“Listen to me. This will be hard to accept, but it’s the truth. You are a Centaur warrior, a very special warrior. Trust whomever you believe is trustworthy, but be wary of anyone you believe is deceitful. Your sister and I went all the way to Ireland to try to find a way to keep your grandmother from finding us. Unfortunately, I think she’s on her way here now, and it turns out she wasn’t the one we should have been worried about.”
He didn’t flinch at this revelation. He definitely knew more than he was letting on. Would his guardian have told him? I couldn’t tell if it was genuine interest or if he was playing along when he asked, “My grandmother? Why would you be hiding from a grandmother?”
“Zandra is the most powerful Centauride in the world. She is the chairman of the Centaur Council and wanted to force Camille to marry a different Centaur.”
“Sounds a little like Romeo and Juliet action, then huh?” As stressed out as I was feeling, he made me smile. Cameron was like a chameleon, switching quickly between a backwoods and an educated accent in the blink of an eye. He had probably been hiding most of his life, better aware of his surroundings and the company he kept than most.
“No, not at all like that, but a tragedy all the same. Cami and I escaped from Zandra’s house a week ago. We found your Great-Uncle Zethus in Ireland, and he told us to look for you here.”
“You two were looking for me?”
“You and the arrow.”
His eyes narrowed. I’d said something wrong. Cameron was suddenly on the defense and was viewing me as a threat. His tone was icy when he answered, “I think I’ll stay put and see who knocks on the door next. You can take a seat and wait with me.” He motioned toward the sofa.
I heard car doors outside. I was too late. They were here. I’d never find her now. My heart was breaking as the reality took hold – I could lose her, really lose her. I saw Cameron walk over toward the fireplace mantle when we heard the knocking on the door. His expression gave him away. He didn’t want to leave me alone in this room. He struggled with what to do. His eyes kept looking at a bookshelf in the corner.
A second knock, louder than the first sounded on the door, and Cameron found his hick accent again. “Looks like we’ve got some more guests. Best go welcome them to my humble abode.”
As soon as he had cleared the threshold of the door, I was off the couch and searching the shelves. One very large, hardcover book stood out on the top shelf. The title was Crazy Horse – a Photographic Chronology. The book was an oversized picture book, one someone might keep on a coffee table. It set on the top shelf, by itself – centered with not a speck of dust around it.
I took a deep breath and one quick glimpse over my shoulder. I reached up to the top shelf, removed the book, and flipped it open. Pages had been sliced out of the book to allow room for a very ancient, ornate-looking arrow. I could feel the arrow’s power without touching it. The arrow’s tip had been encased in a plastic covering. The plastic covering sheltered the blood of the hydra that still clung to it. This had been Hercules’ arrow.
I could hear Cameron’s voice speaking to whoever was at the door. “I don’t take kindly to people showin’ up unannounced, but you aren’t the first ones tonight. Come on into the living room, so we can sort this out.”
I had what I’d come for. The arrow’s charms would do Cameron no good now that they knew who he was and where he lived. I wheeled around looking for an escape route and found a door that went through a laundry room and out a back door. I ran as fast as I could run; I didn’t look over my shoulder, and I didn’t stop running. I had the arrow. No one could keep Cami away from me, and no one would try to hide her from me now that I had it.
Chapter 22
(Camille – four days after being kidnapped, FL)
Haziness enveloped me. Flashes of light nearly blinded me while glimpses of conversation lay scattered. I tried to make sense of them. Drake’s voice, “I can’t sacrifice my bloodline. . . she’ll be better off with you. . .” the image of Phineas shaking Drake’s hand.
I screamed, “Nooooo!” Silence was the only thing that escaped me.
More flashes of light, a tunnel of haze, then Phineas’s voice, “I accept your choice to marry my son. You will lead us out of the Dark Ages. . .” More silent screams from me.
I clung to the happiest memory I had. It was Drake’s betrothal pledge. I tried to replay it in my mind, but the words were all garbled.
More flashes of light. A man I’d never seen before was giving me his betrothal pledge with Phineas watching. It didn’t feel right.
None of it made sense. Where was I? What was the last thing I could remember? Drake. Drake in the hotel. Daniel called on the phone and warned us we were in danger. Phineas at the door. . . the blood. . . Drake was on the floor . . . then darkness.
Bright lights flashed in my mind. More images that didn’t belong there. Something was wrong . . . seriously wrong. It felt like someone was in my head, a stranger, manipulating memories, planting images.
It was a woman. I zeroed in on her thoughts and sifted through the jumbled mess in my head. The memories she was trying to put into me were wrong, all wrong. Memories at the surface of my consciousness were in high definition, then static-filled images intermixed. The static-filled images weren’t mine.
I began pushing against her. A new memory, not fuzzy like the others, shone through my mind.
I concentrated, willing all the strength left in my body to force her out of my head . . . to weed through the images that didn’t belong there. My muscles ached and I felt numb, but I continued to push. I uprooted anything that wasn’t clear, yanking out memories that didn’t belong.
Minutes passed. Exhaustion drained me of what little strength remained, but I couldn’t let my guard down. Whatever was happening had been an assault. Someone had been in my head, not like when my first Centauride friend, Bianca, had read my thoughts. Someone was in my head, inserting memories that didn’t fit – memories that weren’t true.
When I was sure I had gotten all of the memory remnants out of me, I went on the offense. I zeroed in on the Centauride who had been in my head. Physically she was only a few feet away, but her mind was locked away, her thoughts hidden behind a steel door. I wanted to rest, give into the exhaustion, let my body float effortlessly back to my dreams of Drake.
Just as I was about to fold back in on myself, I heard my mother’s voice echo in my mind, “Your life is full of choices. Choose wisely.”
In that moment, if I were to escape back into my dreams, I would lose everything. A new strength began growing in me, anticipating what I must do. I stood at the steel door that was protecting the Centauride’s thoughts. I reached for the handle. It wouldn’t budge. I pounded feebly against it. I saw myself standing tall in front of the door. I summoned every ounce of strength I had, put my hand on the handle, and turned.
Someone was on the other side holding the handle in place with every ounce of her strength. I could hear her grunts behind the door, desperately trying to keep me out. I didn’t relent. I let go of the notion that I could fail and kept turning. Sweat peppered my brow, veins stuck out on my hands, muscles throbbed in my arm, and finally . . . the door gave way. I was in the Centauride’s head, behind her protective door and able to rummage around her thoughts.
Her mind replayed a conversation with Phineas speaking to William on the phone. William had called Phineas, threatening to publicly renounce the Lost Herd if I wasn’t returned.
The Lost Herd had been hiding from the rest of the Centaurs for millennia. Phineas had a plan to try to convince me I was betrothed to his son.
He had set up a meeting with my father where Will thought I would be handed over. It was a ruse: I wouldn’t be there, and they planned to slaughter my family. My mother’s final gift to me was a family so I wouldn’t be alone; Phineas wouldn’t take her gift away from me.
I rummaged through all of the Centauride’s memories, forcing her to hide in her own mind. She was def
eated.
I felt my Chiron blood pumping through my veins. It was stronger than the Tak blood. I finally understood why people treated me differently. When Zandra said we had been touched by Zeus, it was all I could do not to roll my eyes at her. But with my rage toward Phineas, I could feel Zeus’s rage, as well. If I were in different circumstances, the power would have been frightening.
The Centauride whose mind I had rummaged through had hidden herself away. I willed myself to fight off the drug in my veins that kept me immobile. I forced the drug out through my pores and felt my consciousness slowly returning.
I awoke to darkness. My hands and feet were bound. I had a blindfold on my face. I was a little disoriented, and the strength I had used against the Centauride had drained me.
A Centaur stood guard over me in this room – I could feel him. Whoever he was, this Centaur hadn’t been at the hotel, and he was not masking any of his thoughts from me. I couldn’t detect the Lost Herd’s blood in him. I couldn’t distinguish anything beyond the two bloodlines in my own veins, but his didn’t feel like either. I wondered to myself how a dominant bloodline was established? Considering how long Centaurs had roamed earth, we should all have fractions of all bloodlines running through us, but in myself I only detected two. I couldn’t explain how, but I knew this Centaur’s bloodline was neither. When I got myself out of here, I needed to ask Drake.
I cleared my throat, “Hello, who’s there?” I almost didn’t recognize my own voice. My throat was dry and my voice barely more than a whisper.
“It is Brutus, my lady. Can I get you some water?” His thoughts were pure. He was not okay with this kidnapping. He heard what had been done to Drake and was furious with Phineas. I didn’t answer at first, trying to pinpoint how he belonged to the Lost Herd, then I realized his wife was a member. I saw an image of the team that took me, and the young Centaur who Phineas had called Sebastian was Brutus’s son.
My scratchy answer, “Yes, water.”
He put his hand behind my back and gently lifted me to a seated position. He left the blindfold I was wearing in place as he brought a glass of water to my mouth. I’d never had someone else give me a drink, and I expected to dribble all over myself, but Brutus was far too attentive. He brought the glass up only enough for me to drink. When I’d had enough, he was quick to notice and to put the glass back down.
The water made an immediate difference. After having been knocked out for I didn’t know how long, my throat should have been completely raw. Either Brutus had just given me magic water, or I had crazy healing powers.
“Thank you, Brutus.” The water made my mouth come alive. “More water.” By the time he’d helped me slowly drink two full glasses, I felt much better.
“Can I get you some food, my lady?”
“No, not right now. Call me, Cami, though.”
He didn’t respond. “Brutus, you’re a good man. Am I right?”
“Not as good as I’d like to be, my. . . Miss Cami.”
“Do you have a family, Brutus?” I knew that he did; I’d already seen them in his mind.
“Yes, yes I do.”
“I suggest you leave this place now. Go be with your family.”
“Miss Cami, some of these men are. . . savages. I cannot leave you alone here.”
I smiled. I hoped Brutus could see, but I couldn’t be sure if we were in a lighted room or a dark one. No light penetrated the blindfold I wore. I looked into Brutus’s future. It was like looking at every kid’s ideal father: the one who coaches little league and soccer, the one who takes friends camping with his family. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if anything happened to him. “I’m leaving. Untie me and go home to your family. You have protected me while I was unable to protect myself, but you need to think of your family now. Go.”
“Miss Cami, I can’t leave you.”
I smiled at Brutus, “Watch this. If you decide I still need your protection, I’ll do my best not to hurt you.”
With as much volume as I had ever produced, I yelled, “Phineas, I’m awake! I want to see you now!”
Fear shown on his face, “Shhh, Miss Cami, he’s not here. Be quiet. The others will hear you.”
“I want them to hear me.”
“No, you don’t.” His hands worked feverishly unbinding my hands and my ankles. I took off my blindfold as he asked, “Can you walk?”
I could see Brutus’s thoughts: he was scared of Phineas. He tried to shelter my body, standing in between me and the door. More quietly I said, “Brutus, move to the corner of the room.”
He reluctantly took a few steps to the right, but he was definitely not out of the way. I felt a Centaur approaching. I heard the door squeak as it was opened. “My lady, I’m so glad you’re awake. Phineas will be pleased.” His voice was jovial, as if we had just come back from a baseball game and he was taking me back home, rather than having been a part of my abduction.
“I have a message I’d like you to carry to Phineas.” My voice was strong and full of authority. I still had the bottled rage pumping through my arteries. I could feel him cringe at my demand.
I watched the jumbled thoughts in his head trying to come up with a plan. He noticed the Centauride on the chair next to me, looking as if she were dead. He saw Brutus standing to the side. Ignoring my “message” comment, the Centaur began reiterating the false memories I had already ripped out of my head. “He understands the importance of you leading the Lost Herd. Your father has given his blessing for you to marry Phineas’s son. Once you two have gotten to know each other and produce an heir, Phineas intends to step down as the leader of the Tak family and pass it to you.”
“I’ve already chosen Drake. Phineas knows that. Let me go, and I’ll let you live. But know this: if Drake suffered any permanent damage, I’ll be back. I’ll not just extinguish you – I will take out everyone involved.” I felt Brutus stepping further away from me like I had asked him to before this Centaur arrived.
“Camille, I don’t want to, but if you force me, I’ll go get you another shot.” It was a hollow threat. They didn’t have any more of the drug with them. His thoughts gave him away: he was scrambling. His fear was becoming more pronounced as my strength refused to waiver. I kept seeing flickers of a Centauride in his mind: her name was Violet, and she lay seemingly lifeless in the chair next to my bed.
“You’ve got to the count of three to move out of my way.”
“My lady, in all due respect, you may be a Chiron, but you aren’t in any position to be making demands.”
“One.”
“That’s cute. You’re counting just like my wife does with our youngest.”
“Two.”
“I’m not sure what you hope to accomplish. You are going to take your place in our herd. Fighting it will just make it worse.”
“Three.” I could feel the Centaur’s nervousness. He didn’t know what to expect. His mind raced to the way I had killed the Centaur who had attacked Drake in the hotel, the first time I had moved an object with my mind. The rage inside of me boiled, begging to be unleashed. I didn’t think of an object to toss at him for fear that I would hurt Brutus in the process.
“That was pretty dramatic, my queen. Now if you’ll just settle down for a minute, I’ll see what I can do to make you more comfortable. Phineas and his son will be here shortly.”
I was wholly focused on the Centaur’s thoughts. I could hear them more clearly than I could hear the jumbled up mess coming from his voice. I concentrated on his thoughts, visualizing the blood vessels in his brain. I could feel the blood pumping. His blood called to me because I shared the same lineage: it was easy to hone in on it. I called to his veins, seeing them constrict, manipulating them to stop the blood flow. The Centaur didn’t realize I was doing anything at first.
“Trust me when I tell you that it is your destiny to bring the Tak family back to the rest of the Centaur community. We don’t want to hide in the shadows anymore. We’ve more than paid our debt to Z
eus. It’s time for us to emerge, and you will be our leader.”
I heard his words but refused to stop my concentration. The Centaur brought both hands to his temples as if he had an excruciating headache. As he fell to his knees, both hands were on his head and his eyes were wide. I watched for another thirty seconds before I heard Brutus’s voice, “You’re not a murderer, Miss Cami. Spare him and you have my word, you’ll go free.”
I saw the memory of Drake being kicked and punched in the hotel room while Phineas watched. Phineas had held me immobile, so I was unable to help Drake. Phineas had enjoyed the pain being inflicted; he was sadistic and wanted Drake dead. This centaur kneeling before me on the floor had held Drake down. I wanted retribution.
I wanted this Centaur to feel the life being squeezed out of him. Brutus came to me and touched my shoulder, “Miss Cami, mercy. Show him mercy. This Centaur is not to blame. He was only following orders. Let him live.”
Brutus’s touch was kind. With it, the guilt of taking another’s life reined me back. He was right. I wasn’t a murderer, at least not a murderer by choice. I thought of the Centaur who had attacked Drake in the hotel. I’d killed him. It wasn’t what I wanted; I just wanted him to stop hurting Drake. I nodded my answer and let go of the veins I had manipulated in the Centaur’s head. I could feel the veins open wide, blood pumping back to his brain.
I turned in the direction of Brutus’s voice. I looked at Brutus for the first time. His name could have been “brick wall,” and it would have aptly described his physique.
I was in a bedroom, nicely decorated with antique lamps resting on doilies protecting an intricately carved wooden bedroom set. While I had been blindfolded, I smelled a mustiness in the air and had envisioned being captive in a room similar to the one at Zandra’s house. This room wasn’t nearly as large, the paint wasn’t peeling, and there wasn’t a thick layer of dust everywhere. I was in someone’s home, but whose?
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