Power Play (Amanda Byrne Book 1)

by Kimberly Keane

  “They’ll be ready to go inside of an hour. They just need a location.”

  “I’m looking up the soldiers I’ve helped. They can pull together too.”

  “No need.”

  “But more people—”

  “Will be harder to coordinate. These guys are good.”

  I closed my eyes. I really wanted to get more people. I wanted an army. But I didn’t know how these things worked, and Daniel did. Trusting him was more likely to get the boys out alive and in one piece. Damn, this faith thing was a bitch. I took a deep breath.

  “Thank you.” That primal part of my brain was still in full gear, and a healthy dose of gratitude had just been dumped into the chemical goulash my brain had become. Suddenly I didn’t care that we were working together. I didn’t care that it might be awkward. I didn’t care if he felt the same way. I stood, took his beautiful face between my hands, and pulled his mouth to mine. I pressed our lips together and felt the tears fall. He didn’t deepen the kiss, but he didn’t pull away either.

  When it ended, he raised his hand to mine and pressed my palm to his face. I smiled at him through my tears, then turned and picked up my phone.

  Extraction team ready when you are.

  Thanks, Mom.

  Miriam’s searching for you too.

  I love you.

  Love you too. Tell your brother I love him when you extract yourself.

  See you soon.

  From your mouth . . .

  Chapter Forty

  Mr. Wesley rejoined us. “You should reconsider bringing in the authorities.”

  I shook my head.

  “She’s in contac—” Daniel’s voice cut off when I kicked his shin. He turned a perplexed look to me. I couldn’t tell him that Mr. Wesley didn’t know about Ethan in front of Mr. Wesley. He had no idea how we’d gotten the information for the footage of me being abducted. I didn’t know if it was illegal and didn’t want to take the chance that it was. So, I simply shook my head and then turned to Mr. Wesley.

  “I’ll take it under advisement.”

  I didn’t want to argue with him. I didn’t want to have to explain to the cops what the hell was happening. I wanted to go get them. I wanted to see them and hug them. I needed to know that they were going to be okay. I almost wished that the laptop was here so that I could look at them. So that I could see they were still there. I started pacing again and looked at my phone, over and over. Until Daniel put his hand gently on my shoulder. I looked up at him, my eyes dry. I’d stopped crying at some point.

  “You need to find something to do,” he said.

  “What do you suggest?”

  “I don’t know. But find something. Do you have any work you can do? Something that will occupy your mind?”

  I nodded. He was right. I had to find something to do. I had to find some way to help. Some way to get them. We had the extraction team. Sean was on it. Miriam was on it. Who else in helheim could help? I almost slapped my forehead.

  Urd?

  Yes, my host?

  Can you save them?

  Your offspring?

  Yes.

  I could feel the wheels of her mind turning.

  If I had full use of my abilities . . . hmmm.

  I am not certain where on this plane they are located. And I have no spiritual connection to them either. If they were here, in spirit form, I could bring their physical selves to me. Or I could bring their spiritual selves if their physical form were here. I could see probabilities, best practical options, maybe extrapolate location, but that may be unclear . . . the location could be something before or after . . . no, not specific enough.

  I waited, listening to her musings. Finally, she sighed.

  I’m not able to find a solution at this time. Should I have access to my abilities and contact with my sisters, we could see possible futures and probabilities for those futures.

  Wait. I thought the gods could locate individuals.

  Not any individual at any time.

  Then how in helheim do the gods find us when they arrive? Pull us to them and put us back?

  Prayers. Offerings. Celebrations. Anything that forges a connection. The stronger the tie, the easier it is.

  I’ve never done any of those things. I’ve never even wanted to do those things.

  They can choose someone at random, but psychics shine more brightly. And your talent comes with an instant union. It is also beacon to the newly returned, and allows them to call you or come to you with little effort.

  I ground my teeth together, trying to think past the anger. The gods could find me, but they couldn’t save my children. The only thing Urd could offer me was a glimpse at what might happen. What would knowing the probability of future outcomes give us?

  Not much, but more as the time stream drew closer. It would depend on how certain outcomes are at any moment. We would know how likely it would be that we would find them and when and in what condition . . .

  She didn’t have to finish the thought. Tears quietly started again. I couldn’t lose them. I wouldn’t lose them. Sean was brilliant. He would find out where they were. Miriam was the best telepath I’d ever known. Daniel had a force at his beck and call and he would get them out. I couldn’t think about the probabilities. If I knew, maybe that would change the outcome in some unthinkable way. Make it less likely. Hurt the outcome, somehow.

  I shook my head.

  We’re going to have to wait to hear from Sean. There’s nothing else we can do to help. To make it happen. Knowing the possible outcomes won’t change what we can do about it, and it’ll just muddy my thinking.

  I felt her nod.

  You agree?

  Knowledge can alter the course of events. We cannot always know in what way. Your . . . emotional state is not lending itself to analyzing knowledge thoroughly, which may result in not using it to its fullest benefit. More information would make filtering out information significantly more difficult.

  She had me there.

  So, my host, what do we do while we wait?

  Daniel was right, we occupy ourselves. We work.

  I hadn’t realized that I’d been standing preternaturally still, my head bent and my hands clasped tightly. I looked up to find Daniel and Mr. Wesley still standing and watching me. I didn’t feel like explaining. I didn’t care that they may have thought I’d lost my mind, or temporarily regained it. I cared about one thing, getting the boys. I just had to keep my mind occupied until we could do that. I turned to Mr. Wesley.

  “How long do you have this room?”

  He started, as if I’d surprised him with my question. “Uhhhh . . . for the remainder of the day. I fly out tonight, and I wanted a place to get some work done.”

  “Do you mind if Daniel and I stay for a while? I’ve got some business to finish myself.”

  He gestured to the room, indicating it was mine also. He stood and studied me for a long moment, then shrugged, sat, and pulled out some papers.

  I turned to Daniel. “I need to make a phone call and then go to the god realm to seal the arrangement with Airmid and Scáthach. Before I turn, I’ll give you the phone. If you get the location, contact the team to get them out, then call for me using the tag I gave you.”

  He nodded.

  I called Harry.

  “Have you called to tell me you can no longer resist my charms?” He chuckled, but for the first time in all my dealings with him, my heart didn’t skip a beat.

  “In your dreams,” I said to Harry. I tried to sound light; tried to smile. It was a colossal failure, and my voice cracked on the last word.

  “What happened?” he said.

  “I can’t . . .”

  “What. Happened.” Each word was enunciated slowly and with emphasis.

  My throat closed, and I wasn’t sure I could tell him. “Mr. Bradley. . .” I choked out and couldn’t continue for a moment. I took a shaky breath, wiping the few tears that had leaked out. “The boys. He took my boys.”

/>   “Where?”

  “I don’t know. Sean’s interfaced with their systems and he’s tracking down the location. Miriam’s on it too. We’ve got an extraction team ready to go.”

  “I’m on it too.”

  “Harry . . . what can . . . are you . . . I don’t know what to say.”

  “Mandy.” His voice was soft, the barest caress on my skin, and my eyes fluttered closed. It was as if his voice had wrapped me safely in his arms and promised me, beyond a doubt, that he would single-handedly find and rescue the boys. “We’ll find them.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Anything for you, darlin’.” It was a simple statement, devoid of any of his usual innuendo.

  “I’ve got more work for you on the Peter case too.”

  “Reader’s Digest version.”

  “Look into Bruce Weston, former CEO of a medical waste facility. I think Mr. Bradley’s dealings with him may not all be aboveboard, but I don’t know if it’s related to the curse. Drop it if it’s not related.”

  Mr. Wesley turned a fierce look on me and I held up a finger.

  “Don’t contact him directly. My lawyer may need to work with him and we can’t taint his possible testimony.”

  Mr. Wesley nodded and went back to his work.

  “Noted.”

  “Harry . . .”

  “Yes, darlin’?”

  “I owe you.”

  “Not for this, you don’t.”

  “Thank you.”

  I scrubbed my face with my hands. Gods, please let the boys be okay. I hadn’t heard the phone ping, but I checked it anyway. Nothing. I shook my head at Daniel and sighed.

  “Next on the agenda. I’m off to the Hill Realm,” I said and handed the phone to him.

  “Yes ma’am,” he said, but stayed standing.

  I got comfortable—well, physically comfortable, in my seat and closed my eyes. I remembered the feel of sea so close to the island and the short-hewn grass in the courtyard. Then I turned to the Isle of Shadows.

  The deal is made

  Debts to be paid

  With Scáthach we train

  Battle skills we attain

  Give to us your mark

  Beautiful and stark

  I waited for a few minutes. When Scáthach didn’t appear, I wondered if I had picked an inconvenient time. I sat down in the courtyard and crossed my legs. If she didn’t come soon, I would have to go back and try again later. I closed my eyes and tried to slow my breath. I didn’t last long, thoughts of the boys interrupting every few seconds, none of them good. I stood and looked out over the white caps, praying to no god in particular the boys would be okay.

  “Well met, Amanda,” Scáthach said.

  Her voice should have startled me, but didn’t. I turned and met her eyes. “Well met, Scáthach. Airmid has given her agreement; the bargain is sealed.”

  “When shall Daniel’s and your training begin?”

  “In a month’s time.”

  “Where is Daniel? I shall bestow my mark on you both.”

  “He is with my body,” I said.

  Scáthach closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. What in helheim would she need to concentrate on? We were simply sealing the—crap. She wanted to mark us to confirm the arrangement. She was finding my body, and connecting to Daniel based upon his proximity to me.

  “Wait”—I stumbled with the added pressure of my physical form. Scáthach took a shaky step forward as if she were struggling to keep her feet, and Daniel and Mr. Wesley appeared.

  Daniel immediately crouched, ready to attack, and Mr. Wesley plunked down on the ground as if the chair on which he was sitting had been yanked away. Daniel looked around, taking stock of his surroundings, and then glared at me. I glared back, ignoring Mr. Wesley, and then whirled to Scáthach.

  “We are awaiting an urgent message. Daniel is needed there.”

  She nodded. “This will be brief.”

  A prickling pain started in my left forearm. Soon it turned sharp and I inhaled through clenched teeth. Daniel flared his nostrils. We both looked down at our forearms. Scáthach had marked us. “Contact me within the month to confirm the start of your training.”

  I nodded.

  She turned to Daniel. “A small drop of blood smeared onto my mark will let me know you wish to contact me.”

  Scáthach waved her hand and we found ourselves back in the meeting room. Daniel looked around and let out a rough breath. I grabbed his hand, the one with my phone in it, and made sure there were no messages.

  Mr. Wesley turned wild eyes to us. “What the ever-loving fuck?”

  It had been too much. The negotiations, Mr. Bradley and his horror show, my boys, and now, Mr. Wesley, looking sharp and professional, always careful with his words, cursing like a sailor. I burst out laughing, which rapidly turned into crying. I collapsed into a chair, wiping at my face and wishing I could stop.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head and finally pulling myself together.

  “What? Why? You’ve already showed me what you can do.” Mr. Wesley looked more than a little annoyed.

  “I didn’t. A goddess decided she wanted us there.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. He turned to me as if he were going to say something and then just closed his eyes and shook his head. He sighed once. “I guess I’m going to have to get used to a new normal.”

  I was sure my smile looked more like a grimace. I shrugged and nodded at the same time.

  Chapter Forty-one

  I set the bag of Chinese food in the hotel suite’s small kitchenette and pressed my hands into the counter, letting my head hang. I felt worn out and sick to my stomach, and the smell of the food wasn’t helping. I didn’t know if I could eat anything, but I had to try. I shook my head roughly, sighing, and pulled containers from the bag. I opened a cabinet, pulled two plates from it, and called to Daniel, “I figure we can just share the food.”

  He said something back from the other room, but I didn’t hear it. “What?” I yelled.

  “That’s fine,” he said from right behind me.

  I let out a clipped squeak and whirled. “Don’t do that.”

  His quirky one-sided smile made me forget the situation for a moment. I wanted to kiss him again, to feel his rough cheek beneath my palm. To lose myself in him and forget the rest of the world. Instead I picked up my phone and checked it for the millionth time. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

  He stepped forward and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me. “We’ll find them.”

  I nodded, feeling his chest through the T-shirt, wanting to just stay that way for the next few hours.

  He stepped away and held up a few bills. “I’m going to run down to the lobby vending machine and get some drinks. What would you like?”

  “Nothing, thank you. I’m going to make some coffee.”

  He nodded, left the suite, and closed the door gently behind him.

  I turned back to the food and began opening the containers and setting them out. I pulled the handle on the silverware drawer just as I heard the suite door open. “Did you want a fork or are you going to use these wooden chopsticks?”

  “I prefer a knife.”

  I spun, my breath catching in my throat. “Rick.” I could barely hear my own voice.

  He was, as I’d remembered, short and muscular with salt-and-pepper hair and brown eyes. I glanced at the door and back at Rick.

  “Don’t worry about your boyfriend,” Rick said. “He’s forgotten what suite you’re in. He’s even forgotten what city he’s in.”

  My breath quickened. Daniel was immune. Psychics couldn’t affect him. Or could they? Had we tested that with more than one person or did I just believe it? Dear gods, maybe Rick could impact him. Maybe he wouldn’t come back to the room. Maybe this bait thing wasn’t the best idea. But I still had plan B. I didn’t want to use it. And I’d wait until I had to. I had to run with this for a while. Figure it out as I went along. I wait
ed for a few long moments, but the panic never came. Instead, the calm rage that had descended on me earlier that day washed over me. Only this time, it was a cool blue color. For the first time in my not-so-short life, I felt nothing. No anger, no sadness, no fear, nothing. I had turned to ice. I opened a drawer behind me, keeping my eyes on Rick and remembering, with perfect clarity, where I’d seen the knives. A quick glance let me select the butcher knife. I think I smiled as I held it in front of me.

  Rick furrowed his brow, looking as if he couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that I wasn’t a terrified, mewling creature. Then he shuddered and smiled. “Mine’s bigger than yours.” He pulled a hunting knife from its sheath. But I knew that wasn’t the only weapon at his disposal.

  Urd, what can you do to protect us if you have your powers?

  I can cause his psychic ability to not affect us at all.

  Great. You’ve got your powers back.

  Another week.

  Yes.

  I felt her energy surge and my heart sped, slowing a moment later.

  Can you protect us physically?

  No, but I can pull us to Asgard.

  Be ready to go. If he hurts us, don’t wait for my say-so, just take us there.

  I felt her nod inside me.

  Rick’s smile faded, and the brown of his eyes turned almost black. I could see the memories he put in my head, but they had no effect on me. They were full of blood, pain, and fear. I furrowed my brow, trying to make sense of the jumbled images.

  “No need to remember the details. It was only a dream that time,” he said. “You’ll figure out soon enough what I have planned.”

  And just like that, I was back on the floor of his home. At his mercy. Listening to him and Mr. Bradley talk casually about torturing and killing me. My icy calm fled in the face of the rage that coursed through me. I met his eyes. I was so fucking done. Done with the selfish, arrogant pricks of the world. With those who wanted to hurt, and maim, and who were willing to do anything to anyone to get what they wanted. Done with the people who wanted to hurt me. Done with those who would dare to touch my children. I had no illusions that I could win this fight. But if I was going to go down, I would find a way to take him with me. I gripped the knife harder and bared my teeth.