Blood Rush (The Lost Witch Trilogy #2) (26 page)

Zane reached forward and moved Francis’ neck to get a better look at the wound. Sarah knew her breathing was erratic and her hands were clenched at her sides. She couldn’t look away. The picture of death before her was too stark, too much. As Francis’ head was pushed to the side, Sarah saw immediately what had killed her grandmother. It looked as if the side of her neck had been torn off. Sarah couldn't help it. She screamed, swiftly clamping a hand to her mouth. Zane looked back at her with anguished, tormented eyes.

Sarah wrapped her arms around herself and looking behind her in terror. Zane gently moved Francis’s neck back in position and stepped back, staring silently down at the blood now on his hands. When he turned to look at her, his face was almost as pale as her grandmothers.

In her mind, she heard the words.
We need to go out the window now in case whoever did this is still in the house. We’ll run for it. We’ve got to leave now. Since your grandmother is dead, her lines aren’t there anymore. Charles could be here any second.

Sarah nodded her head frantically and hurried to the French doors leading out to her grandmother’s balcony. Zane unlocked the doors with his mind, flinging them open with his power. He grabbed her hand and they both leaped straight up and over the railing, their power combining as they floated quickly down to the ground.

Zane pulled her towards his jeep and they got in quickly, slamming the doors shut and locking them. Sarah groaned as she realized they didn’t have keys to the jeep.

Zane glanced at her and shook his head. “Don’t worry, I can command metal, remember.”

Zane stared at the ignition switch for a few seconds before she heard the engine jump to life. She sighed in relief and then glanced over her shoulder at the house again. It looked old, empty and sad. And within its walls lay her grandmother, murdered.

Sarah hugged herself and started shaking as the reality of what she’d just seen swept over her. “Who killed her?” she whispered, looking over at Zane. Zane’s face contorted with anger and his hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He sped down the gravel road looking back and forth and in the rearview mirror constantly.

“It had to be someone who loves witch’s blood,” he muttered angrily.

Sarah blinked in surprise. “Then it had to be Mason,” she said softly, shivering at the thought of him walking through the house.

Zane turned his head and stared at her. “Or Lash.”

Sarah’s mouth fell open in shock. “Zane! No way would Lash do something like that. He wouldn’t murder my grandmother. I know he wouldn’t.”

Zane’s eyes looked like hard iron as he turned onto the main road and headed to town. “Well, we know he has a thing for witch’s blood. We’ll find out who did this and make them pay, whoever it was. But in the meantime, we need to figure out where everyone else is. Where’s my mom? Maybe whoever killed your grandmother, took her?” he said, sounding truly upset.

Sarah reached out and touched his arm, sending comforting energy throughout his body. His face relaxed slightly, but nothing would take away the worry until their family was found.

“Before we go searching for everyone, we need to report a murder. If whoever did it is still around, the police need to find them and put them in jail,” she said, her voice harsh with anger.

Zane rubbed his hand over his face and looked at the small houses coming into view, signaling they were getting close to town. “If Charles is involved and I know he is, they won’t catch him.”

Sarah shivered and rubbed her arms swiftly, trying to warm herself. “There was so much evil in the house Zane. I don’t get it. When we woke up and walked through the house to go running, I didn’t sense it. I couldn’t feel it. But now, it’s like the whole house is covered with darkness.”

Zane turned his head as he looked at her somberly. “This is not good Sarah. The repercussions of your grandmother’s death alone will be huge. We’re not safe anymore. You’re not safe. We need to notify the police, find your dad and my mom and grandma and then we’ve gotta get out of here.”

Sarah nodded, looking at the people walking to school and to work and at the small stores and homes. “I was starting to like it here,” she whispered softly, reaching a finger out to touch the cold window.

Zane drove straight to the police station which was by the large city park in the middle of town. Zane turned a 180, in his seat, making sure it was safe for them to get out. “Okay, let’s go,” he said and they opened their doors at the same time and ran for the front doors of the police station.

Zane pushed the door open and grabbed her hand, dragging her in quickly as he scanned the people walking to school and work behind them. The door shut and they looked around. The first person they saw was her father. He was sitting at a desk with Gretchen and Agnes on either side

“Dad!” she screamed and ran for him.

Race whipped his head around, saw her and jumped up, running to meet her, and then picked her up in his arms and swung her around, holding her so tightly she couldn’t breathe.

“Sarah! What happened? How did you get free?” he demanded, setting her down.

Sarah blinked in surprise and noticed that Zane was being hugged by both his grandmother and mother who were weeping loudly. The police officer who had been sitting at the desk with them, now stood between the two groups, looking back and forth with a frown on his face.

Sarah ignored him and took her father’s hands in hers. “Dad, Zane and I are fine. But when we got back to the house, it was infested with evil. We searched the house looking for you guys and we found grandmother. She was in bed . . . ,” Sarah tried to go on, but her voice stopped working and tears started to stream down her cheeks as she realized that her grandmother, was really truly dead. She shook her head and covered her mouth with her hand.

Zane pulled away from his mom and grandma and joined Sarah, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Race, your grandmother is dead. We found her in her room and there was a lot of blood. I moved her head to see what happened and a lot of skin is gone from her neck. It looks as if someone took her blood. She was murdered,” he added quietly, under his breath so the police officer couldn’t hear.

The officer heard enough though to barge into the group. “Young man, did you just say someone is dead?” he demanded, taking out his radio automatically.

Race turned away, looking pale and shocked. Gretchen led him to a bench as Zane told the officer what had happened that morning. How they’d gone running and came back to an empty house and a dead woman. The officer called for a squad car to go the house and then turned back to Race and Gretchen.

“Let’s start from the beginning. While they’re checking out the house, let’s go over all the facts because I’m confused. You just told me that these two were kidnapped and that we needed to search the whole town for them. You said a murderer had them. And then these two kids you say were kidnapped show up just fine 15 minutes later and say there’s been a murder. I’m having a hard time believing any of this,” he said flatly, looking back and forth at each of them suspiciously.

Race glanced quickly at everyone before turning back to the Officer. “Sir, none of us here are lying to you. When we woke up this morning, Zane and Sarah were gone. We searched the house for them and couldn’t find them. We thought that the same man who had taken Charlie Prescott had taken them. We then got a phone call on my grandmother’s land line from a man who said that he had them and that they’d be dead by noon. That’s when we rushed here. My grandmother and her companion Beatrice stayed at the house because my grandmother was so upset. It all happened in a matter of twenty minutes or so.”

The officer stared unblinking at Race and then turned his head to Zane. “So where were you two then?”

Zane leaned forward, but kept a hold of Sarah’s hand on his knee. “We woke up this morning and felt like a run before school. So we left through the back doors. Whoever did this must have been watching the house. When they saw us leave and that the house was still dark they must have called and lied about taking us so they could get to Francis.”

The officer shook his head in disbelief but paused when he heard his cell phone. He lifted the phone to his ear. “Yeah? Really. Okay then, don’t touch anything until I get out there,” he said, disconnecting.

“You are all staying here until I get back. I’m not done questioning you,” he said, standing up.

Zane stood up too and walked over to the officer, touching his arm. He looked deeply into his eyes. “We’re all innocent. We can go now. Francis Livingston was murdered by the same man who kidnapped Charlie Prescott. There is no reason to be suspicious of us. You feel compassion for the loss of a beloved family member. You will do everything you can to find the real murderer,” he said in a low commanding and power laced voice.

Sarah’s mouth fell open as she felt wave after wave of energy pulse around Zane and the police man. Zane took his hand off the officer and stepped back. The policeman blinked a few times and then looked at his feet as if he were confused. When he looked up, his face had softened and his light brown eyes were kind.

“I’m so sorry folks. We’re going to do everything we can. There’s nothing you can do now. You can leave and I’ll let you know what we find out.”

Race stared at Zane in surprise and stood up, shaking the officer’s hand firmly. “Thank you officer. We’ll be in touch,” he said.

They all watched as Officer Danvers stopped by a desk two down and motioned for a couple other officers to join him. They left without looking back.

Sarah bit her lip and slipped into Zane’s arms, feeling fearful and unsafe. Race walked up to Zane and thumped him on the back.

“Well done, but don’t get used to mind control,” he said sternly.

Zane smiled briefly and shrugged. “One of Francis’s lessons. I only did it because we have to leave. We have to get Sarah out of here
now
. Francis is dead and so are her lines.”

Race shoved his hands through his hair looking stressed and upset. Gretchen walked to his side and put her arms around him. Race hugged her back and then looked up, staring at his daughter.

“There’s nowhere he can’t find us Zane. If the lines are down, then it’s too late. He’s here. There’s nowhere in the world where we’ll be safe,” he said starkly.

Sarah felt a cold shiver run down her spine as the police doors opened. “There’s Lash,” she said, bringing everyone’s attention to the doors of the police station.

Lash walked in pulling Charlie behind him. His face looked serious and drawn, while Charlie just looked irritated at being dragged around. When he caught sight of Sarah though, his face cleared and his shoulders relaxed. He dropped Charlie’s arm and hurried to her side.

“I knew you couldn’t be taken,” he said and ignored Zane’s cold glare and hugged her tightly.

Zane’s eyebrows shot down and he moved in to shove Lash back, but Agnes grabbed his arm, gaining his attention. “Don’t worry about him,” she whispered. “When we couldn’t find you, we sent him to school to see if you and Sarah had gone early. He had no part in this,” she said quietly, looking at Zane pointedly. Zane shrugged but still stared at Lash warningly.

Sarah pulled out of Lash’s embrace and looked over his shoulder at Charlie who looked stressed out and upset. Someone would have to tell her that her newly found grandmother was now dead. She felt her throat close up and tears burn her eyes as she felt the pain wash over her again. She looked to her father for direction but realized that he was just as shaken and lost as they all were.

She moved away from Lash and towards the safety and warmth of Zane’s arms but instead of feeling the warmth she was craving, she felt her heart start to race as a chill ripped down her spine.

Sarah stared at the front doors of the police station, feeling colder and colder. “Oh no,” she whispered as the doors of the police station opened with a bang and a tall blond man, dressed in a dark gray suit walked through the doors with a cheerful smile on his face. She gasped in horror.

Charles Langford.

She felt everyone come to stand close by her, with her father on one side and Zane on her other with his arm securely around her waist. Agnes and Gretchen flanked them as they stared at Charles leisurely scanning the police station. He seemed relaxed and in no hurry.

Race leaned down and spoke quietly to her. “Don’t engage him here. Whatever you do, control your power Sarah. There are innocent people here. These men and women have families. If this turns into a witch fight people will die. We don’t want any more death here today.”

Sarah felt her power rip down her arms and back and knew he was asking the impossible. If she was in danger, her power would take over and there would be nothing she could do about it.

“Dad, I don’t want to go with him,” she whispered as she watched Charles turn and look right at her. He smiled intimately at her and walked slowly towards their group as if he were prolonging the drama of the moment.

Race remained silent, not knowing what to say or do. Zane’s arm tightened on her waist and he spoke into her mind,
I won’t let him take you. Whatever happens, I won’t let him.

Sarah swallowed back panic and glanced up at Zane’s worried face. She nodded her head and spoke into his mind
, Zane, promise me you won’t fight him. Regardless of what Mason has told him about you, his only focus is me. Don’t let him know how powerful you are. Please!

Zane made an angry humming sound in his throat but she could feel him accept what she had asked of him. He was not happy about it.

Charles sauntered towards them, staring at each face in the group. He spent a few more seconds looking at Charlie curiously before landing back on Sarah. She stared at him without any expression as he came to stand in front of her. He studied her with a half-smile on his face before looking at her father.

“Good morning Race. It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other. I’ve met your beautiful daughter Sarah, but who are all your friends?” he asked conversationally appearing to anyone walking past as a friendly acquaintance.