Warrior of Fate

by Debra Mullins

  “I would hope so.” He took her tracing finger and pressed a kiss to it.

  She snuggled into his embrace. “I’m glad I didn’t go, but I would have paid big money to see you in formal wear. I wonder—”

  The vision hit like a hammer. Adrian’s bedroom faded away. Between one breath and the next, Tessa found herself standing in the ballroom at the hotel in Phoenix where the charity dinner was being held. The door to the ballroom burst open, and a handful of people ran in. One of them, a woman, waved her arm to encompass the whole room, electricity sparking from her fingers. Two men faced the crowd, murmuring. The diners quieted and stared into space.

  Mendukati, Adrian said into her mind, and she realized he was sharing the vision. Those two are Warriors who are Whispering the crowd, and she’s either a lightning thrower or an energy manipulator. I’m betting she just knocked out the security cameras.

  Rafe sprang to his feet. He grabbed a glass of ice water off the table and threw it in Cara’s face. She shook her head like a wet dog, glaring up at him, her mouth opening with some no-doubt scathing words. But Rafe brought his finger to his lips, signaling the need for silence, and held out a hand to her. Tessa’s mother did the same, throwing water in her husband’s face and then grabbing his hand. Of course. Only the humans fell under the influence of the Warrior Whisper. It didn’t work on Atlanteans.

  Physical shock breaks the compulsion, Adrian said. Hence the ice water.

  A red-headed female broke away from the group of intruders and shot straight for the Montanas. When she got close, she stopped, brought her hand to her mouth, and blew. A cloud of something swept from her palm to encompass them, like a mini tornado. They fell to the floor, unconscious.

  Wind Chanter, Adrian said. And some kind of knock-out gas.

  Larina flew in from the next table, laying out the Wind Chanter with a well-placed kick. Two other Warriors broke away from the main group and charged her. She engaged them. Another came at her from behind with a knife raised. A gunshot. The Warrior fell, and Rigo and Carter appeared, both also dripping water. Rigo’s gun was in his hand.

  A Warrior popped up out of nowhere and shot Carter. He dropped like a stone. Rigo yelled. The new Warrior swung his gun toward Rigo. Done with the other two, Larina intercepted and wrestled for the gun. A shot fired at the ceiling. Larina yanked the gun from his hand, then flattened her palm against his chest and spat the Word of Judgment to drain his power. A light fixture broke away from the ceiling. Rigo shoved her out of the way, but the fixture caught her with a glancing blow to the head. She staggered, fell. Lay still.

  Rigo dragged both Larina and Carter under the table and pulled out his cell. Scowled at it. Shoved it back in his pocket, and cradled Carter in his arms, pressing a handkerchief to his bleeding chest wound. Larina lay nearby, unconscious.

  And then suddenly Tessa was back in Adrian’s bed. Her heart raced, and she was shaking. The Mendukati had moved so swiftly and with such lethal intent. Was Carter dead? He couldn’t be.

  Adrian jumped up, opened a drawer and pulled out some clothes. “Is that happening now?” he demanded. “Or is this the future?” He grabbed his cell and punched buttons, held it to his ear.

  “No way to tell.” She crushed the sheets between her fingers.

  He cursed and ended the call. “I can’t get Larina.” He glanced at the clock. “And it’s almost eleven. What time was the shindig over?”

  “Ten.” She slid off the bed and came to him, stark naked next to his clothed form. “What do we do?”

  “Get dressed. I want you safe with Darius and Faith while I take a look around the perimeter, make sure everything is quiet here. Then I’ll call some contacts of mine in Phoenix.”

  “All right.” She found her dress on the floor and pulled it on. She searched out her bra and what was left of her panties—it was not the first pair he’d destroyed—and snagged her sandals by the straps. “Do I have time to change into my sweats?”

  “If you can do it fast.”

  “Sweats are easy. If we have to run, I’d rather have my sneakers.”

  He snagged her hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. “Now you’re thinking like a Warrior.” Twining their fingers together, they headed for the door.

  Adrian, Tess, came Darius’s mind voice, halting them. Get downstairs, quick. Mom and Dad have been kidnapped.

  They glanced at each other, then ran for the stairs.

  * * *

  Darius had coffee going when they got to the kitchen. He set a cup in front of Faith, where she sat at the table, and handed one to Tessa. Adrian followed Darius back to the coffee maker, while Tessa went to sit at the table.

  “What happened?” Adrian asked.

  “My parents and Cara have been taken hostage,” Darius said, pouring another cup of coffee. He handed it to Adrian. “Rafe called us. He’s on his way home. He has something we need to see.”

  “Tessa just had a vision.” Adrian took a big swig of black coffee. “The Mendukati attacked the charity dinner. We saw them gas your parents and Rafe and Cara.”

  “We didn’t know if it had happened yet.” Tessa warmed her hands around her coffee cup. “I guess we have our answer. It was the past. So that means … Carter.” She bent her head.

  “What about Carter?” Darius asked.

  “We saw him get shot by the Mendukati. Chest wound, looks like. We don’t know if he’s alive or not.” Adrian came over to squeeze Tessa’s shoulder.

  “We saw? I thought you said Tess had a vision.” Darius mixed his own coffee, adding cream and sugar.

  “I did,” Tessa answered. “Adrian shares my visions now.”

  “Nice side benefit to the mate link,” Faith said.

  “That’s what we thought, too,” Tessa said.

  Darius narrowed his eyes, but changed the subject. “Dad thought going to the dinner was safe enough. This charity thing is a big deal for Mom. She runs it every year to help the fight against hunger. She was heartbroken when Dad told her she shouldn’t go this year. Then after we gave the stone to the temple, he thought the danger level had been downgraded, or however you say it. Besides, Larina went along as part of security.”

  “I know,” Adrian replied, “and I haven’t been able to reach her either. She was with Rigo and Carter, last Tessa saw.”

  “She’d been knocked unconscious,” Tessa said. “And it seemed like Rigo’s cell phone wouldn’t work. Maybe that woman who knocked out the cameras jammed the phones or something.”

  “What woman?” Faith asked.

  “A brunette who shot sparks out of her hands,” Tessa replied. “We think she might have been taking out the security cameras.”

  “I figure either a Lightning Thrower or an Energy Shifter of some sort, like Criten,” Adrian said.

  “Could be,” Faith said. “If so, she doesn’t sound local. Not like anyone I knew when I was part of the Mendukati.”

  “She might be one of Azotay’s crew,” Adrian said.

  “Great, that guy again,” Darius muttered. “I wish you’d been able to do your Leyala thing on him, Gray.”

  Though he didn’t react outwardly, Tessa felt some kind of inward flinch from Adrian. Maybe the fact that Azotay had beaten him in battle still stung?

  “Maybe we should advertise we don’t have the stone anymore,” Darius said. “Maybe then they’d back off or get redirected or something.”

  “Except the Mendukati aren’t after just the stone,” Adrian said. He jerked his head toward Faith. “If you have stones, you need a Stone Singer.” Adrian reached for the pot and topped off his coffee. “The Mendukati have two of the three. Faith may be in more danger now than ever.”

  Darius clenched his jaw and scowled across the room at his mate. “Son of a bitch.”

  “Did Rafe say anything else?” Adrian prompted. “What about the security guards?”

  “He’s taking the plane home but said to send some of Mendez’s guys to meet him at the airport in the chopper. Said they ne
eded to clean up a scene. Apparently one of the security guards in the limo was killed.”

  Adrian nodded. “Good idea. We don’t need the local cops finding the body or the media getting a hold of the story. I should probably go along.”

  “I’ll let them know to wait for you,” Darius said. “You going to do that voodoo of yours on anyone too curious?”

  “That’s the idea.” Adrian chugged the rest of his coffee and set the cup on the counter. “You said one of the security guards was killed. Any word on the others?”

  “Yes, did he mention Rigo or Carter?” Tessa asked. “I’m worried about them.”

  “No, he didn’t mention them specifically,” Darius answered, “and the others have disappeared. But Rafe was able to locate both Dad and Cara with his powers, and they’re both still alive. We assume Mom is too; he just couldn’t see her.”

  “Good news.” Adrian glanced at his phone. “Okay, I’m heading over.” He went over to Tessa and kissed her. “Be back soon.”

  She gripped his hand before he could turn away. “Be careful.”

  He touched the tip of her nose. “Always am, princess.” He headed out and didn’t look back.

  * * *

  Cara awoke, her head fuzzy and her mouth feeling like cotton. She was lying on a hard surface, in the dark. She tried to brace herself to sit up but found her hands bound. The floor beneath her bumped over something, and she realized she was in a vehicle of some kind, but it wasn’t the limo. Had she been abducted? “Rafe?” she whispered.

  “Cara?” A raspy murmur came from her right. Not Rafe. Female.

  “Maria?”

  “Yes. John’s here, too, but he hasn’t woken up yet.”

  Cara rolled toward Maria’s voice. “Then how do you know it’s him?”

  “I can smell his cologne.” She gave a little chuckle.

  “Is Rafe here, too?”

  “I don’t think so. I haven’t heard him, and I can’t move very much. John’s on my left, and you’re on my right.”

  “So Rafe could be on John’s other side.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t think so. I’ve been lying here in the dark listening, and I’ve only heard the two of you breathing.”

  “Did they hurt him? Is he still alive?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me.” Maria’s voice trembled. “Check your link to him. You would know if he were hurt or … something.”

  Before Maria could even finish the sentence, Cara looked inside herself for the familiar silver ribbon that tied her to Rafe. “It looks the same.”

  Maria’s breath escaped her lips in a relieved sigh. “Then he’s still alive.”

  “Okay.” Cara allowed herself to breathe again. “Does anyone remember what happened?”

  “I remember those people crashing the party,” Maria said. “I think two of them were Warriors who managed to put almost everyone in some kind of trance.”

  “I remember that, too,” Cara said. “I remember Rafe throwing cold water in my face. I was so ticked, until I realized what was really going on.”

  “That’s right,” Maria said. “I did the same for John.”

  “We were trying to get out and then … that’s it. That’s all I remember,” Cara said.

  “There was a woman … and some kind of whirlwind? I don’t know. Next thing I remember is waking up here.”

  “I think we’re in a van or something,” Cara said. “It feels like we’re moving.”

  “I agree.”

  A male groan reached her ears. And a mutter: “What happened?”

  “John?” Maria asked. “I hope so, otherwise someone stole your cologne.”

  A rough chuckle filled the vehicle. “Glad to see you’re unharmed, my love.”

  “Unharmed, but angry as a nest of hornets. Cara’s here, too. We don’t know where Rafe is.”

  “But he’s alive,” Cara hastened to tell him. “I can feel it.”

  “Good news.” A shuffling noise. “Well, they’ve got us tied up right and tight, damn them.”

  “Do you remember anything that happened?” Maria asked. “Cara and I were just trying to piece things together.”

  “I just remember you throwing water in my face. Then I got lightheaded. Next thing I know, I’m waking up here. The Mendukati must have crashed the party. What about the Team? Are they here with us?”

  “It just seems to be us,” Cara said. “It’s too dark to see anything.”

  “Well, either Rafe got away, or they left him behind for some reason,” John said. “I’m not sure which is worse.”

  “If he’s free, then he’ll get help,” Maria said. “He’ll bring Darius and Adrian.”

  “If he knows where we are,” John replied.

  “He can probably see us,” Cara said. “At least me and you, John.”

  “That’s right!” John chuckled. “I doubt the damned Mendukati are expecting that.”

  “I hope Adrian brings a bunch of his Warrior friends with him,” Maria muttered.

  “How did these people get into the party with no one stopping them? I’d love the answer to that question.”

  The van came to a stop. “You may be able to ask them,” Cara said.

  The van shook as someone climbed out of the driver’s seat and slammed the door. Footsteps sounded alongside the van, headed toward the back. A little clicking and scraping, and the van’s rear doors opened.

  Cara squinted against the sudden light, her eyes stinging after the prolonged darkness. Three large men stood in silhouette. One hoisted himself into the van and jerked her to her feet. He spun her toward the doors and gave her a shove. She stumbled over her bound feet—bare, she realized now—and landed in the arms of one of the men outside the door. He set her on her feet and hauled her by one arm through what she realized was an airplane hangar. Behind her, Maria and John were yanked from the van with the same rough treatment. All three of them were marched outside where a private plane with the logo of Santutegi stood waiting.

  A dark-haired man, dressed in the same black long-sleeved shirt and pants as the others, stood waiting at the foot of the steps leading into the plane. He smiled as they reached him, his teeth gleaming white against the fashionable black scruff that was almost a beard.

  “Ah, the Montanas. At last. So glad you could join us.”

  “Who are you? I demand you release us at once!” John stared down the other man, who was clearly the commander.

  The other man placed his hand over his heart. “I am known as Azotay. And you, John Montana, are in no position to demand anything.”

  Azotay. Cara’s breath caught in her lungs. This was the ruthless right-hand man of Jain Criten. The man who, impossibly, had beaten Adrian Gray in battle on a beach in Belize. From what she’d heard of him, he’d kill them without a blink of remorse.

  “Get the women inside.” Azotay grabbed John by his shirtfront and pulled him up on his toes as Cara and Maria were dragged toward the airplane steps. “You have no influence here, human. And if you give me any trouble, you will suffer for it. Or, more likely, the women will. It would be no trouble at all to rid the world of one more Seer.”

  “What do you want?” John choked.

  “You know what I want. And if your son values your lives, he will bring it to me.” He released John with a shove, then slammed his fist into John’s gut.

  “John!” Maria cried.

  John staggered backward, saved from falling only by the guard’s grip on him.

  “Remember that,” Azotay warned, turning away. “You are nothing here, human. Next time I might take my displeasure out on your wife.”

  Maria’s guard shoved her into the plane. She tripped over her long skirt and fell, sprawling on the floor just inside the door and blocking anyone else from entering. The guard jerked her up like she was a rag doll and marched her forward.

  Cara followed as quickly as she was able, ducking through the doorway and taking one second to glance over her shoulder. John and his guard were st
arting up the stairs, and beyond them, Azotay.

  The commander caught her covert look and leered. She shuddered and faced forward, allowing her guard to guide her onto the plane. Azotay’s laughter echoed after her.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Less than ninety minutes after leaving Tessa, Adrian stood over the body of Steve McKenna as the rest of the Team processed the crime scene, their faces grim. Some of them had known Steve, liked him. It always stung like a bitch when one of your own fell.

  Rafe had showed him the video as soon as he’d arrived, and Adrian had watched his brother coldly execute an unconscious man. Death was a part of war, but McKenna had been given no chance to defend himself. Where was the honor in that? Their father would be appalled.

  He worked the scene. No other bodies, no clues as to what had happened or how, and no tracks. This was definitely an elite team and well trained, which meant Azotay probably wasn’t working with the local Mendukati anymore. Adrian had fought the locals himself only a couple of weeks ago when he’d been protecting Ben, and they weren’t nearly as slick as the team who had done this.

  His chest tightened when he thought of Ben, but he pushed it back. Do the job, process the scene. Find these bastards and get the Montanas and Cara back alive.

  And then go after Azotay.

  “Anything?” Rafe came over, a cup of coffee in one hand and the electronic tablet in the other. The bowtie of his tux hung untied around his neck, and dirt streaked his slacks, jacket, and what used to be a white shirt.

  “Hope you didn’t rent that tux.”

  “Nope. Own it. My parents do a lot of these black-tie charity things.” Rafe sipped his coffee, then jerked his chin at the limo. “You didn’t answer me. Anything?”

  “Not a damned thing. No bodies. No tracks. This was Azotay’s personal team, Criten’s guys, the best of the best. They left no trace they were ever here.”

  “Damn. I thought they’d leave something.”

  “Their cleanup is top quality,” Adrian said. “There’s no sign anything happened. No struggle, nothing. The only tracks we found are yours.”