Copyright © 2012 Peggy Martinez

Cover Art by Najla Qamber

www.najlaqamberdesigns.com

Formatting & design by Inkstain Interior Book Designing

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

—For Omar

True love is waking up every morning and falling helplessly in love with the same person over and over. That is what I have with you.

I stood there with my hands on my hips trying to decide which was more disturbing—the fact that I’d just punched some idiot in the face right in the middle of Taco Hut and enjoyed it or that I’d done it while wearing a mini-sombrero and a name tag that read: “Hola! Mi nombre es Sage!”

I glanced up into the beet red face of the restaurant manager and then back down at the server who was trying to staunch the steady flow of blood streaming down the face of the guy I’d just decked. I shook my head. No way I’d be able to explain how I had overheard the guy bragging to his buddy on the phone that he’d gotten away with beating his girlfriend into an overnight hospital stay. My face flushed remembering the anger I’d felt when I heard him laugh about it. Unfortunately, I’d been on the other side of the restaurant at the time and no “normal” person should have been able to hear anything at all. I’m still trying to figure out why I have the occasional super hearing. Until I do, I probably need to learn to control my reaction to the things I hear.

To all the staff and customers of Taco Hut, it looked like I had picked the guy out at random and decided to go all psycho on his face. I guess I could have handled the situation a bit better…maybe. But, man, the look on his face when I’d walked up to him and whispered into his ear that I’d kill him if he ever touched another woman or even thought about hurting his girlfriend again was priceless. Punching that jack ass almost made me too happy. I could tell he believed me when I’d threatened him. Heck, I believed me too.

I snapped out of my thoughts when the manager, who had a large thumping vein protruding from his sweaty forehead, started walking in my direction. I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my chin.

“You’re welcome.” He came to an abrupt halt and his jaw came unhinged.

“Excuse me?” he asked incredulously.

“I said you’re welcome. No one knows it, but I just did society a huge favor by punching that piece of garbage out there.” His face turned an unattractive mottled shade of red and he pointed his short, meaty finger at me. I reached up to remove my beloved mini sombrero and he flinched. Jesus. What was the world coming to?

“I know I’m fired, so save your breath. I’ve already figured out I’m not cut out for the service industry.” I yanked the name tag off my shirt and slapped it on the counter next to the little sombrero. I was kind of sad to leave the sombrero behind. I walked out the front door and headed back to my apartment to change. I’d been on my new job for about forty-five minutes before I’d tapped into my warper powers, broken a guy’s nose, and been fired. I guess it could have been worse.

My fists connected to the target in quick, evenly-timed hits. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Sweat beaded my forehead and my shirt clung to my chest and back, but my breathing was even and my heart rate barely elevated.

“Good, Sage. Ready to call it a night? I’m pretty sure that last punch is going to leave a mark.” Matt rubbed his chest guard and a slightly crooked grin played on his lips. Crap. I hadn’t been paying attention. I was getting sloppy. It wasn’t like me to allow my powers to seep into my punches so easily and so forcefully. “Hey, I’m not really hurt, you know that, right?” I looked up into Matt’s concerned gaze and breathed in a steadying breath.

“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve just had a really crappy day.” I sighed.

“Oh, that’s right. You started a new job today, didn’t you?” he asked as he began removing his gear. I snorted and his brow shot up.

“That bad, huh?”

“You could say that. I broke a guy’s nose and got fired all in the first hour.” I took a long guzzle from my water bottle. His laugh caught me off guard, and I couldn’t help but smile when he had to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye. That’s me— freakin’ funny woman of the year.

“Oh man, why doesn’t that surprise me? I can imagine the whole thing, right down to the guy being twice your size.” I bristled at his tone and narrowed my eyes.

“I had a good reason, I snapped. He straightened and sobered a little, but he still couldn’t banish the smirk completely from his face.

“I’m sure you did. I’ve known you for how long now? Three months? You are the most intense woman I have ever met….”

“Do I detect a ‘but’ in that statement?” I asked as I walked over to Matt with my hands on my hips. His smirk slipped.

“It’s just that I’ve never seen any other side of you—your fun side…your silly side.” He shrugged. “I just think you need to loosen up a bit and learn to have some fun.”

“I know how to have fun, I said defiantly with a tilt of my chin. His face was a billboard advertising obvious doubt.

“Really? Then tell me what you do for fun, Sage.” I opened my mouth a second before he cut me off.

“And jogging and sparring don’t count,” he said. I gave him the evil eye. I couldn’t tell him that I hadn’t had the time or stomach for “fun” during the last three months. I’d spent every single day searching for Cerberus to no avail, visiting places that haunted me and kicking the crap out of thugs all over the city just to keep from thinking. Originally, I had gone out in search of vampires out of desperation, to try and see if I could find out if Cerberus was still around and to see if I could find out anything about the people I’d left behind in 1904: Travis Connely, Soren, and, of course, Aldwin. My chest contracted painfully. It still wasn’t any easier.

Instead of vampires, I’d run into an in-progress convenience store robbery while I was feeling frustrated, tired, and pissed. I didn’t hesitate. I’d snapped my hoodie up, walked in, time froze the whole store, grabbed the gun away from the idiot wielding it, and then unfroze time just as I pulled on enough of my power to knock him out cold. The store clerk was crying and screaming something in Japanese as I walked out of the store with my hoodie still in place. That had become my routine every weekend and sometimes through the week: look for vampires, instead find morons committing crimes, and kick their asses. I had even begun to wonder if I’d lost my ability to sense preternatural beings after I’d warped back. My “routine” kept my mind off the pain I’d buried inside myself and allowed me to expend some of my anger into a worth-while cause. Unfortunately, I had to quit searching for scum a few weeks back when a local newspaper ran an article about a street-smart vigilante roaming the night in downtown Charleston.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that, and I didn’t mean to pry.” He placed a hand on my shoulder and I flinched. He quickly removed his hand and ran it through his hair.

“No, you’re right. I don’t ever go out just to have fun.” I swallowed and smiled at him. His caring brown eyes searched my face before he shrugged.

“Well, you should go and hang out with me sometime. I happen to be going out with a group of friends tonight. You should come.” He grabbed his bag and headed toward the front door of the gym, pulling his keys out of his pocket. I grabbed my own bag and followed behind him.

“Okay. Where are we going, then?” Matt’s jaw dropped open and he came to a complete stop.

“You want to come?” he asked in amazement.

“Yes…Absolutely.” I nodded my head as my inner, very neglected, cheerleader gave me a pep talk. I could do this! Matt still hadn’t said anything. “Wait…you want me to come, right? Or did you just ask because you felt sorry for me…or maybe because you thought I’d say no?” I bit my lip. Shit, it had been a pity invite.

“No, no. I mean, yes. I want you to come. You just surprised me, that’s all.” A huge grin split his face, and I smiled back. This could be fun. I could do this.

Holy crap. I couldn’t do this. What was I thinking? I stood in front of my closet and hoped something would magically appear. Something I could wear to a club. I groaned. Matt had laughed his head off when he told me where we were going for some “fun.” I’m sure the horror I felt blazed on my face like a freakin’ neon sign. Club Strange was one of the most popular night clubs in all of South Carolina. It was a hip club known for catering to teens and adults alike. People came in droves to party there.

I gazed into my closet, willing something to pop out at me. Unfortunately, it worked. Tucked in the very back of my closet was a zippered garment bag from an upscale department store that I never shopped at. I’d forgotten all about it. I pushed all my winter clothing out of the way and pulled the bag out and laid it flat on my bed. The outfit had been a graduation present from one of the only friends I’d had in high school. Her parents were obscenely loaded. I unzipped the bag and sucked in a breath. It was silk & leather. It was terrifying. It was perfect.

I stood across the street from Club Strange and watched as dozens of people stood in line to gain entrance. A thumping beat vibrated from inside the club and for the hundredth time, I squashed the need to run screaming back to my apartment. The memory of another night not so different from this one rose up to haunt me. That night and time I had been standing outside of a Victorian home, wearing a beautiful silk ball gown and would unknowingly meet the vampire, Soren, who would eventually become an important part of my life. I blinked away the unwelcome memory and studied my reflection in a nearby store window. This time I was standing outside a Twenty-First Century night club, dressed in black leather pants, a long-sleeved, gold silk top that draped low across my chest and shoulders, and let’s not forget the three inch black leather boots that held my beloved dagger. A girl couldn’t be too careful.

I spotted Matt and quickly made my way across to his side of the street. His eyes were searching the crowd, quickly flickering over me dismissively. His eyes boomeranged back around to me, nearly popping out of his head. Geez, I guess that’s what I get for wearing workout clothes all the time.

“Hey, Matt.” I smiled breathlessly.

“Sage…you look…wow…you look great.” I beamed at him. I actually felt pretty great too. It’s amazing what getting dressed up, fixing your hair, and putting on some lip gloss will do for a girl.

“So, where are your friends?” I asked as I glanced around us.

“They’re already inside. I just came out to find you. I’m actually surprised you didn’t chicken out.” His devilish grin kept me from getting my panties in a bunch. Besides, I’d thought the same thing a few seconds ago.

After I received my “under 21” stamp and was VIP’d through the front entrance, I wondered who Matt knew to get the special treatment, but all thoughts were blasted from my mind once we got inside. The dark interior, bright flashing strobe lights, and loud, heart-pumping, music all tipped me into sensory overload. My heart began beating erratically and a fine mist of sweat broke out on my brow. I fumbled for Matt’s hand just as he pulled me close to speak into my ear.

“It will get better when we make it to our booth. I promise. Think you can make it there?” I looked up into his eyes, nodded once, and took a deep, cleansing breath. I tightened my hold on his hand as we made our way slowly to the other side of the club. When I finally slid into the booth that Matt indicated was ours, my legs still hadn’t stopped shaking. I scooted over to make room for Matt. He was right. The music and lights weren’t as over-powering where our booth was, and my entire body relaxed just a little. I glanced around the booth and then back at Matt, wondering where his group of friends was.

“They’re probably dancing.” He shrugged. A waiter appeared and took our orders for drinks—a Coke for me and a cocktail for Matt. I raised my eyebrow in question.

“I turned twenty-one about a week ago.” He didn’t seem to think it was a big deal. My mouth popped open. I should’ve known that, shouldn’t I have?

“It isn’t that big of a deal. Besides you always seemed so…preoccupied.”

I sat back in my seat deflated. Was that how I was now—too “preoccupied” to even notice when the only person I hung out with had a birthday? I closed my eyes, briefly letting the pounding of my heart and drumming of the music to infiltrate my senses.

“Hey, you okay?” I opened my eyes and smiled at Matt.

“Yeah, I’m good.” The waiter brought us our drinks, and after I’d taken a sip of my Coke, Matt switched our glasses and leaned close.

“I’m more of a beer type of guy. I ordered the fruity, girly drink for you.”  He gave me a saucy wink and my grin grew wide and stupid. It had been way too long since that had happened. I sipped the fizzy, berry-flavored alcohol and moaned in pleasure. It was sinfully good, and I was beyond overdue the simple pleasure. Halfway through my cocktail, a pretty girl with a lip ring, short black hair tied into pig tails behind her ears, and blue highlights came bouncing up to the table.

“Matt, come dance with me! Chris is too drunk and Jen got pissed and caught a taxi home.” She stuck out her bottom lip, ring and all, and I laughed out loud. She was cute and sassy. Matt jumped, startled by the sound of my laugh.

“You should go dance with her, Matt. I’ll be here when you get back.” I gave his arm a little push, smiling the whole time.

“Sage, this is Trina.” I gave Trina a little finger wave and she grinned at me. I took another sip of my fruity concoction. Mellow was my middle name.

“I like her,” Trina announced with her head cocked to one side, studying me. I laughed again, and Matt gave me a worried glance.

“Matt, really, I’m fine. Go have some fun. Maybe I’ll meet you out there.” He had no choice. Trina was pulling on his arm, and I wasn’t helping one little bit. He turned around, but I waved him off. I didn’t need a babysitter, and I didn’t want him to miss out on any fun.

“I’ll be back,” he mouthed as he was being dragged off. I smiled and waved.

I sat there for a little while, finishing off my cocktail and feeling pretty great. My cheeks were flushed slightly and my body was more relaxed than it had been in months. I watched all people around me talking, laughing, dancing, and living their lives when something tweaked inside me. I berated myself for sitting in a dark corner like a coward while life happened all around me. I narrowed my eyes, took a deep breath, and got to my feet. I, of all people, knew how quickly time flew, and I’d be damned if I was going to let it pass me by. I took a single step and plowed right into the back of someone else leaving the booth next to mine. I snorted. Smooth move, Sage. The guy I’d nearly trampled in my “got-to-live-in-the-moment” haste flashed his angry, green eyes in my direction.

“What the hell?”  he growled. The apology hanging on the tip of my tongue shriveled up instantly, and my wide, apologetic smile slipped into a cocky smirk. I rolled my eyes as his roamed the entire length of my body.

I stepped close enough to him to notice that he had spilled his drink on his black silk shirt when I’d bumped into him and that he wore expensive cologne. Another step closer and his eyes widened as I leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Do you have an undershirt on?” He blinked, confused for a moment, than nodded when he realized what I was asking. “How about I dance with you as an apology?” His smile was quick and easy. I backed up to allow him room to discard his ruined silk shirt. Once he was down to his black v-neck undershirt and black slacks, he took my hand, ready to head to the dance floor. I swallowed nervously, suddenly unsure of myself. I must have lost my mind. He tilted my chin up a fraction to look in my eyes.

“It’s just a dance, beautiful girl.” His wink sealed the deal, and I was gently pulled through a throng of people toward the mass of bodies moving in rhythm to a hypnotic beat. Mr. Green Eyes didn’t waste any time. He threw my arms around his neck, moved in close, and settled his hands on my waist. I stiffened for a fraction of a second before the beat and sensual swaying took my senses captive and carried away all my worries.

It’s funny how smack in the middle of so many people you can just let go of everything and allow music to transport you to a place of healing like nothing else can. That’s where I was—in a bubble where all my thoughts were completely shut off, where all my fears, and hurts, and worries were forgotten. Forgotten just for a single blessed moment. Nothing mattered in that bubble—only me, letting go with my hands above my head and my body swaying in time to music so loud it was impossible to distinguish the pulse of the beat from the pounding of my own heart. Too bad bubbles are so fragile.

A chilling breeze stirred the fine hairs on the nape of my neck and slid along my bare shoulders, effectively bursting my bubble illusion. I stiffened and suppressed the urge to swing around. I stole a glance around me and nervously put my hands back on my dance partner’s shoulders. It was much too warm, with way too many people packed onto the dance floor for any type of breeze to be present. I shook my head and continued dancing. I wondered for a second if I’d imagined it, but not even a half second later, I felt a frigid, lingering caress on my lower back through the silk of my blouse. I swung around, automatically crouching down to reach for my dagger. The only thing I found were the stares of nearby dancers, sweating as they kept dancing, despite the crazy girl staring them down. My emotions felt out of whack. There was no reason for me to feel the overwhelming shock and awe that was currently coursing through my body. My head spun with so many foreign sensations. I felt parched and decided I needed a drink. I turned to tell my dance partner that I needed to go, but he had already moved on and found a new dance partner.  With a shrug, I left the dance floor. Easy come, easy go.

The feeling of being watched was so strong, that I could almost feel a hole boring into the back of my head.  The overwhelming urge to run or confront my stalker put my entire body on edge…on alert. My power awakened in my chest, a big powerful cat uncurling itself from a long siesta in the sun. My fingers twitched in anticipation.

I sat at the bar, guzzling a bottle of water and wondering if my brains had been addled from the alcohol and dancing, when a hand grasped my upper arm. A large man who smelled like he had bathed in booze, with lovely bloodshot eyes, leaned in as he tightened his grip on my arm.

“Sir, get your hands off the young lady.” The bartender narrowed his eyes at the drunk.

“Mind your own damn business!” Yeah, the big, offensive-smelling guy was definitely past the point of reasoning. My smile was one-third pissed off and two-thirds you-have-no-idea-who-you’re-messing-with, but he couldn’t tell the difference. His smile was lascivious, and his ripe smell nearly caused my eyes to cross.

Several things happened all at once. The bartender motioned to someone behind me. I heard the security guy whisper “shit” from impossibly far away, and I felt a rage course through my body that was beyond me and beyond my own understanding. I swear on all that is holy that my vision became shuttered in a red haze for a few dangerous seconds.

The big dude was oblivious to everything going on around him.

“Hey, baby, you want some company, don’t you?” His grip tightened even harder on my arm, and I winced. I’d be bruised the next day.

“You really should get your filthy hands off me.” My tone should have been warning enough. I gripped his offending hand and gave him a little power-filled shove away from me. I turned back around, ignoring the snickers and gasps around me, to finish off the last guzzle of my water. The bartender raised his brow in surprise, and then his eyes widened as he caught sight if something behind me. I steeled myself. Big idiot was back.

“Who the fuck do you think you are, little girl?” His eyes were dilated and a huge vein stood out on his forehead. I felt more than heard the security guard come up behind me. I held up a finger.

“I’m the wrong “little girl” for you to put your hands on. Maybe your momma should’ve taught you better manners.” Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have antagonized the guy further, but seriously, he was an ass. I turned around and stared the security dude in the eye. “I can handle this.” His eyebrows shot up into his hairline, and his grin told me he thought I was full of crap. Just as someone bumped into security dude, effectively distracting him, my drunken companion made his move.

Fortunately for the drunken butt-head, I only used a little of my powers. His hand clamped on my arm in a bruising grip as he swung me around to face him. I narrowed my eyes.

“Last chance, Bubba. Better let go while you still can.” His laugh was cut off prematurely by his outraged cry of pain. One quick incapacitating wrist twist and broken nose later, he was writhing in pain on the ground at my feet, probably wondering where it all went wrong that night. I stood there looking down at the second man I’d punched in less than twenty-four hours. I would say that I felt bad, but I’m pretty sure the smirk on my face wouldn’t have backed up that outrageous claim. I glanced up and found the security dude watching me with a smirk of his own. I raised my brow, daring him to say I hadn’t been provoked. He motioned for me to go with him with a crook of his finger. Awe, crap.

I stepped over the still-prone figure of my latest assault victim and made my way over to the security guard. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited with a defiant tilt of my chin. He spoke quickly into his little security gadget and started walking towards the back of the club. I shrugged and followed. Once again an icy breeze ruffled the curls around my ears. A cloak of calm and relief settled into my heart as a frown creased my forehead.

The security guard motioned for me to enter a room ahead of him. I peered inside and found security camera central. I shuffled inside, raised my chin, and waited to get chewed out.

“I was defending myself…that asshat needed…” I began.

“Would you like a job?” Security dude cut me off mid-sentence and my mouth swung open. I stared stupidly at his tanned face.

“Excuse me?” That was my brilliant reply. His smile showed very white, even teeth. His tan skin, army buzz cut, and overly muscled arms and chest, all reminded me of G.I. Joe…G.I. Joe meets undercover agent. The overall package was a bit intimidating.

“I believe I just offered you a job. Would you consider working security part time nights here at the club? We need a mujer, a female, who can blend in and who can handle herself. You’re eighteen aren’t you?” He had a light Spanish accent, and he asked the last as if it had just occurred to him that I could’ve been a minor. I nodded mutely. He was offering me a job after I’d just laid a guy out in the club? I smiled so big, I felt unused muscles in my face groan in complaint.

“I’d like a job very much.” I shook hands with my new favorite person.

I laid wide awake in bed, staring at my ceiling, thinking over the night’s events, glad to be back home and in my flannel pajama bottoms and t-shirt. Matt had dropped me off at my apartment building with a still talkative Trina in the front seat. I don’t think she ever stopped talking on the ride home. I grinned—Trina was pretty great to hang out with.

I rolled over and glanced at the clock, next to my bed.  1:00 AM. I needed to try and get some rest. I had a ton of things to accomplish the next day before I had to meet Jorge, my new boss, at Club Strange. When I clicked off the lamp, my heart rate immediately accelerated and my hands clenched into fists. I was so disgusted with myself—unable to get over the ridiculous sense of dread that clutched my heart in its unnatural grip. It was the same every night. Every night since I’d warped back to my own time, I’d lay in bed terrified. Terrified, I’d dream, and my dream would lead me gently through a dream forest only to wake up screaming into another time. Terrified I wouldn’t dream of laughter and splashing, of the sound of waves washing up on a beach, of the wind carrying the intoxicating scent of honey, spices, and herbs to my dream self. Terrified I wouldn’t catch a glimpse of a scarred, gentle face, smiling at me from a place of mists and shadows. I closed my eyes tightly and willed myself to sleep…willed myself to forget.

The next morning I stood in front of my bed staring at my reflection in the mirror. I ran my hand over my stomach. I’d definitely lost a little weight over the last few months. I looked myself in the eye, noting the bags underneath them. I looked worn out. I sighed and grabbed my favorite faded blue jeans and shimmied into them, frowning at my plain, white cotton bra. I could use some new under-things, I thought to myself. Nothing could make a girl feel more confident than some new lacy panties and bras. I yanked a black sweater over my head, pulled my hair back into a pony tail, and wrapped a soft red scarf loosely around my neck. I jammed my cell phone, wallet, and laptop into my messenger bag and headed into town in hunt of new undies—just what every girl needs for her first day on a new job.

I sat on a bench outside several hours later with a caramel latte and a cinnamon bagel smothered in butter, soaking up the warmth of the mid-day sun. My shopping had been a success, even though I had bought a little more than I’d intended to. The panties and bras had been a slight splurge, and I’d found a great deal on some pants and tops that I figured would be appropriate for my new job. I shook my head. Who would’ve ever thought I’d be working in a night club? Life was just way too unpredictable. I took a deep breath of the chilly air and stretched my legs out in front of me. The bench I sat on was located in a lovely little park in Charleston.  It was one of my favorite spots in the world—one of the very few places I could remember spending time with my parents when they were alive. I felt a connection to the place. Right then it was quite empty, but the wintery scenery didn’t keep me from enjoying it any less.

After I finished off my bagel, I leaned back with my eyes closed and indulged in memories from my childhood. My dad swinging me around and around until I couldn’t stand up straight…my mom smiling at us from a blanket spread out for a picnic under a huge, old oak tree. Her laughter was one of the most carefree sounds I’d ever heard. A sigh escaped my lips as I reluctantly opened my eyes, effectively snapping out of my reverie.

I stood up, getting ready to leave so I could finish a few more things on my to-do list, when the world literally shifted beneath my feet. I reached out a hand to steady myself. I watched my hand become suspended in mid-motion as the air around me rippled out from the place where I stood like the ripples a rock makes when it hits a still pond. I pulled my hand in front of me, mesmerized by the way it glided slowly as if I were deep under water or if the air were made of clear gelatin. A small gust of warm air washed over me with the sweet scent of magnolias in full bloom riding on its wings. I could hear a bird singing in the distance and the sound of children playing and laughing. I smiled despite the bizarreness of the situation. The picture of a little girl skipped in front of me so suddenly that I gasped at the hazy vision. Her red curls bounced as she skipped along, singing out to someone behind her, “Come catch me, Daddy!” The air shifted and thinned slightly, allowing me to breathe a little easier. A laugh rang out from somewhere close by, a joyous sound that I would have recognized anywhere, raising the hairs on my arms. Shock coursed through me, causing the air around me to thin so quickly that I landed on my knees in front of the bench I’d eaten lunch on. The warmth of the vision’s summer day all vanished in an instant as I was thrust back into the chilly February day.

I gasped and stuffed my knuckle in my mouth to keep from crying out. I pulled myself up onto the bench and glanced around. Everything was back to normal just like I knew it would be. I leaned forward with my head in my hands and rubbed my face as hard as possible. I looked up again and tried not to scream in frustration. What the hell? Why would I have a mental breakdown in the middle of a park? I hadn’t thought that hard about my parents in a very long time, and I had never had an episode like the one I’d just experienced. I needed to talk to someone badly, but who? It’s not like googling my warper issues would bring up any relevant results on my laptop. The library was useless, and the only people I knew who could possibly tell me anything about what I was experiencing, I’d left a hundred years in the past, back in 1904. The unfairness and impossibility of my situation had just slapped me in the face and hit me in one of the very few soft spots I had left. I sat there on the bench in a daze another half hour with my arms wrapped around my waist before I was able to summon the strength to get up and make my way back to my apartment. I didn’t feel much of anything on the walk home, which was a huge improvement over the despair and overwhelming loneliness I’d felt while in the park.

I dressed in my brand new, dark indigo blue jeans and a lime green tank top. I pulled a loose white cashmere boat neck sweater over the tank top and slid my dagger into my boot. My new underwear felt great, my new clothes felt great, and I was feeling pretty amazing wearing it all. I even took the time to slap on a little make-up and light perfume—it was a miracle. I braided my hair to lie over my right shoulder and was pleased with the overall picture. I sat on my bed and pulled my pendant from my shirt. I held the stone in my hand and once again thought about getting rid of it. My heart thudded painfully at the thought. I sat my sgian dubh on the bed and lovingly caressed the engravings on the blade. “Ta mo chroi istigh ionat”. That’s what it said. I didn’t know what it meant back in 1904 when it had been given to me, and it took me several weeks to bring myself to find the meaning. My heart is within you, and it was true—Aldwin would always be in my heart.

I had gone through this many times over the past weeks…but I always came back to the same thought, the same memory, the same conclusion. I could hear Aldwin’s voice in my head as if we had met only twenty-four hours ago instead of a hundred years and three months ago. He’d told me that I couldn’t change my destiny by simply taking off the pendant. With or without the pendent, I was a warper, and I didn’t want to screw up my life or the life of other people just because of the pain and loss I’d endured. I’d be strong, I’d continue down the path that had been laid out before me, and I hoped I’d have made Aldwin proud.

I sat in the back office of Club Strange filling out paperwork an hour before the place opened for business. The pay was pretty good—a whole lot better than what I would have been making at Taco Hut, that’s for sure. At least I wouldn’t feel so idle anymore. I’d have something to occupy my time, and getting paid for it was a definite plus. Jorge entered the office and I handed him my completed paperwork. He glanced over it quickly, made copies of my ID, and gave me a rough schedule for the next two weeks. We left the office to take a tour of the place and to discuss my duties.

“So, where did you learn how to defend yourself like you did last night?” he asked as we walked past the stage where the band was warming up.

“Here and there. I took a few self-defense classes a long time ago. I also had a pretty great teacher teach me some more advanced techniques.” The picture of a disheveled Aldwin, smiling at me from across a sparring mat, flashed in my mind. “But, he’s gone now,” I said stiffly.

“Do you carry any weapons?” I came to an abrupt stop.

“Why would you ask me that?” I asked defensively. No way I was giving up my sgian dubh.

“It’s just that I have almost a sixth sense about people. You strike me as the type of girl who wouldn’t walk around without some kind of protection.” He noticed my defensive stance and held out his hands, palms up. “Listen, I only ask so I can be informed….I don’t like to be surprised by the people I’m responsible for bringing on the team. I won’t ask you to give it to me. Mi jefe, my boss, doesn’t mind weapons—as long as they are in the hands of responsible, level-headed people.” He shrugged his overly muscular shoulders.

I bit my bottom lip in thought. He seemed genuine, and if he insisted I give up the weapon, I could always tell him to shove it and go home. I reached down and lifted the leg of my jeans. I held out my most cherished possession for his inspection. His eyes widened as he reached for the sgian dubh, and I involuntarily flinched when he grasped the hilt in his hand. No one had ever touched the dagger besides Aldwin and me. He gave a low whistle in appreciation as he turned the blade over in his hand, his eyes caressing the beautiful craftsmanship.

“Well, I didn’t expect this. Mace…a gun, maybe…but this…this is a thing of beauty.” He studied my face, his brow furrowed in thought. “Do you know how to use this thing?” he asked after a moment. I gave a quick nod in the affirmative. He held the dagger back out to me and I nearly snatched it out of his hand. I quickly put it back in its sheath inside my boot.

“Is this going to be a problem?” I crossed my arms over my chest and raised a brow.

“As long as you don’t go on a drunken rampage with that thing or go around flashing it in a crowd…it should be okay.” I snorted. He flashed a big grin in my direction. “Somehow I don’t think you’re that type either. Let’s go and finish our little tour before it’s time to open the club.” I let out a relieved breath and followed behind him. “This is the only place you haven’t seen yet,” Jorge said as he opened a large door in the very back of Club Strange. “You won’t be in here much, but I wanted to show it to you. Just in case the owner needs you to do anything for him, or if he ever needs to speak with you, you’ll know where to go.” He flicked a light on as we entered the large room.

The room was massive, with a huge desk in the far corner and a bookshelf filled with well-worn books standing behind it. Something seemed a little odd about the whole set up…something bothered me about it. I frowned at the desk and bookshelf and tried to put my finger on what was bothering me, but nothing came to mind. I walked further into the room and glanced around. A large, comfortable, brown leather couch and huge throw rug gave very little away about the owner of Club Strange. No photos sat on the desk; no photos of any kind adorned the walls. A sketch of a woman lying on her stomach asleep, sprawled across a huge Victorian bed, was the only art in the whole room. I stepped closer and inspected the picture. Whoever drew it was very good, and I could tell they cared deeply for the woman. Her face was peaceful in sleep; a small smile adorned her lips; hair tumbled around her shoulders and fanned out on the bed. I frowned—a crackling light bulb in the back of my skull sparked and popped, trying to make a connection—but for the life of me, I couldn’t put it all together.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Jorge came up behind me and nodded at the picture I was studying. “I’d love to know if Señor Black drew it himself, but he is a very private man. Let’s go. It’s about time to open up.” I glanced at the drawing once again and then over at the desk. Mr. Black had nice taste—surprising for the owner of a night club, I thought vaguely. I flicked off the light as I walked out the door, suppressing a shiver. I shook my head to dislodge the feeling of déjà vu before it could freak me out any more than it already had.

The next thing I knew, the club was thumping and people were jammed inside, thrilled to be a part of the hottest night club in the city. I mingled amidst the throng of people, keeping my eye out for any troublemakers, checking the women’s restrooms out for anything going on. I broke up a fight an hour into the night and my reputation spread through the place like wildfire. The respect was totally unexpected, but that’s what it came down to. Big guys looked like they wanted to argue, but in the end they didn’t want to take a chance that their ego would suffer at the hands of a five foot six inch girl.

I smiled at the bartender as I took a seat. He automatically handed me a bottle of water. I turned around as I took a swig and watched everyone around me having a good time. I had already become much more used to the pulsing lights and brain-damaging-loud music. I was enjoying the job a lot, and it actually surprised me. I jumped off my seat and took off to check out the far side of the club. I could see Jorge breaking up a small scuffle close to the dance floor. Someone grabbed my hand, and I very nearly swung a fist out of pure reaction. I swung around and found Matt grinning at me like a fool. On impulse, I reached over and hugged him quickly around the neck. He looked absolutely floored.

“What was that for?” he hollered over the music.

“I owe you for dragging my butt to the club last night, and I really like this job…so, thank you.” My smile felt genuine for the first time in a very long time, but in the back of my mind I felt uneasy. Anger and something else I couldn’t define boiled up inside me. I frowned and glanced down at the ground. What in the world was wrong with me? After the most bizarre afternoon ever, and now all these foreign emotions, I was thinking I needed to see a doctor—maybe have some tests run.

“Hey, you okay? You look a little green.” Matt’s voice brought me back to myself.

“Yeah, I’m fine, probably just a little hungry. I missed dinner.” I spoke with him a little longer before he left to find Trina to leave. There were only thirty minutes left until closing time. I glanced down the hall that led to the owner’s office and was just about to head back across the club when I noticed someone heading towards a mostly unused side exit. Someone bumped into me from behind and I turned my head away for only a second but not before I caught a glimpse of red-ringed eyes darting in my direction. All of the sounds of the club faded to the back of my mind like an unnecessary white noise. My body felt slightly weightless as I strode towards the door with my heart pounding so hard I could feel its every pulse at my temple.

Finally, after three months of searching, three months of wondering if I’d even be able to sense a vampire again, I’d spotted one. I reached the door and swung it open without even the slightest hesitation. The door slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing loudly down the side street I found myself in. The vampire was about twenty feet away from me and had spun around when I’d barged into the alleyway. From where I stood, I could tell that he was young, and judging by his eye color, he wasn’t very old in vampire years either. He wore ripped designer black jeans with a chain hanging from his back pocket and an un-tucked white button-up shirt cuffed to the elbows.

“May I help you?” the vampire asked. The absurdness of his question caught me off guard, and I laughed out loud. It isn’t often you run into a polite vampire, I thought as I, unsuccessfully, tried to staunch my giggles. The vampire must have thought I was losing my mind.

“I finally find a vampire, and he has good manners?” I asked once I stopped laughing. It was too late when I realized my mistake. Usually, no normal person can tell vampires from humans because of their powers and witch-made charms. The vampire stood directly in front of me and had his hand around my neck before I could even blink.

Crap.

“What do you know about vampires, girl?” His words came out a hiss between his fangs.

“I know more than I’d like to,” I said as I stared him directly in the eye. He studied my face, deep in concentration, and I realized he was trying to get me to glance away from his gaze. Good luck with that, I thought.  “I would like to speak with you or maybe the vampire in charge of the Charleston area. I’m searching for Cerberus,” I said quietly and evenly. The vampire hissed loudly and tightened his grip around my neck.

“You made a big mistake asking those kind of questions, little girl.”

“Did I? Why would you say that? Is Cerberus still a big secret…still all hush-hush?” I was wracking my brain, trying to keep the vampire talking so I could come up with a plan. I needed him to take me to Cerberus or even his higher up…and I was desperate. The vampire stepped back away from me and slit his eyes as he looked me up and down. He began walking around me slowly, and the need to warp sprung up unbidden in my mind, a defense mechanism against the predator that circled me. I stood as still as possible, allowing the vampire to think he had nothing to fear from me and that he was in total control of the situation.

“You’re the blood whore of a vampire.” He stated it matter-of-factly, coming to the only conclusion his mind could conjure. I kept my mouth closed, hoping he would open up if he thought I was already “in the know” concerning vampire business. “Hmmm, but where are your marks? They could be on your thigh….” He came up close behind me and yanked my head back to take a long, lingering sniff of the pulse at my neck. “But that doesn’t really add up either. No regular vampire would speak of Cerberus to his blood whore, and a more powerful vampire wouldn’t allow his blood whore to walk around asking about such things. So…many…unanswered questions.” His lips caressed my throat, and I had to stop myself from unsheathing my dagger. I felt his teeth graze my neck, and I still wasn’t sure what to do. Killing him wouldn’t accomplish anything, but I really didn’t want the blood sucking leach attached to my throat either. Decisions, decisions.

I’m not sure what I would have eventually decided in that moment because a split second later, the decision was yanked out of my hands. Just as the vampire’s fangs grazed my neck, drawing a single drop of blood, another vampire blew into us so quickly I didn’t have time to register the danger. I landed on the ground with a grunt and then quickly jumped to my feet just as his was wrapping his fingers around the neck of the vampire I’d been talking to.

“No…! I screamed out. In one swift movement the vampire twisted my would-be informant’s head off without a second thought. “Son of a…” I swallowed the curse when the angry, bloodied vampire glanced in my direction, and I found myself on the receiving end of an ancient gold-rimmed stare. I immediately pulled my power from within, feeling it crackle to life in my chest and tingle in the palm of my hand. No way I’d be able to take on this vamp without using my warper powers. The vampire took a step forward, and I immediately pulled the dagger warper-fast from my boot. I couldn’t make out the vampire’s features from where I stood; the alleyway didn’t boast many street lamps. I felt anger and sorrow build in my chest for no reason I could fathom. I let my power leak into more of my body as I lifted my dagger in an offensive pose. A low, sad laugh reverberated up and down the alley, bouncing off the walls, making the hairs on my arms stand on end and causing my head to grow slightly fuzzy. I was on an emotional roller coaster, and it wasn’t something I knew how to control. It was a weakness—one that could get me killed. I lunged forward just as the vampire uttered a single word, so softly and so full of anguish that I nearly hadn’t heard it.

“Sage.” His voice caressed the word, a slightly accented sound that I remembered as if I’d heard it only the day before. I stopped mid-motion, not even a foot away, unable to comprehend what I was hearing, what I was seeing. The voice didn’t belong in my world, didn’t belong in my time. It belonged in my dreams, in my nightmares, in that place in time that I had tried so hard to forget and to put behind me. I crept forward as slowly as I could with my hand outstretched, afraid I’d shatter the illusion standing before me. My hand shook slightly as I reached out to touch the face of the ghost in front of me. My gasp mingled with his as I made contact with the smooth skin of his cheek. I gained enough courage to glance up into the beautiful golden eyes I remembered so well and yet had tried so hard to erase from my memory. His eyes were searching my face, cataloging all my features. We stood there soaking in the sight of each other for only a moment longer before my mind and body caught up with everything that had just happened. I swayed ever so slightly and thought, not so bad considering my whole world has just been rocked.

“Soren?” The word was a whisper, a question, and the only thing I could manage before I quite embarrassingly lost consciousness.

“Go ahead and finish closing the place up. I’ll be here a while longer tonight doing some paperwork.” I heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere close by. I cracked my eyes open and sat up entirely too quickly. I steadied myself on the brown leather sofa I’d been lying on. When the room stopped spinning, I was surprised to find myself back in the room I had seen earlier that night, the one that belonged to the owner of Club Strange. My entire body shivered and a prickly, foot-falling-asleep sensation crawled down the back of my neck. I tried to dislodge the feeling of sea sickness, the out of body experience feeling, but the longer I stared at the desk and bookcase…the quicker it hit me that Soren was right outside the door in modern Charleston, in my time. The door creaked open and in walked Sir Soren Blackwell of 1904 and also the mysterious Mr. Black, Club Strange owner of 2004.

I stood up when the door shut behind him and walked over to stand toe-to-toe with him. He looked almost the exact same as I remembered. Well, minus the old-fashioned clothing. He wore his hair a little shorter, cut to his ears instead of to his shoulders like he had the last time I’d seen him. The faded blue jeans and designer t-shirt was something I’d have to get used to. I reached out and touched his lips just to be sure he was real. He hissed in a breath and narrowed his eyes at me.

“Same brooding vampire,” I said softly. I reached up and pushed his hair back and looked into his beautiful eyes. He seemed harder than I remembered, more aloof, even more untouchable than before. All of a sudden, like a slap in the face, I realized something. I’d been searching for vampires, searching for Cerberus, or anyone that could help me for months, and this whole time Soren had been right there in Charleston. Right there in my area. He could have found me at any time he’d wished.

The enormity of what I’d just realized robbed me of my breath. I gasped for air, and awe was immediately replaced by mind-numbing fury. All those months of anger, tears, despair, loneliness, and heartache could have been more bearable if Soren had only cared enough to contact me. My hand flew out so quickly I barely felt the movement. I’m pretty sure Soren never saw it coming. His head jerked back from the force of my warper-juiced blow and his eyes blazed an unholy light when his gaze met mine. And just like that, I was once again sprawled on the top of his desk with his hand on my throat and his face only an inch from mine.

“You, Jackass!” I hissed. “Do you know what I’ve been through? What hell I’ve endured all alone for the past three months?” I spit out. I could feel static electricity pulsing around my body, my fingers buzzed with pent up powers, and my body shook with the need to unleash my fury on anyone or anything foolish enough to be near me. Soren threw back his head and laughed. It wasn’t a happy sound; it was a slightly crazed sound that sliced through my body and would have made any normal person cringe away in fear.

“Three months, Sage? Is that what you call Hell? I would have loved to have had your version of Hell because mine lasted a hundred years. A hundred years of not knowing if you were alive, not knowing where or when you warped to.” His voice lowered and he grabbed me roughly by my braid, tilting my head back on the desk. “You have no idea what hell really is, warper!” I swung my hand again, but this time Soren was ready for it. He stopped it mid-slap and pinned it to my side with his free arm. His grip tightened on my hair and he leaned in and whispered roughly in my ear. “Have you ever been so close to someone you wanted to touch, so close and yet so far away? Have you ever wanted to reach out and wipe away all their tears, erase all their sorrows, and yet you couldn’t. You couldn’t, because there would have been too many fucking consequences if you did?” His finger dug into me as he gave one violent shake.  “No? Well, I have. And that, Sage, is a hell I’d never like to repeat.” His body quaked with suppressed rage.

My eyes widened. His voice was full of anguish, full of sorrow and unrequited longing. His fingers dug into my hair and massaged themselves into my scalp. He leaned in and buried his nose roughly into my hair, breathing in my scent. I closed my eyes as a tear tracked down my cheek, and then, like someone’s final breath, the fight leaked out of me and I went limp in his arms.

“Soren…please,” I whispered. He loosed his grip on my arm, and I raised my hand to bury it into his thick chestnut hair. I tugged gently until he raised his head and his gaze reluctantly captured mine. Soren’s mouth crashed down and his body melted into mine, effectively erasing all thoughts from my mind. There was nothing gentle in the mutual game of raw and primal need we were playing—mouths met in an explosion of lips and tongues, of touch and exploration, two people starving for what they had been denied for far too long. My legs wrapped around Soren’s waist as I was lifted off the top of the desk, our hands eagerly sought out all the planes of each other’s bodies—eager to caress and be caressed. We landed on the sofa, an urgency driving us born out of a mutual longing, a mutual passion, and a mutual need to be ourselves in a world where it was virtually impossible. Time hadn’t changed some things—that unnatural spark, that sometimes unhealthy need to be held by someone who understands and appreciates you for who and what you are.

Soren’s hands held me on his lap. His hand spanned my waist and traveled up my sides until his thumbs rested under my breasts. I nearly melted into a mass of quivering hormones. I jerked at his t-shirt, pulling it out of the waist band of his jeans and nearly moaned when my hands found the muscular planes of his chest. I scrapped my nail up his sides and he hissed out a warning. I ignored it entirely. Soren yanked me even closer, causing a most delicious friction between our bodies. His hand dug into my hair, loosening the braid completely. My head was gently pulled back, exposing my neck to Soren’s complete attention. His mouth began its assault immediately, and all I could do was hold on for the ride. Warm lips traveled along my jaw line, teeth nibbled my ear lobe, and Soren’s expert tongue flicked out along my collar bone. I gasped as his mouth continued to torture the sensitive skin exposed to his gaze. I grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked his head back. I looked into his eyes and lowered my mouth to his, telling him without saying a single word how much that moment meant to me, how much I longed to hold and be held. His mouth took over, slanting harshly over mine, accidentally nicking my lip with his fangs. I sucked in a breath as Soren lazily licked and sucked my lower lip. I grabbed the waist of his jeans and fumbled with the button there.

Soren snatched my hands away and kissed me lightly on the lips once again before putting a little space between our bodies. I blinked several times, trying to snap out of the hormone induced haze I’d found myself in. Soren licked his lips, and I mirrored the action. I reached for his hair and leaned forward but Soren took my hand in his and kissed the back of it.

“Sage, we must stop.” He was panting slightly as he spoke. Like hell we must, I thought. I scrapped my nails down his abs and heard a satisfying groan in reply. The satisfaction didn’t last long though. Soren jumped up so quickly, I was dumped, hormones ablaze, onto the floor. I sat there for a second, stunned and uncomprehending. Was he frickin’ denying me? I jumped off the floor, my cheeks hot with embarrassment and more than a little anger.

“What the hell, Soren?” I nearly screeched.

“Sage, I want this. I’ve wanted this for so long it hurts, but I don’t want to be the guy you are with simply because you didn’t have any other choices. I don’t want to be the guy you regret sleeping with.” He ran a hand roughly through his tousled hair. “Just not tonight.” He shook his head in frustration. I smiled. Good, that would make two of us feeling sexually frustrated. “If you still want this after tonight, after you hear everything I have to say, and after our emotions have calmed, then all you have to do is say the word.”

“I wanted this tonight, Soren. I wanted this now—before we talk and before we think about it too much.” I felt like punching something really hard. Soren shook his head, his jaw clenched. Shit. I knew that look. Worse…I knew he was probably right. Double shit. I played the last bluff card I had. “I won’t want this after tonight. It’s now or never, Soren.”  I boasted with my chin raised. In a flash, my body was pressed against the wall, my hands raised above my head and held by Soren’s stronger one. His hand raised my chin so I could do nothing but gaze into his blazing golden eyes.

“Oh, you’ll want this again, Sage. In fact, I guarantee it.” His blew a warm breath on the pulse point on my neck, and I nearly whimpered in want. He didn’t play fair, and his chuckle told me he didn’t intend to. “You see, you forget that I’m not good, Sage. I’m a vampire, a monster, and I enjoy being bad, especially if being bad guarantees me a place in your bed.” His tongue caressed the same spot, and I moaned. There was no helping it. He stepped back from me and I almost slapped the devilishly smug look right off his face. If he hadn’t retreated across the room, I would have.

His face softened as he spoke. “I did you a favor tonight. I won’t take advantage of you.” His gaze slowly traveled from the bottom of my tight jeans all the way up to my heaving chest and still-swollen lips, and his mouth thinned into a line of determination. His eyes, slightly dilated, and glowing brightly, finally met mine. “I won’t be a gentleman the next time. So think long and hard, Sage. You will be mine next time.” I swallowed and nodded my head in acknowledgement.

I sat down on the sofa in remorse and took my time re-braiding my hair, allowing myself to cool down and thinking through the events of the evening. “So, obviously there are some things we need to discuss,” I said finally. Soren nodded. “Okay…so let’s get started. First, can we get out of here? I’m starving and I’m ready to get out of these clothes. Soren raised a brow and I blushed and narrowed my eyes. Soren lifted his hands in surrender. “Anyway, let’s have our little talk at my place. Do you have a car?” Soren smiled a cheshire cat smile and I gulped. Lordy, the man, er vampire, was absolutely delectable and entirely too hot for his own good. I swallowed and walked quickly to the door behind Soren to hide any evidence of my drooling.

When Soren pulled his car around, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. It wasn’t a car. It was a frickin’ piece of art, and it would look totally out of place in front of my apartment building. Soren, ever the gentleman, opened the passenger door for me, and as I slid into the custom, buttery soft, red leather seat of the jet black Aston Martin, I sighed. Wow. So much for horse drawn carriages, eh? We pulled out of the driveway and Three Doors Down rang out through the sound system. I raised an eyebrow and shook my head.

“What?” he asked as he lowered the volume of the music.

“It’s just hard for me to see you like this.” I waved my hand around myself, and Soren frowned. “When I think of you and…the others,” I swallowed hard and looked out my window. “I still think of you as Sir Soren Blackwell from 1904. You wear fancy vintage suits, ride in horse drawn carriages, and listen to live orchestras. You don’t wear jeans and t-shirts, drive expensive modern cars, or listen to rock music.” I crossed my arms over my chest and looked straight ahead. I could feel Soren studying me, and it took everything I had not to squirm.

“Sage, it has been over a hundred years for me. I have changed with the times and evolved right along with technology. I am now part of your modern reality. I have been for a long time now,” he said softly. We rode in silence the rest of the way to my apartment. I didn’t dwell too much on how he knew where I lived. I was too tired and emotionally drained to spend the energy required to be angry.

I threw my purse and jacket over the back of a chair as I entered my apartment. “Just make yourself at home. I’m going to go change real quick and then we can have our little talk.” I changed as fast as possible, glad to be out of the tight jeans I had worn all night. I padded barefoot into the living room and found Soren standing in the middle of it, looking uncomfortable and out of place. “Have a seat anywhere.” I gestured towards the vintage sofa and mismatched arm chair I’d found at a second-hand store.

“I like the place. It fits your personality,” Soren remarked as he sat down. I grabbed some leftover fried rice out of the fridge and popped it into the microwave.

“Yeah, well, I enjoy shopping for unique pieces for the apartment. Vintage and antique items always seem to have so much more character than new ones.” I took the piping hot rice, dumped it onto a plate, and sat on the floor cross legged at the coffee table in front of Soren. “So, I’ll eat and you can talk,” I said around a mouth full of Chinese food. He cleared his throat and sat forward, running his hand through his hair.

“After the house party, that last night you were in 1904, things got a little hectic.” I ignored the sharp stabbing pain in my chest as he spoke of the night I’d tried to completely wipe from my memory.

“Hectic?” I prompted.

“Besides dealing with your abrupt disappearance, things started really getting out of control in the preternatural world. Disappearances, deaths, and even a robbery at Howell Home.” He looked up when he mentioned Howell Home, and I quickly averted my eyes and shoveled in a fork full of rice just to avoid his gaze. “At first everything seemed random, maybe an after effect of their leader dying, of Elaine not being there to put them all in their place and organize the chaos that was her following.” I looked up when he stopped. I could almost hear the “but” hanging in the air between us. I sat my fork down and wiped my mouth on a napkin.

“But it wasn’t?” I asked, knowing full well what the answer was.

“No, it wasn’t. The things stolen from Howell Home were books and various documents, even a box from Elaine’s room. It wasn’t until Aldwin realized that all the books and documents that were stolen were his texts dealing with the subject of warpers did we know we had a bigger problem on our hands.” He stopped and searched my face. I hoped I didn’t look as sick as I felt. I clenched my jaw and stood up, taking my plate to the kitchen to wash it. As I dried it off and sat it back in the cabinet, I asked quietly, “And what else?” Soren cleared his throat.

“We found out several of the vampires that were killed were the remnants of Elaine’s little crew. Someone was knocking off all of the vampires that had survived the battle we fought the night you were abducted. It took us a long time to figure out who the vampire was, and by the time we did, he had cleared out of town and it was impossible to track him. We are pretty sure he had some help to cover his tracks so thoroughly—some magical help.”

“So, someone was getting rid of all the loose ends and was also interested in warper powers and history?” I asked. Soren nodded. “So what exactly does that mean?” I asked, perplexed. Less rogue vampires equals a win-win, right?

Soren looked away from my eyes, and I knew the worst was yet to come. My stomach clenched. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hear any more. I wasn’t sure I could take it if he said my fears out loud. I flinched when he spoke again.

“Other people began going missing. Not just Elaine’s minions but people who knew specific information—information about you.” I swallowed and felt my heart pump out an unsteady rhythm. I wouldn’t ask. Some things are better left unknown. “There were only a select few of us who knew what exact time you’d warped from, and even less of us knew what exact place you’d warped from. Me, everyone in Howell Home, and then the preternatural leaders at the dinner we had attended together. You remember that, don’t you?” I nodded. Of course I did…it felt like it was yesterday to me. “Well, the other vampire leader that was there? His long time human mistress and Dwennon’s human servant both went missing. By the time we found them, it was too late. It was evident that they had been tortured for information.” Soren stopped and rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the carpet.

“That isn’t all?” I whispered.

“I’m afraid not. About thirteen years ago, a seven-year-old girl was kidnapped. I was made aware of this kidnapping because the child’s grandmother raised a holy ruckus. She swore that her granddaughter was taken by demons and that they took her because of her “gift.” When she gave a description to police, she told them that the little girl had a white tattoo, a spiral-of-life tattoo on her shoulder that marked her for greatness. That she had been blessed by a priestess. The police, of course, thought the old lady was off her rocker, but Cerberus got ahold of the Intel and contacted me to verify if it was a match to your tattoo. They are certain that the same blond vampire that committed all the crimes 100 years ago is the “demon” that grabbed the young Irish girl, Colleen, from her home in Ireland. That he is holding a warper against her will.”

I brushed my hand over the tattoo behind my ear and shivered. The poor girl. What would he want with a warper? He couldn’t control her time travel. Maybe he wanted to use her as a weapon? I wasn’t sure what it all meant, but I knew it couldn’t be anything good. Soren walked over to me and took my hand in his. “I’ve wanted to come talk to you, Sage. For a while I lived as far from South Carolina as I could, so I wouldn’t be tempted. I know this vampire has something planned. I’m not sure if he ever found out where and when you warped from, but I couldn’t take the chance that he would find you through me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to kiss you or kill you when you came strolling into the club the other night with your human friend.” He chuckled softly and I instantly smiled in return. His face grew serious, and he tilted my chin up so he could look me in the eye. “There is something else, Sage, but I don’t think now is the right time to speak of it.” His hand clenched and I stiffened out of fear. Fear of what it was he had to tell me. Fear it was exactly what I didn’t want to hear…the fate of those I’d loved and left behind. Aldwin’s fate. I laid my cheek against his shirt and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“No, let’s not speak of it tonight then. I think I have enough to try and digest for one night.” I smiled sadly up at him.

“Ah, Sage, how I wish I never had to bring it up again.” He gave me another squeeze before he stepped back. “So, you are probably beat from working all night. I’ll get going and see you at the club tomorrow evening. We’ll have to discuss your safety then as well.” He murmured. I raised a brow. “Oh, come on, Sage. This is my fault. I should have stayed in Italy and then we never would have run into each other. I’d feel better if I could be sure you were safe.”

“That’s fine, Soren. But, I’m not a little girl, so don’t have any ridiculous expectations, that’s all. I can be reasonable.” I smiled and mentally patted myself on the back. See…I could play well with others. Soren couldn’t quite hide a doubtful smirk.

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ve changed a ton over the past several months,” he chided.

“You’d be surprised.” I said softly.

Soren left me with a ton to think about and a ton of new questions. I was beyond happy to have been able to spend some time with him, and I was even happier that his car hadn’t been stolen while he was in my apartment. In bed that night, I lay wide awake digesting all the events Soren spoke of and all the deaths that were because of me. I thought of the spark that still sizzled between us and the spark that I’d had with Aldwin that would never again be lit. My heart was still broken, but a very tiny sliver of it had been mended by Soren’s reassuring presence. I fell asleep for the first time in three months without having a panic attack. I slept peacefully and dreamlessly. I almost wish I hadn’t. Without the painful dreams, the sweet memories never surfaced either.

The next night my shift flew by. I’d seen Soren briefly before the Club opened when he nodded in my direction as I was helping Jorge get ready for the night. Jorge seemed surprised but didn’t ask any questions. I wondered what Soren had told Jorge about what had happened the night before, but when he didn’t ask me any questions, I didn’t push my luck by bringing it up. The night wound down with relative ease, and I was glad to see the doors shut and the music turn off. The silence was beautiful. Soren met us out front while Jorge was locking up, and I once again was unsure what to say or do, not sure how to go about treating Soren at work or really anywhere for that matter. I felt tense and the need to break out in some sort of rambling explanation nearly choked me.

“Sage, would you care to take a walk?” I glanced over at Jorge who seemed to be busy locking up and I shrugged.

“Sure. See you Monday night, Jorge.” Jorge waved in my direction. I huddled into my leather jacket against the chilly night air as we walked down the dark and empty city sidewalk.

“We need to discuss how we are going to keep you safe, Sage. I doubt your presence in my club has gone unnoticed, and it is just a matter of time before whoever has been searching for you all these years figures out who you are and comes. I’m surprised nothing has happened yet.” His lips turned down in full brooding vampire mode, and I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re smiling?” he asked exasperated. I smiled even bigger and took one of his cold hands into mine.

“I’m smiling because I never thought I’d see that frown line between your brows again or that I’d miss someone trying to tell me what would be best for me as much as I did. I guess even with all the danger involved, I just feel pretty lucky to have you here with me again.” His hand caressed my cheek, and I leaned my face into it. It felt so good to have a piece of my heart back with me. With Soren’s hand still cupping my cheek, I felt him stiffen just as a soft sound of terror, only Soren should’ve been able to hear, came from a few buildings down. Soren looked sharply in the direction the sound came from and then back at me, his eyes widening.

“Yeah, that’s something we’ll have to discuss later,” I said over my shoulder as I bolted towards the cry for help. Even though I speed-warped, Soren was just a step behind me when I halted in front of the old city jail.  The old Charleston city jail was a beautiful piece of history, a great place to visit during the day, but at night it was just plain creepy. It was lit up from the inside by red-colored bulbs. The lights cast an eerie crimson glow all over the inside of the building, spilling out into the abandoned late night street. I took a step towards the entrance, but Soren’s hand stopped me. I glanced up into his worried gaze and smiled at him.

“Soren, I’m a warper. If push comes to shove, I will time freeze the entire building and do whatever is necessary. I’ve been kicking ass on the streets for months now all on my own, without anyone’s help.  Please don’t give me a hard time. I know what I’m doing.” His grip relaxed and he unclenched his jaw as he spoke.

“Let’s try the back entrance. It’s less conspicuous.” I followed him quickly around the building, a little surprised at how easily he’d complied with my wishes. The back door was slightly ajar, I unsheathed my dagger just as Soren held up two fingers, signaling he’d heard two human heartbeats inside the jail—the one who was in trouble and the one making the trouble. I nodded as we entered the jail as one. We spread out and made our way room to room on the bottom floor. The first floor was mostly dark, except the red light that some idiotic city worker had thought was a good idea. I swung around when I heard a metallic screeching sound coming from behind me, only to find a thick rope swinging in the breeze coming from a barred, but open window. The rope was hanging through a rusty metal ring placed in the center of the ceiling in the room. The hairs on my arms prickled as I thought of all the men and perhaps women that had swung from such a rope when the gallows room had been in use not so very long ago. A sound echoed down from the upper floor and I froze. A sliver of sweat dripped down the small of my back. Something wasn’t quite right, but I didn’t know what exactly. I shook my head. It didn’t really matter. All that mattered was helping whoever was in trouble. Soren and I met at the base of the stairs that led to the second and third stories. Soren pointed up and then held up three fingers. Great. Third story it was then.

We made our way up the staircase painfully slowly and as quietly as possible, hoping for the element of surprise. When we reached the third floor, I could hear a slight buzzing in my ears and thought it was from the anticipation of the fight, the slight high that comes before the adrenaline starts to pump and my warper powers begin to surface. Boy, was I ever wrong.

Soren’s eyes nearly lit a path to the only room whose door was slightly ajar instead of standing completely open. Once we stood outside the door, Soren put out his hand to count down our entrance. One finger… two fingers…I lifted my dagger… three fingers. As I swung open the door, Soren hissed so loudly, my eardrums felt on the verge of rupturing.

“Vampires!” was all he could manage before we were surrounded on all sides by baby vampires, their fangs bared and their red eyes shining. I glanced around us and counted at least eight vampires in full terrorize mode. A figure was huddled face down on his knees on the ground with his hands tied behind his back. Blood was dripping from a nasty gash on the side of his head. I couldn’t make out his features or how badly he was hurt.

“Soren, do you have a plan?” I asked, knowing full well I’d probably have to freeze time in order to get us out of this mess. Just as I thought that, I realized something was very wrong. I gasped as I tried to pull on my power, to bring to life my warper abilities. My heart swelled up and the room spun slightly as I looked back into the bright red eyes shining all around us from the darkness. “Uh, Soren? I seem to be having a technical glitch with my powers at the moment.” We stood back to back, but I could feel his body tense behind me and a very faint, “Oh hell,” echoed in the room. I glanced around, searching for anything that would help, any other means of escape, but nothing stood out.

In a far corner, a hint of movement caught my attention, and I squinted to see what it was. A slight figure stood, huddled there, draped head-to-toe in a black hooded cape. I couldn’t tell if the figure was vampire or not, but I guessed human since Soren had heard two heartbeats before. Two vampires moved in between the figure and my gaze, and I wondered if they were there to protect or to harm the hooded mystery person. In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere in the room shifted, and I didn’t have time to ponder anything else. Six vampires attacked us at the same time, and a fight ensued that would have made me run for the hills if I’d known what we were getting into. Two vampires came at me, while four flanked Soren. Teeth ripped into my left arm, and I screamed out as I swung my dagger with all the strength I had. I was a bit stunned to see the head of the vampire that had bit into me plop on the floor with a sickening thud. Soren had already managed to dismember two of the vampires that had jumped him. The other vampire that had come after me stood there staring down at the body of his fallen comrade with a stunned look on his face. I pushed my advantage and swung my dagger across his neck. He howled his fury into the night, and the force of his screech nearly deafened me. I fell to my knees with both my hands covering my ears. The vampire gazed at me with a seething hatred and the need to kill lighting his eyes, but instead, he reigned in his fury and hissed out a command to his left.

The vampire, along with the only other vampire not fighting Soren, flanked the hooded figure, took one arm each, and sped from the room at an inhumanly fast speed. Soren had three decapitated vampires at his feet and was backing the last one into a corner. His eyes were completely dilated and the ancient fury burning from his gaze sent a tremor up my spine. His faded blue jeans and gray t-shirt were saturated in the blood that still dripped down his chin. He was a terrible and awesome sight to behold. The baby vampire made a move to run, but Soren had him pinned to the ground before he’d made it a foot. I ran over to the still huddled figure on the ground and felt his neck for a pulse. A sigh of relief escaped me when I found one, but it was short lived. I turned the guy over so I could assess his injuries. All the sounds of the night faded away as I looked into the face I recognized. Into the face of the only friend I had over the last three months.

“Matt,” I whispered. My shock only lasted a moment before my survival skills kicked into gear. I grabbed my cell phone out of my pocket and opened it to shine light on the gash on Matt’s head. It wasn’t as bad as I’d suspected earlier. He probably had been knocked out cold. I immediately wondered how much he had seen, how much he knew. I felt for his pulse one more time, just to reassure myself of its steady rhythm. Soren had the abandoned vampire by the throat on the floor, asking him questions I couldn’t hear. I took off my jacket and put it under Matt’s head before I made my way across the room.

“Tell me who sent you, and why the ambush?” Soren growled into the face of the vampire he held by the throat.

“Why should I? You’ll kill me anyway,” the vampire hissed, spittle flying from the side of his mouth.

“Tell me, or I will hurt you in so many ways, you’ll beg me to kill you.” The ice in his voice chilled the blood in my veins.

“Go ahead and kill me. They already got the information they were after as soon as you two showed up,” the vampire snarled.

“And what information was that, jackass?” I asked. An ugly grin split his blood splattered face and his chuckle did nothing to ease my mind.

“That my master has a weapon that can neutralize the power of a warper.” His remark caused the blood to drain from my face, and his nasty laugh was the last thing I heard before Soren ripped his throat out. Even as the vampire’s last shrill rang out and the gurgling followed, I sat there in a state of shock. What did he mean, a “weapon”? What kind of weapon could neutralize goddess-given powers?

“Sage?” Soren shook me lightly, and I blinked up into his dirt and blood-covered face. He spoke softly. “We will figure this out, but first we need to take care of your friend and find out how much he knows.” I nodded my head and turned to walk mechanically over to Matt’s side.

“What about this mess?” I asked softly.

“Leave that to me.” He flipped open his cell phone and began barking out orders that would have made a drill sergeant proud. I took off my sweater and tried to clean off my hands as much as possible, but the sight of Soren wiped away any hope I had of not looking like we had just been in a bloody supernatural battle. Soren walked back over to me and squeezed my shoulder. I tried to wipe the blood off his face, but there was just too much of it. Not five minutes later, a small group of people swept into the building and began the tedious clean-up process.

I walked over to Matt and reached for his pulse point just as Soren joined me. “He’s fine. I can hear his heartbeat. Here, take this and give it to him.” He handed me a small syringe.

‘What is it?” I looked at the offending object doubtfully.

“It’s just a sedative. Just in case he wakes up and panics or sees things he might not want to. It will keep him knocked out until we can get him out of here and checked out.” I nodded and uncapped the syringe. I swallowed and then quickly jabbed the needle into Matt’s arm, my hand only slightly shaking. When I was done, I handed the needle back to Soren and caught a sardonic smile flash across his face.

“What?” I asked as a muscle ticked in my cheek.

“Nothing…I just find it a little odd that you can behead a vampire without so much as a second thought and yet you cringe at the sight of a hypodermic needle. I shrugged. What can you really say to something like that? I’d much rather be covered in blood and gore than to deal with needles? Doubt a therapist would give me brownie points for that one. We got Matt into an SUV that was waiting outside, and a driver drove us across the city to Soren’s apartment building. It was in a much better neighborhood than mine, that’s for sure, and his posh living quarters took up an entire floor.

Two overly-muscled guys carried Matt into an extra bedroom and left just as quickly as they had entered. A few moments later, a small woman with graying hair entered, carrying an old-fashioned doctor’s bag. She spoke quietly with Soren, glanced quickly in my direction, and then proceeded to wash and dress the gash on Matt’s head. When she was assured of his breathing and heart rate, she left just like the two guys before her. I stood there staring at Matt and praying he wouldn’t remember anything or at least would only remember thugs and not anything to do with the supernatural. I was deep in thought when Soren placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump.

“Come, Sage. We should probably get cleaned up.” I glanced down at my ruined clothing and nodded. It would be horrible if Matt woke up to find me looking like I’d killed someone. Well, technically I had killed someone…but they’d had it coming to them. I grimaced at my train of thought and shook off the melancholy that was threatening. A hot shower sounded divine right about then, and I had the feeling I was going to need to grab every small piece of Heaven I could in the days ahead.

I came out of the bathroom wearing a long t-shirt and a pair of Soren’s boxers while towel-drying my hair. Soren had taken a shower in one of the other bathrooms and was already lying on his back across his bed with an arm flung over his eyes. He was clean and shirtless. My eyes oogled the broad expanse of his muscular chest.

“So, when were you going to tell me?” Soren’s voice made me jump guiltily, and when I finally ripped my eyes away from the sexiness that was Soren’s naked torso, I found myself staring into brilliantly glowing hazel eyes. I frowned in confusion.

“Tell you about what?” I asked as I began running the brush Soren had given me through the tangled mass of curls hanging over my shoulder.

“How about you tell me how you seem to have picked up the uncanny ability to hear from impossible distances, even though that is not a skill you have in your warper repertoire.” Oh, that.

“There isn’t much to tell. Every once in a while I seem to have super hearing. I don’t know if it is just a side effect of having had your blood or what.” I shrugged—no biggie.

“How often do you have the hearing thing?” he asked with his brow creased in concern. I walked over and sat on the edge of his bed and thought about it. How often did I have the super hearing and other issues? “Sage?”

“I have the hearing issues sporadically. The other day when I first started a new job was one of the more memorable, though not as clear as tonight,” I answered thoughtfully.

“You mean when you broke that guy’s nose at Taco Hut?”

“How did you…?”

“I was in the restaurant. I just stayed in a different section so you wouldn’t see me.” He rubbed his chin in thought.

“You were there?” I asked, feeling off balanced. How had I not seen him?

“How was your hearing when I was in your apartment last night?” he asked, breaking into my thoughts. I vaguely recalled the background noise bothering me as we were talking, but I had pushed it to the back of my mind.

“What are you thinking, Soren?”

“I’m thinking that when we are close to each other, you seem to have a new skill at your disposal—a vampire’s keen sense of hearing. When you heard the very faint voice call for help tonight, we were two blocks away, and I barely even heard the sound. We were touching though, and the night was relatively quiet.” He smiled and raised a brow. My mouth snapped shut, and I sat there on the edge of his bed thinking over what he was suggesting.

“Do you think it’s because I had your blood?”

“It’s possible. I’ve never had another warper to try it out on, so this is new to both of us.”

“Well, while we are talking about the likelihood of warper-vampire side effects, I have a few other things to tell you.” Soren became too quiet. “Soren?” I stopped trying to tame my tangled hair and glanced over my shoulder. Soren sat up and came up behind me on his knees. My mouth went dry as he approached and held out his hand. I looked at it like it was a forbidden fruit from the garden of temptation and turned my puzzled gaze back to his amused one.

“Give me the brush, Sage.” I swallowed nervously and handed over the brush. “Now turn around, relax, and tell me whatever you need to.” I turned around and nearly jumped out of my skin when Soren lifted my hair from my shoulder, his fingers grazing my collarbone.

“Besides the super hearing, I’ve also felt chaotic emotions.” Soren had begun to gently run the brush through my hair in hypnotic strokes. I sighed and my body began to unravel from the spring it had wound itself around.

“Those were definitely a side effect of our blood sharing.” He spoke gently, close to my ear, and I closed my eyes to better savor the tension leaving my body. “I felt your pain and heartbreak so many times. It took everything in me not to rush to your side and try to ease your sorrows. That is one of the reasons I spent so much of the last three months in another country. I couldn’t endanger you, but I couldn’t stand being so close and not being able to reveal myself to you.” He sighed deeply, a sound full of regret. “What else, darling?”

“Well…I had an episode the other day,” I barely whispered.

“An episode?” His hand caressed my hair as he ran the brush through the tangle free locks. My body hummed in appreciation.

“Yeah. I was visiting the park, not too far from here. It is one of the few places I remember my mom and dad taking me when I was small. Good memories. While I was there, I had something like a vision. The air thickened and my body felt light, but it was difficult to move. The air temperature changed, and I could smell summer on the wind. I heard a little girl call out to her daddy, and then I saw a blurry picture of her skip by me. It wasn’t until I heard a laugh—my mother’s laugh—that I realized I was seeing my past. The shock of it all shattered the illusion, and I am still unsure if it even happened or if I made the whole thing up. Some kind of delayed, post-traumatic stress or something.” My eye lids were so heavy I doubted I could’ve lifted them if I’d tried. I yawned, and Soren stopped brushing my hair.

“Here, Sage. Lie down and get some rest. We can discuss this tomorrow.” He pulled back the fluffy covers from his bed and patted the inviting pillow.

“I can’t. I need to go check on Matt and be there for him when he wakes up.”

Soren tsked. “Matt will be out for several more hours at least, Sage. What good could you do him if you are dead on your feet?” I smiled and started giggling. I never giggle. Soren frowned, and I laughed out loud. A very sexy vampire just told me I’d be dead on my feet. How ironic. I yawned loudly and my body protested when I stretched. Soren was right. I needed to rest if I was going to be useful to anyone later.

“Okay. Just for a few hours though.” I slid under the covers and my body immediately melted into the luxuriously soft bed. Soren lay down next to me, and…it felt right. He pulled my back to his chest and his arm encircled my waist. I stiffened only for a second before I completely relaxed into the reassuring arms that held me. Soren gently kissed my shoulder and then feathered a kiss over my mark of Amerach.

“Good night, Sage,” he whispered next to my ear.

“Good night, Soren,” I replied into the darkness as I sank into a blissful state of contentedness.

I was floating on an amazing cloud of peace and happiness when a loud crash in the apartment had Soren and I both out of the bed in an instant. Soren’s eyes were shining and his haired was mussed up in an entirely too sexy manner. I reached up and felt my bed head. Awe, hell. Why couldn’t I look like a sex god when I first woke up? I heard cursing coming from the guest bedroom and made a point to not run too quickly to Matt. I entered the room just as Matt was trying to pick up the pieces of the lamp he’d knocked off the night stand.

“Matt?” I said softly. Matt swung around and grabbed ahold of the wall to steady himself.

“Sage…? Where the hell are we? What happened?” His face was a mask of confusion as he felt the bandage on his head. I walked over to him and put a hand on his arm and led him back to the bed to sit down.

“What do you remember from last night?” I asked gently.

“Last night?” He closed his eyes and massaged his temple with one hand. “Last night I was at Club Strange with some friends and about forty-five minutes before closing, I helped Trina get an intoxicated friend into a cab. I remember seeing a shadow after they pulled off and then…nothing.”  I glanced up at Soren and he shrugged. Matt finally noticed Soren standing in the doorway, and I could feel his entire body tense.

“Matt, this is Soren. He’s a friend of mine.” Soren raised a brow, but didn’t comment. He looked dangerous, even in his black silk pajama pants. Matt’s eyes narrowed as he nodded in Soren’s direction. His eyes swept over me, taking in my bed head and the wrinkled men’s t-shirt and boxers I wore. His mouth thinned into a straight line and his jaw clenched.

“Friend, huh? I didn’t know you had any friends, Sage.” His words were barbed, poised to cause pain. I removed my hand from his arm. “So what happened last night, and what am I doing here with you and your friend, feeling like an elephant sat on my head?”

“Well, it’s kind of hard to explain….” What was I supposed to tell him? Soren and I hadn’t discussed what our story would be. I had no idea what to say, but lucky for me, I had a quick-talking vampire on my side who had probably more than once been in a similar predicament.

“Sage and I were leaving the club to take a walk together when we found you unconscious in between two buildings about a block away from the club. Sage wanted to call the police, but I found your wallet next to your body, and everything seemed to be inside, so we decided to bring you here first and get you looked at by my personal physician. We can still phone the police if you’d like to write a report.” He said it with such sincerity and authority, I almost believed him myself. I wasn’t surprised at all to see Matt already shaking his head and refusing to make the call.

“Nah, I just don’t understand what happened if they weren’t trying to rob me. Maybe it was a case of mistaken identity?” Matt rubbed his hand roughly over the stubble on his face and winced. I winced in sympathy.

“We’ll leave you to get a shower and dressed, Matt.” I motioned toward the bathroom and then to the set of loaned clothes folded neatly on the dresser. “Maybe I can find us all some coffee and something to eat as well.” I smiled and made my way to stand beside Soren. He touched my arm and started to walk out the door.

“Uh, Soren?” Matt’s voice stopped us both in our tracks, and Soren met Matt’s apologetic gaze. “Thank you.” He nodded once in my direction. “Both of you. I really appreciate it.” I smiled stiffly and Soren nodded graciously.

“No problem at all, man.” We left Matt to get showered and dressed. Soren shut the door behind us as we entered his room. I snatched the brush off of his dresser before heading into the bathroom to brush out my mass of bed head. “I know what you’re thinking, Sage, but this isn’t your fault, and it is best this way.” I knew he was right, but it didn’t make it any easier. I pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail and splashed cool water over my face.

“I know, it’s just I hate lying to him. He has been the only friend I’ve had the past few months. Working out with him has been the one thing that has kept me grounded. The one thing that kept me from completely shriveling up and dying on the inside.”

“Sage...”

“No…just…no, Soren. If it wasn’t for me, he would never have been kidnapped, wouldn’t have a huge gash on his head, and wouldn’t have a spotty memory of last night. His life could still be in danger because of me.” I pointed to myself and my eyes brimmed in tears that I refused to let fall. Soren gathered me to his chest and tipped my chin up to meet his stony gaze.

“I’ll make sure that nothing happens to Matt. I’ll have him followed for his protection, and no one will ever know he’s being shadowed. He’s way too good to be spotted.” He leaned in closer and whispered huskily into my ear. “Now get dressed. I can’t have you waltzing around dressed like that. You are shredding my self-control.” I pulled away and looked down at what I’d slept in. I cocked a brow. He had to be kidding. I looked back up, fully intending to spout off some witty and sarcastic comment, but the look on Soren’s face robbed the very breath from my lungs. There was no mistaking the desire and longing stamped there. I swallowed and then nervously wet my lips with the tip of my tongue.  I felt a rumbling under my hand and realized Soren had growled deep in his throat, and I could feel the vibration of it in the palm of my hand. I looked away sheepishly. Now was not the time with Matt a few doors down.

“I don’t have anything to wear that isn’t blood stained.” I spoke as softly as possible. Soren stepped back slowly and took the hand I had on his chest in his and ran his lips sensually over the back of it and then placed a small kiss there before letting go to step back completely. My hand wasn’t the only place on my body that was tingling.

“In the top drawer of the large dresser,” he replied huskily. I walked over and found a pair of jeans in my exact size and a sapphire blue cashmere sweater, as well as undergarments. I swung around and found an amused pair of eyes smiling at me.

“How do you do that? You did it before. Do you remember?” His smile slipped a little, and I was instantly sorry I’d brought it up.

“Yes, I remember.” He smiled and my own smile grew wider. “I don’t usually sleep at night, little warper, so I can get a lot accomplished while the world is sleeping.” He smiled wryly. “It doesn’t hurt to have a ton of money at your disposal and technology at your fingertips, either.” I rolled my eyes and strode into the bathroom to get dressed. By the time I blushed at the gorgeous, but skimpy blue lace panties and bra Soren had provided, slipped into the perfectly fitting jeans, and squealed over the absolutely deliciously soft sweater, I was smiling ear to ear as I exited the bathroom. The bedroom was empty though.

I found Soren and Matt in the kitchen with large cups of coffee, bagels, muffins, and other unholy confections spread out before them. My stomach growled as I entered the room. Soren handed me an apple fritter and a cup of coffee made just how I preferred—super sweet and super light with a dash of almond flavoring—as I took my seat. I shook my head and took the offering without comment. I was way too excited to see the yummy goodness waiting for me. I smiled at Soren as I bit into the heavenly, still warm, fritter. I moaned and closed my eyes. A perfectly made fritter had to be one of the closest things there was to the food of the gods. I opened my eyes to find Soren and Matt staring at me like I had two heads. I grabbed a napkin and wiped my mouth, just in case I’d oozed apple filling all over my chin. Soren’s gaze was riveted to my mouth, and I swallowed audibly. Thankfully, Matt cleared his voice.

“Well, breakfast has been, um…great, but I need to be getting back home. I have a cat to feed and I want to call to be sure Trina got home okay last night.” I jumped up and made a motion for him to hold on a sec. I walked over to Soren.

“I need to be going too. I have some things I need to do today.” I swallowed and fidgeted a bit. “I know you have some things you need to do too.” I smiled crookedly at him. Yeah, like having a “drink” and getting his vampire beauty sleep. I grinned at my own little joke. Soren raised his brow, and I could tell he knew exactly what I’d been thinking. Oops. Busted! I shrugged, unapologetically.

“Okay. You’re right. I do have some things I need to do today as well. How about we meet later tonight? At dusk, maybe?”

“Sure. Where would you like to meet?” I asked.

“How about that park you were telling me about last night?” he asked softly. The hairs on my arms stood on end, and I felt the sudden sense of déjà vu once again. I squeezed my eyes shut just for a second and then nodded my agreement quickly before I could change my mind.

Soren paid a cab for Matt and me to take home, and I was immediately sorry I didn’t have him close by. I growled at myself. I couldn’t turn into a clingy, needy girlfriend. I blinked in surprise at my train of thoughts. I wasn’t his girlfriend. Or was I? I thought about how he made me feel when he was nearby. I felt safe and happy—happier than I’d been in a very long time. I was pretty sure he wasn’t going to pass me a “check yes or no” note though. I rolled my eyes at myself. Oh hell, I was such a girl.

Matt wasn’t very talkative on the way back to our own places, and I was sort of glad. I already felt guilty for lying to him, and I didn’t feel like making small talk. I just wanted to get home and do some more research on my laptop. I cringed when Matt thanked me once again as he was getting out of the cab. I hated lying to my friends, and here he was thanking me for helping him out of a situation that I was responsible for in the first place. By the time I walked up the few flights of stairs to my apartment, my head had started pounding. I pulled my keys out of my bag and froze when I noticed a package wrapped in brown paper with the most unusual purple rose lying on top of it, propped up against my door. I glanced around, but whoever had left the package was long gone.

I bent down and scooped up the hefty package, noting that the only words on it were my name written in a flourishing, cursive handwriting and no address. The rose was fully bloomed, a deep shade plum purple in the center with a lighter shade of dark lavender on the outer petals of the exquisite flower. When I got inside my apartment, I set the package down on the counter and wondered if it was from Soren. I put the rose in a glass Ball jar and sat it on the coffee table in the living room. I shrugged and decided to open the package after I popped a couple of Tylenol for the headache I had building behind my eyes. After I’d changed into some joggers and a Johnny Cash tee shirt, I plopped down on my bed with the package. Sitting cross legged, I pulled the package in front of me as I put my hair up into a messy bun. I untied the twine that secured the package and quickly unwrapped the thick brown wrapping paper. My eyes couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing, of what was sitting on the bed in front of me. I touched the ancient, leather-bound book, and a shiver shook my entire body. An intricate emblem was engraved on the front of the book. I rubbed the back of my neck and felt the raised tattoo of Amerach under my gentle fingers. My breathing became shallow and my head began to spin slightly as I dared to caress the emblem—the emblem consisted of three marks identical to the one on my neck. They were all placed closely together, in triangle formation. Each spiral of life opened on one end to attach itself to the identical symbol next to it. They all intertwined together to form a larger, more breath-taking symbol of unity.

I sat there for a long time trying to decipher what it meant for the book to have just shown up on my doorstep. Whom had sent it? Why did they send it? Why right then and not before? All the brainstorming did nothing for my mounting headache, though. I glanced through the first few pages of the book before I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that I’d have to find someone to translate the unfamiliar language hand-written onto the ancient pages. I placed the book in my nightstand drawer and turned my light out. I had to meet Soren at dusk, and I needed some rest before then. It wasn’t long before I drifted off into a fitful sleep.

I woke in a cold sweat and nearly tumbled out of my bed trying to switch my lamp on. I searched my room and instantly calmed. I was pretty sure I was in my own time. I walked into my bathroom and splashed my face with icy cold water. My heart beat finally began to calm down. I frowned at my reflection and then closed my eyes trying to remember what I’d dreamt about that had terrified me.  I couldn’t recall anything specific, and that was odd for me. I usually didn’t dream at all, or if I did, I’d remember my dreams very vividly. For some reason, I could feel that my dream had been terrifying, but I couldn’t remember a single thing about it. I walked over and checked to see if the book was still where I had left it and was glad to see that it was. I caught a glimpse of the clock on my dresser and sighed. “Shit.” I showered and got dressed as quickly as possible for a warper…I was done in ten minutes.

I walked slowly down the side walk, lost in my own thoughts for I don’t know how long. The traffic and noise of a busy, downtown Charleston had become a balm to my overly active mind. I was thinking about Soren and about the danger people would be in because they were around me. Matt stood out in my mind. His injuries, his involvement in what had gone down the night before—all of that was my fault. They could have killed him to get to me, and I would’ve had another death on my conscience, another friend I would never see again. It was just too much. I was also thinking about the book and wondering what all it contained in its centuries old pages. I came upon the gated entrance to the park where Soren and I had agreed to meet. A puff of air floated in front of me when I slowly exhaled. I shoved my hands further into my pockets to try to keep them warm. It was too chilly to be out and about at dusk in February. I found the bench I was looking for and sat down just as Soren showed up.

“So this is the park your parents used to take you to?” he asked gently as he sat down beside me on the bench. I nodded and glanced around at my little sanctuary. It wasn’t much, but then it didn’t have to be—the way I felt closer to my parents when I visited the place was enough to have brought me back to that exact spot countless times over the past several years.

“Yes. It’s changed a lot, but I have good memories in this place, and I come here pretty often.” I smiled at Soren, but my heart wasn’t in it. I was trying to decide if I should tell him about the package, about the book. He might know more about it and could help me figure out who had sent it. I opened my mouth to tell him just as he began to speak.

“Sage, there is something I need to tell you. Something I have been very selfishly keeping to myself.” I stiffened next to him. He was using his Vampire Soren voice that was used to terrify unsuspecting mortals. I knew it as his “serious” voice. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say. I knew it couldn’t be good, and by god, didn’t I deserve a little more happiness before everything went to hell again?

“Soren, please…don’t.” I placed my hand over his mouth and he stilled as eerily as only a vampire could. His eyes were glowing brightly, and I did the only thing I could think of to effectively end the conversation. I took his hand in mine and twined my smaller, more delicate fingers with his longer masculine ones and drew his face down to mine to kiss him with all the passion I could muster. He didn’t hold back. He crushed me to him and all my fears blew away with the chilly wind of the cold February night. I didn’t feel the cold right then. All I could feel was the way my heart felt lighter and happier as Soren kissed me. Suddenly, I felt a shift in the air around me.  I pulled away from Soren, with our hands still intertwined, and jumped to my feet with him following suit. My heart began to gallop, and Soren’s fingers tightened around mine almost painfully. I welcomed the pain. It was the only thing that kept my feet on the ground. My body became weightless as the air around us abruptly thickened, making it difficult to breath. I turned my head to catch a glimpse of Soren. I was relieved to find him staring back at me, his eyes wide in shock and concern.

The scent of sweet magnolias in full bloom and warm bread baking in a nearby bakery wafted in on a warm draft of air. My powers started to stretch rapidly and arc away from my body. My eyes widened fractionally in fear. I had no control over what was happening. My powers expanded farther than I ever thought possible, causing my vision to start to dim. I couldn’t see Soren. I couldn’t see anything around me. I wasn’t even sure Soren’s hand was still in mine. My powers surged as they glided along some intangible barrier, finally finding what they had been searching for. I could feel only the thinnest string of power still attached to me, but as soon as it brushed up against a particular spot, I could feel the backlash building, and I knew it wouldn’t be pretty. The wave hit me with the force of a small nuclear blast. I was blasted through the air and landed in a heap on the sidewalk, unable to pull myself up into a sitting position. The ringing in my ears deafened me. I caught a glimpse of Soren’s face just before everything went black. When my eyes fluttered open, I found Soren hovering over me, his hair a mess. His lips were moving as he said something over and over again, but no sound penetrated the silence I found myself captive to.

Soren shook me hard and then he pulled his hand back and slapped me across the cheek. My ears popped and Soren’s voice shouting my name, asking me to “talk to him” was suddenly blasting in my eardrums. I sucked in a noisy breath, realizing that I hadn’t been breathing before. I gasped and rolled over to my side with Soren’s help, coughing and sucking in air in long, greedy gulps.

“Soren, what just happened?” I managed.

“I was actually hoping you could tell me the answer to that.”

“I have no idea. I have never experienced anything like that before.” I let Soren help pull me to my feet. “Let’s sit back down on the bench,” I suggested.

“Sage… there isn’t a bench there anymore.” I frowned in confusion and wondered if it had been blown to smithereens during whatever had just happened. “Sage, you need to look around you.” The serious tone in Soren’s voice couldn’t be good, and I found myself dreading whatever I would find. I just hoped I hadn’t blown the park up. I’d have been devastated. I don’t know what I expected. Wreckage maybe. Chaos definitely. But one thing was certain—I never expected what I found. I glanced around myself and saw…flowers. That’s right, flowers. And very green grass and trees. I bit my lip and tried to figure it all out but my mind just wouldn’t compute. I felt extremely…hot. I took off my jacket and noticed how warm and balmy the night was.

“What is this, Soren?” I whispered in awe.

“Well, I am pretty sure it’s summer,” he answered with a frown between his brows.

“Summer? How in the hell can it be summer? I can’t change the seasons, Soren.” I threw my hands in the air and tried to tamp down my growing bewilderment. Then that little dust covered light bulb in the back of my mind flickered on. I couldn’t make it change seasons, but I could warp us to another time where it was a different season. My legs wobbled and Soren grabbed me around the waist. “What have I done?” I whispered, terrified.

“We couldn’t have warped very far, Sage, look around you.” I calmed down just enough to try and piece together everything that had happened. I could see lights all around from the city. I could hear cars nearby and noticed that the park we were standing in wasn’t that much different from what it had been ten minutes earlier. As a matter of fact, the park looked exactly how I remembered it from when I was small. The park bench was missing, but I could see the small kiddy park that had been removed when I was about thirteen. So I knew we had warped back at least that far. I just had to figure out why, pray we wouldn’t be stuck here long, and keep my wits about me.

“Let’s figure out how far back we went, Soren.” I squared my shoulders and grabbed Soren’s hand. Soren. Holy crap on a cracker! Somehow I’d warped Soren with me. “Oh my god, I am so sorry. I have no idea how I was able to drag you with me as I warped…I didn’t even know that was possible. Both times that I warped before I was asleep and dreaming.” I ran my hands through my windblown hair and tugged on it to be sure I was actually awake. Yeah, I was wide awake. “What are we going to do?” I whispered into Soren’s shirt as he drew me into a hard hug.

“We’ll find out when we are and then we’ll do whatever it is we were brought here to do. Let’s go and find a bathroom. Your nose is bleeding and sorry, sweetheart, but the hair needs some major help.” He kissed me swiftly on the forehead before grabbing my hand and towing me towards the closest convenient store.

Soren came out of the Piggly Wiggly carrying a bag full of stuff—luckily, he had warped with his wallet. He handed me the key to the outside restroom, a pack of wet wipes, and a brush and promptly shooed me away to “freshen up.” When I came back out, Soren handed me a cup of coffee and drew a newspaper out of his bag. I sucked in a breath and waited for Soren to tell me.

“It’s not so bad,” he said with a shrug as he handed me the newspaper. “I don’t remember anything going on then, but I wasn’t really in the Charleston area during this time. I was in Italy, I think.” I barely heard a word he was saying. My eyes were glued to the date at the top of the newspaper, and my breath hitched in my chest. It couldn’t be. Why would I have warped to this specific time? Unless…

“Sage? What is it?”

“July 3, 1991. It’s the day before my parents were killed in a car crash. My parents died on July 4, 1991—tomorrow,” I murmured. Soren’s jaw clenched. His hands became tight fists at his sides and looked like he was prepared to rip someone’s head off.  “What are you thinking?” I asked in a small voice. Soren sighed and his shoulders relaxed a fraction.

“I think we need to find a place we can stay and then we can sort this out.” I nodded. It didn’t matter to me what we did right then. I felt numb knowing that my parents were somewhere close by that very moment and that they were destined to die within the next twenty-four hours unless I could do something to stop it. I reached into my pants leg and drew out my dagger. I grasped the hilt in my hand, feeling my powers course through my body at my command, and my heart calmed fractionally. I’d do whatever it took to save them and nothing would stand in my way.

“I had a studio apartment in the city even when I wasn’t here.” Soren said thoughtfully. “It will be empty now, and we can crash there and figure this out.” I smiled tightly at him and nodded my head. I already knew what I‘d been brought to this time to do—to save my parents. I sheathed my dagger and followed Soren as he found a cab to take us to his studio apartment.

We got into Soren’s old apartment without too much trouble. Luckily, he didn’t age and once the superintendent of the building saw him, he produced Soren a copy of his key for the one he had “lost” without a single question. I sighed in relief when we entered the large studio apartment. The room was a wide open layout, the kitchen area only separated by an island and barstools. The whole apartment had beautiful dark cherry wood flooring with a few modern, slick, clean-lined pieces of furniture. I spotted a punching bag hanging from a far corner and smiled. I needed to let off some nervous energy. Soren sat the bag of tacos we picked up on the way onto the island and looked in the fridge.

“There’s some bottled water, and that’s about it.” He stared at me until I felt uncomfortable. “Sage, I know what you’re thinking…” I cut him off before the conversation could turn into an argument.

“No, Soren, I don’t think you do know exactly what I am thinking or feeling right now. Let’s not do this. I just need a little time to think this through for myself first.” I pleaded with him to understand. He finally nodded once, but the tick in his jaw told me it took everything he had not to make me listen to whatever it was he wanted to say right then.

“I need to go and take care of some things. Will you be okay here for a few hours?” Soren watched me, testing me to see if I’d break down or do anything foolish. I smirked.

“I’m fine…I’m just going to borrow your punching bag while you’re gone.” He seemed content to hear that was my plan, so I let him think he still had a chance to talk me out of what I had already started planning.

“Okay. I’ll be back in a little bit then. Make yourself at home.” I sat my bag down on his sofa as he walked out the door. After searching through his drawers, I found a tee shirt and a pair of soft boxers. Once I changed and pulled my hair back into a high pony tail, I walked over to the punching bag and began to pound on it, hoping to release some of the stress and energy coursing through my body. I bounced around on the balls of my feet and rolled my shoulders, trying to get my body a little more relaxed. It just didn’t work. I let my powers out of their little place inside me and felt the thrill and rightness of it come out in my punches. I danced around faster and each thwack-thwack-thwack sounded through the apartment louder and faster as I lost track of time and my surroundings.

My head spun with the realization that the next day I might be able to actually see my parents, that I’d have the chance to save them. I was breathing hard then, never slowing my pace. I remembered very little of the actual day my parents died. I remembered the fireworks, the picnic at the park late that afternoon, and I remembered a specific face for some reason. Just a smile really, but that smile gave me chills. I guess it could have just been some random person I had seen that day. Kids remember the oddest things when they are traumatized. The last thing I remember is crying and someone holding my hand as my parents’ bodies were loaded into the back of a scary looking vehicle. Surely this was why I was brought to this time. It had to be. I couldn’t do anything else.

My hand flew out over and over. I didn’t notice the blood on my knuckles as I punched, kicked, and bounced around until the room spun around me at a dizzying speed.

“Sage!” I stopped mid-punch and wiped the sweat out of my eyes and found Soren standing in front of me, holding bags, his eyes betraying his concern. When my body finally caught up with the speed and momentum in which I’d pushed myself, I swayed on my feet. I touched the punching bag only to find it smeared with blood. Stuffing littered the floor at my feet. I sat down roughly on the floor and Soren was next to me in a blink. “Come on. Let’s get you in the shower.” I could barely stand on my wobbling legs. Soren started the shower and helped me out of my clothes. I had no shame. I was too drained to care that I was being treated like an invalid. Once he was sure I could stand by myself under the shower head, he left me alone with instructions to call for him if I needed him. As the door closed behind him, I slid to the floor and cried until I couldn’t cry any more. A while later, I pulled myself up and finished washing my hair and body. I exited the shower and wrapped myself in a big fluffy towel.

I shuffled into the large, main room and Soren walked over to me. I noticed he had cleaned up the mess I’d made. “I’m really sorry about the punching bag,” I said sheepishly.

“I don’t care about that, Sage. I only care about you.” He handed me a bag of clothing, a clean t-shirt, and some small women’s pajama bottoms. I smiled at his thoughtfulness and went to change. When I came back out, I braced myself for a serious talk with Soren. I sat down at the bar and took out my cold tacos and began eating them.

“I know you think you were brought here to save your parents, Sage. If I was in your shoes, I’d probably think the same thing.”

“Soren, I have to save them. What else can it be? What are the odds I’d warp back to the single most horrible day in my life? Is it some sort of sick joke then?”  My stomach revolted, and I sat the taco I’d taken a bite of back down.

“I don’t know, Sage, but I do know that you have to think about this very carefully. If you do this, what will the consequences be to your future?”

“I’d have my parents alive. That’s what the consequences would be, Soren!” I shouted, unable to stop myself. I was shaking from the force of my words, shaking with the need to convince Soren, to convince myself, that I was right. I had to be right.

“Yes, you’d have your parents, Sage. But at what cost? Do you think you’d have become a warper if you hadn’t endured the hardship of losing your parents? Do you think you would have warped back to 1904 to save the future if you had your parents? Think of all those lives saved—all of those years and years of lives saved because you are who you are, because of the hardships and trials that shaped you into the woman you became.”

A tear rolled down my cheek as I listened to what Soren had to say. I knew what he said made sense, and I knew he might have even been right, but I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to hold on to the hope that I had warped there to save my parents. “It isn’t right, Soren. It hurts too much to be here.” I sniffled and raised my eyes to meet his.

“I know. I’m glad I’m here with you. We’ll figure this out. Let’s go to bed, Sage. Tomorrow comes very quickly for an old Vampire like me.” My lips turned up slightly, and I let him pull me off the stool to lead me to the bed.

I slipped out of bed early and took another hot shower. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection and trying to gain the composure I needed to face the day that lay ahead of me. I dressed in the stonewashed blue jeans and navy blue v-neck tee shirt Soren had purchased for me the night before, and I loosely French-braided my hair. By the time I came out of the bathroom, Soren was up and dressed. He looked about as cheerful as I felt.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay today, Soren?” His face looked paler than normal and there were dark circles underneath his eyes. I wasn’t sure of his limitations as a vampire. I knew he could go out during the day, and he could go without blood and sleep longer than most vampires because of his age, but I wasn’t sure exactly how far he could push himself. We needed to discuss that one day soon.

“I’ll be fine. We need to worry about what is going to happen today. Do you have a plan?” His gaze burned into my heart, and I knew right then I’d have to lie to him and worry about his wrath later.

“I want to scope out the park today. There is a Fourth of July celebration there every year and my family had, umm has a picnic there today.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Do we even know what would or could happen if you meet your parents or the younger version of yourself today? There could be consequences. Bad consequences.” He murmured the last few words, but I heard the uncertainty. I felt the same uncertainty myself, after all.

“I don’t plan on letting them see me.” I chewed on my bottom lip and looked up into Soren’s discerning eyes. “I just want to catch a glimpse of them. I don’t have to get too close. Just see them one last time,” I whispered. Soren walked over to me and wrapped his reassuring arms around me and enveloped me in his warm, strong arms.

“Oh, Sage,” he whispered gruffly into my hair. “Babe, I’m so sorry you have to go through this. I wish I had never touched you in the park. Maybe if I hadn’t been near you, our power wouldn’t have spiked and you wouldn’t have to be tortured like this.” His voice came out husky and fierce. He blamed himself for the little trip we took the day before. Silly vampire.

“Soren, none of this is your fault. It was meant to be, and we’re meant to do something or see something today—together. There’s no other explanation.” I could feel a little strain and guilt leak out of his body as I wrapped myself further into his embrace. No matter what the day would bring, I was glad Soren was there with me to deal with it all.

We left as little evidence of ourselves being in the apartment as possible. I wasn’t sure we would be back. I wasn’t even sure how long we’d be in 1991. When I’d warped to 1904, I ended up staying there for over six weeks. But everything about this time warp was different, and the rules I had come to expect didn’t count this time around. Anything could happen. We exited the apartment building at 8:00AM with no other plan than to scout out the park and surrounding areas before it began to fill up with people going on their Fourth of July picnic with their families. Before my family got there. I set my jaw and concentrated on trying to remember every single detail I could of the day my parents had died before we made it to our destination.

Two hours later, I sat in a diner that faced the park. People were starting to show up to find a good picnic spot for the holiday, and I was starting to feel very twitchy inside. We didn’t find anything unusual, and we still had no idea what we had been brought there for. The only thing it could have been was to prevent my parents’ deaths. It had to be. I sat there with only half of my sandwich eaten, waiting for Soren to get done with his lunch probably somewhere close by. I didn’t think too hard about that. I didn’t have any available space inside me just then. I was lost in my own thoughts and memories when Soren slid into the booth in front of me.

“So, I was thinking we’d just kind of scout out the park for now. I know my parents will be there soon, so we’ll stay out of sight mostly. I’m pretty sure they would never recognize me anyway, so it should be pretty safe. We have until later tonight after the fireworks to figure out what is going on. That’s when…” I trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Only hours…that’s how long I had to figure out how I was going to save my parents. Soren’s hand covered mine.

“We’ll do this together. It will be okay. We’ll make it okay.” His words brooked no argument, and I found myself a little more hopeful just because of the strength and conviction in his voice. We left the restaurant hand in hand and made our way across the street into the park that I loved so much, where all my sweetest memories had been made and where I would be able to see my parents’ faces at least one more time. My hand involuntarily clenched around Soren’s as we entered the gates to the park. I could hear people talking and laughing all around us. Our mojo must have been cranking on full blast because I was bombarded with so many sounds that I flinched at the wave of noise that assaulted my eardrums.

“Is this what it’s like for you all the time? So much noise to filter through?” I gritted out. I looked up at Soren and noticed small beads of sweat dotting his forehead and his jaw clenched in determination. Oh crap. “Soren, did you feed?” His sunglass-covered eyes met mine.

“Yes. But this kind of heat at this time of day saps a lot of my strength away very quickly. Don’t worry, though. I have hours left. I may have to feed more often though just to be of any use to you.” He looked away quickly. I could tell his weaknesses embarrassed him, but before I could form a reply, he was pulling me along the perimeter of the park and leading me underneath a large tree.

“Soren…what the…?” He pulled me forward until I was leaning into him with his back up against the trunk of the tree. He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face into the sensitive skin at my neck. Despite my bewilderment I sucked in a breath at the contact.

“There are at least two vampires in the area.” His breath caressed my earlobe and a fine tremor vibrated throughout my body. I felt a chuckle rumble through Soren’s chest. “No time for that right now, little warper.” His words registered, and I stiffened in his arms. Vampires were there and that couldn’t have been a coincidence. “We’ll spread out. I’ll stay close to the shadows as much as possible. You steer clear of your parents if possible. You have your dagger?” I nodded. Soren kissed me gently on the tip of my nose, and I watched as he moved quickly out of my sight. He was lightning fast, and even out of his usual comfort zone, he was a vision to behold.

I started walking briskly to the place I had planned to visit even as I was abusing Soren’s punching bag the night before. The last place I remembered seeing my parents alive. My heart rate accelerated when I recognized the pathway near the small pond that we had at one time fed ducks together. Our little picnicking spot wasn’t too much further away. My ears began to buzz, and I could feel my powers beginning to surface as a result of the realization that I might be able to see the faces of my parents once again. What would I tell them? Would they think I was crazy for trying to tell them not to drive home? Should I tell them they would die if they didn’t listen to me? I stopped abruptly and had to bend over to catch my breath and wipe my clammy hands on my jeans. I took two long, slow, steadying breaths before I felt calm enough to stand upright once again.

“Are you okay?” The small voice came from a few feet away, and I froze in place. I don’t know how, except for instincts, but I knew that when I looked up I’d be looking into the eyes of a younger version of myself—a younger, much more innocent version of myself. I sent up a small prayer that I wouldn’t somehow screw up the entire world by speaking to myself before I slowly straightened and glanced up. I found my own large brown eyes looking intently back at me. The eyes were the same, but they hadn’t yet known sorrow or the pain that I knew was lurking just around the corner. “You okay, pretty lady? You’re not going to throw up are you?” My mini-me scrunched up her little nose at the thought.

“I’m okay.” I breathed. “And you are much prettier than I am. I love your hair bow,” I said with small smile. Five-year-old Sage smiled a huge toothy grin and twirled around to show off her lovely new matching dress and sandals. I smiled and felt a tiny weight lift from my heart. I had been so very happy back then.

“Oh, no! My sandal came undone.” A lip pooched out and promptly began to quiver. I walked over and knelt down in front of her.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll fix it up for you. No need to be sad.” I smiled up into her tear-brimmed brown eyes and then back down at her sandal as I fixed the offending strap. “See? Didn’t take long at all, and now you’re all ready to go.” She squealed and jumped up and down, happy that her new shoes hadn’t been ruined. “Now why don’t you go and find your mommy and daddy? You shouldn’t be wandering off alone when so many people are around the park today.” I wanted to hug her and shield her from the sadness and loneliness that I knew would be in her future if I didn’t do the job I’d set out to do that morning.

“Sage?” I froze where I was. My back was to the woman who was calling for her little girl. I clutched my chest, aware that my heart was about to be ripped from it. The little girl looked at me, probably about to ask me if I was all right again before I could find the breath to whisper “go” to her. She shrugged and skipped away from me, still kneeling on the ground.

“Look, Mommy. The nice lady fixed my shoe! I don’t think she feels well, though.”

“She did? Well, that was awfully nice of her. But, I remember telling you not to go off where I couldn’t see you.” I heard Sage giggle as she was no doubt tickled for such a horrible trespass. A moment later, a shadow fell over me. “Young lady, are you okay?” Never in my life had I been so scared. I was torn between the need to run as far away as possible and the need to turn around and launch myself into the arms of a woman who had her five-year-old daughter skipping around by her side. I heard her suck in a shocked breath, and I was on my feet and swinging around quicker than lightening with my dagger unsheathed, afraid the vampires had come up upon us while I was in the middle of my personal crisis.

But all that met my gaze was my mother’s beautiful face, her eyes wide in shock and awe, taking in every inch of me. If she noticed the dagger in my hand she didn’t act like it. She paid no attention to the wild look of panic in my eyes or the yelp of concern from my younger self. She just stood there with the same look of astonishment on her face. I glanced around and swallowed self-consciously. I quickly put the dagger back in my boot before someone else happened by and saw a crazy woman waving a knife around.

“I’m sorry if I startled you or your little girl,” I said quietly.

“Turn around.” She said it so softly I wasn’t sure I heard her correctly.

“Excuse me?”

“I said turn around. Please.” She said it a little louder this time, but her voice quavered ever so slightly. I turned around slowly, not understanding, but willing to do whatever she asked as long as I could talk with her just a little longer. “It can’t be.” She whispered closer to me. Her fingers brushed the hairs that had escaped my braid away from my mark and then she ran her fingers lightly over it. “It’s impossible,” she breathed. She touched my shoulder and pulled me around gently to face her. Her eyes searched mine and despite my best efforts, a tear escaped and trickled down my cheek. “Och, child, what has happened?” A fresh memory of her Scottish brogue thickening when she was upset or emotional hit me full force, and I had to swallow a sob.

“I’m not sure I should say or that you would even want to know. I don’t know what rules apply to this situation.” I sniffled. She searched my eyes again, full of concern and love, and my heart swelled with emotions and pains I had long ago locked away. I don’t know what see saw there. Maybe she could sense a little piece of my soul. Maybe she somehow knew what could have caused the pain and determination there. Maybe it was a little bit of all that mixed in with a mother’s sixth sense about things. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly for a moment and then nodded her head as she opened her eyes once again. Her eyes were brimming in unshed tears, and I saw an understanding there I couldn’t fathom.

“I understand. Don’t worry, you don’t need to say it, lass.” She removed a large hammered silver cuff bracelet from her wrist and took my arm in hers. She clasped the bracelet around my wrist and held my hand in hers, like we were going to clasp arms. Then while she held my gaze, she gently turned her arm over. She looked down at our arms and I followed her gaze to see her wrist now, bare and facing up. There, on the inside of her wrist, where her cuff bracelet had been, was an intricate white tattoo. The mark of Amerach.

My eyes flew wide and I shook my head. It was too much to take in. My mother had been a warper?

“Mommy? I’m hungry.” I glanced down at my younger self. I’d forgotten she was even there. I wanted to grab her and hug her and tell her no matter what that she, that we, would be okay.

“You don’t understand. You can’t know what is about to happen. I have to stop it. Surely, this is why I was sent here. What else can it be?” I stepped back from my mother’s hand and instantly felt the loss like a slap in the face. I clenched my fist and my hand twitched to grasp the hilt of my sgian dubh. My mother stepped forward and laid a hand on my cheek, and I couldn’t have stopped the tears from spilling out any more than I could have stopped myself from warping through time.

“You’ve been through much in your few years, lass. I’m sorry for that.” She spoke softly and her voice cracked. “I wish I could wipe away all the tears you must have shed alone at night and make you forget all the things you have had to endure by yourself. The good Lord knows I do.” She sniffled and then continued. “But, I can see your strength, your beauty, and your powers shining through all of your sorrows. They have made you who you are and believe me, lass, you are meant to do something great. Don’t ever doubt that.” She sighed and grabbed the small hand that was fidgeting with her the hem of her blouse. “Never, ever doubt that you are loved. Never think you are alone. Never forget who you are and where you come from. Your mom and dad are so very proud of the young woman you’ve become and have counted it a blessing to have been part of your life, no matter how long we have.” Tears were streaming down my face and my mother’s own tears alarmed my younger self.

“Mommy? What’s the matter, Mommy?” Her voice and lip quivered, and our mother quickly wiped away her own tears, burying her anguish and sorrow to reassure her that everything was fine.

“Everything is okay, honey. How about we find Daddy and go get an ice cream?” She smiled beautifully and little Sage and I both smiled in reply.

“Just remember…you may be here to stop something. You may be here to witness something, but you are never here to change your own past. Promise me you’ll listen to what I’ve told you. She pleaded with her eyes, and I saw the strength, the love, and the determination there. I saw myself in my mother at that moment, and I felt proud. I nodded, hating that I knew she was right. Her shoulders relaxed, and she let little Sage pull her a few feet down the path. When she looked back, I smiled as best as I could and she mouthed, “I love you, Sage.” And then she was gone around the corner, and I was left alone and bereft once again.

When Soren found me, I was sitting in the shade of a large tree on the edge of the pond watching ducks swim around in the cool water. He plopped down beside me, very un-Soren-like. His breathing seemed labored and his skin was pale and clammy. “Didn’t see anything at all. It was like I was chasing a fake trail around in circles for a while. Very annoying.” His breath came in shallow pants, and I actually felt alarmed for my invincible vampire. “How about you?” he asked. I twirled the bracelet on my wrist, and he raised his brow.

“I saw my mother and myself,” I whispered. “My mother knew, Soren. She knew what was going to happen, but she made me promise not to interfere.” I looked back up into his shining gaze and waited for him to say something…to say…anything. He remained silent though. “She was, she is, a warper. I never once considered it a possibility.” Soren tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and sighed. He definitely wasn’t acting like himself. “Let’s head back to the apartment, Soren. You need to rest and there are a few more hours before the fireworks begin. I have a feeling everything will be all right until then. Soren didn’t comment when I stood and waited for him to get up. He seemed to be in pain just to walk, but he didn’t say a word, and I knew better than to ask.

When we entered the apartment, Soren stumbled and I reached out to grab him. He hissed at me and then cursed at himself. “Soren, stop being such an ass and let me help you.” He grumbled something unintelligible at me but didn’t jerk away when I wound my arm through his and led him to the bathroom. I ran the shower water lukewarm and helped him shrug out of his shirt and pants. He shooed me away until I turned around for him to get completely naked and pull the glass door closed. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. The night before he’d done the same for me and yet here he was acting like a prude.

I got into the shower and found Soren leaning his forehead against the wall, standing as still as a statue. It was making me uneasy. I reached out slowly and touched his wet shoulder. “Soren?” I spoke softly, cautiously. When he swung around with wild eyes, I knew he had pushed himself too far during the day. He had his forearm pressed against my throat and my body pinned against the shower wall before I could blink, and all I could do was gasp out loud. Just as quickly as he had pinned me, he released me.

“Sage?” His eyes were wide and as close to frightened as I’d ever seen them.

“Soren…what do you need? How can I make this better for you?” He shook his head and reached a shaking hand towards the body soap. I stopped his hand with my own and lathered up a fluffy white washcloth while Soren’s gaze was locked on mine. I took my time washing his shoulders and neck. I ran the cloth over his muscular chest and stomach and watched as the suds ran down the length of his gorgeous body. I washed myself and noticed his eyes following my every move. I made sure every inch of our bodies were thoroughly clean and saw more and more of the Soren I knew leak back into his gaze. His body was more relaxed, his eyes less wild, and I found that I could breathe easier around him. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. When Soren stepped out behind me, I wrapped a towel around him as well. I was tucking the towel in at his waist when he stiffened. I lifted my eyes slowly from his chest. He was breathing hard and his gaze was riveted on my neck. I reached out as slowly as possible to take his hand in mine, and much to my relief, he allowed me to lead him into the main living area.

“I’m sorry. I’ve never been out of it this badly before. Maybe it has something to do with the time travel. I’m not sure.” Sitting on the edge of the bed in nothing but a towel, he looked like a lost little boy. His distress was obvious. He wasn’t used to being a burden or feeling so unsure of himself. I smiled at how absolutely adorable he was. Somehow he always accomplished that, making me smile, even when he wasn’t trying. I knelt down in front of him and wiggled myself between his knees before he could protest. I kissed his collar bone very lightly, and then kissed along his jaw in the same manner, until I reached his lips.

“Soren…don’t worry about it. Everyone needs help some time, even a big, bad, scary ass vampire, like you.” I smirked up into his face and my breath caught in my throat when I saw the unfiltered, undiluted look of raw need on his face. I pulled his face down to mine and whispered against his lips the words he told me I’d have to utter before anything would ever go any further between us. “I want this, Soren.” A growl erupted from his throat before he pulled me into a toe curling kiss that left nothing between us unsaid.

I pulled away only slightly to move my hair away from my neck and to expose the sensitive, wildly throbbing vein to Soren’s gaze. “You can have all of me, Soren. No holding back.” He held my gaze as he pulled the sheet on the bed back and then pulled me with him to sink into the mass of pillows. I landed on top of him chest to chest, with nothing but my towel between us, he had already discarded his. His hand came up to gently cup my cheek and his fingers sensuously caressed my lips. My entire body felt flushed.

“My little warper,” he murmured gruffly into my neck. A second later he was on top of me and had my hair pulled back away from my neck. He paused to give me one last chance to change my mind. Not even close. My smile must have said as much because a split second later a sharp pain was followed by the euphoric sensation of Soren’s vampiric pulling at my neck. I closed my eyes and felt as if I were floating outside of my body until Soren’s warm, expert, hand trailing up my inner thigh brought me slamming back into reality and gasping out in pleasure. Every single touch, every single caress told me how much Soren cared for me. I let myself go and let all my hurt and longing and loneliness be swept away on a beautiful tidal wave of pleasure and happiness.

I lay peacefully in my sleeping vampire’s arms for hours thinking about everything that happened the last few days. Soren coming back into my life, a threat I would have to deal with once I got back to my time, the ancient book tucked away in my nightstand with the three intertwined marks of Amerach on the cover—and then I had warped to this specific day in my past. It all had to mean something. I just wasn’t seeing the bigger picture. I glanced over at the clock on the wall. It was getting late. I exhaled slowly and took a final moment to enjoy the sight of Soren sprawled across the bed with his head on my chest, sleeping deeply. I hated to wake him. His episode earlier scared him more than it did me, but I’d been seriously concerned for a few moments.

I ran my hand through Soren’s hair and lightly kissed his forehead. His eyes fluttered open, and he gazed up at me, seemingly surprised I was still there at first, and then his eyes darkened with passion. His heated gaze raised goose bumps all over my body, and I squirmed. He reached up to lay a scorching kiss that melted my bones and curled my toes on my still swollen lips. When he was finished, he smiled lazily up at me from beneath his thick lashes like he had been planning to do that for a very long time. I blushed, even though it was a completely ridiculous thing to do since I was naked as a jay bird and so was he.

“How long did I sleep?” he asked as he rolled over to check the clock for himself.

“It’s already five. We should probably get ready and head back to the park for the fireworks. Something will happen tonight. I can feel it. Something besides my parents’ deaths, I mean.” I swallowed hard and took several deep breaths.

“We’ll figure this out tonight. Now that the sun is going down, I’ll be at full strength as well. We’ll get through this together.” He squeezed my hand and kissed me softly one last time before jumping from the bed. He had no shame and made no move to cover his nakedness as he slid into a pair of blue jeans. I wasn’t going to complain though. The view was great from where I was lying.

Dusk had begun to fall when we entered the busy park a little while later. Families were enjoying their evening meals on picnic tables and on blankets spread out on the ground; children ran around waving sparklers in circles, but the carefree atmosphere only made my heart clench tighter. My parents would be dead in an hour, and I’d be around to experience it all over again. Lucky me. My nails bit into my palms as my fists clenched unnaturally. Soren’s large hand came up to cup the back of my neck gently, and a little tension left my body.

“Let’s see what we can get into.” I smiled up into his hypnotizing eyes and felt a tiny sliver of relief pierce through the pain and heartache that I was enduring. I was so glad that he was there to help see me through the worst twenty-four hours of my life. I didn’t have that luxury the first time around.

“Yes, let’s.”

We made our way around the park, avoiding the more crowded areas and looking for any signs of things being “off.” I couldn’t imagine what could’ve happened during that time, but I was only five when my parents died, and it wasn’t like I’d have remembered anything if it had been. Throw my mother being a warper into the mix, and I could only imagine the things that could’ve really happened that day. One thing I had hardwired into my brain since becoming a warper was that things were never ever what they seemed. The days that you think you know someone, the days you think you’ve got it all figured out? That’s when life sticks it to you the hardest. I gave up thinking I had it all figured out the day my only friend stuck a dagger through my chest.

A loud boom, followed by the crackle of the first fireworks shooting out over the lake pulled me abruptly out of my grim thoughts. I straightened quickly and removed my hand from the dagger strapped to my leg. Me? Jumpy? Nah! The floral explosion of lights reflected in the surface of the lake while “oohs” and “ahhs” chorused throughout the park. I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw began to ache. The Fourth of July was my least favorite holiday for obvious reasons, but the sound of actual fireworks ranked right up there with someone’s nails raking across a chalk board for me. I’m pretty sure it was the first Fourth of July in over eight years that I could remember that I didn’t have earphones on and music blasting so loudly that my eardrums verged on bursting.

Another round of fireworks crackled, lighting up the sky, much to the enjoyment of the enraptured spectators all around me, but my eyes were rooted to a red glow that had nothing to do with the red, white, and blue sparks above the tree tops. The glowing red eyes sent a chill up my spine—not because they were attached to vampires. No, I’d dealt with plenty vamps to have already gotten used to the sight of angry, blood red-rimmed eyes staring in my direction. The first thing I thought was it was some kind of optical illusion. Vampires didn’t come out in droves. Ever. But, that was exactly what I was staring back at—droves of red-rimmed eyes staring in my direction from all over the park.

“Soren?” My whisper came out shaky even to my own ears. I glanced up to the vampire holding my hand and saw a look of absolute astonishment on his face. Yeah, I’d take a wild guess and bet he’d never seen anything like this before either. “What are we going to do?”

“We have to lead them away from this crowd.” Soren’s quiet, clipped answer told me exactly how much trouble we were in. If I couldn’t get most of them close together, I’d be forced to time freeze the entire park…and then what? Go around and behead nearly a hundred vampires? Clean up the park afterward? It would be nearly impossible. My head spun trying to figure out why they were all there in the first place. How would they have known I was going to be there? Or did they know what I was at all?

I stood frozen in place, my mind trying to decide how to react. Should we run? Even at warper speed, I’d never outrun so many vampires. Should we pretend we hadn’t noticed and casually walk away from the park? A voice nearby vanquished any hopes that the vampires hadn’t known I was there.

“Ah, warper, it’s so nice to see you looking so well. It’s been far too long.” His voice hissed out and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled at the offending sound. The vampire stood in the shadow of a large tree. I couldn’t make out his features, but every bone in my body told me that this was the vampire Soren had spoken of in my apartment a couple of nights before. The questions were what was he doing here, and was he the reason I had warped back to this time? I was guessing so. The fireworks had been going off faster and faster. They must have been warming up for the finale…which meant I had only a matter of minutes before my parents would be getting in their car to drive home…only I knew that they never made it home.

“So what’s with all the creepy red eyes?” I nodded in the direction of all the vampires glaring at Soren and me. “You guys feeling patriotic tonight?” The vampire’s laugh was anything but encouraging.

“Same smart mouth too. You’d think Soren would have taught you some manners by now.” Soren stiffened beside me, and I realized he was trying to reign in his fury.

“Quit with the charades already. What do you want?” Soren’s tone would have sent lesser, more sane men or vampires scurrying away with their tails between their legs. But the vampire obviously didn’t feel threatened. The vampire clucked his tongue.

“Everyone’s always in a hurry. I miss the old days when a good conversation was always to be had.” I was beginning to understand that the vampire had lost his ever-lovin’ mind somewhere through the years. “But, if we must get right down to it…I want the warper to suffer.” His voice deepened and I heard pure, unadulterated hatred seething through his words. I looked up at Soren with wide eyes and shook my head. What had I ever done to this vampire? I went through all my dealings thus far with the creatures and couldn’t for the life of me place one that I’d done something so horrible as to gain this kind of hatred and malice.

“Still don’t know who I am, do you, warper?” He spit the words out in contempt, daring me to say I knew who he was, daring me to say I remembered him. “How about I make it a little easier on you?” he crooned from his shadowed tree. The vampire then stepped forward just enough to become illuminated by the few surrounding park lamps and fireworks going off in the distance. He was a small build, only a little taller than me, with dirty blond hair hanging down to his shoulders. His eyes were not red like the ones shining all around us, but they weren’t gold like Soren’s either. This vampire’s eyes were more of a coppery color, like a shiny penny, which meant he was older than a baby vamp, but younger than Soren. It wasn’t until I noticed his ear that I had an inkling of who I was dealing with. The vampire had a chunk of his earlobe missing.

The crescendo of the fireworks finale faded to a buzzing noise in the back of my mind, and the ground shifted beneath my feet. A terrible grin cut across the face of the vampire in front of me.

“Ah, she finally remembers,” he hissed, baring fangs. Soren hissed in answer and shifted himself in front of me.” I placed a hand on his back to steady myself before speaking to the vamp.

“You were with Elaine the night she kidnapped me and planned to kill me in front of a room full of vampires,” I said matter-of-factly. “That didn’t work out so well, huh?” I couldn’t help myself. The vampire seemed just as weak to me as he did back in 1904 when he slapped me across the face while I was tied up to a wall and unable to defend myself. I’m not sure, but I think I called him a piece of shit back then. The name still applied. The vampire smiled again, and this time his smile spoke of long awaited vengeance. I shivered in response. Underestimating the situation or the vampire would have been a mistake.

The vampire’s grin grew wider as he raised a hand and then snapped his fingers. All the vampires surrounding the park left so quickly in one large mass exodus that a small breeze flitted through the park in the wake of so many departing at vamp-speed. The night felt strangely bereft of the shining red eyes.

“What the hell was that all about?” I gulped. Surely the large turnout of vampires hadn’t been just a show of strength and intimidation. But if it had been…well, it worked. Just then I realized how quiet the night was. I spun around and sucked in a breath. The fireworks were over. The park was starting to empty out, and my parents would be getting in their car. Oh, god. I grabbed Soren’s hand and began to walk quickly, leaving the park area behind. The whole park was already almost empty. I could hear people shutting their car doors to begin their drive home. My ears began to ring, and I had to fight off the grayness at the edge of my vision. No way in hell I was going to pass out or freak out. I owed it to my parents to figure out exactly what happened the day they died, and it was increasingly obvious that it wasn’t a complete “accident” that claimed their lives. I swallowed the bile that threatened the back of my throat and began to jog toward the line of parked cars with Soren holding tightly to my hand. I could hear everything around me. It was almost too much with Soren’s powers and mine working together, but I hoped it would help me pinpoint exactly where my parents were.

Then, just like a lucky strike of lightening, I heard the sound of my mother’s laughter as she got into their waiting car, echoing from several streets over. I began to flat out run when I heard the car pull into the traffic that was slowly trickling away from the park. I rounded a street corner and vaguely recall a street sign that read “W. Oak Street” fly by in my peripheral vision. By the time we reached the busy intersection, I knew my parents were only moments away from turning down a winding, dark highway that we had always taken on our way home. I swallowed my fear and grasped Soren’s hand tightly in mine.

“We need to go faster, Soren. We have to.” I pled with him to understand. He nodded once and then grasped me tightly to his side with one arm around my waist and then hoisted me into his arms as if I were as light as a feather.

“Ready?” he asked quickly. I bobbed my head once. Soren didn’t need any other affirmation. The city lights flew by as we sped to our destination. Soren’s feet barely touched the ground. Half the time I think we literally flew. It was a bizarre sensation. I just prayed we weren’t too late. When we came to an abrupt stop, I would have been flung out of Soren’s arms if it wasn’t for his strong grasp on my waist as he sat me on my feet. I squeezed his arm quickly in thanks before I turned around to face whatever we had come upon.

I didn’t scream. I didn’t even cry. Both of those emotions were boiling inside me though—right below the surface, wanting to leak out of my very pores. There were six sets of red eyes and one mocking coppery pair staring at us from the middle of the road. There sat my family’s car with a huge smashed in front bumper which looked like it had been wrapped around a light pole. A bunch of vampires were standing there, grinning like they had just finished playing their favorite game of chicken and had won. My fury began to build in my chest as I took in the entire scene before me, but before I could even react, I heard a whimper coming from the back of the car. Little Sage was still strapped in her car seat, terrified and crying. My dagger was out and in my hand before I even realized I had started warping forward.

The vampire unlucky enough to make it to me first was a baby vamp with absolutely no talent in hand-to-hand combat. Not even his enhanced vampire abilities were an even match for a pissed off warper in full attack mode. A powerful swing of my sgian dubh and his head hit the pavement a second after I’d already moved on to the next vampire in my path. I could hear Soren’s roar of fury as he took on a couple of vampires to my right, but all I could see was the grinning copper-eyed vampire in my line of vision. I could taste the promise of his death on the tip of my dagger. I’d kill the little bastard for this. He shook his head like he’d been disappointed and began to walk over to the wrecked car.

My heart began to beat frantically as I battled a much larger vampire. I screamed out as the vampire raked his clawed nails across my stomach, shredding my shirt and skin in the process. I heard Soren’s scream of rage and power as I ducked another swipe of the vampire’s claws—that one had come too close to my neck.  I pressed a hand to my stomach and then raised my palm out towards the attacking vampire. His eyes dilated rapidly as they locked onto the sticky crimson stains on my hand. He lunged for me, his agenda long forgotten beneath his lust for blood. My dagger caught him across the face just as he took his eyes off me and focused instead on the blood dripping from my palm. His eyes were so wide in shock and something akin to terror that I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. He reached up slowly and felt his jaw…it was barely hanging from one side of his face. Before he could react, and while he was still holding the remnants of the lower half of his face in his hand, I jumped up and delivered a backhanded blow of my sgian dubh to the back of his neck, severing the large vampire’s head from his shoulders.

I wiped my dagger on my jeans and began to run towards the vampire now standing near the passenger’s side of my parents’ car. I saw little Sage’s face in the back window, tear streaked and terrified as she tried to get out of the wreckage. Just as I made it within ten feet of the back bumper, I realized I could hear another sound, so insignificant and faint, I’d almost missed it. I could hear my mother’s quiet, labored breathing from where I stood. My heart emptied out. Its hollowness rivaled the terror I realized in the form of a vengeance crazed vampire standing next to my still breathing mother. Something caught my eye, and I found them drawn to the rearview mirror of the car. My mother’s eyes shone brightly as tears formed in them. They expressed so much in that brief moment: her love, her strength, her compassion, and her power all in a single glance. I saw the vampire reach into the car, and I yelled out Sage’s name as loudly as I could. I didn’t want her to see what was happening. She’d have enough to deal with in the coming years. I saw her little face appear in the back window, wide eyed, and staring at me just as the vampire snapped my mother’s neck. I heard a chuckle before the vampire sped away like the coward that he was.

I could hear Soren calling my name as I landed on my knees in the gravel to throw up the contents of my stomach until dry heaves shook my body. A hand landed on my shoulder, and I spun around, swinging my dagger without thinking. I was beyond thinking rationally. Luckily, Soren wasn’t a regular vampire and was able to dodge the sharp edge of my sgian dubh. I felt his arms wrap around me as I struggled wildly, sinking to the ground to scream out my anguish until my throat was raw from the force of my cries. Soren rocked me gently as I cried for all that had been taken away from me.

“Sage?” I could hear my name, but I couldn’t seem to care enough to answer. “Sage? The little girl is still in the back of the car.” It was then that the muffled sniffling and cries broke through the haze of pain I’d been mired in. I lifted my eyes to Soren’s and found the strength I needed to pick myself up off the ground. I wiped my hand and face off as best as I could before heading around to the side of the car.

“Sage?” I spoke softly, trying not to terrify the little girl any more than she already was. “Honey, I’m going to open the door and help you out, okay?” I opened the door as slowly as possible, and my heart broke all over again. I didn’t look in the front seat. I didn’t need to see any more, but the little girl all curled up into a ball in the backseat was enough to make me crazy. No matter what else I accomplished in my life, I would track down and kill the vampire who did this to my family…who did this to me…who did this to the innocent little girl I had once been.

“Sage, you need to come with me. The police and ambulance will all be here soon. Let me help you out of the car.” I reached a hand out and smoothed her hair away from her face, but I wasn’t prepared for her to launch herself into my arms. After I recovered, I squeezed her small body tightly to mine and promised her over and over again that she would be okay and that I would find the person responsible and make them pay. My ears picked up the sound of sirens, still a little ways away. Soren had already begun to take care of the bodies of vampires we’d disposed of. I didn’t know or care where he was taking them. I sat Sage down and held on tightly to her hand as Soren pushed the car with all his might into a telephone pole off of the side of the road. A large, bloody deer was placed in the middle of the road where the vampires had stood in formation, to make it look like my parents had hit the deer and then had run into a light pole. It was all necessary, but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow.

When Soren returned to stand beside me, little Sage flinched and hid herself behind my legs. “It’s okay, Sage….He’s a good guy.” I bent down and channeled my mother as best I could to smile at the little girl. “I’m not going to lie to you. Things are going to be tough without your mommy and daddy, but always remember that you are strong, that you are special, and that your parents loved you more than anything in this world.” Tears streamed down my face, and I pulled her to me to hug her to my chest once again before turning to Soren. “I can’t be here when all the emergency people arrive. Can you stay here with her until she is taken?” His hand cupped my cheek and his thumb gently wiped away a lingering tear.

“Of course I will,” he said softly. I exhaled slowly. There was no way I would’ve been able to leave her there by herself. I pulled Sage out of my embrace and wiped her tears with the tips of my fingers.

“Now, I have to go…but Soren is going to stay with you until someone comes to take care of you.” I tucked a curl behind her ear and mock whispered in my conspiratorial voice like what I had to say was a big secret meant only for us special girls. “When everyone gets here, they won’t be able to see Soren. He’s kind of special and only some people can see him when he’s there to help them.”

“Like an angel?” Her eyes widened and she gazed up at Soren in awe. I smiled and nodded my head.

“Just like an angel. But angels don’t like to be fussed over…so it will be our little secret, okay?” She nodded her head vigorously and stuck out her pinky.

“I pinky promise,” she said very seriously. I wrapped my pinky around hers and sealed the deal. I gave her a big hug as I said my final goodbye. When I stood, I was fighting back more tears, but I didn’t allow them to fall…there would be time for that later. Right then, I needed to be strong for her. I placed her beside Soren on the side of the road to await the emergency personnel. I warped to a place out in the woods where I could watch, but not be seen. Soren sat next to Sage on the side of the road and held her hand as everyone began to show up. At first no one noticed the little girl sitting there so quietly in the dark by herself as they pulled my parents’ bodies from the wreckage, but when they finally did, she was rushed off into a waiting ambulance to be checked over for injuries. Soren stayed near her the entire time, deflecting the prying eyes of everyone around him with his “you don’t see me standing here” vampire mind-control mojo, and I knew I would forever be in his debt for the kindness he showed that night.

When he came to stand beside me after the last of the flashing lights had pulled away from the “accident” site, I was utterly and completely spent physically and emotionally. Soren pulled me into his arms and I melted into his embrace. As I stood there, clinging to the only thing that made sense in my crazy world right then, all the little pieces of my memories from this very night in my past started clicking into place. The scary smile I remembered belonged to the vampire who caused the accident. Someone holding my hand as my parents’ bodies were being taken away…everything. I clung even tighter to Soren.

“Thank you,” I whispered hoarsely. Soren groaned and hugged me even tighter to his chest. I flinched. My stomach wounds would have to be looked at eventually.

“Don’t thank me, Sage. I failed you. You should have never had to go through what you did tonight. I have never felt so useless in all my life.”

“Just the same…I’m glad you were here, and I realize now that our being here was meant to be….I was stronger as a child and all my life because somewhere deep inside, I remembered someone telling me it would all be all right, and that no matter what, I was loved and had a guardian angel looking out for me.” A small smile played on my lips. My guardian angel had turned out to be a ferocious vampire. I was a pretty lucky girl.

“So what now, warper?” Soren breathed into my hair, and I could almost feel the smile on his lips.

“Can we just sit and rest? I don’t care if we are in the woods in the middle of nowhere….I just want to sit for a minute.” I pulled back from Soren and looked up into his handsome face, wondering what he was thinking.

“Sure we can. We have all the time in the world, right?” He smiled a cute little crooked smile that made my heart skip a beat as he sat down and leaned his back against the trunk of a huge old tree. He patted his lap and raised a brow. I positioned myself between his legs, my back leaning against his chest. Immediately my body protested and I had to bite back a cry of distress. My stomach was hurt more than I thought, but not so badly that it couldn’t wait just a little longer.  I twined my fingers through Soren’s, and a long sigh escaped me. Just as Soren bent to kiss the back of my neck, I felt a sensation I’d felt only once before. I braced myself as best as I could, grasping both of Soren’s hands in a death grip, just as my powers stretched to impossible lengths from my body.

We both landed with an umph and I sucked in a long, greedy breath of cold air. I was still holding Soren’s hand and had landed sprawled on top of him after our little impromptu trip. I stood up slowly and held a hand out to the vampire sprawled out on the ground. He grasped my hand and pulled himself to stand next to me.

“Well, that wasn’t as bad as the last time,” he said with a crease between his brows. I couldn’t help it—I started laughing hysterically. Nothing was really funny, but I guess laughing was better than crying. I stopped abruptly when stomach spasms brought tears to my eyes. Holy ouch! Soren tried to move some of the ripped shirt and found it stuck to my skin with dried blood. His jaw clenched, and his eyes began to glow their unholy light.

“Let’s get you taken care of,” he said quietly. I nodded my head and allowed him to put an arm around my waist so I could lean on him as we walked down the familiar park pathway. I shivered against the chilly winter air. I had no doubts in my mind that we had warped back to our present. I could feel it in my bones. The entire trip back was overall quicker, easier, and less…violent. It seemed to be much more user-friendly when we were traveling back to our natural place in the time stream.

Soren’s apartment was one of the most welcome sights I had ever seen. The same doctor that had taken care of Matt was waiting for us when we entered the apartment building. I shook my head. I’d never know how to become as efficient as Soren. I lay on the bed while the doctor fussed over the dried mess on my stomach. Warm water washed away most of the dried blood, but she had to use tweezers to remove some of the shredded shirt that had adhered to my wounds. It wasn’t pretty. Two of the gashes needed stitches and my stomach pretty much felt like it had been used as a punching bag by the time she had me all fixed up. I thanked her and promised to take the pain pills she pressed into my palm.

Not much later, I slid under the covers that Soren had already pulled back on his bed. I was so tired my eyes were closing of their own accord as I reached out behind me for Soren. He was instantly pulling me into the curve of his body…and that was all it took for me to fall into an immediate and dreamless sleep.

Waking up was a lot harder than falling asleep had been. The pills I’d taken before getting into bed had kept my body relatively pain free. It hadn’t had time to catch up with all the time travel and abuse I’d put it through recently. When I finally cracked my eyelids open, I had a hard time remembering where I was or even when I was. Time travel was hell on a girl’s equilibrium. Sitting up wasn’t any easier. My body protested at every little movement, and I had to stop myself from whimpering, crawling back into bed, pulling the ridiculously soft covers back over my head, and pretending I was still asleep. But now that I had a face to go with the vampire that had killed my parents, I had work to do.

“Soren?” I didn’t find Soren, but I did find a note from him on the kitchen counter. I pulled a bottle of root beer and everything I needed to make myself a sandwich out of the fridge as I read it.

Sage,

I have a few things I need to do, so please make yourself at home. I already took care of everything with Jorge at the club, so you don’t need to worry about going in until you are ready to. I have a surprise for you tonight. Look in the closet when you get a chance.

Yours Always, Soren

I finished off my ham sandwich in record time and made my way back into the bedroom to see what Soren was up to. When I opened the closet door, I found a long, black clothing bag hanging in the walk-in closet with an enormous, red-velvet bow attached to it. The card on the outside had my name slashed across it in Soren’s familiar handwriting. I opened the card and found another note.

Sage,

Happy Valentine’s Day. Will you be mine? Be wearing this dress when I get home at six o’ clock—I have more surprises in store for you.

Forever Yours, Soren

My hand smoothed over the expensive garment bag. I hadn’t even realized it was Valentine’s Day, and yet Soren had gone to all this trouble even after what we had been through recently. I gulped back the unexpected threat of tears….I never thought I’d feel so happy with another person again. I never thought I’d have the chance to feel even the most miniscule portion of love that I’d harbored for Aldwin…but Soren was slowly mending the shattered pieces of my heart. I wiped away the single tear that Aldwin’s name evoked and breathed in a hopeful breath before reaching for the zipper of the bag.

Soren wasn’t kidding when he said he had several surprises in store for me. At 2:00 PM sharp, the doorbell chimed, and I’d barely opened the door when a babbling trio of beauticians swooped into the apartment in a puff of perfume and big hair. I really didn’t want anything to do with the manic gotta-make-her-gorgeous gleam in their eyes, but I soon succumbed to the pampering—one massage, pedicure, and manicure at a time. My skin was glowing and smelled absolutely divine, my make-up was done to perfection, and my hair was arranged artfully in big, soft curls down my back. I felt beautiful, and that was before I’d slipped into the expensive lingerie and dress Soren had bought me. Each of the magic-makers properly oohed and ahhed and then air kissed me on each cheek before they left the apartment in the same whirlwind fashion they’d arrived.

At 6:00 PM, Soren walked into the apartment with a single red rose, dressed immaculately in a black Gucci suit. The thunderstruck look on his face when he saw me sent a shiver of pleasure straight to the pit of my stomach. My dress was simple and elegant, but it felt as if it had been made just for me. It was crafted out of a shimmery golden silk that gathered at one shoulder and left one bare. The dress skimmed all my curves and had a handkerchief hemline that fell halfway between my knees and ankles.

“You look absolutely divine, Sage.” Soren circled around me slowly, his fingertips skimming over the curls hanging down my back. His nose tickled the arc of my neck as he inhaled the scent lingering on my skin. “Divine,” he murmured as he placed an intimate kiss on my bare shoulder. My skin quivered in response, and my breathing became shallow. The touch of his lips sent my senses reeling. “Shall we go?” I opened my eyes and found Soren standing directly in front of me with a knowing smirk on his face.

“Are you going to tell me where we are headed?” I asked, trying to sound more put together than I felt.

“You’ll see soon enough. Did you enjoy your day?” He smiled as he helped me slip into an expensive, über-soft coat.

“I did….Once the stripping, plucking, and waxing was over, the soaking and massaging took place. It was something I never thought I’d get any pleasure from, but it was pretty great. Thank you.”  A frown creased my brow. “I don’t have anything for you though….I didn’t even realize it was Valentine’s Day.” Soren’s hand gripped my chin softly as he tipped it back to look into my eyes.

“You being here with me is all I’ll ever need.” His lips made sure I knew he meant what he said and then some. He broke away from the kiss and chuckled softly under his breath. “Let’s get going, little warper, before I change my mind and keep you all to myself tonight. I’m not sure I want anyone seeing you looking so delectable anyway.”

I grinned and rolled my eyes dismissively, but I couldn’t help the giddiness his words evoked in me. He found me “delectable.” The stupid grin painted on my face stayed in place all the way to our destination.

When we pulled up to the building, I knew it seemed familiar somehow, and a sense of déjà vu washed over me, along with an immediate sense of dread. I gripped the hand that helped me out of the car as Soren came around to toss his keys to the valet. As I waited for Soren, it finally dawned on me why the place seemed so familiar—it used to be the home of one Mrs. Sebast, who had thrown some of the most luxurious parties back in 1904. Her invitations had been a coveted commodity. I stood there in front of the mansion-turned-five-star restaurant and gulped back a flood of emotions the sudden flash of memories surfaced.

“Sage?” I glanced over into Soren’s worried face and could tell he had probably said my name several times. “This was a bad idea. I’m sorry. I just thought of this as being the first place we met….” I reached out and softly cupped his cheek.

“It’s perfect. I just wasn’t expecting it; that’s all. I’ll be fine.” I smiled and wound my arm through his as the valet sped away in the Aston Martin.

“You’re sure?” he asked one more time.

“I’m positive,” I answered with a wide smile, even though the sense of dread hadn’t lessened in the slightest.

We were shown to a private table that overlooked a beautiful, small garden strung in twinkling white lights. It was the very same garden I had met Soren in over a hundred years in the past. A shiver raised gooseflesh on my arms. As our food was brought out and our conversation flowed flawlessly, I found myself relaxing and enjoying the evening with Soren. I wrote off my earlier apprehension as nothing more than shock and concentrated on enjoying every second of the magical date Soren had planned out to perfection. Soren stood after we’d shared a delicious lemon tart with a raspberry sauce drizzled on top and made a small gesture with his hand. My brow shot up…what was he up to now?

“Sage, will you honor me with a dance?” He bowed slightly at the waist and held a hand out as the sounds of live symphony music began to drift over from the veranda. My breath caught in my throat as I placed my hand in his and he twirled me expertly onto the dance floor and into a romantic, old-fashioned waltz. We had danced like this before—back when we were only pretending to be lovers in another time entirely. The surprised gasps and applause from the spectators who were still enjoying their fancy Valentine’s dinner all faded to a hazy backdrop as I got caught up in the beauty of Soren’s eyes and the hypnotic sway of the dance. My dress flowed sensuously around my legs as I was guided around the dance floor by Soren’s warm, reassuring hand splayed low on my back.

Another titter of surprised exclamation and applause ran through the tables surrounding the dance floor, and I was immediately aware that another couple had joined us in our waltz. I smiled up at Soren and caught a shocked look in his eyes and felt the muscles of his arm tense beneath my hand. What in the world? A flash of red skirts flitted in my peripheral vision as the other couple danced close by us before twirling away once again but not before the unmistakable scent of honey and spices drifted all around me, scattering any coherent thoughts I had to the four corners of the earth. My vision narrowed in on a single spot of Soren’s suit. I was afraid to lift my eyes to Soren’s—afraid of what I’d find there—but like an uncontrollable twitch, I found I couldn’t stop myself. So many emotions crossed his face before he slammed his cold vampire mask into place. Anger, pain, love, and regret all swirled in that single, swift moment. I was scared to death to find out what it all meant….I knew when the dance ended, everything would change.

We stopped in the center of the dance floor, unable to tear our eyes away from each other as applause echoed from all around the room. I grabbed Soren’s pristine lapels and begged him with my eyes to tell me whatever it was that needed to be said before it was too late.

“Sage…” Whatever he had been about to say was cut off by the sound of feminine laughter coming from directly behind me. Soren’s entire body stiffened and his grip on my arms tightened as if he wished he could keep me from turning around, keep me from whatever it was that was about to rock my already unstable world.

“It’s been far too long, Soren. What has it been now? Forty? Fifty years?” Her voice came out in a purr, and her scent surrounded me, surfacing long-buried memories and feelings.

“Not long enough, Milena,” Soren said through gritted teeth. Milena…Milena….Milena. Where had I heard that name before?

“And I see you’ve found our little warper. You didn’t waste any time.” I heard the sneer in her voice, and my back stiffened in response. I began to turn around, but Soren’s hand still held me tightly in place. I cleared my throat and raised a brow. He reluctantly let me go, but not before I saw a look of panic quickly flash in his eyes. I instantly recognized the elegant woman in front of me. She was still runway-model beautiful with straight espresso-colored hair, curves in all the right places, and striking blue eyes. I knew back in 1904 that she wasn’t human, but I still didn’t know exactly what she was.

“Milena. I hope you haven’t been sacrificing small children to hold the wrinkles at bay. You don’t look a day over thirty,” I said with a smirk. Honestly, she didn’t look a day over twenty, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. Her smile only slipped a fraction before it split into a grin that did absolutely nothing to reassure my mind of the safety of little children everywhere.

“Well, it’s been delightful, I’m sure,” she said silkily. “But, we better be going. It is, after all, St. Valentine’s Day.” It was then that I noticed her hand resting on the arm of a man standing close by her side…his face was turned away from me, though, and all I could see was the left side. His jaw was clenched so hard I could see the muscle there twitch from the force of it. Milena noticed me studying her dance partner, and her smile took on an entirely new level of maliciousness. Her eyes lit up like she was about to receive the best present of her very long life. I swallowed, my throat suddenly parched. The gleam in her eye was unsettling.

“How rude of me,” she said. “Sage, you’ve met Aldwin before, right?” A hiss erupted from the vampire behind me as I stood there trying to understand what she had just said and to overcome the punch that had landed in my gut.

“Aldwin?” I barely whispered the name as Milena’s dance partner turned his glacial stare in my direction. The ringing in my ears nearly deafened me, but all I could do was stare at the man standing in front of me, sure he was a ghost or someone’s idea of a sick joke. I could feel a rumble from behind me and see that Milena’s mouth was moving as Milena and Soren exchanged words, but it all sounded like jibberish to my ears. I wasn’t able to take a breath of air. The mammoth-sized weight on my chest prevented it. Fuzziness wanted to take over. Grayness quickly moved in on my vision, but I shoved it away with nothing but sheer willpower. My powers rushed over me easily than I had ever felt them before. I didn’t move. I didn’t hold out a hand. I hadn’t even blinked, but the whole room succumbed to my warper entrancement with just a thought.

The only sound in the room was the loud, uneven thrumming of my heart and the jagged gasps of breath as they left my parted lips. I soaked in every single detail of the features of the man in front of me, the man I had loved and assumed I’d lost. He looked the same as I’d remembered, except there was no warmth in the way that he looked at me. His gaze held contempt and hostility. Milena’s arm was wrapped through his in a possessive manner that spoke familiarity and companionship—maybe even more. I studied Milena and Aldwin side-by-side, frozen in time as they were. They resembled each other, I noted. Not in a “brother-sister” sort of way, but in a “same species” sort of way. My eyelids fluttered closed as I remembered back to the few times I had wondered if there was something other about Aldwin, and the first time I met Milena and how her scent was so similar to Aldwin’s.  I should have realized then what I was just coming to figure out. Aldwin was a preternatural—the same kind of creature as Milena. And if I had to guess, I’d have put money on them being fae.

I wondered if he had ever thought of me over the last hundred years—if he’d ever mourned my loss as I had mourned his. Evidently, time had allowed him to move on with his life. He’d know where I was and when I was. All he had to do was come find me. And yet, he hadn’t. Those actions meant more than any words would ever be able to convey. I traced the curve of his cheek with my trembling hand and stretched up to kiss his scarred face as a few rebellious tears slid down my cheeks. By the time I let my hold over the room go I was on the other side of the city, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, searching for thugs to take out my anger on.

I walked alone in the dark for hours, hoping to find some relief to the torment brewing inside of myself. When the rain started, I barely noticed. I just kept walking, unaware of my surroundings. When the events of the night finally hit me full force, it buckled my knees, bringing me to that dark place I had visited a couple times over the past several months. I allowed myself to fall apart. I needed it, and I needed to do it when no one else was around to see it. I gave in to the hurt, the betrayal, the uncertainty of it all. I allowed it all out—everything I’d been tucking away since seeing my past—and it wasn’t pretty. Kneeling on the asphalt under an abandoned bridge somewhere in Charleston with rain still dripping from my hair and my clothing soaked completely through, I shattered into a million painful, jagged pieces.

I slipped into my own bed some hours later, not even sure how I had made it home, but a weight had been lifted off my chest. I was on a mission to find one blond haired, copper eyed, chunk-missing-out-of-his-ear vampire, and by god, I was going to do just that. I fell asleep with a slight grin on my face, counting the different ways I planned to dismember said vampire.

I clutched my head as someone pounded on it without mercy. I swung my pillow, hoping to, I don’t know, kill the person with the feathers? I peeked out from under the arm I’d slung over my eyes and groaned. No one was trying to crack my skull open, but someone was pounding unmercifully on my door—which was pretty much the same thing.

“Hold on a minute, damn you!” I swung the door open and found Soren standing there poised like he was about to kick the door in. Good grief. I turned and huffed back into my apartment to get a pot of coffee started. I was going to need it to deal with the night ahead of me. “We’ll talk after I get a shower and a cup of coffee in me….just...not yet.” I made a beeline for my bathroom before he could get a single word in.

When I returned to the living room, Soren was sitting on my thrift-store couch, staring at the book I’d left out on my coffee table the night before. Next to it was a mason jar that held the rose that had been left with the book. It was still just as perfect as it was when I first got it. The look on Soren’s face told me he was not impressed with what he was looking at.

“Where did you get the book?” I jumped, startled by the clipped question.

“It was outside my front door when I got home the day after we saved Matt. I thought at first you had been the one to send it,” I said. I knew that wasn’t the case now. I’d seen Soren’s handwriting and it didn’t match the bold, slashing print on the outside of the package. “Why didn’t you tell me Aldwin was fae, Soren?” I sunk onto the couch next to him.

“It wasn’t my secret to tell,” he said quietly.

“Not your secret to tell? This isn’t about telling someone’s secret, Soren. When I thought he was dead, I felt hollow inside for months!” I shouted. “I deserved to be told. Why did he stay away? Was it because of Milena?” My heart clenched. Soren’s only answer was a shake of his head. He wouldn’t tell me, even if he knew. I sighed, feeling more weary than ever.

I gestured to the book on the coffee table. “The book is written in a different language...but I think it’s important that I know what it says. Can you read it?” If it were possible, his jaw clenched even tighter and his gaze could have frozen the Devil’s domain.

“There is only one person I know of who can read that book...who is old enough to remember or have studied the language.” I knew instantly who he was thinking of.

“Aldwin,” I whispered. He didn’t have to answer. I knew it in my heart. Aldwin had sent the book to me—and the rose—and we needed him to be able to find out what the book contained. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my heart rate before I had a panic attack.

“Soren?” His gaze softened, and he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear as he pulled me to his chest. “Don’t worry. I’ll set up a meeting with him, but be warned—where Aldwin goes, Milena goes.” I nodded into his shirt and began to breathe easier. I straightened up and met Soren’s eyes. “I need to find the vampire who killed my parents.”

“Absalom,” he said with a scowl.

“Absalom?” I frowned.

“Absalom is the vampire who killed your parents. I knew he was once we saw him in the park the night of your parents’ deaths. I had planned to tell you after...last night.” After what he planned to be the perfect Valentine’s date. I sighed. I hated all of this. I almost wished I was still blissfully unaware. Almost. But all secrets eventually come to light. It’s just a matter of when and how.

“Well, let’s plan a little visit to see ole Abe, shall we?”

I made plans to meet Soren at Club Strange later that night. He was going to make arrangements with Aldwin...and Milena. I was going to try my best to remain cool and business-like. I just wanted to know what the book said, and I wanted to find Absalom and the missing time warper, Colleen. Easier said than done, right? First things first. If I was going to be dealing with my ex and his perfect little fae girlfriend, I was going to look hot as hell while I did it.

You couldn’t go wrong with black, right? Add in that it was leather and fit my body like a glove...well, more than a few eyes swiveled in my direction when I walked through Club Strange later that night. Jorge did a double take and gave me a thumb’s up and a wink as I passed him. I flashed him a wide, appreciative grin.

“Sage?” Matt’s voice brought me to a complete halt. His eyes bugged out of his head as he took in my new look. I tugged nervously on my new shortened locks. Cutting my hair had been a spur of the moment thing, but my new jawline-length cut felt...good. I had on a new pair of black two-inch heeled boots, black leather pants, an emerald green stretchy tank top, and a black leather jacket that hid the dagger strapped to my back. All in all, I felt pretty bad ass. I lifted a brow when Matt still hadn’t said anything.

“You look amazing. How have you been?” I smiled at him. That’s one of the things I loved about Matt—he was always thinking about others.

“I’m doing well. How have you been? Trina around tonight?” His eyes darkened slightly and a scowl formed between his eyebrows. Uh-oh.

“She’s dancing with some jerk who can’t keep his hand off her ass,” he said with more venom than I’d ever heard from him before. I raised a brow and smirked.

“Maybe you should be dancing with her instead of the jerk,” I said thoughtfully. He scowled even more. I shrugged. “Just a suggestion. Take it from me, Matt. Seize the moment. They go by quicker than you’d expect, and love doesn’t stand still for anyone.”

“Couldn’t have said it any better.” I whipped around. Aldwin’s eyes pierced mine, and I shivered at the intensity they bore. Matt’s hand brushed my arm as he came to stand beside me.

“Matt, this is Aldwin...an old friend.” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Aldwin’s. I don’t know what I expected to find there...answers maybe? Regret or affection? I found none of that though...just weariness and wariness. Luckily, I was able to snap out of it when a hand snaked through Aldwin’s arm and her mocking voice cut through the tension around the three of us.

“Sage, darling. So good to see you again so soon. We were all quite concerned with your little disappearing act last night.” I glanced back up into Aldwin’s eyes and wondered if he’d been concerned in the least. A muscle ticked underneath his blind eye, and I sucked in a sharp breath when memories tried to force themselves on me. I closed my eyes, willing them to that broken part of myself. When I opened my eyes again, I was calm and in control. Milena had a smirk on her face. I smiled at her and scooted forward just enough to enter her personal space.

“Don’t fret over me, Milena. I’ve found that spending time outdoors and taking time to smell the roses does wonders for my equilibrium. You should try it sometime. There is this breathtaking, rare, purple rose that is so beautiful it can put your views of life and love into perspective.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously and my hand whipped out to grab the hilt of my dagger just as Aldwin snatched my arm in mid-air. He stopped me just in time. What in the hell was I thinking? I couldn’t whip out my dagger in a club full of people and run her through—as much as I would’ve liked to. My arm relaxed, and I looked down at the hand still clutching my arm. Aldwin jerked his hand away from me like I’d been made of acid. I glance up and saw a frown creasing his forehead, and the briefest hint of pain and longing flashed through his eyes. I blinked and they were gone just that fast. I’d probably imagined them. Just then, Trina came bouncing up to our group, grinning at Matt and me. Her smile faded, however, when she spotted the two people who were standing with. Her hand rested on Matt’s arm, and she placed herself in front of him in a protective manner. I grinned. But the next thing I knew, the tension grew even thicker.

“Witch!” Milena hissed out as she eyed Trina up and down. I glanced over at the girl and frowned. Okay, so she kinda dressed a little goth-slash-hippy, but a witch? Really? I smirked and opened my mouth to say something to diffuse the situation before I had to defend Trina. When I caught the look on her face, she looked...fierce...and powerful. Oh my god, Trina was a witch. Why hadn’t I figured it out? Probably because I’d been too wrapped up in my own drama to pay attention.  Matt placed a hand on Trina’s arm and tried to move around her.

“Trina, I don’t need your protection.” He rolled his eyes and pulled her to his side. He didn’t seem shocked by what Milena had just accused Trina of being. My head was spinning. I didn’t know anyone as well as I thought I had. I was so clueless.

“So, you’re a witch?” I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t time for you to know yet, Sage. We’ll need to talk in private. I’ve been waiting for the right time, and it looks like that time is now.”

I nodded. “Well, you might as well join us. I have a little meeting set up, and I’m guessing it will have to do with you anyway, so follow us.” I glanced at Matt and shrugged a shoulder.

“Matt comes with me,” she stated. I nodded. Who was I to argue? We all headed to the back of Club Strange to meet with the owner, a powerful vampire and my boyfriend, Soren Black.

When we entered Soren’s private, spacious office, Soren was sitting at his desk. He glanced up and gave a curious look when we entered. When we all were accounted for, there was a vampire, a time warper, two fae, a witch, and a human. At least, I thought Matt was a human—I wasn’t exactly rating high on the “know what my friends are” meter at the moment. I snorted and everyone turned to stare at me. I shrugged again.

“How much does the human know?” Milena asked. We all turned to stare at her. My mouth had flopped open. Could she have been any more idiotic? “What? Obviously he knows more than he’s letting on, or he’d be peeing his little pants right about now.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and I briefly imagined yanking her hair out of her head. Soren was by my side in a split second. He had a Sage violence meter built in. Matt cleared his throat.

“I know a lot. Trina filled me in a long time ago about vampires and, um, other things. Especially since I’d been hanging around Sage...and all you guys tend to hang around her.” He narrowed his eyes in Soren’s direction when he spoke. Oh boy...that meant he had an idea what Soren was back when we saved him. I was going to be having a little talk with Matt very soon.

“What part do you play in all this, witch?” Aldwin focused his unwavering attention on Trina, and to her credit, she didn’t cower or flinch.

“The name is Katrina, or Trina, twinkle toes!” She lifted her chin and I burst out laughing. Everyone turned to me and even Milena looked concerned. Great...they all thought I’d lost my freakin’ mind. Just what I needed.

“Let’s all try and keep the hostility to a minimum and try and get this sorted out like the civilized preternaturals we are.” I strode forward to the center of the room, uncomfortable being the center of attention, but ready to get to the bottom of everything. “Trina, please tell us what is going on.” I waved my hand in her direction.

“I’m a handler witch....” Her voice lowered, laced with power, and her eyes stared out at nothing in particular as if she could see something in the future no one else could. I could see shadows moving in them. “I have been searching for the warper, Colleen. Something has caused her powers to come under another’s influence. I have to help her gain control back before it’s too late. Too late for her and too late for all of us.” She blinked once and then shook her head slowly as if coming out of a trance. I gulped. That was a little freaky, even for me. Right. A handler witch—a witch with special gifts to activate time warpers and, evidently, help them when necessary.

“Okay. So...I was already planning on looking for Colleen anyway, so we can work together. I find her; you help her.” I nodded my head. It sounded like a good plan.

“Where do we begin this search?” Matt asked. “She could be with anyone.” I glanced over at Soren and met his gaze. Absalom. Wherever Absalom was—whatever he was up to—it had to do with Colleen. If we found him, we’d find her. And maybe, if I was very, very lucky, I’d get the extreme pleasure of putting him out of his miserable existence.

“What is it? Why are you grinning like that?” Aldwin narrowed his eyes in my direction.

“I need to find a vampire named Absalom. He will lead us to Colleen. I’m pretty sure he’s the one who has her. I will find him and then I’ll kill him.” No one argued with me.

“So, what are the two dark fae doing here?” Trina asked, staring Aldwin and Milena down as she twirled a blue strand of hair around her finger.

“There is an ancient book that I need to have translated. It seems that Aldwin is the only person anywhere that understands the text. The book is important....I can feel it.” I spoke through clenched teeth. No one was liking this situation, but it had to be done, and I was going to see it through. Everything else could wait. I could feel an invisible clock ticking down, and I didn’t want to find out what would happen if we didn’t find out what was going on before time ran out.

“I’m going to suggest we all meet tomorrow night at a place I have on the outside of the city. It will be more private. There are weapons, vehicles, and other things that might come in useful over the next few days.” Soren flexed his jaw, his gaze piercing mine. “Sage, you and Aldwin should go there ahead of us and see if you can find out what’s so important in that book.” I opened my mouth, and Milena began to protest. Even Aldwin was arguing when Soren cut everyone off with an ear-piercing hiss, flashing fangs. Matt and Trina flinched at the sound. The entire room became quiet. “If we are all there arguing and acting like children, they will never figure it out, and I don’t know about everyone else, but I’d like to get this over with as soon as possible.” He walked over to his desk and withdrew a set of keys and tossed them to me. “The car is waiting outside for you. The address is loaded into the GPS system.”

“Soren...” I bit my lip. I didn’t want to be alone with Aldwin. I knew we’d have to talk about things eventually, but not any time soon. Soren was in front of me before I could blink.

“You have to, Sage. It has to be done, and I trust you to be able to accomplish the job. I have a feeling this needs to happen anyway.” He kissed my forehead lightly. I closed my eyes. He was more trusting than I was. I smiled up at him as he backed away.

“Aldwin?” My heart skipped a beat just saying his name. Soren’s jaw hardened. Aldwin nodded once, a quick, jerky movement. I walked to the door quickly, making sure not to even look at Milena. The need to taunt her was way too strong. I glanced over at Matt and Trina and they both nodded in my direction. Soren would make sure they would be fine and would find their way the next day to Soren’s little hide-a-way.

The “car” outside was actually a fully-loaded Dartz Kombat painted in matte black. I stood there for a moment and took in the armored SUV and fell in love. Give any other girl a Lamborghini, but this vehicle was made for me. I smiled as the driver’s door was held open for me. I slid behind the wheel and sighed. All the buttons were a little bit intimidating, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to push them all. The passenger side door opened, and I remembered that I wasn’t going to be alone and I sobered up pretty fast. Aldwin shut the door and looked at me questioningly as I was trying to figure out how to work what I thought was the radio.

“Let me,” he said softly. His hand grazed mine as he reached for the knobs. I jerked my hand back like it had been bitten by a rattler. The twitch in his cheek muscle was the only indication that he noticed. I pulled out into traffic just as the unmistakable voice of Frank Sinatra crooned out the words to “Witchcraft” over the speaker system. I glanced over at my silent companion, but his face was turned away from me, staring out the window as we drove down the highway.

It turned out to be a relatively short drive—only forty-five minutes on the highway and another fifteen until we pulled onto a well-hidden dirt road. The house was set back away from civilization and was almost completely dark when we arrived. The only light on was a dim porch light. I could have missed the house entirely if it wasn’t for that tiny glow. The area was pitch black and eerily quiet. I rubbed the goose bumps on my arms as we stepped out of the SUV.

“Where are all the animal sounds?” I mused out loud, half whispering to myself, afraid to speak too loudly. Aldwin’s voice almost gave me a heart attack.

“They know a predator lives in this area. Also...I’m pretty sure Soren had a witch put a ward around this property—a keep-away spell.” He came around to join me in front of the truck with a duffle bag in his hand. He wouldn’t meet my gaze, which was probably for the best. I sighed and headed for the front porch. One of the keys on the key ring opened the front door without a single sound. It was weird. Aldwin grabbed my arm as I stepped forward and all the air rushed from my lungs. “Let me go in first.” He stepped past me, and all I could do was stand there like an idiot wishing his hand had lingered longer on my arm. I shook my head. God, I was such a moron.

Lights flooded the front room as Aldwin flipped on a few switches. My eyes widened. I guess I was expecting a log cabin or some kind of fall-out shelter, but this was so much more than that. Off to my right was the main room that one had to step down into. It had masculine but comfortable furniture covered in over-stuffed throw pillows, a huge fire place with a beautifully hand carved mantle, and a piano sitting off to one side. I wondered idly if Soren played—he must have.

There were beautifully depicted drawings hanging on the walls. I walked over to get a better look at them and blinked in surprise. The first one was the curve of a woman’s neck and the profile of her face. It looked like me. The second one was similar to the one hanging in his office—a young woman peacefully sleeping in an old-fashioned bed with just a sheet covering her, her hair spread out around her on the bed like a halo. It was beautifully intimate, and I had to stand there for a moment to let it sink in that his walls held several more pictures of me: me dancing at a ball, my eyes laughing up into the face of the man I danced with; me with a dagger drawn, looking fierce and powerful, ready for battle; and then a more recent drawing of me, wearing a hoodie and looking a lot lost and a little frightened. I gulped back the sudden threat of tears. The pictures showed a small piece of my soul in each one. Did Soren know me that well? Aldwin cleared his throat from behind me.

“I’m going to get comfortable. I’ll be ready in a bit to get started.” I nodded and followed behind him as he turned down a hallway. He pointed to a door at the end of the hallway. “That’s probably yours. I claimed this guest room for the night.” He rubbed the back of his neck. My hand twitched.

“Okay. I’ll be ready in a few,” I said as I shuffled off to my room.

“Sage...” I turned around and met his eyes. I could see the indecision flare before they became frigid and hard once again. “I’ll see you in a little while.” He closed the door as I stood in my doorway, holding my breath.

When I’d changed into a soft gray tank top and pajama bottoms, I padded out into the main room in search of Aldwin. I found him staring at a picture on the wall, unaware of me being in the room. I saw the longing and passion on his face as he lifted a finger to trace the curve of my cheek on the drawing. I stepped back quickly and made sure he would know I was coming by shutting a door loudly. When I entered again, his mask was back in place, and I found I couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Let’s get this started, shall we?” he asked in clipped tones, sitting down on the couch in front of the book already opened on the coffee table. I didn’t know if he would be comfortable with me sitting beside him, so I grabbed a huge throw pillow and sat in front of Aldwin and the book.

“Haven’t you read this before?” I asked, curious why he couldn’t just tell me what the book contained.

“I’ve read some of it, but not all. I found this book not too long ago. It was hidden with some other artifacts a very old member of Cerberus had managed to hoard to himself. It wasn’t until he died, that this was unearthed. Luckily, I got to it first and hid it away.” He ran his fingers lightly over the ancient, brittle pages.

“But why send it to me?” I asked.

“Because I knew you’d know how important it was and could keep it safer than I could. Because I knew it had to do with time warpers. And because I wanted any excuse I could find to contact you...even if it was to send you an old, musty book.” His eyes flicked to mine and for a second they were unguarded and the pain I found there left me feeling entirely too breathless.

“And the rose?” I whispered.

“I couldn’t help myself.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal. He stared into my eyes for a few moments longer before he abruptly broke eye contact and began turning pages in the book. I tucked my hair behind my ear before leaning forward to get a better look at the book. Some of the pages had beautifully intricate hand-painted illustrations, and I found myself oohing and ahhing over the priceless tome. Aldwin shook his head.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing...it’s just you’re like a kid in a candy store when it comes to books. I should have sent it to you a long time ago.” His smile vanished and his lips flattened into a hard line.

“So, what did you already translate?” I asked to change the subject and to get down to business. Aldwin had actually already translated the majority of the book. The first half of the book was a telling of the first time warpers, their journeys, their powers, and their triumphs. He gave me a brief run-down and promised to send me his handwritten notes some time so I could read all the accounts for myself. The second half of the book was divided into two distinct parts, and that’s where things started to get interesting. The first half spoke of a trio of time warpers known as the “time trinity.” This trio was destined to stop some kind of ancient evil from basically wiping out the human race. I glanced up at Aldwin as he recited the passage he had just read. An ancient evil sounded bad enough but wiping out the human race sounded like a big no-no.

“Wait a minute...a trio of time warpers?” I asked. Aldwin nodded his head. “Well, we only know of two right now. Do you think Absalom has another warper against her will? Or maybe these events are a long way off?”

“It’s hard to say,” Aldwin yawned and then stretched his arms over his head, exposing a very muscular stomach in the process. I shamelessly stared. It still looked just as perfect as it had to me back in 1904. “It could be any time in the future, but what do your instincts tell you?” he asked, unaware I had been oogling him.

“My instincts say we need to prepare for one hell of a fight,” I murmured. Aldwin nodded his head.

“That’s what mine tell me too. Just the fact that there are two living warpers alive at the same time...well, that alone is enough to convince me that these prophecies are already being fulfilled.” I frowned. Rarely did prophecies coming true equal a good thing. I glanced over at the clock on the mantle. It was already two o’clock in the morning. I jumped up off the pillow I’d been squatting on and stretched my aching muscles. The next thing I knew, warm hands were spread across my stomach and all my senses flew out the window.

“What the hell happened to your stomach?” I blinked rapidly, trying to concentrate on the question Aldwin was asking me. Oh yeah...the stitches. I yanked on my shirt and tried to push Aldwin away from me, but it was like trying to move a small tree—impossible.

“It’s just a few scratches. Not that big of a deal, Aldwin.” I waited for him to move away, but instead a shaking hand clutched me by the waist while Aldwin’s finger gently traced over the healing wounds across my stomach. I sucked in a breath and couldn’t suppress the shudder than ran through my body. “Aldwin...please,” I whispered roughly as he held me in place. His eyes met mine, and I could see the storm he had held in check for so long threatening to loose itself as his cerulean blue eye searched mine. He squeezed them shut, his face a mask of pain and suffering. He gently lowered my shirt, his eyes still closed as if he couldn’t bear to look at me.

I caressed the side of his face and ran a finger over the scar on his cheek. “Why did you never come to me, Aldwin? Do you love Milena...are you happy with her?” I asked softly. When his eyes popped open, his mask was back firmly in place and the stabbing disappointment was almost too much. I cleared my throat and backed up a step. “Are you hungry? I’m going to go see what’s in the kitchen.” I turned without waiting for a reply and fled. I could feel his gaze like the red beam of light from a sniper’s rifle on my back as I walked out of the room.

“No.” I jumped, almost dropping the dozen eggs I’d just pulled out of the fridge. I set the eggs on the counter and looked up into Aldwin’s serious face, waiting for him to elaborate. “I don’t love her. She knows I don’t...but I think she hopes that eventually I will.” I turned around, thinking about what he just said as I found a red bell pepper and an onion. When I turned back around, Aldwin was searching through the cabinets closer to me.

“So, why do you stay with her, then?” I asked softly. Aldwin sat a large skillet on the stove top and poured a little olive oil into it. He handed me a bowl and a whisk. I whipped up half a dozen eggs as Aldwin chopped up an onion, red bell pepper, and a small jalapeño.

“It’s complicated,” he finally answered. After a few more minutes, waiting for him to go on, I realized he wasn’t going to tell me anything else. I poured my eggs into the hot skillet and then Aldwin added his veggies. I sprinkled shredded cheese and kept my mouth shut. Aldwin expertly flipped the large omelet and then portioned it out onto plates when it was done. I stabbed my fork into mine and began eating as soon as Aldwin sat across from me on the tiny breakfast nook. I ate quickly, trying not to talk, and trying not to explode. That lasted for a whole ten minutes, and then the inevitable happened—I got pissed.

“So, that’s it? That’s all the answer you’re going to give to me? It’s ‘complicated’?” I threw my plate in the sink and came over to stand directly in front of him. “Don’t you think I at least deserve to know why you never tried to contact me? Was I so forgettable that you didn’t even feel it necessary to let me know you were alive…that you were fae?” I bit back a sob at the pain I’d felt when I thought the man I’d loved was dead and gone.

“You think I just forgot about you, Sage?” His voice was low, his eyes wild with intensity. “You think I didn’t feel your loss like a knife in the heart when I woke up after the most wonderful night in my entire existence to find you gone? He stalked forward as he spoke, and I walked back until I ran into the kitchen island. “You think I didn’t mourn you? I drove myself insane wondering when you warped to. It could have been further in the past...you know that, right?” His eyes glittered dangerously and the tick in his scarred cheek spoke volumes of the anger coursing through his body.

“I know, Aldwin. I’m sorry.” I sighed and put a hand out on his chest as he caged me in.

“I’ve lain awake in bed the last hundred years remembering, Sage.” He pushed himself further into my space, putting both his hands on either side of me, onto the counter behind me. I had to lean back as he leaned in. “Remembering your scent,” he said softly as he buried his nose into my hair and inhaled. My eyes fluttered closed, and I tried to hold my body rigid, but my arms were already shaking from the force of it, from the need to lean into him instead of away from him. “Remembering the curve of your neck,” he murmured as his lips grazed my jawline and his hand cupped the back of my neck, sending tingles all along my skin and drawing a moan from me. “Remembering the taste of your lips,” he spoke huskily against my mouth.

His mouth devoured mine and the only thing I could do was wrap my arms around his neck and hold on as he made up for a hundred years of doubts, desires, and distant dreams. His mouth slanted against mine, and my body trembled against his as desire and longing clouded my thoughts. Aldwin reached down and swiftly lifted me onto the counter top without breaking contact with my lips. He settled himself between my legs as his hands wandered up my sides and lifted my shirt to expose my stomach to his touch. I dug my finger into his hair and yanked his head back so I could look into his eyes. He was breathing hard and his eyes were glazed over, desire making him sexier than ever. I slanted my mouth over his and he growled in approval. It wasn’t until Aldwin’s fingers fumbled with my bra clasps that I had a sliver of sanity break through the heady fog of desire.

My entire body tensed and Aldwin immediately stopped. “Aldwin,” I whispered, my forehead against his, my breathing heavy. “We can’t.” He reluctantly removed his hand from my back and smoothed down my shirt in the process. My fingers were still locked in his hair, and unwinding them from the thick, raven-colored locks was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I pulled away slightly from his embrace and glanced up into the face of the first man I ever loved. He was already closing himself back off from me and it was just another pain I’d have to endure. Aldwin cleared his throat, and I realized he was waiting for something. I blushed as I unwound my legs from his waist.

I fell into bed (alone) sometime after five o’clock in the morning. We’d managed to keep our hands off of each other long enough to study the book a little while longer and to translate a few more key passages. It wasn’t without difficulty, I assure you. One thing we knew for sure was that something big was about to happen, and we needed to save Colleen to make sure we had her on our side when the crap hit the fan. Our first order of business was to hunt down little ole’ Absalom and find out where he had stashed the warper. For the second night in a row, I fell asleep counting the ways I was going to torture the vampire who’d killed my parents.

The sounds of loud, methodical thumps woke me later in the afternoon. I groaned and reluctantly abandoned the comfort of my bed to go and find whomever it was I was going to have to kill. I jerked open the back door of the house and stopped dead in my tracks. Aldwin was standing in the sunlight with small sharp knives in his hand. He was throwing them with disturbing accuracy at a large wooden shed with a target painted on the side of it. The shed was situated close to my bedroom window—hence the thumping sound I’d heard. I stood there with my mouth hanging open as I watched a shirtless Aldwin fling knife after knife with deadly precision at the target. The sun shone through the tree tops and highlighted his every move. I could see his muscles flex, the sweat roll slowly down in a thin stream over his abs. I stood there transfixed until the scent hit me.

I don’t remember moving, but the next thing I knew I was in Aldwin’s arms and trying my best to climb into his skin. Aldwin grunted when I hit him with the force of my body traveling at warper speed.

“Sage...we....can’t....you...need...to stop...oh, dear god.” His muffled reply and chopped-up words fell onto deaf ears as I tried my best to melt into him and devour him and his scent as best as I could.

My back hit the ground and Aldwin straddled me in some strange turn of events. I was momentarily thrown off my game, but I could remedy that. I jerked forward only to find that my arms were pinned to the ground. I looked up through a haze and into Aldwin’s wild eyes. His scent was all around me—all over me—but it wasn’t enough. I lunged forward again, but I couldn’t break free from his grip.

“Sage!” I shook my head and tried to focus on his words. “Sage...you have to snap out of it. You’re strong. You can do it.” He shook me slightly and his face began to come into better focus and his words didn’t seem like they were coming from as far away as they had before. I blinked rapidly and felt my breathing begin to return to normal. “Better now?” he asked quietly. I nodded. Aldwin lifted himself off me and then helped me up off the ground. With his hands still holding my arms in a tight grip, we stood staring at each other for a few minute before either of us could say anything.

“What just happened?” I asked.

“I accidentally glamored you.” He winced when my mouth popped open.

“You accidentally glamored me?” He nodded, his mouth in a straight line. I pointed a finger and opened my mouth, but Aldwin cut me off.

“In my defense…I was out here alone, which was the only reason I let down my guard down. And, it isn’t usually that bad with most people. It’s just you and I have a connection, and that makes it more intense.” Intense...yeah that about sums up how it had felt when I nearly ripped him apart in my gotta-have-some-of-that-sex-on-a-stick haste. I shook my head....I needed a very cold shower. I glanced up and the look on Aldwin’s face was just too much. I burst out laughing. I laughed until my sides hurt and tears streamed down my face.

“I’m sorry,” I snorted. “I didn’t mean to molest you this morning.” I wiped a tear away and Aldwin’s eyes pierced me with a scathing glare.

“Yes, well, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again, Sage.” His voice thickened as he walked towards the back door. “I won’t have the strength to stop a third time,” he murmured as he stomped into the house.

I gazed up into the late afternoon sky and inhaled the lingering scent that was Aldwin and whispered, “Me neither.” I closed my eyes and soaked up the last few rays of sunlight from the late afternoon sun before making my way back into the house to try and wash away Aldwin’s scent from my body and from my mind.

I was sitting in the living room finishing off a sandwich when I heard cars coming up the driveway. The door swung open and everyone began pouring into the spacious hideaway. Trina skipped over to hug me with Matt not too far behind her, looking uncomfortable and out of place among so many preternaturals. Next came Milena, looking picture-perfect as usual and striding around like she owned the place. I rolled my eyes. Finally Soren came in, his gaze touching mine as soon as he walked through the door. I walked over to him, and he welcomed me into his reassuring embrace like he always had. My mind whispered that he always would.

“Did you find what you needed to know?” he whispered into my hair. I knew he was asking about more than just the book, but I answered his question as if I were oblivious.

“Yes, we found out a lot from the book. Let’s talk to everyone.” I smiled at him and his eyes searched mine before letting me pull out of his embrace. I held onto his hand as we walked forward to join the group in the living room.

Aldwin spoke to everyone about what we had learned so far. There was something big going to happen very soon. We had to make sure we rescued Colleen before it did, and then we would all worry about the third warper in the prophecy once this first mission succeeded. Aldwin nodded in my direction, his eyes not quite connecting with mine. I didn’t blame him after what had happened outside earlier. Milena narrowed her eyes at both of us.

“So, all of us agree, we need to find the vampire named Absalom and see where he is keeping Colleen.” I spoke quickly, ready to get going.

“But how do we know Absalom has Colleen? And even if he does, how do we know he’s in this area and not halfway around the world?” Trina asked. I clenched my jaw as everyone looked at me waiting for answers. Fortunately, Soren spoke up.

“We aren’t a hundred percent positive, he has her. But, it is the most likely scenario. Absalom has made it his mission over the last hundred years to hate and torment Sage because she messed up the plans he had made back in 1904.” He paused and glanced over at me with questioning eyes. I nodded once.

“And he killed her parents,” he said softly as he squeezed my hand.

“How are you sure he killed her parents?” Milena asked. I was a bit surprised she didn’t ask it in a sneer. Just a question as if she cared.

“We warped back to the time of her parents’ deaths the other day.” He shrugged when everyone gasped. “He also put on quite a show with over a hundred vampires out in the park. They didn’t attack, but they could have, and that was the point he was trying to make.” Soren’s brows knit together in thought.

“You warped someone with you?” Trina nearly shouted. “I’ve never heard of a warper being able to that before. That has to be some sort of special power or something, right?” Her eyes were shining as she looked at me like she wanted to study me under a microscope. I fidgeted.

“Absalom doesn’t have that kind of power.” The comment came, surprisingly, from Milena. She ran a finger over her lips, a thoughtful gesture, but of course it looked sensual when she was the one doing it. “He has to be working for someone. There’s no way that many vampires would follow his lead. He’s too weak,” she said. I raised a brow. How did Milena know so much about vampire business? Eerily, she seemed to be able to read my thoughts as well.

“What?” she asked with a shrug. “I make it my business to know what goes on around me. I have contacts,” she said with a purr. This time Trina rolled her eyes. “And I happen to know where Absalom and his little gang frequent,” she said, a smug smile playing on her lips. Well, well. Maybe Milena wasn’t going to be as useless as I’d originally thought.

I crossed my arms over my chest. No way in hell I was going to go on a mission to find Absalom with Milena of all people. I’d rather have gone alone. Soren argued that it was a good idea since not only did Milena know the area that Absalom frequented, but she also had the power of glamor on her side. She would be an asset to Soren and me as we set out to find the little worm. I clenched my jaw and nodded my agreement....I might see his point, but I still didn’t have to like it.

“Come on. I have a little surprise for you,” Soren whispered into my ear. I hid my surprise and let him lead me by the hand to the back of the house. We entered the kitchen and Soren kept walking towards the pantry. He opened the door and clicked on a light. I looked around, wondering what in the world we were doing in the cupboard with the dry goods. Soren pulled me further back into the pantry and shut the door behind us. He flicked another light switch and the entire back wall of the pantry swung out, revealing stairs that led down into some sort of basement. I swallowed. This was the part of the movie where the stupid teenage girl was supposed to run the other way, but since I was clinging to the hand of a vampire, I was pretty sure the normal horror flick rules didn’t apply to me.

When we made it to the bottom of the stairs, I could only stand there and gape at the display in front of me. Every weapon imaginable was just waiting there to be picked up and adopted into a good, loving family. I let out a squeal and rushed forward to check out all the goodies. Soren chuckled behind me. I swung around with an accusing glare.

“What’s so funny?” I asked

“I wish I had known back in 1904 that the best way to your heart was with armored cars and your choice of weapons...would have saved myself a lot of grief.” His smile tapered off into a grimace. I swung around to hide my frown. I hadn’t even realized he’d felt like that about me back then. I’d been obliviously in love with Aldwin then.

“So what do you think of these?” I turned around swinging two gorgeous eighteen inch twin blades. They felt good in my hand as I swung them simultaneously around my body. They felt really good. Soren stepped up to me once I’d stopped playing around and picked up a holster made from supple black leather. He walked over to me and fingered the black snaps on my blouse.

“Take off your shirt,” he whispered into my ear. I shivered in response and unbuttoned the shirt as commanded. His eyes followed my every move as I unsnapped each button and shrugged out of the top. I had a soft, stretchy red undershirt on with my faded denim jeans. Soren’s arms circled around me, and he pulled the straps onto my arms and buttoned it closed just below my breasts. I glanced up quickly into Soren’s compelling gaze, my eyes wide in question. The holster wasn’t adjustable...it had been made in my exact size. His grin told me how much he enjoyed shocking me speechless. I smiled and softly kissed the corner of his mouth. His nostrils flared and his eyes dilated slightly.

“No time for that, warper,” he grinned as he slid each of the short swords into the holster on my back. He tugged on my hair and then pushed it behind my ear. “I like your haircut, by the way. It’s sexy.” I was grinning from ear to ear when we surfaced a few moments later. Not even the sight of Milena waiting for us with an impatient tap of her high heel was able to wipe the smile off my face.

Aldwin was staying behind to work on translating more of the book while Soren, Milena, and I tracked down Absalom, the gimpy-eared vampire. I glanced over at Milena. She was filing her nails, leaning against the SUV. She was wearing skin tight black slacks, a loose, white silk blouse, and shiny, four-inch red stilettos. She saw me looking at her, paused her filing, and raised her brows to an impressive height. “What, warper?”

I shrugged. “Don’t you want a weapon or two on you? This could get messy.” She snorted and continued with her filing. Nice. Oh well, her funeral.

Soren drove us across the city in the Kombat. The silence only lasted a while before Milena decided to break it with her annoying observances along the way. She didn’t like the music, it was too stuffy in the back, blah blah blah blah blah. The only thing I could do was grit my teeth and try not to throttle her.

An hour later, we pulled up to what appeared to be an abandoned subway. “This is it,” Milena said as she threw open the car door. I glanced around, but didn’t see any signs that anyone ever frequented this area, except maybe rats. Soren and I joined the fae in front of the SUV. I gave her a skeptical look, and she rolled her eyes. “You are so distrustful,” she snapped. I shrugged in response. I didn’t trust easily, but that wasn’t entirely my fault. Having someone I trust shove a dagger into my chest would do that to a person.

We followed Milena down a flight of cement stairs and into an old underground subway station. I felt a very light shiver race down my back as we made it to the ground level.

“We just walked through the equivalent of a supernatural security system. Everyone will know we are here now,” Soren hissed. I grinned and was surprised to see Milena smiling as well. Maybe I wasn’t the only one looking forward to a good fight.

At first I wondered if anyone was even down in the crap hole we’d entered. After a few minutes of walking along the subway tracks, we’d not seen or heard anything besides the scurry of rodents in the shadows. I’d just begun to relax a little when Soren hissed out a warning. The next second, we were surrounded by at least two dozen baby vampires. My swords came free from my holsters easily as the first wave of vampires descended upon us. I backed up and allowed Soren to take up my rear.

“Milena, stay close to me!” I shouted. Her laughter sent a shiver up my spine. The first two that had made it to me were no match for my twin swords of fury. I glanced behind me to see where Milena was and what I found left me standing there, my jaw dropped open in astonishment as two more vampires moved in on me. I spun to my left just in time to miss having a chunk torn out of my body by a particularly aggressive baby vampire. His aggressiveness was too erratic though, his hunger making him predictable and sloppy. His head joined the other three on the ground at my feet without too much effort.

My powers shimmied through my body as I fought. I was still faster. I was still stronger, but something wasn’t quite right. Something was off. I searched for Soren in the surrounding chaos and found him easily dispatching baby vampire after baby vampire. My eyes sought out Milena, and I spotted her just as she shoved her inhumanly elongated nails right into the chest of a vampire and pulled out his heart. She swung around a second later and put her four inch spiked heel right through the throat of another vampire. Her nails had lengthened into lethal six inch built-in weapons. She was like a femme fatale cross between Edward Scissor Hands and the Wolverine. I should have been disgusted, but instead I felt a little jealous. She kicked ass and looked amazing doing it.

When I had taken down two more vampires, I blinked, realizing that we had taken out nearly all of those that had charged us. The only ones that were left alive had begun to run away, seeing that their odds weren’t as good as they’d originally thought. I frowned, wondering where Absalom was hiding. I hadn’t spotted him in the mess. Clapping came from out of the shadows behind me. My back stiffened and the hairs on my neck prickled to attention. Absalom. I swung around with Soren and Milena flanking me.

“That was impressive, little warper,” the vampire drawled out. “But I’ve seen better.”

“Why don’t you come out here and let me show you something impressive, Abe,” I taunted.

“Ah, you found who I am. I feel so special.” He laughed again and the sound set my teeth on edge. “How long did it take you to figure out you were going to need the other warper, little orphan?”

He was on the ground beneath me with the point of my sword at his neck before anyone had time to register the movement. Soren grabbed my arm, trying to warn me that we needed him to give us some information. I blinked and wondered why the vampire hadn’t even tried to defend himself against my attack. He was still quicker and stronger than I was. He gazed up at me, not moving a muscle.

“Tell me what’s wrong with my powers,” I spat. “I know something is off. I can’t freeze time, just manipulate it right now. The only other time this happened was when Soren and I were ambushed not far from the club.” The vampire remained quiet for a second longer than I thought necessary, so I leaned onto my sword, drawing blood.

“My necklace!” The vampire screeched. I nodded to Soren and he crouched down to yank the necklace from Abe’s neck. At the end of a long golden chain hung a small clear glass vile filled with a red liquid. I swallowed and narrowed my eyes at the vampire beneath me.

“What’s in the vile, Abe?” I asked through gritted teeth. His smile was no surprise, but his answer almost knocked the breath from my lungs.

“The blood of your little warper friend, of course.” He smiled like he’d revealed the most welcoming tidbit of news. I slammed the handle of my sword into his face and smiled when blood spurted from his nose. “Don’t worry, she’s still alive.” He spat blood out of his mouth and moved his jaw back and forth, testing to see if I’d broken that along with his nose. “She wouldn’t be useful to the cause if she were dead.”

“Why would her blood affect my warping powers?” I yanked his head back with a handful of hair.

“It only does a little,” the vampire answered. “But...if she were here, you’d not be able to use them at all. She’s been cursed, and as long as she remains so, every time you are within two hundred feet of her, your powers will become nullified.” My head spun with what Absalom said. If that were true, I wouldn’t be able to warp at all when I went to save her and anyone near her would be safe from my abilities. That could prove to be very tricky. I light flickered in the back of my mind, and I remembered the figure in the black robe at the old Court House when Soren and I were surrounded by baby vamps and my powers didn’t work at all. Colleen was the “weapon” the vampire had spoken of. She had been right there in the room with us, and I hadn’t even known it.

“Why are you telling me all this?” I yanked his head back again and leaned into him as I whispered into his ear. “I will kill you, just like you killed my parents. It’s just a matter of how and when. But I’ll allow you to continue your pathetic existence just a little bit longer if you answer me.” When I straightened up I thought for a half second I saw a flicker of regret in his copper eyes, but I nipped that thinking in the bud as soon as it entered my mind.

“I want to help get her out,” he ground out. I reared back like I’d been punched. There was no way. He had to have an agenda. “I’ll cooperate fully, show you where they are keeping her, everything. Just let me go with you when you get her out. I have some unfinished business to take care of...then, you can kill me, warper.” His eyes were pleading and for a second I thought he was sincere. I glanced up at Soren and gave him a questioning look. Whatever his game was, we knew he couldn’t be trusted. We could use him until he wasn’t useful any longer though.

“All right, but so help me, if you try anything...”

“I won’t. I swear,” he said quickly. I cracked my neck and briefly wondered if I was making a huge mistake. I sheathed my sword and nodded my head. “Well, then,” he smiled up at me, blood staining his teeth, “unless you just happen to like this position...” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. I jumped off him just as Soren’s boot connected with his face.

“So...what’s with the crazy, deadly nails, Milena?” I asked as we made our way back across the city to the safe house as I’d dubbed it. She snorted from the back seat.

“I may be gorgeous, but I am dark fae, and I can hold my own against a horde of baby vampires,” she said dismissively. I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn’t see me. Okay, so much for small talk. The rest of the ride was silent as death with Soren deep in thought as he drove, Milena trying to clean the blood out from under her nails, and Absalom staring sulkily out the window into the night. I scooted back in my seat and closed my eyes. We pulled into the driveway forty-five minutes later.

After we got inside and updated the house on the night’s activities, we all pretty much sunk away to clean the blood and grim off ourselves. Aldwin and Soren kept an eye on Absalom as Milena and I took our turn in the two showers the house had. I didn’t trust Absalom for one second, and from the looks on Aldwin and Soren’s faces, neither did they. I came back out to take my turn guarding Absalom with Aldwin as Soren went to take his turn getting clean.

“So, your powers don’t work when you get close to this other warper?” Aldwin rubbed his hand over the stubble on his jaw.

“Seems that way,” I answered distractedly.

“And you think it is a good idea for you to be in on the rescue mission tomorrow even though you won’t be able to use your warper powers once you get close to the girl?” he asked incredulously. Absalom chuckled softly under his breath from across the room. I shot him a scathing glare and his laugh quickly turned into a slight cough. I turned the same glare back to Aldwin. His jaw was set and his eyes bore into mine like he could change my mind if he just stared hard enough and looked intimidating enough.

“Obviously, you haven’t learned much about women over the last hundred years, fae,” I ,.bit out. A low whistle sounded from the corner, but I didn’t pay our little audience any mind. “If you think you can waltz back into my life and expect me to just sit back and watch the “boys” handle things while I sit around with my thumbs up my ass, well, you got another think coming.” I’d already poked him in the chest once before I could stop myself. Aldwin’s nose flared dangerously and memories came flooding back in a rush. I stumbled back ever so slightly, stunned by the onslaught.

Soren was by my side a second later with his hair still dripping wet, glaring at Aldwin. “Everything okay in here?” he asked. I nodded mutely as Aldwin glared at Soren and then stomped from the room, his eyes promising me he wasn’t done with the conversation.

“I’m all right. I’m just exhausted,” I sighed as Soren pulled me into his arms. “Can we just go to bed?” I asked.

“That we absolutely can do,” he murmured.

“What about him?” I glanced over at our unwelcome house guest.

“Oh, I have a feeling we won’t have any problems with him tonight.” Soren smiled and Absalom frowned. Soren had Trina spell a bedroom just for our little problem before she and Matt left. Once Absalom crossed the threshold, he wouldn’t be able to leave again until the spell was broken and only Soren knew how the spell could be undone. After we dropped Absalom off into his cozy little cursed room, I followed Soren into the master bedroom.

Sleep was just a mocking figment of my imagination that night. I tossed and turned, only to find my body was still too wound up and my mind too busy to get any real rest. I was sitting at the breakfast nook, looking out into the dark, eerily quiet night, drinking a cup of coffee when I felt more than heard someone enter the kitchen.

“Figures I’d find you of all people up at this hour,” Milena snapped. She helped herself to a cup of coffee, and I took the time to study her profile. She was beautiful even with her hair a little disheveled and with absolutely no make-up on. Her red cami complemented her skin tone perfectly. I noted the cute little smiling cherries on her black silk pajamas and blinked in surprise. Whodathunk?

“What?” she snapped, catching me staring at her with a grin on my face.

“Nothing.” I shrugged, but I couldn’t help grinning a bit wider.

“Whatever. Why are you up? Soren couldn’t wear you out enough to sleep?” She smirked when my mouth popped open. I narrowed my eyes.

“I could ask you the same thing, but I already know firsthand about that, now don’t I?” I waited for her to launch herself across the table at me and try to tear my heart out with her dark fae mojo nails. Instead, she threw her head back and laughed. I blinked in confusion.

“Good one, warper. I’d begun to think your spirit had been broken.” She smiled. I gazed back out the window and took another sip of my cooling hazelnut-flavored coffee.

“So what’s going on with you and Aldwin? You didn’t trust him enough to just let me know he was still alive?” I held my breath, knowing she’d blow me off or maybe even hurl a few more insults, but when she didn’t answer right away, I glanced over and found her staring down at her own cup of coffee with a frown creasing her forehead.

“Let’s just say you don’t know Aldwin as well as you thought you did. He has his reasons.” Her jaw hardened, and her eyes met mine. “Did he ever tell you what happened to his eye? How he got the scar on his face?” I looked quickly away from her stare and frowned. “Didn’t think so,” she murmured.

“We didn’t exactly have time on our side,” I snapped a little too loudly.

“He was of the light court fae...did you know that?” She asked sharply, and I just scowled. I really didn’t know anything about Aldwin. I wasn’t kidding when I said time had been against us. “Not playing well with others, not looking the other way when the weak are preyed upon, and not knowing when you’re an underdog are some of Aldwin’s greatest attributes, but those attributes can get you killed in the fae court.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Fortunately for Aldwin, it only cost him half his eyesight and his place in the light court.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. Milena sighed and pursed her lips in thought, clearly trying to decide how much she should tell me. I waited, hoping that if I kept my smart aleck comments in check, she’d tell me what I wanted to know.

“Aldwin helped someone he thought was being mistreated, someone who belonged to a fae king.” Her eyes glazed over a bit, and she sat so still, off in her own thoughts and memories, that I finally caught a glimpse of how old she might really have been. Her eyes gave her away. They were the color and depth of the deepest blue ocean, and when she was far off in thought, you could almost catch a swirling glimpse of the world she was from. She abruptly shook her head.

“Anyway, the kings are, of course, some of the most powerful. Aldwin is very very strong, but he was no match against a king. The king not only scarred Aldwin with a special dagger, crafted to kill fae, but he also stripped him of his titles and banished him to the Realm of the Dark Fae.” She met my eyes, and I could see how much pain and shame Aldwin must have gone through. Not only to be shamed in such a way by such a vain and beautiful race, but then to be banished to the dark courts. I frowned down into my already cooled cup of coffee.

“So what happened to the fae he was trying to help?” I asked softly.

“The king killed her in front of Aldwin after he had been maimed and banished.” I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry and my heart heavy with all that Aldwin had suffered at the hands of the supposed light fae.

“What does that story have to do with what’s between you and him? What does it have to do with him not letting me know he was alive, so I didn’t have to mourn him any longer?” I asked. Milena smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She looked...lonely.

“It tells you just what you need to know right now. Aldwin goes out of his way to protect the people he cares about, even if it hurts him in the process.” I opened my mouth to ask her to elaborate so I wouldn’t have to pull out my hair, but she stood abruptly and held up a hand. “Sorry, warper, but if you want to know anything else, you’ll have to convince Aldwin to tell you. I can’t.” She walked over to the sink and rinsed her cup before leaving me alone in the kitchen more confused than ever.

I curled up next to Soren an hour later and fell into a fitful sleep with dreams of Aldwin and creatures of the dark and light fae courts dancing in my head.

I woke up to the sound of laughter drifting in from the kitchen and to an empty bed. The clock on the side table showed that I’d slept until past early afternoon. When I stepped into the kitchen to find myself some caffeine, I had to rub my eyes several times to try and figure out if the scene in front of me was real or imaginary. Matt, Trina, and a too-cheery Milena were sitting at the kitchen table playing a rousing game of Uno. Evidently, Milena was winning, much to her own amusement. I would have sworn her ego couldn’t have inflated any more, but I hadn’t counted on what the effects of winning such a strategic game could do to a girl.

“Hey, Sage. ’Bout time you got up!” Trina chimed from the group. I grunted a reply and busied myself with finding a soda pop.

“Where’s everyone else?” I asked after a proper amount of sugar had been consumed to help me face the day. I stopped wiping down the counter when silence met my question. I looked up and found three people all trying not to look at me. Even Milena looked uncomfortable. “Well?” I asked.

“They went to scope out the area where Absalom said the other warper, Colleen, was being held,” Matt said quickly. I stared at him until his gaze darted away from mine.

“They decided to go and ‘scope’ out the place while I was asleep...with Absalom?” I asked quietly. Matt nodded. “Right.” I murmured. I spun on my heel and left the room before I did anything stupid in front of everyone. I’m pretty sure stomping my feet and throwing the world’s most epic temper tantrum wouldn’t have gained me any cool points from anyone in the room. But, most of all, I didn’t want anyone to see how hurt and disappointed I was. Hurt was nothing new to me, but I’d come to expect more from Soren. She’d always respected my wishes, and I never would have thought he’d have gone along with leaving me behind like that. I didn’t know what to expect from Aldwin anymore. He wasn’t the same man I’d fallen in love with back in 1904...but, then again, I wasn’t the same girl he’d known then either.

When I was dressed, I strapped my new twin blades to my back, attached my sgian dubh to my thigh, and head outside to do some practicing until the scouting party made it back. I fell into a steady rhythm of lunges, swings, and sword maneuvers, allowing my arms to become one with the blades, letting my feet move quicker and quicker with the aid of my warper powers, until the landscape surrounding me blurred into a watercolor of rich greens from the forest and oranges and purples from the sun setting in the western sky.

I worked the blades until a fine sheen of perspiration dotted my forehead and sweat soaked into the front of my Lucky Charms tee shirt. A noise nearby snapped me out of my trance, and I swung my blades in a defensive arc, stopping in just enough time to realize Aldwin, trying to get my attention, had come up behind me while I was zoned out. The tip of my blade rested in the hollow of his neck, and I stood there staring at him, my chest heaving from the exertion and my arm trembling from fatigue.

“I told him not to,” Soren remarked from the back door. I glanced over and saw everyone standing outside, some with wide eyes, and some with smirks. I had no idea how long they’d all been standing there. Aldwin cleared his throat.

“If you don’t mind?” He raised a questioning brow and I quickly removed my sword from his throat.

“You shouldn’t have interrupted me like that. I could have killed you, Aldwin,” I remarked as I sheathed my swords and removed them from my back.

“I was willing to bet you’d stop in time,” he murmured. His eyes settled on the sgian dubh strapped to my right thigh, and then his gaze searched mine, but I wasn’t sure what he meant to find there.

“When I warped back, it came with me.” I shrugged in answer. Sometimes I warped through my dreams. The dagger had been given to me in one such dream, and when I’d woken up back in my own time, I had only my scars and the sgian dubh to show for my travels. I didn’t mention how the dagger had become one of my most precious possessions or how sometimes just having it in the palm of my hand would calm me like nothing else could. Sometimes things are better left unsaid.

“Can I talk to you in private?” Aldwin’s voice was serious, and I was instantly on edge. I glanced over at Soren, who could, I knew, hear us as we spoke even though he was across the yard and surrounded by a group of people talking loudly to one another. His mouth was planted in a firm line. His eyes caught mine, and I could see how much he wanted to tell Aldwin “No way in hell,” but he knew, just like I did, that I’d have to figure out this mess on my own. Pushing me in any one direction would be disastrous on too many levels. He had to trust me. I just hoped his trust wasn’t misplaced. I headed into the house with Aldwin following close behind.

We ended up down in the basement so Aldwin could pick out a few weapons for our planned activities later that night. I immediately put space between us and began cleaning off my blades while Aldwin started perusing the walls lined with all manner of weapons.

“So, what did you need to talk about?” I asked, not taking my eyes off my task.

“First, I wanted to tell you that I translated an entire chapter of the book last night while you were tracking down Absalom. The chapter concluded that in order for the evil to be overcome in the end, a chosen warper would become the most powerful of the three, joining powers somehow and becoming a hybrid warper of sorts.”

“How did it say their powers would join? Just by working together or something?” I asked, my mind working through all kinds of different scenarios.

“I don’t think so. The passage made it sound more like some sort of sacrifice had to be made and the three would become one,” he said.

“Okay. Well, that’s pretty vague and disturbing.” It seemed like most prophecies were vague and full of hidden meanings. I wasn’t even sure where this third warper would come from, so I figured the prophecy becoming fulfilled would wait a little longer while we rescued warper number two. “What was the second thing you needed to talk about?” I asked after a moment.

“Milena told me she had a little chat with you last night while everyone else was sleeping,” he said. I shrugged. Yeah, so what? “She said she told you about how I got my scar…how I became blinded and shunned by the light fae.” His jaw hardened. His eyes focused on me as he spoke.

“It’s something you should have told me a long time ago.” I sighed. I had nothing against Aldwin…nothing really even against Milena. I knew deep down my problem was with Aldwin and Milena together and that shouldn’t have been since I was with Soren. “I just want you to be happy, Aldwin, and if Milena makes you happy, then, I’m glad you two are together.” I breathed in deeply, allowing his scent to tease my senses, and praying the words I’d uttered were a hundred percent true.

“I don’t want you to be happy for me, Sage.” His voice was rougher and closer than when he’d spoken before. I kept my eyes on my hands as they continued on their relentless cleaning. “I want you to need me like you did before. I want you burning up on the inside from desire. I want you to kiss me like you did that day on the beach, without a care, without reservation, and without anyone else claiming any of your affections. I want you to burn like I do.” His words shot through all my defenses and began crumbling even the most well-built walls I’d erected around my heart.

“How can you say that to me when you have Milena on your arm? How can you want me to feel the way I did before when Soren has been by my side and you haven’t?” I accused, my task immediately forgotten. He grasped my arm and pulled me to my feet in front of him.

“I can ask that of you because I have only ever loved you. No one before you came close and no one ever will, Sage. Ta mo chroi istigh ionat,” he answered fiercely, quoting the engraving on the dagger he’d given to me over a hundred years ago. Ta mo chroi istigh ionat...my heart is in you. He grasped my right arm in his, and I felt something cold slide onto my arm. My eyes flew wide as I recognized the butterfly cuff bracelet I had lost back in 1904, the one he had given me. He slid a small knife into my palm, and I gasped when I found the smaller, matching dagger of the one strapped to my thigh sitting in my open palm. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to grasp onto the thin sliver of restraint I had left. Aldwin leaned into me and his hand cupped my neck in a possessive gesture. His mouth grazed my earlobe as he spoke softly into my hair.

“I am the same man you loved, the same man you gave yourself to. I have remained faithful to you for over a hundred years, and I have longed to hold you in my arms. I only ask that you give me the benefit of the doubt. There are things I can’t tell you, but you are smart enough to figure out a few things on your own if you want to.” His whisper sent a thrill through my body.

“I don’t understand. Why can’t you just tell me what’s going on, Aldwin?” I whispered.

“All I can tell you is that things aren’t what they seem, and I have made some promises that I have to keep in order to keep someone safe.” He caressed my neck and ran his thumb over the tattoo behind my ear. “You have no idea how much it kills me to see you with Soren. I want to rip his head off every time he touches you.” His voice shook, and I flinched. I’d never heard such menace coming from him, and I had an inkling that I’d never want to see his fury fully unleashed and unrestrained.

“I can’t deal with this right now, Aldwin. We need to focus on freeing Colleen and figuring out what that book means.” I looked up into the face of the man I never thought I’d see again and saw his look of determination and gulped.

“Just know that I don’t plan on giving up on us, Sage. I’m asking you to believe in me...to believe in us. I have only ever loved you, and a love like that never dies. I’ll love you with my dying breath.” He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before stepping away from me. My heart gave a little skip at the loss of his proximity. “After this other warper is rescued, I don’t plan on sitting by while Soren takes you to his bed every night. We belong together, and I plan on making you see that.” He left me standing there with an antique bracelet on my arm, a dagger in my hand, and a feeling of equal parts dread and relief spreading in the pit of my stomach.

When I joined everyone in the living room, they were all huddled around the coffee table, looking at a sketch of the property where Colleen was being held. Trina and Matt were having a heated discussion off to one side of the room, and everyone else looked grim and serious.

“So, what’s up?” I asked.

“Your friends are just realizing what they will be up against when they go after the warper, doll.” Absalom smiled at me from across the coffee table. For a split second I imagined unsheathing my dagger and making his left ear match the one missing half its lobe. A smile slithered across my lips. Absalom’s smile faltered and then the grin vanished from his face completely. If he knew the plans I had for him, he wouldn’t ever even look in my direction, much less, dare to speak to me. Every time I looked at him, I could hear my mother’s final raspy breaths before her neck was broken by the vampire sitting in front of me. I must have made a movement because Absalom flinched and Soren was by my side, holding my arm in a flash. I took a deep, steadying breath before I was able to reign in my fury. Oh yeah, Abe was living on very borrowed time.

“What’s the plan?” I asked the group. Soren was the first to speak up.

“It’s going to be difficult. They are keeping Colleen in a very well-guarded home.”

“The outer perimeter has probably a dozen or more trained vampires and shifters guarding the grounds. There is a tall, brick, privacy fence enclosing the entire building. The house is comprised of two stories and a best guess is that there could be more than a dozen guards on the inside of the building as well,” Aldwin remarked.

“And let’s not forget that they are going to all this trouble to keep anyone from getting to the warper for a reason. Even if you do get through the guards outside and inside, surely there will be something even worse waiting for you,” Absalom added.

“Sounds like they are preparing for something pretty serious,” I said thoughtfully. “So who’s going to be going on our little field trip?” I asked.

“Everyone but Matt,” Trina chimed in immediately. Matt began arguing that he wasn’t going to be left behind like a child. I knew how he felt, but I also knew Matt was one hundred percent human, and thus, a liability. Plus, I couldn’t take it if he were hurt in a preternatural skirmish.

“I agree with Trina on this, Matt,” I said. He shot daggers in my direction, clearly having expected me to take his side on the matter. I held a hand up in defense. “The only reason Trina is even going is that she has her witchy-mojo going for her, and she has to help us with Colleen. I don’t want to risk anyone here, but you’ll be the most vulnerable in the group. We won’t be going in with guns blazing. Hell, guns won’t work on the creatures we’ll be up against. I just can’t take you without worrying about you, and that would make me a liability,” I said gently. “Trina, you can take him back to the club, and we’ll meet him back there after we extract Colleen.” Trina nodded once and took Matt’s hand gently in hers, her eyes begging him to understand. He sighed and even though he wasn’t happy about it, he let Trina lead him from the house to head back to Club Strange.

“Let’s get ready to storm the castle,” I said with a smile. Everyone left to dress, choose weapons, meditate, or whatever they normally did at times like these. I stepped into the master bedroom and laid all my swords out on the bed just as Soren walked in and closed the door behind him. His arm reached around from behind me and he twirled the bracelet I’d already forgotten about on my arm.

“This is the same bracelet you wore when we first met,” he said quietly. I nodded my head, unsure what to say. “Aldwin gave it to you?” I nodded again.

“And the smaller dagger I’d lost before the battle with Elaine in the arena,” I confessed. I didn’t know if I should have felt bad for wanting them. I didn’t know how I felt at all right then, except that I didn’t want to hurt anyone, and I didn’t want anyone fighting over me. I had loved Aldwin once, and I was sure no matter what, a part of me always would love him, but I couldn’t deny that I had fallen hard and fast for Soren when he had showed back up in my life recently. If I was absolutely honest with myself, I would’ve acknowledged that even back when I was falling in love with Aldwin, there had always been something between Soren and me…something a little wild and a lot frightening. I shook my head. It was all just too much to deal with right then, but I knew I’d have to deal with it very soon. “Should I have refused to take them?” I asked as I turned to search Soren’s face.

“No,” he said so softly I barely heard him. “No, they were meant for you, and you should have them. I just can’t bear the thought of losing you a second time.” His hand cupped my face, and I closed my eyes and buried my face into his palm. I didn’t deserve Soren, not even one little bit.

We all met out in front of the house, and I had to do a double take at our group surrounding the two SUVs in the front yard. It seemed that black was the theme for the night, even though each person carried it off in their own style. Soren wore a black V-neck shirt and black cargo pants. Aldwin wore a black tee shirt and dark blue jeans. Milena wore a long, flowing black silk top and leggings. Her nails were painted a very appropriate, blood red. Trina wore a black lace, long-sleeved shirt over her dark gray Bob Marley shirt, paired with black skinny jeans and tennis shoes. I’d chosen my black leather pants and stretchy black cap-sleeved top. The blades Soren had given me were strapped to my back. My sgian dubh was strapped to my right thigh, and its miniature was stashed inside my boot.

“Where’s Absalom?” I asked when I didn’t notice him anywhere.

“He’s gone on ahead,” Soren answered.

“Are you serious?” My voice would have woken the dead. Soren didn’t flinch at my outburst. He’d been expecting it.

“There is something or someone he wants from that house. He won’t betray us—not until after he’s gotten what he’s after,” he said with a frown. “We can worry about that after we get on the inside.” I nodded my head. He was right. Absalom did have something up his sleeve. I was sure he intended to betray us, but I hoped he’d cooperate until we’d accomplished what we were setting out to do.

When we were half a mile away from our destination, Soren pulled the Combat off to the side of the road so we could all continue on foot to keep our presence, hopefully, a surprise. I wondered idly if we were walking into a trap, if Absalom had already betrayed us, knowing that trusting him was our only option if we wanted to get Colleen safely out of captivity. I guess we were all about to find out. For a group of five people, we made almost no noise as we walked briskly through the forest on the outskirts of the property we were headed to. We would be coming up on the south side of the house, and from what Soren and Aldwin had told me, the north side sat almost directly on a beach.

I could smell the ocean and hear waves crashing onto the beach when we finally stopped just inside of the tree line that ran parallel to a large brick wall surrounding the house several yards away. A spotlight flashed in our direction, and we all dropped quickly into a crouch.

“We will all split up and try to take out all the guards surrounding the building. The idea is to do it as quickly as possible without alerting everyone inside,” Soren said quietly. “I’ll take the far west side of the perimeter. Milena, you take the north beach side. Aldwin, you need to stay with Sage and Trina.”

“Why can’t I go with you?” I asked. It came out way more clingy than I had intended.

“I’ll be faster than everyone else and able to do a lot more damage if I’m alone. Aldwin will be able to protect you and Trina if you have problems with your powers once we get closer to the other warper.” I nodded. I guess that made sense.

“What about me?” I swung around, my powers already whipping out to freeze an opponent. Absalom stood there next to a large tree, completely frozen with wide eyes. I snorted. What an idiot to sneak up on our group like that.

“Wow,” Trina breathed out as she walked over to our frozen vampire buddy. She waved a hand in front of his face and poked his cheek. “That is freaky,” she whispered. Soren cleared his throat behind me. I sighed and reluctantly freed Absalom from my hold. He blinked his eyes once before narrowing them at me.

“Did you just...?”

“You shouldn’t have been sneaking around like that!” Milena snapped. I blinked and even Aldwin and Soren looked a little surprised by her answer. “What?” she looked around at everyone staring at her.

“You can take the east side of the property, Absalom, while Aldwin, Sage, and Trina take the south wall.” Soren spoke quickly. This was it. I unsheathed my blades and everyone else followed suit. Milena’s nails elongated, much to Trina’s shock. Aldwin unsheathed a long, thin blade, and Trina began chanting softly under her breath. I brought my gaze up to meet Soren’s. He didn’t have to say a single word. I could understand so much in that single look. Be careful; don’t do anything stupid; I love you. I blinked in surprise…I was such an idiot for not having seen it sooner. He loved me. He always had. I opened my mouth to say something, but just then, Trina grabbed my hand and spoke a few words softly with her eyes closed and my entire body tingled instantly, aware that she had done some witchy-mojo on me.

“What was that?” I asked once her eyes opened.

“Just a little binding spell to hopefully help you hold onto your powers as long a possible,” she explained nonchalantly. I hugged her quickly as a thank you. Her surprise only lasted a second before she returned my hug. I walked over to stand near Aldwin as our group began to split up. I had a second of panic seize me, wondering if we’d all make it out okay, if I was making some huge mistake, but I stashed all of that out of my mind and followed Aldwin to the edge of the woods to give everyone else time to get in their places. No matter what, we had to get to Colleen. I shuddered to think what would come to pass if that part of the prophecy wasn’t fulfilled—the book spoke of three warpers and Colleen was the only one I knew of that was alive in my same time. She was a key part in our future, and I had to protect her come hell or high water.

We stayed as low to the ground as possible and dodged the spotlight passing over us several times before we reached the outer brick wall. The real trick was going to be getting over the wall before someone spotted us and let the whole house know they were under attack.

“So, how are we going to get over this?” Trina whispered as she looked up at the ten foot brick wall. I had actually been wondering the same thing.

“Give me your foot, and I’ll boost each of you over,” Aldwin said.

“Even if you give us a boost, we won’t be able to reach the top.” I flung a hand in the direction of the top of the wall to make my point.

“I didn’t say I’d help you reach the top. I said I’ll boost you over the wall,” Aldwin said through gritted teeth. I looked up at the top of the wall, so far off the ground, and back at Aldwin again, unconvinced. Aldwin muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse. “Just trust me, Sage.” His eyes bore into mine. I nodded once and walked over to stand in front of him. “Just hold onto my shoulders to keep your balance and then put your foot in my hand. When you’re ready, push off, and I’ll launch you over the wall. Landing will be up to you,” he said with a smirk. I smiled as I yanked my smaller dagger out of my boot and held it between my teeth. I placed my hands on each of Aldwin’s shoulders when he crouched down slightly in front of me.

“Be careful. As soon as you land, I’ll send Trina over,” he said quickly. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but his mouth steeled into a hard line as I placed my foot in his grasp. “Ready?” he asked softly. One quick shake of my head and I pushed off just as he made an effortlessly swift movement with his arms, and I was sailing through the air and clearing the top off the wall with room to spare. I landed with a soft thud on my rear end. So much for a graceful landing, I thought. I had managed not to cut my face to ribbons with the dagger I’d clenched between my teeth, though. Score one for home! I was in a crouch in a flash and at the ready for any signs of trouble.

I heard a stifled squee right before Trina came bounding over the wall to land shakily on her feet close by me. Not fair at all. Next came Aldwin, clearing the wall and landing with such grace and ease I wondered briefly if he had some invisible fae wings I didn’t know about. The unbidden picture of Aldwin flying around with glittery sparkles floating behind him was so sudden and ridiculous that I nearly busted out in a very inconvenient bout of hysterical laughter. A muffled shout and then a thud close by wiped all merriment right off of my face.

I changed weapons, pulling my blades free from the holster on my back. I nodded to Aldwin as he brought his sword to the ready just as a shout rang out and hisses and growls sounded from all around us in the dark. So much for a quiet entry.

Trina began chanting just as several vampires launched themselves at our small group. Screeching pierced the night and fighting came from all directions. A full-out battle raged all around us. Aldwin lifted his weapon and a strange blue glow caressed the blade of the samurai sword he held. The energy crackled and popped as he swung the sword in front of him. He was clearly a master swordsman.

“Fae royalty,” a vampire hissed out, his fangs gleaming in the otherworldly glow emanating from Aldwin’s sword. Those were the only words he uttered before Aldwin nearly cleaved the vampire in two. I blinked in astonishment. I had never seen Aldwin battle, and he had completely unleashed his fae abilities. The sight was truly mesmerizing. I was backing up with Trina behind me as our fae bodyguard was battling two more vampires when a growl so deep I could feel its vibrations in the soles of my feet stopped me in my tracks.

“I’m thinking that isn’t a puppy,” Trina whispered. I swung around and came face to face with wolf so large it could’ve crushed someone’s skull with one of its mammoth-sized paws.

“Definitely not a puppy,” I remarked. “Just stay behind me.”

“I’ve got no plans to go anywhere,” she said dryly.

The oversized wolf snorted air through his nostrils and slammed one massive paw on the ground in front of him, his eyes never leaving mine. I’m pretty sure it was the wolf equivalent of “Come get some,” but I stood there frozen to the same spot, with no idea how to attack an animal so large and with so many friggin’ teeth. The wolf snorted as if he had read my thoughts, but he had no such reservations as he launched himself in our direction. I shouted for Trina to get out of the way as I raised my swords and threw my powers at the oversized flea bag. Unfortunately, my powers were already on the fritz and the animal only froze for several seconds, giving me just enough time to dodge his attack, but not from being knocked off my feet by his enormous body.

I crashed into Trina several feet away and sent both of us sprawling to the ground. I jumped just in time to dodge an attack from a vampire holding nothing back. Unlike many of the other vampires I’d battled, this vampire seemed to know what he was doing. He used his speed and dexterity as much as he did the sword in his hand. I found myself out of breath and barely keeping up with the vampire, a side effect of having used my waning powers. Another snarl came from the wolf nearby, and I had a moment of absolute terror course through me when I realized I wouldn’t be able to kill the vampire before the wolf was upon us.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the wolf charge as I deflected yet another blow of my opponent’s sword. With all the energy I had left, I shoved every single ounce of warper juice I could muster into the vampire. He froze immediately—just long enough for me to shove my dagger into his heart. I swung around, ready to be trampled by the oncoming monstrosity of a wolf, when a dark figure landed on its back. I didn’t have time to raise my sword, but it didn’t matter. The wolf collapsed two feet away from me with a knife protruding from the back of its neck. Soren jumped off the prone figure of the wolf just as it began to morph back into its human form.

My legs wobbled slightly when my brain caught up to how close I’d been to becoming wolf chow. I’d just opened my mouth to thank Soren when his eyes glanced behind me and widened. A split second later, I heard a loud feminine battle cry sound from behind me. I jerked around just in time to see the head of the vampire I’d shoved my sword through fly from his shoulders so close to me that I felt spatters of blood pelt my face. I blinked a few times, trying to clear my vision, only to see Trina standing in front of me with her arm still extended and holding one of my twin blades which resulted in the deadly blow she’d just dealt the vampire. I walked over to her and put my hand over her shaking ones and helped her lower the blade. Her eyes never left the body on the ground. I remembered what I’d felt like the first time I’d beheaded a vampire. It wasn’t a good memory.

“Is she going to be okay?” Soren asked from behind me.

“She’ll be fine.” I spoke, my eyes still on Trina. “Trina? You have to put this out of your mind tonight. You can give into what you’re feeling later. Right now we have to get to Colleen.” I shook her slightly. Her eyes were still unfocused so I raised my hand, wondering if a slap would bring her back to her senses.

“You slap me and I’ll put a nasty hex on your girl parts,” she snapped. I smiled and put my hand down. “What’s going on?” she asked as she glanced around us. I turned around, suddenly aware of the stillness of the night. Soren and Aldwin came over, both of them with concerned looks on their faces.

“There weren’t as many guards as we counted earlier today,” Aldwin commented.

“There isn’t any activity in the house that I can sense, either,” Soren added.

“You think Absalom is leading us into a trap?” I asked. I knew it was a possibility the entire time, but it was looking more and more likely that was the case. No matter what, I had to go into the house. I knew Colleen was there. I could feel her presence, and I could feel the curse sapping away my powers.

“Only one way to find out,” Soren said grimly. Trina handed me my blade back and we all stalked up to the large, unguarded house. I was unable to shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Even if we had won the battle outside, the war was far from over.

The door swung open and banged against the wall, echoing in the empty house as we entered—alert and with our weapons drawn. Something slid lightly over my body, like a thin film, as I stepped over the threshold of the doorway. No one said anything, though, so I figured it was some sort of witch-enabled security alarm. Soren and Aldwin fanned out and started going from room to room, searching for any sign of Colleen.

“Where is everyone?” Trina whispered. I was wondering the same thing. A creak came from behind me and I swung around with my blades, just missing Milena by an inch. She narrowed her eyes into thin slits.

“Careful, warper,” she hissed. Absalom was just behind her, his eyes wide in shock and disbelief.

“Where is everyone? What happened here?” he asked as he began walking through the living room.

I’m not sure what drew me towards the back of the house—maybe it was some infinitesimal noise, maybe it was the slightest shift in the air, and maybe it was just pure dumb luck. Whatever it was, I opened a sliding door just as the back door to the sprawling house swung shut. I raced forward to wrench the door open, aware that Trina was still following close by. I saw a vampire pulling a figure covered in a red hooded cape along by her arm. The vampire came upon the outer brick wall, but it was apparent immediately he wasn’t going to let anything slow him down and nothing stand in his way. The vampire struck out with just one arm and the brick wall in front of him crumbled like a wrecking ball had just swung through it. I stood there, momentarily dazed by the brute strength of the vampire before launching myself off of the steps leading up to the back door, afraid I’d lose them if I didn’t move quickly. I heard Trina’s heavy breathing as she sprinted to keep up with me.

“Sage!” Soren’s face was frantic, his eyes wide as he ran himself over and over into an invisible barrier at the doorway of the back door. I stumbled to a halt, wondering what had happened. Trina skidded to a stop next to me and grabbed my arm, pulling me to keep going, to help her find Colleen so she could lift the curse.

“We can’t help them right now. I think the house was warded…once everyone went into the house, it became a prison to anyone not a human,” she said breathlessly.

I remembered the tingling, the film-like substance I’d felt myself walk through. Someone only wanted me. I pulled her to a stop once again, unable to leave them like that. If anything happened to them…

“Don’t worry. I can break the ward, but if we go back now, we’ll lose Colleen…maybe for good,” Trina said quickly. “You need to make a choice right now.” I glanced back and saw Soren still slamming his fist against the barrier and Aldwin’s alarmed face in the window he’d been trying to break with a chair. I swallowed and made the only choice I could in the circumstances.

“Let’s go get Colleen.”

My feet flew over the front lawn, and we stumbled through the gaping hole in the brick wall left by the vampire who had taken Colleen. Trina kept up with me as we ran as if our very lives depended upon it. Colleen’s might very well have. When we ran a few more yards, our feet sank into the white sands of the beach the house was situated close to. Waves crashed onto the beach. The scent of salt water and ocean life on the night’s breeze tickled the hairs around my face as I searched the coastline for any sign of the vampire or Colleen.

“Holy shit,” Trina muttered. I couldn’t have agreed more. I swallowed as the scene before me came into focus. Standing on the beach, with waves washing up around their knees, the vampire held Colleen close to his body. Her hood had been jerked off her head and her long, straight, pale blond hair whipped out all around her in the ocean breeze. She looked like a bewitching siren come from the ocean to seduce unsuspecting mortals to a watery grave. Her gray eyes were wide but not frightened. They were weary and…determined. Directly in front of the vampire and Colleen was Cerberus. Not Cerberus, as in the clandestine society I’d dealt with back in 1904—no, that I could have handled. Instead, I was looking directly into the face of Hell itself, or at least the supposedly mythological guard dogs of Hell. The three-headed dog snarled and gnashed its teeth, causing the hairs on the nape of my neck to stand on end. I fought the intense desire to run from the monstrosity staring at us. It stood higher than any mortal dog. Its body was a sleek mass of black muscle pulled taunt over its enormous skeletal body. Each head was twice the size of a human skull. Drooling lips were drawn back in a permanent snarl, and its ears were slightly pointed and drawn back like it had heard the sound of prey and was warning them away.

“How long will it take you to break the curse, Trina?” I whispered as we slowly approached the three-headed Hell spawn. My powers were completely gone since I was so close to Colleen. No powers, no supernatural back-up, and the pissed off guard dog of Hell. I’d call that up shit creek without a paddle.

“Not too long. How long can you hold that thing off? What about the vampire?” I shook my head. I had no idea how we would do it, but I knew we’d give it our best shot and just pray we wouldn’t die trying. Trina immediately began chanting. Her aura began glowing in pale, golden waves around her, and her eyes rolled back in a trance-like state.

“Thanks for the warning,” I muttered. I was only a yard or two away from Cerberus when the triple-headed monster swung its heads in my direction. A growl erupted from its lips, and it bared razor-sharp teeth in warning. It was there to guard the vampire holding Colleen. I gulped and slowly approached the trio. I was once again out of my element, unsure of what to do except to buy Trina as much time as possible so she could lift the curse on Colleen, and then I’d be able to use my powers. Unfortunately, when dealing with creatures from the pits of Hades, I didn’t know quite what to expect.

I landed at least twenty feet away when the beast whacked me with the side of one of its immense heads. I felt like I’d been plowed over by a bulldozer. I spit out sand and got to my feet only to be greeted by hundreds of sharp, snapping teeth only inches from my face. Out of pure instinct I swung one of my blades, catching one of Cerberus’s heads off guard, but I only managed to daze it momentarily. I took full advantage and started running as fast as I could towards the vampire still holding the other time warper in a death grip. He didn’t look the least bit worried, and I can’t say that I blame him. I could almost feel the vibrations from the aura surrounding Trina as she chanted louder and more frantically, the wind kicking sand up all around her a she concentrated on breaking the spell that had been placed on Colleen.

I was within ten feet of the vampire when I was ripped off my feet and flung sideways into the shallow ocean water, searing pain shot through my right shoulder.  I jumped up quickly, my body already feeling beaten and battered. Cerberus was heading straight for me a third time, six yellow eyes gleaming in the moonlight, with my death promised in them. I braced myself and leaped into a defensive pose, both hands gripping my blades, ready to go down fighting. A mini sonic boom emanating from the handler witch knocked me off of my feet, and I landed with a splash into the frigid ocean water once again. The salty water soaked into the fresh wound on my right shoulder and dark spots dotted my vision.

I stumbled to my feet just as my powers flowed back into my body in a rush of welcomed euphoria, but the three-headed dog hadn’t been thrown off his path. He was on top of me before I had time to take advantage of my flood of powers. Somewhere nearby, I felt a slight shift in the atmosphere, a warmth that hadn’t been there half a second before. Another power rubbed itself against mine as I went down with Cerberus intent on tearing me limb from limb.

The scent of burnt flesh assaulted my nostrils as the monster fell on me. I concentrated on the center head since it was the one with the most direct access to my jugular. I directed an upper thrust of my sword, backed by all the power I could muster. My sword sliced up through the jaw and out of the top of Cerberus’s snout. The creature’s howl of pain nearly burst my eardrums at such a close proximity. As the large animal stumbled off me, all three heads writhing back and forth in pain, I thrust my remaining twin blade directly into the center of its chest. A giant paw crashed into me as the beast went down in a mass of quivering black muscle and deafening screams.

I pulled myself to my knees and sat there in wide-eyed awe as the body writhed in agony and then began to shrink in on itself. I didn’t kill Hell’s watch dogs—as far as I knew they were immortal—but I seemed to have hurt it enough to send it back to its master. After only a moment, the only thing that was left of Cerberus was the stinging wound on my shoulder, the broken rib I was sure I had, and the bruises that littered my body. I grabbed my sword off the ground and heaved myself to my feet. Shouts came from the house a second before Soren nearly knocked me off my feet with the force of his speed. He hugged me tightly to his chest before I squeaked in protest and pain.

“God, Sage! I thought you were dead,” he whispered into my hair. “When I saw that beast leap onto you...” He choked off abruptly. I closed my eyes for a second, letting him reassure himself that I was in one piece. Mostly.

“I’m okay,” I said quietly. “I just need to see how Colleen is. What happened with the other vampire?” I asked as I began to walk to the others across the beach.

“Something none of us saw coming. But you need to come quickly. It’s Colleen.” His eyes met mine, and I didn’t like what I found there. I grabbed his hand and warped to the spot on the beach where everyone was huddled in a circle around a figure on the ground.

“What’s going on?” I asked quickly. Everyone parted, allowing me to make my way over to Trina, who was crying softly next to the prone body of Colleen in the sand. It was then that I noticed someone I hadn’t seen before. A young girl of maybe thirteen or fourteen, with wild red curls whipping in the wind and freckles splattered across the bridge of her nose, had her knee on the chest and a wicked sharp dagger at the throat of the vampire who’d held Colleen. I’d have to worry about our newcomer later. For now, Colleen was my top priority. I knelt next to her in the wet sand, and she immediately reached out her hand to me. Absalom was hovering close by, his body rigid with barely-restrained rage.

“I didn’t know,” Trina sniffled.

“Didn’t know what?” I asked.

“She didn’t know that when she lifted the curse from me, that I would die.” Colleen’s voice was just a whisper on the wind. Her accent reminded me of the understated beauty of Ireland. I glanced up into Trina’s face and saw the truth there plain as day. Colleen was dying because we’d lifted the curse from her.

“There has to be something we can do,” I said fiercely, with my jaw clenched. Surely, this wasn’t part of the big “prophecy.” Surely, this couldn’t happen if we needed three warpers to fulfill our destiny. No, there had to be something we could do. Pale gray eyes met mine, and they were tired—tired of fighting, tired of being used, and tired of being strong. I felt an instant connection with the blond-haired warper.

“There isn’t anything. This is the way it was always going to play out. This is the way it was meant to be,” she sighed. I wanted to shake her and tell her not to give up. We could have figured it out together. She blinked once, and her eyes slid closed for a moment. My heart gave a lurch, unprepared to lose someone I’d just rescued, someone who had so much life ahead of her. “I need you to promise me something. I know you don’t owe me anything, but I need you to do this one thing,” she asked, her eyes wide and pleading.

“Anything.”

“Give Absalom a chance,” she said so softly I thought I’d misunderstood. Her eyes searched mine, frantic for me to give my word.

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” I said a little too harshly.

“I do know what I am asking,” she said, her eyes never leaving mine.

“If you know, then you would know why I can’t make that promise.”

“Can’t or won’t?” she asked.

“Won’t.”

“People change. At least promise me that you will remember that.” I nodded. I could promise that, but there was no way Absalom could’ve changed enough to live after all that he’d taken away from me. She looked undecided for a moment before a weary sigh escaped her. “Then come clasp arms with me, sister warper,” she challenged softly. I clasped my right arm with her left one, hand to forearm. She locked her cold hand around the inside of my forearm and time…stood still.

Memories crashed into me, but they were not my own—memories of playing outside with the soft green grass tickling my feet and memories of a beautiful wrinkled old woman baking bread in an old-fashioned oven and pushing me on a homemade swing hanging from a huge tree in the backyard. Gran, I thought wistfully. I remembered love and happiness and then the night I had a dream and woke up with the mark of Amerach on my left shoulder. Gran had told me fantastic tales of special young women who were chosen like I was and who were destined to great things.

Then the memories I didn’t want to see began to flood into my consciousness—memories of being taken from an orchard near my beloved home and memories of monsters taking me far away and making me freeze time for them so they could do horrible things. I was so young back then. I’d been told if I didn’t do what I was told, they would go back and kill my Gran. I did whatever they wanted. I cried myself to sleep every night until eventually I didn’t have any tears left to shed. Years passed, and the only bright spot in all those years was the companionship of one vampire. He’d sneak me colorful, wild flowers. Occasionally, he’d slip a new book under my door, and every once in a while, he’d talk the person who held me captive for so long into letting me outside to enjoy the evening air, to smell the ocean so close by. He didn’t know how often I’d wished to be able to get free long enough to plunge myself into that same ocean. The face of the vampire who’d been so kind to her flashed in my mind. I saw the look of tenderness and pity he’d gazed upon her with. Absalom.

Colleen’s memories separated themselves from mine after I could no longer take the loneliness and despair she’d felt. A tingling had begun in my arm along with the memories. Soon the tingling had turned into an uncomfortable searing that was already reaching my shoulder. My eyes snapped open and I stared directly into Colleen’s. Her eyes were bright and unblinking. I heard her voice in my head as she spoke in the same long forgotten language I’d heard once before, the language my handler witch had spoken the night I’d gotten my powers, the language the ancient book was written in.

What once was mine, I share with thee.

My powers, my strength times three.

I give this freely, may it suffice.

Completely given, a willing sacrifice.

With the final word spoken, a fresh wave of power poured into me, filling up all the empty spots I never realized I’d possessed as Colleen exhaled a final, exhausted breath. Her eyes fluttered closed, and a pleased smile graced her lips. I flinched when a sharp flicker of pain scorched the spot just under my warper tattoo. My head spun with all that I’d lost and all that I’d gained in a matter of moments. I hadn’t even known Colleen, but I felt her loss like the sharp jab of a knife between my ribs, where breathing became difficult. We were alike in so many ways, and different in many others. Bonded by our calling as warpers and bonded by our losses, both called by the Druid Priestess Amerach. I could feel a small whisper of her inside me—her strength, her memories, her hope, and her dreams all swirling in the back of my consciousness like an old friend I’d been out of touch with. But I also felt something else. I felt her powers stirring next to mine, just waiting for me to call upon them as my own. I had no idea what Colleen had been capable of, but whatever it was, it was now mine to control, to harness, and to develop. The enormity of it all overwhelmed me.

I sat back and eased my arm out of Colleen’s grasp, aware of a scream of pure anguish and heartbreak piercing the night next to me. Absalom’s cry echoed up and down the beach, stunning everyone. I stood up slowly with Soren’s help and allowed Absalom to take the fallen warper gently into his arms. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply, taking in her scent, his eyes wild in his grief. He stopped in front of me and searched my eyes, pleading for me to understand, and against my own inclination to hate him, I only felt pity in that very moment. I nodded one time, and he began to walk slowly away from the beach with Colleen held tenderly in his arms. We would give her a proper burial once we left.

“What about the girl?” Milena asked, breaking into my thoughts. I’d forgotten all about the feisty redheaded teen. I glanced over at the girl with her dagger still poised at the throat of the vampire beneath her, observing everything going on around her. Something sparked in the back of my mind—something strangely familiar—but every time I tried to place what it was, it flitted away just out of reach. I placed my hand around my waist, trying not to move my chest too much as I walked over to our new little friend.

“You’re not lookin’ so good,” the girl observed. Her green eyes raked over me, clearly not impressed with my state of dress. “You’re a warper, huh?” she asked abruptly. I narrowed my eyes as sparks made some magic happen in my rattled brain. She was a warper—the third warper. I closed my eyes and massaged my temple. I got a teeny-bopper as back up for the end of the world. I was so screwed. When I opened my eyes again, the little warper had a bored look on her face, like she couldn’t care less.

“Yes I am. I take it you are too?” I asked. Milena moaned next to me. She must have come to some of the same conclusions I had.

“Yeah. One of the youngest ever chosen,” she said proudly, popping a bubble of gum. “What you want me to do with him?” She jerked her head in the direction of the vampire beneath her. I narrowed my eyes, seeing the vampire up close for the first time. Much to my surprise, his eyes were red-rimmed. He was a baby vampire and couldn’t be anyone important. His vicious grin told me he knew exactly what I was thinking, exactly what I didn’t expect to have happen.

“Aldwin?” I spoke quietly, my voice laced in steel. “Please take over for the girl.” Aldwin had his samuri blade at the throat of the vampire in a blink, and the warper was able to remove herself from the baby vampire. When he jerked him to his feet, the vampire stood several inches taller than Aldwin. His eyes bore into mine, his chin tilted in defiance, but most disturbing of all, he showed absolutely no sign of fear. He was surrounded by warpers, ancient vampires, and fae, and yet he stood there like he hadn’t a worry in the world. When someone had nothing to lose and nothing to fear, they became the most dangerous opponent of all.

“You’ve lost, vampire,” I said as I stood toe to toe with him and yet he was still grinning. His abrupt laughter raised the hairs on my arms.

“Come, now, warper, you don’t even believe your own words,” he spat.

“Colleen might be dead, but her powers aren’t. The curse was lifted, and I am now free to use my power however and whenever I need to,” I said calmly. I was shaking on the inside, something else was going on and I needed to find out what it was. The vampire was my only link to whomever had taken Colleen.

“You did indeed win this battle. Bravo, warper.” His voice mocked me, and I had to stop myself from lashing out at him. Not only would it not have hurt him very much, but I’m pretty sure it would have damaged my injured ribs a whole lot more.

“Who was it that took Colleen?” I asked in a growl. “Where are they?” His smile caused a shiver to slither down my spine.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re already too late,” he said with a shrug. The blood in my veins froze. Aldwin put pressure on the blade at the vampire’s neck, drawing blood. The vampire hissed, but his eyes never left mine and they never looked desperate. How could you get info out of someone who didn’t fear anything? He grinned like he could read my thoughts.

“Too late for what?” I asked softly, knowing full well he would never give me the information I really wanted.

“To stop the end of the world,” he screeched as he launched himself in my direction.

The vampire never had a chance. He had known that though. He was fully aware that even if he could throw Aldwin off, even if he could dodge Soren’s fury, and even if he could make it past all the blades trained on him, he never would have gotten far before I would’ve used my powers on him. He’d planned on being killed, and he had gotten what he’d expected. Aldwin’s sword was the blade that had done the deed. The vampire didn’t make it a foot before his head dropped to the ground at my feet. I heard retching close by and knew that our tough-talking little warper had lost the contents of her stomach.

Trina spoke soothingly to the girl and was holding her hair back for her as I stood there trying to find the piece of the puzzle I was obviously missing.

“This was a diversion,” Milena said, voicing my suspicions.

“Yes, but a diversion for what?” Adwin asked.

“Something big enough to sacrifice the warper they’d held for years. Something they figured was worth losing her as an asset,” Soren interjected, thoughtfully. I sent a quick prayer up that whatever it was, we would still have a chance at stopping it, or at the very least, we’d be able to do damage control and save as many lives as possible. Unfortunately, it seemed my prayers wouldn’t be heard that night.

We all began walking towards the back of house as Soren went to get the Combat. Everyone was pretty quiet, mulling over all that had taken place in the past hour, over the things that likely lay in our near future. I glanced over at the young girl who’d warped into our midst and wondered who she was and what time she’d come from. For the first time, I noticed what she was wearing. She had on tie-dye pajama pants and a long-sleeved pajama shirt with wide, flowing sleeves. Well, that narrowed down the time frame a bit. She glanced back at me and slitted her eyes when she found me studying her.

“What?” she snapped, her green eyes flashing in the moonlight. I shrugged, not knowing what I’d done to tick her off already.

“I was just wondering when you warped from and what your name is.” We all stopped at the edge of the property, waiting for Soren to drive up and take us out of there. Trina looked questioningly at the teen, and Milena rolled her eyes, obviously not waiting on pins and needles for her reply.

“I’m from 1975,” she answered. She tilted her head to the side and cracked her neck, trying to appear nonchalant as she asked a question. “What year is it, then?” Her eyes gave her away. She was more than a little frightened, but she didn’t want to appear weak—she was a time warper after all.

“It’s 2004,” I said softly. “The year is 2004, and I’m thinking some major shit is about to hit the fan.” She needed to know.

“What’s your name?” she asked, her brogue thickening.

“Sage. What’s yours?”

“Maggie,” she replied. Little bells went off in my head, and I could hear each breath as I inhaled and exhaled.

“Maggie?” I questioned.

“Well, my full name is Margaret O’Reilly, but I like Maggie a whole lot better,” she amended sheepishly. I sucked in a breath. No way. No fucking way. I was instantly in front of her, pulling back the sleeve of her night shirt.

“Och! What the...” I didn’t stop, didn’t care that my movements were frantic, bordering on desperate. I was probably scaring the crap out of her, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Let go of me! Are ye off yer nut?” She tried to tug her arm out of my grip, but I was immovable. I flipped her left arm over and found exactly what I already knew would be there—her warper mark. The ringing in my ears rivaled that of the after effects of being too close to a bomb when it had detonated. I felt like one had been dropped on me, in any case.

“What is it?” I felt Aldwin’s presence nearby, his hand gentle at my neck as I struggled to speak. I looked over into the angry face of the teenage warper, into the face of one of the three who would help fulfill an ancient prophecy, and into the face of the young woman who would eventually marry Patrick Hannigan, my father. She was my mother.

I stood there in a daze, aware of some kind of chaos happening around me, everyone talking loudly, but my brain had yet to kick start from the shock it had just suffered. Something in the distance caught my attention though, a cloud in the night sky that just didn’t seem natural. I squinted against the darkness, trying to make out the strange phenomenon rising against the full moon of the night’s sky. A series of low booms echoed in the far distance, closer to the city, and the words of the now-dead vampire ricocheted in my head. I’d asked him what I was too late for and he’d answered, “to stop the end of the world.”

It isn’t often that we find ourselves so completely shocked and horrified by what’s going on around us that we shut down entirely. I knew that to be true first hand because when the news started pouring in through Soren’s contacts about the global supernatural chaos, I could feel my mind want to simply flip a switch and go deep into itself to deny that anything so horrible could have happened on such a massive scale.

While we had been on a beach trying to save a young woman we thought would play an integral part in an age-old prophecy, bombs had rocked the world. They were detonated simultaneously all over the world. World leaders were executed by vampires and shifters on live TV, and the power grid had been completely demolished. Not only were we reeling with the news of such magnitude, but we were also mourning a devastation much closer to home. Club Strange had also been targeted and destroyed, along with it one of my dear friends, Matt.

Trina wasn’t speaking much to anyone. She’d disappeared for several days when we’d received the news, and now she was little more than a shadow, barely noticed in one’s peripheral vision. Tensions were high in the house. We were all on edge, wondering if we could have done anything to prevent the catastrophe that had taken place. I knew deep down that we couldn’t have done anything to stop what had occurred, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d concentrated on finding the person who’d taken Colleen, instead of Colleen that night, could I have bought us some more time. Would there have been rioting in the streets? Would people be cut off from each other and starving? Would all the world’s leaders have been assassinated had I done something differently? Would Matt still be alive?

I avoided Maggie as much as possible. Mostly because I didn’t want to get too close to anyone else, but also because I didn’t know how to act around her. She was the straight-forward, younger version of my mother, and I didn’t want to become attached. Every time I heard her laughter, or her lilting accent, a sharp pain pierced my chest. It felt hard to breath around her and more often than not, I’d find myself on the verge of a panic attack in her presence. She would warp back to her own time once she’d accomplished whatever it was she was supposed to do, and I wasn’t sure I could survive any more losses.

Aldwin studied the book about time warpers daily, trying to translate and write down every single detail, making sure we didn’t miss a single thing. We all became more and more restless as the weeks passed, but word on the street was there was a very large bounty out on all of our heads. Mine alone was worth over a million dollars. I guess I should have been flattered that they thought I was such a threat, but the truth is, it just pissed me off.

I was angry that the people in my group had to suffer because of being associated with me. I guess my leaving had been inevitable. I’d like to think the others will understand when they find out I left. I like to tell myself that they will appreciate the fact that going rogue was the only way I’d be able to deal with everything and keep the people I care about safe. I like to tell myself I’m doing it for them. But sometimes the truth is a bitter pill to swallow, especially if the truth is admitting you are doing it for yourself—doing it because you cannot bear to lose anyone else because you know one more hit would shatter your soul into so many pieces that you would never be able to recover from it.

With Aldwin and Soren gone to get supplies and the others off blinded by their own grief, I slipped away into the darkness with nothing but my messenger bag slung across my body, a few weapons from Soren’s basement, and my daggers stowed safely on my body. There is a time and a season for everything under the sun, and it was my time to stop hiding and see exactly what damage I could do with my newly enhanced Warper powers.

Shit was about to get real.

There are so many people who inspire me daily, so many people who are an encouragement to me. Here are just a few of the many who have gone above and beyond in helping me on my journey as a person and an Author. First of all, I want to thank Tiffany Stevens- she has been there for me since we first “met” each other online and she beta read Contingency for me. She has since then become a cheerleader, an Indie Author pimper, a sounding board, and most importantly, a good friend. Thanks chica! I also want to thank Derinda Love… what can I say about Derinda that hasn’t already been said by more eloquent people?

She is one of the best people I have had the fortune to know and when I grow up, I want to be just like her. Jeff LaFerney’s sage advice and mad editing skills are merely bonuses that come with knowing him. I have enjoyed his friendship from the first day we “talked” online and I look forward to many more grammatically correct conversations. Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank each and every person who have loved Sage’s story, who have encouraged me to keep writing, and who have become my fan friends-- You are the reason I write.