Destiny Divided (8 page)

She pulled away
and opened her mouth, a witty retort on the tip of her tongue, but the slam of a car door cut her off.

“We’ll fin
ish this later,” he told her.

She shook her head. “No, James. This was a mistake.”

“I said later.”

The doorknob wiggled. “This was noth –”

“Hush.” He accentuated the command with a firm slap on her ass.

She gasped. The kitchen door opened and Maddox walked in. Sage gave James a look that promised retribution for his bold reprimand. His answering grin chaffed at her nerves.

“Hey,” Maddox said with a smile. Thankfully he seemed oblivious to the subtle exchange. He held up two bags of fast food.

Sage’s stomach growled as the kitchen filled with the s
mell of Chinese food.

“Sesame chicken or bee
f and broccoli?” he asked her.

“Chicken.”

Maddox handed her one of the bags.

“Thanks.” She looked at James, w
ho stood empty-handed. “Wanna share? I can’t eat the whole thing.”

“No, I'm late.” He grabbed his keys from the counter.

She opened her bag at the counter and pulled out a box of food. Maddox had already made himself at home on the couch.

“Late for what?” she asked.

“Ruby had a vision.”

“The oracle? Do you think she has news of the heir?” She sat a little straighter in her seat.

“Now don’t get any ideas. It might be nothing.”

Stuffing a forkful of tangy chicken in her mouth
, she nodded to where Maddox sat, box of noodles in hand, watching TV. “So I guess he’s staying?”

James
nodded. “He’s curious what Ruby will say.”

“Can't we go with you?”

James shook his head. “It’s my responsibility. Besides, you look knackered.” He smiled when she gave him a puzzled expression. “Tired. Knackered means tired. I’ll be gone most of the night so don’t wait up.”

“Yeah, right. I'm curious too. Besides, someone has to look after Mr. Undomesticated over there,” she said loud enough for
Maddox to hear her.

“Other way around, witch,” he yelled over the volume of the TV. “Hey, James told me your real name. Did you know it means 'trouble' in Welsh?”

“Yeah? And what does Maddox mean? Liar?”

James sighed and with a hint of amusement
, he said, “And I’m leaving the two of you here alone? I shudder to think what will happen in my absence.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll find ways to amuse ou
rselves,” she said with a wink.

Maddox
shouted from the couch, “Hide the matches, James. She looks like a pyro.”

“As if I need matches to p
lay with fire!”

James’ voice boomed above both of theirs. “I don’t want to
hear anymore!” He covered his ears as he left the house.

***

Ruby’s cryptic voice message had stated something had changed in her vision about the Dark King’s heir. The entire drive to north to Boston, James had turned over in his head what it could mean. But the visions she’d told her already were hazy and lacked sense. Maybe the powerful oracle had lost her ability.

He parked on the street opposite
her brick apartment building in South Boston and put some change in the meter. The seventy-year-old oracle may have been the most powerful one in the supernatural world but she certainly hadn’t lost her sense of humor.

She
had a crystal ball she began every “reading” with, though it was useless. She no more needed a crystal ball than James needed a magic wand.

He looked up at the brick apartment complex and gave a wave to the black woman peering at him from the third story window.
The last time they’d spoken she’d told James that Cadmael was looking for his heir, and that this heir was an important part of his mission to take over Caerwyn. But now something had changed. He tried to settle his nerves as he ascended the three flights of stairs.

When he
reached the door, she was already there holding it open.

“Ruby!” He greeted her with a kiss. “It’s good to see you.”

“James! What are you doing here?” she said, closing the door behind them. “This is an unexpected surprise.” Ruby had been raised in Mississippi but moved to Boston to be near her grandkids. Her thick southern accent seemed out of place.

“Ruby,
” He sighed. “You told me to come.” Sometimes he didn’t know whether she was truly off her rocker or just leading everyone on. “And can’t you predict the future?”

Maybe the whole flighty-mystic thing was
one big ruse, and secretly she laughed at them for falling for it.

“Ah, yes. Now I remember. Well, sit down. I’ll get you some tea.” Ruby shuffled across the small living room and int
o the kitchen. She was known for her herbal teas.

One time, he’d had
a particularly strong cup and had seen little green men wandering around the house for a whole day.

Ruby had been reading the future for James
for several years as a favor to her late husband. Oracles charged exorbitant amounts of money for readings, but Ruby’s husband had been a sorcerer. Not a Welsh one like James and Maddox, Waylon had been from the Caribbean. There, they were known as voodoo priests. But Waylon’s people had been friendly with the Welsh and helped battle Cadmael at the last war for Caerwyn. Waylon had been killed in battle and Ruby had taken up his cause, from a safe distance, helping James in his mission to defeat the Dark King.

James glanced
around the apartment. It looked the same as the last time he’d been here, almost one year ago. He gingerly sat down on the over-stuffed couch covered with knitted afghans.

Jeopardy
was playing on her small television. “Ruby, I didn’t know this show was still on.”

“What’s that
suga’?” She peeked into the room. “Oh,
Jeopardy
. Yes. I used to have a crush on Alex, but now I think I must be ‘out of his league.’ Isn’t that what the kids say now?”

He
smiled. She went back to the kitchen and returned a moment later carrying a tray with an elaborate tea set. The steaming dainty cup she handed him smelled like peppermint.

“Now, Ruby, this isn’t going to make me see anything out of the ordinary, is it?”

She blinked. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”

He arched a brow but
took a tentative sip. “So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

Her graying brows drew together. “Are you a Red Sox fan? It seems you can’t get around this town without bumping into all sorts of merchandise with a big pair of brightly colored socks on it. Heavens, I don’t know what the appeal is.”

“I’m not, actually,” he answered. “Now, Ruby, you know I love spending time with you but I have a lot of papers to grade tonight. I can’t stay long.”

“Oh, all right.” She waved a hand at him. “I never understood you kids and your impatience. Always somewhere to go, something to see.”

“Kids?”

“Well, I don’t suppose that reference applies to you.” She took a sip of her tea. “Should I get my crystal ball?”

James rolled his eyes.

She snickered like a child who’d
just played a prank. “Well, as it turns out, I may have been wrong about the last vision. When I told you the heir had been born, we both assumed it was a baby. But the birth was metaphorical, not literal.” She paused as if giving him the opportunity to figure out the meaning on his own. When he stared at her blankly, she explained, “The heir has recently been born into the supernatural
world.”

             
James puzzled over this a moment. “So, we’re looking for an adult? An adult who just started using his powers?” That changed everything.

S
he put her mug down and raised an index finger. “Ah, but why do you assume the heir is a he?”

“It’s a…girl?” He
frowned. He hadn’t expected that. “Well, do you have a name or something?”

She paused, as if deciding
what to tell him. “Bright one,” she finally answered. “But don’t be fooled by the name. She is powerful and dangerous. And the Dark King is searching for her as we sp –”

“
Bright?” James felt the blood drain from his face. A pit formed in the bottom of his stomach. His arms and legs went numb. He stared at the patterned wallpaper across from him. “Sage,” he whispered.

“Do you know that in some cultures sage is used to cleanse the spirit?”

“I can’t kill her, Ruby,” he mumbled. The shock was starting to wear off. Everything clicked into place. He’d seen the growing darkness behind those sultry eyes. “What do I do? If she’s going to be the downfall of Caerwyn but I can’t kill her, what do I do?”

“Now I wouldn’t be a very good oracle if I gave you all the answers, would I? Some things you have to find out for yourself.” She walked to James and gently touched his
cheek. “Just follow your instincts. And remember
who
you are, not
what
you are.”

She left him paralyzed on the couch and turned up the volum
e on Alex.

He
’d been trying to figure out Sage’s parentage since he’d met her, but always came up blank. Sorcerers didn’t often abandon their children in the human world. Now it all fit together like a puzzle. Sage had been abandoned at birth but obviously had a strong bloodline for her powers to manifest so potently. And he could feel the pull of darkness in her.

Sage was Cadmael’s daughter. She was the Dark Princess. She was
destined to bring the fall of his homeland.

What the fuck had he
gotten into?

Ruby’s voice snapped him out of his trance. “Oh. There’s something else,” she said as if it we
re a last minute thought. “The Dark King knows where she is. I’d take her away somewhere if I were you. And fast.”

Fuck!
Could this get any worse?
With an army of expert hunters at Cadmael’s disposal, it would only be a matter of days before he had Sage dragged down into the depths of the Underworld and gone from James forever. He wasn’t sure what filled him with dread more – the idea of losing Sage to that monster, or that monster having access to the heir who was destined to destroy his homeland.

Without giving it anymore thought
, he jumped from the couch, gave Ruby a quick peck on the cheek, and was out the door before she could say goodbye.

“So, how do you know James?” Sage asked Maddox as they sat on the couch waiting for James to return from Ruby’s house. They’d already eaten dinner and watched three crime show episodes. It was late enough that infomercials were all that was left on TV. Now they were forced to make conversation.

“We grew up together in Caerwyn,” he answered.

“And what are you doing here?”

He
gave a half-hearted smile. “I’m avoiding. Or running away, my family would say.”

For the first time since Sage had met Maddox, his eyes lost their mischievous
humor. “What are you running from?”

He sighed. “Fate.”

“Fate? Can’t run from that.” He nodded distantly and she knew he wouldn’t say more about the subject. “So, what was James like when he was younger?”

“Same as he is now. Arrogant. Uptight.” He shrugged then gave Sage a shrewd glare. “But fiercely loyal an
d dependable.” His eyes sparkled when he gave her a knowing smile.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she found herself saying for the second time that night.

“Like what?”

“Like there’s any chance in hell James and I could be together the way you’re thinking. You don’t have to be his walking e
ndorsement.” A shiver slid down her spine when she thought of their encounter only hours ago. One time, she told herself. It had been one moment of weakness she wouldn’t repeat again.

“James
scares women away with his overbearing intensity. So forgive me for hoping he’ll find someone capable of keeping him on his toes.”

“And you think I could do that?”

Maddox leaned in close. “Honey, you already are.”

Her cheeks heated. No. They were enemies. Maybe not q
uite as much as before but… She wasn’t anything close to what he wanted in a woman. Feeling awkward, she changed the topic. “If you’re from Caerwyn, why don’t you have an accent?”

Maddox
flashed a smile. “Actually,” he closed his for a moment then opened them again, “I do have an accent.”

T
he goofy, boy-next-door sounded just like James. Maddox continued in the thick Welsh accent, “I can Glamour. It’s kind of my thing.”

“Glamour?”

His brow furrowed. “James didn’t tell you?” He sighed. “Leave it to him to focus on fighting. Sorcery is divided into guilds. Though most sorcerers have some skill in all areas, they are grouped according to their strength. For me, that’s Glamouring – or changing parts of myself, appearance, clothing, voice, that sort of thing.”

“So what do you really
look like?”

“This.” He gestured to himself. “I’m handsome enough not to need any Gl
amouring for my appearance.”

She laughed.
“What are the other guilds?”

“Ah, let’s s
ee. Potions. Then there’s Mindbending.” He looked at her very seriously. “That’s when you can influence someone’s actions by thought. Very hard and very rare. And the last one is Combat. That’s James.”

“What about me?”

“Well, are you any good with potions?”

She shrugged. “I haven’t tried. But in high school I almost blew up the chemistry lab.”

“I’d say that’s a no.” He reached in his pocket. “Here. A gift.” A small vile of pink liquid sat in his open palm. “It’s a truth serum. Never know when it might come in handy. But don’t let James know you have it or you’ll end up on the receiving end.”

After she picked up the thin tube from his hand, she
studied it then shoved it in her jeans pocket. “Thanks.”

“I’ll
bet you’re a warrior like James,” he said, looking her over. “That’s why your Bolts are so strong.”

“But I’ve never tried the other two. How can I know if I’m not in those guilds?”

“Well, there are ways to make an educated guess. Have there been times in your life when things go your way just because you will them to? Or someone does something out of character because you ask it?”

She snorted.
“No. The opposite actually.”

“Then I would say Mindbending is out. With your ramped up power,
you’d be influencing people subconsciously.”

“What about Glamouring? Can you teach me?”

Maddox shrugged and answered back in his American voice, “I don’t see why not.”

She turned to face him on the couch, sitting up straighter to prepare for the spell.

“Well, first you have to picture what you want to look like in your mind. Try something simple to start. Like your hair color.”

“I'm going to picture it blond
. I've always wondered what I’d look like as a blond.”

“Now close your eyes
but keep that picture in your mind. The energy is a little different than producing a Bolt. It's softer. More subtle. Instead of pushing it to your palms, pull it to your core and let it settle there.”

She concentrated, pulling energy
from the air and holding it in her chest. Once she felt the heat stay steadily at her core, she pictured her hair changing from the chocolate brown to a light shade of golden blond. She’d expected to fail. Or at least become frustrated before succeeding.

So it surprised her when
Maddox said, “Bloody hell! I can't believe you're doing it.”

“I am?”

“Yes! Go look in the mirror.”

With
eyes closed, she asked, “Will it stay like this when I open my eyes?”

“It will stay until you purposefully
change it back.” She peeked open one eye to see Maddox beaming. “Go!”

She opened both eyes and ran to the bathroom mirror. “Wow,” she said, running he
r fingers through her new blond hair. “This is freaking fabulous.” Then she yelled to Maddox, “I don't know if blonde suits me though.” She shut the bathroom light off and stepped back into the living room. “Let’s try red!”

“Whoa! Slow down,” he said laughing. “If you do too much at once yo
u won't have the power left to change it back. You have to do a little at a time just like everything else.”

She frowned and slumped onto the couc
h.

“But it's pretty fucking amazing that you managed it on your first try.” He looked her over with a sly smile. “You are one dangerous lady.”

“Lady?” She scrunched her nose. “Now you’re making me feel old.”

Maddox’s laugh was loud and contagious.
“I guarantee I’m at least a century older than you.”

“You’ve blended into American culture better than James. You look like the p
erfect American boy next door.”

He smirked then shut his eyes. His dark brown hair gradually lig
htened to a bleached yellow. The sides faded away and the top stuck straight up in a mohawk. A hoop earring appeared in his nose. His plain gray t-shirt turned into a black tight-fitting mesh that showed off a muscular chest that almost had Sage drooling.

He opened his eyes. “How’s this for boy next door?”

She roared with laughter. “I don’t think it suits you. It clashes with your baby face.”

In an instant, the glamour faded and he was back to himself. He scowled at her. “Baby face?”

“Don’t worry. It’s cute. So how old is James?”

“Thirty-two,” came the familiar voice behind her.

“Jesus, James!” She jumped up from the couch in surprise and spun to face him. “Do you have to sneak around like that?”

He gave her a somber look then flicked his gaze from her face to her hair.

Maddox shrugged. “It was her idea.”

He nodded then
said to Sage, “Pack your stuff. We’re leaving.”

She waited for more, but he didn’t explain himself. Confused, she studied his face.
He wore an expression she hadn’t recognized at first because it seemed so unlikely. James, for the first time since she’d met him, looked scared.

Before she could ask what happened, James spun on his heel and left the room.
“There’s no time for questions,” he said over his shoulder. “Throw some warm clothes and your sorcery book in a bag then get in the car.” He flung open the door to the basement and ran downstairs.

Sage looked at
Maddox. “Just do what he says,” he answered her unspoken question. “I’ll find out what’s going on.”

In
only seconds, James was back in the kitchen, carrying an arm full of camping equipment.

“What the hell are you –”

Maddox cut her off with a firm push toward her room. James threw her a backpack on the way then gave her an impatient glare.

She hurried to her room and
crammed in the backpack as much of her clothing she could fit, along with her sorcery book. Maddox and James murmured in urgent tones in the kitchen. She snuck closer to listen.

“When we leave
, I want you to get rid of any evidence Sage was here, understand?” James said.

“Yes, of course
. But will you tell me what the hell happened?” She couldn’t hear James’ answer but then Maddox said, “The Counsel?”

She thought she heard James say, “Worse.”

Chills crept up her spine. What was more dangerous than the Counsel?

Creatures of the
Underworld? Vampires and werewolves. But what could they want from her? Or were they after James? Then why would he drag her along? She stopped guessing and slung her backpack over her shoulder then stepped out into the hallway.

.
James gave her a once-over. “Better put on a coat. It’s going to be cold tonight.”

She threw on her black
, fake leather jacket and followed him to the door.

“Good luck,”
Maddox said. “Don’t worry about anything here. I’ll take care of it.” Then he pulled Sage in for a hug. With his lips at her ear he whispered so softly she could barely hear him, “Whatever happens, know that you can trust him.” He spun her around and pushed her back to James.

“Thanks, mate.
I owe you,” James said then walked to the car, dragging Sage by her coat sleeve.

He
sped through dark, empty roads as if they were running for their lives. She was beginning to wonder if they were.

“Are you
going to tell me what’s going on?”

He seemed conflicted – l
ike he wanted to tell her but was afraid to at the same time. Finally, after a deep sigh, he answered, “The Counsel found out about you. They think you’re dangerous and want to take your powers away.”

“So, why don’t we just show them that I’m not dangerous? We can prove that I can handle my powers.”

“Because you can’t, Sage!” His bellow was so sudden, she flinched. “Not yet.”

Her heart sunk
. She’d thought James would be proud of the progress she’d made. She all but had her powers whipped. But worse than the feeling of discouragement was an inkling of suspicion. Maybe she was paranoid, but she found it hard to believe a Counsel of supposed upstanding sorcerers were so much of a threat that they needed to flee for their lives in the middle of the night. To go camping, no less.

“What about your teaching? You’re just going to
leave it all behind?”

“Th
is is bigger than any of that.”

She
waited for more but James stayed focused only on the road.

“There’s
something you’re not telling me,” she accused.

A long
, indecisive pause then he nodded slightly. “There is.”

“Tell me!”

“No. Not now. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

Maddox
’s final words came to mind.
No matter what, you can trust him.

She sighed in frustration and put her feet
up on the dashboard. Even if she could trust him, she didn’t like him withholding important information from her.

She looked at the clock. I
t was almost two in the morning. Where the hell could they be going at this hour? When she dropped her head into her hands, a blonde lock fell in front of her eyes. Neither James nor Maddox thought it important to tell her she hadn’t changed her hair back? Men!

She closed her eyes and c
oncentrated the same way she had to turn it blond.

“Should’ve kept it blo
nde,” James said after a few minutes.

Her eyes popped open. She held a length of
hair in front of her. Brown. She was back to herself again. “Why? Did you like it better?”

“No. You
r natural hair color is perfect. But it would help your cause to look like someone else right now.”

Maybe if she looked good as a redhead
, she’d change it long-term. But to find out, she needed a mirror and some lighting.

Growing drowsy, she
laid her head back against the seat and stared at the nothingness moving past her. Her eyes drifted closed.