by Susan Illene
“I should come with you,” I said, worried he might try talking Yerik out of my plan.
He came up and put his arms around me. “I’m not going to thwart you, sensor. I’ve given up on that, but I would like to speak to him alone for a moment.”
I swallowed. “Will you tell me about it later?”
He leaned down close and whispered in my ear. “We will discuss battle strategies, nothing more. But should you want a deeper explanation, I’ll be happy to provide one later.”
I licked my lips. “Okay.”
Lucas let go of me, gestured at Micah to join him, and flashed away. I had to give it to my husband—he had a way of distracting me from my worries. Emily came in with Lorna a few minutes later. The Scottish woman must have been exempted from the male discussion outside as well, though she didn’t appear any more pleased about it than me.
She and Emily helped me finish dishing out the ice cream bowls. We set them on the counter and started eating while waiting for the men outside to return. Kerbasi and Patrick stayed with us. The guardian didn’t seem annoyed at being left out, but food always took priority for him.
It took about ten minutes before Lucas, Micah, and Yerik joined us in the kitchen. Their expressions told me nothing of what they’d discussed and their moods felt calm enough. I was glad to see the daimoun had acquired a new kilt to wear. The one he’d had on the other day couldn’t have possibly survived another washing.
“Ice cream?” I asked, jumping off my barstool.
“That would be excellent,” Yerik said, heading to the freezer where I’d returned the containers. “But don’t trouble yourself. I can get it.”
“Okay.” I edged back onto my seat.
Lorna was already finishing the last of her ice cream. She leaned over and spoke in a confiding tone. “This will take him a while. You might not want to watch.”
“Why?” Emily asked.
The older sensor gave her a cryptic smile. “You’re better off if you don’t know.”
It didn’t take long to figure out why Yerik preferred to serve himself. He put a scoop of every flavor of ice cream we had into a big mixing bowl he found in the cabinets, then put all the extras on top. Emily gasped as she watched him pour so much chocolate syrup over the concoction that you could hardly see the ice cream. He also mashed an entire banana and some strawberries in there. His final addition was the worst. Without our assistance, he somehow located the hot sauce and dribbled some of that into the bowl before stirring it all around.
“Is he really going to eat that?” Patrick asked.
Lorna’s expression told us she’d found her mate hopeless a long time ago. “Every bite.”
My stomach roiled. At least I’d already finished my ice cream before watching that masterpiece get made. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to sit by while he consumed it, though.
Yerik ate a few spoonfuls before speaking. “I’ve been told you wish to rescue Ariel.”
“If you’ll help us,” I replied, trying very hard to keep my gaze averted.
“May I try some of that?” Kerbasi asked.
Emily shot him an incredulous look. “Are you crazy?”
The guardian ignored her.
Yerik scooped up another bite. “No, but you are welcome to make your own.”
Kerbasi’s face fell. “I’m not certain it is worth the risk.”
“It takes a real man to eat ice cream like this,” Yerik said, clearly proud of himself.
Lucas grunted. Apparently, he and Micah had decided to forgo eating any after watching the daimoun prepare his. “Speak for yourself. Now are you willing to help us get into Hell or not?”
Yerik spent the next minute savoring mouthful after mouthful of ice cream and not answering. I tried to remind myself he’d gone without it as long as I had, and he was probably still building back his strength—though he didn’t seem much weaker than before he’d left. All that living in the wild must not have affected him that badly.
“I’ll need a day or so to find the portal in Alaska—haven’t used it before. After that, I’ll be ready to go anytime,” he eventually replied, not even glancing up from his bowl.
“There’s a portal to Hell in Alaska?” I asked.
Micah’s expression turned thoughtful. “It would explain a lot.”
Yerik paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “There’s only three on the continent. One in New York, another in Arkansas, and the one here in Alaska.”
“Is the one here used all that much?” The question came from Patrick.
“No,” Yerik replied as he scraped the bottom of his bowl. “That’s why I have to look for it. Exactly who is going aside from Melena and Lucas?”
“I am,” Micah replied.
Kerbasi straightened in his seat. “I will go as well.”
“What?” Just about everyone said at once.
The guardian shrugged. “I’ll do it for Melena. She will need all the assistance she can get, and it would not be my first time there.”
“Wait,” I said, trying to grasp what he’d just revealed. “You’re sort of like an angel. I thought you guys couldn’t go there.”
Kerbasi met my gaze. “I am not a true angel, rather something in between. The very way I was made is different because of the duties required of me. When we cannot rehabilitate souls in Purgatory, we escort them to Hell. I do not know how to acquire passage through the mortal plane, but it does not harm me to enter.”
I couldn’t believe what he was offering. “Okay, fine, you’re able to get in. But won’t you get in trouble for helping us? I mean, couldn’t it ruin your chances of ever climbing higher up the ranks?”
“To become a true angel, I would need to ascend. The archangels would have to find me worthy. There is a man here...” he gestured in the direction of Bartol, “who is scarred for the rest of his life because of me. I do not deserve to rise higher. Also, the wards there do not affect me, which could prove useful.”
Yerik gave Kerbasi an impressed look. “I had not considered that, but the guardian would be helpful to us. When we reach the wards surrounding the protected area, Melena will not be able to break them. They are as powerful as the ones at the fae city—in fact, stronger.”
A chill ran down my spine. Last year, when an attack brought the fae city wards down, it took a sensor giving up all of their life’s blood to break them. Who knew how much sensor blood it would require to bring down wards in Hell?
Lucas stiffened. “This is the part of the plan I do not like. Melena would have to travel alone for the final part of the journey.”
“Not if the guardian goes with her.” Yerik pushed his empty bowl aside.
“I would protect her with my life,” Kerbasi swore.
Micah stared hard at him. “You do realize that in Hell your immortality might not mean as much. If anything goes wrong, it will be your life you’re risking.”
“The way I see it.” Kerbasi met my gaze. “Melena has a lot more to lose than I do. If she is willing to risk herself for this cause, then I can do no less.”
Lucas took my hand. “Even with the guardian’s help, it will be dangerous. Yerik, Micah, and I will not be able to help you once we get near Ariel. I do not feel comfortable with this.”
“All I have to say is if Kerbasi comes back without Melena, he’s a dead man anyway,” Micah said, giving the guardian a warning look.
Kerbasi didn’t waver. “If she does not come back, neither will I.”
That was good enough for me. “What about your ankle cuff?”
“I thought it odd at the time, but I did not say anything for obvious reasons. The archangel did not put it back on me.” Kerbasi frowned. “He must have known I’d wish to accompany you.”
Emily gave me a worried look. “Maybe you shouldn’t go, Mel. This sounds…crazy.”
“Don’t worry,” I reassured her. “The archangels must have had some faith in us to set up this trip so well.”
“Maybe you
have a point,” she said, not sounding entirely convinced.
“Of course I do.” I slapped my hand on the counter. “So let’s talk weapons. I’ve got a long list upstairs starting with RPGs, machine guns—”
“I found your list and have already begun acquiring the items,” Lucas interrupted.
I gave him a broad smile. “You just made me fall in love with you even more. Add canteens to the list. Something tells me we’re going to want water while we’re there.”
Chapter Thirty-four
Melena
The man sitting across from my desk fidgeted. I was fairly certain Isaac James wasn’t guilty of anything other than taking a suspicious job, but no one felt comfortable being dragged into a Department of Homeland Security office. The bush pilot wore a pair of oil-stained jeans and a black t-shirt. His brown hair could have used a trimming, but it fit his overall tousled appearance. Isaac was about thirty years old with a devil-may-care attitude and probably didn’t have much trouble attracting the ladies—except for me, who he looked ready to run from at any moment.
It took us two days since Aniya’s disappearance to track him down since he rarely stayed in one place for long. I was fairly confident Isaac had flown Aniya and her kidnappers out of Fairbanks. We’d gone over every flight that left an airfield in the area the afternoon she was taken and based on the details, he was the only one who could have flown them.
“According to your flight plan, you took three men and a large crate to an airfield outside of Anchorage,” I said, skimming a report on my desk.
Isaac slouched in his seat. “Yeah. What about it?”
“Did your passengers act suspicious in any way?”
His brows drew together. “Well, they seemed to be in a big hurry when they showed up, but they paid well, so I didn’t really care.”
“What about the crate? Did it make any noises?” He’d already told me it was three feet by three feet. I was rather confident Aniya could have fit in it if they’d scrunched her up.
The pilot shook his head. “None that I heard, but my engines are loud. I probably wouldn’t have heard anything.”
I’d been in enough small planes to understand that. “What happened after you landed?”
“They had a truck waiting for them by the airfield. It pulled up after we landed and they offloaded the crate onto it. They told me to go after that.” He shrugged. “Whatever they were doing—it wasn’t my business.”
I jotted down the details on my notepad. “How many men were in the truck?”
“Just one. An older guy in his fifties would be my guess. The main thing I remember about him is that he had a long beard.”
I’d already gotten descriptions of the three men who’d hired the pilot. Their ages ranged from mid-twenties to early forties. Nothing about them was particularly distinctive. No visible scars or tattoos we could run through a database.
O’Connell appeared in the doorway and gestured for me to come talk with him.
“Just a moment,” I said to Isaac as I stood up. I followed O’Connell a short distance down the hallway.
His expression was sour. “None of the names are real. I’m guessing they gave the pilot fake IDs.”
“Damn,” I swore. They’d also paid cash so we could track them that way. It was beginning to feel like the deeper we dug, the more questions we had. I was trying really hard to keep my hopes up that we’d find Aniya soon.
“I’ve got a sketch artist coming in half an hour. Once you’re done, send Mr. James to me, and I’ll get him prepped for it. Maybe once we know what they look like, we’ll be able to find them on the security footage we’ve pulled.”
“What about the van? Anything on it yet?” I asked.
“There was one fitting the description that was reported stolen the day your friend was kidnapped, but we haven’t found it.” He shook his head, his expression reflecting the frustration I felt. “I’m thinking a fourth party got rid of it. Most likely, it’ll turn up in a ditch somewhere a few months from now.”
I rubbed my face. “Alright. Thanks for letting me know.”
O’Connell’s expression softened. “Whatever it takes—we’ll find her.”
“I appreciate that.” I gave him a weak smile.
When I returned to my office, I found Isaac in his chair with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. He’d complained when we first brought him in that he hadn’t slept much the night before. Judging by the faint scent of alcohol coming from him, I was guessing he’d had a night out on the town. He wasn’t drunk now, but he’d definitely had plenty to drink the evening before.
“How much did they pay you for the job?” I asked, taking my seat.
Isaac lifted his head. “Two grand.”
That was his first lie. I narrowed my gaze at him. “Try again.”
“It was two grand,” Isaac insisted. I had to give him credit that he didn’t show any of the usual physical signs for deception.
“Mr. James, I should warn you that I am very good at discerning the truth. Until now, you’ve been honest with me.” I leaned forward in my chair. “Let’s not change that.”
He didn’t blink. “I’m not lying.”
“You know I don’t care what you report to the IRS for tax purposes. My investigation is focused entirely on finding a woman who has been kidnapped. Try again.”
Isaac was quiet for a moment. “Alright, five grand.”
That was a steep price for the trip. “Did you ask for that much or did they offer it?”
“They offered.”
I cocked my head. “Did they give any reason why?”
The pilot stretched his feet out in front of him. “It was short notice, and I had something else scheduled for that afternoon. They paid me extra to fly them instead.”
“Did they give any other reason?” I asked.
“Only that they needed me to be ready the minute they arrived.”
That much didn’t surprise me. “Did they talk much? Maybe say where they were headed after you dropped them off?”
“Nope.” Isaac shook his head. “They weren’t real forthcoming, and I’m not the nosy type.”
Maybe that was why they’d hired him. “Have you heard from them since then?”
He snorted. “No, and I don’t expect to.”
I asked him a few more questions, but he didn’t have anything else useful for me. It was frustrating. He was the closest thing we had to a lead, and the best we could hope for was that the men’s descriptions turned up something. We’d have to check the flights and ships leaving Anchorage around the time the suspects arrived near the city. I had to assume that’s why they headed for the coast. It was probably easier to transport Aniya by sea, though I hated the idea of her being trapped in a crate for this entire time.
With nothing else pertinent to ask, I dropped Isaac off at O’Connell’s office. Lucas and Yerik popped up on my radar while I made myself a cup of coffee—they’d flashed into the corridor. Kristen had come by the day before to update the ward so Lucas could get inside freely, but Yerik had to fight his way through the protection spell. The daimoun was extremely powerful. It only took him a few seconds, though his expression was pained when he entered the reception area.
The secretary looked up at the large man wearing nothing but a kilt and a pair of hiking boots and her jaw dropped. “What…who are you?”
“Don’t worry,” I said, giving her a reassuring look. “He’s a friend and won’t be here long.”
“But…” The way her mouth opened and shut, she resembled a fish out of the water. I would have taken pity on her, but I wasn’t in the mood to explain Yerik.
Before she could formulate a coherent reply, I gestured for the men to follow me to my office. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve located the portal,” Yerik said after shutting the door.
“Where is it?” I asked.
Lucas held himself stiffly. “About a two-hour drive west of here.”
He didn’t
seem particularly glad the portal had been found. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d hoped it would take too long and then he, Micah, and Kerbasi wouldn’t have been able to go—effectively shutting down our best chance of making the rescue operation successful. Even now, we only had about a day and a half before Remiel would return to put the ankle bracelets back on them.
“When do we leave?”
Yerik glanced at Lucas before answering. “As soon as we can gather the supplies.”
“Did you get everything on my list?” I asked, giving my husband a hopeful look.
He nodded. “I acquired the final items shortly after you left this morning.”
“Okay, well, let me go break the news to O’Connell that I’ve gotta leave work early.” And encourage him to keep searching for Aniya. It was bad timing, but without any solid leads, I had to put rescuing Ariel first. We didn’t have much time left to delay.
“I’ll meet you at home.” Lucas gave me a kiss.
Chapter Thirty-five
Melena
I checked the straps on my holster and vest one last time before hoisting on my pack. The heavy gear sat uncomfortably on my shoulders, but I’d likely need everything I brought. All I had left to grab was my RPG and rifle.
Emily stood there, watching me with a forlorn expression on her face. “You’re gonna come back. Right, Mel?”
I pulled her into a hug. “Not even a pack of wild demons could keep me away.”
“That’s not funny,” she said, pulling back to glare at me.
Ah, well, I was trying to keep the mood light. If I thought about what I was about to do too much, I might change my mind. One of the things I’d learned during my time in the military was that you had to think strategically when facing danger. No matter how much people might claim otherwise, they all feared death. We were hardwired to want to live. Jumping into a battle where we could die went against our very natures—assuming one had a choice in the matter.
It wasn’t that I shut down all sense of self-preservation, but that I had to clear my head of any emotions that could debilitate me. I needed to believe I could get through this. We had a team of five powerful immortals, with a variety of unique skills that would be useful. If ever there was a group who could successfully invade Hell and make it out alive, we were it.