by Zoe Forward
“Worked, didn’t it?” She grinned up at him, relieved that he lived. That relief spooked her since it was far more than just a friend happy to have saved a colleague’s life. She took in the sharp planes of his nose, the strong set of his chin, and his powerful body cloaked in tactical gear. She couldn’t drag enough air into her lungs and couldn’t focus on anything in this church other than the enraged, sexy soldier in front of her.
Kane fisted his hands at his side. “You just decided to saunter through a portal in your PJs and flash some skin? You can’t do that pregnant.”
The lust haze fizzled. She poked him in the chest. “You did not just pull the pregnancy card on me.”
His gaze narrowed and cheek muscle spasmed. His eyes darted southward to her chest. A red flush spread over his cheeks. “It’s irresponsible.”
“Irresponsible? Like throwing your undertrained ass in front of a daemon to save Dakar isn’t insane?” She poked him again.
He grabbed her hand. “Stop that. I don’t need a half-dressed woman to save me.”
“News flash: she just did.” She met his gaze dead-on refusing to be intimidated by two hundred fifty plus pounds of gorgeous angry male.
“Why are you here? You’ve been holed up in that room forever.” He changed his tone to a high-pitched feminine whine. “Oh, poor me. My ex-boyfriend that tried to murder me died.”
She whispered, “You were hurt.” She thought to him, I felt it.
His eyes widened. With a subtle headshake, she suspected he just rejected her mental communication. His cheeks darkened as if he was about to explode.
Had he always been so utterly hot? Protective and stubborn she knew well from him. But the way his left cheek muscles continued their spasm and how he stood at least a head or two taller than her, making her feel petite and feminine which was no small feat…oh my. The pieces of her heart snapped together. Unlike Zannis, she trusted Kane. She’d gladly die for him, and already had tried to on several occasions. He was the best friend who’d saved her more times than she had fingers. Right now she recognized the signs of an imminent explosion. She pulled his head to her mouth. One touch of their lips, and her world tilted. She clutched his forearms and leaned into him with a relieved sigh. He pulled her tight to his body, pressing the hot length of his arousal into the V of her thighs. So right. This man brought on something no one else had ever touched, not even Zannis. It wasn’t just the combination of lust and need she recognized from Zannis, or the blossoming of long-dead emotion; it was simple happiness.
Then, he pushed her away. “Stop distracting me.” He ran a shaky hand through his spiky blond hair.
She bit her lip against a grin at how off kilter she’d thrown the most got-his-shit-together soldier. Her gaze traveled slowly southward to the evidence of how much he wanted her.
He said, “Stop it. I’m goddamned pissed at you. You can’t be doing this kind of crazy. I don’t meant the kiss. That was…shit. You can’t be daemon fighting.”
Indignant fury surged. “You don’t get to decide what I can or cannot do, especially when you’re in over your head.” She pointed at his bleeding side and then at the expanding portal to their left, which she must’ve started opening on instinct. “You need the medic. Go through that doorway and get Kira to do her thing. You can rant at me later. Let me round up Nate and Dakar.”
Kane swiped his nightvisions and sword off the ground, cursing under his breath. He jogged toward the entry to grab what she recognized as his bugout bag, and then headed for the portal.
Astrid released a relieved sigh. At least he still listened to her, which proved he trusted her. He never gave up trying to boss her around, even though she almost always got her way.
The second he disappeared, Nate laughed. “Kane is just pissed that a girl saved his ass.”
Astrid narrowed her gaze on him. “You think because I’ve got ovaries I can’t do this?”
“You just proved having tits helps.” He eyed her chest.
Astrid landed a palm strike to Nate’s chest hard enough to push him into the wooden support column behind him. She yanked his knife from his tactical vest and held it against his neck at his neck just below his chin. “Give me shit for being a girl one more time, and I’ll cut off each finger and shove them down your throat until you suffocate.”
“What? Not going to threaten cutting off my balls?” Nate grinned.
“Fingers are much more painful. Want to find out?”
His eyes widened as he tensed his neck away from the blade. “What special forces did you serve on?”
She stared into Nate’s dark blues, which swirled with black sludge, and forced herself not to blink. She’d dealt with this kind of young hotshot male bullshit once too often. “CIA. Field agent.” She pressed the knife deeper into his neck until he bled. “Do we have an understanding?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She took a step back and handed him his blade handle first.
Nate retrieved the blade with a curse and cheek flush. She bet he didn’t like being disarmed so easily by a girl.
Dakar rested on the lowest level near the piano. From bleeding forehead to the gaping midsection laceration, he was a hot mess of bruising and blood. “You ready to go home?”
His pain-laced gaze shot upward to hers. He nodded. “I need the akhrian.”
“I’ll take you through a portal, which will have us to her immediately, but I can’t carry you. You think you can manage to stand?”
He pulled himself up, using the piano. She scooted under his shoulders and glanced back at Nate. “You get to drive home or take the plane or however you got here. Just make sure to get any equipment we left behind.” She reached for the energy to open yet another doorway, focusing on Kira.
Dakar staggered.
“Don’t you dare die on me. Shay will kick my ass,” she said.
He managed a small smile. “She is screaming in my mind.”
She squeezed his hand. “Tell her we’re taking the express bus home. She can meet us in Kira’s office.”
He took some of his weight off her and staggered toward the portal. Before he stepped through, he glanced back. “I am pleased you have joined us.” He stumbled.
She draped his arm over her shoulders and smiled as she walked them through the doorway.
Chapter Fifteen
Astrid detected fine muscle trembling from Dakar the moment they entered the medical room. She helped him sit on the edge of the bed, hating that he might be that painful. He ghosted white and froze, gaze locked onto the approaching doctor. This wasn’t pain. The guy was scared shitless in this room, which given the fact he was older than any of them and apparently had memory of thousands of years didn’t sit right with her. Still, she wouldn’t comment on his issue.
Kira halted a few feet away and waited.
Shay exploded through the door. She landed next to Dakar, touching him everywhere as if affirming his existence. Shay rested a palm against his face and whispered, “Let Kira help you, love.”
Dakar clasped Shay’s hand and nodded at the healer.
That was Astrid’s cue to depart.
“What the hell happened?” Ashor demanded, blocking Astrid’s exit. The set of his jaw and dark glower screamed lethal.
Astrid meet Ashor’s furious dark gaze. “I just saved your boys’ asses is what happened.” She held up her destroyed shoe. “In flip-flops.”
“How would you know where to go or that they needed an assist?” Ashor asked.
“Kane almost got his ass catapulted into the afterlife.” She tapped her forehead. “I figured Mr. Blue-hair wouldn’t like that too much.” She took a step back and crossed her arms across her chest. “Look, I respect you as the leader of this unit and no offence intended, but what are you doing forcing Kane and Nate fight like that? This go-it-alone, waltz down and each man take a turn trying to take out the supernatural monster is just…well, it’s stupid.”
“It is what we have always done.” Asho
r leaned against the wall. His I-know-far-more-than-you gaze catapulted her irritation right into need-to-pulverize.
She forced a deep breath and swallowed her anger. “Times have changed. You need a new strategy. I’ve always worked on a team. That’s what I’ve been trained to do, and it usually works. That’s what those two guys are also trained to do. I’ll tell you what, you give me Kane and Nate, and I guarantee inside of a few weeks we’ll be kicking daemon ass as a team.”
“That’s not an option. I can’t put all the newbies on one team.”
“Newbies? Let me summarize our mission plan for these fights and see if I’ve got it. We kill the daemons by decapitation and heart stab, preferably without getting ourselves killed. Is there more to it than that?”
“That’s pretty much the goal. You, Nate, and Kane have been granted supernatural powers that you need time to figure out. Nate’s been at this about a decade. A few months ago he accidentally incited a terrorist crisis when he lost control and blew up a gas station. And he recently shut down an international airport. Kane has just been given dragons. I cannot even begin to imagine what shitstorm happens when Kane loses control.”
Protective fury surged. No one dissed Kane. “You’ve just been given two gifted ex-special forces soldiers and you plan to waste them? You’re sending them on suicide missions where they will get killed, and probably inside of a few months. All of you mock Nate when he sucks at this style of fighting and blows shit up. Why are you surprised he’s not good at this? He’s not a hand-to-hand fighter. That guy is a brilliant sniper. That’s a gift. He’s a conceited asshole like most special forces soldiers, but he’s trained and he’s good. The guy can probably hold his own, if he must, in hand-to-hand.”
Dakar interrupted, “She is right, Ashor. Astrid ordered Nate to turn on the lights and it worked. Somehow, he focused for her and it all came together for him.”
Astrid nodded thanks to Dakar, but returned her focus to Ashor. “Then there’s Kane. Now that man is amazing in hand-to-hand. He’s probably the best fighter I’ve ever seen. But he’s got one big problem: a hero complex. Kane gets distracted trying to save everyone else on his team. It’s important his team knows that and watches out for themselves and him. It’s reassuring to know he’s got my back at all times, but I know he needs to avoid any situation where he’d martyr himself for me or another one of us.”
“How do you propose we improve?” Ashor asked, sarcasm lacing his tone.
“Form teams with members that complement each other. With Kane, Nate, and I, we do what we were trained. We get recon, we plan, and then we go in. That’s how we’ve always worked. We can be out of a church or wherever the daemon chooses to be in less than fifteen minutes.”
Ashor pursed his lips. “Right.” Skepticism dripped like a melting icicle from the statement.
“So long as I’m not trying to fight solo against one of those daemons, then it’s a cake walk. But alone…that’s suicide. I recommend you have Dakar and Khyan be a team. Khyan is...” Her gaze darted to Dakar. “I’m sorry, but your brother is not right in the head.”
Dakar grinned.
She rolled her eyes and locked gazes with Ashor. “I bet the only one of us that can rein Khyan in or even understand his whacked logic is Dakar. Break ’em up, and you get a disaster like what happened in Scotland. Or today.” She waved at Dakar.
Dakar chimed in. “True. Khyan may be on the edge, but he would never have allowed a daemon to do this to me.”
Astrid massaged her forehead and gentled her tone. “I know this rocks your boat, sir, and challenges you as a leader. I respect you. I trust your advice. I sure as hell don’t want your job. God knows, you’re probably the only one most of these guys might listen to. However, times have changed. The daemons are smarter. Djoser is probably using more technology than you are.”
Ashor sighed deeply. “I’ll give you Nate and Kane. And two months to prove you can do it. But be warned, Nate might not respect you. He barely respects us, which is part of his problem. In your current condition…I need you to take care of yourself. I want you to admit when you need help, and when you need to be careful. You must vow that to me.”
“I will always protect my baby.”
“Then we have an understanding?” Ashor asked.
“There’s one more thing,” Astrid drawled.
Ashor raised his eyebrows and rocked back on his feet.
“I need tools. Two computers minimum…laptops. We need equipment to do this right.”
Ashor nodded. “Done. Get whatever you need.”
She bit the inside of her cheek before asking, “What’s my budget?”
Ashor quirked an eyebrow. “Can you keep it under a million US dollars?”
Astrid grinned. “Cool.”
As she rounded the doorway out of the medical room, she tripped over Kane’s legs where he stood propped against the wall. He caught her elbow, pulling her into a crash land against his chest, which was much better than a frontal face plant.
God, she loved the way he smelled. That subtle aftershave mixed with hard male. She wanted his arms to wrap her tight. Enough with daydreams. She detected him tense. One glance downward confirmed his shirt was soaked with new blood.
Astrid pulled back and frowned. “You didn’t get patched up yet?”
His brows popped up as he released her. “I’m waiting in line.” A slow smile spread across his lips. “So, you think I’m amazing?”
She stepped away. Her cheeks blazed. “I just…we need to do this fight thing the way we were trained. We’re better as a team.”
“You’re probably right.”
Astrid cupped a hand around her ear. “Come again on that? You think I’m right? I need to find my cellphone to record you saying that.” Astrid returned his smile.
He rolled his eyes. “I meant the way they do it now doesn’t make sense, not that I think you should be fighting.”
“I am going to do what I must. I would like you on my team. Will you?”
He touched her chin to bring her gaze to his. “Just to be clear, I don’t want you in danger.”
“That’s why we’ve got to do this the way we were trained. Together. It lowers the danger risk.”
He dropped his hand from her. “I don’t…in your condition…it’s not right.”
Dakar exited. They moved aside to give him and Shay space to pass.
Kane said, “I’ve got to do this thing with Kira.” He waved at his still oozing side.
“Meet me afterwards for a drink?” she asked.
Kane nodded and turned away without meeting her gaze. The medical room door clicked behind him.
****
“Ashor wants to speak with you. In his office,” Kira announced as she push-rolled her stool away from Kane.
“About what?” Kane ran a hand down his now-healed side, marveling at his new tattoo. He had a date with a hot blonde and a beer. Residual lust powered through him. He’d wanted Astrid in the past, but the press of her chest against his in the hallway had ignited what used to be a smoldering itch into a gotta-have.
“Business chit-chat is all he told me.” Kira shrugged apologetically.
“Do you think he can hold off for an hour or so?” Getting a one-on-one verbal come-uppance from the bastard Kira married might just push his rocky control right over the edge this afternoon. Then, he’d probably release the dragons. They were chewing up his arm for freedom. He didn’t know what would transpire after that.
He’d avoided alone time with Ashor because every instinct in him raged to rearrange Ashor’s nose, and then beat him unconscious. To say they’d gotten off to a rocky start was an understatement. Attacking Ashor would not only piss off Kira, but also land him back in her office. Ashor was twenty times more powerful than he when it came to this magi shit and probably much better at hand-to-hand.
Kira shook her head. “This can’t wait. He’s in his office.” Kira stood and turned her back, dismissing him.
; “Fine.” Maybe he could speed through this. He should stop by the kitchen to give Astrid the heads-up.
“He wants you there now. The faster you get there, the faster it’ll be over,” Kira called out cheerfully as he exited.
Kane pushed into Ashor’s office without bothering to a knock. He froze at the sight of the massive Prime magus poised with hands steepled in front of his mouth and eyes focused into a brutal evaluation of him. Ashor lowered his hands to rest flat on his stately wooden desk and waved at a chair.
“Sit,” Ashor ordered.
Ingrained military obedience had him planting his butt in the chair across from his desk, but he swallowed a yes sir.
“Since you missed an official induction ceremony with Ma’at—that’s the goddess that liaises with us—I need to highlight a few ground rules that come with being a magus.”
“Rules?” Kane thought these guys seemed to do whatever the hell they wanted.
“These are rules from the gods, not my rules. Rule number one: No killing humans unless directly attacked or when protecting the innocent. If you do, then you get punished. By the gods. Do I need to explain that further?” Ashor’s tone discouraged wisecracks.
“Got it.” Kane nodded.
“Rule number two: We are to stay under the radar of humans. Existing within and around them, but not changing the course of history or interfering in so far as we are able. Rule three: No killing a magus unless he has Turned. Do you know what Turning means?”
Kane shook his head.
“Daemons emit evil that slowly erodes our souls. We are each on a slow countdown to the day we go crazy or Turn. But you don’t have to worry about that. At least, I don’t think so. I think the gods gave you a free pass by granting your senariai or destined woman right from the start. She’s the cure for soul erosion. I will not discuss technicalities of the how. You can figure it out yourself.”
Images of Astrid streaked through Kane’s mind followed swiftly by guilt that he’d stood her up. She’d be pissed.
Ashor squinted at him. “I’m not sure. Maybe not. The two of you seem able to resist each other which is…” He clucked. “Not typical. Amun-Ra told you to protect her and ground her in this world, but didn’t say anything about the two of you being together. She found her guy already—the magus that died. Maybe you’re just a beacon to keep her here as her friend or whatever. Most of us die when the person to whom our soul is bound dies. She did try. We need her here right now, if she can get that doorway ability of hers to be predictable. It’ll be weird for you, though, when she finds the reincarned version of her guy. Screwing another guy and you being her friend—”