Cross Waves, page 26
Julia’s eyes were large and round. A turquoise-red fog surrounded her. Whatever she was about to say, she believed, and it terrified her. “I had a dream. Nonna, too. I know you always tell me not to take them too seriously, since they’re so easy to misinterpret, but…”
“What? Tell me.”
Julia gripped her arms. Her nails pinched Geneva’s skin. She didn’t dare protest, though, lest she interrupt Julia’s confession.
“The man in my dream. It was the same man who warned me Rolf’s life was endangered last time. Remember? The day we went to Coffersations?”
Geneva forced her eyes off the violet-red-turquoise haze surrounding Julia. “What did he tell you?”
“He came to warn me. Rolf’s in danger. We are to find Rolf and the crystals, or he’ll be killed.”
Nate stepped forward. “It’s a dream. One possible outcome. Danny and I can find Rolf and the crystals.”
“No.” Geneva watched as the water in her glass twisted into a mini-tornado. “I’m tracking him. It will be much faster if I do it, since I don’t need to leave this room to use my talent. He’s in the area. I sense him. The crystals, too. Promise me when I find him you won’t harm him.” Geneva turned her head to the others. “All of you.”
Peter leaned over her bed. “Cynthia has implicated you in her father’s murder. I have orders to bring you in for questioning. You are technically not free to help us.”
Geneva gritted her teeth. “You know darn well I had nothing to do with Kaitlyn’s murder or the senator’s.”
“Unfortunately, there’s evidence indicating otherwise. A few synthetic crystals were found in your apartment.”
“I had nothing to do with the crystals. Someone must have planted them there. I’ve been framed.”
“Although I admit it looks damaging, I happen to believe you. The CMU will make you an offer. We will delay our questioning in exchange for your help tracking Rolf. What do you say? Can you close your eyes and find Rolf?”
“I want your word you won’t harm him. You’ll hear him out and give him a chance to prove his innocence.”
Peter cleared his throat. “If you can find Rolf Jorgensen, I promise we won’t harm him, unless, of course, he attempts to injure you or any other innocent person. I think all of us will agree, we cannot stand by and watch him hurt you.”
“He won’t harm me. He loves me.”
“All right. Let’s give it a try then, shall we?”
“Wait.” Nate grasped Peter’s shoulder and turned to face Geneva. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t have to do this. We’ll find him. The crystals, too, if they’re out there.”
Geneva locked eyes with her oldest brother. Always protective. It wouldn’t do to show fear, or he’d try to prevent her from helping. “Thanks, but yeah, I’m sure.”
“Okay,” Peter said. “Clear out, everyone. Let Geneva prepare herself, and we’ll get started.”
The men left the room, leaving Geneva with Julia and Nonna. She changed into street clothes and the three of them spent a few moments meditating, which helped to focus their abilities. By the time the men returned, she was ready to begin the search.
She sat in a chair. The rest of the group gathered, some standing around her chair, some sitting on the hospital bed. Geneva took a deep breath. Her lungs inflated, and colors rushed forward to greet her. First the familiar teal and royal blue of her brothers, followed by the arctic blue of Peter, then Julia’s violet energy and Nonna’s green, so much like Rolf’s and yet, darker. Her mind grasped the thread of color and moved beyond the hospital walls out onto Euclid Avenue, sifting, searching, and straining for recognizable energy streams.
A spot of yellow caught Geneva’s notice. She drew it close for inspection. Not the blinding yellow of Cynthia Torra. She tossed it aside and another color rose to take its place, green not yellow. A bit farther, another yellow, harsher than the first. Geneva took measured breaths to slow her racing heart. Cynthia. Not far from the Clinic.
Her pulse slowed, but her blood chugged through her veins. There, just beyond Cynthia, a familiar green. She’d almost missed it due to the dark streaks. Rolf closed in on Cynthia and fast. He used dark energy to track her.
Geneva’s eyes shot open on a gasp, causing Nate, who stood next to her, to jump.
“I found them.”
“Where?” Nate asked in unison with the others.
She stood. “Hurry. We’ve little time. They’re both on Euclid Avenue. Not far from here. We need to get going.”
Nate stood in front of her. “We’ll take it from here.”
“Get out of my way, Nate.”
Nonna’s steady voice broke the silence. “If your sister isn’t present when we find my grandson, it will be a dead body we encounter. Rolf’s and Geneva’s fates are like this.” Nonna held two fingers, twisted together. “If Rolf dies, so does Geneva. One will not survive long without the other. Is this what you want?”
Nate studied Nonna a moment as if he wanted to argue, but whatever he saw made him change his mind. He looked at Peter and then turned to Geneva. “We’ll need to take two cars.”
Five minutes later, Geneva was heading out the door. Her legs wobbled a bit at first, but the longer she stayed on her feet, the better she felt. By the time she climbed into Julia’s father’s car, along with Julia and Nonna, she’d begun to feel like her old self. Her brothers and Peter followed in Nate’s car.
“Take a right,” Geneva ordered Julia’s father, who drove. The green of Rolf’s aura moved closer to the glittering yellow. “Hurry, make this light.”
Julia’s father floored it, roaring through the intersection. The light changed to red. A screech of tires and horns sounded behind them.
“Oh my God,” Julia said. “Two cars collided behind us. Not Nate, thank God. I can still see their car.”
“We can’t stop. They’ll have to do their best to catch up. Text them to make a right onto Chester. It looks like Cynthia’s inside a building, and Rolf’s closing in on her.”
Julia bent over her mobile phone, texting. “Nate says we’re not to confront Rolf and Cynthia without them.”
“We don’t have the luxury of waiting. We’ll be lucky to get there in time.” Geneva glanced at Nonna in the rearview mirror. Her clasped hands held a rosary. Please let Nonna’s prayers come true. Geneva kept the yellow and green colors in the center of her mind. “There, ahead. Pull over and let us out.”
“Where’s Rolf?” Julia’s father asked. “I don’t see him.”
“He’s inside. He’s okay. Park the car and come find us.”
“I don’t like the thought of you three going in there alone. Better wait until your brothers arrive.”
“All right. Drop us here.” Geneva kept her thoughts guarded in case Julia’s father caught a glimpse of her plan. She had no intention of waiting for anyone. She had to get to Rolf before he did something foolish like try to strangle Cynthia.
“Remember, don’t get close until we have help,” he said.
Geneva didn’t reply. She already had the car door open and was running toward the entrance of The Arcade, leaving Julia to assist Nonna. Somewhere in the building, Cynthia hid. And she wasn’t alone. Energy vibrated on the psychic plane. Rolf was with her.
47
Capture
Gem Alley. How fitting. Rolf gazed at the glass store windows of the shop in The Arcade, keeping himself far from the entrance to avoid being seen. No light shone inside the shop. But Rolf sensed his prey hidden in the shadowy depths. Waiting.
He couldn’t stop his lip from curling. Nothing would keep him out. The dark in him demanded he fling himself through the wall and hurl energy at Cynthia before she could stop him, blotting every horrible inch of her out of existence. But he hadn’t come this far to screw up. Caleb Stone warned him. If he wanted Geneva, the CMU would need to believe he loved her, which meant he needed Cynthia alive and the synthetic crystals as proof of her deception.
He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and drew the darkness deep inside, where it seethed and writhed before settling into a restless slumber. He needed to surprise Cynthia, and for that, it would be better to enter from the side walls of the building than the front. He’d grab her before she could drain him of energy and squeeze the life from her until she revealed the location of the synthetic crystals. Then he’d place an anonymous call to Peter, providing the location of Cynthia’s hiding place, and let the CMU do the rest.
Geneva half stumbled, half ran through the antique wooden doors of The Arcade, and to the stairs, her heart playing a mad tap-dance against the walls of her chest. Would she make it in time to stop Rolf from wiping Cynthia out of existence?
She raced across the tiled floor, causing several shoppers to stop and stare. The trail of color she followed stopped at a small storefront, hidden in the corner right next to the exit doors. Gem Alley, the gold sign with fancy script in the store-front window read. Of course.
A cold shudder swept her small frame. Rolf would kill Cynthia if Geneva didn’t stop him. She’d gotten close enough to sense the frightening force of his merciless rage. Much as she wanted to see Cynthia’s comeuppance, she didn’t want it at Rolf’s expense.
Geneva turned to make sure no one watched and eyed the lock on the door. An older building. The lock shouldn’t be trouble. The trick was not to project so much energy she blasted the door off its hinges and attracted attention. She sucked in colors, narrowed her focus, and thrust energy into the lock until she heard a crack. She grabbed the doorknob, twisted, and it swung open. She stepped into the dark interior. A single light glowed from the back of the store.
She took a step forward only to be tugged backward into a hard chest. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Two arms grasped her shoulders, holding her tight. They were covered in a familiar green light.
“Rolf. Oh, Thank God. I almost had a heart attack.”
“You’re lucky I don’t strangle you. Go, now. Back the way you came.”
Rolf thrust her toward the open door. The forward momentum sent Geneva out the door to be pushed back inside by a cowgirl projecting a dazzling yellow light. “Ah, but you’ve only just arrived.”
The room spun and twisted, and Geneva landed with a thud, knocking the air from her lungs. She opened her eyes. Cynthia pointed a gun at Rolf, who slumped against the wall. They’d both been a victim of Cynthia’s energy-draining trick. “I’ve been waiting for you. I admit, though, I did not expect this one”—she nudged her boot against Geneva’s head—“to arrive so soon.”
She grabbed both of Geneva’s arms and dragged her farther into the store, ignoring Rolf, who slid to the floor. The green color he channeled dwindled to a tiny, almost nonexistent, speck. Cynthia shook her head, causing her auburn curls to bounce from side to side. “We could have had fun together, Rolf. You and I would have made quite the pair.” She placed her boot on Geneva’s chest. “Tell me, whatever did you see in this pathetic freak show?”
Rolf didn’t answer, although he lifted his head to gaze at them, his eyes twin black holes. If looks could kill, Cynthia would be a charred mass of ashes.
Geneva’s heart shriveled. Had she lost him? The steady candle-flame of hope radiating in her chest the day he confessed his love to her flickered, sending fear skittering along her nerve endings. She shivered, one long, never-ending ache of a shiver. A familiar masculine voice spoke, “Think carefully before you pull the trigger.”
Dad? Geneva couldn’t control her gasp of recognition. Her father approached, catching Cynthia off-guard. Julia and Nonna trailed close behind him. Julia stooped to Rolf, laying a hand on his head.
“What is this, a family reunion?” Cynthia waved her gun at the new arrivals. “Get your hands off him. On the floor. All of you.”
There was a moment of silent communication, and one by one, everyone complied. Geneva noticed Rolf’s aura had strengthened, thank God. The dark wasn’t so prominent now. And the fact she could see it was a sign Geneva’s energy returned, aided by Julia, no doubt.
“All except you, Rolf. Come here.”
Rolf managed to pull himself up and sway toward them. “What game are you playing?” His gaze locked onto Cynthia’s. “You can’t think you’ll get away with this. There are too many witnesses.”
“I most certainly will. When we’re done, there won’t be any witnesses.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Everyone knows you’re a dark master who’s been using dark energy to kill. It won’t come as a surprise to learn Rolf Jorgensen went on a final killing spree before turning a gun on himself.”
Geneva stifled a gasp. “Kill me if you have to, but leave Rolf alone.”
“No, Geneva,” Rolf said.
“You two are so sweet it’s sickening. But I’m afraid I don’t have time to debate the merit of keeping anyone alive. Goodbye, my dear.”
Cynthia pointed the gun at Geneva’s head. Time seemed to stand still. Everything happened at once. There were shouts—her dad, Julia, Nonna, Rolf. Geneva pulled energy, but it wasn’t enough. Rolf rolled, covering her. The gun fired, the sound echoing across the small store.
Blood gushed from Rolf’s side. Energy in its rawest form rushed through Geneva, spilling into the room. Glass shattered, jewels flew in every direction. Someone screamed over and over.
“Grab her.” Peter pointed at Cynthia. Her brothers tackled her and wrestled for the gun. Nate won.
Strong arms enfolded Geneva. Rolf’s arms. “Shh, it’s okay.” Blood oozed from his side, staining his torn shirt. The smell of burnt flesh hung in the air.
“You’re bleeding! Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. A sting. No big deal. The bullet grazed me, that’s all. Focus on your breathing. You can do it.”
Relief poured through her. Sobs jerked her body from side to side, and she kissed his dear face. She couldn’t stop. She sat and smoothed both hands through his thick hair and around his solid back. She gulped. “Thank God. But how is it the dark didn’t protect you? Are you sure it’s nothing?”
He smiled, warm and dark and delicious. “Yes, I’m sure. The dark only stops the bleeding when I’m using it. I couldn’t risk using dark energy without hurting you. So I didn’t. But please, go on kissing me.”
“I hate to break up the party, but we need to get you both to the hospital,” Peter said to Rolf. “That wound may not be life-threatening, but you’re losing a lot of blood.”
Nate took off his shirt and handed it to Rolf where he sat next to Geneva on the floor. “Here. Press this into your side.”
A prickle of awareness slithered across Geneva’s spine. She looked toward Cynthia, who watched her, a triumphant smile on her face. Blood stained her cheeks where flying glass had hit her. Geneva frowned. What did Cynthia have to smile about?
Danny held both Cynthia’s hands out in front of her. Nate aimed the gun at her and examined the black velvet bag. The synthetic crystals.
Cynthia ignored them. Instead, she opened her palm to reveal a lone pink crystal. It drew Geneva’s eye. The crystal pulsed and sparked like…like a beating heart.
A sharp pain had her grabbing her chest.
“What is it? What’s happening? What has she done?” Rolf asked.
Darkness covered the room.
48
The Other Side
Rolf had never been one to beg for anything. But as he held onto Geneva’s still form, he found he would barter with whatever means he had at his disposal. “Geneva, honey, please. Open your eyes. Look at me.”
He leaned close so he could feel her breath. None escaped her sweet lips. He felt for her pulse. No beats moved under his fingertips. Her eyelids remained closed, as if she dreamed. Oh God. This isn’t happening. He pushed into her mind, but her brain waves were nonexistent. A hollow sound tore from his throat, taking all reason with it. “Open your eyes, G. Please, for me. Please, I can’t lose you now.”
She couldn’t be. She mustn’t be. Raw agony ripped through him, unleashing the blackest part of his soul. The part he and everyone around him feared. It poured from every part of his being, filling the shop with deadly, dark energy. “What have you done to her?” he roared, tossing his head toward where Cynthia stood a few feet in front of him. “What is that stone? Tell me.”
He had to hand it to her, Cynthia didn’t flinch at the dark energy. Neither did she move a hand to stop it. Peter and the brothers let her go, fleeing toward the door and safety.
“Rolf,” Julia said.
Something in her tone cut through the rage coursing through his blood, demanding violence. He glanced back. Julia’s mouth formed words, words with meaning, if his mind would translate. His gaze remained on hers instead of returning to Cynthia. Why were Julia and Nonna lying on the floor next to Geneva? She was dead. His light. His love. His reason for being. His hands fisted at his sides.
Dark energy spread within two inches of the three women. The three he cared most for in the world. Hadn’t he always known one day he’d bring them death and destruction? He wanted to rage at the sky or heaven or hell. He wanted the dark to blot out everything he once held dear until he could no longer feel pain or anger or emptiness or anything.
Julia’s mouth still moved, but at a faster speed than before. “Geneva won’t die. Not today. Pull the dark back. Do it now. Or we won’t be able to save her.”
Nonna bent over Geneva, eyes closed, hands on her chest, reciting some ancient prayer. Dark energy inched forward, now centimeters from swallowing her whole.
Julia shouted at him. “Do it, Rolf. Do it now. Do it so Geneva can live.”
Nonna, with her strange talent, so much like his own. Nonna, who was different than others and kept her gift a secret, like him. Nonna, who a neighborhood bully once said could pull a soul from the brink of death.
“Nonna can bring Geneva back.”
Julia’s words penetrated the thick fog wrapped around Rolf’s brain. The first tendril of dark energy unfurled a long finger to swallow her skin. He took a step forward, his hands reached toward them, his mind focused. The dark responded. It hovered, as if reluctant to let go of its prey and receded. Rolf pulled it back, back inside into the deep recesses of his mind where it could harm no one.
