“I already did,” Kemp said. “You can hear most of it pretty well. They’re planning to try to create Similitude, and find another means of stopping it, besides the panic.”
“Yes. It would appear we’ve forced their hand on that front. He’s burned almost two of his seven days.” Abel chuckled. “That doesn’t leave much time, does it? For either of us.”
“Meda has the ability to know things about people when she touches them. She said she couldn’t get anything from Dev. Probably because he’s not human.”
“Interesting. Keep tabs on her. Even if that’s true, it most likely only works with humans. From what Magpie found, looks like her father was some kind of crackpot scientist. Worked on experiments dealing with energy. That clearly is the threat.” It was laughable, that a Keeper would try to create Similitude at all, much less with a human. It was a process years in the making, one that’d been tested and honed. Haenus had shared that process with him before he’d died. Only a Betrayer was capable, he assured himself.
But the Watchers hadn’t taken the risk of Dev crossing realms for nothing. And it was a huge risk. The Keepers and the Watchers had everything riding on him. Bottom line, it made them all vulnerable. And the biggest chink in their armor could be Dev himself.
“And you said they’re going to set up in a warehouse somewhere?”
“Yeah. They didn’t mention the location.”
“Then get on it. I’ll have Magpie dig through the regular channels. Though I’m doubting she’ll find anything.”
“Our brood knows the streets,” Kemp said, a note of desperation keening his voice. “We have our contacts. We’ll turn up something. If they go to the network, they’ll have to leave at some point to go to the warehouse. Then we’ll nab them.”
“They’ll be expecting that,” he said shortly. “And us. They didn’t say anything about where Haenus’ stone is?”
“No.”
“Strange.” Had the stone survived? If it had, to his way of thinking, it made sense Dev might have it in his possession. “Perhaps an opportunity will present itself,” he murmured, almost to himself. “Effective immediately, the brood needs to be on high alert.”
“Understood.”
That Abel suspected both the Watchers’ realm and the Keepers’ network were weakening because of Dev’s return, he’d keep to himself. And that it could possibly create an opportunity to cross realms.
He felt it, coming to fruition. He almost licked his lips to savor his success. They only had this short window of days, which, ironically, the Watchers had handed them on a silver platter. He had no intention of wasting it.
“What about the other work we’ve been doing?” Kemp asked.
“I have it all under control. Magpie is monitoring the situation for me.” He moved toward the door, the gesture a dismissal of Kemp. “Get going on the warehouse location. And keep me informed, no matter how insignificant the development.”
Kemp stood there, slack jawed, like a dim-witted child. Abel had to restrain himself from shaking him.
“The Similitude,” Kemp said, swatting at the hair hanging in his face. “It doesn’t work the way you want it to. Or the way you think it does.”
Abel fumed in silence. How dare he question me? He’d been the one to take the risks. Get his hands dirty. And done what he had to do.
To keep the peace—for now—he’d concede. “You’re right, Kemp. It’s not perfect yet. But we’re all making sacrifices.” He allowed his face to become solemn, even sad. “Jordan showed greater success with it. At least at first.” He clucked his tongue. “I thought we were on to something.”
They were on to something, all right. Over the last three months, he’d experimented with channeling the Similitude’s dark energy inward, instead of outward, as they did to drain Keepers. In so doing, he’d discovered, quite by accident, how to mask his energy with that of the stronger, purer Similitude. Like some kind of double negative, which he thought apropos. The result? He’d been essentially undetectable to the Keeper that day in the city, finishing his Compulsion. He’d been mere feet away. The Vitality energy should’ve made him sick.
It hadn’t.
The only problem was he couldn’t sustain that undetectable state for long periods of time. It’d weakened him, but he’d recovered, largely thanks to Magpie. He hadn’t told her specifics. Only that an experiment had gone wrong. She’d been at his side, caring for him, much as she was caring for Jordan, admiration shining in her eyes at what he was willing to do for his brood.
That’s when he’d realized using the Similitude in this way afforded him a unique opportunity that dovetailed with furthering his brood: eradicating mongrels.
And he’d wondered if it could kill.
It could.
“Kemp.” Abel laid a hand on his shoulder. “You and Jordan are the only ones who know about this. I need for it to stay that way.”
Kemp said nothing, but regarded him with an expression that didn’t appear dimwitted at all. “She shouldn’t have been there. She’s inexperienced, and was weak to begin with. She’d already field tested it three times,” he muttered. “It’s almost like . . .”
“Almost like what?”
“Nothing.” He shot Abel a wounded look. “I have work to do.”
Kemp was a weak link. However, right now Abel needed him. Which grated. So he would do damage control. And when the opportunity presented itself, he would plug the dike. “She wanted to be there, Kemp. She didn’t want anyone to know.”
“What do you mean?”
Regret underscored his sigh. “I’m not sure what she told you. She’s had a rough time since her father died. You know that. Maybe I should’ve seen it. I thought it would help her . . .” He glanced in the direction of the common area, pressed his eyes closed in feigned grief. “I don’t know.”
Kemp’s eyes shone, his admiration for his fellow brood member evident. “She’s really something, isn’t she? She shouldn’t be out in the field for a few days. No matter what she says.”
“No. Of course not.”
“Abel.”
He whirled around. Magpie stood in the doorway. How long has she been there?
“I’m sorry to interrupt. Macen and Ramsey are here.”
“Thank you.” Abel preferred to work alone. He also recognized strength in numbers. And that’s what these two brood masters offered. Along with resources beyond their battle expertise. “Show them in, please.”
Magpie turned to Kemp. “I’m glad you’re back. And that you’re safe.”
Kemp stared alternately at Magpie and the floor. He jammed his hands into his pants pockets. “Just hope Jordan gets better,” he mumbled.
“Thank you.” Moving a few steps closer to him, she patted his arm.
Blushing furiously, Kemp gawked at her hand, opened his mouth, then shut it and fairly ran from the room.
“I’ll go get them,” Magpie said hurriedly, casting a glance after Kemp and skittering to the door.
Abel raised an eyebrow. He’d been aware of Kemp’s crush on Magpie for some time, and considered it more of a joke than anything. Was it his imagination, or had something passed between them just now? Magpie was awfully quiet today. Unusual for her. Certainly, she must be worried about Jordan. Still . . .
“Magpie.”
Stopping dead, she swiveled slowly. “Yes?” She chewed the inside of her cheek, a habit of hers he detested. “Do you want me to keep digging for info on Meda? And monitoring the energies?”
“Yes. Come here.”
Biting the inside of her cheek intently, her skirt swished from side to side as she came within arm’s length of him.
He lowered his hand to her right cheek, studied her intently. “It’s going to be okay.”
She swallowe
d. “I hope so.”
Was that fear tingeing her eyes, instead of the hope he usually saw? Lowering her gaze, she turned and slid from the office as silently as she’d come, leaving him staring after her.
And wondering.
Like two dark angels, Macen and Ramsey appeared in the doorway, interrupting his thoughts. In the blink of an eye, he donned his brood master’s game face.
The next phase of his plan could be put into motion.
There were other brood masters who possessed Vitality stones. The spoils of the Rebellion. He’d specifically chosen these two, a study in opposites if ever there was one.
Decked out in his black suit and eyebrows to match, Macen’s shock of white hair posed an eerie contrast. Everything about Ramsey was dark, including her smile. A femme fatale, she wore leather like a second skin down to her boots, and gambler-like, kept her eyes concealed behind mirrored shades.
Macen and Ramsey had one thing in common—they both ruled with an iron fist, and had been known to push the boundaries of the brood’s laws. He didn’t trust them any more than they did him. But he needed them. And their stones. Only when it was absolutely necessary would he share details with them. And only after each of them had been tested.
That test had already begun.
“Thank you for coming.” Abel smiled. “I trust your journey was safe.”
“Enough with the formalities.” Macen said, his brows etched into hard angles. “Why have you summoned us here?”
“You’ve brought your stones?”
Macen and Ramsey exchanged looks, then nodded as one.
“Perfect.” He couldn’t help pausing for dramatic effect, relishing the control he possessed. “It’s time to move forward with the Similitude.”
Slowly, Ramsey sashayed a few steps closer, and tipped down her shades. “Well then,” she purred, a feral smile curling her lips. “We’ll be most interested to hear all of the developments.”
“Come with me.” Abel drew back a sheet of heavy plastic, covering the opening on the far wall. The dirt appalled him. What lay beyond fascinated. He had the distinct pleasure of watching Macen’s mouth fall open.
The older man gaped. “How long have you been working on this?”
“Long enough. Follow me.”
The two-way radio he kept for communications in the shelters crackled in his pocket. “Give me a moment.” He held up a hand to the others. “Kemp. Go ahead.” Listening, he gritted his teeth. “Take most of the manpower we have on the streets. Just do it! Keep me posted.”
Abel jammed the two-way back into his belt clip, letting the plastic fall in place behind him.
Why the hell is Dev leaving the city again?
CHAPTER 16
Running on empty, Dev made a left on Willoughby Avenue and roared up the hill the way he had so many times. At ten to noon, humidity clung like a second skin. Before they left the motel he’d phoned Nick, told him they’d been compromised and that no one should leave the network. Otherwise he was taking no chances. He’d only tell him the details face to face.
With over four hours to do nothing except think, Dev knew the clan faced some tough decisions.
Though one had been easy enough to make.
He glanced at Meda in his left side view mirror, ashamed of himself in spite of what he knew he needed to do. Images of her, shivering in wet clothes, of her glassy eyed stare when she’d clutched the Similitude, blasted him.
And he locked onto his resolve.
The attempted drain, the heat yesterday and today—all had taken their toll. His home turf had never looked so good. And soon, with the healing energy of the clan, they’d both be whole again.
Dev parked the bike in front of Sean and Charlotte’s house. Again, memories swarmed him, thick as the humidity. Nick and Curtis and him, chasing each other on the wraparound porch, popsicles in each hand. And years later, beers, and their instruments. Jam sessions. Girls. Laughter.
Meda slid her arms from around his waist. Immediately he missed the connection. Jolted back to reality, he climbed off the bike, his legs stiff, sore. She had to feel the same way but she hadn’t complained.
Meda continued to impress him with her strength. Still, he felt a need to shield her, to make whatever he could as easy as possible for her. Living off the grid was a choice she’d made to protect her privacy, to claim a semblance of a normal life, and he’d blown it out of the water.
The front door opened, and Nick stepped onto the porch, his face grim. “Welcome back,” he called. “Everyone is safe and accounted for. We’re all inside, waiting for you.”
Dev pocketed his sunglasses, turned to Meda. “You ready?”
She set her jaw. “As ready as I’m ever going to be.”
Same here. Less than twenty-four hours ago, he’d been so sure of himself, thought everything would be so simple.
Hoping to put her at ease, he offered her a grin. Lifting a hand, he held it near the small of her back, then let it fall to his side. Never before had he been so awkward or unsure with a woman. Should he touch her? Not touch her? Anyway, what did it matter? They’d both agreed becoming involved was a bad idea. Sighing, he settled for jamming his hands in his pockets as they hurried inside.
Zane, often mistaken for military, clapped him on the back. “Good to see you, brother. Not under these circumstances,” he added hastily. Saxon hugged him. Tall and blond, she matched her brother’s good looks. The others stood at the ready.
Dev raised a hand in introduction. “This is Meda Gabriel. Meda, this is Nick, the Keepers’ clan leader. His mate, Libby. Curtis, his brother. Zane, the clan leader from Chicago. And his sister, Saxon, the clan leader in Atlanta.”
Meda nodded at each in turn. “Hello.” She kept her hands in her pockets, out of habit he assumed, so as not to touch or be touched. Somehow, that sliced at him more than any journey into his memories.
“Where are Sean and Charlotte?” Dev asked.
The corner of Nick’s mouth lifted. “Creating a diversion. At the moment, there’s a man and woman cruising the interstate on a motorcycle. With helmets on, it’s amazing how they could pass for you and Meda. He has the same bike as you, remember? The Betrayers had to know you’d come to the network. We figured we’d give them someone to follow for a while.”
In spite of himself, Dev grinned. “They volunteered, didn’t they?” he asked, and thanked the gods for his clan.
“They’re the ones who masterminded it.” Nick extended a hand in greeting to Meda. “Thank you for coming. I can imagine what the last day has been like for you.”
Meda unfastened her backpack and removed the Ziploc bag. She hesitated for a moment, then relinquished it to Nick. “Here. Journals, flash drives of my father’s research. Dev said Curtis could make copies of this.”
“Thank you for this, Meda.” Nick accepted the bag. “I’ll make sure you get everything back exactly as you’ve given it to me.”
Dev turned to her, knowing that’d cost her. “Thanks for sharing that with us.”
She met his gaze. “I just hope it can help.”
“First things first,” Nick said. “Let’s get you both inside, to the Situation room.”
Dread reared up inside Dev. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“That we do.”
Nothing much had changed here, Dev decided moments later. A half dozen of the latest computers graced the length of one wall, along with monitors, keyboards, and other electronic equipment. The ultra-modern, monochrome space—though the complete opposite of the rustic feel in the rest of the house—still impressed him; big enough for meetings and to house a small library, kitchen, and bathroom. Off-limits to him as a boy, he’d spent hours here as a man. The digital clocks on the far wall, each ticking off minutes from a different time zone, underscored
the severity of the situation.
The clan needed to get its ass in gear.
Nick nodded. “Let’s get you both taken care of.” Without a word, the Keepers formed a circle.
Dev turned to Meda. “You sit this one out. For now.”
Closing her eyes in seeming assent, she leaned against one of the room’s nearby pillars.
Joining hands with the others, Dev explained. “She’s had her own run in with dark energy today. I’m going to take care of her, as soon as we’re done. All of us together might be too much for her to handle.”
Without a word, he, Nick, Libby, Curtis, Zane, and Saxon channeled. The Vitality energy sluiced through him. Like recharging a battery, it repaired the damage the Betrayer had done. Minutes passed.
Slowly, they let go.
“Thank you,” Dev breathed. How many times have I taken my good health for granted? Like yesterday, on Mount Verdant. But he’d beat himself up enough. Instead, he’d honor his health by sharing it. He held out a hand to Meda. “Your turn.”
Pushing off the pillar, she combed her fingers through her hair, matted from the heat and her helmet. Smudges marred the honey skin beneath her eyes, glassy with fatigue. Wordlessly, she twined her slender fingers with his, and with that single gesture revealed how she trusted him. At least until he screwed it up. His heart stuttering, Dev focused, gradually channeling the renewed energy of his Vitality stone to her. Closing her eyes, she breathed, much as she’d done while meditating. Her stone glowed softly along with his.
Reluctantly, he released her hands.
“Better?” He nodded in approval at the healthy pink coloring her cheeks.
“Yes. Much. It’s incredible. Thank you.” Her gaze swept around the room, included all the Keepers. “All of you.” Stretching, her shirt crept up, exposing her stomach. “So, what exactly is Vitality stone?”
The Watcher (Crossing Realms Book 2) Page 11