Evie's Knight (41 page)

There, centered high in the brilliant star of the sun’s ray, loomed a silhouette, the figure of a man. He stood high above them on the edge of a jagged peak.

Parker had come. But was it too late? Her eyes fell back to Frank. He stood in front of Calvin, just a foot or two away, smiling while petting the blade with one quivering hand.

Parker dove head first, rushing toward the earth, a colossal eagle in flight. The speed of his journey made him no more than a blur, heading straight for the action. Evie watched the contrasting worlds collide, good and evil, as Parker crashed into Frank, knocking him flat in a blink.

The force of the blow sent the dagger out of Frank’s hand where it skidded across the dirt in her direction. Evie forced herself to sit upright and stomp her shoe over the blade of the dagger, keeping it in place. She leaned against the stump, willing herself out of the dizzy haze, and tried to focus on Calvin and the guards. It wasn’t easy. Her head spun in sickening waves of dark and light, fast and slow, the pounding in her head like an angry pulse. She saw Frank’s face hovering over her, and flinched, thumping her head against the tree once more.

She forced her eyes to open, and realized she’d been in some sort of daze. Frank wasn’t before her at all. He was fighting. They were all fighting. All but the boy. He lay flat on the ground. Whether he was dead, or simply near death, Evie couldn’t be sure. Her gaze flew to Parker. Spider had pinned his hands behind his back while Red kicked him in the gut again and again. He thrust a knee to his face next, and Evie’s stomach lurched from the thick, fleshy sound of it. Things slowed again, sluggish movements on everyone’s part with the exception of the Knight men. Calvin glanced at Parker in the urgent moment, and then, in a fast flurry of movement, took down the manly woman, followed by Ink.

Evie was startled when the dagger wiggled and twisted under her foot; she’d forgotten it was there. Mimicking the movements of an athlete’s javelin, the weapon arrowed through the air. The sharp edge of the deadly blade breezed past Calvin’s rounded palm just before he caught the ivory base. He clenched it backward in his hand, then spun it upright with a blinding motion. Bolting toward the guard who held Parker, Calvin forced a strong knee to his lower back, making him arch back and release his brother. Parker fell to his knees. Calvin turned to stop the red giant when Ink, coming up from behind, seized his attention with the swing of his fist. Red thrust his foot into Parker’s gut. Repeating the action without pausing for breath.

It seemed as if time had slowed once more, only it wasn’t as effective. It slowed the red giant only slightly. For Parker, it didn’t seem to be enough of an advantage. He lay curled up on the ground, trying to block the persistent attack.

Calvin scooted toward Parker, dragging Ink in a firm headlock, desperation showing in his eyes. His ability to freeze time had been thwarted, there were five more pawns than he’d expected, and his brother was taking a beating that could end his life. Suddenly he released the old man and disappeared in a shot toward the sky, landing behind the ox of a man pounding on Parker. Without hesitation, Calvin sunk the steel blade deep into the back of his neck. Red’s body folded in half, before collapsing in a crumpled mound.

Evie gasped; it was excruciating to witness. She knew how Calvin had been dreading this moment, taking the life of another man. With his foot pressed against the body, Calvin yanked the blade free and resumed defense. Evie scanned the area, trying to place each of the other guards while keeping up with the action. Spider, amazingly still in the fight, lunged toward Parker as he got to his feet. Ink and the woman started in on Calvin, fearless of the crimson-soaked blade he held in his fist. Showing an extreme amount of restraint, he fought without using the weapon to pierce his opponents.

She counted it out in her head: Red was down, the young boy was, too. And that just left… Before she could even think his name, a rustling noise alerted Evie to the presence of the missing man. The one who seemed to go missing each time the fists began to fly. As she spun to look behind her, Evie felt the familiar frenzied heat of Frank’s body close by. She flinched away from him as he hunched next to her, clamping a filthy hand over her mouth while scooping his arm beneath her.

Evie thrashed as he lifted her, screaming as she shook her head, hoping to break away from his clammy hand. In a sudden jolt, Frank’s weight shifted beneath her. His muscles stiffened, and his head flew back, an olive-toned fist meeting with his face. Seizing the moment, Evie squirmed out of his arms and tumbled to the dirt with a thud, dodging the clumsy clomp of Frank’s dusty shoes.

Once on the ground, she bunched up the soiled fabric of the skirt, yanking it out of her way, and broke into a run. She planned to circle the clearing, get out of Frank’s path, and find a rock or something to hurl at him.

She didn’t get far. Within seconds Frank was upon her, lunging across the dirt where he grabbed her leg. The action sent her to the ground once more, mimicking their encounter the night before. Gasping for breath, Evie looked over her shoulder. She could see, beyond the tattered fabric of her sheer top, and the dirt-stained folds of her flowing skirt, Frank Pilger’s face, the look of desperation etched in every crevice. Beyond him, another figure came into view, rising from the dirt with a menacing glare. Calvin.

Evie kicked as Frank clung onto her ankle. He clenched his other hand around her shin and pulled. In the distance, swift, deliberate steps brought Calvin closer. Surely he had realized Evie’s captor was Frank Pilger, the man who’d attacked Evie at the track. The profound hatred he harbored for the monster poured from his eyes like a deadly promise.

Spider, looking like an over-sized black widow, scurried into Calvin’s path. Without taking his gaze off Frank, Calvin caught him by the long strands of his hair and thrust his head into one knee. The injured man let out a groan. Calvin didn’t pause, didn’t flinch. He let Spider’s body drop, limp by the wayside and continued to walk in long, uninterrupted strides.

With the persistent kicking of her legs, Evie managed to free herself from Frank’s grasp just as Calvin approached. In short, quick movements, Calvin reached down and grabbed hold of Frank, lifting him off the ground. Evie noticed the dagger tucked into a leather loop at Calvin’s belt as he hurled Frank toward the altar.

Frank, after rolling to a stop on the dirt, set his focus back on Evie. He began crawling toward her like a crazed animal. “I’ll take her with me,” he warned. “I’ll take her.”

“No, you won’t,” Calvin growled, determination set on his face. With the stomp of his boot to the man’s back, Calvin sent him flat to the ground. Evie shot a quick glance at Parker who had the female down and was fighting off Ink, the ever-resilient old man. Spider still lay unconscious.

Calvin lifted Frank off the ground once more, jerked him to his feet, and forced him against the altar of his own making. Frank lay back, beaten and weak, awaiting his final sentence. Once Calvin hovered over the possessed body and soul that was Frank Pilger, he looked him fierce in the eyes and plunged the blood-covered dagger into his heart. He pulled the knife free, still glaring at the wicked man when Parker hollered for help.

The manly female had rejoined the scene, and now had Parker pinned while Ink unleashed his fury on his weakened frame. Evie felt the strain of thwarted mobility grip hold of her again, time turning to a sluggish crawl. Calvin used the altar to press off and speed like a dart toward the fight. The crash of bodies had each man struggling for advantage. Calvin wrestled with the old man while still trying to hinder the oversized woman. Ink grabbed Calvin by the shirt, shoved him against the mountain wall, and thrust his tattooed elbow into his face.

Evie pressed her eyes closed, flinching at the sight of it, nauseous from the noise it made. She opened them again to see the old man deliver another blow, to his stomach this time. She looked at the blade, willing him to use it, when the old man grabbed Calvin’s wrist and slammed it against the rock. The dagger flew from his grip.

Ink reached down to secure the weapon, but groaned when it slid across the dirt toward Parker, who was back to his feet and wrestling with the woman. Calvin must’ve forced it to move with his mind.

The old man shoved Calvin to the ground, wrapped a tattooed arm around his neck, and cinched it tight as Calvin, looking weaker than ever, fought to free himself. Panic consumed Evie once more. How many times would she see Calvin near death?

To make matters worse, Spider had come to. He stepped right over the fallen dagger and began taking sloppy swings at Parker, who was literally dragging the woman across the dirt in an effort to get to his brother.

Calvin lay gasping for air beneath the abnormal strength of the possessed stranger.

Just as Evie eyed the dagger, began moving in a crawl toward it, Parker managed to break away and speed toward the weapon. He seized it within his fist, sped to the old man, and plunged it into his back. Ink thrashed and flipped over, giving Parker a clear shot at his heart. He took it by thrusting the blade into his chest. The vicious man went limp, landing on Calvin in a lifeless slump.

Calvin forced the man’s corpse away and joined Parker, who was already wrestling with the final two guards. Only Spider and the man-like female remained, but Parker and Calvin were in worse shape than ever. The dark guards seemed to possess abilities of their own. Just pressing beyond natural human strength. It was a discouraging thought. Nobody had mentioned that Jocelyn’s pawn, or pawns, as it were, would have superhuman strength like Calvin and Parker.  Alone, Evie was certain they wouldn’t hold a torch to the Knight brothers. But together they were fierce, and successfully draining their strength blow by blow.

Evie’s hopes were fading fast. They still had a long road ahead of them, and if Calvin and Parker were too weak, they’d be more likely to fall victim to Jocelyn’s spell. Fighting her mind power would take physical strength, probably more than they had left. But at least now it was an even playing field.

Parker gained advantage over Spider just as Calvin pinned down the female.

“Right here, Parker,” Calvin held his hand out expectantly.

Parker opened the hand that held the blade. At first, the dagger looked as if it would fall to the ground. Yet instead, it hovered momentarily, then arrowed over the landing and toward Calvin’s open hand. He gripped it tight and lifted it over the woman’s chest. In a slow and hesitant manner, he lowered the blood-stained knife, pausing just before the tip of the blade pierced the woman’s flesh, a pained look in his eyes.

Evie panicked, scared he might get himself killed. Why was he stopping? “Calvin,” she cried out, hoping to snap him back into action.

“How many do we have to kill?” he shouted, a fixed glare on the pawn at his mercy. “When will this stop? When will she come?” His voice cracked. He took his gaze off the woman, looked around, shouting into the stillness, “What are you waiting for?”

As Evie ran her gaze over the lifeless bodies, she could feel his pain. Could hear the ache in his pleading cry; see it in the depths of his eyes and the sudden aged look on his face. He didn’t want a bloodbath–a slaughter that left six dead in its wake. He wondered when Jocelyn would make her appearance and put an end to the carnage.

In that same moment, she could see
him
again. That side of Calvin that hated to harm, that wouldn’t choose to kill if there were another option–any other way.

There’d been a change in him as he’d battled like a soldier against the small army of corrupt souls. He’d switched gears, taken on the psyche of a skilled executioner. Forced himself into the mindset of the cold and calloused. But that was gone. And Evie could see that he was left wondering if he could justify taking yet another life.

Parker had gained control over Spider. “Hurry, Cal. I need the dagger,” he yelled, pressing the man’s battered face in the dirt.

Evie focused on Calvin’s hands, the grip he had on the woman. His tense fingers loosened, and then released altogether.

“Go on,” Calvin said quietly, as if he wasn’t certain he meant it. He glared at her, bringing the steel point of the blade up to her throat. “Get out of here or I’ll kill you.”

Parker gasped in shock. “No, Calvin!”

The woman slowly took one step back, bringing her hands up in surrender.

“Calvin, you
have
to kill her. She won’t stop,” Parker yelled. The woman stepped back once more. Evie feared Parker was right. With her hands still high in the air, the mean-looking woman took another step. And then another.

“Kill her, Calvin. Don’t let her go,” Parker yelled again.

“Shut up, Parker. Go on. Get out of here.”

The woman turned, started to run.

“Let yours go, too, Parker,” he ordered.

“Calvin, they’re still under Jocelyn’s spell. What are you thinking?”

“Just do it!”

“No.” Parker’s voice was firm. “I’m not letting him go.”

The man in Parker’s grip took advantage and slipped out of his hold just as Parker’s eyes began to widen.

“Evie!” he yelled in horror. 

Strong hands seized both sides of Evie’s neck. She reached up, desperately pulling at the mighty grip, unable to take another breath. The deadly grasp tightened for the slightest moment until she heard a snap. White wrists dropped like heavy weights to her shoulders.

She turned to see Parker holding the crazed woman’s head, twisted in his hands. Her neck, broken.

The woman’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

Parker had teleported–he’d had to in order to save her.

Calvin seized Spider, the man Parker had left behind, and overtook him within seconds. With a solemn look of regret, he put the man to his death and left the blade protruding from his chest.

The final guard dropped next to the small, lifeless form of a youngster, the pale boy who’d taken an early fall, fragile-looking and frail.

Calvin stood up, eyeing the mass of bodies, the jumbled graveyard surrounding them. He looked like a changed man, one with a dark story behind his eyes.