Refracted (The Celadon Circle Book 2) (7 page)

“That’s the one,” Lucas replied. “I didn’t think it would take much to jog your memory. Those
Rougarous
are hard to forget.”

“Please don’t tell me y’all have another one down that way.”

Lucas laughed – a guttural sound, like chunks of stone and glass in an industrial grinder.

“Hell no! I told the cloud crouchers upstairs if they ever sent me and my boys after another one of those bastards, I’d set their robes on fire.”

It was Quinn’s turn to laugh. He didn’t know Lucas and his sons well – that long hunt was the one and only time he’d ever interacted with them – but he remembered now that Lucas’ wife died in a home robbery while he and his eldest son were on an assignment. Two men, high on every substance they could smoke, drink, snort, or inject, stabbed her with a rusty kitchen knife. Thankfully, the youngest boy slept through the entire incident and was spared. When all was said and done, the thieves stole thirty-seven dollars, Mrs. Fane’s wedding ring, and her life.

Lucas’ son, the one who paired off with Quinn in the swamp, confessed that his father had lost all respect for the angels after that. He said his father felt that since they risked their lives and gave up so much for the Circle, the angels owed it to them to keep an eye on their loved ones while they were away. They decided to stay members of the Circle but worked for the angels on their own terms.

“I’ve got the phone on speaker, Lucas. Nathan and Casen are here with me. What can we do for you?” Quinn poured the coffee. Nathan gestured for the donuts.

“Well, it’s more like what I can do for
you
.”

Casen frowned. “What do you mean?”

Lucas cleared his throat, twice. Quinn thought he sounded nervous.

“Ah…” He sighed. “Look, it’s not a secret in the Circle about what happened to Jordan. I hate it; I surely do. It’s just another example of negligence on the angels’ part. We take all the risks and they don’t do a damn thing for us.”

Nathan put his half-eaten donut down, his expression slack. Quinn wished with everything he had that they could avoid this subject.

Over the imaginary line, Lucas’ voice was thin, pensive. “
Why do we do it? Why
?”

Quinn wondered if the man had momentarily forgotten them. He faked a cough in hopes of bringing the conversation back on point – whatever the point of this out-of-the-blue phone call was.

It worked.

“Anyway, I heard the angels aren’t doing much to improve the situation. Matter of fact, word is they’re actively looking for Jordan. Have any members of the Circle offered to help y’all out?”

“No,” Quinn answered, “and we don’t expect them to. After all, we know who holds the cards in this game and it isn’t the ones with the scars and calluses.”

“I heard that,” Lucas said. “You know, folks would be a lot better off if they learned one simple fact: There’s a bit of darkness in everyone – makes no difference who or what you are – and desperation reveals it every time.”

Quinn had no idea how to respond. For the most part, it was true. Desperation often revealed other things, too. A girl who avoided confrontation and believed she could never perform an act of bravery found the courage to kill a boy she’d known her entire life to protect her mother and a friend she barely knew. An angel, who watched over Jordan and witnessed every significant moment of her life from the time she was born, confessed that loyalty had limits – and the greater part of his loyalty was given to his older brother. A group of people who spent most of their lives defending humanity from monsters and spitting in the face of Evil realized they were meek and inept when it came to assisting one of their own. Some lines can’t be crossed. 

“Me and my boys, we want to help.”

Uncle Case scowled and scratched his head. “Lucas, while we appreciate the offer, I really don’t see how you can.”

“You and your boys will land yourselves on Michael’s shit list right below us,” Nathan added. “We don’t want to be responsible for that.”

“Now look here, me and my boys know what we’d be getting ourselves into. If we all end up in a holy jail cell somewhere, at least we’ll have enough for a decent poker game. In the meantime, I have a plan on how we can locate Jordan.”

Quinn rolled his eyes. If Lucas had a plan worth listening to he would trim Michael’s toenails. The man was a decent Slayer but wasn’t known for having a high I.Q.

“And just what plan is this?”

“I’d rather not say over the phone.”

Lucas made a noise with his mouth and Quinn groaned. He’d forgotten the man’s bad habit of sucking on his teeth like someone who had eaten a steak and saved half of it between his cogs for later.

“The decision is yours. We’re in Arizona right now, ‘bout a day and a half out.”

“What’s in Arizona? Why so far from home?”

Something didn’t sit right about this. Nathan threw Quinn a look that said he could close the harbor anytime, but he ignored him. Why would a man they barely knew, who was also a member of the Celadon Circle, want to help rescue their sister, who just happened to be a Cambion? Why would they risk their position in the Circle, and possibly more, for a couple of eighty-sixers and a half-demon?

Lucas chuckled. “What’s in A-Z? Not a damn thing. A couple of hikers go missing, a body turns up with some animal bites, grandma falls in the backyard…you know the song and dance. Any little thing happens outdoors and a hundred people swear they saw the Mogollon Monster somewhere in the vicinity. As for the
why
, I have no clue. Why were you sent all the way to Tennessee a few months back? Hell, some people in the group get assignments close to home and some of us have to haul ass all over the country. It’s a good thing they pay for my gas and Slim Jims.”

So that’s what he spends half the day sucking out of his teeth.
Quinn grimaced, wondering if Lucas would be offended if he sent him a case of dental floss.

Maybe because he sensed hesitation, Lucas hurried on. “Talk it over. If y’all decide not to go this alone, give me a call. If I haven’t heard from you by noon tomorrow, we’ll head on home – no hard feelings.” He expelled a sigh so deep he must have fetched it from his boots. “I know this is personal. I know you’re probably wondering who you can trust. Just remember, my wife was taken from me because those bastards upstairs were asleep at the switch. My boys lost their mother. You lost both your parents. Haven’t we sacrificed enough?”

Later, Quinn tossed the book he was researching on his uncle’s pile and, without a word, went to bed. He’d been outvoted on whether or not to include Lucas and his boys in their personal business. He tried to keep a leash on his anger while arguing his case. For the most part, he succeeded, but sheer aggravation prompted plenty of growls and barks. Quinn wasn’t used to going against the grain.

His reaction was a surprise to Nathan and Case, too.

“Are you both stupid? We don’t need Lucas’ help. It’s a miracle the man can tie his shoes much less devise a plan to find Jordan.”

Casen took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “Son, we need help. Lucas is willing to provide some. His idea may be a good one or it could be a dud–”

“Or it could blow up in our faces!”

His uncle proceeded without a hitch. “But at least he’s
willing
. Why does this upset you so much?”

Quinn tried to laugh but anger turned it into a sound that could accompany someone vomiting up their shoes. “Why?
Why?!
He doesn’t know us. We don’t know him. Doesn’t it seem a bit psycho that a stranger calls from way out in left field, or in Lucas’ case,
Arizona
, offers to put on the nice, white jacket that straps in the back, and jump on our kiddie-ride to Hell?”

Nathan turned another page of The Book, his confident, peaceful demeanor a welcome change to the spring-loaded zombie he was before, but now Quinn wanted to shake him.

“He told us why. The circumstances are different but he still lost someone because of the Circle. Well, more specifically, those
in
charge
of the Circle.” 

Quinn shook his head. “Nate, it isn’t the same. The angels weren’t the cause of his wife’s death. Unless your family has a Guardian – and only those with Seekers do – they don’t tend to sit around and babysit when we go on hunts.” Before Nathan could open his mouth and spew more unwanted insight, he said, “Hell, we had a Guardian and still got screwed. Not to mention Jordan spent plenty of time alone when the three of us were on assignments.”

“Maybe he doesn’t see it that way,” Casen said.

Quinn yanked hard on the chain as his temper lunged. “I’ll tell you exactly how Lucas sees it: He doesn’t want to help because it’s the right thing to do or he feels he can relate to what we’re going through. He doesn’t give a two craps about our sister – he’s just pissed at the angels and wants a little payback.”

“Personally, I don’t care what his reasons are. He and his boys are extra bodies and we need ‘em.”

Quinn sat on his bed and faced the window. He watched as the light outside faded from dusky-blue to the barest pink, and waited. Lucas’ offer skipped over his mind with feather-light fingers, creating an itch he couldn’t scratch. He knew Uncle Case was right. Help was help and the why’s shouldn’t matter so much, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it.

The itch grew worse and still he waited.

He wanted nothing more than to lie down and close his eyes. He wanted to drift into oblivion and let everyone else research and plan, waking him when it was time to act. He didn’t have the patience for groundwork. He only felt useful when he was
moving
. His eyelids drooped as the weight of exhaustion grew heavier.

But he waited.

The faint pink color grew deeper in hue. Through the window, Quinn watched as the pasture became more distinct. Cows began to stir. The land was waking up. He directed his attention to a steep hill dotted with trees in the distance.

Slowly, the light grew more intense, changing in color once again. Dark pink became brilliant orange. Like a sentinel taking his turn to guard the world while the moon slept, the sun climbed the backside of the hill, his golden rays casting the trees in shadow with every step.

Quinn squinted against the glare. His eyes watered and burned. He ground his teeth against the discomfort and waited.

In a sudden burst of luminous splendor, the sun completed the journey and took his place in the heavens. Quinn waited for that moment every morning since returning from Tennessee. The significance of a new day meant they made it through another night and most monsters would be kept at bay for a while. It meant they had another chance to make amends for their mistakes, and maybe get it right this time. It meant that Jordan, wherever she was, still fought, still breathed, still had a heartbeat. The sun would cease to rise if she didn’t.

Chapter Nine

Jordan

Gina.

How could that hateful hag justify using her powers on a child? Jordan reflected on all the hellish scenarios the Dream Walker forced on her and her stomach rolled at the thought of Mazie having to endure such torture.

With that in mind, Jordan gave the girl’s shoulder a brusque shake. “Mazie!” she hissed. “Wake up!”

Her half-sister exploded out of sleep and would have tumbled out of bed if Jordan hadn’t stopped her. Eyes wide, curly hair plastered to her head with sweat, she raised her hands in a defensive posture. Jordan took a step back to give her some space.

“Are you with me?” she asked.

Mazie blinked once, twice, and then lowered her hands. Slowly, she raised her head.

“Jordan?” she rasped.

After getting a damp cloth and a glass of water from the bathroom, Jordan sponged her sister’s face and told her to drink. She didn’t like her color at all. Mazie’s flawless mocha skin looked icy – pale.

“What happened?” Jordan took the glass and put it on the side table, then sat on the bed and pulled the girl close.

Mazie shivered and snuggled next to her. The Black Beast inside Jordan clawed at its cage, eager for revenge – for blood. Though she kept her distance from almost everyone in the house and they had no problem giving her space, Mazie somehow missed the memo. She hadn’t been pushy or invasive but, unlike the others, she wasn’t afraid to show her feelings. Jordan had never met someone with such a joyful spirit. Mazie regarded her Cambion status the same way she did her curly hair and biracial heritage. It was simply a part of who she was. Before Jordan knew it – despite how hard she fought against it – the tiny girl with the big heart had won her over.

“It’s nothing,” she whispered against Jordan’s chest. “Just a nightmare is all.” 

Even through the blankets, Jordan could feel her sister’s rawboned shoulder blades. Mazie was small for her age – short and all angles. She wasn’t unhealthy and ate like a high-school football player, but there was not a spare inch of fat to be seen.

I should be so lucky
, Jordan thought.

She gave the girl an encouraging squeeze. “You mentioned Gina’s name in your sleep. Don’t tell me it’s nothing. I know better.”

Mazie twirled a strand of hair around her finger; a sure sign that she was worried or thinking hard on something.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Bottom lip trembling, she nodded.

A few silent minutes of staring at her heroes as they watched from their respective places on the wall and Mazie stopped shaking. She motioned for the water and drained the glass.

“I broke her iPod.”

Jordan ran the sentence by her fatigued mind three times and it still failed to grasp the meaning.

“What?”

Her sister sighed. “Gina’s iPod was on a table in the living room. Someone sat a glass of juice beside it. I accidentally bumped the table with my leg when I passed by and the glass tipped over.” Mazie gripped the comforter like a lifeline, something to keep her grounded in the here and now while she relived the incident.

“I ran to the kitchen for some paper towels. When I got back, Gina was there, holding her iPod and looking around. She…she saw me with the paper towels and started yelling. I tried to tell her it was an accident but she wouldn’t listen.

“Aamon showed up, told Gina he’d get her another iPod, and that she needed to calm down. He said accidents happen and it was no big deal. She nodded, told me she was sorry for yelling, then went upstairs. I cleaned up the juice and thought it was over.”

“But it wasn’t,” Jordan assumed. She kissed the top of Mazie’s head, knowing the worst was still to come.

“No,” she whispered. “On my way to bed, I stopped by Gina’s room to apologize again. She would barely speak to me, just told me it was fine and to leave her alone. When I walked away, I heard her mumble something about
sweet dreams.
”

Jordan took a deep breath and asked, “What was the nightmare, Mazie?”

She didn’t want to hear it, not really. Speaking the words would only confirm that Gina had no heart, and would likely push Jordan over the edge.

“I was in my bedroom – the one at my old house. My mom and dad were there…”

Mazie’s voice was soft, eerie. It pulled Jordan in like a haunted song.

“I was standing on a chair. There was a rope around my neck. It was thick, tight, and I couldn’t get it off no matter how hard I tried. I asked Mom and Dad to help but they only stared with blank faces. They looked at me like I was a stranger.”

Gulping air, letting it out in broken spurts, it sounded like something (her heart) was lodged in Mazie’s throat. Jordan grasped her hand and held on tight.

“I heard whispering but couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Most of the room was dark, which I thought was strange. A streetlight on the corner usually kept my room pretty bright at night.”

“The whispers got louder and my parents smiled, only it wasn’t the smiles I knew before. Their eyes were wild, popping out of their sockets; they looked crazy.”

Jordan could have stopped her there,
wanted to
, but Mazie didn’t need to keep it inside, to relive the horror over and over like Jordan did. The quiet moments were the worst, when the day ended and she had nothing to occupy her mind. That’s when the nightmares came back. Instead of diminishing over time, they grew like a cancer. Jordan hoped talking about it would be therapeutic – a balm for the girl’s aching heart, an elixir to shrink the malignancy before it spread and dominated every moment, awake or not.

“My dad walked to the chair I was standing on and, for a second, I thought he was going to help me. His face changed, became less creepy-looking. He looked like himself. He took my hand…” Mazie choked back a sob. “He took my hand and I could smell his aftershave. I just wanted him to help me down and hold me like he used to.

“He gave my hand a squeeze and said, ‘This is going to hurt, baby, but won’t we have fun?’ I didn’t know what he meant. Dad let go of my hand and then, like magic, he was holding the end of the rope instead.

“I heard whispering again just before Gina walked out of the shadows. She was smiling like she’d just won a beauty contest. Her mouth was moving. The whispers crawled over my skin like cockroaches but I couldn’t understand what she said. My mother hadn’t moved at all. Her face was still crazed and she swayed back and forth like Gina’s words were music.”

Mazie licked her dry lips. “The first time Dad pulled the rope, I was too shocked to do anything but hang there. It cut into my neck and closed my airway. I couldn’t think, couldn’t move my arms or legs. By the time it finally registered that
my father
– the man I thought walked on water and held the moon – was trying to kill me, he’d already set my feet back on the chair and I could breathe again.”

Kicking off the covers, standing on shaky legs, her sister wobbled to the attached bathroom for more water. Jordan would have gotten up to help but knew her offer would be refused. Mazie needed to prove to herself that she was physically okay. She needed to take some deep breaths, to move, to
be
. Jordan knew the feeling. After waking from a nightmare devised by a sadistic headcase, it was almost impossible to believe you came through unscathed.

Mazie emerged from the bathroom. Other than the glass, which occasionally rattled against her teeth as she sipped, she seemed more in control. It broke Jordan’s heart to see her try to be brave. Mazie was so small, all but lost in the baggy T-shirt she wore. Jordan wanted to hug her, to erase the fear from her eyes and reassure her – and she would, but not yet. To coddle her would peel away the newly formed scab covering the wound.

“That’s pretty much it,” she said, waving her hand as if dismissing the subject. “It happened over and over. Gina would whisper, my dad would pull the rope, and I’d hang a little longer each time he did.” She wrapped her arms around her middle. Water sloshed from the glass onto the carpet but she didn’t notice. “Each time my toes found the chair, I would gasp for breath and plead with Gina to stop, but she just laughed and whispered again.”

Mazie’s eyes met Jordan’s, burning with shame. Her chest hitched. “I shouldn’t have begged.”

A sweet, delicious heat formed in Jordan’s chest. It spread like napalm, searing away every rational thought, dissolving the inner-voice that tried to remind her she didn’t want to go there, that self-control was the only way to keep the beast restrained.

“Jordan, are you okay?”

Mazie’s voice sounded far away but Jordan forced herself to concentrate. The girl had been through enough tonight. Gina was downstairs and wasn’t going anywhere. Her hands itched to get around the twatwaffle’s throat.

“I’m fine, sweetie.” Jordan pulled Mazie into a hug and put the brakes on her speeding heart. “How about you? Are you okay?”

She felt Mazie nod and then the girl yawned widely. She was exhausted.

“Let’s get you to bed.”

Jordan straightened the blankets but Mazie didn’t move, stuck while the need to sleep wrestled with the likelihood of another traumatic dream.

“I swear; Gina won’t bother you again.” As soon as the words cleared her mouth, Jordan felt her eyes smart, her vision eclipsed by salty tears.

Mazie must have noticed, too. Her teeth worried the skin on her bottom lip while her fingers danced through her curls. “What are you gonna do?”

Reigning in her anger and lust for Gina’s head on a platter, Jordan tried for a smile. It felt as phony as collagen injections. “I’m just going to talk to her.”

“Yeah, and I’m gonna marry Wolverine one day.”

Mazie may have wanted to argue the point more but fatigue won out. As she shuffled past, Jordan pulled one of her curls. “If you and Wolverine ever do hook up, watch out for those shanks of his. A surprise appearance could ruin the mood real fast.”

Mazie mumbled, “Don’t talk ‘bout sex. It can cause psychological damage to a kid my age.”

Jordan tucked her in and was surprised when Koda jumped on the bed. He spun three times and curled up next to Mazie.

“Traitor.”

Koda snorted, and her sister threw an arm across her new sleeping companion. “He likes me better.”

Jordan kissed her cheek. “Nah, he’s just waiting for your skinny behind to fall into one of the creases in the blanket so he can have the entire bed to himself.”

Smiling, Mazie turned on her side and drifted off.

“Stay,” Jordan whispered to the wolf. Koda’s eyes were closed but his ears twitched at the sound of her voice. Ever vigilant, he would protect the girl and keep watch over her dreams.

<><><>

Jordan barely made it out of the room before tremors took her. She squeezed her eyes shut as a deluge of images battered her like freezing rain, temporarily cooling the fire inside. Mazie, struggling on the bed, beads of sweat along her upper lip. The faint tremble of her chin as she spoke. The longing in her eyes for her parents. Defeat in her voice when she said she shouldn’t have begged.

Oh, God! No one should feel that small, that…damaged. 

Jordan wanted to cry, to scream to the heavens. She wanted to let go of all the emotion, just lie down, let it pour out, and be absorbed by the expensive carpet.

Instead, she headed for the stairs and Gina.

There was only one door open on the second floor. Jordan heard the rise and fall of music. Soft light spilled from within and climbed the opposite wall. Inside, Gina sprawled across her bed, a magazine in her hands. On a desk in the corner, her blue iPod rested in a docking station with two small speakers. Strains from
The Phantom of the Opera
flowed from them like liquid silk.

Her iPod played just fine.