Sea Panther (Crimson Storm) (21 page)

“I always thought her frightening.”

“Okay, now Kimberly knows everything,” Kurt said, eyes
focused in that inquisitive mad-scientist way. “Let’s get back to this time
travel theory of yours. What made Patrice believe you could travel through
time?”

“Before we get back to that, I better tell you that Patrice
believes Séaghdha converted me.”

“But how?” Kurt asked.

“She believed Zola’s curse went awry and opened a door to
another dimension or to the underworld. She believed Séaghdha slipped through,
used Zola’s pet panther to create the monster I have become.”

“Interesting.”

“You think?” Robert couldn’t hold back the sarcasm.

“Actually, the theory explains a lot. I often wondered how
both you and your sister had become vampire shifters through different means.
It never made sense to me. But after Séaghdha fed from you, he would have
easily been able to track your twin. Your DNA makeup is similar.”

Robert blew out a heavy puff of air. It was his fault his
beautiful sister had been transformed into a deadly monster. Pain slammed into
his chest, forcing a grunt from deep in his throat. He had blamed himself all
along, but this revelation added weight.

“Are you all right? Kimberly reached for his arm.

“Aye.” If piercing self-hatred was all right.

“Now, getting back to our earlier discussion, what made
Patrice believe you could travel through time to the exact time of the curse?”
Kurt asked, bringing Robert back to the topic at hand.

“She said she had the coordinates and I had the need.”

* * *

Raven soared high over the immense gray ocean, enjoying the
cool breeze ruffling her feathers. She targeted the single black dot below and
descended. While making several circles over the Scottish freighter, her keen
gaze scanned the decks. Her cargo remained secure. She croaked in exhilaration.

Gagged and bound, Patrice and Willy sat in awkward positions
lashed to pipes on the upper deck. Poor humans. Or in Willy’s case—poor
sort-of-human.

Raven released an ear-piercing croak, an avian cackle. The
bitch and the boy-toy must be uncomfortable. Damp and dirty.

Raven could hardly wait until the boat made port. Oh, she
planned to enjoy Patrice’s humiliation. When Raven finished punishing the
Voodoo doctor for toying with Robert, Séaghdha would appreciate the broken
woman as a gift.

Then he would owe Raven. Big time.

As for Willy, even now, in her bird form, she could almost
taste his blood.
Orgasmic
.

She would complete the conversion and have him forever.
Though she’d need to keep him well hidden from Wolfgang. The wolf must never
learn about her new plaything.

Raven inhaled a deep breath of the briny sea air. Well
pleased, she circled one more time, sent out a cry on the wind, and flew for
the coast.

The ping of guilt tightening her chest caused her bird form
to falter and drop a few feet. She refused to question her resolve. Raven
pushed the good-girl thoughts into dark recesses in her mind and caught an
upward thermal.

* * *

Kimberly dropped another book on the teetering pile in front
of the sofa. They’d made a mess of Kurt’s office. Papers, reports, dirty dishes
lay scattered on most surfaces. She stretched in an attempt to ease the kinks
in her neck and spine from sitting for too many hours.

She took a sip from the coffee cup and nearly spit it out.
Cold. She placed the mug on the end table and glanced at Robert. Her heart
fluttered and her sex clenched just from the sight of him. She bit her lip. She
needed to concentrate on the problem at hand. “Have you ever sailed through the
Bermuda Triangle?”

Robert raised his gaze from the notebook he examined. “I have.”

“Well? Tell me about it.”

His jaw tightened, and he placed the spiral bound book onto
the other cluttered end table. “’Tis different than anywhere else on earth.”

She hastened a glance at Kurt. He had his nose buried deep
into one of Dr. Knight’s journals and seemed to have forgotten she and Robert
were in the office with him.

 “How is it different, Robert? Are any of the rumors true?”

“Do you mean of a paranormal nature?” He raised an eyebrow.

She stifled a grin and nodded.

“Not sure.” He hesitated and his brow wrinkled as if he
recalled uncertain memories.

“You must have heard things over the years. Seen things?”
she persisted.

He cleared his throat. “I have heard tales of wormholes and
time portals, though I have never found any.” He lifted his feet onto the
glass-topped coffee table, and leaned back against the sofa’s tan leather. “And
I have experienced glitches with my gadgets and electronics while sailing
through those cursed waters.”

Kimberly reached for a book about the Bermuda Triangle
filled with sticky notes, laid it on her lap, and opened to the first yellow
tab.

“The Triangle is an unnerving place,” Robert continued, arms
crossed over his muscular chest.

“Unnerving? How?”

“’Tis hard to explain…unusual thick fogs, hazes, strange
lights hovering where there should be nary a one. Sometimes a soul can hear
voices whispering in the fog and hear whistling.”

Kimberly tapped the opened page of the book. “More than one
hundred forty planes have disappeared since 1964 and only God knows how many
ships have been lost.”

“Aye. Ghost ships have been found for centuries in the
Triangle. Some dating back to the Phoenicians.”

“Some of this reads crazy.” Kimberly held up the book. “A
clairvoyant and his followers believe Atlantis sank into the depths of the Bermuda
Triangle when the civilization abused its resources. The theory states their
advanced power sources may still be active in the area, causing modern
equipment to malfunction. Other accounts point to alien intervention.”

Robert chuckled. “Do you believe in aliens?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I never believed in vampires or shape
shifters before and where did
that
get me? I think we need to keep an
open mind.”

“
Touché
.”

“I’ve got it,” Kurt said.

“What?” Robert said in unison with Kimberly. He gave her a
wonderfully warm smile before shifting his gaze to the doctor.

“The coordinates for a time gate,” Kurt said, his face
animated with excitement. “A place where time warps and sends ships to other
time periods.”

“The past?” Robert asked.

“According to Patrice’s notes.”

“Ach, bloody hell. Then that is where I shall sail.”

“I’m coming with you.” Kimberly wasn’t about to let him go
without her.

“Nae. I go alone.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“I will not take your blood,” he said, expression firm.

“I didn’t think you would. But maybe my presence will be
enough to alter the series of events leading up to that horrible witch cursing
you.”

“Nae.”

“Please.” She wasn’t beyond begging. “Pretty please.”

“Kurt, say something.” Robert glared at the doctor.

He shrugged. “I think Kimberly should go with you.”

T
he
preparations didn’t take long once they decided to set sail for the Caribbean,
so on a glorious March morning, Kimberly stepped aboard
Night Thrill
and
inhaled the taste of the pre-dawn sea air. Sultry temperatures had returned to
south Florida and even at this early hour, perspiration pooled between her
breasts.

Robert followed her onboard. They’d risen early and traveled
to Miami to meet up with the sailboat. Jagger having sailed
Night Thrill
south from Georgia after Kimberly and Robert left the boat behind weeks ago to
travel to the compound by car.

Shortly, she and Robert would sail southeast, into the
Bermuda Triangle and, if Patrice’s research findings were correct, through a
wormhole into the past.

Her stomach tight, Kimberly let her gaze settle on Robert
and linger. He’d dressed all in black like the pirate swashbucklers from the
Errol Flynn era movies. The sight of him made her shiver with yearning.

A furrow crossed his brow and he frowned. “Are you having a
change of heart, lass?”

Kimberly sensed his concern. He still didn’t believe she
wanted to travel to the past with him. There was no way she’d let him go alone.

She grasped both of his upper arms and swayed forward onto
the balls of her feet. Their gazes met and held. Heat flashed within his eyes.
Kimberly took it as encouragement and leaned in and pressed her lips against
his, loving him with a gentle caress. Fire sizzled at the intimate contact. The
sensual burn seeped into her soul and claimed her. She gave Robert more,
everything, all the emotion within her.

A panther’s purr rumbled from his chest when she deepened
the kiss. As she finally pulled away, he chuckled. “Guess that was my answer?”

“It was.”

“Anytime you feel the need to answer me in such an exquisite
manner, please, go with those feelings.” A sexy smile slipped onto his face.

She punched his arm playfully. “You look handsome, but I
doubt eighteenth century shipmasters dressed completely in black.”

His grin widened. “How would you know?”

“I looked it up on the internet.”

“Damn technology.” His gaze appraised her. He swept a hand
in a circle. “Spin around for me.”

She twirled and waited for his reaction.

“Not bad. The lad’s garments we pulled from Raven’s chest of
period clothing look great on you, revealing fine assets. And with your hair
longer and pulled back in a queue, well…” He cupped a palm on a butt cheek and
squeezed. “You steal my verra breath.”

His touch started a chain reaction, and her sex clenched.
She gasped, feeling a blush creep up her neck. Several moments passed before
she could articulate the words, “Thank you.”

He raised his eyebrows knowingly and removed the hand. “Ach,
well.” He cleared his throat. “Shall we run the pre-sail check?”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” She saluted.

He looked away quickly then gave a swift sideways glance
before making busy, checking the safety equipment. Kimberly watched him for a
moment then smiled and went below to ensure their gear was properly stowed. She
checked the seacocks on the toilets and sinks, making sure they were in a
seagoing position. Then she returned to the deck to remove the canvas covers
and prepare the sails. Robert started the engine. Kimberly released the lines,
and they motored out of the marina.

“The weather forecast is ideal,” he said when she joined him
in the cockpit. We should have smooth sailing all the way to Bimini Island.”

“Is that where we’re headed?”

“Aye, lass, ’tis.” His expression sobered. “We will reach
the coordinates Patrice noted as we pass Andros Island on the approach to
Bimini.”

Her stomach did a little hip-hop, and Kimberly swallowed
awkwardly.
Holy shit
. They were going to try to sail into the past.

After a thirty-hour sail—a pleasant passage—they neared
their destination. The tropical azure sky displayed no more than a wisp of a
cloud. Kimberly tilted the wide-brimmed hat to better shade her eyes, glad for
the gauzy long-sleeve shirt covering her pale arms. Given the chance, the noon
sun would burn exposed skin.

A mirror image of the sky overhead, the Bahamian waters
glistened in the sunlight. She loved the changing palette of color from clear
blue to transparent turquoise, allowing glimpses of the coral below. A gentle
wind blew out of the northwest. Kimberly inhaled the pleasant scented sea air.

Night Thrill
made steady progress, flying only the
main sail. Robert handled the helm as they rounded Andros Island on a heading
for Bimini. She reveled in the indulgence of watching him. Robert had discarded
his shirt when the sun rose and the temperature soared. Her gaze slid over his
torso. Sleek tanned skin, glossy from a sheen of perspiration, pulled taut over
tight muscles that flexed with every move. Desire gathered low in her belly.

He looked over from the wheel and smiled. Her breath hitched
and she felt love for him in every cell of her body. She wished they could sail
like this always. To somewhere else though, not to their current destination.

Without warning, the breeze quit. Completely stilled.
Kimberly jumped into action, tending the sail while Robert engaged the engine.
He shot her a strange unnerving glance as he shrugged into a black linen shirt.

She swallowed apprehensively and moved to stand beside him.
“What is it?”

“The compass is going haywire. Spinning wildly.” His tone of
voice revealed growing excitement.

Kimberly chewed on the edge of her lip, taut with
anticipation. They’d been waiting for something to happen, though she hadn’t
really believed the stories. The contents of her stomach shimmied. Was she
ready to confront the unknown?

A cool mist advanced, quickly developing into dense fog,
which expanded into an enormous semicircle not five hundred yards off deck.

“The RPM’s are dropping,” Robert reported.

The boat slowed to a near idle. Kimberly’s stomach lurched.
She glanced at her watch. The second hand had stopped moving. She tapped on the
crystal. Nothing.

She reached for Robert’s hand. “It’ll be okay,” she said,
lacking true confidence.

Robert squeezed her fingers. “That’s my brave lass.”

The eerie fog swirled, encircling the sailboat yet kept a
distance of about three hundred yards. Kimberly glimpsed the clear sky in the
center—bright blue with no clouds. It was as if they were caught in the eye of
a mellow storm.

Without warning, a large mass burst through the edge of the
milky fog to hover about thirty feet above the surface of the water off their
port side, throwing a huge shadow. The air smelled different. Like after a
thunderstorm.

“What the hell is that?” Kimberly whispered.

“I dinnae ken.” Robert wrapped an arm around her shoulder,
pulling her tight to his side.

The elliptical shaped
thing
began to vibrate. She
held her breath. A soft whirring broke the unnatural quiet. Lights on the
bottom of the object flashed, alternating between red, green, blue, and white.

Off the sailboat’s bow, a hole opened in the fog, exposing a
tunnel of sorts with swirling mist walls. Before Kimberly could blink, the
floating object entered the opening and vanished. Just as quick, the tunnel
entrance closed.

“Wow. Was that real?” Kimberly asked.

“I am not certain, but I read an eyewitness report within
Patrice’s notes describing a similar sighting.”

“Do you think it was a UFO?”

“I hope not. If it was, then
this
isn’t a time
portal.” Robert gave her arm a squeeze.

“It could still be. If the portal could take us back in
time, why couldn’t it also bring someone, or in this case, an object from the
future to our time?”

Robert released her and rubbed the back of his neck. “This
is all a wee unnerving, though, you make an excellent point. But then again, it
could have been from another galaxy or a dimension of which we have nae
knowledge.”

Kimberly retrieved the cell phone from a hidden pocket in
the boy’s pants she wore. Robert’s eyes narrowed. He probably thought she
planned to call for help. Even if she wanted to, they weren’t close enough to
land.

“You shouldn’t have that. If we make it to the past... Ach,
well, I hate to think what would happen to you if someone found your cell
phone.”

“I didn’t plan to take it with me. Just wanted to see if it
still worked.” She depressed the On button. Nothing. “It’s dead.” She tossed
the useless phone into a small compartment under the wheel.

Time dragged. The fog slowly swirled closer. Kimberly kept
checking her watch, but it wasn’t working. She took it off. “I guess I
shouldn’t be wearing a watch either.”

“Get rid of anything from the present time.”

As she checked her pockets to ensure she hadn’t accidentally
picked up something that didn’t belong in the past, the amount of blue sky
overhead shrank to nothing more than a small circle over the cockpit. Then the
milky haze overtook even that tiny bright spot.

A fine mist moistened her face, and she tasted salt on her
lips. The fog rolled across the deck, thickening and becoming darker and
heavier as strands of vapor swirled around equipment and through openings.
Visibility declined to mere inches.

Kimberly felt as if chilly fingers reached for her from
within the ominous fog. She grabbed Robert’s hand. “Please don’t let go of me.
I’m frightened.”

“I will keep you safe.” He wrapped muscular arms around her
and pulled her back against his broad chest. “Remember to talk in the lad’s
voice you practiced and if we get separated, tell anyone who finds you that you
are my nephew, Ian, my cabin lad.”

“Okay.”

Abruptly, she heard whispering within the fog.

“Ahoy there. Is anyone aboard?” The disembodied voice made
her shiver.

Kimberly pressed tighter against Robert and the heat of his
body. “Did you hear that?”

“Aye,” he said, voice muffled against her damp hair.

Within the fog, someone whistled a jig-like tune. The haze
dissipated slightly. Three men dressed in old-fashion aviator gear stood off
the bow of the sailboat as if they walked on water. One saluted, and then they
all vanished into the vaporous mist.

“Oh. My. God.” Gooseflesh prickled the length of Kimberly’s
arms. She leaned into Robert’s strength. “You did see that, didn’t you? I read
about flight crews being lost in the forties.”

“I saw.” He gave a gentle squeeze. “I am certain we will see
more unusual sights before our adventure is complete. Are you still willing?”

Kimberly took a deep, settling breath. She wasn’t letting
him go alone. “Yeah.”

“Good lass.” He brought her down with him, and they settled
on a cockpit bench.

The temperature dropped. Her blouse became soaked from the
moist air and the cold seeped into her bones. Her teeth started to chatter.

“You’re freezing.” Robert opened the storage lazarette
beside them, drew out an oiled canvas jacket, and helped her into the sleeves.
When she was snug within the fabric, they resumed position with Robert hugging
her from behind.

“Have I told you recently how much I respect you?” Love
glowed in Robert’s tone. “How brave I think you are?”

 “Thanks for the reminder.”

He kissed the top of her head, brushing lips across her
hair. His arms wrapped her within comforting warmth. She sighed with
contentment and burrowed closer.

Secure within Robert’s arms, Kimberly dozed until he
stiffened. She flipped her eyes open. Not five feet off the starboard side of
Night
Thrill
floated an intricately carved, wooden sailing vessel. The entire
ship lay swathed in long strands of clinging seaweed, even the three rows of
unmanned oars.

“What is that?”

“A Corinthian trireme…I think.” The boat rammed the side of
Night
Thrill
, tossing them onto the deck. Robert clambered up only to lose
balance as the two boats bumped again. He finally got his feet under him and
stood. “Dinnae move.”

“Don’t leave me. I—”

The fog twirled, spinning fast, picking water up from the
sea, tossing
Night Thrill
on its side. Long tendrils of kelp wrapped
around Kimberly and tugged her away from Robert as seawater rushed across the
deck. She reached for his hand, but their fingers slid apart as they both
toppled overboard. A strong force dragged at her body, pulling her downward
through a spiraling tunnel comprised of the oppressive haze.

She choked on the scream of terror caught in her throat as
the world spun.