TwistedRevenge (3 page)

“My fight…” Her words trailed off. Why did it have to be her
fight? Why couldn’t she have a normal life, with normal friends, maybe even a
normal boyfriend? Nothing was ever normal. She couldn’t focus on anything.
Nothing he was saying made any sense and the more he talked, the more questions
she had. “Wait, Luc. How long is a lifetime for Ulric? You said he was cursed
by my great-great-grandmother. He’d have to be at least one hundred and fifty
years old or more. That’s impossible.”

Luc looked up at her. The smile he gave her was still
stunning but she could tell he was hiding something. The smile was a mask.
There was sadness in his eyes. He shook his head. “It’s not impossible. Haven’t
you learned anything from what I’ve told you? Nothing is impossible. No one
knows his true age but at best guess, the old wolf is somewhere around two
hundred years old. The curse hasn’t made the wolves immortal, but it extended
their lifespans to such a degree that they might as well be immortal. At two
hundred, Ulric physically shows very few signs of old age. His mental state is
another matter, but physically I think he could go on for another five hundred
years at the very least.”

Her mouth fell open. “I have to fight a
two-hundred-and-something-year-old wolf-man who is out to kill me?”

He nodded but said nothing, obviously letting it all sink
in.

Now I’m going to have to go off and kill a werewolf
,
she quickly reminded herself.
I mean a shifter, who has been murdering my
family for more than a century.
She glanced at Luc who was busy pulling the
cloak out and gathering more weapons from the box.
Can I trust him? No. I
should trust Phillip. I’ve known him all my life. This man is a stranger.
She shook her head in silent protest to the argument going on inside her head.
He’s
the only person who has been honest with me. Phillip was secretive. Luc has
told me the truth. I’ll trust him for now.

“You ready, Red?”

“Yeah, but what all do I need to take?”

“I’ve got your weapons and your cloak. You shouldn’t need
anything else. We’ll have to hunt for food when we get to the forest.”

“But I need my phone and my wallet. I can’t live without my
phone.”

“Darlin’, there’s no cell service where we’re going, but
suit yourself.”

He headed toward the door but she hesitated. Placing her
hand on the door, she turned to face him. He was closer than she had expected,
his toned body pressed against hers. She licked her lips again, mesmerized by
his green eyes. “Is killing Ulric the only reason you’re helping me?”

He flashed a wicked smile, one that made her practically
swoon. She was certain he wasn’t going to answer, but after several seconds of
silence, he leaned in. Letting his whiskered cheek brush against her soft skin,
his lips skimmed her earlobe as he whispered, “Maybe I just hate the thought of
a pretty little thing getting tossed to the wolves.”

Rowan’s legs felt as if they had suddenly turned to jelly. Her
heart pounded. He laughed and opened the door, obviously satisfied with
throwing her for a loop. “Come on now. We need to get there before it gets too
late. We are in for a long night but we should put as much distance between us
and whoever Phillip is working for.”

It took a moment for her to snap out of her daze. She
grabbed her gym bag by the door, thankful it was already filled with most of
her daily necessities and quickly shoved her phone and purse inside it. Tossing
it over her shoulder, she locked her apartment and followed after him into the
cool night air. Doing a quick look around, she knew instantly the souped-up
Harley parked by the curb was his. It fit him. He would look out of place
sitting in a minivan or a town car.

“A motorcycle. Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

Luc grinned. “You didn’t think I’d make you walk all the way
to the Arch, did you?”

“Well yeah, I kinda did.”

“The park is huge. I didn’t want it to take all night. This
will be much quicker.” He stowed the cape and knives in a side bag.

She watched as he threw his leg over the bike and waited for
her to get on behind him. “You can’t ride a motorcycle through the park.” As
soon as she hopped on the back and placed her arms around his waist, the bike
roared to life. The vibration of the engine sent a shiver through her body that
was made more intense by the fact that her chest was pressed against Luc’s
well-toned back.

He glanced back, his smile widening. “Who’s going to stop
me?”

Rowan’s breath hitched. She could have sworn she caught a glimpse
of a fang when he smiled so big.
That can’t be right. My mind is just
playing tricks on me.
It was the best way to rationalize everything
happening to her. Maybe she was just having a bad dream. She held on tight,
burying her face against his back as Luc pulled out into the street. Her hands
unclenched and rested against his stomach. She could feel every ripple of his
six-pack abs. Licking her lips, she held on tighter. The warmth of his body and
the lean, coiled muscles beneath her hands told her this was definitely not a
dream.

* * * * *

They arrived at the Arch in a matter of minutes and true to
Luc’s word, no one had tried to stop them. He parked the bike behind a bush and
held out his hand to help her off. The moment her feet touched the ground, she
felt something flutter in her stomach, energy coursed through her as if she
couldn’t contain her excitement. Luc looked her over from head to toe, sending
a different kind of fluttering through her body, this one accompanied by a rush
of heat that pooled between her legs.

“Everything all right?” he asked as he grabbed the side bag.

“I just feel excited, I guess. Like a kid who’s had too much
sugar.”

He frowned. “I’m guessing your mind is starting to unlock
what you’ve kept hidden for so long. Just take a deep breath and follow me.” He
took her hand and led the way. She expected him to head for one of the
entrances but instead he led her straight for the opening of the Arch. She’d
always felt a pull to this place but this time it was different. Energy coursed
through her and she was suddenly filled with the urge to rush forward. In the
past she’d felt the pull but it was always subdued, this was intense. She was
just about to take another step when Luc pulled her back to his side. A man
stepped out of the shadows and held up his hand. Luc laughed. “Easy there, old
friend. She’s coming with me willingly.”

Rowan’s eyes widened when she finally saw the man. He was
the same person she’d seen in the Hideout with Luc. Up close, she could take in
just what an impressive figure he was. He was dressed in black military
fatigues. His tall frame and lean muscles made him look even more imposing. She
caught a glimpse of a gun tucked into a shoulder holster and a knife on his
belt. He gave her halfhearted smile and then leaned in as Luc clasped him on
the shoulder. The man whispered something and Luc squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks.
We’ll be careful.” He turned his attention back to Rowan and motioned toward
the Arch. “Ready?”

She shook her head. “Do we just walk through?”

“In a nutshell, yes.” He held out the red cloak to her. “Put
this on, you’ll need it when you cross through the gate.”

She didn’t hesitate, slipping the cloak over her shoulders
and fastening it around her neck. He reached over, pulled the hood up over her
head and took her hand again. She started to take a step but stopped. “Um… Is
it going to hurt?”

“Going through the gate?” When she nodded, he laughed around
a smirk and motioned toward the Arch. His tone sounded more like a dare. “I
guess you’ll just have to find out. Come on, you wouldn’t let a little thing
like pain stop you, would you?”

“No, I guess not.” He led her through. There was no pain
involved but she had been too chicken to watch what might happen so she closed
her eyes as she took three steps.

Luc shook her hand. “You can open your eyes, nothing bad has
happened. Look around you.”

Rowan blinked and looked around. She was in the middle of a
forest, a real and proper forest. They stood on a dirt path lined on both sides
with large trees and bushes. She could hear the chatter of creatures in the
thicket. “Who was that man and where are we?”

“That was Alad. He’s a Watcher. He makes sure things don’t
come through the Arch that shouldn’t be seen by humans and that unknowing
humans don’t accidentally come through either. We had an incident a while back.
Some humans got through and some bad things got out, it was a mess.” He grinned
and tilted his head to the side, “And, my dear, we are in the Black Forest.”

She listened to him while still trying to take in her new
surroundings. It’d make sense to have someone at the Arch making sure things
didn’t run amok and it explained why dozens of people didn’t go missing during
tourist season.

The forest was beautiful. The colors of the trees, flowers,
even the sky seemed more vibrant than in St. Louis. “Does everyone enter here?”

“No, the gate takes them where they need to go. For us, it
is here, for others it is wherever they are intended to be.”

“Magic?”

“Yes, Red. Magic.” There was a hint of amusement in his
tone. Instinctively she weaved her fingers with his and looked down at their
entwined hands. Where her black hoodie sleeves should be, she saw white ruffles
of lacy fabric. “What the—”

Luc snickered. “I told you modern stuff wouldn’t work here,
that includes clothes.” He pointed to his clothes, the trendy dark jeans had
been replaced with leather pants, riding boots and his chest that had once been
encased in a tight black t-shirt and a leather jacket was now covered with a
thick, black wool sweater, though his bag hadn’t changed. Rowan blinked and
looked down at herself. Her gym bag was now made of canvas. No longer was she
wearing jeans, a tank top and her favorite hoodie. She gasped at the sight of
the dress she now wore—dark red with white lace trim. The only things that
remained the same were her knee-high, black leather boots. She could barely
breathe as the corset squeezed every breath from her lungs. “A dress? Really?”

He shook his head. “When you come and go from the gate, you
will maintain the last clothes you wore when you entered, since you have never
been here as an adult, the gate chose something fitting for your station and
gender. Sorry, it’s not as progressive on this side as it is in the human
realm.” He gave her arm a little tug as he started down the path. “Tonight we
need shelter. There is an inn not far from here. We are on the edge of the
woods.”

“You mean a hotel?”

He laughed. “No, I mean an inn. It’s called the Rotten Apple
Inn. It has a pretty rough reputation but it’s the only place near here where
we will be able to get a decent night’s rest in an actual bed.”

She smiled bigger, knowing she shouldn’t like the way that
sounded coming from him. He was a stranger to her, but he did have a charming way
about him. In the end, she could think of worse people to be holed up with in a
room.

* * * * *

A young man stepped out of the bushes and cleared his throat
to get Piper’s attention. “She isn’t alone, sir.”

He watched as the blonde woman took hold of Luc’s hand and
stepped through the Arch. She looked just like her mother—fair skinned, blue
eyes and a petite little body that was deceptively strong and fast. Piper
curled his nose in disgust. “I can see that, Aengus. We will have to finish
this job on the other side of the Arch.”

“Should we alert the Big Bad Wolf as to who is guiding her?”

“No. It was always my plan to have him show up. According to
the witch, those two are destined to be together. I need him as part of the
plan for it all to work, but I also knew Ulric was arrogant enough to not heed
my warning.” He pulled out his flute and Aengus’ eyes widened. “Don’t worry, I
have nothing more in store for you tonight, my solider, but a disguise is
needed for this journey.” He put the flute to his lips and played a haunting
tune. Winds whipped around him, sending his blond hair dancing in the breeze.
In a flash of light, his lean muscular body was transformed to a hulking,
bulked-up figure. His blond hair was now shoulder length and brown. Light
stubble dusted his jawline and his once-soft hands were calloused and rough.

“Shall I accompany you?”

Piper shook his head. “Return to the others and prepare
them. Our army needs to be ready for the attack when the time is right. I will
see that the plan stays on course but I need to work alone on this one.”

“Very well, sir. Good luck.” Aengus bowed deeply and ran off
toward the Arch, disappearing instantly.

Piper grinned. “I don’t need luck. This is my destiny.” He
couldn’t help but gloat to himself. All his plans were falling into place. The
witch who had owed him for him luring two small children to her cottage had
paid him twofold. First, she had enchanted his already magical flute. Now he
could not only lure anyone he chose to follow him but he could also use it to
scry, spy, hypnotize and even change his form. Secondly, she read her runes for
him, laying out what could be if he could manage to put all of the pieces
together. Everyone in the kingdoms on the other side of the Arch discarded him
as soon as he’d done their dirty work. Most of them had even skipped on payment
until he’d taken to kidnapping the children from those who refused to pay him.

Everyone assumed he’d lured those children to their deaths
but in fact, he had kept them alive. Even before the witch had told him his
destiny, he had been planning to use the children in some way or another
against their parents. Once her vision was laid out, he knew beyond a shadow of
a doubt that he’d been right. He had raised the children, training them in
combat. They were his army, his legion of disposable soldiers. Granted
immortality thanks to a potion brewed by the witch, the only thing that could
kill them was beheading or the death of the Pied Piper himself. If he lost some
of them in battle it wouldn’t matter because they meant nothing to him. The
only thing that mattered to him was revenge and first thing he was setting his
sights on was the territory of the Big Bad Wolf. The pack lands encompassed all
of the Black Forest and bordered the Kingdom of the Beast to the west. Farther
past that were the lands of the witch holding Rapunzel, Prince Phillip’s lands
to the northeast and Prince Charming’s lands to the northwest. The south was
shared between Maleficent in the southwest ruling the lands of the Princess
Snow White and in the southeast, the deserts of sand and sun and home of the D’jinn.
It was the prime hub to start his invasions, his subterfuge and his eventual
power grab that would have all of his enemies bowing before him.