life, but Cade barely noticed. He forced his way through the ranks of the Templars until he reached his former squad mate.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Riley asked, grabbing Cade’s arm and pulling him to a halt.
Cade didn’t even look at him – his attention was entirely focused on Gabrielle – as he said, “Don’t you recognize her? That’s my wife.”
Riley shook his head. “No, it’s not.”
But Cade wasn’t listening. He shook himself free of Riley’s grip and took two steps forward, putting him at the vanguard of the Templar formation and only a few yards away from the woman he’d been raising hell trying to find.
“Gabrielle? Can you hear me?”
She turned and looked down at him from her perch on the railing. At first there was nothing in her eyes – no recognition, no feeling – and he thought she was gone for good, but then her vision seemed to clear and he knew that she could see him, that she knew who he was.
Her next words confirmed it.
“Cade?” she asked, in a voice like that of a lost little girl.
Cade wanted to weep with joy. Not only was she here, but she recognized him as well.
“I’m here, Gabbi! Don’t worry; we’re going to help you.”
He didn’t know how she’d managed to free herself from the Adversary or what on earth she was doing standing on a bridge in the middle of the Connecticut woods, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was here and that she recognized him; it proved she was still Gabrielle Williams. After all she’d suffered through, she was still the woman he’d fallen in love with so many years before.
He glanced over at Riley and was surprised to see that his friend was still standing with his weapon at the ready and watching Gabrielle like a hawk.
“Hey,” Cade said, holding up his hands in a “take-it-easy” gesture. “It’s okay. She’s not a threat to anyone.” He turned and faced the other knights. “It’s okay; you can lower your weapons. I’ve got this.”
But Cade couldn’t have been more wrong.
Gabrielle was staring at the men gathered on the bridge in front of her, as if noticing them for the first time. As Cade looked on, a startling transformation swept over her face.
Her gaze lost its softness, growing hard and focused in a matter of seconds. The gentle smoothness of her features disappeared, replaced with harsh lines and angles as they took on a more predatory appearance. Even the color fled from her eyes, leaving nothing but silvery orbs. In seconds, the woman Cade knew was replaced by a total stranger who stared at him as if he were utterly beneath her contempt.
“Help me?” she said, in a voice that swept across the assembled knights like a cold Arctic wind. “What makes you think I need your help?”
Cade knew that voice. He’d first heard it in his own kitchen on a hot summer night when an inhuman killer had come to call and it had haunted his dreams every night since. It might be speaking through his wife’s lips but it did not belong to his wife.
It was the voice of the Adversary.
And in the next moment it attacked.
What Cade had taken to be a long leather coat was suddenly revealed to be a pair of enormous bat-like wings as they sprang open with the sound of a sail sharply unfurling in the wind and the Adversary launched itself into the air directly at the Templars!
Riley threw himself at Cade, knocking him to the ground ahead of him as the demon swept overhead, raking the air where their heads had been seconds before with fingers that morphed into claws even as it struck.
No, no, no! Cade thought as he pushed himself up on his hands, his head swiveling to take in the scene behind him in the wake of the Adversary’s passing; knowing already what he would see but desperately wishing he was wrong.
He opened his mouth to shout, to order the men behind him to hold their fire, but his cry had barely begun before it was drowned out by the roar of more than a dozen submachine guns
“What the hell are you doing here?” Riley asked, grabbing Cade’s arm and pulling him to a halt.
Cade didn’t even look at him – his attention was entirely focused on Gabrielle – as he said, “Don’t you recognize her? That’s my wife.”
Riley shook his head. “No, it’s not.”
But Cade wasn’t listening. He shook himself free of Riley’s grip and took two steps forward, putting him at the vanguard of the Templar formation and only a few yards away from the woman he’d been raising hell trying to find.
“Gabrielle? Can you hear me?”
She turned and looked down at him from her perch on the railing. At first there was nothing in her eyes – no recognition, no feeling – and he thought she was gone for good, but then her vision seemed to clear and he knew that she could see him, that she knew who he was.
Her next words confirmed it.
“Cade?” she asked, in a voice like that of a lost little girl.
Cade wanted to weep with joy. Not only was she here, but she recognized him as well.
“I’m here, Gabbi! Don’t worry; we’re going to help you.”
He didn’t know how she’d managed to free herself from the Adversary or what on earth she was doing standing on a bridge in the middle of the Connecticut woods, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was here and that she recognized him; it proved she was still Gabrielle Williams. After all she’d suffered through, she was still the woman he’d fallen in love with so many years before.
He glanced over at Riley and was surprised to see that his friend was still standing with his weapon at the ready and watching Gabrielle like a hawk.
“Hey,” Cade said, holding up his hands in a “take-it-easy” gesture. “It’s okay. She’s not a threat to anyone.” He turned and faced the other knights. “It’s okay; you can lower your weapons. I’ve got this.”
But Cade couldn’t have been more wrong.
Gabrielle was staring at the men gathered on the bridge in front of her, as if noticing them for the first time. As Cade looked on, a startling transformation swept over her face.
Her gaze lost its softness, growing hard and focused in a matter of seconds. The gentle smoothness of her features disappeared, replaced with harsh lines and angles as they took on a more predatory appearance. Even the color fled from her eyes, leaving nothing but silvery orbs. In seconds, the woman Cade knew was replaced by a total stranger who stared at him as if he were utterly beneath her contempt.
“Help me?” she said, in a voice that swept across the assembled knights like a cold Arctic wind. “What makes you think I need your help?”
Cade knew that voice. He’d first heard it in his own kitchen on a hot summer night when an inhuman killer had come to call and it had haunted his dreams every night since. It might be speaking through his wife’s lips but it did not belong to his wife.
It was the voice of the Adversary.
And in the next moment it attacked.
What Cade had taken to be a long leather coat was suddenly revealed to be a pair of enormous bat-like wings as they sprang open with the sound of a sail sharply unfurling in the wind and the Adversary launched itself into the air directly at the Templars!
Riley threw himself at Cade, knocking him to the ground ahead of him as the demon swept overhead, raking the air where their heads had been seconds before with fingers that morphed into claws even as it struck.
No, no, no! Cade thought as he pushed himself up on his hands, his head swiveling to take in the scene behind him in the wake of the Adversary’s passing; knowing already what he would see but desperately wishing he was wrong.
He opened his mouth to shout, to order the men behind him to hold their fire, but his cry had barely begun before it was drowned out by the roar of more than a dozen submachine guns
Similar Books
