Crucible of Fate

by Mary Calmes

  I rolled my head back so I could see Logan, gaze up into the gold eyes I knew so well. “And?”

  “I want Crane,” Logan said without fanfare.

  “Yes, I know. He’s yours.”

  “Good.” He scowled. “You look like hell.”

  “I was stabbed.”

  “So I understand,” he said coolly.

  “No, no, that wasn’t my fault,” I said defensively. “I had no idea that Jin killed the priest.”

  Logan said nothing, just let go of Jin’s hand and put his arm around his mate, eased Jin against his side. “Will you be able to leave here tomorrow? I’d like you to see my son before I leave for home.”

  “Of course.”

  His attention was back on Kabore. “I’m Logan Church, semel-netjer of the tribe of Mafdet.”

  “This is an honor, semel.”

  Logan nodded, like, of course it was, before he let go of Jin and walked around the table to Yuri, who stood to greet him.

  I enjoyed seeing the two men hug tight and hard before Logan let him go, and I stood so he could grab me. “It’s good to see you.”

  “And you,” he said into my shoulder before he let go. “Tell me what’s going on here.”

  We all sat down, and Logan kept Jin’s hand in both of his as Jin leaned on his shoulder. They really should have been on billboards together, Jin was so beautiful and Logan was all strength and heat. But what I noticed more than anything was the change in Jin. The sort of thrumming energy present since he had arrived had dissipated. Everyone had been a little on edge with him. Kabore was right—the power, though fascinating, seemed unstable. The nekhene cat was like a bottle of nitroglycerin; you didn’t know when a slight jostle might set him off.

  With Logan beside him, though, it was like a switch had been flipped, and he was just him. Just Jin.

  “Domin.”

  I came out of my thoughts to find Logan staring at me. “Yes?”

  “My advice would be to transport the semel from here. Take him back to Sobek, read the charges, and then execute him.”

  “Logan, he’s sick,” Yuri said. “We’re talking about the law and that’s all.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “A semel who is sick has his mate to depend on, his maahes if he has one, and barring that, his sheseru and sylvan. There is a sacred bond between a semel and his house, and if the semel breaks it, then it is up to those who support him either to take control or allow him to run amok.”

  “But a semel’s word is law,” Yuri argued. “When you were hurt in the pit the time you fought with Domin, you forbade anyone from helping you or—”

  “And would that have continued until I died?” he demanded sharply. “Didn’t Mikhail go get Jin the following day, even though I forbade anyone from acting?”

  Silence.

  “It sounds like the sylvan was the voice of reason and he was killed. The sheseru allowed himself to be corrupted, and his mate and his family did nothing.”

  “Logan, they were powerless,” I said. “The son is—”

  “Weak, I suspect,” Logan said, passing judgment. “You should make these djehus both sylvan and sheseru to help him and bring the whole tribe back together.”

  Everybody went silent.

  It was brilliant.

  “Which do—”

  “The djehu of the shen should be sylvan,” Jin began, “because she knows the law. The djehu of the peq, as he is familiar with what it takes to keep control of people who are spread out, knows how to instill authority, should be sheseru. I implied that this would probably be what you would do.”

  I stared at the two of them.

  Logan squinted at me. “What? Something wrong?”

  “You two are so in sync now that you share a brain?”

  Logan met his mate’s eyes for long, quiet moments before his attention was back on me. “Yeah, something like that.”

  “The djehus still have yet to agree on the dispensation of the catacombs.”

  “What’s to agree on?” Logan remarked as Jin rubbed his chin over his mate’s shoulder, scent-marking him as Yuri had done to me earlier in the day. “The money it would take to mine for gold in the catacombs is, I’m sure, cost prohibitive. And if the djehu gets outside investors, he’d have to prove who own the catacombs first. It’s not going to happen. They need to simply get behind the tribe, and they will if they’re invested.”

  “And if Hanif Tarek doesn’t like who I pick for him?”

  “He’s already shown himself to not be strong, Domin; I don’t think you worry about what he thinks.”

  “You just know what’s best, huh?”

  “Always,” he assured me. “But it’s up to you to sell it.”

  Rahim came to the table and bent to speak to Yuri. “Alana Tarek would like a quick word with you, sekhem.”

  “It’s late. She’s still awake?”

  “Would you be able to sleep?”

  “No,” he answered as he got up, squeezing my shoulder as he left the table.

  “I’ll talk to the djehus in the morning,” I advised Logan. “Or, in a few hours, I guess.”

  After several minutes, Jin got up. “I want to say a word to Alana as well, since she’s awake. She had wanted to talk to me but I didn’t get a chance today, and maybe I can give her some comfort.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Logan said, getting ready to follow.

  “No, stay here,” he soothed his mate. “Yuri’s already there.”

  Logan scowled, ignoring me. “Taj, would you escort Jin?”

  “’Course.” Taj yawned tiredly. “C’mon, reah, let’s go.”

  Jin bent and kissed Logan’s cheek. “You worry too much.”

  “I don’t worry enough, and I need to take you back to your son in one piece. He’s probably wondering where we both are now since he’s never seen Crane before.”

  Jin was startled. “You brought Ilia with you? He’s here?”

  “Of course,” Logan replied. “When I was asking Domin when he was going to leave because I wanted him to see Ilia… did you not hear any of that at all?”

  “I guess not, I–– And you left him alone with Crane?”

  “With my maahen and Domin’s maahes, yes.”

  “Yusuke’s here?”

  “Yes,” he said nonchalantly. “She wanted to see Crane, and Danny’s been inconsolable since Koren left. I really need to put my house in order.”

  So did I, I thought, but said nothing.

  “Logan, we need to get back to our son,” Jin said, sounding flustered suddenly.

  “And we will.” He gentled his mate. “Tomorrow. You’ve been gone a week already.”

  “Thank you for reminding me,” he said curtly. His brows furrowed, and he left quickly so that Taj had to jog to catch up with him.

  “Was that smart?” I asked my friend. “You seem worried, semel.”

  He shook his head. “Tell me about Mikhail’s girl. I’ve never seen him act like that. I didn’t know he actually could look like that.”

  I laughed softly, then recounted everything about Samani and what she wanted and what Mikhail wanted and who I thought was going to end up caving.

  We talked and it was nice, and Kabore had interesting asides to add, and I had Logan riveted when I recounted Jin winning the challenge.

  “Speaking of Jin,” Logan said, catching my gaze, “how long does it take to talk to the yareah?”

  I was ready to pass out myself. “Kabore, would you please go tell them all that we need to get some sleep?”

  “Of course, my lord.” He tipped his head before he got up to fetch our absent mates.

  “It was a good choice to promote Jamal,” Logan remarked. “He’s a very honorable man.”

  “Oh, I agree. I think that….” I turned to look after Kabore.

  “What?”

  “Why didn’t Taj come back?”

  Logan frowned. “Because I ordered him to escort Jin.”

  “Escort him, but
not stay. Why would he need to stay if Yuri was there?”

  “Taj wouldn’t leave Jin,” Logan assured me.

  “He would,” I argued, getting up. “Because Yuri was there.”

  “What’re you—” Logan tensed. “I assumed this town was secure, Domin.”

  I bolted after Kabore, tracking him, and Logan was right behind me with Koren following fast.

  “My lord!”

  I heard the yell and ran around the corner. Kabore was there, down on one knee over one of my khatyu who was dead, his throat torn out, and the thick pool of blood he lay in appeared black in the moonlight.

  “Oh no,” I cried out, slowing as I reached him, seeing his pistol in his hand.

  “Jin!” Logan screamed, flying by me, charging down the alley that opened out into a smaller courtyard of the home where the new semel, his mother, and sister were staying. “Domin!”

  I rose and Kabore followed me, and we ran through the darkness to find them. Instead we found Rahim, eyes closed, head back, sprawled on the ground with a bullet in his side and one in his shoulder.

  “Kabore, get Dr. Pakhom now, and wake up fucking everybody.”

  “Yes, my lord,” he said before scrambling to carry out my orders.

  “Domin!” Logan rounded on me, and instantly I knew it wasn’t him. The man I knew was gone, replaced by a panicked, frantic animal.

  “No!” I barked, changing my stance, readying myself for the blow. “Don’t turn on me; there was no reason to think I had dissenters. There was no one here but the semel and his family, and only the semel was not pleased that I was here. He was the one the priest commanded to kill Yuri, and I stopped him. I killed his sheseru today—there was no other power here, Logan.”

  “You missed something,” he snarled.

  “I couldn’t have. I didn’t.” I shook my head. “Everyone wanted me here; there was no one but the semel.”

  “Then the treachery is there!” Logan shouted. “Which one is the house?”

  I bolted, and Logan was right behind me as we ran. Almost to the house, we both stopped midstride when the door jerked open and Alana Tarek flew out toward us, screaming.

  She was covered in blood.

  “Oh God,” I gasped as she flung herself into my arms, sobbing.

  “Yareah,” I said, trying to calm her. “Speak to me.”

  “They’re all dead!” she shrieked, shock and terror overwhelming her as she passed out cold.

  I sank with her to the ground as Logan ran by me into the house.

  “My lord!” Kabore yelled as he reappeared at my side with several of my khatyu.

  I grabbed his wrist, yanking him to his knees and shoving Alana into his arms as I leaped up. “Have someone guard her and then meet me in the house.”

  “I need to come with—”

  “Watch her!” I roared and then ran after Logan into the house.

  I nearly fell over a woman as soon as I went through the door. She, like the first man we had found, had her throat slashed open. Whirling around, panicked, I saw Logan sitting on the stairs leading to the second floor, hands covered in blood.

  I reached him fast, almost falling into him, grabbed his face and tilted it to me.

  “There’s no one here. I think they took Yuri and Jin up and out through the roof,” he reported.

  I shook my head, letting him go. “There’s no way. This is Jin. Nobody sneaks up on Jin, there’s no way his power doesn’t rise and—Logan!”

  “There’s so much blood upstairs.” He was trembling and it was scary to see him do it. Logan coming apart was disconcerting. “And Jin’s robes are there… he must have shifted and… if they had Yuri, Jin would have gone if someone said they would kill him if he didn’t. Jin wouldn’t leave Yuri and vice versa.”

  “Logan—”

  “Where the fuck are your khatyu?”

  I heard my name yelled, which answered his question, and then men pounded up the stairs, and Kabore was with them, directing, shouting orders, sending them all in separate directions.

  I grabbed Logan’s shoulder and dragged him from the house, back out into the courtyard. Koren was there to meet us, along with a disheveled-looking Danny, and he pulled Logan after him to a bench. They sank down onto it, and I watched the area flood with my guards and lights as they roused people from nearby homes and carried lanterns and flashlights into the area.

  Kabore came running and stopped close, checking me over before he touched me, something he never did. Gently, he pushed me down on the bench beside Koren before he knelt in front of me.

  “You must stay, my lord, both you and the semel-netjer. Everyone’s up. Dr. Pakhom is with Rahim. I have men here around you to see to your safety. Please remain here.”

  I nodded, and he rose and was gone.

  Everything was whirling. I’d just gotten Yuri back—I couldn’t lose him. It simply wasn’t possible. What was I supposed to do?

  There was yelling suddenly, two of my men had joined me, and the sound almost shattered me.

  “My lord, we found your sheseru.”

  I was up and running again, and Logan was right behind me. Taj had been discovered and taken to the makeshift hospital. When we arrived, Dr. Pakhom was working frantically to stop the bleeding as Taj fought to keep an oxygen mask off his face.

  I reached him and got around the doctor trying to cover his mouth. He grabbed my hand, and they squished together with blood.

  “Hanif Tarek has ten men,” he rasped, and I saw his pallid skin; he was ready to pass out. “They shot Jin when we came up to the house. I didn’t see them, I wasn’t ready and then Jin went down and Yuri got in between a machete and Jin, and—oh God, Domin, he’s dead… I’m so sorry. He’s dead.”

  My knees went out and I sank to the ground beside the bed. The same bed Yuri had been in earlier in the day.

  “But you have to save Jin. Jin… save….”

  “Get out!” Dr. Pakhom screamed. “I can’t save men if you don’t— Get out!”

  Everything spun, and I was grabbed and lifted and yanked. I realized Logan had me and I was being dragged after him. Then we were back outside in the hot, sticky night air.

  “Where?” Logan demanded. “Tell me where they would be!”

  “I—I don’t—”

  “Domin!”

  Jamal’s words came back to me then, our conversation about the tribe of Feran.

  “Conceal him?”

  “Yes.” Jamal nodded. “If they were to take him into the catacombs of Abtu to hide him or simply abandon him there, then for us, who are not familiar with the cavern, it would be highly unlikely that we could locate him….”

  “Domin!” He yelled again.

  “They took them to the catacombs,” I apprised him. “Hanif wouldn’t think we’d ever go there because we don’t know them. That’s where they are.”

  “You’re certain?”

  “I am.”

  “Okay,” he said, and that quickly, I saw his reason return, saw the frenzy leave him, and watched him take a breath and settle.

  “Kabore!” I yelled over at my steward. “I need you to get keys to a car and meet me at the catacombs now! Right now!”

  “At once, my lord!”

  He never second-guessed me, so by the time we reached the Hummers, he was there with five men. Logan and I got in the back of the one Kabore pointed at, and Koren followed, scrambling in after us as Kabore got in the passenger seat and one of my men slid behind the wheel, ready to drive.

  “Where are we going?” Kabore shouted.

  “To the catacombs,” Logan roared. “Domin knows that’s where they went.”

  “How do you know?” Koren yelled as the engine roared to life and four other men climbed in before we lurched forward.

  “I just do,” I said, lowering my voice so everyone else would, ordering the driver to hurry.

  “Logan, we should wait to speak to the yareah or see if Rahim or Taj will wake—”

  “No, Domin k
nows,” Logan assured his brother.

  “This is crazy,” Koren chided. “You don’t know and—”

  “Domin,” Logan cut off his brother, his tone solid. “Yuri’s no more dead than I am,” he announced, and I when I gazed into his golden eyes, he was him again, all strength and power. “Do you have any idea what you would actually need to do to kill Yuri Kosa?”

  “It just takes a gun, Logan, which they have.”

  “Yeah, but that makes no sense,” he said thoughtfully. “If they were going to kill Yuri, they could have shot him like they did Rahim and Taj. It’s not logical.”

  I closed my eyes and breathed in and out and tried to think with my head and not my heart.

  The Hummer made it to the top of the hill, and the headlights found a black panther in the darkness.

  “My lord!”

  Logan was out of the car before it even stopped, running fast, legs flying, arms pumping, covering the ground and then falling down beside Jin. I was right behind him, glancing around for Yuri and seeing nothing.

  “Check everywhere!” I ordered the men fanning out around us.

  “Jin!” Logan howled, and I watched him wrap his arms around his mate and bury his face in his fur. “No, no, no… please.”

  I had never seen Jin so still, and it was hard to watch Logan lift the large head of the panther into his lap.

  “I need you! Your son needs you!”

  Nothing happened, and I noticed Logan’s shirt smeared with fresh blood.

  “Logan, he’s bleeding.”

  “I know he’s fucking bleeding,” he choked out, his voice as I had never heard it before, utterly fractured.

  “Anything?” I called over to the others.

  “There’s blood, my lord… so much blood.”

  I wasn’t ready to lose Yuri. Maybe in another fifty years. Possibly. But not yet, not now….

  Logan roared and the air suddenly reeked of sex.

  “What did you—” I went down on one knee, not because I was fighting and wanted my friend, but because of the energy it drained from me to have the heat and desire wash over me. His pheromones simply annihilated me.

  Koren went to his knees beside me. “Domin, Yuri’s—”

  “No,” I said, my hands in the dirt in front of me, head down, trying to draw air into my lungs when it was too thick and wet.