Shiela Stewart - [Darkness 05] Read online

  “What are you doing here?” Basil snarled.

  “I asked him to join us. I thought the more the merrier.” Trinity soothed Basil with a hand over the one he held on her shoulder.

  “Hey, you’re holding hands,” Gypsy chirped, bouncing up from her spot on Dante’s lap. “Does that mean the two of you are back together—Oh, Trinity said you were sleeping, Gabriella. You weren’t sleeping were you? Ha! At least someone’s relaxed.” She laughed and Dante pulled her back down onto his lap.

  “Remember how I told you there are times when you should think long and hard before speaking your mind?”

  Gypsy nodded.

  “Now is one of those times. Nice to see you both again.” Dante acknowledged Cooper and Gabriella.

  “We should get this ball rolling,” Basil growled, his eyes shifting away from Cooper.

  “That’s what I was saying before.” Standing, Trinity rolled her shoulders and admitted, at least to herself, that she felt a little better.

  “I’ll get it started.” Grabbing a bottle, Starla began sprinkling white powder on the floor.

  “What’s that?” Raven asked.

  “Healing salt. It acts as a protective barrier to the person inside the circle. In this case, Trinity. I need you to step inside now, Trinity.”

  Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the circle.

  “Give your arms a shake and take several deep breaths.”

  Feeling a little awkward having all eyes on her, Trinity did her best to relax. She took several deep breaths, giving her arms a shake.

  “Now, sit down in the circle, cross your legs, and place your hands on your knees, wrists up.”

  She did as she was instructed.

  “Good. Now everyone sit around the outside of the circle and join hands.” When they all had, Starla took a deep breath and began. “To the Goddess I beg a safe journey for your daughter, Trinity. In trust I lay my soul, and ask the Realm to open a hole. Guide her to the one she seeks, protect her as she leaps. So mote it be.” She took a deep breath before speaking to Trinity. “You may begin.”

  “What was that about a soul?” Danny whispered to her only to receive a “shh” from Basil.

  Trying to forget she was surrounded by people all staring at her, Trinity began her deep breathing. She counted out each breath until her body began to feel very light. Then she felt herself float. Up, up, up she went and the light began to shine. Squeezing her eyes shut to protect them from the bright light, she felt herself being pulled into the mystical realm. She’d been here before. Only that time she’d been dead.

  This time she was very much alive.

  She stopped when she arrived and looked around. When Rajana stepped in front of her, Trinity didn’t flinch.

  “Hello, my child.”

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Holding Gabriella’s hand, Cooper watched as one by one, the people in the circle began to look impatient. He was betting Gypsy would be the first to speak.

  “How long do we wait?”

  He was wrong.

  “No more than fifteen minutes,” Starla informed Danny.

  “Then what?”

  “If she doesn’t give me the signal, I pull her back.”

  “I don’t feel right about this,” Basil added, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

  “You’re just nervous,” Jonah reassured him.

  “And you wouldn’t be if it were Raven doing this?”

  Jonah nodded, linked his fingers a little tighter with Raven’s. “Of course I would be. I’m just saying your nerves are on high alert right now, that’s all.”

  “I never should have let her do this.” Basil shook his head.

  “She would have done it without your approval.”

  Basil turned to Starla with a tip of his head. “Why do you say that?”

  “She told me either way she was doing it. Even if it meant doing it alone.”

  “Damn her.” He started to stand and Starla pulled him back down.

  “You stand up now and you break her security. I know this is tough for you—”

  “You have no idea,” he snarled.

  “Fine, I can understand how difficult this must be for you, but it’s something she needed to do.”

  “I should have done it instead of her.”

  “This is something she needs to do,” Starla reaffirmed.

  “Only because she has some self-delusion that losing our daughter was her fault even though I’ve reassured her she had no idea what my mother was up to when Mother made Trinity sign that agreement. Damn both of them.”

  “It’s been fifteen minutes.”

  “What?” Starla turned to Cooper.

  “The time, it’s been fifteen minutes and she hasn’t given us the signal.”

  Starla checked her watch and frowned. “You’re right. Okay, get ready to pull her back down.”

  “About damn time,” Basil quipped.

  “In this land and no other, bring us Trinity from the other.” They all jerked once and fell backwards as they were blown over.

  “What the hell was that?” Basil barked out.

  “We were blocked,” Starla said. “Goddess of light, I ask you now, bring Trinity back from her flight.”

  Again they were knocked back, only this time, breaking them apart and separating the circle.

  “No!” Starla yelled.

  “Shit! We broke the circle,” Basil hollered.

  “Give me your hands. Everyone. Hands.” She held hers out and waited until everyone’s had been joined before beginning. “We call out to you Goddess to bring us Trinity safe and sound.” They were separated as if a blast had speared into the room.

  “Fuck!”

  “That is not good. She doesn’t swear unless it’s bad,” Danny informed everyone.

  Basil wasn’t the only one worrying now, and Cooper was right there next to him. “What is happening, Starla?”

  “She’s blocking us?”

  “Who?”

  “Rajana.”

  ***

  “Long time no see.” Staring at the beauty before her, Trinity didn’t hide her distain for the entity. “Where the hell is my daughter, you bitch.” She ran at the floating vision in white only to stumble forward when Rajana vanished.

  “Is that any way to treat the giver of your life?”

  Spinning around, Trinity glared at Rajana. “I want my daughter.”

  “She is safe.”

  “I want her back, now,” Trinity shouted, and with it came a violent wind that did no more than blow Rajana’s long, golden hair.

  “You signed an agreement, in your blood. She is rightfully mine.”

  “I didn’t know what I was signing away. I thought I was giving you permission to take my powers back.”

  “A costly mistake on your part, then, wasn’t it?”

  “You bitch!” Again, her charge at Rajana did nothing more than cause her to stumble. She was getting tired of the disappearing act. Her breath rushed out of her lungs when Rajana clutched her neck and lifted her a foot off the ground. Trinity struggled, fighting at the hand that strangled the air from her lungs. But the more she fought, the tighter the fingers became.

  “I think it is time you paid for your disrespect to your queen.”

  Trinity looked into the cold blue eyes of death and screamed.

  ***

  Cooper watched as arguments began to heat up and he could see Basil was growing steadily unstable. If he didn’t calm down soon, he would surely…

  “I think she knew.” Cooper noticed that no one had heard him. “I believe Trinity knew this might happen,” he said a little louder.

  “I don’t believe the
y’re listening to you, darling.”

  He gave a nod to Gabriella, then tried another tactic. Sticking his fingers between his lips, he whistled at a high enough pitch to make everyone stop bickering and cringe.

  “What the hell?” Basil wiggled a finger in his ears.

  “Thank you.” He cleared his throat, doing his best to ignore the nasty glares he received and continued. “I believe Trinity knew, or suspected this might happen.”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Cooper?”

  He walked right up to Basil as he responded. “She came to me earlier, at my home, and asked me to be here to help you should anything go wrong.”

  “That doesn’t mean she knew something like this would happen. We don’t have time for this. I need to get to her, get her back.”

  “Where are you going?” Cooper asked when Basil turned to leave.

  “To get some help.”

  Cooper hurried up beside Basil, stepping directly in front of him, stopping Basil mid stride. “Where exactly are you planning to go for this help?”

  “This is none of your concern now, Cooper, and I would prefer it if you weren’t here when I got back.”

  “Basil—”

  Cooper lifted his hand to stop Gabriella. “I was asked to take care of you should anything happen to Trinity and I certainly have no plans to let her down. I ask again, where are you planning on getting this help?”

  Basil gave Cooper a not so gentle shove. “None of your damn business.”

  “Okay, I think we all just need to calm down here.”

  “I don’t need your input right now, Jonah,” Basil snapped.

  “I’ll give you that one because I know you’re worried about Trin. So am I. But, as I recall, the last time you lost her you kind of went berserk. I think you should tell all of us what you plan to do.”

  Basil rounded on him, eyes blazing. “I have never had to answer to you, Jonah, and I don’t plan to start now, so back the hell off.”

  “We can help.” Dante stepped up, calmly. “When this all began we all agreed to do whatever it took to stop Chaos and end the darkness. As a group. We are not dividing now.”

  “When that’s your woman in trouble, then you can make the rules,” Basil hissed out in a vicious snarl. Then turning, started off towards the door.

  Cooper knew he had to do something now before Basil did something he would live to regret. The only thing he could think to do was control his mind.

  “You will sleep now,” he stated, entering into Basil’s mind. He was right there when Basil’s legs gave out and caught him in his arms.

  “What the hell?” Jonah exclaimed.

  Cooper lifted Basil into his arms, shifting him into a more comfortable position as he replied to the crowd of onlookers. “I put him to sleep.”

  “You what?” Jonah asked sharply.

  “I went into his mind and knocked him out. I need to get him to his room.” He knew very well as he carried Basil up the stairs that everyone would follow him. They didn’t disappoint.

  He laid Basil on his bed, adjusting him so he lay perfectly flat before turning to the people behind him. “It was for his own good. He was about to go to the Dark Mystics to ask for help in getting Trinity back. I couldn’t allow him to do that.”

  “Oh, he is going to be mighty pissed at you when he wakes up,” Jonah stated with a shake of his head.

  “That may very well be, but it is for his own good and I am only keeping my promise to Trinity not to let him do anything stupid. Now, I need to speak with you, Starla.”

  “Me? Why?”

  “In the other room. Please.” When she nodded, he turned to Gabriella, taking her arms in his hands. “I need you to sit with him and if he should wake, call to me.”

  “I will. I hope you know what you’re doing, Cooper.”

  So did he. “I’m doing what needs to be done.” He kissed her quickly, then escorted Starla from the room. He led her down the hall and away from eavesdroppers. “This spell you preformed, can it be modified?”

  She tilted her head in confusion. “How so?”

  “Can two people enter instead of just one?”

  Again, her brow drew together in confusion. “Um…I don’t know. I would have to look into it but I know it would be risky.”

  “What is life without risks? Another question. If you were to link with two powerful entities, would you be able to feed off their power to punch a hole into the Realm that would allow said entities to travel into it?”

  “Okay, that just sounds weird. Again, I don’t know. I suppose it would be possible. I am assuming we’re talking about other witches?”

  “No. You would use mine and Basil’s powers. I may not be as powerful as Basil but I do have strength that would be beneficial to you to aid in your attempt.”

  “Okay, sure, but I can tell you doing something like that could have devastating consequences.”

  He didn’t care. “I’m willing to risk it.”

  “You could die.”

  He wasn’t prepared for that one. His pause was enough to indicate to Starla that he was concerned.

  “Yeah, so, it was a nice thought.”

  “It’s the only way.” He couldn’t keep Basil sedated forever and he knew the instant he released him Basil would head straight for the Dark Mystics. But not before showing Cooper how unimpressed he was at being controlled. “We need to do this as soon as possible.”

  Starla let out a long sigh before responding. “Okay, but I will not do this without Basil’s consent.”

  “You’ll get it.” He gave her shoulder a light squeeze before returning to Basil’s room. As it was before he’d left, the room was still full with worried bodies. He took a moment to glance at Basil, still asleep on the bed, then turned to the crowd. “You had all better fuel up and get some rest. We’re about to do some strong magics and I am going to need all of you in prime form.”

  “Cooper—”

  He lifted only a hand to silence Jonah. “I have asked Starla to look into what it will take to punch a hole in the Realm to allow both Basil and I inside to retrieve Trinity. It is a powerful spell and it will require everyone at their best. Basil and I will need to draw positive energy from each and every one of you. It will drain you but you will bounce back. If anyone isn’t up for this, speak now.”

  “I’ll let you know after I speak with Starla.” Saying his piece, Danny left the room.

  “Anyone else?”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing, Cooper. I’m in,” Dante informed him.

  “Me too,” Gypsy followed.

  “I have to do this,” Jonah stated to Raven.

  “Then we’ll do this together.”

  “Great! Now go get some rest. Pick a room and I will come get you when we’re ready.” Cooper waited until everyone had left the room before turning his attention to Gabriella. “What I have planned could have dire repercussions.”

  “How dire?”

  He stroked his hands along her arms in a soothing manner. “Starla will need to draw on my energy, using my special abilities in order for me to be able to go into the Realm with Basil. It could weaken me to the point where I may not be able to return.”

  “Well, you had better damn well return or I will come and kick your ass back here.” She took his hands in hers, gripping them tightly. “I am not losing you now.”

  “I will fight to return to you. I just need to prepare you in case something does happen.”

  “I won’t lie and tell you I wish you wouldn’t do this.”

  Raising her hands, he brushed his lips gently over her knuckles. “I love you beyond life itself. But he is like a son to me.” His eyes drifted to Basil. “If he loses Trinity now, he will become his father. I didn’t risk my lif
e to rescue him all those years ago from that madman only to have him turn into that monster now. I need to do this.”

  “I know. And I love you for it.” She tugged him towards the door. “Now take your own advice and go get some rest.”

  “But I—”

  She closed her mouth over his, ending his protest. “Rest,” she insisted.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Smiling, he left the room. He truly was a lucky man.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  The Realm of Mystics had always been described as a heaven for vampires and demons, yet being here now, Trinity wondered if it really was. Her idea of heaven was not being locked in a cell with no window other than a tiny slit on the door only wide enough for eyes to peer in or out. She felt claustrophobic, like the walls were closing in on her and if she didn’t get out soon, she would go insane.

  “Let me out of here, damn it!” She pounded her fists on the metal door and the echoing sound terrified her. Where exactly was she? Were there no other people around? Why did it sound so empty?

  Why wasn’t anyone coming to get her? She’d thought that by now Starla would have figured out a different way to break into the Realm to rescue her. It had been days, to her calculations, and still she was locked in the hellish cell of glowing white. She hated white. If she never saw white again she would be so damn happy. It was like walking in a fog, mist surrounded her, scattered when she moved, and it was damn annoying. It looked as if there was no floor beneath her even though she felt it. It was all freaking her out.

  “I want some answers, Rajana. That’s the least you can give me.” She jumped when Rajana appeared through the door. “Shit! That is freaky.”

  “You bellowed?”

  Trinity was getting tired of Rajana’s smarmy attitude. “Where are you keeping my daughter?”

  “She is safe and happy where she is.”

  Trinity gritted her teeth. “Answer the damn question.”

  “I need not answer anything. I rule here and no one…” Rajana leaned in close and Trinity could feel the iciness of the queen’s presence waver over her. “No one questions me.”

  “Bravo for you. Must be hard holding that swelled head up all day long. Where is my daughter?”