They drove in silence for a few miles before they reached a paved road. She took a right and kept driving. “You might as well get some rest. I don’t know how long we’ll be traveling,” she said, glancing over at Zenon, who was lost in thought.
He glanced in her direction, but she could tell he wasn’t seeing her. “Something is different here. I can…”
Zenon’s sentence faded into nothing, then he drew a harsh breath. This time, when he focused on her, he looked right at her. “I can feel an energy I haven’t felt in centuries.”
The presence in Zenon’s mind was both foreign, yet familiar. She hadn’t yet had to share him with anyone else, but that was happening. She was sure of it. “Your brother?” she asked, breathless as her heart skipped a beat, then raced ahead.
His eyes filled with moisture and he nodded.
“Zandar, are you there?” he asked, his voice a desperate plea that echoed the one screaming from her soul.
Although Nickie heard his words, she could not follow their path.
A moment of dead silence followed, and Nickie’s heart sank. For Zenon’s sake, she wanted his brother to speak with him so badly it hurt. Then, as though an old-fashioned telephone line had opened, a weak crackling sound came through.
“I’m here, brother.”
The impression of agony filled Zenon’s mind, stealing her breath and making her jerk the wheel. She gasped as she righted the vehicle.
“We are near. The connection we share is stronger. Do you feel it?”
The power sizzled again, making the tiny hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. “What is that?” she asked, cutting into their conversation. Something wasn’t right. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was something else in the background disrupting the natural flow of their communication.
“Is that her, Zenon? Your mate? I feel her presence there,” Zandar asked, though his voice was still laced with pain, it was more animated.
Zenon smiled at her, oblivious to her worry. “That is her, my Nickie. She is wonderful in every way.”
“How can I hear him if he can’t hear me?” she asked.
“I am projecting his words to you, so you can listen.”
Another stab of pain filtered through Zenon, making her stomach roll. “Something’s wrong. You’re being attacked somehow. It’s like they’re following your conversation. There’s something latching on to it,” she sent into Zenon’s mind, hating the way it made his smile falter.
“Do you feel something malicious on our link, brother?” he asked. “Nickie says it is so.”
Zandar was silent for so long she thought the connection had been lost. “She is right, brother. You cannot come here. The low frequency of magic is difficult to detect, but it is potent. The enemy lies in wait.”
“I will not leave you to them. Do not ask it of me,” Zenon said forcefully as he looked at her, his eyes begging for understanding.
If the shoe was on the other foot, and Jas was the one in danger, she wouldn’t stop until she’d gotten her to safety. Rescuing his brother was no less important to Zenon than that would be to her.
She nodded, reaching out to grasp Zenon’s clenched fist. They were in it together. All the way.
“You cannot,” Zandar protested again, this time, his voice weaker than it had been, as though the effort to communicate was too much of a strain.
The stillness that followed had her heart pounding so hard she thought Zenon might hear it. “They approach. Do not come here, brother. Do not endanger your mate. I will endure. May the goddess wrap her golden arms of protection around you both,” Zandar said before breaking the connection.
Zenon’s pain poured into her in rolling waves.
“We’ll find him. And then we’ll take out the assholes who hurt him,” she promised as much to herself as to Zenon.
***
Speaking to his brother had been both relief and torture. He sounded weak. The pain infused into each of his words had brought him back to his own captivity when every cell in his body had screamed in agony. To days when the mental anguish had been more horrific anything else. Zandar held on to his sanity by the very tips of his fingers. He should know. He had been there many times.
Once the connection was lost, he did not try to form it again. Zandar needed every bit of strength he had for himself. Maintaining a mental link was a simple thing for one who was healthy and strong, but for one near death, it stole much more than it should. Not to mention Nickie’s belief that the enemy had somehow latched on to their conversation. If it were true, and they were able to do so, he would not give them more of an advantage than they already had.
“You okay?” Nickie asked, her fingers squeezing his hand.
He swallowed around the lump in his throat and nodded. “I am well enough. I will be better once we find him and free him from his chains.”
Nickie glanced in his direction. “We’re only about twenty kilometers from Red Deer. I’m not sure how many miles that is, but it’s not far. We’ll head toward the mountains soon enough. If we’re lucky, we’ll reach him by morning.”
How could he have gotten so lucky to have been given such a wonderful mate? Knowing the danger they faced, she readily marched forward into battle. She had no firsthand knowledge of the great man Zandar was. Had no reason to need to see him freed. Her heart would not give out now that they were mated—or, perhaps it would—but she would not perish.
“No reason at all. Except that seeing you happy makes me happy. I may not know Zandar yet, but he’s important to you, and that makes him important to me, too.”
“Now who is listening to my thoughts?” he asked, releasing a sigh.
“You think very loudly. It could not be helped,” she said, grinning as she mimicked the words he’d spoken to her before.
Nickie stifled a yawn and shifted in her seat.
“Shall I drive, my Nickie, so you can rest?” he asked. He did not have the licence of which she’d spoken, but perhaps on these smooth roads, the driving would not be so complicated.
She made a choking sound and shook her head. “No, I’m good. When all this is over, I’m enrolling you in driver’s ed.”
The vision of a frightened old lady with a clipboard in one hand and holding on for her life with the other drifted into his mind. “Is it that bad?” he asked, catching her merriment.
Her giggle quickly grew until her laughter filled the truck, soothing his frayed emotions.
“I love you, my Nickie,” he said, when her laughter died and she smiled at him.
“I love you, too, mate. Now, get some rest.”
He would not, but it was nice to know that she cared enough to attempt to order him to do so.
Chapter 22
The rising sun behind them cast the Rockies in a pink glow. The snowy peaks kissed the sky. If she weren’t so dead tired, Nickie might have admired the view more.
She took a deep breath and shifted in her seat again. Her butt had gone numb long before their gas station pit stop a few hours before. Even though Zenon had said he would not sleep, he’d eventually drifted off. At first, his eyes had been closed, but his thoughts had kept him awake. At some point, though, between four and five, his mind had quieted. Soft snores filled the cab of the truck, making her smile. He needed the rest—he deserved it.
The caress of his mind to hers told her he was awake, but he didn’t speak. Warmth came into her, filling a part of her with his presence she hadn’t known had hollowed without his constant touch.
“That’s nice,” she said, easing into his mind, as well.
“It is wonderful,” he agreed as he stretched and looked ahead. “Is it very far still?”
“According to the map, we should reach the river in about an hour.”
Try as she might, she couldn’t keep from tapping her fingers on the steering wheel or nibbling on the inside of her cheek. They were so close.
“Should I try contacting him again?” Zenon asked.
As much
as doing so would appease some of her fears, it wasn’t a good idea. “No. If they haven’t figured out how close we are, we don’t want to give it away.”
Zenon nodded and took a deep breath. A thought zipped through his mind. “Perhaps I should continue on my own and return once I have freed Zandar.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” she asked, snapping the words at him out loud. “You want to drive into the mountains and go after your brother alone? You want me to sit by and wait while you face our enemy?”
“It would be safer, my Nickie.”
“No, it wouldn’t. For one thing, you can’t drive. For another, you don’t know where you’re going. And worse still, you’d be walking into a potential trap without any backup. You said so yourself—together, we’re stronger.”
He looked up into the cloudless sky. “I could fly.”
She huffed and slowed down for a vehicle exiting the road ahead. “Right, and make sure they can see your approach, so they can really be ready for you when you get there,” she said, glaring at him.
His fear for her well being warred with her annoyance at knowing he wanted to ditch her.
“I wish no such thing. I want you with me, always. But I need your safety more.”
She sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. “I know. But we need to do this together. It’s the only way. Why else would the witches have paired us with phoenixes? Besides, I can’t die, right? So even if something bad happens, I’ll be okay. We both will.”
Zenon stared at her for a second, only breaking her gaze once the car pulled off, and she had to focus on the road.
“You are right. Still, I do not like it.”
Eyes burning, when she spotted a sign for a rest stop up ahead, she put her blinker on. “Let’s grab some coffee for the road,” she suggested. Neither of them wanted to delay getting to Zandar, but she needed the caffeine boost almost as much as she needed to pee.
“Perhaps a bite to eat would be good, as well,” he added, but his focus was on the mountain peak in the distance once more.
She pulled up to the first available gas pump, but before she could gas up, Zenon was there, doing it for her. “Go. Stretch your weary muscles and get what you need. I will take care of this.”
Giving him a small kiss that was more a brushing of lips than anything intimate, she headed inside. The line up for the coffee was long, so rather than wait, she headed to the bathrooms. Her tired reflection stared back at her as she rinsed her hands under the cold water. Why did these places never have any hot water?
She splashed some onto her face, only then noticing how silent Zenon had become. His thoughts were usually a hum in the background of her mind, waiting for her to listen in on if she chose. She was getting good at that.
“Is everything okay out there?” she asked as she paid for the gas at the first counter before standing in the still too long line for their breakfast.
His slight hesitation made her pause. “All is well,” he finally said.
“I’ll bring you a breakfast sandwich. I think you’ll like them,” she replied as she stood in line for the coffee and food.
Nickie shuffled her feet, groaning at how long it took. Come on, it’s coffee, not rocket science!
She half expected Zenon to say something about her outburst, but he was as quiet as could be again. She twisted to look out where she’d left the truck but didn’t see him. He was probably sitting and waiting for her to come out.
Every couple of minutes, she peeked outside. “I’m almost done in here,” she said as she reached the counter—finally—but all she got back was silence.
“What can I get you?” the girl who couldn’t have been older than seventeen asked.
“Two sausage and egg sandwiches on biscuits, and two large coffee. One double double, and can I get the cream and sugar on the side for the other one?” She didn’t know if Zenon liked coffee, or what he took in it, but she’d bring one just in case.
She turned to look at the truck again as she waited for her order. Maybe he’d fallen asleep? He’d been tired even after the nap he’d had. That had to be it. Because he wouldn’t just leave her all alone in a strange country with bad guys around. Okay, so it was Canada, not Russia, but still. Not after they’d just discussed it and he’d said they would go on together. He wouldn’t. He was her mate. One who had promised to honor and protect her.
“Zenon?” she called out, hating the doubt accompanying his name. Once more, their connection remained silent. With a sinking feeling, she turned her gaze toward the tallest mountain peak.
“Here you go. Have a great day,” the girl behind the counter said in a cheery tone, but Nickie didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Her mate, in all his fiery glory, soared high in the sky, leaving her behind.
Choking back the sob that bubbled up from her chest, she headed out of the store. She couldn’t remember picking up the food or the coffee, but she must have, because when she got to the truck, she set the bag on the seat and two coffees into the cup holders. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she watched as her phoenix disappeared behind the mountain.
What the hell was she supposed to do? Wait for him? She stared at the sky, hoping to see him flying back to her, but he didn’t. Throat raw, she sniffled and blew her nose. Sitting there feeling sorry for herself wasn’t getting her anywhere. She was about to put the truck into drive when a soft buzzing sound came from somewhere behind the seat. Scrambling onto her knees, she reached back. Winter coats and boots and a bag that looked to have clothing in it sat there. The buzzing noise stopped, then started again. She pulled out a cheap-looking cell, and almost started crying all over again.
With trembling fingers, she pressed the answer button. “Hello?”
“Thank fuck,” Jasmine said into the receiver. “Where are you guys?”
Nickie swiped a tear from her cheek as she stared at the spot where Zenon had been moments before. “We’re about an hour out from the Athabasca River.”
“No, no, no. You have to get the hell out of there. It’s a trap. They moved the phoenix during the night. We have new coordinates.”
Of course, they did. Nickie swallowed hard, her fear woven so tightly with the pain of his betrayal that she couldn’t figure out which was worse. “I can’t go yet. Zenon’s gone up to the mountain by himself. I’ll go get him and then we’ll find you.”
“Are you okay? You sound like you’re crying. Tell me where you are. I’m going to get Jackie to turn around and we’ll come to you.”
“No. We’ll be fine. You guys go ahead. Send me the coordinates when you can.” The last thing she needed was to have Jasmine in the middle of whatever was going to happen on the mountain.
“I swear, if you go up that damned mountain after what I’ve just told you, I’m going to be so pissed,” Jasmine shouted.
She took a steadying breath. “What choice do I have? He’s up there. I’m not leaving him. We’ll talk soon,” she said, then disconnected before Jasmine could try and change her mind.
She thought she heard the echo of Zenon’s protest at the edges of her mind. With a quick search into the information stored in her head, she found the way he’d used to block her from his thoughts, then slammed the door shut. If she was going into a dangerous situation alone, she needed to focus.
Chapter 23
Zenon flew fast and hard. The witch had told them the reason they had avoided detection before was because of his speed. He used that now. Perhaps he could reach Zandar and free him before the enemy could locate him. Either way, Nickie would not be in danger from one of their attacks. Once his brother was free, they would be unbeatable. Together, they would protect Nickie and the others from harm as they sought Zechariah and released him from his chains, as well.
As tempted as he was to look back, he could not. Leaving her the way he had had been difficult enough, he would not manage it a second time. He was aware of her gentle probing in his mind as she’d waited her turn for their breakfasts. Even glimpsed her do
ubt when she could not easily find him. But it was the absolute fury, chased moments later by the deepest pain he’d ever experienced, that nearly had him tumbling from the sky.
Her confusion beat at him, his betrayal swallowing her whole until she couldn’t make sense of what had happened. His lungs labored, not from exertion, but from the heavy burden of his guilt knowing he was the cause of that pain when all he wanted to do was keep her safe.
Unable to stand it, he changed course, turning mid-flight to return to her and ease her suffering, but he could no longer see the small gas station at the base of the mountain. What he saw instead was the mouth of a cave. Energy, too potent to be anything but phoenix, spilled from the darkened opening like a beacon calling him.
Zandar.
It would only take a moment to free his brother, and then he would go to her. He would do whatever it took to rid her of the pain he’d caused. He would beg her forgiveness and pray that she did, because no matter how hurt or how angry with him she was, he was not letting her go. He attempted a soft touch to her mind, wishing to soothe her if only a little, but his energy bounced back at him as though he had hit a wall of solid steel. His heart stuttered at the emptiness.
Every moment he wasted was one more that he was not with her. Tucking his wings close, he dove toward the cave. Even with magic working against them, he would find a way to release his brother. What Zandar lacked to free himself was his phoenix. Zenon’s would work just as well. Nothing would stop him.
He landed on the stone ledge feet first, shifting just before making contact. Snow covered the mountain so high up. The bitter cold immediately burned his skin, but he didn’t stop. Didn’t slow down. The cavern’s entrance was small, only a few feet wide, but it was enough to let the frigid air inside. This was the tomb his brother was kept in. Where he had been left in blistering heat, Zandar had suffered the cold.
Eyes adjusting to the dim light, he moved forward, purpose marking every step. A few feet into the tunnel, the cave widened into a single cavern. At the very center, a metal pole stuck out—attached to it, a chain only long enough to allow minimal movement. The rock walls and ceiling were charred black, as they would only get from many years of a phoenix’s fire scorching everything around it with each painful rising.
Rising Darkness_Phoenix Shifter Fantasy Romance Page 15