by Dale Mayer
But it was too late. A thick, rich fog surrounded the girls, even as he watched. The early morning light of a summer sunrise was breaking off to the side. Offering just enough to make out the fog so dense he could barely see the women in front of them. He reached out a hand where they should have been, only his hand went right through the field to…nothing.
“How can they be gone?” Devon cried.
Connor looked at Matt, reminding him that Devon hadn’t been in the hovercraft with them, when the girls had pulled the last trick with the hovercraft.
“They transported in the same way the spirit pets travel from one place to another.”
Devon shook his head. “I heard what you all said, but I didn’t believe it, not really. I’m going to have to see this to really believe it.”
Connor walked around the space where the women had been. The fog had dissipated, leaving a vibrant green circle behind. There weren’t even footprints in the grass.
Matt turned and started to run. “We’re late. Let’s go.”
They raced toward the hovercraft. “Are we going to be able to land without the women?”
“We’ll have to try.” Matt opened the pilot’s side door calling back over his shoulder. “We have no choice.”
He had the hovercraft in the air in record time. The other two men were still trying to lock down their seat belts when he was already flying over the Center. He hit the juice and sent the machine as fast as it could go in the direction of the cottage. He couldn’t believe they went without him. Surely they could see that they needed help. That they couldn’t do this alone. It might be stargazer business, but that didn’t mean that partners weren’t there for no reason. And that they weren’t useless.
He understood that the sisters were used to being alone. Used to handling difficulties on their own. Used to not thinking in terms of having men to help. Also, not used to using the tools around them, but this was ridiculous.
He was here. So were Connor and Devon. And they were all pissed.
The GPS locator signaled that they’d reached the cottage location. And of course he couldn’t see it.
“Anyone see anything?” he asked, hopefully studying the green terrain below.
“No.”
“I’m asking the animals,” Connor said. “Surely they can unlock the stealth mode and let us in?”
“Is that safe, though?” Devon asked. “We could be opening up something the women need to stay hidden. We don’t even know where the sisters are.”
“Neither can we help them, if we can’t see them.” Matt turned to look at the others. “We need to land.”
He’d asked this question before and never got the answer. But he knew this was the place and the answer was about to come.
After a single deep breath, he slowly lowered the hovercraft.
“Hope I don’t hit the roof,” he muttered.
“Actually…” Connor pointed to the woods around them. “It looks like we’re in the wrong place.”
“No, it’s the right place. But the cottage is hidden from us still.”
“Does that mean the girls are here, but we can’t see them?”
Matt turned off the engine and opened the door. He could see nothing but the woods. And not ones he recognized.
“Where the hell are we?”
Chapter 31
Celeste turned very slowly to stare at Chelsea. The same girl they’d gone to school with. The same woman whose husband had been killed after he’d attacked them. And the same woman who’d been in the hall tonight, professing her and her family’s innocence.
She wasn’t protesting anything right now.
Instead, she stood, casual and elegant as always in front of them, oozing self-confidence like she always had.
No weapons in her hand, nothing but a smug look on her face.
And, of course, that sneer that she’d worn all through high school was front and center.
“Hello, Chelsea.” There. She’d spoken with a light, airy voice. “What are you doing here?”
Genesis stepped forward. “And why?”
“Why what?” Chelsea snarled. “Do you think I wouldn’t want retribution for Mason?”
“You knew what the odds were,” Tori snapped. “You were okay to kill me and my family. Why is it that you’re surprised when life didn’t turn out the way you planned it to?”
“I’m okay with the loss of Mason, honestly,” Chelsea shrugged. “He was my husband and a good man in his own way. At least he took orders well.” She smiled. “But he was getting to be a bore.”
Celeste gasped. “He was your husband. Your lover. How can you say that about him?”
“Of course he was those things,” she snapped. “But he was simple. Didn’t have vision. Was happy with a smaller payout.”
“And you wanted more? Bigger? Better?” Celeste said in a dry voice. Of course she did. Chelsea was nothing, if not greedy.
“Of course. I want it all.”
“When your grandfather dies, you’ll get whatever he has left.”
“Oh, that’s not a problem. I already got everything.”
Silence. The sisters exchanged glances.
What did that mean? Celeste had an inkling, but surely Chelsea wasn’t that cold blooded?
Genesis got it, though. “You mean he’s dead?”
Chelsea nodded. “Him and his sister. And her husband, of course. Couldn’t let any of them live. Certainly not any in that generation. They wouldn’t understand.”
Tori, confused, said, “With Grandfather being in the state he is—was—now, what was the point of killing them? They are your family.”
Apparently that word didn’t mean the same thing to Chelsea as it did to Celeste and her sisters.
“They were family.” Chelsea nodded her head. “But ones long past their due date.” She snorted and flung her arm out wide, a strong wave of energy rippling past Celeste in a simple demonstration of her power. An unconscious power that she wielded with grace.
“I’d have to wait forever to get my inheritance, and by then they’d have lost it to you. Fools,” she snapped. “It should never have gone this far. But they didn’t want to do what was necessary.” She glared at Genesis. “Especially after Grandfather’s swim in your healing pool.”
“What was necessary?” Tori asked in a hard voice.
“Killing you all years ago.” She snorted. “Before you polluted the high school with your taint.”
Celeste took a small, discreet, step back. She didn’t have a plan, but she had to assume that Chelsea had something up her sleeve, and they were too close for comfort.
“Of course,” Celeste said with a smile. “You were always jealous of us.”
“Jealous,” Chelsea gasped in fury. “Of what? You three. You have nothing. Are nothing. And always will be nothing. You are discarded property, bought and sold like the damaged products you are.” A proud look settled on her face. “I come from leaders, not crones.”
“You come from liars and cheats, thieves and murderers,” Celeste said quietly. “There’s nothing to be proud of in that. Then you married a failure. So, not good at picking men either.”
“We got that down pat,” Genesis said smoothly. “And of course you’re on the lookout for another one, now.”
Something about Genesis’ statement sent Chelsea into a rage. “You might have them, but you will not keep them. At least not the one I picked out for myself.” She swept her gaze over Celeste from head to toe, and dismissed her. “I will have Matt. Anyone else is beneath me.”
“I think Matt might have something to say about that,” Celeste said quietly. “I guess him announcing our engagement tonight really burned your ass, huh?”
“Not at all. He can play for a little while.” She smiled. “But he’s going to be mine, soon enough.”
And that was enough of that. “What do you want from us?”
“Oh, nothing. Except for you to die…”
She pulled her arm back and threw something. Fir
eworks exploded beside Celeste. She never moved, having put the shield in place when she’d seen the casual wave of energy slide so easily off Chelsea’s hand. That was the one thing she felt was lacking in her experience. She’d not been taught to fight. Or partake in energy battles.
The next blast was a direct hit. And stronger by a large magnitude.
“Shit.” Genesis whispered.
“Double shit.” Tori snapped. “I got this.” She closed her eyes, and the whispers rolled out across the ethers. Walk away. Forget about the stargazer sisters. Walk away. Live a life of peace.
Chelsea cackled with wild abandon. “Not happening, Tori.” She swatted the energy back right at her.
“I can see the energy coming from a mile away. You’ll have to be much more subtle than that,” she snorted. “You three think you’re special, and you’re not. There are a lot of us that can work energy. And even more of us that specialize in it. We’re not just good—we’re beyond good. I can see energy. Track it. Stop it. Steal it.”
And she laughed again. “Mason didn’t even know what I could do. Or what I could get him to do.”
“What good will attacking us do?” Celeste asked curiously. “You still can’t own the land. It must stay in stargazer hands. Killing us won’t change anything.”
“Exactly,” said Chelsea with a big smile. “Nothing changes. As in, everything stays the way it is right now. And with me being the next in line to Grandfather’s estate, it will be all mine.”
“So Matt was right—it was all about the inheritance,” Celeste said, scorn in her voice. “Do you really think it is that easy? That we are so easy to kill?”
“You haven’t shown any talent yet,” Chelsea sneered. “I’ve been developing mine for decades. You’re naught but children in my world.”
“All of which means what?” Genesis snapped. “I’m ready to go home, thank you very much. It’s been a long day and you’re just pissing me off.”
“Oh, don’t worry, dear,” Chelsea said in a low voice, dripping with acid. “It will be all over soon.”
She stared behind the women. Then called out, “Kanga, it’s time.”
*
“There has to be a way to find them,” Matt said in frustration. He tilted his head back to the sky. “Granny, we need help.”
“Or not. Storm is here.” Devon said. “He says there’s something ugly going on.”
“Can he undo the settings for the cottage? Ask the women to do so?”
“Hang on,” Devon whispered. “I think I’ve got it. Jessie is busy at the door.”
And suddenly, the cottage appeared beside them. And so did the women.
“Whoa.” Matt raced toward Celeste. “Chelsea what’s going on here?”
“Oh nothing,” Celeste said sarcastically. “She’d just planned on killing all of us and hooking up with you. She’s already killed off Grandfather and several other family members clearing the way for her to inherit everything—particularly as she figures that by killing off the three of us, she’ll inherit it all.”
Matt studied Chelsea. Gentling his voice, he said, “You know that won’t ever happen, right?”
“It will, if I do everything right.” She waved her hand. “I’m not alone, you know.”
“We know,” Matt said. He smiled. “Only, your partner is no longer capable of helping you.”
“He’s a killer,” she shook her head. “I trained him. You have no defenses against him.”
Matt wrapped his arm around Celeste. “You don’t understand,” he said, sending a beautiful smile toward his love. “See, even when I wanted to kill your partner, Celeste here wouldn’t let me. She wanted to believe in the beauty of love. Of healing and of peace.”
Chelsea rolled her eyes. “Oh, brother. Kanga, get your ass out here. It’s time. I could feel you at the center playing at being hurt. But I know you. That couldn’t happen. You’re too strong. I made sure of that. Enough games,” she finished with a snarl.
“And those plans are going to have to be reworked,” Matt said gently. “Kanga is inside the cabin.”
She frowned. Brushing past the women, she strode to the cottage door. “Let me in.”
The door to the cottage opened up silently. She strode inside.
Matt whispered, “How did she get in?”
“I let her inside,” Celeste said. She raced after Chelsea.
Matt crowded into the kitchen behind her. Like hell she was going to walk away from him again.
“Happy now, Chelsea?” Celeste wandered through the kitchen in a casual manner leading her victim in one direction. “By the way, what are you looking for?”
“My spirit pet that should be here, waiting. I know he’s here. I can sense him.” She opened doors and checked behind each inside before circling the living room in frustration. “He has no choice but to be here. He is under orders to be here.”
Celeste walked ahead of Chelsea and motioned to the last door. “I think you want this door.”
“Why?” Chelsea snapped. “What’s in there?”
“Kanga, I believe.”
Chelsea shot her a disbelieving look and pushed open the door. Instantly, Celeste pushed her forward—right toward the healing pool.
Chelsea let out a strangled cry, and even as she toppled over the edge of the pool, the healing waters reached up and wrapped tightly around her limbs and held her firm, dragging her down into their dark depths.
She screamed, the sound cut off as she disappeared below the surface. The waters were too strong. Too fast. Too determined.
Matt raced the edge of the pool and cried out, “Where is she?”
“The healing pools have taken her,” Celeste said calmly. “They will deal with her as they see fit.”
Connor came up from behind the group. “And that means…what?”
She shrugged. “You have to understand, the pools are ancient. They deal with ancient. The evil that Chelsea operated from is their domain, too. Once the spirit animals brought Kanga here, it was in her plan for Kanga to turn rogue and destroy us from within. Only, she didn’t know that the pools are love. They are healing. And in Kanga’s case, with all his black energy gone already, he was easy to heal.”
“Chelsea, on the other hand…” Tori said, quietly staring down at the bottomless depths of the pool, “is beyond saving.”
“But I’ve been in that pool,” Devon said in shock, moving closer to the edge. “It had a bottom. I could sit and stand. Yet, she went straight into the water and disappeared.”
“What happens to negative energy when it’s overwhelmed with positive?” Genesis asked gently. “It…?”
“Turns to positive energy,” Connor said.
“And becomes absorbed by that what’s around it,” Matt whispered. Holy shit. Finally, Matt understood. Chelsea’s penance for all her evil wrongs was to spend the rest of eternity healing others as part of the healing pool.
“Is she in here now?” he asked. “Dispersed into such small particles that she is no longer herself?”
“Yes. And already sent to the healing pools below,” Celeste said with a smile. “As the water circulates, her energy is now one with all of Mother Nature, and will circulate, as well.”
“And Kanga,” Devon asked. “Did anyone remember him in all of this?”
The sisters grinned and pointed. There, lying on the windowsill soaking up the late afternoon sun, was the fattest, happiest snake they’d ever seen, his body a gleaming, rosy pink color.
Lying on top of him, belly to the sky was Twitch. And beside him, as if happy to stand guard over his new friend, was Storm.
“This is his home now,” Celeste said with a laugh. “He was treated terribly and won’t ever be quite as strong as he could have been if he’d had a loving environment all this time, but he’s fine and will always be welcome here. He has friends now. And he won’t ever be alone again.”
She was so damn special. Matt knew they had a mess to clean up, and it wouldn’t be easy. But
now they could do it—together. All of them.
Matt reached out a hand to clasp hers. “And neither will you.”
He opened his arms, loving how easily she stepped into them. Where she belonged.
With him. Forever.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Celeste! If you enjoyed my book, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a review.
Dear reader,
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Cheers,
Dale Mayer
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Tori
Celeste
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