“What else do they say?” Trey prompted. “Does Nazerel give any details about these plans or resources?”
“They debate whether or not to kill these two and Allenton talks him into retreat.”
“How?” Trey asked. “Strictly from a strategic standpoint it made more since to kill them.”
Tori shivered. The thought had crossed her mind more than once in the past few hours.
Odintar moved closer to the desk and Lor pivoted as well. Now Tori could see all three men.
“Allenton wisely points out that Lor is Head Master Tal’s pet and Head Master Tal is joined with the most powerful female on Ontariese. Unless Nazerel was ready for all-out war, it made since to leave them alive. Besides they’re protected by their nanites. No conventional scanner can detect them.”
“What nanites?” Lor looked from one man to the other, clearly annoyed by the surprise.
Odintar chuckled. “Allenton wasn’t in the mood to share, I take it?”
“The last generation of hunters were all injected with nanites,” Trey explained. “They have numerous functions, but the most important at the moment is their ability to scramble locator signals.”
“It takes a Shadow Assassin to sense a Shadow Assassin.” Odintar sounded like he was repeating some well-known quote. He turned from the desk and looked at Lor. “Who are you taking back with you?”
“Are you available for the mission? I’d welcome your expertise.”
“I’m not sure there’s going to be another mission,” Trey said. “At least not right away.”
“What?” Tori shot to her feet. “That son of a bitch has targeted my sister. If it hadn’t been me at her apartment instead of Angie, she would be with him right now. I convinced her to stay away from Las Vegas, but what’s to keep Nazerel from widening his search. He didn’t strike me as the type of a man to give up.”
“She’s right.” Odintar crossed his beefy arms over his chest and Tori felt her mouth water. Were all of Trey’s operatives this…yummy? “If Nazerel has her scent, he’ll keep at it no matter how long it takes.”
Though he’d been supporting her position, the statement made Tori feel sick. “Angie’s a pain in the ass, but she doesn’t deserve what they have planned for her.”
Trey’s penetrating gaze shifted to Lor as he asked, “You want command of the Mystic Militia?” The challenge in his tone was unmistakable. “Allenton only ended up with the post because you turned it down. You were, and still are, my first choice. But this is an all-or-nothing deal. I know you’re a Mystic at heart, but you’re also a damn good operative.”
“He’s afraid of being disloyal to your brother.”
The scowl on Lor’s face told her Odintar was right.
Trey waved away the concern. “Tal’s used to it. I always steal his best people.”
Lor looked at her and shook his head. “You tried to warn me, didn’t you?”
“Never say never.” She softened the “I told you so” with an encouraging smile. She would love to know Angie’s fate was being guarded by Lor, but this was his future. He couldn’t do it for her.
“If I do this, it’s on my terms.”
All playfulness left the room. Trey sat up straighter and Odintar uncrossed his arms. Tori didn’t understand the shift in mood, but she could sure as hell sense it.
“And your terms are?”
“It will be a true balance of Mystic and militia. I want two of your strongest, most experienced soldiers to contrast Odintar and me. Those with Mystic abilities have a different perspective from those without. I need both. Odintar will be the only member with any tie to the Shadow Assassins. Not even Varrik will be in the loop or I walk.”
“Done.”
“I wasn’t finished.”
Trey chuckled then his expression turned serious again. “Go on.”
“I want the Sentinel. We’ll never find them if we’re paralyzed by human technology. It will also give us a moveable headquarters.”
Apparently that was a larger order to fill. Was the Sentinel a spaceship? Trey activated the hologrid and searched through some sort of diagram. All of the lettering was in Ontarian, so Tori had no idea what he was doing.
“She’s due in day after tomorrow. I’ll have to reroute her follow-up runs, but I understand why you want her. She’s a great little ship.”
“Any chance you can make it sooner?”
Trey laughed and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. “Now you’re just being a bastard. Two days is pushing it. The Sentinel requires a six-person crew, and your human cutie doesn’t count.”
Lor looked at Odintar. “Are you in on this?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.” He turned back to Trey and added, “I’ll choose another Master Level mage and you choose another soldier. That way there will be three of each.”
Trey stood and reached across the desk to shake Lor’s hand. “Welcome to Covert Ops, Commander dar Joon.”
Chapter Six
Lor and Tori returned to Mystic Valley shortly after sundown. Tori was the only visitor and the neat row of guest bungalows looked rather lonely. He stepped inside long enough to make sure everything had been prepared as Tal indicated. The Head Master might seem stoic and uncaring to those who didn’t know him, but Lor wasn’t surprised to find that all of Tori’s needs had been anticipated. There was food, a selection of beverages, clean clothes for in the morning and even a simple gown in which she could sleep. Doubtlessly the utility room had been stocked with hair-care products and whatever else a female needed to prepare herself for the day.
Tori had been suspiciously quiet as they made their way back from the City of Tears. They’d stopped by the officers’ infirmary, intending to have someone draw Tori’s blood. When they explained what they were attempting to determine the technician suggested a mouth swab instead. Tori happily agreed to forgo the needle and the technician asked where she should forward the results. Tori would have a complete genetic profile tomorrow and yet she seemed more withdrawn than ever.
“Are you all right? If you need something, please tell me.”
“Would you mind staying for dinner? I hate eating alone.”
He knew an excuse when he heard one, but he didn’t call her on it. She hadn’t said anything about a roommate, but it was possible the curvaceous blonde he’d seen her with shared Tori’s dwelling. “I’d be delighted.”
Her shoulders relaxed and she smoothed out a nonexistent wrinkle in her pant leg. “I seldom venture out of town much less off my planet. This is all a little overwhelming.”
Suddenly he understood her reticence. Why hadn’t he anticipated her fear? Her former existence must feel rather small after everything she’d seen today. “Would you like me to stay with you? I can sleep on the couch.”
“Would you?” Her voice trembled and she blinked back tears. “I feel like such a fool, but I really don’t want to be alone right now.”
He pulled her into his arms and stroked the back of her hair. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize sooner. This must be horribly overwhelming for you.”
She just nodded and snuggled against his chest, her arms clinging to his back. Her scent drifted up to him and he closed his eyes, more than content just to hold her. He’d had more than his share of lovers in his youth, but lately he’d grown weary of casual relationships. He hadn’t found a female he wanted to form a lasting bond with, so he’d focused on his responsibilities.
As Tori was fond of pointing out, they hadn’t known each other long, but they had already been through a lot together. Danger had a way of forging deep emotional bonds in a short period of time. Even so, she’d made it clear that she wanted to progress slowly. His sex-starved body groaned at the thought, but he was determined to abide by her wishes.
“Ready for some food?” he whispered into her hair after a long, remarkably comfortable silence.
She eased back without moving out of his embrace. “Will I like Ontarian
cuisine?”
“Tal will likely have arranged for some familiar items as well, but let’s see what the kitchen came up with.” He left one arm around her as they moved toward the table. The physical contact had been so enjoyable, he didn’t want it to end.
She lifted one domed cover and then the other. The first tray contained miniature sandwiches, cheese, and cubed fruit. The second tray held Ontarian delicacies. There were three decanters, one was filled with a deep red wine, the second with what looked like ale and the third contained blish, a spiced citrus beverage most humans enjoyed.
“Do you trust me to be your guide?”
She looked into his eyes as she said, “I trust you, probably more than I should.”
The statement both pleased and motivated him to make sure he did nothing to betray that trust. He knew how hard it was to rebuild trust after it had been damaged. That was a task he was more than happy to avoid.
He pulled two of the four chairs out then angled them so they faced each other. He motioned her onto one and took the other himself. The table was small enough for them to easily reach everything while seated. “Here, try this.” He picked up a round crisp piled high with lintar salad. He always enjoyed the combination of smooth and crispy, and the savory flavors weren’t too different from those found on Earth.
She allowed him to place the small treat in her mouth then looked into the distance as she chewed. “It’s nice, sort of like sage dressing.”
“How spicy are you willing to go?” He waited for her answer before selecting the next item for her to try.
“I’m not afraid of a little spice.”
“This one is a little spicy. This one will bring tears to your eyes.” He pointed to the corresponding snacks.
“Better stick with the little spicy one. I don’t want to run my makeup.”
He was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing makeup, but he didn’t ask. Instead he picked up the crusted pefferti and brought it to her mouth. She obediently opened and he placed the morsel on her tongue. His fingers brushed her lips as he pulled away and awareness arced between them. Their gazes locked and heat smoldered as she savored the food.
He wanted to kiss her, to replace the lingering flavors with his taste. He wanted his scent all over her body and his seed deep inside her. How in the five hells was he going to make it through this night without seducing her?
She bravely tried five items before she asked for something to drink. The routine had taken on a sensual quality. He intentionally prolonged his contact with her lips, teasing as he memorized her texture.
“Thirsty here,” she reminded with a knowing smile. She had to have noticed his erection. It had all but burst the front of his jeans.
Ignoring his discomfort, he filled one glass with wine and the other with blish then handed them to her. As he’d expected, she preferred the blish. He poured blish into a glass for himself and took several sips as he watched her enjoy the new discovery. “It’s called blish. It’s grown so popular, the manufacturers have started exporting it.”
“Very industrious.” She paused and looked into her glass for a long moment.
“What’s the matter? You’re tensing up again.”
“What happened to the children?”
“What children?”
“I wasn’t going to bring this up. We’re having such a nice time, but I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Do you mean from the Shadow Maze?”
“Yes. Surely the children weren’t taken to the City of Tears, so what happened to them?”
He sighed, knowing his answer wouldn’t please her, “I don’t know. It’s only been in the last few weeks that I was directly involved in this. I tried not to think about any of it before Tal asked me to help Allenton. If it had been up to me, the situation would have been handled very differently.”
“Will the mothers be allowed to find their sons? Shouldn’t they be reunited?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can we find out?”
“Of course. Charlotte will be here tomorrow. You can ask her about the specifics, but remember she is High Queen. You should try and remain respectful.”
The warning made her laugh. “I promise to be on my best behavior.”
“I didn’t mean to condescend.”
She smiled and rimmed her glass with her index finger. “Will you do something for me, as an apology for hurting my feelings?”
“Anything.”
“Catch something on fire,” she whispered as if she was embarrassed by the request. “I need to see it again, just to convince myself it’s real.”
He slowly opened his hand and energy arced across his fingers. Then a spark burst into flame hovering just above his hand. He carefully channeled energy out through his palm and the flame grew brighter without growing bigger. “It has taken many cycles to learn to control it.” He closed his hand, smothering the blaze.
“Fire is such a destructive force and yet it’s so powerful.” She shivered. “It must be exhilarating to know all that power is literally in the palm of your hand.”
He nodded. “I don’t deny that it’s exhilarating, but it’s also extremely dangerous. I never start a blaze unless I’m able to control what it destroys.” She just stared at him for a moment, so he added, “I can also pull fire out of something that’s already burning. Fire is simply a form of energy and Mystics manipulate energy.”
She opened his fingers and examined his palm. “Why doesn’t the fire burn you?”
“I’ve had more than my share of burns, especially in my youth. If I’m commanding the flame, it won’t hurt me, but it’s easy to lose control.”
“Sorry to be so nosy. It’s just fascinating,” she murmured. Her light brown eyes sparkled with warmth and anticipation. Then she took a good long drink. “Can this get me drunk?”
“Is it something you’re trying to avoid or is there a reason you want to get drunk?” She started to say something and then shook her head, but her vivid blush made him extremely curious. Was she hoping to have an excuse for surrendering to the passion smoldering between them? “It’s less intoxicating than wine, but it will suppress your inhibitions.”
“Good.” She grinned and took another long drink.
Oh she was asking for trouble. He drained his cup and set it aside. He was definitely in the mood to give it to her. He grabbed the sides of her chair and pulled her forward until his legs framed hers. “How far do you want this to go? Tell me now while you’re still able to think.”
“I know we shouldn’t have sex, but I really want to touch you.”
He groaned, closing his eyes against the scalding lust unleashed by her confession. “Touch, as in bringing each other to climax, or touch as in leaving our clothes on?”
“Do I have to decide?”
“If it were up to me, I’d be inside you already.”
Tori whimpered and closed her eyes. This was so unfair—to both of them. She was on fire for his touch, ready to abandon caution and crawl onto his lap. On the other hand, she didn’t want to be a tease, but she’d never slept with a man she just met. Regardless of how much she wanted him, she had to set some boundaries. “What you said first,” she whispered her decision as heat spread across her cheeks.
His chuckle was warm and sexy. Everything about him seemed to be sexy right now. He stroked his knuckles across her burning cheek, the touch so light it was barely a caress. “Are you a virgin? Is that what’s holding you back?”
She took a deep breath and forced herself to think through the hunger. “I met you less than twenty-four hours ago. That’s the only thing holding me back.”
Those long warm fingers curved around her chin and tilted her face up until she looked into his eyes. “You didn’t answer the question.”
“No, I’m not a virgin.”
“But you haven’t had many lovers?” Now he sounded hopeful.
“I’ll list mine if you list yours.” She had no desire to hear him rattle off the na
mes of all the women he’d been with, but the challenge usually stopped this line of questioning.
“All right, but let’s narrow it down to the past five solar cycles.”
“The past five years?” He nodded. The answer was the same for her, but he didn’t need to know that. “Three.”
“Two.” He grinned. “Perhaps I’m not as experienced as you presumed.”
“There is no way you’ve only had two lovers. Women flock to men like you.”
“‘Men like me’? Care to elaborate?”
“Gorgeous, self-assured, powerful men. Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“There are several things you’re not taking into consideration.”
“Such as?”
“Men greatly outnumber women on Ontariese. At its worst, the ratio was one hundred to one.”
“What in the world… The Great Conflict?”
“Yes. It was an unintended byproduct of a biological weapon. The ratio is better now, but Ontarian women still have many suitors to choose from each time they form a social alliance.”
“You’re a Master Level mage, mentored by Head Master Tal, who is married to the High Queen. Surely that sort of pedigree propels you to the front of the line.”
“It has been helpful on occasion. My point is that I have likely been with far fewer partners than you think.”
“But more than two?”
“Yes, more than two.”
“I’m not surprised. You kiss like someone who’s had a lot of practice.”
His hands shot between her legs and grabbed her butt. She shrieked helplessly as he lifted her and dragged her onto his lap. Her legs were spread wide by the position and lust pulsed through her core.
“Tell me about Angie,” he urged.
She rested her hands on his shoulders and wiggled back until she was able to shift her legs to a less obscene position. “I thought you wanted to play.”
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