Chapter 19
Deep in the heart of the woods, the snow had settled crisp and white, the starkness broken every now and then by dark, twisted branches. Huge, dirty paw prints lead in a never-ending circle along the perimeter of the clearing, marring its edges.
The pale winter sun had dipped low on the horizon, setting the sky ablaze with pink and purple.
On its heels followed a blanket of pure black, punctuated every now and then with a scattering of stars.
Everything was so still and quiet it felt like the entire forest was watching and waiting to bear witness.
Olivia lay on her stomach, splayed out on the freezing cold ground.
The giant hellhound stood over her, snarling, its teeth sunk into the back of her neck, pinning her in place.
Her fingers clawed at the snow, but it was no good.
Bright rivulets of blood spilled down her neck staining the snow crimson.
Theo beat his fists against the pale-colored shield of magic keeping him out of the clearing. His hands were bloodied and left red smears as he tried desperately to get to her.
Tears spilled down Olivia’s face, her neck bent at an agonizing angle by the hellhound, which seemed intent on forcing her to watch the scene unfolding before her rather than delivering a killing blow.
A terrified cry filled the clearing, and Olivia’s eyes were drawn to a young man staked out on the ground.
A hooded figure kneeled over him, holding a hand above the victim’s chest. The boy screamed in agony, his back arching unnaturally as his chest split open and his heart was wrenched out of his body.
The killer dropped the heart into a large jar and moved to the hollowed tree twisting up from the center of the clearing.
Four symbols glowed a sooty orange color through the snow-covered ground.
Moving past them, the killer stopped at the last gap, and the earth and snow began to churn upward, revealing a deep hole.
The jar was placed in the hole, and the earth suddenly folded inwards, burying the jar containing the human heart.
A fifth symbol appeared, and all five symbols continued to burn brighter and brighter until they burst into flame.
Lines of fire ran between each of the points until they joined to form a perfect pentagram with the tree at its center.
Theo looked on in horror as the figure turned and approached Olivia. He beat frantically against the magic, but it held firm.
Olivia looked up as the figure knelt in front of her. Her eyes widened in recognition, and a pain-filled cry left her lips. “NO!”
The killer reached out, fingers skimming the side of her face, and she tried to pull her face away from the unwelcome touch, but the hound bit down harder, making her cry out in pain.
Suddenly the killer strode back to the blackened tree that was now bathed in the sooty orange glow of the burning star.
With his hand outstretched, he pressed his palm to the bark.
A great splintering sound suddenly filled the clearing, causing the killer to step backward.
The tree cracked down its center and split outwards, filling the cold night air with the acrid smell of sulfur and brimstone.
A blackened figure began to painstakingly claw its way out of the carcass of the ruined tree. Its naked skin was raw and red, and appeared to be male. He crawled onto the fresh snow, which hissed and melted as his overheated skin touched it.
Slowly the figure climbed to its feet, eyes glowing red in the darkness.
Seemingly unconcerned with his nakedness, he stood and surveyed the carnage of the clearing, eyes narrowed with interest. The symbol of the dual serpents was carved into the flesh of his chest, directly over his heart.
He stalked slowly toward Olivia and the hellhound sank his teeth further into Olivia’s neck, dragging her to her knees like a rag doll.
The naked man reached down and stroked the hound’s mangled fur as it dropped Olivia at his feet, a dog presenting its master with its favorite toy. If it had a tail instead of a skeletal stump, it probably would have wagged it.
The naked being turned his attention back to Olivia, lifting her face and studying it intently.
His fingers wrapped around her throat and squeezed as he dragged her to her feet, lifting her so her toes scraped against the ground.
She clawed at his hand and fought for a breath, but he merely tilted his head and studied her.
“So, you like to play with fire, do you, Olivia West?” His voice was deep and amused.
A shiver of cold, hard dread rolled down Theo’s spine. He knew that voice.
The naked man’s skin started to ripple before suddenly bursting into flames. The fire traveled up his arm to the fist that held Olivia tightly. Her skin began to smoke and blacken beneath his touch.
Theo screamed and beat his fists against the shield, shattering his bones with the force of his blows. Blood poured from the wounds and pieces of tattered flesh hung from the wreckage of his hands, but he didn’t falter, all he could see was his woman burning.
* * *
Theo woke with a great shuddering gasp, trying desperately to drag air into his starving lungs.
He reached out blindly for Olivia and was met with cold, empty sheets.
Sitting up with a start, his gaze swept the room.
She was nowhere to be seen. Pulling the tangled sheets off his body, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and fumbled for his jeans, tugging them on even as he moved to the window.
His heartbeat settled slightly when he saw it was still cold and damp outside, not a hint of snow in sight.
The pale morning sun sat high in the sky and the world was still.
He’d ended up back in her bed the night before although they’d done nothing more than sleep.
Olivia was reluctant to define their relationship, insisting the day before that the most sensible thing was for them to remain nothing more than friends, but they both knew that wasn’t going to happen.
No matter their intentions, they just seemed to naturally gravitate toward each other.
Nothing had ever felt more right than having Olivia’s body curved protectively into his larger frame as he wrapped her in his arms while they both slept.
She was still wary of him, but it was almost like her mind was at war with her heart.
She wasn’t sure of him, but he also knew there was a part of her that trusted him enough that she could sleep peacefully in his embrace.
He cast his gaze down to where Olivia usually parked her car and saw it wasn’t there. Frowning, he headed downstairs, double-checking the rooms as he went.
She definitely wasn’t in the house. Cursing lightly, he headed into the kitchen and spotted a note on the counter.
Didn’t want to wake you. Heading into town to see Erica, back soon.
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he scrolled through to her number and let it ring, the last vestiges of the nightmare still clinging to his thoughts.
He couldn’t get the image of Olivia burning.
It wasn’t the first time he’d had this particular dream since he’d been pulled forward in time, but it was the clearest it had ever been.
“Hey,” Olivia greeted him as the call connected. Every nerve in his body relaxed. “I thought you’d be out longer. You were sleeping like the dead when I left.”
“You should have woken me,” he grumbled.
“Theo, I doubt an entire brass band in the room could’ve woken you this morning.”
He could hear the smile in her voice. “Are you okay?” he asked, unconsciously rubbing the phantom pain in his chest.
“I’m fine.” Her voice softened. “I’m at Erica’s office now, just waiting for her to finish with her client.”
“Alright, call me when you’re done.”
“I will,” she replied. “Stop worrying.”
“An impossible task, I fear,” he answered absently, noticing a shadow at the front door. He stepped closer and looked through the peephole.
He swung the door open to the sight of Jake on porch, a small package tucked under one arm.
“Look, I’ll be fine,” Olivia told him confidently. “I’ll be back by lunch.”
“Very well, I will see you at lunch then.” Theo hung up stepping aside to let Jake step inside.
“Why are you always half-dressed when I turn up?” Jake asked and headed toward the kitchen with Theo following behind.
“Why do you insist on turning up so early?” Theo countered.
“Because I’ve just finished the graveyard shift.” Jake turned to face his friend. “Where’s Olive?”
“In town. She’s gone to see Erica.” Theo yawned.
“And you let her go on her own?”
Theo frowned. “I was unaware of her plans.”
“Snuck out while you were sleeping, did she?”
“Yes,” Theo grumbled.
“She’s a stubborn one.” Jake sighed. “Was that her on the phone?”
“Yes.” Theo stared at the package Jake set down on the counter. “What’s that?”
“Your first gun,” he replied. “But please try not to kill anyone with it since it’s registered in my name.”
“Why is it in your name?”
“Because there’s no way you’d pass a background check considering you were born three hundred years ago,” Jake told him. “And I would feel marginally better knowing that you are at least armed out here in the middle of nowhere with a murderer on the loose.”
“Okay.” Theo shrugged.
“Now, go get showered and dressed. We’ll start with basic gun maintenance, then move on to target practice.”
Nodding in agreement, Theo turned and headed out of the room.
* * *
Olivia sat in the rather elegant but comfortable waiting room of Erica’s law office, idly leafing through a magazine while the stern-looking secretary blatantly stared at her.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was well aware of what the town was saying about her, but she didn’t need to be reminded of it with every suspicious glare.