Chaos (Book 4) (The Omega Group)

by Andrea Domanski

  Myrine leaned against the desk as she spoke. “We all understand what you’re saying, Gracey. We’re just waiting for you to finish.”

  It was Gracey’s turn to feel confused. “I don’t understand. I am finished.”

  “Okay,” Myrine began. “Tori needs an enormous and very rare crystal to absorb and direct the power being sent to her. You said you would need to absorb and direct the power released from the jars, but you don’t have a crystal. How, exactly, can you do that?”

  Gracey had hoped they wouldn’t catch that little caveat. She had yet to figure that part out for herself, so getting them to understand would be difficult. “Well, I’ll be using my body to do the work of the crystal. It’s not ideal, but unless you have another freakishly huge fire agate crystal hidden in your pocket, it’s the only option we have.”

  “Can you do that?” Orano stepped to her side. “Without being hurt?”

  Gracey’s hesitation must have been more noticeable than she’d planned, because Mirissa interrupted before Orano could react.

  “Mom, why don’t we start bringing those jars down from the attic?”

  “Good idea, sweetheart. If you guys need us, we’ll be up there.”

  Once they’d made their less-than-subtle exit, Gracey was left to deal with her very protective childhood friend. A friend who, at that moment, looked ready to throttle her.

  “I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t disagree with you. It’s dangerous, yes, but I can handle it. You aren’t the only person capable of surviving bad stuff, you know. I may not be all big and muscular, but that doesn’t mean I’m weak. I’ve dealt with a lot of crap over the years, thank you very much, and I can deal with this, too.” Gracey took a much-needed deep breath, then realized that Orano had yet to say anything. He just stood there with his arms crossed. She twisted her mouth and crinkled her nose, waiting for him to berate her.

  “Are you done?”

  His baritone sent shivers through her, and she gave him a quick nod.

  “Good.”

  Without warning, Orano’s massive hand wrapped around the nape of her neck. He leaned down and planted the most devastating kiss on her lips. Warmth spread through her body as her senses took a leave of absence. But, as unexpectedly as it had begun, Orano released her from his grip and stepped back.

  Gracey blinked her eyes and cleared her throat, but words escaped her. Their first kiss at sixteen had kept her up nights for months. Now, she’d be lucky to ever sleep again.

  Assuming she made it through the next eight hours.

  Chapter 22

  Myrick pulled the car into the parking lot of the Food Lion, with Greco riding shotgun and Han in the back seat. At that early hour, he easily found a spot with a good view of the door, but far enough away to garner the necessary privacy. He eased the car in next to another vehicle, making a small area sheltered from the front of the store. The plan would require Han to be in position before the women arrived, so Gracey stayed on speakerphone while she watched through her magic mirror.

  “It’s hard for me to be sure, but I think they’re around the corner from you. Yep, they’re just passing Culpepper Landing. You’ve got about two minutes,” she said.

  “Try not to bruise my moneymaker.” Han joked.

  “Are you referring to your face or your arse?” Myrick retorted.

  “Don’t worry. You won’t need much plastic surgery after this,” Greco said.

  “I’d rather Myrick hit me. His right hook is as weak as a Disney princess.”

  Laughing, Han jumped out of the car and trotted over near the grocery store’s entrance. With his baseball cap pulled low over his face, he looked like some teenager out for an early morning stroll.

  “They’re in the parking lot now,” Gracey said.

  “I see them. They’re parking right in front of the store so we should be good to go.” Greco watched as the two women exited their car.

  “Wait!” Mirissa’s voice called out through the phone. “That blonde one’s the nurse from the hospital. The one who took care of Gracey. She might have seen you there, Greco. You need to stay out of sight.”

  “That’s Joy Remson,” Gracey said. “She’s not a nurse. Are you sure it’s her?”

  “Absolutely. I knew she looked familiar before, but I didn’t put it together until now. She may not be a nurse, but she dressed and acted like one. I’m guessing she was sent to finish you off after the accident.”

  “I didn’t see her, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t see me,” Greco said as he handed over the wax doll they’d made earlier and ducked low in his seat. “You’re on your own then, Myrick.”

  “My pleasure. Especially after that princess crack.” The Scotsman watched as the two women made their way to the store’s entrance. When they were about six feet away, Han stepped in front of them, grabbing Nicole’s bag and tearing off like a purse-snatcher. As expected, the women screamed for help.

  Myrick flung open his door and dove out of the vehicle, tackling Han to the ground as he wove between their car and the next. “Change of plans. The blonde one saw Greco at the hospital.” He quickly removed Phoenix’s totem from the bag and replaced it with their fake one before standing up to continue the face-off.

  “Make it look good, Ariel.” Han’s barely hidden smirk succeeded in motivating Myrick to do just that.

  He drew his fist back and landed a blow to his teammate’s jaw that Myrick knew he’d regret later. Being a merman meant his joints were made to be in water. Spending most of his time on dry land since joining the Omega Group had more than its fair share of difficulties for him.

  “That was for cheating at poker yesterday,” Myrick said after exchanging positions with Han and placing his back to the women watching. He made a show of playing a game of tug-of-war with the bag, pushing and shoving his smaller opponent. When an appropriate amount of time passed, Han let go and ran off, but not before landing his own shot to Myrick’s cheek.

  With the purse held high, Myrick jogged over to where the women stood, apparently still in shock. “I believe this belongs to you,” he said, handing over the prize with a flourished bow.

  “Oh my God. Thank you,” Nicole gushed. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.”

  “The pleasure’s all mine, ladies. It’s not often that I get to play a knight in shining armor.” He rubbed the spot under his left eye where he’d no doubt have one hell of a bruise in a few hours.

  “You do it very well. I can’t thank you enough,” Nicole had stars in her eyes and appeared reluctant to walk away. “I just love your English accent.”

  Myrick groaned inwardly at the insult and suppressed an eye roll. “I’m a Scott.” He inclined his head. “You ladies be careful now.”

  He felt the women watch him as he walked away. When he got back into the car, they finally made their way inside the store. As soon as they were out of sight, Myrick opened his door and retrieved Phoenix’s totem from the pavement.

  Success.

  ********

  “Release this man, set him free. Our work is done, so mote it be.” Gracey held Phoenix’s totem in her hand. “He should have full control of himself now.” At least she hoped so. She’d been practicing magic for several years, but not with this kind of intensity, and certainly not with stakes this high.

  “Should have?” Myrine asked.

  “Well, yeah. Without being able to ask him personally I can’t be sure, but it should be done.” Gracey yawned for what felt like the thousandth time that hour. She’d been up for more than twenty-four hours, and those hours had been full, to say the least.

  The yawn quickly spread through the room, leaving no one unaffected. “I think it best for you guys to get some sleep,” Myrine instructed.

  Gracey couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “Sleep? Are you kidding? We have to get out there. Convince the rest of the coven what Tori’s really doing.”

  Myrine gave her a warm, motherly smile. “We ha
ve more than seven hours before the main event. Tori said so herself. If you’re going to wield the magic coming from all of those jars, I’m guessing you’ll need to be at full strength. Right now, you’re exhausted. So is Orano.”

  Another yawn overtook Gracey as though to drive Myrine’s point home. “But what if Tori’s lying about the time? She might know we’re watching and be feeding us false information.”

  “She’s not,” Greco interjected. “According to Julian, the activity on the sun has been increasing steadily. He pooled the data from the last two CMEs that hit us to get an idea of what to expect, so he can predict the next one. His calculations are in line with what Tori said. We’ve got seven hours.”

  “I know it’s counterintuitive, but both you and Orano have got to get some sleep. You’ve been through a lot over the last few days, and I need you at one hundred percent when this goes down, if we’re going to have any chance. We’ll get things prepared and keep an eye on the mirror. If anything changes, we’ll wake you.”

  Gracey really wanted to argue but couldn’t think of any way to counter the woman’s logic. “Sleep it is, then.”

  The two guest bedrooms were located next to each other just across the hall from Tori’s office. Though, with people traipsing up and down the attic ladder to retrieve the jars, the noise would make sleep all but impossible. The only remaining bedroom, located on the other side of the house, was Tori’s master suite.

  “I’ll sleep on the floor,” Orano said as they entered the room.

  “Don’t be silly. There’s more than enough room for the two of us on that king-sized bed, and you need sleep just as much as I do.” Gracey stared him down, watching the muscles in his jaw tick.

  Without another word, Orano removed his shoes and stretched out on top of the covers. Gracey crawled next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Something about curling up with him felt right, and she couldn’t resist the temptation to wrap her arm around his waist. She needed to feel safe, at least for a while.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” Orano, as usual, cut right to the point.

  “I’m just a little scared,” Gracey lied. “This is more than I’ve ever done, and I’m afraid I might screw it up.”

  His muscled arm wrapped around her shoulder and squeezed. “You won’t. I’ll be there to make sure of that.”

  Gracey smiled into his shoulder. “Good night, Sparkles.”

  With a Scottish lilt, Myrick interrupted them from the doorway. “Nighty night, Sparkles.”

  Without warning, Orano tossed an energy ball. It hit the door and slammed it shut, leaving a small scorch mark on the pristine white paint.

  Gracey stifled a giggle as she listened to the boisterous Scotsman throw a few less-than-flattering remarks at his teammate from outside the room. When the quiet resumed, she felt herself relax. Orano’s heart drummed out a rhythm that lulled her closer and closer to sleep. This was how she wanted her last moments to be.

  ********

  Orano listened to her breathing become slow and steady, as Gracey quickly fell asleep. He let his lids fall shut, pulled her close, and breathed in the light scent of her lavender shampoo. What he wouldn’t give to have the power to stop time.

  Although he’d allowed Gracey to pretend otherwise, there was no denying how much she’d be risking with their plan. He knew how dangerous it would be for her to hold on to all of that power, and so did she. What she thought of her chances had been written all over her face, at least for someone who’d known her since childhood.

  She knew she’d die today, and Orano knew he’d do anything to keep that from happening.

  Chapter 23

  Phoenix sat on the same wooden bench he’d been relegated to after their arrival at the vacant summer camp. The coven members left the mess hall long ago, full from a meal he wished he’d been able to partake in, and retired to the surrounding cabins to catch up on some sleep. Tori and her inner circle, however, remained. They were sleeping in shifts so as to stay vigilant.

  It had been hours since Phoenix regained control of his body, but he still didn’t know how it’d happened. The witches didn’t seem to realize anything had changed—at least they weren’t acting any differently, so they obviously weren’t behind his release. The only explanation he could think of was Orano and Gracey. They’d somehow broken the spell. At first, he’d expected them to come barging through the doors at any moment, but as time drew on, his expectations lowered.

  Not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to himself after his awakening, Phoenix connected to a bird perched in a tree right outside the window next to him. He’d used his feathered friend’s vantage point to scan the area but saw nothing out of the ordinary. There didn’t appear to be any guards wandering around, but the woods were thick and could easily hide defenses.

  His first clue that something was off came after he tried to call out to his bird’s flock. Their return calls were muffled. It didn’t take long for him to find out why. He’d almost broken his host’s beak when he flew into the invisible barrier separating the camp from the outside world. He’d tried flying in every direction, including straight up, but hadn’t found an opening.

  That left him with few options, so he’d disconnected from the bird and resumed his role as prisoner. Pretending to still be under the witch’s control irked him, but it at least allowed him to remain free to move around when the time came. Phoenix knew it would be only a matter of time before his friends came to get him, and he needed to be in a position to help them when they did.

  His certainty of rescue waned with each passing hour, but he continued to gather as much information as he could. His legs began to tingle from not moving for so long, but he fought the urge to stretch them out. Until Nicole decided to make him dance the jig for her entertainment again, he needed to stay completely still. Although Tori recognized her coven’s need to sleep, unfortunately, she’d forgotten to allow Phoenix the same courtesy. So he simply sat in his chair and waited.

  To keep himself awake, he connected periodically to his bird. The sensation of flying kept his exhausted mind sharp and allowed him to get the lay of the land. As far as he could tell, the entire camp had been enclosed in the protection spell, giving the witches plenty of space to work with. The only building not contained under their magic dome appeared to be a utility shed of some sort, and that was where he finally saw the first sign of the cavalry.

  ********

  “Is that all of them?” Gracey asked, looking at the mountain of jars now piled at the side of the shed.

  “Yeah,” Orano answered. “We’re ready to go.”

  “Except I still need to get inside the protection barrier,” Gracey added. She’d tried to remove the spell when they first arrived, but failed. Mirissa had tried to teleport through, but just rematerialized when she hit the wall and bounced off. Same with Han who, as far as Gracey could tell, tried to just walk right through it. Nothing worked, and she feared nothing would.

  As though reading her thoughts, Orano placed his hands around hers and squeezed. “You’ll figure it out.”

  Something splashed on Orano’s shoulder, drawing both of their attention.

  “It’s bird droppings,” Gracey said, looking up to find an entire flock perched in the branches above them. “What the—?”

  “It’s Phoenix.” Orano smiled. “He must be sharing his consciousness with one of them.”

  Gracey knew better than to question his assertion. After everything she’d seen and heard that day, she’d begun to accept pretty much everything. “Which one is he?”

  Before Orano could answer, the flock flew from their perches, landing on the ground next to the protection barrier. Gracey and Orano followed until they, too, stood next to the invisible wall.

  “I don’t see anything,” Gracey said, but then she did. A lone bird stood on a branch a few feet away on the other side. “Is that Phoenix?”

  “My guess would be yes,” Orano answered.

/>   While the other birds took flight back to wherever they’d come from, Phoenix’s stayed.

  “Can you hear us?” she asked the bird, feeling more than a little foolish doing so. Its beak moved up and down, so she continued. “Can you talk?”

  Orano let out a short laugh before she shut him down with a sharp glare. “Phoenix can see and hear everything the bird can, but he can’t speak.” He turned his attention to the bird. “The rest of the team’s here. We have a plan, but we need to get past this barrier. Any ideas?”

  Without acknowledgement, the bird flew off. A minute later, he returned holding something that looked far too big for him to carry in his small beak. He promptly dropped it on the ground as close to their feet as the wall would allow.

  “It’s a mojo bag. It must be powering the protection spell.” Gracey clapped her hands together. “We can take it down—at least a portion of it—by separating the contents of that bag.”

  The small bird began to pull at the loose string holding the four corners of the cloth closed, but stopped when Gracey slammed her palm into the barrier.

  “Not yet! As soon as you do that, Tori will know. We need to wait until it’s time for her to start.”

  “We can’t do that, Gracey,” Orano explained. “What if it doesn’t work? We won’t have time to find another way. If you can’t get inside, our entire plan is worthless.”

  Gracey took a deep breath, secretly hoping for an outside idea to form miraculously inside her mind, but none came. Instead, her own idea took form. “What if we only take it down temporarily? For a few seconds, I mean. That would give us time to cross inside, but might not alert Tori that there’s any real problem.”

  “You think she won’t notice her protection spell coming down?”

  “No. I mean, yes. I mean … this spell is taking an enormous amount of power. That’s why she’s using mojo bags to bolster it. Since it’s been up for eight hours, it’s got to be running out of juice. I’d be willing to bet that there are disruptions happening all the time. This would fit right in with that.”