Queen of the Magnetland (The Elemental Phases Book 5) (39 page)

Everyone
ignored that.

“I
can take you guys.”  Since Teja’s family wasn’t going to compromise, Sax
switched to threats, again.  “The Fire House hasn’t been the same since Oberon
died.  Missy’s gone nutty.  Qadesh is mostly feral.  Who the hell knows where
Satour is most days.  Hope Phazed with that fucking dragon.  Teja’s falling
apart.”

Sullivan
looked at him sharply.

“Everyone
heard what she tried to do after the Fall.”  Sax continued, relentlessly. 
“Teja’s all that holds you together and she’s
broken
.”  He shook his
head.  “Your House isn’t as strong as it used to be, Djinn.  We all know it.” 
His colorless blue eyes narrowed.  “None of you can stop me.”

Sullivan
felt some kind of energy drag towards the guy.  The same kind of energy that
had slammed into Sullivan like a wrecking ball.

Alder
gave a slow smile of anticipation.

Goddamn
it
. 
Sullivan reached for his zip-cuffs before there was more bloodshed under the
town Christmas tree.  “That’s it.  I’m arresting all of you.”

Pele
actually laughed.  “Yeah, that kind of humoring-the-humans thing might fly with
the Water Phases, but we’re not feeling so charitable.  You’re not arresting
anyone.  Just let us kill this asshat and then give us the box.  It’s too
dangerous for you to have it.”

Sometime
Sullivan wondered if the Cult even knew
how
to speak in sentences filled
with words that made sense.  “What box?!  Ya know what?  It doesn’t even
matter.  All of you put your hands behind your heads.”  He started for Djinn,
because he seemed like the most dangerous guy present.  In fact, the smart
money was on Djinn being the most dangerous guy in the contiguous United
States.  “I am so sick of you weirdoes weirding around my town.  Do I have to
read you your rights, or do you have them memorized at this point in your
criminal career?”

Djinn
squinted at the zip-cuffs like Sullivan had lost his mind.  “You’re not putting
me in fucking plastic restraints!”

“Wanna
bet?”

Yasil
used their distraction to rush forward.

The
guy pulled himself to his feet and came charging at Alder from behind.  His
pale eyes glowed with hatred.  His sword was hefted over his head, ready to
strike a killing blow.

Sullivan
shot him.

He
didn’t even think about it.  He just saw a threat and he reacted.  When
Sullivan pulled a trigger, he always hit what he was aiming at and, when he
aimed, it was always a kill shot.  He’d been an Army Ranger for eight years and
the training never left him.  Even using an unfamiliar weapon, his bullet
slammed into Yasil’s forehead, directly between his eyes.

Pele
sent him a mystified look.  “Really?”  She asked in a skeptical tone.  “A gun?”

Sax
gave a contemptuous snort.  “Moronic human.  I told you it was pointless to…”

He
broke off, his whole face going pale as he watched Yasil fall.  With a deathly
wheeze, the wounded man went slack.  As if Yasil was a puppet and someone had
just cut all his strings, his body collapsed.  He tumbled to the ground in an
uncoordinated heap and lay there, ominously still.

All
around them, the other Cult members froze in shock.

Pele’s
eyebrows rose.

Alder
whispered a convoluted stream obscenities.

Djinn’s
head slowly swiveled to look at Sullivan, his gaze no longer mocking.

Hallie
gaped down at Yasil’s body.  “He’s dead.”  She blurted out.

“I
know.”  Sullivan said flatly.  “I warned him.”

Everyone
on the beach stared at Sullivan like he’d turned into the Incredible Hulk right
before their eyes.  Several people stepped away from him in fear.  Others shook
their heads in denial.  Some looked furious.  Some looked thrilled.  Some
dialed their phones, reporting the news to their weirdo ranks as fast as they
could.

Sax
and his remaining men fled, grabbing their dead and injured friends and
vanishing.

Sullivan
was relieved to see them go.  He had feeling the medical examiner would have a
field day with Yasil’s autopsy.  God only knew how many lungs and kidneys
mutants had.  Besides, no body meant he didn’t have to try and explain exactly
what had happened to the mayor.

Which
was good, because he had no idea what exactly had happened.

…Except
that he’d shot a man.

Sullivan
didn’t like shooting people.  Even people who weren’t really human.  But he was
a pragmatic guy and, the way he saw it, he hadn’t had much of a choice.  It was
his job to protect and Alder had needed protection.

Besides,
Alder was Teja’s family.  As much as he tried not to think about her, it was
hard to forget the most beautiful woman you’d ever
almost
slept with. 
Teja would be heartbroken if her dimwitted nephew was harmed and all Sullivan’s
instincts screamed to keep Teja from being hurt.  At his very deepest level, he
knew he’d keep her safe, no matter what the costs.  Because she was
his
.

Even
though she wasn’t.

Annoyed
at the world, Sullivan turned back to the shocked Cult members who were
goggling at him.  It wasn’t worth trying to take their statements, since the
whole story would read like a comic book.  “I’ve got more bullets.”  He told
them.  “Go home.”

Most
of them instantly disappeared.  Too bad they hadn’t done that earlier.

Alder
and his parents kept standing there, strange expressions on their faces. 
“Sullivan?”  Alder asked in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.  “Where did
you get that gun?”

“I
have no idea.”  He glowered over at them, blaming all Cult members for his
blackout.  “I just woke up with it, about two weeks ago.  It’s a souvenir from
twelve hours of my life that I can’t remember.”

“God,
I
knew
you were going to be a pain in the ass.”  Pele said grimly. 
“Alright, we’ll have to do this the hard way.”  Before Sullivan could stop her,
she reached over to seize hold of his arm…

…And
kidnapped him.