“Excuse me,” he said, falling into the cool politeness he reserved for strangers. Without waiting for a response, he strode to Maya, leaving the bewildered druid with her mouth half-open.
“Hey, Maya.” He tapped his forehead in salute. “How’s Anna doing?”
“Oh, she’s fine, hanging out with her friends and having a grand old time in Canada.” Maya hooked her arm around his. “We missed you, handsome.” She winked.
“Thanks for rescuing me,” he whispered.
“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured. Taking him a safe distance from Brysys’s clutches, she let him go.
Meanwhile, with her soft and quiet demeanor, Talaith had already greeted everyone else in the room and taken a chair at the edge of the conversation. Her body language was clear: she didn’t wish to be included.
At this point, he realized that a bold statement on his part was required. He had to demonstrate to everyone in the room that Talaith and he were a couple by letting his actions speak for him. He dragged a club chair next to hers. Soren and Maya and maybe Fritiof would read the gesture accurately. Eventually, Gustaf and Brysys would catch on.
From a distance, he could feel the druid’s blue stare on him. Silently, he congratulated himself for making it clear where his affections and allegiance lay. He was no one’s instrument and didn’t appreciate being used. If her intention was to make Eachann jealous, she’d be sorely disappointed. From what Kailen had seen in Scotland, the big vampire didn’t even want to hear her name. She had a lot of ground to make up with Eachann. Jealousy was not the way.
Grasping Talaith’s small hand in his, he kissed it lightly in an even more explicit statement. “Are you ready, a stór? The briefing may be long and in-depth.”
“I’m prepared for Gustaf’s inquisition. I saw him grill Maya after the Alaska mission. What I wasn’t expecting was Brysys’s play for you,” she grumbled. “Considering her change in attire, perhaps she has decided to live in the modern world and forget Eachann. Less of a headache for her.”
He shifted his chair around to face her. “If she paraded her naked body in front of me, she’d get a curious glance and no more. I don’t make idle promises. You have all of me: my mind, my heart, and my spirit. There’s no one else. Every lustful fantasy I have is centered around you.”
“And you in mine.” As her lovely ivory skin tinted a deep red, she changed the subject. “So… When is this formal conference supposed to begin?”
“Soren is in charge, and Gustaf is about ready to jump out of his skin. Plus, we’re waiting for beverages and food to arrive. I ordered refreshments.”
Gustaf stopped pacing. Crossing his arms, he frowned at Soren. “We’re all here, nephew. There’s no need to delay. Can we get started?”
“No, Uncle. I’m still waiting for one more supernatural. And look.” Soren nodded to the doorway. “Woody and Zola have brought us food. Thank you, guys. That was fast.”
“You’re welcome.” Zola placed her tray with sandwiches, chips, and plates on the long credenza under the long bank of sash windows. “Kailen and Talaith have been on the road, we figured they would be starved.”
“Very considerate, Zola,” Maya said. “Thank you.”
Woody set the water, coffee, and tea service on the coffee table. “Would you like me to pour?”
“It’s all right, we can handle it from here,” Soren said.
“Call if you need anything else.” Woody gave a quick bow and left with Zola in tow.
“Nephew, you’re testing my patience,” Gustaf grated. “Can we get—”
The loud crackle of an opening portal, made even more deafening by materializing within the walls of the strategy room, silenced Gustaf’s voice. Every glass item in the room, including the windows, rattled with the vibration. Eachann had teleported in one of his odd moods. He could have muted the portal’s sound level, but today, he came in at full throttle.
Kailen turned to Brysys. It took a fraction of a second for the sorceress to gasp in shocked recognition. Her eyes darted around the room, her expression that of a trapped animal searching for an exit that wasn’t available. The portal blocked her way.
“You are so calm,” Talaith whispered. “Did you know Eachann was coming?”
“Soren didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re wondering. I assumed the vampire would be invited. Eachann and Khnurn have been close friends for ages. Makes sense he’d be present. We all have a lot to lose.”
With a second resounding crack, the portal’s entire frame collapsed on itself and disappeared, leaving the huge male standing in what used to be the center of the circle. Instead of the ubiquitous Highland kilt and boots, Eachann stepped out wearing city clothes, dress slacks and black turtleneck. His shoulder-length red hair flamed with the contrast. A tiny whimper came from the corner of the room where Brysys huddled.
Talaith squeezed his hand. “She’s afraid.”
“He won’t even look at her. Khnurn’s situation is much bigger than their old feud, and he knows it,” he whispered back.
“Feasgar math.” Eachann saluted with a small bow. “Soren, thank you for the invitation. Am I late?”
“Not at all,” Soren said. “We’re just getting settled with some food and beverages. What can I get you?”
“Thank you, nothing. I enjoyed a small supper at home before teleporting.”
“Get comfortable. We’ll begin as soon as everyone else is watered and fed,” Soren said.
“Och, lad.” Eachann lifted two fingers. “May I have a moment before we begin.”
Eachann’s voice was so smooth that Kailen’s skin prickled in warning. The vampire had sent an icy glance at Brysys. Eachann would never disrespect Soren’s invitation by hurting the druid in his home. Nevertheless, according to the vampire’s memories of that woeful event—and Talaith’s account after the memory search—his loathing of Brysys would never end. He’d given his eternal heart and devotion to a female who had betrayed him to daemons and had two-timed him with his brother. Pity Eachann didn’t know the truth.
“Speak at will, friend,” Soren said, unperturbed.
“Trust is all.” His eyes flashed red. “Khnurn’s fate stands on the edge of a knife. A whisper from a traitor can tip the balance to utter destruction. Once I was betrayed, and that trust is gone. I will not endure such pain again. Ye ken my meaning?”
“Completely.” Soren nodded, then turned to his mate. “Maya my love, will you handle this matter?”
Maya seemed to float more than walk. She grasped the wide-eyed Brysys by the hand and swiftly left the room. She returned as quietly as she’d departed.
Eachann walked to a chair closer to the massive map table and settled down. “I am grateful, lad. Your respect for my concerns means much. This conversation is important and confidential. We cannot take risks.”
“I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say your misgivings, such as they are, make perfect sense,” Soren said. “Misgivings, yes. Accurate information, not so much.”
“Och?”
“A conversation for another day, my friend. For now… Kailen and Talaith, take it away.”
Kailen had encouraged Talaith to give her report first. She had more details to share regarding Dubtach, Rhonda Sterling, and the dimension they’d used to escape. Then he gave his, stopping just before discussing the possible poison-delaying properties in Vallen’s blood. Something inside warned him to save the information for Soren’s ears only.
“Do you have anything else to add, Kailen, Talaith?” Soren glanced at each one.
“I don’t.” Instinctively, he rubbed the still-swollen spot on his head, a painful reminder of his distraction. “They got me all right, coldcocked for the count.”
Soren turned to Talaith. Pursing her lips, she had a faraway expression as she searched through her memory magic again. With Talaith, the process could take several minutes.
“Mmm…the dimension felt like being in someone’s dream, a weird and twisty landscape. Think of Sa
lvador Dalí’s surrealist works.” She shook her head. “When Dubtach’s group raced ahead, I lost Khnurn’s cage within the haze.”
“No trace of Oras,” Gustaf said.
“None,” she said. “Not since that evening in the Manhattan bar.”
“Och?” Eachann had been silent up to this point. “I dinna ken, lassie. Will ye tell me more?”
Talaith turned questioning eyes at Soren. She wouldn’t reveal details of a mission unless the Titanian gave the okay.
Understanding her hesitation, Soren went ahead. “Here’s the setup, Eachann. I ordered the operation because I wanted to scour the bar for any clues we might have missed about the drone. Plus, I was going back and forth with the idea of destroying the place… Go ahead, Talaith.”
“Kailen noticed a small silver frame on a side table,” she said. “The piece called my attention immediately. I assumed it belonged to the human victims used to create the drone.”
The muscles in Talaith’s neck flexed as she swallowed. This particular search had been emotionally charged for her. She glanced at Kailen, looking for support. He squeezed her fingers, and she continued speaking. “I touched the frame, and a vivid memory jumped at me. The victim came alive in my mind and took over the search. Cut down in the prime of her life, Kathy’s grief and anger were overwhelming. She showed me what Alain ordered, and I…” She clasped her throat. The words were not coming.
Kailen picked up the story for her. “I realized Talaith was struggling with the search, so I stepped in to help. She said, ‘They know his plan.’ I pushed her to tell me who. She spoke the sorcerers’ names out loud—”
“Mind you, the bar had no shields or wards,” Talaith cut in. “He overheard us and attacked. I had to fight to expel him.”
“Who, lassie?” Eachann asked.
“Oras.” Kailen answered before she could.
“An donas dubh!” Eachann exclaimed. “What happened?”
“Not too much. Some minor breakage when bottles and things got tossed around. I pushed hard, and he let go. He was too far away to resist my defensive magic. I figured out something else…” She paused; her gaze focused on an indistinct spot. “Kathy warned me, and I may have been too flustered to understand the message. Both mages had learned Khnurn intended to send them back to Tenebrarium, and that he was going after them alone. So, they set up an ambush of their own.” She sighed. “I failed my master.”
“You did not,” Kailen argued. “In fact, you and I changed our itinerary and went to Scotland on his orders. I’ll bet you anything he was already taken by then.”
“Impossible. He sent us texts.”
He shook his head. “How do you know it was him? With his phone in their possession, anyone could’ve texted us. He went silent after that.”
“True,” she conceded.
With a miserable expression, she glanced at her folded hands on her lap. She’d hunched as if all the air had left her lungs. A moment passed, and she glanced at the faces studying her.
“How do we get him back? We can’t abandon him. Only the gods know what that bastard is doing to Khnurn, the tortures he’s inflicting on my old master.”
Maya sighed. “Alain is also a problem. He’s up to his elbows in this matter. His goal is different from Dubtach’s, however. Hell, does anyone know what Dubtach wants?”
“World and species domination?” Eachann ventured.
“Well, he better get in line,” Kailen grumbled. “Others got there first.”
“Stop cracking your skulls over this,” Fritiof said in a booming voice as he entered the room. “We talk to the council.”
Kailen had been so focused on Talaith and her pain, he hadn’t noticed his old lord’s departure.
“Dad?” Soren asked.
“I just got off the phone with Ramiro da Cruz.” Fritiof beamed. “He’s calling an emergency meeting as we speak.”
“The High Council?” Eachann asked.
“That’s right.” Fritiof smiled. “It’s about time they learned some of what we’ve been handling without their help, and the full scope of the situation. I’m tired of coddling the other species. This affects us all.”
“Won’t Alain be present?” Gustaf asked. “That can’t be good for us. We’ll lose the element of surprise.”
“The surprise is lost already, brother,” Fritiof retorted. “Gisela, Alain’s daughter, is handling his affairs. Whatever the father knows, she does too. Good thing she’s only one voice. I’m more concerned about Prince Idrás of the demons. If memory serves, a demon was present in that interspecies conversation at the Manhattan bar. Am I right, Soren?”
“You are, Dad.”
“All right, then,” Fritiof said. “Pack clothing for a few days or bring your dress magic along. Be warned, High Council meetings are slow and follow every established protocol. The ruling class likes to hear the sound of their own voices and everyone must speak. Resolving one issue can take up to three days.”
A pandemonium of voices broke out in the room. Gesticulating, Gustaf argued with his brother as to the need of transporting immediately. Meanwhile, remembering the threat of another spy in Gustaf’s home, Fritiof forbade him to text or phone Beatrix with the plans. Eachann wanted to bring Bromm along. Did he need permission from Dom Ramiro? The werewolf was an excellent shadow observer as creatures dismissed his casual demeanor. Soren agreed and Eachann strode out of the strategy room, ostensibly to call Bromm.
Kailen shook his head, pushing the noise aside. He extended his hand to Talaith. “Well, that’s settled. Let’s get you situated for this trip. We’re going to South America.”
“South America, why?”
“Because the home of Dom Ramiro da Cruz, exalted leader of the Iguaçu jaguar clan, is located in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. That’s where the High Council is convening and that’s where we’re going.”
“Gods, Kailen. I’m anxious to help Khnurn and worried about him at the same time, but I also need time with you. I thought we’d have at least a couple of days to ourselves.”
He grasped her shoulders. Slowly, he brought her sweet body close to his, then dropped a kiss on her head.
“I know. I feel the same way.” He tangled his fingers with hers. “We have no choice but to grin and bear it. Soon, I promise, we’ll have our moment. And no one will interfere.”
“Promise?”
Her eyes glittered at him with hope. His insides twisted, knowing this mission could extend beyond any estimation and become even more complicated. But for now, hope was what he’d give her.
“Promise,” he murmured.
She smiled, and together they left the room and moved down the steps. As he made a right turn down the main hallway, he passed one of the rarely used smaller sitting parlors and slowed his pace. A glimpse of Brysys and Eachann engaged in a serious exchange caught his attention. Brysys’s pained expression struck him hard. She spoke a flurry of words as she leaned forward, inching a trembling hand toward an implacable Eachann. The vampire towered over her. His body language was cold and unyielding. A vivid crimson aura swayed and flicked all around him.
Kailen thought to speak, to smooth out the anger between them, then he clamped down on that idea. Only one creature had the power to shed light and truth on Brysys and Eachann’s dilemma. Currently, she walked at his side, and he intended to run interference as her plate was pretty damned full.
Rescuing Khnurn came first. The other stuff had gone on for centuries. Waiting a little longer wouldn’t make any difference.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Decades ago, a friendly debate had emerged between the honorable Ramiro da Cruz, exalted commander of the Iguaçu werejaguars, and his majesty Lord Aten, prince of the Auricians. For centuries, the palatial residences of both leaders had stood at sea level. However, with mankind’s increased visits to the natural wonders in their habitats, both races stood to lose precious anonymity and privacy. After careful deliberation, shamans and elders in each council pres
ented two solutions: either cast an impenetrable glamour barrier around their abodes or move to a new location. Amazingly enough, and thousands of miles apart, both leaders opted to go up rather than make a lateral move. From then on, an amicable conversation over which lord first came up with the idea to lift their residences into the air began between the Auricians and the Iguaçu jaguars.
Before Talaith set foot within the jaguars’ headquarters, Kailen had told her about the altitude. Ramiro’s magnificent home hovered about three-quarters of a mile over the thunderous Iguaçu falls, origin of the jaguar’s clan name.
As she strolled along the surrounding grounds, lush with princess flower, fragrant mangabeira, leafy banana trees, and giant bird-of-paradise, plus a plethora of variegated elephant ears, philodendron, and royal palms, she realized his explanation had been cursory at best. The tiled-roof, single-story hacienda was split into five buildings. In case of rare inclement weather, exterior arched passageways connected each structure to the next. Altogether, the residence took up one full acre. And that didn’t include the remaining property, which boasted an Olympic-sized pool with an attached spa, tennis and squash courts, a greenhouse to protect exotic and delicate flowers, and a modest farming area to grow vegetables and fruits.
The path of herringbone-styled pavers she’d walked on came to an end, and she paused to look ahead. A gentle gradient sloped toward the outer limit of the compound. Kailen had said Ramiro loved the sensation of open spaces and abhorred fences of any sort. None would spoil the beauty of his home. That didn’t mean the borders weren’t protected by invisible safety barriers. Comforted by that knowledge, she went on.
The closer she got to the invisible barrier, the louder the sound of water tumbling from one level of the falls to the next became. What was taking place, practically under her feet, was a marvel of the natural world. Awed by the thought of such beautiful power, her skin broke out in goose bumps.
Inching forward, she squinted, hoping for a better view. At the moment, a thin layer of clouds filtered some of the noise and the wondrous sight below. A minor inconvenience and one she intended to remedy at the first opportunity. According to Fritiof, her group would be here for two days, if not longer. That gave her ample time to teleport to the ground. Add to that jaunt a light touch of glamour, and merging with the tourist crowd would be a cinch. Excitement filled her as she envisioned herself hand in hand with Kailen, standing amid the billowing spray and partial rainbows. She’d come to Brazil, so she might as well turn this trip into an adventure.
The Last Danann (Titanian Chronicles, #2) Page 23