Hell or High Water (Gemini Book 3) (17 page)

Shock radiated up my arm, and my eyes flipped wide open.

Graeson had knocked the gemstone from my hand.

“Ellis.” He shook my shoulder. “Snap out of it.”

I opened my mouth to respond as the house groaned overhead. Planks buckled and snapped, spearing the cellar floor with their ragged points. Rocks pelted the dirt floor as a stone calf thicker than my waist crashed through the debris. A slice of sky opened up above us, illuminating the furious rock man who was systematically tearing out the walls of the house over our heads. A roar that sounded like smashing boulders rang in our ears.

The monoliths were done playing tag with the wargs. They were hunting us.

“Cam?” a weak voice snagged my attention.

“Hold on.” Graeson gathered a woozy Aunt Dot to him and cut me a look.
“Move.”

The stone glinted in the far corner, close enough I could slide over and grab it. Magic that potent might come in handy, especially since my parents had finite resources and we had limited time. We might not be able to wait on the dryad to enchant more stones before we implemented the next phase of our plan. Not after this.

“Pick up your feet, woman.” Graeson stepped in front of me. “Or I will shift, and I will bite you.”

Curling my lip, I shoved to a standing position. He was right. I was acting foolish, desperate, and desperate people made mistakes that cost them their lives.

I sprinted toward the cellar opening and untangled the rope, thankful we wouldn’t need the door after all. Together we bundled up Aunt Dot. Again Graeson climbed up to help Mom pull her to level ground. As I waited for my turn, shifting from foot to foot, my gaze kept sliding back to where the gem rested covered in dirt.

The monolith waded through the rotten flooring like the ancient oak planks were pudding and stomped a clear path right toward me as its wrecking spree continued. Certain it hadn’t seen me yet, that it was just demolishing its way around the house, I tensed to make a run for it.

That gem dropped into Harlow’s pocket could knock her out long enough for me to get her to safety. It was a guarantee I couldn’t resist. Muscles tensed, I sprang forward as a frantic whine brought my head up. There was no voice, but a barrage of images slammed into me.

Theo rammed his fist into the gut of a monolith. Its stone navel wept magma, its furious bellow a battle cry as it swung a massive forearm toward Theo, knocking him off his feet and sending him flying.

I didn’t wait for the rope. I shifted my hands and dug my nails into cracks in the plaster, hauling myself higher until Graeson cursed and lifted me out the rest of the way. “Theo—”

He set his jaw. “I’m on it.”

“We have to get them to the car.” Assuming it hadn’t been crushed yet. I turned to Isaac. “Can you walk?”

Isaac wobbled to his feet with a sharp nod. Aunt Dot made it to her knees before collapsing. Calling on every drop of magic left in me, I assumed my warg aspect. “Geth her on mah back,” I lisped through fangs. Her weight settled against me, and I set off at a clip toward the rental. Mom kept pace with Isaac, and I watched them from the corner of my eye.

Thank the gods, the car was untouched except for the cracked rear windshield. A lumpy rock the size of my fist twitched near the trunk. I stepped over it and sidled up to the passenger door, where I raked deep furrows in the paint with my claws while attempting to open it. “Cheth for keths.”

“The fob is in the cup holder,” Mom confirmed, sliding behind the wheel and cranking the engine. “Sounds like everything is as it should be.”

With Isaac’s help, I managed to get Aunt Dot off my back. I sandwiched her between the car and my hips so she wouldn’t face plant and then twisted around to get her settled in the backseat. Magic poured off me, as slick as sweat, and my aspect faded.

“Hold her upright,” I ordered, shoving Isaac in beside his mother. “I’m going back for Graeson.” And Theo.

“No need.” Graeson arrived with Theo in his arms. He placed him gently on the backseat, ignoring Isaac’s frantic questions. Chaining my wrist with his hand, he yanked me aside as two muddy wargs, foaming at the mouth from exertion, leapt into the backseat, sprawling across laps as best they could. “Moore broke a leg and Haden has a crushed rib,” he explained before I could ask why they didn’t run for the safety of the trees instead. He slammed the door behind them, dragged me to the front passenger seat, sat and folded me onto his lap then forced the door shut. “We’re clear.”

A frustrated roar echoed by several granite throats told us the monoliths had spotted us.

Tires spun and dirt sprayed the air behind us as Mom stomped on the accelerator, twisting the wheel until the car whirled and we faced back the way we had come. I clutched the handle mounted to the ceiling and planted both feet against the windshield. Graeson wrapped his arms around my waist, buried his face in my neck, and we both held on for dear life.

H
ospitals were
out of the question for the injured, so we returned to our hotel. The wolves trotted off as soon as the car doors opened. I trusted they knew their way back to the RV park. Abram could take it from there. Mom did recon, making sure the path was clear before Graeson hauled a blood-soaked Theo inside and up the elevators before returning to help me with the others. Isaac limped alongside me, but Graeson carried Aunt Dot since her eyes kept crossing.

Back in my room, I ran a bath for Isaac and let him relax while Mom and Graeson situated Theo on my bed. She put in a call to a local doctor, a dwarf, who made house calls. While we waited, we fished Isaac out and put him to bed in Theo’s room wearing his brother’s clothes. Aunt Dot we cleaned up, changed into a hotel-issued robe and tucked in beside Isaac. Graeson, being the thoughtful man he was, had ordered room service while we were elbows-deep in suds, but no one was in the mood to eat while Theo’s fate remained uncertain.

I was visiting with Aunt Dot and Isaac when firm raps next door sent me jogging out of the room. “Dr. Wayne?” The stocky man whose head came up to my shoulder nodded, and I stuck out my arm. “I’m relieved you could come on such short notice.”

“Short notice is my specialty.” He grasped my hand, and clean, bright magic tickled my palm. Not a trace of darkness blighted him. He indicated the door behind me. “Is the patient in there?”

“No.” I used my room card to grant us access. “My cousin is this way.”

I led him to Theo’s bedside then went to stand with Graeson. Mom kept her spot on the mattress with his hand on her lap, standing in for Aunt Dot even though Theo had been combative and snarky to her from the start.

A quick examination left the dwarf sporting a quizzical brow. “How did you say this happened?”

“We didn’t,” Graeson rumbled.

The doctor pinned on a frown and twisted to face us. “I have a reputation to maintain, and I won’t be a party to anything unseemly.”

“I’m an agent with the Earthen Conclave.” I reached for my badge on instinct before remembering I no longer carried it. “I don’t have ID on me right now.” I mentally prepped a lie. “I’m working undercover on an ongoing case and can’t afford to have any ties to my organization on my person. You can call Magistrate Vause, and she will vouch for me.”

He panned his gaze toward Mom. “Is what she says true?”

“Yes.” Mom offered him a watery laugh. “You don’t see the resemblance?”

“Well, I’ll be a toadstool’s cushion.” The dwarf studied me again, and his lips parted. “You’re Camille.” He shook his head as if to clear it. “I was too caught up in what happened to this young man to process it.” He stood and approached me. “I’ve treated your sister off and on for several years. Your parents are good people.” He brought me in for a hug I didn’t expect, and I went stiff. Touch was a necessity I was growing used to among friends and with the pack, but stranger etiquette eluded me. I suppose he felt like he knew me after treating Lori for so long. “Thank you for your service,” he added. “Your job can’t be an easy one.”

“It’s no harder than yours.” I offered him a polite smile, which he returned. “So what can you tell us about my cousin?”

“He’s suffered five broken ribs, one of which punctured a lung, and there’s damage to his spine. One of his shoulders was crushed, and that will be a long time mending.”

I swallowed the sour taste in my throat. Theo had been at the cabin because of me. Sure he had wanted to help his mom and brother, but wasn’t their involvement my fault too? How would I tell Aunt Dot…? What would I tell her?

“Sit down before you pass out.” He shoved me into a chair and pushed my head between my legs. “I’m very good at what I do. Your cousin has been stabilized. The magic I’ve pushed into him has already begun mending the damage. He will survive. He will be in a great amount of pain, but he will live.”

The room stopped whirling long enough for me to sit upright again. “Thank you.” Magic zinged over my lips, sealing my vow. “My cousins are like brothers to me.”

A pleased expression wreathed his face as my debt registered. “I understand there are more patients who need to be seen?”

“I’ll walk you over.” I guided him back to Theo’s room. “This is Dot Cahill, my aunt, and Isaac Cahill, my cousin, Theo’s brother.”

I stood back and gave the doctor room to work. Now that Aunt Dot and Isaac were cleaned up and resting, I began searching them for signs of Charybdis’s tampering. As relieved as I was to have my family back, mostly in one piece, I had to keep myself honest. They were ticking time bombs that could explode in our faces at the drop of a hat. We had no way of knowing what Charybdis had done to them, but I had no doubt he had infected them in case I managed to recover them.

This morning’s rescue operation left only one victim in his grasp. Harlow. All this time, and I still hadn’t managed to free her. That was about to change. By removing his leverage, I had wrecked his plans a second time. Ruining his circle and putting down his kelpie had painted a target on my back, and foiling his plans meant I might as well have neon tubing for veins. The bull’s-eye between my shoulders was about to glow fluorescent.

“No permanent harm was done to them.” The doctor’s voice snapped me to attention. “They’re both dehydrated, and they should stay in bed for the next few days. I recommend a diet of soup or broth, and plenty of fluids.”

“Isaac?”
Dell bulldozed into my thoughts.

“Your timing is impeccable.”
I had expected her to pounce me much sooner. Graeson might be to thank for her perceived restraint.
“The doctor is leaving now. He says Isaac is fine. He just needs time to regain his strength.”

“I could come by and—”
She stopped herself.
“No. I can’t. I have to tend the pack while Graeson is away.”

“Do you want me to pass on a message?”
I could do that much.

“No.”
Zero hesitation.
“I— It’s probably best if I wait until I can see him in person.”

So whatever she had to say, she didn’t want me to overhear. I could respect that
. “Okay. I have to see the doctor out now. I’ll check back in with you later.”

“Be careful out there, Cam. Take care of Cord too.”

“Always,”
I promised.

The doctor skirted me, easing into the bathroom to wash his hands, and I joined him. One eyebrow rose, but he didn’t startle. “Is there something else?”

“I need another moment of your time.” Using the vaguest terms possible, I framed a scenario not too far off from the truth, giving him a rundown of our situation without expanding on the fine details. “The danger should pass in the next forty-eight hours.” That was my most fervent wish. “Until then, Aunt Dot and Isaac are a danger to themselves and to others. Can you help me?”

“This is highly unorthodox.” He rubbed a hand over his head. “I can bring them to my clinic and sedate them. As depleted as they are, it might be the best thing for them, but forty-eight hours is my limit.” He pushed out a sigh. “I suppose I’ll stay on-site. I can’t risk contaminating my family or other patients.”

“We’re happy to compensate you for lost time.” It might drain my savings, but keeping my family safe was the best use of those funds. “We have no reason to believe Theo has been contaminated, but I would rather you keep an eye on him as well. Graeson and I won’t be around to monitor him, not if we want to end this.”

“I assume your mother will return home?”

“I haven’t asked her, but yes. That’s what I expect she will want.”

Negotiations over, we shook on the deal.

The doorknob dug into my hip as I kept him corralled. “There is one more thing you might do for me.”

“Let’s hear it.” Acceptance smoothed his features. “I get the feeling you won’t let me go until I agree.”

The doctor wasn’t wrong.

* * *

G
raeson
and I stood on the curb, watching the private ambulances pull away with Theo, Isaac and Aunt Dot tucked onto their stretchers. A sense of calm descended over me, and I exhaled a deep sigh of relief.

“Are you going home?” Graeson studied the red taillights. “Do you need a ride?”

“I am, and no.” Mom angled herself toward us. “I have my truck. I can manage.” She clasped her hands. “Cammie…”

“It’s okay, Mom.” I crossed over and gathered her in my arms. “I forgive you and Dad. I know you did what was best for me.” How could I deny what I had experienced myself? “That’s not to say I don’t have some issues to work through, but I want us to have a relationship. Even if it’s just letters or phone calls, I want that.”

Tears wet my throat and soaked into the neck of my shirt as she sniffled. “I’d love that, honey. Your father would too.” She drew back and wiped her cheeks. “We’ll figure something out so you girls can visit too.”

For the first time since learning my sister was alive, I had hope. The pack bond was strong, maybe enough to allow me to visit Lori a couple times a year. It wasn’t much, but it was ten thousand times more than what we’d had only days ago.

“That would be great.” I stood there, not sure what else to say. “Text me when you get home.” She had my number now. “I want to make sure you got there safely.”

Keys in hand, she crossed the lot and headed toward her truck. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, waiting on her to get in and crank the engine. We watched her pull out and head in a different direction than the one I had anticipated. Mom was smart, a survivor. Like me. I bet she was covering her tracks by taking a winding route home.

“Something tells me I won’t much like the next phase of your plan.” Graeson draped his arm across my shoulders. “Lay it on me.”

A notification chime interrupted me. “That can’t be Mom already.” Unless she was reaching out for help. I whipped out my phone, and my shoulders sagged. Crisis averted. “It’s Thierry.”

His fingers toyed with my collarbone. “I thought you said she was out of the office.”

“I guess this means she’s back.” I thumbed the icon and opened the message. “She wants to meet.” I tilted my head back. “Here. Tonight.”

He took the opportunity to caress the length of my throat. “All this over a prophecy?”

“Maybe she knows something we don’t?” These days, the more I thought I knew, about anything, the more wrong I was. “We have a few hours until then.” I scanned the empty street. “It’s time to push.”

“Are you sure about this?” He followed my line of sight to the gas station. “The clerk, if he’s there, is a host.”

In my mind, I was starting to classify hosts as people Charybdis popped in and out of while avatars were vehicles he drove for long periods of time. What qualified a victim for one role over another? I had no clue. I couldn’t say he stuck to fae, because we were stronger or had magic, because Harlow had become his favorite new ride. Her humanity should have made her weak and unappealing to him, but of course where she was concerned, his fascination was only for me.

“I have to poke the hornet’s nest. Otherwise we give Charybdis too much power. He took a loss today. We need to nudge him into a rash action while his temper is up.”

We strolled down the street, Graeson’s arm hooking me against him, until we passed the general store. An old wrought-iron bench crowded the curb, and he angled that way.

“Be careful.” He pulled me in closer, kissed my temple with warm lips. “I told myself I wouldn’t ask, but are you sure you don’t want me to go in there with you?”

I shoved him down until he sat, and tapped his knee so he kept his seat. “He’s more likely to put in an appearance if I’m alone.”

He cuffed my wrist with his wide palm. “I’m going on the record to say I don’t like this.”

“Duly noted.” I bent down and pressed my lips right over his scowl. “We have an advantage. We can’t afford to lose it now.”

Releasing my hand, he assumed a casual pose. “Ten minutes, and then I’m going to have an irresistible urge for chewing gum.”

My shocked expression wasn’t feigned. “That’s five more than I expected.”

“I’m trying,” he grated. “For you.”

Before I caved to the wish I could sit beside him, cuddle against his warmth and forget the rest of the world, I had work to do. With or without the badge, I had a killer in my sights, and I wasn’t going to let him play games with my life or anyone else’s.

A tendril of disappointment unfurled in me. I wanted the conclave to be more proactive than it was, to be better than it is, to not turn a blind eye when it suited them, but fae were fickle creatures. No wonder most Gemini avoided the law altogether.

I kept my stride casual as I pushed inside the store. A clerk greeted me, and my mood plummeted. This wasn’t the right guy. The odds had been slim, but I had to try. If I had my badge, I could have flashed it and requested the schedule for the week. But I didn’t, which meant the only guaranteed method of locating the guy was staking out the gas station.

Scowl deepening, I snagged a couple of jerkies and two bottles of water then paid and left.

“Does this mean it didn’t go well?” Graeson kept his easy pose, waiting on me to join him. “What did you find out?”