I wasn’t even sure I could transport both of us. We’d practiced it, and I’d managed it once, but only a short distance. We would need to go miles to get away from my father. That would take a lot of power; power I possessed, but hadn’t really been able to tap into. It scared me honestly, but as I glanced around and saw Peter’s dead body, and the people who fought for me, I knew I had to try.
If I wouldn’t leave Dane, and he wouldn’t leave them, then I had to take everybody.
I focused, remembering the exact feeling of transporting myself, and then pictured the people around me, each of their faces, their smiles and their hopes. My feet were planted on the ground, and the magic swirled around me, glowing brighter and brighter. I could see their forms shimmering.
It was working!
But suddenly, it snapped, and I collapsed onto the ground, drained to the point of exhaustion.
“What are you trying to do? It’s too much, Quinn, do you hear me?” Dane’s voice was frantic, seeing me collapse, and I managed to nod at him, to let him know I was okay. “Don’t worry about us. It’s you they want. Get yourself to safety. We’ll be fine.”
“You won’t be fine.” The words dragged out of me. The exhaustion was worse than anything I’d ever felt as I’d pushed my power to its absolute max. “He’ll kill you all, just because he can, to prove a point, to make an example. If I leave you, I’m signing your death sentence.”
Tears streamed from my eyes as I saw the truth of my words on his face.
“I can’t do that.”
Resolve filled me. I would get us out of here. It was working. I just didn’t have enough power on my own. The memory of the women I saw the night my eyes turned blue came back to me.
My sisters.
We were supposed to be the all-powerful trinity. If they could give me power, then maybe it would be enough. But I didn’t know how to reach them. How could I ask for their help when I wasn’t with them?
A cry brought my head up, and I watched Cicely stumble and fall. The sight broke the despair I felt, as rage filled me instead.
“Help me.” The words were no more than a whisper in my mind as I forced myself back up. She would not die in vain. The caw of a raven drew my attention as it circled above us, and I remembered the witches said ravens were messengers.
A trace of power trickled into me, and then it became a river. My vision doubled as I saw the fight in front of me, but also two women, my sisters. They held out their hands, and blue threads of light surrounded us. The power flowing into me was incredible, and I knew it would be enough to save us.
Again, I focused, using their power as a beacon. I could feel the tingle as my body prepared to teleport. The feeling was odd. I still hadn’t gotten used to the ability to move myself with my mind alone, and now I was about to move several.
Two men appeared behind the two women, and the flow of magic changed, became more steady and manageable. I had the thought they were my sisters’ version of Dane, when I saw them reach out their hands to me.
I grasped their outstretched hands, and then everything was gone.
Unite
Quinn’s Story
Chapter One
My fingers drummed against the side of my book in time to the music blaring through my earbuds. High school had finally ended two weeks before and I’d jumped at the opportunity to do whatever I wanted on summer break. College would come soon enough and with it required reading, but tonight belonged to me and my book boyfriend of the moment, Jake.
The sound of a muffled thud caused me to pop one of my earbuds out. The utter silence had me shoving it back in as I started reading again. A few minutes later, another thump, this one louder, caused my head to jerk up. Some long held instinct kept me silent as I pulled the earbuds out and set my book aside.
My heart started to race as nerves prickled through me. It didn’t make sense. A couple of weird thuds didn’t mean anything. Mom and Dad went to bed early since they had to work. A glance at the alarm clock by my bed showed it was barely midnight. Not that late for someone who had nowhere to be the next morning.
I leaned forward as I listened intently, not understanding the fear running through me. My skin felt flushed and I noticed my arms looked sunburned. The soft squeak of the fourth step had my eyes darting to the door. I turned the bedside lamp off as I slipped from the bed soundlessly and tiptoed to the door. I stood beside it, my head tilted as I recognized the sound of footsteps in the hall. I wanted to call out, to believe it was Mom on the other side checking to make sure I went to bed at a decent hour, but I couldn’t force myself to form the words.
Instinct told me whoever was on the other side of the door was not my friend.
I leaned back as the door slowly opened and a man stepped inside. He was barely a foot away from me, but so intent on the bed he didn’t see me right there. He moved forward and I darted out the bedroom door. I raced toward my parent’s room, knowing they could protect me from this intruder. A loud curse told me he’d heard me, but I didn’t stop. Dad kept a gun inside the drawer on the nightstand. I just had to get to them.
I tried to call out, to warn them, but had no voice. The sound coming from me was nothing more than a pathetic whimper as my skin burned. It felt like I had a fever, but I’d been fine earlier. I leapt down the stairs two at a time, not slowing as I spun around the banister and barged into my parent’s room.
The anticipated exclamations as I crashed into their room never came as I skidded to a stop, staring in shock. Dad was on the ground, his gun in his hand as blood pooled around him. His eyes were wide open and sightless, the bloody hole in his chest telling me how he’d died. Mom was draped over the bed, blood staining her nightgown with her hand stretched out as if she was reaching toward me. I couldn’t see her face and was grateful. Dad’s terrified expression was enough for one night.
“Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”
The smooth voice sent me spinning around to face him. He stood about two inches taller than my five foot nine, and my first thought was he didn’t look how I pictured a home invader to be. He was clean cut and neat, almost respectable. He smelled like expensive cologne, I thought errantly.
He reached out and grabbed my arm, searing pain causing me to cry out as it felt like a hot brand had been placed against my skin. I peered down at my arm in shock, not understanding the pain, and saw his manicured nails. My head came up as he wrapped his other hand around my throat and again the sensation of scalding heat blistered me wherever his skin met mine.
“What do you want?” My words were a blubbering mess as tears streamed down my cheeks. He’d killed my parents and it appeared he was going to kill me as well. This stranger had come in to my house and killed my family, and I had no idea why.
“You.” The one word was accompanied by an easy shrug as if everything he’d done was nothing more than simple tasks to get to the main prize – me. But why me?
“Why me?” My whisper was painful as the burning got worse the longer his hands stayed on me.
“Because you’re one of the chosen ones. The trinity. At least that’s what they say.” He chuckled, casually twisting my head. “Mitchell was right. You are an easy target since you don’t have your magic yet.”
“Magic?” The word came out as a strangled question as it dawned on me that this person was undeniably insane and had just killed my parents because he believed in magic. I shook my head frantically. “You have the wrong person.”
“Nope.” His smile was cruel, and lacking any resemblance to happiness as he said, “You’re it. And oh what fun it’ll be to watch your blood spill. You should be honored. Your death will increase the power of my coven. It’s an honor many have died for.”
As he spoke, I felt something shift inside me, like a lock had been broken from the inside, and the pressure was too great to keep the door shut any longer. Seconds later my toes began to tingle followed by my fingers until my entire body had the sensation of pins and needl
es racing through it.
“What the hell?” He released me as a blue glow filled the room, and then he was gone and I was somewhere else.
A hall filled with threads of blue light surrounded me, and I gazed in shock at two other women. They appeared equally as startled to be here, but at least they weren’t attempting to kill me. A tiny woman with massive blonde curls glanced at me, her eyes a vibrant blue, and as I looked to the other woman I noticed she had the same eyes. A blue so bright it was unnatural and for both of them to share it seemed impossible. The brunette mouthed something to me, but I didn’t understand her. She seemed concerned for me though, and I held tight to the thought as the space broke apart.
Within seconds they were gone and I found myself standing in a bathroom, steam billowing around me. A quick glance around told me I’d never been here before, followed quickly by the realization that I had no idea where here was. The sound of the Rocky theme being hummed made me realize I wasn’t alone, and someone was on the other side of the shower curtain.
The shower cut off and I stood frozen, wondering what the hell was going on.
The clatter of the shower curtain hooks caused me to tense, and I grabbed the first thing I touched on the counter to defend myself with.
A hairbrush.
I spared a quick glance at it and shrugged. There were worse options.
I braced myself, ready to bash whoever was on the other side with their own hairbrush, but my first sight of him turned my insides to jelly.
He was ridiculously hot.
From the heavily muscled arms slicking back his wet hair to the water rolling down his incredible abs, and the deep V of his hipbones guiding me directly to….eyes up, I told myself. He could be a killer. I had no idea how or why I would have left the presence of one killer to find myself in front of another, but nothing about this day made sense. I tightened my grip on the hairbrush to quell the shaking. I couldn’t give in to the despair yet, not until I was safe.
His hands wiped away the water droplets on his face, and his eyes popped open.
As our eyes met, shock crossed his face and I dropped the hairbrush.
“Dane?”
Chapter Two
“Quinn?” Shock coated his voice, but it was nothing compared to how I felt. “What the hel...Oomph!” His words cut off as I threw myself at him. My arms tightened around his middle as I pressed my face into his shoulder. Moisture instantly soaked my clothes, but I didn’t care.
He was here.
Which meant I was safe.
I felt his arms come around me and the slight vibration in his chest as he hummed. My eyes burned with unshed tears at the familiar sound. I rubbed my face against the hard plane of his chest, the dampness from his skin mingling with the few tears that managed to escape.
The low sound of his voice drifted around me as he murmured soothing words, his arms never leaving me. I had no idea how long we stood there, wrapped in his embrace as he comforted me.
Finally, I inched back and he loosened his arms. When our eyes met, his nostrils flared in shock. I tilted my head at the expression, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.
“As much as I love seeing you, darling, what are you doing here?” The slow tug of his words were like syrup trickling out of the bottle - slow, thick and sweet. I shook my head, having no idea how to answer since I wasn’t sure what happened. “Quinn?” He tilted my head up to meet his eyes and again I saw his flicker of shock but this time it was followed by a flash of awareness. “What happened? Can you tell me that?”
I nodded slowly, shuddering as I realized I was cold. Dane felt it and reached over to grab a towel, wrapping it around me. We’d stood there so long he was dry, but the dampness of my own clothes made me cold.
I eased back and bumped into the counter, finally remembering we were in a bathroom and Dane was standing completely naked in front of me. I blinked at him, coherent thought wiped out as I took in the man before me. I’d seen him naked before, but he hadn’t looked like this, this was something else entirely. He was different. We were different. It’d been a year since the last time I’d seen him and we’d parted ways, and now he was standing in front of me, completely exposed and I wanted nothing more than to throw myself at him again.
“I…” I gestured at him weakly, unable to articulate my request but he seemed to understand and grabbed a towel to wrap around his hips. I nodded my thanks and he stepped closer, as if he was drawn toward me even though we were barely a foot apart in the tiny space. The sound of our breathing filled the small bathroom, inhale and exhale in perfect harmony. The words pressed against my throat, demanding to be released, but once out, I knew they could never be unsaid. I reached for him, grasping desperately for his hand, for an anchor for what was coming next, and once our skin touched I breathed the words out with the barest whimper.
“They’re dead.”
He didn’t ask who or how or why, he just pulled me to him once again, the safety of his embrace enough for the moment to hold back a reality I wished to avoid. I whispered the words against his skin, the horror of it muted by his touch.
“A man broke in. He came to my room. I slipped past him and ran to my parents’ room, but…” My voice trailed off as flashes of blood soaked sheets and the sightless stare of my father came back to me. Gorge rushed into my throat and I shoved against Dane frantically. He spun me around, holding my ponytail as I emptied my stomach into the toilet. The retching seemed to go on forever, the spasms exhausting as my body tried to purge the images from my mind. A damp washcloth appeared in my hand as the toilet flushed.
“Rinse your mouth and take slow sips.” He told me, holding a small plastic cup out to me. I did as he said, the trickle of lukewarm water down my throat easing the burn.
My head tilted back and his eyes narrowed. He turned my cheek and I felt his hands settle on my neck, precisely where the man had tried to choke me. It occurred to me that I should feel frightened, bothered by his touch where someone had so recently tried to take my life, but I didn’t. There was no fear whatsoever, even the panic I’d felt when I’d found myself here was held at bay. I knew I should be freaking out, calling the cops, doing something, anything. My parents were dead, shot and killed by a man who claimed he wanted me because I was magical, chosen. For what, I had no idea, but none of it mattered at the moment.
I was here, safe with Dane, and that thought, out of all of them, should have frightened me the most.
“Maybe we should go to the common room.” He said finally, his eyes wary as I crouched next to the toilet. He held out his hand to help me up and I took it cautiously, the action as unfamiliar as it was familiar. I’d held his hand a thousand times before, maybe a million even, but when we’d fought the last time I’d known it was over. You couldn’t go back from what we’d said, because no matter what people say, some words were unforgivable. He reached around, flicking the lock on the bathroom door, a habit he’d had since his little sister had walked in on him once. It didn’t matter where he was, or if no one was home.
He locked the bathroom door.
I stared at the lock, trying to figure out how I’d gotten in here. Had I blacked out? But that didn’t explain how I’d gotten through a locked door. My buzzing thoughts grew louder, angry as I tried to explain the unexplainable. I shook my head, trying to brush them away, but it only seemed to make it worse.
The door swung open and he ushered me out into a basic dorm bedroom. A desk along with an extra-long twin bed took up the majority of the space, but it was the framed picture resting on the nightstand next to it that caught my attention. It was Dane and I right before the fight that ended us. We were staring at one another, the rest of the world completely forgotten as we lived in our own little bubble. That was the way it had always been. From the very first day we met, there was no one else. There couldn’t be.
I blinked back tears, determined not to let them fall. I didn’t cry, at least not in front of anyone, minus Dane. He’d b
een privy to a few shed tears, but even then I’d rub them away in irritation. The impression of weakness infuriated me.
I sat on the bed, unwilling to leave his side even to give him privacy as he dressed. He didn’t question it, just pulled boxer briefs from a drawer and a pair of loose pants. I shifted my eyes from him as he dropped the towel, pulling his clothes on. The smooth play of muscle flickered in the corner of my eye, but I kept my face stubbornly forward.
I knew why Dane was the one I’d turned to in my terror and the realization didn’t sit well. As hard as I’d tried to purge him from my life, to cut out every piece of him, every thought of him, to move on, I couldn’t.
Because no matter how badly I wanted to, I couldn’t tear my own soul in two.
Movement caused my eyes to blur as he squatted in front of me.
“You ready to talk?” The words were gentle, a soft approach used in an effort to not scare a wary prey.
“No, but I have to.” My eyes met his then as he gave me a slow nod. He waved his hand to the door even as he glanced down at the bed. He was giving me a choice. We could stay here or we could go to the common room. I tucked my feet under me, making my decision. He eased down next to me, the heat from his body warming the permanent chill that seemed to have taken up residence inside of me. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt, only dressing because of our current circumstances. There had once been a time I’d known his body better than my own.
The Trinity Sisters Page 33
