RoadBlock Page 9

  “Dagger.”

  “Dagger, how quaint! Well, Dagger, you recall the two men that you and your circle killed yesterday? They had names as well. I won’t tell you them, because as their murderer you have no right to know, but I will tell you this little tidbit: I was on the phone with them when they died. When their car flipped over, when you and your friends ran them off the road, I was listening.”

  Dagger’s blood ran cold at that. Had they told him about hitting the spell wall? Would Alston figure out a way around Calvin’s protections? He tried to keep his face blank.

  “And they told me where they were going, what road they were on. So I think that we should send someone else down that road, and see what we find. What will we find, Dagger? A house, maybe? A little secret hideout?” He studied Dagger’s reactions and smirked.

  “Richard, Michael, go to the location we discussed. Call me when you find them.” The two men nodded in unison and started for the door. “Wait. Take the bikes. Go in quickly and report back before you do anything.”

  They nodded again and left. A few moments later, Dagger heard the muffled roar of motorcycle engines outside the window. He felt sick. Would Calvin’s spell work a second time? In theory it should, but he had no experience with this type of thing. If it did, those men were riding full speed into an invisible brick wall. And if it didn’t, Calderon, Betony and Wade were about to get two angry visitors.

  “I’ll let you know how it turns out, Dagger.” Alston left with a dismissive wave, and Cindy followed him out. Not-Cindy sat down, scowled at Dagger, and then dug her Marie-Claire out of the drawer and continued reading. Dagger closed his eyes and sought the connection to his circle.

  Dagger? You okay? It was Calderon, worried and still angry. Yes, I’m okay. His name is Alston. He works here. They all do. Two are coming to you, on motorcycles. He sent a mental image of the two men, trying to remember their faces clearly. Wade’s cool, calm thoughts broke through next. We’ll be ready, Calvin’s spell will hold. Dag, we know how to kill him. We have to be together, though. We’re coming tonight. Can you get free? Dagger panicked, worrying about the potential confrontation. He wants you to come, was expecting you. Be careful. I’ll try to get free. Betony felt the worry in Dagger’s mind and tried to calm it, Dagger, we know. We have a good plan. Just focus on getting untied. Sweat trickled down Dagger’s back and he worked hard to calm his breathing so that not-Cindy wouldn’t take any notice of him. Okay. Be careful. I Love you.

  The evening sun blazed in the window, and a wasp bumped against the glass. Not-Cindy looked up at the noise, and when she saw the insect she startled. Dagger noticed a shiver run through her and she pulled her chair away slightly. Having no idea when Alston would be back, Dagger decided to take the opportunity to get not-Cindy out of the room so he could find a way to cut his ties.

  He used a slow stream of power to slide the locks open on the window, and then eased it up just an inch. Not-Cindy chewed a nail, engrossed in her ‘reading’. When the Wasp was close to the opening, Dagger used a gentle pull to suck it into the room, and shut the window softly. It took less than thirty seconds for not-Cindy to notice the intruder, and when she did she squealed and ran for the door. She froze with her hand on the knob, seemingly torn between the terror of the wasp and the potential wrath of Alston.

  The wasp flew menacingly around the room, and Dagger began to worry that not-Cindy wouldn’t leave after all. “Are you allergic?”

  “Y-Yes.” Her voice was shaking and small, and Dagger felt a little guilty.

  “It’s all right, they usually don’t sting unless they’re provoked. What’s your name?”

  “Rachel.”

  “Okay, Rachel, well if you are allergic you should probably go outside, just in case. Send Cindy in, maybe?”

  She looked unsure, and Dagger could see her begin to panic. Her skin shone with sweat and her hand on the doorknob was shaking. Her eyes were glued to the wasp, and she shook her head dumbly, muttering no-no-no under her breath. Great. She wasn’t leaving, and now he had a freaked out zealot and a wasp in here with him.

  “Hey, I really think you should go, get a drink of water, calm down. I’m not going anywhere, Rachel.”

  She darted her eyes to his and then back to the wasp, but it had moved and it took her a few moments to find it again. She launched off the door, spinning around and searching the room wildly for the wasp. When she located it, it was much closer than it had been previously. She threw herself back, and she flailed her arm behind her, searching for the doorknob.

  The wasp, oblivious to her discomfort, flew directly towards her face. She reacted in the most ridiculous, ineffective way possible, by swinging her arms around in wide, slapping motions while squeezing her eyes closed. One of her hands inadvertently hit the insect, and it was propelled towards her neck, where it was trapped under her sweaty collar long enough to sting her.

  Rachel let out a little squeak and fell to the floor, clutching her neck. Her face was swelling and growing red, and Dagger yelled for help. He screamed until he was hoarse, watching Rachel struggling to breathe on the floor, but no one came in. Either they couldn’t hear him or they didn’t care. He watched in horror as her chest stilled and her face faded to a dull purplish color.

  17.

  Tears streamed from Dagger’s eyes and guilt flooded his chest. He’d killed her. Not intentionally, but he’d done it all the same. He should have pulled the wasp back, sent it out the window. Why hadn’t he? He’d just watched it all happen, and done nothing! Calderon prodded his mind, but Dagger didn’t want to answer. He couldn’t close his eyes against the sight of Rachel’s dead body laying on the cheap industrial grade Berber. Finally he felt Cal’s thoughts screaming through his head, and couldn’t ignore him any longer.

  I’m okay. I killed one of them! Cal I killed her, she’s dead!

  Calm down, Dagger. You’re okay, still safe?

  Yes. When they find her dead, though, I don’t know. What will he do?

  Don’t worry about that right now. Are you untied?

  No. I couldn’t. She’s dead!

  Okay. Just relax, try to rest.

  Dagger closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. He should use this time to find a pair of scissors, or a knife, but he just stared at Rachel’s dead body and sobbed. This whole thing was ridiculous. He wasn’t the kind of person who could fight, who could save his coven from this powerful witch and his cohorts. Unless they were all deathly allergic to insect bites, he was screwed.

  A few minutes later, Alston and Cindy came in. Alston looked angry and Cindy had been crying. At first, they didn’t notice Rachel laying on the floor, but just stared at Dagger with raw, blazing hatred. Alston started to speak, but Cindy looked down and saw Rachel, and she let out a startled scream. Alston whipped his head around and pounced on Rachel’s body, examining her. He dug the dead wasp out of her collar and his mouth hung open in shock. Shaking his head, he flung the insect aside and gave Cindy a long look, then turned towards Dagger slowly.

  The look on his face when he turned around almost made Dagger wet himself. There was so much hatred, and so much power, Dagger knew he had no chance against this witch.

  “Now you and your friends have killed five of my angels. FIVE!!! Five deaths are on your soul, and you will be judged for each of them.”

  “I tried to call you. I screamed! Why didn’t you come? You could have saved her!”

  “SILENCE!! We were attending to the bodies of our fallen brothers, whom your cohorts killed this afternoon!” Alston paced angrily, his face a disgusted scowl. The room was almost dark now, the sky violet through the window, and Dagger thought it must be close to eight pm. No one was here to hear him scream for help, the office was closed for the day.

  “Tell me, Dagger, why is it that if I kill one of you, I lose power, but if you kill one of my angels, you seem to suffer no ill effects? Is it because you are so weak to begin with? Is it a ritual you’ve done, or some gift from Satan?�
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  “Well, I didn’t actually kill her. The wasp did. I tried to get help!”

  “You didn’t kill her, the wasp did….yes. I see. And your friends didn’t kill my angels, the road did, or their bikes, or their car… Interesting. I wonder if it would work for me, this twisted logic which blames the weapon instead of it’s wielder.” He tilted his head at Dagger, but Dagger refused to meet his eyes.

  “I didn’t make the wasp sting her, I didn’t want her to die! I told her to get help, but she wouldn’t leave. Then she freaked out and hit the wasp. There is no way you can believe it was my fault!” Dagger tried to believe his words, and tried not to think about how he had opened the window and pulled the wasp into the room. He truly hadn’t known she would die, though. He shut his eyes and tried to keep his mind blank.

  “What is your power, witch? Are you the one who can heal? I know you’re not the seer. Maybe…a charm maker? But you wear no charms…so what are you? A spell weaver?”

  Dagger was silent. He imagined straddling his board, floating on the waves, waiting for a good set to roll in. He thought of nothing but sea and sun and sky, and ignored the soft sobbing of Cindy from the floor, the urine stench coming from Rachel’s body, the angry huffing breaths from Alston.

  The snick of a knife blade opening drew his attention, but he refused to open his eyes to it. Then he felt a cold pressure on his forearm that suddenly turned white hot with pain. Dagger gritted his teeth and opened one eye to see Alston sliding a small knife blade across his skin. Dagger focused his memories of the ocean and ignored the pain, both to avoid upsetting Cal, Wade and Bet through their connection, and because he didn’t want to see Alston satisfied. Alston wiped the blade clean on Dagger’s shorts and folded it closed, then watched Dagger carefully.

  “Hmm. Not healing yourself, so I assume that’s not your power. Well, that makes me feel a little better, actually. If you could have potentially broken free, or healed Rachel, I would have considered just having Cindy kill you, prophecy be damned. But, it looks like my mother will get her way.” He stood up and walked to the desk, placing the knife in a drawer. “I’m sure your friends will be here soon, and then we can begin our ritual to rid the world of your murderous circle.”

  He walked across the room and snapped his fingers to Cindy, who startled at the noise and stood up. Together they dragged Rachel’s body out the door, leaving it slightly open. Dagger wasted no time, using his power to open the desk drawer where Alston had placed the knife and trying to lift it out. It was a difficult thing, because he couldn’t see into the drawer, but he managed it. He had the knife on the floor and the drawer closed when he heard voices at the door, but they passed by without coming in. It sounded like Cindy was still crying.

  Dagger slid the knife across the floor to his feet, and concentrated on opening it to expose the blade. He was tired, and his power was unpracticed, but he got it open and wedged the tip under the plastic tie holding his left wrist to the chair. The ties had been loose, but sitting like this for so long had swollen him slightly, so that the knife nicked him a little before it broke through the zip-tie.

  He stretched his hand out and his entire arm filled with pins and needles. He worked the other wrist free, then picked up the knife to do his ankles. He folded the knife closed quickly and tucked it into his waistband, then picked up the broken ties and tucked them under his thigh, out of sight. He wanted to get up and stretch, but was terrified of the slightly open door, so he forced himself to sit in the same uncomfortable position he’d been tied in. He closed his eyes and called to Cal.

  Dagger? You okay?

  Yes. I think the seer is Alston’s mother, not him. He’s waiting for you, has some kind of ritual planned for us.

  I know. He wants to take our powers, but he needs us together to do it. We’re right outside.

  I can come out to you. I’m untied and alone. I can get out the window, I think.

  Yes! Wade’s near your window. Do it, Dagger.

  Dagger’s heart pounded. He used a little breath of power to shut the door, not clicking it but almost. Then he launched off the chair, sprinted across the room, and slid the window open. It was a small window, narrow but tall, but there was no screen. Dagger jumped into the opening, twisting as he did, and was out in a moment, landing on the pavement.

  Wade snatched him up and hugged him, pulling him upright and leading him away from the building. They ran towards Calderon’s parked car and jumped into the back seat. Cal was in the passenger seat and Betony was driving, and as soon as the door closed she took off, driving around the block and parking in an empty driveway hidden from the street.

  18.

  Betony and Wade kept watch out the windows, and Cal turned around to examine Dagger. “Are you all right? You’re bleeding! What happened?”

  “I want to go home, Cal, why are we here?”

  Calderon’s voice was soft and his eyes were sympathetic as he shook his head at Dagger. “I know you do, love. But we have to do this, now, tonight. There are only a few of them left with any power, but they have a lot of followers who are just humans. Alston hasn’t used them much yet, but he will if he has to. We can’t let him live, Dagger. The ritual he wants to do is to siphon off our powers and make them his. He has a few gifts, but the main one is skill-transfer. He’s weak, now, because he’s alone. And his mother is working so hard to block me she hasn’t been seeing as well as she could. We’ve been able to evade him so far, but it won’t last.”

  “So you’re saying we have to go back?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  Wade put his hand on Dagger’s forearm and closed his eyes. Dagger’s arm felt warm and wet where his hand covered, but when Wade pulled away the skin was dry and smooth, and no trace of the cut remained. “Thanks, Wade.”

  “Anytime. Anywhere else?”

  Dagger leaned back against the car’s seat and closed his eyes, and shook his head to Wade’s question, but Wade reached over and picked up Dagger’s wrist, examining it in the low light and finding the marks from the ties and the little scratch from the knife. He healed that, then moved on to the other wrist. His ankles had been saved by his socks, but Wade checked them anyway.

  Cal watched Wade and felt a mixture of jealousy and gratitude. He wished he had some comfort to offer his lover, but was glad Wade could do it, at least. He consoled himself that later, when this was all over, he could hold Dagger and soothe his heart, if not his body. “Okay. We go in and form a circle. He can’t break it, but he’ll try to do his ritual around it. We use our bond to recite the spell Betony made while you were in there, and if it goes right, he’ll lose his power. Or die, we’re not sure.”

  “Sounds airtight.”

  “I think it will work, Dagger.” Cal took a deep breath and looked at Betony. “Ready?”

  She nodded and started the car, pulling into the lot behind the rear of the building. “They used the back door a few times, we think it’s unlocked.”

  Cal looked at each of them and warned, “Stay together. Until we’re in our circle, we’re vulnerable.”

  They all nodded grimly and crept out of the car. Things went remarkably well for about two minutes. They made it into the building undetected, holding hands as they snuck down the hallway. They found a suitable room and slunk inside, sitting quickly and lighting a candle in their circle’s center. Wade fished a small bottle of water from the pocket of his cargo pants and opened it, standing it near the candle. Betony added a pile of earth and roots, and Calderon blew some powdered herbs across the candle flame, creating smoke. They joined hands and found their bond, and breathed a sigh of relief. Now they just had to wait.

  Then something slithered through their connection, something foreign and wrong. It picked at their thoughts and weakened their bond. Betony groaned in annoyance and Calderon pushed at it with his mind. Dagger retreated into himself, holding the bond but not letting his thoughts free. Wade reacted with anger at t
he violation, attacking it, pushing it back hard.

  From the corner of the room they heard low, dry laughter, and Dagger recognized Alston’s voice, “So kind of you to join me! I was beginning to think you weren’t coming, after all. But now that you’re here, we can begin.” He clapped his hands together twice, lightly, as if he had just been presented with a little treat. He pushed compliance into their minds, filling them with the desire to please him, to serve him. “Repeat the following words, please, friends: All that is mine I give freely…”

  Calderon clamped his mind shut, wanting badly to repeat the words but retaining just enough of his own will to stop himself. Dagger had retreated so far into his own mind he barely heard Alston’s order. Wade was still fighting, angry and fierce, raging against Alston’s intrusion into the one place he’d found unconditional love and acceptance. Alston’s thoughts reflected icy amusement at their efforts. He knew it was just a matter of time before they broke.

  Betony alone let him in, welcomed him with love into her thoughts, and allowed him to feel her acquiescence. She let his words roll through her mind and repeated them sweetly to him, “I am freely mine, that I give.”

  “Do not try to be clever, witch. Say the words properly: Take my gifts for your own…”

  “I own my gifts, take yours.”

  Dagger crawled out of the fortress he’d built in his mind, reassured by Betony’s easy manner and relaxed tone. Wade’s anger was easing, and he repeated Betony’s phrases, just to piss off Alston. Calderon still fought the desire to comply, but was studying his sister’s mind, and considered trying to let Alston in and through, as she had.

  “One more time, little witch, and I will grow truly angry.” Alston pushed another wave of compulsion towards them, and Calderon almost buckled under it. This time Dagger let it roll through him as Betony had, and he laughed at the freedom of it. He sent love to Alston, and felt the witch cringe in response. Dagger’s laughter broke through to Calderon, and he tried to let Alston in again, but backed off at the last moment, afraid.