Finding the Lost

by Shannon K. Butcher

Page 30

 

  Nika shook her head. Her eyelids drooped. “Not now. Gotta sleep more. Maybe later. ”

  Andra smoothed her white hair back and felt her body go limp as she slipped almost instantly into sleep.

  “I don’t know what we did, but it seems to have helped,” said Andra.

  Paul was still watching the way Madoc had gone, his gaze speculative. “I’m not sure we did anything,” he told her. “I mean, I’d love to tell you otherwise, but I’d be lying. ”

  Another failure, but it didn’t sting nearly as badly as it would have otherwise. She didn’t care how Nika got help, just so long as she did. “She seemed lucid just now. ”

  Paul was still watching the doorway, frowning. “She sure did. ”

  “And she ate. That’s more than I’d hoped for. Do you think it’s safe to move her yet?”

  He nodded. “We’ll see how she’s feeling when she wakes up, but I think it would be safer to move her to Dabyr than to stay here another night. Besides, Sibyl is waiting. She wanted you to be there tonight, so we’re already late. ”

  “If we travel during the day, the monsters can’t find us, right?”

  “Right. ”

  “We’ll leave in the morning, then. ” She leaned down and kissed Nika’s head. “Did you hear that, baby? You’re going to be okay. We’re going to get you help. ”

  The sun was sinking near the horizon by the time Paul pulled Andra’s truck up to the gate of the Sentinel compound he called home. Dabyr. The warriors’ stronghold.

  Andra and Nika had slept most of the way here, and he hated having to wake them now. Andra looked so pretty in sleep—her cheeks rosy pink, her short hair tousled around her face, her full mouth parted as if waiting for a kiss.

  He smiled for the camera, knowing Nicholas would be on duty, slid his ID card into the slot, and waited for the gates to open.

  Paul parked her truck in his slot in the multicar garage. The compound was an odd combination that was part ski resort and part military base. The stone walls of the main building glowed pink in the waning light of day, and at this time, Dabyr would be bustling with activity. Over five hundred souls called this place home, and among them were Theronai, Sanguinar, and some of the Gerai—the humans who served in their cause.

  Paul killed the truck’s engine and stroked Andra’s cheek to wake her. Her skin was so warm and soft to his battle-scarred hands, and the thrill of pleasure that ran through his arm only heightened the sensation. He still couldn’t believe she was his—at least for two more days.

  Andra sighed and leaned her head back, offering Paul more of her smooth skin to caress. He knew better than to take advantage of the situation like this, but pride filled him up and he couldn’t help but slide his finger over the luceria. In the hours it had taken them to get here, the colors had settled even more, their swirling increasingly lazy and slow.

  The rap of knuckles against the glass jarred Paul out of his happy place, and he jerked his hand away as if he’d been caught doing something naughty.

  Morgan Valens stood outside the driver’s door, giving Paul a knowing grin. White teeth stood out in stark contrast against Morgan’s brown skin. His Egyptian heritage was evident in his bold mouth and canted brown eyes. Women adored Morgan. Paul had heard them whispering about his stamina and prowess in bed, and the last thing Paul wanted was for Morgan to be the first thing Andra saw when she woke up. He didn’t need that kind of competition.

  Paul rolled down the window. “What do you want?” he asked a little more gruffly than his friend deserved.

  Nika stirred from her sleep, letting out a soft, whimpering sound.

  Morgan leaned over so he could see the women better. “Joseph is looking for you. You didn’t report in yesterday and he’s pissed. ”

  “Yeah, well, he can just be pissed. I was busy. ”

  Morgan eyed Andra’s sleeping form, and Paul shifted his body to block his view. “Busy. I see. Two women will definitely do that to a man. ”

  “They need our help. Nika was too weak to travel yesterday or we would have been here sooner. ” As Sibyl had asked. He wasn’t looking forward to facing her disappointment.

  “You’d better tell Joseph that before he puts your ass on perimeter duty during the rainy season. ”

  “I think he’ll make an exception this time. ”

  Morgan shook his head in awe, his eyes sliding over the luceria gracing Andra’s throat. “Another female Theronai. This place has already gone apeshit since Helen arrived. Once the men find out there’s another . . . ”

  “It will give them hope,” said Paul.

  “It will send the few who are left here scurrying to the four winds, searching for their own women. ”

  “Does that mean you’ll stick around here while all the others go out searching?”

  A car door slammed, followed closely by a second. The sound echoed off the thick concrete walls of the giant garage. Madoc must have pulled in right behind them.

  “Hell, no. Not unless one of them happens to show up before I’m done packing. ” Morgan nodded his head toward Nika. “She okay?”

  “I hope so. ”

  “Want me to carry her inside? I’ll be real gentle so she won’t wake up. ”

  “Touch her and die, Romeo,” said Madoc from behind Morgan.

  Logan was beside him, looking a little green.

  “You caught up fast,” said Paul. Madoc had waited for Logan to feed before they followed Paul and the women. They had to have left at least an hour after Paul had.

  “You just drive like an old man,” said Madoc.

  “No,” argued Logan. “You drive like a maniac. ”

  “I would have happily let you out anywhere you wanted, leech. ”

  “In the daylight? What a gentleman you are,” said Logan.

  Madoc flashed him a smile full of sharp teeth.

  “As much as I love your company, I’m going inside. I have work to do. ” Logan stalked off toward the entrance to the main hall.

  Andra shifted beside Paul, rubbing up against his thigh. She woke slowly, body first, and Paul could do nothing but watch. She stretched her long legs, then her arms, then straightened as much as the cab of the truck would allow before bothering to open her eyes. The show she unknowingly put on with that lovely stretching made every man there stare. He shifted so she wasn’t on display—at least not to anyone but him.

  “Where are we?” she asked on a yawn.

  “Home. ” He didn’t say whose. He was hoping too much that it would be hers as well as his very soon.

  “Already? That was fast. ” She looked over at Nika and pressed her hand against her sister’s forehead. Nika didn’t stir. “Has she been asleep the whole time?”

  “Yeah. She was making a few noises, though. ”

  Madoc went around the truck, the sound of his heavy boots loud on the concrete.

  “What kind of noises?” asked Andra.

  “Nothing horrible,” said Paul as Madoc opened the passenger-side door. The whimpers had been heart-breaking, but he didn’t feel the need to share that with Andra.

  “Andra, this is Morgan Valens. ”

  “Nice to meet you,” said Andra through the open window.

  Morgan smiled, dipped his head in a small formal bow, and offered her his hand. “A pleasure, my lady. ”

  She gave his hand a brief shake and Paul’s eyes were fixed on Morgan’s luceria, looking for even the slightest sign that they might be compatible. Nothing changed, and Paul let out a silent sigh of relief.

  Morgan’s smile faded as he realized the same thing. She couldn’t save him.

  “When is her ceremony?” asked Morgan.

  “I’m not sure yet. ”

  “What ceremony?” asked Andra, frowning.

  “It’s just this thing we do for women like you. Don’t worry about it. ”

  Madoc unbuckled Nika’s seat belt and slid his arms under her body. “Where
is she going?” he asked.

  “I can get her,” said Andra, scrubbing her face with her hands as if trying to wake up. “You don’t have to bother. ”

  Madoc snorted. “She doesn’t weigh enough to be a bother. Which way?”

  Andra let out a sigh of resignation. “Wherever your medical facilities are, I guess. ”

  “Our doctors make house calls,” said Paul. “We do have an infirmary, but I don’t think she’d like it there. Too sterile and cold. She’ll be more comfortable if you’re close by. ”

  “Where will I be staying?”

  Paul lowered his voice. “I was hoping you’d stay in my suite. ” Preferably naked, but he’d take what he could get.

  She blushed as if she’d caught his stray thought, which made Paul let out a bark of laughter. Maybe she did have a streak of shyness in her somewhere after all.

  Andra sniffed and pulled on an air of indifference. “We’re going to Paul’s suite. Do you know the way?”

  Madoc didn’t answer, but he turned and carried Nika toward the door.

  “I’ll let Joseph know you’ve arrived,” said Morgan. “But I’ll walk slowly so you have a chance to . . . settle in. ” He winked at Andra and hurried after Madoc, opening the door for him so he wouldn’t have to jostle Nika.

  Andra was still blushing, which Paul decided was a good look for her. Especially when her blush spread out over her bare breasts and belly, and he was the cause of it.

  The door to the main building shut behind the men, leaving the two of them alone.

  Paul took her hand and ran his fingertip across the silky skin. “There are going to be a lot of people here who will want to meet you. Especially our men. They’ll all want to give you their vow. That’s the ceremony Morgan was talking about. ”

  “I’ll meet whoever you want, and let them all beat their chests or cut themselves or whatever it takes to get Nika help. ”

  “I figured that’s how you’d feel. I just didn’t want you to be taken by surprise. A lot has happened to you in a really short time. ”

  She turned her hand over and laced her fingers through his. Her grip was tight, almost desperate. “I’m tough. Don’t worry about me. ”

  “Sorry. It’s my job. Besides, someone’s got to. ”

  She looked away, but not before he could see the sheen of tears brighten her eyes. “We should go. I don’t like leaving Nika alone. ”

  “She’s not alone. Madoc’s with her,” said Paul, then after his words and their connotation sank in: “Right. We should go. ”

  Chapter 17

  Andra followed Paul through the underground tunnel that led from the garage to what he called the main hall. She wasn’t sure hall was the right word for a room with a glass ceiling fifty feet overhead and enough space to fit a football field. Halls were dark and long and skinny, not huge and bright and filled with live plants in every corner.

  The room was separated into sections. Half of it was set up with mismatched kitchen tables that seated anywhere from two to twelve. Every table was decorated with a vase of fresh flowers and a bright, cheery yellow tablecloth. The other half of the room was cut into two more areas—one with a huge TV and plenty of overstuffed couches, and the other with a pool table and several video game systems hooked up to more big TVs.