Whisper Cape (41 page)

Now, Addison!

She waved her hand, and the knife went flying into the trees. Tim’s eyes bulged with surprise before quickly narrowing to little slits. His face reddened and he struck Darcy in the back of her head with his fist, rendering her unconscious. Her body drooped over. Cael took aim and shot, hitting Tim in the side. He sank to the ground with Darcy slumped on top of him.

A deep rasping laughter vibrated from behind them. “You didn’t really think that was me, did you? I’m not an idiot, fuck-face.”

“Ed? Ed Lewis?” Addison said.

“Yeah, how ‘bout that, little Miss Addie—it’s me—it’s always been me. You haven’t been staying in your apartment much recently. Tsk-tsk, whoring around with Cael every night, you little slut. You’d have done better if you’d stuck with your same sex, like I thought. Maybe Cael is helping you cope with your nightmares. Poor little Addie, I’ve heard you have them quite frequently. Do you still?”

“You’re my nightmare, you son of a bitch.”

“Oh, stop whining and give me the fucking book. I’m getting tired of this little game.”

“You’re not getting the book. Even if you did, you’d still need the crystal,” Cael said.

“If you won’t give it to me, I’ll just take it.” Eidolon raised his hands up in the air and the wind swirled around him as the sky clouded over, the moon disappearing behind them. Leaves and sticks went flying as the ground shook under them. Addison lost her footing and fell. Cael lost his balance and his gun went flying out of his hand toward the trees; the journal soared into Eidolon’s hand.

“Now, get up! It won’t be any fun destroying you while you’re crouched on the ground.”

Cael fought the wind, pulled the knife out of its casing and pitched it right into Eidolon’s stomach.

Eidolon clutched at the knife and yanked it out. “Ha, you can’t hurt me with a little piece of metal, you stupid fuck. I wonder if I can make you beg for your lover’s life the way her father begged for his.”

“I'm warning you, leave her alone.”

Eidolon grabbed Addison by the hair, tugged at her shirt and pulled her to her feet. She kneed him in the crotch, but he didn’t flinch.

“Balls of steel,” he laughed.

She pulled away and her shirt ripped, exposing the fully illuminated crystal that hung from her neck.

Eidolon blinked. Smiling, he dropped his hand from her shirt.

“So, that’s where you’ve been hiding it.” He grabbed for it. Addison took his hand and twisted it, swinging her body around with her leg in the air, clipping him in the jaw. She jumped back and shot a stream of fire at him—he yelled as it went sailing centimeters from his face, leaving some nasty scorch marks on his cheek.

“You’ll pay for that, you bitch.” His eyes were fire-red with rage, as the vortex got stronger, fiercer, sending Addison sailing against a tree. She slumped to the ground.

Addison!

Cael tried to get up, to go to her, only to find himself caught up in a second tornado.

Addison shook off the blow as the tunnel of wind surrounded Cael.

Eidolon laughed. “You can’t fight me. I’m stronger than you.”

“No, you’re not.” Cael disappeared from inside the whirlwind and reappeared beside Eidolon.

***

Addie heard the crack of bone as Cael’s fist slammed into Ed’s jaw. Ed or Eidolon? The image of baggy red pants sticking out from under her kitchen sink filled her head and she wondered, was it Eidolon or just another pawn? Then Cael pounded him in the stomach sending him flying to the ground. Cael lunged at him and the two men wrestled on the ground as the book went flying.

Addie stood, trying to get a good aim with her hand at what she hoped was Eidolon, but the two men rolled over the ground all tangled together.

Cael, move. Move away. I can’t get a clear shot.

Cael released his grip. Eidolon broke free, ran to the book and scooped it up. He sent another blast of wind at Addie, sending her back to the ground before she could send out more flames. Cael grabbed for her arm, but the wind was strong and kept him just out of reach.

Addie saw the glow from the arch.

“Reach, Addison, reach for Cael. You can destroy Eidolon if you have hold of Cael.”

“Daddy?” She stretched out her arm, her fingers.
Cael come closer, I can’t reach you.

Fighting the whirlwind and the flying debris it created, Cael crawled his way closer to her.

Reach, Addison, reach for me!

She stretched her arm until it ached, and their fingers met, clasped together as they lay on the ground. She took hold of the crystal around her neck, its brilliance lighting up the entire area. Cael grabbed her arm and pulled her close. He stood and brought her up with him.

“Are you ready to join your daddy? He didn’t do too well against me. What makes you think you can defeat me?”

“You leave my father out of this, you pathetic, sorry excuse for a landlord. You’re nothing but a little worm.” With one hand around the crystal and Cael holding her tight, she aimed her other hand at Eidolon. An enormous fireball ignited him into flames; the scream was deafening.

“Bet you didn’t see that one coming, you sick slimy fuck! Burn, fucker, burn ... burn to the dark depths of hell where you belong!” Just to make sure, she sent out another fireball at the already burning, contorted figure. As the flames consumed him, the vortex subsided and the journal fell to the ground, unscathed.

Everything went still and silent. Cael and Addie stood holding one another up, not moving, waiting to see if he was really gone. Then Cael stared at her, unchecked shock on his face.

“Well, Addison MacKenna. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard such vulgarity escape from such lovely lips before.”

“These lovely lips?” She pointed to her mouth.

“Yes, these lovely lips, right here.” He brushed his finger over them, then kissed those same luscious lips.

Addie slowly pulled away, smiled, and shrugged. “It just seemed to help project the force of the fire.”

“Oh, absolutely, baby, I agree. A much needed enhancement.”

“We killed him, we really killed him.”

“Ah,
you
killed him.”

“Yes, I did, didn’t I?”

“You did.”

She glanced across the yard. “Oh God, Darcy.”

She ran over to Darcy and Tim.

Cael picked up the journal and his gun; cocking the safety, he holstered it, then crouched down beside her. “Quick, you have to heal Tim’s side before any of them come to.”

Addie looked around and shook her head. “How will we explain to them what happened?”

“I believe I can help with that.”

Startled, Addie and Cael looked up to see where the voice had come from.

Chapter 40

“Gerry?” Addie said.

Gerry stood with his hands in his jacket pockets with Bart standing next to him, grinning.

“Uncle Bart, what are you two doing here?”

“Ah, come on, Cael, we couldn’t let you two have all the fun, now could we? As it turns out, Gerry here can alter their minds so they won’t remember any of this.”

“Really?” Addie glanced at Cael.
Did you know about this?

Hell no! Didn’t you?

No way!

“Well, have at it, man.” Cael stood to give Gerry room.

Gerry squatted down next to Addie and placed his hands on Darcy’s head.

“You knew the whole time?” Addie asked.

“Yes, sort of. I knew you were about to come into your powers. But there’s no time to explain right now, Addie. Hurry up and heal that man before he loses any more blood, or we’ll have to figure out how to fix that, too.”

Addie placed her hands on Tim’s side, closed her eyes, and silently chanted the phrase to heal him. When Gerry finished with Darcy, he laid her down next to Jared so her body draped over his. Then he placed his hands on Jared’s head, then Duane’s, and then Tim’s— synchronizing their memories, altering them to a completely different scenario.

“None of them will remember Eidolon. They’ll all think Ed Lewis killed those women. They’ll stay unconscious for about another fifteen minutes, giving us enough time to rearrange things. Duane will think Ed hit him over the head and knocked him out. Jared will remember coming to save Darcy and seeing Duane unconscious, but nothing else, so he’ll also think Ed hit him on the head.

“Bart and I will take Tim and his bike and arrange them at a place down the road. He won’t have any memory of this. He’ll think he lost traction and skidded off the road. Let’s go, Bart, before they come to.”

“Wait ... what about the charred body?” Bart pointed to the pile of burnt flesh.

“Good point.” Gerry looked in the back of Ed’s truck, saw a gas can. “Hmmm ... convenient.”  Not wanting to leave any of his own fingerprints on it, he pulled out a hanky from his pocket, picked up the can by the handle and shook it. “Good, it’s empty,” he said and used his mind, sending it flying over to the charred body.

“Cael, when they come to, tell them he refused to be taken alive, drenched himself with gasoline, and set himself on fire. Addie, burn the can, will you?”

Cael and Addie stood there staring at Gerry as if he’d just stepped in from another planet.

Gerry shrugged. “You have a better idea?”

“No ... no, that should work. But we need to talk after we’re all finished.” Cael pointed his finger at the two men as they turned to leave.

“Fair enough. Meet us at the bar in thirty minutes.”

Addie walked toward the charred body and the gas can and smiled. A stream of fire spewed from her fingertips as she stretched out her hand toward the can. She jumped back when it exploded with a loud bang.

"Whoa! I thought Gerry said it was empty?" Cael said.

Addie shrugged. "I guess he misjudged."

"Yeah, well, that's makes two of us, come on."

Cael took Addie by the hand and went to sit on the step by the front door to wait for everyone to regain consciousness.

Addie rubbed her eyes with her fingers. “I can’t believe it was Ed Lewis. Ed Lewis, my apartment manager. He was always so quiet and lonely looking. I actually felt sorry for him.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, Ed.” Cael frowned and stared at the ground, shaking his head. “I don’t know how I could have missed that one.”

“Yeah, Ed, who would’ve thought.”

“No, Gerry. How could I have not seen through him? Since I’ve met you my gift of perception has diminished.”

“It seems to me it just evolved into something else.”

“Meaning?”

“You needed to be able to block Eidolon from our minds, and maybe, in order to do that you had to pull strength from your other ability.”

“Hmmm … thanks, baby. Possibly.”

“Or ... maybe it has to do with the fact that you’re hopelessly in love with me and can’t think of much else.”

“Most likely the latter. Something else happened tonight.”

“What's that?”

“It could be the power of suggestion about Whisper Cape and the dead, but I swear your father spoke to me tonight. He told me to take hold of you, said that together we are strong in mind and body.”

“Well, you loved him, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“My guess is he loved you, too. So, why wouldn't he speak to you? We were in danger. He spoke to both of us.”

“You’re right again.” He brushed his lips over hers and everyone started to stir as they gradually came out of Gerry’s mind spell.

***

It was after midnight and the bar was technically closed, but the atmosphere inside was bright and cheery. Gerry took out a bottle of Jameson’s and poured a round as Maia, Addison, Cael and Bart sat listening to him explain about his abilities.

“I met Ristéard when I was a student of his. One day I tried to alter his mind to make him forget about an assignment he’d given, which I hadn’t completed. Of course, I couldn’t change his mind the way I could everyone else’s. When he realized what I was trying to do, well, he confronted me. He tried to talk me into joining the Sectorium, but I told him I was an individual and needed my privacy. He respected my decision, but wanted me to know the Sectorium would always be there if I ever needed it. We became friends, and when he realized what was happening with Eidolon, he called me. Told me he’d requested that Maia bring Addie out here if anything were to happen to him and asked me to look after them. He knew Addie would come into her powers soon.”

Maia nodded, looking at her niece. “That’s true. Your father did tell me that if anything ever happened to him, he wanted me to bring you back here.”

Gerry put his hand at the nape of his neck and rubbed, then looked at Maia. “I’m sorry I never told you any of this, Maia. I didn’t know I would fall in love with you, and it’s been a wonderful journey. One I plan to continue if you’ll still have me.”

Maia smiled as a tear dripped down her cheek and he wiped it away with his finger. “I will. I wonder if our baby will inherit your abilities.”

Gerry blinked. “What?”

“You’re going to be a father.”

“What?”

“Woo-hoo!” Bart shouted.

“Fucking A!” Gerry gathered Maia up, and twirled her around.

“This is the greatest day of my life. You know I love you with all of my heart and soul.”

“Congratulations.” Cael pulled Addison close to him.
I know you knew.

Addison smiled. “Congratulations, Gerry and Maia.”

“Wow, okay. Wow! I guess I should finish explaining.” Gerry rubbed his forehead, looking a bit thunderstruck and glanced back at Maia.

“Wow!”

Shaking his head and rubbing his chin, with a mile-wide grin now a permanent fixture on his face, he continued, “What a bloody fucking surprise. I love you, Maia. Fuck, now where was I? You got me all flustered, woman.”

“Which is a rare event.” Bart laughed.

“You’ll have to start watching your language, Gerry, now that you’re going to be a father,” Addison told him.

“Aye, I will. Let’s see ... when Cael showed up, things started to change. I noticed a difference in Addie, not the normal differences you’d see in a woman who’s falling in love, but other changes. Fuck it, when you work side by side with someone every day, you get to know them a bit.”