Denai Touch: Excalibar Investigations Series (18 page)

“What do you think she wants?”

“That’s obvious, Ian. She wants me. She needs me to help Raven find the book.” She shook Jason, but he didn’t wake.

“Maybe we should call Mum,” Ian suggested.

“You are such a baby,” Steve snapped. “We agreed that–”

“Mum?” Cate frowned. “Are you saying that Mum is back?”

“Yeah, she helped Talbot find you when Raven had you.”

“We didn’t want to upset you. You have enough to deal with,” said Steve.

“Would you all stop trying to protect me!” she snapped. “Goddess, you’re lucky I don’t have my powers right now!”

“We don’t need Ceri to rescue us,” Steve said. “We’ve managed on our own just fine for years.” He quickly searched the pockets of his jeans and jacket. “Damn, they took all my gadgets!”

Cate frowned at him. “Steve, I know you’ve always got a magic device on you in case of situations like this. You must have something.”

“Nothing. They stripped me of everything. Bloody Covenant!”

“You must have some power, sis. You got past Raven.”

“I tried. I can’t feel my magic and I used a lot of energy helping Freya who
is
going to pay for this.”

“Feed from Jason then.”

“No, not while he’s unconscious.”

“But you’ll need your strength when–”

“That’s not going to happen. We’ll just have to fight without our magic and weapons,” said Steve.

“I hear someone coming.” she scrambled up and felt a rush of energy from Jason.

The cell door opened and the Deva appeared. His dark eyes flicked over them, before he stepped in and dragged Jade up.

“What are you doing?” Cate demanded.

Jade was dragged out, then the Deva grabbed Ian who tried to break free, passing him off to a demon and then his hand locked on Steve. “Hey, let go of me!” Steve struggled, kicking and punching at the Deva in an attempt to get away.

Cate made a grab for the Deva and felt an invisible wall of kinetic energy repel her. The cell door slammed shut. What the hell could they be planning to do to them?

She got back on the floor. “Jason? Jason, wake up. I need you!” She gave him a thump to the chest and he woke with a gasp.

“Where are we?” Jason asked, glancing around. “What happened?”

“You were right about Freya. The Deva knocked us out and he just took Jade and my brothers away,” she sighed. “This is all my fault. I should have listened to you.”

“You were just following your instincts.”

“Yeah, and now everyone I love could die because of me.” The thought made her feel sick to the pit of her stomach and she felt a sharp pang of guilt.

“We’ve been through worse.” Jason took her hand. “We’ll get through this too.”

“Do your powers work?”

Jason took a breath, sighed. “Bugger! They’ll be becoming for us soon. We need to come up with a plan.”

“Simple. I give into my power.”

“No, you need to stay in control. You control the power, not the other way round. It’s what we’ve been training for.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. “I can’t lose them or you.”

“You won’t. Hell, you taught me there is always hope.” He stroked her hair. “I’ll take care of the Deva. Whatever you do, don’t try to go up against him. He’s immune to Denai magic.”

“I know I found that out the hard way.”

They didn’t have to wait long before the Deva came and dragged them both from the cell and into the lab. There Jade, Steve, and Ian all sat bound to metal chairs. The Deva shoved Cate into another chair and dragged Jason away as Bethany came into the room.

“What’s next?” Cate asked as metal bands curled around her wrists. “Do we sit and wait for Raven and Tasha to get here?”

“No, you’re going to find the Grimoire for
me
,” said Bethany.

Cate laughed then, really laughed. “Just because you’re juiced up on Pandora doesn’t mean you can stop Raven or get past Tasha.”

“You weakened her. She’s never been more vulnerable and the Grimoire can give me unlimited power.” Bethany smiled. “You give Tasha all the credit for making Pandora, but it was me who made the formula. I just used the Covenant’s resources to distribute it and they took the credit. I’m tired of hiding behind Raven’s shadow. It’s my turn.”

“Even if you found the book you could never use it and no amount of power will get you past Tasha.”

“But now I have you. Your power will be mine and I’ll have stronger magic to fuel the drug. I will be unstoppable.”

Cate struggled against the bonds on her wrists.

“Don’t bother attempting to escape. If you try anything, your Nuardan will die.”

She glanced over at Jade and her brothers. “What are you going to do to them?”

“They are going to be my new test subjects.” Bethany jammed an IV line into Cate’s arm.

Cate flinched and watched in horror as her blood began to flow through the line. Bethany gathered the blood into a vial and started adding to the brewing mixture set up in the middle of the room then removed the IV line and clamped off the wound.

Steve?
She reached out to him with her mind.
Can you hear me?

I hear you,
Steve replied.
Ian?

Yep.
Ian struggled too.
We need to get out of here. She is one crazy bitch!

I can’t move,
she told them.

We can’t let her use that drug on us,
said Ian.

Jason?
Cate called out to him.

Kind of busy right now, but I’m on my way.

We need a plan,
she said.
Jade, are you alright?

My head hurts, but I’m ready to sink my teeth into someone. That’s if I could move.

Cate reached for her powers again, ready to relinquish control if she had to, but nothing happened.
Bloody transition!
She gritted her teeth.

Maybe we should all join powers,
Steve suggested.
Our combined strength should be enough.

How the hell are we going to do that?
asked Jade.
We’re sitting ducks.

Cate, you can channel power, like mum.

My powers aren’t exactly top-notch right now,
she replied,
but it’s worth a try.
She closed her eyes, feeling everyone around her. At least her senses still seemed to work, but their magical restraints made it harder than normal. Gradually, she felt a flood of energy trickle in as their powers joined with her own.

Her eyes lit up as she channelled it back out through her teammates and sparks crackled around all of them.

Jade was first out of her seat. “Thanks sweetie!” Shifting into her wolf form, she leapt at Bethany.

Steve and Ian scrambled up and made a dive for their weapons. Cate pulled herself free of the chair, surprising Freya who immediately threw a fireball at her.

Jade struggled with Bethany and Steve quickly broke down the wards, whilst Ian started destroying the lab.

“No!” Bethany screamed.

Steve raised his hand, the electronics in the room sparked to life, suddenly bursting into flame. “Time to go!” he said and fired his stunner at Bethany.

Bethany threw Jade away from her and made a grab for the vial of blood, but Ian was too quick for her, and tossed it into the fire.

“Oops,” Ian grinned and raised his hand. Just as his power could heal, it could also do the opposite. Bethany gasped, feeling her heart slow and struggled to breathe. She stumbled, raised her hand and hit him with a blast of energy that knocked him across the floor before she teleported away.

I’ve got her!
Jade called to them, charging down the corridor.

Cate chased after Freya as she fled down the corridor, telling her brothers to run for it. “Not so fast!” She yelled as she teleported in front of her. “You’re the source, aren’t you? Your power is the key to the drug.”

Freya smiled. “Clever little witch. I’m a conduit too. I can use any magical ability I choose. Including yours.” A kinetic blast sent Cate flying against the wall. “I suppose I should thank you. I’ve been a prisoner for so long now, I’d forgotten what it’s like to use my power,” Freya said, pinning Cate to the wall. “Everyone hated me in my village. They said I was an unnatural witch. But Raven took me in, said I was her daughter. I helped keep her strong until you cursed her.”

Cate struggled under the force of her own magic, desperately trying to move.

“I can’t wait to use your Elemental. I hear Nuardan are strong, but first I’m going to take your powers.”

Cate tried calling her magic, but it wouldn’t come Freya had her completely under control. She was starting to understand why conduits were considered the most dangerous of all Denais. But hell, she was the Goddess Marked. She had all of Denai’s abilities and more. She still felt the combined strength of Jade, Ian, and Steve at her disposal. Her power burned to the surface and began to take hold. “You’re powerful,” she agreed. “But my magic is mine.” Cate narrowed her eyes, sending out a kinetic blast which made Freya crash through the wall. Fire raged around her and silver flames sparked to life in her hands.

Freya staggered up, ignoring the raging inferno around them as she raised her hand.

Cate dodged the fireball, and teleported out. Reappearing, she grabbed Freya by the throat. She saw the madness in the other witch’s eyes. Saw that there was no hope left for her. “It didn’t have to be this way,” she said. “I could have helped you.”

Freya snarled and struggled against her grip. “I'll kill you!”

“No, you won’t,” she said calmly and her eyes bled black.

Freya gasped as energy pulsed between them, her eyes glazed over and she fell to the ground, dead. Cate only hoped she could find the peace in death that she’d never had in life.

Jason appeared out of the flames and pulled her into his arms, before teleporting them out.

Cate sagged against him as they reappeared outside, watching the building become engulfed by flame. “Hey, I stayed in control,” she said.

“I knew you could.” He kept his arms wrapped around her.

“Everyone alright?” Steve asked as he and Ian came over.

Cate nodded. “Where’s Jade?”

“She took off after Bethany.”

“Jade?” Cate touched her ear, engaging her comm link. “Jade, where are you?” She heard nothing but static on the other end and flung her senses out. “I can’t find her.”

Steve pulled out one of his scanners. “She’s not far from here by the look of it. There’s only the one life sign in this area. Looks like Bethany got way.”

“Typical,” Cate said as Steve handed her weapons belt over.

“Look what I got, it’s a–” Ian started to say.

There was a blur of movement as Jade, still in her wolf form, came flying through the air, straight for them.

Alarmed, Cate raised her hands, causing energy to beat through the air as time stopped. Jade froze in mid leap. “What the hell?” Cate said, staring at Jade’s open snarl. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know, but she looks really pissed off,” Jason commented. “Look at her eyes.” Jade’s amber eyes were now black.

“Bethany must've done something–!”

Jade suddenly unfroze, breaking through Cate’s magic, about to strike. Steve grabbed Cate and dragged her out of the way. Jade hit the ground and turned, snarling and growling, about to advance on them again.

“Jade, stop!” Cate said to her.

“I don’t think she’s going to listen to us, Sis,” said Ian.

A bolt of lightning appeared and struck Jade, who staggered back and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

“Is she going to be alright?” Cate made a move to go to her.

“Bethany must have injected her with something,” said Ian. “We’ll have to get her back to the lab and run some tests.”

“She must be infected with the drug. If Bethany created it, she probably took some with her,” she said. “This is her payback for us destroying her lab.”

“Let’s just get her back to the house,” said Steve. “We’ll be able to contain her better there than the Tower.”

Taking Jade back to the McCray house, they put her in a containment cell. Steve and Ian got to work taking a blood sample.

“Well?” Cate demanded as she walked into the lab, where Steve was staring at his numerous computer screens. Ian was busy tipping lots of liquids into bubbling containers.

“Jade’s been infected with Pandora,” said Steve. “From the looks of it, it’s a pure form. I’m still trying to identify the ingredients, but it will take some time.”

“How much time?” she asked. “When the drug killed our Denai victim, it was given in pure form. How long does Jade have?”

“It’s hard to say,” replied Ian. “All the others were already dead when we found them. I’m running tests, but it doesn’t look good.”

“You took some of the drug from the compound. Can’t you use that to make some sort of antidote?”

“I’m trying, but we still have to identify the ingredients.” Ian looked grim. “It’s already showing signs of attacking Jade’s immune system. It would help if I had a sample from the source.”

“Freya was the source and I killed her. There won’t be much left of her body to take a sample from,” she said feeling a wave of guilt. “This is my fault and I’m going to fix it. Keep looking for something.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Find Bethany. She’s the one who did this.”

She went downstairs to where Jason sat with his laptop. “I need to locate Bethany again.” She put Bethany’s Book of Shadows on the table.

“Are you sure that’s going to work? You found her before, because she wanted to be found.”

“Well, I’m going to find her again. Let’s get started.”

“Maybe going back to the compound would be better. It might be easier to track her from there.”

“Good idea. Let’s go.”

The building was little more than a ruin of ash and liquefied metal when they arrived.

“Jade will be alright,” Jason told her.

“I can’t think about that right now,” she replied. “Let’s just focus on finding Bethany.”

“Jade’s in good hands. You know Steve and Ian are the best at what they do.”

“Right, and now we’re going to do what we do best. I’m surprised the sweepers aren’t here gathering up the evidence for processing.”

“I haven’t reported in yet,” he admitted.

Cate frowned. “Why?”

“For the same reason Ian and Steve took Jade to their house rather than the Tower. Seline would be on our backs constantly, then Mel would find out and there’s no need to worry them yet.”

She knew Seline would see this failure as a good excuse to pull the team, and especially Cate, off the case altogether. He had done it for her.

Cate stepped into the ashes. “Maybe calling in the sweepers would be a good thing. There might be something here that could help save Jade.”

“Yes, and they would also contaminate the telepathic remnants that could lead us to Bethany.”

Cate took a deep breath, trying to ignore the worry and concern she felt for Jade. It was harder to block out the emotions thanks to the transition. Closing her eyes, she dropped her shields and let her senses roam free. Images of fire and the echo of Freya’s screams flashed before her eyes. She winced. “There’s so much negativity in this place. It’s hard to pick up on anything.”

Jason took her hand, giving her a much needed boost of energy.

She tried to focus, dropping her shields further and forcing her power to show her more. Further images raced through her mind, spinning in a kaleidoscope of colours. The air stirred around her as she felt Jason using his own magic. She moved through the blur and tried to find Bethany.

An enormous weight suddenly knocked her to the ground, snapping her out of the vision. “Jason,” she gasped as she stared up into his steel eyes. “What–?”

“Devas,” was all he said, before he jumped up and threw a bolt of lightning.

She looked up and saw there wasn’t just one Deva but three. All had long, billowing, black hair, streaked with white, and were clad in black leather. None of them carried any kind of weapon; they didn’t need to, with their power. They seemed to vibrate with it, as if their bodies could barely contain the energy inside.