Shire Bottom Chronicles

Chapter Twenty-Six

Legolas, Parker, and Danny sat in the lobby of Crimson Inc. They had no idea what was going on. For some reason, while they were hanging out at the house playing Call of Duty, they had all felt a sharp pain in their head and the undeniable urge to go to Crimson. The pain seemed to slip away the closer they got.

When they arrived, Icelene had simply told them they had to wait in the lobby for someone to come get them. Clearly, they were the only ones surprised to be here. All they could gather was that something had happened to Cat. People buzzed around, whispering while gesturing toward the men in the lobby.

Any time they attempted to leave, the pain returned. Danny had gotten up to make a snack run, and excruciating pain struck him as he tried to walk out the door. Legolas stretched across a row of chairs to nap. Danny flipped aimlessly through the cable TV stations, trying to find something worth watching. Parker just sat in a chair facing the elevator like a kid waiting for Santa. After four hours of sitting around, Lisa approached them.

"Bane is in his office. I suggest you don't make him wait." Lisa pointed to the elevator. She almost looked nervous as she walked behind them. The walk was eerily quiet; everyone they passed immediately stopped talking to stare at them as though they were on their way to their execution. Danny carefully opened the heavy mahogany door and saw Bane sitting behind his large desk. His face turned bright red as he glared at the boys. Lisa quickly scurried out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Where the fuck were you three tonight?" Bane demanded, standing up and slamming his fist on his desk. The sound caused all three boys to jump.

Suddenly, they heard giggling from behind them. Danny turned around and came face to face with Cat, but she seemed possessed. She glided along the floor as she brushed past Danny, gently scratching her nails across his neck. She looked paler than usual, her eyes pitch black. She wore a skin-tight leather dress that barely covered anything.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Bane shouted.

"Cat she...she sent us home. She said she had it covered and was going to be wi—" Parker started, before Cat's ice-cold tongue licked his neck, causing him to jump. He watched as she wandered toward Legolas. Bane jumped over his desk and grabbed Cat, pulling her away as she attempted to bite into the blonde's neck. Legolas squealed as her teeth grazed his skin, leaving a slight scratch.

"This is your fault!" Bane yelled, dragging Cat with him back to the desk. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"What happened to her?" Danny asked, watching as Cat bit into Bane's hand. The larger man flinched slightly at the unexpected contact, but he didn't move to stop her from licking the bite.

"You failed her. She was attacked by the organization and killed. If I hadn't gotten there when I did, she would have been beyond resurrection. Somehow, the organization got their hands on a new poison that kills angels. If you three had done your goddamn job, they would have never had the chance to get that close," Bane snarled. He waved his hand, and the three men flew backward into the wall. "James had to be recalled from his mission thanks to you dipshits."

The door creaked open and James walked in. He looked exhausted. His expression mirrored the confusion the other boys felt. Legolas realized that the pact they had made to protect Cat bound them all to her fate. If she was injured, they all were hurt. If she died, would they have also perished? They all knew that the pact caused them to be tied to her, but none of them had understood the full extent of the offer. Cat had promised them long lives, lots of money, and of course, the added physical abilities for the small cost of guarding her.

"Cat, are you all right?" James asked, stepping toward her before he noticed something wasn't right. For a moment her eyes flickered between gold and black, finally settling on black. Before Bane could react, she threw herself across the desk toward the redhead. James leaped backward, tripping over Parker, who still lay on the floor, groaning in pain.