Shattered Souls (13 page)

Chapter
15

We had finished unpacking the last of the boxes and were sitting in the family room when I began to hear it— the soft crunching of gravel outside our window. A spike of fear ran down my bones as I thought about who might be trespassing. Barely anyone knew we were living here. We had just moved in.

“Do you hear that?” I whispered, as the
crunching continued.

We were both sitting on the couch, preparing to snuggle in and make it a movie night.

“I do,” he sighed. “Is there not one time where we can just chill?”

The steps were
coming closer to the house, and it sounded like only one person, which— under the circumstances— was a welcome relief.

“I’d like to think that it’s just a friendly visitor, but
we need to be cautious,” I said, sliding off the couch.

“What are you doing
?” Logan asked, pulling his brows together in confusion.

“We can’t let our shadows be seen. We have to crawl
to the window to look outside. If we walk over to the window the person will see us. The light will silhouette us.” I pointed to the window before I got on all fours to begin my journey to where I could look out.

“Seriously?”
Logan began laughing quietly, which was infuriating considering the situation we were in. I stopped crawling and shot him a glare, but even as he laughed he was complying. He crouched right behind me, winking at me as we made our movements shadowless.

“Sorry,” he said solemnly, but his eyes spoke another story.

“Laugh all you want, bu
t you know I’m right. I saw it on the Military Channel,” I whispered.

B
ecoming one with the wall, I snaked up alongside the window and peered from beneath the curtain.

“See anything?” Logan
whispered.

“Nothing
, and I don’t hear anything either.”

The moment the words left my mouth, glass
shattered in the kitchen, followed by a loud thump. Logan took off running toward the ruckus, and I began placing a protective spell around him and the house.

Another window shattered. This time it
was in the dining room. We were under attack.

“A gas is being released
from some sort of canister,” Logan shouted.

I heard Logan chanting and felt the air change.
Every breath felt burdened but clean. He picked up the canister, which had a note stuck to it, and tossed it to me.

“You’ll be fine. I’m not letting this guy get away,” he yelled
, as he darted out the door.

‘You’ve been talking about me. Why
not come talk to me? If you don’t, our next encounter will not be so innocuous.’

~E. Wenthers

“I guess this was the invitation I was waiting for,” I whispered to myself.

I threw the
canister with the note down and raced after Logan. I didn’t see him in the front yard but heard a scuffle around the side of the house. I ran to the noise and saw Logan on top of some guy I didn’t recognize.

“
Who are you?” Logan shouted. “Why are you here? What’s your name?” His clenched fist was hovering right above the culprit. The light teal glow around the intruder’s hands and feet meant he was already subdued. He wouldn’t be going anywhere.

“
Who are you?” Logan yelled again.

“Tom,” the guy choked out.

“How’d you know where we lived?” I asked, slowly walking over to him.

“I’ve been following you. Mr. Wenthers had me tail you—”

“Logan, we need to turn him over to our guys,” I interrupted, connecting my eyes with Logan’s.

“Sounds like a plan
. They’ll know what to do with him,” Logan said, a smile spreading across his lips.

“What are you going to do to me?” Tom’s eyes were
nervous and shifty, darting from me to Logan.

“It’s not
really up to us,” I said, kneeling down to him. “Why would you take a job like this? Are there a lot of you?”

“I don’t
know. There’s a small group of us.”

Logan twisted his fist around Tom’s shirt collar
, squeezing the answer out of him. “There’s twelve of us.”

“I’m not guaranteeing your future, but if you’re lucky enough to have one, I’d suggest thinking hard about the path you want to go down.
The one you’re on won’t end well for you.” I closed my eyes, watching our intruder’s fate unfold in my mind. Going back to his leader would undoubtedly prove to be deadly for him.

“What are you saying?” his voice trembled.

“I’m saying if our people don’t kill you, yours certainly will. Mr. Wenthers doesn’t look to be too forgiving for witches who can’t complete a mission.”

I texted Trevor the details and he instantly texted back. There was never a moment where he wasn’t reachable. I wonder
ed how Angela felt about that. Maybe it was too early in the relationship for her to care, but I doubted it.

“He’s on his way,” I told Logan.

Logan nodded and stared back down at Tom who was cowering beneath him.

“Now
tell me about this Mr. Wenthers,” I directed, raising a brow.

“He’s
a very powerful sorcerer,” Tom said. Logan twisted his shirt collar a little tighter. “He’s close to changing the world we all live in.”

“How so?” Logan growled.

“I don’t know the details.” Tom winced as if the lack of knowledge would get him punched.

“Do you hear that?” I asked.

“Sounds like he’s right on time,” Logan said as we heard a car slowing down out front. The car engine wasn’t turned off but a door slammed.

“Around the side,” I called out.

Trevor walked around the corner of the house, his eyes landing on me and then our guy.

“Tom?” Trevor asked, his eyes narrowed.

“You know him?” I asked.

“Yeah. He
’s a member of the Praedivinus Order,” Trevor said, glancing at Logan.

“Apparently not any longer,”
I replied, shaking my head.

Logan lifted Tom to his feet and Trevor grabbed him
and put restraints on his wrists, pushing him toward the car.

“What do you mean?” Trevor asked.

“He said he was sent by the Demonikers,” Logan replied.

“Huh,” Trevor said, pulling him along the side of the house.

“Trevor, don’t tell me you’ve become one of them…” Tom sneered.

We followed Trevor and Tom toward the car, and I
’m not sure why, but I was shocked to see Angela sitting in the passenger seat.

“It’s
the best decision I’ve ever made,” Trevor replied to Tom. “And if I were you, I’d start thinking seriously about what you plan on doing.”

Angela gave a quick wave and rolled down the window, only giving Tom a sideways glance.

“Hey, Triss.” I caught an edge of excitement in her voice. “Things certainly are a lot more interesting in your world.”

“That’s one way of looking at it.” I smiled and watched Trevor shove Tom in the backseat.
He placed restraints on his ankles and closed the door. I felt a wave of relief wash through me, and I realized it had nothing to do with the capture of Tom. It was because Trevor had found someone — someone other than me.

“Trev, we’re taking this as an open invitation. We’re gonna head to Ethan’s home tomorrow,” I said.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he asked Logan. “Will you be able to control—”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine,” Logan said, cutting him off. “I can’t let my
personal stuff get in the way.”

I looked up at Logan, admiring his strength. I only hoped it would be true.

“All right, man. If you need anything, you know to call,” Trevor said, climbing into the car.

Logan
looped his arm through mine as we watched them drive off.

“What do you think he’ll do with him?” I asked.

“My guess is scare him a little, enough to impress Angela,” Logan said, laughing.

“You have to admit you’re relieved,” I teased.

“About what?” Logan said, still smiling.

I rolled my eyes and switched subjects. “Do you th
ink Tom really is with the Demonikers?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Logan said. “And I wish it wasn’t the only way.”

“Let’s clean up the mess. I think there’s a few boards in the garage we can nail over the windows.”

“And get some sleep
. I know you’re ready to go, but you can’t constantly run on empty,” Logan replied as we wandered back inside our home.

Chapter
16

The wind was blowing and darkness made it impossible to see any buildings.

“This doesn’t look inviting,” I said,
staring at the elaborate chain-link configuration that was laid out in front of us as we walked closer to the property.

The crashing of the waves behind us made it difficult for me to completel
y catch my bearings. I felt off-kilter, and there were other — more ominous — sounds in the darkness. The hum of the electrical fence, and the yips and snarls off in the distance made concentrating on the task at hand, getting inside the property, dicey.

“Do you hear that?” Logan asked, his jaw tightening.

“Which delightful sound are you referring to?”

“The welcoming
committee,” he answered. His fists curled into a tight ball, and I saw the hesitation rise with every step he took.

It was impossible not to hear the dogs. The barking was our chorus for the night, which only added to my increasing level of fear. But I refused to reveal how frightened I was even though there was no doubt that the
nectunt
had already blown my cover to Logan.

“T
he chain-link fence looks oddly like a maze,” I said, slowing my pace to match Logan’s.

“Or a trap.” He grabbed my hand and stopped me from continuing. “I don’t feel comfortable with this.”

“I don’t think we have much choice. Under the circumstances, I can’t ignore the Demonikers’ invitation. I practically begged for it, and I don’t want any more drive-bys.” I looked over Logan’s shoulder and saw a flicker of light in the distance. “They know we’re coming. They probably already know we’re here. There’s no turning back.”

“There’s always a way out,” Logan mumbled, letting go of my hand.

I looked into Logan’s blue eyes, which were shrouded in darkness.

“I nee
d to plant the listening device and then we’ll get out of here,” I promised.

A huge spotlight turned on from the corner of the property and pointed directly at us, temporarily blinding me. Another
searchlight at the far end clicked on and landed on us within seconds. The beams of light danced across the metal fencing and rocky terrain inviting us to press on. We’d have to finish our conversation later.

“It’s now or never,” I whispered.

“I’ve got your back, but you’ve got to promise me you won’t...”

“I can’t promise you anything, babe. It’s about more than my safety.” His face fell as I uttered those last few words, and I turned around quickly so that I wouldn’t talk myself out of this.

Not seeing an entrance into the network of fencing, I pointed along the side, and Logan followed me as I made my way along the fence. I knew it was killing Logan not to be in front of me, but we needed to appear as non-threatening as possible. One of the spotlights began guiding us around the fence, finally landing on a gate. I took a deep breath in and lifted the latch as I pushed the gate open.

We
wove through the metal fencing, walking closer and closer to the barks and snarls, but there was no turning back. The property was perched along a sea cliff and left very few options for escape. I only hoped that the visit would go well, and we wouldn’t feel the need to run away. I looked down and noticed metal tracking. I pointed to my observation, and Logan let out a sigh. The fencing was able to move on these tracks. It was a maze. A maze they didn’t want people completing. Pushing my worry aside, I was relieved when I saw an opening.

“Made it,” I whispered as we walked through the gate.

“I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever find the end or the beginning or whatever it was,” Logan said.

I looked behind us and noticed several openings to the fenced area. “So the configuration can move.”

“Yeah. Not exactly what I wanted to find out since I spent most of the time memorizing our way back out of that mess.”

A brick dog kennel was about fifty feet from us, but I couldn’t tell how many dogs were inside.
From the number of growls it sounded like far too many for my comfort level.

“Do you
think we should check that out?”

I saw a few dark shadows moving inside the kennel, but they were far too big to be dogs.

“Are you crazy?” Logan asked, shaking his head.

“We might want to know what
we’re up against,” I said, pulling on his hand.

The spotlights continued to light our way. We were being carefully
watched and because of that, it seemed only logical to take full advantage of the possibilities. I wanted to know what all was on this property, and if they knew I knew maybe that would take some of the gusto out of their plans.

“I’ve never heard noises like this before.” Logan muttered, as we approached the kennels.

Growls and yips grew louder as we continued toward them. Once we reached the structure, my heart fell. These weren’t dogs. They were snarling beasts. There were ten stalls, separated by fencing.

“What are these?” I asked in awe.

“Our worst nightmare,” he whispered. His words lingered in the air as he exhaled, and another chill ran through me as I looked through the fencing.

The beast closest to us wrinkled his snout,
exposing glistening fangs. The fence provided a false sense of security, and I took one step toward the beast, watching its jowls quiver in anger. If it stood on its hind legs, it would be much taller than me. As it was, the head came to my chest. I looked down the row of kennels and every animal matched this one in size and demeanor.

I glanced quickly at the
giant dog in front of me one last time before Logan pulled me away.

“It’s
got to be some sort of dog-hybrid,” he said and then pointed to ground. “The fencing is on the same tracks as the last place we came from. Probably only takes a click of a button and the dogs would be released.”

I shuddered as I gave one last look behind me to see the dog’s thick drool cascading down its jaw, eagerly awaiting a chase.

“These dogs were bred for this. Whatever
this
is. I’ve never seen anything like them,” I whispered.

“Now onto acting like none of that bothered us,” he said, pulling me away.

We continued to walk across the large lawn toward the stately home. The home was beautiful. No doubt about it. The cobblestone stairs led to a large stone patio and entryway. In the far corner of the patio, there was a large, bronze statue of a man and woman embracing. Kind of ironic, considering the death machines we were just staring at.

I scanned from window to window, looking for some sort of movement in the brightly lit house. There wasn’t any. We climbed up the stairs, and I realized I hadn’t taken a breath for several steps and gulped the air, popping my ear
s in the meantime.

“Ready?” Logan asked, looking over at me.

I nodded and glanced at the doorbell. Logan pulled on the devil’s horns, releasing a chime into the air.

“Apparently, they take their name pretty literally,” I whispered, trying to replace the fear that was mounting with humor.

The door swung open, revealing a grand foyer and a small elderly woman who held the door open for us. Everything was large and larger in this space. The flooring was caramel in color, but the size of each tile was five times bigger than a normal tile square. A glass topped, wrought iron table was in the middle of the foyer topped with a large, porcelain vase filled with flowers. A sitting area, with two overstuffed chenille chairs, ran alongside the far wall. Everything was so expansive that it had a very cold feeling.

“Mr. Wenthers is expecting you,” she said, gesturing us inside. “May I take your coats?”

“I’ll keep mine,” I said, turning to Logan.

“I’m fine too,” he replied.

Once I stepped inside the entry, the scale of everything became even more apparent.

“Please follow me this way,” she said, pursing her lips together. Her grey hair was tied back into a bun, only adding to her overly stern demeanor. She stiffly walked through the room
, and we followed closely behind.

Logan locked his hand in mine as we took in the space. The foyer had thre
e hallways leading away, and I wasn’t sure which one we’d be led down. Two of the three were dark, so I was very relieved when she led us through the lit corridor.

“Mr. Wenthers asked that you remain in his study,” she said, stopping in front of a door that was ajar. “He shouldn’t be long. He had a few pieces of business to take care of.”

She opened the door and flipped on the light. The space was striking but eerie. The walls were a pale grey, but the accent color was blood red. There were paintings on the wall that evoked things of nightmares, but I wasn’t going to let his gory choice of décor influence me or the reasons I chose to visit him.

“
Please take a seat,” she said, closing the door.

Logan walked over to the wall with
the artwork, examining the demons and ghouls that were detailed within the flames. After studying it for several minutes, he walked over to me, his eyes blazing.

“Are you going to be able to handle it?” I asked. “We can’t…”

The sharp click of the door signaled his arrival, and I looked at the man entering the room. Surprised at what I saw, I attempted to hide my reaction. The man had to be at least my father’s age, but he didn’t look a day over thirty and that was pushing it. He was dressed in a shiny grey suit, tailored to perfection. His black hair was cut short and styled impeccably. He carried himself with an assuredness that few could pull off, making me uneasy. What was he so sure of?

Logan stiffened as he watched Ethan walk into the room and circle around his desk.
Ethan’s grey eyes took me in like a vulture’s. It was hard to imagine either of our fathers could have anything in common with someone like Ethan.

“You look just like your father,” Ethan replied. He looked at me with obvious disdain. “Have a seat.” He pointed to the two leather club chairs in front of the desk.

Logan and I sat down but said nothing.

“With the unfolding of recent events, I’m glad you chose to visit. There
seems to be quite a fight brewing in the Praedivinus Order to fill your father’s shoes.”

“It’s not my concern,” I said.

Ethan cocked his head with a bewildered expression and sat back in his chair.

“Not your concern?” he repeated.

“Why did you set a bounty on me?”

“I
didn’t. Never have had one on you.” His brow arched as he took me in.

“Then what do you want with me?”

“Well, both of our organizations are pursuing the same thing. Your father and grandfather refused to cooperate with me and—”

“What organization are you referring to?” I interrupted.

“The Praedivinus Order. What other Order would there be?” He laughed. “Why else would you have come here if for no other reason than to negotiate your portion? I’m willing to offer you a large sum of money.”

“Is that why you sent Tom to my home?” I asked, my voice charged.

“Who’s Tom? I didn’t send anyone to your home. I assumed you came here on your own. I assumed it would be to sell your stake in the Praedivinus Order. Did I assume wrong?” Ethan squared his shoulders, looking at Logan and then back at me.

“Unfortunately, you’re mistaken. I’m in no way a
ssociated with the Praedivinus Order. In fact, I intend to destroy it.”

Ethan folded his hands on the desk, his lips twisting into a sardonic grin. “Is that so?”

I nodded.

“Your life’s in danger and I can guarantee you it’s not me who’s pursuing you. After all, I already have you. Right now. Besides, having an inexperienced
leader heading the Praedivinus Order is invaluable from my point of view.”

I narrowed my eyes on Ethan, watching him choose his words wisely.

“You do understand what is written in the bylaws.”

Bylaws of what? I didn’t respond.

“Please tell me you know you are the leader of the Praedivinus Order. That’s how it works. You’re the first born…Upon death of…” his voice trailed off as he slid his chair to the bookcase and reached for a very large, leather bound book and flipped it open. “Yes, let’s see…Upon death, the leadership roles are inherited. You inherited that honor.”

“I wouldn’t call it an honor,” I
replied, feeling the sting come to my palms.

“Where is yours?” Ethan
asked, tapping the book. “Each Order has their own covenant.”

I glanced at Logan and then back at Ethan.

“Well, it sounds like you have no plans to maintain your post at the Order, so my bid to acquire the Praedivinus Order must be coming at a most welcome time,” Ethan said, smiling.