Chapter 35
“The town is beautiful,” Evangeline murmured.
Bran wrapped his arm around her. “Maybe we can visit when we don’t have anything else going on.”
“Yes, definitely. It would be nice to get lost for a while, forget all about everything back home, and just be with you.”
He grinned. “Date number two?”
“Still have to have date number one.”
“As soon as this is over, we will,” he promised.
Why had she waited so long to accept Bran into her life? She honestly couldn’t say.
Robert led them through the lobby and up the stairs to their room. “Tremaine is getting food. Figure we can eat in your room, if that’s all right.”
“Sure, though is a Rift Bender bad?”
Robert shook his head. “My heart belongs to two. I’d have to say that like anyone, they have the capacity to be either good or evil. Tremaine and Liz are Rift Benders, and neither are evil. Though I will ask you to keep the secret.”
Blinking, Evangeline nodded. “I wouldn’t share something like that, but why shouldn’t anyone know?”
“He’ll explain soon.” He stepped toward the door. “I’ll see you both for dinner. Savon and Nate are coming too.” He left and Bran caught Evangeline’s hand, pulling her closer.
“You okay?” Bran asked.
She nodded.
“You seem quiet.”
A laugh escaped. “He just left and somehow, I’m guessing we don’t have time to do what I want to do.”
“Me?” He waggled his brows.
“Yeah, you. But I suppose they’re already dealing with dinner. Which means I don’t have enough time.”
He caught her face in his hands and placed his mouth on hers in sweet exploration. No rushing, just slow, leisurely. She could kiss him for hours, his mouth on hers, their tongues dancing, no care in the world.
A knock interrupted them. She leaned back, a slow smile spreading on her face. “Never wanted that to end.”
“I would have continued forever.” He bit his kiss-swollen lip and moved toward the door.
She went gooey inside. Sighing, she sank into a chair before her weak knees could decide to give out.
Bran opened the door. “Hey, come on in.”
Savon pushed her way inside and shot Evangeline a glare. “You can’t just zip Bran away when we all go clear across the world to help. You had no right to put him in danger without the rest of us.”
Evangeline opened her mouth to speak, but Bran cut her off.
“She did no such thing. And you won’t take that tone of voice with my mate. Are we clear?”
Savon’s eyes narrowed. “You’re stupid, you know that? Zariha is bad news. You—I can’t lose you.” She sighed, her head dropping.
“You would have done the same thing with Nate,” Bran said softly.
“Yeah, maybe.”
Bran snorted.
Nate shook his head, but there was humor in his brown eyes. “I’m not happy about you both disappearing without us, but Robert couldn’t get over there, and everyone is safe, so I guess we can’t bitch too hard.”
Evangeline let out a laugh. “I’m not worried about the lighthouse where Zariha can’t go. Here, well, that’s another story. It feels off here, like it did in the woods, and I can only imagine that means he’s here, somewhere.”
Savon huffed and hugged Bran, then turned to Evangeline with a tight smile. “Sorry. Honest, I get it. But I can’t help wanting to protect my brother.”
“Understandable.” Evangeline looked at Tremaine. “So, what’s a Rift Bender?”
“This doesn’t leave the room.”
“Of course not,” Evangeline promised.
Savon smiled. “You know me well enough to know I’ll never speak of it.”
Bran tipped his head. “Never tell a soul.”
“Neither will I,” Nate added.
Tremaine took a seat. “Rift benders are half mage and half druid. The way our magic blends can be dangerous at times. Get enough of us together and we can cause mass destruction, but we can also do a lot of good.”
Savon walked over and squeezed his shoulder. “No one here thinks you’d misuse your magic. Least of all me.”
One corner of his mouth tipped up. “I realize that, but you need to understand why very few people know what I am, and why I need to keep it that way. Especially with our baby on the way with another Rift Bender. Part of Crimson Dawn involves ten Rift Benders. It’s how they want to bring an old, dead world into our own.”
“Although, it’s not as dead now,” Ceridwen murmured, a slight smile to her face. “However, I don’t believe they know that. Not that it would change their plans.”
“Probably not,” Robert offered. “The point is, the Dark Templar used to hunt down Rift Benders and either killed them, or gave them HARP. There’s the issue. Some would try to use him, or hunt him.”
Nate nodded. “We understand.”
Evangeline nodded. “Without a doubt. But what does a Rift Bender do?”
“A lot of things. We can create rifts between realms, ones that blend realms, and those that can act as a portal. And if a Rift Bender protected her cave, and the lighthouse, maybe other things, there’s a good chance she’s in one of his rifts. The question is, can I find this rift?”
Evangeline rubbed at her forehead. “There’s no guarantee we can get her out of the rift?”
“Do we need to?” asked Nate.
Evangeline nodded. “She needs the token. I think she wants to help get rid of Zariha. I mean, that thing is feeding off people, right?”
Robert nodded. “There was a funeral at the cemetery down the road. Two bodies. Two witches, both drained of magic. He’s already killing here.”
Preston spoke up, “And I can sense that he’s been in an area, but I can’t discern a direction. Tracking is rarely an issue for me. Right now, I have no idea how to find him.”
Ceridwen glanced around and lifted a shoulder. “He can’t be found until he’s ready. He’s able to slip between this plane and the next. And I’m assuming he’s picked one he can watch us from, and we can’t see him. He learned that trick from me.”
“Wait, what?” Evangeline asked.
“We were lovers once upon a time. Until he faded to the shadows.” Ceridwen let out a sigh. “Unfortunately, our race can be full of so much light we glow as if we’re made from the sun, or flow with shadows.”
Savon smiled. “Your aura is radiant.”
“I’ve learned to hide it. Most humans, and I’m not talking about casters, assume we’re gods, angels, or other divine entities. I’d prefer to pass for something more mundane. I don’t want misplaced worship.”
Evangeline shook her head. “And you are?”
“A mystic. Zariha is the dark version. He feeds off magic. Though he seems to be limited to what he can take. I’m not sure why that is, but I haven’t seen him in eons.”
“I was able to take Bran with me. Can I take Tremaine with me? To see if we can figure out the rifts?”
“And what about us?” Savon asked.
Robert tipped his head side to side. “We should see if we can find some trace of Zariha before he strikes again. If you, Ceridwen, and Nate can handle that, we should go see if we can figure out the rifts.”
“Why all three of you?” Nate asked.
“Our magic compliments each other. It’s why we can track people through memories and connections. Preston does the tracking, I can slip into the persons’ minds, and Tremaine is the Rift Bender. And I’m assuming Bran won’t leave Evangeline’s side, so I can’t see another way to do this.”
Savon let out a sigh. “Okay, I guess I feel better knowing Ceridwen isn’t going too.”
Ceridwen rolled her eyes. “Evangeline is new to translocation. Taking four with her can be challenging. It’s why I’m not suggesting all of us. Besides, Zariha can’t get there, so we may be able to find him and deal with him.”
“Doubt it will be that easy,” muttered Nate.
There was a knock on the door. “First, food,” Tremaine stated, going to the door.
* * * *
A new hum buzzed through the air. Evangeline and her strange half-beast lover. Neither were quite what they seemed, but had powerful magic, though both were still werewolves.
Zariha tried to get a sense of where, but couldn’t determine a direction. Wards kept their location a secret.
Sooner or later, they’d come out, probably to go to the lighthouse. They couldn’t translocate, could they? Doubtful. Mystics were the only ones with the ability, and whatever their magic was, they weren’t mystics.
Still, he crept through town. Most of the inhabitants had warded their homes in such a way he could no longer enter—the businesses too. He’d been stealing a little from people walking on the streets, but even most of them had enough warding on their person he could find few to pull energy from.
No lack of power yet, but too much longer without finding a way to break through to the lighthouse, and he may wither away.
Zariha floated through the streets, searching for anyone talking about the lighthouse. He needed more information about the building itself. Someone had manned it the last time he was there.
Why not now?
Not a single word was spoken. Though he’d often seen someone looking off at the lighthouse in the distance. And every time he tried to approach, they disappeared. A heavy fog would roll in and he’d vanish before he could be found.
Something more was going on.
Perhaps he’d search for the man once more. Sooner or later he’d have to find him unawares.