And it looked as if he might have to do that.
With a heavy sigh, he walked to the crib on the right and looked down at his sleeping daughter, Deirdre. He stroked the crown of black curls framing her sweet, tiny face, which already resembled her mother’s. As he did, his mind spun back to the source of his anger—Sebastian’s predawn astral visitation.
His ire flared higher at the memory, and Deirdre’s small face immediately puckered into a frown. Realizing his daughter, whose mental powers were already strong, had picked up on his unruly emotions, Lucien quickly tamped them down.
When her features relaxed, he crossed to his son’s crib. He smiled wryly as he studied Derek. Like his sister, the boy had a crown of black curls, but he didn’t resemble either of his parents. He’d inherited a composite of Ariel’s wholesome beauty and Lucien’s stark, craggy features that, even at this young age, could only be described as handsome. Ariel said that when he grew up, he’d be a heart-breaker.
Lucien suddenly shuddered, as though touched by an ominous portent. If the coven didn’t stop the talisman, neither of his children would grow up.
“We will stop it,” he murmured quietly, fiercely, as he stroked his son’s head.
“Stop what?” Ariel asked.
Lucien started and swung his head toward her. As she sat up, he automatically smiled. Her long hair was in disarray, and she peered at him sleepily. She covered a yawn with her hand, and then returned his smile with one so filled with love that Lucien’s heart twisted. He wanted to grab her and the twins and run as far away from Sanctuary as possible. He knew, however, that the only way to keep them safe was for him to stay and fight.
“We need to talk,” he said, crossing to Ariel and sitting beside her.
She eyed him worriedly. “What’s wrong?”
“As you so often say, it’s one of those witchy things,” he replied, smoothing her hair. “I’m afraid, however, that this time it’s bad. Very bad.”
An anxious frown creased her forehead, but her voice remained calm as she said, “So tell me about it.”
“Let’s get out of here first,” he said. “I don’t want to wake the twins.”
She nodded and rose, heading for the kitchen.
Lucien followed. When they got there, she sat at the table. Lucien, however, was too tense to sit. While he pulled his thoughts together, he paced.
Finally he began, “Early yesterday, Shana discovered a glowing triangle in the repository, and she summoned Sebastian. They learned that it’s a piece of an ancient talisman.” He stopped and looked at her. “Do you know what a talisman is?”
“Not really.”
Lucien wasn’t surprised. Ariel was a mortal and hadn’t had much exposure to the occult before meeting him. Since they’d mated, she’d started studying magic, but there was so much to absorb that it would be years before she’d have a good understanding of it.
“A talisman is a magical object with supernatural powers, and it can imbue its possessor with those powers,” he explained.
“I see,” she said. “Since this talisman has you so upset, its powers must be evil.”
“They’re more than evil, Ariel.” He leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling, trying to think of a way to explain the situation so that it wouldn’t frighten her too badly. He soon realized that there was no way to soften the revelation of the talisman’s purpose.
He looked at her and said, “We think the talisman is a doomsday device, and that its purpose is to destroy mankind.”
Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him in shock. Then she closed her mouth and swallowed hard. “You can stop it, right?”
He raked a hand through his hair and resumed pacing. “I honestly don’t know if we can stop it. As I said, the triangle is a piece of the talisman. There are three pieces all together—two triangles and a circle. Sebastian put on our triangle, thinking it would lead him to the other two pieces. He planned on gathering them and disposing of them to stop the talisman, only . . .”
“Only what?” she prodded, her voice quavery.
He stopped again and stared at her, hating the terrified expression on her face. For a moment he considered not telling her the rest of the story, but he knew he had to tell her everything. If he didn’t, she’d never agree to his plan to keep her and the twins safe.
“Sebastian paid an astral visit to Kendra Morovang and me last night,” he replied. “Apparently, he only connected with one piece—the other triangle. A Native American woman in South Dakota has it. He went there and . . .”
“Please, Lucien. Just tell me everything and get it over with,” Ariel stated impatiently when he stopped speaking. “I can handle the truth better than I can handle the suspense, and your hesitancy is driving me crazy.”
He nodded and resumed pacing. “Kendra’s information suggested that once Sebastian put on the triangle he wouldn’t be able to take it off because he’d be spellbound by the talisman. He said he’d go back to South Dakota and try to remove it. If he succeeded, the triangle would instantly return to Sanctuary. That was nearly twelve hours ago, and the triangle never arrived.”
“So you have to assume that he’s spellbound,” Ariel said. “What do you do now?”
“Sebastian thinks that the talisman can’t penetrate the protective circle surrounding Sanctuary,” he answered. “He said that if he couldn’t remove the triangle, he’d bring the woman here.”
Ariel frowned thoughtfully. “Why? What’s her part in all of this?”
“Sebastian believes the talisman has chosen her as its instrument of destruction,” Lucien answered. “There’s also a man who has the circle, and he’s killed at least two people. Sebastian is bringing the woman here to draw that man to us. He hopes that once we’ve brought the three pieces into close proximity, the coven can find a way to stop the talisman.”
Ariel gaped at him, horror slowly spreading across her features. “Are you saying that Sebastian is bringing a killer—no, two killers—to Sanctuary?”
“One killer and a potential killer,” Lucien corrected. “As far as I know, the woman hasn’t harmed anyone yet.”
“But if the talisman is in control of her, it’s only a matter of time.”
“Yes,” he replied grimly. “We also have to be concerned about Sebastian. There’s a chance that he, too, is capable of harming us.”
“That’s ridiculous!” she declared ardently. “Sebastian would never harm a member of the coven.”
“I’d like to believe that, too, Ariel, but after what happened to Seamus and Ragna—”
“Seamus and Ragna?” she interrupted, her expression now confused. “Who are they?”
Lucien spent the next few minutes telling her the story of Seamus and Ragna. When he finished, she gave a dazed shake of her head and buried her face in her hands. She sat that way a long moment, and then she looked up at him.
“This is a nightmare, Lucien.”
“I know,” he said. “That’s why I want you to take the twins and go to your brother’s until it’s over.”
She shook her head. “No way.”
He frowned. “Ariel, it isn’t safe for you and the twins to stay here.”
“From what you’ve just said, if you don’t stop the talisman, we aren’t going to be safe at my brother’s, either.”
“We will stop it,” he stated just as fiercely as he had earlier.
“Then there’s no reason for us to leave.”
“Ariel, I’m not going to argue this point with you.”
“Good,” she said. “What would you like for dinner?”
“Dammit, Ariel! You have to take the twins and leave,” he declared, his temper flaring.
She frowned at him. “Tell me something, Lucien. Do you plan to send the witches and their children away?”
>
“You know I can’t do that,” he replied with an impatient wave of his hand. “In the first place, they aren’t familiar with the mortal world. They wouldn’t know where to go or how to take care of themselves. Secondly, Sebastian and I may need to draw upon their power to defeat the talisman.”
“In other words, you may need every ounce of the coven’s power to defeat the talisman, even the children’s magical powers.”
“Yes,” he agreed grimly.
“And what about our children? They’ve been tested, and they have magical powers. I know they’re too small to personally offer you the use of their powers, but you can draw upon it anyway, right?”
“Yes, but they’re just babies, Ariel. Their power is so weak at this point it’s almost negligible,” he said, growing more impatient.
“Well, what if that tiny oomph of power is all you need to make a difference?” she said. “And even if it isn’t, have you considered the consequences of sending me away? Many of the coven members still haven’t accepted me because I’m mortal. If I run at the first sign of trouble, they’re never going to accept me.”
Before he could respond, she went on, “You’re the high priest, and the coven members look to you for guidance. If you send the twins and me away, they’ll think that you either don’t believe the coven can beat the talisman, or that you expect most of them to die. You can’t do that to them, Lucien. To win, they have to believe that winning is possible. You can’t instill defeat in them before the battle even begins.”
Lucien scowled, but he wasn’t angry with her. He was furious that every damn point she’d made was right. Still, he said, “If you stay, you and the twins could die. Don’t you want to protect our children?”
“Don’t you dare try and lay a guilt trip on me,” she stated, surging to her feet. She propped her hands on the tabletop, leaned forward, and glared at him. “You know I will do everything within my power to protect my children. If I thought running with them was the solution, I’d pack their things so fast you’d think I had magical powers myself. But if the talisman isn’t stopped here, we’re going to die anyway. If that’s the case, then we’ll die as a family, not apart, just like every other coven family in Sanctuary.”
She paused to draw in a breath and finished, “Now, what would you like for dinner, and should I prepare enough for Sebastian and the woman he’s bringing with him?”
As she stared at him, her chin raised a determined notch, Lucien couldn’t decide if he wanted to yell at her or kiss her. He compromised by giving her a reluctant smile. “You’re a damn stubborn woman.”
“That’s one of the reasons you love me,” she quipped, returning his smile.
“Yeah, it is,” he murmured, walking to her and pulling her into his arms.
As she cuddled against his chest, he rested his chin on top of her head and tried to quell the fear churning inside him. His efforts failed, because he couldn’t purge the feeling of doom that had hovered over him since Sebastian’s astral visit.
It isn’t fair! he railed inwardly. Ariel and I have only had each other for a little over a year. We have a family now, and we should be looking forward to the future, not contemplating the end of the world!
But he’d learned long ago that life wasn’t fair, and he knew that no amount of railing would change that.
He continued to hold Ariel for a few minutes. Finally he released her from his embrace, dropped a quick kiss to her lips, and said, “Surprise me with dinner, and make enough for Sebastian and his guest.”
Then he headed for Sanctuary’s boundary to wait for Sebastian and the woman who’d been chosen to destroy mankind.
AS SARAH TURNED the rental car onto the highway exit leading to Sanctuary, she glanced nervously toward Sebastian. He sat in the passenger seat, facing straight ahead. Even with his two-day growth of beard, she could see that he clenched his jaw. He looked angry and dangerous, and not necessarily in that order.
She heaved an inward sigh and returned her attention to the road. Other than giving her directions, he hadn’t spoken a word in the two and a half hours since they’d left Philadelphia’s airport. Actually, he hadn’t spoken more than a few dozen words since they’d left the mountain in South Dakota, and his sullen silence grated on her nerves. Not that she blamed him for not talking to her. She had, after all, blinded him.
Guilty tears stung her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. Remorse wouldn’t change things, and she didn’t have the right to indulge in it. She’d had the choice between good and evil, and she’d chosen evil. Now, she had to face the consequences.
It would be easier to do that, however, if she knew more about the coven. What were the people like? Were there any special formalities she needed to know when dealing with them? She wanted to ask Sebastian those questions and a dozen more.
But most of all, she wanted to know how they’d react when they learned what she’d done to him. Not knowing what to expect from them was eating her up inside.
“I’m at the turnoff for Sanctuary,” she told him when she reached the stop sign at the top of the exit. “Did you say that I’m supposed to turn left?”
He swiveled his head toward her, and she involuntarily caught her breath. On the way to the Rapid City airport she’d stopped at a convenience store and bought him a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Every time she saw herself reflected in the lenses, she felt as if he could see her. Knowing it was only wishful thinking didn’t lessen the impact.
“Yes, left,” he confirmed, turning to face forward again.
“There’s a gas station here, and we’re down to a quarter tank,” she said. “Should I fill up?”
“No.”
She turned onto the narrow, two-lane road running west of the gas station. After she’d driven through the thick woods for several miles without seeing another car, a house, or any other sign of life, she couldn’t stand the silence any longer.
“Sebastian, I know you don’t want to talk to me,” she said, “but—”
“You’re right,” he interrupted coldly. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
Anger stirred at his curtness, and she gripped the steering wheel tightly, telling herself to do as he asked. But the uncertainty of what lay ahead continued to torment her, and she knew that if she couldn’t ask her questions, she’d go nuts.
“I’m sorry, Sebastian, but I can’t be quiet,” she said after they’d traveled another mile. “I need some answers to some questions, and I expect you to give them to me.”
“You expect?” he drawled derisively, jerking his head toward her. “After what you’ve done to me, you don’t have the right to expect anything from me. So shut up and drive.”
Sarah told herself not to lose her temper, but it flared anyway. Impulsively, she steered the car to the shoulder of the road and slammed on the brakes. The car skidded to a stop so fast that they were thrown forward against their seatbelts.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sebastian yelled as she threw the gear shift into park and turned off the ignition.
“Taking a walk,” she snapped, wrenching her seatbelt free and tossing open the car door.
Before he could respond, she jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut, and strode across the road. Standing on the embankment, she stared at the woods in front of her, her emotions as thickly tangled as the forest’s undergrowth. She was angry and afraid, but most of all, she felt so utterly alone.
“If I had an ounce of sense, I’d just walk into those woods and disappear,” she muttered.
“So do it. I sure as hell can’t stop you,” Sebastian rasped.
With a startled cry, she spun around. He’d climbed out of the rental car and stood with one hand braced on the open door and the other on top of the roof. Even from this distance, she could see the flash of images against his mirrored s
unglasses. Suddenly, she felt as if he could see right down to the depths of her soul. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, unnerved by the sensation.
As she continued to regard him, she decided that for him to have heard what she’d said from across the road, he had awfully good hearing. Either that or he was able to read her mind again.
She considered brushing her mind against his to see if that was the case, but his expression was so hostile she decided against it. Facing his anger on a physical level was intimidating. Mentally connecting with it would probably scare the daylights out of her, and she was already scared enough.
“You’re right. You can’t stop me,” she said, her temper flaring again, but it wasn’t anger sparking it.
It was her fear of the unknown and the hopelessness of this entire mess. “So, give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just walk away and leave you sitting on the side of the road?”
“You don’t want me to give you a reason,” he replied harshly. “You want me to reassure you, to tell you that everything is going to be all right, and we both know I’d be lying. Is that what you really want? For me to give you meaningless platitudes?”
“Yes!” she cried hoarsely, the tears returning. She swiped at them impatiently. “I want you to lie to me, and . . .”
“And?” he urged, his voice suddenly softening.
“Never mind. It doesn’t matter,” she stated miserably, looking down at her moccasins. She hated him being mean to her, but, conversely, after what she’d done to him, she didn’t want him to be nice, either.
“It must matter a great deal, or we wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation. What is it you want from me, Sarah?”
“I don’t want you to despise me,” she confessed so softly she knew he couldn’t hear her.
Obviously, his hearing was more acute than she’d imagined, because he sighed heavily and said, “I don’t despise you, Sarah. I despise myself for not saving you, and I detest being blind and feeling so damn powerless. I’m furious, and even though this isn’t really your fault, I can’t help blaming you. It’s taking all my willpower to keep from striking out at you, and I know that’s unjust. But it’s going to take me some time to gain some perspective.”
Touch of Lightning Page 19
