Drake jumped to his feet. “Have you contacted my father?”
“Not yet.” Zane motioned toward Promise. “This is Dr. Promise Williams, and she met your dad yesterday. We want her to talk to him to see if we can avoid a war.”
Hope’s eyes filled. “Drake wantsta go home, Daddy. You hafta let him.”
Zane nodded. “I’m happy to take him home. Let’s contact his dad.”
Promise held out her hand to Drake. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Drake shook, ducking his head. Was the kid shy? “You too. Now will you call my father?”
“Yes. You two stay here and play. Max will keep an eye on you.” Zane smiled. “Drake? I’m sure your dad will want to see that you’re okay. I’ll talk to him first, and then we’ll come get you. Don’t worry. You’ll be home soon.”
Ivar took Promise’s hand again, his nerves firing. He’d brought her into a possible target zone, and he didn’t have the ability to teleport her the hell out if things went bad. Worse yet, he wasn’t familiar with the demon land holding or the escape routes. “Where’s Logan?”
“Probably went to see our mom,” Zane said, heading downstairs. He reached in his pocket and pulled out an earbud to toss back at Ivar. “If escape becomes necessary, all doors and locks have been calibrated to obey your voice commands. Just in case.”
Ivar caught it and shoved it in his left ear. At least now he’d know what was happening up to the minute.
Promise gave him a wow expression. This had to seem like a crazy sci-fi show to her. She was holding up remarkably well under the pressure. In fact, even though she looked a mite shell-shocked, there was fascination in her attitude too.
They reached a sprawling computer center and walked right past it to a small room with a camera, huge wall monitor, and green screen background. “Stand there,” Zane said, moving to the camera. “They obviously know the location of our headquarters, which we’ve assumed for a while. But Dayne may try to learn other information from you, and I’d appreciate it if you kept the discussion to the return of his child.”
Ivar let her go but remained by the door, prepared to grab Promise and run if necessary.
She stood in front of the green screen and folded her hands together. “I find it peculiar that I’m doing this.”
Zane shrugged. “You’re female and human and have no reason to lie to him. Most of us have killed people he’s known, and he’s done the same. Think of yourself as an intermediary.” He flicked a switch, and the Kurjan leader came up on the screen.
“Dr. Promise Williams,” Dayne said quietly. He was dressed in a Kurjan fighting uniform—all black with medals on the left breast. “This is unexpected.”
Promise gazed directly at the camera. “Hi, Dayne. I’m at demon headquarters, and I just spoke with your son. He’s healthy, unharmed, and ready to go home.”
Dayne’s eyes had turned a deep purple. “You don’t seem like a liar.”
“I’m not,” she said. “We can bring him in here for you to see. I assume Zane wanted to make sure you were calm first in order to avoid scaring the child.”
Man, she was smart.
Dayne smiled. “I have bombers ready to go, and the missiles are armed. Show me my son, and you bring him to me. Perhaps then we can prevent war.”
“No,” Zane said, angling Promise out of the shot. “I’ll show you your kid. In exchange for the three Enhanced women you kidnapped earlier this year. Call me back when they’re free.” He pressed a remote in his hand, and the camera went dark.
Promise whirled, and Ivar stepped in, drawing her away. “What have you done?” she snapped.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Promise could barely breathe she was so angry. “You’re supposed to be the good guys.” She forgot to shield her brain, and pain instantly slashed into the base of her skull.
Seeing her reaction, Zane stepped back. “I didn’t attack.”
“Shield,” Ivar barked.
She imagined the metal barrier in her head again, and the pain dissipated. “That was unacceptable.”
The demon leader looked at her with dispassionate eyes. “I understand you’re new to our world, but we’ve just entered a negotiation, and I used you to do it. I’m sorry if that makes you unhappy.”
“That is not an apology,” she snapped, wanting to hit him in the nose.
His grin was quick and unexpected. “You’re not the first to accuse me of that. I am sorry.”
“But you’ll use a child to get what you want,” she said, her hands shaking even more.
He nodded. “I would never hurt a child, and I suspect Dayne knows that, since he hasn’t bombed us yet. But the Kurjans have been kidnapping Enhanced women across the world in preparation for a ritual we don’t know enough about, and if I have a chance to secure their release, I’m going to do so.”
She whirled on Ivar, waiting for him to chime in. “Well?”
The Viking looked at her. “Well, what?”
There were no words. Her throat ached with the need to yell at him. “Do something.” Then it dawned on her. Way too slowly. “You suspected Zane’s course of action.”
Ivar didn’t deny the accusation.
Zane cleared his throat. “Your quarters are down the south hall, third door on the right. It’s a nice suite, and the lock is prepared for your voice, Ivar. There are two bedrooms.” The demon leader moved to the doorway, all grace and strength. “I do hope the Seven’s penchant for getting their headquarters blown to bits is not contagious.” With that, he disappeared down the hallway, already issuing orders on his comm line.
Promise rubbed her chest. Her heart hurt. How odd. “I’m surprised you’d be a part of something like this.”
His slight nod acknowledged her surprise. “You live in a world of theories where you have the luxury of idealism.” He spread his arms out, taking in the whole room. “We don’t. Violence and subterfuge are part of every day for us.”
“You’ve had centuries to evolve,” she burst out.
He nodded. “Who says we haven’t?”
She disliked that he had a point.
He gestured her toward the door. “The only reason I’m not grabbing you and getting the hell out of this place is that the demons have a better missile defense system than any other species or any country on earth.”
She stumbled and righted herself, sweeping by him. So many thoughts went through her head, she had to pause to organize them into levels of importance. He took the lead again, obviously knowing where south lay, and soon opened a door to a spacious suite facing the lake. The living area was decorated in comfortable tones with high-end furniture. “Why did Zane assume we’d be staying together?” she asked, turning to face him.
“If you don’t know the answer to that, then you’re not as smart as I thought,” he said, shutting the door and leaning back against it.
Fair enough. “I’m really angry with you right now,” she said.
“I’m aware.” He smiled. “Want to throw something at me? One of those fancy plates on the bookshelf probably cost a fortune.”
She looked past the fireplace to the inlaid bookcases. “I’d rather debate you until you agree with me.” It was how civilized people resolved differences of opinion. But nobody said the immortals were civilized. Least of all the immortals themselves. They seemed just fine with their rather primal status. “We need to discuss the mating.”
Both of his eyebrows rose. She took a very unscientific delight in having surprised him.
His eyelids lowered. “You still want to mate me? After the other day?”
“Yes.” She’d given it a lot of thought, even while working through other problems, and she desired immortality. “I’ve never been a believer in the afterlife, so staying alive holds a certain appeal. Just think of the scientific breakthroughs I could make.” She tried to
keep her voice level, but a hint of heat lowered it. “Today notwithstanding, I like you, and you like me. We’re sexually compatible, and my odd gifts might be of benefit to you if you try to enter those hell worlds again.” There. It was a win-win.
“And if I make it back?” he asked. “If the bubble breaks, and nobody has to align the magnets or whatever the hell Quade has been doing, I’ll return and we’ll be mated for eternity.”
An intriguing shiver tickled through her lower half. “I understand.”
“Do you want kids?” he asked.
She blinked. Children? “Yes and no.” It made sense to have this discussion now, of course. Her heart fluttered in a peculiar way. “I’m interested in children, and it’d be satisfying to mold a young mind.” A vision caught her of a little boy with Ivar’s stunning blue eyes and her darker complexion and hair. She shook her head at the sweet thought. “But I’m not what one would call maternal. I don’t know how to nurture a child.”
“I think it comes naturally at the right time,” Ivar said, his tone gentle. “Just look how protective you were of Drake.”
Her heart jumped. He thought she could make a good mother? “In high school, my goldfish died,” she admitted. “Quickly. Not nearly close to an expected life span.” She’d done everything according to the books too.
“I’m sure that wasn’t your fault.” He looked big and broad covering the door. “I get the feeling that your parents were great at the science stuff and not so much with the nurturing.”
“They did their best,” she protested, almost too quickly. Though had they?
He watched her. “All right. This is all rational and good. But I’ve explained to you a mating is primitive, and the male is primal. You have to understand that.”
Oh, she’d learned that lesson the other day when he’d kissed her. Yet she’d liked it. “I do understand.”
“So you want to mate me.” He cocked his head. “Or any immortal?”
“Just you,” she rushed to say, meaning every word. “I trust you.” She’d proven that.
His eyes flashed green through the blue. “All right. Tonight?”
She nodded, unable to speak. What an phenomenal decision, and she’d just made it.
“It’s a date.” He tapped his earbud. “I have to go for an hour or so. Why don’t you get settled in.” He hauled her close and placed a surprisingly gentle kiss on her nose. Then he opened the door and disappeared.
She swallowed. Good grief Newton on a double cracker with cheese. She had just agreed to mate a demon-vampire—and he’d agreed right back.
* * * *
It took Promise about five minutes to get settled in. She missed her whiteboards already. The lake sparkled in the fall sun, and beautiful colors cloaked the coniferous trees near the water. She allowed herself a couple of breaths to admire the beauty. Leaves fell, and she calculated their rate of fall.
She gasped. It was so simple. That was it. She needed results, and she needed them now. If her math was right, the rate of fall, or rather, the rate of the portals closing, could be happening too quickly. There wasn’t time to wait. It might be too late already.
She ran out the door, determined to find Mercy. So many theories attacked her that she had to act. Now. Time was running out.
She backtracked to the kids’ room, but it was vacant. So she looked around, and nobody stopped her, which worked just fine. Finally, she reached a massive kitchen. Mercy was inside, sitting on an island, eating what looked like microwaved noodles. “Hey.”
Excellent. Promise mentally pictured giant shields covering her brain and then proceeded cautiously. “Hi.”
Mercy kicked out her feet. “You’re doing well.”
A slight sting connected beneath Promise’s left ear, and she quickly slid the shield in that direction. “Thank you.”
Mercy held out the cup. “You hungry?”
Definitely, but there wasn’t time for dinner. Promise looked around the sparkling clean space and then pounced on a glass cookie jar. She took out two chocolate chip cookies and devoured them. “Mmm, so much better.” How could the studies on sugar be correct? It made her feel calmer. “That works for dinner.” She eyed the Fae, trying to find the right words to use. “What are you up to?”
Mercy finished her noodles. “I moved money around for a while and then invested in some new startups focusing on green agriculture. That’s about it. Why?”
Promise gnawed on her lip, mathematical equations flashing across her mind. She needed results from an experiment to continue with her math. There was no other way. “Can you get your hands on a compass and a barometer?” Rudimentary but necessary for commencing her practical research.
Mercy set the cup aside. “Sure.” She disappeared with a swish of air spinning around.
The cup fell over. Wow. Promise took a couple of steps back. That was amazing. Truly so. Then she waited alone in the now quiet kitchen.
About two minutes later, Mercy reappeared with a compass and a barometer in her hands. “Had to work for these.” She grinned. “I take it we’re going to do some traveling?”
“Yes.” Promise almost jumped when an invisible blade ripped behind her left eye, and she smashed her palm against it. “Shield, shield, shield,” she muttered, imagining the protection was made of diamonds this time.
The pain disappeared.
Hey. Diamonds. She smiled. “They are a girl’s best friend.”
Mercy jumped off the island. “Huh?”
Promise waved her off, excitement and a sense of urgency taking her. There was too much she didn’t understand about teleporting, and that had to stop now. “Nothing. So. Are you willing to jump with me and do some work?”
Mercy nodded. “Always. But don’t you think you should check with Ivar first? He seems rather insistent that you jump only when he’s available.”
Promise pinned her with a look. “Are you going to ask permission from your mate?”
Instead of being insulted, Mercy’s eyes widened. “Is Ivar going to be your mate? For sure?”
Oh, for goodness’ sake. “We’ve entered into an agreement,” Promise said.
Mercy snorted. “Seriously? You’ve entered into an agreement?” She shook her head, and her dark red hair flew all around. “You have no clue what you’re entering into. An agreement.” She snorted again. “Girlfriend, you have to stop thinking so logically.”
“Ivar has said something similar to me,” Promise said slowly. But logically was the only way to think. She was missing something. Subtext? No. “One can be illogical, but one can’t think illogically.”
Mercy pressed her lips together. “All righty then. Let’s just do this and face the consequences later.”
“Consequences?” Promise smirked. “What in the world are you talking about?”
Mercy just smiled. “Where do you want to go?”
Promise rolled the question over in her mind. They should start with the familiar, at least to her, and then circle out. “Do you know of any islands in the Pacific? Deserted ones?”
“Sure.” Mercy moved forward, watching Promise intently. “Is your head okay?”
Promise nodded and held out her hand. “Yes. I think I have it under control.” She kept the diamond shield in place. “Is there any way you can go slowly? As slow as possible?”
“No. I just draw on energy around me, suck it all in, and direct the universe to send me where I want to go.” Mercy frowned. “But I’ll try to go slow. I’ve just never done that.” She took Promise’s hand.
A jolt shot up Promise’s arm, and she blocked her brain.
Then the room disappeared. More darkness, more weightlessness, more pressure. Light came first and then sound. They stood on snow-white sand, surrounded by aqua-colored water and healthy reefs. The sun beat down, heating Promise’s head instantly. The island was only a
bout twenty yards across with no vegetation. The ocean spread out in every direction as far as the eye could see. “This is thrilling,” Promise said, her voice hushed.
Mercy looked around. “Yeah. We should’ve brought a picnic.”
Promise turned toward her new friend. “Thank you.”
“Sure.” Mercy smiled. “Where to next?”
Exhilaration filled Promise just like when she solved an equation. A hard one. She took the devices from Mercy and read them, not finding any surprises. She handed them back. “Off of this world. Or rather, out of this world. Will you take me someplace else?” It was nearly unimaginable. The idea that she could be on a world, or in a world, other than this one. “Please?”
Mercy faltered. “Um, I don’t know. That’s the kinda thing you might want to talk about with your contracted-to-be mate. You know?”
Promise swallowed. “Do you talk about all jumps with your mate?”
Mercy shrugged. “Usually. He doesn’t like me to jump dimensions without him.” She held up a hand as Promise began to protest. “Fine. Jump worlds. Not dimensions.” She shook her head. “We should’ve never given that word to humans. They misused it, and now I can’t even use it with you.”
The word was in the dictionary, so the immortals should just start employing it correctly. “Well, you did donate the word, so let’s go jump into a new world.” Promise held her breath, wanting this almost more than anything else in her life.
Mercy sighed. “All right. But I did warn you.” She held out her hand.
Promise’s hand trembled, and she slid it against the Fae’s cooler one. “How do you choose where to go?”
“Some worlds are easier to reach. The same ones are often good jumping-off points for other places,” Mercy said. She paused. “I should tell you that a couple of Fae don’t like me, and one of them, the ex-king, has been known to bring Cyst soldiers through dimensions to attack me.”
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