At the same time, Alec twisted in the air and landed in a crouch. With one foot, he swept the bald male’s feet out from under him and took his HK.
Baldy started to get up and Alec held the HK to his head. “Move and die.” The male went completely still.
Alec snatched up Mitch’s weapon and then backed up toward the cell door, keeping one HK trained on Baldy. Mitch groaned and stirred. Alec reached the door and stepped out into the corridor, then slammed the cell door shut. Baldy lunged for the door and tried to open it before Alec rammed the lock home.
“Shut up or I will shoot you.” Alec looked through the slot and raised the HK. Baldy snapped his mouth closed.
Alec slid the slot closed and looked down the corridor at the other cells. He ran to the first one and opened the slot. “Petra?” he called out. “Erick?”
He slid the eye slot open and looked into the dark cell and saw that Petra stood a few feet away. He unlocked the door and it creaked as it opened. Petra pushed her long red hair over her shoulders as she stepped out of the cell. Alec went to the next cell, found Erick, and let him out.
“We need to get this crud off of us.” Erick swiped his hand down his face. “I can’t shift.”
“My powers won’t work, either thanks to that spray.” Petra put her hands on her hips. “All I can do is short range telepathy.”
Alec handed one HK to Petra and the other to Erick. “Then you’re probably going to need these.”
“Thanks.” Petra gave a nod as she took the gun. “Now we just need to find where they put our own weapons.”
They hurried to the lone windowless door at the end of the corridor. Alec listened at the door. He heard nothing and slowly opened it, then looked out into a hallway.
“Clear.” He shifted, his body transforming into a wolf as he slipped out through the door. Erick and Petra followed, their weapons at the ready. He loped ahead of them, his superior wolf’s sense of smell telling him that for now they were alone.
Alec’s ears pricked and he came up short as he reached the archway before the set of stairs that would lead them out of the dungeon. By the scent of it, two male paranorms were coming down the stairs. Alec looked over his shoulder at Petra and Erick and they nodded in acknowledgement. Alec eased into the shadows while his fellow Enforcers pressed themselves against the wall, to either side of the open archway.
“Dawson wants Page to watch.” A deep-voiced male laughed. “Then he’s going to finish him off.”
A low growl started to rise up in Alec’s throat but he held it back.
“I hear Page is a mimic,” the other male said as their boot steps grew louder on the stairs. “Think Dawson will keep for himself the drug made from that thing in Page’s brain?”
Alec frowned inwardly. The drug made from something in his brain?
Everything clicked into place. The dead paranorms with holes drilled into their skulls and the pituitary gland removed… A drug that gave humans paranormal powers…
Damn. Why hadn’t they seen that before?
He glanced at Petra and Erick’s faces and saw the same realization in their expressions.
“If Page is a mimic then I’d bet you’re right,” Deep Voice said. “Dawson will keep it for himself.”
“But the drug doesn’t affect paranorms.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Deep Voice sounded thoughtful. “Or maybe since Dawson is a sorcerer it will work differently with him.”
The males reached the archway. Petra and Erick swung around. Petra took on one male, kicking his weapon from his hands then hitting his throat with a knife-hand strike. The male choked, unable to make any other sounds as Petra grabbed his head and slammed his face into her knee. She twisted his head and snapped his neck.
While Petra took care of the first male, Erick got rid of the second. He grabbed the male around the neck and squeezed, crushing his windpipe as he choked the life from him. He dropped the body to the floor.
They grabbed the males’ weapons including a couple of daggers and knives. When they were finished, Alec headed up the stairs in wolf form. His paws were silent as he went to the floor above the dungeon, his ears swiveling as he took in various sounds coming from outside and inside Dawson’s house.
He reached the landing on the next level. Hair stood up on his back and he gave a low growl as he heard Dawson speaking. Alec sensed Petra and Erick behind him. He didn’t look back as he slipped to the door and carefully looked in.
Dawson with two males, one to either side of him. In wolf form, Alec had a keen sense of smell. By the scent of it, these were humans with paranormal powers.
His heart nearly stopped beating. Loni was strapped to a chair, tears rolling down her face.
Dawson held a drill, the bit close to her head.
“Welcome, Page.” The sorcerer glanced over his shoulder. “You’re just in time.”
Alec growled as he moved into the room.
“Unfortunately, my magic will not remove the pituitary of a paranorm through the skull, but a good old-fashioned human drill will allow me access.” Dawson turned on the drill and it made a whirring sound as he started moving it closer to Loni’s head. “Come any closer,” he said, “and I will use it on her now.”
Alec came to an abrupt stop. His heart beat faster as fear tore through him.
“Return to your human form,” Dawson said, looking bored as he settled his gaze on Alec. “And tell your friends to put down their weapons and slide them to my men.”
Alec shifted and clenched his fists at his sides when he stood in front of the sorcerer. “Let her go, Dawson,” Alec said. “I won’t fight you if you take me instead. I know that you want me and my ability.”
Dawson smiled as he stood, the drill stopped but the bit pressed against Loni’s skull. “Very generous of you, Page. Of course you know that you’re not the only one I’ll have.” He looked past Alec. “After all, Enforcer powers will be more than valuable.”
Alec heard Petra and Erick put down their weapons and they clattered on the concrete floor as they each pushed their gun to a human paranorm. Each male picked up one of the guns and they took their places to either side of Dawson again.
“Just take me.” Alec clenched his teeth. “I know you want my power above all others. If you don’t make this deal with me, you will be sorry.”
The sorcerer laughed. “I do not need to make any deal with you.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Loni said, her voice clear, the tears on her face drying. “Just get out of here before he kills all of you.”
“He’s not going anywhere.” Dawson spoke with smug satisfaction. “You care too much for her, don’t you, Page?”
Loni held her breath in the moment of silence that followed Dawson’s question.
Alec met her gaze. “I love you, Loni,” he said aloud. “I’m sorry…for everything.”
More tears leaked down her cheeks as she read the truth in his eyes and a combination of a thrill and an ache went through her chest. He loved her.
“No.” She couldn’t shake her head because the drill bit was pressed against her temple. “You’re too important. I’m just a human and you’re an Enforcer. This world needs you.”
“Miss Stanfield is far too modest, isn’t she?” Dawson stroked her shoulder with his free hand. “Just a human, did you say?”
Loni winced as he pressed the drill even harder into her skin. It hurt enough to make her eyes water.
It was true that she wasn’t just human any longer. She was something more. Could she try something against Dawson that would help all of them?
The sorcerer continued speaking. “Come here, Page.”
As Alec moved closer, Loni closed her eyes. She concentrated on the drill bit, feeling it as it dug into her skin and pressed against her skull. Nothing happened as she tried to mentally push the drill away.
She needed more confidence in herself to do whatever she could to help them all. She remembered the things she had done earlier. She could do this.
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Focusing on the bit, she blocked out all sounds around her. All she heard was the sound of her own breathing and her heart beating. All she felt was the bit pressed into her skull. She gritted her teeth as she pictured the piece of metal and imagined it bending and snapping.
Her body trembled from the effort. She knew she needed to concentrate on it more with her mind and ignore the reaction her body was having.
Dawson was saying something but she blocked it out. Her whole world focused on that single location and the bit, and nothing else.
She felt power rising inside of her. Power that was growing and growing until her entire body felt as if it was on fire and that the straps that bound her might burn to ash.
In her mind she felt the bit grow hot and start to give. It was bending ever so slightly. Dawson was too occupied to notice.
The bit snapped at the base of the drill.
Loni’s eyes flew open as she leaned forward and Dawson made a sound of surprise as his hand slipped. Still feeling as if her body was in flames, she felt the straps give that had bound her body.
She pushed herself up from the chair as Alec leaped for Dawson. She whirled to face the sorcerer as he shot out a wave of red magic at Alec.
Dawson’s magic slammed into Alec and he flew backward. He rolled to his feet and leapt out of the way of another burst of magic.
Petra and Erick each went for one of the males, but then one shifted into a tiger and went after Erick. The other transformed into a lion and began stalking Petra.
Why they weren’t protecting themselves with their own magic? Erick wasn’t shifting and Petra wasn’t using her witch’s powers.
Loni cut her gaze back to Dawson and saw his face red with fury. He pointed one hand at Loni, ready to send a burst of spellfire at her.
She ran. Time came to a standstill for everyone but her and Dawson. Magic crackled like lightning as he shot red streams of it out toward her as she ran toward Alec. She dodged the magic and Dawson swung his attention to Alec who wasn’t moving. Loni pushed Alec out of the way of Dawson’s magic.
The moment she touched Alec, time sped up for him like it had for her and the sorcerer. Dawson had a shocked but furious expression as Alec launched himself at the sorcerer and slammed him to the floor.
With his magic, the sorcerer flung Alec off of him. Alec flew back but landed in a crouch. He held one hand up and squeezed it together as if wringing the sorcerer’s neck. Dawson brought his hands up to his throat as he choked and Loni realized that Alec was mimicking Dawson’s powers. That was why he’d flung himself at the sorcerer—to fight magic with magic.
Dawson raised his hands even as his face purpled. Somehow he found the power to break Alec’s hold on him. The magic the sorcerer sent out was like a red wave that encompassed Alec who suddenly froze.
Loni’s heart raced as she realized that Dawson had trapped Alec in a freezing spell like he had done to her.
The sorcerer raised his hands, rage on his face, and Loni knew he was close to killing Alec. Dawson’s attention was solely on Alec. Just as the sorcerer sent out another wave of magic, Loni stepped between them.
Like she had with the witches, she focused on shielding herself from Dawson’s magic. The wave of red slammed into her shield and rebounded toward Dawson.
The sorcerer was caught off guard and his own magic flattened him to the floor. He looked dazed as he tried to get up.
Loni backed up and touched Alec, freeing him from the freezing spell.
Time sped up and Loni glanced over her shoulder to see Petra and Erick moving again as well as the lion and the tiger that looked ready to pounce.
Dawson gained his footing and held his hands palms up to the ceiling. A storm began to swirl around them and lighting crackled across the enormous control room. Lightning strikes started hitting close.
Alec grabbed Loni to him and shielded them both with a powerful spell. The lightning hit harmlessly around them.
But Petra and Erick were vulnerable, time having returned to normal. The lion and tiger growled and cried out as they were caught up in the storm, too.
With the shield up, Alec grabbed Loni’s hand and they charged the sorcerer who spread his arms wide.
The entire room started to shake and tremble. Fissures appeared in the floor and the walls. Loni stumbled over a crack in the floor and only Alec’s hold kept her from falling.
Chunks of concrete started raining from the ceiling and Loni’s fear for Petra and Erick grew.
“Let go.” Loni jerked her hand from Alec’s and turned around and ran. She broke free of his shield and again time stood still. Lightning strikes were completely frozen and pieces of the ceiling hung in the air.
An enormous chunk of concrete was about to land on Petra and Erick was close to a lightning strike.
Loni stood between them and shielded them all from the danger around them. Time returned to normal and the room returned to its quaking and shaking, debris and lightning coming down. The lion and tiger were each hit by pieces of the ceiling. The lion limped and the tiger looked dazed.
And then Loni’s heart dropped when she saw Alec on his back…the sorcerer ready to fire a spell at him.
Pain slammed into Alec when the sorcerer released a wave of magic as he tried to get up. He cried out as he fell back, pain wracking his body. He tried to get to his feet again, his body covered in sweat, but he couldn’t fight the hold the sorcerer had on him.
Somehow he had to combat the sorcerer’s magic with magic.
His sight blurred a little but he gritted his teeth and managed to get to his knees. Dawson drew back as if to send a stronger burst of magic and Alec tried to bring a shield around himself.
The sorcerer looked to his left and Alec saw that Loni was coming toward them, determination on her features. He wanted to shout for her to stay away but he couldn’t get it out.
Dawson split his focus and his powers between Alec and Loni. The moment he did, Alec shot a spellfire ball at the sorcerer. Dawson started to raise a shield to but Loni reached him first. He couldn’t turn his attention fully on her and not protect himself from Alec.
The drill spun in the air between Loni and the sorcerer and then it shot toward Dawson as if Loni was pushing it with her mind.
Dawson held up his hand to use his magic to stop the impact but it caused him to lose his focus on Alec. The drill spun past his hand to his head and struck his temple. Blood flowed from a gash left by the tool.
Alec leapt to his feet and attacked Dawson before the sorcerer had time to recover. Brilliant flame shot from Alec’s hands and slammed into Dawson’s face.
The sorcerer screamed as his hair caught fire. One side of his face seemed to melt as flesh burned.
Dawson screamed again, twisting in agony.
Alec readied himself to attack the sorcerer again as the fire went out, the fire having left the sorcerer bald and disfigured.
Dawson looked weak but anger colored his face purple. He hunched over and raised his hand as if to throw another spell at Alec, but Alec was ready with more fire.
The sorcerer crumpled.
And vanished.
The room went quiet as the storm and the room’s shaking stopped. Alec and Loni stared at the place where Dawson had been.
“What happened to the sorcerer?” Loni cut her gaze to Alec. “He just disappeared. Did he die?”
“Hopefully he’s dead.” The fire on Alec’s palms vanished. “But it’s possible he has another stronghold and he’s gone there.” Alec looked furious. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was prepared in case something like this happened.”
“He might be back then.” She rubbed her arms with her hands as she made the statement.
“Damn.” He stepped across the rubble and reached her. “But if he does, we will be prepared to bring him down for good.”
“How are Petra and Erick?” she asked.
“Fine.” Petra’s voice came from behind them and they turned to see her. She looked
exhausted and scraped up, but thankfully alive. “Rider and Dani arrived in time to take care of the tiger and lion.” She gestured over her shoulder and they saw that the two human paranorms were in cuffs, no longer in their animal forms. “The other Enforcers are out taking care of the rest of Dawson’s human paranorms that are at this location.”
Alec breathed a sigh of relief that everyone was all right. “No doubt we have our work cut out for us, cleaning up Dawson’s mess.”
Petra nodded. “It’s been a long night. I’ll be glad when it’s over.”
Loni leaned into Alec and he held her to him. “Well, I guess we’d better get started if we ever want to get home.” He looked down at Loni. “And I really want to get home.”
She looked up at him and gave him a tired smile. “The sooner the better.”
Chapter 22
After he shut the door of his townhouse behind them, Alec put his arms around Loni and took her into his embrace. He brought his mouth to hers and she felt the firmness of his lips and the taste of him as his tongue touched hers.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck and the exhaustion of the night faded away. He raised his head and his chocolate eyes met hers.
“What about the taboo against paranorms and humans?” She slipped her hand into his hair and felt the silken strands between her fingers.
“All I know is that I fell in love with a human,” he said softly, “and you’re still here.”
“What do you mean by me still being here?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled. “All that matters is that you’re here.”
“You really love me?” The thought seemed almost impossible yet incredible and amazing.
He gave a solemn nod and touched her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I think it happened from the moment I saw you in that alleyway when Dawson was about to attack you. There was something about you that drew me.”
“I fell in love with you when I read about you in that book.” She gave a little grin. “You weren’t real then, but I wished you were.”
He held her to him and rocked her in his arms. He pressed his lips to his hair. “I will be grateful every day of my life for you.”
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