Chapter 665: Kidnapped
I came out of the dark as angry as I went in. It felt like swimming to the surface of a boiling lake, freezing cold beneath, flaming hot at the top. My demon practically leaped from my body when we surfaced into consciousness, pulling me upright, amber fire scorching the air around me.
Surrounded, blackness everywhere, the hum of werewolf energy, the pooling dark of sorcery. Yure Danko obviously had more he wanted to say to me.
And I had so much more to tell him. Though I would let my actions speak.
Let's see what a long, painful death did for his sense of godhood.
"Please, wait." My eyes tried to focus, heart pounding in time with my demon's pants, my vampire's hissing loud in my head even as the ground beneath me rumbled, Shaylee sharing her unhappiness. "We're not your enemies."
What a load of-
Hang on. No one attacked. In fact, I felt magic retreating. No way would the so-called Czar and his people give me the chance to get my feet under me, to shake the delirium of the black from my head. I staggered upright, the family magic begging to be released even as I smothered it further. If this was a trick, some means to make me use my power and give Applegate a reason to ban me from Europe, I wasn't taking the bait.
Not yet, anyway.
And it wasn't just dark because I was having trouble with my vision. Wherever I now found myself, there was very little light. My reaching hands, searching for support, met flesh, strong fingers, a powerful grip, firm but gentle. His sorcery connected with mine, but that was all. Just a touch to let me know he was there.
I turned, my eyes finding the moon outside a cracked and filthy window, teeth chattering all over again as shock and the cold set in. My demon sniffed around this stranger, not sure if she believed him friend or foe. I almost pushed him away, but the moment I moved to free myself my knees buckled and it was only his arm around my waist keeping me from going down.
"I'm sorry." His voice was low, a soft British accent not nearly as noticeable as Gwendolyn's adding a lilt to his voice. "We wanted to be sure you didn't give us trouble before we made it out of town. Are you all right?"
My vampire's spirit magic raced through me, burning away the last traces of whatever drug they'd used to knock me out. The flare of sorcery of the initial attack had clearly only been a way to distract me so the drug could take effect. So noted for the future.
Spirit power sizzled in my veins, waking me the rest of the way. I became acutely aware of the way this body felt against mine, the subtle scents of coffee and mint. Even in the low light coming through the windows, I made out his features as he looked down at me.
Damn it, why were all the cute ones so tall? Long blonde hair hung over one of his shoulders, his perfectly arched eyebrows raised over large eyes pale in the moonlight. High cheekbones framed his angled face, mouth a tense line as he gently let me go. I shivered, hugging myself, my wool pea coat no match for the freezing night air.
"You'd better have a damned good explanation for kidnapping me," I said, letting my demon out to growl while Shaylee shook the ground again. "If I don't hear something I like in five seconds, I'm not taking any prisoners. So start talking."
My captor shrugged his wide shoulders, floor-length greatcoat reminding me of Kristophe and his stupid wardrobe. Only on this guy, it looked great.
Damn it.
"I'm more than happy to do so," he said, bowing a little. "But I'm afraid it will have to wait." He glanced out the window with a tight expression before turning back to me. "We didn't make it nearly as far as I'd hoped before you began to wake." Was that admiration in his voice? "If we are to steal away to a safe location, we need to leave immediately."
"And what," I stiffened, fighting the cold for control, "makes you think," teeth chattering did nothing for my tough-girl act, "I'm going anywhere with you?"
"Because, Sydlynn," he said, offering his hand again. "I'm the only person who can help you free Charlotte Girard."
Someone eased closer, a shadow in the dark. When he turned his face, the moonlight touching familiar features, I sagged into the truth. Raoul looked back at me, misery in his eyes, the former wereguard of the Dumont family-Charlotte's father-looking as upset as I felt.
"I beg you," he said. "For my daughter, if she was ever your friend, as she claims. Trust these sorcerers. They are her only hope."
I hadn't seen Raoul since he abandoned me, just after Mom was arrested. Ran like a scared rabbit, leaving his daughter to pick up his slack. So much for werewolf honor. And yet, looking at me with his mix of worry and guilt added a thin layer to my growing trust.
Fine. I'd follow along with sorcerer boy. Until tall, blonde and yummynom proved to be either a liar or a major pain in my backside. The second he proved to be a liability or a threat, I'd be kicking his handsome ass.
Two other sorcerers and a handful of werewolves moved closer, guiding us out the back of the abandoned house and into a waiting truck. The rusted thing looked like the 70s called and wanted their beat-up disaster back. I was hustled into the truck bed with a boost from cutie patootie I really didn't need. And was he just looking at my ass?
Boys.
Turned out they got me under the cover of the makeshift tarp just in time. Empty-feeling power rolled over me, shielding and disguising me as a pair of blue flame flares burst into view overhead. I held my breath, knew the Enforcers had to be looking for me. Word of my kidnapping wouldn't have made it far past Applegate's awareness. And the idea I was out here, somewhere, unsupervised had to be yanking her chain.
This was the moment. If I wanted to be rescued, get away from Raoul and whatever his sorcerer friends were up to, all I had to do was say the word. Not that they were a threat. I wasn't getting threatening vibes from scrumptiouspants who hovered next to me, cheek practically pressed to mine as we shared the view. But I wasn't sure I was really interested in their agenda, aside from my need to get Charlotte back.
The only reason I didn't cut and run.
Not like me to take the easy route anyway. I held still, waiting, watched the black-robed forms float overhead through the back window and out the windshield of the old truck before the same blue fire flashed and they were gone.
Sorcerer boy grinned at me, winked as he withdrew his protective black shield. Kissed my cold cheek with his warm lips, a little flare of flame waking my skin. "Thank you," he said. "Now, if you'd like to take the place of honor," he gestured with exaggerated aplomb at a ratty old car seat tucked in the front corner of the truck bed, "we have places to be."
Well, since he put it that way.
***
