Medusa's Dagger: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Aya Harris Collection Book 1) (19 page)

“I know.” He stared at the empty chair in Michelle’s room. “But I won’t let them.”

“I don’t know if you can stop them.”

Gideon’s self-assurance was great, but he was running against an organization centuries old, with as many contacts and spies as there were stars in the sky. The only reason they hadn’t hunted me down already was because I was probably small fry compared to their other business.

“They’re scarier than you think,” I whispered. “I’m living on borrowed time here.”

Michelle twitched, her arms flailing, and woke up. She sat up with a start, turning her head wildly from side to side.

“You’re okay.” I stepped into her room. “You’re still at the hospital.”

Her face scrunched up in pain and she took a few deep rasping breaths. “I thought I was in that warehouse again,” she said, taking another calming breath. “I felt so alone.”

“Is there anyone we can call for you?” Gideon followed me into the room. “Maybe Kit’s father? Someone who can come to the hospital and stay with you?”

Michelle’s face darkened. “Kit’s father doesn’t know about his son and he never will.” Her mouth twisted into a grimace and she lowered her eyes to the floor. “He’s a powerful warlock who thinks he can take whatever he wants. The SI didn’t have enough evidence to put him away for rape, so he’s still out there.”

I covered my mouth with my hand. Michelle had already been through so much trauma. Sometimes, the world seemed like such a cruel place.

“Kit’s father is a warlock?” Gideon pulled out his notebook again.

I wanted to yell at him for being so insensitive, but not in front of Michelle.

“Does he have his father’s powers?”

Michelle tilted her head and frowned, lost in thought. “Yes, he’s been doing some amazing things lately. Just last week, he was able to transform his stuffed dog into a real dog. I’d never seen anything like it. He’s been begging for a dog for a year.”

Gideon stood up abruptly and rushed past me into the hall. He didn’t even say goodbye to Michelle. I waved to her and followed him, running to catch up.

“What was that all about?” I asked, pulling on his shoulder. “Why did you run out on her like that?”

He glanced at me and then pushed the button for the elevator. “Up till now, Theo’s been collecting powers that are mostly weak. But that boy’s different. If he drains Kit of his powers, he’ll have the ability to do some terrible things.”

“Like what?”

The elevator dinged and then opened. Two nurses stepped out, leaving it empty.

“Level cities, disappear in a blink of an eye, escape into different dimensions.” Gideon stepped into the elevator. “There’s really no telling. I think I know the warlock she’s talking about – the SI’s been trying to take him down for years, but he’s too powerful.”

I put my foot in the elevator, the doors bouncing off my boot. “What does that have to do with Kit?”

A dark cloud washed over Gideon’s face. “If that little boy has half of his father’s powers and Theo gets ahold of them, thousands of people are going to die.”

Chapter Fifteen

I hopped inside the elevator beside Gideon. He gave me a sideways glance, but pushed the button for the lobby anyway.

“What’s your next move?” I asked.

“Rita just texted me. She’s pretty sure it belongs to the Hampton Inn downtown, but she’s going to confirm. I need to update her on the situation with Kit, and then we’re going to sweep the hotel.” He tapped his foot, huffing when the elevator stopped at the fourth floor to let on an old woman in a wheelchair and her nurse.

I just realized I hadn’t told Gideon about Nicky’s text from earlier today. In all the mess of chasing after Theo, I’d nearly forgotten.

“Nicky texted me before Theo came into the museum,” I told him. “He said he knows where Theo’s staying. I’m sure he’s already at the hotel.”

“That complicates things,” he said. “The last thing we need is two murderers showing up and destroying half the city trying to battle it out. I have to get out there, now” 

“I should go with you.”

If I knew anything about my brother, it was that he wouldn’t give up on hunting Theo down. Putting the SI, Theo, and Nicky in the same place sounded like a dangerous idea.

Part of me wanted Nicky to be caught. He’d broken the law, killed creatures that he had no right to kill. But another part of me wanted him to get out of town before it was too late. He was still my brother, after all. Even if he wanted to kill me.

Gideon waited until the old woman and nurse got off at the second floor, and then pressed the red button to stop the elevator. An alarm went off inside, violently vibrating my eardrums. I pressed my palms over my ears and watched Gideon try to say something to me.

“What did you say?” I yelled.

He grabbed my hands and pulled them off my head. “I said, you’re not coming with me. I’m not putting you in any more danger.”

I frowned at him. “It’s not your choice. My brother’s out there. I need to go with you in case he shows up.”

Gideon sucked in his cheeks and glared at me. “And do what? Get burnt up again? You’re not coming.”

“What do you want me to do? My life here is already ruined. Nicky knows where I am. The HQ is bound to find me soon. I might as well help you nab the bad guy before I have to leave town.”

The idea of starting all over again made me want to throw a toddler sized tantrum right there in the elevator. Making new friends didn’t come easily to me. Steven, Johnny, and Angel had become my family these past few years. Replacing them would be impossible.

I pushed the red button and the alarm immediately turned off, leaving a hollow buzz in my ears. The elevator continued to descend. Pressing my back on the metal wall, I stared stubbornly ahead at the door. He wouldn’t change my mind. I wouldn’t let him.

“How many times do I have to ask you to trust me?”

Gideon’s harsh voice caused me to break my focus and I involuntarily looked at him.

“I’ll help you with Nicky,” he continued. “I’ll protect you from the HQ. But right now, the last thing I need to be thinking about is protecting you.” He narrowed his eyes at me and pinched his lips together. “I need to be thinking about Kit, and the thousands of people that could be hurt once Theo gets his powers. I don’t need you distracting me.”

I fell back a step as the elevator came to a stop. The silver doors slid open, revealing a bustling lobby of doctors and nurses. I didn’t know how I felt about Gideon’s little speech. Somehow, I’d been sucked into this mess. Yet, I’d managed to save both him and Michelle. I was more than just a distraction, but he couldn’t see that.

“Fine,” I said coldly.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.

“No, you made yourself clear. I’ll get out of your way. Go save Kit.”

I walked out into the lobby before he could stop me. A girls’ basketball team in their red and white jerseys had just come in, carrying
Get Well
balloons and yellow daises for an injured teammate. Dodging their slow walking mass, I circled around the lobby.

Gideon yelled my name, but I broke into a run and burst through the sliding glass doors into the parking lot. A taxi was parked on the street which ran along the east side of the hospital. It was available, so I grabbed it and told the taxi driver my apartment address.

Fuming the whole way home, I paid the taxi driver with the cash I’d stuck in my pocket that morning, and slammed the car door behind me. It wasn’t until I was halfway up the stairs to my floor that I realized I didn’t have my keys.

I’d left my purse at the museum this morning when I chased after Theo. After riding to the hospital with Michelle, I’d called Angel and asked her to take care of the museum. The last thing we needed was someone discovering an unmanned museum full of magical items for the taking.

The good thing about living in a crappy cheap apartment was that it wasn’t difficult for me to break the lock with a bobby pin from my hair. I heard the lock click just as Mrs. O’Conner’s door creaked open. Slipping inside, I slammed the door shut behind me and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes.

I’d miss that crazy old woman and her stupid fat cats. I’d miss my little golden mailbox downstairs, and the laundry room with one working dryer. I’d even miss the stain on our linoleum floor that looked an awful lot like blood.

I opened my eyes and went straight to my bedroom. If Nicky and the HQ were both out there looking for me, I had to get out of the city. Maybe go to South America. Somewhere no one knew me.

I’d only need to take the essentials. A few sets of clothing. My checkbook and cash stash. A little bag of my favorite makeup. I threw them all into my suitcase and carried it to the living room. Angel would still be at the museum. I could stop by there and pick up my purse on the way out of town. At least I could see her one last time.

A blue and white book on the kitchen table caught my eye. It was Kit’s baby book. I’d taken it home with me after visiting Limax in the sewers. The slick pages called to me, so I sat down and began to thumb through them.

There was a picture of Kit as a newborn, his skin pink and slick, his mouth wide open with his first cry. He was six pounds and nine ounces at birth. A few pages in was a picture from his first birthday. A little blue cake sat in front of a baby with crazy black hair sticking up at all angles. He had a fistful of the cake in his hand and blue frosting all over his mouth. I laughed and placed the book back on the table.

What was I doing? I couldn’t leave until I knew Kit and Gideon were both safe. Screw Gideon’s warning. He didn’t know Nicky the way I did. I could be useful to him and Agent Silva if they would just let me help. And they were going to let me help whether they liked it or not.

I pushed up from the table and left my suitcase in the middle of the living room. The Hampton Inn was only a few blocks from my apartment. It wouldn’t take long to get there.

Running outside, my heart sank when I saw the lines of cars on the street. It was the lunch hour rush in Arcana. A taxi ride would take twice as long in this kind of traffic. By the time I got to the hotel, the fight could be over. I had to think of something faster.

An emergency ladder on the side of the apartment building caught my eye. Running up to the iron ladder, I jumped and grabbed hold, pulling my body up. I had a crazy idea. If I stopped to think about it, I’d talk myself out of it.

Instead, I climbed to the top of the building and looked out over the city. A straight path to the hotel would have me there in minutes. That was the only route I could take.

I walked a few paces to the middle of the roof and turned. Unfurling my wings, I flapped them three times to warm up. As a child, I’d never been much of a daredevil. Jumping over rooftops wasn’t high on my list of entertainment. So, my maiden voyage would have to be over the rooftops of Arcana at noon.

Running to the edge of the roof, my wings flapped against my back. Combining that with the highest jump I could muster, I sailed to the next roof and landed roughly, skidding to a stop on my knee. It wasn’t bad for a first time, but now a trail of blood soaked into my jeans. I’d have to be more careful on the next run.

Sprinting across the gravel rooftop, I threw myself off the edge and flew to the next roof. This time, I landed more gracefully and continued the momentum to the next. People along the sidewalks ignored me as I progressed toward the hotel.

The city’s enchantment would make me look like nothing more than a large bird to the humans. It made them believe what they wanted to believe – that magic didn’t exist in their mundane lives and all was right in the world.

By the time I landed on the Hampton Inn’s rooftop, I was getting pretty good at scaling the buildings like Spiderman. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had the wind blowing through my hair and under my wings, pushing me higher with every little breeze. My time in Arcana had stifled my harpy side. I’d been so careful about holding in my past that I’d forgotten to stretch my wings once in a while – both physically and metaphorically.

My childlike glee was shattered by the
bang, bang, bang
of gunshots. Either Nicky or Theo had already been spotted. Who knew what waited inside for me?

I sprinted to the rooftop access and tore open the door. The Hampton Inn had five stories of rooms, but I didn’t know in which floor I’d find Gideon. Bursting through the fifth floor door, I skidded to a halt, listening for any sign of them. There was nothing. Returning to the stairwell, I ripped open the door to the fourth and repeated the procedure, listening for signs of life. It wasn’t until I got to the third floor did everything change.

A body was slumped near the opposite end of the hallway. From this distance, I couldn’t tell who it was, so I ran forward with caution. When I was still half a hall away I realized it was Gideon leaning against the wall. I wanted to scream his name, but I pressed my lips closed. If Theo or Nicky were still around, it wouldn’t do to warn them of my presence.

All the doors to the rooms were still shut as I sprinted by. Gideon’s eyes were closed, his face white. I couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive – my head wouldn’t let me debate it until I had the opportunity to feel his pulse. Medusa’s dagger lay in his open hand. I fell to my knees beside him, grabbing his jacket in both my hands.

“Gideon? Are you okay? Talk to me!”

A pulse of power hit me like a ton of bricks, throwing me several yards back down the hallway from where I came. I landed hard on my elbow, cussing aloud when I felt the nerve endings twinge. Another pulse came, making me tumble even further and smack my head on the hard floor.

I blinked at the ceiling, trying to make sense of what just happened. Tiny sparks of color danced in front of my eyes, threatening to overwhelm them. I lifted my head just enough to see Nicky strolling toward me, dressed from head to toe in black.

Chapter Sixteen

Nicky leaned over Gideon’s body and plucked the dagger from his hand. A satisfied smirk pulled on half his face, while his other hand clutched at the pendant around his neck. He straightened up, turning his back to me.