Sounds good. See you tonight. He was laughing at her.
She flipped on her mic, furious, but almost certain she was going to see him tonight.
"What, Wes?" she barked.
"Leave your damn mic open."
"This is driving me fucking crazy!" She flung a knife at a car window with a frustrated growl.
"Stop fighting it. It's as bad for him as it is for you. He's been intolerable the past few days," Wes said.
"Really? Good."
"Zoey, you're making me edgy," Ginny said. "I'm sensing a possible ambush ahead, and we need to give the elders a rest. I'll go Zoey, stay - dammit! Your shoulder is fucked up enough!"
Zoey was already racing down the street. Ginny was telling her to stop. Zoey ripped off the earpiece and flung it. There were twenty, maybe thirty Cambions waiting for her. She sucked up their magic as she tore into the center of the ambush. Scared and confused by what Declan told her, she lost what control she had and just fought. The darkness at the edge of her mind swallowed her.
Zoey panicked, suspecting she'd been killed or knocked unconscious. She couldn't wake up, but heard the sounds of battle: metal tearing into flesh, the drop of bodies and cries of Cambions. Was she moving or on the ground? She thought she heard Ginny shouting and the Professor calling her name. Was he in danger? What the fuck was wrong with her?
My little Zoey.
The strange spell released her at Declan's whisper. Her eyes flew open, and the world slammed down upon her again.
The haze of magic was frying her from the inside out. She lay on her belly, cheek in a puddle of rain while someone heavy lay on top of her to prevent her from moving. Sex energy roared through her. She felt too hot, and the cold rain did little to soothe her. Her shoulder was shaky but working, and there were nicks and bruises all over her body. She felt as she had with Olivia: stuck between the magic of a Succubus and Declan.
"Zoey," Declan's voice slid through her, making her shudder. "Talk to me."
"I don't feel so well," she mumbled. "There's a fucking elephant sitting on me."
"That, my friends, was a meltdown," Ginny said from nearby. "Though I've never seen anything quite like that."
"Like a hurricane," the Professor said.
"Wes, what happened?" Declan demanded.
"I don't know," Wes said. By his nearness, he was the elephant on her back. "She went berserk. I wrestled her down, but your bitch doesn't know rule one."
"I didn't draw on you," Zoey said.
"You tried to shoot me."
"No, Wes ..." She drifted off, troubled. "I don't remember."
"You cut my arm two minutes ago, and you don't fucking remember?" Wes demanded.
"No." Exhausted, Zoey flinched, but didn't move as he gripped the back of her neck. Fire shot through her, subduing the magic.
"That'll have to work until you make it back to Declan," he said. There was anger in his voice. He released her and climbed off.
She pushed herself up groggily and shook her head. It was pounding. She looked up and danced away at the lethal light in his gaze. He was soaked, his body steaming, as if he'd run from the campus. Dusk had begun to fall, making the Enforcer's magic and presence more oppressive.
"When that wears off, you're in serious trouble." He was furious. Which meant Declan was probably not happy either. "Earpiece." He handed it to her. "You throw it, I take you straight back to him. Got it?"
"I'm not " she insisted.
The flash of magic made her frantic to escape him.
She nodded quickly.
"Get your ass to the site."
Zoey scrambled away from him, pinned by his gaze and the magic. The power of an Enforcer terrified her. He waited a few seconds to make sure she was quiet then turned and strode away. Shivering, she glanced at Ginny, who was trying hard not to smile.
"Let's go," Ginny said, motioning to the elders. "I'm point."
Zoey lingered behind the group, the effects of Wes's magic managing to subdue her own. She didn't let herself wonder why Declan was quiet. Instead, she focused on their surroundings. She glanced back once to see what she'd done and almost stopped.
What had felt like twenty was somewhere closer to fifty. The Professor was right; it looked like a hurricane tore through them. Uneasily, she wondered if her bond let her access Declan's magic, and that's how she'd done so much damage.
"Wes, I don't remember doing this," she said in a hushed voice. "I swear to you."
There was a pause. "I believe you," he said, calm once more.
"Zoey, focus on getting to Site Z. We'll talk later," Declan directed.
"Alright," she said, confused.
Declan closed the public channel, leaving only the one with Wes open. He glared at Olivia coldly. The Sucubatti security chief suddenly didn't appear so smug. Always in control, he had the urge to show her exactly what the incoming Incubatti Enforcer chief was capable of. Instead, he restrained himself and simply stared her down, waiting for his calmness to reappear. The event did nothing to help the headache he'd had since arriving at the underground site managed by the Sucubatti.
"Report on locations," he ordered the Halfling at the command console. Securely housed in Site X, the Sucubatti's back-up operations center, he and Liam were watching everything Olivia's people did.
"Teams one and two will reach here in an hour. Team three in two. Team four is en route to Site Z, as directed," the Halfling replied. "No ETA, as I am unaware of Site Z's location."
"Keep an eye on team four," he said. "Wes, any issues, contact me immediately."
"Roger," Wes replied through the radio. "I've never seen anything like Zoey's meltdown. I had no idea the Halflings could be so strong."
The communications between the two of them was secure, but Declan couldn't ask for details in front of Olivia. This was a political game, and the savvy Succubus was looking for signs of weakness.
Somehow, without leaving his sight, Olivia activated Zoey. Wes' mayday call wasn't one Declan could ignore, not when he had felt the strange surge of unfamiliar magic through his bond with Zoey. The invading magic severed his connection to Zoey's mind for a full five minutes. The sensation that she was gone had almost crippled him, reminding him just how strong the bond between soul-mates was.
Declan sipped from his water bottle, needing the physical movement to distract him. He had never experienced that kind of fear. The idea of losing Zoey never crossed his mind, before that moment.
Olivia wasn't pleased, as if she realized he'd pulled Zoey out of whatever trance she was in. Declan had no idea how he did it or even if he was the key.
"Liam," he said, glancing at his brother. "I've gotta check in with Dad."
Liam nodded. Declan strode away, making every effort to appear in control when he was filled with fury. He left the small room and waited until he was several steps down the hall.
"Talk to me, Wes," he ordered. "What the fuck just happened?"
"Dad was right. Something activated her. She went insane. I'll apologize now for kicking your girl's ass."
Declan gave a tight smile. "I'd rather you did it than Liam."
"Yeah, well, even I wasn't entirely in control. Fucking pissed me off. Wrestled her down, then whatever you did snapped her out of it. She was gone, Declan."
"Any idea what the trigger was?" Declan asked. He wiped his face, concerned for more than one reason.
"They were out of my line of sight for about twenty minutes. She was fine when she left campus. About ten minutes later, she said she wasn't feeling right, but they weren't exactly in a position to stop and chat."
Declan's mind worked furiously. "Who is with her?"
"Tommy's girl and the Bennies," Wes answered.
"No Sucubatti?"
"None."
"Olivia was standing beside me the whole time. We need to backtrack Zoey's entire day and figure out when, how and where Olivia set this up," Declan said.
"You think she knew."
"I know she did. The minute you called in, she started smiling like the Cheshire cat."
"Not good."
"Wait 'til you hear the rest," Declan said, mind going to the information Zoey sent him about Olivia. "Deactivate the trackers long before they make it to Site Z. We're not going to risk discovery."
"Understood."
"Liam's in the command center, and I'm going to check in with Dad. Take care of my Zoey."
"Like she was mine, minus the second ass-kicking." Wes chuckled. "I'll let you handle that one."
"Declan out," he said and switched frequencies. "Dad, we need to talk."
"I'm thinking so. The Council is holding an emergency session in the morning. For now, no one knows we're involved with helping Olivia," said the grim voice of his father. "Still, I want to transition to Site Z over the next few days."
"Thank god the construction is done. The sex energy we siphoned off was moved last night, according to Liam," Ethan said. "The site is ready for the worst. Are you at the building now?"
"Headed to Z."
"Can you make sure Vikki is in the bunker, preferably in a room she can't get out of?"
"That'll be a fun conversation with Liam's fireball," his father said, amused. "Will do. How are the evacs going on your end?"
"Relatively smoothly," Declan replied. "Olivia activated Zoey somehow. Wes stepped in, but I'm worried Vikki might be at risk."
"I have an idea how. We'll talk when I arrive. Ethan out."
Intrigued, Declan barely stopped himself from pursuing. He paced for a minute in the hallway, until the tightness of his chest eased.
"Zoey, you okay?" he whispered.
I think I kicked Wes' ass.
Declan laughed, not expecting her blunt humor. "That wasn't exactly his version of events."
You probably shouldn't tell him that, then.
He was relieved that she'd lost none of her spirit. There was weariness in the bond, along with distant pain. He guessed she was too stubborn to tell him that she was injured.
"You still coming by for that shower tonight?"
Yes. The sadness that accompanied her response wasn't because of him. Declan needed to feel her skin against his with a desperation that disturbed him.
He rubbed his temples, assured the crisis was over for now. His own headache was bothering him.
The movement of someone down the hallway caught his attention. He looked up and froze. Zoey was there, walking down the hallway towards him. Dressed in a black tactical uniform, her loose curls bounced with her quick step, a familiar gleam in her dark blue eyes.
She smiled coyly before ducking down an intersection, out of his view. Declan shook his head, uncertain how she was there and on her way to Site Z. He trotted down the hallway to the intersection.
No one was there.
Maybe the underground lair of the Sucubatti didn't have the high quality ventilation of Site Z. He tried to tell himself this was the case, but his body was burning for Zoey after the strange hallucination.
"Everything alright?" Olivia's voice came from behind him.
"Of course," he replied. He plastered on his game face and turned.
The sexy brunette who did indeed have traces of Zoey in her features was watching him closely in a way that left him no doubt something else was going on.
"My father is headed this way," he told her.
"Very well."
He strode past her to the command room, a sinking feeling in his gut.
Chapter Eighteen: Strike Three.
The small group continued to make its way under the cover of night through back alleys towards a destination Zoey didn't know. As her magic settled, she grew aware of a bigger issue. The wound in her shoulder was worse than she thought. Zoey tugged a bandage free from her belt and wrapped her shoulder, using her teeth to pull the bandage tight.