Chapter 28

The next morning, the marine layer coming off the Pacific was more dense than usual. The clouds held a hint of rain, making the day dark and gloomy. It seemed fitting for what could be Catlyn’s last day of freedom—or life.

Sean and Jade joined her for breakfast. Catlyn didn’t want to eat, but Jade insisted. In too short a time, she’d leave the safety of Jade’s protection to become bait for a monster. Her stomach roiled. It was an effort to take each tasteless bite. They didn’t know exactly when Michael would find her; no one had seen him since the night he’d attacked her. They ate what could be her last meal in silence.

Finished with breakfast, Catlyn found her cats and gave them what could be their last loves from her. Tears trickled down her face and wet their fur. They’d be safe here—or so she hoped. Terror washed over her at the thought of Michael doing something to her pets to draw her out—and make her more afraid. Bho-Ahp thrived on human fear. He kept coming back to this plane because there was so much of it here. Once here, it was easy for him to generate even more terror to feed off.

Jade came into Catlyn’s room and sat on the edge of the bed. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of your cats. You remember how to activate the tracking spell?”

Catlyn nodded.

“Good. I’ll be there, right behind you, keeping watch over you. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. Not only for doing this, but for the amazing woman you’ve become. Your dad would be proud, too.” Moisture glinted in her eyes, and she pulled Catlyn into a tight hug. “I love you like my own daughter, Catlyn.”

The two women sat there hugging and crying for a long time, until Jade finally pulled away, wiping her eyes. It took all of Catlyn’s meager courage to pick up her bag and go down the stairs.

Sean waited in the living room for her. He walked to the door and stopped, his hand on the doorknob. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“No, I don’t want to, but I have to.” Catlyn placed a hand on his cheek. “You’ll be there, watching over me, so I know I’ll be okay. Thank you.”

He nodded tersely and opened the door.

They drove in silence. The drive from Newport Beach to Anaheim seemed to take hours instead of the half hour. Before getting out of the car, Catlyn glanced around, surprised when no black sedans skulked. Her fingers traced the scab on her neck. Her stalkers had disappeared after Michael “marked” her. He must not need them any longer to keep tabs on her.

Sean stayed in his car while she trudged up the stairs. She threw open the door and stopped on the threshold.

Home…

Her apartment wasn’t much, but it was all she had to call home. It felt different, empty and sad without her cats. She took a deep breath and blinked back the tears; she’d cried enough already with Jade. Dropping her bag on the floor, Catlyn curled up in a ball on the couch to wait.

She waited for death to come and claim her.

The images of the grisly photos Sean had shown her of Michael’s previous victims paraded before her. Those were just a prelude to this last ritual—her ritual—which would be much worse. After quite a while, Catlyn rubbed her face. If she kept thinking about it, she’d be a hysterical mess whenever Michael showed up. Then she wouldn’t be able to do her part in destroying the beast.

Catlyn pushed off the couch and paced the living room—then stopped. It would be a dead give away to Michael that she expected him. What did people do when they were waiting for death to come knocking on their door?

First, she cleaned her apartment. When she reached her bedroom, dirty clothes spilled from the hamper. She hadn’t done her laundry before being whisked to Jade’s place. Filling a laundry basket, she headed to the laundry room in the next building. She paused at the top of the steps, surprised at the darkness blanketing the apartment complex. As she turned on the washer, she considered fixing some soup for dinner, but her stomach balked at the thought of food.

Later, Catlyn pulled her first load from the dryer and trudged up the stairs with her filled laundry basket. As soon as she pushed open her front door, she sensed something was wrong. She peered over the pile of clean towels.

“You!” she shouted, hoping Sean heard her over the wire. “How did you get in here?”

“I have my ways,” Michael practically purred. “I told you I’d be seeing you again. When you were ripe.” He breathed in deeply through his nose. “And my, you are so ripe.”

Catlyn froze in fear, the basket shaking in her hands. Maak prodded her, reminding her she couldn’t let Michael take her without a struggle. They didn’t want him knowing she wanted to go with him. Catlyn tossed the basket at him, towels flying everywhere, and ran past him.

Michael threw back his head and laughed. “Oh good! I love playing cat and mouse. Run, little mousy, run.”

Catlyn stumbled over the broom propped next to the kitchen doorway. She grabbed it, remembering her Uncle Robert telling her the best weapon a woman could use in her home was a broom—both ends were effective.

Sprinting through her bedroom door, she slammed it shut and locked it. She kicked away a pile of clothes waiting to be washed and stood facing the door, the broom held across her body like a staff. It trembled, and she prayed she’d remember her martial arts training.

The air pressure in the room built, pressing down on her, and clogging her ears. She heard a “pop” as the pressure released. Michael appeared, standing in front of the still closed door.

“Oh, ho, a mouse with a stick,” Michael snickered. “But, see here, little mousy, this cat has claws.” A long, wickedly sharp dagger appeared in his hand.

He swung at Catlyn over-handed. She raised the broom and blocked it. Surprise flitted across his face before he sneered and struck again. She brought the broom handle across her body, blocking his knife, then whirled the broom around, thrusting the bristle end at his face. He jumped back and she followed up with an overhand strike. Catlyn tried to keep the shock from her face; her fighting ability and speed were more than even she expected.

Michael attacked with a flurry of strikes, which she blocked with ease. Maak’s assistance was making her fight too well. She didn’t want to give away Maak’s presence. Michael’s smugness changed to frustration, anger flickered in his eyes. Frustration she wanted, anger not so much. He might forget what he wanted her for and do some serious damage to her. A quick death would be better for her, but not for the world.

She deliberately slowed her speed and began breathing hard, as if she was out of breath. Michael’s dagger swung toward her, and she purposely missed blocking it, hissing in pain as it sliced across her forearm. She glanced down. It didn’t seem too deep, but it stung like hell.

“You son-of-a-bitch,” Catlyn spat. She hadn’t heard anything from Sean yet. Is the wire working?

“I told you this cat has claws, little mousy.” Michael snickered and swung again, this time nicking the back of her hand. “This is just the appetizer. There is much, much more waiting for you. Don’t worry, our cop friend won’t even realize you’re missing—that is, until it’s too late to save you. Poor Sean, always too late, always too stupid, to see what’s in front of him.”

“So, how are you going to get me out of here? You ‘popped’ in. I can’t imagine your little appearing trick is real or that you can take someone with you.”

“Oh, it’s real. Compliments of my master, who you’ll meet shortly.” Michael lunged at her.

Her slightly off block resulted in a slice across her left bicep, adding to her numerous cuts. She grimaced against the searing pain. Doubts seeped into her mind, and she regretted agreeing to this mad plan. How could she go through with this? The pain was too much already, and it was only the beginning of what she’d have to endure. She drew in a deep breath to scream for Sean, for Jade, for anyone to stop this madness.

Michael glanced at the bedside clock. “Enough of this game. Time to go.” The dagger disappeared. Michael raised his hand, forming a ball of energy. He flung it toward her.

“Oh, shit!” Catlyn tossed up the magical shield she’d been practicing. It wouldn’t stop the magical attack, just weaken it. The ball hit her.

It hurt like hell. She screamed.

She vaguely heard Michael laughing as he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Layered beneath his voice was a deeper, more sinister laugh.

Bho-Ahp.

Sean watched Catlyn bravely walk up the stairs to her apartment, her head and shoulders thrown back, and her back rigid. He didn’t know if he could be so courageous to be the bait for a madman. When she shut the door, he wondered if he’d ever see her again alive and healthy. It took all his willpower to stay in the car and not run after her.

He parked in an empty parking spot and joined Jade and Charlie in the back of the Sentinel’s black panel van. They had a good view of Catlyn’s apartment. The door slid shut and Sean blinked. All the gear and gadgets inside would make a police surveillance van weep with envy. Then the passenger captain’s seat swiveled around, and he swore.

“Granny Eileen, what are you doing here? This isn’t safe for you.”

His grandmother wore the same tight-fitting black cargo pants and long-sleeved shirt as the other Sentinels. She’d strapped a crystal dagger to one leg and a sword to the other. The numerous pockets of her pants bulged.

“Ach, Sean, my boy,” she said, “I’ve been fighting these nasties since before you were born. I can handle myself better than you can. You’re the untrained one here. If I had my way, you’d be the one not included in our little party. But Catlyn insists on having you here, so behave.”

Sean ducked his head. “Yes, Granny.”

Jade, Charlie, Eileen, and three men he didn’t know occupied the van. Charlie introduced him to Catlyn’s other bodyguards. Todd Fleming was a tall, well-built man who wore his brunette hair in a long ponytail. Dilan McGowan had red hair and green eyes.

A man with close-cut dark-blond hair had his back to them, his focus on the computer and monitors. He turned around long enough to nod at Sean. “Collin Drennan, here. The computer wizard.”

He swiveled his chair back around, and Sean leaned forward. The Sentinels had set up surveillance cameras inside Catlyn’s apartment. A split screen showed the living room and kitchen area on one side and her bedroom on the other.

His heart went out when Catlyn curled up on the couch, looking helpless and scared. He wished he could be with her. Eileen passed around mugs of coffee from a thermos carafe and the team settled in to wait. No one knew when Michael would show up.

Catlyn spent the first hours laying forlornly on her couch. He imagined her mentally shaking herself as she stood, then paced. Then she cleaned her home. She sorted her laundry, stuffed a large load of towels into a basket, and headed for the front door.

“No, no, no!” Jade slammed a fist on her thigh. “She’s supposed to stay inside. We don’t have any cameras outside of her apartment.”

“I’ll go watch her.” Charlie levered off his chair.

Sean put up a hand to stop him. “Michael has seen you with me. You’ll tip him off.” He glanced at the others sitting tensely in the van before his eyes fell on his Granny Eileen, then frowned. In her current getup, she looked like a commando, not a harmless grandmother.

“I’ll go.” Eileen twirled her seat around and rummaged on the floor. Then she stepped out of the van and slipped on a long, animal print raincoat. It covered her commando outfit, making her appear like an eccentric old lady. It worked until you noticed her hard eyes that were all business.

She hurried toward the laundry room. As she neared it, her strong steps slowed to a shuffle, and she leaned forward, immediately looking like a frail, harmless old woman. Her pace slow enough that before she reached the laundry room, Catlyn had come out and retreated up the stairs. As soon as she shut her door again, Eileen straightened up and strode back to the van.

“I didn’t see or sense anything.” Eileen slid the door shut. “It’s quiet out there, almost too quiet.”

“I’ll go make sure we have eyes in the laundry room.” Collin gathered some equipment, then hurried outside. A few minutes later, another screen came online showing the added video feed.

They continued to wait with Catlyn. Everything indicated Michael had to begin the final ritual today in order for it to be finished by the black moon. They needed to ensure that it didn’t. Normally, it would take three days to do the ritual. The first two consisted of torturing the victim. Somehow, this completed preparing Michael’s body to accept the daemon’s possession and integrate with it. The third day opened the portal and allowed the daemon to cross into this world.

Sean watched Catlyn carry the load of towels up the stairs. When she stopped on the threshold, he knew something was wrong. He leaned forward and searched the other screens. Michael stood in her living room.

“How did he get in there?” Sean shouted at the same time Catlyn asked Michael the same thing.

Jade swore. “He just appeared! It’s that damned translocation spell he uses. It allows him to pop in and out of places.”

Sean leaped to his feet, fully intending to run in and stop Michael.

“No, Sean!” Charlie stood in front of him, blocking the van door. “You can’t go in there yet. You know what has to happen. None of us like it anymore than you do. Catlyn will survive this.”

“Good girl.” Pride filled Eileen’s voice.

Sean whirled around in time to see Catlyn grab a broom, run into her bedroom, and slam the door shut. Michael strode down the hall. In one moment to the next, he disappeared, then reappeared on the other side of the door with a long, wavy dagger in his hand. Sean watched, transfixed, as the two fought. Catlyn moving with a speed and agility he hadn’t thought she possessed. She faltered and a bright line of blood appeared on her forearm. Michael continued to attack her until he glanced at the clock. Then he flung a ball of light at Catlyn. She screamed when it hit her, then dropped to the floor, unconsciousness.

Michael laughed as he picked her up, and a moment later, they vanished.

Sean stared at the screen, unable to believe what he’d seen. He had expected Michael to use some kind of vehicle they could follow, not some fucking magic spell.

“Where are they?” Sean demanded. “Where are they?” He turned to the computer tech. “Is the tracking device working?”

Collin shook his head. “That damned translocation spell wiped out the signal. It isn’t transmitting.”

“What about your tracking spell?” Sean asked Jade.

Her eyes were closed, and she mumbled some words, drawing symbols in the air. Her eyes flew open. “No. She didn’t have time to activate it before he knocked her out. Or they’ve gone beyond my reach.”

“We have to find her!” Sean banged on the side of the van. “Come on people, find a way to locate her.”

They tried both magical and mundane means, to no avail. The night deepened and Eileen pressed a cup of coffee and a sandwich into Sean’s hands. He looked at them, perplexed. His stomach was too tied up in knots to eat. After a moment, he placed them on the counter by the computer.

He wandered up to Catlyn’s apartment, walking carefully to avoid stepping on her scattered clean towels. His feet took him to her bedroom. Standing in the doorway, he tried to assess the scene dispassionately as a police detective. The broom she’d used to defend herself lay in pieces. Drops of blood spattered the carpet, her bedspread, and the walls. She’d fought well until the end.

Sean switched to his witch-sight, hoping it would offer clues of where Michael had disappeared. When nothing appeared, Sean swore and slammed a fist into the wall. He stood there for a long time, his head against the wall, fighting the despair threatening to overwhelm him. They’d all believed they could track her, either mundanely or magically. That she would be safe if she allowed Michael to abduct her.

They’d failed her.

He failed her.