Lost in Starlight (Starlight Saga) (25 page)

My hands cling to Hayden’s shoulders and I lean into him. Darion skulks away like the rodent he is and stands behind Arcane. The other two hybrids freeze.

Agent Dixon strides over to our little group standing in the alley. This is the first time I’ve seen him up close and he’s even more imposing in person. The guy’s at least six-foot-four and his tailored black suit swathes his slim frame perfectly. With one hand, he slowly reaches up and removes his aviators. His eyes are a deep brown and the same color. He’s human. Now, I don’t feel quite so outnumbered.

I let out a huge breath of relief and lean even closer to Hayden.

“What have we here?” Agent Dixon asks, taking in each of our faces.

No one answers. Arcane, Darion, and Tama relax their posture and appear to feign innocence. Like they weren’t just going to give me shock therapy treatments, and then teleport my ass into outer space.

Hayden’s jaw clenches along with every muscle in his body.

“Arcane.” Dixon respectfully nods at the hybrid leader. “What brings you to Winter Haven?”

“We were just having a friendly chat,” Arcane says smoothly, “with my cousin Hayden. We bumped into each other tonight, and then we stepped outside to get some fresh air.”

Dixon’s unyielding gaze says he doesn’t believe a word Arcane is saying. Smart man.

“It’s getting late.” Dixon glances at Hayden. “I think it might be best if you get your
friend
out of here.” His tone is stern, authoritative.

Hayden nods and takes my hand. “Try not to throw up.”

I gape at him in confusion. “What? Why…”

The words die on my lips. A bright flash of light illuminates the alleyway. Within seconds, the glow throbs and pulses over my skin. A whooshing noise fills my ears like a train roaring past. My skin seems to liquefy and every cell in my body feels as if it’s dissolving. My current surroundings disappear. Like a blur of existence, I speed through darkness into time and space. The weightlessness causes my stomach to leap into my mouth and extreme nausea hits hard. As the ominous light throbbing and surrounding me intensifies, I suddenly land on the blacktop parking lot beside Hayden’s SUV. He’s still holding my hand and I’m overcome with wooziness. The world spins. My equilibrium shifts dangerously and Hayden holds me upright.

“Whoa there. I’ve got you,” he says.

“W-what just happened?” I stammer, still wobbly on my feet. Bile rises in my throat. I lean one hand on the SUV for support.

“Take it easy for a sec.” He soothingly rubs my back. “The first time you teleport can be tricky.”

Did he just say teleport? Oh. My. Zombies.

From now on, teleportation will be a
last
resort.

Hayden unlocks the Range Rover and helps me ease onto the passenger seat. I close my eyes and lean my head back against the leather. With each passing second, my sense of balance returns. Hayden shuts my door and gets in on the driver’s side.

“Hayden?” I say weakly.

“I’m here, Sloane. I’m not going anywhere.” He starts the engine and the motor roars to life. “The dizziness should pass soon. You did great. I thought for sure you were going to blow chunks.”

“Ha. Ha.” I open my eyes and my head lolls toward him.

Hayden throws the SUV into reverse and soars out of the parking lot.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“I’m taking you home with me, where I can keep you safe. Besides I have the distinct feeling Dixon’s going to want to talk to me.” He squeezes my thigh, and then returns his hand to the steering wheel. “Your mom thinks you’re staying the night at Viola’s right?” I faintly nod, and he continues, “I’ll fix this. I swear it, Sloane. No one’s going to hurt you on my watch.”

“Won’t your parents be there? Your brother?”

“Yeah, but they’re all asleep, and we have an empty cottage on the property where we can hide tonight. In the morning, we’ll figure out what to do.”

He drives recklessly fast, zooming down street after street, then turns into the exclusive Bayview Estates. Taking another turn, he cuts the engine and coasts down the long driveway of a remarkable two-story Colonial Revival home and parks at the end.

“Stay put,” he says and hops out.

Hayden opens my door and helps me from the car. He walks and I wobble across the lawn toward a small dark building about fifty feet from the main house. The cottage is small and simple with white clapboard shutters and bearded by ancient ivy. It has a canopied swing off to one side and a few steps that lead to the front door. The sweet aroma of wild roses growing through the hawthorn hedge wafts in the crisp spring air.

Hayden opens the door and flicks on a floor lamp, the brightness stinging my eyes. Blinking, I take in the room, which appears both elegant and charmingly modern, with Mission-style oak furniture and an afghan folded over a rocking chair.

I slump onto the cushioned sofa and heave a sigh. Hayden takes the afghan and drapes it around my shivering body. I’m not cold...just somewhat in shock. Hayden sinks down next to me and wraps me in his arms, curling me into his side. His earthy scent invades my senses. My head rests on his shoulder and my cheek on his chest. His heartbeat thumps quickly under my skin.

“It’s going to be okay,” he says very softly.

I don’t answer. The room is still spinning, and I stifle a yawn.

“Everything’s all right now.” His fingers brush my ribs. “You’re safe…for now.”

For now? Obviously, I can’t hide in this cozy love cottage forever.

I glance up at him. “Safe? Your hybrid cousins wanted to erase my memories and give me permanent brain damage.”

“That never would’ve happened, Sloane.”

But it almost just did. Since I no longer detect any imminent danger, my heartbeat slows and I yawn again. I can’t seem to stay awake. Sleep is tempting, and I snuggle closer to Hayden’s warmth.

His fingers trace the outline of my cheekbone, stroking my skin awake. I might be shell-shocked and frightened, but my body responds to Hayden’s touch like a flower seeking sunlight.

He studies my face for a moment. “Try to get some rest. You need to recover from the teleportation. Exhaustion is kind of a side effect.” He presses his lips to my temple.

“Just a quick power nap,” I mumble. My eyelids close and I drift off into a light sleep.

I’m not sure if it’s been minutes or hours, when the heavy tread of boots on hardwood, wakes me from a fitful slumber. Hayden is still coiled around me, so it’s not him. His parents? Zach?

My eyes snap open. The room is dark now, the lamp in the corner turned off. The shuffling of feet move closer and my heart bangs against my ribcage. The silhouette of a dark-haired man stands near the huge bay window. All the air punches out of my lungs.

Out of nowhere, two rough hands grasp me under the arms and jerk me to my feet. My chest seizes.

“Hey! Let me go!” I shriek.

I try to headbutt my attacker, but miss hitting my mark. My attempts to free myself are futile against the other person’s uncanny strength.

Hayden is struggling to fight someone off, too. They lunge and counter attack, exchanging deadly blows. Hayden stumbles back and a table falls over with a loud crash. Grunting, Hayden delivers vicious punches like a trained boxer to his assailant.

Every instinct inside me surges to life. I kick and thrash, but the person just holds on tighter. I start to scream, but a firm hand clamps over my mouth. Then I’m violently pushed out the front door and onto the porch.

Once I’m out in the thick night air, a damp cloth replaces the hand covering my mouth. A whiff of something sickly sweet fills my nose. I struggle but it’s useless. The world shrinks, my vision reducing on all sides, like a movie slowly fading to black. My limbs feel heavy, my head thick. My eyelids threaten to close.

I sway on my feet and then...

...nothing but cold, endless darkness.

I regain consciousness with a sour tang searing my tongue. My head throbs painfully. Awareness slips back to me in fragments. I force my eyes open and sluggishly absorb the unfamiliar surroundings. No idea where I am. The stench of mold assaults my senses—my nose wrinkling against the offending smell—and the dampness makes my skin crawl.

I sit up slowly. I’ve been lying on a mattress on the cement floor of a small room with dingy gray walls, a lone metal door and one barred window. No other furniture except a few rags and a grimy plastic bucket in the corner. For what? To pee in?

Apparently, I’ve become the victim of my own twisted horror movie.

At least I’m still alive. But I’m not sure for how much longer.

Where is Hayden? Panic spreads in the pit of my stomach and trickles like ice in my veins. I’m dressed only in my footless leggings and my wrinkled blouse. My heels, belt, and purse are gone. No cell phone. I’m barefoot and cold. Scared and alone.

My head feels fuzzy and my tongue feels extra thick. A shaft of moonlight filters through the cracked window. I stare into the shadowy corners, waiting for one of the hybrids to leap out at me and yell,
Aha! You’re finally conscious. Time for the painful shock therapy!
The thought reminds me of my little brother. My family. Will I ever see them again?

I slump back down and rub my temples. What did Hayden do when he saw me being kidnapped? Is he still out there searching? Or has he been taken, too?

I refuse to believe that. I need an ounce of hope to cling to right now. All I can do is pray that Hayden is somewhere nearby and alive. And he’ll soon come rescue me.

The heavy door creaks open as someone slips inside, and it bangs shuts behind them. Bolting into an upright position, I nearly jump out of my skin.

“You’re awake,” Darion says.

I size him up and gauge my chances. He’s alone and about my height. Maybe I can take him. Dumb idea. He’s a highly intelligent hybrid, so probably not.

“Where’s Hayden?”

“Don’t worry about him. You’ll be dead soon, anyway,” he says.

“Dead?” My heart hits my throat. “Wait! Why are you doing this? I get Tama with the crazy, but why you? Is it because of the laws? I mean, are those even official or more like guidelines?”

He clenches his jaw. “We live by an honor system. But not
Hayden
.” His voice is laced with venom.

“Is all this about
us
?” I demand. “Because Hayden and I are best friends?”

Darion snorts. “He broke the law when he became intimate with a human.”

I wave my hands in the air. “We haven’t done
that.
So, he didn’t do anything wrong. Please don’t punish him—it was all
me
. I stalked him and practically left him no choice but to tell me about you guys.”

His eyes widen skeptically. “Hayden knew what he was doing. Stop making excuses for him. He lied to Arcane and swore it wasn’t serious between you two. Not to mention, he moved away and dumped Tama.”

I seriously can’t believe that I’m going be murdered for the two most trivial, stupid reasons anyone can imagine dying for—some lame ass rules on hybrid socializing and a jealous superhuman girl who dated my alien boyfriend months ago.

“Darion, you don’t have to do this. Don’t you realize how insane all this sounds?” I plead, hoping I can convince him not to start the horrifying shock therapy or whatever evil scheme they have planned. “I’m
not
a threat to you or anyone. I’m not going to tell anyone. You can trust me. No killing or memory-wiping necessary.”

Darion’s mouth flattens into a grim line, his jaw tightening and releasing, tightening and releasing. “You sound like Hayden.”

I need more time. Need to keep him distracted.

“Where’s Hayden now? Is he all right?”

“Of course.” Darion scoffs. “What do you think I’m gonna do, kill my own cousin?”

Hayden is alive. Thank, God.

“Is he here, too? Wherever
here
is?” I ask.

A warehouse? A storage unit? Underground alien lair?

“I just don’t get why he risked everything…on a weak human,” Darion rambles on without answering my question. “Hayden drove Tama to this. She was perfectly happy until that bastard broke her heart.”

“I know you believe that, Darion, but please, think about it,” I say. “People in their right mind don’t go around killing other people over breakups. They go on expensive shopping sprees, they date rebound guys, listen to depressing music, or go on junk food binges with lots of ice cream—”

“There’s nothing wrong with Tama!” He storms toward me, his cowboy boots squeaking on the cement floor. “She’s my best friend, and I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone.”

What is this? Some kind of demented alien love triangle?

“Hayden’s a coldhearted ass who hurt
my
Tama. So that’s why we’re going to take
you
away from him. Then he’ll know what it’s like to lose someone he cares about.”

My eyebrows scrunch up. “But if you like Tama, shouldn’t you be happy that Hayden dumped her, so you can have her?”

“That’s not the point! He can’t just break our laws without consequences—it’s not fair! Hayden
hurt
her, and no one gets away with hurting my girl.”

I’m dealing with a psycho who’s two cans short of a six-pack. My basic survival instincts kick into high-gear. My blood pumping hard and fast.

Time to use everything I know about scary movies and put it to good use. I will
not
be a cliché or some dumb clueless victim. There’s a reason that the “final girl” is usually the only survivor at the end of a horror flick. She has intelligence and guts. Mental prowess and major toughness. And someone’s gotta survive to tell the story, right?

And that girl is gonna be—
me
.

“Think about Hayden. If you kill me, he’ll never forgive you,” I say, fighting to keep my voice calm. “And he’ll want revenge.”

He drags a hand over his spiky flattop in exasperation. “Shut it, human!”

The metal door groans open. I pray it’s Hayden or Dixon with a swat team. Instead, two shiny black heels appear in the doorway.

“Darion, don’t you dare kill the bitch without me,” Tama orders.

Drawing in several deep breaths, I grip the edge of the mattress and hope I can stand. That I can fight. Neither of them is carrying weapons. Maybe they don’t need them. If they can bend metal objects in two, then they can undoubtedly break my neck with just a thought.

All things considered, the longer I can keep these two crazyass hybrids chatting, the better chance I have of coming up with an excellent plan of escape. I scan the room. Yeah, I got nothing.

Okay, brain, no time like the present!

Wait...Arcane is not with them. He may not know what they’re up to.

“Let me speak to your leader before you do anything you’ll regret.” My voice carries the sour aroma of desperation.

“Regret?” Tama’s lips stretch into a twisted, sinister smile. The single scariest thing I’ve ever seen outside of a horror movie. “
Please.
Killing you will be the highlight of my night.”

Just keep them talking.

“Where am I?” I ask, licking my dry lips.

“Does it matter?” Darion asks. “An abandoned warehouse on the other side of the island. Where no one can hear you scream.”

“Hayden will rescue me,” I say confidently.

“Not likely. Zach gave us a hand tonight. Hayden’s a little busy getting his ass chewed out by Arcane and his parents for dating such a
lower being
,” Tama says, her tone laced with disgust.

Oh, god. Hayden’s not here. He’s not coming to save me.

“If your inferior ass hadn’t come along and seduced him, then we’d still be together,” Tama says, sending me an accusing glare.

Adrenaline fills my veins, bubbling hot as lava. I’ve had it with Tama’s superiority crap. I stagger to my feet and glare into her hateful face.

“Enough with the psychobabble! You
actually
believe that you’re better than I am? That I stole your boyfriend?” I mockingly laugh, but there’s a hysterical edge to it. “Get over yourself, Tama. You might be the next step on the evolution ladder, but I got more heart than you’ll ever hope to have. And it must kill you that Hayden wants to be with
me
—a lowly human—more than he ever wanted to be with
you
.”

Tama stomps forward in her clacking heels, and her hand zooms out so fast I don’t have time to duck the slap. The crack of her hand against my skin ricochets throughout the space. Eyes watering, I massage my stinging cheek.

Darion laughs. “That’ll teach you to talk back, bitch.”

“I’m bored,” Tama says with a fake yawn. “Hand me the knife.”

Uh-oh. Time’s up.

“Violence is for idiots, Tama. Use your words,” I say.

My sarcasm falls on deaf ears.

Darion reaches behind him and pulls out a scary-looking knife from his back pocket. “Here you go, baby. Try not to get blood on your new shoes ’cause they make your legs look hot.”

Tama turns and gazes at him. They’re sharing a moment that makes me want to gag myself.

“I’ll go pull the car around while you finish up here.” Darion spins on his heel and exits the room.

Heat boils my insides. I will not die tonight. Not at the hands of two bloodthirsty hybrids.

Tama twists around to watch him go, and her back is to me. Wrong move.

The second the door latches, I use that moment of distraction to seize the knife with my right hand. My fingers curl around the hilt, cold against my skin. Tama whirls around with her eyes wide. She grabs for the knife, and we wrestle with the blade. She seizes it from my grip and jabs at my chest. I dodge the strike and elbow her in the ribs, knocking the butcher knife from her hand.

Crouching, I grasp the handle. As I turn to face Tama, she lunges, accidentally plunging the knife into her gut. Unable to release my frozen grip, I yank the blade from her stomach, blood dripping from the shiny metal. Shit! I hadn’t meant to hurt her. Only get the knife away from her crazyass. She staggers back in shock, mouth open, with both hands clutching her abdomen. Blood seeps between her fingers.

“You fat bitch!” she screeches, then collapses to the floor.

I wave the knife at her, my fingers trembling. “Don’t move.”

Tama gapes up at me from the ground, as if she can’t believe I’m standing there alive. She curls into a tight ball and moans.

At that moment, Hayden teleports into the room in a bright flash of blue light. His eyes widen as he takes in the scene, Tama mewling and bleeding all over the floor, and me clutching a wicked sharp knife.

He came to my rescue! I nearly lose it then. In a wild torrent of relief and happiness, there are at least a dozen things I want to tell him.

“It’s about time.” I smile. “I was starting to worry.”

“Are you okay? What happened?” he asks.

I shrug. “Nothing much. Tama just tried to kill me.”

“Looks like you’ve got things under control. Sorry I’m late for the party,” he says. “I had to escape the firing squad at my house and give Arcane the slip.”

I toss the bloody blade onto the mattress. “How did you know where to find me?”

“Just a hunch. The hybrids own this warehouse and it’s far enough off the main road to be private.”

“Ah, the perfect place to interrogate and torture.”

“You could say that.”

“Arcane wasn’t in on my kidnapping?” I ask.

“Not that I’m aware of.” He yanks me into his arms, ignoring a withering Tama on the floor, and lowers his face to mine. “I was so afraid that I’d lost you.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good.”

“What about her?” I jerk my head at Tama. A surge of guilt hits hard. I move to help her, but Hayden pushes me back.

“Don’t, Sloane,” he says. “She can’t be trusted.”

My stomach clenches. Even though I know the hybrids have extraordinary healing capabilities, I can’t just stand by while she bleeds out.

“Tama doesn’t look so good,” I say.

“Don’t worry, she’ll live. Our advanced medications should heal her wound in no time.” He glances at his blubbering ex-girlfriend, the hy-bitch. “I need to call Arcane to come get her. I doubt she’ll be a problem anymore.”

“Finally some good news.” I nuzzle my face against Hayden’s warm shoulder.

Something moves in the doorway, and I lift my head. My eyes go wild.

Darion’s hands are wrapped around the handle of a Glock 45. Pointing right at us.