by Dianna Love
“You can’t get through,” Lorwerth rasped with smug authority. “My mind is more secure than any of the guards. I can control my own protective layer.”
Quinn checked Storm, who nodded.
Standing up, Quinn said, “Well, that answers that. But ... I can try, if you wish for me to finish this.”
Evalle said, “Quinn?”
He lifted a hand to silence her.
If Lorwerth died because of refusing to allow Quinn to enter when the man knew who was killing innocent people at will, then so be it.
Daegan shook his head. “I will never ask you to do a task that is mine alone.”
Lorwerth looked confused. “What are you saying?”
Daegan reached over his head and withdrew a sword from the sheath on his back. “As the last of the dragon kings, I declare you guilty. You shall die by the sword, as that is the punishment as decreed during the time of dragons.” Daegan lifted the sword.
Fear flushed color into Lorwerth’s pale face, then a thought lit his eyes with mean amusement. “You don’t know, do you?”
The sword hesitated in midair. “What are you talking about, Lorwerth?”
The crazy guy cackled a dead man’s laugh. He coughed up more blood and spoke in a ragged voice. “I love it. You don’t even know about the others.”
Quinn watched Daegan’s face lose its calm determination and turn into the face of one who looked like he’d been given unexpected hope.
Daegan ordered, “Who are you talking about?”
The sickening sounds coming from Lorwerth were getting softer. “Blood kin ... she ... ”
Daegan lowered the sword and dropped to a knee. “Tell me. Of whom do you speak?”
Lorwerth’s eyes rolled up.
Cursing the man, Daegan stood and shoved the sword into its scabbard.
Quinn would have liked to find out more about that exchange, but he had to make sure no one had tampered with the tomb. He needed a plan for what to do about the Tribunal meeting breathing down his neck.
So little time left to make such a big decision.
He told Daegan. “Give me a minute to check the tomb.”
Daegan waved him off, then the dragon king turned to Evalle and Storm, talking about cleanup.
Quinn’s gaze went straight to where he’d last seen Reese.
Where was she?
Chapter 38
After a last check to see that Storm and Daegan could handle cleanup, Adrianna returned to where Isak had his mother in a bear hug. The woman was rock solid and hadn’t whimpered or complained, even for a second. Adrianna respected Kit for the front she’d shown, but tonight Kit had faced real monsters that were a whole different level of terrifying.
The sooner Isak got her out of here, the better for Kit, who would not want to break down around the boys.
Adrianna checked on the twins, since Evalle would expect her to do that. She had to be careful not to wound their young manly pride.
She asked Kellman, the always calm and levelheaded of the two, “You guys going to be okay?”
“We’re good.” His wary gaze drifted to Isak. “I don’t think he’s ever going to let us near Kit again.”
Talk about a heart wrenching sound in Kellman’s sad voice. That ripped Adrianna’s own heart, which hadn’t had the best of days already.
But Isak had shown signs that he might be rethinking his harsh reaction when he’d first learned of his mother’s kidnapping.
He’s only human, Adrianna reminded herself with a chuckle at the truth.
She told the boys, “Give me a minute to find out the travel arrangements since I came here with Isak. I’m fairly certain he had all your camping gear and his mother’s SUV picked up by his men. There should be plenty of room for all of us in his Hummer.”
At least the rain had quit, but now the night air was turning cool. Her body was tired of the bouncing weather changes.
When she walked up to Isak, Adrianna asked, “How are you doing, Kit?”
Kit unfolded herself from her overprotective son’s embrace. “I’ve had better days, but I count that we’re all safe as a blessing.”
Evalle came running up to the group, really fast with the return of her super Belador speed. First she grabbed the boys and hugged them.
The relief on their faces warmed Adrianna’s heart.
Seeing Evalle hug anyone was quite a change from when Adrianna had first met her.
Technically, the boys were legally adults. They’d grown up on the streets of Atlanta, but from what Evalle had shared with Adrianna, they’d gotten mothering from Kit that they’d never experienced. Clearly it had been good for them.
Kellman and Kardos might need a touch of that mothering now.
Evalle left the pair off to the side and walked up to Isak. “I’m glad everyone is okay.”
He said nothing. The man had a head as hard as granite.
Kit told Evalle, “Thank you for coming to get us and please thank Tristan.”
“I will.” Evalle looked at Isak then Adrianna during the uncomfortable silence.
Kit cleared her throat and announced, “I need to talk to the boys.”
Isak said in a firm but gentle voice, “Kit.”
All Kit did was lift a finger, pointing straight up, and Isak gave up his argument.
That small woman had some kind of power in that one finger.
Impressive.
Adrianna might have to ask Kit for lessons.
Walking away on shaking legs, Kit might be still rattled, but she was not one to cross.
“Stay away from her,” Isak said in a quiet voice that Kit wouldn’t hear, but Evalle and Adrianna couldn’t miss the order he’d issued.
Evalle didn’t even try to hide her shock. “What?”
Adrianna didn’t want to believe he’d act this way now. Not right after everyone had risked their lives to save Kit and the boys. She asked Isak, “What is it you think I’m going to do to her?”
“Nothing, because you’re never going to be around her again.”
That was as final as it got.
Swallowing the lump that formed in her throat, Adrianna reminded herself she’d faced worse in her life without showing any crack in her mask.
She wasn’t about to give him the benefit of knowing how deeply his words cut. She reminded him, “Staying away from Kit might be hard to accomplish since you made me come here in your truck.”
“Not a problem. One of my men will be waiting for you and the boys.”
She had survived years of poor treatment from her Sterling witch family and missed her sister desperately since her twin had died so that Witchlock would not land in the wrong hands.
If Isak thought he could break her, he was wrong, but he’d done a damn good job of knocking the foundation out from under her heart.
She gave an abrupt nod and started to leave, but Evalle grabbed her arm. “Wait a minute.”
Then Evalle took Isak to task. “How can you be that way to her?”
He was just as cold to Evalle. “I’m done with you people.”
“You people?” Evalle asked in a tone of warning.
Isak made it clear he was unwilling to say more than, “She can take the boys home or you can. Kit’s going with me.”
Evalle sounded ready for another throwdown. “She has a name. It’s Adrianna.”
He ignored her and said, “I don’t want Kit around witches, demons or any other things again.”
Looking over at Kit and the boys, who thankfully weren’t listening, Evalle said, “Why are you being an ass, Isak? Bad enough that you treat Adrianna this way, but Kit loves those boys and they love her.”
Adrianna sighed. “Give it up, Evalle. We’ll never be more than strange things to him.”
That must have pushed Isak’s pissed-off button harder. “Kit is all I have. I don’t want anyone to ever put her in that kind of situation again. The best way for me
to ensure that never happens is to keep her away from ... nonhumans.”
Evalle gave him an incredulous look and huffed. “Now I understand why Adrianna said she can’t be with someone who can’t meet her halfway.”
“That’s no longer an issue.”
Staring holes through him, Adrianna waited until Isak finally looked her in the eyes. She said, “Would have been nice if you’d just listened to me when I tried to tell you we wouldn’t work. Would have been even nicer if you’d never come by my house last night. Just so we’re clear, don’t ever come near me again or send your men. I won’t play the good witch next time.”
Bitter? Yes. She’d opened her heart and her body to this man and he’d stomped on her trust.
Spewing curses under her breath, Evalle shoved her hands on her hips. “Your loss, Isak. Big loss.”
For a moment, he looked at Adrianna as if he agreed with Evalle, but Adrianna forced herself to stand stoically. She’d learned to manage her facial reactions many years ago and right now she had stone-cold bitch face firmly in place.
Isak called to Kit, “You ready, Kit?”
Kit hugged each of the twins, whispering to them. Then she joined Isak. As he stepped away, he said over his shoulder, “The second Hummer will be waiting for you.”
Evalle replied, “She doesn’t need it and neither do the boys. We take care of our people.”
Still, Adrianna said nothing so he continued on with his mother.
The twins walked over and Evalle asked them, “Did you power up your hearing and eavesdrop?”
They didn’t even look embarrassed when they both said, “Yes.”
“Shoot. I’m sorry.”
Kardos shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. We’re not concerned. Kit said she’d have a talk with Isak.”
Adrianna didn’t have the heart to tell them that wasn’t going to fix it. Isak was now firmly on the opposite side of the line drawn between humans and nonhumans.
She’d stay on her side, far away from the man who had mangled her heart. He’d never get that close to it again.
Chapter 39
Frogs were singing a chirping chorus, probably celebrating the end of the monsoon that had hit Atlanta.
A soft, chilly breeze stirred the night air as Quinn found Reese standing back, staring at the tomb with a face covered in worry.
“Thank you for staying, Reese.”
She turned and the sadness in her eyes tore at him.
What was so awful in her world? He asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He’d figured out that she had an interest in Kizira’s body and was damned glad she hadn’t done anything to make him regret letting her stay around. Not yet.
“Reese, I don’t know who sent you here, but I don’t think your interest in Kizira’s body is personal. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
He waited, hoping she’d give him more, but Reese was not someone who gave up anything without a fight. He actually admired that about her. “What did you want with Kizira’s body?”
“Nothing really. Coming here was a means to an end. I was offered something significant for delivering her to another interested party,” she explained, stepping carefully with her words. “But ... I now realize the only place Kizira belongs is wherever you place her.”
After battling for this tomb, Quinn was humbled that this person who had no investment in him or his life would understand what this meant to him. He’d told Reese nothing about how he had to protect his daughter and that Kizira held the key to finding her, but this woman understood the emotional connection that he had anyhow.
She’d also seen what he hadn’t been able to admit—that he’d have to let the body go at some point.
He’d come to terms with that today.
His friends were just as understanding, but this little pistol of a female had been the only one to force him out of the dark place where he’d been living for too long.
She’d made him take stock of what really mattered.
His daughter.
Now that he thought about it, maybe he could make good on what she was doing for him. He could replace Reese’s loss by offering her a better deal. No matter what someone else had offered, Quinn would top that as a thank you and offer her more if she could help him find his daughter.
“It was nice meeting you, Quinn, and I wish you luck with all this.” She was holding her medallion in a white-knuckled grip.
That sounded like goodbye. “I’m glad I met you, too, Reese, and I’ll have someone give you a ride wherever you want to go, but first I have an idea—”
Evalle shouted, “Quinn!”
Shit. “I’ll be right back.” Quinn stepped over and looked around the corner of the tomb. “What?”
“You don’t have much time left.”
“I know. Give me a minute.” He turned around and ... Reese wasn’t there. He raced around the structure even though he knew this time she was really gone.
She couldn’t have walked out of here that quickly.
That medallion. Had she teleported away?
He trudged back to where Daegan and Storm had returned most of the ravine to its natural state.
Tristan asked Daegan, “If Queen Maeve isn’t behind this, then who is?”
“I don’t know, but Lorwerth ...”
“Who was that guy?” Quinn asked.
“He comes from my time. He was my uncle, but he wasn’t born with powers. I have no idea who gave him Laochra Fola warriors.”
“Good thing they’re all dead,” Quinn pointed out.
“These may be dead, but the god who created them has more. Rumors flowed about them years ago.” Daegan scratched his head and seemed to catch himself. “When we’re back on Treoir we’ll talk more. I need time to think on what he was saying and what he didn’t say.”
All of that was clear as mud.
Evalle gave Quinn a worried glance.
Yes, it was almost time for the Tribunal. Quinn told Daegan, “You should probably teleport out of here pretty soon.”
“And why is that?”
“The time draws near for me to go to the Tribunal. I apologize again for putting us all in a difficult situation. If I had it to do over, I would have handled her body differently. I had never heard of the Blood Law until Queen Maeve called it into force and demanded the Tribunal act upon it.”
“I didn’t get the whole run down on the Blood Law,” Tristan said. “What is it exactly?”
Daegan stood silently with his arms crossed over his chest as Quinn explained it with specifics.
He wrapped it up by saying, “I did have an honorable reason, but that’s not important now.” He paused to look at the tomb.
Tristan said, “Daegan hasn’t met Sen.”
“No big loss there,” Evalle offered. “Sen’s a boil on the ass of humanity.”
Daegan tossed an eyebrow up at that. “Friendly, are you?”
“No. He hates me. He’s tried every way possible to have me locked away forever. He came close more than once. That I’m still walking around free is something he probably considers a personal failure.”
Quinn noted that Daegan was taking it all in.
Tristan said, “Basically Sen is VIPER’s and the Tribunal’s messenger boy and enforcer.”
“True,” Quinn confirmed. “That’s why he can find me anywhere in this realm. The minute they realize we are no longer loyal to Macha, they’ll expect you to come and meet the Tribunal. The only reason it hasn’t happened yet is because none of us have said a word about you taking over Treoir, but no point in putting you in that situation today. If being in the human realm is not a safe place for you, then I seriously doubt going to a realm with three non-ally entities would be any better an idea.”
Daegan asked, “What will happen at this Tribunal?”
“They’ll demand Kizira’s body and for me to hand it over to Queen Maeve. I
can open the tomb, but it’s a slow process. I had wanted you to teleport it away, but at this point the only safe place for me, or the tomb, would be Treoir. Sending me there would put the Beladors in conflict with VIPER. The Tribunal would lash out. Our people would die.”
Daegan listened as if he weighed every word Quinn spoke. The dragon king said, “What other options are there?”
“Not many. I will not open the tomb, so they’ll want to hand me over to Queen Maeve as compensation. If I create a disturbance first, they may decide to lock me up instead. That’s my best option right now.”
“What kind of disturbance?”
Quinn rubbed his chin. “I might try to dive into Sen’s head and see if there’s anything in there besides hate.”
Evalle said, “Quinn! You’re kidding, right? Sen would kill you on the spot.”
Exactly what he was thinking. “Of course, I’m joking.”
Storm had walked up at that moment and his mouth dropped open with shock. He knew Quinn was lying. Quinn held his gaze, hoping Storm understood what Quinn was doing.
Storm’s face darkened with anger, but he held Quinn’s confidence. Good man.
“I see,” Daegan announced. “And you think to rush me off so I’m not harmed when this Sen shows up?” Daegan’s words held a touch of amusement.
“To be honest, yes. The Beladors need you. They need your leadership, and in particular, they need you because you care about them as more than an army to feed your power. We can’t afford for anything to happen to you.”
Tristan let out a long sigh. “Trust me when I say Daegan’s not going to listen to you.”
Evalle put in her two cents worth. “What’s the deal, Daegan? If you have a vulnerability, you should let us know so we can watch your back.”
Daegan bristled. “You expect me to admit a weakness? We already went over that.”
“Good grief. You men just kill me.” She crossed her arms, looking just as deadly as the dragon king. “We have to build a cohesive army. If we know where someone will attack, we can defend against it, but if you don’t tell us, then we’re of no use to you, the Treoir family or the Beladors.”