by Faith Gibson
Josie was too hot. She moved away from the bonfire, searching for the breeze coming off the ocean. The farther away she got, the higher the flames licked. She turned toward the water, but a line of men stood in her way. Dressed in loin cloths, Malakai and six other men stomped their feet in time with tribal drums. Josie was mesmerized, frozen in place as the heat scorched her skin. She needed to get to the water, but with every step she took, the dancers moved with her. The drums thundered louder, the beats reverberating in her chest.
“Kai, I need the water!” She waved her arms, but it was as if he looked right through her. “Kai, please!” He didn’t respond. The men, in synchronized formation, pumped their arms down, palms up, and sharp claws extended from their fingers. The men advanced on her, a stomp at a time, and Josie backed up with each step they took.
“Joselynn.”
“Malakai, please,” Josie begged, her voice lost in the night.
“Josie, wake up. She’s too hot. We gotta do something.”
Josie turned to see who was talking to her, but she was surrounded by wings. Seven pairs of leathery wings stretched out, tip to tip, in a circle of Gargoyles. Something cold touched her forehead, and Josie shivered. She tried to reach up, but her arms wouldn’t move. Her body shook violently, and she fell to her knees. The six men with Malakai disappeared as if they’d never been there, and Kai, the man, dropped to his knees in front of her.
“Josie, can you hear me?”
“Not Josie,” she muttered as her teeth chattered. “Sunshine…”
Chapter Seven
Family Day at the manor was getting underway, and Frey leaned against one of the posts on the patio, watching Amelia and Rain dancing in circles. He was amazed at how much the boy had recovered from being held by Dr. Craven. The kids fell down, dizzy, and Frey grinned at their antics. When the glass door slid open, Frey looked over his shoulder to find Rafael stepping outside with Sebastian in his arms.
“How’d you manage that?” Frey asked, tilting his head toward his nephew.
Rafe grinned. “I pulled the King card.”
“Rafe?” Julian came around the side of the house. “Good, you’re out here.”
“What’s up, Jules?”
“It might be nothing, but someone was searching for Kaya on the internet. I didn’t get the alert until this morning, or I would have called. I traced the IP address to Joselynn Pierson. No worries on that. She’s possibly Kai’s mate,” Julian elaborated.
“Why would Kai’s mate be searching for Kaya on the internet?” Rafael asked, patting his sleeping son on his diapered bottom.
Frey turned, giving them his attention. “Kai had a date with Joselynn last night. Maybe it went well and he was talking about mates?” Frey couldn’t think of any other reason. His phone rang in his pocket. When Frey saw it was Lawton, he frowned. Frey excused himself, and as he stepped away from his brother and cousin, he put the phone to his ear.
“Lawton? Is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure. Malakai hasn’t shown up for his shift, and he’s not answering his phone.”
“That isn’t like him. Okay, hang tight, and I’ll get Lorenzo to come relieve you.”
“I’m good hanging here for however long you need.”
“Thank you, Law. I’ll still get Lor to come help out.” Frey disconnected, worry filling his gut. Gargoyles didn’t get sick, and Kai was as dependable as the sun rising.
“What’s going on?” Rafael asked.
“Kai’s not at the gym. I’m going to talk to Lor.” Frey called Kai’s number as he searched the manor for Lorenzo. It went straight to voicemail. “Kai, give me a call, Brother.” Frey found Lor talking to Jasper and Trevor in the game room. “Excuse me, Lor. Do you know if Malakai was swapping shifts with someone today?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
“He hasn’t shown up to relieve Lawton. I called Kai, but it went straight to voicemail.”
Lorenzo stood. “I’ll head to the gym and swing by his place on the way in case he had car trouble or something.”
Frey ran a hand through his hair. “He would have called me. Something’s wrong.”
“Wrong with who?” Gregor asked.
When Frey turned, the game room was filled with most every family member. “Malakai didn’t open the gym this morning, and he’s not answering his phone. I’m gonna run over and check on him.”
“I’m going with you,” Dante said. “This isn’t like him, and I don’t want you going alone. Just in case.”
“You think something happened to him?” Abbi asked, stepping into Frey’s arms.
“I hope not, Sweetheart. I’ll call you as soon as I know something.” Frey kissed his mate gently before leaning over to kiss her belly. He hated leaving her behind, but if something were wrong, he preferred she stay where she would be guarded by the other males.
Frey hurried to his truck with his cousin at his side. He was glad it was Dante who offered to come with him. His cousin had a gift none of the others in their family had. The ride didn’t take long since it was only a few miles from the manor. When they rolled up to Sixx’s house where Kai was staying, Frey looked around. “His Jeep’s not here.”
Dante scrambled out of the truck. “No, but Malakai is. Something’s happened. It’s bad.” They took off running toward the back of the house. When they rounded the corner, Dante slowed his steps, muttering, “What the fuck?” He approached Kai slowly, and Frey held back. Malakai was sitting in one of the patio chairs, slumped down, staring off into the distance. Dante knelt at Kai’s feet and placed his hands on the other Goyle’s arms. Dante focused inwardly on Kai, and when he turned to look at Frey, Dante’s eyes were haunted. Frey stepped closer, standing directly in front of Kai. Kai’s eyes remained unfocused.
“Kai, it’s Dante. Can you hear me?” The male didn’t respond, and Dante motioned Frey closer. “Put your hands on his neck.” Frey did as told and waited. Dante closed his eyes again and pushed happy feelings into Kai through his touch. Frey has been on the receiving end of Dante’s special abilities more times than he could count, but never had it been this intense. Kai mumbled, and Dante asked again, “Can you hear me?”
“She rejected me,” Malakai whispered.
Dante looked to Frey, silently asking if he knew who she was.
“He had a date last night with his mate.”
Dante’s eyes glistened, and it was then Frey understood. Dante was feeling Kai’s pain.
“Can you tell us what happened?” Dante asked.
“There was someone snooping around the gate. I went to check it out. Josie saw me running fast. I told her the truth. Phased. She passed out. Said it was a trick. I told her to call Kaya. She took my Jeep and left.”
“That explains why she was searching for Kaya on the internet. Malakai, don’t give up hope. You know it’s a lot for a human to take in.”
“Curse of Sevens,” Kai muttered.
“What’s the Curse of Sevens?” Frey asked, but Dante shook his head.
Dante stood and motioned Frey to follow. They went inside where Dante poured a glass of water. “I’ve heard of the Auspice of Sevens, but I thought it was a myth. I need to speak to Nikolas. Find out a little more about Malakai’s family.”
“What is the auspice?”
“I’m not sure what it entails exactly, but an auspice is a prophecy resulting from a sign, usually by birds. In our case, Gargoyles. The Auspice of Sevens has to do with being the seventh son of a seventh son. Here, see if you can get him to drink this while I call Nik.”
Frey took the glass outside and squatted next to the male. “Here. Drink this for me.” Kai opened his mouth, and Frey put the glass to his lips. Kai obediently drank, but he didn’t otherwise acknowledge Frey’s presence. “Kai, don’t lose hope, Brother. Joselynn tried to figure out how to contact Kaya. That means she wants to talk to her. She is feeling your bond, and you know that will bring her back to you.”
“Too late,” Kai whi
spered.
“It’s never too late. Not for our kind. The mate bond never goes away.”
Kai turned his head away, but not before Frey saw the tears rolling down his face. Frey’s chest spasmed with a pain he hadn’t felt since he thought he had lost Abbi.
Dante called for Frey, and he rose, squeezing Kai’s shoulder. When he reached his cousin, Dante was pacing the living room. “Nikolas confirmed that Malakai is the youngest of seven brothers. He’s on his way home now to search the archives for anything relating to this curse or auspice. He wasn’t familiar with it, but he didn’t discount it either since Malakai is from Samoa. He said their culture could be different because of the islands.”
“What do we do in the meantime?”
“Find his mate and convince her Gargoyles are real. Since Joselynn was searching for Kaya, Julian gave her the female’s address. Tessa and Gregor are going with Kaya and Rafael to talk to her.”
“Do you think Tessa’s the best female for the job?” Frey loved his cousin’s mate. The half-blood was a force to be reckoned with, but tact wasn’t her strong suit.
“I do. Kaya’s human and can explain things from her perspective, and Tessa can show the shifter side of being a mate. In the meantime, we need to keep an eye on Malakai. I know you feel his despair, but it’s so much worse than you understand. His beast is trying to separate from him. Not merely slink to the background of his mind, but completely sever itself from Kai’s essence.”
“Fuck!” Frey didn’t know that was possible. “What does that mean for Kai if the beast succeeds?”
“Kai will cross over. Without his Gargoyle, he will have no reason to live.”
In the two months since his birth, Kaya had yet to leave Sebastian. The manor was full of Gargoyles and mates, and she knew he was safe, but still…
“Hey, pretty lady,” Trevor said, coming to stand in front of her. “I can’t imagine having a son of my own. Actually, I can. It’s one of my biggest dreams to be a father with Jasper. If there’s one thing I know, this family will protect Sebastian with our lives. I’m not a badass like everyone else, but I would die before I let anything happen to this little guy. So, you go do your Queen thing knowing our Prince is not only guarded but loved.”
“It’s okay, Mama.”
Kaya gasped. It had been a long time since she heard Sebastian in her mind. It was his little voice that convinced her to hand her child over to Trevor. She and the quirky young man had gotten off to a rocky start back when she was working cases and before either one of them knew about Gargoyles, but he had become one of her favorite people in the world. Trevor cradled Sebastian to his chest and kissed the baby’s soft hair. Jasper stepped up behind Trevor and wrapped both his mate and her baby in his strong arms. Kaya could envision them with a child of their own. With them both being male, their road to a family would be harder than most, but she knew in her heart it would happen, and the child or children would be some of the luckiest ever.
Rafael, who had been watching from the doorway, didn’t say a word. He strode to where Trevor was holding Sebastian, placed a kiss on the baby’s temple, and bowed his head to Trevor. Rafael then took Kaya’s hand and led her through their home to the back door. Tessa and Gregor were waiting for them beside the new SUV Rafael had bought for their family.
“Not to sound like an insensitive bitch, but I’m not sure what the urgency is,” Tessa said from the back seat. “I went three years after figuring out Gregor was my mate. Yeah, it was uncomfortable, but…”
“Dante feels it has to do with whatever this Curse of Sevens is Malakai mentioned. If Nik can’t find anything in the archives, we may need to try to get in touch with Kai’s family,” Rafael explained.
It took almost half an hour to reach Joselynn’s apartment. When they arrived, Kai’s red Jeep was parked in a spot next to a four-door sedan. There was no security guard, but they soon found out why. The elevators and doors required a key card to unlock them. They were walking back toward the car when an ambulance came barreling into the garage, lights flashing.
A tall blonde exited the elevator looking put out. “Over here.”
“Joselynn Pierson?” the male EMT asked.
“I’m her sister, Presley. I’m sure she’s fine. My mother can be a little dramatic.”
“Incoherent with a high fever doesn’t sound dramatic, ma’am.” Presley obviously didn’t agree, but she waved the responders through to the elevator.
“I don’t like that woman,” Tessa seethed.
“We need to get up there.” Kaya thrust her arm through the small gap of the closing doors and entered the elevator like she had every right to be there. She gave Rafael and the others a stern look, telling them silently to get their asses in gear. Kaya didn’t like the blonde either, but they had more pressing matters at the moment, like finding out what was wrong with Kai’s mate. If Presley thought the four of them didn’t belong, she didn’t say anything. When the elevator doors opened, Presley led the way, and Kaya followed behind the two EMTs. When they reached the door, Kaya waited until Presley and the first responders had gone inside. She waved her hand in the air. “Okay, you all do your thing.” When three sets of eyes stared at her, Kaya huffed. “Seriously? Listen in and find out what’s going on.”
Tessa cracked the door and peeked through. The Goyles could hear what was going on from the hallway, but Kaya was glad her sister-in-law was nosy. Kaya looked over Tessa’s shoulder at the chaos inside. A woman, who Kaya assumed was the mother, stood wringing her hands.
“I tried cooling her off with ice cubes, but it didn’t work. Please, is Josie going to be okay?”
“Tell us what you know,” the female responder said.
“I came by around noon yesterday, and she was fine. Joselynn had a date last night,” Presley said, arms crossed over her chest.
“Not Joselynn. Sunshine.” Josie had been muttering, but those were the first words Kaya was able to make out. Was it possible Kai called her his Sunshine? The males did like their terms of endearment.
“I called this morning to invite Josie to lunch. She always takes my calls,” her mother added. “When she didn’t answer or call me back, I got worried, so I drove over here and used my key to get in.”
“Need the water. Fire… too hot…”
“And you called your other daughter, or did she come with you?” the woman asked.
“No, I… Why are you here?” the mother asked Presley.
“She had files I need, and I couldn’t wait for her to roll her lazy ass out of bed. Besides, I want to know why Malakai Palamo’s Jeep is in her spare parking space. She knows I have my sights set on him. If she’s done something to ruin my chances—”
“Presley! Do you even hear yourself?”
“What? It’s not like he would want to date her when he can have me.”
Kaya had seen Presley Pierson in court. The woman was a shark. She was no different outside the courtroom if her attitude toward her sister was any indication. Kaya wanted to say something, but Rafael grabbed her hand. Of course he could feel her getting riled up.
“Your conceit is not attractive. Did you ever think about that?” the mother admonished.
“Seriously, Mom. It’s not conceit. Just the truth. Joselynn is—”
“Excuse me,” Tessa interrupted.
Both Presley and her mother turned while the EMTs continued working on Josie. Kaya almost laughed at the younger woman’s expression.
“Can we focus on Josie?” Tessa stood with her hands on her tight-jean-clad hips. The redhead always dressed like a biker, but considering she rode her Harley all the time, her attire wasn’t for show.
“Who are you?” Presley asked.
“I’m a friend of Josie’s and Kai’s. He sent us to pick up his Jeep, but Josie wasn’t answering her phone.”
“Why didn’t he drive her home? And why was he with her in the first place?” Presley asked.
“Kai wasn’t feeling well, so instead of asking Jos
ie to spend the night and risk getting her sick, she drove herself home. As to why he’s with her, he thinks she’s smart, funny, beautiful, not conceited, and he’s totally crazy about her.”
“How is your friend this morning? Does he have the same symptoms?” the female EMT asked.
Kaya was amazed at how well Tessa so smoothly concocted a feasible story. She wasn’t lying, much. Malakai was sick, but it was heartache. Was it possible Josie was feeling his pain? She turned to ask Rafael, but he shook his head.
“He’s lethargic but doesn’t have a fever,” Rafe told them. “He’s with his own doctor this morning, but he will want to see Josie as soon as possible.”
“The doctor or Kai?” the mother asked.
“Kai. He’s really worried about her,” Rafael said.
The male EMT stood. “We need to get her cooled down. We’ll take her in and get her blood samples to the lab. It’s possible she might have food poisoning, but since we don’t know if she’s been vomiting, we won’t be sure until the lab runs some tests.”
“Can I ride with you?” the mother asked.
“Of course. Let me go get a stretcher,” the man said.
“Hey, you’re Kaya Kane,” Presley said, holding out her hand. “Presley Pierson, partner at Pierson, Pierson & Hobbs.”
Kaya reluctantly shook the other woman’s hand. “Yes, I know who you are. Mrs. Pierson?” Kaya turned her attention to the older woman.
“Please, call me Jacinta. You say this Kai cares about my daughter?”
“Very much so. I will follow you to the hospital and sit with you while you wait.”
“I can sit with my mother,” Presley said.
“Stop being rude, Presley. You have work to do. Get the files you came for. I’ll be perfectly fine with Chief Kane.”
“Oh, it’s just Kaya now. I’m retired.”