Circle Of Fire

Chapter Thirteen

Maddie watched the hawk until it disappeared from sight. Maybe because of all the old werewolf movies she'd watched over the years, she'd half expected his shapeshifting to be an event of both power and pain. It was powerful, yes, but also very beautiful.

"First time you've seen him change, huh?" Hank whispered into her ear. "Exciting, isn't it?"

She was all too aware of the exact state of Hank's excitement—and of the growing tremble in the hand that held the knife so close to her throat. The fires flared brighter within her soul. She bit her lip, desperate to keep them under control.

Don't do anything foolish,Jon had warned her. Don't lose control is what he'd meant.

"Why don't we move on inside?" Hank continued. "I have a pain that needs to be eased. Maybe you can help me."

A chill ran through her. If Hank tried to touch her, she'd surely lose control and kill them both.

He nudged her forward. The knife was a thin line of heat against her neck. If she so much as stumbled, she would die.

And despite everything, she knew she really didn't want to die. There was so much of life she'd yet to experience.

Like love.

She clenched her fists and felt Jon's ring bite into her palm. He'd given her something of his to hold on to, something he seemed to value more than life. Something he'd come back for. All she had to do was hang on and wait.

After all, Hank couldn't do much to her that her husband hadn't already done.

She edged up the steps, hissing slightly when the knife bit into her neck. Blood trickled down her throat.

Hank chuckled, his breath hot and unsteady near her ear.

They reached the door. Hank kicked it open. A bell chimed harshly above them, jarring against her already taunt nerves. He pushed her through, then quickly drew her back against him while he closed the door. The knife nicked into her throat again. She bit her lip and fought the sting of tears. The last thing she wanted was to give Hank the satisfaction of seeing her cry. He was probably the type who'd enjoy it—just as Brian had.

But at least Brian was dead, and no longer able to hurt her.

Shoving the thought from her mind, she squinted, hoping to see Evan and the other teenager in the fire-lit darkness.

Two long bundles of blankets lay in the far corner of the room. She hoped it was the two of them—and that they were still alive.

Hank moved the knife away from her neck, but she didn't relax. He still held the knife close enough to use it should she move the wrong way.

"Why don't you go sit down while I tend to the fire." He gave her a hard shove in the direction of the sofa. "It's gotten a might cool in here."

She stumbled forward, then caught sight of the window near the back of the cabin. If he turned away long enough… she edged sideways.

"Don't event think about it, sweetheart."

She froze. Hank's dark gaze gleamed viciously as he grabbed her arm and forced her down onto the sofa.

"You know, up until today I wasn't entirely sure if you were involved with the shapeshifter." He sat down beside her. "And I still don't entirely understand why you are."

She watched his fingers lightly tap the cushions that separated them. If that hand moved any closer to her thigh, she was running, knife or no knife. "As you said yourself, he's a charmer."

His smile gleamed briefly. "We both know he's not your type, sweetheart."

"He's not Eleanor's type either, but she didn't seem to mind."

Anger darkened his eyes, and Maddie bit her lip. She sure could pick the perfect moment to start answering back.

"No, she doesn't," he growled softly. He grabbed her wrist, squeezing it tight. "Hell then, what's good enough for the goose is good enough for the gander."

He yanked her toward him. She thrust her hand into his face, desperate to keep his lips from hers. Fire leapt up through her body, running heat through her veins. But the heat of it told her if she did release her fire, she'd kill not only Hank, but herself and the teenagers as well.

And if he didn't stop soon, the choice might be taken from her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Hank?"

Eleanor's voice sliced through the room. Hank flung Maddie away and scrambled to his feet. She edged as far away from him as was practical on the sofa.

"Just having myself a little fun." Though his tone was defiant, there was no escaping the hint of fear in his stance. Just as Jon had guessed, Eleanor was the power behind everything.

Maddie studied her. She stood in the doorway, a shadow outlined by sunlight. You didn't need to see her face or her eyes to taste the evil in her soul. It wrapped around her as closely as the coat she wore.

She licked her lips and hoped that Eleanor, like Hank, saw her as a form of insurance against Jon.

Otherwise, she was dead. Eleanor would have no qualms about killing her. She was certain of that much, if nothing else.

The heat in the room leapt several notches. She clenched her fists and felt the cool silver of Jon's ring bite into her skin. Its touch seemed to calm the fires somehow. Not much, but enough.

Eleanor stepped into the room and slammed the door shut. The look she gave Maddie was that of a cat about to devour a mouse. Appropriate, she thought with a shiver, considering Eleanor's other shape.

"What is she doing here?" Eleanor all but snarled.

"The shapeshifter was sniffing around here. I used her to ensure he left."

Eleanor shrugged eloquently, her gaze running past them. "So why keep her? Get rid of her."

Maddie edged forward, getting ready to fight. Even if it meant letting the fires loose and killing them all.

Hank's gaze met hers, and she stilled. Something in his eyes warned her not to move. Her gaze dropped to the knife he still held in one hand. Her blood was a small dark stain across its blade. "It could so easily be more," his eyes seemed to warn, "if you try anything."

"She's insurance against his return, Lennie," he said. "Through her, we can control him. At least until the ceremony."

Maddie stared at him. Lennie. That's what he'd called the cat at the inn. Did Eleanor have more than one shape?

"He can't touch us, anyway. He's nothing but a weak fool—" Eleanor hesitated, then stiffened. "Where the hell is the second kid?"

Hank jerked around, staring at the bundles in the corner. "What do you mean?"

Eleanor strode across the room and flipped the blanket away from the teenager's face. It wasn't Evan, Maddie thought with a sudden sense of joy. Jon must have gotten him out of the cabin somehow.

"Where's the other kid, Hank? What in hell have you done?"

Hank swung his fist, connecting with Maddie's chin before she had time to react. The force of the punch threw her backwards, over the arm of the sofa and onto the floor. Her head smacked against something hard, and a kaleidoscope of color rushed past her eyes.

Hank leapt forward and grabbed her coat. He drew her upwards, so she was close to his face and his stinking breath. "You will tell me what you've done with the kid," he said menacingly.

He looks old,she thought weakly. Old and frightened. His mouth moved again, but his voice seemed to be coming from a great distance, almost drowned out by the roaring in her ears.

He shook her so hard it felt as if her teeth were rattling. His eyes were dark pools that promised death.

"Tell me," he repeated, his voice suddenly a roar that reverberated through her brain.

I can't,she wanted to say, because I just don't know. And she smiled as the darkness rushed through her mind and took the words away.

Jon glanced at his watch for what seemed like the thousandth time. Nearly two hours had passed since he'd left Maddie in Hank's clutches. It seemed like an eternity.

He thumped his hand against the wall, then stared out the window, watching the rain dance across the pavement. There was nothing more he could do just yet but wait. He had to ensure Evan's safety before he did anything else.

He glanced toward the bed. The teenager was still in a drugged sleep, but in the last ten minutes he had at least shown some sign of stirring. But the process of waking was taking entirely too long.

Jon shifted his stance impatiently, then studied the white mark around his ring finger. He still had no idea why he'd given Maddie his father's ring. Granted, he didn't want to lose it, but he'd made the change with the ring on his finger before and had just scooped it up in his talons and taken it with him. So why give it to her when he'd sworn never to give it to any woman, except the one he loved?

Because it's something of me she can hold on to. It's all I can give her, all that I'm free to give.

The thought shook him. But what shook him more was the sudden, desperate need to have her close, to hold on tight and never let her go.

His father had once told him a hunter only gave his heart once, to one special lady. Well, he'd long ago dedicated his heart and his soul to his work. There was no room for anything else. No room to worry about anyone else. He just couldn't afford any sort of entanglements in his work.

Wasn't that why he'd cut himself off from his family so long ago, why he continued to rebuff their efforts to talk to him, to understand why he'd become such a stranger? It was safer that way—if he had no one to love, he had no one to become a target for his many enemies.

At least now that Evan was safe, Maddie could leave the area, go home and be safe, as she'd wanted all along. And he could get on with the job of apprehending Eleanor and Hank without having to worry about her.

There was a slight rustle of blankets from the bed. Jon turned and met the teenager's wide eyes—eyes that were same warm amber as Maddie's.

Finally,he thought, and forced a smile. "You're safe, Evan. There's no need to worry."

The kid blinked, still wide-eyed, and yet curiously not afraid. "I know you," he said in a voice that was little more than a cracked whisper.

Jon raised his eyebrows. "I doubt it—" "No," Evan cut in. "You were in my dreams. I saw you. I sent you to Aunt Maddie."

He remembered the force that had drawn him to Maddie. He'd known it was somehow connected to her, but up until now, hadn't even thought about it being Evan himself. Psychic abilities obviously ran in the family—did Maddie know? Was that why she was so close to Evan?

He smiled to relieve the suddenly anxious look on the kid's face. "Yes, you did, and we got you out."

"But where's Aunt Maddie now?" Evan sat straight up in bed, his face white with fear.

Jon wondered if it was the normal anxiety of a kidnapped kid wanting to be safe in the arms of his family, or the fear of a psychic who knows a loved one is in terrible danger.

What in hell is happening to her?He swallowed a sudden rush of tension and walked across the room.

Kneeling next the bed, he placed a calming hand on the kid's shoulder—even though calm was the last thing he felt himself. "She isn't here. I have to go get her, as soon as we have some protection for you."

Evan stared at him, his amber eyes dark with fear. So like Maddie's, Jon thought, and knew he'd have to move soon, before the wait drove him mad.

"They have her," Evan whispered. "They'll hurt her."

If they did, they'd pay. He forced a smile, even though Evan was smart enough to see past it.

"I'll bring her back. I promise."

Evan stared at him, then solemnly nodded. A sharp knock at the door rattled the silence, making the kid jump. Jon squeezed his shoulder and went quickly to the window. Mack and a bear of a man in a police uniform stood out front.

The teenager had huddled back down in the blankets when he glanced back. "It's okay. Just the police," he said, unlocking the door.

"This better be good, Barnett," Mack stated, dripping water onto the old carpet as he stomped past. "I was enjoying a mighty fine lunch."

Jon closed the door once the second man had come through. He knew they wouldn't have been here if Mack had the slightest suspicion of being led on some wild goose chase.

"Mack, meet Evan. Evan, Mack's trying to help the police. Why don't you tell him what you know about the people who took you."

Evan licked his lips, glancing quickly at the big man before looking back at Jon. "He's okay?"

Jon smiled at Mack's raised eyebrow, then nodded. It was odd that Evan seemed to trust him, even though they barely knew each other. But then, the kid had not only reached him when he was stuck down the well, but had guided his astral travels towards Maddie, as well. Maybe there was some form of psychic connection between him and the teenager. He'd learned long ago that anything was possible.

He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, listening to the harsh rasp of the kid's voice. As anxious as he was to rescue Maddie, there was nothing to be done until Evan had told his story. The last thing he wanted was to rescue Maddie from Hank's grip only to have her fall into Mack's. At least this way she'd be free to go.

Mack glanced at him once the kid had finished. "Then you were right about Eleanor Dumaresq."

Jon nodded. "Did you find out if she or her ex-husband owns any other properties in the area?" If Hank moved Maddie and the remaining kid, the information might just give them a chance of finding them quickly.

"Besides the inn and the house on sixth, nothing. But I'm checking for aliases, just in case she has a history with us." He stopped and glared at Jon for several minutes. "You realize, of course, I should haul your ass down to the station and charge you for impeding an investigation."

Jon grimaced. "Maddie's psychic talents are somewhat raw. I wasn't going to waste your time until I knew for certain we'd found the right place." He hesitated, then added softly, "There's one other problem, Mack. They took Maddie hostage when I was getting Evan out."

"Isn't that just great." Mack's gray eyes were hard with anger. "You haul a civilian into a crime investigation and end up losing her. Real smart move, Barnett."

He ran a hand across his mouth. What Mack said was true. If he'd made her stay here, as gut instinct had told him to do, she'd now be safe. But he'd given in to the plea in her eyes, and now she was paying for his weakness.

"Where's the damn cabin?" Mack continued roughly.

"The place is called Malkin cabin. It's off 202, about fifteen miles out of Jewell."

"Is there a chance that they're still there?"

He shrugged. Hank wasn't a fool, but there was always the chance he couldn't move quickly. It would depend on the type of ceremony Eleanor was preparing. "Maybe."

Mack shook his head and looked across at the police officer. "Better get those descriptions out right away." As the man rose and moved to the door, the agent's gaze came back to Jon. "You and I will sit down and have a serious talk after all this is over."

He nodded. Mack had to catch him first. "If we move now, we might still find them."

He watched the FBI agent stalk to the door, then pushed away from the wall and walked across to the bed.

Evan stared up at him, eyes wide and full of a fearful desperation. "You have to go now. Aunt Maddie needs you."

He squeezed the kid's shoulder again. "I made you a promise. I'll bring her back."

Or die trying,he thought bleakly, and turned away.