Breath of Air (30 page)

“Did they look similar to Blythe’s eyes?” Thea asked, her body tensing.

His own eyes lit up. “Yeah, actually, they looked just like hers. Kind of…amberish?”

“Anything else you remember about him?”

“Yeah. He didn’t speak a lot, but he kept glaring at me, like he hated me or something. And I mean hated. I was glad to just get away from him.”

“One more question.” Thea braced herself, already sure she knew his answer. “When you saw him possess Roarke, what happened to his other host body? Did Balgaire hide the body somewhere so the Enforcers wouldn’t see it?”

Tobias looked extremely confused. “I don’t…that is…I don’t think he really left the human body. He more just…morphed, I guess, into that shadowy snake form. There wasn’t a body left for us to hide.” He frowned, brows furrowed. “I’ve never seen a demon other than him. Is that how it normally happens?”

“No, it’s not.” Thea’s eyes burned with dread. “A demon can only possess one person at a time, and must leave one body in order to possess another.”

“So…what does that mean?” Tobias asked, frightened.

“It means we are all in very, very great danger.” Thea told him, dismissing him with a wave as she turned to stare out the windows. “Please, leave me now. I need some time to think.”

She felt a new emotion rise within her as she heard Tobias shut the door behind him. It was battling its way through her stomach and beating against her chest, pounding in her head and thundering through her blood.

It wasn’t just rage and fear she felt now; it was something much more akin to revulsion.

Her greatest fears had come true. He was back.

♦ ♦ ♦

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

She didn’t know how long she waited in the chamber. It could have been hours, days, weeks…she had no concept of time. She drifted in and out of consciousness, weak from hunger and worn out from fear.

She had already resigned to herself that she had quite simply been left to die of dehydration, and so she did the only thing she could do: sleep, and wait for death.

She eventually awoke to the sound of a latch being opened on the other side of the door. Her eyes flew open, imagining Rian or her father or Thea, only to fall upon Balgaire as he pushed through the door, shutting it promptly behind him.

The dog growled, but Balgaire threw down what looked like a large meaty bone in front of it. Within seconds the dog was gnawing on the bone, satisfied.

Balgaire trudged into the room, approaching Capri. His face was cold and unreadable, his eyes calculating. He removed her gag roughly, and she took a brief moment to readjust her sore jaw. He had a glass bottle in his hand filled with water, and she nearly wept when he put it to her lips and poured some into her mouth. She swallowed thankfully, feeling her parched throat absorb the moisture.

“No one will hear you down here, anyway.” Balgaire told her, tossing the gag and the now empty glass aside. He crossed his arms as he stood in front of her. When she looked up at him, she felt chills shiver down her back. She had been right in her original impression of him when she had first come to Euphora. He was downright cold, and his harsh face mirrored the cruel person beneath. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you?”

Capri shook her head, strands of her light hair falling into her eyes. “No, no I don’t.”

He sneered. “You just couldn’t leave it alone, could you? You had to know who was behind your kidnapping. I will never forgive that bastard for not killing you when he had the chance fifteen years ago.”

“Who? The demon?” Capri asked timidly, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“The identity of my associate does not concern you.” He replied hastily, looking impatient now. “I would kill you myself, but it looks like I’m going to need you to get out of here. That brat Tobias has gone to Thea and ratted me out. Lucky for us, Brogan overheard their conversation and came to me before the others even knew where to start. Everyone in the castle is looking, but they won’t find us in here. No one knows that this room exists, except Roarke, of course, but he’s dead.” He laughed then, that crazy, maniacal laugh that had haunted her dreams since childhood. She shuddered involuntarily, wincing from the sound of it. It shot her back to the memory of him standing over her mother’s burning body, his brutal laughter ringing out into the dead night.

“Of course, framing Brock and Roarke for everything was a brilliant idea, and it would have worked perfectly if you hadn’t gotten in the way, yet again.” He snarled, beginning to pace now. “That was the one thing we hadn’t planned on: you returning to Euphora and figuring out the truth.”

“Do whatever you want to me, but please, don’t hurt anyone else.” Capri pleaded weakly, pain coursing through her head.

“There won’t be any need to as long as you do as I say.” He told her, smiling darkly. “Listen to me carefully. I want you to create a diversion so that we can escape the grounds and make it to the tree outside the front gate. When we get there, you’ll come with me and I will then decide whether or not to let you go.”

“How do I know you won’t just kill me when we get there?” Capri asked.

“You don’t. But I should tell you that there is another chamber, just like this one, nearby. I am holding Rian in there. Like I said, no one else knows these chambers are here. If you cooperate, I will leave behind a note letting the others know where to find him. If not, then I leave you both to rot.”

Uncertainty warred with the fear she felt. She wasn’t sure she could trust his word that he actually had Rian locked up. But there was no way she could take the chance. If he really was in danger, she needed to do whatever she could to save him.

“Okay. What do you want me to do?”

“I need you to create a storm.” He began, his eyes glinting with barely contained madness. “Thunder, lightning…tornado. Specifically a tornado in the far east side of the grounds. I want everyone to be distracted and head over there, thinking you are signaling for help. Then we will sneak out of the castle through the front doors, and out of the courtyard.”

“I-I don’t know if I can do that, from in here…” Capri told him, uncertainty in her eyes. “I won’t be able to see what I’m doing.”

“Figure it out, or I find another way out and leave you here.” He threatened, his voice dangerous.

For a moment, Capri was silent, a flood of emotions running through her. This time, anger prevailed over everything else.

“So once again, you’re going to let someone else take the fall for you?” She said suddenly, fury rising within her. “First Brock, then Roarke, now Rohan?”

“Rohan?” He looked amused as he watched her. “You think Rohan is capable of pulling off something like this?”

“I heard you!” Capri cried out angrily. “I heard you talking to Rohan in the library, talking about getting rid of me!”

Balgaire chuckled darkly. “Have you and Rian been looking at Rohan this entire time? That fool didn’t have anything to do with this; he was only worried about himself and what would happen if Brock returned to Euphora. Not that Brock has been any the wiser to what’s been going on here. I imagine he’s still rotting away in a gambling hall in Vegas somewhere. Good riddance.”

“So that’s why he wanted to go with you and the other Furies to Las Vegas? He thought Brock was planning an ambush?”

“Yes. And I let him think that. I also let him think that I would do my best to keep an eye on Brock, ensuring he had no opportunity to return. Rohan is easily fooled.”

“And Tobias? You fooled him as well?”

“He hates you. He always has. It wasn’t hard to convince him to help me.” Balgaire smirked then, his eyes flashing with delight. “Apparently, you being kidnapped on the day he was born has always put a damper on his birthday. Everybody moping around, mourning you and your mother, not giving him any attention. Pathetic, really, and childish. But useful enough for me.”

“I never knew he felt that way.” Capri murmured sadly, wishing there was some way she could talk to him, to let him know that she knew how he felt. As an orphan, her birthdays had never been very special, either. “You manipulated him. You used his insecurities against him.”

“He’s ultimately getting what he wanted, so what does it matter? And if he hadn’t gone to Thea, I would have no need to flee Euphora. No matter, though. I have ways to take care of him once I’m gone.”

Capri felt shock waves pulse through her at his words. “Don’t hurt him, please. He’s just a kid.”

“He betrayed me. He has to face the consequences.” Balgaire declared coldly. “Now, enough talking. Get working on that storm. Once it’s started, we’ll head out.”

Capri bit her lip as he moved behind her to unlock the chains binding her wrists. When he lifted them away, she rubbed her raw and bloody skin tenderly.

“By the way, did you enjoy having my demon hound as company? He was a gift from my associate.” He chuckled as the dog opened its mouth to yawn a few feet away from them. Fire glowed brightly from deep within its throat like molten hot lava.

Capri didn’t say anything, but closed her eyes, focusing her thoughts away from the dog and away from Balgaire. Instead she thought of Rian, and how if he was indeed alone in a chamber nearby, he would soon be safe. Even if Balgaire killed her after they got away, at least Rian would be alive.

Fighting back a sob, she cleared her mind and tried to picture the eastern part of the grounds near the back of the castle in her mind. She had rarely been back there, so it was difficult, but once she had it, she held her arms out and began to imagine clouds forming.

She could feel it in her arms as the clouds were building across the grounds, and in her mind’s eye she could see them forming, shifting and growing more and more violent. The first rumble of thunder could be heard from somewhere far away, and she knew she was making progress. Balgaire stayed silent, but she could still sense his presence. He was clearly listening for the telltale sounds of the tornado once it began.

She imagined the warm and cold air mixing together, swirling to create a funnel out of the clouds. She encouraged the wind to pick up, swirling through the mass of the darkening storm. She felt it when the cyclone began to form, and when it made its descent towards land. Her arms vibrated with energy, and she could feel the wrath of the tornado as it made contact with the ground, kicking up grass and dirt mercilessly. Exhaling sharply, she released herself from the storm, tears in her eyes as she lowered her arms. It was done.

Balgaire reached out and grabbed her, pulling her roughly to her feet. “Let’s go.”

He pushed past the dog and opened the door, glancing around briefly to make sure no one was around. They were in a narrow hallway, which had a staircase at one end and rows of doors along the way. He dragged her along with him roughly towards the staircase, pulling her up swiftly. They reached another door, which he opened slowly. Again he checked to make sure they were alone. This door led to what looked like a dungeon, much like the one that Blythe worked out of. Capri glanced around, but so far nothing looked familiar to her.

But when they walked through yet another, much smaller door, she realized where they were. They were beneath Air Tower, and they had emerged into the Atrium. The room she had been held in must connect the Furies chambers to the Atrium. Balgaire pushed aside the plants which hid the door and yanked Capri out, his hand clamped tightly on her wrist so she couldn’t run.

She thought briefly about screaming, but she didn’t know what would happen if Balgaire simply killed her right then and there. Rian might never be found. So instead she kept silent, and followed him as he led her out the front doors and through the courtyard, no one else in sight.

Up above them, the storm raged mercilessly. The clouds churned and writhed like a living being, all shades of gray swirling together. A crackling bolt of lightning broke out against the sky, spider-webbing greedily through the dense air. As if answering the call, thunder boomed around them, so loud it vibrated the ground at their feet. She could feel the wind, and hear it howling around her, and when she quickly turned her head, she saw the tornado in the distance, black and ominous. Knowing she had created such a monster struck fear into her heart like a violently stabbing knife.

Balgaire was running now, almost too fast for her to keep up. Her head was pounding in pain from all the sudden movement, and when she suddenly tripped over the cobblestone walkway and tumbled to the ground, Balgaire cursed and tried to pull her to her feet.

“You stupid bitch.” He muttered furiously, dragging her up. But fear had her legs going limp, and her dazed eyes met his just as a voice resounded from behind them.

“Stop right there.”

She turned and saw Rian, pistol in hand, pointed directly at Balgaire. She felt numb with relief at seeing him, knowing he was not locked up after all, but terror ripped through her when she saw Balgaire pull out his own weapon and aim it at Rian.

“No!” She screamed as Balgaire fired, the demon fire bullet just barely missing Rian as he ducked out of the way. It hit a nearby tree instead and burst into flames.

Rian looked like he was about to fire back, but Balgaire grabbed Capri and shielded himself with her.

“Shoot me and you shoot her, boy.” Balgaire had one arm over her chest, pressing her against him, and his other arm held his weapon, still aimed at Rian.

“Let her go, this is between you and me now.” Rian said, his voice cold and fury in his eyes.

“Is it now?” Balgaire chuckled darkly. “Then you won’t mind if I just take her out of the picture.”

He turned the gun, pressed it firmly against the side of Capri’s head, and cocked it.

♦ ♦ ♦

The steel tip of the revolver pressed into her aching temple, right below where she had hit her head. The world seemed to slow down in front of her, nothing making sense except the brutal understanding that she was quite possibly about to die.

A steady buzzing sound, like white noise, began to echo inside her head, draining out all other sounds. She saw Rian’s lips move, the brief flash of panic cross his face, but she couldn’t process any of it.