by Claudy Conn
Dog and Jacie eyed one another and Jacie whispered, “What is going on? Who set off the gas bomb?”
“Dunno, kid. The rebels are violent, but they didn’t set that one off. The elevator—yeah. They needed a distraction to escape. The rebs usually go in—come out clean, well, sorta clean, as you know…they don’t mind killing humans,” Dog said on a hushed note.
They made their way to the stairs and came upon the others at the ‘hole’ the elevator bomb had blown through the floor and ceiling below.
The supernaturals were all still in their glass cages, and though obviously disturbed by all of this, they were unaffected by the explosion or the gas.
Jacie stared at Retaal in his cage some twenty feet away and once again their eyes met and she was locked in that gaze. Time melted away.
She had told herself he no longer had any pull on her emotions, but looking at him now…meeting those silver eyes, she had to remind herself not to be fool enough to fall in love all over again. What was it about him that so engulfed her heart?
She was all grown up, she told herself, and no longer naïve. She knew he would never think of her as anything but a younger sister. That was all she would ever be to him. She just couldn’t allow herself to be drawn into a mistake all over again.
Yet she couldn’t look away from him.
Also, she noticed something. He was most definitely breathing easier. She smiled to herself, the little buggers had been working speedily.
She hadn’t noticed that the colonel had left until she suddenly saw him reappear from a hidden stairwell door. He looked furious as he snapped, “Everyone…collect your gear. We are outta here, we’ve been told to go home and lick our wounds for a couple of days.”
“What? Why? We need to investigate who set off that gas bomb,” Jacie said, wanting to stay and get a further lay of the land. She still didn’t know where the witches were being held.
“We already know. The Big Man gave the order. I guess he thought we needed backup. Idiot.”
“But…why?” Jacie wouldn’t let it go.
“Because he likes to keep hands on,” the colonel growled. “But I mean to give him a piece of my mind about it.”
Everyone knew this was just bluster. The colonel wasn’t confronting Crawly about anything. Jacie kept quiet, and realized Crawly must have his own set of surveillance cameras in his private quarters.
She picked up her weapon and fell into step beside Dog.
They all made a beeline for the stairwell. At least her little magical bugs had given Retaal some air. He and his Anunn friend would be able to build up some strength over the next day or so. If the rebels had gotten past the witch’s containment wards, well then, she damn well could!
As she and Dog walked to the stairwell door, her brain began to tingle and she heard his voice loud and clear.
Go home, Jacie! Retaal’s voice was harsh—angry.
No, she answered him with the mind-link they had shared for years. You are breathing easier because of little wood eating bugs under your bed. Termites…all extra strong with magic.
Jacie, don’t use magic. They might be able to trace it to you.
Not my brand, they won’t. Not an earth witch, remember? Jacie answered.
Jacie, I want you out of the ACE unit and on your way home. Don’t you see if anything happens to you that it would be on me? I am not your problem.
Grown up woman here. I make my own decisions, and this one was approved by your father.
If that is true, he couldn’t have been thinking straight. I won’t have you here, Retaal answered irritably.
Your father always thinks straight. Don’t you know that by now? And whether you want me here or not doesn’t mean squat, she snapped.
Go home, Jacie, now!
Think again, hot shot! Jacie had lost control of her fiery temper. She shut off the connection and in a way that he would not be able to regain it unless she opened it again.
How dare he? Just who did he think he was?
After all this time, after she actually helped him, all he wanted was to be rid of her! Worried about her safety? She did not believe it. Why would he worry when Apollo was confident in her ability? For whatever reason, he just wanted her gone.
Well, he had quite another thing coming—she would do what she damned well wanted.
Dog nudged her and said, “What are you doing? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were mind-linking with a supernatural. If you are, don’t. Cameras. They watch us all the time and they can even lock into the police cameras on the street. They might be able to pick up on your body movements…figure out you are doing something…suspicious.”
“If they were watching, it would only look as though I were in deep thought after a harrowing situation.” She eyed him, one brow up. “Now, Dog, you know I am not an earth witch. There is nothing ACE has that can monitor what I am. I’m sure that is why Apollo chose me to partner up with you. ACE has no clue regarding my witchiness,” she said, and chuckled to make light of it and shake off the irritation Retaal had elicited from her.
Dog smiled. “Yeah, well, don’t get too cocky, kid, cockiness can bring you down. Another thing…scan your apartment with your witchiness for bugs when you get back. Do it unobtrusively and find a way of putting the bug or bugs out of commission without their realizing you disabled them.”
“I already did that when I first brought in furniture…” She frowned.
“Do it every single time you are gone for more than a couple of hours…and booby trap your door so you will know if anyone has been in your loft when you go out.”
“Already on that,” she said. “But, if and when I find any bugs, I’m going to throw them at the colonel and tell him I don’t appreciate being spied upon.”
“Uh…not sure you should do that.” Dog’s bushy brows drew together.
“Yeah, well, that is who I am…think I’ll go with it,” she answered
They took the stairs and found their way back outside and in the alleyway, where both took a long needed drag of air, which made them dissolve into coughing.
“How do they do it? How do the guards and supernaturals survive down there?” Jacie asked. “It is worse than anything I have imagined.”
Dog looked around. “If we get this right, they won’t be there much longer…and if we don’t, I have a feeling the rebels will. Jacie, a blood storm is coming and I’m not sure Apollo can hold it back.”
“I know, but though I hate to admit it, Apollo is right. War should never be a goal.” She sighed heavily. “You okay? I took you down hard when I enacted the protection spell.”
He laughed. “Yeah, you winded me for a moment, but wolf here, heal real fast.”
“Want to come up to my apartment for a meal?” she offered.
He coughed into his hand. “Er…no, Jacie. Tonight, I have romance on the brain. That’s my first chore of the evening.”
Jacie laughed right out loud. “Romance, Doggie, should never be a chore.”
“You sound like my Reena.” He grinned.
“Well, we girls have to stick together…go on, and treat her right.” She pushed at him.
“Don’t mean to do anything else…you know, Jacie, I finally met my match. I’ve imprinted on her and she on me. But if you think that gets me out of hot water when I don’t do the right thing, well, it doesn’t.”
“And did you not do the right thing?”
“I forgot that it was our anniversary of the night we met.” He beamed like a boy. “She means to make me suffer for it.”
“Go…hurry…get the suffering over with while you beg for forgiveness.” Jacie stepped away and made a pushing motion with her uplifted palms. “Go.”
He waved himself off and vanished into the evening lights.
Jacie’s mind was in a turmoil as she headed down the avenue and made her way towards her loft apartment. Dog had found it for her and she had to admit, he did a surprisingly good job of it. She loved its open concept.
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Into the building’s small foyer and into the waiting elevator up to the second floor. There were only three apartments. The one on the main level was still being renovated, hers, and one above her. An amazing find in Greenwich Village.
She stepped into the small hall, punched in the code to her apartment, and sighed heavily as she stepped inside and started removing her bloodied leathers. With a flick of her finger the clothes were incinerated.
Yeah, magic, easy, not traceable, she told herself as she looked around and scanned the place for hidden cameras or listening devices. Clean.
~ Five ~
HER LOFT WAS SPARSELY DECORATED. A brown leather sectional faced a stylish gas burning fireplace, over which a huge TV had been hung.
A baker’s rack she had found at a nearby antique shop reposed against a wall in her dining area, which still needed a dining table and chairs.
She sighed, and decided she had to find time to shop…but should she? Would she be here long enough to enjoy it?
As Apollo’s ward, she lived in his spacious home on Devos. She had enjoyed a bedroom and bath all to herself, but the home, the dining, and the living area were forever filled with supernaturals coming and going. She had never had a place of her own. This loft…was hers, and that feeling was wonderful. She didn’t like to think about the time she would have to give it up.
She pulled off her tank top and underwear and dropped them negligently to the floor as she walked over the hardwood flooring into her spacious bedroom and smiled. She loved this room. It was light and airy with French doors that led to a balcony full of her favorite plants and herbs. A gray and white color scheme dominated the walls and bed, and a white fluff of rug covered a portion of the hardwood floors that led to her luxurious bathroom.
The three story building was in the midst of renovations, and hers and the loft above had only just been completed. Everything in the loft had all the latest conveniences, and she had spent very peaceful nights here since she moved in. The contractors conducting demolition and remodeling only worked during the day on the first floor, and her quiet neighbor above was someone she had yet to meet.
Stepping into the shower, the hot water made her groan with pleasure as it soothed her tired brain. Eventually hunger over soothing hot water won over.
Damn, but she needed food!
She stepped out of the shower, dried herself off, and threw on an oversized white T-shirt, slid into her pink wooly slippers and stepped up to the long mirror beside the oversized vanity.
The mirror was thoroughly steamed, as was the window overlooking the small courtyard below. Jacie smiled and gave the mirror a swipe with a paper towel and stared at her mass of wet long red hair before she picked up the blow dryer.
“Ugh, what a mess,” she told herself, and put down the blower as she opted for a bit of magic to dry and get it back in order. “Sorry, Apollo, but this woman needs a little magic,” she said out loud, and grinned as she thought of the lecture he would have given her.
Her heart and mind were in a jumble over the awful prison conditions the supernaturals were suffering, so she did some yoga to find a bit of peace.
This done, she threw the towel in the hamper and padded purposefully into the kitchen. White cabinets above, gray cabinets below, and an expansive island all adorned with a black, veined-white granite countertop made her smile. Just her style—thoroughly modern and all hers.
She opened the fridge and saw what she needed, and said, “Thank goodness.” Pleased with herself that she had stocked the fridge with a variety of ‘take-out’ food, she chose a container of her favorite Chinese dish and spooned it onto a plate. She was starving. Magic uses energy—food replenishes it.
She stuck the plate into the stainless steel microwave built in over the wall oven, set the time and stopped short. The elevator had stopped on her floor.
Jacie went very still. Oh yeah, someone got out of the elevator.
No doubt whoever it was had made a mistake and meant to go to her upstairs neighbor?
But whoever it was took a few steps, not back into the elevator but to her loft door.
Someone was at her door!
Damn, she hoped it wasn’t the colonel. It would be just like him to pull a stunt like that. Well, she would just tell him to go away.
Ordinarily, she would have protected herself from intruders with a spell, but that was strong White Magic and would have certainly given her away.
Apollo was correct, and she knew she had to reserve all powerful magic for life and death situations, so she stood back and waited for whoever it was to knock.
Suddenly the door opened wide and easily, banging lightly on the wall.
Someone had used her code. How…how had they…?
And then there he stood, tall and beautiful, his silver eyes alive and glittering.
Aw hell, he had always seemed larger than life, but even more so now. When she was young, he was everything to her. He was capable of anything…and apparently deciphering her door code was one of his many abilities. Retaal.
He had escaped. How? How had he gotten past the witch’s containment spell?
She chewed her bottom lip, refusing to allow herself to admire him. She wouldn’t fall into that trap again. However, it was difficult not to stare at his bare tattooed chest as he strode inside her apartment as though, in spite of his incarceration, he owned the world.
His prison pants were ragged, torn to shreds and filthy, but he looked like a God.
Retaal stared at her and actually clucked his tongue, as though they were still on Devos and she was still a child. “Jacie love, you were very rude to me. Since when do you shut me down and shut me out?”
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She wouldn’t allow herself to feel anything for him, she couldn’t lose herself ever again in him.
He towered over her and she had to concentrate, and physically restrain herself from doing the natural. The natural would have been to throw her arms around him and bless the heavens for allowing his escape. She finally found her voice. “How did you escape? How did you get past the wards?”
He didn’t answer her as he moved in closer, and she felt her heartbeat escalate.
After all, he was the Retaal she had always known and loved, and he was free. Free and in her apartment looking half-starved and not at full strength. She had to get over herself and help him, in spite of his rebuke.
But wait, what had he said? She was rude? She shut him down and out? Well, what had he done to her all these past years? She discovered an inner strength down deep and finally a moment later found her voice. “Answer me. H…ho…how are you here? And how dare you just barge into a woman’s home unannounced, unwanted, and uninvited!”
Instead of answering her accusation, he grumbled, “I told you to go home!”
Jacie didn’t bother to control her temper. She had too much stored up in his regard. She put up her chin. “You aren’t in a place where you can issue any orders to me and expect me to behave like a good little girl. Not that girl. I haven’t been that girl for a very long time. I am fully grown and on a mission. How did you escape and how did you find me?”
Again, he didn’t bother to answer her and said instead, “I can see you are fully grown.” He started to say more, paused, and instead took four long strides towards her.
She stepped back. “Answer me, Ret! How did you escape? And then, how did you find me?”
“Your little magical insects burrowed quicker than you probably expected. Once I had some air, I created a portal. I discovered only yesterday that I could communicate with the immortal witches. During the rebel rescue attempt I did just that with Celine, the elder. She is the mistress of their coven and she has been in the Lower Planet for almost a year. She told me to let her know when I was ready to leave and she would lower the wards for a moment so I could shift or use a portal to escape. She did this in return for the promise that I would find the members of her coven and take them to safety. Crawly h
as them hidden away and is using them as hostages to get what he wants. Finding you, Jacinta, was a matter of connecting with my father. Now, go home.”
“I knew it. I knew an immortal witch would never help the creepy Crawly without good reason. You needed oxygen to be able to get up your strength to shift…or portal, right?” She had her hands on her hips. “I gave that to you, so don’t be giving me any kind of orders anytime soon.”
“Look, I can’t be babysitting you. I still have to find a way to get past those wards and free the rest of us,” he started.
She wagged a finger in his face. “Babysit? Watch your mouth, Cuma! You are dealing with an immortal witch. I am the only one that can break Celine’s wards. My parents were a part of that coven, remember? I am a part of the coven by blood. Therefore, I can break the spell.”
He went stock still. “Your parents were members of Celine’s coven?”
“That’s right. Celine is my godmother, you big oaf, so don’t tell me what I can and cannot do. Now all I have to do is figure out which property she used to concoct the spell. Get used to it, I am here and here I am staying until Apollo calls me home.”
He frowned. “Celine is your godmother. Of course. Why hadn’t I realized that?”
“Your father must have figured it out. That is why he said I was necessary to get this done. Will they know that she allowed a breach in the spell?”
“No, she said she would tell them it was because when I got free, I interfered with it while trying to dispel the ward. She will take credit for strengthening it.”
“Is that how the rebels got in? Is she working with them?”
“Truth, I don’t know how they got in. She didn’t mention them and I was too busy getting myself and my cellmate out. I didn’t have time to free anyone else…” His voice trailed off.
She touched his arm and as a shot of energy swept through her, she realized she would do better not to get too close to him. “Not your fault.”
