by Leigh, Jena
“Declan!” Kenzie admonished. “Can’t you see he’s trying? What pre-cog have you ever met that can conjure a vision on command?”
Declan began pacing the length of the cabin’s great room. Kenzie couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this worked up. And it wasn’t just him. Alex’s disappearance had left them all on edge. Even Nate was rattled.
“We all want to find her, Declan,” said Kenzie. “But yelling at Brian isn’t going to get us to her any faster.”
An afternoon spent canvassing Alex’s hometown had resulted in no leads and two increasingly agitated brothers. They’d turned to Brian as a last resort. The poor kid had been trying to force a vision for nearly an hour with no results. It didn’t help that Declan and Nathaniel had been hovering over him the entire time.
She cast a glance out the window. The sun was close to setting. They were running out of time.
Declan ceased pacing and followed her gaze. He seemed to reach a decision.
Kenzie watched as he approached the door to Grayson’s office and tried the doorknob. Locked. Declan narrowed his eyes and disappeared.
Grayson’s office was beyond off limits. Surely he hadn’t…
A crash echoed through the house. Her brother reappeared a moment later with Grayson’s Beretta in his hand. The one the boss kept in his desk. His locked desk.
“Declan, what the hell?” said Nate, catching sight of the gun.
“Whoa. Not a good idea, Decks,” said Kenzie, jumping to her feet.
Had he completely lost his mind?
“I’m not just going to sit here and do nothing while Alex is off somewhere getting herself killed,” said Declan. He checked the chamber for a round, then tucked the pistol into the back of his jeans and pulled on his jacket. “If the meet’s going to take place somewhere she goes every night, then it’s probably within walking distance of her house. I’ll just have to keep wandering around until I find it. Call me if you learn anything.”
“Declan, wait!” said Brian. “Maybe… Maybe if I had something of hers. Something she touched recently.”
Declan appraised the boy. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll be right back,”
He jumped.
“You really think that will help you see her?” asked Kenzie.
Brian shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt… and it always seems to work for those psychics on TV.”
They sat in silence while they waited for Declan to return.
“Someone needs to call Grayson and tell him what’s happened,” said Nate.
Declan reappeared with Alex’s waterlogged cell phone in one hand.
“Oh yeah, Nate,” said Declan, handing the phone to Brian. “That’s an excellent idea. I can hear the conversation now. ‘Sorry, boss, but we lost Alex. Oh and by the way, she’s about to get herself flambéed by the one guy on the planet you specifically told us to keep her away from.’ That should go over well.”
Nate glared at him. “He should know, Decks.”
“What can he possibly do from DC?” Declan continued. “Even if I went and got him, what could Grayson do in this situation that we couldn’t?”
“I don’t know,” said Nate. “Something. He knows Brandt better than we do. Maybe he can help us figure out what his end game is.”
Kenzie could feel the tension in the room mounting.
“Enough,” she said, feeling like the lone voice of reason in a sea of testosterone and male ego. “Fighting with each other won’t solve anything.”
Declan ignored her. “Why is it, Nate, that you are always so quick to defend the man? Always so blindly following his orders? He’s not perfect, you know.”
Nate looked like he was struggling not to rise to the bait. Good for him. Her brother was being an idiot. And if there was one thing she’d learned by having Declan as a brother, it was that there was never any point in arguing with an idiot.
Besides. Kenzie was starting to get the feeling that this argument had nothing to do with Grayson and everything to do with Alex.
“Always the golden boy,” Declan prodded.
“Guys,” said Brian.
“Always the good little soldier.”
“Screw you.”
“Ever since you got back from Seattle. What the hell happened to you, man?”
“Guys!”
Three pairs of eyes turned toward Brian.
“I saw her,” he said. His face was ashen behind his too-large glasses. “I know where they’re going to meet.”
* * *
As far as last sunsets went, this one was pretty spectacular.
The sky above was aflame with bright oranges, hazy pinks, and deepening purple hues. The still waters of the lake below reflected a mirror image of the spectacle, making for a truly breathtaking sight… And on any other night, Alex would have thoroughly enjoyed the view.
At the moment, however, all she could see was the empty dock that stretched out in front of her like a path to the gallows.
She tried to remember what had made her think going alone would be a good idea.
As she made her way slowly down the wooden ramp and across the large floating dock that jutted out onto the lake, she wondered where Brandt was and whether or not Cassie was still alive.
Burying that thought, Alex arrived at the end of the dock, turned to face the swampy shoreline and proceeded to wait.
Alex had discovered the spot on her tenth birthday.
Back then, the path to the disused and dilapidated dock had been nearly concealed by brush and overgrown kudzu vines. She only found it by accident after her new bike—a birthday gift from Aunt Cil—fell victim to a flat. As she’d bent to inspect the nail protruding from her rear tire, she happened to catch sight of the broken sidewalk that disappeared into a line of cypress trees surrounding the lake.
When she’d pushed her way past the foliage and discovered the jetty, Alex had been delighted. She’d spent the rest of the afternoon there, listening to the stillness of the lake and soaking up the sun. When night fell and she finally returned home, her aunt had asked her what she’d been doing all day.
Alex had smiled and said, “Sometimes the Universe gives the best birthday presents.”
She’d been coming here to watch the sunset ever since.
It was her escape. Her sanctuary. The place she went when she wanted to leave the world, with all its problems and its disappointments, behind.
Declan had the fields of Ireland.
Alex had a disused jetty surrounded by marshland.
Someone was making their way through the brush at the end of the bridge.
No.
Oh, this was so not good.
“Alex!” Connor exclaimed happily. He jogged down the ramp. “Finally. I’ve been looking for you since yesterday. Knew I’d find you here.”
“Connor, what are you doing here?” She felt a knot of panic forming in her stomach. She had to get him out of here before Brandt showed up.
“I told you,” he said as he reached her. “I need to talk to you.”
“You have to go,” she said, shaking her head. “You can’t be here.”
“What?” he asked. “Listen, I just want to talk. Five minutes. That’s all it will take.”
“No! Connor, you don’t understand.” Her heart began to race. “Youcan’t be here. If he sees you, he’ll—”
“Did you forget the single condition of our meeting, pet?” An angry voice called from the other side of the jetty.
Alex whipped back around.
Brandt was making his way down the ramp, arms outstretched and a dancing flame in either hand. More terrifying than the flames he brandished, however, was the sight of who was marching obediently in front of him.
Making their way carefully down the dock, arms in the air, were Cassie, Nate, and—of all people—Jessica Huffman and Veronica Hudgens.
What the heck was Connor’s girlfriend doing here?
The girls appeared unharmed, but Nate had a nasty looking burn across one
forearm and a cut across his forehead that was sending a steady stream of blood into his left eye.
How had Nate found her?
And where was Declan?
Veronica stumbled. Cassie scrambled to help her stand. The petite, raven-haired girl was trembling so hard that she could barely walk, tears streaming down her face.
“Jess? Did you follow me here?” Connor called out. “I told you, it’s—” He finally seemed to notice the flames Brandt held in both hands. “What the hell?”
“And there I was lauding the efforts of the public school systems,” said Brandt as they approached. “What was my one proviso?”
“Please,” Alex’s voice broke. “Please. They didn’t know—”
“Come alone,” he continued, as if he hadn’t heard her. “That’s all I asked.”
Alex swallowed hard.
“All of you,” said Brandt, his accent thick with anger. “Step away from Miss Parker, if you please.”
He came to a halt at the end of the ramp. Alex watched the others form a group on the opposite side of the dock, well out of her reach.
A thin, fiery tendril separated itself from one of the spheres and glided toward Alex before diving to the dock a few feet away. The flame dragged itself in a tight circle around her feet until she found herself surrounded on all sides by a quivering, waist-high wall of flames.
Damn.
So much for Plan A.
“Please,” she said again, the heat of the flames licking at the exposed skin on her forearms. “It’s me you want. I’ll go with you right now if you’ll just let them go.”
There was an angry chorus of replies from off to her right.
“What?”
“Alex, no!”
“Like hell!” said Cassie. Out of all of them, her voice was the angriest. “You’re not going anywhere with that bastard!”
“Let her go,” Veronica said in a small voice. “I mean, if it gets us out of here, just let him take her.”
Cassie and Connor turned to gape incredulously at Vee. Alex didn’t take her eyes off Brandt.
The Scotsman pretended to mull over Alex’s offer. “Very tempting, but I’m afraid I can’t let them go just yet.”
“Alright,” said Alex slowly. “Then what is it you want?”
“What I want,” he sighed heavily as he stepped from the ramp and onto the floating dock, “is to live in a world where justice is certain, rules are obeyed and everything goes according to plan. But since that will never happen, I suppose I will have to settle for teaching you an important lesson instead.”
Brandt raised an arm, the sphere of fire in his palm aimed directly at Alex’s throat. He smiled. “It’s time for you to wake up, pet.”
It happened too fast.
Before Alex could register the fact that Brandt had moved, an orb of fire went sailing through the air… and hit Veronica square in the chest.
She didn’t even have the chance to scream. The flames engulfed Vee in an instant, burning white hot and superheating the air above the dock.
Alex hit her knees in the middle of her fiery prison and raised her arms to shield herself from the searing heat. The circle of flames that surrounded her was putting off plenty of heat, but it now felt like a warm breeze in comparison.
Nate, who’d been standing next to Veronica, pushed the others away from the blaze, sending himself, Jessica, and Cassie to the deck and Connor headfirst into the lake.
Brandt readied a second sphere and took aim at Cassie and Nate.
“Now, Declan!” Nate shouted as he moved to protect Cassie.
Declan materialized beside Brandt, the barrel of a gun resting against the older man’s temple.
Brandt’s hand twitched.
Declan cocked the gun.
“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” said Declan, his voice eerily calm.
Alex’s eyes sought out Cassie. Her best friend was sprawled on the opposite side of the dock, staring slack-jawed at Veronica’s remains.
“Put out the flames around Alex,” Declan ordered.
The fiery circle dissipated and a cool rush of evening air settled over her. She sighed in relief.
“Alex?” Declan called over his shoulder. “You okay?”
Alex, still on her hands and knees, cast a sidelong glance at the pile of smoldering ashes and scorched bones that had once been a teenage girl. She could taste the bile rising in her throat and turned away.
No one deserved a death like that.
“Lex?” Declan asked again, this time taking his eyes off Brandt long enough to shoot her a worried glance.
“Fine,” Alex forced out. “I’m fine.”
“Guess we’ll have to resume your lesson later, pet.” Brandt gave an impish smile.
The smile made her nervous. He had a gun to his head—so why was Brandt talking like he had a way out?
A familiar charge began building in the air. She looked quickly to Declan and found her own confusion mirrored back in his puzzled expression.
...And then Brandt teleported.
Alex stared dumbly at the place where Brandt had once stood.
“What the…” said Nate.
“Huh,” said Declan, lowering the gun. “I can honestly say, I didn’t see that one coming.”
Connor was clinging to the side of the dock. When he caught sight of what remained of Veronica, he started to gag.
“Are you alright?” Alex hurried to Cassie’s side, pulling her friend into a fierce hug. “Did he hurt you? Cass, I am so sorry. This is all my fault. I should have—”
“It’s okay,” said Cassie as she pushed Alex back to arms length. She smiled weakly. “I’m okay. I’m confused and I want some answers… but I’m okay.”
Alex chewed her bottom lip. Sure Cassie looked okay, but who knew what Brandt had put her through?
Connor pulled himself back onto the dock and sat down heavily beside Cassie. He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze from Veronica’s remains.
Already on her feet, Jessica looked back and forth between them, then made a break for it, sprinting toward the shore.
“Jess, wait!” Connor called. “Where are you going?”
Jessica bumped into Declan in her rush to get away. He made no move to stop her.
“Let her go,” said Nate. “She’ll be alright.”
Alex watched the girl vanish into the brush that lined the shore. She hoped Nate was right. So long as Brandt was on the loose, she wasn’t sure that anyone would be safe.
Declan and Nathaniel came to stand beside Alex, two looming shadows in the fading light of the sunset.
“She’s dead,” Connor mumbled to himself, his attention having returned to Vee’s remains. He raked a hand through his hair. “She’s really dead. Christ.”
Alex knew she ought to be feeling something right now.
Shock. Anger. Remorse. Pity.
Instead she just felt numb.
“We should go,” said Nate. “In case he comes back.”
“Go where?” Alex heard herself ask. She fought to regain her focus.
“The cabin,” answered Declan.
Connor and Cassie observed the exchange silently. Alex took Cassie’s hand in hers. “They’re coming with us.”
Declan and Nate exchanged a look. Alex couldn’t read their expressions in the dim light, but it was obvious they weren’t keen on the idea.
“I don’t care where we go,” said Alex. “It doesn’t have to be the cabin. I’m not leaving them here.”
“Alex—” Nate began.
“I’m. Not. Leaving. Them. Here.”
Declan sighed. “Fine, we’ll bring them to the cabin. But only for tonight. After that they’re on their own.”
With his face in shadow Alex couldn’t be certain, but Declan appeared to be glowering at Connor as he spoke. She tightened her grip on Cassie and reached across her friend to take Connor’s hand.
“Cabin?” asked Cassie. “What—”
Alex jumped, transporting the t
hree of them from the dock to the cabin’s living room.
“—cabin?” Cassie finished. She blinked and looked around. “Ohmigod.”
“Where are we?” Connor stood up. “How the heck did we get here?”
“Alex! You’re okay!”
Alex, who had been kneeling next to Cassie when they reappeared on the living room rug, was knocked sideways by a mousy-haired blur.
“Whoa!” The blur had his arms wrapped around her in a vice-like grip. “Easy there, Brian.”
Brian grinned happily down at her. She forced a smile for his benefit.
A flash of light from the kitchen signaled Declan and Nate’s return, just as heavy footsteps came thundering down the staircase. Kenzie paused mid-way down the steps to take in the scene. “You’re alive! Thank God. Now please tell me Declan didn’t shoot anyone.”
Brian helped Alex to sit up.
“Declan didn’t shoot anyone,” said Declan as he walked into the living room. “Brandt jumped before he gave me a reason to pull the trigger.”
Kenzie rounded the kitchen table. “I’m sorry, I must have heard that wrong. Did you say he jumped? As in, jumped-jumped?”
“Yep.” Nate joined them from the kitchen, a bag of frozen peas pressed against the burn on his forearm. “He jumped.”
“That’s impossible,” said Kenzie. “Brandt controls fire… That’s it.”
“Not anymore, apparently,” said Declan. He pulled the gun from his waistband, set it on the coffee table and then collapsed onto the couch. Alex eyed the gun curiously, reminding herself to ask him about it later.
Cassie took hold of Alex’s arm. “Who are all these people, where are we, how did you bring us here and what in God’s name did that psychopath want with you?”
“I…” Alex trailed off, struck by how similar the string of questions were to the ones she’d posed to Declan after their splashdown in the lake the day before.
Had it really only been a day since all this started?
Cassie was staring at her expectantly.
Alex had no idea where to begin. She wondered if Declan hadn’t answered her yesterday for the same reason.
“But he’s ancient,” Kenzie continued before Alex could reply. “You don’t just live forty-five years of your life and then wake up one day with a second ability. That’s not how it works.”
