Reckoning (13 page)

No one spoke for a long minute.

“
Since it is, do you plan to continue your hunts?” asked Ms. Beedinwigg, clearly nervous about my response.

When I didn’t respond, Eran prompted me. “Magdalene?”

I felt the side of my mouth turn down in a frown as I gazed towards the unlit fireplace. “Somewhere out there are Fallen Ones who are hurting the innocent. They have been allowed to walk freely inflicting harm and perpetrating acts of violence for their own amusement. We’ve allowed them to do so because of guardians like Eran. Now the guardians themselves are at risk. How can you ask me to stop something that should have been started so long ago?”

No one could deny my argument made sense but Eran did make one point that clearly influenced the outcome of our situation. “What we do not know is whether they’ll be discussing in favor or in opposition to Magdalene’s actions.”

“
That is why I’ll be there,” Ms. Beedinwigg stated. “To ensure they find in favor of your hunting.”

My eyes were suddenly on her. “You’ll be there at the assembly?” I asked, astounded.

“
I’ll be working behind the scenes, with my relations who can deliver the message to the assembly. Humans aren’t permitted in the event.”

Mr. Hamilton spoke up then, asking for reassurance on the one topic I hoped would be forgotten. It really was too bad he excelled in the art of damage control. “Will you refrain from your hunts until the assembly has made their decision?”

Again, I felt the frown rise up. Irritation riled me and I had to draw a breath to calm myself. He was asking me to decide between my obsession and the want of others. The challenge I had was that my obsession was, at its core, meant to help those others. It was painful to witness those acting in self-defeat. Still, my hunts seemed to be causing more trouble for those I’m helping than our actual enemies and that, in some small way, defeated my purpose.

“
A few days rest couldn’t hurt…” I said, noticing the sadness in me as I wavered in my mission.

Yet, it did the job. There was an obvious relief felt around the room.

“
Excellent,” said Mr. Hamilton. “Ms. Beedinwigg, I have a jet waiting for you at the airport.”

She stood and headed for the door as we followed.

“
Maggie, Eran, it may help to have your presence at the assembly when they call the decision to vote.”

“
Or it may hinder it,” said Eran. “I’d rather not take that chance. I think your message will be effective if you’re able to deliver it through those with authority.”

“
I have a few in mind…” she hinted coyly. With her hand on the door knob, she turned to me. “Alterums, as a group, can be equally as defensive as the Fallen Ones, if threatened. As much of a challenge it will be, please restrain from changing your mind while I’m gone.”

“
I won’t,” I reassured her. “Eran, I’m sure, will make certain of it.”

He smiled mischievously as she left, which must have been some measure of comfort to her.

As the door closed and Eran and I were alone again, I said, “I can’t sleep, too much adrenaline, and I don’t want to be alone.”

Eran’s eyes gleamed back at me. “You’re in luck. I have no pressing engagements.”

I smiled and headed back to my room. “The sun will be up, which means so will Ezra.”

“
If you’re suggesting we need to keep our voices down, don’t worry. They left an hour ago.”

Spinning around, I asked, “We’re alone in the house?”

“
Yes,” he replied not showing a single sign of apprehension at our new found freedom.

I, on the other hand, instantly felt self-conscious. Confidence, I reminded myself as I continued up the stairs. Instinctually, I began to sway my hips with each step and then told myself to stop. It didn’t make me feel confident. It made me feel like a floozy. Trying to project self-assurance felt more awkward now than when I wasn’t aware of it.

At the top of the stairs, I began to notice the silence surrounding us. There was no brewing sound coming from the coffeemaker in the kitchen; Rufus’s snoring wasn’t rumbling through the house; Felix’s light wasn’t on beneath his bedroom door. All common signs of our house being occupied were gone and the realization of it weighed heavily on me.

This was something I’d wanted, encouraged, and now it was here and I didn’t know what to do with it.

Just as we reached my bedroom door, Eran’s whispered voice came from behind me. “Relax, Magdalene. This evening…you’ll need to wait until this evening.” His hand came over my shoulder and pushed my door open for me.

I laughed at myself as I heard his chuckle from behind. He then took my hand, walked passed me, and led me to the bed. Laying down and pulling me beside him may have caused my heart to leap into my throat if he hadn’t confirmed his plans for intimacy were set for the end of the day rather than the beginning.

Instead, we rested next to each other as the sun rose and gradually brightened my room. I kept my eyes closed, nudged against his solid chest, enjoying every moment of it. Occasionally, his fingers drifted slightly over my skin, along my arm, down the curve of my neck, along my collarbone, connecting with me in a way other than I’d anticipated on my walk up the stairs, though one just as sensual. My body responded with shudders, uncontrollable messages telling him that he was successful in his temptations.

At some point, I felt his breath tickle my neck as he murmured, “We should get to The Square soon.”

I groaned and stretched, allowing my arms to fall across his body. “Is it that time already?”

“
It is…” he affirmed. My eyes were still closed but I could hear the laughter in his voice. Evidently, he enjoyed knowing that his teasing had an impact. He rolled out of bed and headed towards his room. “Downstairs in twenty minutes?”

“
Thirty…today.”

He chuckled and left my room. I then dressed, slower than usual, and met Eran downstairs. He handed me a cup of coffee as I entered the kitchen, which I guzzled until empty. We were at The Square a few minutes later.

Instead of lugging my chairs and sign on my Harley Davidson, I chose to simply take a seat on the edge of the wall in my usual spot. Without my sign informing tourists I was actually a vendor, it restricted the number of customers. Not that it mattered much. It was a quiet day with far fewer sightseers than usual. This allowed me and Eran extra time to exchange long looks, each one more alluring than the next so that by the time the sun set I was strongly anticipating whatever Eran had planned.

Over a quick lunch break, I slipped in a store at the edge of the French Quarter that boasted mannequins in lingerie, selecting a translucent black negligee with matching accoutrements. The fact that I exited the store with a bag small enough to carry a jewelry box caused Eran’s eyebrows to rise and a wicked smile from me.

On the ride back to the house, he leaned against me more than usual, which I returned with full appreciation. In fact, by the time we reached the shed and locked the bike up, my heart was beating harder and adrenaline coursed through my veins.

Our walk to the kitchen’s back door was unhurried and silent and I was certain he was predicting what tonight would bring as much as me.

The house was hushed as we entered; a peculiar sensation and one that reinforced the fact that we were completely alone. My hand was in his as he led me down the hallway and up the stairs to my door, where he paused.

“
How much time do you need?” he asked in a hushed tone. His breath had quickened, I noted. He was stifling his excitement as best he could.

“
Only a few minutes.” I would be as quick as possible.

“
All right,” he said with a nod.

I turned then and with one hand on my bag of seduction and the other on the door knob I entered my room.

The first thing I detected was that my French doors were open and that a line of Alterums stood just inside, their backs hunched, their wings extended. The next thing I noticed was the sound of Alterums racing down both ends of the hallway…directly towards Eran.

CHAPTER SEVEN: ASSEMBLY

The Alterums charged me as I stopped just inside my door. The ones in the hallway barraged Eran.

The fighting was brief. They far outnumbered us and while they were fully prepared we were unsuspecting. Eran and I accomplished a few good hits, taking down three of them total, but in the end they had one contrivance we didn’t.

A net made of thick cabled fabric landed over me just as I took down the third attacker. It cinched tight, taking my legs out from under me. Just as my body hit the floor, the cables cutting painfully through my side, I saw another one drape over Eran.

It was dark by the time our attackers had finished restraining us. No words were spoken during the course of the fighting or afterwards, when they heaved the ends of the net over their shoulders and carried us out into the night. Their cause for assault made no sense to me and I knew from experience that demanding a reason for it would go unanswered. These Alterums were on a mission and it didn’t include explaining it to us.

As they kidnapped us, Eran in one net and me in another, I tried to judge from the geography below where they were taking us. It wasn’t until we reached the Atlantic seaboard did I have an inclination.

Not long after, I found us over London, Big Ben shining brightly against the lightened sky. It was almost dawn so I figured they would need to touch down soon.

Beyond London, in the countryside, directly over the ruins of a disregarded stronghold, they began their descent. As we approached, a part of one turret fell in and away, creating a concealed entrance in the roof. I was dropped through it just as Eran was released in to another across from me.

Gravity drew me hard and fast toward the ground and I landed with a thud, striking the air from my lungs. Heaving, I pulled the net from me, drawing in deep breaths with little relief. The ache of my fall permeated my entire body, a deep powerful awareness that despite my capabilities as an Alterum I still suffered from some limitations here on earth.

After several tries, my lungs began functioning fully again and I stood up, my wings snapping out from behind me.

If anyone dared to be in my vicinity at that time, I’m uncertain whether I could have contained myself. As it was, I was alone, left inside the circular column with no visible doors or windows. I knew of only one exit but despite incredible force and multiple tries no amount of slamming against it would allow it to budge. In the end, I leaned against the cold stone wall, bent on regaining my strength to try again, while wondering if Eran were doing the very same thing.

It was dank and cool where they held me captive, something I appreciated after my exertion in trying to break free. It was also dark with barely enough light to see my feet with the sun that streamed in through various broken stones. Apparently, the turret had once held a staircase, which had long ago been taken down, leaving spaces in the stones. I wondered at what point in history it had turned from a place of defense in to a prison cell.

Flitting lightly, I used my appendages to lift and hover at the same level with one of the gaps. It was large enough for one eye to peer through to a courtyard below.

Not much had changed in the time since it had been a fortress. The ground was still dirt; the stone walls remained with pockmarks from earlier damages. The only sign that it was the twentieth century was where the drawbridge would have been. In its place was a massive steel door.

Evaluating my prison, I realized this was the perfect meeting place for Alterums. The open courtyard allowed for easy access to flight, the stone walls held some form of protection, and the very location of it, in the countryside, gave it some privacy.

The courtyard was empty for a few minutes and then a rutted wood door opened and a woman marched out. Although I wasn’t able to hear her, the waving of her hands told me she was barking orders at someone above her, apparently on overlooks I couldn’t see from my vantage point.

The woman was portly with a round face and eyes that narrowed even though the sun was behind her. She wore a business suit which appeared out of the norm given her surroundings.

She headed directly for me.

A door, one carved so well in the wall it was impossible to see before, suddenly opened as I landed on the ground.

“
Maggie, come with me,” she ordered.

Apparently, she was used to others following her commands because she spun around and walked two paces without waiting for my response. When she noticed I wasn’t behind her, she turned at the waist.

“
Gentlemen, collect her.”

Two robust men entered the door, their wings out and ready for conflict. I prepared my stance for the coming fight when one spoke under his breath.

“
Please, don’t struggle. You’ll be with Eran soon.”

When I met his eyes, I was surprised to see the pleading in them.

Still, my desire was to struggle, to fight my way out of their grip, and release Eran from the turret across the courtyard. Only the promise that Eran and I would be together again made me withhold my aggression.

As they took my arms and led me across the courtyard, the anger I felt boiled over.