Mystic Tide (Horse Guardian) Page 9

  “Trust me,” the girl whispered insistently in her ear. “I have an idea. Wait until I tell you to go forward, then ride Talent toward them.” She slid from the gelding’s back. Instantly, the light from the luminous creatures vanished, all except those around Talent’s hooves. Panic stricken, Erin looked back. Where had Angelica gone? The girl was nowhere to be seen. But she wouldn’t just abandon Erin and Talent.

  Would she?

  Nicole felt so light, so alive! What a rush this whole thing had been! Now that it was over, and they had the money, all the problems they’d experienced seemed to melt away. She was rich again! Once more, she was a wealthy, wealthy woman! She could have anything she wanted! Anything! And all they had left to do was walk out of the cave, stroll along the beach pretending to be tourists out for a starlit walk, and then jump in their car and go.

  But, wait. There was one more thing. She had to decide what to do with the girl. Once they were safely away, should she phone the girl’s father? Or not?

  She had to make the right decision. It could mean the difference between a privileged life and prison.

  Erin couldn’t move. The stab of light from the kidnapper’s flashlight grew longer, danced closer, as the seconds passed. Any moment they would walk around the corner and see her and Talent.

  “I’m sorry, Angelica. I can’t do it,” she whispered. She touched Talent’s side in an attempt to turn him.

  “Erin, trust me. I am right here behind you.”

  Erin looked back but could see no one.

  “Remember, I will take care of you.” Angelica’s whisper flowed from the darkness. “Now watch.”

  Erin turned back to face the advancing flashlight beam. So this was when either her courage would win out or she would become a coward, completely. She could hear the scrape of boots on stone. Hear their words. Nicole was telling Robert what they were going to buy with their money. They didn’t know yet that they’d been tricked. Words like condo, and Paris, and sports car floated around the corner, and as Erin heard them, a strange feeling began to spread through her chest and head. White hot anger.

  How could they terrorize her for a sports car? For a condo? For a trip to Paris? How could her safety and freedom be worth so little? Had they even thought of her at all since walking away from the tomb? She could be dead right now for all they knew, and here they were, gloating over non-existent prizes.

  Erin heard a gurgling behind her and looked back. Water was flowing into the cave, dark and swift. Talent’s softly glowing hooves were under the water now and it was climbing rapidly up his forelegs. Then lowering. How odd!

  Look ahead. Angelica’s voice sounded through her mind.

  Erin turned to face forward, and gasped! The ocean water was at Talent’s eye height and rising, a thin tidal wall. Her hand stroked his trembling shoulder. “Don’t be scared, Tallie,” she whispered. “It’s Angelica’s magic.” The horse snorted softly in reply. He already knew.

  The two kidnappers rounded the corner. Erin sat perfectly still as she watched them pick their way through the rocks toward her, laughing, with their eyes on the uneven ground. They hadn’t seen the rising wall of water yet, almost high enough now to hide Erin and Talent.

  Move forward. Angelica’s voice.

  This was it. This was the time to choose. Go toward them? Or run away.

  And suddenly, in her heart Erin knew there was only one choice. She couldn’t run. If she did, she would never be able to stop running. From her kidnappers, because she was a witness. From people who might tease her. From anything that went wrong in her life or anyone who wasn’t kind to her. She would end up running all her life. And she would never become the person she was meant to be.

  The choice finally made, Erin nudged Talent’s sides with her heels. “Let’s go, boy,” she said quietly, her words barely audible. “Let’s get them.”

  Tell them how you feel, when the light flashes. Loudly.

  Despite herself, Erin smiled. Maybe this could even be fun.

  “What’s that?”

  Nicole almost ran into Robert, he stopped so quickly. “What?” she asked, feeling her irritation return immediately. What was wrong now?

  “That noise,” said Robert. “Don’t you hear it?”

  “It’s just water.”

  “But the tide was close to its peak when we came in,” explained Robert. “I checked the tide charts. It shouldn’t be coming into the cave.”

  Nicole flashed her light farther ahead of them. “I see something.” Then the light illuminated… no, it was impossible. She had to be seeing things.

  “It looks like a waterfall,” whispered Robert. “A frozen waterfall. But not really frozen. Just… still.”

  Fear lurched into Nicole’s heart. If Robert saw it too, her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. It had to be real.

  “How do we get past it?” asked Robert, his voice shaking.

  Nicole inhaled sharply when a rock disappeared behind the wall of water. “It’s moving toward us,” she whispered, horror-struck.

  Suddenly, a bright light came from inside the water – and etched in solid darkness in the middle of the flat expanse was a shadow of a girl on a horse.

  “You hurt me!” The speaker sounded as if she were yelling from underwater. Then the light vanished.

  “It’s her!” Robert shrieked. “It’s Erin. She died and now she’s coming to get us.” He stumbled backward. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Erin! Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I should have listened to you. I’m sorry, so very, very sorry!”

  Nicole’s flashlight clattered to the ground, went out, and the sudden darkness was beyond horrible. She couldn’t see where the still waterfall was. Robert was sobbing in the background, begging for forgiveness, and totally useless. Nicole dropped to her hands and knees and felt desperately for the flashlight.

  The bright flash came again and Nicole looked up in horror, to see the wall of water even closer to them. The silhouetted girl and her horse were just yards away.

  “I needed water. Water. Why didn’t you give me more? I’m thirsty,” the girl gargled again. The light extinguished as quickly as it appeared.

  However, Nicole had seen her flashlight in the sudden burst. She grabbed for it, clicked it on, shone it on the advancing wall. It was even closer. How was this happening? She spun around and hurried to Robert’s side. “Get up!” Her voice was shrill with panic. “There has to be another way out of here!”

  Her brother shook his head, his eyes locked on the advancing wall behind her.

  The flash came again, along with the hideous watery voice. “You locked me in a tomb, and night came. You promised I’d be home by dark. Why aren’t I home? Where’s my family? I’m so thirsty!”

  “Come on!” Nicole screamed to Robert, grabbed his arm, and jerked. She knew now what they had to do. They had to run, and run together. She wasn’t about to leave him here to be drowned – or something infinitely worse.

  Erin was as surprised as the kidnappers when the first flash of light came, so the first thing she said was short and simple. However, the effect it had, with Angelica’s powers behind it, was truly amazing. Robert was immediately reduced to a helpless lump.

  By the time the second flash came Erin was better prepared, and by the third flash, she was completely enjoying herself. Finally, she was getting her revenge on her kidnappers! And she didn't even have to be mean to them like they’d been to her. She was merely throwing their own actions back in their faces.

  When Nicole finally got Robert to his feet, grabbed the bag of fake money he’d dropped, and pushed her brother down the passage away from the advancing water wall, Erin almost cheered. She’d seen Robert shake his head when Nicole asked him about another way out of the cave. That meant only one thing. The only way out was back the way they’d come, through the castle where they’d picked up their money. Where the police waited.

  We must hurry. I am losing power.

  “Angelica, are you okay?�
�� Would the girl even hear her?

  Hurry.

  The wall of water picked up speed, moving after Robert and Nicole. Erin encouraged Talent to move faster behind it. If Angelica was losing strength, they did indeed have to hurry.

  “Faster, Tallie.” She could hear Talent’s hooves on the rocks now, not loud but still she could hear them. The light wasn’t muffling his step as it had been. Hopefully it wasn’t far to the castle.

  Talent clattered quickly behind the wall of water. Every now and then Erin caught the sound of voices ahead. The kidnappers were still running. And she couldn’t blame them. Her and Tallie’s shadows darkening the bright wall of water must make a terrifying picture.

  They turned another corner, to see the kidnappers against the far wall of a dead end chamber.

  “Slow the water down, Angelica,” Erin whispered, hoping the girl could hear her. “Slow down, Tallie.” Her fingers stroked his neck and she leaned back slightly, moved her heels away from his side.

  Talent snorted, and in the breathless silence that followed, Angelica’s light flashed again, much less powerful, much softer. And the wall of water was lower. The magic was disappearing. Erin had to make this good.

  “You tried to steal my life,” she moaned, and was very grateful to notice that her voice still sounded watery.

  With spastic movements, Robert began to climb. Erin hadn’t seen the rusty ladder behind them. Her eyes traveled upward. About ten feet up was a trap door. The entrance to the castle!

  Somehow, she needed to scare them up the ladder and into the castle. If they were panicky when they went through the trap door, the police should hear them, and then arrest them.

  And she and Talent would be left here below. Without Angelica’s light. Alone.

  How much longer can I hold the tide in place? How much longer can I keep the glowing? It becomes harder as they move farther from me.

  I am so tired.

  And suddenly, I feel another calling me for help! And here I am – without even the energy to help Erin and Talent for much longer.

  Can you hear me, Tango? I will come to you as soon as I am able.

  If I am able.

  Nicole followed Robert up the first few rungs of the ladder but had to stop when he reached the top. And he was showing no signs of going through the trap door. What was he thinking? That he’d be safe, being the highest on the ladder? That the ghosts and the water would only get her?

  She looked down at the water fearfully. The wall was shortening. And it was glowing softly now. The ghosts were silent. Why? Did they have some horrible trap they were planning to spring?

  And then she saw it – a dark spot in the water wall, which turned to a horse’s nose, and then a blazed face.

  “Were you going to tell them where to find me?” the watery voice asked.

  The entire horse’s head was through now, and now its neck.

  The rider’s pale hands.

  The drenched head. Dark stone eyes stared into Nicole’s as if they could see to the bottom of her soul.

  “You weren’t, were you?” the ghost said.

  “I was. I promise,” stammered Nicole.

  But the ghost could see she was lying. And suddenly it was glowing too! “There are always consequences to our actions,” it said, its voice an underwater scream. Then it reached for Nicole with a white hand. Reached.

  And Nicole lost all control. The duffle bag thudded to the floor of the sea cave, and with jerky, panicked movements, she grabbed Robert’s pant legs and started to climb.

  Erin tried to keep the smile off her face as she watched Nicole literally climb up Robert’s body. It felt wonderful to see this woman, who had terrorized her so completely, lose control. Nicole opened the trapdoor so fast that it fell back against the floor of the abandoned castle with a loud clang, and then she was through and out of sight. Robert was only milliseconds behind her, whispering loudly at her to wait for him.

  With incredible satisfaction, Erin put a hand on each side of her mouth, cupped like a loudspeaker and yelled, “Dad! Dad! The kidnapper’s are in the castle! Dad! Dad! Dad!”

  The trapdoor slammed shut. The kidnappers were trying to shut off her voice. Erin continued to stare upward. Muffled footsteps echoed through the chamber. Then she heard yelling. The sound of a scuffle over her head. Were the kidnappers being taken into custody? Or were they escaping? She waited breathlessly in the semi darkness.

  A sound came from behind her, soft gurgling. Erin spun around on Talent’s back. The water was losing its structure. It was spreading out, splashing across the floor, a knee-deep pond, now that Angelica’s power had released it. Some of it settled in the low spots of the chamber, but most of it ran back along the passageway, flowing out to the sea.

  “Angelica?” The glowing was quickly receding. Erin was totally back to normal, though very wet, and Talent was dark beneath her. “Angelica? Are you there? Can you hear me?”

  No answer. Not even in her head.

  “Angelica! Angelica!” Was she okay? Or was she just too far away to hear Erin’s voice? Or had something happened to her back in the cave?

  Had she drowned?

  There was a rasping noise overhead, and Erin looked up to see the trapdoor open. A flashlight beam illuminated the cave. “Erin, is that you?”

  “Dad!” Erin slid from Talent’s back and splashed as quickly as she could to the ladder. Moments later, her father’s strong, warm arms were around her.

  Erin was only above ground for a couple of minutes before she knew she needed to get back to Talent and Angelica. Now that the kidnappers were caught, she had to find Angelica and help Talent from the sea cave. Quickly, she explained to her dad about Talent in the cave. Angelica, she decided, she would introduce when they found her – if they found her. And if not, she would keep Angelica’s secret as she sworn.

  Her dad was happy to accompany her into the sea cave. In fact, Erin knew there was no way he would let her go alone. He probably wasn’t going to let her out of his sight for a while. They splashed ankle deep in seawater at the bottom of the ladder, and the powerful flashlights they’d gotten from the police officers brightened the interior. The chamber was empty.

  “Tallie?” called Erin. When there was no answering neigh, she looked up at her dad. “He must have already started out,” she said, trying to keep the concern from her voice.

  “Don’t worry, Erin. He couldn’t have gone far in the dark,” her dad reassured her. “We’ll find this miracle horse of yours.”

  “This is the way out. Follow me,” Erin said, and started down the passage to the sea.

  Talent, you have come to save me. I thank you for your tears of love, your beautiful, healing tears.

  My energy is returning. My spark is becoming stronger.

  Talent, another called me while I was helping you and Erin. His name is Tango and he needs me. And so I must go.

  Thank you again, my dear, for saving me. I am so sorry to rush away.

  Until we meet again, fare well.

  Erin tried to answer her dad’s questions as she flashed her light around the cave, looking for Talent and Angelica. She told him how the kidnappers caught her and pinned the note to Talent’s saddle pad, of the hikers they’d passed, and of trekking across the Burren at night.

  She’d just gotten to her attempt to escape the night before, when her flashlight beam illuminated a red horse. “Tallie!” Erin rushed forward. When she reached him, he nickered and lowered his muzzle into her hands.

  “Tallie? Where’s Angelica?” she whispered low enough that her dad couldn’t hear.

  The horse raised his head to nuzzle a high rocky shelf in the cave wall.

  “This is where she stayed above the water?” questioned Erin. “But where is she now?”

  Talent’s ears flicked forward. He was looking behind her now. Her dad was approaching.

  When the man reached the horse, he stood still for a moment and reverently reached out and ran his hand along Talent
’s cheek. Then, with his expression full of emotion, he threw his arms around Talent’s neck. Finally, he turned to Erin and pulled her close. She felt him bend over and kiss the top of her head. A sob broke the silence of the sea cave.

  “I’m okay now, Dad,” she said, and patted his back in an effort to comfort him. “And the kidnappers are caught now. Everything’s okay.”

  “Erin, I am so sorry I wasn’t able to protect you. It’s my job to keep you safe. Please, please, forgive me.”

  Erin didn’t know what to say. None of this had been her dad’s fault. How could he think it was?

  “I let you down yesterday,” her dad continued. “And not only by not protecting you from the kidnappers, but for not being more understanding after Siobhan’s play. I thought that was why you were gone for so long. I thought you needed time away from us all. I didn’t realize you’d been kidnapped. And then we got that note…” He swallowed noisily. “If I’d stopped you from going off, if I’d made us all sit down and have a family conference or something, you never would have been kidnapped. I am so, so sorry!”

  “Dad, listen, it’s not your fault. Not one little bit. Robert and Nicole were waiting for me. If they hadn’t grabbed me yesterday, they would’ve just tried another day. Nicole is a mean sociopath, Dad. She doesn’t care about anyone or anything, except herself, and you certainly didn’t make her that way.”

  He pulled away and looked down at her. “What did you say?”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “The other part.”

  “That Nicole’s a mean sociopath?”

  A tiny smile slipped onto his face. “That’s what I thought you said.” Self-consciously he wiped the tears from his face. “That’s all Sylvie and I need: another psychiatrist in the family. All we’ve been hearing since yesterday afternoon is the psychological profiles of kidnappers. Siobhan was worried sick about you and it was the only thing she could think to do to help. It was enough to drive a person mad.”