* * * *
"Hell, Kal, can't you make this frickin' thing go any faster?" Leonardo looked out the window for the hundredth time.
"I can make the car go faster, bud, but I can't do anything about the traffic."
Leonardo was sure he saw Kal roll his eyes in the rearview mirror. "What about that thing?" From his position in the front passenger seat, he pointed at the GPS that was supposed to helpthem get where they were going. "Can't it tell us some kind of short cut?"
"New Jersey traffic is famous, especially during rush hour." Isabelle, Kal's soul mate and wife, spoke up for the first time from the backseat. Her voice was even, her manner pleasant, and Leonardo knew she wanted to yell and scream despite all of that. The last two weeks, spent entirely in the company of Kal and Isabelle, at least since he'd been sprung from the French prison, had given him insight into the way the two of them operated. More information than he'd ever needed to have.
"Look, Leonardo." Kal exhaled and gripped the steering wheel more tightly. So hard, in fact, that Leonardo could see the whites of his knuckles. "I didn't argue with you when we were diverted to New York instead of Maine, and you said we had to drive out here to save Marina and Charma. Even though I'm still not sure how you know that without having spoken to either of them telepathically."
"I just know, like I sometimes just do. I knew the second the god-forsaken plane changed direction that we were being brought here."
How did you explain it? Leonardo was never sure. It drove him crazy. Here were two people who shared his abilities, to a point, and yet he still had to instruct them, as if they were normal humans instead of Outsiders. He let out the breath he'd been holding.
Damn it. If Kal had only let him drive.
Isabelle finally spoke, sounding tired. "Leonardo, I've been trying to reach Charma and Marina. I'm getting nothing. It's like they're blocked from me somehow."
They were all bound to be jetlagged so it was no surprise that they were all a little 'off.'
He nodded. "I'm having the same problem."
"It's making me nervous."
He agreed. "Me too which is why I would really like Kal to find a way out of this traffic."
"Look." Okay, Kal was shouting now. In a moment, they'd be lucky if the whole car didn't explode with electricity. "We are four miles from our destination. It is a straight shot from where we are. If I start messing with this, it could take us twice as long."
"All right. Let's not get upset." Isabelle undid her seatbelt and moved forward in the car to place her hand on Kal's thigh. Leonardo watched as the other man took a steadying breath and seemed to relax under her hand.
She had spoken to him aloud. Or at least she'd said what she wanted Leonardo to hear aloud. He had no idea what she'd said to Kal on their private telepathic link.
"You know this whole thing has been a disaster. We don't have the book, you got thrown in jail, and now the two people who were supposed to be guarding the homestead are somehow here in New Jersey requiring our rescue."
Kal had a way of summarizing things that made Leonardo crazy. He might as well still be talking to Veli. Yes, he screwed up. Again. The book was not where Abraxas had told Isabelle it would be which led to an unfortunate conclusion that either it had been moved inadvertently or it was in the hands of the Darkness. Neither possibility particularly amused him.
The jail incident had been a diversion, at best. In any case, time spent inside a French jail had not been on his list of things do in this lifetime.
He certainly hadn't asked Kal and Isabelle to get on a plane and come rescue him. Anytime he'd wanted to, he could have gotten himself out. If he'd really wanted help, he would have called for Marina to spell cast the guards. Mostly, it had been a temporary vacation.
Was he now expected to thank them for coming over there and making a scene until he was released?
But he wouldn't take responsibility for what happened with Marina and Charma, whatever that turned out to be. He had to be able to leave them alone for a few weeks unsupervised without them getting into mortal peril. They weren't children. They were highly skilled Outsiders capable of massive destruction if they wanted to behave that way.
He cleared his throat. "Thank you for coming to France." That was appropriate, right? He'd love to have someone to talk to about these kinds of problems. Unfortunately, since he'd sensed his soul mate's power mixed in with the demons, he knew that was highly unlikely to ever happen.
"Oh, you're welcome, Leonardo." Isabelle's voice raised several octaves. That must mean she was happy. So why was Kal rolling his eyes again?
* * * *
Eden stood. Her legs were working. It was a miracle. She didn't need to speak if she could just move around. Wobbling, she took tentative steps from the wheelchair to the table in front of the television.
The shouting outside was starting to bother her ears, not to mention the loud crash from above that had convinced her the ceiling was about to fall down. There was no way she was waiting in this room to be crushed to death.
She just knew Charma would have returned if she could have. That meant she needed to get herself out.
Feeling steadier by the second, she moved forward until she could see in the hall. Men and women passed, their eyes glazed over. She wasn't sure what gave her that impression. Something about their pupils being too big, maybe. By no means did Eden know anything about these matters. They just looked wrong somehow.
A quick scan told her there was nothing inherently different about what they wore, how old they were, or what gender the crowd was. That meant Eden could blend in. She hoped.
Maybe no one would notice she couldn't speak. Lowering her head, she stepped out into the hall. Where was the voice that had helped her earlier? She'd love to feel his presence now. A little instruction on making her way through the crowd or something. But silence was her only answer.
With the way things were going, it was likely she'd imagined him. Now if only she could get out of here alive.
* * * *
Drew pulled Marina tighter against him and looked down at the crowd below. How the hell had the demon managed to get that many minions to New Jersey so quickly? He ran a hand through his hair.
"How are we going to get off of this roof? Can you fly?"
"No."
He had no idea how he was getting them down. It had been hard enough getting them up. Sebastian had nearly caught them twice in the stairwell after the ceiling had collapsed. Marina really needed to find her final power. They would be sitting ducks until she did.
"So how are we getting off of this roof?"
"We're not. We're probably dead."
He hoped that wasn't true. Marina's brown eyes got huge. Damn it, why was he always doing that to her?
Defense mechanism 101; keep your destined soul mate at bay by acting like total asshole ninety-nine percent of the time.
"Why did we run up when we should have run down?" Marina turned from him in a huff, but he didn't miss the subtle change in her body language or the way she crossed her arms over her chest. He'd scared her.
"Because the demon was down and blocking the way. I thought at least if we got up here, maybe there would be a fire escape."
"You thought? You didn't know?"
"You know contrary to whatever you believe, most of the time I'm running on adrenaline and luck. I don't have some secret plan or agenda that tells me what I should or should not be doing."
Her eyes flared in anger and he wished he could just reach over, grab her, and take her down on the roof. Screw whoever was watching. But he wouldn't. Not here. Maybe not ever.
She was too vulnerable and he wouldn't be the cause of her pain. Not again.
"Well this plan sucks."
He sighed. "You're probably right."
"Need some help?"
Drew whirled around, arm outstretched ready to shoot electricity at whoever was there.
The man, who Drew quickly sized up as about his own height wit
h dirty-blond hair and blue eyes, leapt backwards. "Wow, dude, arm down. I come in peace."
Marina narrowed her eyes. "I know you or at least I know your energy. I've seen it before."
"You know my energy? What does that mean?"
Drew stepped forward towards Marina. Suddenly, he didn't want the other man, who was obviously powerful, anywhere near her. "It means what it means."
"You were there when we had to get Kal. You're one of the ones who had Kal."
Raising his hand again, Drew was suddenly pissed. This son-of-a-bitch had said 'he came in peace' but what he'd really wanted was to fool them so he could hurt them. It wasn't going to be happening.
The other man lifted both hands. "That was a big misunderstanding. I thought I was helping to fight evil." He swallowed. Drew had to give him credit; the other man could obviously fly. If he wanted to, he could just float away but he stayed to talk. That meant something.
"How could it be a mistake, your taking Kal?"
"Technically, someone else found him. I just transported him. But that really doesn't matter. I was misled, we both were, but now I know better. Sebastian is a demon."
Drew nodded. "That he is."
Turning his head to the side, Drew sent his energy forward into the other man. He didn't want to hurt him, not much anyway, what he wanted to do was test him. If he had a bad vibe, Drew would be able to sense it.
In the scope of all of his collected powers, this was one of his most useful. He had a feeling that Marina could do this too—not very well, which was one of the things he needed to work with her on if they were ever alone together and not in mortal danger.
The other man yelled, closed his eyes and grabbed his head. Drew was satisfied. He could see the pulses of light coming off him. They were white light. He wasn't evil, not tainted in any way.
Pulling back his energy, Drew nodded. "You're clean." He held out his hand. It was a gesture meant to placate as much as introduce. "I'm Drew."
After a moment, the other man reached out and took it. "I'm Gabe. Do you greet all new people that way?"
"Nope, only the ones who have been involved in the attempted murder of one of her friends." He nodded towards Marina who seemed to be breathing a little easier. "This is Marina."
"You can fly." Marina didn't ask it as a question.
"I can and I also pull people out of where they are and move them through space."
"There must be something else you can do too."
Gabe shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of."
"Because I can't do either of those things and I have one power from everyone."
"Everyone?" Gabriel looked back over his shoulder and down at the roaring crowd below. After shaking his head, he looked back.
"All the so-called Outsiders."
"How do you know?"
"Because I told him."
Drew grabbed Marina and pulled her behind him. It was Sebastian. And they were stuck on the roof. His heart pounded and he wanted to roar. Marina would not be lost to this creature. Not while there was breath in his body.
"How nice of you to join us, Gabriel. Now you and pesky Drew can die together."
* * * *
Self-loathing turned the corner and looked up. Her brother was on the roof. He had three Outsiders cornered and her prey was climbing out onto the windowsill. It would be mighty convenient if they could get them all together.
Lifting off from the ground, she floated for a second before launching herself at Jason and Charma. The blonde-haired twit made one shout before Self-loathing threw them up onto the roof.
Jason landed with an oomph and grabbed Charma before she hit the concrete. Jumping up, Self-loathing watched as he pushed her behind him. It was so cute how they were all there together. Five little Outsiders like peas in a pod waiting to be destroyed.
A strange scent drifted upwards and she sniffed the air twice. They weren't alone. There was another powerful creature down below. Interesting. How had the fact escaped her?
"Wait here." Turning around she glared at her brother. "Don't kill anyone. Not yet."
Jumping down, she dove into the crowd of Sebastian's so-called minions—the man was always so dramatic—and heard them gasp as she plucked one up behind the neck.
"Hello, Outsider."
The girl smelled of medication and it burned Self-loathing's nose. She would let Sebastian eat this one. It would serve him right for the mess he'd made. Picking her up, she flew upwards before dropping her next to Charma. She heard the small blonde woman gasp and pull the stinky one into her arms.
"Eden, are you okay?"
Self-loathing landed and sauntered next to her brother. "Six little Outsiders. Time to die." She raised her hand only to have it knocked back.
"You don't get to do this. This dimension is mine. I get to eliminate them. If it were up to you, they'd all just be stuck in their own minds."
Sebastian was so annoying. He never understood anything. "My way, we get their powers."
"Who says we need them?"
"I do. Or, at the very least, I want them."
She knew her eyes were turning red. Sebastian was pissing her off.
"I'll say it again, and then I'll blow out your brains, sister of mine, this is my dimension. You don't get a say. Now leave."
"That would be very convenient. I do all this work, I find all of these Outsiders, and then you come in and take them? I don't think so."
"I never asked for your help."
"No." She shook her head. "You didn't have to. You've been too busy muddling it all up in New Orleans to even think you might be in over your head."
"I am the greatest evil to ever live. They wrote prophecies about me."
"They could have written prophecies about any of us. You just happened to be there that day."
Sebastian roared.
"Move."
The one who could fly grabbed the two women who were not Charma and launched himself off the roof.
"Shit." Her brother screamed. "Gabriel."
He spun around and dove off the building, following them but not before Drew threw himself on his back.
Self-loathing roared with laughter as she spun towards Jason and Charma.
"I was hoping it would be the two of you. Time to die."
Chapter Seventeen
Charma lunged forward but was stopped abruptly by Jason. She tried again but he had her in a death grip, shoved behind his back. Evidently, he'd learned from their earlier encounter with the demon that she was going to try to protect him.
She wanted to scream. "I can block her."
"She's too confident. If she thought she couldn't get around you, she wouldn't look so smug."
That really was an apt description for how the demon looked in front of them. Her face was a mixture of assurance and hatred. Jason was right. The thing had found a way to maneuver around Charma.
"That's bad."
Jason turned his head to the side; he seemed to be considering something. Pushing into his mind to read his thoughts had become easy for Charma. She did so now without a second consideration.
Her love had formulated a plan, and it could work, maybe. Given that they were out of other options, it was as good a chance as any they might have. Charma raised an eyebrow.
I can do that.
She sent the message telepathically hoping their nemesis was unable to read their minds.
I know you can. His confidence made her warm inside. He never questioned her ability to do things, never thought of her as weak. With Jason, she was not a liability.
He nodded once and squeezed her arm tightly. There was no question they needed her to handle her end of things but Jason was obviously not happy about her being a part of it at all.
Why should the men get to have all the fun?
With a wink she didn't really feel, she pushed her energy into the demon. It felt like she hit a wall of fire. Closing her eyes from the flame she felt form in her mind, she forced herself to penetrat
e the creature's barriers while maintaining her own. It was pivotal if this were going to work, that Self-loathing not know what was happening.
Oh you want to play with me, Outsider, be my guest.
The demon opened its mind. Charma wasn't at all surprised. The sheer arrogance that filled the so-called woman wouldn't have allowed her to think that it was possible for anyone to destroy it. But Charma had been here before.
Bracing herself, she let Self-loathing consume her soul. Visions appeared before her eyes. She felt herself thrown into the demon's memories.
Countless places had been destroyed in the games she played. Really, it was fun. The never-ending sibling rivalry between herself and the creature calling itself Sebastian had been responsible for the ending of lives and the obliteration of dimension after dimension.
The truth was she was bored, and the Outsiders had presented the first true threat in thousands of years.
Charma gasped. It was more than that. She had been destroyed once. Sent home in flames and embarrassment. When and how? Charma dug deeper as she heard Self-loathing scream.
If she could have laughed, she would have. Self-loathing had not anticipated that Charma could be strong. She could feel the demon trying to push her out of her mind but as she sunk to her knees to concentrate all of her strength on her task, she swore she would not let the demon win this round. No way was she being ousted from the evil mind until she was damn good and ready.
Forcing herself deeper into the abyss, she searched for the answer to her query. Who had beaten Self-loathing the last time it happened?
Standing in front of her was the vision of a woman. Blonde haired and blue eyed, it took Charma a minute to realize that once again she was seeing herself. Well, sort of. If she actually looked, the woman didn't appear anything like her. Shorter than she was, her hair was actually black and her eyes were a wild green.