Stephan already had a dozen women willing to surrogate their first generation. Hundreds of his Ana’s eggs were safe, just waiting for his seed. And the best part? Her body would never suffer the ravages of childbirth. It would stay perfect and tight, just for him.
“But sir—”
“I said we start tonight!” Penn’s shrill scream echoed off the stone walls.
The men behind them froze.
“Yes, sir,” Stephan muttered. He glanced over his shoulder, and the others scrambled down the hall and through various doors.
Penn placed his hand over his heart, his mind whirring with a million thoughts. “She’s close to breaking. I feel it.”
Stephan hesitated. “Would you like to go in?”
Penn shook his head. “I cannot bear to be in there without her. This will be the first room we visit after we consummate our marriage. I look forward to reminding her this is the consequence of defiance.” His eyes glittered as he smiled. “Her pain ... Father was right. A good woman must be strong but also know her place. Just like Mother. She proved she wasn’t weak when she left Father, but once he found her and she submitted completely, only then was she truly happy. My Ana will be the same.”
Stephan swallowed and kept his expression neutral. “Yes, sir.”
Penn glanced back and did a double take, his eyes narrowing at a spot across the room. “What’s this?”
Stephan backed up. “What’s what?”
“That?” Penn pointed across the room. “Has someone been in here?”
“No, sir.”
Penn charged through the threshold, past the shackles and bucket. “Then explain this!”
Stephan cautiously walked a few steps in far enough to see the clean streaks running across the grimy etchings on the wall.
“Someone has touched the markings that she made. Actually touched them!” Penn’s voice rose to a hysterical pitch. “I’ll gut them where they stand!” he shrieked, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for the culprit.
“Sir,” Stephan’s voice grew strangely calm. “I assure you. No one has been here since last week, and even then, I personally guarded this room and the extraction room when the team was securing the area for your arrival.”
“The extraction room?” Penn’s voice fell to a whisper as he made his way toward the door, his steps speeding to a full run. He took the stairs three at a time, bolted across the foyer and ran up to the second floor, knocking a few men out of the way. Bursting through the door, he froze. His eyes darted around the plastic-lined room, cataloging every detail, searching for evidence that someone had defiled this sacred chamber.
And then he saw it. The place where his Ana’s shorts should have been. He’d removed them himself while she was still weak from the drugs they were forced to use. It had been a special time for them. Him learning the soft curves of her body while he shackled her to the examining table. The injuries she’d inflicted on several guards left her clothes filthy, but Penn didn’t want them cleaned. He kept them there as a reminder that she had fought valiantly and lost.
And now they were gone. They should still be here. He left everything exactly as it was the night they extracted his future children from her body. Fury marred his face. He’d planned on renovating the place, making this a nursery for their first generation. A room full of symbolism—worthy of their future heirs.
“They know,” he whispered. “They’ve been here.”
“The Scythians?” Stephan’s voice rose.
Penn’s first instinct was to burn the castle to ash. He hated that someone had come in and defiled this sacred room. This was the first place his Ana learned of her future. He’d dreamed of a time when she would find her way back here. To her home. To him.
That thought cooled his temper while heating his passion.
No. He wouldn’t destroy the castle in a fit of rage. This was the place they had started, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to take that from them. Though they would have to now scourge this room and then possibly anoint it with the blood of those who chose to taint it in the first place.
His eyes rolled back in his head at the thought. Yes. That’s what they’d do.
“Have the men start here, immediately. They are to work through the night, clearing away the plastic and stripping the walls to the plaster. Wash every inch with bleach.”
Stephan wisely nodded and backed away. “As you wish. I’ll find the foreman and tell him at once.”
Penn walked over to the table, his long fingers caressing a restraint. “Soon, my love. Soon.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Killian’s eyes stayed on Nya while she roamed the vast hall. Finally, they were alone.
“I’ve never seen a theater like this.” Nya slid her fingers along a sleek wooden bar, complete with everything from popcorn and candy to liquor and nuts. On one side, recessed lighting lit several pool tables and gaming boards, the space ending in a curved, cozy reading nook. The other held recliners, built for two, which faced the far wall that housed a large screen.
Killian came from behind. “Why don’t you get some snacks, and I’ll load the movie. What would you like to see?”
“How about the last in The Lord of the Rings series?”
He stepped back, needing a little space before he did something stupid, like tell her he’d known for four years she was the only female he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. “That film’s been out for ages. Not much of a movie buff, are you?”
She looked away. “Not really.”
He went to a touchscreen in the back of the room while she grabbed a few bottled sodas and some red licorice twists.
“Ever been to the Academy in Montana?” Nya asked as she started toward the seating area.
“Once or twice.” Killian grinned.
She cleared her throat as she stopped in front of an oversized recliner built for two. “How come I didn’t see you?”
“The headmistress wouldn’t let me past the gates. Apparently, she was onto my game to meet you.”
Surprised, she turned, watching him head her way. “You knew I was there?”
He stopped in front of her. “Oh, yeah. I knew.”
Nya had become a small obsession of his after her rite of passage. He was ecstatic when he found out she’d be attending the U.S. academy. And when the CIA discovered a Drahzdan sleeper cell within fifty kilometers of Bitterroot, he volunteered to track the sons of bitches down.
That’s when he saw her. Sunshine streaked a blue sheen in her black hair as she slipped through the trees with graceful speed. He’d never forget her sleek, economy of movement. He was drawn to it—that natural comfort in her own skin that only a warrior of her caliber had.
She’d just found her footing when a deep, masculine voice called, yelling something about following her to the ends of the Earth.
Killian later confirmed that young warrior was indeed Anya Thalestris, and the male with her that day was the infamous Dr. Ajax Nickius.
Nya glanced at the recliner and blushed. “I hear you’re an excellent tracker.”
Killian didn’t give her a chance to overthink, and he sat down, pulling her with him. “Nice to know you’ve been asking about me.”
Pink tinged her cheeks. “Apparently, you can track anything.”
Her unique scent washed over him, and he settled back into the plush leather, causing her body to slide closer to his. “I’d track you to the ends of the Earth, Anya Thalestris.”
Nya blinked a few times, and Killian smirked as he realized Jax had shouted that very thing to her four years ago in the woods.
“Victor seems to think I should be worried about you defeating me.”
Victor is a smart, smart male. It wasn’t that he doubted her abilities. Killian was sure she’d be a worthy opponent. But at the end of the day, he’d win. And then he’d shoulder her mark and bring her home where she’d finally be able to heal in peace.
“Oh, I’ll defeat you.” Killian kiss
ed her cheek before meeting her gaze. His expression became grave. “But even when we’re sparring, I won’t hurt you.”
She bristled. “I’ll try not to hurt you, too.”
“Good to know.” His eyes twinkled.
The sound roared to life, and the lights dimmed as the opening credits rolled. Killian ran his fingertips up and down her arm, loving it when she finally relaxed. He reached over and pulled out a licorice twist.
“Can I ask why you chose this movie?” His voice rumbled above her head as he offered her the candy.
“One winter, when I was sixteen, my father came home from a mission in Russia. Something went wrong, but he wouldn’t talk about it. We spent the day together watching a Lord of the Rings movie marathon, but I fell asleep halfway through this one, so I’d like to see how it ends.”
Killian’s hand stilled. “Did your father ever tell you what happened?”
She shook her head. “No. But I think it had something to do with the leader of the Drahzda because I heard him and my mother arguing about it that night.”
His fingers resumed their trail up and down her arm.
She took a deep breath and sighed. “I didn’t think I’d like this, but I do.”
He smiled. He’d spend rest of his life snuggling if that’s what she wanted. “I’m glad.”
They fell silent, watching the hobbits struggle to Mordor.
“Frodo’s a kindred spirit,” Nya muttered, her voice thick as if she had been sleeping.
“How so?” Killian shifted her over until her leg rested between his.
“He suffers because only he can bear the ring.” She yawned before her breathing slowed to a steady rhythm.
Killian’s fingers kept grazing patterns on her back as he watched Frodo’s descent into paranoid darkness, the ring ravaging his soul.
Is that how she felt about being the last of her heritage, or was she talking about something else?
She stirred, her face squinted as if she were in pain, her body twitched.
Killian pulled her closer, his hands splayed wide across her back. “Ny, it’s all right. I’ve got you.”
“Thanks, Jax,” she muttered, relaxing into his hold.
Killian took a deep breath, reminding himself that Dr. Nickius had been her counselor for years. Still didn’t help the urge to hunt the warrior down and challenge him to prove his worth.
Nya’s hand slid over his torso as she jumped out of sleep again.
“It’s okay, Ny,” Killian sighed, his fingers never losing their pattern.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered, snuggling into his warmth.
“Say my name.”
She stilled. “What?”
Killian huffed. “Nothing.”
Her hand rested over his heart. “I’m glad you’re here, Killian.”
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “Me too.”
The music swelled as giant eagles snatched Frodo and Sam, taking them back to the Shire.
“Can I ask you a question?” He pulled her closer.
“Yes.”
“Why do you have a curved knife hidden on the inside of your thigh?”
Nya blushed. “I feel safer when I have something to protect myself with.”
Killian grinned and pulled up his pant leg. A small holster rested on his inner ankle. “I can understand that.”
“I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“I’m not,” he whispered in her ear. “I now know what it’s like to hold you in my arms. And that’s worth fighting for.”
“Miko, get this bucket in the air,” Jax ordered.
“Calm down, Nick.” Smoke curled from the end of a cigarette as the warrior smiled. She took a last drag before throwing it down and grinding it beneath her boot. “I’ll get you back to your romni.”
They jumped in the plane, and Jax put on his headset. “Not mine yet. And she’s starting to remember.”
“Zander know?”
“Hell yes, he knows.” Jax glowered. “According to Doc, Zander baited her until she attacked and sent him to his knees.”
Laughter echoed as the engine roared to life. “Damn, I’d have given anything to see that. Sounds like you got a good one.”
Jax smiled for the first time since he’d left Carpathia. “Yeah, I do.”
The Asian warrior put on her headphones. “Then let’s get you home.”
Propellers whirred as the two-seater taxied down the runway. Jax took a deep breath, his thoughts settling on his Vtachi. He was stuck in Carpathia the night Nya was rescued from that cargo ship. But after Jax demanded the Zvaz ceremony, Zander ordered every Tova who participated in the mission to keep their mouths shut.
Now he understood why. Most Tovas settled for a solitary life, taking carnal pleasure wherever they could, knowing they’d have little more than that. Both male and female Tovaris usually had bastard children raised in compound homes or possibly by extended family. It was an accepted practice, as Tovas were usually too busy dealing with the worst the world had to offer. Revenge, hatred, death. These were things that came easily to a Tova. But love—much less an intima bond—was scarcely seen and was coveted above all else. When one of them found their equal, they protected it with all they had.
By ordering everyone to keep that night on the docks a secret, Zander had given Jax the opportunity to get to know Nya without the baggage her parents had caused, nor the bullshit that accompanied being the last line of Ares and Otrera.
After Jax beat the shit out of his leader, he might just thank him.
“Storm’s moving in.”
Miko’s voice blared through his headset, stirring him from his thoughts. He glanced at the thick clouds burgeoning the sky.
Jax’s lips thinned. “Fly through it.”
“Sorry, Nick. Not in this field hopper. But I’ve radioed Zander, and he’ll have a train waiting. Best we can do, but it’ll be late before you reach the consulate.”
He scrubbed his face with his hand as thunder rumbled in the distance. “It beats waiting on Alexandra.”
“You got that right.” Miko chuckled and started her descent.
They’d just landed when Jax’s phone buzzed. Miko stepped out of the plane, leaving him alone.
“Where are you?” Victor’s voice was nothing more than a quiet hush, and Jax had a feeling he was squirreled away in some corner of the castle, not on the grid.
“We hit weather on the way back. Zander found a train. I’ll be in by morning. How’s she doing?”
“She and Killian watched a movie.”
Jax thumped his head on the back of the seat. “He held her, didn’t he? He held her while she slept.”
“Nick. This is all part of the process. You know that.”
“What about the Moor? Should I be concerned?” The hair on Jax’s neck prickled as his question was met with silence.
“I’d put him in equal measure with Killian,” Victor finally hedged.
Jax watched as the rain started pelting the windshield. “I can take Killian.”
“I’m sure you can. But this Moor has impressive Silat skills.”
“Good to know.”
“Was your trip productive?”
Jax rubbed his forehead as the image of Nya’s bloody frame shackled to a wall flashed in his mind. “More than I wanted.”
“Interesting. You’ve discovered new information?”
“Have you seen the new research on mind control?”
Victor paused. “Of course. The Allos are most susceptible, but if the Drahzda combined the technique with pharmaceuticals, it would cause anyone to be in a highly suggestible state.”
“It would also be a reason why a warrior doesn’t remember certain events until a trigger unlocks their mind.”
“If we force the issue, she could enter a deep level of psychosis, or fight it and completely break down. Is this your theory as to why the Drahzda didn’t kill Nya as soon as the Tovaris boarded the ship?”
“It’s possible, although I believe Penn never thought they’d be discovered in the first place. I believe he put her through hell, and when she wouldn’t break he took her home to watch her parents die and her compound burn. Penn wanted her at her most vulnerable so she would submit willingly to him. He must be more delusional than we initially thought because he never planned for an attack. Anyway, there’s evidence to suggest he planted a trigger deep within her psyche which would cause her extreme pain until she went back to Sarkov.”
“Extreme pain?” Victor’s voice rose in surprise. “No pharmaceuticals could have such an effect on a Scythian.”
Jax hesitated. No one knew that she’d been injected with the Phoenix, and he wanted to keep it that way. At least for now. “It’s just a theory, but one I’d rather not test while I’m away.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Nick?”
Jax closed his eyes. “There’s too much information, and I’ve got to catch a train. But know this. Sarkov himself set the triggers.”
“Interesting,” Victor said. “Touch being the most obvious.”
“It’s promising that she’s overcome it.” Jax shifted the phone as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “But I think the deepest triggers would have to do with desire, passion, or pleasure. Tell me, what do you think her physical response is to the other candidates? Other than me, is she sexually attracted to any of them?”
Victor hesitated. “We’ll discuss it when you get here. Safe travels, Nick.”
Rain pelted his face as Jax opened the plane door. He flipped up his hood and jogged across the tarmac, trying to block out the thought that his Vtachi might prefer another warrior over him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Frost covered the windshield, making the remote castle seem like mottled shapes of clay. Gia had parked the SUV between the broken rampart and a clump of evergreens. The vehicle’s dark color blended with the landscape, making it damn near impossible to see from the road.
Ike kept silent, his mind racing with images from that video—the betrayal in his sweet nata’s eyes as Sarkov taunted her, Nya struggling as a needle plunged into her neck, her scream as the images went black. Thank God, his romni hadn’t seen it. At least one of them could hold out hope.
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