Imperfect Divine--A Shade of Mind--Book 4 Read online

  Peter thumped up the stairs and stormed into the room, puffing. “John passed out for no reason. His nose and ears are bleeding . . .” His voice trailed off when he saw Zach. "Jesus Christ. Did John sound that bad?"

  Tadgh grabbed Peter and turned him toward the stairs. "No, no, it was fine. We had a slight disagreement up here. Zach is just fine. Nothing to do with what happened downstairs. Off you go. Get John a doctor." Tadgh pushed Peter outside the room and slammed the door closed.

  Zach stood up. He went over to sit opposite Ciaran.

  Madeline saw a coffee jug on a table in the corner of the room.

  "Can I get you some coffee?" she asked.

  "Yes, please," Ciaran said.

  "No, thanks. I prefer something stronger, but I'll get it later,” Zach told her.

  Jo and Tadgh went to the table to get the coffee.

  Madeline brought a cup to Ciaran. She touched his hands to see if they were still cold and was pleased to feel their warmth had returned.

  "Zach, when did you know you were a sound-bender?" Ciaran asked.

  "Since longer than I can remember."

  "Your family doesn’t know, I guess?"

  Zach shook his head. "No point advertising the fact that I'm a freak show."

  "In Eudaiz, they'd call it a talent. That's why Ayana recruited you. Sound-bending seems to be her department. You should see what she did to Madeline."

  "What?"

  "Don't worry about it, Zach. It's not important," Madeline said.

  "Did you use your sound-bending talent to kill the man in the bush?" Ciaran asked.

  Zach grabbed his head and messed his hair up. He looked at Ciaran. Zach looked so tired, Madeline thought.

  "I don't label my ability. Call it whatever you want, but I definitely wouldn't call it a talent. I can make a sound in my head and send that sound to anyone's head. Most of the time, it just messes people up."

  "Like the way you shut the guitarist up?" Tadgh asked.

  Zach nodded. "I don't have total control of it. And it doesn't work the same on everyone. When I’ve tried it on someone strong, the sound has bounced back to me. Usually harder."

  "You tried it on Ciaran. How did it feel?" Tadgh asked.

  Zach looked at Tadgh and shrugged.

  Tadgh waved his finger at Zach. "Don't you even think about trying it out on me. I won't stand and take it like Ciaran did. I'd kick your ass before you even got a chance to send out a sound wave."

  "Does it kill, Zach?" Jo asked.

  Zach looked at Jo, devastated. Jo embraced him. "I'm sorry. You just wanted to save me. I was in bad shape."

  Zach held Jo and buried his head in her shoulder.

  In the corner of the room, Tadgh shifted.

  "I helped kill that man, too, Zach. Don't take all the responsibility yourself," Madeline said.

  Zach looked up at everyone. "The guy was evil. He had that look the very minute he laid eyes on Jo. I was pissed off. I thought I'd mess with his head. Make him go crazy. The next thing I knew, he went crazy enough to kill his wife and his kids. Then I killed him and set the house on fire."

  Zach didn’t realize a tear had trickled down his face.

  “It wasn’t you, Zach. Kyle was there. He was controlling the man. He made him kill his family,” Madeline said.

  Zach shook his head. "I did it, and I've lived with it for ten years. There was no mind-bender or whatever in the bush. It was only me—and a curse you call a talent—that killed those people. Ayana knew that. She didn't blackmail me. She just offered me a chance to save a lot of people and do something good . . . There, I’ve said it. Do whatever you want with me."

  "A chance for redemption, and she got you,” Ciaran muttered.

  "Redemption is too fancy a word for me."

  The phone in the corner of the room rang a few times and went to voice mail. A female voice spoke. "Zach, it's Chloe. Where are you? I've been calling you for the last ten minutes. When you get this message, call me back. It's Riko—she's in your apartment . . .”

  Zach cursed and snatched the phone. "I'm here . . .”

  Zach listened and then put down the phone. "Sorry, guys, gotta go," he said while running toward the door.

  Chapter 7

  Later, in the car, Ciaran was driving and glancing around at the same time. They had lost Zach. Tadgh concentrated to see if he could channel Riko the way he had connected to the young girl in London. But nothing came to his mind.

  “Any info, Tadgh?” Ciaran asked.

  “Nothing.”

  "Madeline, any direction?" Ciaran asked.

  Madeline closed her eyes. They speculated that whatever had happened with whomever Zach had been talking to on the phone was the result of Kyle Wolf’s interference. Although they had lost Zach in traffic, they followed Madeline's instinct of where Kyle would be.

  "Left. On the left," Madeline said.

  Without hesitation, Ciaran turned abruptly onto the street to the left.

  "It's a one-way street, and you’re going the wrong way, Ciaran!” Tadgh yelled from the back seat.

  Ciaran ignored both him and the honks and rude gestures from the other drivers and made his way to where he could turn onto the next street and drive the right way.

  "It's here,” Madeline said. “The reeks of Kyle Wolf.”

  Tadgh glanced at the scene. It was a quiet street with several apartment complexes. They parked the car and headed toward the closest building. He still couldn’t feel Riko or Kyle. He scolded himself. What was wrong with his newfound talent?

  They heard Zach's voice. "Come on, Riko. Come down. You don’t want to do this."

  They went around the corner of the building and saw Zach standing in a small courtyard looking up to level four. A young Asian girl sat on the ledge outside the balcony railing. Her legs dangled, her long hair flowed in the wind, and her eyes darkened. She stared down at Zach but said nothing. Her face was completely void of expression.

  On the other side of the balcony railing was a tall and stunning blonde girl. She stood there, phone in hand, shaking. Madeline guessed she must be Chloe.

  Zach paid no attention to the incoming people. He focused on Riko.

  "Shouldn't you call the police?" Tadgh asked.

  "She does this every second week. She won't jump."

  Ciaran lowered his voice. "She’ll jump this time, Zach. And the blood will be on your hands if you don't do what I say."

  "What?" Sweat trickled down Zach's forehead.

  “I told you. It's Kyle Wolf. He controls people's minds. But he can only do it to one person at a time. So do what I say," Ciaran said.

  Tadgh stared at the girl, trying to probe her emotions. Nothing. He couldn’t see or feel anything, but a cold chill ran up and down his spine.

  “I’ll go up,” Tadgh said and charged toward the back entrance. Jo and Madeline went around the back and up the stairs.

  Before picking the lock of the apartment, Tadgh signaled Ciaran's phone. Receiving the signal, Ciaran said, "Now, send your sound wave to Riko."

  Zach shifted, then began.

  The sound hit, and Riko lifted her chin up. She blinked her eyes.

  Zach staggered back. Blood trickled from his nose.

  “The sound bounced back to you because it hit Kyle. He’s strong, Zach. Can you hold?” Ciaran asked while grabbing at Zach and supporting him from the back. Zach nodded and fixed his stance.

  Tadgh, Jo, and Madeline broke into the apartment and hurried toward the balcony.

  Riko looked around, looked down, and started crying. She shook, stood up, and began to climb back over the railing.

  Chloe yelled at Riko. "Jump! You were supposed to jump!" Chloe pushed at Riko while Riko was on top of the railing. Riko cried and clung to the railing as tightly as she could.

  Chloe grunted out the words again. "Jump! I told you to jump!"

  On the ground, Ciaran said, "He’s got Chloe now. Send the sound to her."

  From the apartment, Tadg
h grabbed Chloe, pulling her inside while she kicked and screamed.

  Jo helped Riko climb over the railing and get safely onto the balcony.

  Madeline ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. She filled a bucket she found in the corner with water.

  In the living room, Chloe still kicked and screamed like a madwoman. Tadgh held her, but he had the feeling he would not be able to hang on for long. Her strength was incredible. It was almost supernatural.

  On the ground, Zach sent more sound signals. Both his nose and his ears were bleeding now.

  Jo ran to the balcony and called out, "Tadgh’s got her now. It's okay."

  Zach stopped the signal and slumped to the ground.

  "You think I got him?" Zach asked.

  Ciaran shook his head. "Don't know. Can you get up there?"

  Zach nodded. They ran up the stairs.

  Inside the apartment, Madeline splashed water everywhere. Jo grabbed a knife, too. She pushed Riko into a corner and kept an eye on her in case she was taken over again. Jo focused on where Madeline sprayed the water. If she saw any sign of the beast, Jo swore to God that she would stab it until it was nothing but pulp.

  Chloe grew stronger by the second. She shrugged off Tadgh.

  Ciaran and Zach stormed into the apartment.

  Chloe jumped on top of the table.

  As soon as Tadgh lost Chloe, he felt a strange sensation at the back of his neck. He heard something echo in his head. His vision blurred. He felt an urge to act on something. He felt as if he was waiting for an order.

  Tadgh closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew what was happening.

  He saw Chloe standing on the table. She leaped as though she could fly, aiming straight for the glass coffee table.

  Tadgh heard a clear voice in his head. "Step aside. Let the bitch fall." Tadgh knew he had to act against the voice. He focused.

  There was a very strong sensation urging him to obey and do what the voice had said. Tadgh grunted. The voice was telling him to step aside. Tadgh clenched his teeth, rushed toward the table, and caught Chloe mid-flight.

  They both fell onto the glass coffee table with Chloe on top of Tadgh.

  Tadgh’s vision cleared. The voice was no longer in his head. There was no more sensation, but he felt a searing pain on his back.

  He saw Madeline and Jo leap to a corner and stab at something.

  There was a sound like a roar.

  Then he saw Ciaran. Ciaran said something. Tadgh could have responded, but for some reason, he thought he would be better off shutting his mind down and letting go.

  Tadgh passed out on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

  Chapter 8

  Kyle clung to the ledge of the hospital’s window and looked inside. He was sure the humans couldn’t see him. But his hands were still shaky, and he was still in shock from the attack on him at the apartment. He wasn’t sure about much of anything now.

  Madeline and Jo, those bitches! The LeBlanc boys. The Australian musician. I’ll kill you all! Kyle clenched his teeth. He had found the weak link in the group—Tadgh. Kyle smiled as he peeked into the room. He could get into Tadgh’s mind. Tadgh couldn’t guard his mind the way the others could, but Kyle knew he had to be careful because Tadgh had an extremely strong will.

  Kyle crawled through the window.

  “Damn!” He sensed Madeline at the end of the corridor. She could sense him. He couldn’t fight yet. He climbed back out and fled.

  Tadgh opened his eyes in an emergency room to Jo throwing herself at him. She hugged him and buried her face in his neck. She stayed like that for a long time but said nothing.

  "I’ve had quite a few women propelling themselves at me in a short period of time. Is this an Australian thing?"

  Jo sat up. Her big green eyes filled with tears.

  "Oh, no. Don't cry, beautiful. This is just a little scratch."

  Jo could not keep those big tears from rolling down her face.

  "If a little scratch incapacitated you for a few hours, it’s no wonder Ciaran considered sending you home."

  "What?" Tadgh winced with the pain.

  Zach and Chloe walked in. Chloe had a few cuts and bruises which had been tended to. She approached Tadgh’s bed.

  "Zach told me you took the brunt of the table for me. Thank you. I'm so sorry. I can't remember a thing."

  Zach stood behind Chloe. He looked at Tadgh and shook his head, telling him silently not to say anything to Chloe.

  "I can handle a glass table, but I can't handle tears from those green eyes. Could you help me stop them?" Tadgh nodded at Jo.

  Jo wiped at her face.

  “Why don’t you both go outside for some fresh air? Don’t go too far, though,” Zach said.

  Chloe nodded and took Jo out of the room.

  "How are you doing, really?" Zach asked.

  "It hurts like a bitch." Tadgh winced again.

  "You've lost some blood. Your brother was royally pissed."

  "Why? It’s not as though I wanted to fall on the table."

  "I don't know. He's pissed at something. Maybe it’s not you. Maybe he’s pissed at that fucking dickhead, Kyle Wolf."

  "Well, let him be mad,” Tadgh mumbled.

  "The beast really got to Chloe, man. She can't remember a thing. She was really out of control."

  Tadgh rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."

  "I guess it's true what Ciaran said about the mind-bender. He messed up the man in the bush and made him kill his family. It wasn't me at all."

  "So now you're not going through the gate?"

  "Yeah, I will. I promised. And there are . . .”

  Ciaran and Madeline entered the room.

  "How are you doing, Tadgh?" Madeline asked.

  "I've been better. Some pretty intense stabbing you and Jo did at the apartment." Tadgh grinned.

  "Yeah, I can do a lot of damage. Where's Jo?" Madeline asked.

  "Out with Chloe," Zach said.

  Ciaran stood still and said nothing.

  "I've got to take Chloe home." Zach glanced outside to ensure that Chloe had not come back. "Here’s the thing. I agreed to go through the gate partly to redeem myself from what happened in the bush but mainly because of what happened a few weeks ago.”

  Zach looked toward the door again and saw no sign of Chloe.

  He continued, “I went back to the bush to visit the site again to remind myself of what I did . . .”

  Madeline shook her head.

  “And when I came back, there was a strange aura following me. All hell broke loose from there. Spooky stuff like voodoo and possession occurred. People died. I almost died. The girl you saw, Riko, she was one of the survivors.”

  “You think it was Kyle?” Tadgh asked.

  “Before, no. My friend, Dan, called it the Zodiac Shifter because Kyle attacked people based on their zodiac signs. Dan is into supernatural and paranormal stuff. I’m not. I thought the ‘thing’—whatever it was—had done something similar to my sound-bending trick. I hadn’t told anyone I’m a freak show, so I couldn’t tell anyone about the mind-bending suspicion, either."

  Ciaran nodded.

  “Sciphil Nine approached me and told me if I agreed to be a Sciphil successor, I could help a lot of people, so I jumped at the chance. Pete referred only to what had happened in the bush,” Zach continued.

  “Ayana and Pete didn’t know about Kyle going around killing innocent people based on the zodiac signs?” Ciaran asked.

  “I don’t think so. I wanted to kill the bastard, so I agreed.”

  Ciaran nodded. “That’s fair enough.”

  "I couldn't make the connection. But I know now—after what happened today— that the bastard in the bush and the Zodiac Shifter could be the same guy and could be Kyle Wolf . . .” Zach said, trailing off when Chloe and Jo entered the room.

  "We'll talk more tomorrow, Zach," Ciaran said.

  Zach nodded and left the room to take Chloe home.

  "I've mad
e arrangements for some accommodations outside the city,” Ciaran said.

  "Thank God. This hospital bed is killing my backside." Tadgh sat up and winced with pain. Madeline helped him out of the bed.

  "If you withhold any information from me, I'll send you home, Tadgh," Ciaran warned.

  "Ciaran, not now, not here," Madeline told him.

  "I don't know what you’re talking about,” Tadgh said.

  "I know you, Tadgh. There’s no chance you would have willingly copped the fall," Ciaran continued.

  "Ciaran, let's go to our accommodations first."

  Ciaran stopped talking and strode out of the room. Madeline knew that was the best way for him to handle a situation when he was steaming. They’d had a long discussion. Ciaran suspected Tadgh took the fall on purpose to avoid Kyle controlling him.

  Ciaran suspected Tadgh was vulnerable to Kyle’s attacks.

  Chapter 9

  The mansion was half an hour’s drive from the city. It was imposing but homey. It surprised Madeline that the area became so rural after only a ten minutes’ drive out of the city. But she had to admit she knew little about the rural concept. She shouldn’t be calling an area rural based only on its lack of high-rises and traffic and the fact that she could hear animals. She knew for a fact that some people in New York had pet tigers in their apartments in the middle of the city. And New York was obviously not a jungle.

  Ciaran had chosen to stay in Werribee because the LeBlancs had a lab nearby. He needed to make further arrangements for the trip the day after tomorrow.

  Early in the morning, Madeline went out for a walk around the mansion. She knew Ciaran had been up and about for a while. But she wanted to give him a bit more time to do what he needed to do. He would find her when he needed her input.

  Toward the back of the garden, she saw Tadgh sitting on a fence, smoking.

  "First of all, I didn't know you smoked. Second, it's a huge fire hazard to smoke next to a barn."

  Tadgh grinned and put out his cigarette. "A bad habit I developed from traveling a lot. Helps clear my head."