Claiming Trinity

by Kali Willows

  “I’m not sure…but something is up. There’s a storm brewing over the water.”

  “We heard it, too. Any sign of the Dread Ones?” Rekkus replied.

  “Negative.” Kane released the button and waited for direction.

  “All units, this is team leader, sound off location and status, over.” Rekkus’ tone was stern but calm.

  “Check point one, all is clear here.”

  “Check point two, nothing to report.”

  Eight units sounded off, but no one had spotted anything unusual. Kane’s gut knew different. He waited for the final two to respond, but they didn’t. A blinding bolt of lightning lit the black sky, and a thunderous crack boomed in the air. Residual tremors of the long rumbles shook the roof he stood on.

  “Unit nine, sound off,” Rekkus demanded.

  They didn’t reply. Kane lifted his head and drew in a long whiff of the dry air. No threat of rain, but vicious flashes repeatedly filled the entire sky. Horrific cracks of thunder pierced his sensitive ears. Kane scouted the landscape and the water for any sign of danger. Not a single gust of wind, yet the clouds rolled by like a speeding train. Out of nowhere, a torrential downpour started and then shifted to horizontal rain with blasts of wind of epic proportions. More cracks of lightning bolts lit the sky. The gusts hit in solid waves, so fierce it nearly knocked the rock-solid gargoyle off his feet. A brutal fireworks display of nature threatened to strike close. Another crack of lightning hit a tree at the forest beside the dock. Kane jumped down from the roof in a single leap and ducked inside the cabin.

  “What is it?” Trinity stood, draped in a sheet, with Arawn’s arms wrapped around her trembling body.

  “It’s just a thunderstorm,” he lied. He caught Arawn’s stare and feigned a lighthearted shrug.

  The cabin lights flickered then blacked out, and everything went deathly silent. The rain, thunder, and lightning all stopped, and the lights flickered back on.

  “What in Tartarus…?” Arawn hissed.

  “Kane, do you read me?” a different voice rang out from the radio.

  “This is Kane,” he called back.

  “It’s Cemil. I’m at the barracks. Everything is okay.”

  “What happened?” Rekkus hollered into the radio.

  “I’m with Brody Natura,” Cemil sounded winded.

  “This was Brody?” Rekkus roared.

  “Yeah.” The static increased. “He had a nightmare. It’s under control now.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.” Arawn widened his eyes. “The teen with kinetic abilities,” he murmured in a low voice to a visibly stunned Trinity. “He’s had trouble with his talents, hasn’t been able to control them.”

  “I can relate.” She flashed a weak grin.

  “Copy that. Rekkus,” Kane continued, “Be advised, there is one more unit not checked in.” Adolescent nightmare or not, his gut kept him on alert.

  “Unit nine, sound off,” Rekkus ordered.

  Silence ensued for several seconds.

  “Yes, sir, this is unit nine.” The radio crackled.

  “Where were you?” Rekkus snarled.

  “The post we were at got struck by lightning, sir. No injuries, but we had to run for it.”

  “Damage report? All units,” Rekkus demanded.

  “Three trees down and a small blaze by unit nine, sir. It’s under control now. Over.”

  The rest of the units checked in, casualty and damage free.

  Trinity rushed to the bathroom, returning with a towel, and approached Kane. Worry shone in her bright-blue eyes as she patted down his soaked hair and face. “Did you get hurt?”

  “No, darlin’, I’m fine.” He cupped her hand against his cheek and then kissed the inside of her wrist. “So much for a peaceful night.” He grinned.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The warmth of his body against her back eased Trinity from her restless sleep.

  I so want to wake you up with me deep inside you. His naughty words filled her head and sent flutters of anticipation throughout her core.

  “I’m not opposed to a morning stiffy.” She giggled, her eyes still shut.

  “What?” Surprise tainted Arawn’s voice.

  “You said you wanted to wake me up with you deep inside me. I’m all for it.” She arched her back and pressed her ass against his hardness through the material of his pants.

  “Trinity, I didn’t say a word.” His tone was tinged with alarm.

  “You didn’t?” She opened her heavy eyelids and turned over.

  “No.” He knitted his brows. “But those were my exact thoughts, word for word.”

  A loud thump sounded on the porch.

  “Kane’s up, too.” Arawn propped his elbow on the pillow above her and threaded his fingers through her hair. With his free hand, he held her necklace between his fingers and frowned. “I think maybe the talisman is losing its protection.”

  “Right.” In two days, she hadn’t read a single thought of anyone on the island, and it had been such a relief, she hadn’t anticipated the curse returning so quickly.

  The front door opened, and Kane strolled in, stretching his arms over his head as he yawned. “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” She forced a smile to greet him, despite the lingering fear festering in her stomach.

  “Let’s get you some coffee and breakfast.” Her immortal squeezed her tight and kissed her forehead. “Cemil wants us to bring you to see Sarka first then to the Elysian Fields to meet him.”

  “Oh, okay.” A sense of dread filled her chest.

  What could Sarka want this time? Maybe she blamed Trinity for the teen’s hellish nightmare last night? Although a conference with the dark Rowan sister held far more appeal than the prospect of a face-to-face confrontation with her parents or her uncle from the realm of the dead. She had pushed her worry aside for days. It had been convenient to forget her fear they might blame her for their deaths, or, worse yet, reveal she had gone insane after all.

  Proof was in the pudding; even the temporary reprieve of magical jewelry hadn’t been enough to stave her empathic curse. Just as she had experienced with Arawn a moment ago, her ability to read thoughts had returned, a talent that would once again prove torturous on the island with other paras and humans alike. How long would it be before she became subject to bouts of searing pain in her head again? Overpowered with others’ emotions?

  “Hey, princess.” Arawn cradled her cheek in his palm and gazed into her eyes. “It’ll be okay. Things will get better from here on out.”

  Trinity needed to believe him, but her pesky self-doubt overruled his words of comfort. She nuzzled her cheek into his hand and relished the affection and support.

  Clad in jeans, a T-shirt, and runners, she tried to enjoy the hearty breakfast of sausage and eggs Kane whipped up for them. The trip in the golf cart to meet Sarka at the Haus proved to be a long, quiet one. Arawn drove and Kane sat on the back while she rode shotgun. The intensity of both their worries crowded her. Irritation flooded her at the invasion of uncertainty, theirs and her own.

  Their arrival didn’t alleviate the awkward silence. Her gargoyle held open the door, and she entered the main building with little enthusiasm. They approached the front desk to find Myron there to welcome them with a friendly smile.

  “Good morning Miss McWraith.” She flipped her cards.

  “Trinity, please. Call me Trinity.” She glanced at the name tag and shook her head with amusement. “Still can’t find yours, huh, Geoff?”

  “As fate would have it, not today, Trinity.” Myron giggled. “Sarka is ready for you. You two gentlemen, Rekkus is doing a security check in the dining hall. He’s waiting for you.”

  Trinity hugged herself as she avoided the dire need to touch or kiss her immortal and gargoyle. A sudden upsurge of shame washed over her at the realization they could get into serious trouble with the cranky tiger man if he found out about their three-way
tryst. A tidal wave of insecurity struck.

  What if, after this week, I never see them again? I’m not good enough for them, except for a single night of fucking. They got laid; maybe they’ll ask to be reassigned and be done with me. What was wrong with her? Last night, she had been relaxed, confident, and felt so much at ease with them both. Where did this plethora and negative emotions come crashing in from? They certainly hadn’t done anything to ignite her angst. They had been sweet, caring, and affectionate, as they had been all week.

  “Miss…uh, Trinity?” Myron snagged her attention away from her obsessive self-loathing.

  “Um…yeah?” She shook her head to dispel the despair that had somehow encased her within seconds of being away from them.

  “Are you all right?” Myron set her cards down and stood.

  “Sure, why do you ask?”

  “You seemed to drift off there for a minute.” The receptionist stepped around the desk and escorted her to the office door. “Your eyes glazed, and you were somewhere else.”

  “I did?” Fogginess rolled over her brain.

  “I’ll see you in to Sarka, and I’ll be right back, okay?” Panic filled Myron’s mind. “Wait.” Trinity gripped her arm with urgency. “You’re afraid? Your chest hurts and you’re nauseous?”

  Myron’s breath hitched. “Right this way, Trinity. Please, there is no time to waste.”

  She complied mindlessly, her limbs numbed, and Myron led her to the door. It was as if she were in a daydream. She could see, on autopilot, but had little control over her thoughts or body.

  “Sarka,” Myron’s tone held a tinge of the same panic Trinity sensed. “It’s happening. The cards…. I have to get the others, as we discussed.”

  “Now?” Sarka met them at the door. Uncharacteristic anxiety filled her exotic features. “Yes, Myron. Go now. I’ve got her.”

  Relief and sorrow washed over Trinity when she couldn’t read Sarka. “What’s happening to me?”

  “I need you to look at me.” Sarka cupped her chin and stared into her eyes. “Where are your glasses?”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “I forgot them back at the cabin.”

  “It’s okay. You’re safe here.” She shifted slightly to the side and recaptured Trinity’s wandering gaze. “Where is your talisman?”

  Her hands had numbed, her arms like Jell-O. “Around my neck.”

  “It’s not there now. Think back. When do you last remember having it on?”

  “We were on our way here.”

  “Did anything happen after the storm last night?”

  “I don’t think so. I didn’t sleep well.”

  “What about this morning?”

  “I woke up, I….” She searched her foggy brain. “I heard Arawn’s voice when I woke up.”

  “He spoke to you?”

  Trinity snapped out of the daze, a shockwave of terror sliced through her chest. “No, he was thinking. I heard his thoughts in my sleep. He said the necklace must have stopped working, but I had it on at the time.”

  “Did you take it off?” Sarka spoke with a stern tone.

  “No. At least, I don’t think so.”

  “Your talents are not blocked anymore. You’re feeling everything all at once, like when you first arrived. In order to help you achieve balance, we had to mute the stimuli around you. That gave you a little break to build your strength.”

  Trinity knew exactly what Sarka meant. Soon, she would be overwhelmed with every thought, emotion, and concern they all had, which would leave her even more vulnerable to attack by the Furies. “Can’t you bind my powers?”

  “Which ones?”

  “All of them?”

  “Then who will you be? Your gifts are a part of you.” Sarka shook her head. “To bind you is not a solution.”

  “It will take this damned target off of my back, won’t it?”

  “Bemoaning your genetic inheritance won’t help you gain balance or control.”

  “Then what will?” Her eyes blurred with tears of frustration.

  The office door burst open, and in came Rekkus, Cyrus, Kane, and Arawn.

  “What happened?” Rekkus stormed to Sarka. “Myron said she saw them in the cards?”

  “I’m not sure, but her talisman is gone,” Sarka replied. “Did either of you see her take it off?”

  “No,” Kane replied.

  “She had it on when she woke up.” Arawn glanced around the floor as if trying to locate the object in question. “We had breakfast, she got dressed, and we came straight here.” He paused. “But she heard my thoughts this morning. I wondered if it had stopped working.”

  “We need to treat this as a level one safety threat.” Rekkus stated.

  “I don’t understand.” Trinity scouted everyone’s panicked expressions. “Someone, please explain to me what in Tartarus is going on? Why are you so hyper vigilant?”

  “We communicated with higher sources to get some answers.” Cyrus’s nostrils flared as he spoke. “The Syndicate did not approve or support the Furies to be sent after you, so they will answer to their interference once they’ve been caught.”

  “So, then, who sent them?” she beseeched.

  “We’re still not sure, but if the Syndicate doesn’t know about it, it’s underground and runs deep, like Arawn suspected.” Rekkus said.

  Cyrus pressed his lips tight for a moment. “Last night’s storm was no coincidence. Your symptoms and missing amulet confirms our suspicions. The Furies are on the attack as we speak.”

  Trinity heard murmurs from Arawn and looked to him for answers. He had leaned in to chat with Kane. “Tell me what you know, please?”

  Arawn threaded his fingers through her hair, but the soothing touch he offered had no impact on her nerves that blazed with wrath. “The favor I called in, an acquaintance from the Underworld, confirmed there is a new movement going on. The information is minimal, but there is a hit list of paras under attack, and you’re on it.”

  “There’s more. Spill it.”

  “So were your parents, and your uncle,” he confessed.

  What could they have possibly done to warrant such a horrific fate? “Why?”

  “We don’t know. That’s all the intel they could gather. Like we said, it runs deep.” Arawn lowered his chin.

  “So, how am I supposed to find out more?”

  Sarka cleared her throat. “Cemil is waiting for you now. There’s no time to waste. There are only three paras who can tell you what you need to know.”

  Trinity squeezed her eyes shut and cringed. “My dead family.”

  “Hey.” Kane rubbed her shoulder. “You doin’ okay, darlin’?” The soothing tone he offered did nothing to disguise the alarm his eyes held.

  “No,” she snarled and tugged away from his touch. Red flooded her vision, and she stormed past the crowd and out the door.

  “Wait!” several voices demanded.

  Trinity bolted for the golf cart, determined to do this on her own. Mere steps away from the driver’s seat, a sudden grip on her upper arm jerked her back and spun her around.

  “Let me go,” she wailed.

  “Hey, princess.” Arawn placed his palms on her cheeks and stared deep into her eyes. The warmth of his dark orbs smoothed out the venom coursing through her veins. She lowered her shoulders, and the boiling of her blood suddenly eased.

  “What just happened?” She shrugged with defeat. “Why did I go into a fit of rage?”

  “It’s the Furies.” He pulled her into his embrace and held together her shattering pieces. “They’re messing with your mind. My guess is they need to weaken you before you get to the Elysian Fields.”

  “Why?” she whimpered and nestled into his powerful chest.

  “If you get the answers you need, the closure and the healing, it takes away their leverage to torment you. They can’t hurt you physically. Their power over you is psychological.”

  Ka
ne rushed to them. “Is she okay?”

  “I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. Right back to the state of insecurity and devastation which consumed her before she arrived on the island, Trinity was crushed.

  “Look at me,” Kane commanded. She twisted her head to the side to find his brilliant emerald eyes filled with sadness. “They won’t win. We won’t let them hurt you anymore.”

  “I know you wouldn’t,” she disputed with helplessness.

  “Then don’t you dare let them either.” His voice held a dark command she’d never experienced with him before.

  “What?” Arawn had been more of the aggressor of the two. This dominance was uncharacteristic of her gargoyle in her short experience with him.

  “You’re the most intelligent woman I’ve ever met.” He stared her down, and his gaze softened. “They are not smarter than you. If you want to beat this, you need to lift your chin and stand tall.”

  “How?” The need to push away the terror and defeat was still heavily weighted by her trepidation.

  “You’ve helped others with their emotions for years. How would you help a patient to overcome fear, adversity, or self-doubt?”

  Trinity pondered his thought-provoking question. “I would get them to find their inner strength.”

  “Okay, what if they don’t have any?” he bantered with a smartass smirk filling his rugged features.

  “We all have inner strength….” As the words spilled from her lips, the realization of his logic sank into her weary brain. “I have the strength.”

  “You’re not only the most intelligent, you’re also the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” Arawn concurred and released her from his embrace.

  “You’re right, both of you.” Trinity steeled her back with purpose. “I’m not a victim.” She shook her head. “Let’s go. It’s time to put an end to this mind-fuck.” She hopped in the golf cart shotgun, and they headed out.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lost in her conflicted internal dispute of dread crossed with rage, Trinity hadn’t paid attention to the route they took until Arawn pulled to a stop. She glanced up to find the most breathtaking scenery—a vast forest of cedar, oaks, and birch trees, painted with the most whimsical floral carpet of lavender which stood two feet tall and swayed in the breeze.