The Travelers: Book Two (7 page)

“We went back to her place and she went into the bathroom to change or whatever it is girls do in there. I realized what a dickhead I was. I was there with the girl of my dreams and I was just a sloppy drunken mess. She deserved better. I could be better for her… So I left.”

Suddenly everything made sense to Carson.

“Get the fuck out of here.”

“What?” Aaron said.

“You heard me. You need to go see my sister.”

Aaron shook his head, “She doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“Yes she does. She just doesn’t know it yet. Get yourself cleaned up and go tell her everything you told me.”

Aaron couldn’t get his hopes up, but despite knowing better, his heart fluttered.

Chapter Seven

Izzy woke up in a cold sweat again. She was gasping for breath. Her lungs hurt with the effort. Her hands trembled as she reached for her chest. Her heart beat a frantic pace and she struggled to contain it.

The nightmares were getting out of control. She couldn’t stop them. Each one was more gruesome and terrible than the next. She just wished she knew what it all meant.

She paced around her cottage, seeing shadows everywhere she looked. They shifted and moved in the corners of her eyes. When she turned her head, they were gone.

She didn’t know if she was really seeing them or if she was going crazy.

Her house felt like it was closing in on her. She was feeling claustrophobic, the walls pulled in with every breath.

Her entire brain seemed to throb with her pulse. Her eyes darted from side to side, still seeing the monsters of her dreams.

She couldn’t do this; she had to get out of this house. Safety be damned. Preston Waters already knew where she lived. If he wanted to come after her he would have by now, she reasoned.

A quick walk would clear her head. She just needed fresh air. She just needed a break from her own head.

She tied her sneakers on her feet and grabbed a light sweater just in case it was a cool night.

Her body didn’t seem content with walking, though. Before she knew it, she was jogging, then running around the neighborhood.

She finally stopped a few blocks from home, out of breath, feeling better than she had in a long time. She didn’t realize how much nervous energy she was holding onto. Getting it out with a little run seemed to do a world of good for her.

She tried to take a step forward and found that her foot wouldn’t move.

Panicked, she tried to move her feet; they were both glued to the cement.

This was like one of her dreams; she was trapped, she couldn’t move, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Her head swiveled around, looking for any signs of danger.

“Come on, move, damn it,” she grunted, tugging on her legs. Finally one pulled free, then the other. She took off towards home, not wanting to stick around to see what had her stuck.

<<<>>>

Aaron tried to plan what he would say in his mind before he arrived. He didn’t want this to turn into another fight. He just wanted to talk to her like a normal person. The way that they used to before she was hurt by the sting of rejection.

He wanted to just come out and tell her how he felt, but he didn’t want to scare her away. How could he have been so stupid? He should have just agreed to whatever she said. If she wanted to say they kissed, then by God, he should just let her say so. Why did he fight against it so much?

A high-pitched scream pierced the night: Izzy. He would know that scream anywhere.

He revved the engine and made a sharp turn in the direction of her cry for help.

A pack of shadow creatures closed in on her. Aaron reached for his knife and realized he’d forgotten it in all of the commotion earlier.

“Don’t worry, Iz, I’m going to save you,” he said, frantically trying to come up with a plan.

But Alina said that nothing else could hurt these things. Nothing except a Traveler.

But he wasn’t. They weren’t.

He remembered the burst of energy he felt holding her hand and the beast inside of him that begged to be unleashed while Carson fought off the wolves.

He could do this.

She screamed again as one of the creatures lashed out at her.

It was now or never.

Aaron took a deep breath and exhaled on a ten-count. He cleared his mind completely.

Then he let Izzy in. He pulled up every memory and happy moment he could imagine with her, including ones that hadn’t happened: Izzy in a wedding dress; her belly swollen with the product of their love; holding their newborn infant. He felt himself being pulled away from his body.

He was lifted up and out and the next thing he knew he was perched on the roof of the car.

Without even knowing what he was, he took flight, an expansive wingspan helping him glide right over to the snarling creatures.

He could see his own light reflected on the pavement as he dove to attack the shadows with his long talons.

Izzy shielded herself, but he wanted her to know it was okay. He wished he could tell her.

He dove again, dissolving another shadow with his sharp beak.

In a matter of seconds he’d managed to clear the area; he felt himself being pulled back into his body as his need to protect Izzy waned in the absence of a threat.

He was back in his body, disoriented, but amazed. Had that really just happened?

His eyes went to Izzy; she was still on the ground.

Aaron jumped out of the car and ran to her.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Let me help you up,” he said, offering a hand.

“I’m fine, I just…” she looked up, “oh, it’s you.”

His heart sank at her reaction. She didn’t know he’d saved her, but he didn’t want to use that against her, either.

“I was just driving by and saw you on the side of the road… did you fall? You shouldn’t be out here alone, Isabel.”

“Spare me the lecture,” she said, dusting herself off. She tried to hide how shaken she really was. If that owl hadn’t…

“Did you see that owl?” she asked.

“Owl? No?”

“It was huge… it… well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Do you want a ride home?” He asked.

She finally took his offered hand to pull herself up and nodded.

“I would appreciate that, yeah, thanks,” she said.

They got in the car and started towards her house in silence.

After a few long moments, Izzy spoke.

“Why were you in this neighborhood?”

Aaron looked guilty, “I… I came to talk to you,” he said.

“Why? Because of what Carson said?”

“Partially, yes. But more because I want to explain everything.”

“What’s there to explain?” She wouldn’t look at him, she completely blocked him out. How was he going to get anywhere with this?

“Are you still mad about the kiss thing?” he asked, knowing he shouldn’t bring it up.

She turned to him, her jaw set and her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“Why won’t you just admit it? I know I’m not crazy,” she pleaded.

“Believe me, Isabel, if I ever kissed you I would remember it. There would be no lingering doubt in your mind because the memory would be branded on all of your senses. If I kissed you once I would never be able to stop. So no, I won’t admit to a kiss we never shared. And you shouldn’t think for one second that would ever kiss you with anything less than everything.”

She was stunned speechless for a moment, her mind reeling with everything he said. His voice was so rough, so unlike himself, like the words were hard to get out. But the passion in his voice… it made Izzy’s heart flutter.

His eyes stayed trained to the road, never flicking to her direction. He couldn’t look at her right now. It took all of his willpower to not show her exactly what a kiss with him would be like.

“So… you never kissed me?” She asked softly, her eyes cast downward.

“Only in my dreams.”

The warmth in his tone made Isabel look up in surprise. He put so much effort into denying their kiss that she thought it was because he didn’t want to associate with her. But now… she didn’t know what to think.

“Oh hell…” he grumbled.

He pulled the car to the side of the road, needing to look her in the eyes. He needed her to see his sincerity.

“Izzy… I wanted to kiss you that day. I wanted to kiss you every day before that day. And every day since. But I didn’t. Taking something that’s meant to be given removes all the meaning from it. When I kiss you, I want it to mean something.”

She stared at him with a blank expression, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly parted. Could she not see how irresistible she was?

“When?” she whispered.

He almost didn’t hear her, but they were so close to one another in the car that he thought he could hear her heart beating. The heat between them was palpable in the air and it made Aaron feel like he was wading through a thick fog.

Though everything around him was hazy, Izzy shone brightly, clearer than anything he’d ever seen.

“When what?” he asked.

She licked her lips absently, her eyes flicking to look at his mouth and back to his eyes. She didn’t know it was possible to want something so badly. Aaron consumed her thoughts for so many years; she thought for so long that it was a one-sided attraction. Could she really have a chance with him?

“You said when you kiss me,” she answered, her words nearly silent, breathless.

His eyes darkened with desire and against his better judgment, he reached for her hand.

“Yes, Izzy,
when
.”

Chapter Eight

His kiss took her breath away. For a moment, she actually couldn’t remember how to breathe. He invaded her senses, overwhelmed her brain and made her dizzy in the most wonderful way.

For years — decades — Izzy dreamed about this moment. Now, here it was, better than she ever could have imagined.

His warmth flooded her; her body was alive with the sensations. His lips moved against her, gently at first. She parted to grant him entrance and he plundered her mouth with his tongue like a man starved.

He groaned, his hand on the back of her head pulling her in deeper.

She felt like she could just melt into him. Everything suddenly seemed right.

His tongue drew a moan from her. Izzy’s skin buzzed with awareness of him. She wanted his fingers on her, she wanted to strip him bare and see every inch of his gorgeous skin.

She’d wanted it for so long. She wanted it that night, but they’d never gotten there. Why?

Cursing her own brain for ruining the moment, Izzy pulled away.

Aaron looked disoriented, out of breath, and still hungry for more.

He moved in for another kiss and Izzy placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

“What happened that night? When you… left me,” she asked.

Aaron could kick his own ass for the pain in her eyes.

“I… I thought you wanted me,” she whispered, a sob breaking her voice.

“Oh… Iz. Of course I want you. I just… that night and nearly every night… I just don’t deserve you. I never have. I wanted to become the man that deserved you, but I’m nowhere close.”

She touched his cheek and he leaned into her hand, placing a kiss on her palm that sent butterflies to her core.

“You shaved,” she remarked, feeling his smooth skin against hers.

“Like I said… I don’t deserve you. I just want a chance to try my damnedest.”

She snickered.

“You didn’t have to
shave
for me.”

He shrugged with a wry grin, “I want to do whatever I can to make you happy. I know I’ve sucked at it. I’ve sucked at pretty much everything lately. I still don’t know what all of this shit is, but I can’t help but feeling like we should be dealing with it together.”

She leaned in for another quick kiss, her heart full to bursting. Could this really be happening? Could she and Aaron actually work?

Aaron’s cell buzzed in his pocket but he moved in for another kiss.

Buzz.

His hand wrapped around her neck and he tried to angle his height in the car to get a better position.

Buzz.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” Izzy asked.

Aaron shrugged, “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

Izzy answering giggle made him smile — a real smile, not a carefully crafted one.

Buzz.

Aaron groaned and pulled away from her, letting his hand fall from her neck to her thigh.

“One sec,” he answered the phone, “Hello?”

“Yeah.”

“Uh… yeah?”

“No shit?”

“Sure. Be there in five.”

Izzy frowned; just that quickly she was shoved to the side.

He turned to her with an apologetic glance.

“Your brother,” he said, answering the question she hadn’t asked.

“What’s happened now?”

“Ty said he got a video.”

<<<>>>

“All right, whiz kid, what’s this urgent video that everyone needs to see?” Trick said, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

“Uh… you’re all going to want to sit down for this,” Ty said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Everyone took their usual seat at the conference table, but something was different.

Izzy and Aaron sat next to each other.

No one commented on the new development. It was too difficult to predict either of them.

Ty lowered the projection screen and turned the lights down until the disturbing image came into view.

A masked man — Preston Waters — held a woman by the hair and taunted the camera.

“Lookie loo, Travelers. I think I have something you might want,” he sang merrily.

The woman’s eyes had dark purple circles under them, her hair was matted and old dried blood stained the rags she wore.

Ty paused the video.

“That’s Reddy Francis, the secretary that went missing a few days ago,” he said, hitting play.

Preston grabbed her by the throat and slowly applied pressure to her windpipe.

She clawed and fought against his grip; Waters only laughed.

“Who’s ready for dinner?” he cried as Reddy’s face purpled.

Alina couldn’t watch. She knew what that meant.

From every corner of the warehouse shadows crept out. They latched onto Reddy and fed from her.

She grew paler and paler.

Aaron expected him to let her go any moment. They seemed to prefer live hostages; he didn’t expect this to be anything more than a taunt.

“Oooh ho! Looks like we’re hungry today aren’t we?” Waters laughed.

“Stop it! You’re killing her!” Izzy screeched.

Aaron placed his hand over hers.

“Why… why doesn’t he stop?” she asked in a whisper, tears streaming down her face.

Reddy went limp in Waters’ arms. He dropped her to the floor without another thought.

He stepped forward until his mask filled the frame.

“There’s plenty more where that came from. Who’s going to stop me?”

The lights came back on and the projection screen retracted. For a moment, no one said anything. They were all in shock.

“Did he say…?” Gemma asked.

“Traveler
s
,” Carson said, confirming her suspicions.

“Are there more?” He asked Alina.

She shook her head, “There were… I don’t think there are any more. I believe you’re the only one.”

“So what does Preston Waters know that we don’t?” Ty asked.

“I don’t know,” said Carson, “but I’m not going to let him keep killing innocent women. Reddy Francis should not have died. This ends now.”

Izzy looked at her brother, her eyes shining with wetness, “You can’t.”

“Izzy’s right,” said Gemma.

“It’s way too dangerous,” added Aaron.

“You’re going to get hurt if you go.”

“So, Gemma will heal me,” Carson said.

Gemma looked offended, “I thought you didn’t like me using my magic.”

“Gemma, he’s holding hostages and calling me out.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little suspicious?” asked Aaron. “Have you considered it might be a trap?”

“Carson, I’m serious; if you go to that warehouse, something really bad is going to happen to you,” Izzy said, hoping her older brother could hear her sincerity.

“Please,” Gemma said, resting a hand on his arm, “Izzy’s feelings have been really accurate lately. Don’t discount her.”

Carson sighed and dropped his head into his hands.

“All right. Fine, you all win. But we have to devise a plan to get those women out,” he said.

Most everyone decided to go back to sleep after the meeting. Sleep came in short unpredictable bursts these days and they learned to snatch a few minutes whenever they could.

Carson couldn’t though. He knew that Preston Waters meant that video for him. He felt like the bastard was talking directly to him through the screen.

He watched the video again.

And again.

And again.

He watched the video until he had it memorized. He knew every word, every inflection, and every deranged laugh.

He didn’t know what he expected to see in the video. He wanted a clue… something to tell him how to get in past Waters’ goons.

He hoped there would be something revealing Preston’s weakness. So he watched it again.

He watched the light drain out of Reddy’s eyes. He pinpointed the exact moment she died. He saw the disgusting shadows feasting on her pure white shimmer until they’d drained it completely.

It made him sick to his stomach. But Carson couldn’t give into that reaction. He had to find something. Anything.

Gemma’s hands slipped over his shoulders from behind, traveling down to his chest, she gave him a kiss on the neck.

“Are you coming to bed?”

She finally looked at the computer screen and her hands froze.

“Why are you torturing yourself with this?” she asked, unable to look at the gruesome image.

“I just… I keep thinking… Could I have saved her? What about the next Reddy? Can I save her? Is there something in this video that will help me do it?”

Gemma smiled sadly and rubbed his shoulders with gentle hands.

“There’s nothing you could have done to save her.”

“I could have beat him last time,” Carson said, starting the video again.

“How can you say that? You were out-numbered, out-gunned and on their home turf. You all made it out alive. I’m grateful for that,” she said.

“But Reddy Francis didn’t make it out of there alive.”

Gemma sighed.

“You can’t save everyone, sweetheart,” she said.

His bloodshot eyes darted to meet her gaze.

“But it’s up to me to try.”

She rested her hands on his shoulders and squeezed. She couldn’t win this argument. He wasn’t going to give up.

“Okay. I’m heading to bed. Join me when you’re ready,” she said, stooping down to give him a kiss.

Carson watched her leave and wished he could follow her.

Every time he closed his eyes he saw Reddy’s face. He watched the light drain from her; heard the whispering death that came with the shadows; he saw the satisfied gleam in Preston’s crazed eyes. He couldn’t let this continue. This needed to end.

He turned back to the computer and resumed his study of the gruesome video.