Dentelle (25 page)

Ally had said, “Oh, Ava Rose. You’ll be
beautiful.”

She’d looked at me for assurance, and I’d said,
“Yes, you will.” Completely charmed, Ally and I had laughed about it later.
Now, standing in my bedroom doorway, clinging to my best friend, I gathered
strength from her touch. Funny, I thought. An Innocent holding a Dentelle. No
matter who we were, or what our strengths might be, we all benefited from a
hug.

Following our much needed heart-to-heart, Ally
said, “One day at a time, Lex. First, Ava Rose. Second, nail-down a way to keep
you, and everyone else, in Bellingham. Third, the wedding. And fourth, find a
way you can be with Jason.”

“Love you, Ally,” I said, stepping into my room.

“Right back at you.”

Collapsing onto my bed that night, I didn’t even
bother slipping out of my sundress. Lying on my tummy, propped up on my arms, I
stared at the glistening waters of Bellingham Bay. The almost three-quarters
moon, along with a gazillion stars, illuminated the night in a soft glow. About
a week until the next full moon. My monthly reminder that Ash and I were
eternally linked. I’d seen him coaxing Madison onto his motorcycle as we’d left
the restaurant, and I’d wondered what they were up to. Was she finally giving
him a chance? I hadn’t been in the mood to tease him or drill him for answers,
but my curiosity had been piqued.

I exhaled and rubbed my scratchy eyes. While
brushing my teeth, I’d noticed they were bloodshot with dark circles. Between
Ellen Zimmerman’s letter and Ava Rose’s disappearance, I’d shed buckets of
tears over the last few days. Too bad Essence didn’t couldn’t touch up physical
appearance. Ava Rose remained heavy on my heart. Thoughts of her consumed my
every waking, breathing moment. Was there any chance she was also staring up at
the moon, wondering if someone was going to rescue her? My heart constricted,
and I silently choked back sobs. Eventually, I lay my head down on the pillow.
Drifting in and out of sleep, I deliberated over my next move. What would it
take to find her and bring her home safely?

Little did I know what a loaded question that
would turn out to be.

The next morning, I had a very quiet house all
to myself. Ally and Ben, both who’d been scheduled opening shifts at their
respective jobs, weren’t due home until the afternoon. I showered, cleaned up
my neglected room, and then ate a bowl of oatmeal – all in silence. I wasn’t in
the mood for music, and I certainly didn’t want to listen to the local news. I
already knew more details about the top story than the reporters did. More
importantly, I didn’t want to be discouraged by the “experts.” They’d be
reiterating how the first 48 hours after a child’s disappearance are the most
crucial, and after that the chances of the child’s safe return are greatly
diminished. I was already well aware that the 72 hour mark was fast
approaching.

Rinsing my bowl in the sink, I noticed the green
dishwasher light flashing “clean.” Over the last few days, Ally had graciously
taken over all the household chores. Feeling grateful and guilty, I decided it
was time to step up and help out. As I emptied the dishwasher, my cell phone
rang, and I pounced on it as two opposing emotions, hope and fear, collided,
wreaking havoc on my psyche.

I looked at the incoming number. That’s odd.
Instead of displaying a phone number, my phone showed the message “restricted
call.” I frowned and answered breathlessly. “Hello?”

“Hello, Lexi.” There was a long pause. “Have you
missed me?”

The blood in my veins turned to ice and my body
went slack. The plate slid from my hand and shattered into pieces all over the
floor.

“Have I rendered you speechless?” The voice at
the other end was deep and cheerful. “You don’t know how invigorating that is –
knowing I still have such an effect over you. I feel the same way, you know? I
long for your touch. Your Essence. I’m telling you, we were meant to be
together.”

Completely off balance, I wavered and gripped
the countertop. Jumping quickly sideways, I narrowly avoided stepping on a
chunk of glass. Dread shook me to my very core. I knew that voice; I could
never forget that voice. Not even if I tried. That voice belonged to the
monster in my nightmares – Kieran.

“Come on, Lexi, can’t you think of something
nice to say to an old friend? Or enemy, I suppose.” He chuckled. “I mean we do
have quite a history together.”

Still, I couldn’t find my voice, and a long
silence ensued.

“I’m waiting.” He tried to keep his voice calm,
but I detected a hint of irritation.

“Wh-where are you? H-how did you g-get this
n-number?” I stuttered.

“That’s more like it. Not great. But better.” He
laughed. “Don’t go worrying yourself about nothing. I’m nowhere near
Bellingham. And how I got your number is of no importance. What does matter is
that I want to see you. And rather than me marching in there and causing a
scene, I thought this time you could come to me. We’ll keep it simple.
Pleasant.”

I cringed. There was nothing pleasant about this
evil maniac. I couldn’t believe he was on my phone. What did he want? Really, I
didn’t need to answer that. The simple answer was – me. His latest strategy
made no sense.

“In fact, I have a proposition for you. I’d like
you to visit me. Stay a few days. I really think we got off on the wrong foot
before. Last time there were too many people involved, messing things up. I’d
like to start over. Once you get to know me better, I think you’ll enjoy my
company – see what a likeable guy I really am.”

Adrenaline. Abhorrence. And anger. They all
plowed through my body as one. Squaring my shoulders, I stood tall against the
kitchen counter. “You want me? Then you’re gonna have to come and get me,” I
said, vehemence oozing from my every word. “You won’t be so lucky this time. I
will rip you apart myself.”

He laughed jovially. “Oh my, a bit touchy, are
we? But that’s good. That’s the Lexi I like and respect.”

“This conversation is over,” I said adamantly.
“Don’t contact me again. And if you ever see me, I suggest you run.” Even
though I sounded all brave, I suddenly felt very weak. Paranoia had me edging
up to the window so I could peek outside. Was it possible he was out in the
yard, watching me now? All I saw were flowers in bloom and a lawn that
desperately needed mowing. Ben had been a little busy helping out with the
search lately, so the yard had been sadly neglected. Scanning further, I didn’t
notice anything unusual in the neighbors’ yards. Most importantly, I didn’t
sense his link. So, I was probably safe.

“Oh, Lexi, we still have a lot to discuss.”

“No! No, we don’t! Not now. Not ever.” I was
practically foaming at the mouth.

Before I could hang up, he said casually, “I
think we do. As a matter of fact, I’ve been meaning to ask how the search for
Ava Rose is coming along. Any leads yet?”

In that moment, fear sliced through my stomach
like a knife. This wasn’t right. How would he know about Ava Rose? And why would
he care? Unless…“Wh-what do you know about Ava Rose?” I asked, my voice raising
an octave with each syllable. My hands started shaking, and I sat down in the
chair at the kitchen table.

“Everything, my dear. I know everything about
it.”

This time fear, dread, and pure hatred were the
emotions that shook the bones in my body, shattering even my soul. The phone
slipped out of my hand, and my jaw fell. Oh my God! Kieran had Ava Rose. That
had to be it. He’d been talking like he had the upper hand since the moment I’d
answered the phone. That had to be why.

I picked up the phone and screamed into it, “If
you’ve taken Ava Rose and if you’ve hurt her in any way, I will skin you alive
and…”

“Lexi, Lexi, Lexi, calm down,” he interrupted in
an apathetic voice. “She is perfectly fine. In fact, she’s happy and healthy
and currently awaiting your arrival.”

Every synapse in my brain connected, and the
whole situation became crystal clear. Ava Rose’s kidnapping had not been random.
Kieran had targeted her because he wanted me. It was apparent he’d been
watching me; I shuddered at the thought. Had he seen us riding bicycles, or
picnicking at the park, or swimming at the pool? No, not him. He’d probably had
some criminal – an Innocent who was anything but innocent, following us. Creepy
crawlies wriggled under my skin. His evil was boundless. Ava Rose was important
to me, so he’d captured her, knowing he had exactly the bait he needed to reel
me in.

“I don’t believe you,” I spit into the phone.
“How do I know you have her? Or if you do, how do I know she’s even alive?”

He snorted. “Trust issues, I see. That’s okay,
we’ll have plenty of time to resolve those later. Let me explain something to
you,” he said, his voice hardening. I could just imagine his glowing amber eyes
narrowing like dart tips. “The only reason I have this little girl is because I
want you. I have no plans to harm even one of those golden hairs on top of her
head. But,” he paused for emphasis, “her fate rests entirely in your hands. I
expect you to come to me. If you don’t, well…I’m sure you can probably imagine
the kind of suffering Ava Rose might endure all because you –”

Standing up, I slammed my fist into the table.
“You keep your filthy hands off her,” I screamed into the phone.

“Calm down and listen before I lose my
patience.”

Gritting my teeth, I sat back down, trying to
regain some sense of control. “Ava Rose will be perfectly safe as long as you
come to me. There are conditions. You are not to tell anyone else we have been
in contact. You might be interested in knowing that currently, Ava Rose
believes she is on a vacation – a surprise vacation you arranged for her. She
thinks you had to attend to a family emergency and that’s why you’re not here
yet.”

“What kind of emergency?” I broke in.

“Something to do with your brother. To be fair,
I will put her on the phone. It’s really up to you how you want to handle this.
Because I can assure you, she’s quite content and has no idea of all the
craziness going on in Bellingham – or that she’s even missing. She believes you
spoke with her foster mom, arranged a trip for the two of you with some of your
good friends, namely me,” he paused and I could hear the smile playing upon his
lips, “and that you’ve just been delayed but will be arriving tonight.”

“Arriving where?” I demanded.

“You’re on a need to know basis. And right now,
you don’t need to know that. All you need to do is follow my instructions. But
before I get to those, I’ll give you a show of good faith and put her on the
phone. It will be up to you whether or not you want to scare the living
daylights out of her and tell her about me or if you want to keep her happy and
oblivious and just go with the vacation story.”

I gasped. How could this have happened? In the
next instant I heard Kieran calling Ava Rose, telling her I was on the phone.
My hand flew to my chest. What would I say?

Before I had any time to think about my words,
her soft, musical voice rang through my phone. “Lexi! I can’t wait to see you.
Uncle Kieran said you’d be here tonight. Do you know what time you’ll arrive?”

Uncle Kieran? What the heck was that all about?
Oh, this couldn’t be happening. At least she was alive. And she sounded
remarkably well. “Oh, sweetie. How are you? Are you okay?”

“Of course I am, silly. Uncle Kieran has so many
cool things here for me to do. I can’t believe you never told me about him
before. I am missing you, though.” Surprisingly, her voice was animated. If I
hadn’t known any better, I would have thought she was calling from Disneyland.

“I’m going to be there late tonight. Real soon,”
I promised. “I miss you a ton, too.” As much as I hated to stick to any plan
Kieran had initiated, there was no way was I going to tell her what a horrible
monster he was. There was no reason to scare her to death.

 
“This was
such a great surprise. I’m sorry your brother had an emergency and you couldn’t
fly out with me. Is he better now?”

What the –? “Yes, sweetie. He’s just fine.”

“Oh good. Then I’ll see you later. Uncle Kieran
has lots of fun things planned for us. Oh, he says he wants to talk with you
again. Bye. See you tonight.”

My heart melted. “Bye Ava Rose. I’ll be there
real soon.”

I could hear Kieran saying, “Run along now. Why
don’t you help Maya make us some lunch?”

Lunch? I glanced at the clock on the stove which
indicated it was a little after ten o’clock. They had to be Midwest or back
East – somewhere a couple hours ahead where it would be closer to lunchtime.

“Listen up, Lexi.” The pleasantries were gone
from Kieran’s voice, and he sounded like he had when we were up at the cabin
and I’d really pissed him off. “I’ve been more than considerate here. And I’m
growing irritated with all the little indulgences. You’re high maintenance.” He
sighed. “So, I want you to listen very carefully to what I’m about to say. I’m
going to give you very explicit instructions. If you choose to ignore or break
even one of them, I will have no choice but to punish Ava Rose. Her fate rests
solely in your hands. Do you understand me?”

Loud and clear, I thought. My sweaty palms were
shaking so badly, I had to put my cell phone on speaker mode. I set it down on
the table. “Y-yes.”

“Finally, some agreement.” His unsettling voice
echoed through the kitchen. “Truth be told, I’d prefer you don’t get any smart
ideas and screw things up, because I’ve grown somewhat attached to the little
girl in the last couple days. I don’t know if I’d get my usual enjoyment in
torturing her.”

I wanted to shout out. Cry. Scream. And then I
wanted to destroy him. But instead, for the next several minutes I listened
prudently and helplessly. Was I scared? Oh yes. Not as much for myself – but
definitely for Ava Rose. By the way his voice dipped and peaked, I could tell
he was excited to have me under his command. I didn’t feel like I had any
choice other than to follow his orders. I might as well have a chain around my
neck. An image of Richard Rahl, one of my favorite characters in the Sword of
Truth series, flashed in my mind. In one of the books, Richard was forced to
wear a Rada’Han, a metal collar, around his neck. The collar disrupted his
connection to his own magic, rendering him useless. I felt the same way now. A
powerful Dentelle, reduced to nothing – unable to take advantage of her many
gifts – by the vilest of animals – a Ray-pac.

By the time our call ended, I hated Kieran with
renewed vengeance. He’d been very explicit in his demands that I not tell my
Guardian friends anything at all, insisting he would know if I did. The whole
time I’d been listening to him, I’d been thinking about my one saving grace –
my telepathic connection with Ash – forever present and always private. I could
reach him anytime from anyplace and do so instantaneously, and while that’s
exactly what I’d been planning on doing the second I was off the phone with
Kieran, I’d quickly changed my mind.

With more threats, Kieran had said knowingly,
“And, Lexi, don’t even think about speaking with Ash telepathically. My people
are watching him closely. Any change in his expression, behavior, or even his
habits will be quickly noticed. If I even suspect you’ve hinted to our
conversation, Ava will suffer the consequences. And I won’t stop with her; I’m
sure I can easily track down others you care about.”

Those words had sent my emotions into another
tailspin. I hadn’t known if Kieran was lying or not, but I couldn’t chance it.
Ash was too volatile; once I told him anything about this, it would be
impossible for him to remain expressionless and not react. Besides, he’d never
let me go on this, what he’d call, suicide mission. No, I had to keep it to
myself. Furthermore, I refused to put Jason or any of my friends in Kieran’s
path. At least not until I had sized up the situation, gathered intel, and
formulated my own plan of retaliation. Actually, that’s what I was banking on.
At some point, when I felt confident my friends could come to my aid and launch
a successful attack against the Ray-pacs – all while I kept Ava Rose safe –
then I would do it. Until then, I had to leave everyone in the dark.