Total eclipse of the moo.., p.18
Total Eclipse of the Moon, page 18
"We’re friends." Shane’s gaze slipped to Antonio. "Of sorts."
Antonio folded his arms across his chest. "Of sorts? How many times have I rescued you? Don’t forget how I found you."
"That’s between you and me."
"How’d you find him?" Roman’s eyebrows rose.
"Don’t answer that." Shane crossed his arms.
"He’s totally answering that now," Roman said.
Antonio grinned. "Naked in bespelled handcuffs that locked him to a bed. You know who left him that way?"
Shane covered his face.
"Who?" Roman asked.
"Her." Antonio pointed to where Madeline had left with Evie.
"Not complicated in that way, huh?" Humor crinkled Roman’s eyes. "Naked and handcuffed? Sounds like a good story."
"Don’t make me lose control. I’m warning you," Shane said. "If I lose it, you’ll be seeing the toucan butt jiggling again."
Roman chuckled. "About that. Dancing? What exactly does it—"
"Quiet." Ky arranged his laptop. "Going live in three, two, one…"
Shane moved around the table to see the screen but remain out of camera range. The image of their handler showed his scruffy beard still hadn’t been shaved or trimmed. Shane scratched at his own stubble, wondering if the two days of growth looked as scraggly.
Both sides stared at each other.
"So?" Roman finally asked. "What’s the crisis?"
"The king has given me an order to pass on to you." Thomas sighed and shook his head as if the order was ridiculous. His job was to pass on instructions. Seemed early for him to question the king’s dictates. "His Majesty wants you to stay away from FenCor."
As if they hadn’t anticipated this coming.
"We think FenCor runs the nonhuman super soldier training facilities. The ones we have to shut down," Roman said. "Are you saying to stay away from them?"
Thomas covered his face with his palm. "He didn't say that specifically. He only said FenCor. I think it’s still important that you figure out how to stop the sale of super soldiers around the world, although the king didn't say that."
"Did the king say it was still important? The wording is important or we'll get fucked by the curse. You are only there to pass down orders."
Thomas dropped his head on a sigh. Then looked up. "He only said FenCor. Since we don't know if FenCor runs those I assume you can do whatever you will. I located one of those places in Croatia that I think might be an active facility. I lifted the information from the MI6 director's hard drive. Named Slate, right? The one you needed permission to interrogate?"
"How did you break into his computer?"
"I worked with the head of the cyber security division in Yorkshire. Learned a thing or two." He leaned toward the screen to whisper, "Fucking hard to get into his system. Top notch security."
Flynn grinned. "I knew I liked you for a reason, Thomas. Brilliant, mate."
Roman asked, "Are you going to report to the king about us continuing our search of the detention facilities and super warriors?"
"I passed along the order. Stay away from FenCor. You do as you see fit beyond that. I suppose it'll get complicated if you get confirmation FenCor is involved with the facilities. Check back if you find that. I’ll email the address I found. I don’t know how much time we have before this location disappears. If you can get there tomorrow, that’d be great."
"We’ll take care of it." Roman closed the laptop. "Everyone get dressed." He pointed at Shane and Antonio. "You two come with me to find something to wear that won’t make Mom apoplectic."
Madeline glided toward the dining area, sent ahead by Evie. She adjusted her backpack over one shoulder. Sure, it destroyed the dress’s effect, but she never let it out of her sight. Plus, it had her new sweater and jeans in it, just in case she had to run.
Had she ever felt this elegant? Evie was right that the sensation of this fabric against her skin made her feel sexy. Had to be bespelled or something.
Ahead of her, the two women she hadn’t exactly met before but assumed to be the mates of two of the brothers blocked her path. The one with auburn hair cascading in long, curly waves down her back wore a black velvet and satin dress with white piping that was both timeless and stunning. What was her name? Gah, she sucked at names. One popped into her head. "You’re Nova, right?"
Nova pressed her lips together and crossed her arms before giving a tight nod. "If you hurt them, if all this is some sort of con, I’ll personally end you."
Gut instinct hit hard. "You cast the boomerang spell, didn’t you?"
She nodded.
"It’s admirable work. I would consider the same for anyone I loved as much as you do Roman. I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused. I swear I’ll make it right. Are you two sisters?" She met the gaze of the second woman with dark hair drawn into an up-do and wearing a stunning green and gold lacy dress that somehow made her look like she was glowing—like a ray of sunshine. "I like your dress. I don’t think we got introduced."
"We're sisters. I’m Vivi." She smoothed a hand down the dress. "I found this dress in Berlin. The price tag was insane, but Ky didn’t care. He says money is just a thing. It’s the people who are family that matter."
"He’s a smart man."
"Why’re you here with Shane?" Nova crossed her arms.
"I think it’s obvious. He won’t risk letting me escape now that he finally caught me. Three days from now they’ll be free." Something was very off with these two women. Heavy grief surrounded both, but it went far beyond their mates’ curse. "How did you two meet the Lanzo brothers?" What happened to you?
Vivi said, "We were incarcerated in the facilities and brain washed for years. Nova got herself free, but I didn’t."
Nova whacked her shoulder against Vivi's and whispered, "Why are you telling her this shit?"
"‘Brainwashed’ as in trained to be soldiers? Shane mentioned they implant triggers to control you. That’s horrible. How’d you get out, then, Vivi?"
"Ky rescued me after he was captured. We've only been free a few months."
"Are you free of the triggers in your head? Did you have a witch help you remove them?"
Both shook their heads, but Nova spoke. "We used a powerful amnesic drug that erased everything."
"Chemical lobotomy?" Madeline whispered in horror and took a step backward. "You remember nothing of your previous life? Not your home, your family, your origin?"
Vivi’s lips trembled. Her lashes hid her eyes. She shook her head. Her voice cracked as she said, "It’s gone. We’re relearning things like our elemental abilities. I can remember languages and technical skills, but the memories of anything that happened prior to a few months ago is gone. The harder we try to remember, the worse the pain is."
Madeline stepped forward and took Nova’s hand. She uttered a reveal spell.
Nova yanked her hand from hers. "What’d you do?"
Madeline waved at her. "You’re bathed in a protective spell from your mother. She must have loved you very much. As a parent I would be devastated to know my children were forced to erase me. Are you at peace with remembering nothing of your past or do you want to see something you no longer remember? Maybe at least your parents?"
Vivi swiped at her eyes. "It’s impossible."
Nova put an arm around her sister. "If you’re picking a weakness and exploiting it, it won’t work."
"Hold on. Let me show you." She put her backpack on the side table, unzipped and searched through her stone collection to find a small amber one. With it in her hand, she faced the women. "Do you want to see them? Your parents? I can help you do that."
"The mage, Dom, said there was nothing left. It wasn’t possible."
She tried not to laugh. "Oh, Dom. Of course, he’d say that. He can only see what’s left in your head. I can’t believe he didn’t steer you toward a witch. Magic can do so much beyond that."
"I want to see them." Vivi grabbed Nova’s hand. "Please, let her. I need to see something…anything."
"We shouldn’t." Nova pulled her away from Madeline. "It could activate the words they implanted. We’d go all robo-killer."
"Why would you erase your memories when witches like me might be able to help you find the things they did to your head and erase them? It would take a lot of work, probably multiple sessions over a few weeks, but it’s possible. Forget about that for now. Let me help you see your parents. That was before you were in there and can’t hurt you."
"How would we know what you show us is real and not something made up since we don’t remember?" Nova scowled.
"Is there any scrap of information that you remember that I’d know nothing about?"
Nova lit up. "Show me Gary."
"Yes. Gary!" Vivi grinned.
This was a test. Fine. She could handle it. "Both of you hold your hands together as one bowl. I’m going to be the third side of the bowl. In the center we’ll put this stone." The three of them stood there with the small stone. Madeline intoned, "I seek the truth here not yet found,
For underneath the fog there lies new possibilities,
So let this night be unlike others,
Let the noble show their colors,
Let the meek and cowards run,
For now the moon seeks out her sun.
And by the power that is three, so as I will it, so mote it be.
Show us Gary."
The stone rotated and levitated. A bubble formed above their hands with an image of an overweight Siamese cat lounging in a window.
"That could be Gary," Nova said in an awed tone. "I’ve never seen him, but Vivi mentioned him before she took the drug to erase her memories. Said he was a fat Siamese. He looks sweet." Then skeptically she said, "This could be a trick to use what we want to see."
"I want a new cat," Vivi said.
"This isn't a trick. Do you want to see your parents?" Madelien asked gently. "I have enough power to allow us one more glimpse."
Both women nodded.
"Show us Nova and Vivi’s mother and father," Madeline said. Her hands were shaking as the magic drained her of energy, but she wanted to give this to these women from whom so much had been stolen. Everyone deserved to know a parent who loved them enough to leave a protective spell on them.
The image changed to show a woman with a long, dark braid with hairs that had come free from along the plait. She wore jeans and a loose, paint-splattered T-shirt while she laughed and danced. Freckles splattered across her nose and cheeks, which were pink as if she’d spent too much time in the sun that day. A man with short dark hair and a beard spun her and dropped her into a dip before kissing her. His look said he loved her deeply. When he pulled her up the woman rotated out of his arms to kneel and hold out her arms. A small girl with red hair ran to her and hugged her tight. Her mother kissed her forehead. "I love you, Nova Stella."
Sweat poured down Madeline’s back and her hands shook with the effort to hold through the whole memory. She closed her hand around the stone and stumbled, catching herself with a palm against the wall. Dizziness spun her mind. "I’m sorry. I can’t keep going. It’s too much. Takes a lot out of me and I’m not very strong right now, not after cleansing the necromancer filth last night."
Nova remained fixated on the point where the image had been as if frozen in stone. Then a huge sob came out. She covered her mouth with a hand. With her other hand she reached out to touch Vivi.
Vivi swiped at the tears pouring down her own face. "Gary was so amazing."
"Of course, you’d focus on the animal and not on seeing our parents." Nova emitted a shaky laugh.
Madeline said, "I’m sorry—"
"No," Nova interrupted to stop her. She wiped at her eyes, smearing makeup. "Thank you. I mean, it could all be a con, but somehow it didn't feel fake." She nodded. "To know she loved me. Before, just knowing that she was killed protecting us as best she could, yet I couldn’t remember her, hurt so much. Seeing her was a gift. Seeing my father…" She inhaled a rough breath and looked upward. "To know they knew that kind of love…" She took Madeline’s free hand and squeezed. "Thank you."
"If you want, maybe later we can try to remember more?" she offered.
"I’d like that." Nova met Vivi’s gaze. "In exchange I can try to undo that spell or curse or whatever the hell I sent your way when I was pissed. So you understand, Roman almost died." She offered a small smile.
"Deal."
Chapter Twenty
Evie breezed into the dining room moments after Madeline arrived, wearing a fitted black spaghetti-strap gown with a slit up her right thigh.
Vivi stopped whispering with Ky to shoot Madeline a supportive smile. Nova seemed to be arguing in whispers with Roman.
Everyone went silent when Evie arrived.
Evie pointed. "Roman sit next to me. Then Flynn and Ky. Shane you sit down there next to Ky. Girls on the other side. Madeline next to me. Antonio, you sit down there at the other head of the table." Evie took her seat at the head of the table.
"I don’t want to sit next to Ky," Flynn complained while rolling a lollypop in his mouth. He glared at his designated chair. "He steals my wine and kicks me under the table."
"You don’t like red wine so what’re you complaining about?" Ky remained standing.
Flynn took out the sucker and pointed it at Ky like a six-year-old, not like the however-many-scores-of-years-old he was. The candy’s golden color matched the highlights in Flynn’s hair. She wondered if Flynn did DIY kits like her or got a professional highlight treatment. Looked good.
Flynn said, "Maybe I want to drink all my wine tonight. I might want to get piss drunk to survive the full moon. It’s not like I have a guaranteed hookup like you."
Ky’s nostrils flared as he stepped toward Flynn. "Don’t ever call Vivi a hookup."
"It’s fine. He’s jealous." Vivi squeezed Ky’s arm before moving to the girls’ side of the table.
Evie pressed her lips into a thin line. "Shane sit between Flynn and Ky."
"Flynn smells like candy," Shane complained as he sat next to Antonio in his originally assigned spot.
Madeline snort-laughed, which earned her a glare from all the guys. She’d never heard Shane complain or use that my-brother-is-annoying tone.
"Does my smell annoy your inner demon?" Flynn smirked at his own joke. "I don’t want to sit next to the vampire, anyway."
"Does Antonio smell funny too?" Evie sat and clasped her hands on the table until her knuckles turned white.
"I bathed before I dressed just now, thank you." Antonio straightened in the chair. He lifted the lapels of his suit, sniffed, and shook his head.
"Shane’s not wrong," Roman mumbled. "You reek of candy, Flynn. Your sugar addiction has you consuming so much that it’s coming out your pores."
"Who’s my addiction hurting? You?" Flynn’s eyebrows flew upward. "Shane eats just as much candy as I do. Need I remind you, Roman, of the time when you drank too much and turned green after you—"
"Hush," Roman said. "We don’t speak of that."
"I’d like to hear about you turning green." Antonio folded his hands on the table and leaned forward. "Spell gone bad, perhaps?" He grinned wide enough to show the tips of his sharp canine teeth.
Shane elbowed Antonio and whispered, "Don’t needle him."
Roman’s cheeks flushed. He pointed at Madeline. "How do we know she didn’t cast a spell on all of us to make us like her or something?"
"Didn’t we already do this?" Madeline frowned and crossed her arms.
"I don’t trust you." Roman glared her way. "Because I don’t know you. And you cursed us."
Shane stood and took a step in Roman’s direction.
"Enough!" Evie hit the table. She rose imperiously. Her eyes flashed fire. "Everyone sit." In silence she waited while all sat in their designated chairs. Then she said, "Madeline is my guest. She’s under my protection."
"But, Mom—"
"Enough of this nonsense, Roman," Evie interrupted. "She brought Shane back to us."
"The angels did that last month, not her." He thrust his chin out.
"But he left again. She brought him back to me on family night." Evie paused dramatically.
"It’s my job to keep all of you safe," Roman said. "If anything happened to any one of you, including you, Shane, I’d—"
"What about me?" Flynn interrupted.
"I’m sure the candy smell will keep you safe from her," Ky said under his breath.
"I like the smell of candy." Madeline compressed her lips against a grin but failed. "Sweet and tasty. Plus, Flynn has great hair. How could I ever hurt someone with hair like that?"
Vivi giggled next to her. Nova shot her a smile. She could feel the girl power on her side of the table shift in support. So appreciated.
Flynn held up his hands as if to say "there." He winked at her.
"You like that the witch complimented your hair?" Ky asked, incredulous.
"Not like like, but sure. I’d want any woman to like my hair. What’s the point of highlighting it otherwise? She’s kind of cool too," Flynn said. "I mean, look at her hair."
"She is cool," Nova said regally beside her. "Chill, Ro. I like her."
"Tresoro, how do we know she’s not buttering us up for a zinger bigger than the curse?" Roman asked. "If anything happened to you, I’d go crazy." The way he gazed at Nova was a hot caress that almost set the table on fire.
"I’m fine. There’s enough of us here to make it hurt if she betrays us." Nova mouthed, "I love you."
Evie emitted an impatient snort. "Madeline tames that thing inside Shane. Can you do that, Roman?"
Roman dropped his gaze. "No."
"She brings with her the courage to sacrifice her life to set all of you free. Did she make a huge mistake with the curse to begin with? Hell, yes. It was stupid to cast the curse." She cast her glare at Madeline who ducked her head. "But…" Evie stood and slowly met the gaze of everyone around the table. "If someone asked me to cast a curse, or assassinate someone, or do absolutely anything in exchange for freeing one of you when you were four years old, knowing when I did so it’d cast someone else’s life into complete and utter hell for the rest of his existence, I’d do it. In a heartbeat."
