Morrigan's Cross - Circle Trilogy 1 Part 33

"Break's about over," he announced. "We can get an hour's workout in. Toughen up that skinny a.s.s of yours."

She grinned. "Or we could work with the bow. Improve that poor aim of yours." "Come on, smart-a.s.s." He frowned, glanced toward the doorway. "You hear something?"

"Like a knocking?" She shrugged, and because she tarried to straighten the books, was several paces behind him out of the room.

Glenna trotted down the steps. What little progress they were making she could leave to Hoyt for the time being. Someone had to see about the evening meal-and since she'd put her name on the list, she was elected. She could toss together a marinade for some chicken, then go back up for another hour.

A good meal would set the tone for a team meeting.

She'd just drop by the library, yank Moira away from the books for a cooking lesson while she was at it. Maybe it was s.e.xist to put the only other woman next on the KP list, but she had to start somewhere.

The knock on the door made her jolt, then pa.s.s a nervous hand through her hair.

She nearly called up the stairs for Larkin or King, then shook her head. Talk about s.e.xist.

How was she going to fare in serious battle if she couldn't even open the door herself on a rainy afternoon? It could be a neighbor, dropping by to pay a courtesy call. Or Cian's caretaker, stopping by to make sure they had everything they needed.

And a vampire couldn't enter the house, couldn't step over the threshold, unless she asked it in.

A highly unlikely event.

Still, she looked out the window first. She saw a young woman of about twenty-a pretty blonde in jeans and a bright red sweater. Her hair was pulled back into a tail that swung out of the back of a red cap. She was holding a map- seemed to be puzzling over it as she chewed on a thumbnail.

Someone's lost, Glenna thought, and the sooner she got her on her way and away from the house, the better for everyone.

The knock sounded again as she turned from the window.

She opened the door, careful to keep to her side of the threshold.

"h.e.l.lo? Need some help?"

"h.e.l.lo. Thank you, yes." There was relief, and a heavy dose of French in the woman's voice. "I am, ah, lost. Excusezmoi, my English, is not so good." "That's okay. My French is fairly nonexistent. What can I do for you?"

"Ennis? S'il vous plait? May you tell me how the road it goes to Ennis?"

"I'm not sure. I'm not from around here myself. I can look at the map." Glenna watched the woman's eyes as she held out a hand for it- her fingertips on her side of the door. "I'm Glenna. Je suis Glenna."

"Ah, oui. Je m'apelle Lora. I am in holiday, a student."

"That's nice."

"The rain." Lora held out a hand so rain drops splattered it. "I am lost in it, I think."

"Could happen to anyone. Let's have a look at your map, Lora. Are you by yourself?"

"Pardon?"

"Alone? Are you alone?"

"Oui. Mes amies-my friends-I have friends in Ennis, but I turn bad. Wrong?"

Oh no, Glenna thought. I really don't think so. "I'm surprised you could see the house from the main road. We're so far back."

"Sorry?" Glenna smiled brilliantly. "I bet you'd like to come in, have a nice cup of tea while we figure out your route." She saw the light come into the blonde's baby blue eyes. "But you can't, can you? Just can't step through the door."

"Je ne comprendrez pas."

"Bet you do, but in case my Spidey sense is off today, you need to go back to the main road, turn left. Left," she repeated and started to gesture.

King's shout behind her had her spinning around. Her hair swung, the tips of it going beyond the doorway. There was an explosion of pain as her hair was viciously yanked, as her body flew out of the house and hit the ground with a bone-wracking thud.

There were two more, and they came out of nowhere. Instinct had Glenna reaching for her cross with one hand, kicking out blindly with her feet. Movement was a blur, and she tasted blood in her mouth. She saw King slicing at one with a knife, holding it off while he shouted at her to get up, to get into the house.

She stumbled to her feet in time to see them surround him, closing in. She heard herself screaming, and thought-hoped-she heard answering shouts from the house. But they would be too late. The vampires were on King like dogs. "French b.i.t.c.h," Glenna spat out, and charged the blonde.

Her fist cracked bone, and there was satisfaction in that, and the sudden spurt of blood. Then she was once more hurdling back, and this time when she hit, her vision went gray.

She felt herself being dragged, struggled.

It was Moira's voice buzzing in her ear.

"I have you. I have you. You're back inside. Lie still."

"No. King. They've got King."

Moira was already das.h.i.+ng out, dagger drawn. As Glenna pushed herself up, Larkin vaulted over her and through the door.

Glenna gained her knees, then swayed to her feet. Sickness burned its acrid taste at the base of her throat as she once more stumbled to the door.

So fast, she thought dully, how could anything move that fast? As Moira and Larkin gave chase, they bundled the still struggling King into a black van. They were gone before she got out of the house.

Larkin's body s.h.i.+mmered, shuddered, and became a cougar. The cat flashed after the van and out of sight. Glenna went to her knees on the wet gra.s.s, and retched.

"Get inside." Hoyt grabbed her arm with his free hand. In his other was a sword. "Inside the house. Glenna, Moira, get inside."

"It's too late," Glenna cried, while tears of horror spilled out of her eyes. "They have King." She looked up, saw Cian standing behind Hoyt. "They took him. They took King."

Chapter 15

"In the house," Hoyt repeated. As he started to drag Glenna inside, Cian shoved past him and flew toward the stables.

"Go with him." Glenna struggled past the tears and pain. "Oh, G.o.d, go with him. Hurry."

Leaving her, shaking and bleeding, was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

The door where the black machine sat was open. His brother tossed weapons carelessly inside.

"Will this catch them?" Hoyt demanded.

Cian barely spared him a glance with eyes rimmed red. "Stay with the women. I don't need you."

"Need or not, you have me. How the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l do I get inside this thing?" He fought with the door, and when it opened, folded himself inside it.

Cian said nothing, only got behind the wheel. The machine let out a vicious roar, seemed to quiver like a stallion poised to run.

And then they were flying. Stones and sod spewed into the air like missiles. Hoyt caught a glimpse of Glenna in the doorway, holding the arm he feared might be broken.

He prayed to all the G.o.ds he'd see her again.

She watched him go, and wondered if she'd sent her lover to his death. "Get all the weapons you can carry," she told Moira.

"You're hurt. Let me see to you."

"Get the weapons, Moira." She turned, her face fierce and bloodied. "Or do you intend for us to stay here like children while the men do the fighting?"

Moira nodded. "Do you want blade or bow?"

"Both."

Glenna went quickly to the kitchen, gathered bottles. Her arm was screaming, so she quickly did what she could to block the pain.

This was Ireland, she thought grimly, and that should mean plenty of churches. In the churches would be holy water. She carried the bottles, along with a butcher knife and a bundle of garden stakes to the van.

"Glenna." With a longbow and crossbow slung over her shoulders, two swords in her hand, Moira crossed to the van. She put the weapons inside, then held up one of the silver crosses by its chain. "This was up in the training room. I think it must be King's. He has no protection."

Glenna slammed the cargo door. "He has us."

Hedgerows and hills were no more than a blur through the gray curtain of rain. Hoyt saw other machines-cars, he reminded himself- traveling the wet road, and the edges of a village.

He saw cattle in fields, and sheep, and the ramble of stone fences. He saw nothing of Larkin, or the car that held King.

"Can you track them in this?" he asked Cian.

"No." He spun the wheel, sent up a flood of water. "They'll take him to Lilith. They'll keep him alive." He had to believe it. "And take him to Lilith."

"The caves?" Hoyt thought how long it had taken him to travel from his cliffs to Clare.

But that had been on horseback, and he'd been wounded and feverish. Still the journey would take time. Too much time.

"Alive? Cian, why will they take him alive?" "He'd be a prize to her. That's what he is, a prize. He's alive. She'd want the kill for herself. We can't be that far behind them. Can't be. And the Jag's faster than the b.l.o.o.d.y van they have him in."

"He won't be bitten. The cross will stop that."

"It won't stop a sword or an arrow. A f.u.c.king bullet. Guns and bows aren't the weapons of choice," he said almost to himself.

"Too remote. We like close kills, and some tradition with it. We like to look in the eyes.

She'll want to torture him first. Wouldn't want it to be quick." His hands tightened on the wheel enough to bruise the leather. "Should buy us some time."

"Night's coming."

What Hoyt didn't say, and they both knew, was there would be more of them at night.

Cian swung around a sedan at a speed that had the Jag fishtailing on the slick road, then the tires bit in and he shot forward again. A flash of headlights in his eyes blinded him, but didn't slow him down. He had a moment to think: b.l.o.o.d.y tourists, as the oncoming car edged him over. Branches of hedgerows sc.r.a.ped and rattled over the side and windows of the Jag. Loose gravel spat out like stone bullets.

"We should've caught up with them by now. If they took another route, or she's got another hole... " Too many options, Cian thought, and pushed for more speed. "Can you do anything? A locator spell?"

"I haven't any... " He slapped a hand to the dash as Cian shot around another curve.

"Wait." He gripped the cross he wore, pushed power into it. And bearing down, brought its light into his mind.

"s.h.i.+eld and symbol. Guide me. Give me sight."

He saw the cougar, running through the rain, the cross las.h.i.+ng like a silver whip around its throat.

"Larkin, he's close. Fallen behind us.

Keeping to the fields. He's tiring." He searched, feeling with the light as if it were fingers.

"Glenna-and Moira with her. They didn't stay in the house, they're moving. She's in pain."

"They can't help me. Where's King?"

"I can't find him. He's in the dark."

"Dead?"

"I don't know. I can't reach him."

Cian slammed on the brakes, wrenched the wheel. The Jag went into a sickening spin, revolving closer and closer to the black van that sat across the narrow road. There was a scream of tires and a dull thud as metal slapped metal. Cian was out before the motion stopped, sword in hand. When he wrenched open the door of the van he found nothing. And no one.

"There's a woman here," Hoyt called out.

"She's hurt."