Protecting His Witch (Entangled Covet) (Keeper Of The Veil series Book 1) (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

The light of dawn outside the window of the SUV tickled the horizon, which threw her internal clock into a free fall. In her world it was the middle of the night, but in Ireland the breakfast sausages would be frying. All she wanted was to slip beneath the sheets of her bed for about a day. Maybe a week. At this point any bed would do, preferably somewhere private and safe. And with Matt in it.

She wasn’t sure who or what they waited for here at the airport. But they’d been idling for five minutes in this SUV.

“I could do with a huge black coffee. I’m sure there’s somewhere in Belfast that offers a crack of dawn cup,” Bryce announced from the driver’s seat. He checked his watch and mumbled, “Wish the boys would hurry up with their report on the safety of our travel path.”

“I’ll take a double shot of anything caffeinated,” Matt grumbled.

Unexpectedly, a fourth passenger slid into the rear seat next to her.

The newcomer smoothed her shoulder-length black hair with interwoven red highlights. Pale blue eyes met hers. “I’m Serenity,” She met the questioning gaze of both men in the front seats and snorted out a laugh. “I just had this weird image of being at an AA meeting. My name’s Serenity and I’m a Pleiades.”

“If only it was a problem as easy to kick as alcoholism,” Kat muttered. She smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Kat.”

Serenity shook her hand. “Amen to that, sister. I knew if Matt liked you, then you’d be cool.” She smiled.

Bryce interrupted. “Where the bloody hell have you been and what are you doing here? You know we don’t travel like this. Too much risk to be out in the open with you guys together.”

Serenity rolled her eyes. “God, you can be such an ass. What happened to:
Hey Serenity. How’re you doing?
”

Bryce expelled an agitated sigh.

Serenity rolled her eyes. “I’m here to help. Got some info for you.”

“Fine. I’m sorry. What were you doing to be of
help
?” Bryce grumbled, clearly trying his best to rid his face of the what-the-hell storm cloud.

“That apology sucked, old man.” Serenity crossed her arms and slumped in the seat.

“For fuck’s sake, Serenity, spit it out.” Bryce cranked around to glare.

Serenity sighed and glanced disparagingly at Kat. “He’s really got such a potty mouth, doesn’t he? I swear he drops the F-bomb almost every other sentence.”

She laughed. “Got him pegged on that one.”

“I remember Auntie Lynn complaining about it a lot. Since she’s not been around, he’s only gotten worse.” She made a sad face. “It’s such a shame you didn’t get to know your mother well. She was one entertaining lady.”

Bryce cleared his throat. “We are not doing a memory-lane stroll right now.”

Serenity explained, “I’m sort of like the black sheep of the Pleiades, Kat. I don’t obey the rules, at least the security ones.”

Bryce muttered under his breath. His phoned dinged. One scan of the incoming message and he pulled the SUV away from the airport hangar. “Serenity…details. Now.”

Serenity said, “Fine. I got intel that Acquisitions is here. I’ve been doing a little recon in downtown Belfast—”

“How can I possibly keep you safe when you insist on doing stupid ass shit like that?” Bryce asked.

Matt chuckled. “She can take care of herself. The girl’s well trained. Don’t forget she’s ex-MI6.”

“It’s my job to see to her safety,” Bryce said.

“I can be
invisible
. So, I’m probably safer than anyone else you could send in. The area is crawling with Acquisitions. It’s like they’re pinging radar off everything, but don’t know exactly what they’re looking for. How did they know we were here? You think their Sighter can predict more than just dimension jumps?”

“No clue,” said Bryce.

“Where exactly are we going? Long drive?” Kat asked.

“About an hour south of Belfast. I guess we’re skipping coffee and doing a quick drive through town,” Bryce announced.

“How’re you holding up with all this, Matt?” Serenity asked as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Fine,” he answered in a clipped tone.

“That good, huh?” Serenity got comfortable in the seat and pulled out her cell phone, scrolling through a few incoming messages. “I’m glad you’re here, Matt.”

Jealousy hit her hard. Did he and this girl have something going on?

Serenity patted her arm and whispered, “He’s all yours. We’ve been friends a long time. Trust me when I say there’s nothing other than friendship there.”

As they merged into early morning traffic, Bryce announced, “We’re being followed and they’re getting aggressive behind us.”

He cut a sharp right and then left, the wheels screeching complaint. “They’re still there.”

“Drop Kat and I at the next corner immediately after you turn. If you’re fast on the turn, they won’t see us because of the large building,” Serenity ordered.

“No,” Bryce said.

“You two can lead them on a merry chase. Take ’em out and whatever. We’ll meet you at the train station in an hour.”

“No,” Bryce said again.

“Matt…” Serenity pleaded.

“She can hold her own.” He turned to glare at Serenity. “You swear on whatever you hold sacred that you can do this and you will get her back to me in one piece?”

“You betcha.” She checked and chambered a round in both of her handguns. “Besides, Char always said we’re stronger when together. Bryce just doesn’t believe it. We can dimension hop if we get into trouble.”

Matt’s eyes narrowed and he said softly, “No matter
who
or what you run into, Serenity, you’ll make it?”

“We will make it,” Serenity promised.

Bryce floored it and cornered a tight right. He hit the brakes, but before the car came to a pseudo-stop, Serenity pulled Kat out of the car. They jumped over a snowbank, and Kat struggled not to skid right into the building on the icy sidewalk.

After running and sliding on icy patches through several back alleys, Serenity held a single finger against her lips and indicated for her to follow her through a restaurant. The smell of coffee and pastry might’ve tempted her stomach, if she could just catch her breath. Jealously she noted Serenity’s chest barely moved. Dancing kept her in shape, but it wasn’t as if she did track sprints on a daily basis.

They skirted out the back door into another alley. And into the corner turn.

“Don’t move,” ordered an unfamiliar man.

Serenity froze as the muzzle of a gun lay, almost casually, against her forehead. She held her hands up, allowing her gun to fall. A tall man with insane cheekbones slammed Serenity into the brick building so hard that Kat heard Serenity’s teeth crunch. His fist encircled Serenity’s throat to hold her in place.

“Let her go,” Kat ordered, infusing every bit of mind persuasion she had.

The man’s glacial green eyes glided to her. A chill slid over her skin with the impression of death. Instinct pushed her to bolt from him and the danger he promised.

He said low with the hint of a Eastern European accent, “Your skills won’t work on me.” With his free hand he removed a small device from his pocket. Kat screamed as her world went electric. Jolts of energy sent her tumbling to the cold ground, muscles twitching. The bastard tased her! Once her world stopped spasming, she tried to get into the man’s mind, but received no thoughts. All she picked up from him was self-assurance and control.

Serenity’s leg kicked upward, scoring a glancing nut crunch. He backed up a step with a grunt, his fingers on her throat loosening. She tore out of his grip.

He snatched Serenity’s wrist as she turned. One of her ankles twisted inside his and she almost caused him to lose balance. With a graceful twist she put several feet between them. She crouched and stared at him, her breathing heavy. “Let us go. We are no threat to you.”

“You and all of
them
threaten the world, according to the OLM.”

“Now you believe that bullshit? I never thought you a narrow-minded prick like them. We plan to save the world tonight.” She reached down for Kat, helping her to a wobbly stand. “We’re leaving now.”

“The hell you are. What are you doing out here?” His lips shifted into a scowl as he whipped a gun from his belt.

“Will you shoot me, Alexi?” She backed away from him, blocking Kat with her body.

Kat heard the
pfft
of his suppressed gun firing. Serenity jumped backward, pushing Kat into the wall.

“Are you shot?” Kat asked, a note of hysteria in her tone.

“No,” Serenity said dully. They turned to see a man lying on the sidewalk, a small bullet hole center of his forehead. He was dressed in standard Acquisitions black tactical. When Kat looked for Alexi, he was gone.

“Did he miss?” Kat asked softly.

“Alexi Jovec doesn’t miss.” Serenity rubbed her throat.

“Who was that?”

“Right now, Alexi is moonlighting with the OLM’s Acquisitions department, but I don’t get why the deadliest assassin on the planet is messing around with them. Or why the hell Alexi just shot one of the Acquisition guys and not me or you, when clearly his mission is to get us.”

“You know him, don’t you?”

“He’s…” Serenity massaged her forehead.

Kat understood that state of confused uncertainty only too well. Serenity and that terrifying killer had history, and weren’t over. She granted Serenity a half-smile. “I thought
my
love life was messed up.”

“Something happened between us and it was…memorable. But it’s a dead end. So beyond over. How about we keep this little incident between us. This will give Bryce a coronary.”

“We’re almost sisters. So, your secret’s safe here. I don’t like that guy, and not just because he tased me.”

“No one likes him. He only hit you with a light shock. Had he cranked it, you’d be immobile for an hour.”

“That somehow makes it okay? I can’t believe you’re actually defending him. He just tased me!”

“Shit.” Serenity pinched her nose. “I’m sorry. He is an ass most of the time.” Serenity glanced her over as if to ensure she was okay. She announced, “To the train station.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Braless in a white nightgown? What the hell? This is not my thing,” Serenity announced as she plucked at the front of the simple white cotton dress.

Kat squirmed in the thin dress that had been thrown her way, wondering if their plan was to freeze on their way to whatever outdoor gala Charlotte planned. Kat had worn three layers when they entered the remote cottage estate not long ago, and feared frostbite in the biting winds and snow. A rush intro of the other Pleiades women minutes before they did a communal strip and donned these gowns remained a blur of names and faces. Yet she felt comforted by their presence.

“Hair down, ladies. It’s custom. Serenity, suck it up and deal,” Charlotte ordered.

Serenity waggled her middle finger at Charlotte’s back. The teenager named Nicole giggled and threw Serenity a
you’re-my-hero
smile.

Charlotte held open the door with a silent time-to-leave directive.

“Wait,” Kat said, “If we’re about to do some weird stone-circle druid ritual that involves sacrificing someone, or blood, then I’m out.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Sweetie, we are not druids. Besides, that business was only done by an extremist druid sect led by a drug addict who thought himself a precog, but the man couldn’t predict that his dog would shit after a meal.”

“You know that because you were alive in the 1600s?” Serenity asked.

“If I didn’t think you could kick my ass in hand to hand, I’d smack you for that,” Charlotte said, “An ancestor kept a really interesting journal.”

Serenity whispered to Kat on their way out the front door, “The old broad said we had to go completely naked but there’s no way in hell I’m going unarmed.” She raised the long white hem to reveal a thigh holster.

Kat smiled. She halted at the door, gazing at Matt. She didn’t want to do this without him.

“You’re with her,” Bryce pointed at Matt.

She hugged herself against the draft from the open door.

“Why aren’t you coming?” Matt asked Bryce as he walked toward her.

“Only the seven women and any destined are allowed out there by the rocks. I’ve seen it once. They need you guys for protection since they might get a little wrapped up in what they’re doing.”

Matt asked, “Why not send the best you’ve got to protect them?”

“Only a bonded druid can take what they’re about to do without going a bit…uh, wild.”

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll see.”

“What about you and the others?”

“We’ll cover the perimeter. This is what we’re good at.” Bryce tapped his wireless ear communicator and listened. He ordered, “Report Red team.” He glanced back at Matt. “Go. You do your thing with her and them. That’s your job now.” Bryce yanked out his cell, dismissing him.

Matt took Kat’s hand.

She said, “I’m so cold.” She shuddered as an arctic blast of wind tore through the thin gown.

He wrapped his arm around her. As they crested the hill at a fast jog, the freezing dissipated into a perfect seventy-something. “Well that’s weird,” she mumbled.

“Everything about this will probably be weird,” he replied and pointed toward the women. “Go. I’ll wait out here on the periphery with Brian.”

Charlotte approached a gigantic irregular bolder in a clearing and said, “Let’s sing, ladies. For you newbies, you should recognize the tunes.” She started a beautiful lullaby that Kat remembered. Her mother had sung it countless times. Its melody compelled. She sang.

When the song ended Charlotte laughed. “Now we dance.” She started a new song.

Kat recognized this new song and recalled dancing with her mother. She laughed and joined into the fun of gyrating to the rhythm. She caught Matt’s wide-eyed gaze and smiled. He fell back against a tree and ran a hand over his forehead. Concerned, she trotted over to him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“You ladies wove some sort of spell.” He waved a hand toward Charlotte’s husband, who rested his hands on his knees, breathing hard, and another guy who held onto a tree as if it was a lifeline with a fixed gaze on a twentysomething blonde whose name she didn’t remember.

“What kind of spell? Are you hurt?” She reached out to touch him.

He backed up. “Don’t. You put one finger on me right now and…holy hell, Kat. I’m hanging onto my sanity by a thread. I’ll have you up against this tree and be inside you in about one second.”

The air rushed out of her throat ending in an, “Oh.” Then she cocked her head. She liked holding this much sexual power over him. “That doesn’t sound so bad.” She reached a finger out to touch him.

He stepped backward, avoiding her finger, and swallowed convulsively. “Please, go. Do whatever has to be done.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Get over there. The compulsion…the drive is getting stronger, wildcat.”

“Afterward, then?” She scanned his body slowly with a grin, enjoying his sharp intake of breath.

“You’re going to kill me.” He wrapped his fist around a tree branch.

The singing beckoned to her. Trancelike, she resumed the dance, which stopped when a deep blue glow developed in the center of the clearing.

The glowing mist parted and a humanlike form materialized at the periphery.

Her mother.

Charlotte said softly, “Each of us gets a moment with an ancestor. You get to go first tonight, Katherine.” The six other women backed away.

Kat slowly walked toward the glowing mist, transfixed on the almost solid form of her long-dead mother. The form flipped her flowing strawberry-blonde hair over a shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

When she was within a few feet the shimmering image of her mother spoke. “Hi Katie-kat.”

“Who are you?”

“That’s complicated. Let’s just say I’m the ghost of your mother. Yet I am all the descendants. We are one on this day of communication.”

“Are you doing okay over there?”

The image of her mother smiled. “You seem to be acclimating to your new life.”

“It’s been a bit overwhelming.”

“I am sorry I dumped you with that family. I did my best on short notice. But now, I need for you to give a message to Bryce.”

Kat nodded.

“Tell him I am waiting. It is very important you tell him
it is time
. He can let go. His successor has arrived, and I am ready for him to join me.”

Tears moistened Kat’s cheeks, which she swiped away. “But I just got here. I don’t even know him yet.”

“I know, Katie-kat. It is not fair. But he has done all that was required of him.”

“Right. I’ll tell him.”

“That’s my girl. Now stop fighting what is right. Revel in your abilities. They will not go away. You must accept them, learn them and enjoy. How well I know that life is too short. Now go and claim that man over there as yours.”

Kat eyed his tense form. “I don’t know if he wants me, or all this.”

The phantom laughed. “Dense males. It is time for you to make this happen. Follow your instincts.” She shimmered into nothing. Gone.

Kat backed away from the shimmering doorway. In a daze she watched each of the other seven speak with their own personal phantom. She expected fireworks or an energy explosion or something when it was done, but the moment the last of the seven spoke with her ghost, the shimmering doorway disappeared—anticlimactic for something that could result in a universe-altering ending, if one of them no-showed.

A dull
pop-pop-pop
shattered the sudden silence.

“Everyone down. Get into the depression in the rock,” Serenity ordered. “Someone’s shooting from the other side of the rock. Move. Now!”

Kat dove into the shallow alcove in the massive rock structure beside Nicole and gazed at Matt, now a hundred yards away. He melted into the shadows of the forest behind him.
Oh God, don’t let him die.

Serenity unholstered her gun from her thigh. “Sorry if I flashed anyone.” She cocked an eyebrow at Charlotte, daring her to comment. “The shooters are probably OLM Acquisition assholes. Isn’t it Bryce’s job to do perimeter guarding? I can’t believe we’re out here like sitting ducks with no protection.”

Another volley of gunfire had rock pieces spewing around them.

“Shouldn’t we pop away to our alternates?” asked Nicole.

Charlotte said. “We can’t. We used too much magic for the Confirmation. We probably can’t transition to our other dimensions for at least a day, or use our gifts very well for a while. It’s the perfect time to ambush us.” Charlotte glanced around. “Jen, can you cast a protective spell over us?”

A brunette shook her head. “Already tried. I’m tapped out.”

Gunfire echoed from the area in the forest where the boys used to be.

Serenity announced, “Char, I think your husband got whoever is near them. I know Brian had a gun. Doesn’t matter, though. We’re all fucked. You hear that?”

Another volley of gunfire came from the other side of the rock.

Serenity said, “That’s rifle fire. All we’ve got is my handgun and Brian’s. That’s a max of thirty rounds minus however many he uses to get the guys near them. They’ve got rifles and probably endless rounds. They’ll pick us off, if we move.”

“What’s a round?” Jen asked.

“Seriously?” Serenity said. “A round is a bullet. I think this should be a lesson to us that we’ve got to stop staying apart. We need to train for this kind of disaster.”

“I’ll second that,” Nicole said. She giggled. “You’re pretty kickass, Serenity.”

Serenity scowled. “There’s nothing funny about this.” She leaned around the rock depression to her right and shot twice.

Nicole said, “I’m pretty sure we get through this.”

“You have a vision?” Charlotte asked.

Nicole leaned back with a tranquil smile.

Kat watched a shadow appear at the edge of the forest where Serenity had targeted. She pointed, and Serenity’s gaze snapped to the shadow. The guy’s hands were in the air in a clear what-the-hell signal. Kat recognized those high cheekbones, but didn’t understand his gesture. “What was that about?” she whispered to Serenity. No one other than she and Serenity seemed to have noticed him.

“Shit, I almost shot him. He’s…I think he will help us, which is good for us. Confusing as hell.” Serenity mumbled. She mouthed to Alexi, “Sorry.” The guy pointed to the opposite side of the forest with a clear
shoot-that-way
. Then disappeared. Serenity whirled and emptied five rounds to the left.

Kat’s ears rang from the noise.

Serenity fell to a sit next to her. “I’m empty. No more bullets.”

Kat whispered to her, “You think he will…help?”

Serenity shrugged. “He plays for his own team most of the time. I don’t understand him.”

A few more shots rang out and then nothing. They sat in silence for several tense minutes.

“Everyone okay?” Charlotte asked.

A round of yeses confirmed the all-around okay. The guys reappeared at the edge of the clearing and jogged to them.

Matt announced, “It’s over. I don’t know how, but they’re all dead.”

“Let’s get out of here before more decide to show up. Everyone inside,” Charlotte announced.

Everyone followed Charlotte, but Kat caught Serenity’s arm as she stood. She whispered, “Was that really him again?”

Serenity nodded. Emotion clouded her face, and then she shook her head. “I don’t get him. I think he helped us, but I don’t know why. Forget it. Let’s get inside.”

For the first time Kat really looked at Matt. Relief that he was alive paralyzed her. There was an angry scrape along his left cheek and numerous tears in his shirt. “Oh God, what happened?” She touched his cheek with gentle fingers.

“I’ll heal.” His arms closed around her and he dragged her into his chest. He was so powerful, and right now she needed an anchor to hang onto. She knew she was safe with him.

He said, “It’s time to get out of here.”

Her vision blurred. She barely heard him say, “Trust me,” before she was in his arms and he was running. She circled her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. Tears fell, and she couldn’t tell if she was crying from happiness, relief or fear. When they neared the cottage, she brushed away the moisture from her face.

“Stop,” she said. “Please.”

He halted.

“Put me down.” He let her slide to the ground, supporting her until she had her balance. She stared up into his too handsome face. There would never be another man for her. There never had been. “I need truth between us. Tell me there might be another person in this world for you and I will walk away. We can end this. Otherwise, I want this to be forever. I’m not into sharing.”

Hoarsely he said, “Only you.”

She rubbed circular motions over his chest. “I love you, Matt. And this belongs to me.”

He swiftly inhaled. “What’d you do? It burns.” He unbuttoned his shirt and stretched it away from the left side of his chest. A red
meandros
symbol rested above his heart. She recognized it as the Greek symbol for unity and eternity.

She stared up at him, blinking. She hadn’t expected that. “I didn’t mean to do that. I mean, I want it, but, crap. If you don’t want it, maybe I can take it back.”

He pulled her into his arms. “Leave it alone. It just surprised me, but it stays.”

Her chest clenched. “Really?”

“Yes.” The sincerity of that one word reflected in his expression.

She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest.

“Please tell me you’re not crying again, Kat. Shit, you are crying. What did I do now?”

“It’s the good kind of crying.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. “This is a lot to take in. I just saw my dead mother as a phantom goddess. Then there’s my father, you, me being Pleiades, us almost getting shot…”

“One thing at a time. We’ll figure it out.”

“Together?”

He nodded. “The temperature is dropping out here. Whatever magic made it tolerable is dissipating. Time to go inside.”

“I have a message for my father from the phantom thing that I think was my mother. I can’t believe I talked to her. She was so beautiful. Just like I remember her.” Those few moments with her mother gave her peace. Her mom was okay in her afterlife and waited for her father.