Chapter 21
Ihad hoped that between the full belly, the orgasms and the seven and half foot Orc holding me, I wouldn’t have any nightmares. But apparently all of that only added up to a more potent bad dream.
Like the others, the images came to me in flashes, not making sense. I was never sure if I was seeing what actually happened, or if my mind was simply combing several things at once in an attempt to sift through the trauma.
But this time, the sound was perfectly clear.
And it was a voice I knew.
A voice that had spoken to me of unraveling someone.
I smelled cigar smoke and the whisper of a name came and went far too fast.
“There you are…the core of you. My dark little goddess.”
I felt his hands on my face, down my throat, to my breasts. Grasping and invading me. I was absolutely sure that the man whose voice I was hearing was the shadowy figure in every nightmare. His possessiveness was cloying, unwelcome. His voice was like another appendage, sliding along my body.
“You’re mine, I’ll always find you, Nina…you can never escape me.”
I thrashed on the bed.
“No...”
“You’re mine…”
“No…No.”
“Mine…”
“No!”
Someone was holding me in warm hands, and a deep, soothing voice was at my ear. I swam toward the sound of that voice until I was awake, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Nina, baby, it’s okay, you’re safe,” Darius said.
I clutched his shoulders as he held me to him, and sobbed into his chest.
“I don’t want to remember,” I cried. “I just wish I could move on.”
“I know, but you have to process this. And I’m here, I’ll always be here, helping you fight off the bad dreams.”
I nodded and pressed myself tighter to him.
Once the panic and tears began to subside, I knew there was a part of the dream I needed to remember, it was about the man…
But the more I tried, the slipperier the dream became until all I could remember was the sense of violation and I started to shake.
“Shhh, baby, I got you.”
“Read to me while you hold me?”
“Of course, let me see what I brought with me.”
He got up to dig around in one of the bags nearby and it was still too far. I needed the touch of his skin, the shield of his body against mine. Right now it didn’t matter how much power I might have, I felt weak, vulnerable.
When he climbed back into bed I plastered myself against his side and focused on the raised scars against my fingers, the warmth of his skin under my cheek and the thump of his heart. When Darius started to read, the deep rumble of his voice resonated in my ear with the same kind of comfort as the sound machine I used to have.
Soon, I was drifting off but I fought it, terrified of going back to the that place, of facing him again.
“You’re mine…”
I whimpered and Darius’ arm tightened around me.
“I’m here, and no one is ever going to hurt you again,” he whispered.
Eventually, I fell into a fitful sleep that was blessedly dream free.
When I woke up, the bed was empty and I nearly started to cry again, but I kept the panic at bay and forced myself to think it through.
Darius probably went for a run or went out to get something. It was fine, he needed to prepare for today as much as I did and he wouldn’t have left unless it was important.
Taking several deep breaths, I wrapped the overly large, soft robe around me and went into the living room where a covered tray sat on the table with a note.
“Gone to double check things for the mission. Eat and don’t worry. I’ll come get you when it’s time.”
I tossed the note aside, telling myself it was stupid to be put out that he wasn’t here to tell me for the hundredth time that I was safe. I ate the breakfast he left for me, only half tasting it. That voice still echoed around in my head and I strained to try and place it. I was close, I knew it but every single time I tried to nail it down, the memories skittered away.
Maybe that was my brain telling me that I wasn’t ready, maybe I really, truly, didn’t want to know.
The breakfast was only half eaten but I didn’t have an appetite anymore so I went into the bathroom and started getting ready. I had only brushed my teeth when I heard the door open.
“Nina?” Darius’ voice sounded in the suite. “Where are you?”
There was worry there, and I thought maybe there always would be if he didn’t see me right away.
“In here.”
He came rushing in, a flash of worry on his face before he relaxed.
“I’ve got our gear, come out and get changed when you’re done.”
I nodded and finished up, the whole time my mind was haunted by that voice. No matter how much I tried to push it away, my mind wasn’t letting it go.
Talk about bad timing. I couldn’t have had this happen days ago instead on the one day I need to focus?
By the time I was done, Darius was changed into his tactical gear and was placing a garment bag on the bed.
“Sorry I wasn’t here when you got up,” he said.
“Is everything alright? You were gone for a while.”
“Yeah, I was just double checking all the gear, making sure no one had messed with it. I also went to the location and scouted around it, discretely. Everything looks good so far. This is your gear. We need to be downstairs in a half hour.”
He was all business, from his brusque tone to his efficient movements as he double checked his gear. But I could see the small signs that he was even more nervous than I was. The way his hand gripped something, the tightness around his eyes.
I put my hand on his as he buttoned his pants and planted a soft kiss on his chest.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said.
He let out a long breath and then threw his arms around me.
“Promise you’ll stay with me, no matter what.”
“I promise.”
He held me tight, like he was afraid I was going to fly away. And then, just as suddenly as he’d put his arms around me, he let me go.
“Gear up, we’ve gotta move.”
“Yes, sir,” I said with a salute and a grin.
His expression didn’t change so much as heat up, his red eyes glowing for a moment before his lip curled into a grin.
“You’re learning.”
The tactical gear was all black, tight fitting and surprisingly soft. Over the gear, however, was a dark blue pair of coveralls with the logo of the delivery company that we were pretending to be from. Each of us had balaclavas and side arms on hip holsters hidden away. I also had small metal discs in a pocket on my left outer thigh that I could easily use as projectiles, if I needed a quick weapon. Darius and Jack were outfitted with more weapons than any of us, and Angelica had her katana. April was the only one not dressed since she wasn’t able to go on the mission.
Seeing everyone again after the events in the backyard yesterday was just as awkward as I thought it would be. Everyone would’ve likely been a bit nervous without the fight considering what we were about to do. And I was at a loss as to how to make this better so I just decided not to try. There probably wasn’t anything I could say or do to make everyone feel better about my powers, and Trey and Darius had to work out their issues themselves. The only one I did want to make things right with was Angelica.
I walked over to her, and gave her a nervous smile.
“I just want you to know that I’m grateful,” I whispered, “for everything you’ve done. And I’m sorry about yesterday.”
Angelica patted me on the shoulder with a gentle smile.
“I wish I could’ve done something a little less dangerous for you, but you’ve stepped up, and I appreciate that. As far as yesterday goes, it wasn’t your fault. Darius was just being Darius.”
I snorted.
“Tell me about it.”
“He loves you though and that will keep you safe. Just…” She leaned in and my skin tingled with trepidation. “If anything goes wrong, anything at all, you stick with Darius, you understand?”
“Of course, but…why are you acting like you know something isn’t right?”
She swallowed and for a moment I saw how tired and burdened Angelica looked. This woman carried a world of secrets on her back, and whatever she was thinking about right now was especially heavy.
“Just a feeling, that’s all.”
Trey drove into the loading dock with the delivery van we’d be using and there wasn’t time for me to ask any more questions. I’d been a little nervous before, but seeing Angelica worried had ramped up my anxiety quite a lot. Darius noticed, of course, and took my hand in his as we climbed in the van.
“Stick with me, baby, and everything will be okay.”
The he kissed me, quick and soft.
“Okay, love birds,” Wanda said, “let’s not get distracted. You can fuck on the big pile of money we’re getting but only after the job is done and these shinies are sold.”
My face went hot and Darius’ became that grumpy stoic expression he wore the majority of the time.
His game face, I suppose.
Wanda took a lot of time with Trey’s glamour since he would be in the front of the van and needed to look exactly like the badge photos of the usual delivery drivers.
The back of the van, where the rest of us were crammed, had boxes and crates made to look like the special cargo we were delivering, but they actually held our weapons and other equipment. Apparently, these types of deliveries had crews to help sort and store artifacts, so it wasn’t all that unusual for us to be back there.
I wasn’t aware of many nerves before climbing into the van, but once we were underway my heart was racing up into my throat and my palms were making the gloves I wore a damp mess.
That fucking voice, why can’t I get it out of my head? And there’s…cigar smoke but…no, the smell of it on someone’s breath.
The truth was right there, within reach when the van stopped and harsh voices jolted me out of my thoughts. The revelation slipped through my fingers.
One of the guards at the entrance to the loading dock checked the fake ID that Jack had handed over while the other one opened up the back and saw us. He started to poke one of the boxes when Wanda stopped him.
“Can’t you read?” She pointed to a warning on the side of the box.
The guard stepped away and did a cursory look over things before closing up the back. A moment later, the guards opened the door to the loading dock and we drove inside. There were pale lights overhead, which barely cut through the dark when the door to the dock closed. We all jumped out fast and my legs shook as I followed Darius.
“Okay, this isn’t just nerves, what’s going on?” he whispered.
“Nothing…just those dreams last night, I can’t get them out of my head. I feel like I should know that voice but I can’t quite unlock the memory.”
“Don’t force it, especially not now. It will come to you when you need it to.”
I nodded, though everything suddenly seemed off. The way we’d easily gotten past the guards, the convenience of this delivery. The way that Whitman had taken to me so easily.
Whitman…his cigar…no that’s not possible! Is it? But why wouldn’t he have have just taken me right there at the party? Why the subterfuge?
I looked around and quickly found the answer.
“Angelica…”
We had the director of the fucking Secret Archive with us. He could capture me and her on this mission, easily. And then with that leverage, he and the Protectors could ask for anything they wanted.
But before I could stop Darius and tell him, the team was moving toward the freight elevator to do the job while Trey waited with the car looking angry as fuck.
Ok…ok think! This place is heavily fortified, Whitman can’t get in, if he could then why hire us. So there must be something he wants here. Which means he might not attack us until we’re out of here. That gives me time to get the cuff and tell Darius…maybe find a different way out for us and Angelica. And if Trey is there, that’s one more person on our side, making sure we get out of there.
I ran over to him and whispered, “I think something is wrong, I don’t know what, find a reason to come with us.”
His eyes darted to mine and he gave me a short nod.
“Hey,” I yelled as we both ran toward the freight elevator, “I’m coming too.”
“The driver stays with the car, or van in this case,” Wanda hissed.
“I just heard one of the guards talking over the walkie we tapped into, apparently there’s a Dragon in there. You really want to tangle with one without me?”
Jack’s frown was deep, as was Wanda’s. They knew he was spouting bullshit.
No one had mentioned tapping into walkies, and the coincidence of two Dragons being in the same place at the same time when they were usually solitary creatures was slim.
Still, Angelica seemed to pick up that there had to be a reason why Trey was doing this and shrugged.
“Let him come, it will be good to have the original number we’d planned on.”
“And if we need a swift get away?” Wanda demanded.
“I can get into the van fast, don’t worry.”
Wanda groused under her breath as we all climbed into the elevator and waited for the doors to close before shedding our coveralls.Darius pulled me to the back with him and gave me a look that clearly said that he knew something wasn’t right.
I subtly shook my head at him and took two small metal discs in my hand. If someone tried to grab me this time, I’d make sure it wasn’t easy for them.
Everyone slipped on their balaclavas for when the glamours were stripped off us right before the elevator doors opened.
Wanda conjured some smoke to obscure the cameras and make it harder for the guards to see us and we poured out into the first set of hallways.
Two guards came at us and Trey shot them easily. I had assumed we were using live ammo, but when I ran past the two men, they had what looked like tranquilizer darts in their chests.
It made me feel a hell of a lot better that no one was dying for me on this.
“Okay, which way?” Trey asked.
Wanda stepped in front, paused for a moment with her eyes closed, feeling for the falsehoods in the mystically altered floor plan and pointed left to the actual passage we needed. We followed her, the smoke billowing around us in a slightly disorienting way. Three more guards darted out at us. Trey and Angelica dispatched them quickly and behind us another two ran up. Darius shot one with a tranq dart and Jack got the other. But when I glanced down, I saw that Jack hadn’t used the tranq gun. Instead, there was a bloody hole in the guard’s chest.
I didn’t have time to say anything and I wasn’t exactly sure I wanted to point out that Jack was the one using lethal force, considering he was back here with us. Darius must’ve noticed, however, because he put himself between Jack and me, a fact that did not make me feel better.
Did everyone else know that Jack was using real bullets? Why would he do that? Unless he’s not really working for Angelica. What if he’s what Angelica was sensing earlier?
I glanced over at Jack briefly, and met his stare, his gaze colder than I’d ever seen it. My heart jumped and I started to say something to Darius when more guards jumped out at us through the smoke. I screamed when one grabbed me, and punched him across the face, then kneed him in the groin.
“Jesus, remind me never to get on your bad side,” Trey said with a touch of humor.
“Nice one,” Wanda said. “We’re almost there.”
When I glanced up to tell Darius what I was feeling, Jack wasn’t there. I looked ahead of us; the rest of the group was a bit hard to discern through the smoke and the fact that we were all dressed the same. The only one I could really identify was Angelica because of the katana on her back.
Maybe Jack had gone ahead.
Or maybe he was off and doing something else entirely.
The path that Wanda took us was winding, and between the smoke, the adrenaline of the guards coming at us and all the turns and twists, I was completely disoriented by the time we stopped in front of a huge, ornate old bank vault-style door.
How in the hell had she been able to find this?
“Okay, Witch, you’re up,” Wanda said. “We’ll cover you, but you have two and half minutes from the time you start before the counter measures go off.”
I nodded, took a deep breath and set my hands on the door. Jack was definitely not here, and if Angelica had noticed, she didn’t seem too concerned.
Is he taking out more of the guards with the spelled grenades? I hope those are still non-lethal.
It didn’t really matter; the artifact I needed, in order to have any kind of future with Darius, was on the other side of this door. That was what needed my focus right now. I’d trust Darius and the others to have my back.
The first thing I did was reach out with my powers to find the metal. Thanks to April’s training, I knew how differentiate between the gears and the rest of the metal in the door, wall, floor, even some of the boxes that held artifacts and other treasures.
I accessed my well and drew in a sharp breath at the rush of darker power that further weakened those walls between my power and the Morrigan’s. But as I studied it, instead of the darker power overshadowing my golden energy, the two strands wound around each other tightly. While the bond was dizzying and a little disconcerting, all things considered, it wasn’t nefarious. I wanted to examine this further, to see if the strands could be separated, or if one was feeding off the other in a parasitic way, but there wasn’t time.
I found the gears faster than I ever had before. The sense of the magic that wound around the device was so strong I could practically taste it. Carefully, but quickly, I unraveled the spells and was able to access the delicate gear system. I pulled the pieces apart with the precision of a surgeon, dismantling the physical pieces with as much caution as I did the spell at the center of it all. This one was a finespun combination of magic and metal, wound together in such a way that pulling on one part too early, or too hard, would set the whole thing off.
Sweat itched my hair under the balaclava and under my pits and I could feel everyone’s discomfort but it was distant. The device on the other side of the door was clear as day to me, as if I sat in front of it instead of on the other side of several tons of reinforced steel.
Finally, the last piece was out and laid to the side.
I slumped onto my hands and knees just before Darius pulled me up and out of the way of the heavy door swinging open.
“Well, done,” Wanda said with a touch of awe. “Can you sense anything else in there?”
I shook my head, something about that not quite right when Darius spoke.
“Shouldn’t there be residual energy? Or something from the boxes at least?”
“Yes, there should,” Angelica looked truly worried for the first time. “Trey? Can you feel anything with your senses?”
“No, not even the artifacts.”
The bottom dropped out of my stomach.
“What?” Wanda asked. “That’s not possible!”
She darted into the vault before anyone could stop her, and the rest of us followed, Darius helping me. In the distance, I could hear the heavy pounding of boots. These were the special Fae guards that Jack had promised to neutralize with his grenade. Where the fuck was he?
“You alright?” he whispered.
“Yeah, just a little shaky.”
“What the fuck?!” Wanda screamed.
The sound of slamming metal and things being dropped to floor made Darius and me look at each other with dread. We raced into the second room of the vault where the artifacts should have been stored and found a mess of empty containment boxes on the floor where Wanda had flung them. She was yanking them out of the wall without even looking at the numbers. Every single one she opened was empty.
“We have to get out of here,” Angelica urged, the boots getting closer.
“You said—!” Wanda yelled, her eyes huge.
“I know what I said! But it appears we’ve been double crossed and…where’s Jack?”
Trey and Darius snarled at the same time a mere second before the sharp tang of ozone stung my nostrils.
Four of the grenades containing sleep spells rolled into the room and before any of us could get more than one foot in front of the other, they exploded. The runes on our skin were supposed to protect us, but the markings zinged with magic the instant the grenades went off.
“Oh…fuck…” Wanda gasped before collapsing.
Angelica, Trey, Darius and I all went down. The runes hadn’t been a shield against the sleeping grenades, they’d been conductors for the magic, to make sure we were the only ones affected.
I struggled to stay awake, but my limbs were getting heavier by the second, my vision going in and out. It was probably the Morrigan’s power that was keeping this much awake.
I glimpsed a set of boots walk into the room and Jack squatted down to look in my eyes.
“I’m sorry gorgeous,” he said, taking the balaclava off. “It’s nothing personal, but between the fee I took from the Sinners and Whitman, I retire someplace sunny with half naked women. I’m sure you understand, it was just business.”
“F-fuck…you…”
He smirked.
“I wish I could, but he said not to play with the package.”
He nodded behind him and those boots I’d been hearing filled the room. Rough hands lifted me and placed me into a large crate. I tried to look around, tried to see what was happening to everyone else. My magic sputtered and died on my finger tips and the last thing I was aware of, were hot tears falling down my face before everything went black.