by Denise Carbo
Bethany glanced back at the woman still meditating and the open doorway to the ceremony room. Davis really wasn’t going to be happy with her, but whoever made that noise could be gone by the time she got him. Besides, it was probably nothing. She stepped into the hallway and tilted her head. Someone was definitely in his quarters. Papers rustled together, and a quiet shuffle of shoes against the floor.
Sidling down the carpeted hallway she peeked into the room. The door wasn’t open enough for her to see clearly so she pressed slightly on the wooden door and prayed it wouldn’t squeak.
Luckily someone must keep it well oiled. It opened soundlessly, and she shifted to peer around the door. There was a small living area filled with plaid covered furniture trimmed in dark wood with a tiny kitchenette off to the side. A door, partially open, was directly across from this one. It appeared to be the Advisor’s office. A wooden desk covered with papers and miscellaneous items was in view. The sounds were coming from behind the door where she couldn’t see. She stepped fully into the living area and peered toward the office.
Biting her lip, she tiptoed closer. She really hoped she wasn’t being colossally stupid and ended up getting herself killed. She just wanted a peek at whoever was in the adjoining room. This might be the only chance they had to identify the one behind everything.
As she inched closer a man with dark hair abruptly strode across her line of vision. She couldn’t help it, she gasped.
The man whirled around and spotted her standing outside the doorway.
It was Edward Heyes, the Advisor’s son!
Wait, he could be there legitimately. It was his father’s home after all.
She opened her mouth to explain her presence, but the hostile glare he shot at her changed her mind. She lunged for the door.
Hearing a deep, furious growl behind her, she jerked her head over her shoulder and stared in horror.
He had transformed into a bear. A large, black, angry bear.
Bethany groped for the handle, a scream forming in her throat. Terror made her shake and stumble.
A massive paw hit her like a boulder—sending her flying through the air to land on the other side of the room. Another swipe of the paw slammed the door closed and slid the thick iron locks closed. She was locked inside with a bear clearly intent on killing her.
Shaking violently, Bethany finally managed to get on her feet. She didn’t want to die. What chance did she have against its size and strength, or the length of those claws?
“Why?” she whispered. “I want to know why.” Maybe if she could get him to talk it would give Davis time to reach her. Plus, she really did want to know why. She couldn’t recall ever even having a conversation with the man. What possible reason was there to want her dead?
He opened his jaws wide and let out a terrifying roar. His teeth, sharp points of death, on prominent display. She propped herself up against the wall and willed her knees to stop shaking and hold her up.
Just when she was certain he would lunge forward and tear her to pieces he gave a huge shake and transformed back to a man.
Bethany swallowed hard and took a deep breath. It was clear now he was the man in the video. Would he tell her why? Could she reason with him?
Edward glared at her as he stalked across the room and back again. “Why couldn’t you simply die in America? But no, you had to survive and come back here to mess with all my carefully laid plans. I’m so close to achieving the end!”
Should she say anything? Would it encourage him or enrage him?
“Now how am I to explain this? I can hear the interfering American bellowing for you now. It won’t be long until he sniffs you out.”
Bethany struggled to listen over her pounding heart. She could hear Davis searching for her.
The pounding on the door announced his arrival before he yelled her name. Edward jumped across the room to slap a hand across her mouth. “One word and I’ll end you now with a great deal of pain.”
The hissed words in her ear and the smell of his fetid breath caused vomit to rise in her throat.
He dragged her into his father’s office, shutting and locking the door. Bethany frantically searched the room for escape. Besides the desk on the back wall, the room was full of bookshelves filled to the brim with books and papers. Artifacts decorated the walls and littered the desk. Loose papers were stacked on a chair and on the floor. There was only one window, one tiny octagonal window high in the far wall. There was no escape.
He shoved her away from him and pulled at his hair.
Bethany inched her way around the desk to put some space and an obstacle in his path. “Why do you want me dead? What was your plan? Maybe I could help. You worked with my brother, didn’t you?”
Edward glared at her. “Do you really take me for that much of a fool? Your brother was stupid and easily led. A whispered word here and there and he reacted predictably. He was so certain he was meant for greatness that a simple tale of royal bloodlines, actually true by the way, and he believed it was his fate to rule over the clan. I found it here in one of my father’s old books. He relished the news, sought to rule over every clan, in fact. I prodded him just enough.” He pounded on his massive, hairy chest. “I showed him how to embezzle from the company. I gave him the idea for the scent blocker, and even supplied him with the fallibar for the poison.” He swiped his arm down in front of him. “He still managed to screw it all up. He was supposed to kill you off and your pathetic cousin, not just Elsof. Now I must clean up his mess by destroying that stupid book, so your cousin has no further ammunition in case I can’t eliminate him. He surrounds himself with guards. And you and your stupid resiliency. Why couldn’t you just die?”
Bethany kept him in her line of sight while sneaking frantic peeks around the desk and chair she had placed between them for anything she might use as a weapon. She desperately replayed Davis’ short lesson in self-defense in her head. Watch the eyes and hit the vulnerable spots. Could she delay him long enough for Davis to reach her? “You were clearing the path for your father?”
He snorted. “Again, all it took was a few words in the right ears. The elders leapt at the idea to make my father the ruler. The inept fools believed it was their idea all along. I knew my father would be hesitant to accept, so I played devil’s advocate telling him how much time and effort it would take because the clan was a mess and so needy. He, of course, only heard the clan needed him. Service to the clan above all.” Rolling his eyes, he flung out his hand and sent an ancient stone tablet from their home planet crashing to the floor. He spit in its direction. “Once he’s ruler, a simple accident will take him out of the picture, and I humbly and suitably grieving, will inherit the title. I will lead the clan to greatness.”
Once again, treachery and death for power. Bethany shook her head. “And here I was walking right into your plan and helping it along, in fact. I planned to give your father my support. It’s why I am here today. You did this for nothing.”
“You lie! Why would you support him over your own cousin?”
“Because my cousin is not fit to rule the clan.” She was fed up. She glared at him. Disdain and disgust spurred her words. “Neither are you. You’ve boxed yourself in. There’s no escaping these quarters without everyone knowing what you have done.”
Edward curled his lip. “I’ll claim someone else was here. I came to visit my father and found you and him in here. Maybe you were conspiring all along. I got knocked out and when I came to, to my everlasting shock and horror, there you were, dead on the floor.” He smiled. “All so simple, all it takes is a little planning. I befriended your little blonde friend. She sure likes to hear herself talk that one. She told me everything I needed to know about you and your routines. I injected the poison into the tea while she stood in the elevator blethering on to some idiot from sales. She never even noticed I was there. She’s the perfect patsy, too. I’m sure I’ll have no trouble whatsoever ensuring she takes the fall.”
“Like
you did with the poison in the tea and hiding it in her drawer?” His face registered surprise before he narrowed his eyes and scowled. “Yes, we know about that. Your plan didn’t work very well that time, did it?”
He lunged toward her, transforming into a bear as he moved. Bethany leaped in the air, pushing off the desk as she tore her clothes and shifted into her owl form. She just had to hold on until Davis arrived.
A giant paw tipped with claws swiped at her as she flew to the high ceiling. The height wouldn’t keep him at bay. He could reach her by climbing on the desk. There wasn’t much room to maneuver, and it wouldn’t be long before his claws shredded her wings.
A vicious yank pulled her toward him. Searing agony rent her asunder. He had one of her wings. Feathers spiraled to the ground drenched in blood.
With a surge of motion, she dove for his head.
She had claws too.
Her talons ripped through fur and gouged at his eyes.
Edward roared in pain and snapped at her with his teeth. Her wing tore as he ripped it again with his claws. She screeched and fell to the floor.
His head swung back and forth, and he swiped at the air in front of him with his bloody claws. Although now sightless, he was still deadly.
Bethany lurchingly hopped across the floor, desperately scrambling to put distance between them.
The sound of splintering wood and running feet echoed from the outer room. Would he get to her in time?
Claws raked down the side of her body. Black dots swam in her vision. She had to transform. As a human she might have a chance. As an owl she was paralyzed without the use of her wings.
Shifting into a human, she clenched her jaw at the scream building in her throat. Her right arm and leg were useless. Silence and time were the only weapons she had left.
As quietly as she could, she gritted her teeth and dragged herself toward the door with one arm and leg.
Papers and books went flying as he turned in circles blindly swiping at everything in his path.
Panting from exertion and pain, she propped herself up against the wall and struggled to reach the locks. A split second of silence had her glancing over her shoulder in terror. He stood frozen. Blood coursing down his snout, dripping onto the floor. He was listening for her.
With a last surge of adrenalin, she managed to unlock the door as claws sliced open her good leg.
The door slammed open, shoving her to the floor completely spent.
A blur of movement crossed her vision. Davis burst into the room, murderous rage etched on his face.
He wrenched a ceremonial sword off the wall and swung toward the bear’s head as it sprang toward him with a roar.
The head fell with a sickening thump to the floor, and the body crashed next to it in a lifeless heap. Bethany's eyes and stomach rebelled at the grisly sight, but her body had stopped obeying her commands.
Davis fell to his knees in front of her, blessedly blocking her view. He held his arms out to his sides as if he was afraid to touch her.
“You’re not going to yell at me, are you?” she whispered.
He stared at her for a split second with his mouth agape before giving a sharp nod. “Damn straight I am, as soon as you’re not a bloody mess on the damn floor.”
She opened her mouth to respond or at least give him a smile of reassurance, but it proved to be too much. The black dots covered her vision, and she knew no more.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The first thing she saw when she awoke was Davis asleep in the chair next to her. His soft snore made her smile. The sterile smell of the medical building twitched at her nose. Instead of the plain white walls of Elizabeth’s exam room, the walls were a buttery yellow. A window looking out onto the same courtyard as the exam room occupied the center of one wall. It was a different angle than the window in the exam room, however. This was the recovery room. Glancing down, she started to laugh but the movement hurt too much. She looked like a mummy wrapped in white bandages practically from head to toe.
Davis sat up and opened his eyes, blinking at her. He rubbed a hand down his face. “You’re awake.”
“How long have I been out?”
He looked around the room and then pulled out his phone. “Just shy of twenty-four hours.”
She raised her eyebrows. That long? “What’s my prognosis?”
“The healer said you should heal, but it’s going to take some time. You were pretty torn up. Even with our healing abilities, you might have some scarring.”
She intended to query Elizabeth about exactly what it meant.
“Are you in pain?”
“A bit.”
“Translation, you’re in agony?”
Bethany frowned. “No, it hurts, but as long as I don’t move, I can handle it.”
Davis grimaced and abruptly rose from the chair. He walked over and swung open the door which led to Elizabeth’s office and lab. “She’s awake and in pain. Give her something.”
Elizabeth appeared in the doorway. Pushing past him without a word, she approached Bethany with a smile. “Glad to see you awake. On a scale of one to ten how severe is the pain?”
“About an eight.”
“That means it’s a twelve. Give her something.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Mr. Campbell, if you cannot control yourself, I will be forced to insist you leave.”
Davis folded his arms across his chest and glared at her. “You can insist all you want, but I’m not going anywhere.”
All right this was going to get out of hand. Bethany shifted to sit up and let out a gasp of pain. He leaped across the room to her side.
Elizabeth gently touched her shoulder. “I had to stitch you up. Try to limit your movement today. You should regenerate quickly, but the less pulling and stretching the better right now. Understood?”
Nodding, she lay back and closed her eyes.
“I’m going to give you something for the pain. It will make you a bit drowsy, but I think you need your rest, so it is a good side effect.”
He hovered over her. Peeking up at him, she smiled slightly. “I’m fine.”
“That’s one of the stupidest comments out of your mouth. You are not fine.”
She sighed. “I suppose now you’re going to yell at me?”
He clenched and unclenched his fists against his thighs. “No, I’m not going to yell at you, but I would like to know what the hell were you thinking?”
“I heard someone in Advisor Heyes’ quarters. I thought I could just get a look at whoever it was before they disappeared. It might have been our only lead.”
Davis stared down at her in horror. He spun away from her and started to pace the room. Elizabeth returned and gave her a shot. She glanced at him a couple times before leaving.
He stopped abruptly and glared at her. “So let me get this straight. You knowingly left the meditation room by yourself without telling me when I was right outside the room because you heard someone in the Advisor’s office and assumed it was the person trying to kill you? You deliberately put yourself in a killer’s grasp?”
Bethany clamped her lips together. This was not going to go well. He was furious. She had expected him to be upset, but not quite this angry.
“What has been happening while I was asleep?”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he took a deep breath. “Promise me you will never do something like this again.”
“I can’t do that.” Before his appalled expression could lead to an explosion, she rushed on. “Would you have done any differently? If you thought it was our only chance to catch the one responsible and end this nightmare? I don’t intend to seek out danger, not by a long shot. I would happily never experience any violence the rest of my lifetime. However, if someone I care about is in danger or has been hurt because some crazy person was after me, then yes, I will do everything in my power to stop them.”
The outer door opened and Kioshi, Kate, and Celeste hovered in the doorway. Davis glared at the lot
of them, and then strode across the room to stand by the window. Kioshi nodded at her before proceeding to go stand by Davis.
Kate and Celeste approached and stood on either side of the bed. Celeste predictably burst into tears. Kate rolled her eyes and frowned down at her. Her friend’s coloring had improved remarkably. She was even wearing a bit of lip gloss. Proof she was healing from her own ordeal. She tossed her head in Davis’ direction. “Your bodyguard over there hasn’t let us in to see you. How are holding up?”
Bethany smiled wanly at her. “I’m alive, and this nightmare is finally over.”
Kate nodded and glanced at Davis and Kioshi. “Your cousin is demanding an immediate vote. He claims Advisor Heyes was aware of his son’s crimes and was in fact the mastermind behind the entire plan all along.”
Bethany sighed. Of course, he was. Aaron was bound to take full advantage of the situation. Could she still support the Advisor after what his son had done? Yes, she could. He was still an infinitely wiser choice than Aaron. Besides, he couldn’t be held responsible for his son’s perfidy. She certainly didn’t want to be held accountable for her family’s crimes.
“Has Advisor Heyes said anything?” The poor man must be devastated.
Davis stepped closer. “The last time I saw him he was bawling over his son’s body. You need your rest.”
She winced. Celeste sniffled. “I can’t believe Eddie could do all that. He was always so sweet.”
“Did he say anything to you?”
She looked at Kate. “He confessed to manipulating Bryant into embezzling money, and to killing Elsof and trying to kill me. Bryant was supposed to kill Aaron as well. He wanted the way cleared for his father to rule the clan and then he would succeed him.” She angled her head toward Celeste. “I’m sorry, Celeste, but he was using you just like he used everyone.”
“I feel so stupid.” Celeste held the tissue to her mouth.
“There’s nothing wrong with seeing the good in people. It’s one of the things that makes you so special. Don’t take on the burden of his crimes. You did nothing wrong.”
