Intuition (The Path to Redemption Series Book 2)

by Kimbra Swain

  “I’ll just kill her,” she said.

  “If you kill her, you will most certainly kill him,” Mwenye said.

  “What?”

  “Their very souls are intertwined,” he said. “I’d like to drink them both, but alas, I’m afraid that kind of power would ruin me. Their deaths are our only consolation.”

  “Fine. I’m starting with her,” she turned to the biker and slammed her fist into his chest. As it broke through his skin, blood ran down his chest. Blood ran down her arm as he hit his knees. She put her mouth over his, sucking the life out of him. His eyes turned white, his limp body collapsed to the ground. Mwenye smiled at the monster he’d created by feeding on Meredith’s hatred for me.

  The other cats started to back away. The man must have been a pack leader. She reached her bloody hand into the air and clawed at nothing. Then I felt the magic as my airway started to close. My knees buckled at the loss of oxygen, and Tadeas’ arms prevented me from hitting the ground hard. I couldn’t scream or even gasp. The silence spell held us both. I rolled over on my back and clawed at my neck. Tadeas eyes flared yellow as they filled with anger and panic. He picked up the guns from the ground and fired at both of them. Mwenye laughed as their protections held off the barrage of bullets. He exhausted the ammo and threw down the guns. Darkness rushed in on me. Tadeas hovered close to my face and kissed me on the lips. He also struggled to breathe. Everything inside of me cried out for help. Tears ran down my face for Tadeas. I focused on him, his eyes, his fleeting heartbeat. He protected me until the end.

  The last of my sight fleeted from me, and I smelled chicken curry. The spices of Asia filled the air, as a figure appeared seated on the hood of our car. With the spell choking me slowly releasing, Tadeas and I gasped for air. The figure on the car looked at me with concerned eyes. He wore a deep purple sherwani with golden brocade. The shalwar pants under his coat were silky black, contrasting the golden kurta he wore under the coat. He wore a four-strand pearl kanthimala around his neck.

  I gasped trying to recover from the choking spell, “When did you start wearing jewelry?”

  “Sometime in the last twenty years,” he calmly remarked. It had been twenty years since I last saw my master and mentor, Jasper Samara. His salt and pepper hair was cut short, and his beard was neatly trimmed. He wore a long, curved talwar though a black silken belt. “You should get off the ground, Naag. It’s very muddy from the rain.”

  “Don’t call me that!” I said to him as Tadeas got up and pulled me to my feet. He held me for a moment with relief and fear in his eyes, so I kissed him on the cheek.

  “We win this round,” I said.

  “Just barely,” he replied, and I nodded acknowledging the truth. The stunned looks of John Mwenye and Meredith Spence amused me as I turned to Jasper.

  “Jasper Samara, I’d like you to meet Tadeas Duarte, my partner.” They exchanged nods.

  “I heard you had chosen a new partner, but it seems there is more to this than just a partnership,” he said as Tadeas continued to hold tightly to me.

  “Don’t mind him, Tadeas. He knows everything,” I said.

  “If I knew everything, then I would transcend. I am still here, therefore I do not know it all,” he smiled at me.

  “What about them?” Tadeas said, nodding toward the necromancers.

  “They have no power here. It is why you are able to speak and breathe. Naag, how did you come to find yourself in this mess?” he said.

  “It’s a long story,” I said.

  “I’m in dire need of a long story. Where are you staying?” he asked.

  “In Atlanta, we drove over here to check out some activity. I believe, it was a trap,” I said.

  “If you are in doubt, let me reassure you. It was a trap,” he smiled.

  “I like him,” Tadeas said.

  “You riding with us?” I said. “It’s a three-hour drive.” I knew he didn’t have the patience to ride in a car for three hours.

  “Don’t be foolish. Step forward,” he said, stretching his palm out to me. I grabbed Tadeas’ hand and walked toward Samara until his palm rested on my cheek. “Think of the place.” I closed my eyes and thought of the estate in Georgia. When I opened them, we stood in the driveway of the large house, and Samara still sat on the hood of the Mercedes. I immediately heard the click of a gun.

  “It’s us! Don’t shoot!” I called out.

  Tommy stepped off the porch and looked at us. He shook his head.

  Grabbing the rose from the car, I realized Tadeas was frozen in place. “Hey, come on you!” I tugged on his arm.

  “Holy fucking shit,” he said. Samara was already walking toward the house in his normal slow gait. He wasn’t only surprised by all three of us plus the car moving from Alabama to Georgia in an instant, but that we survived certain death.

  “We were dead back there,” I said.

  “Yes, we were,” he said, kissing me on the forehead.

  “Nonsense, if you were dead we wouldn’t be here,” Samara called from the doorway. I heard the room erupt as my team greeted him.

  “He has a unique sense of humor, but unfathomable wisdom,” I said.

  “What’s Naag?” he said.

  “Ugh, it means viper in Hindi,” I said.

  Tadeas laughed. “I like it.”

  “If you know what is good for you, you will not call me that,” I threatened.

  “Oh, so, you can call me Jag, but I can’t call you Naag?” he said.

  “Too many a’s and g’s,” I said and started walking toward the house.

  “I think Viper works for you though. That damn smart mouth,” he said.

  “You are pressing your luck,” I said.

  “Or what?”

  “Or I’ll do something terribly hideous to you,” I said.

  “Well, when you can think of a better comeback, let me know,” he said as he passed me into the house.

  As we entered, I realized that we were coated in mud, because we had wallowed on the ground gasping for air after a rain storm. Plops of mud dripped off us landing on the gleaming hardwood floor. Everyone stopped greeting Samara and stared at us.

  “I didn’t say fuck her in the mud,” Ashley said.

  “Ashley, I swear to God!” I said. They were all laughing, even Samara. Tadeas thought it was funny, too. Apparently, my humor was off after a brush with death. His face changed to concern, picking up on my thoughts of the moment when I knew his association with me almost cost him his life. Samara intently watched us interact.

  Tadeas said, “Go get a shower. You will feel better.”

  I turned to walk up the stairs as Lukas stepped in from the back porch.

  “Hey, you guys are back!” he said smiling. The smile drifted away. “What happened?”

  “Apparently, it’s a long story, Regent Castille,” Samara said.

  “Jasper! Hello, wise one!” he said walking over to Samara. They gave each other a man hug. I shot Ashley a look, and she shrugged. She didn’t know he was coming with the team. I had told him he could come, but I didn’t realize he would.

  Cassidy followed him in the door. She looked sleepy, but her eyes brightened when she saw Tadeas. “Oh! Mr. Tadeas! It’s so good to see you,” she gushed. She ran up to him to hug him and stopped when she realized he was covered in mud. “Were you and Abby mud wrestling?”

  “I wish,” he said.

  Walking up the steps to the master bedroom with the rose in my hand, he joined me. The room quietened as we left.

  “I’m sorry. I think our brush with death hit me all of a sudden,” I said.

  “Yes, and Lucas was outside with Cassidy. He didn’t listen to your warning,” he said.

  As our relationship progressed, I knew he would know my fears and confusion about things specifically Lukas. The confusion wasn’t in mixed feelings for Lukas, because once I admitted to myself how I felt about Tadeas, Lukas wasn’t even a thought. However, Lukas with Cassidy worried me for the tasks ahead.
I was sure Lukas could be regent for all the United States if it came to that, but not with Cassidy as a partner. She was a huge variable.

  “You know that I don’t want him back, right?” I asked him.

  “I know that you care about him, but that you are with me,” he said. “Get a shower. You will feel better, and I will wait right here for you.”

  “You should jump in Ashley’s shower,” I suggested as I put the rose in a vase without water. From what I knew of angelic roses, they did not need water. They lived solely on the love of the two people they represented, and as long as we loved each other it would glow.

  “Maybe,” he replied as I started to remove muddy clothes in the bathroom. Standing under the hot water pouring over my body, I concentrated on home and calmed my mind. I realized that this technique I’d used for years to calm my mind now included Tadeas on the island. He was home to me, and the focus I needed to control the darkness inside me.

  “Best shower ever,” I murmured in her ear when she started to stir. Our legs and bodies were knotted together. Her skin felt cool and smooth. She giggled at my comment, my breath tickling her ear.

  “Good morning, Lukas,” she said half-awake.

  “Morning beautiful,” I said kissing her cheek. She sighed as I kissed her down her neck to her shoulder. “You better stop me, or I’ll just keep going.”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t hear you. I’m still asleep,” she said, smiling with her eyes closed. I continued to kiss down her body.

  “We should go check on Ashley,” I said with my lips pressed to the soft skin on her stomach.

  “Ashley who?” she laughed. I thought she was going to let me keep going, but she shoved my face to the side and slid out of the bed. I groaned. “You are right. We should go see Ashley.” She walked into her bathroom and shut the door.

  “I guess I’ll go down and get dressed,” I said.

  “Unless you want to go naked. I, of course, have no objections to that idea, but it’s generally frowned upon at your job. Especially when you are the boss,” she said.

  I got up and leaned my head against the door. I wanted to hear her say it again. “I love you, Abby.”

  “I love you, too. Go! Or I’m leaving your fine ass here,” she said.

  Entering my eighth-floor loft, I realized I didn’t want to live here anymore. I thought it was a great idea just a few weeks ago, but now I just wanted to be with her. I also didn’t want to push too much. It was completely possible that this was all a dream, and I would wake up any moment. I took a quick shower and picked out a suit. When I stepped out into the bedroom, she sat on my bed waiting on me.

  “How did you get in here? I mean, I’m glad you are here, but I know I locked the door,” I asked.

  “There is no lock that can keep me out,” she said as she straightened my tie. She had on jeans and a sweater that hung off once side exposing her bare shoulder.

  “You going casual?” I asked.

  “I’m not the boss anymore, you are. I get to wear what I want.”

  “I’m sorry Miss Davenport, but that is not in KBS dress code,” I warned her.

  “Bite me,” she said.

  “With pleasure,” I said as I lunged for the bare shoulder. She squealed, pushing my face away from it. I paused for a moment. It hit me that all of this time we’d spent together I’d only seen small bits and pieces of a happy woman. She was truly happy now. It overwhelmed me that I might have something to do with that happiness.

  “Hello, where did you go?”

  “You are happy,” I said.

  “Yes.”

  “Can I drive?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “I should have slept with you a long time ago,” I said.

  “You eventually got around to it,” she said.

  “Wait, what?”

  “You think I just suddenly fell in love with you last night?” she asked.

  “Well, to be honest, I haven’t been thinking straight for the last 12 hours or so,” I said.

  She laughed at me, clasping my hand. “I was just waiting on you.”

  Once we got to headquarters, we went immediately to check on Ashley. She was still asleep. Maki had her in an induced coma until the serum had plenty of time to work. Abby sat beside the bed and held her hand. I kissed Abby on the cheek. “I’ve got to go to work.”

  “I’m here if you need anything, but I know you don’t,” she said, having full confidence in me.

  As I went out the doors to the lab, Miss Vargas was going by. “Thank you, Miss Vargas, for your help with Ashley last night. We were all very worried about her.”

  “It’s a pleasure to help, Proxy Castille,” she said.

  “Miss Vargas, if there isn’t anyone around, you can call me Lukas,” I smiled at her.

  She got a huge grin on her face, “I’m Jackie.”

  “Nice to meet you, Jackie,” I said and headed to the elevators.

  I spent most of the day dealing with the fallout of the previous night. We had lost two employees. I contacted headquarters and made arrangements to cover all funeral expenses. I also made phone calls to the next of kin expressing my condolences. I felt like a general in a supernatural war. Even though we won the battle, there were casualties.

  I became familiar with my staff. I already had read their full profiles, but there were things about a person that a piece of paper could not express. I spent my downtime making calls to already established crew members. I wanted to meet as many of them as possible face to face. A couple of them I recognized from my time on the streets. At the time, I had no idea about the Agency and their activities. After reading over the list of crew members, I called headquarters and spoke to one of the crew trainers. Los Angeles needed more crew than what we had already. Mr. Tadeas Duarte told me that the requests for crew had escalated all over the region, but that he would put me on the list to receive additional members as soon as possible.

  Overall, the Los Angeles division seemed stable for the moment. I also knew that word would get around that Abby and crew were still in town. Every supernatural in the vicinity would know that we dusted an entire colony of vamps led by the new proxy, and that made me very happy.

  There were times during the day that I couldn’t focus on work. My memories from last night seized my brain, and all I wanted was to be back with Abby. The thought of her leaving made me ache. I had to memorize every moment we spent together and use those memories to keep me steady when the time came. The phone on my desk rang and interrupted my thoughts.

  “Castille,” I answered trying to sound older than I was.

  “Hey you,” a sweet voice replied. I melted.

  “Hello, it’s good to hear your voice,” I said.

  “Everything going okay?” Abby asked.

  “Other than spending too much time daydreaming, yes, everything is fine,” I replied, and she giggled.

  “You almost done for the day?”

  “I am. I just didn’t know how long I should stay,” I said.

  “You are the boss. You get to decide that,” she insisted.

  “Yes, but we had losses last night. I need to be here,” I reluctantly said. “Is Ashley awake?”

  “Yes, she is, and she’s ready to go back to the lofts,” she said.

  “You need me to take both of you back?” I asked.

  “No, I can handle it. Just wanted you to know we were leaving. I understand that you can’t go. I’ll see you when you get home,” she said.

  “That sounds good. Be careful. I love you,” I said.

  “No worries, Lukas. Love you too,” she said and hung up.

  My staff came in and out of the office for several hours with various tasks. The normal mundane items I would deal with every day now, but I remained focused on the bigger picture. I understood how important our everyday endeavors benefited the city. Abby told me during my training that I should consider myself the mayor over the supernatural parts of the city. The darker things of the world ne
eded to know that we were watching. I think last night sent that statement loud and clear.

  I was looking over my files when my administrative assistant came in with a set of keys. “Miss Davenport sent these up for you before she left,” she said. “Is there anything else today Mr. Castille?”

  “No, Mrs. Lambert. Thank you for all your help today. I will see you tomorrow,” I said smiling at her. She was middle-aged, and I knew better than to ask how old she was. She had light brown permed hair and brown eyes. I could see bits of gray in her hair. She wore a feminine business suit in navy blue and a wedding band. I knew she and her husband lived in Pasadena.

  “Mr. Castille, I knew your parents through our church. I know they would be so proud to see you here,” she smiled. “Goodnight.”

  “Thank you very much. I truly hope so,” I said stunned. “You have a wonderful evening.”

  She shut the door, and the office fell into silence. Tears welled up in my eyes. I hoped she was right. I loved my parents and never expected to lose them.

  I drove the Mustang back to the lofts. When I stepped into Abby’s loft, she was waiting on me.

  “What’s wrong?” She was immediately concerned when she saw my face. I gave her a weak smile, and she wrapped her arms out my neck. She hugged me for a moment, her cool fingers brushing my cheek.

  “Mrs. Lambert knew my parents,” I managed to say without sounding like a big baby.

  After she took my jacket and the keys, she put them on the bar in the kitchen. She walked back, guiding me to the couch. I sat down, and she sat down sideways on the couch with her legs crossed in front of her. She waited patiently.

  “She brought the keys into my office when it was time to go. I knew she was from Pasadena from her file, but she said she went to church with my parents,” I said. “Did you know she knew them?”

  “No, I didn’t,” she said softly.

  “She said that they would be proud of me,” I managed to choke out. A tear rolled down my cheek, and she wiped it away.

  She smiled at me, putting her arm around my shoulders, “She’s right. They would be very proud.” I buried my face in my hands. Abby leaned her head over on my shoulder, and I leaned back on the couch. I pulled her over into my lap. She wiped my tears.