The Soul Stealer (20 page)

“Well, yes and no,” Hunter said, still with his back to her. “It crystallizes some types of blood. What it does on most people, though, is cauterize the wound as it’s cutting into flesh, so there isn’t much blood coming out. With this type of weapon, you have to injure your victim with a cut to a fatal organ or area, because the victim will not bleed to death, which is why my people are in the habit of cutting off heads. This metal makes it easy to deliver such a severe slice to the neck, and the victim cannot recover from such an injury. And there is no bloody mess to clean up after.”

“How convenient. But it didn’t keep you from bleeding just now in the bathroom?”

Hunter turned off the faucet and dried the dagger on a kitchen towel, still not meeting her eyes. “Yes, well, I’m one of the few with a rare blood type that doesn’t react the way most human blood does.”

“Why?” Malia waited for Hunter to look her way, and finally he did. “What is it about you that you’re not telling me? Why do you have all these special things about you? Since our souls are now entwined, or whatever, don’t you think I should know?”

“I’m just different, that’s all,” Hunter said. “Please, let’s drop it.”

The look on his face begged her to trust him, and Malia knew if she accused him of lying again it would result in an argument. A rift between them was unthinkable. Her entire being now gravitated toward Hunter, as if she had no power over herself anymore. Anything that made Malia who she was—her mind, body, emotions, spirit—now belonged to him, whether she wanted it that way or not. It was a bit frightening. “Okay, we can leave it at that for now, with the condition that you tell me everything when we have gotten away from your family and are free to spend our lives together.”

“Agreed,” Hunter said with a nod. “And speaking of my family, Archer is going to help us escape. He’s going to guard you while I find a hiding place and get everything ready for a day or so.”

Malia opened her mouth to protest, but Hunter put his hands up to stop her. Then he stepped closer and put his arms around her, making Malia’s heart race and warm flushes run through her body. She closed her eyes, letting the tingling sensation take over her senses. “Let me go with you.”

“No, my love. Now that the microchip is gone I can move around without fear that Father will know what I’m doing. And you can stay here and carry the chip in your purse to make it seem as if I'm still here.”

“I thought you didn’t trust Archer? Why is he helping us?”

“I don’t trust Archer, and you shouldn’t either, really,” Hunter said quickly. “But I do trust that he will help us escape, mostly to spite Father. He also knows that if I run away, I disgrace myself with our family, which makes him look all the more desirable as Father’s heir.” He put his forehead to hers and softened his voice. “But I want you to be careful. Keep your mother’s dagger with you at all times, and be prepared to use it. Just don’t let anyone see it, and don’t let it out of your sight. And keep that necklace on, because Archer can get only so close as long as you’re wearing it.”

“I thought we couldn’t be apart. Let me go with you.” Malia tried not to sound too desperate, but she couldn’t keep the pleading out of her voice. The thought of being without Hunter sent waves of panic through her.

“No,” Hunter said in a soft, yet firm voice. “I’m not exactly sure where we’re going to hide yet, so I’ll need to travel fast. I stashed my computers in your tool shed in case your detective comes around, and I need to move those, too. Besides, I don’t think Archer is the only one watching us, and if we were both suddenly gone that would be suspicious. Unless you’re ready to leave here right now, as in tonight?”

“Leave tonight?” Malia looked around the kitchen. Her eyes stopped at the
koa
kitchen table for a moment and then rested on Max in the corner. “No, I need to make arrangements for things to be taken care of. I have to talk to Lani and Dad.”

Hunter nodded. “So, I will return in a day or so, which gives you enough time to prepare to leave.”

“When will we come back to Hawaii?”

Hunter shook his head.

Malia took a sharp breath. The pain of saying goodbye to her entire life struck her chest and a lump formed in her throat. She pulled away from Hunter and went over to Max. She bent down and looked into his big brown eyes and put her face to his, which got her a wet lick all over her cheek. She wished she could forget Hunter; she wanted to stay in her cocoon longer. She swallowed hard. “Well, then. I guess I have a day or so to take care of things. Because I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“I’m sorry,” he said from across the room. “I wish things could be different.”

“No you don’t. You took my choice away. Remember?” A surge of resentment washed through her.

“I do,” he answered without guilt.

“Speaking of our mated souls, how will we be able to be physically apart for a couple of days? I thought that wasn’t a good idea.”

Hunter put his arms around her and tenderly kissed her neck. “I really don’t know how it will feel to be apart, but I’ll return if it’s too painful.”

His lips touched hers with a soft caress at first but then became more demanding. Hunter crushed her body into his, and Malia could feel every lean muscle in his thighs and chest. She ran her hands over the smooth skin of his back and then pulled away, taking his hand to lead him into the bedroom. At times she wanted to hate him and walk away. But that was impossible. Malia couldn’t imagine a day or night without him; it would be unbearable.

“We should turn off the stove,” Hunter whispered. “I’m suddenly not very hungry.”

Malia awoke to an odd noise—a sort of buzzing from another room. She sat up and got her bearings before touching her feet to the floor and putting a loose, cotton dress over her head that fell to her ankles. Everything was dark in the bedroom, but the sound drew her into the kitchen, where there was light and activity of some sort. She wondered if Hunter was cooking even though it was barely morning. Malia stopped short when she realized who was making all the noise.

Archer stood with a hand-held food processor trying to grind coffee beans. He glanced over at her. “Does this thing work?” he asked in a raspy voice as he eyed her up and down.

“That’s not a coffee grinder. That’s a food processor.” She went to the cabinet and pulled out the coffee grinder and put it on the counter, all the while keeping her distance from him. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to make coffee, obviously.” Archer said. “Your technology doesn’t make much sense to me. Why not get pre-ground coffee so you don’t have to do all this work?”

His voice sounded somewhat like Hunter’s, but it had a rougher edge. Archer’s words didn’t roll off his tongue with silky smoothness the way Hunter’s did, and the inflections in Archer’s tone said he felt superior to her, as if he were speaking to a servant.

“I could get ground coffee, but it wouldn’t be as fresh,” she answered in a curt voice. “Where is Hunter?”

“He’s gone, and I’m you’re new knight in shining armor. At your service, m’lady,” Archer said with a mock bow.

Malia sat down with a thud, feeling like the air had been knocked out of her.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“I didn’t realize he was leaving so soon. He didn’t even say goodbye.”

“Well, that’s just like him, isn’t it?” Archer glanced her way as he ground the coffee and put it into the coffeemaker. “Only thinking of himself.”

Malia studied Archer for a moment. If he weren’t so full of himself, he would be quite attractive. There was a sharp contrast between his white-blond hair, blue eyes and tan skin. But his skin wasn’t flawless like Hunter’s. There were scars and freckles here and there, as any normal person had, and Archer’s face was slightly pocked, as if acne had been a problem when he was younger. In spite of all that, Malia was sure Archer didn’t have any trouble finding women who were interested. He had that bad boy appeal that many women found so compelling.

“So your boyo went off and left ya’ with a dubious person, huh?” He smiled with amusement. “You know, you could take that necklace off and we could really get acquainted. I’d show you what a genuine Blackthorne can do.”

“I don’t think so,” Malia answered sharply.

Archer laughed and sat down across from her at the table. “Oh, that’s right,” he said with a snap of his fingers. “He’s put a spell on you, hasn’t he? If I get closer, my head will explode.” Archer made the sound of a bomb going off and smiled.

Malia narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean, a genuine Blackthorne?”

Archer’s smile broadened but was more of a sneer. “Someone of pure blood. You see, Hunter’s blood is a bit mixed. Tainted really.”

“How so?”

Archer tilted his head back and laughed, but then stopped as he directed his piercing blue eyes at her again. “Oh no, girly. You’re not getting it out of me. I wouldn’t take Hunter’s deceit away so quickly. The longer it goes on the more it will hurt both of you when he finally confesses.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Probably not.” Archer never let his eyes leave her. “He’s a good liar, that big brother of mine. Actually, I should say half brother, which is why my blood is more pure than Hunter’s. His mother and our father weren’t married when he was born, so you know what that makes him.”

So that’s what Hunter had tried to tell her but couldn’t! Hunter’s mother must be some ethnicity that Archer considers inferior. And it seemed shameful for Hunter that his parents weren’t married, though Malia could care less. Perhaps in their world it held a stigma, but in Hawaii it wasn’t that uncommon for two people to have children before getting married.

Archer waited for her reaction, so Malia shot him a blank look. “Is that why you hate him? He’s illegitimate and yet your father recognizes Hunter as his heir, not you?” Malia knew she hit home by the flash of surprise in Archer’s eyes.

“I don’t hate Hunter. He practically raised me. He’s more my father than Rand Blackthorne. I grew up, that’s all,” Archer said with a shrug. “We don’t agree on much anymore, because now I have my own opinions.”

“Right, he raised you,” she said, wondering why Archer was skirting the issue. “Hunter’s what, two, three years older than you?”

Archer chuckled. “You’re a bit delusional, aren’t you? Or maybe just under his spell.”

Malia narrowed her eyes at him.

“If Father chooses his mongrel bastard as his heir apparent that’s his business. I could care less. Besides, it will be fun to see the look on everyone’s face, especially Father’s, when they realize the dutiful son doesn’t want anything to do with them. I’m so looking forward to it, I almost get off just thinking of it.” Archer grabbed his crotch, moaned a little, and rolled his eyes back in fake pleasure.

Malia stood and walked out of the kitchen without looking at Archer again. Max followed at her heels as she went into her bedroom and slammed the door. She locked it, even though Archer couldn’t come near her. Malia flounced down on the bed and put her face in the pillow Hunter had recently slept on, hoping he wouldn’t be gone long.

H
unter waited on top of the roof, hunched down so he could hear their conversation in the kitchen, but he hovered just above the surface, not letting his feet touch. With a roof made out of pressed sugarcane almost anything made noise to the inhabitants below, even the footsteps of tiny birds, and he wanted to listen without being noticed. He was unsure about leaving Malia with Archer, but there didn’t seem to be any other way, or anyone else to trust. He hoped Malia could handle a day with his brother. Hunter had listened to Archer’s thoughts enough to know his brother would help them escape for his own selfish reasons, so the plan just might work.

The clear night was without a breeze to ruffle the palms of the tall coconut trees. Hunter had a good vantage point on the rooftop to see anything coming at them from below, but it would be difficult to make out two or three dark-clad figures if they were near. The assassins had been following him for a day or two, but he couldn’t hone in on their thoughts or their exact whereabouts. He could feel their presence. But they weren’t stupid, and they were well trained, so they’d wait until Archer gave them a signal to make their move. He’d make sure Hunter was unprepared and unarmed. Hunter wasn’t naïve when it came to his little brother’s deceit.

Hunter was more worried about Malia than himself, but with her necklace, the assassins couldn’t get near enough to do her any harm. He had recast the spell on the necklace so no one from his world could get near Malia, and it might even repel people from her own world. But he wasn’t sure about that. And just to add another level of security, Hunter took out a pinch of dust and sprinkled it as he flew around in circles over the roof. The entire roof sparkled in the moonlight, and the dust would prevent any unwanted intruders from entering through the doors or windows. He’d already sprinkled the store with the same dust, hoping it wouldn’t prevent customers from entering the premises, too.

He had done all he could to ensure Malia would be safe while he was away. He wasn’t worried about the physical effects of being away from her, since the bonding hadn’t really worked. Plus, his trip wouldn’t take long. If all went accordingly, they would be together again before nightfall. Then he would deal with those sent by his father.

When morning finally came, Malia went to the bathroom to shower and glanced at Archer who sat on the couch watching television, constantly flipping through channels with the remote.

She got ready for work as if each task of her daily routine might be performed for the last time. When sadness threatened to take over, Malia pictured Hunter’s face and imagined being in his arms. A headache pounded in her temples and sinuses and seemed to be getting worse with each minute, and she felt a bit nauseous, too. That cold she was fighting was getting worse. Normally, she might indulge her symptoms and stay home to rest, letting Lani run the shop, but this was not a day for lying around the house, no matter how poorly she felt.

Her hands were frigid, so she shook them to get the blood circulating as she walked into the living room. “Are you coming with me to the shop?” she asked Archer, without much interest in his answer.

“Yes. That’d be the plan.” He didn’t look at her but kept watching the morning news. “Lot’s of global turmoil in your world.”

“And there isn’t in yours?”

“I guess there is. It’s of a different nature, though, and much more controlled by those in power.”

“Like your father.”

“Exactly,” Archer said with a chuckle. “What Rand didn’t have, he took by force from the masses. It’s the way of the Blackthornes.”

“Some of the Blackthornes, anyway,” Malia said with disdain.

“Oh, you think Hunter is above the family business?” Archer flashed his clear blue eyes in her direction. “He’s the worst of us all. He’s spent his entire life figuring out how to control the commoners governed by Father, keeping them in poverty and ignorance with anything he has in his arsenal, which, in case you haven’t figured it out, includes magic and science. A deadly combination. Hunter and my father have come up with some interesting and threatening tactics to keep our family in power over the years.” Archer’s voice became a mixture of hatred and admiration. “And what they’ve done to your family could go down in history as cold-hearted, but ingenious, genocide. So don’t think he has a conscience just because he’s fooled you into believing he does. Even you must have noticed how easily Hunter lies when it suits him.”

Malia looked at him without emotion. “Hunter warned me you’d try to turn me against him while he’s in Los Angeles. And now I know he’s right. So, are you coming or not?” she asked walking toward the kitchen door. She almost ran down the stairs to her car, not wanting Archer to see how much his words upset her. Her hands shook as she searched for the car keys in her purse, but when she pulled them out her mother’s dagger fell onto the sidewalk. She grabbed it and stuffed it back into her purse.

“I’ll sit in the backseat. I don’t want my head to fall off from sitting next to you,” Archer said as he opened the back door of the sedan.

Malia tried not to look in the rearview mirror to see what he was doing as she drove over the Pali Highway to work, but every once in awhile she couldn’t help it. Archer sat without much movement, looking at the lush trees of the tropical forest. It hadn’t rained in a few days so there were patches of brown here and there, but mostly the roadside was filled with the deep green of palms, tall grass, and trees.

As they drove into downtown Honolulu, traffic slowed with rush hour commuters. When they stopped at a particularly crowded intersection, Archer opened the car door. “I’ll get out here and walk the rest of the way. I don’t want anyone watching the shop to see us together,” he said before jumping out.

Who might be watching the shop, Malia wondered as she slowed for heavier traffic. Neither Hunter nor Archer had been specific about who was coming for them, or what they might try to do, although Malia didn’t have to work very hard to imagine their stalkers’ intentions. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she inched toward the shop at a snail’s pace. Her fingernails tapped on the steering wheel and then went to the crystal necklace, and then back to the steering wheel, as the light again turned red without her car progressing forward. She still felt nauseous and cold.

Finally, she pulled up to the shop and was surprised to find a parking spot right in front of the door. Lani had already opened for the day, but there didn’t seem to be any customers as Malia walked inside. Loud music blared from the stereo along with Andrew Le Fey’s screeching voice, so she turned it to a softer, Hawaiian sound.

“Hey girl,” her friend said as she came out of the bathroom. “You’re a little late.”

“Sorry, but I was up most of the night, so I slept in this morning.”

“Uh huh,” Lani said. “You don’t have to tell me why.”

Malia blushed under her friend’s scrutiny.

Lani walked into the front of the shop and started the daily dusting of the racks and rearranging out-of-place merchandise. “It’s been empty in here this morning. Not one customer has come through the door since I unlocked it an hour ago. It’s sort of weird. And look at the sky. It’s all gray and brown. Strange day.”

Malia checked all the flowers in the vases to make sure they weren’t wilted. But she kept her eyes on the front door, not wanting to be surprised if someone suspicious came into the shop.

“Are you okay?” Lani set down the dress she was holding and came over to Malia. “You look a little blue.”

“I am sort of down today. Hunter had to go off island.”

“No, you really are blue,” Lani said. She put her hand to Malia’s cheek. “You’re absolutely freezing! You must have caught that cold I had.”

Malia’s hand went to her own forehead. Lani was right. Her skin was like an ice cube. Was she having some sort of reaction to being away from Hunter? She got much warmer when he was near, so why wouldn’t she get cold when he was away? “I guess I am getting a cold, or something.”

“Or something. Maybe you should go home and rest. It’s going to be a slow day here anyway. I can take care of things.”

“Actually, I wanted to see if you can take care of things for awhile. Hunter and I are going on a trip together.”

Lani’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “A trip?”

Malia smiled, knowing exactly what she would tell Lani because she had rehearsed it in her head during the drive to work. “Yes, he’s asked me to go to England with him to meet his family. So we might be gone for awhile.”

“Wow.” Lani looked stunned. “That’s quite a step, considering you two haven’t known each other very long.”

“I know, and I think Hunter is planning to propose while we’re there.” Malia had to come up with a reason for an extended trip Lani would believe. By the time it became apparent Malia wasn’t coming back she would be too far gone for Lani to find her. The thought saddened Malia. She didn’t want to leave her best friend, or her shop.

Lani squealed with delight and put her hands to her mouth. “Are you kidding?”

Malia shook her head and took Lani’s hands. “I need you to look after the shop and Max and the house, if you don’t mind. You and Eric can stay there if you want. It would get you both out of your parents’ houses.”

“You’re going to marry him?” Lani’s smiled broadened. “You have to promise me you won’t get married in England, or anything. You have to get married here, so we can plan a big wedding. You cheated me out of being in your wedding when you and Alex ran off to Vegas, so you owe it to me to be your maid of honor. I want to help you plan everything this time.”

Malia wished she could tell Lani the truth so her friend would understand why that could never happen, but instead she just smiled and nodded, hoping she looked convincing.

“Are you crying because you’re ecstatically happy, or because you’ll miss me while you’re gone?” Lani asked as she hugged Malia.

“Both,” Malia said, squeezing her friend. “I’ll try not to be gone too long, but just keep things going, and I’ll ask Dad to check in on you. He can always hop on a plane and come over if you get too overloaded.”

“Oh please,” Lani said with a wave of her hand. “Like I can’t handle this? Besides, we’re talking about only a few weeks, right?”

Malia took a deep breath. “Right. I’d better go in the back and call Dad to let him know I’m leaving.” She walked to the back room with some dread, not wanting to pick up the phone. But she had to say goodbye to her father in some way, with some of the truth. No matter what she said, it wouldn’t be easy. And no matter how supportive he might act, he would be upset. Malia sighed as she picked up the phone.

The pounding in his head came again, and now he was nauseous enough that he landed in the middle of the jungle just to keep from missing the island altogether. Hunter’s navigation when flying was always good, and he rarely missed his mark, but this evening everything was haywire. He figured Malia must be feeling the same way. That was the only explanation. Their physical need to be together went way beyond the normal feelings between lovers. The chemistries of their bodies really were now linked. They couldn’t survive without the other. The thought made him smile. Everything was falling into place as he’d hoped.

Shades of green rushed at him as he landed on his knees, holding his temples in each hand. He was in the general area of Malia’s house in an open lot of land with tall grass, away from the main road. He forced himself to stand and start walking toward the road, which led him to a larger thoroughfare, where he looked around at the busy street corner. He was unsure of exactly where he was but needed to get to Malia’s house to meet her and Archer. He had to get back to his beautiful girl to make sure she was all right!

He pulled the compass out of his leather satchel and punched in Malia’s address on the small keyboard on the backside and then the arrow pointed the way. Although the instrument looked ancient, it had the latest technology. As he walked in the direction the arrow pointed, every now and then he had to stop and put his head down to let the nausea pass, while sweat poured from his brow. It was like having travel sickness from journeying through the abyss all over again, only worse. He could barely breathe, and his chest felt as if it would explode.

Hunter turned off the main highway and made his way through Malia’s neighborhood, but then he stopped short. There was a black sedan in the intersection ahead. The windows were dark and the car’s lights turned off, making it almost difficult to spot in the deepening twilight, but the man standing there clad in black leather and dark sunglasses with his hands on his hips was unmistakable in his intent. Hunter swallowed hard. He hadn’t seen this coming. This wasn’t supposed to happen; not like this. He didn’t have the strength or concentration to fly away, so he turned to run for it, but a more imposing man stood behind him, waiting. This one was larger than the first, with a bald head, thick moustache and huge biceps. Hunter backed up while trying to get his hand inside his satchel to grab his dagger or magical dust, whichever he found first, but both men came at him and easily got him to the ground in his weakened state.

The man with sunglasses took Hunter’s satchel away, and the other one made a fist and wound his arm back for the greatest force toward Hunter’s head. Everything went black.

Darkness tempted to take over the entire room, but Malia couldn’t make herself move out of the chair to turn on the light switch. It was all too surreal. This couldn’t be the last day at her shop, and she couldn’t have just told so many lies to her dad and best friend. She sat in the dark, leaning against the brick wall, cold and shivering, unable to move. She wasn’t sure how long she had been there, but Lani had left some time ago with tearful goodbyes and the promise they would have breakfast together in the morning before Malia left for the airport. That would never happen.

Malia glanced at the safe and stood up but then had to sit back down as dizziness engulfed her. She put her head between her knees and hoped the nausea would stop. It was getting late and Archer was waiting a block away. She stood up again and steadied herself with a hand on the wall. Slowly, she made it across the room to the safe and bent down to open it. Eric had made a deposit two days before, so there wasn’t much cash inside, but she took the small stack and put it in her purse.