Shattered Souls (16 page)

Chapter 19

I was moving the
Circulus Desideriis
, when a wave of fear washed over me. I dropped the disks on the shelf and took a quick step back. My thumb stung from where I touched it. I needed to know what it was telling me. I picked up my piece carefully and pressed it between my thumb and index finger. Images of Trevor and Angela began to flood my psyche. They were running for their lives. Someone was chasing them. I kept concentrating on the disc, as the adrenaline surged through my veins, watching the movie unfold. Logan was outside with Trevor replacing the glass in the window so Trevor was here and okay.

“Who is chasing T
revor and Angela?” I whispered to the disk. I clenched my eyes shut concentrating on the shadow chasing Angela and Trevor. The person was smaller than I expected, petite. I kept focusing. A dull ache surfaced near my brow. I was pushing too hard. And then I saw her, the person chasing after Angela and Trevor.

It was Caitlin. That was what
my dream was so many weeks ago. I had mistaken jealousy for rage and the rage wasn’t coming from me. It was coming from Caitlin.

I
threw the disk down on the shelf, and it bounced off, falling to the floor. I didn’t bother to pick it up as I ran outside.

“Do you remember when I woke up yelling Trevor’s name and Caitlin was involved?”
I shouted, my heart racing. Trevor was holding the glass between wooden wedges as Logan carefully guided a tool along the edge. Trevor’s face reddened, and he looked baffled as he glanced at Logan.

“Yeah. I do
,” Logan said, shaking his head at Trevor.

Trevor’s brow arched.

“It wasn’t like that. I can assure you,” Logan said, laughing, glaring at Trevor.

I stood in front of them, catching my breath and
watching the redness dissolve as Trevor waited for me to continue.

“Angela’s in danger and so are you,” I said, pointing at Trevor. “That was what my dream was about.”

“Caitlin? As in Praedivinus Caitlin?” Trevor asked.

“Yeah. Are there a lot of others or something?” I asked.

“We dated briefly,” he said.

“Well, apparently she gets around,” I said, flashing a look at Logan.

Logan shook his head and a smile spread across his lips. “You certainly don’t get over things easily, do you?”

“I’m not sure why she’s after Angela,” I began. “I mean have you and Caitlin had much contact?”

“Not recently,” he said. “In senior year we met at a few Praedivinus events and then texted, but I didn’t think it was that serious.”

“Serious enough, I’d gather. At least in her eyes,” I said.

“We’re almost ready to pop the glass in, and then we’ll come inside and talk about it,” Logan replied, kneeling as he worked the glass into place.

“Okay. Angela and Jenny
are coming over later anyway to hear what we found out,” I said, turning back to go in the house. “I’ll try to have them come over now if they can.”

“Who would have known past dating choices could be so dangerous,” Trevor said.

“You haven’t learned the half of it either,” Logan replied. “Triss filled me in on some stuff that would blow your mind.”

I stepped back inside our home and reached for the phone. I
t’s not like I thought Angela was in immediate danger. After all, the images were of Trevor and her together, but I knew I’d feel better having her here with us. I dialed the number quickly and got her voicemail. I left a short, vague message and called Jenny and left another message. I texted them both and got replies almost instantly. They were out shopping together and would be right over.

I walked into the family room and looked through all
of the mementos and crystals that had been given to me during our party. Finding the blue chalcedony crystal that Angela’s parents gave me, I grabbed it and held it tightly. I still wasn’t comfortable with Angela becoming a witch. No. That wasn’t true. I was fine with Angela becoming a witch, just not now. I let out a sigh at the same time a tiny tap at the front door surfaced. It wasn’t Jenny and Angela. Even in the best of traffic, it would take twenty minutes to get here.

I trudged to the foyer and peered out the window
. Not seeing anyone, I craned my neck a little more to find Dace and Bakula, hovering by the knocker.

“You rang?” I asked, opening the door.

“No, we knocked,” Dace said agitated.

I shook my head, and stopped myself mid-eye roll and welcomed them inside.

“It was only supposed to snow last night, but I guarantee you the sky is going to lay down some flakes for us tonight too. And why is it so cold in here? Are you afraid of a heat bill?” Dace continued on. I knew it would only take a few more seconds before he was all out of juice. “I don’t know what it is about Seattle weather. Maybe it’s the dampness, but it seems colder than back East.”

“I know
, dear,” Bakula said, rubbing his shoulders.

“Sorry about the chill,” I said. “The guys are replacing a windo
w in the kitchen so we’ve got a gaping hole right now. They’re only minutes away from popping it in. At least, that’s what I’m told,” I said, smiling apologetically.

“A window missing?” Dace asked.

“The Demonikers hand delivered an invitation to visit Ethan,” I said.

“Interesting,” Bakula replied.

“Especially so because once we got to Ethan’s, he swore he had nothing to do with the mini-attack on our home. He said it was the Praedivinus.” I watched Dace and Bakula stiffen and trade glances.

“Something you wanted to tell me?” I asked, raising a brow.

“No. Not about that. It’s the first we heard about it,” Bakula said, brushing off her earlier reaction. “Do you mind if we go to the fireplace? Please tell me you have it going.”

“Sure do,” I said.

“What’s that in your hand? Is that the protection crystal?” Bakula asked, flying toward the family room. “Are you afraid when you answer the door someone’s going to get you, dear?”

I started laughing. I
actually had been squeezing it pretty tightly.

“No. Angela’s coming over
, and I thought I’d give it back to her.”

“She’s not in danger, is she?” Bakula questioned, her voice worried. “She hasn’t even fully become one of you.”

Dace and Bakula were hovering over the hearth, and I had to admit that I appreciated the warmth, too, as I snuck in next to them.

“No. She
hasn’t.” I wasn’t sure how much to divulge. After all of the finger pointing lately, I was unsettled. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

“Well, I’d love to hear how your
visit with Ethan went,” Dace said. “Your visit might tie in with why we’re here.”

“Okay?” I asked.

“We’ve just found out a few of the Praedivinus buildings were blown up,” Dace said quietly, as if the flames from the fireplace might be spying on us.

“That might be overstating it,” Bakula
chimed in. “There were fires set, not explosions.”

“There were two explosions,” Dace argued.

“Two explosions because the fires engulfed a propane tank in one and something else in another. You make it sound like there were bombs,” she chuckled. “Always so dramatic.”

“Are you serious?” I asked. My mind
wandered directly to the listening device we had planted. We had planned on checking it out this afternoon, but we hadn’t done it yet. I wondered what we might hear.

“Very serious,” Dace said. “I’d wager the battles have begun.”

I caught a slight glimpse of something from Dace that I didn’t recognize. I don’t know if it was anticipation or excitement or nervousness. I’d like to think it was the latter, but I wasn’t sure.

“So you think the Demonikers were responsible?” I asked.

They both began nodding and an unsettled feeling drifted over me. A few weeks ago, I would’ve been all too eager to tell Dace and Bakula everything Ethan told me, and everything we’d accomplished and overcome at his compound, but something was holding me back.

“Is there anything you want to tell us? Anything you found out when you were
at the Demonikers?” Bakula asked

“I’m still trying to absorb everything,” I said. “I think there’s more to these feuds than meets the eye.”

“Always is, my dear,” Bakula said, rubbing her hands together. “This is going to be one of our quickest trips here. I’m used to heat and even though we may be in the middle of a forest, we certainly have more of it than you do.”

“Sorry about that,” I replied, watching her movements. She seemed bothered, apprehensive.

“Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?” I asked, flipping the question.

“
We just want you to be careful. If they’re willing to do such blatant acts of destruction when the fingers point directly at them, that makes them very dangerous,” Bakula said.

“And by they, you mean the Praedivinus?” I questioned.

“Of course. Who else would we mean?” Dace asked. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing at all,”
I said, shrugging my shoulders. “Didn’t mean a thing.”

“
She was only clarifying, dear. I know we’re all on the edge with everything that’s going on,” Bakula said, attempting to calm Dace down.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” I said quietly.

“We’re worried about the connections you have to the altered world,” Bakula said.

“What do you mean?”

“I know we’ve mentioned it before, but if you accidentally let someone in your mind, they could really do some damage. And the
nectunt
you share with Logan actually makes him vulnerable as well…” Bakula’s voice trailed off.

“We’re not separating,” I protested.

“I only hope that’s the right decision,” Bakula said quietly.

“Did you know
an entire colony was wiped out this week in Arizona?” Dace asked, his eyes focusing intently on me. “Do you know how many fairies it takes to create a colony? Tens of thousands. And they’re gone. All of them. Every second we stand by and do nothing, we’re killing our own. I just hope you remember what side you’re on.”

I tilted my head and bent down
, looking him in his large, almond shaped eyes. He stared at me, folding his arms in front of him, pursing his lips.

“I will always try to do what I think is right. It might not always serve everyone’s purposes, but it is the best that I can do.
Whatever you’re implying or trying to trick out of me will do you no good. I’ve seen what the pursuit of immortality has done and is doing to your kind, and it hurts me beyond belief. But I won’t go on a killing spree to make two wrongs a right, because it won’t ever be. You guys have been there for me and guided me. I won’t let you down. I only hope I can expect the same from you going forward,” I said.

I took a step back and watched Dace straighten up and drop his arms to his side. Bakula wrapped her arm around his shoulder
s.

“You’re right and that’s why you are who you are,” Dace said
defeated, his voice solemn. “I just hope it’s enough.”

The doorbell rang and I nodded. “I do too.”

Turning toward the foyer, Dace and Bakula followed me to the entry as I let Angela and Jenny in. I got a quick hug from Jenny and a longer one from Angela.

“I still can’t believe how cool fairies are,” Angela said, letting go. “And to think I’ve lived eighteen years never even knowing they existed.”

Dace rolled his head in annoyance and pulled Bakula through the door.

“We’ll be in touch,” Bakula said to me as she was whisked through the door.

“What was that all about?” Jenny asked.

“More of the same,” I said, closing the door.

“The guys are out back,” I said, ushering them down the hall.

“Hey.” Trevor’s grin wide
ned as Angela stepped out to the backyard.

Trevor and Logan were securing the window into place, but Trevor managed to make his part in the process look far more impressive once Angela appeared. Logan started laughing
.

“So Dace and Bakula stopped by,” I started.

“Yeah?” Logan said, finishing the last of the installation.

“Apparently the Praedivinus have had some places
destroyed.”

“How so?” Trevor asked, stepping away from the window that now looked as good as new.

“I guess some fires were set. Dace and Bakula think it was the Demonikers. It’ll be interesting to see if we hear anything on the device we placed,” I suggested.

“Totally,” Logan replied, wiping his brow.