The Emerald Key

by Vicky Burkholder

  “Before you go, tell me where the woman is.”

  “Don’t know who you’re talking about,” the one holding his arm said.

  Nic flashed the sword so the tip caught the man below his chin. “Try again.”

  “She…she’s in there!” The one with the bloody cloth pointed at the rubble. “It all blew up around us. We barely got out.”

  “Where’s William?” Nic pressed the point a little harder when the man seemed reluctant to answer.

  “Don’t know. Said something about going after the other three.”

  “What about the second car? Who’s it belong to?”

  “Other two guards. One’s dead. Other’s out cold.”

  Nic pulled the sword away from the thug. “I ought to run you both in, but I’m feeling generous. Get your sorry asses out of here, and don’t stop until you hit the ocean.” Seeing as the closest beach lay a good four-hour drive away, that should give him some leeway.

  “But my arm…”

  Nic aimed the sword back at his throat. “Your choice—William or me. Got it?”

  “Yes, sir. No problem, sir. The ocean, sir.” They scrambled into the SUV and tore off in a shower of dirt and stones. Nic checked the other two thugs. One had no pulse; the other, breathing but unconscious. He found a length of wire and secured the man’s arms and legs. Nic turned to the pile of rubble, his heart pounding, his breath refusing to come. “Cass?”

  He started at one corner and pulled away debris. He’d barely made a dent before the police, fire trucks, and an ambulance pulled up, followed by Greg’s truck.

  “Nic?” Greg ran up to him and yanked him away from the rubble. Steve followed two steps behind him. “What happened? Where’s Cass?”

  “She’s in there. I have to find her.”

  Nic barely heard Greg calling to the others, and kept digging until his hands bled, and Greg once again pulled him away.

  “Nic, stop. Let these guys do their job. They’ll find her.”

  “What if…” He couldn’t even think the rest of the sentence.

  “We’ve got something!” one of the men yelled from a different section of the debris.

  Nic shouldered his way through the workers, shoving Steve aside as well. A bloody hand with long thin fingers and a ring on the index finger stuck out from beneath the rubble. He could also see plastic binders around her wrist. “Cass!” He reached for her, fighting when Greg and another man held him back.

  A med tech knelt and took her wrist. “I’ve got a pulse.”

  “Let me go!” Nic struggled against the men.

  “Nic! Stop! Let them work. They know what they’re doing.”

  Greg’s words got through and Nic stopped fighting. “I can’t lose her, Greg. Not again.”

  “I know, buddy. I know.”

  Nic stumbled as a meaty fist came out of nowhere and caught him on the chin. His training kicked in and he instantly went into fight mode, then he saw who’d hit him. “Steve?”

  “This is all your fault! If anyone should be arrested for kidnapping, it’s you! You forced her to go to some sleazy hotel, then this happened. You should have stayed away and let her alone. She’d be fine if you’d never come.”

  Steve reared back to hit him again, but Nic easily deflected the blow. Nic didn’t want to fight the man, but he had no chance to refuse as Steve aimed a flurry of blows. Nic retaliated, but held back as he didn’t want to hurt the man.

  “I’ll get you for resisting arrest, too!” Steve yelled.

  Nic kept stepping back as Greg and several other men tried to calm Steve down. To his surprise, a rather curvaceous, but very pale blonde wearing an expensive fur coat and spike-heeled boots sidled up to Steve, taking his arm and hauling him around to look at her with surprising strength.

  “Steve? What’s taking so long? Just arrest whoever you need to arrest and let’s go. I’m getting cold.”

  Steve turned to the blonde, a frown on his face. “You’re supposed to wait. You don’t belong here. Not yet.”

  The woman rolled her eyes at him. “Shame, really. It would have been a great place.” She looked around the destruction. “You can’t fix this mess and the others are waiting for us. We need to go.”

  “You know nothing. I’ll take care of you later. Go wait by the car. Now.” He turned to Nic, studying him with narrowed eyes. “Greg, this man is carrying deadly weapons. I want you to confiscate them.”

  “Steve—” Greg said, but Steve cut him off.

  “If you won’t do it, I will. And I’ll throw his ass in jail to boot.” He pulled his cuffs out of his pocket. “Maybe I will anyway. He’s been nothing but trouble since he got here. We’d be better off without him around. I know Cass would be. She was meant for better than him.”

  “We’ve got her out!”

  Weapons forgotten, Nic and Steve rushed forward as the rescuers finished uncovering Cass. Plastic binders and ropes still surrounded her arms and legs, and kept her attached to a pipe sticking out of the ground.

  Greg stood between him and Steve. “What the hell? Nic? What happened here?”

  Nic breathed easier when Cass’ eyes fluttered open. “Her stalker found us and kidnapped her. The dead one and the guy on the stretcher were her guards. Cass managed to get a message to me so I could find her. I don’t know why the building came down. It blew just as I got here.”

  “There’s been weird trouble like this all over town—mostly windows blowing out. Never seen anything like it,” Greg said. He glanced at Nic’s sword strapped to his back. “You might want to cover that up,” he whispered. “Looks a little out of place.”

  Greg’s words, and his meaning, finally got through to a small part of his brain. “You know?”

  “Got one like it.” He straightened and spoke a little louder. “I’ve been bending some pretty heavy rules for you, but even I have my limits.”

  Nic ran his hand over his head. “I know, Greg. And I promise, I’ll tell you everything once Cass is safe. But this isn’t over yet.” He watched as the men cut Cass’ bindings and lifted her onto a stretcher. Her eyes opened and she stared directly at him.

  “Nic?” Her voice emerged as more a cough than vocal.

  He immediately moved to her side. “I’m here, my love.”

  She reached up to touch his face. “When two are one, and one is all…”

  Nic finished her words. “Then must they heed fair Lemuria’s call.” He touched her hand. “The time is not yet right, but soon.”

  “Sir? We have to get her to the hospital,” one of the EMTs said. As soon as he did, Cass struggled to sit upright, fighting the straps holding her down.

  “No! No hospital. Nic, don’t let them take me.”

  “Cass, honey, you could have internal injuries.”

  “No! I’m fine. You can’t force me to go. Let me go.”

  Nic waved the EMT off. “Cass, calm down. What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t go to a hospital. I just can’t.”

  The light clicked on in Nic’s brain. “You were there when they brought your parents in. That’s where they died.”

  “That’s part of it, but it’s also me. I can feel others’ strong emotions. In a hospital, the sensations are overwhelming. And right now, I’m not in complete control. I would be a danger to others.”

  “But what if you’re hurt?”

  “Will you trust me if I say I’m not?”

  “You could be lying.” As soon as he said them, he knew the words to be wrong.

  “I’m not.”

  Nic unstrapped her and she climbed off the gurney.

  “Hey! What are you doing?” the EMT yelled.

  Cass turned to him. “Give me whatever forms you need me to sign and I’ll sign them. I’m refusing treatment and will not go with you.”

  “Cassandra? What’s going on?” Steve looked from one to the other, his face buried in a frown. “You need to come with me. Now. Get away from this madman. He’s not worthy of you.”

&n
bsp; Cass studied him and reached out to touch his face. “Steve? I’m so sorry.”

  “Sorry about what?”

  “Sorry that you have to find out this way. But I’m in love with Nic.”

  “Just like that? You don’t even know him. Know who he is. You can’t do this. Not now.”

  “Now? What do you mean? And it’s not a sudden decision. You know that. We were comfortable for each other, but that’s all. I hope you’ll always be my friend.”

  “Your friend. Yeah. Right.” His eyes narrowed and he grasped her arm, his fingers digging in. “How long has this been going on? How long have you been cheating on me?”

  “Steve! You’re hurting me.” Cass stared at him. What had happened to him? Steve was always in control. Never emotional.

  “You can’t go with him. He doesn’t deserve you. You’re meant for someone better.”

  “Like you? Steve, come on. We made good friends. Don’t ruin our past.” His words caused a shiver of worry in her gut. Meant for someone better? What did that mean?

  “Not me. Though I would gladly have acted the part as long as needed.”

  Cass frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “Hey, keep your hands off my husband!”

  Cass twisted away from Steve, and stared at the attractive blonde who came up and grabbed Steve’s arm. Steve’s red face and the rock on the woman’s ring finger told Cass all she needed to know. She turned a narrow-eyed glare on Steve. “Her husband? May I ask when you got married?”

  The woman stepped closer to Steve, disdain on her face as she studied Cass. “Yesterday, if it’s any business of yours. My daddy, the judge, performed the ceremony.” She puffed out her abundant chest. “Who are you?”

  “Absolutely nobody.” Cass turned a brilliant, if somewhat dusty, smile on Steve. “I hope you’ll both be very happy. Congratulations.”

  “Cass, I…I meant to tell you. It just happened so fast. We met at a club and…”

  “And? You hypocrite. When did you plan on telling me? On your tenth anniversary? I’m sure ‘Daddy’ will be a huge help for you. Our relationship would never have worked. You just wanted what I could bring you. Connections.” She turned away from the couple, then turned back. “And if you even think about doing anything to Nic, I’ll make sure Aunt Minerva gets the word out about you and what you did.”

  Steve glared at her. “You should be nicer to me, Cass. My time is coming. Enjoy yourself while you can. Maybe I’ll do you a favor when I’m in charge.”

  Cass spun away from him, her heart pounding, her head spinning. “Nic? Get me out of here.”

  Nic kept his eyes on Cass’ face, searching for any clue she was hurt, either physically or emotionally. Other than being covered by dust and a few cuts, she seemed whole. However, he knew looks could be deceiving. He did see her shiver, though. He shrugged out of his coat and wrapped the warmth around her. “Greg, Cass will be fine. Is it all right if we go?”

  “You can’t be serious. Where will you go? This guy obviously knows where to find you. Come back with me. We can keep her safe. Plus I’ve got a few hundred questions to ask you both.”

  “The questions can wait and you can’t keep her safe. Not from this. You know that.” Nic picked Cass up and carried her toward his truck still parked in the woods. He called back over his shoulder, “We’ll be fine. This will all be over by tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow? What are you talking about? Nic? Nic!”

  Nic gently put Cass in the truck, then ran around and jumped in his side and slammed the door. He tore out of the lot and headed back to town.

  “Where are we going?” Cass asked. She reached for her necklace, gasping when she discovered nothing there. “Nic! We have to go back.”

  “What? Why?”

  “My amulet. It’s gone.”

  Nic pulled over to the side of the road. “Think, Cass. Did you have it on in the hotel?”

  “I-I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

  “So you lost it between the cabin and the hotel. Did you wake up in the hotel, or before you got there?”

  “There. After they had me tied up.” She chewed her lip.

  “We’ll assume someone took it off you. I’m guessing whoever took it didn’t just let it lie around the hotel room. So it’s either with this person or back at the cabin.”

  “What if we can’t find it?”

  “After everything we’ve experienced, I have a feeling separating you from that amulet is a lot harder than anyone knows. I hate to sound like a damned movie, but ‘search your feelings.’ Do you sense the amulet is in your enemy’s hands?”

  Cass closed her eyes and he gave her a moment to think. She opened her eyes and shook her head. “No. He doesn’t have it. How could I know that?”

  “You’re asking me?” Nic shook his head. “I don’t believe half of what we’ve been doing. I do know I’d like to get you out of this town and not look back, but you won’t let me do that, will you?”

  “No. I have to see this through. I’m certain I don’t want to go to any more hotels, and I’m assuming my apartment is out as well as my aunt’s place.”

  “Correct. Nor do I want to go to Greg’s. I’d rather not put them in any more danger.”

  “Agreed. So what’s that leave us?”

  “The cabin, eventually. But I need to make some stops first. This time, we’re going to do this my way.”

  Their first stop was a local electronics shop. Next, Nic stopped at a hardware store, a grocery store, and, finally, a sporting goods store.

  Cass watched as Nic crammed bags and boxes in the back of the truck. She had a dull headache and her wrists hurt where William had bound her, but he’d done no serious damage. She leaned her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes, figuring Nic would let her know if he needed anything from her.

  After the last stop, he rummaged behind the seat and withdrew two long, leather cases. “Hold this.” Nic handed her one of the cases, and opened the second one. Inside was a rifle, which he removed and loaded.

  “I thought it was illegal to drive with a loaded weapon,” Cass said.

  “Yeah, well I’m about to do a bunch of things that aren’t exactly aboveboard. You okay with that?”

  For an answer, Cass unzipped the case she held, and took out a double-barreled shotgun. She held out her hand. “You got shells for this?”

  Cass popped the shells in the gun while Nic drove. She rested both guns across her lap.

  “You know how to load it, but do you know how to use them?”

  “I can usually hit what I aim at.” Cass reached for her pendant, then stopped.

  “What’s wrong?” Nic asked.

  “I’m so used to having the pendant.”

  “And you’ll get it back.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Tears clogged her throat.

  “A gut feeling. Besides, even if he did have it—which we know he doesn’t—he’s only got the one. And he can’t activate the key without all of them.” He grasped her hand. “And he will never have you again.” He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Cass, we can’t do anything about the key now. We’ll go back to the woodpile and search. If we find it, good. If we don’t, we’re not going to worry. All right?”

  Cass nodded and leaned into his hand, then sat back up as they reached the turnoff.

  After unlocking the gate, Nic pulled into the lane leading to the cabin and parked. “Think you can handle a little hike? I don’t want to drive up to the cabin without checking it out first.”

  “Yeah.” Cass handed him the guns and hopped out. “Nic? Your coat’s nice, but a little big.”

  “I noticed. Try this.” He tossed her a heavy, black wool sweater. She tugged it on over her head. The bottom fell past her hips, but at least it fit better than the coat, plus being toasty warm. She rolled up the sleeves and took the shotgun from Nic.

  Several hundred yards into the woods, a tingle went through her. “Nic?”

&nb
sp; Nic stopped and spun around, rifle at the ready. “Where?”

  “No, it’s okay. We just crossed a ward line.”

  “Is that what I felt?”

  “You sensed it?” Cass frowned at him. Most people couldn’t sense the wards. He seemed different somehow. Stronger, surer. Had their “dream” done something to them? Minerva once told her dreams often meant more than what appeared on the surface. And this had been the most powerful dream she’d ever had. Maybe more had opened in their minds than knowledge.

  “Someone put wards up around the property. Whoever did, if they’re still here, they know we are now too.”

  “So we’re prepared. Let’s keep going.” They followed a narrow path through the underbrush and circled around the cabin and barn.

  A short time later, they approached the cabin. He didn’t see any other vehicles, but Nic knew that didn’t mean anything. He pointed at the barn and Cass nodded.

  Together, they crept to the building, cracked the door open, and peeked in. Empty. Cass followed Nic in.

  “Looks like the place is clear,” Cass said.

  “So far, so good. But there’s something about the cabin—”

  Cass glanced out the door. “What? I don’t see anything.”

  “What about the smoke coming from the chimney?”

  * * * *

  William stared at the rubble that had been his hotel. He’d had her. He’d had his Cassandra and now she’d disappeared. Again. Where had he gone wrong?

  He sat in his car going over the day. He’d gone to the loop road with his men and found the lane. It hadn’t been easy. They’d had to walk the road before he sensed the magic surrounding the land, but he had found it. They’d left the car at the entrance and hiked to the hidden cabin. He hadn’t been able to get past the wards but his men had. Frustrated, he’d allowed them to go forward and “watched” them in his car mirror. By hiding behind the woodpile, his men had watched the house for a few minutes. Then fate favored them as she walked almost into their arms. His men had her bound and gagged with a drugged cloth before she could scream. The Protector never even knew they were there, but his men made sure he knew they’d been there by burning the sacred symbol into the barn.

  By the time the group reached the car, William could barely put one foot in front of the other, but his glee sustained him as they laid Cass’ unconscious form in the backseat with him. He pulled her over so her head rested in his lap. “Finally, we are together. Soon we will be one.”