OLIVIA…
My back burned fiercely. Landing on the floor, having Jim run with me, and then his wild driving had ripped some of Winifred’s bandaging loose. I could feel something tickling down my lower back. It was only a matter of time before Jim noticed the scent of my blood.
“Blake’s people tried to attack the hotel, but Mom stopped them,” he said.
“Was anyone hurt? Are all the Judgments okay?”
“Gabby, Mom, and Michelle are fine. Isabelle and Bethi are still on the mountain.”
He paused for a moment.
“According to Gabby, the Urbat were in clusters to the north before the attack. Now the Urbat are moving south. Isabelle and Bethi will need to go through a cluster before they’re in the clear. Gabby also thinks Blake’s flying into Salt Lake City.”
I exhaled slowly and focused on Blake’s location. That feeling of close, yet still far away, now made more sense. As soon as his plane started to descend, I’d feel his presence grow stronger.
“The rest of our group’s heading to the national park that Michelle saw in her dreams.”
“Is it getting dark out, yet?” I asked. We’d eaten breakfast and those pastries, but I wasn’t sure if that had been a snack or lunch and if the restaurant would have counted as dinner.
“Yes, the sun’s just starting to set.”
“Ask Michelle if it was day or night in her images.”
The noise of the tires filled the car in his silence.
“Day. She said the sun looked like it was right overhead in most of the images.”
I felt a bit of relief at knowing we still had more time. I wasn’t yet ready.
Jim inhaled deeply.
“You’re bleeding.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” The car started to slow.
“Don’t stop, Jim. We need to get as close as possible to that park. I’ll be fine until then.”
“I’ll just stop to get—”
“You will die, they will take me back, and the Judgement will fail. We cannot stop.”
He was quiet for a moment.
“We have four hours until we reach the park.”
“Look for somewhere for us to stay when we’re an hour away. Make sure we’re not close to the rest of our group.” I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, not that it did any good. The Others continued to swirl around, filling my vision with the passing cars, passing trees, and the man beside me.
Have courage, daughter. You will not be alone.
No, I wouldn’t. But I didn’t want to think about that. I focused on today and my time with Jim. In my mind, I could still see the shops and the people he’d described. If I concentrated, I could recall the taste of the pastries and the way his husky voice had made my insides flutter. The attention and consideration he’d given me would never fade.
“Thank you for today and the memories,” I said.
“Just the first of many. I’m sorry you were hurt again.”
Those words made me ache to tell him the truth. That this would be the end of my fun days. That this wouldn’t be the last hurt I would suffer before we completed the Judgement.
Instead, I concentrated on the sound of the tires and Blake’s increasing nearness and anger, neither of which worried me any longer. The end was near, and he knew it. He still wanted the Judgements under his control. Now, instead of catching us like he’d hoped, we’d scattered.
Blake was growing desperate, too. More dangerous. It was time to control him like he’d tried to control the rest of us. I knew what to do and glanced toward Jim. The Others moved around him, only giving his shape a general outline.
How would he react to what was coming? To what I would soon ask of him?
Noticing my attention, Jim reached over and held my hand. The feel of his thumb smoothing over my skin gave me a measure of peace. I treasured each quiet moment as the tires slowly covered the miles to our destination.
As soon as I felt Blake grow closer, I released Jim’s hand and dialed Blake’s number. It immediately went to voice mail. On the second try, he picked up.
“Olivia.”
“Hello, Father.” I clasped Jim’s hand again.
“Where are you?”
“South of you, as you know. Michelle’s visions show that we’ll meet tomorrow at noon in the Canyonlands National Park.”
“That no longer matters.”
I laughed, ignoring the anger filling my mind.
“Of course it matters. I’m not with the others, Father. They know when and where to show. Without them, without me, there will be no Judgement.”
He growled.
“Then I’ll settle for you,” he said with soft menace.
“No, you won’t. You’ll wait and meet all of us there. Gabby is watching. If you or any other Urbat gets close to me, I’ll—”
This time he laughed.
“You’ll do nothing. You’re useless and blind.”
I exhaled slowly, knowing it was time to prove just how smart and useful I could be. Heart hammering, I turned my hand in Jim’s and lifted his hand to my breast. He jerked and turned his head toward me.
“I do have a use, Father. A use you’ve been saving for yourself.”
Jim growled, his fingers twitching around my breast. I let myself feel. Not just his hot palm covering my bare breast through my sweater, but the flutter of anticipation he created in my stomach and the sudden jolt of desire that crept lower because of his touch.
Blake roared in my ear.
“What are you doing? Who is with you?”
Jim tried to remove his hand, and his thumb brushed over my nipple. I shivered and held his hand in place.
“A male willing to take everything you think you own,” I said, slightly breathless.
“You Claimed me,” Blake yelled. “You’re mine.”
“We both know a Claim wouldn’t stop me from having sex with someone else. You’ll just experience every moment of another male taking what belongs to you. Stay away, and so will he. Make a move in our direction, and he’ll have me on my back before you can howl.”
I hung up the phone, released Jim’s hand, and set the phone on the seat between us. It immediately began ringing, but I ignored it and the guilt that wanted to surge forward as I watched Jim’s shape.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. Blake’s anger still boiled in my mind. “Tell Gabby she’ll need to watch the Urbat. If any start moving toward us, she should let you know.”
Jim rubbed his chest.
“You know, we’d be safer if you just broke your Claim with Blake,” he said, his voice rough and with an angry edge.
I shook my head, thinking of the next twenty-four hours and what lay ahead. Fear threaded its way through my heart.
“No. I can’t. No matter what, I can’t release my hold on him. With it, he’s the one under our control.”
“Is that really the reason? Without it, he can’t find you.”
“Please, trust me,” I said. “This is the safest way.”
He didn’t say anything more, and I wondered what he thought about the threat I’d just delivered to Blake. Would the pull be enough to gain Jim’s willingness to help me, or had I just lost any hope of having his support?