point. She nodded and followed

  They hurried across the grassy knoll, and headed beyond the tree line, giving them a view of the valley before them. Allegra shivered at the sight of the cemetery. To her right was a large temple, and she felt a rush of anger.

  “The Temple of Hermes,” she murmured. “The Order of Hermes.”

  “What’s that?” asked Max.

  Allegra looked at him, a shiver running through her. “It’s the name of the order that the high priest claimed he belonged to. He performed the ceremony in the name of Hermes. And now it makes sense.”

  Max reached for her, hooking his arm around her shoulders. Allegra could not help the cry that escaped her throat as his arm brushed against the raw flesh of her back.

  “What happened. What’s wrong?” asked Max, his expression frantic.

  She held a hand out, taking short sharp breaths to combat the sudden spike of agony. “It’s my back. It still bleeding. And it’s really sore.”

  “You need to go to the hospital. Now.” Max barked the instruction out.

  He was rather harsh with her, but she didn’t mind. She understood that he was emotional about it. He was slowly grasping the extent of her injuries, but she refused to remove her shirt.

  “No hospital. I’m fine. I just need a shower and a change of clothes and probably some bandages and disinfectant.”

  When Max hesitated, but Allegra said, “Please, Max. The last thing I need now is a hospital visit. They’ll ask all the wrong questions. They’d bring the cops in to question me. Too many things we can’t control. And what about a press leak? I’m in no frame of mind to deal with that. I need some time.”

  Max nodded, his jaw tight.

  The ride to the hotel was bumpy and painful, and Allegra sat forward the entire time, her arms hooked around the headrest of the seat in front of her.

  She spent some time giving the team a rundown of what had happened to her since she had been taken.

  “I’m worried about Xales. What they would have done to him.”

  The inspector glanced at her from the front passenger seat “I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about that. The method they used to capture him would not have lasted for too long.”

  “How do you know?” asked Allegra, suddenly suspicious of this Londinium cop who knew so much.

  He smiled. “I’ve had previous experience with familiars. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. Humans can banish them with certain rituals, but they cannot hurt them.”

  Somewhat relieved after the inspector’s assurances, Allegra detailed the sacrifice of the little boy.

  The reaction of the team was a shocked silence, then dark promises that the child would be avenged.

  Allegra was relieved they were all on the same page.

  Chapter 40

  When they pulled up outside the hotel, Allegra was insanely glad, and when they entered the hotel lobby all she could think about was a hot shower and a soft bed.

  Inspector Pienius cleared his throat as Allegra headed for the elevators. She stopped, chiding herself for being so rude. She’d almost forgotten to thank him. But he didn’t give her a chance.

  He smiled at the team. “I’d best be going, I’ll send word for reinforcements to deal with the underground catacombs. Send in a team to apprehend the perpetrators.”

  Allegra smiled her appreciation, only now, in the light from the gigantic crystal chandelier above, fully appraising the beauty of the man’s features. She’d hardly ever seen a man who was such a total pleasure to look at.

  And yet, despite his spectacular looks, more appropriate for a movie star than a policeman, in her eyes the inspector was not nearly as good to look at as Max was.

  As the inspector headed away, Max said, “I want someone up on rotation tonight. Best not to be too complacent in case something else happens.”

  “What’s going to happen? They have no idea where I am?” asked Allegra, her heart thundering painfully. She found herself scanning the room, staring at shadows behind the pot-plants, at the people checking in.

  Max patted her shoulder, pulling her out of her bout of paranoia. “Just a precaution.” Then he was gone to make a call, leaving the rest of them behind to watch the inspector’s departure.

  “That man is a wet-dream on legs,” Corina whispered, pulling her knitted hat off her head to reveal platinum hair that shone in the buttery light of the chandelier.

  Allegra giggled softly.

  Flavius snorted. “Thought you liked girls, Corina.” His blue eyes shone in amusement.

  She lifted a shoulder. “When a guy looks that good, he’d do me just fine.”

  Allegra’s shoulders shook with laughter as Max returned. She received a few curious glances, but didn’t reveal the reason for her amusement.

  Allegra enjoyed a hot, though very careful and strategic shower. She’d realized soon enough that she’d be unable to enjoy the shower as much as she’d been longing to. The touch of hot water to a small area of her wounds had sent Allegra into a fit of pain and panic and she’d forgone the blissfulness she’d intended and made do with a more careful bathing process.

  After she was done, Allegra asked Max to help her treat her wounds.

  He was oddly silent as he tended to her, disinfecting the long bloody lacerations, and then bandaging them.

  Allegra decided that it was best not to talk about it, sensing the seething anger and guilt that emanated off Max. From his expression, he was furious. Knowing Max, Allegra was certain that he blamed himself for not protecting her. He’d feel impotent now too, unable to do anything about the injuries inflicted upon her.

  His passion would make him even angrier, and if she had revealed to him how upset she was, or how deeply the torture had affected her, she was sure that he’d suffer more than was necessary.

  As she slipped beneath clean sheets, she thought about her prayer to Apollo. Had he been the one to help the others reach her, or was that just a coincidence?

  In case it was him who had helped, Allegra sent a prayer to him, one filled with gratitude. At the end of her thanks, she tacked on a request for help to prevent the epidemic.

  Perhaps she was asking too much too soon, but she had to take a chance. She needed all the help that she could get.

  The next morning, as Allegra walked out of the bathroom brushing her hair, the team was gathered for breakfast in their suite. Max wore a confused and almost angry expression.

  “What’s wrong?” Allegra’s stomach twinged, fear filling her. Had the high priest found them?

  Max looked up at her from the couch where he’d been using the phone, his forehead scrunched in confusion. “Inspector Pienius.”

  “What about him?” For a moment, she wondered if he’d caught her looking at the cop as he’d left the lobby.

  But Max’s expression was far too serious and she watched him, worried as she drew her hair into a low bun at the back of her head.

  “He doesn’t exist.”

  “What do you mean?” Allegra asked. “We all saw him, talked to him.” The words slipped out, but she’d already begun to suspect what he’d meant.

  Max grunte
d. “I just called the Londinium police headquarters to thank them for lending us the inspector. The department head for international co-operation thought I was a madman, and just a mention of the Order of Hermes and he cut me off. Said I must have been hallucinating. Perhaps a forbidden subject?”

  “But the inspector?” Corina asked, frowning. “He’s not the type anyone could possibly forget or overlook.”

  “Once I had convinced the Superintendent that I was legitimate, he happily advised me there was no such person as Inspector Pienius on their force. And that their department had not provided us with any form of assistance. Nor will they in the future.”

  Allegra smiled.

  Thank you, Apollo.

  Chapter 41

  Despite Allegra’s protestations, Max had insisted on bringing in a healer from the embassy. The woman had arrived just as Allegra, who’d curled up on the comfy sofa watching old movies on the television, was nodding off.

  It had been hard to fall asleep. Every sound, every voice, every creak crashed into her subconscious like a tidal wave, bringing with it memories of darkness and hoods, of kind blue eyes and red blood.

  Allegra had to force herself to smile as the healer glided into the room. She reached out to shake Allegra’s hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, my Lady.”

  Allegra hesitated at the formality of the greeting. As yet, nobody had spoken to her with that much respect, the team having enveloped her with friendship and trust, and she felt a little unsure. From behind the healer, Max was frowning at Allegra.

  Widening her smile, she took the woman’s hand and shook it warmly. Such formality might yet become the norm, and Allegra had to learn how to take it in her stride.

  “My name is Laelia Ang.”

  Laelia was a tiny little thing, long hair hanging down her back in a single dark braid. Her diminutive size and the hint of an almond shape to her eyes implied an Oriental ancestry, adding to the hodgepodge mix of genetics gathered in the room.