by Vella Day
Not her. Griffin should be the one to contact the family. After all, he dealt with them most recently. “I will.”
As soon as Anderson left, Greer pushed back her chair, stood, and then clasped Tory’s arm before she had a chance to go after Griffin. “Do you really think it’s a dark Fey? I have to admit it makes a lot of sense.”
“It could be. What bugs me is that these deaths seem so purposeless. I understood why Malpan would want to control his workers, but these victims died. They can’t help anyone.” Tory brushed some wisps away from her face. “Ugh. This whole thing is sad and creepy at the same time.”
“No kidding.”
Tory snapped her fingers. “I should have asked Anderson for the chemical composition of this drug.”
“What good will that do?”
“Since locating the Forresters is no easy chore, I want to see if Camden can do a deep dive on the structure of the chemical. He might be able to figure out what it’s made from and where it was made.”
“That’s smart, but let’s hope it’s not made from the killer’s own body.”
“That is a really scary thought,” Tory said.
“No kidding.” Greer checked her watch. “Hey, I have to open the store. Do you plan to investigate this mess today?”
“Probably not. I’m too exhausted to be of much good to anyone. I haven’t slept in a couple of days worrying about Kaleena. Before Anderson called this gathering, I had planned to visit her in the hospital to make sure she’s okay and then take a nap. After that? We’ll see how I feel.”
“I take it your sister hasn’t gone into labor yet?”
“No. There have been two false alarms. Finn and Angelique are with her now. Kaleena’s only in the hospital because the doctor is worried about her high blood pressure.” To Tory’s knowledge, no dragon shifter had ever had that issue. She just hoped Kaleena’s dragon was up to the task of delivering this baby.
“She’ll be fine.” Greer squeezed Tory’s hand. “If you need to take tomorrow off so you can be with her, I’ll be happy to cover for you.”
Greer truly understood what a special twin bond Tory and Kaleena shared. “You are the best. Thank you. I’m hoping she delivers today. I’m so ready to be an aunt.”
“You’re already an aunt.”
Tory’s mind was fuzzed from lack of sleep. Chelsea, Declan’s mate, had delivered a month ago. “I meant I want to be an aunt again.”
Greer placed a hand over hers. “Then go and make sure you are.”
After a quick hug, Tory rushed out. Greer stayed behind. She always was the one to volunteer to help clean up the conference room since the Guardians were a rather messy lot when it came to leaving empty coffee cups on the table.
Tory had planned to speak with Griffin about contacting the Forresters, but she wanted to see Kaleena first. Once she exited the building, she had walked about a block when a sharp cramp in her stomach nearly made her knees buckle. It must have come from their twin link. Tory was feeling what Kaleena felt—only on a smaller scale. Hold on, Kaleena. I’m coming.
Normally, Tory couldn’t communicate telepathically with anyone, but when they each wore their special necklaces, they could. For privacy purposes, she didn’t wear it often.
The intensity of that jolt had been more than either of the two before it, implying her twin might even be in labor—for real this time. Because of the quick onslaught of pain, Tory had to stop to catch her breath. While she took several deep breaths, she studied the traffic. Thankfully, it was a Saturday, and the streets weren’t very crowded. The hospital was only about a mile away, and Tory believed she could drive there safely, cramp or no cramp. Walking was a possibility, but that would take too long. Her last option was to fly. The problem was that other than landing on the helicopter pad on top of the hospital, there was little space around the building to safely set down. So, drive it was. She retrieved her keys from her purse and headed to her car.
As she neared it, a man with light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing jeans and a white peasant shirt seemed to have appeared out of thin air right in front of her. Had his body not blocked the sunlight, she might have run into him.
“I’m sorry,” Tory said, as she tried to walk around him.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice full of sympathy.
Tory stopped. “Yes. I should have watched where I was going. Excuse me, I’m on my way to the hospital to check on my sister.” When she tried to stand up straighter, her breath caught again, and her palm automatically went to her stomach.
“Let me help you.”
Tory was born and bred to be independent. “I can manage, thank you.”
Just then another stabbing pain doubled her over. Without asking permission, the man wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Where is your car?”
Normally, she would have shrugged out of his grasp, but the waves of warmth that seemed to come from his embrace erased all of her discomfort, allowing her to actually stand upright. That was strange. Or had Kaleena had a short contraction, and it had ended as suddenly as began?
Tory pretended to look around for her vehicle, while trying to decide her next move.
“Miss?”
What the heck. He wasn’t a shifter, so how much harm could he cause? “It’s the blue car at the end of the block.”
“Good. Come on.”
Tory could only hope she wasn’t making a mistake.
Chapter Two
Kenton should be rejoicing that he was finally with Tory, but the pain radiating off her concerned him. “Hand me your keys,” he commanded.
The moment the words came out of his mouth, he regretted acting so aggressively, but she was in no shape to be behind the wheel. While a car crash wouldn’t kill a dragon shifter, he certainly didn’t wish her any harm.
She pressed something that made a chirping sound, and the doors unlocked. Interesting. “Here,” Tory said, as she dropped them into his palm.
“Thank you.”
Kenton had never attempted to drive before, but how hard could it be? While he tried not to use too much magic while in this realm, now wasn’t the time to refrain, especially when Tory’s well-being was on the line.
He wasn’t irresponsible since he wasn’t completely in the dark about how this machine worked. Kenton had scoped out Edendale many times over the last couple of weeks to make sure his mate was okay. During his time of observation, he’d watched many people get into their cars and drive off. He was able to see how fast they drove while he studied the general rules of the road.
Bevon never understood Kenton’s lack of interest in this form of transportation, but as far as Kenton was concerned, why learn to drive when he could teleport everywhere? Even Bevon admitted teleporting was a lot faster and safer.
Kenton would be remiss if he didn’t mention that during one of his portal-guarding shifts, he’d watched some videos on the manufacturing of cars and how they were propelled. He understood the mechanics. He could do this.
Kenton thought about suggesting to Tory that she let him teleport both of them to the hospital—and then back again—but he didn’t want to scare her, especially when she seemed to be going through a difficult time. His goal at the moment was to show her that she could trust him.
Once Tory slid into the right side of the car, Kenton slipped into the left. He searched for the ignition that he’d seen on the videos but found none. Crap. He’d failed within the first ten seconds of trying.
“You’ve never driven a Sandol before?” He swore she was laughing at him—or rather from the twinkle in her eye, she was thinking about laughing, but then realized it wouldn’t have been polite.
Kenton hesitated, wondering if he should bluff or admit his lack of knowledge. After a moment of reflection, he decided honesty was the best path—at least in this case. “No.”
“It’s not self-driving like many are. Just press this to start the car.” She pointed to the button to the right of the steering
wheel.
That seemed simple enough. Kenton did as she suggested, and the engine roared to life. Yes! Using his mind, he propelled the car forward, making sure not to crash into anyone. “Where is the hospital?”
She clasped her stomach and sucked in a breath. On instinct, he placed a hand on her thigh. In a flash, her pain disappeared, but if he continued to eliminate her discomfort, she’d catch on that he was not from this world. At least for the moment, he wanted to pretend to be ordinary. From experience, he knew that once he opened himself up to questions, there would be more of them than he was willing to answer.
Tory inhaled and then sighed. “Sorry. Just go straight, and I’ll tell you when to turn.”
He glanced over at her and smiled. “I’m Kenton Forrester, by the way.” She must have heard of his family since so many of her relatives had dealt with his.
She sat up straighter. “You’re Fay’s brother?”
At least she didn’t accuse him of being the one who did things to her body without her knowledge. For now, the less said the better. “Yes.”
“Nice to meet you. I was actually thinking about you.”
That was news. “Really?”
“Yes. I’d love to chat with you about something, but I have to check up on my sister first. She’s having a baby.”
“That’s fantastic. If you want to get together later, that would be great.”
“Perfect. Can you meet tonight by any chance?” Tory asked. “It’s kind of urgent.”
Tonight? He’d need a moment to think. Kenton did want her to get to know him, and questions were an integral part of dating, right? “Of course.”
Tory pointed to the left. “Turn at the entrance.”
When he mentally made the car turn, he cut it a little close. The oncoming vehicle was speeding, which normally wouldn’t have been a problem, except that Kenton wasn’t paying as close attention as he should have. His distraction was because he’d never expected Tory to ask him out.
As he pulled into the hospital parking lot, Kenton pretended to lift his foot off the pedal, even though he hadn’t used it once.
“You can park anywhere,” she said.
Concentrating, he pulled into a slot and then pressed the ignition button to kill the car engine. Kenton had to admit that driving was a rush. “I hope your sister is okay.”
“Thank you. If you want, you can drive the car back to where I was parked, so you don’t have to call a cab. Just leave the keys under the mat. I have a spare set.”
He planned to teleport back to the eternal flame in the woods. “I’m good. I’ll call a cab if I need one.”
He pushed open the door and rushed around to Tory’s side, planning on helping her out, but she exited before he had the chance.
She faced him. “Thank you again, and I was serious about tonight. How about meeting me at Wings Bar?”
During his many forays to town, he actually knew where it was located. “Sure. Say eight? For dinner?” Damn. He didn’t know if the Tarradonians thought that was too late to eat or not.
She hesitated but then nodded. “Perfect.”
The shine in her eyes dimmed as another wave of pain assaulted her. As much as Kenton wanted to help, he thought it best not to interfere. Removing her unease again would create some confusion. “Would you like me to walk you into the lobby?”
She sucked in a deep breath. “Would you?”
He couldn’t believe his good luck. “Yes.”
This gave him a chance to spend more time with her. Holding her arm, they walked side by side, and he’d never been happier.
Tory’s head was swimming. What were the odds that she’d been thinking about Kenton Forrester, and then he shows up just as she was walking out of the building? From what her family had told her, the Feys and Fairies were magical, but she wasn’t aware any of them could read minds.
Instead of thinking about what she was going to ask him in regard to the case of the four suicide victims, Tory needed to concentrate on Kaleena. “Thank you again,” she said.
“Happy to help. See you tonight.”
“Tonight.”
At the hospital reception desk, she asked for her sister’s room number. With the information in hand, she rushed to the elevators. As Tory neared her sister’s room, waves of Kaleena’s joy filled her, causing Tory to smile. The door was open, and when she stepped inside the small room, the sight before her made her heart nearly burst.
Kaleena looked up and smiled. “My daughter came a little ahead of schedule.”
It seemed like her niece was late rather than early, but there was no need to argue. Tory rushed over to the bed, forcing Finn to step out of the way to make room. Angelique was sitting on the other side, staring at the second addition to the Sinclair family.
“She’s beautiful,” Tory said.
“Would you like to hold Sapphire?”
Sapphire? Tory loved that name. It was so appropriate considering she might one day run the gem mine. “I’d love to.”
Kaleena handed her the adorable bundle who was wrapped in a pink animal blanket wearing a cute, matching pink hat. Her eyes were closed, but her arms and legs were wiggling, almost as if she was trying to figure out where she was. Making sure to keep a steady hold, Tory lifted her up. “She’s perfect.”
“She is, isn’t she? We are beyond happy, though I know I’ll be worried about her every second of every day until she learns to fly and defend herself.”
The Guardians always worried about their young. They were vulnerable to attack, which was why they had to keep their children’s identity a secret. Thank goodness Angelique was there. She would put a protective spell around each Guardian offspring, ensuring they’d be safe.
“How are you really feeling?” Tory asked Kaleena.
“A little bit tired, but my dragon is working extra hard to restore my health.”
“I’m so happy for you. Does that mean you’ll be going home tomorrow?”
“Actually, once the doctors do a few more tests on Sapphire, we can leave.”
Finn dragged over a chair and motioned Tory to take a seat. While she hadn’t planned to mention the Forresters, considering Angelique was in the room, it might be a good time to get everyone’s opinion. “Are you up to hear about some new drama?” she asked her sister.
Three sets of bright eyes peered back at her. “Always. You can’t believe how bored I’ve been,” Kaleena said. “Bed rest sucks. I still don’t know why my dragon had to keep my blood pressure up instead of healing me.”
“Maybe she was saving herself for the birth.”
Her sister shook her head. “I think she was jealous that my focus has been on Sapphire and not on her.”
Finn and her doctor had told her she shouldn’t shift before the baby was born. That alone would drive her sister crazy—as well as her dragon.
“It’s possible. Okay, here is what you all missed this morning.” She told them about Anderson’s visit and then about what she thought might be happening. “Anderson asked Thane to speak with you, Angelique, to see if maybe a dark entity might have been involved.”
She shook her head. “That’s not really a dark entity’s style. It would leave burn marks, killing the host in the process—unless he was already weak, like he was with Greer’s mate. The person wouldn’t be alive to kill himself. At least, that is my understanding. Remember, I knew the entities as they existed in my realm—bodiless.”
That didn’t help much. “It is possible that the dark entity—assuming he escaped from that realm and took over a body—was able to control the victim from the inside. It might have sliced the victim’s throat before exiting the body. With the victim dead, maybe there wouldn’t be any burn marks.”
Angelique nodded. “I guess it’s possible.”
“Anderson did say there was a strange chemical inside each of the bodies that no one’s been able to identify. Have you ever known of a dark entity who left a chemical trail behind?”
“N
ot that I’m aware of,” Angelique said. “Sorry.”
“It was worth a shot.” Now might be a good time to test out her other theory. “There is someone else who might be able to help. Kenton Forrester.” The looks on all three faces gave her a scare. “What’s wrong? I thought he was one of the good guys.”
Angelique smiled. “He is. By all means contact him.”
For a moment, Tory thought she’d made a terrible error in judgment. “I already did.” Tory explained how she was on her way to the hospital and nearly ran into him. “Literally.”
Angelique smiled. “Did he say why he was in town?”
“No. I wasn’t feeling all that well at the time and didn’t think to ask him. He told me his name and then asked if he could drive me to the hospital—or rather insisted he drive me here. He left after he escorted me into the lobby. I was in too much of a hurry to see Kaleena to ask him a lot of questions. Besides, we are meeting tonight at Wings for dinner.”
Kaleena reached out and clasped Tory’s hand. “That’s great, and let me apologize for the pain you had to go through. I was worried that might happen considering our twin link. Just so you know, don’t be disappointed if Kenton doesn’t answer questions directly. I’ve heard he and his siblings are rather vague when it comes to giving out information.”
“Thanks for the warning. I only want to talk to him about these suicides. If Malpan, who was a dark Fey, could do mind control, maybe another dark Fey is involved. I’m hoping Kenton would know who from his realm is on Tarradon.”
Tory studied Angelique’s reaction but found none. Just as well. Now that her sister and her newborn niece were happy and healthy, Tory was actually excited to pick the brain of one of the enigmatic Forresters. When the murderer was caught, she would give Wendy, her cousin’s mate, an exclusive on the story.
A knock sounded on the door, and a nurse came in. “It’s time for Sapphire’s check-up.”
Tory had forgotten she was holding the adorable sleeping baby. She handed her off and then stood. “Rest, and I’ll stop by the condo soon to check on you two.”