Whisper Cape

by Susan Griscom

  Panic-stricken, he bolted out of bed and pulled his pants on, foregoing the boxers bunched in a pile on the floor next to his shoes. He teleported downstairs—first to the kitchen—she wasn’t there—then to the living room, but she wasn’t there either. Light from the full moon hovered over the horizon and filtered in through the living room window. The front door was wide open and he shouted for Addison as he ran through it in search of her.

  He spotted her across the plush grass by the edge of the cliff. Relieved first, he quickly became concerned at the sight of her; completely naked, Addison was talking to someone—no, arguing with someone—but Cael didn’t see anyone.

  “Addison?”

  Panic returned when she didn’t respond. “What the fuck ...?”

  He walked toward her and as he got close, he heard a low growl come from the left of him, stopping Cael in his tracks. He turned his head to see large fangs protruding from the slavering mouth of a gigantic black beast. It appeared to be a dog or a wolf and it stood hunched, hackles at attention, ready to pounce. He reached for his gun. “Fuck.” His gun was in the house. He could teleport to get it, but that would leave Addison out here alone with this ... this thing. He glanced back at Addison. She didn’t seem to hear the growl as she was still conversing with someone invisible. Is she talking to her dad or did she walk out here in her sleep?

  “Addison!”

  The dog crouched closer to her.

  “Addison!” She still didn’t respond. “Sweet Jesus.” Raking his hands through his hair, he tried to think. Addison fell to her knees clutching her stomach and he realized she wasn’t sleeping.

  He had to act quickly. If the beast reached her before he could get there to teleport them, he risked taking it back inside with them. But what else could he do when his gun was inside?

  “Oh, fuck, what the hell.”

  He flashed to her just as the dog latched on to his pants leg. He wrapped his arms around Addison and all three materialized inside. As he scrambled for his gun, the beast sank its fangs into his calf. Cael yelled at the searing pain that erupted in his leg and fell to the floor.

  “Cael!” Addison yelled, finally freed from the spell.

  Sparks flashed from her hands, hitting the animal as its fangs clamped down a second time over Cael’s thigh. It continued gnashing and growling. She sent out another bolt of fiery streaks as the creature turned toward her, snarling and snapping through the foam that dripped from its jowls. She covered her mouth and nose to diminish the stench of its breath with one hand and sent out spark after spark with the other as the creature advanced. Finally, the beast yelped and fell to the floor, whimpering, transformed to nothing more than a poor wounded dog that slinked out the door.

  Addison rushed over to Cael. “Oh God, it bit you.”

  “Twice. Who the hell were you talking to?”

  “I don’t know ... something was inside my head.” Her voice trembled as she placed her hands over Cael’s wounds. He was losing a lot of blood.

  Cael caught a glimpse of the front door swaying back and forth in the cool ocean breeze. “Hurry, close the door before it comes back.”

  Addison stumbled to the door, slammed it shut and then turned the dead bolt. She grabbed up Cael’s shirt from the sofa and shrugged it on before kneeling by his side. Pressing her hands on his wounds, her eyes glassed over as she entered into some sort of trance again and chanted. “Vis curatio vox secundum arts, Vis curatio vox secundum arts, Vis curatio vox secundum arts.”

  Cael's leg itched as the skin around the wounds began to close. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, listening to her chant.

  After a few minutes, he groaned and slowly opened his eyes. She got up, went directly to the liquor cabinet, and took out a bottle of Jameson’s whiskey. She came back over, sat behind him, and placed his head in her lap.

  “Addison, I don’t think I need that, the bites weren’t very deep.” She poured a small amount in a glass, ignoring his protest, and he realized it wasn’t for him but for her as she downed the contents in one quick motion.

  She had one arm wrapped around him as she stroked his hair with her free hand. He started to move.

  “Shhh, lay still.”

  “Hmmm ... okay ... I could stay in your arms like this forever.”

  “Yeah, you’re becoming an expert at recovering from injuries because of me.”

  God, he hated that she felt she was the cause of all this. “No, baby, not because of you. Eidolon wants the crystal and the book so he can change the world. He needs our powers to do it. He wants to expose our secrets and he believes by doing so, he can change the way people think, but in the end, he’ll only succeed in destroying himself and us. He wants to kill me just as much as he wants to kill you. But he also knows without us, he'll never find the journal or the crystal.”

  “But he knows you’re here to protect me, and thinks I possess the book and crystal. He doesn’t need you alive.”

  “Yes, he does. He knows I’m protecting them as much as I am you. He won’t take the chance of destroying me before he has them.”

  He reached up and touched her cheek. “You were chanting again. I heard you this time. The words you spoke were Latin. Translated in English, they mean ‘force healing powers, according to the art.’”

  “You speak Latin?” she whispered.

  “Yes, aliquantulus—a little—I told you I know a lot of things.” He was surprised he could actually remember anything right at that moment—especially Latin.

  “Yes, you did.” she whispered, but he could hear the tremble in her voice.

  “Actually, I understand it better than I speak it.”

  Cael began to sit up as Addison grabbed the bottle of whiskey and poured a generous two fingers into the glass.

  “Are you trying to get drunk?”

  “Sounds like an excellent idea. What the hell was that thing?” she asked before drinking a good portion of the whiskey then handing it to him.

  “Come on, let’s move to the sofa. I’m guessing it was Eidolon and he’s learned a few tricks over the past year. Getting in your head that way ... are you okay? Do you remember any of it?” He held on to her as he hobbled and they fell into the big cushy couch together.

  “I remember being thirsty. I’d gotten up to get a glass of water and when I went down to the kitchen, I don’t know ... a voice. It called me, luring me outside. I couldn’t stop myself. I wonder if my father fell into the same trap—

  “Never mind. It's no use thinking about that anymore.”

  Addison filled the glass once again, then raised it to her lips and drained it. He took the glass from her and set it down. He didn’t think she should have any more or she would never be able to tell him what happened. He knew it would be hard for her—all sorts of things were running through his mind. He didn’t want her to suffer through it again, but if she didn’t get it out, she’d have nightmares about it. Cael placed his hand over hers and squeezed.

  He shifted his weight and she pressed her hand hard on his chest. “No, please don’t leave me.”

  “I won’t leave, I promise. I was just moving so you can rest your head on me.”

  “I can’t lean on you if I’m going to tell you what happened. It’s too hard to think.”

  She took a deep breath, exhaled. The smell of whiskey lingered in the air. “He held me captive; I couldn’t move. He was inside my head, saying all sorts of horrible things. I kept trying to break free—I tried to make it stop.”

  “What sort of horrible things?”

  “He described ... no, that’s wrong. Actually, he showed me how he killed my father. How he tortured him with fire, burning him from the inside out, how he clawed his skin, slowly, making every incision deep and agonizing, twisting his razor sharp talons so people would never know what butchered Daddy.” She squeezed her eyes tight for a couple of seconds as though trying to block tears from flowing as her voice quivered.

  “It was the most terrifying thing I�
��ve ever seen. He said if I didn’t give him the crystal and the book, he would kill everyone I know and love, one by one. He told me he would kill you the way he killed my father, but before he killed you, he would—oh God ...”

  “It’s okay if you want to stop.”

  “No ... I need to tell you.”

  “Okay.”

  She took a deep breath. “He said ... he could turn himself into anything, and he would take me in front of you—so you could watch—as he ... feasted on me. Cael, he showed me ... I could feel him ripping and tearing at my insides.”

  “Mother of Christ,” he murmured, and poured himself a generous portion of whiskey, downing it in a single gulp.

  He set the glass down and glanced at Addison, her face white as a sheet. “Ah, come on, put your head down.” He pushed her head to her knees and massaged the nape of her neck.

  “I’m so sorry. I swear he’ll never get the chance to do those things. I’ll kill that sick bastard before I let him lay a hand on you. I promise.” Sickened from hearing what she’d seen, he held her close, wanting to keep her there by his side, protected, forever.

  “Oh, God.” Addison covered her mouth, jumped up and ran to the bathroom.

  After vomiting, she rejoined Cael on the sofa. “Cael, I hadn’t realized until now just what we’re up against; you were right. Before, I was taking this too lightly. My sparks barely scratched him.”

  “You did more damage to my shoulder than you did to that dog. What happened?”

  “I don’t know, I was scared. Maybe I wasn’t concentrating enough. If he can take on any form, how are we supposed to know what he could be? What if he’s someone we know? Can he do that? Can he just take over someone’s body? I wish we had a way to know what he looks like.”

  “I saw a picture of him years ago when he was a much younger man, but who knows what he looks like now.”

  “He controlled my mind. How do we fight that? How does he just develop new powers?”

  “I don’t know, baby ... I don’t know. I should have foreseen this happening. I’m supposed to know these things, damn it. We’ll find a way.” He prayed to God they would.

  Chapter 30

  The light shining through the window was bright and Addie stole a peek at the clock through squinted eyes before pulling the covers over her head. It was nearly ten-thirty; she needed to get up. After Gerry sent her home from work yesterday, she didn’t want to be late today.

  She glanced over at Cael, still sleeping and gorgeous. He had teleported them back up to bed after he healed from the early morning encounter with Eidolon.

  Propping her head up on her elbow, she watched him sleep. She would have preferred to stay there in bed with him the rest of the day. He was without a doubt the most beautiful human being she’d ever laid eyes on. She studied him as he lay there on his back, admiring the few strands of hair in the middle of his chest and the tiny diamond-shaped birthmark on his right side just above his hip. The lean muscles of his chest moved up and down in a steady rhythm. She carefully slid the sheet down to peek at the small patch of hair below his belly button.

  Why was love so impossible? How could fate be so cruel to send her a man to love, only to have his life threatened because of her? If she weren’t around, he’d be safe. Her family would be safe. Eidolon would follow her and leave Cael and her family alone. She needed a plan.

  She showered and dressed for work and considered her options. Tonight after my shift, after we come home and go to bed, I’ll sneak out and draw Eidolon away from here, away from Cael. Eidolon would follow her, she had no doubt, but this time, she would be ready for him.

  ***

  Cael left Addison at the bar and went directly to the police station. He wasn’t planning to be away from her too long and knew she’d be safe as long as she stayed there, which she had promised to do.

  Chief Thompson sat, his gaze hovering over pictures spread on his desktop. The blinds on the windows were wide open and the sunlight played against the computer screen at the corner of the desk, giving it a wet black appearance. He looked up from the pictures and gestured for Cael to come in.

  “I was just about to call you. Want to take a look?” The chief motioned to the pictures. “I’m beginning to agree with you about the similarities. All three women have the same features—long brown hair, brown eyes—but, unfortunately, I have nothing else to go on. There’s nothing else to suggest any of these women were murdered by the same person, or even that they were murdered. One woman was mauled to death by a wild animal, the other was found washed up on the shore after falling from the cliff, and now, this one appears to have been a drug overdose.”

  “Has the autopsy come in yet on the third woman?”

  “I was just about to head over there. You’re welcome to tag along if you think you can handle it.”

  “I can handle it.”

  In the morgue, what Cael considered the antithesis of medical examiners greeted them. In fact, the only resemblance the man bore to a typical M.E. was the lab coat he wore, open in front. Cael blinked at the vibrant deep dark purple shirt accessorized with a very effervescent pink tie embroidered with row after row of black and white kittens. Cael glimpsed at the gold band on the finger of his left hand and concluded that his wife bought that particular ensemble and he was wearing it to appease her. His peppery gray hair, pulled back and fashioned with a ribbon the same color as his shirt, hung to the middle of his back. Two tiny gold hoops adorned each of his ears and his protective goggles rested on his forehead, making him look like a crazed scuba diver.

  “Hey, Chief, come to see your latest?”

  “Nelson Draker, this is Cael Sheridan, the detective I told you about. He wants to have a look-see at the victim. Seems to think the three deaths are related.”

  “Here.” He threw them each a pair of gloves. “Well, let’s see. There were no signs of a struggle, although she’s wearing only one earring, but then one never knows with fashion, it could have been deliberate. However, considering she was stoned out of her mind on designer drugs, Ecstasy and Rohypnol, that’s the date rape drug ...”

  “Yeah, Nelson, we know what it is,” Chief Thompson interrupted.

  “Just sayin'. Anyway, she may not have realized she had only one earring on.”

  “No woman in her right mind would voluntarily take a drug like Rohypnol.” Cael went to stick his hands in his pockets, and then remembered the gloves.

  “Most likely, someone slipped it in her drink.” Draker scratched his head. “Though, the reasoning behind that eludes me since she wasn’t raped. These drugs, combined with the alcohol found in her system, hell, she could have been walking the street completely naked and not even realized it. But that’s not what killed her.”

  “No?” The chief’s eyebrows rose.

  “No, it was the Ketamine that killed her. Injected right here.” He pointed to a small pinprick on the inside of her left big toe.

  “Special K? The animal tranquilizer?” Cael knew what sort of monster Eidolon was and had ideas of just what he might be capable of—especially after this morning—but he couldn’t exactly let the chief in on it.

  “Yep, and too much of that stuff along with the other drugs made rubber out of her motor functions and completely shut down her respiratory system.” Nelson nodded.

  Cael glanced up at Nelson. “So, it’s not a simple overdose. Someone had to have tricked her into using all those drugs at once. It was murder.”

  “Yeah, murder,” Draker confirmed and Chief Thompson shook his head in disgust.

  Eidolon was smart. He’d covered his tracks well. At least now, the police knew there was a murderer out there, not that there was much they could do to help catch him, but it was something. Cael knew he couldn’t count on any help from the police, but just the idea of having them know there was someone out there killing young women brought him a little relief. They could get the word out so others might be more cautious, but when it came down to defeating Eidolon, he an
d Addison were on their own.

  ***

  Cael stood outside the door of the Cliff Hanger, reached for the door handle, then paused a few minutes to shake off the horrible memory of the autopsy. He rubbed his hands over his face to clear his thoughts and then entered the bar. A vertiginous frisson swept through his head as his heart literally leaped in his chest at the sight of Addison’s vibrant smile. It seemed strange—it had been only a week since he first saved her from falling after her breathless trudge up the hill to the bathroom. He smiled at the memory. She seemed so clumsy at the time and he’d teased her by calling her Grace. Now, as he stared at her, he noticed the graceful elegance she displayed as she moved.

  There were still a few customers in the restaurant and he was hungry, but not just for food. It had to be close to the end of her shift. He went to her, hugged her, and lifting her off her feet, swung her around much the same way he had Breena—not caring who was watching.

  “Put me down. People are staring.”

  “I don’t care, I’m just glad to see you.” He had been itching to grab her and hold her ever since he left the coroner’s office. The sight of the dead woman had left him terrified for Addison.

  Cael peeked over her head as he realized Gerry was standing there. “Hey, Gerry, how’s it going?”

  “Great, but best keep your hands off my barkeep while she’s working.”

  “I’m off now,” Addison beamed as she swung around to face him.

  “Well then, get out of here before customers start to think I’m running a bloody brothel.”

  Addison took off her apron, went to Gerry, and kissed him on the cheek before turning back to Cael.

  “Be back by five,” Gerry reminded her.

  Cael held the truck door open for Addison. “So, since when do you kiss him goodbye?”

  “Who? What? Oh, Gerry felt so bad about slugging you—he’s been so sweet—I just couldn’t resist.”