Blood Moon's Servant: A Paranormal Thriller Page 4

  Damien elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop looking so paranoid. You’re not the one on the run.”

  Peter took a steadying breath. He had as much a right to be there as Charles did. Maybe if he lay low and tried to stay out of sight, Charles would either miss him entirely or only notice him in passing. He just had to do everything within his power to avoid that explosive scene. He took care to board the plane after Charles and kept his head down and his eyes averted as they inched their way along the narrow, economy aisle.

  Damien checked his boarding pass and nodded to a couple of seats in the row in front of Charles. Peter tensed his jaw and wrenched Damien’s suitcase from his hands. The faster they moved, the less time Charles would have to spot them. Damien gaped as Peter stuffed his suitcase into the overhead with an almighty shove. Charles stared intently down at his phone. Peter nudged Damien into their row and dropped out of sight with an exhalation of relief.

  Her voice sent a shock of recognition jolting through his core. Amy Evans and Zack Donnellson had rushed onto the plane and were marching straight toward him along the now nearly empty aisle. What was this flight? A new take on an old nightmare? Trapped at 35,000 feet with everyone you hoped never to see again? He slid lower in his seat.

  “I can’t believe she made him sign it!” Amy’s strong, clear voice carried from a dozen rows away.

  “It’s just a prenup. It won’t kill them to have a plan in place if things happen to go south.” Zack waved hello to Charles.

  “But they just got married. Should they really be preparing for a divorce?”

  “Look. It was Clarisse’s idea, not mine. I promise that if we ever get married, I won’t make you sign one.”

  “Ha. I doubt I’ll marry you anyway.”

  “Ouch,” Damien snickered.

  Peter shot him a scowl and frantically mouthed, “Shut up!”

  “You wouldn’t be able to turn down the wedding.” Zack chuckled. “Think of all the dancing you’d miss.”

  “Why are you guys late?” Charles said, scolding them like a grumpy grandparent.

  “Zack.” Amy giggled and slipped passed Charles to take the window seat behind Damien. “I thought security was going to kick you off this flight.”

  “And I thought you both had been swallowed by Justin’s wedding,” Charles said as Zack sat next to Amy.

  Peter eavesdropped on their conversation to make sure they were distracted. Then he turned to Damien and muttered out of the corner of his mouth. “Remember why I was arrested? That girl and her boyfriend were two of the people we almost killed.”

  “Holy.” Damien looked horrorstruck for a moment before his eyes lit with glee. “Wait, this is great! They’ll all be so busy staring at you that no one will notice me.”

  Peter put a hand to his face. “Your support is so damn touching.”

  Five

  ZACK HELD HIS breath and struggled not to squirm. He had to pee so bad it actually hurt, but the bathroom was sixteen rows away and their takeoff had stretched on for what felt like forever. Zack clenched his thighs together and willed the plane to accelerate toward the stars. The ground was falling further and further away, the lights of Toronto shrinking into the night. Amy was gazing out the window as if the sprawling city below had a hold of her heart and it was being forcibly ripped from her chest. Zack took her hand and traced his thumb over her knuckles. “She’ll be fine.” Amy nodded but kept her gaze on the fading lights.

  The seatbelt sign went dark with a quiet, calming ping that did nothing to dissuade the painful tension in his bladder. Zack leapt to his feet and squeezed past Charles, pausing only to grin over his shoulder at Amy. “So, you’ll follow in five?”

  “Zack,” she groaned and hid her face in her hand.

  Affection flooded his heart. Amy was adorable, and he loved making her smile. He glanced at the people in the row in front of them and his own smile slipped from his face. The person he loathed more than anyone else in the world was slouched in the middle seat of the very next row. Fury surged through Zack with the speed of a category five hurricane. “What the hell.” He annunciated each word on a separate snarl.

  “Hey,” Peter choked out.

  “Oh my God! Peter!” Amy bounced to her feet with a squeal of delight.

  Zack seethed. “Aren’t you supposed to be behind bars?” Peter and his gang had done their best to murder Amy and her sister. What right did he have to sit there among decent human beings?

  “Calm down.” Peter lowered his voice to a barely audible mumble. “I was released a few hours ago.”

  Amy beamed. “Peter, that’s fantastic! I knew your parole was coming up, but I wasn’t sure when you’d get out.”

  Peter raised a questioning brow. “I thought Susan would have told you. She said you would have come to say goodbye if it weren’t for wedding stuff.”

  Amy gaped. “When did you see Sue?”

  “She dropped by this afternoon.” Peter shifted in his seat. “Can we please stop talking about this?”

  Zack clenched his jaw against a flaming burst of rage. Amy’s little sister had snuck off to visit a gangster. Worse, she had blown off wedding photos to do it.

  Amy slipped past Charles and elbowed her way around Zack. She dropped into the empty seat next to Peter and flashed him a grin. “Catch up time, bro!”

  “Holy!” Peter’s mouth fell open at the sight of her in her dress. “You look⸻” Zack wished it were possible to mentally pry someone’s eyes straight out of their face.

  “Shut up.” Amy punched his arm. “We didn’t have time to change after the wedding. Speaking of which.” She removed her heels. “Much better.”

  Zack threw Peter a furious scowl and headed for the bathroom. They were chatting like besties when he returned to his seat. He gritted his teeth and struggled to keep his silence. How could she sit there and laugh with a recently released ex-con imprisoned for torturing her and her family?

  He shook his head in disgust and shared an irritated look with Charles. He and Peter had history, as well. Peter had made Charles’s life hell during his time with Assassin’s Honor.

  “Can you even believe this?” Zack jerked a hand through his hair.

  “Nope.” Charles scowled at the back of Peter’s seat. “What do you think he’s doing in Vancouver?”

  “My bet’s on child abduction. Maybe a good old-fashioned bank robbery or two.”

  “We can hear you.” Amy turned in her seat to skewer them with a murderous look. “Shut up.”

  Charles smirked. “Somebody’s not gettin’ any tonight.”

  Zack snagged a bag of peanuts from the redheaded flight attendant and crunched into them with an angry chomp. Amy squeezed back into their row after three additional bags had been consumed. She had her lecture ready. “You guys could try being a little nicer. Peter’s been through a lot, and all he wants to do is start over.”

  “No one changes that much, Amy.” Charles kept his voice even, but his shoulders were stiff with tension.

  “Exactly.” Zack slapped a hand onto his armrest, relieved someone agreed with him. “Isn’t it a bit suspicious that he ended up on our flight?”

  Sparks of indignation flew from Amy’s gray eyes. “Flying to Vancouver was Damien’s idea. Peter had no idea we even applied to UBC.”

  Charles raised a questioning brow. “Damien?”

  Amy nodded to the guy sitting in front of her. “They met in prison.”

  Charles’s eyes flew wide. “That’s great! Just what we need. Another inmate on the loose.” His words were tinged with hysteria.

  Again, Zack had to agree with Charles. Amy had befriended a guy who had never been anything but trouble. Peter hadn’t betrayed Assassin’s Honor for Amy and Susan; he had done it to win an early parole. Zack was that much more furious that Peter’s plan had actually worked and absolutely incensed that his girlfriend refused to see through his act. Amy bonding with another ex-con was just the cherry on top of her insanity sundae.

&nbs
p; Zack glanced at Damien and furrowed his brow. He had glimpsed a news warning about an escaped criminal a few days ago. What was his name? Damien Black? No, Damien Brown. Odd coincidence. A gentle presence in his mind brushed his suspicion aside. The photo shown on TV was of a boy in his late teens with shaggy black hair and chocolate brown eyes. This Damien had neatly kept hair and bright emerald green eyes. Plus, the kid on the news had looked younger than Peter’s friend.

  Zack struggled to remember Damien Brown’s crime. The details of the report escaped him. He put a hand to his head and twitched with anger. Even if Damien wasn’t running from the law, he had served time for one crime or another. He was bad news, just like Peter.

  “You never stopped seeing him, did you?” Zack glowered at his girlfriend, aware he was picking a fight but unable to stop himself. Amy acted like she understood the world better than he did because he, Zack, had lived the more sheltered life. But trusting Peter was a catastrophic mistake. Zack would know. He had grown up with the guy.

  “Oh, sure.” Amy clenched her fists. Anger flashed between them so hot he was surprised his eyebrows weren't singed. “I went to visit Peter in prison every week to have thrilling make out sessions in his cell. And the best part was, I knew you’d never find out because you never visit him! Damn it! You foiled my flawless plot.”

  Peter’s friend stifled a laugh and turned it into a coughing fit.

  Charles held up a hand. “Guys, people are staring.”

  “This isn’t over.” Zack got to his feet and squeezed out of their row.

  “Off to the bathroom again?” Amy’s eyes twinkled.

  The corners of his mouth twitched, but he refused to smile as he stormed away. She wasn’t allowed to be funny during a fight. Zack stared at himself in the tiny bathroom mirror and fought to smooth his hostile expression. He had to calm down. His temper never helped him win arguments with Amy. He took a deep, cleansing breath and released it on an angry whoosh. Amy had promised to stop visiting Peter after his trial, and Zack had unflinchingly believed her. But what if she had lied? She and Peter had been chatting like long lost friends, and Amy never opened up like that with people she didn’t know well. Zack leaned against the counter and struggled to think positive thoughts. Amy had been surprised to see Peter. Surprised and pleased. Zack grimaced and shook his head in an effort to dissolve the image of Amy and Peter lip-locking in a dark prison cell.

  He returned to his friends and slipped a placating arm around Amy. It was easiest to pretend she knew best. “Sorry. I’ll let it go.” She pursed her lips in a grumpy scowl. “Come on, babe. We’re moving three thousand kilometers away from our parents. We’re livin’ the dream!” He squeezed her shoulders in a half hug. Some of the rigid annoyance left her posture. Relief crept into his heart. She was beginning to thaw. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”

  “I guess you are an acceptable pillow.” She leaned against him and yawned.

  “Typical.” Charles pointed an accusing finger at her. “Girl steals the window seat and doesn’t even sleep against the wall.”

  Amy smirked and closed her eyes. “Why would I do that when I have Zack’s shoulder? Don’t worry, Charles. He has another one for you.”

  Charles made a face. Zack grinned. Amy was perfect when she wasn’t busy yelling at him.

  He leaned his seat back and closed his eyes. It would be smart to sneak in a nap. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day, what with moving in, finding classes, and dealing with the Jessie mess. The more he thought about tomorrow, the more awake he felt. He plugged his earbuds into the plane’s entertainment center and flipped to the music channel. He mouthed along with the words. “He’s just a poor boy from a poor family.”

  Amy was not falling asleep. Her eyes were open, and her shoulders were shaking with a silent fit of giggles. Zack removed his earbuds and gazed around in confusion. Charles and Peter were cracking up. Peter’s friend looked as bewildered as Zack felt.

  “What?” Zack glanced from face to face.

  “You and Damien.” Amy chortled. “You were giving us a concert. Same song and everything.”

  “Both of you even acted out the guitar solos.” Peter snickered.

  “Oh.” Zack eyed Damien. “What are the odds of that?” He broke into a smile.

  “Right? We would have had to play the exact same song and start it at the exact same time.”

  “You’re both listening to the plane’s music channel.” Amy pointed out Damien’s earbuds with a snort of laughter.

  “Oh.” Zack felt his face grow hot. He was having one of his stupid days. Everything he did or said would be tinged with idiocy until he slept.

  “If I had to choose,” Amy said, “I’d say Damien does a better guitar solo rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.”

  “Uh, thanks.” Damien met her eyes for the briefest of moments and swiftly looked away with his cheeks turning crimson. Zack cringed. He needed to get her out of that dress. Damien risked a glance at her over his shoulder. Zack rolled his eyes. Amy was never allowed to look this hot ever again.

  The rest of the flight was uneventfully boring. The five of them trooped through the airport together and formed a sleepy, jet-lagged cluster by the curb. Summoning a taxi was Vancouver’s only option at 1 A.M.

  “So, you’re going to UBC, too?” Amy gave Damien a friendly smile.

  “Yeah.” He fidgeted with the handle of his suitcase.

  Zack cocked a brow. Damien spoke as if he had a set number of words for the day and lived in fear of using them up. Did he have issues talking to girls, or was he like this around everyone? Zack’s thoughts strayed back to the news report. He pressed his lips together and shoved his worries out an airlock in his mind. Another argument with Amy would endanger the safety of his relationship.

  “Where are you guys staying tonight?” Amy took another stab at conversation.

  “Hotel,” Damien mumbled evasively. His suitcase handle clicked in the silence.

  Zack rolled his eyes at the cloudy night sky. “No kidding. I would have guessed the harbor.” Acidic sarcasm dripped from his every word. Dropping his suspicions didn’t mean he had to like Peter’s shady friend.

  A taxi whirred up. Amy hugged Peter tight before climbing into the back seat. Zack followed her, praying Vancouver was a big enough city that they would never see Peter again.

  Six

  CHARLES BANKS WOKE early in his hotel room and trekked downstairs for a much-needed coffee. He had been hooked on the stuff since he was twelve, and his brain refused to function without its bitter, caffeinated magic. The hotel was offering a continental breakfast in a bright, spacious dining area off the lobby. He collected scones, grapes, and a steaming cup of joe before settling himself at a table by the window.

  He plucked a bulging folder from his backpack and placed it to the right of his plate. Charles had been gathering information on UBC since the moment he had been accepted and wanted to skim it all one final time before their arrival later that morning. Papers slipped from the folder with a gentle but chaotic rustle. Several leaflets and print-outs slid to the floor, and a map of the university’s sprawling campus landed in his lap. Charles quirked a grin. He might as well start by figuring out where to go later that day. Amy and Zack wouldn’t have a clue. His friends relied on him to figure out all the smart stuff, as they called it. Charles smiled and rolled his eyes. What would they do without him? More importantly, where would he be without them?

  Charles had spent his childhood as a social outcast. A violent gang of bullies had controlled his life from elementary school onward. Led by Alex Cardelle, a sociopath who hated his guts, they had beaten up anyone who dared hang out with him. Friendless and alone, Charles had turned to school out of boredom. His excellent grades became something of a legend, and he had been swiftly labeled a nerd. The line between his classmates avoiding him to prevent a beating and his classmates avoiding him because he was the weirdo with no friends grew increasingly blurred. By high school, he was a joke,
a pathetic example of the ultimate loser. Alex and his friends had graduated from schoolyard bullying to full on gang status complete with leather jackets and the badass name, Assassin’s Honor. Charles had still been their favorite target and was seconds away from suicide.

  Zack and Amy had changed everything. They were relentless in their efforts to include him. Zack had dragged him to all the cool parties and stood up for him in front of other jocks. Amy had brought him to work with her and introduced him to pretty girls. Neither friend had taken no for an answer. Both had saved him in more ways than they knew. Alex had made him hate everything about himself. Now he loved his life.

  Charles sipped his coffee, relaxing as its rejuvenating warmth flooded his mind. Alex had had a couple reasons for hating his guts. First and foremost, Alex was one type of supernatural being and Charles was another. Their species had been enemies for centuries and had a long and bloody history. Charles had also stumbled upon several of Alex’s secrets, secrets Alex would kill to keep quiet if necessary. His and Alex’s family feud rivaled Shakespearean legend and put their species’ centuries-old war to shame.

  Alex’s species, the Darks, were the rulers of the supernatural world and held every other super in the upmost contempt. They considered every non-Dark as inferior to them and strutted about enforcing that opinion upon others. Any race with the ability to threaten their reign of terror was oppressed and abused to the brink of extinction. Their hit list included werewolves, angels, and most especially mages, like Charles.

  A Dark’s best asset was their ability to manipulate their way into strategic positions of power. Alex had been particularly gifted at this, snatching command of Assassin’s Honor right out from under their human leader’s nose. How he had managed to turn them all into heartless murderers, Charles would never know.