After scribbling the address down, he handed it to her. “Be careful.”
“I will. I love you.”
“I love you, too. More than anything.”
She swallowed past the pain in her throat when she realized that this was the last time she would ever see Kade Royce. Impulsively, she flung her arms around his neck and held him close, inhaling the scent of him. She could only describe his smell as masculine spice. So unique. So Kade.
Finally, she broke away, and Kade faced the children. “Okay, guys, ready to go home?”
The two children squealed and ran to him. He took one tiny hand in each of his and led them to the door with the big porch. “Fifteen minutes,” he reminded before picking up the kids and running off toward the beach.
“Goodbye, Kade,” she had time to whisper before a needle pierced her arm and darkness swallowed her.
Twenty minutes after leaving Fallon, Kade walked into the Alden Police Department and into complete chaos. He had already called ahead, so the parents were waiting along with a reporter and single cameraman. He knew it would not be long before more showed up. The story of the missing children had been nationwide news for over a month now.
Fallon hasn’t called yet. Why?
“Mommy! Daddy!”
Kade let go of the kids, and they ran into the waiting arms of their parents.
The Chief of Police immediately came up to him and gave him a terse nod. “Royce.”
“Chief.”
“Can we get a statement, Chief Mignore?” interrupted the young, local reporter, a woman with short blonde hair.
The Chief scowled. “Not yet. I’ll have something for you in a few minutes.”
Where are you, Fallon?
Kade started for the door.
“Royce! You’re not going anywhere, my friend. I have a lot of questions for you.”
Kade ran his hand through his hair. This was going to take more time than he was willing to give. He had to think of something fast.
“Where?”
“Interrogation Three. Now.”
Reluctantly, he followed his former boss into the small room.
“Start at the beginning,” Chief Mignore said, plopping down into one of the two chairs in the room. “Wait.” He got up again. “Gates! Stevie Gates! Bring two coffees in here.” Shutting the door, he sat back down.
Kade thought about his story on the way and decided it was best to make it as simple as possible. “I found the kids at my uncle’s lake house.”
“Your uncle? Marc Ellis?”
“Yeah.”
“And, why would two missing children be at your uncle’s lake house?”
“I don’t know.”
The Chief slammed his fist down. “Stop playing games with me, Royce! Tell me what happened and don’t force me to drag it out of you one morsel at a time!”
“I honestly don’t know! Your questions should be directed at my uncle, not me!”
The door opened and Deputy Gates set two cups on the table and, after seeing the looks on both of their faces, quickly left.
Chief Mignore rubbed his face. “Did you ask him?”
“He wasn’t at the house. I went there to talk to my uncle and when I went in, I found the kids. I don’t know how they got there or who left them.” He leaned forward across the table. “You know me, Chief. That is the truth of it. I swear.”
“There has to be more.”
“There is no more! I went to my uncle’s house, and I found the kids there. Trust me, I am going to find my uncle and get to the bottom of this.”
“You’re not a cop anymore, Royce,” the Chief pointed out.
“Look, if you’re going to arrest me on some trumped up charge, do it! I’ve been there before! If not, I’d like to leave.”
The Chief leaned back in his chair and entwined his fingers over his ample stomach. “So, you are just the hero in all of this? Is that what you want me to believe?”
“I am no hero. I stumbled across the kids and did what any other law-abiding citizen would do.”
The Chief lifted his eyebrow at the law-abiding reference.
“Are you going to arrest me?” he demanded again.
The Chief took a sip of his coffee and started at him over the top of the cup. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Kade threw his hands in the air and cursed.
“But,” the Chief interjected, “do I think you kidnapped these children? No. I don’t. But, I don’t think you have told me everything you know either.”
Kade stood and put both hands on the table. “Let me out of here, and I will get you your answers. I promise.”
The Chief was silent for several moments. “First, I want you to go out there and smile for the press and let Alden have their hero story. Then, you can go and get me my answers.”
“Great Tyras, but you are a very hard person to kill, Miss Angell.”
Fallon groaned and opened one eye. The figure sitting in a chair across from her was blurry, but she knew without a doubt that it was Marc Ellis. Clean shaven, square glasses, and the sweater vests he seemed to enjoy.
She tried to wipe her eyes, but the movement caused shooting pain to radiate up her arms. She realized then that her wrists were chained above her head. Sitting on a cold cement floor with her legs curled to the side, she tugged at her shackles, but the effort only brought more agony to her raw skin.
“Where am I?” she asked, groggily.
“Oh, not to worry about that, my dear. No one will interrupt us if that is what you’re concerned about. I can assure you of that.”
“Tell me, Kjin. How long have you been masquerading as Marc Ellis?”
The Kjin got up from the chair in front of her and walked over to a cheap, aluminum desk near the wall. She could now see that they were in a cavernous office space that looked like it belonged in an industrial warehouse.
“Too many years to count, young Knight.” Fallon heard laughter coming from beyond the only door to the room. “Must be another soldier has joined us,” Marc mused aloud.
Soldier? What was he talking about? “What do you want with me?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“To kill you, of course.”
Fallon swallowed and said. “So, why haven’t you done it already? You had plenty of time after you drugged me.”
“Tsk, tsk. In such a hurry to return to Emperica? Well, you must wait a little while longer. We are still waiting for another guest to make his appearance.”
A Ha’Basin.
Fallon struggled with her chains again, but she was weak from the drugs she had been given and they did not budge.
Marc crossed over to a television set mounted in the corner of the room. “Until then, let’s see just how bad the Alden Police are mangling this investigation. They wouldn’t be able to figure this out if I painted a picture for them.”
The voice of the news anchor boomed across the room. “Sarah, what more can you tell us about this developing story?” The screen cut to a shot of a young, blonde reporter standing in front of the Alden Police Department. “Thank you, Jane. At this hour, I can confirm that the children are unharmed and reunited with their parents. Earlier, we reported that former police officer, Kade Royce, was the person who actually rescued the children, and I have that hero with us now. Kade, can I ask you a few questions?”
The camera zoomed out and panned to the right.
Fallon’s breath caught when she saw Kade’s face on the screen. Good. He is safe.
“How does it feel to know you were the one responsible for saving the lives of two children?” she asked and shoved a black microphone under his mouth.
“I…I’m just glad they are home.”
“You are a hero, Kade Royce.”
“No, I’m not.”
She laughed. “Well, I think we have thousands of viewers, myself included, that would disagree with you on that one.”
“Look, I am grateful the kids are home, I really am. But, there is
something I have to take care of right now. If you will excuse me.”
The reporter looked confused. “A few more questions…”
Kade shook his head. “Sorry, I really have to go. But, here is Chief Mignore,” Kade said as he waved the camera over to the Chief of Police. “He would love to answer any other questions you have.”
Fallon noticed the Chief’s frown a fraction of a second before he plastered on a polite smile for the camera. “Is it true, Chief Mignore, that the children were found in the home of the President of Alden University, Marc Ellis?”
“What!” thundered Marc. “He gave them my name?”
“Yes, it is…”
The television went silent when Marc Ellis pulled it from the wall and it crashed to the concrete floor.
“Does he care nothing for you?” Marc screamed at her. “He would jeopardize your life?”
“Oh, that’s my fault. It actually slipped my mind to give him your message.”
The Kjin’s face turned dangerously red. “You think you’re funny? I should have killed you, him and the kids when I had the chance.”
“So, why didn’t you?” she shouted and then regretted it when her head exploded in pain.
“You had your Aventi. We never could have killed you or drugged you unless you allowed it. And, that could only happen if we threatened your precious Kade and the children.”
“You’re disgusting.”
He smiled. “Now, though I’m glad I didn’t kill Kade. Obviously, I can’t go around as Marc Ellis anymore thanks to him, so I’ll just take his body in recompense. Oh, yes, just think of what I can accomplish here in Alden as a hero.”
Fallon screamed out at him and got to her feet. “Leave him alone, you monster!”
“Did I touch a nerve, Knight? Do you love my little nephew? Will you love me just as much when I have his body?”
“I will kill you, Kjin!”
He gestured to her chains. “That is going to be a little hard to do, my dear.” He walked closer to her. “Let me finish my story. We needed to let Kade and the children go to drug you, true. But, the reason we haven’t killed you yet? It is because Tyras wants to send a message to your Creator with a little Ha’Basin. When you return, we want you to tell him that his precious earth is no longer the Eden he hoped for, and it hasn’t been for a very long time! We are organized now and we are winning, Knight! And, who is doing most of our work for us? The humans!”
“No.”
“Yes! We are converting more and more to our side every day. We can’t make them all Kjin, but we don’t have to. Humans are greedy and arrogant creatures. Believe me, with the right incentives, it hasn’t been very difficult to turn many of them to our cause.”
“No.”
“Deny it if you will, Knight. In the age old battle of good versus evil, the tide is finally turning in our favor.”
“I will not believe your lies, Kjin, because I am not weak in my faith. Humans are inherently good and selfless, and I have seen proof of that fact time and time again.”
Marc waved a hand in the air. “Deceive yourself all you want. When you return to Emperica, you will see the truth easily enough.”
Fallon lifted her hands with a shriek to pull on the chain above her again, but her strength was too diminished. She just did not have the power to free herself. Marc Ellis knew this and laughed at her when her futile efforts only caused her to cry out from the pain. Not the physical pain. The pain of knowing that she had failed. Darius entrusted her with saving the mortals in her care, and she failed after only three years.
What about Kade? Her brave Kade. She knew she would never see him again, but what if Marc Ellis held true to his word and took possession of his body? Thinking of Kade trapped in that nightmare for the rest of his life broke her.
She slumped back to the ground and, although she tried to hold back her tears, she could not do it. Worse, because of the chains, she couldn’t wipe them away. Not for one second did she want to give this evil demon the satisfaction of thinking she was defeated.
“A Knight of Emperica crying?” Marc Ellis taunted through her agonized thoughts.
“I don’t cry because of you, Kjin! I cry because I love. Because I feel. You won’t make me feel ashamed for doing so.”
“Weak,” he muttered.
She was angry now. “No! Not weak. The bonds of love are far stronger than the hatred you spew. I promise that you will be destroyed very soon, Kjin! If not by me, then by the next Knight who comes looking for you.”
The door banged open, and now Fallon had another target for her anger. Her blood boiled at the sight of the confidant that betrayed her and Emperica so absolutely.
She glared at Father Tomas as he stood in the entrance to the room and smiled at her.
CHAPTER 16
The Traitor
Marc Ellis turned and waved the priest in. “Come on in, Father, join the party.”
Father Tomas walked in hesitantly and then fell to the floor on his hands and knees with a grunt.
Fallon gasped.
Standing behind the priest with an evil smile spread across his face was Father Tomas’ altar boy, Anthony.
“Father, please go sit by your Knight,” Marc gestured. “Come, Anthony, we have much to discuss.”
Anthony gave Father Tomas a prodding kick and then followed Marc out of the room.
“Father! Are you all right?” Fallon cried.
The old man nodded and staggered to his feet. His lip was bleeding and he had a fresh gash on his right cheek. “Yes, I am fine.” He walked over to her on shaky legs and sat down beside her. Looking up at her shackles with a frown, she saw tears form in his eyes. “I wish I could free you, Fallon. Are you in much pain?”
The muscles in her arms and shoulders ached in a constant throb, but she merely shook her head at him. “I can manage. Tell me what is going on here? I thought you were working with Marc Ellis?”
He gave her a bewildering look. “Me? My goodness, child, you really thought that?”
Embarrassed, Fallon nodded. “I…I saw a newspaper article about your arrest for murdering a child fifteen years ago.” She shook her head. “You didn’t do it, did you? What a fool I was to believe that obvious plant from Anthony.”
“I did do it.”
She snapped her head toward him. “You did?”
“Yes. I did kill that child and it was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. But, she was not a human child, Fallon. She was a Kjin. As soon as I figured out what she was, I plotted to kill her. I should have summoned a Knight to do it, but I didn’t.
Unfortunately, I was caught in the act by my altar boy at the time and he turned me into the authorities. It was his word against mine, and in the end, Bishop Tierney helped me to beat the charge by discrediting the boy.”
“I…I’m sorry, Father. I should never have believed you could be capable of such a crime.” She paused. “But, wait. The Kjin said they were summoned by the head blackcoat. Blackcoat means clergyman.”
“If you had looked at the secondary definition, you would have read that it also means soldier. That is what the newly ordered Kjin are calling themselves. Soldiers. They have declared war against Emperica.”
“And, Anthony is working with them?”
“I am afraid so. Is he one of them yet?” he asked her.
Fallon shook her head. “No. He is still human.”
“Maybe there is hope for the boy yet,” the priest murmured. He was silent for a few moments, but his face grew more tortured. “There is no way out for either of us, Fallon. They will kill me outright and perform the Ha’Basin for you.”
“I suspected as much. We should make peace with our deaths here on earth, Father.” She gave him a resigned smile. “It is my solemn hope that we meet again in Emperica. Shall we pray?” The words came out calmly, but felt like broken glass in her mouth as she spoke them. Goodbye, Kade. I hope you can evade your uncle and find peace in this world. Until we meet again, m
y love.
Father Tomas interrupted her thoughts. “Fallon, unless you agree to help me, I won’t be going to Emperica.”
She glanced at him. “What do you mean?”
“I overheard one of the Kjin talking. The body he has is full of cancer, and he needs a new body right away. I may be old, but I fear he is going to take mine. If he does, my soul will be locked away while the Kjin uses me for evil purpose. I could not bear that, Fallon.”
Her heart skipped a beat when she understood what he intended for her to do. “How would you have me help you?”
“Kill me.”
“Father…”
“I am so tired, Fallon. I just want to go home. Please release me.”
She shook her head violently. “You know I can’t do that! Please don’t ask that of me.”
His eyes were reddened from his tears. “I have dedicated a lifetime in service to the Creator. I wish to be pure when I meet him for the first time. I cannot allow a Kjin to inhabit my body. Ever! Please, Fallon,” he begged, “do this for me. I know how difficult this request is for you, but I will not go to my Creator tainted by evil! I will not!”
“Father! I…I have no weapon to use.” Was she really considering this?
“You can use your legs.”
“I can’t,” she screamed at him in horror.
Panicked by her refusal, the priest glanced wildly around the large room. Spotting the broken television set on the ground, he scrambled to his feet and rushed to the broken glass. He pried a piece loose and came back to kneel in front of her.
She turned away from him. “I can’t wield that glass with my legs, Father.”
“I know, but I can,” he whispered. “Do you think the Creator will forgive me, Fallon?”
She turned back and her heart broke for him. “I do.”
“Pray with me?”
“Yes, of course.”
He put his hand on her leg, bowed his head, and prayed to the heavenly Creator for forgiveness for what he was about to do. When he was finished, goose bumps rose on her arms at the last desperate look he gave her. “I’m sorry to be leaving you alone, Fallon, but I can think of no other way.”
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