Cross Keys

by Ally Shields

  “You won’t find much there,” she called after him. “Although I love the granola in the cupboard. And you might grab the tea I brought from home. It’s better than anything I’ve found in the New Orleans markets.”

  Seth found an empty box and packed the things she’d mentioned, adding a few dishes that had obviously been made in Elvenrude. Again, that soft side must have made her bring them. He thought she’d like having them around. “What about these wrapped packages in the freezer?”

  Kam appeared around the corner. “Definitely pack those.” She crossed the room and plucked them from the freezer compartment. “Sweet tarts baked by Esty and Mother. I’ve had them for a couple months, but I’m sure they’re still good.”

  Her arm brushed against his as she added the packages to the box. Awareness surged through him, but Seth resisted the urge to find out right then and there how far she wanted to take things.

  Kam peered into the box. “I guess we’re ready. If you can carry this, I’ll get my bag.”

  He turned to watch the slight sway of her hips as she walked away.

  * * *

  When they stepped out of the portal, the Ryndel Guild appeared unchanged.

  “I’ll check the doors. Just to be sure.” Seth set down the box and went to the back door. At first sight of the lock, he spun around, the Glock already in his hand. “It’s been pried open.” His throat was dry; his gaze scanned the recesses of the large room.

  “Relax. It was me,” Kam admitted, setting her bag next to the box. “I should have warned you. When I got here this afternoon, I didn’t have a key.”

  Seth flexed his shoulders, but he didn’t put the gun away. “We should look around anyway. That doesn’t mean that someone else didn’t come in while we were gone. I’ll check upstairs, if you can get the restrooms down here.” He took the steps two at a time, and Kam made the rounds of the first floor. They met again at the bottom of the stairs.

  “You’re worried about Crain, aren’t you?” she asked.

  Seth regarded her steadily. “He isn’t the only one, but yes. He believes a gang of terrorists got away…with our help. Why wouldn’t he be looking for us?”

  “Then we should finish up before dark, so we don’t attract attention by using the lights. Your place next?”

  He checked the time and looked at his bloodsoaked sleeve. “I could use a change of clothes, and we’ve got another two or three hours. Sure, let’s go.”

  He held his hand over the portal symbol and concentrated on the coordinates. They were immediately set down in his apartment.

  * * *

  Dark, heavy wood. The smell of sandalwood. Kam looked around. It was a little untidy, but pleasantly so. More lived in.

  “Some of this mess is Rhyden’s.” Seth moved quickly, changing his shirt and jacket, grabbing several extras and empting his underwear drawer into a bag. “He packed for the move to the other apartment.”

  “It’s not bad. What about electronics? I see you have a laptop. Are you taking it?”

  “Definitely. We need to buy you one too. Electronics are an essential in this world, and this is where we live now.”

  She frowned at the reminder but headed into the kitchen. “I’ll check your fridge.”

  Seth’s chuckle reached her from the other room. “I doubt if you’ll find anything. Rhyden wouldn’t leave food behind.”

  “You’re right,” she called with her head in the fridge. “It’s bare.”

  “You don’t have to shout. I’m right here.”

  She straightened, almost backing into him. When he said here, he meant here.

  “Steady.” He put a hand on her waist. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “Um, that’s OK.” She backed away from the inviting warmth of his hand.

  His eyes widened, and then he grinned.

  By the gods, Kam, stop this, she chided herself. She was acting like a school girl. Definite chemistry there, but she was no simpering virgin. She’d spent six years with Caleb. Although they were nothing like this. Something about this particular man kept her off balance, on edge, and thinking with her hormones.

  “Here, take this.” He handed her an appliance from his kitchen counter. “I want my own coffee maker.” He turned away, a smile still curling his lips. “We should go.”

  He opened the portal.

  “After you,” he said, sweeping his hand toward the transport.

  Kam stepped inside, intensely aware of Seth when he joined her. The air shimmered and deposited them back in the Ryndel guild.

  Only this time it wasn’t empty.

  * * *

  “What the… How did… Who the hell are you people?” Agent Crain stood ten feet away with a gun pointed at them. He was visibly shaken by their sudden appearance. “No, don’t do that,” he said when Seth started to set his bag down. “Over here, both of you, where I can see you better.” He motioned toward the center of the guild room.

  Kam resisted an urge to throw the coffee maker and run. Bullets traveled faster than elves, and she had no desire to encourage any shooting. Seth’s calm voice dispelled the last thought of flight.

  “I can explain,” he said.

  “Somehow I doubt that, but I’d sure like for you to give it a try. Start by telling me who you are.” Agent Crain’s eyes were wide—and wary.

  “You know who we are. I’m Seth Lormarc and—”

  “I don’t mean that. I should have said, what are you?”

  “It’s a long story. If you put the gun down…”

  “Not on your life. Are you hostile foreign agents with some scientific breakthrough we don’t know about?” He sounded hopeful, as if that might be the best explanation he could think of.

  “Of course not.” Kam was indignant. “Have we acted hostile? We’ve tried to help you.” She’d had a fleeting idea that they could bluff through this, but it wasn’t looking good.

  Seth let his bag drop to the floor with a thump.

  The CIA agent flinched. “I told you not to do that! Get your hands up.”

  Seth held his arms away from his body, so Crain could see he wasn’t holding a weapon. “If you’re going to shoot me, then do it. I’m tired, hungry, and I’m not telling you anything if you’re intent on killing us anyway.”

  Crain’s eyes flitted nervously between them. The longer they stood there, he seemed to grow more curious than alarmed. “You’re not foreign agents, are you? Do bullets even hurt you people?”

  “I have a wound in my arm, if you’d like proof.”

  “Who shot you? It wasn’t one of my men.”

  “It was the people you claim we’ve been helping.” Kam shifted her feet. The coffee maker was bulky, and she’d rather have her hands free. “I guess you’ll have to shoot me too. This thing is getting heavy.” She set the coffee maker on the floor. After the initial shock of seeing Crain, Kam realized the situation wasn’t quite as dire as she thought. They still had the magical items that could get them out of this, if forced to use them.

  “I think the next move is up to you, Agent Crain.” Seth’s voice was matter-of-fact. “Are you going to put the gun away or shoot us?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  “What crime did we commit? Ms. Ryndel is inside her own property, where you’re the trespasser, by the way. We’ve even assisted you in the capture of illegal arms dealers. And, if you’re interested, we could tell you where there’s a load of ammunition that you might want to take out of circulation.” Seth crossed his arms and gave Crain a level look.

  “That’s right,” Kam said staunchly backing Seth. “We’ve done nothing wrong.” She hoped that was true. She could see the agent was thinking it over and pressed the advantage. “Who’s going to believe you if you tell your bosses we just appeared out of nowhere?”

  “Even I don’t believe it.” Crain lowered the gun a fraction but narrowed his eyes. “Don’t try to tell me I couldn’t make your lives uncomfortable.”

  Seth’s quick re
sponse was curt. “Hauling us in would make us all uncomfortable. Do we have a truce? At least long enough to talk?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  Kam shared a look with Seth and shrugged. “You always have a choice.”

  “Uh-huh.” Crain finally nodded and put the gun away. “OK, we’ll talk.”

  “Good.” Seth turned and headed toward the door. “We’ll do it over dinner. I’m starving.”

  * * *

  Kam grinned at Crain and ran to catch up with Seth. The agent grumbled but matched their pace. It was a short walk to The Wharf, and Kam didn’t have a chance to talk privately with Seth. How much of their story should they reveal? She darted a glance at him, and he smiled. Maybe that meant he had something in mind. OK with her. He could take the lead.

  Seth and Kam both ordered Po’boys, Crain stuck to coffee. As soon as the waitress left, the agent leaned across the table and lowered his voice. “So tell me. Who exactly are you?”

  “We can’t tell you,” Seth said.

  Crain’s head came up. “Hey, wait a minute. I thought that was the deal.”

  “I don’t remember agreeing to anything except a truce.” Seth’s gaze never left the agent’s face. “All you need to know is we’re not a threat to you or your country.”

  “I’m just supposed to accept that?” Crain scowled, his anger obvious. He leaned forward again and bit off each word. “You lied to me—at least by implication. If you’re even half of what I’m thinking, you’re not only a threat to this country but to the entire world.”

  “We’re not some fictional invaders from space.” Seth sighed and looked at Kam for support. “The earth is our world too, just not from a place you’ve been before.”

  “You mean like some undiscovered island? Hardly seems likely,” the agent scoffed.

  “Less likely than spacemen?” Kam’s voice sharpened with impatience. “Who are you imagining we are?”

  Crain didn’t respond right away. “That’s the problem. I don’t have a clue. I never thought the ghosts or witches of New Orleans were real. Now I’m not sure. Are you serious about this island?”

  “Not exactly an island,” Seth admitted, “but it might help you to think of it that way.”

  “How do you get back and forth from this place? Teleportation? ‘Beam me up, Scotty’?”

  Kam and Seth looked at one another, and she raised a brow. “Close enough.”

  Crain snorted and sat back. He seemed to think that over, his brown eyes dark, his expression unreadable. “Could you disappear right this minute?”

  Kam sighed at his persistence, fingered the amulet at her neck, and nodded.

  The waitress interrupted with their sandwiches and drinks. Kam’s stomach growled as the scent of deep fried fish and sweet potato fries reached her nose. She started with the fries. Veggies first. Seth wasn’t so restrained and finished half his Po-Boy sandwich before resuming the conversation.

  “I think we’ve answered all the questions we can,” he said, giving Crain a hard look. “The important point is we share common goals. We’ve worked as hard as you have to stop the smuggling. The question is—given what you saw—what happens now?”

  “If I say I’ll do my best to capture and expose you, are you going to kill me while I sit here?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Kam snapped. “We’re not killers.”

  Seth shook his head. “It appears we have nothing left to talk about.” He nudged Kam. “Are you ready to go?” He started to slide out of the booth.

  “Now wait.” The agent half rose in his seat. “I didn’t say that’s what I’m going to do. But I’m kind of confused about why you care.” He narrowed his eyes in speculation. “If you have all these abilities, why don’t you just warp back to this island of yours? Why are you talking to me?”

  Seth turned to leave, but Kam caught his sleeve. He raised a single brow and waited for her to explain. She looked at Crain. “There’s been a snag in our plans that will keep us in New Orleans longer than we planned. If you raise a fuss, we’ll be looking over our shoulders the remainder of our stay. We’d like to avoid that.”

  “What’s the matter? Teleporter broken?” When no one said anything, Crain leaned forward with a shrewd look. “Are you stranded here?”

  “Let’s just say we might be looking for interim jobs,” Seth said dryly.

  Crain smiled, and his eyes lit with possibility. “You could work for me. I could use a couple with your skills. And if you’re really sympathetic to the United States… As our employees, you’d be guaranteed secrecy.”

  “Get serious, Crain. We aren’t going into the spy business. At least I’m not.” Seth darted a quick look at Kam.

  She held her hands up. “Count me out.”

  Seth gave Crain a chilly look. “All we want from you is silence.”

  “But everything has a price, and you said you needed a job. I need someone to track down the terrorist groups behind the arms deals.” He looked thoughtfully from Seth to Kam. “Might be a good deal for all of us.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks.” This time Seth got out of the booth and stood. “4201 Duvane Street. You’ll find the ammo shipment we intercepted.”

  Kam slid out behind him. “Good luck, Agent Crain. I hope you won’t come looking for us.”

  He remained seated, finishing his coffee. “No guarantees. But my offer still stands. Think about it and call me.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Instead of returning to the guild house, Seth and Kam made their way to the apartment Rhyden had set up. They hadn’t established a permanent portal before, but it would make it easier for frequent use. They still needed to transport their belongings from the guild, and there would be on-going daily trips for the foreseeable future.

  “If the CIA stops looking for us, why can’t we stay in our own places?” she asked, as Seth opened the apartment door.

  “There’s still the terrorists. Besides, do you trust Crain? Aren’t we even more interesting to him now that he thinks we’d be a valuable asset?”

  “Um, I see your point. Then we better collect our bags before he thinks up some ingenious plan for our capture.”

  “That’s why only one of us is going this time.” Seth’s jaw set in a determined look. “If Crain pulls a fast one, that leaves one of us free to attempt a rescue.”

  She tilted her head. “Let me guess. You’re the one going.”

  “I never said that. Loan me one of your knives.” When she handed it to him, he crouched near the fireplace. “This looks like a good spot for a portal. What do you think?”

  “It’s fine.”

  He carved a rune into the floor then pressed his tattooed palm against the bare wood for several seconds. His lips moved with silent words of invocation. “Done.” He handed her the knife, rose and stepped through, vanishing from sight.

  Kam didn’t even blink. She’d expected it. Seth was a dyed-in-the-wool alpha male, determined to shield any woman he thought needed it. Apparently even female members of the King’s Guard were under his protection.

  Less than two minutes later, their bags, boxes and the coffee maker appeared, followed by Seth. “All clear on that end. No sign of Crain or any new intruders.”

  “Chauvinist,” she murmured, loud enough to make sure he heard. She set the box on the kitchen table, grabbed her bag, and carried it to her bedroom. When she returned, Seth was already busy in the kitchen making coffee, so she picked up his bag and took it to his room, just to make a point.

  She came back to unpack the box, but it was already half empty.

  “Sweet tart?”

  Kam looked up to see Seth licking his fingers. He held out a plateful of her mother’s pastry he’d just taken from the microwave.

  “Coffee will be ready in a minute, and don’t make faces at me. You want to be a tough guy and carry my bags, you can learn to drink coffee like the rest of us he-men.” His eyes twinkled.

  “I am a tough guy.”

  “
I hadn’t noticed.” He slowly looked her up and down, and the butterflies fluttered in her stomach. “You look all woman to me.” He set down the plate and took a step toward her. “You felt all woman when I kissed you.”

  “Seth, that was…”

  “Was what?” He stopped just inches away. “A mistake? I don’t think so.”

  “No.” She smiled at him, her breath quickening. “I definitely wasn’t going to say that.”

  “That’s good. Because I intend to do it again.”

  Instead of playing coy, she stepped into his arms, lifting her face. His mouth barely touched hers before a rush of sensation left her knees weak and her body wanting more. After several delicious moments, she broke the kiss and stepped back.

  “Kam,” he whispered.

  “Shh. I’m not going far. It’s been two days since I’ve had a shower.”

  “And you pick this moment to have one?”

  “Uh-huh. And it’s a really big shower.” She twisted out of his arms and headed to the bathroom, stripping out of her clothes as she went. She had just adjusted the temperature, stepped under the spray and was soaping her body when the shower door opened.

  “I think I have an invitation to this party.”

  “Indeed you do.” Seth looked exactly like she’d imagined, only better. Muscular, taut abdomen, gorgeous in every way. She felt the heat in his eyes as he swept the length of her before stepping in.

  Locking his gaze on hers, he ran his hands up her arms and finally cupped her face for a kiss. It started as gentle persuasion, then deepened as passion ignited. Her hands slid over his bare chest, slick from the spray, and twined around his neck. He pulled her upward, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  * * *

  A fist pounding on the door woke Kam from a deep sleep. A masculine arm thrown over her chest tightened when she tried to sit up, and she smiled, memories flashing back of last night.

  Seth raised his head and looked down at her, his green eyes quickening with wicked promises. “Let’s ignore it. They’ll go away. We don’t know anyone.”