Taken By Storm (8 page)

He couldn’t know. How could he possibly know?

“What difference does it make? They are all dead now.”

“This is not about them. It’s about you.” He looked at her and Charlotte gasped. His eyes were now a swirling mass of green and blue. “You’re one of them,” she cried, yanking on the handle again.

Jerking the truck to the side of the road, he jammed it into park and grabbed her arm. “That was Tal Aune, was it not? I cannot believe he is still alive.” Charlotte’s mind reeled. This had to be Joon and the only way out of the truck was over or through him. She shuddered, fighting back tears. There was no way that would work. She had to think of something else.

What did her parents have to do with Tal? None of it made sense. She had to get away from these creatures. She had to get away!

“You better open this door,” she said urgently.

“We will speak first.”

“Open the door.”

“When did you—”

“I’m going to throw up, vomit, be sick. Open the damn door!” She covered her mouth with her hand and began to gag.

* * * * *

Tal stormed about Charlotte’s dwelling in impotent fury. He had to gain control of his emotions or he would be no use to anyone.

Welcome back, little brother
. Trey’s voice sounded inside his head.
Vee told me to try the comlink again. He
said he was sensing some very strong emotions that might
not bode well for your companion.

The Earthling has fled—again
, Tal admitted begrudgingly.

If you need advice on how to hold on to a woman
—

Don’t start with me
. Tal cut him off.
I will find
Charlotte but others are involved now. Can you dispatch
Dro Tar Nex and Al Varellien? I seem to have my hands
full just dealing with Charlotte
.

Trey’s laughter made Tal clench his fists. He could have at least closed the audiocom before he indulged his amusement.

Al is already on the ground, securing a headquarters in
case this takes longer than we anticipated. I’ve locked onto
your signal. I’ll send Dro Tar directly to you
.

The link closed and Tal took a deep breath. The little Earthling was in danger whether she acknowledged the fact or not. They had been charged with her safety. And he intended to keep her safe—

with or without her cooperation!

* * * * *

The lock popped up with a distinct click and Charlotte threw the truck door wide. Her boots hit ice and she cried out, skidding toward the ditch beside the road. She quickly grabbed the slender trunk of an aspen to prevent herself from skidding over the edge.

Glancing over her shoulder, she fought the need to run. Rod watched every move she made. She bent from the waist, coughing and spitting as loudly as she could. After a moment, she looked under the truck, waiting for his feet to lower to the pavement.

He slammed the driver’s door and walked around the truck. Patience. She counted each step, forcing herself to wait until he reached the tailgate then she spun and dove for the cab. His hand closed around her ankle and Charlotte screamed.

Landing on her stomach half in and half out of the truck, she kicked wildly, clawing at the leather seat, trying to get inside.

He flipped her onto her back and pinned her down with the weight of his body. She thrashed and bucked but her feet dangled off the ground and he was too close to kick. He easily caught her flying fists, securing them above her head.

“Look at me,” he ordered.

She turned her face away.

He held both her hands in one hurtful fist and dragged her face toward his. “Open your eyes.”

“Get away from me!”

“If you are not who I think you are, I will let you go.”

“I’m not. I promise. I’m no one important.” She hated the terror revealed by her shrill tone.

“Just look at me,” he coaxed.

She stubbornly scrunched her eyes even tighter.

They could read minds. They could control… They could…

Her mind spun off into chaos and she renewed her struggles. Thrashing wildly, she reared up and bit his shoulder until she tasted blood. He howled, shoving away from her. She immediately brought up her knee hard between his legs.

His raw, angry wail echoed in her ears, but she didn’t pause. She ran along the road, her arms and legs pumping frantically. Tears cooled her heated cheeks. Each sobbing breath made her head spin.

You’re hyperventilating.

She couldn’t stop but she had nowhere to go!

A scream, part frustration and part fear, built within her. Where could she hide? Why were they looking for her?

Where the hell was Tal?

She slammed into him so forcefully it knocked her backward. He’d materialized out of nowhere. His hands caught her upper arms, steadying her for a second before he stepped in front of her.

Get a grip
. She forced her chaotic mind to focus.
The
cavalry is here. You led him right to Joon. Now Tal will
arrest him and they’ll both get their butts off your planet
.

Hope and fear chased each other through her body, drying her mouth, making her tremble. Moving half a step to the side, Charlotte studied the other man. Had he taken over the identity of a firefighter? Had there ever been a firefighter or had it been Joon all along?

The men began to argue as they faced off like gunfighters. She wished she could understand what they were saying. What had Joon done? What did he want with her?

She felt a sharp ping deep inside her brain and suddenly she could understand their words. The language still sounded alien to her ears but somewhere between her inner ear and her brain, their words were being translated into English.

“You had no authorization to Summon the Storm,” Tal said. She could only see his back but the charge sounded serious. “I have been sanctioned by the Mystics to return you to Ontariese by whatever means necessary.”

Joon laughed. “And what ‘means’ do you believe will give you power over me? Vee himself cannot control me. Do you really believe you can?” Tal’s body stiffened and the coil of his hair tightened. She wanted to help him, to support him, but she knew anything she did would only distract him. This was way out of her league.

Joon’s shape rippled, such a subtle movement, she wondered if she’d imagined it. But Tal dove for him, toppling the other man to the pavement.

The men rolled across the snowy asphalt, landing in the dirty ridge left behind by the plows. Inches beyond the insubstantial mound lay a deep ravine.

She started toward them but stopped herself.
How are
you going to help him, you fool?

She could see no trace of the firefighter now. Long white hair tangled with black and she couldn’t distinguish between their flailing limbs. Tal pinned Joon to the ground, his forearm across Joon’s throat.

Joon began to sink into the pavement and Charlotte gasped. He looked as if he were melting. Quickly encircling his wrists with Joon’s white hair, Tal tugged him back to the surface.

A siren wailed in the distance but she couldn’t take her eyes off the men. Tal dragged Joon to his feet and spun a web around him, a transparent, gently fluxing grid. She watched Tal’s movements, spellbound by his grace and speed.

Joon struggled against the grid for a moment then stood perfectly still.

She had her first unobstructed view of Dez dar Joon. Like Tal, his skin was pale and smooth, but unlike Tal, hatred and malice twisted his angular features, making them appear sharp and harsh. Dirt and debris now decorated his long white hair. The color of his tunic and loose-legged trousers perfectly matched his turquoise eyes.

“If I did not know better, I would think you planned this,
seyati
,” Joon muttered, putting special emphasis on the word. Why hadn’t her mysterious auto-translator provided the English equivalent?

“You lost the right to speak that word when you were banished,” Tal panted. The bright winter sun harshly accented his ashen pallor.

Joon turned his turquoise gaze toward Charlotte and she felt a sharp stab in her brain. She yelped and staggered back, closing her eyes as his mocking laughter filled her head.

“Protect her if you can,
seyati
. You have won only this round.”

Even through her closed lids, she could see the fluctuating light. The ground beneath her trembled and the wind roared in her ears. A sharp crack of thunder swallowed Tal’s shout. She rubbed her eyes, trying to focus.

Dez dar Joon was gone.

She barely had time to register that fact when she noticed the squad car speeding toward them.

“Shit!” She ran for the opposite side of the road.

The embankment was not as steep here. Hopefully, they could lose the cops in the trees. Glancing back, she skittered to a halt. Tal stood in the middle of the street, calmly watching the car approach.

“We have to go,” she called out. “There is no way I can explain you!”

“There is no need.”

“Why is that?”

“This code regulator is a member of Trey’s crew.” She stayed at the edge of the pavement, ready to bolt if he was mistaken.

“Come on, you guys, get a move on,” the female driver called from the open window without bothering to get out of the car. “There’s big trouble brewing. We’ve got to get you out of here.” She certainly didn’t sound Ontarian. The faux officer spoke English without a trace of Tal’s accent.

“Girls in front, boy in back,” she suggested cheerfully.

They piled into the vehicle and the driver took off at breakneck speed. She pulled the emergency brake and spun the car around before Charlotte could fasten her seat belt.

“Are you sure you’re Ontarian?” Charlotte cried.

“Dro Tar Nex. Glad to meet ya,” she introduced. “I love this planet!”

Dro Tar floored it, slamming Charlotte back in her seat.

“How long have you been on Earth? You sound like a native.” The woman looked entirely human, including her bright blue eyes.

“Contacts,” she explained, wiggling her highly arched brows. “My language infusion came directly from the Symposium so it was a little more in-depth than Master Aune’s. Besides, Vee infused him and Vee likes to sound all staunch and ancient. Even when he speaks Ontarian, Vee uses phrases that were retired centuries ago.”

“Is Vee your mentor also?” Charlotte asked, fascinated by the contrast between Dro Tar and Tal.

“I’m not a Mystic. I work with Commander Aune—that’s Tal’s brother. He even lets us call him Trey when no one else is around, but Mystics like to keep things formal. Don’t you, Master Aune?”

“You mentioned there being a problem, a need for our immediate departure,” he prompted.

Her demeanor changed immediately. She held the steering wheel with both hands and forced her mobile mouth into a stoic line. “Yes, sir. They found Rod Sanders’ body a couple hours ago. I just heard an air unit report the location of his truck so my fellow men in blue are going to be crawling all over this area in nothing flat.”

“Then there really was a Rod Sanders? I thought maybe Dez dar Joon just created an alter ego.” Charlotte glanced out the window. They were almost back to Highway 82.

“No such luck. One of his guys found his body in the dumpster behind the station. Joon must not have expected to need the shape very long. He did little to cover his tracks.”

“Are we going into Aspen?” Charlotte asked.

“Yeah, but it would sure help if…” She paused and then rephrased. “Master Aune, if you could please emulate my uniform, it would decrease the danger of discovery.”

“Stop the conveyance so I can study your shape.” Charlotte chuckled. “Men get slapped for saying things like that on Earth.”

Dro Tar shot her a conspirator’s smile.

Tal and Dro Tar got out and walked to the passenger side of the car. Charlotte felt as if she had front row seats to a special-effects demonstration. Dro Tar turned around in a slow pirouette.

She could barely hear what they were saying but Tal’s abilities fascinated her. His basic shape remained the same but his clothing transformed into a neatly pressed uniform. He tried three hairstyles before Dro Tar approved his appearance.

He pulled her door open and she got out. “Does this mean I get to be the bad guy—Officer Aune?” His jet-black hair gleamed in the sunlight, the top slightly longer than the neatly clipped sides and back.

The angular arrangement of his features hadn’t changed all that much but his skin now held a warm, golden glow. His eyes appeared human, the irises the same smoky mixture of gray, blue and black.

He smiled and she felt her stomach somersault. He was gorgeous. She wasn’t sure if it was the more conventional hairstyle or the perfectly fitted uniform, but Tal made one devastating cop.

“Only if I get to choose when and how to use the handcuffs,” he responded to her nearly forgotten question.

She felt her skin burn and knew she was blushing to the roots of her hair.

His soft chuckle played across her senses like sun-warmed fingers.

“Why did you go with him?” he asked, catching her off guard.

Charlotte postponed her answer while he opened the back door and helped her into the backseat of the car. He started to get in after her but Dro Tar made a small noise.

“Up here, Officer Aune,” she said lightly. “That would be a breach of protocol.”

He took the seat Charlotte had just vacated.

“Why did you depart with Dez dar Joon?” Tal asked again. He turned nearly sideways on the front seat, his gaze boring into hers.

The meet and greet was over, back to business.

“Obviously, I didn’t realize it was Joon,” she snapped. “I just needed to…”

“Needed to what?” he persisted.

“Rod Sanders was one of the firefighters who responded the night you arrived. I thought I could trust him. I thought… I promised I wouldn’t do anything to endanger you and I didn’t. I was just going to have Rod take me to the airport so I could book a flight to Denver, but Rod— Oh dear God,
my
purse
. My purse is in that truck. They’ll think I… At the very least they’ll think I stole the truck.”