My voice sounded all quavery and weak, like Kizzy's when she was in the hospital. In the next instant, I heard the same male voice cursing and the sound of something heavy crashing to the floor. The closet door flew open and Beck filled the open doorway, his shadowy figure outlined in weak yellow light from the overhead bulb. Before I could tell Marie Antoinette “Adieu,” he scooped me off the floor, pulled me close and buried his face in my hair.
"Allie,” he whispered. A shudder wracked his body and his arms tightened around me. “I thought I lost you."
When he raised his head, I saw a single tear crawl down his cheek.
"No way.” I snuggled into his chest, reveling in the warmth of his body. “I was about to bust out of here. But I had to wait until Marie left."
He looked at me strangely, his forehead creased with worry wrinkles. “Marie?"
"Yeah, Marie Antoinette. Her head was under her arm and..."
"Let's get you out of here,” Beck interrupted. “Nicole's in the truck. You can tell us about Marie Antoinette on the way home."
"Where am I, anyway?"
"Twenty miles south of Peacock Flats in an abandoned house. I dug up the moonstone then Nikki used astral travel and the moonstone to find you."
I smiled up at him. “Yeah, I saw her in the closet. She said, ‘Oh, so this is where you are.’ I thought I was dreaming."
Still holding me pressed against his body, Beck stepped through the front door he'd kicked in and slogged through about a foot of snow to the truck.
When he reached the truck, the motor was running, plumes of exhaust visible in the cold night air. Nicole threw the door open. She looked up at Beck, a huge smile on her face. “I did it! I found her!"
Beck grinned down at her. “You sure did. Now, scoot over. You're driving."
"No way!” she screeched.
Beck held me tightly to his chest. He glared down at his sister, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I put chains on the tires. You'll be fine."
Still grumbling, Nicole stepped out of the truck and flounced around to the driver's side. Still grumbling, Nicole stepped out of the truck and flounced around to the driver's side while Beck stripped the duct tape from my arms and legs. He cranked the heat to its highest setting. The blast of hot air felt so good, I wanted to express my thanks, but waves of exhaustion slammed into me with such force, I could barely stammer, “Fe-fe-feels good."
I was aware of the truck moving as Beck shook me, none too gently. “Wake up, Allie."
"So tired,” I mumbled. “Wanna sleep."
"No!” Beck said sharply and pinched my cheeks, which annoyed the hell out of me.
I sat up so I could glare at him, but he ignored me and spoke to his sister. “I need to keep her awake until we get her warmed up. Hypothermia."
Suddenly, I was very angry at Beck for not letting me sleep. My words came out slurred and in the wrong order. “Mean, you are ... don't like!"
Two things happened to snap me out of my lethargy. Beck gave my hair a vicious tug and managed to hit the very same spot as Benny, and Nicole said, “Eewww, what smells?"
"Ow!” I slapped at Beck's hand. He relaxed his steely grip and smiled. “I wet my pants. Okay? Couldn't help it. Una-una-unavoidable."
Beck nodded solemnly. “It happens."
Nicole, who never took her eyes off the road, simply nodded.
"There's a convenience store up ahead,” Beck said. “Pull in. She needs coffee."
I glared at him. “I hate coffee."
He patted me gently. “I know."
I bitched and moaned and carried on, but drank the coffee. I really didn't have a choice. My hands were so shaky, Beck held the cup to my lips, making sure I swallowed every single drop.
As we approached Peacock Flats Road, the caffeine kicked in and the fuzziness lifted. The illuminated clock on the dashboard flashed 3:58. My dormant brain sprung to life, shifted gears and zoomed directly into overdrive. “Oh my God!” I yelled.
I startled Beck so badly he banged his head against the back window and swore a blue streak.
"Eight o'clock,” I said. “That's when Benny and Shane are coming back. I won't be there, so they'll know."
Nicole glanced over at me. “Shane was there?"
I nodded.
Beck's arms tightened around me. “What is it they'll know?"
"That I won't give them the moonstone. And there's a she—a she somebody—who called and told Benny and Shane what to do. They said if I don't give them the moonstone a bunch of people will be killed, and it will be my fault."
The enormity of the situation crashed down on me and, much to my embarrassment, I started to cry. Beck patted my back like he was soothing a sleep-deprived toddler. It ticked me off. I stopped blubbering and pushed him away.
"I need to figure what to do."
My teeth were chattering so hard I could barely get the words out.
"First we get you warmed up,” Beck said. “Then, we'll figure it out together."
After another thirty minutes of Nicole creeping down the snowy road at a snail's pace, me trying to sleep and Beck not letting me, we arrived at the Bradford house, blazing with light.
Beck and Nicole both groaned.
"I guess Mom woke up,” Nicole said. “Grounded until hell freezes over."
"Maybe you should have dropped me off at home,” I said.
Beck's face darkened. “Are you nuts? That's the first place they'll look."
To their credit, the twins had left a note saying an emergency had come up and not to worry. Not that it helped.
Dressed in a long royal blue robe, Melissa Bradford was standing in the middle of the living room, her arms folded across her chest. She was way beyond anger. Her face was white with worry, but the look in her eyes was anything but gentle. She glared back and forth between Beck and Nicole then simply said, “Spill it."
Since this was my fault, I wanted in on the conversation. Maybe I could divert some of Melissa's anger. Still clasped in Beck's arms, I struggled to free myself.
"Put me down. Now!"
Beck set me down. My knees promptly buckled and I plopped down on the floor, my humiliation now complete.
Beck reached out a hand to help me up. I waved him away, gathered my strength and managed to stand. When my head started spinning, I grabbed the back of a chair to steady myself.
Melissa stared at me, her brows drawn together in dismay, like she was wondering how a wounded animal got into her living room. Beck and Nicole watched her face anxiously.
Finally, Beck said, “Mom, Allie's been kidnapped, beat up and she's got hypothermia. Maybe it's time for one of those acts of kindness you're always talking about."
At his words, Melissa flinched. Her expression softened slightly.
"You were with Beck that night at the library. Right?"
I nodded, unable to summon the strength to speak.
Melissa stepped close to me and touched the bruise Benny had inflicted. She drew a deep breath and let it out. “Who did this to you?"
"It's a long story,” I said, sagging against the chair.
Suddenly, the anger left Melissa's face. She turned and spoke to the twins.
"Don't just stand there like dummies. This girl needs to get warm. Nikki, go upstairs and fill the bathtub. Beck, take Allie to my bathroom, then go make coffee. We'll sort this out later."
I groaned and mumbled, “Not more coffee."
Nicole scampered away to do her mother's bidding. Beck was only too happy to carry me up the stairs. By the time we got to the bathroom, clouds of fragrant steam rose from a huge, free-standing bathtub setting on strange, claw-like feet. When he plunked me down on the toilet seat in Melissa Bradford's bathroom, my only thought was, I must be dead because this has got to be heaven.
I inhaled deeply and looked up at the three Bradfords hovering over me.
"Heaven,” I said, smiling.
"We need to get her out of those clothes and into the tub,” Melissa said.
Beck's eyes flared with interest. His mother glared at him and pointed at the door. “You. Out!"
I fumbled with the zipper on my coat but couldn't seem to grasp the little tab and pull it down. Melissa pushed my hand away and, before I could protest, she and Nicole stripped off my clothes and helped me into the tub. In hot water up to my chin and a bath pillow behind my head, I sighed with pleasure.
Swear to God, I tried to listen to the little voice in my head, the one saying, Allie, you've got things to do, people to warn, but fatigue robbed me of my ability to function.
The last thing I heard before sleep bore me away was a conversation between Nicole and her mother.
"Beck said not to let her sleep."
Melissa answered in a surprisingly gentle voice. “She'll be fine, Nikki. I'll watch over her. Go put her clothes in the washer."
She woke me when the water began to cool. Assisted by her capable hands, I climbed out of the tub. She toweled me dry and helped me into a fluffy terry cloth robe.
Beck must have been hovering directly outside the door. When his mother called him, he popped in immediately.
"She's been drugged. There's a needle mark in her arm,” Melissa told him. “We should get her to a hospital."
"No!” Beck and I said together.
"Why not?"
I studied Beck's face and was ninety percent sure he intended to use his dazer on Melissa again. Somehow, that didn't seem fair.
"Beck!” I said sharply. “She needs to know what's going on."
Melissa's gaze flicked back and forth between Beck and me. “Yes,” she said. “That would be helpful."
She sounded a little sarcastic, but with all that had happened tonight, I'd say sarcasm was the least of our worries. I caught sight of my battered face in the mirror and collapsed on the toilet seat in horror. Beck frowned and leaned against the bathroom wall. Since he'd gone silent as a tomb, it was up to me.
"Okay,” I said. “I'll start."
Melissa perched on the edge of the tub and listened while I told her about my paranormal abilities, how I'd acquired them. I spoke of the moonstone and the struggle between the Star Seekers and Trimarks. She blinked rapidly, but didn't say a word.
Beck finally jumped in when we got to the healing part. I noticed he skipped over a couple of important items, like his fight with Shane and Benny's threat to slaughter a bunch of innocent people. Minor details. When we finished, I tried to figure out what was going on in Melissa's head Her expression gave nothing away. Was she mad? Glad? Sad?
I tugged a comb through my wet hair and peered over at her, wishing she would say something. Anything.
Finally, I said, “Kind of a weird story, huh?"
A glimmer of amusement flickered in Melissa's eyes. “Allie. I have twins fathered by an incubus who impregnated me in a convent. My son and daughter have abilities far beyond that of mere mortals. Even though I have half-demon children, I'm a deeply religious woman and make a living by writing Christian fiction. Are you getting the picture here?"
I smiled at her. “Yeah, your life is a little weird too."
"Exactly,” she said.
Melissa stood and turned to her son. “Now, Beck, I have a question for you. When you found out Allie was missing, why didn't you call the sheriff?"
Beck pushed away from the wall and grabbed Melissa's hand. “Mom,” he said, staring into her eyes. “You're upset."
I staggered over and stepped between them. “You think I'm too weak to block you, Beck? Wanna put money on it?"
Beck looked startled and dropped his mother's hand.
"Talk to your mother,” I ordered and retreated to the toilet seat once again.
Melissa said, “What on earth is she talking about?"
Beck ignored her question and launched into his story.
When he went to pick me up after school, he found my backpack lying in the yard. He looked inside the trailer and checked with Mercedes, who told him I'd ridden the bus home. When he discovered I wasn't at Kizzy's, he figured something bad had happened.
"By then, it was dark,” he said.
He stopped talking and gave his mother a charming smile.
Melissa snapped, “That's it? It was dark? That's why you didn't call the sheriff?"
"Well, yeah,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Think about it, Mom. If I reported her missing, it would be hours before anything happened. A lot of bad stuff can happen in a few hours. I knew Nicole and I could track her better than any sheriff. They wouldn't have a clue where to look for her."
Melissa shook her head in disgust. “So you take off in the middle of the night, on icy roads, without telling your mother ... unbelievable!"
Beck flushed. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Sorry, Mom,” he mumbled. It sounded sincere. Worked for me.
I smiled.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Twenty-Six
Five a.m. More coffee followed by breakfast. Bacon, eggs and toast with blackberry jam. I couldn't eat a bite. If Benny's threats were real—and I believed they were—the people I cared about were in terrible danger. My mother. Kizzy. Mike Purdy and his family. As soon as I expressed my fears, Beck handed me his cell phone.
I called Charlie, the limo driver, and asked him to go to Kizzy's house. Charlie had a permit to carried a concealed weapon and was devoted to Kizzy. When I told him she might be in danger, he said, “Don't you worry, honey. I'll keep her safe and sound."
I promised I'd stop by later to tell them everything.
Then I called Roy's cell phone and asked for Faye. Even at her best, Faye is not a morning person. She is definitely not a 5 a.m. person. It took a while for her to wake up and another five minutes to comprehend what I was saying. Then the hysterics began. I kept saying, “Faye, please. Just listen! Faye!"
Melissa, a sea of calm in the midst of a storm, said, “Let me talk to her."
I handed her the phone. By the time their conversation was over, she'd convinced Faye I would be safer staying with them, and that Faye and Roy should move to a different motel and stay put until further notice. Melissa also promised Faye I'd call her every two hours to let her know I was okay.
"Thanks,” I mumbled. “Sometimes Faye gets a little, uh, unreasonable."
Understatement of the century.
Mike Purdy turned out to be a piece of cake. Once he was fully awake, he instantly grasped the big picture. “Don't worry about me, kid. You're preaching to the choir. I can take care of my family. Just make sure you take care of yourself."
Once again, Melissa grabbed the phone to assure my father I'd be snug as a bug in a rug in the bosom of her family. She listened for a moment, then handed the phone to me.
"I've been wondering about something,” my dad said. “Has anybody tried to take the moonstone from you? Physically remove it from your body?"
I thought about his question. Revelle and Baxter wanted it. Ditto, Shane and Benny. But when I was wearing it, nobody had ever tried to take it from me. I was alone a lot. How easy would that be? I'd often wondered about that myself.
"No, never,” I said.
"What have you learned about the settings? I assume you've checked them out."
Of course I had. What kid with a magic moonstone wouldn't? I knew it had four settings.
"Yeah, I have. The first click is the mind-reading thing,” I said. “The other three ... nothing."
"It's possible one of the settings might make it impossible for someone to physically remove it,” Mike said. “Maybe the Trimarks know about that, and we don't."
Whoa! If he was right, I'd wasted a lot of time and energy burying the darn thing.
"That would be so cool,” I said, and meant every word of it. “I'll check it out. Thanks, Mike.” I clicked off. “Okay, where's the moonstone?"
Beck said, “Nicole's got it."
Nicole snapped, “Do not. I gave it back to you."
I tried not to panic when Beck left the room to search for i
t. After a few minutes, he returned with the moonstone in his hand.
"It was in my coat pocket,” he said, with a sheepish grin.
I slipped the chain over my head and turned the moonstone in its setting. The first click, to three o'clock, was the mind-reading setting. I clicked it to six o'clock.
"See if you can take it off me,” I told Beck.
He could. Quite easily. We tried all the other settings. Same result. So much for Mike's theory.
Melissa said, “Let's try something else. Beck, are you wearing your silver cross?"
He nodded.
"Give it to Allie."
He pulled the cross from the neck of his shirt and slipped it over my head. While his face was next to mine, he gave me a quick kiss. Unnecessary, but nice.
"Now, try it again,” Melissa ordered.
Twelve o'clock. Nothing. Nine o'clock. Nothing. Six o'clock. Bingo!
He reached for the moonstone and wham!
When his hand was approximately six inches from the moonstone, it reacted with a flare of radiant blue light and zapped him, but good.
"Ouch! That hurt!” Beck exclaimed, glaring at me like I'd been responsible.
"Yes!” I said, raising a fist in the air.
Beck gave me a grudging smile, and we slapped hands.
Even Melissa looked happy. “Has to be the cross. Let's try it again."
"Nikki's turn,” Beck said.
Nicole gave it a try, first without the cross, then with. Same result. Six o'clock. Blue flare. But Nicole was smart enough not to get zapped.
She smirked at her brother, “And you think you're the one with the brains."
If I hadn't been so tired, I'd have danced around the kitchen. This was huge!
"It does make sense,” I said. “Trimarks are repelled by a crucifix."
"So the cross, a symbol of the crucifix, must have a similar effect,” Melissa said.
"When the moonstone's turned to six o'clock,” I finished.
Nicole said, “Kizzy gave it to you. Right?"
I nodded.
"Why didn't she tell you how it works?"
"She doesn't know how it works. In the original prophecy, Kizzy was The Keeper. Her job was to keep it safe until I came along."
Moon Rise Page 18
