Contingency (18 page)

The President began mid-sentence where he had left off and the eerie silence was once again filled. It took everything I had not to buckle under the backlash of power as it poured back into my body. My head spun and visions of passing out danced in my head. I pressed the cloth to my nose and noticed how pale the President’s head security guard had become as he stared at me and then at the spot where the Shifter had been standing. He swallowed and raised a brow at me. I gave him a slight nod.

The President finished his speech and we all once again flanked him as we headed back inside the building. When we made it safely inside, President Roosevelt took my arm and led me to a chair and motioned to someone. “Get this young woman a drink, I am fairly certain she just saved my life.” I quirked my brow at him but he just smiled down at me through his glasses and placed a glass of liquor in my hand. Thank God for someone who knew exactly what I needed right then.

A few moments later Aldwin came in escorted by a few of the President’s security guards. He knelt down beside me so I could whisper in his ear where to find the shifter and what had happened. His eyes roamed over me assessing me for any damage and I smiled into his concerned face. I shooed him away to take care of the shifter mess and promised to meet him at Howell Home as soon as the President was safely on his way out of Charleston.

As the President’s entourage prepared to leave, the mammoth sized head security guard came over to shake my hand and make sure I would be okay. “You have done your Country a great service, Miss Hannigan. I don’t need to know all of what happened, or what exactly your abilities are, I am just very glad you were here when you were needed the most.” I blinked at him, and for the first time I felt like everything I had endured had been worth the end result.

“I am glad to use my abilities for good.” I said smiling up at the gentle giant.

“Well, we are heading out then. If I hadn’t seen the way you looked at that scarred gentleman earlier, I’d be asking to see you again sometime, but it looks like I’m too late to have a chance at winning your heart.” With a rogue like wink he strode off, barking orders to the rest of his party. I stood on shaky legs and made my way out of the building. I couldn't wait to get home and sink into a hot bath.

I walked slowly back to the townhouse in a crowd, still dispersing from the President’s speech. People were talking and milling about completely oblivious to the disaster that had just been diverted. A small smile played at my lips when I thought of how I had played such an important role in an event that would never be recorded in history. I didn’t mind.

I let my thoughts drift to the bodyguard’s assessment of my feelings for Aldwin. Could I be in love with him? I hadn’t let myself consider the possibility since I had always believed I’d warp back to my own time when my mission was over. But, it looked like I was very much stuck in this time. I’d have plenty of time later to examine my feelings once all the excitement of our victory settled down.

I was about a block away from my townhouse when I felt a bee sting my neck. I slapped the stinging spot and felt a thin needle fall away from the tiny puncture wound. I swung around just in time to see the buildings around me blur and spin out of control. I didn’t even have time to cry out before the darkness embraced me.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

My body was so tired and the only thing that mattered was rest. I tried to shake off the foggy mist that surrounded my mind. Wasn’t there something important I was needed for? My eyes wouldn’t open and I couldn’t lift my arms. The daze I struggled with drained what little energy I had left. I fought against the fog, knowing my life was in jeopardy. I didn’t want to die, especially not now.

Very slowly I began emerging from the haze that the drug that held me under for I didn’t know how long. When my eyes finally opened, I squinted against the glare of a nearby oil lamp. I was lying on a bed in my shift with my arms tied above my head to the iron bed posts. My feet were secured to the foot board.

My mind spun. Travis must have gotten free, it was the only explanation and if he had escaped that meant Aldwin and Soren would find me soon. I would just have to survive until help came.

I never thought my heart could get ripped out, or that some little part of myself would die. But that’s exactly what happened next.

A low laugh echoed through the room, bouncing off the rock walls, causing a chill to slither up my spine and settle into my heart. “You of all people shouldn’t be surprised, Sage. Someone who has shut everyone out of her life, who has so many personal demons and well-kept secrets.” I almost gagged on the bile that rose in my throat.

“I didn’t want all of this to happen, I had hoped to use you and your powers a little longer, but I miscalculated how strong you would become and how you would side with those filthy creatures even though they’d almost killed you twice.” The lamp light reflected in her crazed eyes and I flinched when I finally saw her achingly familiar face. Elaine looked down at me with a disgusted sneer on her face and the wounded beast inside me wanted to howl in denial. Not Elaine.

“Why?” The word slipped through my dry lips before I could stop them.

Her eyes went wild. “WHY?” She paced back and forth at the foot of the bed and I caught a glimpse of a long knife she gripped in her hand. “I loved him, I loved him but it wasn’t enough. My love wasn’t enough to make him stop dealing with the preternaturals or with Cerberus. He poured everything he had into them and when he was done, he had nothing left for me.” She pounded a fist against her chest.

“And then, how did the vile creatures repay him?” she looked at me her eyes wide in question. “They killed him, that’s how. He died because he dealt with demons and other spawns of Satan.” She spat the words as if the act of saying them would rid the world of their filth. “I will make every one of them pay one way or another. I have enjoyed using Cerebus’ money and resources to wipe out the very creatures it’s supposed to be protecting. Even though you stopped me today, the inevitable will happen and they will be exterminated. It will be so much easier when you are gone.” My body went very still as I searched the face of the woman in front of me for any sign of the person I had once counted as my only friend. God, I had wanted her friendship so badly. The pain from this wound would never fade.

What were my options? I didn’t see but one exit, but what would freezing time accomplish if my hands were bound

“Don’t even think about time freezing,” she spat. “I put enough of the neurotoxin into your bloodstream to make it pretty impossible for you to pull on your little power. I tried to tug on my power to test it.

“Fuck.”

She grinned. “This once I’m in total agreement with your word choice.”

If looks could kill, I’m pretty sure she would have exploded in an oozing mass on the floor. “Like I give a damn what you think.”

She didn’t answer me.

“So what are you going to do, just kill me while I am tied up?” I asked.

She smiled as if I had finally asked the right question but it didn’t make me feel all happy inside. “No, I have plans for you, Sage, you’ll love it, very sporting.” Her tone put me on edge but before I could respond she leaned over and pricked me on the leg."

“Oh, shit,” I mumbled while the darkness claimed me once again.

Chapter Thirty

I jerked my head back hard enough to crack it on the stone wall I was now chained to. I gulped in air around the icy water that had been thrown into my face. My hands were still bound above my head and I doubted I’d ever get full feeling back in them. I shook my head to dislodge the wet hair that was plastered to my face and found myself eye to eye with a feral vampire. My heart nearly plummeted to my feet when I reached inside myself and found a useless vapor where my power had once been. The vampire smiled sniffing the air, smelling the fear that roiled off of me and hearing the racing of my heart. I probably turned the bastard on.

I looked down at my feet and was shocked to find that I still had my sgian dubh in my boot holster. Why would Elaine have left that on me? The vampire took a step forward as if he couldn’t help himself but quickly recoiled back as someone entered the chamber. Elaine strode into the room with another vampire and a shifter. I watched the trio enter but kept my mouth shut. She knew she was calling the shots, so I’d let her make the first move. The trio from Hell stopped directly in front of me and a fair haired vampire grabbed my chin in his iron grip. I tried to jerk out of his grasp but quickly gave up. I’d only tire myself out more and end up with bruises. I met the vampire’s red-tinged stare and lifted my chin slightly.

“So, this is the powerful time Warper?” he hissed as his tongue swept over his lips and fangs, tasting my scent.

“So, this is the pathetic piece of shit vampire?” I shot back as he released my chin. His hand shot out so fast my eyes didn’t register the movement. I tasted blood in my mouth and my jaw stung like a mother.

Elaine tsked “Come now, children, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” I met her gaze unflinching and had to stop myself from spitting in her face. Her smile slipped just enough to make me grin in triumph.

She snapped her fingers. “James, Colton, unchain her and let’s get this over with.” I tried to school my features, but my mind was racing through dozens of different scenarios as I was led from the room with my tingling arms pinned behind me in an unbreakable grip to trail Elaine and her two vampire buddies. Of all the scenarios my mind could have come up with, I would never have envisioned what awaited me behind lucky door number three.

I blinked in amazement when I entered the room. I came to a complete halt before the shifter holding me gave me a shove further into the arena. Arena was the only word that could describe the room that I found myself in. I looked up and to my stupefaction I saw the moon and stars shining down where the roof should have been. The building looked like some sort of an abandoned factory.

There were torches burning all around the room and dozens of preternatural eyes were trained on me, a bead of sweat trickled down my temple. Elaine and company led us to the center of the large room. She looked around the room and into the faces of all the creatures that she loathed--her deadly little minions.

Elaine gave a nod of her head and the blond vampire, left the three of us alone in the middle of the arena. Elaine began what only could be described as a pep talk to her followers. She went on about how today was only a set back, and once I was disposed of their quest for a war would come to pass. Yadda freakin’ yadda.

I looked around the room, searching faces and eyes for anyone that might be able to help me, for anyone that wasn’t under the spell that Elaine wove. My heart plummeted at the realization that there wasn’t going to be any help coming from anyone but me. I gingerly wiggled my fingers behind my back, pleased to feel the needle-like sensations accompany the movement; feeling was returning to my hands and arms. My ears picked up on something Elaine was saying and I turned my attention back to her to see if I could make sense of her insane babbling.

“I will take care of the Warper myself, to show you all that I am worthy to be your leader. Tonight we will fight to the death for your entertainment.” She smiled at the raucous burst of applause and cheers that came from the crowd surrounding us. She had truly lost her ever lovin’ mind! A cold sweat broke out on my brow, just like people do right before they throw up all over themselves. Surely she didn’t mean for us to fight one-on-one to the death. I licked my parched lips as she walked over to me with a sly grin painted across her face.

“This should be a fair fight since I’ve trained in combat and defense just as much as you have, perhaps a little more. You can’t use your Warper powers for at least another twelve hours, so it will be an even match.” I blanched at her casual disregard for my life.

“Elaine, you don’t mean to go through with this, do you?” I knew I sounded desperate, but I would swallow my pride if she’d only change her mind. She looked into my eyes and I saw determination and the thread of insanity lodged there. Why hadn’t I seen it before?

“I won’t feel the slightest remorse when I cut your throat and your life spills onto the floor tonight, you will be nothing more than another dead creature on my checklist.” I flinched from the venom in her voice. “Let her go and get out of the circle.” The shifter abruptly released my arms and I rubbed each one slowly to get the blood flowing back into them. Elaine watched me from a few feet away as she removed her blouse leaving only her shift and skirt to face me. A man approached her from behind carrying something wrapped in a velvet cloth. My stomach lurched when she pulled a dirk almost the exact same size as mine from the folds of the cloth. I looked down at my shift with its hem missing and felt for the small knife strapped to my thigh. It was gone. I pulled the dirk from my boot and swiftly cut a slit up both sides of my shift to my thighs. The hell with appearances.

Elaine made a few lunges and practice jabs getting use to the feel of her dirk as I scanned the area surrounding me, looking for exits and trying to formulate a plan.