Chapter 13

Owen led Patrick to the other men who stood outside the temple room. “Kasey lock you out again, Chris?” Owen asked quietly.

Chris shook his head. “I don’t think it’s just her this time.”

Steven stepped up and tapped the door. He jumped and shook his head. “It’s fucking electrified.” He grit his teeth. “Rachel, open the door, now!”

“Girl talk, Steven. Go diagnose someone.”

His jaw dripped. “Girl talk, my ass,” he muttered.

Owen stepped closer to the door making sure not to touch it. “Baby, open the door.”

“Soon, Owen.” A breeze blew over them.

He turned and shrugged. “Well it’s better than the rain.”

Patrick stood there shaking his head. “You gentlemen have your hands full.”

“Stay out of this Patrick.” Rhonda said quietly through the door.

Patrick glared at the door and then crossed his arms and took a step back.

“Where’s your drum, Chris?” Dade asked stepping in front of the door.

“Don’t even think of it, Dade Jones. His drums are in here.” Cora’s voice came from the other side of the door.

Chris pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. “Sweetheart, what are you doing in there that you’ve locked me out of my own damn room, again?”

“Um… looking or at least we’re going to as soon as you all stay quiet.”

Steven was seething inside. His anger mixed with the worry and he found himself fighting to control the magic he usually kept a tight rein on. Holding his hands out away from his body he drew a deep breath and focused, pushing his magic out, seeking a link to the women inside. He had a very strong link with one of those witches on the other side of that door and he would connect with her—one way or another.

His eyes were open, but he didn’t see as he pushed harder, picturing Rachel’s face. Taking a deep breath, he envisioned inhaling her subtle, appealing sent. He heard a feminine growl from the other side of the door and knew he’d reached his target.

She was pushing back at him, causing burns to bite along his skin. “That all you’ve got, angel?” he growled. Lifting his hands, palms towards the door, he hissed out a breath and shoved with all the frustration he felt inside.

He heard her voice cry out in surprise and his magic faltered just long enough for her to fight back. It wasn’t stinging bites this time it was like an explosion that slammed into him and shoved him back into the wall across from the door.

He stood there and took a few breaths, trying to regain his focus.

Dade turned and looked at him with his mouth hanging open. “What the…”

Steven shook his head and stepped back over to the door. Chris met his look. Steven clenched his jaw a few times and glanced at him again. “How attached to this lovely door are you?”

Chris shrugged. “Not as attached as I am to the little witch in there that I’m going to strangle, as soon as I make sure she’s all right.”

“Good.” Steven stepped back a few feet from the door. “Last chance, Rach. Open the door.” His tone was stronger than he’d ever used before.

A brush of air pushed him back a foot. “Fine, we’ll do it that way.” The other men stepped back further as he clenched his jaw and raised his hands towards the door again.

The floor trembled slightly just before the door started to shake violently. He jerked his hands up and the hinges snapped. Sparks flew in all directions as he broke through the magic and the protection charm the women put on it.

Steven lifted his hands and the door flew up a few feet from the floor and then set down with a thud. He stepped through the doorway and looked down at the women sitting in a circle. Rachel stood among them panting and looking as mad as he felt. “That was being nice.” He smiled at her glare.

Chris gave him a wide berth as he stepped in and immediately met Kasey’s eyes. She was chewing on her lower lip. He pointed to the spot in front of him. She stood up and walked over to him with her eyes shooting darts at him. “I thought we agreed you ladies weren’t doing anything like this again.”

Cora leaned back against the cushions. “No, you men decided, we weren’t really asked.”

Dade glared at her.

Rachel stepped right in front of Steven. “Cute trick, Doc!” He just stared down at her. “You know we would have included all of you, if you had just been reasonable.”

The floor began to shake beneath them as he glared at her.

She stomped a foot and it stopped immediately. “You need to stop,” she said quietly.

Steven turned and walked from the room, sending the door crashing down the hall with a wave of his hand.

Patrick looked at Dade. “Did you…”

Dade shook his head. “Had no idea.”

Rachel growled and stomped past the men after Steven. Sparks were flying around her as she went.

“Ah, Chris, I know you want to discuss all this with Kasey, but your home is presently at risk of crumbling or burning down.” Owen said quietly as he pulled Leena to her feet.

“Shit!” Chris looked at Kasey and turned, running through the doorway.

“Right behind you.” Dade said on his way past Patrick.

When she caught up to him, he stood out on the deck looking out across the back lawn. The sky had darkened all around them.

“You want to tell me what that was about, exactly?” Rachel demanded stepping out onto the deck. “A simple, Rachel let us in to help would have been much more productive.”

He spun and looked at her. “Do you have any idea, any at all, how afraid we are something will happen to one of you?” He turned and gripped the banister it began to shake. A loud crack of thunder shook the boards they stood on.

“Steven,” she said softly. “Please calm down and talk to me.” She walked over and placed a hand over his. She saw the lightening in the distance and somehow knew he was the cause of it. She pushed calm towards him.

He must have felt her pushing to help him stop when he dropped his head and took a deep breath. “Fuck! You women have to stop doing this to us.” He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her against him. “Every day, for months now, we walk around hoping while we’re doing our jobs your safe.” He curled his arm bringing her into his chest. “I have to know your safe, angel.”

She could feel him shaking. “We’re all fine,” she said quietly wrapping her arms around him. She felt the moment when he calmed down. Later, when she wasn’t halfway to stunned, she’d think about her effect on him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair.

Kasey cuddled into Chris’s arms as they stood on the other side of the doors looking out at the couple.

“At least you can calm them down after you get them riled.” Patrick said softly from behind them.

Dade wrapped his arm around Cora gently. “If they could skip pissing us off as often as they do, it would be a lot better.”

Cora laughed and hugged him back. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Owen hugged Leena. “You guys are beginning to turn into characters from one of my books.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. “I wish I could turn into mist, I could get to the front of every line without waiting.”

Steven lifted his head. He was about to lean down to kiss Rachel when he grinned. “Audience,” he whispered.

Rachel turned her head then grinned back at him and flicked her stud out. “That’s too bad.”

He snarled playfully. “Someday, you nasty witch, I’m not going to care who is watching when you do that.”

Her eyes held questions; he gave her a lopsided grin. “I’ve never lost it like that before.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Please don’t, ever again. I’m not a strong witch and I almost blew a few veins trying to stop you.”

“One touch from you grounded me faster than any magic could.” He ran the side of his hand gently over her cheek.

She continued to look at him, her look softening. “We’d better go in. You scared the hell out of everyone.”

He chuckled and turned her towards the door.

“Has the storm passed?” Chris asked him as they stepped back into the room.

Steven continued to hold Rachel tight against him. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

Dade grinned at him. “You ever give up medicine and you’ve got a job with my crew, bro. You could tear down a building in half the time we do it.”

Steven rubbed a finger over the bridge of his nose. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Patrick walked over until he was almost nose to nose with him. “That’s some pretty scary skills you’ve got locked up there, Doctor.”

Steven grinned at him. “It can be from time to time.”

Patrick grinned. “Well, just keep it locked up when I’m around will you? I don’t like screeching like a little girl in front of the ladies.”

Rhonda laughed. “Ignore him, he’s got some of his own interesting skills hidden as well.”

Chris raised his brows. “Really? Well then I guess if you ever get close enough to this mystery man we won’t have to worry.”

“That’s the truth.” Patrick said quietly looking at Rhonda.

Kasey sighed and then grinned at everyone. “Go sit somewhere so we can look over those lists and tell Patrick about our latest thoughts.”

Chris pulled her against him and whispered. “I think the door shall stay off the temple room.”

Kasey nodded. “Yes, it would be much better to put one of my walls there, and then you men could at least see what’s happening.”

Steven groaned. “I think staying out of that room all together would be best.”

Dade nodded. “Yeah.”

Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. “Justin and Gwen aren’t going to like that you’re looking at people they’ve known forever.”

Dade shrugged. “None of us do, but it’s an area we have to explore.”

“Okay then. I don’t know all these people as well as you so let’s take a look.” Patrick looked back down at the pages.

“Starting with the ones I know the best. There’s Kevin.”

Rachel shook her head. “No, he was ready to pass out from running to get the kit for Steven, so he couldn’t have just run through the bush.”

“We ran into him on the way to Cora, so I agree.” Steven said.

Patrick nodded. “Okay. There’s Charlie.”

Dade snorted. “Old Charlie? Have you ever seen the speed his moves? Couldn’t be him or I would have run right over him.”

Patrick thought for a minute. “I don’t know who he is on this list but what about that drummer with the long blonde hair.”

Steven thought. “Josh?” He laughed and looked at Dade. “Don’t think Josh is our man, he gets so…” He looked at Patrick. “He enjoys his herb too much, way too much to move after the drumming.”

“Don’t know how he even drums.” Dade snorted. “If that were me and I was in that state, the only thing I could do with my drum would be wear it as a hat.”

Patrick dropped his head down and tried not to picture that. “Okay, so are there any other, herbally altered drummers we can check off?”

Chris leaned forward on his arms. “Only ones that aren’t are probably those of us in this room, because we’re well behaved now, ah, Justin, Kevin, Charlie and Kathy’s husband.”

“Ralph,” Cora supplied. Then she smirked at Dade. “I’d like to see your drum on your head, Steven where can I find these herbs?”

Steven held up his hands. “Don’t look at me, I only prescribe legal substances. Now,” he added quietly.

Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. “So, we’re right back where we started.”

Chris let out a slow breath. “It would seem so.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “And it was definitely a male hand we saw.”

Rhonda nodded. “It was definitely a male.”

Owen looked over at her. “Do you recall at all, now that things have settled a bit more, maybe how tall he was or a general size.”

Rhonda grinned. “Well he wasn’t as big as you, I do know that.” She looked around at the men. “He’s definitely shorter than all of you, smaller in size too I think.” She stopped and grinned at Cora. “What do you feed these men?”

Cora laughed, “Anything.”

Dade leaned forward and spoke calmly. “Rhonda, if it wouldn’t bother you too much could you show us how he managed to get a hold of you?”

Rhonda lowered her head for a moment. “I can try. I see it every time I close my eyes.” She stood slowly and looked at Dade. “He came from behind me…” She watched Dade walk over behind her. “He held me by the side of my head a-and throat.”

Dade reached out and cupped her jaw and neck. “Like this?”

She nodded. “Yes, but he wasn’t as close as you are. I couldn’t feel him near me in any other way.”

Dade backed up. “Just say if this bothers you too much.”

Rhonda nodded briskly again. “I will. That’s when he cut up my back … I remember turning, trying to get out of his hold…he must have had my hair because I couldn’t turn my head, that’s when I saw his shoulder.” She shuddered, “Uh, then… then I was on the ground…”

Dade released her neck and stood beside her quietly.

“He cut my face, I remember trying to see with blood in my eyes.” She closed her eyes then continued before she opened them again. “My hands…he did my hands next…” She sat down slowly and took a breath.

“You don’t have to continue Rhonda.” Patrick said softly beside her.

“No. I’ll finish. He—after …” She swallowed, “after I couldn’t move my hands, he pulled my dress from me and used… I think, the handle of his knife to put that cross on me.” She lowered her head. “Gloves.” She looked up at Dade. “He wore gloves, I just remembered that.”

Leena was beside her, hugging her gently. “You did great.”

Chris shook his head. “So where were her clothes?” Everyone turned to look at him. “I’ve just realized, I mean I know they were naked, not uncommon at a pagan event, but there were no clothes with them when we got there.”

Patrick leaned forward and looked at him. “There were none anywhere near. I searched the whole area more than once.”

Rhonda sat back and took a few breaths as she looked from one to the other.

Steven sat forward with his arm still around Rachel. “He’s doing this and then calmly walking to the fit pit and burning everything?”

Patrick nodded. “He must be.”

“Son of a bitch!” Dade snapped. “He’s just walking back to the camp like a Sunday stroll and burning his victim’s clothes and probably the gloves he wears too.”

Owen rubbed a hand over his short hair. “After we leave, how long does someone keep feeding the fire?”

Chris shrugged. “Charlie’s in charge of the wood, but anyone still hanging around could toss something in.”

Cora leaned forward. “How well does Justin or anyone know Charlie? I’ve gotten some pretty ugly vibes from him, from time to time.”

Leena smirked. “I don’t think he’s ever been in a good mood, does he smile, ever?”

Patrick nodded. “Had the biggest grin on his face I’ve ever seen when you ladies decided to change the dance to something more… appealing.”

Kasey blushed and dropped her head.

Cora cleared her throat.

Steven hugged Rachel tighter against him. “I don’t think we’ll discuss that.”

Rhonda smirked and then covered her mouth. “I missed all the fun,” she moaned.

Leena shook her head. “Wasn’t fun at the time but remembering these guy’s expressions when we dropped …”

“Leave it alone,” Dade said softly.

Leena sobered. “Of course.” But she grinned over at Cora who hid her face in her hands.

Looking at his watch Patrick stood. “We’ve stayed a lot longer than we should have.” He turned to reach for Rhonda’s hand. “Go get your wig.” He turned to Cora. “Miss Coralee, could I persuade you to step outside with me and see if you can sense, anything I should know about?”

Cora stood up. “Yes, of course.”

Steven looked at his watch and said quietly to Rachel. “We should go to the hospital and see Ricky.” She stiffened but got up with him.