Cursed by Fate

by Renee Shearer

  “What?” Mateo asked her. “Who the hell are you? I can feel your power at times, but it’s mostly shut down. You sleep with a very finely crafted sword and yet you’re a babysitter…” he trailed off as her eyes looked at him almost as if she could see his soul.

  “I’m in the security business and that’s all you need to know. It’s my job to protect others.”

  Well damn, there was definitely more to her than meets the eye. He chuckled at his own joke. Mateo whipped his head around when he heard a high keening sound come from Ariana. He flashed to her just as she started to fall to the side. What the hell happened? She had just been sitting there with magic glowing around her hands the last time he looked. He quickly checked her vitals as the others crowded around her, firing questions his way.

  “What the hell happened?”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Who the fuck can I kill?” This was said by Jess, and he was mildly shocked. She seemed rather pissed and determined to kill someone. As Ariana’s pulse pounded under his hands, he released a breath of air he hadn’t known he was holding. While it concerned him that it was so fast, he knew she would be alright, so he nodded sharply to let the others know. Their relief was evident in the multiple breaths being released at once. Mateo picked her up and carried her to the couch across the room, telling Roman, “Go get that package man. We need to see what the hell it is.” He gently laid her down as Roman went to the door.

  He started to pull away until he felt the pull of her mind on his. Without even thinking about it, he delved into her mind, trying to see what had caused her to collapse. He was not prepared to be pulled into a memory of hers. Mateo tried to disengage from her mind, but it was too late. He was caught in the trap just as much as she was. It was a Dark Mage, rang in his mind before he was sucked into blackness.

  Twelve

  Ariana

  She had no idea what the hell had happened. One minute she was sitting by the door trying to detect any magic traps, the next she was sucked into her worst nightmare. Well that went swimmingly Ariana, wonderful job. This was different than her nightmares though. In her dreams she was always the victim, because she had been a victim. Now she was standing off to the side looking down on her past self as she was cuffed to the bed.

  This was the second attack by the Monster. Ariana remembered the faded and worn rugs gracing the decrepit wooden floor boards. The crumbling walls made of the same wood only darker and larger. The roaring fireplace at the end of the room was lit to try and stave off the chill of the autumn air. The fire had done nothing to help with Ariana’s chill, then or now. Past Ariana was lying there listlessly, staring into space. She didn’t even move when the Monster came into the room and tried talking to her. Ariana flinched as she heard the sound of his voice. It always sounded like nails on a chalkboard to her. Even after all these years, it still sent shivers down her spine.

  “Well hello, my little sparrow. How…” A loud gasp to the side of her had her spinning and reaching for her blades only to find they weren’t there. Well hell, this just keeps getting better and better doesn’t it?

  “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?” Mateo roared, and before she could stop him, he had jumped across the room and tried to uncuff her. It was no use; his hands just slid through her wrists, as unsubstantial as air. She had no idea how he was here with her in her memory but wasn’t going to question or fight it. His presence helped to keep her mind away from the horror that was still to come.

  “Mateo. Stop. It’s no use. You’re in my memory,” she whispered.

  He spun around and reached for her, but Ariana stepped back shaking her head. “Please, no, don’t touch me.”

  His arms stopped moving and hung there in the air for a minute before dropping limply to his sides. His face was a mask of rage and pain. Not at her rejection, but at what was happening—no, what had already happened. She felt a wave of gratitude smother her. Ariana had never told anyone the extent of the shit she had gone through. But even back then no one had shown such emotion for her. Her father was horrified, only because of what it would do for his reputation, not at what had been done to his daughter. Her Aunt Stacy had shown pity, and Ariana hated pity. But here was a virtual stranger showing grief and anger at her pain and her shame. Ari felt tears prick her eyelids. Her heart cracked open a little bit more, the icy shell she had placed around it was slowly thawing because of these wonderful men.

  “Ari, what is this?” Mateo choked out, his eyes were full of unshed tears.

  She smiled softly to let him know it was going to be alright. “Like I said, you’re in my memory. I don’t know how, but you are.”

  “Is this one of your powers?”

  Ari shook her head, sending her soft curls flying about. “Not really. I can share a memory, but you stay in your own head. It’s never been like this.”

  Turning around, he surveyed the scene once more. She knew what he must be thinking. How could this have happened? Why didn’t she fight back? Ariana took a deep breath and prepared to lay herself bare. She didn’t have the choice of hiding anymore. He was going to see it anyways, so she might as well as tell him in a simplified version.

  “I was almost eighteen when he captured me again.” She flinched when his gaze snapped to her. There was such rage boiling in his eyes that she felt like he could burn everything down.

  “What do you mean again?” His reply was low and deadly. Oh yeah, he was pissed and wanted to hurt something or someone. But even with his eyes blazing with green fire, she wasn’t afraid. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, that was the only thing that helped her relax.

  “This is the same man that held me for six hours when I was fourteen.” Ariana was glad her voice was steady, not showing any of her internal struggle to keep from breaking down. She would not show weakness; she was a fucking fighter dammit! Mateo took a deep breath and looked again at the girl she used to be.

  Fractured, but not broken.

  Alone, but not lost.

  Scared, but fighting, even if it didn’t show.

  As he neared Past Ariana on the bed, Present Ariana shivered. She had never shown anything but disgust to the Monster. No, she had held out for two days, swallowing her screams and biting back her whimpers of pain. She had refused to give that thing the satisfaction. Steeling herself against the pain, she continued in that same calm, unaffected voice. “I thought I was safe after three years without any sign of him. My father had shipped me off to my aunt’s ranch in Montana. I was in a little podunk town where everyone knew everyone else. I made a mistake and let down my guard.”

  Slashing his arm through the air, Mateo gritted out, “It was not your fault. Never say that again! This sick fuck was at fault, Ari.”

  “I know,” she said quietly.

  They watched in silence as the Monster drugged her, unchained her, and laid her down on the floor next to the bed. Past Ariana’s back was facing them. The Monster then proceeded to change the sheets she had soiled. He never unchained her unless she was drugged. But this time was different. After he changed the sheets, he dumped a bucketful of crushed glass on to the bed. Ariana could see the blood and cuts on her past self’s back. So, this was the second round of the glass. She felt a twinge of pain in her back where the matching scars were located. Ariana rolled her shoulders to ease some of the lingering pain.

  “Ari, we need to get out of here,” Mateo said in a strangled voice, unshed tears in his eyes. “I can’t… I’m sorry, but I can’t just stand by and watch this. I don’t know how the hell you survived this, but I don’t think I can. I’m not strong like you.”

  “I’m not strong Mateo, I’m a fighter. There’s a difference. But you’re right we need to get out of here, even though the best part is coming up.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? Unless this fucker drops dead, there is no best part that I see, baby doll.”

  Nodding her head in the direction of her past self she replied, “Look. Look at my eyes, Mateo. He had kno
cked me out so much over those two days that I must have built a small tolerance to it. I’m not completely out.”

  Walking around to where her past self was lying on the floor, he crouched down and examined her, flinching at the mess her back was. “You’re pretending!” Mateo said in a shocked voice as he finally looked at her face.

  “Yes, watch my hand. He had left a knife on the floor, and it had gotten kicked under the bed. He was losing patience. He NEEDED to hear me scream again. So, I reached for the knife while he was on the other side of the bed and slid it under the mattress where I would be able to reach it when he shackled me again.”

  “But why not use it now?”

  “Seriously, dude? I was barely holding it together; I had to bide my time.”

  “Yes, okay I get that. But Ari… my god… what you...” His eyes were wide as they looked at her.

  This time it was her turn to slash her hand through the air cutting him off. It didn’t matter what she had gone through, it had made her who she was. Strong. Independent. A fighter.

  “I had practiced getting out of similar situations for three years. When he placed me back on the bed, I made sure to curl my wrist slightly, making it bigger so that it would leave a gap in the handcuffs. As he started in on this particular punishment again, I wiggled my hand out, grabbed the knife, and stabbed him in the cheek, then again in the bottom of his neck. When he fell to the side screaming, I was able to pick the locks on the other cuffs with the hairpin I had in my hair. I hobbled on a broken leg to him and stabbed him again in the stomach. After he fell still, I searched him for a phone and called my aunt…” She trailed off as Mateo came over to her and spoke softly to her.

  “Ari… You need to get us out of here, baby doll. Listen. Can you hear the guys calling? Jess? Can you hear them?”

  She cocked her head to the side and listened hard. She could just barely hear them. She tilted her head back and that was when she noticed the trap door in the ceiling. Going on a hunch, she pulled the ring down and out slid a set of stairs. Glancing at Mateo, then giving one last look around the room of her nightmares, she started the climb, not noticing the tears that were making tracks down her face.

  Roman

  Roman was pissed. They never should have let her check the package, even if she was supposed to be safe on the other side of the door. As soon as he opened the door he felt the traces of a Dark Mage spell that he knew well. Hell, he had used it himself plenty of times when he was interrogating someone. It was a spell designed to have the target get dragged down into their darkest fear, their greatest shame, and their endless horror. After five minutes of being subjected to it, the suspect was more than willing to tell them the truth. Granted, the spell was only considered as a last resort, and Roman hated using it.

  He may have been a Dark Mage, but he was not evil like some of his brethren. He had a conscience and took relatively mild enjoyment at the pain of others only if they were an evil person. Standing in Ariana’s small but cozy apartment, knowing what she was going through, he was not enjoying himself at all. He felt as useless as an umbrella in a hurricane. Roman had tried to reverse the spell, but whoever the son of a bitch was who had cast it was good. Very good. There was nothing he could do. That’s what pissed him off the most, that he was useless to help them. He could see the torment on Mateo’s face and the anguish on Ariana’s, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do. Roman was positive he would never forget that look on her face, it was heartbreaking.

  “Rogue! Come on man, snap out of it! We need you!” Aiden shouted at him.

  Shaking off his thoughts, he coolly turned to Aiden. “What the fuck do you suggest I do Capt? You know what this spell is! I’m not in there as an anchor, so I can’t help her get out. That’s all on Mateo, now.”

  “Shit, shit, shit!” Jess was pacing, cursing up a blue streak. Some of it even made Roman wince. Damn the girl knew how to cuss. She may even have been better than some of his Navy buddies, and those boys could string together some colorful and interesting curses.

  “We need to go after this son a bitch!” She whirled towards them, her dark green eyes flashing with heat, and her honey brown hair flying out around her.

  “Jess? What’s wrong? Is Mommy okay?” A sleepy voice asked from behind her. As Jess turned and knelt on her knees, he was astounded to see a miniature version of Ariana. She was about five or six, and her strawberry blonde hair had more strawberry than blonde and was a riot of curls. The girl’s eyes were a color he had never seen before, a deep teal that looked both young and old at the same time. He watched as the girl’s eyes tracked their whereabouts, stopping on Aiden after seeing her mother on the couch with Mateo passed out beside her. The little girl seemed to wake up in an instant. Her little eyes that held a wealth of knowledge for one so young narrowed, much in the same way as her mother’s.

  “What have you done to my mother?” She all but growled, stalking towards their Captain. Well now, she did a damn fine impression of himself, he mused, stifling his laughter.

  “Avery, I haven’t done anything, I swear. Your mom was just so tired she passed out.” Oh, no. Aiden did not just lie to Avery. Shit was about to hit the fan, he thought, as Avery’s eyes started to glow with an inner light. That was one pissed off little girl.

  Wait, what? He thought only Ariana had gifts since she was the new All-Seeing-Eye… or at least she would be when she completed her third test. Roman snorted. How medieval was that?

  “Bullshit!”

  “Avery Renee! Watch your mouth young lady!” Jess snapped at the girl, to which Avery just made a vague hand motion in Jess’s direction. Avery certainly was a cheeky lass. One Roman would not want to tangle with. It wasn’t that he was scared of a little girl, he told himself, but rather that he wouldn’t want to hurt her. He rolled his eyes at himself. Who the hell was he kidding? That little lass was a force to be reckoned with that was for sure.

  Roman smirked, when Avery held up her hand to stop Aiden from replying. “Don’t lie to me. I know when someone is lying! So please don’t insult my intelligence just because I’m six.”

  Roman rocked back on his heels, stealing a glance at Ariana and Mateo. They had been out for a half an hour already. They really needed to wake up soon before they got caught in an endless montage of her nightmare’s greatest hits and weren’t able to come out.

  He snapped his attention back to the scene unfolding just as Avery stepped toward Aiden again, closing the distance between them. Avery stared Aiden down, hands on her hips and foot tapping. For being such a short lass, she really was intimidating to their Capt. Aiden looked ready to flee and the captain never fled from anything! He was balls to the wall, go get ‘em, punch first, ask questions later kind of guy. Aiden was not a runner, end of discussion. But right now, he seriously looked ready to. Aiden was shifting on his feet, opening and closing his mouth, and he was pale. Roman figured out why when Aiden finally just shook his head at Avery and she turned around slowly, making her way over to her mother.

  Her eyes were glowing! He wasn’t talking about an inner light, spark of knowledge type of glow. No, this was full out glowing like a fucking flashlight had been turned on behind her eyes.

  It was creepy as shit.

  His jaw came unhinged as he watched her step to her mother and Mateo, and placed her hands on their foreheads. “Call to them,” Avery said in a chillingly otherworldly voice. It sounded as if she was not the only one talking. Shivers raced up and down Roman’s spine and goosebumps raised on his arms.

  “Now!” she snapped at them, causing all of them to jump forward and start calling out to Ariana and Mateo.

  “Ari, honey, come on!”

  “Sweetheart, you have to wake up!”

  “Come on, Ari-Lass, Mateo quit being lazy arses and get up!” Roman shouted. He felt a bit stupid but was willing to try anything at this point as tears started to track down Ari’s face. He had a feeling she was not one to cry often, and his gut clenched at the thought
of what they must be facing in there.

  Ariana let out a strangled cry, her eyes flying open. She was looking around wildly, but he didn’t think she was actually seeing anything as she tried to jump up from the couch, only to trip and fall on Mateo.

  Mateo let out a quiet “umph,” his hands automatically going to her waist. Roman tried to hide his laughter as she scrambled to get off Mateo only to knee him in the balls and causing the man to curse and hold himself protectively.

  “Dammit woman! There is no need to try and take off my manhood!” Mateo whined, quite pathetically to Roman’s ears.

  “Oh my god! I’m so sorry Mateo! I really didn’t mean to!” Ariana’s words sounded sincere, but she was trying to hold back her laughter. Aiden had no such qualms about hiding his laughter as he doubled over howling. Jess quirked up her mouth in a smirk as if to say it served him right.

  That woman was a strange duck.

  Roman stepped back as Ariana whirled to Avery and scooped her up, walking away quickly. Now that was strange. Why did she react that way? She didn’t seem surprised by her daughter being there, only afraid as she practically ran from the room with her daughter cradled in her arms.

  “Mateo, what the hell happened man?” Aiden asked while helping him up from the floor. Looking closer at Mateo, Roman noticed his friend was seriously pale. He appeared to be on the verge of tears as his eyes went to the hallway where Ariana disappeared to. What the hell could have been so bad? Mateo was not the kind of man to spook easily. Roman knew he had seen his fair share of bad shit. Hell, they all had, being on the Paranormal Special Forces Alpha Team Unit for the last two years. Lord knew, Roman had seen a lot of weird, horrific, and just plain evil things. He and Easton were the newest members to round out their group. Mateo had been on the force for four years before Alpha Team was formed and had worked with the rest of the guys many times. Roman knew he had seen even more crazy shit than himself. So, a pale Mateo ready to cry and puke at the same time, who had shaking hands, was not good. Not good at all.