Don’t get eaten by a hippo. The man added a kissing face emoji.
I grinned and stuffed my phone back into my bag. My attention swung back to Kael.
“No, we don’t know what he was doing in the Louvre, but we’re hot on his tail.” Kael still hadn’t mentioned there was a third key. He’d said it was safer not to divulge such information, but it made me wonder why he didn’t trust his superiors. Did he just not want to tell them until he was sure we’d get the key? His brow pinched as he listened to Aidan ramble on about something. “Oh. Really?” He glanced at me quickly, then turned away.
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. What was that about? Were they talking about me?
He spoke for a couple of minutes longer, then hung up and sank into the single worn chair in the room with a heavy sigh.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He looked tired, and while all of the travel lately would certainly do that to a person, it seemed deeper than the flights and car rides and lack of sleep.
Kael offered me a weary smile. “It’s nothing.”
“It didn’t seem like nothing. Did Aidan give you some bad news?”
He shook his head and leaned back against the chair, closing his eyes. There was obviously something bothering him, and the fact he didn’t want to tell me stung. Didn’t he trust me? Weren’t we partners on this endeavor? Weren’t we friends?
“Fine.” My tone was short, something he wouldn’t be able to easily miss. “You don’t have to tell me anything.”
I turned to peer out of the window. The sun was bright and the sky clear, but the atmosphere was marred by the amount of noise. The road beneath was packed with people, most of them shouting about one thing or another they were selling, trying to accost tourists and missionaries. The honking of cars only added to the harsh sounds.
“Livvie.” Kael had come over to the bed. I scooted over as he sank onto the squeaky mattress beside me. “It is not that I don’t trust you. I trust you with my life.”
The intensity in his gaze, and his words, made my pulse quicken a bit. If it wasn’t an issue of trust, then there would only be one other reason he wasn’t telling me. “Is it about me?”
“Not exactly.” He pressed his lips together and sighed before continuing. “It’s about your friend, the one heading your team.”
I sat up straighter. “Sarah? What’s wrong? Is she all right?”
Kael waved a hand to settle me down. “She’s fine, but apparently that object they uncovered on the dig in India may be, while not cursed, magical.”
“Magical?” How many ancient relics existed in this world that were more than meets the eye? I started to reach for my phone. “I need to warn her.”
“No need. PITO has agents looking into the matter.”
“Looking into the matter? Aren’t they going to take it away? What if it hurts her?”
Kael let out a sharp sigh. “This is why I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t want you worrying for nothing. PITO has their eye on the situation. They will step in if need be. Your friend will be fine.” He tapped my temple. “You need to keep your head in your own game.”
I dropped my phone onto my bag with a huff. He was right. I couldn’t worry about Sarah and Vehrin at the same time. If she had PITO watching her, she was in good hands. I nudged Kael’s shoulder with mine.
“Hey, thanks for trusting me. You’re a good friend.” My gaze turned to the carpet that I was certain used to be a rich brown but had been soiled by so many shoes and stains over the years it looked like mud. “Probably the best friend I’ve ever had.”
My words nearly rushed past my lips, but it was the truth. I had good friends, like Sarah, but I’d never had anyone I trusted more than the man beside me.
Kael was silent for so long I began to wonder if he’d heard me, and I started to hope he hadn’t. Heat crawled up the back of my neck. It had been a silly thing to say.
“You know,” he finally said. “Surprisingly, I’d have to say the same to you.” He shrugged. “I mean, I never thought I’d find such a good friend in a stubborn, magic-cursed woman, but—”
I shoved him. “Stop it. I am not stubborn.”
He leaned closer to me. “As a mule.”
My breath caught. I couldn’t help myself. The man was practically flush up against me. He must have heard my lungs hitch, because his gaze dropped to my lips as if wondering what was keeping me from bringing air in. His hand lifted to glide up my arm, and I panicked. What was he doing? Why was he staring at me like that?
“Kael?”
He opened his mouth, and then a loud knock echoed through the small room. Both of our stares shifted to the door.
“Your friend?” I asked. Kael had an acquaintance who may be able to help us figure out which direction Vehrin was heading, and hopefully get the third key before he had a chance to claim it.
Kael stood slowly. “Yeah.” He glanced at me. “He’s a bit odd, just so you know.”
He didn’t say anything else as he strode to the door. I rubbed my arm where he had feathered his fingers up my skin. It felt warm.
I got to my feet as Kael opened the door. A loud, boisterous laugh bounced through the room. “Kael! It’s been too long, brother!”
My partner was quickly swept into the arms of his friend at the door. Kael grunted in the grasp, and then shoved away.
“As exuberant as ever,” he said. He rubbed at the back of his neck as he stepped from the doorway and motioned his friend inside.
Kael’s term of exuberant seemed to be a vast understatement. The man was tall, but gangly, as if he hadn’t grown out of his teenage years despite his face showing he was in his mid-twenties, at least. A wide grin split his face, and his dark eyes danced with amusement. The man wore nothing but a pair of worn sneakers and athletic shorts that were a vibrant orange. The way he moved as he stepped past Kael gave me the sense he wanted to jump into action at any moment. He had a fast, almost twitchy energy about him. His grin, impossibly, widened as he found me.
He glanced between myself and Kael. “Kael! You did not tell me you found a mate!”
I nearly choked on the sharp breath I sucked in at his words. His mate? It was a preposterous notion, but it also curled inside of me in an unexpectedly delightful way.
Kael shut the door and shook his head. “She’s not my mate. She’s my friend. I told you as much on the phone.” He glared at his friend, who was still staring at me.
His friend shrugged. “If you say so, brother.”
My partner let out a sharp sigh. “Olivia, this is my friend, David.”
David held out his hand, and I took it. “David Ortege,” he said. He had a funny sound to his voice, as if he were constantly trying not to laugh.
I glanced at Kael. “Brother?”
“A term of affection. David is a cheetah shifter, and we’re both cats, so…” Kael shrugged as if that explained it.
I studied David. His long limbs and buzzing energy certainly made sense for a cheetah shifter. He released my hand and proceeded to rock back and forth on his heels.
“So, Kael, what brings you and your lady here, exactly?”
Kael scowled. “I told you, she’s not my―”
David waved a hand. “Semantics.” His eyes glittered as he winked at me.
“We’re seeking an object. It’s magical in nature, possibly cursed, and very ancient.” Clearly, Kael wanted to ignore his friend’s baiting. “It could be dangerous, and we need to uncover its whereabouts quickly.”
The tall man pursed his lips. “And why are you asking me this instead of using the resources of your organization, my friend? Do you not trust your own comrades?”
“With the object we’re seeking, I trust myself and Olivia alone. And now, you.”
David raised an eyebrow. “Indeed?” He paused, but if he was waiting for an elaboration from Kael or myself, he received none. He continued. “Very well. There is one who may be able to help you. She lives west of here. S
he is not easy to find, and those that do find her, often wished they had not.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“She is a prophetess, of sorts, and most do not like what she has to say.”
Kael grunted. “We’ll take the risk. Where do we find her?”
David gave us loose directions—apparently the woman didn’t stay in the exact same area often.
“Can you just show us the way?” I asked. Surely, David knew the area much better than we did. The last thing we needed right now was to get lost in the African wilderness.
He shook his head. “You could not pay me enough to step foot anywhere near her.” Then, he turned to leave with no more explanations. He paused in the doorway, then glanced back at me. “I do hope you live, Olivia. I wouldn’t mind seeing what becomes of you and Kael in the end.”
After the door closed and I was certain David was beyond earshot, I turned to Kael. “Your friend is charming.”
Weird was more like it. What did he think was going on between Kael and myself? We were just friends.
For some reason, it nearly sounded as if I were lying to myself.
“Come on. No point in wasting any time.” Kael started to gather our supplies, and I hurried to help him.
The din outside was even stronger as we left the small hotel. The streets were so packed with people that it was nearly impossible not to be jostled by shoulders or hips. Much of the street was crowded with people shouting out trinkets to the obvious tourists in the area. Tables were heavy with necklaces of brightly colored, wooden beads; small paddle drums of stretched skin with zebras or giraffes painted on them and painted decorative plates with scenes of elephants or acacia trees. We had to tell people over and over again that we weren’t interested in anything they were selling. More than a few were quite forceful.
A prickle suddenly dripped between my shoulder blades, and I glanced behind me. I was certain someone was watching me, but I could see nothing out of the ordinary. Still, I voiced my unease to Kael. His jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared. His gaze darted to me, and I knew in the brief glance I had been right.
We were being followed.
Kael quickened his step as best he could in the throng, and it took quite a bit of effort to push through the crowds. Eventually, we broke from them, though, and Kael darted into an alley.
“This way. Quick,” he said.
I followed him, continuing to check behind us. There was nothing. No one.
“I think we lost whoever it was,” I said. I shook my head as something fell onto my hair.
Bits of grit rained down. I glanced up, then gasped. Before I could warn Kael, a pair of figures descended toward us.
The stench reached me first, like meat rotting on a hot summer day, and it twisted my gut. I had to fight back the bile burning up my throat. These were no henchman of Vehrin’s, but demons drawn to the power of the keys around my neck and drawn to me.
With long limbs, they scuttled down the building like spiders, and as they neared, I caught excited clicking noises. The demons reached toward us with long, curved talons.
Kael snarled and leapt at them. One of them lurched to the side and hurtled toward me. I summoned my sword, and brought it down in an arc. The speed at which the creature dodged was startling, and suddenly it was rushing past me.
I pivoted, refusing to let it at my back, and brought my blade aloft. The demon issued out more clicking noises, this time accompanied by a strange hissing I was certain was laughter.
My brow furrowed, and with gritted teeth, I dashed at the monster. It seemed surprised I would come toward it and shifted back ever so slightly. I couldn’t stop my momentum, and my blade moved straight at its abdomen. The strange, black casing that made up its skin was hard, and while my sword marred the surface, it glanced off to the side without penetrating.
The creature swiped at me as I continued to move forward, and I winced as I felt a small sting at my side. Thankfully, I fell hard and fast enough that I missed most of the long talon. I hit the ground with a grunt and rolled. I couldn’t see Kael, though a terrible shrieking told me he likely had the upper hand in his fight.
My heart pounded as the demon stared down at me with large, glittering, bulbous eyes. My veins warmed and pulsed with my magic. Letting it loose here could do more harm than good, especially if Vehrin or any of his minions were in the area. The monster descended, and I had no choice. My palm warmed as I shoved it toward the creature and sent up a blast of energy. My magic slammed into it, and the thing cartwheeled backward.
Kael was suddenly beside me and hauling me to my feet. Without a word, he tugged me down the alley. We didn’t stop running until we had left the town. I bent over and braced my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.
“Are they dead?” I asked.
“I’m not sure about the one you hit with magic. The other one is, for sure.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you all right?”
I nodded and straightened. A sharp pain stung at my side. I waited until Kael was searching through his pack to inspect it. There was a small tear in my shirt, and I quickly lifted it.
A scratch, barely more than a couple of inches, ran along my right ribcage. It wasn’t deep, and was hardly red with blood. I’d gotten worse pruning roses at my home. I hurriedly covered it back up.
“Water?” Kael held out a canteen.
I took a gulp and handed it back. “Now what?”
Kael gestured to the expanse of grass and trees before us.
I nodded. “All right. Camping trip, it is.”
We shouldered our packs, then headed out into the African wilderness with demons behind, a dark mage ahead, and the untamed elements to survive in between.
Chapter 15
This was by far the worst hike I had ever been on. Most would think a trek through Africa would be like an exotic safari, with giraffes, and elephants, and herds of gazelles to awe at. All we had found was heat, scratchy grass, and some rather annoying birds that had taken up the habit of screeching at us every few minutes.
I had no idea how long we had been walking, but it seemed like hours. My collar was sticky with sweat from the midday sun glaring on us. The landscape hadn’t changed in a while. There was nothing but the brown grass and the occasional sprinkling of acacia trees. Surely, we should have found the person we were seeking out by now? Yet we’d seen no sign of civilization since we’d fled the town from the demons.
Kael paused and squinted back in the direction we’d come. He’d been doing so at regular intervals, I assumed trying to catch the sounds, or even scents, of any demons that may still be pursuing us. He seemed convinced they wouldn’t have given up so easily.
“Anything?” I asked.
“No.” He turned and continued.
We had found a narrow path cutting through the grass, though whether it was made by people or animals, I didn’t know. It made the walking a bit easier, but if we wanted to avoid being followed, we wouldn’t be able to stay on the trail for long. I pulled in a deep breath and winced slightly at the stinging pain in my side at the movement.
The scratch had not lessoned in pain with the growing of the day. It had worsened. I told myself it was likely from the chafing of my shirt, and next time we took a break I was going to put some ointment and a bandage on it. It seemed silly, worrying about such a small scratch, but something at the back of my mind told me the stinging was a cause to be anxious.
I shook my head. Fretting over such a tiny scratch. Kael would probably laugh at me if I told him. I frowned. No, he likely wouldn’t. If anything, he’d probably berate me for not telling him about it in the first place.
My pace had slowed, I realized, and I picked up the pace to get back into step with Kael. He glanced behind us again, and his brow furrowed.
“I think it’s time we get off this path,” he said. “I don’t think we’re being followed, but something is nagging at me.”
“Sure, let’s go.” I wasn’t going t
o argue with him, even though trekking through the itchy grass was the last thing I wanted to do. He could have some sort of shifter instincts warning him for all I knew, and it would be smart not to argue with them. After all, I’d never prided myself to be someone who argued for argument’s sake. I was more of a “choose your battles” kind of woman.
We veered from the path, and quickly left it behind. My breath was beginning to labor. I hadn’t realized I’d gotten so out of shape. I used to be able to hike, climb, and trek all day without becoming winded. Perhaps it was the glaring heat.
The burbling of water caught my attention, and we soon came up on a small stream. There was a rocky outcrop nearby that cast a small shadow at its base. Kael led us to it, and I was never so happy to sink down to the ground beneath some shade. My partner folded to the ground beside me, and though he appeared to be the picture of ease, I knew he was still listening and watching for danger.
I settled back against the rock. It was cool after the heat. As we sat, a herd of water buffalo made their way to the opposite bank. Their dark coats were peppered with little birds picking bugs from their hides. Kael watched the herd as we rested, and I pulled my pack from my shoulder. I rifled through it until I found my ointment and some Band-Aids.
The cut was red and stung as I smeared antibacterial ointment across it. Kael didn’t notice what I was doing until I had finished pressing the bandage to my skin.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Just a little scratch, but out in this wilderness and in this heat, I don’t want to risk an infection.” I pulled my shirt down and gave him a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Kael nodded, and I was thankful he was as unworried about it as myself. He pulled out the water and some trail mix. We spent several minutes taking careful sips and munching on the mix of nuts and dried fruit.
“Which way from here?” I hadn’t wanted to ask him before, but I had a suspicion we were lost. Either that, or the woman had already traveled to a different location and we had missed her.
Kael stood and studied the wild landscape. “Let’s continue the way we’ve been going.” He jerked his head in a westerly direction. He held a hand down to help me up. “We’ll find her.”
The Hunted Soul Page 10