Unknown Protector

by Maggie Mundy

  For a split second Nicole saw Ridge’s memory. He was cradling a young woman in his arms. Her face was pale and there was blood everywhere. Her dress was soaked through and the parts of her skin Nicole could see were shredded, as if her body had split open.

  I’m so sorry, Ridge.

  She had seen Ben in the mortuary after he had been shot, but he didn’t appear damaged. She almost thought at the time if she had given him a big enough shake he would have opened his eyes. That was until the policeman tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she could make a positive ID.

  I’m sorry you had to see that, Nicole. I won’t let it happen again.

  She knew it was not a promise he could make, but she was glad he had said it.

  “Liliath, has become aware of your presence here, she would like to see you,” Sayell said.

  All the crystals in the room vibrated and Nicole sensed the floor beneath Ridge shaking. It was as if they were having an earthquake in Pergor. Figures were shimmering into existence in front of Ridge and the others. Two men with wings outstretched arrived first. Ridge growled under his breath and she was sure one of them was the angel who had stabbed him with the crystal. Behind them another form took shape.

  Liliath. Nicole expected another angel like manifestation but she had forgotten what Ridge had told her. They were aliens and she was Elevated. Liliath looked as stunning as she appeared malevolent. Hate was pouring out of her in waves. Her body resembled a voluptuous human female but that was pretty much where the similarities ended. Her skin was grey, but not a dull color, it glowed and glittered due to the crystal walls surrounding her.

  Her face was not classically beautiful, but mesmerizing as if you couldn’t glance away. The eyes appeared to be snakelike, dark and soulless. She wondered if souls existed if there was no heaven. No eyelashes surrounded her eyes in the same way there was no hair on her head or the rest of her body as far as Nicole could tell. The gown she wore was black and see-through like a fine French net curtain. Nicole was sure Liliath was naked, but whether she was like a human female sexually was hard to distinguish as her body kept wavering in and out of existence.

  Nicole didn’t know this alien, but she obviously knew about her. It was about time the advantage was evened up as long as no harm came to Ridge and the others in the process. Liliath moved across the chamber towards Ridge.

  Liliath’s face almost touched his, and Nicole would have blown this alien female up if she could.

  “So you’re the one who has been making a nuisance of himself. I must admit I was expecting a more significant specimen, or maybe you have hidden assets?”

  Nicole couldn’t see, but knew Liliath had grabbed his groin. The voice didn’t match her appearance either and was deep and almost masculine. Maybe they were not as simple as male or female.

  “You are doing well to resist me, but you know I could make you perform like a circus dog if I wished. I had a bonded male once before. I found his resistance stimulating. I made his mate watch. They both died. It was boring. Have you impregnated her yet? Sayell says the stench of you is upon her, but I know how you Angelic Midworlders are sticklers for formality. Plus he has a habit of over exaggerating. It is their failing that Demonics Midworlders like to big note themselves,” she glanced back towards Sayell and laughed.

  “I haven’t had sex with the human female.”

  The words were ripped from him one at a time and Nicole could sense how hard he fought.

  “I know, I just wanted to hear you say it. She’s not to be yours, Ridge, she never was. Both you and Mira have been foolish to interrupt my plans. It has been irritating enough having to deal with these humans without having to cope with members of my own race creating problems. This has been too long in its planning to allow you to interfere.”

  “The Angelic Elevated won’t allow this.” The words left Ridge’s throat, and each syllable left a scar as he fought to speak.

  Liliath laughed, or at least Nicole assumed that was what the snicker meant. She hoped she was coughing up her intestines but she didn’t know if she had any.

  “They sit like all the Elevated with their minds turned out to the universe. They see worlds beyond imagining and are never content. They keep searching but there are others like me. Earth will be ours and I will not let you stand in the way. Kill them, Sayell, but wait until I have left. It would be inopportune for the other Elevated to pick up on their demise from me.”

  The dislike Nicole felt for this alien at the moment should be enough to make her melt like the wicked witch of the west. Liliath turned around and peered at Ridge. For a split second Nicole wondered if she could sense her. Waves crashing on the shore, waves crashing on the shore. Nicole kept repeating in her mind. Liliath turned and sauntered away and shimmered before she disappeared.

  Someone was laughing. Sayell had laughed after Mira had been cleared or moved on. Nicole had nothing left to lose. Peter was wonderful, but she was certain if Ridge died, then whatever Liliath had planned was going to come to fruition. She couldn’t let that happen. She was sure Ridge and the others wouldn’t be able to defend themselves and if she didn’t do something she would die along with them.

  Sayell and his cronies were there in front of Ridge. She could feel Ridge’s arms bulge as they held him.

  Trust me, Ridge. I’ll find a way to help.

  Nicole, separate from me, save yourself.

  Damn it. She didn’t love this idiot but he was definitely getting underneath her skin saying things like that. She never thought in the short time she had known him she would consider him a chivalrous man, but he was. She wouldn’t allow herself to love him, but she would keep him alive if she could.

  Squeezing her eyes even tighter she concentrated on imagining the safe white bubble around herself. A faint shimmer appeared before Ridge.

  Help me protect the others, Ridge.

  He was joining with her to make the power stretch out so it surrounded Carrick and Sara as well. He was just in time as Sayell lifted his hand up so his palm faced them. A beam of red light was aimed straight at Ridge’s chest. Instead of hitting its target it was reflected back around the room. Even the other two Demonic Midworlders holding Carrick and Sara were on the floor writhing in agony caused by one of their own.

  Never mind getting more answers, Ridge. Just get the hell back here.

  For once he actually listened to her and accepted the best option was retreat. Nicole stayed in his mind until she was sure they were on their way back. Opening her eyes she was back on the floor with Kaylie at her side.

  “They’re fine.”

  Nicole hadn’t realized how tightly Kaylie had been holding her hand until her fingers tingled as the blood flow returned. Peter helped her up from the floor as the door to the apartment opened. Nicole’s heart jumped as Ridge strode back in. If she considered he would be mad at her for what she had done she was wrong. He came across the room and took her into his arms and kissed her. His lips pressing hard as his tongue searched her mouth like he never wanted to leave. Having his body next to her had never felt so good. She was shaking as he held her and she wasn’t sure if it was due to the strain of the connection or the fact of having him close again.

  “Get a room you two,” Sara said as she accepted a hug from Kaylie. “Now you see why I haven’t done the whole bonding thing, Kaylie. People lose control and are like dogs in heat displaying in front of everyone.”

  The kiss ended, but Ridge stayed near with his arm around her waist. That suited her fine because she wasn’t going to let him go either.

  “So are any of you hurt?” Kaylie asked

  Ridge smiled at her. “Bruised and tender, but nothin’ more. I don’t know how you did that but I’d say it saved us. I never thought I’d live to see this day when Midworlders would try to kill each other in Pergor,” Ridge said.
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br />   “It’s odd because I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn’t have the power. I knew you would be able to work it out though. I know you’re not human and have wings, but I had no idea you all carry so much energy inside of you,” Nicole said.

  “That’s where it stays apart from when we fight. Otherwise a few Midworlders would’ve ruled the world by now,” Ridge answered.

  “All I know is however this turns out I can’t have you disappear like that. I felt as if a part of me was missing. If this all falls apart we do things together, right? But for now you can tell the others what happened.”

  Nicole sat next to him as he talked. She had been in his mind and in his body, and was still amazed at what she had connected herself to. She finally understood the power the Midworlders had and believed they had a chance to beat them together.

  Chapter 19

  Holy Sacrifice

  Gabriel had made sure Jane slept before he descended to the cellar. Sayell hadn’t returned and they seemed to be no closer to getting Nicole to take Jane’s demon. He could hear the voices in his head again. There were too many of them hammering with all their foolish thoughts. There was always one thing that would help and Isaac and Neil had provided him with a wonderful victim tonight. He wondered how he hadn’t thought of it before. There was righteousness about this action. It would free him from blame for the other deaths because of what had been done to him.

  The cellar was dark and smelt damp. Thousands of dollars of wine covered its walls. There was a light on at the end of the room where someone sat whimpering in a chair. As he got closer he could make her features out. No wimple these days, just a small cross on the lapel of her jacket to indicate her station in life. He could almost smell her fear as he bent down and sniffed. She smelt clean. Some of the tramps they brought him from the streets needed a good bath before he killed them. He went over to his workbench and picked up a knife. The crying increased. It was irksome. If she kept it up he wouldn’t be able to take things slowly.

  Goosebumps rose along the arm of the nun as he pressed the point of the blade into the skin at her wrist. The pious leaders of the church had never believed him. It was their fault he needed to kill. He would prove to them he was not insane when he had a God standing beside him.

  When they took his collar away they had taken who he was, but everything has a reason. He had been so desperate on the night of his excommunication he had tried to commit suicide, but God moves in mysterious ways. As the knife had cut into his wrist back then, his blood had flowed and he heard them. At first he had thought it delirium. He had been dying and the voices of his ancestors were calling to him. That was until his mind focused on the words.

  “You fucking bastard. I pay for this place and work two jobs and come home to find you screwing the janitor.”

  He had been in the mind of a man as he killed his wife that night. The man sat crying after the deed was done, but Gabriel smiled. He had found his true calling.

  He could hear the voice of another telepathic that was dying. A man who said he could see angels and demons. Gabriel had grabbed the towel from beside the sink and pressed down on his wrist. The ambulance came and the hospital sewed him up. Months later, after therapy, he was cured. At least his notes said he was. Those months had not brought a cure but clarity. They taught him he had a reason to live.

  He could hear the voices and not all were human. He could hear the angels amongst them. There had to be demons as well. Why couldn’t he hear them too?

  He needed to get back to the business at hand. The gag over the nun’s mouth stopped her words, but he could still hear her thoughts. She prayed like the good little nun she was.

  He needed his mind to be clear and her praying annoyed him as if a bee was buzzing around his head. Below the ground he could shut out all the voices of the world, but he could not shut out the nun’s fear or the smell of her sweat. She was becoming distasteful.

  He prayed to God as he picked up the knife. He prayed that one day they would be able to talk to each other face to face. This was the beginning of the journey. The knife cut through the skin smoothly and the blood flowed into the plastic bags around her wrists.

  Her screams were loud in his head. He needed to speed things up or the sound of her dying would make this too difficult. She was getting pale. He wrenched her head back and slit her throat from ear to ear. Again he had a bag strapped to her chest to collect the blood. He had to be careful. In the past he had used too much force and almost decapitated his victims. Not that it would matter for this body. It would be thrown in the bay by the time the night was over. He had buried some remains on the property in lime filled holes in the past, but the police needed to find this body to get Nicole away from her protector. If she was in police custody Sayell might be able to get her. Jane would not last much longer and he had to do something. He couldn’t wait for Sayell to come back or it might be too late.

  He took her blood in syringes to his study and emptied the contents into a glass. He hated the taste and would not keep it down for long, but maybe he could get into Nicole’s head again. He doubted Sayell had told him everything. He needed her knowledge.

  Later after he had purged himself he returned to the cellar. They had stripped him of his rights as a priest but he could give the nun her last rites.

  “You should know you died for a divine reason so we might all see God. Your blood will show the truth his angels are here amongst us. This is a worthy death.” As her blank eyes stared up at him he smiled and closed them. She was gone, and there was silence, blissful silence.

  Chapter 20

  Visiting Enemies

  They all talked until the small hours of the morning, and Nicole couldn’t remember falling asleep. Her last memory was of Ridge with his arms around her. She awoke in bed alone. It was right that he had left her there. They needed to keep clear heads, and the fact the two of them wanted to jump each other all the time wasn’t going to help.

  Ridge put a brave face on when he came back from Pergor, but he couldn’t lie to her. She was running out of time and there was nothing he could do about it. He contacted a few Angelic Midworlders in other jurisdictions and they had all been able to access Pergor without incident. When they questioned the powers up there about what happened with Ridge, they came up blank. He didn’t have any way of finding out what was happening back on Homeworld. In the meantime she needed to practice her skills as Sayell was sure to come back again.

  Frieda was cooking when she left her room and Nicole’s mouth watered at the aromas. She would have to ask Ridge how this little German lady had come into their lives.

  Frieda placed some French toast down in front of her.

  “You like?”

  Nicole nodded. The flavors on her tongue were creating sensations she didn’t have a name for as she bit into the food she was given.

  “You are good woman. I might give you my secrets one day.”

  “You have a rare gift and I could never do them justice.”

  Peter was already tucking into his plateful, which was good as he was too skinny. Frieda and the others would take care of him when she was gone. He would be safe here with them and she hoped he found someone someday. He deserved to have a bit of love in his life. Ridge walked in and came over and stood behind her with his arms about her waist.

  “I sense you’re thinkin’ about leavin’ again. Can’t allow that. You have to stay here where we can protect you.”

  “It’s okay; I’m not planning on going anywhere. It’s just the permanent leaving flitting through my head. I don’t want it to, but it sneaks in. Anyway, how would I survive without Frieda’s cooking if I left?”

  “Watch her, she’ll fatten you up. She’s like the witch in ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ and she’ll have us in the pot one day.” Ridge strolled around and gave Frieda a kiss, as she hit him
on the arm with her baking spoon.

  Jake rushed in and grabbed the TV remote and turned it on.

  “Thought you might want to hear this.”

  The reporter had a picture of the bay behind him with Alcatraz in the distance. A body was on the dock covered in a tarpaulin.

  “The body of a nun was recovered from the bay this morning. Police are trying to discover if anyone saw anything suspicious during the night. There is some speculation she was killed in the same manner as Mrs. Jones, whose body was found mutilated in her home recently.”

  Nicole gripped the counter. She didn’t know any nuns, so why would this woman have been killed because of her. The phone rang and she guessed it would be the police. She had nothing to tell them they would believe.