Aftermath

  I heard other conversations. None included Molly. When I searched for TJ, I heard him talking with someone whose voice I didn’t recognize.

  “Is he alright?” TJ asked.

  “Come. I’ll take you to him,” someone said.

  Molly! I called. Where are you?

  Nothing. I widened the perimeter and scanned for any female voice.

  You’re friends with Lucas, right? Stephanie asked in a high-pitched voice. Looking through her thoughts, I knew she was talking to a dark-haired man. I guessed she was in the road in front of Trent’s house. I tried to read the man’s thoughts, but I got nothing.

  No sign of Molly, Claire responded.

  She’s not at the bonfire, either, Bianca added. No one is, actually.

  Not TJ? I dropped the link to Stephanie and tried to get into TJ’s thoughts. Nothing. Not even voices anymore. I left TJ at the fire, I told Bianca.

  Ben, he’s not here. I don’t know where he went, either, she confirmed.

  The effects of the pepper couldn’t have blocked my scanning ability. Not that much anyway. I didn’t want to head back unnecessarily. Especially when Jorgenson told me about the farm Victor ran back in California.

  Damn it, Molly, I called to her again.

  This time I picked up her thoughts and peered into them. Molly was with Stephanie on the side of the road, down from Trent’s. Lucas was with them, as was an abundance of hybrid scents and other essences. The dark-haired man I saw earlier was with them. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and greeted Lucas as if they knew each other. Lucas shook his hand and escorted Stephanie toward the house, leaving Molly with the stranger.

  Molly stood frozen. Her heart rate was uneven, and her thoughts were empty.

  I came to warn you, the man said to her when they were alone. He reached for her hand, holding both of hers in his. Despite the skin-to-skin contact, there was no download of data. He’s here. He’s looking for you, and you need to leave now. His voice was calm, his eyes gentle.

  Molly shook her head. He continued, anyway. There’s no time now. I have so much to say. So much to ask you.

  I know you… You were there.

  We don’t have time right now. And I can’t protect you. Not from him. The calmness of his tone left, replaced with a sense of urgency Molly ignored.

  You were with Victor that night. The night he killed me in London.

  Look. I’m sorry. I tried to warn you.

  Who are you?

  You need to leave, the man said and looked around.

  Tell me your name. Molly’s voice was low and stern.

  He stalled, looked to the ground, and finally conceded. Aberthol. They call me Abe.

  Molly’s pulse quickened. Are you…?

  Yes. Now, you must leave. He was impatient.

  I can’t. I won’t, Molly said.

  You must, Abe answered in a tone as firm as her stubborn one.

  What about TJ? Victor’s hurt everyone I’ve ever loved. I can’t. I won’t just leave without protecting TJ.

  It’s too late, Abe said, solemnly. He already has TJ. That’s just it. You need to go.

  No.

  Mom! Listen to me. I don’t care about TJ. I’m only concerned about your safety.

  A noise from a raccoon below distracted me, and I lost the connection. When I regained it, Abe was gone and Molly was crying, holding her head in her hands.

  Bianca reached her before I could verbalize a thought.

  And then I heard Emma’s cry.

  Chapter 114

  Emma's Story

  Ben came up behind me as I stood in the kitchen, shaking. I turned into his arms and babbled how creepy Lucas’ stepdad was.

  “Ray was here?” Ben asked.

  I nodded, my face buried in his chest. He smelled of cool breezes, and I felt stronger with each inhale.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he whispered in my ear. His voice was firm. I looked up into his eyes and thought I saw a glint of anger.

  Was he being protective?

  Ben reached for my hand and led me to the foyer. He walked from the small table near the front door back to the kitchen where we came from.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked. He was distracted and impatient.

  “My keys. Where’s that bowl?”

  I shrugged.

  “Never mind. We’ll walk. I know a shortcut through the woods.” He mumbled something about not going into the road, grabbed a flashlight from the counter, and led me out the side door. His grip was strong. He squeezed my hand as if I intended to let go as his pace quickened in the wooded hillside. My mother’s anniversary band that Dad gave me on my sixteenth birthday spun sideways on my ring finger, cutting into my pinkie.

  Ben waved the flashlight in front of us as we walked carefully, though he didn’t say a word. After a few minutes, I asked where we were going.

  “I had to get you out of there,” he said matter-of-factly.

  Curiosity got the best of me, “Why?” I asked, but before he could answer, I heard a noise and turned to look in its direction. Probably a squirrel, I thought.

  “Come on, we gotta go.” He tugged slightly on my hand.

  “You’re not going to tell me why?” I asked as he went from tree to tree. “You’re soooo secretive, Ben Parker,” I joked. I really didn’t care where we were going. I was just happy to be with him.

  Ben stopped for a second and looked at me. “Maybe I just want to be alone with you.” His delicious smile convinced me his secrets didn’t matter. “Let’s keep moving.”

  I followed like an obedient puppy, though I hoped he didn’t think of me that way. We weaved around and between a handful of trees. When I heard another noise, Ben stood still. He glanced left and then right, spinning me with him as he checked around us.

  “Come,” he whispered.

  “Where are we going?” I almost demanded. I wanted to sound confident and not nervous. Suddenly, I wondered if being in the woods in the dark was a good idea.

  He didn’t answer.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked as Ben slowed down near a maple. It looked the same as the last one.

  “There’s one around here.” I almost didn’t hear Ben’s mumble.

  “What?” I was trying to sober up. Or at least act like I was.

  “A tree with a split trunk.”

  Huh? “A what?” I asked again.

  He appeared to have found what he was looking for and tucked the lit flashlight under his arm. I stood off to the side and watched the direction of the beam. The light danced from the ground to the woods, from tree limb to tree limb, as Ben touched the bark and circled around the trunk.

  In a brief glimpse, I thought I saw Claire and Molly standing a few feet away. But when the beam crossed a second time to where they were standing, I only saw trees. I blinked a few times and even though I thought I was sobering up, Molly and Claire seemed to disappear.

  “Here.”

  Ben led me to the backside of the oversized oak. It looked like two small trees grew side by side with a deep crevice, merging the two as one. When we heard the sound of crushed leaves beside us, Ben froze. Panic settled in my chest, and I suddenly wondered if we were in danger. Voices echoed, and I was convinced I saw Ray and TJ.

  Ben held me, as I backed into the tree trunk. Bark scratched my sweatshirt and was hard and jagged against my shoulders. He stepped closer. So close, his body blocked mine.

  “Don’t worry,” he said.

  What?

  “Do you trust me?” he whispered.

  I was in complete darkness. My heart began to race, and I no longer felt the wind or scratching of the tree against my body.

  “Yes. Why?” I couldn’t hear myself. Did I really say anything? I cleared my throat, but I didn’t hear that either. “Ben? Ben?”

  Everything will be alright, said a deep, confident voice in my head. I knew it was Ben’s.

  “Where is she?” I heard someone
ask. Or did I?

  Ben was talking to someone he called Kensington.

  And then, nothing.

  I strained to hear my own thoughts. The darkness was overwhelming. I couldn’t tell if my eyes were open or closed. Even though I blinked and blinked, I couldn’t see anything. Pressure in my ears increased as if I were on a descending airplane. A hum of static began and grew louder.

  Then the floating started.

  A breeze touched my cheek, and my head tipped back. It was heavy and uncomfortable. I felt the gentle momentum of falling, swirling through the air. Weren’t my feet firmly planted on the ground?

  Ridiculous. I was just anxious to be in Ben’s arms.

  Get a grip, I told myself.

  Wait. I had done this before. The twirling was easy and slow, and I felt light as a feather, like the day I broke my arm when I was six years old. The light called to me, I told my mom.

  She held me tight and drew a smiley face on my cast. “It was just a dream, Emmie,” she said.

  “No, Mommy. It was real.”

  “Emmie, don’t be silly. You had a dream,” she convinced me.

  Suddenly, the memory was as fresh as if it happened yesterday. Thoughts of friends, my parents, Aunt Barb, and Ben rapidly flashed through my mind. Then I realized I couldn’t hear any more sounds. Not the wind. Not even my beating heart.

  What was happening to me?

  I wanted to speak. I wanted to hear something. As I opened my mouth to call for Ben, his lips met mine. His hand touched my cheek, while the other held me tight. His kiss was intoxicating, tasting of cinnamon. I was dizzy and weak when we parted.

  Was I dreaming?

  I was pulled from behind.

  And then, I saw the bright white light.

  Chapter 115

  Ben's Story

  Hybrids surrounded us, but I refused to let Emma go.

  “Where’s your partner?” George Kensington asked, twenty feet in front of me.

  “Back at headquarters, Kensington.” I held Emma secure while I turned to face him.

  “He’s lying,” a voice from the darkened woods answered.

  “What do you want with her?”

  “That’s not your concern. Where is she?” Kensington asked.

  “I don’t know,” I lied, not disclosing Molly’s whereabouts inside a nearby portal. A portal so narrow that even Victor wouldn’t notice it easily.

  “Well, then. We’ll take the girl until you find Molly for us,” the voice said.

  I recognized the Wisconsin sweatshirt before I saw its owner’s face. TJ tripped forward, out from behind a tree, with Ray grasping his arm.

  My suspicions were true. Ray was one of the aliases Victor used.

  I turned to face Emma, kissed her lips, and stepped her backward into the crevice of the oak tree. It hid a portal to my world. Humans could only pass through the portal when they transitioned. Pushing a human completely through would cause earthly death. I held Emma on the edge, far enough into the doorway to protect her, but not too far to lose her.

  Despite the distance between us, I could see TJ’s eyes were glassy. I knew he was under Victor’s control.

  Emma’s body tensed with the calling from our world. The spinning, swirling movement was her body’s response to our world’s invitation. She was not ready to leave this life. Her contract was not yet fulfilled, but Emma wouldn’t know that. She would feel welcomed.

  “Keep Emma out of this,” I said.

  “You brought her into this, Benjamin Parker Holmes,” Victor said, inching forward.

  A hybrid stepped to the side, making room for Victor inside their circle. I counted six in total, all evenly spread around, plus Victor.

  “Yes. I know all about you. Your last life taken so abruptly… leaving your wife a widow. So you entered the academy. You met my Molly. You learned many skills, didn’t you?” He paused, his eyes focused on mine. “I learned all of that from our little handshake, Benjamin,” Victor continued. “You didn’t shield yourself as well as you thought. Did you?”

  I couldn’t break his glare. His power was too strong. Even if I cracked the hold he had on me, I feared he’d notice my glance or read my mind. I had to trust my team was in place—Molly to the left and Claire to my right.

  A deep chuckle erupted from Victor. “You can’t do it. Can you?” he said, his eyes still fixed on me.

  If only I could find his weakness.

  “You can’t break our bond, can you?” he asked. “Although, you have quite a bit of power yourself. Your commander should be impressed.” He was silent for a moment. “You’re just missing one thing.”

  Don’t engage, I told myself.

  “You shouldn’t have gotten involved, Benjamin.”

  Immortals stood by, waiting for the precise moment to come forward.

  “All I wanted was to reunite Molly with her son. We’re a family. You see?”

  “Is that how you remember it, Victor?” Molly’s voice echoed. “Because I don’t recollect family being of any importance to you.” Her British accent was heavier than it ever was, in my presence, anyway.

  Victor dropped a limp TJ to the ground.

  “Molly, darling, there you are,” Victor said, turning toward the sound of her voice. A brief silhouette was barely visible, as she teetered on the edge of the portal.

  Victor would never enter a portal for fear of being captured. Physically, he could travel into and through our portals, because he was one of us. While our portals were not manned in person, they were monitored by guards ready and able to descend upon him should he choose to venture into the walls of our world. Victor knew that. That was what kept him alive all these years, undetected.

  He simply never used them.

  My hand tensed from holding Emma tight at the portal’s entrance inside the oak tree. When I felt a push from the other side, I knew I had support.

  Jorgenson’s voice whispered in my head. I’ve got Emma on this side, but it’s only temporary, Ben. She doesn’t have much time. Minutes. Maybe.

  That was all I needed. Minutes.

  I released Emma but maintained my stance. Molly argued with Victor from the shadows of her doorway, while Victor pleaded she join him.

  “You can finally meet our son, Aberthol,” Victor said.

  “Don’t do it, Molly,” I said. My request was ignored. Molly stepped out from the security of the portal. Fourteen feet separated her from the infamous Victor Nicklas.

  “You killed me, Victor. In London,” Molly said with angry tears streaking down her face.

  Claire came out of the portal to my left, hovering close to its edge.

  “Molly, Molly, Molly… darling!” Victor consoled, taking a step closer. I leaned forward, and then remembered not to break position.

  “Don’t ‘Molly’ me. I’m not a naïve human this time.”

  Another step closer. “That’s what I love about you. Don’t you see? Molly, dear. This was my goal for you. I hurt you so you would become stronger. I broke you down, to make you tough. Don’t you see? It worked.”

  Victor laughed, a deep rumble that made my skin crawl even though I wasn’t human.

  “Worked? Is that what you think? You needed to train me?” Molly’s anger rose to an exorbitant level, greater than even I saw after decades of working together.

  He stepped closer again. “Calm yourself, Molly. Please. You’re making a scene. It’s not respectable for a lady to behave in this manner,” Victor whispered, stepping forward a second time. Only ten feet separated them now.

  Molly glared at him. “Not respectable?”

  “You know that’s unattractive, darling. You, making a scene like that. Remember, it is important to make a good impression. Impressions are everything.” Victor nodded. His dark hair lightened to a medium brown, taking on a boy-next-door style, short and parted on the side. His cheeks thinned, his skin tone tanned, and his smile warmed.

  “Isn’t this how I looked when you
fell in love with me?” He grinned at her and unzipped his leather jacket. Opening one side, the fabric lining changed from black to brown, while it lengthened in his hand. Seconds later, he was in a tailcoat and pantaloons common in the era in which they met.

  “Have you forgotten how much you loved me, Miss Molly?”

  Molly’s eyes narrowed, as she glared at the evil immortal that walked the earth for centuries. “You seem to have forgotten that you killed me. Victor, you murdered me.”

  Victor looked up to the trees and shook his head. “Yes. Yes, I did, and you have no idea how much I regret what I’ve done.”

  I felt Molly’s anger at his words. “What kind of man are you? You killed innocent women. You were Jack the Ripper!”

  “But you see, darling, I had to. I had to cleanse society. And you, darling… you needed to die, too.” He paused and watched her reaction, as we all did.

  “You’re simply evil, Victor. How could you do that?”

  “I am not, sweetheart. After all, I sent your son to stop you. Aberthol went to warn you to change your lifestyle. Yet, you didn’t listen.”

  Molly’s thoughts rapidly settled on the memories of her past life.

  “You thought he was a john. Yet, he turned you down. Your temper got in the way. He gave you money anyway, but he asked nothing in return. When he came back again and again, you ignored him. You didn’t listen to his warnings to clean up your act. A girl of the evening was no life for you. It was not respectable, Molly. And I wouldn’t tolerate it!” His anger increased as he finished talking.

  “Father!” Abe interrupted. “Let her go. Don’t do this.”

  “Son, don’t disrespect me. Know your place,” Victor said as Molly looked on.

  Ben, Emma’s slipping. Jorgenson’s voice filtered in.

  “Victor, it’s time to turn yourself in,” I said with more patience than I felt.

  His deep chuckle annoyed me less the second time.

  “I mean it. You’re not getting out of here. Look around,” I suggested and took a step toward him. Bianca hovered in the portal behind Victor, to the right.

  “Give yourself up,” Abe urged. Hybrids lingered in the shadows, ready to act when Victor gave the word.

  “Yes, Victor. Please,” Molly said.

  Victor took a few steps closer to Molly, in perfect alignment with the portal where Bianca hid. Molly reached for his hands in a gesture even Victor didn’t expect. His expression softened. In that moment, he weakened. The regret for his actions was strong because he lost Molly, not because he felt remorse. His obsession with Molly was still overwhelming and his anger over not getting her back grew hostile.