Part 16 (1/2)

I stood and walked out of the room. I met James in the hallway and told him to check on Pallo in a few minutes. He didn't ask why I was crying and I was happy for that. I pushed my door open and went straight to my bathroom. Turning the water on, I let it fill the tub. I walked back out and checked Giovanni's suitcase again. Nothing had changed. He was gone and I knew it. He never said good-bye or even bothered to give me a reason. He'd just up and left. He'd been so full of promises about not going anywhere and always being there for me that I'd actually began to believe him.

Always the fool, Gwen!

I started to take my s.h.i.+rt off and stopped when I saw something out my window. Peering out, I thought I saw someone standing outside my window, but I was on the second story so it made me question the logic in that. I drew the curtain shut. As I pulled my navy sweater up and over my head, the hairs on my body rose again. I heard the sound of breaking gla.s.s and something grabbed a hold of the back of my hair before I registered what was going on.

My feet left the floor and the broken windowpane cut my arms. The soles of my shoes slapped down on the porch roof and I tried to get to my feet. My attacker jumped off the side and my head smacked down against the roof before he dragged my body over the edge, too. My shoulders cracked as my body slammed into the ground. I reached up and grabbed the half-hairy arm that was dragging me by my hair.

I dug my nails in and tried to get him to let me go. He wouldn't. I kept holding on if only to prevent him from ripping my hair right out of my head. I tried to dig my feet into the ground and to claw at him, but he only pulled me faster towards the woods. I heard someone screaming and realized it was me. The man dragging me stopped quickly and bent over me.

My eyes widened as I saw Fritz's punk-rock styled black hair above me. His fist came at my face hard and fast. I heard Caleb calling my name as the darkness swallowed me whole.

”Bella, Bella mia....”

I followed the sound of Giovanni's voice. I knew I was dreaming of the box hedge maze at his home, but I didn't know why. It was twice as tall as it was in real life and the bushes were a burning red color. That was a dead giveaway to it being a dream. I heard Giovanni call my name again and I ran around the corner expecting to find him. All I found was a dead end.

”Bella mia...”

I spun around. ”Giovanni, I can't find you. Where are you?”

”Bella, I love you.”

The sound of his voice held so much sorrow. I knew this was his way of telling me he would not be coming back to me.

I turned and ran faster down each pa.s.sageway, trying desperately to find him. ”Giovanni ... please, please don't do this.”

His cool energy wrapped around me. I could tell it hurt him to say good-bye to me, but I also could sense he had no choice. I closed my eyes and let him envelop his essence around me.

”Amore mia, vita mia, amore eternal,” he whispered softly to me.

Something tugged on my waist and my wrist. I tried to fight the pain and stay in my dream with Giovanni near me, but I couldn't. Something grabbed my chin and I felt myself waking.

My body hurt and my eyes were heavy. I tried to open them, but only one was working. My left eye only opened a little and that hurt like h.e.l.l. Someone squeezed my chin and I looked down at the pale thin arm in front of me. My head was yanked upwards and I found myself face to face with Malita.

Oh, goodie. The b.i.t.c.h welcome wagon.

Her long blonde hair was pulled tightly back from her face. I'd never noticed how sharp her features were before. G.o.d, she was born to be a b.i.t.c.h. She glared at me and then smiled.

”You don't deserve Pallo or Giovanni!” She let go of my chin and my face fell forward. My forehead smacked something hard and I realized I was tied to a tree. I jerked and the ropes binding me pulled tighter, cutting off circulation.

”The Para-regs will be here soon. My people will clear out, leaving the path open wide for them to get to you.” She tipped her head back and laughed. ”Oh, the fun they'll have with you. I do so hope they make a grand example out of the daughter of the Dark King.” With that, she pivoted and left me tied to the tree.

I wanted to draw upon my powers but was weak and disoriented. I sensed someone coming and fear slammed through me. Drawing in a deep breath, I waited for what would mostly likely be my doom.

”Gwen?” Caleb asked, sounding out of breath. ”Christ, what the h.e.l.l ....”

”Come, let us free her.” The sound of Pallo's voice made me smile. It meant he was healed, at least enough to be alive-or whatever it was an already dead guy called it.

They worked quickly, untying me from the tree. Caleb put his hands over my wrists and sent healing energy through them. ”She did a f.u.c.king number on you. What happened?”

”I don't know,” I said, shaking my head. ”I woke up tied to the tree. She only just left. We could catch her.”

Pallo exhaled loudly. ”For now we pull back and a.s.sess the damage they have done to our side.”

”Or we could hunt the b.i.t.c.h down and kill her incredibly slowly,” I offered, feeling better thanks to Caleb.

Pallo smiled. ”All in good time, Gwyneth. Come.”

They hurried me back through the dense wooded area and we finally broke through to my yard. The farmhouse never looked so good. They bypa.s.sed it and headed for the guesthouse that Mikhail was staying in.

I gasped. ”Is Mikhail hurt?”

”No,” Caleb said, helping to steady me. ”Everyone is pulling back to there. It's the best spot to set up a defensive position. Besides, it's also where I store my extra weapons.”

I blinked. ”You're joking right?”

He grinned. ”Nope.”

We rushed forward and were greeted by a very naked Nicholas. There was a nasty gaping wound in his torso. The sight of it didn't make me sick. No. It sent a worry like I'd never known through me.

Pus.h.i.+ng away from Caleb, I ran towards the staircase. ”Nick!”

He staggered. ”I'm... fine. Just need to sit down a minute.”

Mikhail appeared, took one look at Nicholas and paled. ”Nicholas!”

Nicholas waved a hand dismissively. ”I'm fine. Really.”

”So fine you cannot s.h.i.+ft and heal this?” Mikhail prompted.

I closed the distance between Nicholas, not caring that he was b.u.t.t naked. In fact, it barely registered in my mind. My only concern was the fact he was injured. I reached out to see how bad his wound was and he lost his balance on the staircase, tumbling onto me. I tried to lift him but wasn't strong enough.

”Nick, off...”

Nicholas didn't move. His magik surged, moving up through him. His breathing grew faster and the weight of his body pressed down harder on me. His magik slammed into mine and mine recognized his. I'd never had that happen before. I tried to pull mine away, but I couldn't control it. I could hear Caleb yelling and I felt someone's hands trying to pull me free of Nicholas. I knew that if they separated us now, one of us might not survive. I grabbed tightly to Nicholas's arm and he put his head down on me.

I closed my eyes tightly, my head feeling like it was splitting. Quickly, another vision came on. I'd worked hard at controlling them lately and thought for sure I had it mastered.

Guess not.

In my mind, I saw Giovanni and Mikhail sitting on the hill near Giovanni's home. It was dark, but I could plainly see a child running through the herb gardens. The little boy's hair was dark as the night and his eyes were a deep, dark blue. His little face was so perfectly round. The only hint of the coming features of adult hood was the tiny dimpled chin he had. I watched Giovanni put his hands out and the child came running to him yelling, ”Papa”.

Nicholas tried to pull his memories back from me. He knew I was sharing them, but our magik wouldn't allow it. I dove into another moment from his childhood when he was around five. He was standing on the other side of a door with it cracked open, watching Giovanni have a heated discussion with someone. Giovanni's body lifted into the air and blood flew out from his chest and arms. I screamed at the same time the younger version of Nicholas did. I saw large arms wrap around him quickly. Mikhail picked him up and turned with him to run. Nicholas kept his eyes on the cracked open door and it burst open the same time Mikhail was heading out with him. Pallo stood in the doorway. His hands were dripping with Giovanni's blood and his eyes were black and wild. Little Nicholas did not feel fear, he felt hatred.

”Gwyneth!” Pallo shouted, yanking me from the visions of Nicholas' youth.

I glanced up to find Pallo holding onto to my shoulders. He saw me open my eyes and turned quickly to glare at Nicholas who was now leaning back from me on the steps. Reaching out, Pallo grabbed Nicholas by his throat. He lifted his limp body high into the air and threw him across the railing. I jumped to my feet and screamed as I watched Nicholas' body flying across the yard. He crashed down and slid a few feet. He didn't move.

Mikhail sprang over the side of the railing and was to him before I could shout again. I hit Pallo's back hard. He spun around and grabbed my wrist. ”Gwyneth, he attacked you. Caleb said he was using his magik on you.”