He straightened in his seat, too. “Yes.”
“Well, this is similar. But I woke up feeling like something is off. Weird off. It’s not a stomach cramp, and my vision isn’t blackening around the edges, but I’m tingling.” I shivered, thinking about what this could possibly mean.
Yunez focused on a random point in the room as his pupils started to shake back and forth. This wasn’t the first or even the third time I’d seen him do this, and it was still just as strange. I hoped I hadn’t looked like this when I took a walk down the sight lane.
More quickly than before, he turned his attention back to me, and his face was grim.
Ah, damn.
I didn’t have any idea what could put that look on his face, but I already hated the fuck out of it. Images of Rainer storming the castle, or the people of Earth falling to a zombie apocalypse assaulted me.
“I don’t see anything.”
Huh? What the hell did that mean? Like he didn’t see any danger?
“Care to explain that?” My voice was off, but I had the feeling something was off, and it was intensifying. He’d mentioned this before, but I thought it was a fluke. A one or two time thing. And what exactly didn’t he see? The movements of the Shadow Society? Our future? The unknown was starting to unravel my confidence, especially when my Mazza foundation was built on Yunez’s abilities and reliability.
He stood up and sauntered over to the window, calm as you please. It was just like him to act like he had all the world’s secrets in his back pocket, even when something was terribly wrong.
But I was starting to think that maybe, Yunez wasn’t the all-knowing super secret squirrel I thought he was. Maybe he was just a man.
“Fuck!” He slapped his right hand over the wall next to the window. The beautiful painting next to him shook, and for a second, I was afraid it would fall.
I jumped up, partly out of surprise, and partly out of fear. His silhouette glowed from the high moon, and I was drawn to him. Each timid step brought me closer, and I wasn’t even aware I’d lifted my feet at all. I might as well have glided across the ground like some kind of spirit.
“Yunez,” I stopped directly behind him. “I’m getting nervous here.” I waited for him to share what had upset him, but he remained deathly silent.
In a blink, he twisted around, caged me in his arms, and maneuvered us so my back was to the wall. My hands flew to his chest and he bent his head over mine, almost as if he was shielding me.
“Someone’s outside.” He whispered.
Oh fuck. Was that the tingling?
“What does that mean?” I whisper-shouted. My palms started to sweat and tremors ran through my body.
He sucked his bottom lip through his teeth and pressed his body deeper into mine. “It means that I am fucked. Remember I said something was wrong with my sight? It’s becoming more common now. I can’t figure it out, some things are still there. I can still see if you’re going to choose red socks or purple socks tomorrow morning. You choose purple by the way. I can still see what the weather will be like in ten days. But everything to do with the Shadow Society is gone.” He stepped back and gripped his hair in his hands, dropping his chin to his chest.
The safety net that seemed to follow Yunez started to slip away with this admission. He was our ace in the hole. What did this mean for Fennina or for us?
“How can they do that? I thought the sight was a gift? Does it have limitations?” Did these questions even make sense?
He slid back in and pressed his forehead to mine. Our breaths mingled as his hands slipped over my hips, lightly massaging me through the thin material of my shirt. Heady, warm lust rolled over me and I moaned. Without conscious thought, I wrapped my leg around his hip, rubbing my calf down the back of his thigh as one arm twined around his back.
“Shit.” He cursed and closed his eyes. “Sorry.” His voice was straining, and with each second, my body cooled. I was left empty. What the fuck?
“Yunez…” He better not be using his mysterious powers on me. He’d done it a time or two for giggles, but now it felt wrong. Not that it felt right then, but knowing about Mannos and how each Manno addition to my Lusty Legion would increase my power, it no longer felt innocent. Before, I could have chalked it up to Yunez being a creepy old man. Well, if this creepy old man looked my age and was just as hot as my Lusty Legion guys.
“My control is slipping. I did not mean to do that, my love.” He murmured and nuzzled the side of my face with his cheek. “I am worried, and it is bleeding through. I have never had limitations, not really. This means there is someone just as powerful as I am on their side. And, somehow they have managed to block me. That has to be it, I cannot think of any other feasible explanation.”
And wasn’t that fucking scary.
“How many people are as powerful as you? Or more powerful?”
When he lifted his head, the stark emotion in his eyes was strange to witness. “Once upon a time? None. But it has been centuries since I was able to effectively keep tabs on them. It appears now, they have at least one. But knowing the basis of their society, there could be many.”
“I—” I didn’t get the rest of my sentence out before Rand burst through the door, stopping just in the entryway. He bent over, bracing his hands on his knees, fighting hard to get in a breath.
One second, Yunez was flush against me, the next, he was in front of Rand. He swore teleportation wasn’t part of his powers, but clearly he could move.
“What is it? I cannot see Sage. Why can I not see Sage?” His voice rose, fear coating his words.
“He…” Rand wheezed. “He left the property but stayed on the border. He wasn’t happy that I followed him, but he was fine as long as I didn’t approach him.” He straightened and jerked when he noticed me standing in the corner like a weirdo. “Isolde?”
“Keep going.” I motioned for him to continue his story. I could explain being in Yunez’s suite later. Much later, after all of my guys were safe and accounted for.
Yunez shut his front door as Rand walked toward me as if he were trying to cut through wet clay. His gaze was glued to me until he suddenly stopped and swiftly turned away, facing Yunez again. “He found the pub on the east side. Annon’s. He was happy to drink himself into a stupor, but he was fine. I was there watching him. No one knew who he was or who he’s connected to. Then Egan found us. He ripped into Sage for, fuck, for being an idiot and leaving. He didn’t say anything to give anything away. I swear he didn’t.”
Yunez approached Rand, and when he laid a calming hand on his shoulder, his whole body relaxed. He was close to Yunez. Of course he was, why wouldn’t he be?
He raised Rand just as much as the other guys, and maybe even had a deeper bond with Rand, him being a Manno and all.
“What happened, Rand?” Yunez’s voice deepened, and I held my breath as I waited for Rand to answer him.
“A group of men entered wearing black as night cloaks. Shadow Society. They honed in on Sage and Egan as if they knew they were going to be there before they ever crossed the threshold. A fight broke out, and everyone cleared the area except for the ones fighting. Which was essentially us three against them. They were strong. Stronger than we are right now.” He gulped. “They got away and took Egan with them. Sage and I ran back as fast as we could. He’s in his suite right now waking up the others.” He glanced back at me for a brief moment. “The others, except Iss.”
Shit. They were going to go ballistic when they realized I wasn’t there. Not that I’d done anything wrong, but who wouldn’t be worried when waking up to a bad situation and finding yourself one person less than you went to sleep with?
A guttural roar sounded from outside.
Shit was about to get real.
“I have to go!” I yelled as I darted out the door to the courtyard and straight into Nato’s chest. His eyes were wild, he barely saw me as he steadied me with a bruising grip.
“Nato.” I pinched his sides to get hi
s attention.
As if a cloud cleared from the sun, he focused on me, and yanked me into his chest. His heart frantically beat against my cheek. My entire being felt like it was on fire from the worry and fear of what was right now happening to Egan. I inhaled a deep breath as a cool breeze whispered over my skin, but doing nothing to cool down the fire coursing through me.
The others closed around us as he just held me, almost as if he was trying to convince himself I was real. I tried to raise my head from his chest, but he placed a big palm over the side of my face to keep me where I was and effectively blocking my vision.
“Did you tell them?” Sage could break diamonds with the sharp anger in his voice.
“They know. I can’t see where they’re taking him. I didn’t even get a twinge that anything was wrong when they walked in. Not until they headed straight for Sage and Egan.” Rand stepped into view and rubbed his temple with two long fingers.
“What the hell does that mean?” Sage yelled. “Your powers are from House of Janer.” His words tapered off as he must have realized what he said.
Rand did have Janer powers. But he had more than that. He was a Manno, and by definition was the male version of the Mazza. He held a mark from each house, and would have grown into his powers as Fennin normally did.
Rand had powers from each house. Including the House of Zien.
“Fuck.” Jari drew the word out like it was the last word he would ever speak, which clearly it wasn’t as he went on. “I knew he was a Manno. I even understand it since I went with you to see the Three Suns, Yunez. But it wasn’t real to me. Hearing Rand speak about it? Now it’s real.”
“Let’s forget that,” I said as I forced my way out of Nato’s arms. “We need to go get Egan. Wherever he’s at, we can’t let him stay there.” He was strong, able to handle anything those bastards could throw at him, but for my conscience, for my heart, I needed him back with us.
“No.” Yunez’s response was swift and brooked no arguments. Lucky for Egan, that meant nothing to me.
“Yes.” I stepped back so I could easily see everyone. “He’s one of my Lusty Legion. No way in hell, am I going to abandon him.” I adopted the power pose with my feet about shoulder length apart and my hands on my hips. It was a stance that said I meant fucking business.
“Agreed.” Nato crossed his arms.
Yunez shook his head as if he didn’t know what to do with us. “I’m not saying we should not go after him, or we are not going to get him back. I said my sight was blocked. Or partially blocked. But my instincts are not. Every Manno and Mazza have an inherent danger meter, if you will. Mine is going crazy every time you say you are going to get him.”
I thought about what he said. So we were totally right when we figured my blackouts were telling me when shit was about to hit the fan. I thought about getting Egan, and I won’t lie, the edges of my vision darkened. It wasn’t nearly as severe as before when we ran into Rand’s fucked up father in the street, or when the Shadow Society found us in the church.
Still, it wasn’t enough of a deterrent to make me forget about Egan. I just prayed to all the Fennin powers that be, I wouldn’t black out and leave a bigger mess for my LL than if I were to stay behind. It would be a bitch if I passed out in the street.
“Do you have another plan that will get Egan back to us before morning?” I could be reasonable. We relied on Yunez so much, I was willing to see if he had an acceptable solution. You know, one that ended my way.
His mouth slashed downward in a grim frown that said everything he didn’t want to voice. “No.”
“Then we go after him. You can go, or you can stay. I personally believe our odds are better if you go with us.” Without waiting for an answer, I turned around and headed for our suite. I needed real clothes and kick ass boots to go after Egan. Just because I refused to wait didn’t mean I would rush off into the night blindly.
All of the guys followed me into the bedroom. Every freaking one of them.
Whatever. There were more important things to deal with right now.
I whipped off my robe, and undressed with my back to the guys, not giving the first fuck if Rand or Yunez got an eyeful.
“Rand. Where do you think they took him?” I said as I pushed my head through a tunic like top. I felt very cult like with the white linen pants and top, but they were easier to move in than anything else I had. And Yunez had a thing for white.
A heavy sigh filled the air before Rand spoke. “I’m torn here Iss, because I need to get Egan back just as much as you, but my instincts are screaming trouble.”
I tried to keep that bitch out of my facial expression as I turned around. “How strong is your sight? Are you having the same blockage Yunez is having?” There was no give in my words. He knew as well as the others, it didn’t matter what he said, I was going anyway.
He crossed his arms almost defensively and tipped his head toward his chest. When he glanced at me from under his lashes, my breath caught in my throat.
A pain I couldn’t see the source of tempered the soft lines of his face. Sudden regret and guilt weighed down my heart like anchors trapping me in those wretched feelings. Why had I been avoiding him all this time?
I was angry and butt hurt, apparently doing my best impression of an ostrich. In hindsight, I wish I’d taken the time to talk it out with him and learn about who he was as a Manno. Knowing he had hidden a whole other side of his self, meant I didn’t really know him.
I wanted to.
“Mannos grow into their power like all Fennin. But some powers come with age and experience. Right now, I don’t have that power. Someday, I might. But my Zien powers revolve around blocking. I’m damn good at blocking and shaping memories, or making people forget them altogether. You know how my mother can make memories? Well, I can do all that and more.” He paused and stared at me as if waiting for me to recoil from him in disgust.
I won’t lie, that was some pretty freaking scary shit. How did he know he was so good at it? Who had he practiced on? The urge to ask all of these questions burned the back of my throat, but the memory of how that went down with Nato stopped me. I’d save these questions for when we were alone.
Jari stepped into my side and squeezed my hip reassuringly. He glanced down and winked, not in a fun or flirty way, more of an I got your back kind of way. “So what you two Mannos,” —disdain dripped from the word, clearly, he hadn’t completely forgiven them— “are saying, is that while you feel going after him is a bad idea, you can’t actually see the outcome. And I, for one, am terrified that Yunez can’t see the future. That means we are on the same level playing field as the rest of the fucking world. Right?”
I shot a grateful look his way, and I swore, he never looked sexier. Something about my guys supporting me really flipped my switch.
Yunez rolled his eyes and flipped his hair out of his face. Sometimes it was really hard to see him as the insanely ancient man he was, especially when he had the mannerisms of a twenty-year-old. “I have explained this: For some unknown reason, I cannot see anything to do with the Shadow Society. My theory is that they have a Zien member that is able to block others from seeing them in the sight. But, I still have my instincts. They are screaming that this is a bad idea. But you refuse to listen,” he wrinkled his nose as if he couldn’t fathom we would ever not follow his explicit instructions. “But since you idiots want to do this, I will go with you. Get your clothes on and meet me in the hallway in five minutes.”
And just like that, he took control of the situation again.
I didn’t question it, though. Everyone was in on getting Egan and the less time he was in their hands, the better. In three minutes, we gathered in the hallway and waited for Yunez. Rand stood over to the side. He reminded me of a kid on the playground that sorely wanted to be a part of the group, but was too scared or shy to join in.
I had been that kid. It didn’t feel good to be on the outside, and even with everything swirling around us, I cou
ldn’t let him be excluded. Enough of my anger had cooled, and now I was left cold over the way we had avoided them.
His eyes widened in surprise as I curved my arms around his middle and rested my head on his chest. “No more secrets, okay? I missed you,” I murmured.
There was no way the rest of the guys hadn’t heard every word I said, but they stayed back and allowed us our privacy.
His arms tentatively closed around me. His chest expanded under my cheek as he took a deep breath. “When we have Egan safe and sound, I want to tell you everything. Will you come to my suite?” It was an invitation for me only.
Out of the corner of my eyes, Sage stiffened. His back was to me, and when I expected him to turn around, he stayed where he was. Not interfering at all.
Damn.
“Yes. I’d love that.” I wanted all the answers. We were only going to survive if we had all the information out in the open. If that didn’t happen soon, someone was going to die by my hand, because I hated secrets.
Yunez waltzed out of his suite like this was his last night to party. “Ready?” When his gaze fell on Rand and me, his mouth twitched, but that was the only hint that something was going on inside his head. And, we’d probably never know what it was.
“Yeah, Yunez, you could say we’re ready.” Nato pushed off the wall and pointedly looked around at everyone waiting in the hallway. He glossed over Rand and me, but he paused on everyone else.
I tried to pull back, but Rand held me where I was. “I missed you too. Just stay here for a second longer. Please?” He whispered so softly, I doubted anyone else heard.
If Egan were here, I bet he’d have been able to hear him. My animal man.
A pang hit my heart. We had to get him back tonight. If we didn’t, I wasn’t going to rest until we had him with us again. Each of the guys, including Yunez, wore a similar expression. The words Yunez had said were just that. Words.
He was worried for Egan. It was written all over his face and body clear as day. And the violet fire in his eyes said he wasn’t going to stop until we had Egan back.
Secrets of the Mazza: A Paranormal Romance (Mazza Series Book 3) Page 6