Malice in Wonderland (23 page)

I wasn’t worried for Christina any longer. I knew Bram would keep her safe. Now, I had to worry about my own neck.

SIXTEEN

After my father’s stooges left the graveyard, I super-sized myself from Mini-Me and hurried back to Bram’s Porsche. Once inside, I
magicked
my hair from bobbed and black to its natural honey-gold. I knew I was back to myself as soon as I could feel the soft tendrils tickling my elbows. Then I turned on the engine, all the while figuring out a plan to move forward.

Shock still consumed me as I considered the fact that my father was aware of what was going on in The Resistance for Hades only knew how long. I
sincere
ly hoped it wasn’t that long. The more I thought about it, though, the more convinced I was that my father couldn’t have known for very long. Why? Because I had to imagine he would’ve acted on whatever information he’d mind-picked from
Christina much sooner than he ha
d. For example, he never would’ve allowed the article in
The
Netherworlder
Today
to run if
he’d known
in advance such was her intention.

The other thing of which I was convinced was that my father would have waged an attack against us by now if he’d been in the know longer than I imagined he was. Really, with only a bit of choice information coerced from Christina, Melchior could have easily wiped out whatever threat Christina, Knight, and I might
have posed
, and basically shut down The Resistance, at least temporarily.

’Course, I guess, Melchior did try to off Knight and me with the detonation of the Denali; but considering how it failed, my father must have become more desperate to dispose of us. That meant things were probably about to get very ugly. Along those same lines, it would only be a matter of time before word got back to my father that Bram was AWOL and
had taken
Christina with him.

Recalling Bram’s warning not to return to his home because it wouldn’t be “safe,” I could only hope he would also follow his own advice. Knowing how smart Bram was, though, I figured he probably had a secret lair somewhere in which he and Christina could lay low. Either way, I couldn’t concern myself with Bram or Christina any longer. I had too much to worry about now where the entire future of The Resistance was concerned as well as The Netherworld and Melchior O’Neil.

And, yes, I was repulsed by how my father could so easily try to kill his own biological daughter without blinking an eye. But as soon as that feeling tried to rear its unwanted head, I silenced it. I refused, under any circumstances, to bemoan my father’s wish that I were dead because I wouldn’t so much as flutter an eyelash if the tables were turned. Just as much as he wanted me dead, I wanted
him
dead. Guess we did have something in common
, after all
.

Returning my thoughts to the future of The Resistance, I realized I had to come up with a plan and quickly. With Christina now out of the way (since it was too dangerous for her to participate
after
compromising the whole plan), Knight was now in command. First things first, I had to find Knight, whom I desperately needed. One major downside: I had no clue where I was. After traveling through two portals on my way to
Culligan’s
, who knew if I could travel back through them to get to Knight, wherever he was? Furthermore, I had no idea what part of California I was in—Southern, Central, or Northern.

I glanced at the map on the navigation screen and tried to zoom out, hoping I might recognize some of the streets or landmarks, but I couldn’t get the thing to work. After figuring it was taking too long to try to fix it, I took a deep breath and decided I had to find a phone and fast.

I checked the center consul of the Porsche, searching all the cubbies, but didn’t find anything. Then I reached over to open the glove box and pulled out the owner’s manual
along
with a folder of auto insurance and registration information. I tucked both back into the glove box and closed it, leaning over as I searched under the passenger seat, still to no avail. As I sat up, though, I caught the gleam of what appeared to be glass from a cubby in the passenger door. With my heart pounding, I stretched my fingers as far as I could,
feeling
my way along the cubby. When I came to something rectangular, I pulled it out and recognized Bram’s cell phone.

Thank Hades!
I sang to myself as my entire body became giddy with the discovery, and a wide smile curled my lips.

But, I didn’t celebrate too long because now I faced a new problem: I had no clue what Knight’s phone number was to his Resistance-issued cell phone. The only number I did know was his private cell phone, which probably wouldn’t help me. And if Knight was anywhere
near
a Resistance compound, he couldn’t answer anyway since personal cell phones were forbidden. But I refused to give up … not yet anyway.

Left with no other
alternative,
and aware that Bram’s phone could be bugged, I dialed Knight’s personal cell phone number anyway. I knew I was taking a chance, but I was now at the point where I had to take the chance because I needed to get in touch with Knight ASAP.

The phone rang once, then twice and I felt my stomach constricting with anxious butterflies as I hoped and prayed Knight would answer.
Another ring.
Then another.

“You son of a bitch!”
Knight yelled into the phone, apparently
thinking
it was Bram calling him. “Where the
fuck have
you been? I’ve been calling you for the last two days looking for
Dulcie
, dammit! You better have a fucking damned good reason as to why the hell you haven’t been answering your phone!
And you should consider yourself lucky that I have no idea how to find you, otherwise I would’ve shown up a long time ago! And
Dulcie
better be okay or there will be absolute hell to pay!”

“Knight,” I said, once he found it necessary to take a breath, and in the process, gave me the option to speak. I couldn’t help grinning because I suddenly felt like everything was going to be okay. It was a ludicrous thought, really; but just hearing Knight’s voice, even while yelling at me, gave me relief, in and of itself.

“
Dulce
?” he asked after pausing for a second or two. “Are you okay? Where are you? And why are you using Bram’s phone?”

“I don’t know where I am,” I answered quickly as I glanced around myself. I decided I should drive away from the area, just in case anyone from the graveyard happened to still be around and, more so, happened to recognize me. I balanced the phone between my ear and my shoulder and shifted the Porsche into gear, rolling forward. When I made it to the end of the street, I took a left and tried to backtrack as far as I could remember.

“
Dulce
?”
Knight prodded after I didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

“Way too much shit just went down, so I can’t explain it all to you right now,” I started,
thinking
that I should find my way back to the freeway pretty soon. “But you need to come get me, or
else
tell me how to find you. The problem is that I have no idea where I am.”

“I will come to you,” he said immediately. “I can track Bram’s phone and find you.” He paused for a second. “Where is that bloodless bastard anyway?”

When I reached the freeway onramp, I figured I should get on it, if only to get as far from
Culligan’s
as possible. “I can’t explain any of it now, but Bram isn’t with me.”

“Are you driving?” Knight asked. “You sound like you’re in a car and you seem distracted.”

“Yes, I just got onto the 101, but I’m not sure where I am. I definitely went through two portals to get here, so I’m not sure how easy it’ll be to find me.”

“It’s okay. I already have a feed on this phone line, so I should be able to
pinpoint
your exact location in a few more minutes.”

“If
you’ve
got a feed on it, could anyone else have one too?” I asked, unable to conceal my concern.

“Hard to say,” Knight answered quickly. “But don’t take any chances. Just exit the freeway and go someplace public, or at least where there are more people around.” He paused for a second and then added: “We have to end this call.”

“Okay,” I said, taking the next off-ramp and finding a Vons supermarket at the top of the street. “I’m pulling into a Vons and I just exited on Parker Street.”

“Yep, just got the feed.
We’re good,” he said. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was smiling. “Just sit tight and I’ll be there in a matter of minutes.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as I maneuvered the Porsche into a spot just in front of the double doors to the supermarket. “Thank you.”

Knight hesitated for a second or two. “At least tell me if you’re okay,
Dulce
?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” I answered quickly, watching as two men walked into the store and a woman came out. At least there were some folks milling around, considering it was so early in the morning. As soon as that thought occurred to me, I checked the time on the dash. It was nearly one a.m. 

“I’m leaving now and I’ll be there soon … don’t worry,
Dulce
; everything’s going to be fine.”

I could only hope he was right.

#
##

Maybe thirty minutes later, I saw a black Suburban drive into the Vons parking lot. I recognized Knight in the driver’s seat immediately and stepped out of the Porsche, waving to him. He smiled and nodded to let me know he saw me before parking in the spot next to the Porsche.

I’d been incredibly consumed with angst while I waited in the Porsche, worried that Knight wouldn’t be able to find me. Or, worse yet, that someone had tapped Bram’s phone line, in which case, I’d suffer a rude awakening when someone other than Knight came looking for me. At the realization that Knight had found me, though, I was overcome with relief and gratitude. My cheeks ablaze with heat, I couldn’t keep the smile off my lips.

Knight left the engine running as he opened his door and jumped down from the driver’s seat. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved, white T-shirt, which made his naturally olive complexion even sexier. His hair was in disarray, like it hadn’t seen a brush for a few days. He had the overall look of someone who hadn’t slept well for some time. But to me, he was just as stunnin
gly handsome as he always was
.

It was strange, but staring at him in the early morning darkness, with only the moonlight reflecting on him, made time feel like it was suddenly standing still. I was faintly aware of a car driving past with two people in a heated discussion somewhere behind Knight, but they blended into the periphery. Somehow, I couldn’t unfasten my eyes from him, or find my voice, so I just stared at him. He did the same. As soon as I witnessed that charming, boyish grin that was so uniquely his, something inside me burst.

Feelings of liberation and happiness washed over me, and before I knew it, I was jogging the few steps that separated us and flinging my arms around him. The impulse to be next to him was too urgent to deny. I wanted to inhale his crisp, clean scent and languish in his arms. When I hugged him, the surprise on his face was palpable; but moments later, he wrapped his arms around me tightly. Then he lifted me up, holding me so close, I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek.

“
Dulce
, are you okay?” he whispered.

I nodded with fresh tears stinging my eyes. I wasn’t sure why, but I seemed to be on the verge of a total breakdown. Maybe it was the fact that I’d dealt with so much lately—so much that I’d been stockpiling in my head, with the intent to deal with it all later, that I suddenly couldn’t take it anymore and had to crack. Or maybe it was just the immense relief of Knight finding me and the subsequent overwhelming feelings of safety his arms promised. Or, better yet, maybe it was just because I was so damn happy to see him.

“I’m fine,” I said, relishing the warmth of his strong arms. His lips grazed the top of my head as he kissed my hair.