Power (Soul Savers) (33 page)

My heart skittered then stopped.
She figured it out?

“
I … don’t know. If
not … she’s close.
”

He fell silent, and his body sagged.
Tristan?
No response. He’d passed out.

I punched the air and screamed a slew of profanities.

I was out of time. If I didn’t act—and act
fast
—we could all go down. Kali
and the Daemoni would win after all.

“All right,” I told Vanessa as I marched into her room.
“We’re going.”

Blossom had a fit when I told her about the plan that
evening, especially the part about Vanessa, since not even she knew about the
vampire’s presence in the safe house or the conversion. I’d felt bad about
keeping the secret from her for so long, at least until I thought about her own
safety, as well as that of the rest of the colony. She probably wouldn’t tell
anyone else on purpose, but something might have slipped unintentionally during
one of her mind vomits.

“I can’t believe you trust her!” Blossom said when I
finished laying out the plan as we sat at her little kitchen table.

Blossom’s home was just like her—full of all kinds of
interesting things. Bookshelves overflowed with ancient-looking books I
imagined to hold spells and potion recipes, as well as various bowls and pots
that looked a lot like cauldrons. More books were stacked on tables and
counters. Odd shaped objects were scattered about, some with strange symbols
engraved or painted on them. And more shelves held jars and jars of
ingredients, ranging from human fingernails to muskrat eyelashes to a variety
of herbs from all over the world.

But even with all the old books and objects and the array of
organics, her house didn’t smell musty or icky. It smelled delicious, as if she
always had a cake in the oven. Probably because she pretty much did.

“I don’t,” I said, “but I have no choice.”

She looked at me skeptically. “You really think she’s
converted?”

I shook my head slowly. “She feels like she is, but we’re
talking about Vanessa. She’s been lying and deceiving for so long, maybe she
has some way of fooling me. But all the signs … she
feels
Amadis now.” I waved my hand in the air dismissively. “It
doesn’t matter anyway. Whether or not she’s fully converted, I’m out of
options. I have to do this.”

Blossom’s mind spun through all kinds of ideas as it always
does, but I had a response for everything she proposed. Eventually, she came to
the same conclusion I did.

“Okay,” she admitted with exasperation. “You’re right. You
have no choice. So how can I help?”

I gave her a tired smile. “I was hoping you’d ask.”

But when I told her my idea, she freaked out.

“You want me to give her my
blood
? Are you crazy?” Her eyes bugged, and her mouth hung open.

I sighed, regretting I’d put her in this situation. “Yeah, I
am. But again, no choice, remember? She needs something stronger than animal
blood, and also some magical power so she can at least flash. I need her to
have some basic powers.”

Blossom made a face. “We’ll have that connection vampires
get, though. I mean, I’ve had it with guys, but with another girl? It’s just
weird. And with Vanessa? It feels wrong in so many ways.”

I nodded. “I understand. I wouldn’t have asked you if I had
any better ideas. Would it help if you saw her?”

Blossom’s shoulders sagged. “You already said you don’t
trust her.”

“Right. It’s just … I don’t know … on some level I guess I
do trust her. I mean, I just feel that she’s not Daemoni anymore. That whatever
she’s planning is to serve her own selfish needs, not theirs.”

“Doesn’t mean she won’t feed you to the wolves to benefit
herself.”

I rose from the table. “Of course not. I’ll be keeping a
close eye on her. Anyway, I don’t blame you. I’ll figure something out.”

Blossom couldn’t help her generous heart, and by the time
Dorian and I arrived at the safe house just after dawn the next morning,
Vanessa was stronger than she’d been in months, pumped up on Blossom’s blood.
The witch had also convinced a group of mages from the colony to hang out at
the safe house for a few days to “practice” their shield skills. The plan was
in full swing.

Bree would stay with Tristan in the farthest wing where no
one would accidentally stumble upon him, and Sheree tended to Sonya while also
helping Blossom as the witch bounced between taking care of Dorian and Sasha in
one wing and tending to the mages in the commons room.

“Will this work?” I asked Dorian as he looked around the
master bedroom suite.

“It’s kind of like yours and Dad’s room at Rina’s,” he said
after examining the sitting area, the bedroom and the bathroom, “but better. It
has a TV.”

“Yes, it does. You brought your games, right?”

He went over to his suitcase, packed mostly with things to
do and only a few clothes. He pulled out a game console and went to work
hooking it up to the television.

“Heather really can’t come?” he asked as I watched him set
up the game.

“Sorry. Not this time. You and Sasha will have to hang out
by yourselves for a while.”

He frowned. “What about Dad? I miss him.”

So do I.
I pursed
my lips together. “I know. Hopefully he’ll be home by the time I get back.”

As far as Dorian knew, his dad had been out of town for the
last few days.

“And Uncle Owen?” Dorian asked.

I bit back a few choice words. Dorian had been ecstatic to
finally see and spend time with Owen, and now the warlock had abandoned him
again.

“Him, too,” I said, hoping Vanessa was right about finding
him. “I should be home in a few days, and we’ll all be together again, just
like we used to be.”

His face lit up. “That would be awesome!”

I forced a smile while the probable lie ate at my gut. For
all I knew, we could all be dead in a few days.
No. Can’t think like that.
I had to have the same hope I fed
Dorian. Believing that I’d see him and his father very soon was the only way I
could get through what lay ahead of me.

Forcing myself to my feet, I held my arms open, and Dorian
walked into them.

“You listen to Blossom, okay?” I said. “She’s in charge for
now. You do everything—and I mean
everything
—she
says, okay?”

“Even if she says let’s go to Universal Studios and won’t
let me ask you first?”

I chuckled drily. As if that would happen.

“Even if,” I said.

His next words came out a little garbled, as though he spoke
around a lump in his throat. “You’ll come back, right? You and Dad and Uncle
Owen? You’re not leaving me for good, are you?”

I squeezed him tighter against me. “I’ll never leave you,
little man. Not like that. I’ll
always
come for you.”

And as the words tumbled from my mouth, I believed them. If
nothing else, my love for Dorian would ensure I made it home, or, at least, I’d
die trying.

“I’d always come for you, too, Mom.”

As if I wasn’t already having a hard time fighting back
tears. If he only knew what that promise meant to me.

“I love you, little man. You be good and I’ll see you soon.”

“See you in a couple days, Mom. Don’t worry about me. I’ll
be fine.” He pulled back and gave me his stunning smile. Geez, he looked so
much like his father.

I kissed him on the head, then bent down to pet Sasha.

“Protect,” I ordered. Her blue tongue licked my hand,
indicating she understood.

After one last kiss to Dorian, I slipped out of the suite,
checked his door lock, then moved into another room to change into my fighting
leathers. I tucked the little jar the faeries had given me into an inside
pocket of my jacket and strapped on my dagger before going to say goodbye to my
husband.

As soon as I walked into the room, Tristan’s eyes slid over
me, taking in my outfit.

“Don’t do this,” he said, barely able to lift his chin from
his chest as his eyes rolled up to my face. “I’m not worth it.”

“Of course you are. You are worth everything to me, much
more than my life.”

“Alexis—”

“Besides, it’s not just for you. It’s for all of the
Amadis.”

“You’re being reckless.”

“I’m doing what needs to be done!”

He growled, low at first, in protest to my plan. But then
the volume increased and the sound became much more feral. His head jerked. The
muscular cords in his neck strained, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he fought
whatever was coming over him. His teeth gnashed, and he threw his head back.
His eyes popped open, filled with flames.

“
Eureka!
” The
voice cackled in my mind—a vaguely familiar one that didn’t belong to
Tristan or anyone else in the house. Kali’s voice. She’d somehow managed to
push it through Tristan and into my head. Whether she actually discovered the
stone’s secret or not, she wanted me to think she had. She wanted me to come
seek her out. Bait. A trap. And for all I knew, Vanessa played a role it. But
it didn’t matter. If there was any chance Kali had discovered what she could
now do with Tristan, I couldn’t spare another second.

“Vanessa, let’s go!” I barked.

The vampire called “ready” from the hallway, where she stood
right outside of Tristan’s door. Blossom had managed to alter a set of my
fighting gear to fit Vanessa’s height, and we found her some boots. The black
leather pants and halter hugged all of her perfect curves, and her white-blond
hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, mimicking my own. She stood with her
hands on her hips, her head cocked impatiently to the side.

“No!” Tristan roared, his back arching again as he pulled
against the chains with renewed anger—his own this time. “You’ll get her
killed, Vanessa. Don’t take her to Hades!”

Vanessa eyed Tristan, looked at me, then back at him.
“Relax. We’re going to Savannah.”

“Not much better,” Tristan snarled, but his body relaxed
against the wall as his eyes turned back on me. “Don’t be stupid, Alexis.”

“Nobody else can or will do this. I have to find Kali and
stop her.”

He broke into a maniacal laugh that wasn’t his, Kali
controlling his emotions again. But when he spoke, his own voice taunted me. “I
dare you to try! Have a nice death, Alexis. Wish I could be there to watch.”

I didn’t acknowledge this last outburst, knowing it wasn’t
his true feelings, but silently studied his haggard face one last time, wishing
like crazy he could go with me. I’d feel tons better about this trip with the
ultimate warrior by my side. But, of course, that would accomplish their goals,
not ours. This was the first time I was leaving for a fight without him.
Hopefully not my last time seeing him.

“I love you,” I said.

The way he looked at me, I knew he warred with himself,
fighting Kali’s control.

“You may not feel it,” I continued, “but
know
that it’s true.”

I lifted my hand to his face, taking the risk that he’d try
to bite it off again, but I needed to touch him. It might be the last time
ever. I gingerly pressed my palm against his cheek. His muscles pulled taut under
my touch as he strained against the urge to hurt me.

“I … know … in my head … if not … my heart,” he whispered.

“And I know you love me.” He gave me no response, except
what I thought might have been the slightest of nods. It was the best I’d get
out of him right now. I needed that stone.

“Let’s go already,” Vanessa whined from the hallway.

“Take care of him, Bree,” I said over my shoulder as I
strode out into the hallway. “If I’m not back with the stone in time, you know
what to do.”

“Of course,” the faerie said, and I hoped I could trust her
to do what was needed if I failed at this mission. Severing the
connection—and all of Tristan’s emotions with it—was our last hope.
Our Plan B. I prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

I paused in the doorway, placing my hand over my dagger’s
hilt.

Cassandra? Am I doing
the right thing?

“
It’s what must be
done for the greater good. Just remember, you have the power.
”

With that, I jogged down the hall to the backdoor of the
mansion, Vanessa, of all people, by my side. My heart grew heavier with each
step I took from Tristan and my son, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Tristan
had felt like this when he’d left me at a different safe house, pregnant with
Dorian, pleading for him to stay. Same situation, but our roles were reversed
now. Hopefully not the same outcome.

As soon as we were off the property and beyond the mages’
shield, Vanessa took my hand and led me for the flash. I took in the smell of
an orange grove right before we flashed again. This time we appeared under a
highway bridge, cars zooming overhead as they crossed the river to our
immediate left. Old oak trees stood nearby, Spanish moss dripping from their
branches. About two miles down-river, buildings rose from the river’s bank and
over the land. The mind signatures from the small city weren’t all clear to me,
but a good portion of them were Daemoni.

“Savannah?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Vanessa said, her eyes scanning the area.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Well, first I need to confirm my hunch.”

“Your
hunch
? I
thought you knew!”

“Chill. I’ve been with you for the last three months,
remember? There’s a chance I’m wrong. I doubt it. I know them too well. But I’m
not going to take you to Hell until I know for sure that’s where we need to
go.”

She disappeared with a
pop
before I could respond. And suddenly, I was alone, far away from home, and, in
fact, very close to a large cluster of the enemy.

Crap!
I kicked at
the dirt and a rock went flying into the river. Well, it hadn’t taken her long
to show her true colors. I was so stupid. I thought she’d at least get me
close, perhaps even tease me by letting my hand grasp the pendant one more
time. But, I should have known better. Vanessa wouldn’t waste any more time on
me than she needed to.