Freaky Deaky Tiki

by Amanda M. Lee

  24

  Twenty-Four

  Lilac’s presence had me questioning Booker’s sanity. That, in turn, made me feel guilty. Lilac had been appropriately vague, stumbling over explanations about her true nature since we’d met, admitting to being an empath but not expanding. Now it seemed she would no longer be able to evade my questions.

  “What’s going to happen when you get out there?” I asked as she double checked to make sure her shoes were tied before getting into Booker’s ancient van. It was the only vehicle large enough to hold everybody.

  “It’ll be fine,” Lilac replied shortly. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out.”

  I wanted to push her, press until she had no choice but to answer. Booker’s appearance forced me to abandon my pursuit of answers and focus on him.

  “We don’t know what to expect from inside the encampment,” he said, his eyes grave. “Mr. Grimlock is in charge of the operation, so we all need to listen to what he says and follow the same plan.” His eyes were heavy when they landed on Aisling. “Does everyone understand?”

  “Why are you staring at me when you ask that question?” Aisling asked, pouty.

  “Because I can tell you’re going to be trouble.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Cormack interjected, moving to his daughter’s side and handing her a gun. My mouth dropped open when she accepted the weapon, expertly checked the clip, and then slid it into her waistband. “We may only have one shot at this, so everybody pay attention. That goes double for you, Aisling.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” She shook her head and stared at the weapon he carried. It was a huge sword and I had no idea where it came from. “Why can’t I have one of those?”

  “That would force you to get too close to the action, which is not something I want to encourage. You’re to use that gun only as a last resort and stay behind us otherwise.”

  Aisling scowled. “What if I don’t want to stay behind you?”

  “Then you’ll stay here with Wesley.” Cormack’s tone was no-nonsense. “I’m not risking you, kid. Don’t think for a second you’ll be able to wheedle your way into trouble. I won’t allow it.

  “And, before you start whining about Griffin, I guarantee he won’t want it either,” he continued. “He may be a handsy cop who needs a reckoning, but he loves you and wants to keep you safe above all else. That’s one of the few things we agree on.”

  Aisling glowered. “We’re so going to have a talk about this later.”

  “We definitely are,” Cormack agreed. “Let’s head out. We don’t have much time and I don’t want to waste any more of it nitpicking. Let’s get going.”

  WE PARKED ALMOST HALF A mile from the camp, Booker selecting a spot under some trees so his van was partially covered. I realized that was only part of the benefit when he headed straight for the water access to his left upon exiting the vehicle. A crane of my neck told me he wasn’t alone as a familiar figure leaned out of the water.

  Aurora King was naked, her tail firmly displayed. She didn’t seem self-conscious as she talked to Booker, and a quick look at Cormack told me he wasn’t interested in staring at her body. Aisling, on the other hand, was infatuated with the tail she saw whipping about.

  “Cool!”

  “Aisling.” Cormack swiped at the back of her shirt to haul her back, and missed. Aisling edged forward until she was close to Aurora’s tail and then reached out to touch it. Aurora, like an angry cat, kept swishing it around, so Aisling didn’t have much luck.

  “They’re in there,” Aurora announced, her eyes flashing. “They look okay, but Galen might have the beginnings of a black eye. They’re tied to trees in the center of a circle, and both of them are sweating profusely. I think the worst we have to deal with is dehydration, and maybe a bruise or two.”

  “You saw Griffin, too?” Aisling asked as she determinedly poked her finger toward Aurora’s tail, frowning when it darted away at the last second.

  “I saw another man with Galen,” Aurora stressed. “I’m assuming that’s the man you’re looking for. Brown hair, dark eyes, very attractive.”

  “That’s Griffin,” Aisling agreed, crowing triumphantly when she finally touched Aurora’s tail and then pulling back quickly. “Weird. Does it hurt when you shift into your water form?”

  Aurora cast her a sidelong look. “I’m used to it. I have four friends in the water, by the way. What do you want us to do?”

  “That depends,” Booker answered, his expression thoughtful. “How many people does Barry have hanging around Galen and Griffin? Do you get the feeling he has something specific planned?”

  “As opposed to what?” Aisling asked, her annoyance on full display. “Do you think he’s trying to tame their wild spirits and adopt them as pets?”

  “He’s asking if it’s possible that being tied to the trees is psychological warfare,” Cormack explained. “If it is, it would be smarter to wait until the sun sets and go in under the cover of darkness.”

  “Oh.”

  That sounded smart. “Is that a possibility?”

  “I don’t know,” Aurora hedged, clearly uncomfortable. “I didn’t see Taurus. There are guards watching our friends. I don’t think it’s wise to leave them there. I don’t know what’s planned for them, but I doubt it’s good.”

  “That’s what I figured.” Booker rubbed the back of his neck as he crouched and lowered his voice. I had to move closer to hear when he whispered to Aurora. “Stay in the water unless you have no other choice. Be prepared to deliver a distraction if you have to. It will take us a few minutes to get there. Draw their attention if you can. We’ll handle the rest.”

  “You’d better.” Aurora’s expression darkened. “I’d hate to think what will happen if Taurus decides he’s king of the world and tries to claim Galen as a follower.”

  I had to agree with her there.

  Booker straightened and met Cormack’s gaze. “We should go. It’s time.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  CORMACK KEPT AISLING CLOSE during the walk. They didn’t speak much. No one wanted to draw unnecessary attention to our small group even though the odds of Taurus forgetting to post sentries seemed long. Whatever Cormack said to his daughter didn’t go over well because she occasionally sounded like an annoyed cat in response, but otherwise acquiesced. He was in charge and she knew better than to argue with him under these circumstances.

  “We’re here,” Booker announced, moving to stand close to me even as his gaze locked with Cormack’s. “Do you want to do the talking or should I?”

  “I think you should start. You know him. Indicate I’m a money man and willing to pay for Griffin’s return.”

  “And Galen,” I added hurriedly. “You’re not just going to leave him out here, are you?”

  Cormack’s expression softened. “I will not leave either of them. I promise you that. I’m sorry my attention is focused more on Griffin. He is my son-in-law and the father of my incoming grandchild. I won’t leave Galen behind.”

  That was at least some comfort. I wiped my sweaty hands against my shorts and then frowned, something occurring to me. “Why don’t I have a weapon?”

  “You are a weapon,” Booker replied, his tone no-nonsense. “You’ve already hurt them once. They’ll be leery of you because of what happened on the road. We might need some magical help again, so be prepared.”

  “Oh, well, no pressure or anything,” I drawled.

  “You’ll be fine,” Aisling supplied. “Don’t turn into a whiner. Apparently that’s my job because I can’t control my hormones.”

  “You’ll learn to live with it,” Cormack chided. “It’s a small price to pay for a baby. By the way, if you have a boy, you should name him after me.”

  “If you get Griffin out of this and we have a boy, you’ve got a deal.”

  He smiled at his only daughter and briefly gripped her hand. “It will be fine. We’re not leaving without Griffin. I promise.”

  “Then let�
�s do this.”

  INSTEAD OF SPYING FROM above, this time we approached from the front. Cormack and Booker took central positions inside the group, the men Cormack brought with him sticking close to him and Aisling. I was next to Booker, and Lilac was on the other side of me. Her expression was hard to describe, but she looked altogether ready for battle ... which was a frightening thought because I’d never really considered her a soldier.

  “I really am happy to have you here,” I whispered, hoping my voice wouldn’t carry. “But I’m confused. Why did Booker select you?”

  “Because he wants to win.” Lilac’s response was short and to the point. “This isn’t the time to discuss this. We’ll talk about it later.”

  “Right.”

  Once we crested the hill that led to the camp, the first thing I saw were the two trees Aurora mentioned. Galen’s big frame was tied to the closest, and I could make out limited movement on the second tree, to which I assumed Griffin was tied. I tried to focus on the cult members as we approached, but my eyes kept traveling to Galen ... and he didn’t look happy when he snapped his head in our direction and scowled.

  “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!”

  Aurora was right. He had a black eye. The distress washing over him was evident, and even though I wanted to soothe, I wisely kept my spot in the lineup. Booker said he would do the talking. I was mildly curious what his words would entail.

  “Hey, Barry,” he yelled out, causing me to jolt at his tone. “We need to talk, man.”

  “Should you call him by his old name when he prefers being referred to as Taurus?” I whispered, legitimately worried. “Shouldn’t we be playing to his delusion?”

  “You don’t know him,” Booker snapped. “I do. I’ve got this.”

  He was clearly agitated, so I didn’t press him, instead gripping my hands into fists and holding Galen’s conflicted gaze as we stepped to a spot in front of the trees.

  Taurus finally made himself visible as he strolled through the trees to our left. His ragged Bermuda shorts were ripped at several seams and he was shirtless. His long brown hair had a multitude of light streaks that I assumed were teased out by the sun, and he looked amused rather than worried.

  “Hello, Booker,” he intoned, holding out his hands as if in welcome. “I wondered if you would ever visit. If anyone was geared for living in the light with us, it’s you. You’re all about the love, right?” His lips curved.

  “I’m about more than one thing, Barry,” Booker replied evenly. “Right now, I’m here about my friends over there. I think it’s time you released them.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  “If you don’t, I don’t think you’ll like what happens.”

  “I’m not beholden to your earthly rules,” Taurus spat, his green eyes flashing. “I am above the laws of man.”

  “Barry, do you remember when we were in high school and you basically said you were above the laws of biology class and you refused to dissect a frog?” Booker challenged. “What happened then?”

  Taurus’s smile slipped. “I do not answer to my child name. That is not the name I go by.”

  “Well, I’m not calling you Taurus.” Booker was matter-of-fact. I recognized he was trying to taunt Taurus, cause him to make a mistake and perhaps move within striking distance, but the way he interacted with the man was intriguing. “You need to let them go.”

  “They crossed the boundary,” Taurus snapped. “They were not invited into Eden, and yet they stole in like thieves in the night.”

  “We parked on the road and walked,” Galen barked, my heart rolling at the way his voice cracked. He was clearly dehydrated, and I wanted to get him out of here as soon as possible. “We weren’t trying to cross your barriers. We were merely checking on the females in your group because we heard some reports. We have a warrant, which means we’re here legally. There’s no reason to get bent out of shape.”

  “You crossed our boundaries without invitation and you must be punished,” Taurus hissed. “You were not invited. You’re a usurper.”

  “Oh, geez. It’s like he’s picked up every ten-cent word from the dictionary to throw around to confuse people,” Galen complained. “You can’t get through to him, Booker. I’ve been trying for hours. He won’t listen.”

  “I’m starting to figure that out.” Booker folded his arms over his chest and shifted his stance. “I don’t see where you have many options here, Barry. If you don’t give us Galen and Griffin, things are going to get ugly.”

  “We outnumber you.”

  “Maybe, but we have more power in our arsenal and you know it,” Booker shot back. “Do you see who I brought with me?” He inclined his head toward Lilac. “You know what she’s capable of. You remember that rather infamous prom a few years after we left the school?”

  Lilac balked. “That was not my fault. I can’t believe you brought that up.”

  “Well, this might not be your fault either,” Booker said. “She’s here with us because she’s willing to fight for Galen. And this man here, the one who wore a suit to an island fight, he’s the other guy’s father-in-law. He’s a reaper, but not just any reaper. He’s one of the head reapers.”

  Taurus narrowed his eyes as his speculative gaze fell on Cormack. “Head reaper?”

  “Amongst other things,” Cormack replied, his voice cold and disinterested. “I’m willing to pay for the safe return of Griffin and Galen. I will make this offer only once. If you refuse to hand them over, I’ll be forced to do things my way.”

  “And what way is that?” Taurus spat.

  “I wouldn’t push him, Barry,” Booker warned. “He singlehandedly took out Genevieve Toth.”

  I wasn’t expecting Booker to take that tack, and a small exclamation of surprise escaped before I shuttered my emotions and held firm.

  “Genevieve Toth?” Taurus took a step forward and focused his full attention on Cormack. “But ... that’s impossible. Genevieve is forever.”

  “I believe she was still saying that exact same thing when I cut her head off,” Cormack noted. “She shouldn’t have gone after my family. When someone goes after my family — even a handsy son-in-law — I take it personally.”

  “You studied Genevieve for a long time, Barry,” Booker volunteered. “She was something of a hero to you because she lived so long and inspired loyalty over decades. I remember the things you said about her in history class junior year. You were convinced she was a god.”

  “A goddess,” Taurus corrected, his expression thoughtful. “How do I know she’s really dead?”

  “Because her whole network fell in the months following,” Cormack replied. “You must have heard about that. They’re all gone now. There’s nothing left.”

  “What about Fontaine?”

  Aisling jolted out of the corner of my eye, making me realize she recognized the name. I was lost and confused in the conversation, but apparently some of the players were coming up Grimlock ... and I had no idea what to make of that.

  “I killed Duke Fontaine,” Aisling volunteered, her voice cool and strong. “It was a year and a half ago. I burned him alive in a tomb.”

  Taurus was taken aback. “You burned him alive?”

  “Yeah. I’m not sorry about it either.” Aisling’s lavender eyes darkened. “If you think I’ll be sorry about any of this, you’ve got another think coming. In fact ... .” She broke from her spot in the lineup and strode closer to Taurus.

  “Stop her,” Griffin growled, fruitlessly fighting against his bonds. “Cormack, don’t let him touch her.”

  Cormack was already moving before Griffin gave the order. It was too late, though. Aisling had a plan and she clearly wasn’t going to deviate. She drew the gun her father supplied her with before leaving Wesley’s ranch from the back of her pants, raised the barrel until it was pointed at Taurus’s forehead, and uttered her warning in a cool voice that promised hellfire and brimstone if she didn’t get her way.

  “I’ll d
o worse to you if you don’t give me my husband right now,” she threatened. “Let him go. If you don’t, I’ll blow your head off and make sure your soul gets a one-way ticket to hell once I collect it. You have no choice in the matter. Give me Griffin or I’ll give you death. What will it be?”

  25

  Twenty-Five

  “Son of a ... !”

  Griffin struggled so hard against his restraints I worried he would dislocate his shoulder. Booker managed to keep his face implacable, but I could feel the despair rolling off him in waves.

  I was moved to action before I even realized what I was doing. I took a bold step forward, calling on the magic zipping through my body and screaming for release before I could give thought to what I was doing.

  The fireball I conjured smacked into Taurus’s face with little warning, hissing as he screeched and frantically swiped at his face to extinguish the blaze. At the same moment, the women in the water popped their heads above the surface. Instead of unleashing a tempest of magic, they began singing, causing me to furrow my brow as several of the men in Taurus’s group immediately turned in their direction, abandoning the fight to stumble toward the water.

  “What the ... ?” I didn’t get a chance to finish my statement. Booker was already moving, his limbs pumping fast as he raced in Galen’s direction.

  Aisling kept the gun pointed at Taurus as Booker worked. Taurus was no longer focused on her — or even what was happening with his disciples. Instead, he was smacking at his face to extinguish the fireball, which was persistent and refused to flame out.

  It was utter chaos, and before I could release another fireball, Galen was free. Booker immediately went to Griffin, who was still straining against the ropes so he could get to Aisling. Perhaps reading his mind, Cormack strode forward and grabbed his daughter around the waist.

  “That was incredibly stupid,” he hissed in her ear.