Cursed Sight Read online

  Allegra had attempted to draw Les into the conversion once or twice during their meal and after receiving silence in response, she’d decided it was best to let the other woman be.

  Now, Allegra lay in her bed, suffocated by the silence. The building they were housed in was more of a modern villa style, very unlike the embassy pyramid. For some reason, Allegra felt insecure about the location and found herself unable to sleep.

  Something rattled in the living area outside her room and she sat up on the bed, straining to pick out any further sounds.

  She heard it again, a soft scrape that could have been anything, a heel on a tile, or a knife on glass.

  Dressing quickly, she slipped the dagger holster around her waist and got to her feet before tiptoeing to her door. She was just about to open it when everything went crazy.

  People were yelling, and Allegra heard Les scream. From the sound of the footsteps Allegra guessed there were at least half a dozen intruders in the apartment.

  She turned on her heel, desperately scanning the room for a way out but the only window in the room bore shadows of people standing a little too close to the glass. They were about to come in through the window and the door and Allegra wasn’t sure exactly what she was supposed to do. She wasn’t planning on hiding though.

  She moved to the other side of the room, away from both the door and the window, and waited, feeling the weight of the dagger at her hip.

  Allegra didn’t take the dagger in her hand yet. Time seemed to slow as she waited for the door to slam open. Or for the window to shatter.

  Two masked men stormed into the room, flashlights sweeping left and right.

  “Stay where you are,” the first one yelled so loudly that Allegra raised an eyebrow as his gruff voice grated on her ears.

  “I’m not deaf,” she said, remaining still.

  The man ignored her words, just kept his weapon trained on her while his silent partner searched the room, his thin tall frame slipping into the shadows.

  The shadowy intruder got back onto his feet after searching under the bed—what for, Allegra had no clue—and immediately ducked as someone came flying through the window.

  Whoever they were, they were wobbly and unsteady on their feet and clearly had little to no combat skill. The only thing they had was the element of surprise.

  And a good weapon.

  The third intruder—Wobbly—raised his weapon and shot Thin Man, the barrel of the gun shaking dangerously.

  Despite his wild aim Wobbly managed to take Thin Man down, then pointed the weapon at Gruff whose gun was still aimed at Allegra’s chest while his attention remained focused on the barrel of the gun in his face.

  Allegra lunged forward and grabbed the long barrel of the gun. She pulled hard, tipping Gruff sideways, and he stumbled. He’d been concentrating on Wobbly and couldn’t regain his balance in time.

  He hit the ground hard and was turning over to get back up when two shots rang out and he fell back onto the floor, deathly still. In the dark, Allegra couldn’t see any wounds, or any blood for that matter.

  What she could see was the barrel of a gun pointed directly at her face.

  “Drop it,” Wobbly said.

  Allegra let go of the gun and winced as it hit the floor with a clatter.

  “Move,” he motioned with the gun and Allegra was forced to slide past him in the direction of the window.

  As she approached the window sill, Allegra reached for the bracelet Max had given her and pressed the front of the small heart charm. Hopefully the tracking beacon would work and Max would be able to find her where she was taken. Now, she had no choice but to throw a leg over the sill and jump out of the window, especially considering the barrel of the gun pressed into her spine.

  As she landed on the ground she tensed. Wobbly was in the process of climbing out of the window giving her ample opportunity to make a run for it.

  “Don’t even think about it,” came a voice that sent chills up and down Allegra’s spine.

  The sound of Langcourt’s voice sent ice straight into Allegra’s bones, but it didn’t have the effect he’d no doubt been expecting.

  A red rage filled her as memories flooded back, of the pain, of the whips as they hit her back and ripped open her skin.

  She spun on her heel and lashed out at him, blindly reacting to a pent-up fury that surprised even herself.

  Her hand connected with his chin and sent him hard into the wall beside him. His skull made a hollow thunking sound as it hit and bounce off the stone.

  Langcourt let out an angry growl and reached for Allegra. In her peripheral vision, she saw Langcourt's accomplice struggling to get out through the window, the length of his rifle caught on the upper edge of the window frame jamming him in position. Wobbly and useless.

  It would have been funny if Langcourt hadn’t been trying to kill her.

  She swung her arm wide, hitting her wrist downward onto Langcourt’s forearm. As his hand fell she reached out and grabbed his wrist, intending to pull him toward her and knee him in the crotch—a move she’d perfected when she’d first begun her training.

  But the best-laid plans were always made before being broken.

  Allegra’s fingers closed around Langcourt's wrist. And the street, and the two men around her fell away into darkness.

  Chapter 42

  Allegra opened her eyes to find herself lying on an icy stone floor, the right half of her body numb with cold.

  She lifted her head, feeling the tight muscles in her neck complain, but she ignored them. She had to get up, get moving.

  Just her luck that she’d end up having a vision when Langcourt was trying to abduct her.

  She shivered at the memory but thrust it from her mind. She couldn’t deal with that reality right now. There were more important things she had to consider. Like where in Apollo’s name was she?

  Sitting upright she blinked against the shadows, trying to make out the room around her. It appeared little more than a stone cell, although the window was wide and very large.

  Allegra scrambled to her feet, half-crawling-half limping to the window, her heart thudding with the prospect of escape. All she had to do was get out of the building and run as fast as she could.

  She slammed into the ledge, her legs giving way too quickly. And her heart sank as she stared out at a panoramic view of a jungle.

  In the daylight.

  Early morning light seeped in at the horizon and the trilling of birds undulated on the air. She’d been unconscious for too long.

  She prayed the tracking chip in her bracelet had worked and Max had been able to follow Langcourt to the pyramid, wherever in the Qusquan jungle they happened to be.

  Boosting herself onto her stomach she peered over the ledge and let out a soft cry of disappointment. The pyramid was old and huge, and had been left to run into disrepair. Moss and lichen covered the stone while creeping vines wended their way up to the top of the structure, as if intent on swallowing the pyramid whole.

  The room she was in—though not very high up— jutted out slightly, making it clear that escape would be a death-defying act. Something Allegra wasn’t afraid to try.

  From somewhere nearby, somewhere within the jungle below, Allegra heard the cry of a jaguar, a low reverberating roar she felt in her bones.

  She peered below and watched as the large feline—as dark as night, eyes glinting bright gold—paced at the base of the pyramid.

  Great. The guard was a killer predator. Neither bribery nor seduction would work on the animal. Allegra sighed and turned to face the locked door.

  As she closed in on it she was surprised to find her weapon was still strapped to her hip. Her captors must be extremely confident to leave her armed. Or they had no idea she could wield it well enough to defend herself.

  Of course, her dagger was nothing in the face of their guns.

  Before she could decide what to do, the door opened and Langcourt walked inside, his hands behind his
back as he began to pace in front of her.

  “My dear girl. You are certainly more trouble than you are worth.” He smiled, his teeth glinting in the moonlight. “Although, passing out at the most convenient moment certainly helped.”

  Allegra hid a smirk. So he had no idea she’d had a vision. Well, she could work with that. She glared at him, bringing anger to the surface easily when it came to this man. “Thanks to you trying to kill me,” she spat the words at him, her voice filled with venom. “Maybe you should have done the job properly the first time.”

  Langcourt smiled, his expression that of a patient father reprimanding an unruly child. “I’m afraid you are quite mistaken my dear. Neither I nor my employees, are responsible for that unfortunate incident. I was very clear in that you were to be brought to me unharmed.”

  “They didn’t listen, did they?’

  He shrugged. “I will endeavor to find out who is responsible-”

  “I think you know who it was,” Allegra snapped, her voice filled with accusation. She hoped he would be fooled but she couldn’t be sure. Not when she knew now what he was truly capable of.

  “I have a suspicion.”

  “Qhapaq?”

  Langcourt’s eyebrows rose a tiny fraction and then he gave her an innocent look. “I’m afraid I don’t know who this person is?”

  “I am afraid I am not fooled by you,” she shot back. “I know you met the general and I know you’re planning something with him.”

  “Did one of your visions tell you this?” Allegra remained silent, wanting him to come to whatever conclusion his mind took him to. “Well, that’s a pity. Your visions are becoming problematic. It’s a good thing I finally have my hands on you. Now I’m hoping you will no longer be a problem for me.”

  Allegra was about to ask him how he planned on doing that when footsteps in the corridor drew her attention. A cloaked man, his Qullan features clear even beneath his hood, paused on the threshold. “It is time.”

  Langcourt sniffed and straightened as if annoyed at the interruption. Still, he nodded at the man. “I’ll be on my way.” His tone dismissed the man, but moments later the guard still remained in the doorway.

  Langcourt looked at him. “I said-”

  “I was told to wait with you. You are needed immediately.”

  Langcourt huffed but complied, walking toward the door. Over his shoulder he said, “I’ll be back soon. We have much to discuss.”

  “That’s what you think,” mumbled Allegra to herself.

  The door shut behind him with a heavy clunking sound that made Allegra wince. How would she ever get past that? She felt like she was locked inside the money vault of a bank.

  Sighing, she spun on her heel and let out a shriek. Covering her mouth with one hand Allegra froze in position as she stared at the jaguar which now stood on the top of the balcony ledge. The creature watched Allegra, her almond eyes glinting, her black pelt shimmering in the pale moonlight.

  Was this how she would die? Was this the end that Langcourt had in mind for her? It didn’t make sense. From what Allegra knew of the man, he liked to do his own dirty work. And if not, he liked to be there to see the job done. That made Allegra certain that if anything, the jaguar was there to keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn’t escape.

  Jaguar guard dog.

  The great cat moved, her shoulder undulating as she took one more step then jumped off the ledge and onto the floor just inside the window.

  Allegra swallowed hard. Was she going to be jaguar dinner?

  Allegra took a step away and soon found herself backed up against the far wall.

  She wanted to chase the cat away but she wasn’t sure ‘shoo’ would do the job. Instead she remained still, her hand on the hilt of her dagger. As stunningly beautiful as the jaguar was, Allegra had no qualms about using her dagger against the creature in order to prevent an attack. Or in order to save herself from being eaten.

  The jaguar came to a stop in the middle of the room and lifted its head high. Before Allegra could voice her fear, the body of the jaguar began to shimmer. Blue and silver lights glinted across the midnight pelt and then faded away, leaving behind the form of a naked woman.

  A woman Allegra knew all too well.

  “Athena?” Allegra frowned as she stared at Chief Inspector Nostrus, confused but not surprised at the sudden transformation of cat to woman.

  “You’re not surprised?” Athena asked as she reached around her neck to unclasp a narrow silk pouch.

  Allegra shook her head, watching Athena remove something from the pouch; a garment perhaps. “I’ve seen some insane things in the last few months. This wasn’t as bad as some of them.”

  Athena laughed softly and dusted out the folded silk to reveal a black pantsuit. “I’m sure you have had a few strange experiences.” She stepped into the suit and slid the sleeves onto her shoulders. Allegra was impressed at the woman’s ingenuity. “My Lady, I’m sorry if I gave you a fright.”

  “Not scared at all.”

  Athena laughed again. “I have feline hearing, remember?”

  Allegra smiled and pushed off the wall. “Is this a rescue mission?”

  “That it is,” the chief inspector murmured as she studied the cell. “They certainly don’t provide decent accommodation here.”

  Athena headed to the door and tried the handle, but the thick metal wouldn’t budge. She gave it a nod, as if accepting that it was not going to be their escape route.

  Allegra shook her head and headed for the window sill. “So, what are you? A shapeshifter?”

  Athena followed and shook her head. “I am daughter of Itzpapalotl, ancient goddess of creation and death. I can take the form of most warm-blooded animals. But I prefer the jaguar over most others. It makes me feel closest to my mother.”

  “I thought she took the form of a butterfly?” asked Allegra.

  “You know your mythology?”

  Allegra nodded. “Fascinated by it,” she said dryly.

  The demigod smiled. “Yes. My mother takes the form of a butterfly but she is of course partial to jaguar claws. As her child, I get to choose my animal form.” Athena boosted herself up on the ledge and motioned for Allegra to follow. “I can leave here easily enough but you have to climb. I can help you, but you’re going to have to use your strength.”

  Allegra nodded. Rolling her shoulders back she said, “What now?”

  “Now we climb.” Athena pointed at the ledge above their heads. “This balcony extends out of the pyramid itself. We need to get up there in order to walk along the step of the pyramid.”

  “Then we just descend the steps?”

  “Wish it was that easy. We can only go so far until we have to enter the building and look for the internal passages for a way out.”

  “Why can’t we just slide down the side of the pyramid.”

  Athena shook her head. “A few hundred years ago the emperor who owned this pyramid planted a poisonous creeper along the bottom of the structure. Not much chance of getting out that way.”

  “Poisonous to humans only, I presume.” Allegra was concentrating on reaching up for the ledge when she felt Athena grab her by the waist and lift her up.

  Now I was not expecting that.

  She grabbed the ledge and drew herself up, and watched as Athena sprang onto the ledge with the same power and grace she possessed in her jaguar form.

  Athena dusted her hands and beckoned Allegra as she walked along the narrow step of the pyramid. Here the wall was broken every few feet, gouges and dents of varying sizes pockmarked the stone.

  “What happened here?” Allegra asked as she maneuvered across the damaged stone steps.

  “A war. Four centuries ago.” Athena sounded distracted so Allegra remained silent until they came to a gap in the stone. Here the step of the pyramid had been destroyed, leaving an open space too wide to jump easily. Above, the face of the pyramid was smooth making it clear there was no way out that way.

  All
egra was about to turn around and check if the way back was clear when Athena said, “Here, take my hand. I’ll swing you across.”

  “What?”

  “You can’t make the jump under your own steam, but I have the strength to give you a boost. I can swing you across the open space and all you have to do it catch onto the other ledge. Chances are, if we time it well, you can land directly onto the step.”

  Allegra lifted her eyebrows but decided she was better off saying nothing. She shifted closer until she faced Athena, her back to the wide open jungle.

  Athena took her hands, gripping Allegra’s wrists tightly, the way she’d seen gymnasts and aerial performers do.

  “I’m going to drop you over the edge so you hang down. Then I’m going to swing you left and right to get some momentum going. I’ll say ‘on three’ when I feel we have a good speed.”

  Allegra nodded. She knew she was putting her life in Athena’s hands but she also knew she had little choice. Her time was limited and she had to get out of the place before Langcourt returned.

  As Athena lowered her hands, Allegra gripped tight and allowed herself to drop slowly over the edge. Using her biceps she performed a pull-up, then lowered herself to hang straight down.

  Athena nodded and began to swing her left and right, left and right. Allegra kept an eye on the ledge on the opposite side of the chasm, concentrating on the spot she wanted to land on.

  At last Athena swung her almost parallel to the step and said, “On three.” Allegra took a deep breath and held it as the demigod used her knees to push her strength into the throw. Allegra soon found herself flying through the air and aimed her body directly at the step. She was flexible enough and breathed a sigh of relief as she landed and dropped into a short roll before coming up on her feet smoothly.

  When she glanced over at Athena she found the demigod smiling proudly. “You didn’t say you were that limber.”

  Allegra shrugged. “Martial arts from a young age.” What she didn’t mention was her recent bout of training with Mara; which she realized now had been invaluable.