A Kind Of Magic (24 page)

With his back to the stones, Roderick climbed the stairs as if he had all the time in the world, all the while listening for any hint of sound from a harpy or anything else. Just as he stepped onto the landing of the third floor, a soft sound reached him. He ducked to the right as a weapon came at him.

Elle’s skin began to crawl, but she told herself that it was her imagination running away with her. The harpies were outside. Val would take care of them. All she had to do was stay safe until someone came for her.

She could do that. It was easy. Or, at least, it should be easy. But she had never liked being alone in scary situations, which is why she never watched horror or thriller shows. She was much more comfortable with a drama or a comedy.

“Buck up, Elle,” she told herself and took a deep breath.

She came to the designated room and opened the door. It creaked once, but otherwise was quiet. As far up as Val and the harpy were, she was sure they hadn’t heard that small sound.

After she shut the door behind her, she turned around.

Only to find she wasn’t alone.

Roderick ducked just in time to miss being speared by Val’s halberd.

Neither man made a sound as they gawked at each other. Val hastily lowered his weapon and held out his hand. Roderick accepted it and gave a nod to let Val know everything was all right.

Val pointed upwards, and Roderick followed his finger. He signed. Somehow he had known the harpy wouldn’t willingly come inside the monastery. Not because it was a holy place, but because the creature was no a fool. He held his hand for Val to stay in place, then hurried up the stairs to the roof. As he opened the door, he spotted the harpy leaning against the bell tower as if bored.

She perked up at seeing him.

“Ah. My favorite. I had hoped I would see you again,” Kaleno purred as she took a step toward him.

Roderick glared at the black-haired harpy. “I don’t suppose I could talk you into leaving?”

She shook her head. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. You know that. ‘Tis the rules.”

“Then let us begin,” he said and braced his feet apart, his weight evenly distributed.

Just as she attacked he fell backwards and rolled away from her. Kaleno stood in the doorway and eyed him as if she wanted to devour him.

“If you want me, come and get me,” Roderick taunted and ran down the stairs.

Elle couldn’t stop the scream that erupted from her. She fell back against the door and eyed Alex.

“Surprised to see me?” he asked, his arms folded over his chest. “I knew they would bring you here. So very typical. Anything to save an innocent life.”

“Something you wouldn’t understand,” she couldn’t help saying.

He shrugged. “I don’t pretend to. Power has always been my game, Elle. You can have part of that power. It’s a heady thing.”

“I’ll

pass,

thanks.”

He cackled as he pushed away from the wall. “You were never as smart as you pretended to be. Let me put it another way.” The smile vanished as his lips raised in a sneer. “Join me or die.”

She rolled her eyes, feigning courage. “Now that’s not very original. How many movies and TV shows was that in?”

As soon as the words left her mouth she knew she had pushed Alex too far. In two strides he was before her, a knife at her throat.

“I don’t have to be original. I’m the one with the power.” He stared down at her.

“Do you want to live?”

She nodded, hating the feel of the steel against her throat.

“On your knees then.”

He removed the knife, and she slowly sank to her knees. To her astonishment, he rubbed the bulge between his legs.

“I don’t know why I have wanted a taste of you, but I always have. Even from that first day I met you. Now, I think its time you showed me how much you want to continue living,” he said and began to unzip his blue jeans.

Bile rose in her throat. Before he could free himself from his pants, Elle rose up on her feet the same time she elbowed him in the groin. Without looking back, she flung open the door and raced down the darkened hallway.

Roderick stopped on the third level, Val still in the shadows, and waited. Kaleno didn’t keep him waiting long as she flew toward him.

“Running from me already?” she asked sweetly as she flexed her massive claws.

Roderick shrugged. “I like to stay conditioned.” She smiled. “I really am going to hate killing you.” Just then Roderick heard a very human howl of rage and pain. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Elle running up from the lower level. When Roderick turned back around, he saw Kaleno had also spotted Elle.

“Leave her be,” he warned the harpy. “You want me. Remember?” Kaleno licked her red lips. “Oh, I want you, Thalean. But my orders were clear.” When the harpy tried to fly down to Elle, both Roderick and Val attacked.

Roderick swung the flail over his head before burying it in Kaleno’s back. She howled in rage yet yanked free.

Val speared her through the leg with his halberd, but again, she quickly pulled free and flew away from them. Roderick saw Elle look up and spot the harpy.

“Run,” he yelled at her, but she couldn’t hear him over the loud beating of Kaleno’s wings.

With Val at his back, Roderick raced down the stairs in an attempt to reach Elle in time. Just as he reached the last step, he saw Alex hobble from the stairs that led to the lower level. He held his groin, which made Roderick smile.

He and Val stood in front of the exit, their weapons poised and ready. When Kaleno moved, he caught Elle’s gaze and wished he could dispel the fear he saw cloud them. Suddenly, Alex had a knife at Elle’s throat as he pressed her back against him and spoke to the harpy. Kaleno had finally stopped beating her wings, but by that time Alex had finished speaking.

“You have no where to go,” Val said.

Alex laughed. “If you want Elle to live, you will let us pass.”

“Don’t,” Elle screamed. “He’s going to kill me anyway. You know that.” Roderick’s gut clenched. There was no way he was going to step aside and let them take Elle, but then again, he couldn’t chance her being killed either.

“Roderick?” Val whispered.

He glanced over at his friend. No words were need. They each knew what needed to be done. He turned back to Alex and waited.

“So be it,” Alex said.

At that moment, Kaleno threw back her arms and howled. Everyone covered their ears as the harpy continued her screaming. It seemed nearly an eternity before she stopped. Roderick lifted his head as Kaleno, with Alex in one arm and Elle in the other, flew out of the monastery from a hole in the roof.

Roderick and Val ran from the monastery and watched as the harpy and her prey disappeared over the tops of the trees.

Val cursed in Latin.

Roderick closed his eyes and sighed. He had failed. Again.

“Do not blame yourself,” Val said.

“I should have been with her.”

He felt Val’s hand on his shoulder. “You wouldn’t have been in the chamber with her. The plan was for her to go by herself.” Roderick raised his eyes to Val. “Someone should have been with her.” He didn’t know how long he stood staring at the last place he had seen Elle. It wasn’t until Hugh stood before him that he realized someone had spoken.

“What happened?” Hugh asked again.

Roderick let Val explain since he could barely look anyone in the eye. A soft hand touched his arm, making him ache for Elle. He looked down to find Mina beside him.

“We will get her back.”

He tried to smile but gave up. “I failed her.”

“You’ll only fail her if you give up,” Hugh said. “Have you given up?” Roderick glared at his leader. “Nay.”

“Good,” Hugh said with a smile. “We killed the second harpy. The odds are getting better.”

Roderick spotted Mina’s crossbow and rushed back into the monastery. He found Elle’s bow in the chamber she was supposed to hide in. His fingers clasped around the small weapon and gently picked it up. He would keep it with him since he knew she would need it later.

He refused to think of any other possibility.

Elle swallowed the bile that rose in her throat each time she looked at Alex. All she could see was Jennifer’s frightened expression as she called her name right before she died.

The talon wrapped around her tightened, poking her sharply in the ribs. She didn’t utter a sound. The harpy was furious for losing two of her sisters, and Elle knew better than to bait the creature or give her any reason to cause her even more harm.

“You’ll thank me later,” Alex yelled over the clanging of the harpy’s wings.

Elle just glared at him. She might plunge a knife in his heart, but she would never thank him. She had no idea how long they flew. She lost track of time as she gazed down at the landscape and tried to figure out where she was, but she might as well have tried looking for a needle in a haystack.

Inwardly, she groaned.

She had always hated it when people had used that expression, but it fit so adequately she had no other choice but to use it. When the harpy suddenly dipped and Elle’s stomach flew to her throat much like it did when on a roller coaster, she gripped the harpy’s talon and braced herself for whatever might come next.

Instead of death, she was gently placed on her feet and released. She raised her eyes to the harpy and saw the sadness reflected in her big, beautiful eyes.

“I’m sorry you’ve lost your sisters,” Elle said, and then wondered why she even bothered. The harpy was out to kill her and would do whatever she had to do complete that assignment.

“Are you?” the harpy asked. “I wonder.”

Elle shrugged. “If there had been a way to stop y’all without the killing, we would have gladly done it. However, y’alls intention was to kill me, which left us with little choice in the matter.”

“Enough,” Alex said and stepped between Elle and the harpy. He took hold of her arm and turned her away from the harpy. “We have things to talk about,” he told the harpy. “Keep watch.”

Elle would have preferred to take her chances with the harpy rather than be with a snake like Alex. She let him lead her into a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. One glance out the crack in the shudders and she saw the open expanse of the hillside.

Nothing to help hide her.

“Now,” Alex said as he sat in a chair and looked at her. “Tell me how badly you want to live.”

Elle slowly turned her head to look at her nemesis. Good looking he might be with his chiseled features and toned body, but his soul was as black as Satan’s. “Why do you want me to live?”

“Its true I could kill you now, easily. As a matter of fact, that’s what I’m supposed to do. But, I find myself intrigued by you.”

“It’ll wear off,” she said and turned her back to him. “If you’re orders were to kill me, then get it over with. I’d rather be dead than listen to you.” The scrape of the chair legs on the dirt floor let her know he had risen to his feet.

She tensed, waiting for him to come up behind her.

Instead, he walked until he stood in front of her. The fury in his eyes caused her to step back. “That can be arranged.” He took a deep breath and eyed her. “What are the lives of your friend’s worth?”

Elle closed her eyes to hide her tears. She had wondered if he would use that tactic, because he knew she would do whatever he wanted for their safety. She opened her eyes and sighed. “What do you want?”

“You,” he said and stepped toward her. “I want you.”

Roderick clenched his jaw as he rode his stallion at a breakneck speed through the forest. He had to find Elle. Every time he thought about Alex’s hands on her, or what Alex might do to her, he went blind with fury. He managed to stop in time as Hugh and Val brought their horses around in front of him.

“What are you doing?” he demanded of them. “We cannot waste time.”

“We won’t,” Val said slowly. “You’ve been a Shield a long time. You know we cannot let emotion get in the way.”

Roderick’s gaze shifted to Hugh. “Did you let emotion get in the way when the gargoyle took Mina?”

Hugh sighed and nodded. “I did, but I pushed it aside. I had to, Roderick. If you want to save her, you have to think with your head, not your heart.” Roderick cursed and looked at the gray sky. He hated feeling powerless, and that’s exactly what he was. He lowered his head and regarded his friends.

“What do you suggest?” he asked.

“We wait,” Val said.

That’s not what Roderick had in mind. “I don’t think I can. He came to kill her.”

“They why didn’t he do it at the monastery?” Mina asked.

Roderick had to admit she had a point. He turned his head and looked at her.

“What are you thinking?”

“I saw the way he looked at her. He wants her.” Roderick fisted his hands, and it took all the control he had not to kick the stallion into a run and go looking for Elle and Alex.

“Why?” he finally asked.

Mina shrugged. “I don’t know. I think we should wait and see what he wants.”

“I don’t have anything he wants,” Roderick said and looked at his hands. All he had, Alex now had.

Hugh grunted. “I’m not so sure. Before, all the creatures immediately began killing. Why didn’t the harpies.”

“Power,” Val said.

Every eye turned to him. Val lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Alex wants power, and he’s foolish enough to believe that since he controls the harpy, he has power.” Hugh laughed. “He has no idea someone has control of him.”

“Oh, he will discover that soon enough,” Mina said.

Roderick looked around at the people beside him. These people were family to him, and they were doing what they thought was best for Elle. He respected them for that and would go along for the time being.

“All right,” Roderick agreed. “We wait.”

For now.

Elle sat with her arms crossed at the table that had recently received a cleaning. It was evident by the still musty odor in the cottage that it hadn’t been used in quite awhile.

“Just what kind of power do you have?” she asked Alex, hoping he would reveal something she could use against him.

He glanced at her and smiled. “More than you could imagine.”