Bitterness tinged those last three words, and Jodie winced. Sorrow overwhelmed her, for this poor spirit, for herself, for every woman who’d suffered throughout time.
“I won’t be the last.” The reply came out more like a croak so she cleared her throat and straightened her stance, allowing a forceful aura to surround her, yet still maintaining some empathy in her tone. “If you don’t return with me tonight, they’ll send others. There is a natural order to our lives and our deaths, Amanda. Trust me. I know firsthand what happens when you screw up that natural order.”
“I don’t give a blessed damn about your natural order.
All I want is to be left alone.”
“But don’t you see?
” Jodie spread her hands in supplication. “You won’t be left alone. Your time has come to move on. You’re about to experience a new life, and I promise you it will be better this time around.”
She prayed she’d be able to keep that promise. Honestly she didn’t know if the widow’s next life would be better or worse. All she had to go on was her own experiences. In reviewing her past lives, Jodie realized all of them had contained heart-breaking moments, but the promise of joy had at last been hers in this
final life. Until she’d screwed up.
What had Sherman said in that first meeting? Something about how he’d watched her suffer
? That her marriage to Gabe was to have been her reward for all those years of pain? Would a redeemed Fury be rewarded?
Assuming of course, Jodie could use her powers of persuasion to redeem this poor lost soul.
A long shot, but…
The laser beam eyes dimmed to harmless hazel.
A small thrill ran through Jodie, but she kept a lid on her brewing excitement. Apparently, she’d begun to reach some vulnerability in Amanda. But she still had miles to go before she could claim victory. “You deserved better in your last life.” Sympathy softened her words to a whisper.
“Damned right I did.”
The shaky emotion disappeared from her tone, making the statement more fact than supposition.
“
Things can be different for you in a new life. You wouldn’t have to marry if you don’t want to. And believe it or not, you just might find you want to. Times have changed and so have men and women. The men of your current lifetime didn’t appreciate a strong, smart, accomplished woman the way they did in my current lifetime. Who knows what wondrous adventures await us in a future life?”
“No one appreci
—” Her reply stopped in mid-syllable. After a long pause, her silhouette crept across the floor, the black outline edging closer to where Jodie waited. “Wait! Are you saying that in a new life I wouldn’t be under some man’s rule?”
“I’m saying you’ll have another chance, Amanda, to do your life differently. In another time, another place. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Aye.” When the widow stepped into the dim alcove, confirming her reply with a hesitant nod, she no longer resembled Medusa. The harsh lines etched in her forehead and around her lips smoothed away, leaving a face soft as a rose petal.
Easy now. Nice and gentle. Let’s get the hook firmly set before
we reel this fish in.
“You might fall in love and find the heaven on Earth you should have experienced
with your husband.” The widow’s eyes clouded, and Jodie added a hasty, “If you want to fall in love, of course. You might prefer to remain alone.”
“I’d have that choice?”
“Of course. Women have made some great strides in equal rights while you’ve spent your time locked in this lighthouse.”
The widow’s brow pleated. “Equal rights?”
“Mmm-hmm. These days, under the law, women have all the same rights as men. Education, career, the right to vote… It’s all our choice now. And who knows what will be possible when you reach adulthood in a new life, a new time? Would you like to find out?”
The years flew from Amanda’s visage. In an instant she appeared as she must have looked in the prime of life. The rage evaporated, leaving a gentle woman where the wretched Fury had once stood.
Jodie waited, allowing the widow time to weigh the choices presented to her.
“Yes,” she said at last. “I think I would like to see this new world. What do I have to do?”
On a sigh of relief, Jodie stretched out her arm. “Take my hand.”
And then all hell broke loose.
Chapter 1
5
When Luc landed inside the cramped circular tower of the lighthouse with the bounty hunters, he discerned nothing but shadows. Still, the smell of fear, sharp and acrid, spiked the air, alerting him to sinister business unfolding in the dark. Enhancing his visual sense, he beheld a scene far worse than he’d imagined. Jodie slumped against the stone wall. Her golden aura pooled over the dank cement floor.
Panic swirled inside him
as he pushed his way through the crowd. He dashed forward but stopped short when a hideous creature flew out from the stone crevices, blocking Jodie behind nightshade wings. The Fury’s mouth opened, showing glistening fangs dripping silver saliva. While he stared her down, a strange sensation of bruising fingers gripped his arms. As if he’d become a bobblehead, his head snapped back and forth so hard his teeth rattled. Foul, rum-soaked breath blew in his face and from deep inside his soul, a woman’s scream echoed.
This
woman’s scream. Her husband had abused her brutally. While the monster she’d become loomed over him, Luc remained rooted to the spot feeling every beating, every rape, every insult hurled her way as if he’d lived them all himself.
“Luc.” Sean Martino crept up beside him, snapping him back to reality.
Jodie. He had to get to Jodie.
Shit. How the hell could he
pull her away from this monster? Had she seen him here before the Fury enveloped her? Did she know her rescue was at hand? “Jodieeeee!”
In reply to his shout, a
hellish roar erupted from the Fury’s throat. Before the last shrill syllable faded, a horde of huge black birds descended from above. With raucous caws they encircled Jodie and the Fury like a tornado, swallowing the two women in a screaming ebony vortex.
On mumbles of shock, the other bounty hunters stepped back, leaving Luc
and Martino alone near the swirling tirade.
“Goddamit!” He’d need a flaming sword to cut through the swath of ravens.
“Talk to her, Luc.” Sean prompted, so close to the raging storm, the breeze ruffled his blond hair. “See if you can reach her.”
Luc
shoved his fingers through his hair to wake up. For Chrissake, he had to get a grip on his roiling emotions. He should have remembered that crazy psychic link before Sean’s advice reminded him. Focusing his gaze on the center of the tumultuous circle, he bored a visual hole between the flapping wings and squawking beaks, aiming for Jodie, who, no doubt, huddled inside, terrified.
Jodie? Can you hear me, babe?
Luc?
Over the din, Jodie’s surprise echoed inside him.
Dammit, Luc, what are you doing here?
Hang on!
He shot upward, rising above the cyclone, frantically seeking an avenue to reach her. The circle of ravens tightened, barring him from seeing so much as a single hair on her head. Goddamn birds.
Just hang on, Jodie.
We’ll get you out of this.
Get me out of what? What the hell is going on?
Christ. Hope plummeted. How could she be so totally oblivious to the danger surrounding her? Unless…
Oh, shit. His insides churned into wet gelatin. What if the Fury had found a way to connect to her thought processes
—to coerce her into meek submission via the same sensory link he now attempted to use? In fact, how could he be certain Jodie was the one speaking to him? What if the Fury was manipulating the chaos she’d wrought to bring about the destruction of all the Afterlife’s bounty hunters? His ions careened around the idea, like scattered pinballs bouncing against flippers and sidewalls, ringing bells and flashing lights of alarm.
Slowly, carefully, inch by inch, he
descended. Reclaiming his place beside Sean, he focused on piercing the fog clouding Jodie’s mind.
You’ve tackled with a Fury, babe. Hang in there and we’ll get you out safe and sound, okay? Just stay calm.
I
am
calm,
she retorted.
More so than you, I might add. In fact, you should probably get out of here before you hurt yourself.
A
definite warning there. His supposition about the speaker’s true identity solidified to almost fact. He would have expected Jodie to be traumatized or outright terrified by this experience. But she sounded more pissed than frightened.
Wow. Nothing gets by you, huh, Luc? You’re damn right I’m
pissed.
Beside him, Sean shifted his weight. The other hunters followed suit, prepared to attack the moment Luc gave the
order. Knowing they couldn’t understand his hesitancy to engage, Luc held up an index finger to signal a pause before continuing his struggle to reach the real Jodie.
What’s got you so pissed?
he asked.
You and your clumsy frat brothers have upset poor Amanda.
Who’s Amanda?
Um, hell-o?
The woman I came here to retrieve…?
You mean the woman who’s currently holding you prisoner?
Her tongue cluck echoed in his head like the snick of an opened door.
She’s not holding me prisoner. She’s terrified and she’s closing in her ranks for protection.
Luc blinked
. Once. Twice. All this time, he’d been speaking to Jodie? The real Jodie?
Of course you’
re speaking to me. Who did you think you were speaking to? Joan of Arc?
Yep. That was definitely Jodie.
Okay, wait. Let me get this straight. This Amanda has beaten you to a pulp and surrounded you with her minions of darkness. But you’re worried
we
might have
scared
her
in our rush to get you out of here?
Jodie actually laughed.
She didn’t beat me to a pulp. It was a silly misunderstanding. All straightened out now. At least, I had the situation straightened out until you and your gang of idiots crashed the party. Who are these guys anyway?
Bounty hunters. The Board put out an alert for you.
Why would they do that?
Because you were in danger!
I was?
The excitement in her tone tap danced over his annoyance button and prickled the hairs on his nape. And the damned squawking birds only added to his frustration.
Furies are dangerous, Jodie. I warned you about them.
Well…
Amanda might have been a little dangerous at first. And God knows your arrival with the cavalry here didn’t exactly put her any more at ease. But really, I have things under control. Now if you’ll just go back home, I’ll follow with Amanda once she’s calmed down again.
Like hell!
“None of us are leaving here until the Fury is tied down and ready for transport.” He spoke the threat aloud, intending everyone in the tower to hear.
“
Oh, for God’s sake!” Jodie responded in kind. “She doesn’t need to be tied down. She’s not dangerous anymore. She just needs you guys to go away and leave us alone.”
“
Forget it, babe. We do this together or we stand here for eternity.” In one swell, the other hunters stepped forward, straight, solid, ready for battle.
Her sigh whispered through him like a spring breeze.
Fine. Stubborn ass.
You
can stay. But tell your pals to back off.
No.
Amanda’s not going to stop the damn raven circle until she no longer feels threatened. Send your friends home, and I’ll try to assure her you’re harmless.
Indecision stirred, and he cast a glance at Sean, who set his jaw. A clear message of “Whatever’s going on, pal, I’ve got your back,” communicated from his eyes.
Luc returned his focus to the swirling circle.
Two of us are staying.
Yeah, okay. That sounds like a fair fight. Two big, strong, strapping men against a pair of women. Don’t worry, Luc. We’ll try not to hurt you.
A woman’s laughter erupted from inside the circle, loud and mocking.
Turning to the dozens of bounty hunters looming behind him, Luc waved them away. “Sean, you stay. The rest of you, go back.”
A cascade of stars twinkled, and then disappeared, leaving Luc and Sean the sole occupants on the outside of the spinning raven circle.
Okay, Jodie. I held up my half of the deal. Your turn.
He waited, breath held, fists at the ready in case he had to punch his way through the black storm. Finally, one at a time, the birds flew upward, a One Way arrow pointed to the top of the steel circular staircase.
While he watched their retreat, a sharp elbow caught him directly under the ribs. “Is that her?” Sean pointed to where the two women stood. “That’s Jodie, Jodie Devlin?”
“Yeah.” The single syllable left his lips in a shocked hush.
She looked like hell. The scars from her earthly life, those burn marks that she’d always worn so proudly, now paled in comparison to the new ripples raking her face. Four straight lines: angry, red welts resembled the scratches of a set of fingers. Her hair tangled around her head and snarled at her shoulders. Oozing cuts crisscrossed her arms. Bruises, already turning purple, swelled the flesh of her cheeks and littered the bared shoulder peeking from her torn collar. She was missing a boot. And yet, despite her disheveled appearance, she had the balls to grin as if she’d just ridden an amusement park’s Tilt-a-Whirl.
“See you at the Welcome Level.” After
a quick wink at Luc, she turned to grab hold of the Fury’s claw, interlacing her fingers around the talons. “Ready, Amanda?”
Within the blink of an eye, the Fury became a pinch-faced woman in black. Definitely a lot less threatening, she looked as if she’d stepped out of a nineteenth-century portrait. The wings, claws and fangs had disappeared.
At the widow’s nod, a burst of stars soared upward. The two women floated up and out of the lighthouse.
From beside him, Sean emitted a long burst of air. “I see what you mean,” he murmured. “She definitely has a certain charm about her.”
“She’s out of her freakin’ mind,” Luc grumbled as he prepared to follow her. “Let’s go.”