by Dianna Love
He studied the construction site, where the skeletal structure soared four floors high already, with gantry cranes and scaffolding everywhere. “Is this where you want to access the realm?”
“Yes. I spent several hours here checking for spirits. There were two Nightstalkers, but I made a deal with each one for tomorrow if they stay away tonight. I haven’t seen them. Once we get to where we’re going, I’ll enclose us with a spell that will prevent humans from hearing or seeing us, plus deter most curious supernatural beings from bothering us, but it won’t stop someone truly determined.”
“I won’t let anyone close,” Storm said.
Evalle took that to mean he was finally on board with staying here as their guard. “Then let’s get this done.”
He held up his hand to stall her and asked Adrianna for the specific location, which was on the very top level, of course.
Evalle asked, “Why does it have to be up there?”
Adrianna gave her a look that questioned why she was picking at the plan. “Because that construction level is the newest ground with no specific energies connected to it yet, and it’s in the most open spot with nothing above us. Plus the vibration is always higher at elevation, and we can use all the help we can get. So what’s the matter?”
“Nothing. Just wondering.”
Storm asked, “Would you go ahead of us and get everything set up, Adrianna? We’ll be right behind you.”
“Sure.” She walked away, hands glowing in front of her again.
Here it comes. Evalle gave him her full attention.
“Were you going to tell me?” Storm asked in an even voice, which might mean Isak hadn’t said anything.
“About what?” she bluffed.
He waited, not saying a word.
Nope. That blasted Isak had bragged about the stupid dinner she owed him.
She folded. “I agreed to dinner a long time ago, with his mother in fact, and it somehow morphed into dinner with Isak. I’m paying a debt. That’s all. Isak means nothing to me. Yes, I was going to tell you, but–”
“But?”
“Not until after this was over tonight. We just haven’t—”
“Haven’t had any time to talk,” he finished, lifting a hand to smooth over her hair.
She leaned into his hand, wishing they could just spend some quiet time together. “I wasn’t keeping this from you. It’s just a meal.”
“I didn’t think you were hiding anything, sweetheart.”
She smiled, glad he was not making a big deal out of this, especially after having just run into Isak at one of Evalle’s favorite restaurants. She admitted, “I don’t even want to do this.”
“Then don’t.”
As if her life was that easy. She was tired of IOUs hanging over her head and wanted to get them paid off. People had helped her and she wanted to show her appreciation even if it meant dinner with Isak when she could be spending the evening with Storm. “I have to go. It’s just one dinner and then this will be off my conscience.” Plus, she intended to ask Isak to accept her decision and stop trying to spend time with her. “Isak will let it go and I won’t make the mistake of getting indebted to him again.”
Considering how uber-protective and possessive Storm tended to be, he surprised her by calmly accepting what she wanted to do. Or he was doing a great job of hiding his true reaction.
He studied her face, then asked, “This isn’t just about the megablaster he loaned you for the Svart trolls, is it?”
She might as well get this out on the table and be done with it. “No. Isak backed us up when Adrianna and I had to capture the witch doctor. He brought one of his custom weapons, and stunned Nadina long enough for us to contain her. Even then she managed to call up a smoky dragon, but Adrianna shut that down.”
“Then I’m really the one who owes him. Why don’t you let me talk to him about settling this debt another way?”
She shoved her hands up in the air and dropped them. “You know what? Then you go to dinner with him, and while you’re at it, you can figure out how to thank his mother for watching over those two homeless witch boys.”
“I’m trying to give you what you need.” Storm backed off and clutched his head with both hands, walking away then back to her. He dropped his hands and cupped her face, kissing her hard.
If this was him trying to give her what she needed, he definitely got it right. His mouth swept away all the anxiety that had been riding her for days, just like he had last night. But they couldn’t spend every minute of their lives in the shower, in bed or kissing.
If they could, she’d totally be down with that.
When he let her come up for air, he said, “I hate everything you had to do to come for me in Mitnal. I hate that you constantly sacrifice. I don’t like you owing anyone, especially another man, because of me. And I really hate you being out here tonight for this thing with Adrianna.” He kissed her forehead and tugged her into his arms. “But you know what bothers me the most?”
That wasn’t enough? “No.”
“That you’re going to do this tonight even though you know I don’t want you to take the risk.” He squeezed his eyes shut for a second. “I know that’s selfish, but I’m a selfish bastard when it comes to you. I’m trying to give you the room to do what you need to do, but not knowing if I can keep you safe is killing me.”
Her insides did a happy dance. God, she loved this man. But something had to give.
“When did you start thinking I couldn’t protect myself, Storm? I was battling creatures worse than demons long before you came along. I love that you care for me, but I’m starting to feel smothered with you making everyone scared to put a scratch on me. And the bigger question is, when did you start thinking I would stop doing dangerous things or actually not do my job because we’re together?”
He rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks and touched her lips with his. “I know you can handle yourself in a fight. You’re the most amazing woman and warrior I’ve ever known, but that doesn’t mean I like seeing you hurt. After my dad died, I was an island. Nothing could touch me, because I had no one to lose. Then you came along and—” His throat moved with a deep swallow. “I have no world without you.”
Her heart quivered. She said, “Adrianna and I can do this. We’ll make it out of there alive.”
“You don’t even know what you’re going up against.”
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing will stop me from getting back to you.” She hoped she was right, but she didn’t want to think otherwise. Staring up into his dark eyes, she had to know the answer to a question that had been hounding her. “Are you happy about living with me?”
“Of course I am.” He showed no signs of his body punishing him for lying, so that had to be true.
“Let’s get this done. Part of why I’m stressing is because I’m not sure what to do once I follow her into this realm.”
“I’m in a tough spot here because you need my help to go and I don’t want you doing this, but I gave you my word and I’m going to do my part.”
“Thank you.”
He hooked an arm around her and started them toward the building. “You’re welcome. I hope you still love me when you turn my hair gray in a year.”
She felt like poking at him. “You don’t want me out in the sun. You don’t want me to have dinner with Isak. You don’t want me working alone. And you don’t want me realm traveling with Adrianna. Does that sum it up?”
“Pretty much.”
She punched him in the abs, but he was like rock and the grunt came out in a chuckle. She smarted back, “What comes next? ‘I want you barefoot and pregnant’?”
“No.”
Thank goodness.
Then he added, “I like your boots.”
The hair on her neck stood up.
His chuckle turned into a full laugh, then he turned quiet before saying, “I really don’t want to change you, sweetheart. But this is not an easy adjustment for me.”
; “Me either.” She put a hand on his arm and when he stopped, she reached up for a quick kiss, but he caught her in his arms and she poured her whole soul into it, letting her wild emotions run loose and showing him how she felt. When she pulled back, they were both breathing hard. She whispered, “Let’s just get this done so we can go home.”
“Agreed.”
She climbed ladders and scaffolding with Storm behind her, constantly commenting about the view. She knew he was doing that because heights bothered her, but it worked.
She made it to the top without having a panic attack.
Glowing candles surrounded an open area thirty feet across. Evalle lost count at twenty-five candles.
Adrianna finished drawing a perfect circle ten feet in diameter with a thick piece of chalk, then pulled what looked like a blanket from her backpack. When she shook it out and placed the material in the circle, it turned out to be round, with strips of gold attached in the shape of a pentagram that glowed against the black blanket.
Evalle pointed at the ground covering. “Is that real gold?”
“Yes. Spun gold threads.” Adrianna drew odd symbols all around the outside of the round shape, then she drew another circle three feet in diameter that touched the big one, complete with a perfectly drawn pentagram inside. She pointed at the small circle. “Storm will be in this one. Evalle, you will lie beside me on the blanket. We have to hold hands.”
“Why?”
Giving Evalle an I’m-not-in-the-mood glance, Adrianna said, “Because it’s the only way I can be sure we show up in the same spot on the other side.”
“I see your point.”
Adrianna shook her head and asked Storm, “Are you sure you have a strong tie to the emerald on Evalle’s chest?”
“I do. I increased the power on it this morning while she slept.”
Well, crud. Evalle’s hand flew to the emerald that was just a cold rock at the moment. “Were you going to tell me?” she said, echoing his earlier words right back at him.
“As soon as we had a chance to talk.” He winked.
Touché.
Adrianna waved her hands. “Can you two work out your domestic differences later?” With silence in place again, Adrianna stepped into the center of the circle, standing on the blanket, then she chanted as she used a small dagger to point to the four cardinal directions, one at a time, then up at the sky and down toward the earth. Power zinged through the air and a dome of shimmering light formed around the area, encompassing the two circles drawn on the ground. The shimmer faded, but Evalle could still feel the hum of the energy as she reached out to touch the circle.
Then Adrianna walked to the edge of the power dome and used the knife to cut an arched doorway in the side. She motioned Storm and Evalle inside. Power crackled as she sealed the opening, then sent Evalle to the blanket with directions to get comfortable.
Evalle gave Storm a long look she hoped telegraphed how much he meant to her, then she stepped carefully onto the pentagram and stretched out on the blanket.
Adrianna told Storm, “I need you to walk over to the side with me so I can tell you the chant.”
Evalle popped up. “Why can’t I hear it?”
Adrianna made a noise deep in her throat. “Because you’ll be thinking about it and, with your bond to Storm, you’ll screw it up. You might even harm him.”
“Oh, never mind.” Evalle dropped back down.
~*~*~*~
Storm backed far enough away to be out of Evalle’s hearing, which she could power up with her Belador genes, but she wouldn’t do that after Adrianna’s warning about harming him.
When Adrianna stepped up to Storm, he asked, “Why did you lie to Evalle?”
“Because she will not agree to leave me with my sister and save herself if this goes badly. I’m sure she believes she can pull us all out alive, but if that doesn’t work out I have to destroy whatever is holding my sister for any hope of stopping Veronika. I’m giving you the backup plan for snatching Evalle out and triggering a spell.”
“Let me get this straight. You want me to flip the switch that will kill you and your sister in cold blood.”
Tension showed in Adrianna’s stiff movements and in the strain of her voice. “I wouldn’t ask anyone to do that if I had a choice. And I’m the one who will be responsible for any death.” She handed him a pouch. “All I need you to do is hold this. I’ll give you a chant to use when you receive a signal if Evalle and I have failed. I need to know that you will say the chant. If you have any doubt about doing this, just remember that when Veronika comes for all of us—and she will come for Evalle eventually—you could have prevented it.”
“I understand.” He might not like it, but he wouldn’t let Adrianna down.
“You have to believe me when I say this is your best chance at keeping Evalle alive. That’s why I know you’ll do what I ask. You won’t kill in cold blood, but you will kill anything that tries to harm her.”
“Damn right.”
“Remember being in Mitnal?”
The hellish memory burst into his mind of a thousand demons lead by their king who enjoyed torture and murder. “Hard to forget.”
“Think of all those demons turned loose and multiply that by a hundred. Even that would be nothing compared to the apocalypse Veronika will unleash if we fail.”
Adrianna glanced over at where Evalle lay on the blanket. “I have no doubt you would die for her, Storm, but the best defense is a strong offense. That means we cut off Veronika’s power now. Do that and she’ll go into hiding with her people until the next opportunity comes around a thousand years from now, if she is immortal.”
Adrianna was right.
Some battles were better avoided.
She continued, “I spent the first six months Ragan was captured trying to figure out how to rescue my sister and came to the conclusion I can’t allow Veronika to take Ragan to the end of this. So, yes, if we can’t get my sister out and destroy the host connection, then my plan is to bind myself to whatever holds Ragan and call out the chant that will activate the pouch you hold.”
A kamikaze death. He ground his jaw. “Would your sister want you to do this?”
“Yes. She would do the same in my place. If Ragan dies and we are apart, I will very likely not survive anyhow, due to our bond. I’m asking you to stop Veronika and help me free my sister in some way, even if it means I go with her.”
Storm had never expected this from Adrianna, who most of the teams thought was just another cold and self-centered Sterling witch.
She’d proven herself to be a valuable part of VIPER, but she’d also kept herself apart from everyone except him, and now he understood why.
He could also see how Evalle had become friends with the witch. He asked, “What do you want me to do?”
Adrianna nodded at the pouch. “That contains a lock of my hair, a stone from Veronika’s ancestral home, and a lock of my sister’s hair. The minute you feel energy building in the pouch, start this chant.” She said it twice for him. “Not before you feel the energy.”
“Got it. Then what?”
Adrianna whispered, “The pouch will burst into flames. I know it won’t harm you, not with your bloodline. Drop it and immediately use your tie to the emerald and yank Evalle out. If the pouch does not burst into flames within ten seconds of finishing the chant, pull Evalle out anyhow.”
“What about you?”
“No one will be able to save me at that point. I’m going to cloak Evalle with a spell as soon as we enter the realm. The guardians should come after me, but in case something happens to incapacitate me, if they target Evalle, the same spell will blast bright energy in their faces if they touch her. That will allow her enough time to escape and hide until you pull her out.”
Evalle would never run and hide.
He wanted to haul her away and lock her in that cramped underground apartment, but she’d never forgive him and Adrianna spoke nothing but truth. She did mean to put a protec
tive cloak on Evalle. “You’re sure you can’t take a male with you?”
“I’m as sure as my research. Look, my Sterling blood will be the draw.”
Evalle called out, “How long is that freakin’ chant?”
Adrianna lifted a hand to stall her and Evalle grumbled something under her breath.
His hellion. She was deadly, but she bled and she could die.
“Evalle’s not fragile, Storm. I wouldn’t take her with me if I thought she wouldn’t come back.”
“I know.” He stepped inside the small pentagram circle, still holding the pouch. He sent out his energy, searching for the emerald.
The stone glowed beneath Evalle’s shirt, shining green light on her chin.
She smiled, moving her hand to her chest. “I feel it.”
All systems were go, but he had a sinking feeling about this.
Adrianna stepped into the larger pentagram and sat down before stretching out. Every movement she made was a precise execution.
Was her sister currently screaming in her mind?
If so, Adrianna kept any sign of it off her face.
She reached over and clasped Evalle’s hand, then began chanting. Candle flames grew and grew until Adrianna shouted a word Storm did not recognize.
The flames shot ten feet in the air, roaring like giant blowtorches.
Eyes shut, Evalle and Adrianna lifted off the blanket.
Dread clawed its way up Storm’s spine. He opened his mouth to call out words that could break a spell in midchant, but wind swirled and both bodies disappeared.
Hadn’t Adrianna said their bodies would remain here?
No, she’d insinuated that he was here to guard them, and Storm took that to mean their physical forms.
Adrianna had lied by omission.
Storm stared at the empty blanket, afraid to move from this spot now that everything was in motion.
He gave his heart a chance to slow down and calmed himself so he didn’t send anxiety to Evalle through the stone, but he needed to feel that tether. He wanted the reassurance that he could pull her out in an instant.
Drawing on his energy, he sent a wave out searching for the link.