Avenger (16 page)

“I agree, however, what will stop—”

At that point, the door was opened and someone was shoved in the room.

Let us turn to telepathy to avoid drawing attention
, Celestine said.
I fear someone will take over his body while you are gone.

I share the same concern and this is why I would like you to step in.

Celestine nodded.

As Lidwien rose out of Luke, there was a gasp in the room. Celestine turned and found Pru staring at Luke in horror. He considered her and said,
Poor child. I had hoped she would be the one to straighten him.

Celestine turned to Lidwien who was standing before him in vapor form. Most Domines preferred that form to a solid one, they usually adopted a semblance of solidity when Celestine visited them.

I believe she is looking at me
, Lidwien said.

Celestine studied Pru’s line of vision and said,
indeed.

Lidwien said,
She is his Destined One, I have breathed into her the ability to see and hear spirits, I will leave you to handle this one.

Pru approached on shaky legs, tears leaving wet tracks on her cheeks. “Please don’t go. Luke!”

****

After speaking to the transparent cloud by his side, Luke’s soul had left his body. Pru didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye. She threw herself at him, weeping. He winced but didn’t open his eyes.

“Luke!” She ran her hands over his chest. There were heartbeats.

“He is unconscious,” the cloud said.

Pru gasped and turned around, positioning herself in front of Luke.

“Do not fear me. I am his counselor, Celestine.”

Should she believe him?

The cloud solidified and took a general appearance of a tall man. “You can see and hear me now because the spirit within Luke has recognized in you a true partner for our hunter, that you will be willing to save him no matter the cost. You will now be able to witness spirits in their true forms. It is a protection for you as Luke’s true Destined One.”

Wow!
Pru thought. “That was too much information.” She paused. “So we can be together? Your people will not have a problem?”

“You can be together in all senses of the word only after he weds you. This way he remains pure which will allow the spirit within to remain with him. Impurity will drive him out of Luke and he will no longer be a spirit hunter.”

When Luke moaned, Celestine said, “I must slip inside him before any wayward spirit attempts to take over him in this weakened state. I think he is coming to.”

His form lost density, hovered in the air, and then shot through Luke’s nostrils. Just then, he opened his eyes and croaked, “Pru!”

Gently, she cradled his bashed face and gazed in his eyes. “How do you feel?”

“Like a whole soccer team just trampled me.” His eyes gained focus and he looked around. “Dammit! They got you.”

“They grabbed me from the hospital, thanks to Jason the bastard. I don’t know what they want from me.”

Luke closed his eyes and swore. “Can you look around for something to break this chain with?”

The room was bare except for the chair he was strapped on, still she searched the dark corners. Maybe someone threw something somewhere sometime ago. When her search turned up nothing she inspected the chains for a weak link. Instead, she encountered a huge padlock secured close to the chair’s right leg.

“Have I told you how gorgeous you are, you even feel—” Luke opened his eyes wide and ran his gaze all over her face.” You’re awake!”

“Took you long enough to figure this out.” She grinned. “And I still remember every moment I spent with you.”

He continued staring at her, all of her. Her green t-shirt and khakis a welcome change from her spirit’s black and violet outfit.

The way he looked at her changed, worry slipped in his swollen eyes. “Did they hurt you?”

She shook her head while her hands still sought any weak links in the chain. “They hardly spoke to me.”

Right then, the door opened. A big, bald, and oddly impassive man filled the frame.

****

As soon as Barney entered the room, Celestine sensed the increased rate of Luke’s heart beats. The hunter called on Lidwien and when he got no reply he stressed his battered body further by bunching his muscles to break the shackles.

Lidwien has traveled to the Laymour for help.

Celestine?
Luke asked in bewilderment.

I am in you to prevent attempts of possession.

As Barney advanced into the room, Pru moved protectively closer to Luke. She planned to defend Luke against that huge man. The thought amused and pleased Celestine simultaneously.

Barney stopped before her and watched Luke’s attempts at freeing himself. He pulled a key from his pocket and dangled it before him. “This is the only thing that can free you, so you better keep what’s left of your energy since no one is helping from inside. Don’t look surprised, your cheek is still bleeding and it looks wonky.”

Help is on the way. Do not despair
, Celestine said. He could never understand human cruelties, because right then Barney swatted Pru out of his way and jammed a thick thumb in the gash on Luke’s cheek. Agony sparked in his ward’s head, and with it Celestine had to resist the temptation to take off some of the load. The room wavered and shook, almost blinked out of sight. Only fear for Pru’s wellbeing tethered Luke to consciousness.

Give me whatever power you have. I can’t let anything happen to her,
Luke said, gritting his teeth in pain.

I am prohibited from serving as the spirit within
.

What’s the use of sustaining my dead body if anything were to happen to her?

“As you can see,” Barney said to Pru as he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, “I have no qualms harming this piece of shit. Killing him will make my day. So, unless you want him dead, you better do what we ask of you.”

I do not understand. Your body is not dead
, Celestine said.

I died the night I was shot. I’m only alive because Lidwien was inside me. One of you is always in.

Pru gulped, the sound audible in the filthy room, the only interruption were Luke’s grunts as he struggled to free himself.

“What do you want?” Pru asked Barney, her gaze, though, was on Luke.

You are alive because you made the decision to become a spirit hunter in time before death claimed you. Lidwien and Naiten joined forces and exerted all their powers to mend your broken neck,
Celestine said in bewilderment
. We cannot resurrect a dead body, you know that.

“Nothing you can’t give,” Barney said to Pru. A glimmer flickered through his lifeless eyes as he added, “Mack will explain everything.”

Pru snatched her arm free and went to Luke. She cradled his face and kissed him on the lips. “Is that why you kept pushing me away? You thought you were dead?” she whispered.

“Very touching,” Barney said, advancing.

Luke lowered his head. “Yes.” He looked up, at Pru. “Wait! You can hear Celestine?”

She nodded and sealed his lips with another kiss. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Her lips twitched as she placed something in his right hand.

Barney made another go for her arm but she anticipated his approach. Pushing against Luke’s knees, she whispered, “Sorry, darling” when he winced. She then lifted both legs and kicked Barney in the face. It only made him stumble a little, his face turning red with anger.

“You bitch.” In retaliation, Barney slapped her across the face hard enough to twirl her until she crashed to the ground, short-winded.

“No!” Luke’s mounting panic was scraping hitched breaths out of him. He sweated as he jerked in his binds again and again to free himself. The movement had relocated the chain, now its links were abrading his cuts, splitting blood vessels. His pain transmuted into an erupting pit of cold rage. It consumed and buried him in an immobilizing chill. He ceased all movement and glowered at Barney.

Barney said, “Now I know how to break you.” He snatched one of Pru’s hands and dragged her on the floor and out of the room.

Celestine heard every thought of Luke’s as they rushed through his head.

I’m Pru’s damnation
.
She’s as good as dead
. He barked a short hysterical laugh then went still. This certainty was breaking him.

Do not give up
, Celestine whispered. He got no response. Luke was sinking fast in a shock of despair, one induced by weakness, blood loss, and helplessness. The future awaiting his Destined One in these criminals’ hands was begrimed. The wrath trapped in Luke’s heart was impossible to dismiss.

She is not dead. To help her, you will need to use the key,
Celestine said.

Luke didn’t respond. Instead, his heartbeat rate spiked, cuts oozed precious blood.

Valuable seconds ticked by. Luke, lost in his shock, grew weaker. Lidwien’s return could take long and he might return alone, without help.

Celestine had watched his wards struggle with their emotions and failures, managing to do the right thing every time, even by taking wrong shortcuts. It was time for him to take a leaf out of his hunters’ book and act. Pru was important for Luke, his better half, his Destined One. Without her, Luke would be an empty shell.

Shunning Laymour rules, Celestine focused on Luke, and used his life force to become one with him, augmenting him from his healthy being. He took away the pain, and sustained his ward’s life. The combination of bleeding injuries and the speed with which Luke’s heart was beating would lead to one ending if Celestine didn’t act as the spirit within. He had no experience in being one, all he knew was that Luke shouldn’t die.

I am healing you. Find the lock and use the key
, Celestine said.

Luke remained fixed like a statue, his eyes never leaving the open door.

Please, Luke. Help me help you.

Luke didn’t react. Celestine was stuck, he wasn’t as powerful as the Domines. His power can either be used externally to mobilize Luke or internally to heal wounds and mend broken bones.

Broken bones!

Celestine exerted more control and focused all his existence on the bone jotting out of Luke’s shin, forcing it back to its place, inside.

The shock of pain made Luke holler, which, as Celestine had planned, snapped him out of the haze. “What are you doing?”

Fixing you. Now work on that lock
, Celestine said. He closed the outer cut and sealed the bone into one piece.

Luke glanced at the key in his hand and then at the padlock. He rocked himself and the chair sideways. The chair careened too much to the right, and if it fell on that side the padlock would be trapped under him. Luckily, Luke adjusted himself and wobbled to the left until he crashed to the ground with a loud thump. He moaned from the pressure on his damaged left wrist. Celestine shifted his attention to the new injury while Luke worked his right hand to disengage the padlock now dangling at a convenient angle by his side. After several failed attempts, he managed to insert the key into the padlock and turned it, his reward was a
click
. The bolt had released.

Even as Luke twisted left and right to wiggle out of the chains, his body was healing, the dislocated kneecap was aligning itself again. The chains clinked on the ground as he freed himself from them and rose on shaky legs.

Celestine healed him as much as he could even though his life force reserve was diminishing, a testament of his weaker being compared to the Domines.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think you’re cut off for this spirit within business,” Luke said.

You will need a weapon
, Celestine said.

Luke gathered the coil of chains by his feet and twisted it on his arm, leaving a portion to dangle free. “I guess this is better than nothing considering our barren surrounding.”

What is the meaning of this?
Lidwien demanded within Celestine’s mind.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Celestine,” Luke called and received no reply. He’d expected as much. Long time ago, he’d figured Lidwien remained silent because he was busy watching out for him. It made sense that Celestine would fall silent now, the wounds were scabbing over already. He left his body in his guide’s hands and took his first step toward killing everyone. No one was allowed to harm Pru, even think of hurting her, and survive it.

His first step brought him down to his knee. He rose—this time being more wary of his fragile state—stumbled to the wall, and leaned on it. He ached all over, loss of blood had left him weakened, his vision blurred, tilting the room. Upon reaching the door, he stepped into a tiled corridor lit by small light bulbs. Animal waste smells permeated the building, stronger now. Unsure of which direction to take, Luke listened at the first door on his right. Hearing nothing, he entered the room. The squarish space looked like a mini operating theater with a gurney in the middle and a tray of surgical tools beside it. Shelves stretched across the walls, holding syringes, bottles filled with liquids, cotton balls, and other medical supplies. Although someone had disinfected the room, it reeked of an underlying stench.

Luke tried the next door and froze upon opening it. Two manacles were hooked into rings in the ceiling, each ended with shackles around Carmen’s hands. The chains held her upright, her red-shot eyes were death glazed, and her distended tongue dangled between split and cut lips. A dislocated jaw, cuts, and bruises were Barney’s handiwork, whereas a bloody stain on what remained of her skirt proved Mack’s involvement.

“Oh, Carmen!” He whispered. Now Luke understood why she hadn’t been to the hospital to convince Carla to keep Pru there, she was busy dying. Guilt consumed him and he slid down the wall, elbows on his knees, hands squeezing his head. Somehow, Barney must’ve seen him visit Carmen. That would be the only possible reason they would kill her after giving her an assignment. If they’d seen Luke leave her apartment, then he was the one who’d killed her.