The Serpent in the Stone (The Gifted Series) (48 page)

Sara hunched her shoulders.
“
Who else would want us not to touch each other?
”

“
Ian, you
’
d better sit down.
There
’
s more to it,
”
said Faith, looking grave.

Ian shook his head.
“
No.
He
’
s a goddamn walking dead man.
”

Faith rounded on him.
“
Don
’
t you dare leave this tent,
”
she ordered.
“
If he touches you, he could kill you!
”

He drew up short with fury snarling through his body.
“
Would one of you please explain this?
”

“
Electrokinesis is the ability to throw an electrical charge.
If you have it, you can touch something and put a charge on it.
”
Faith gave them both a meaningful stare.
“
Or some
one
, apparently.
”

“His eyes don’t change,” Ian pointed out. “All day today, the bastard’s eyes were still blue.”

The girls looked up, dismay evident in their expressions.
“
He wears contacts,
”
they said together.

Faith pitched the electrometer onto the table.
“
Damn it, how did I not see it?
First, we think we
’
re the only ones.
Now Callander, and Becky, and Flintrop, too.
”

“
Faith, he
’
s trying to rebuild the druid order,
”
Sara blurted.
“
He
’
s bringing them together to help open the ley line.
”

Faith rubbed a hand across her face.
“
Ian, your dream about the ceremony.
There were four of them.
Four druids.
That means there has to be at least four now, to reopen the ley line.
”

Sara frowned at him.
“
When did you dream the serpent ceremony?
”

“
Do you hear me?
”
Faith interrupted.
“
Four!
Callander, Flintrop, and two others.
There are more.
Sara, we can
’
t stop them all.
”

Ian turned toward the tent door.
“
I
’
ll take care of one of them.
”

“
Damn it, Ian!
”
Faith snapped, rushing out of the tent after him.

Chapter Eighteen

Shaking, Sara clawed at her shirt as if she could wrest the electrical charge out of her body.
She still felt it, a singing power surge that raised the hairs all over her skin, the same charge that had been causing her sleeplessness and mad drive to be active.
Get out.
Get out of me!

She shuddered at the memory of Ian reaching for her arm and sending an electric shock through both of them.
The feeling had only gotten worse, as if that near-touch had woken a sleeping demon inside her.
Flintrop had used her,
used her
.
The charge hummed along her skin.
She sprang to her feet to pace her tent, feeling sick.

Violated.

They need me.
They need help,
she thought, panting.

Oh, God, he
’
ll kill Ian.
With her heart in her throat, she bolted from the tent.

The moon hung uncomfortably close to its zenith.
She swept the deserted moor with a desperate look and started across it toward Faith
’
s tent, hoping her sister and Ian would be there.

As she reached the stone wall of the ruin, someone grabbed a fistful of her shirt and hair.
A hand clapped over her mouth.
“
Hello,
”
Flintrop rumbled in her ear.

She gave a muffled shriek and kicked at him.
He clamped his other arm around her and pulled her close.
“
If you can
’
t see me, you can
’
t use your power against me, right?
Powers,
plural
, sorry.
Where
’
s your sister and that son of a bitch nature boy?
Noticed my little electrical trick, did he?
I hope it hurt like hell.
”

She struggled again, but he held her harder.
“
I wouldn
’
t do that.
Unlike you and your sister, I don
’
t have to see my victim...just
touch
.
”
He pulled at the neck of her shirt.
His hand slithered inside, over the curve of her breasts, making her squirm and cry out in revulsion.
Static fizzled against her skin.
He dug in with his fingertips, bruising her until she yelped.

She tried wrenching her head around to get an eye on him, but his hand gripped harder against her face.
How did he know about her and Faith?

As if she
’
d spoken aloud, Flintrop wrestled with her one-handed.
He reached into his back pocket, then threw something onto the ground before her.

Faith
’
s missing journal.

“
Your sister keeps impressive notes,
”
he drawled.
“
Cameron thought it was just another book.
He was going to give it back until Thomas got hold of it and called me.
”

He threaded his fingers through the leather lace hanging between her breasts, and drew the amulet out of her shirt.
“
Thanks for finding this for me.
Looking for it had become something of a bother.
”
He hauled her against him, keeping out of her range of vision.
His breath was hot on her ear.
“
If you have anything to say, you
’
d better do it now, because the serpent rite starts in about ten minutes.
”
He removed his hand from her mouth.

Frantically, Sara glanced to the sky.
Was it her imagination that the moon inched higher and higher as she watched?
Could she stall him?
“
You can
’
t do it,
”
she said.
“
You need four.
What do you have?
You?
Callander?
”

“
Michael
’
s a pyrokinetic.
Rivero
’
s got nothing, but he
’
s useful.
I would have used Becky, but I see you
’
ve sent her off to the States.
Stupid klutz actually thought I was beginning to see some value in her work, can you believe that?
Since you
’
ve deprived me of her help, you
’
re my fourth.
”

She wheezed.
Struggling in his arms, she couldn
’
t even find the concentration to shapeshift.
“
Is this worth
murder
to you?
”

He crushed her to him. “I had hoped we could do this together. Don’t you wonder what it would be like to have all that power in the palm of your hand?”

“
The ley line
’
s unstable.
Alan, don
’
t do this.
It
’
ll destroy everything!
”

He tightened his grip still more.
“
It only needs stronger blood.
Gifted blood,
”
he whispered.
“
I
’
d rather not end it like this, Sara.
I still want you.
”
He ground his hips into her backside.

She drew breath to scream, but a warning crackle along her back made her cut it short.
How dare he threaten her!
“
Let me guess,
”
she spat.
“
Faith didn
’
t have the amulet when you seduced her, so I was next on your
sick...little...list
!
”
She punctuated her words by thrashing in his grip.

He dug his fingers into her skin.
“
You are not going to ruin the work my family has done all their lives.
”

She looked wildly around for Ian and Faith, but the moor remained empty.
Another glance at the moon confirmed it almost risen to its highest point.
Stall, stall, oh God, something, anything.
Think!
“
Your family?
”

Flintrop laughed, low and chilling.
“
My father offered yours a share of the wealth twenty years ago.
Robert wouldn
’
t take it.
”
He pulled her still closer.
His lips brushed her ear, and he dropped his voice to a lover
’
s whisper.
“
I was fifteen years old when I first used my power.
This
is
worth murder.
”

White-hot rage seized her body.
She shook from head to foot and split the air with a scream, kicking.
“
You killed my father!
”

He tightened his arm around her throat.
Swinging helplessly, she choked in his grip.
“
If I have to bleed you of every drop, I
’
ll do it.
You sure you don
’
t want to be with me?
No?
All right, then.
”
He began dragging her into the excavated ruin.
Strangling, she clawed at his arms.
He kicked her legs out from under her and picked her up so she couldn
’
t use her feet for leverage.
Once they reached the hearth, he set her back down.

Her spine fizzed.
Electricity tingled in her nose.
She held her breath, afraid to hope.

Flintrop grunted and went rigid.
“
Let go, or I pull the trigger, you bastard,
”
Ian said from behind them.

Flintrop
’
s grip slackened.
Sara twisted away with her heart pounding.
Ian stood with the point of a rifle barrel jammed in Flintrop
’
s back.

Flintrop leered at her.

She sprang toward him.
“
No!
Ian, get ba—
”

Flintrop spun and shoved the barrel aside just as Ian fired.
The shot went wild.
Electricity fizzed from his grasp, and sparks raced down the length of the gun.
Ian hissed, dropped the gun, and punched him.
Flintrop staggered back.

Across the moor, Michael, Callander, and Luis ran from their tents.

Hell had officially broken loose.
Sara called on her telekinesis.
“
Faith, where
’
s Faith?
”

Ian dodged an angry swing from Flintrop and tried to answer, but their adversaries surrounded him.

Glaring at the others, Flintrop snapped,
“
It
’
s about time you showed up!
Where
’
s Dustin?
”

“
I don
’
t know.
His tent
’
s empty,
”
Michael said.

Flintrop waved a hand at Ian.
“
Take care of this annoyance.
”
He turned on his heel and faced Sara with a malevolent smile.
“
Time for the show, sweetheart.
Remember, you could have been on the other side of this.
”