Warrior of Fate

by Debra Mullins

  “Yet my parents and fiancée are missing. So what the hell, Gray? Do you have any ideas? Even a wild guess?”

  “I do have a theory.”

  “I’ll take it. Spill.”

  “There are no tracks at all, not from the car and not from any people, except you. I’m pretty sure Azotay brought a Wind Chanter with him. Tessa saw one in a vision.”

  “And what’s a Wind Chanter?”

  “A Channeler who can control the wind. A skilled one could use the normal breezes in this area to sweep away any tracks Azotay’s men might have left behind. That’s why there’s nothing for us to see except the tracks you left when you got out of the limo.”

  “Damn it! Every time I think I’m getting a handle on this Atlantean thing, you throw me another curveball. A Channeler who can control the wind. Sure. Okay.” Rafe pitched his coffee into the brush. “Are you freaking nuts? Tell me, Gray, how the hell do we use that to find my fiancée?”

  “It tells us the kind of resources he has. Azotay is tricky, and it’s better to be fully prepared when going up against him.”

  “Like you weren’t? I heard about Belize, Gray. This guy got the better of you. Got the stone. And now they have my family!” Rafe’s fingers curled into fists, as if he wanted to hit something. Anything.

  Adrian resisted the same impulse. “If you think I don’t blame myself, you’re wrong. I know that if I’d been able to take care of Azotay in Belize, this might not be happening now. But don’t forget, even if I had succeeded in taking Azotay out of the picture, he works for Criten. Criten would just replace him.”

  His cell rang, and he held up a hand, stopping Rafe’s next outburst. Rafe cursed and spun away to stare into the darkness.

  “Larina,” Adrian said when he picked up the call. “Are you all right? Where are you? Yes, I know … What about Carter? Aw, hell.” He swore in Atlantean. “And Rigo? When you get back … What? Oh, okay. Yeah, sure, that’s fine. Okay, see you tomorrow.” He ended the call.

  “What was that about?” Rafe asked.

  Adrian clenched his hand around his phone, then slowly put it away. “While the Mendukati were kidnapping all of you, Larina, Mendez, and Carter got into it with some of the Warriors. Carter was shot. He’s dead; they called it about twenty minutes ago. Larina sustained a head injury from a falling light fixture, but she’s already back on her feet. And Rigo had a bit of a relapse getting the two of them out of the hotel. They’re keeping him overnight for observation.”

  “Holy crap, Gray.” Rafe stared at him. “How the hell did Mendez get the two of them out of the hotel, when he was barely walking himself?”

  “The Mendukati had knocked out all the phones, both landlines and cells, so he put Larina and Carter in his wheelchair and pushed them out to the front of the hotel, where he caught a cab to the hospital.” Adrian gave a rough chuckle. “Mendez apparently made quite the impression. Larina doesn’t have much use for humans in general, but he saved her life and won her respect. She’s staying with him until he gets released tomorrow.”

  “Well, he was a Marine, and they never leave anyone behind.” A smile flashed across Rafe’s face, then quickly died. “That sucks about Carter, though. I liked him.”

  “Casualty of war.” Adrian sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Let’s hope there’s not more of them before this is through.”

  “Like my parents. Or Cara.”

  “Yeah.” Adrian jerked his chin toward the horizon beyond Rafe, where several police vehicles approached. “The cops are here. Let me take care of them and then we can get home and start working on getting your family back.”

  Rafe paced back to the limo as Adrian met the police, and with a few words, enthralled their minds and told them the story he wanted them to believe.

  * * *

  Several hours had passed since Adrian had walked out the door. The rest of them had remained in the kitchen for most of that time, drinking coffee by the gallon and saying little. Unable to bear the tense silence a moment longer, Tessa had gone up to her room. She changed out of her dress and into jeans, a button-down denim shirt, and sneakers. Sitting at her makeup table, she began to brush her hair into a ponytail. Her hands shook.

  She was trying her best not to let her imagination run away with her, but it was useless. She wished her gift allowed her to call visions on demand, but no, it didn’t work that way. She was just shown whatever images at whatever time, no matter what she wanted to see. From the moment Darius had told them the news, she’d tried to see her parents. Cara. Anything helpful. But she got nothing.

  “Not fair,” she muttered. “There’s all this hoopla about how I’m a True Seer, but I can’t see things when it’s important. Fat lot of good that does me.” She twisted an elastic band around her ponytail and set down her brush, then stared at herself in the mirror, near tears at her own uselessness in this situation. If only she could call her powers like her brothers did. Darius had always had access to his, and Rafe had gotten amazing control of his ever since Faith had made him a new focus stone.…

  “Maybe that’s what I need,” she murmured to her reflection. Would a focus stone made especially for her give her more control? Maybe even the ability to call her powers on demand? It was worth a shot.

  But what if it didn’t work? What if she ended up being as useless to the rescue mission as she already felt? The only certain thing she had at her disposal was her link to Adrian, though to tell the truth, her powers had expanded since they’d consummated their relationship. Not only could she see Atlanteans as well as humans, but Adrian shared the visions, too. There had to be a way to take advantage of that.

  She looked her reflection in the eye. “You can be valuable. You just have to learn how to control your powers. Adrian will help you.”

  The words comforted her, and she realized she honestly believed them. Adrian would help her get a handle on her powers. Hadn’t he already shown her how to shut out the human voices that had always been murmuring in the back of her mind? Together, they would get her parents and Cara back, and they would kick the responsible party’s ass while doing it. She had unwavering faith that Adrian would never rest until things were back to normal, that he would stand beside her and support her quest to find out more about her powers. It was the kind of man he was. One of the things she loved about him.

  Her thoughts skittered like a record needle hitting scratched vinyl. Wait, just when had she fallen in love with him?

  The sex was great, no question, but the fact remained that she couldn’t read him. Not his thoughts, anyway. Their link allowed her some access to his emotions, and she’d never once felt anything like greed or scheming from him. Guilt, yes. Did he keep secrets? Sure. The man could give the Sphinx a run for its money. But could she trust him? With her life, absolutely. But with her heart?

  She waited for Luke’s betrayal to rise like a ghost from a grave, but though the warning still whispered in her mind, that’s all it was. A whisper. A mere shadow of what it had been before Adrian Gray had ever stepped into her life.

  Okay, so she loved him. No need to write sappy poems or make impassioned declarations. They had a long way to go before she confessed her feelings to him. And that was fine for now, especially with everything that was going on. She’d just keep this as her own little secret.

  Tessa, get down here, Darius called to her mentally. They’re back.

  * * *

  Everyone was in the kitchen when she got back downstairs. Adrian was sitting at the table, but he rose when she arrived and offered his chair. She sat, and he placed his hand on her shoulder. The simple contact steadied her nerves.

  “Azotay kidnapped Mama, Dad, and Cara,” Rafe said. “He left me behind. I can tell you that I saw them, that they’re okay, at least for now. He left a video ransom demand, and I think this is why he didn’t take me, too, or kill me.” He blew out a long breath. “It’s disturbing. Prepare yourselves.” And he played the video.

  Tessa reached for A
drian’s hand, crushing his fingers as Azotay coldly murdered Steve McKenna. Darius spat a curse, his jaw tight and eyes flinty.

  “So that’s the bastard responsible for Ben’s death,” Faith said, her fair skin paler than normal.

  “For more than that,” Adrian said. “I got an update on Mendez and Carter from Larina. They got into it with some Warriors at the dinner, and Carter was shot. He didn’t make it.”

  “Oh, no,” Faith whispered.

  “God damn it!” Darius slammed his fist on the counter.

  Tessa squeezed Adrian’s hand on her shoulder as tears stung her eyes.

  “Larina had a head wound,” Adrian continued. “She’s fine, but Mendez apparently ripped some stitches getting them out of there. Larina’s bringing him home tomorrow.”

  “Azotay is responsible for so many deaths,” Faith said. “First Ben and now Carter. Now he wants the stone. Are we going to give it to him?”

  “We don’t want to, but we may have no choice,” Rafe said.

  “Even if you give him what he wants, there’s no guarantee he’ll let them go,” Darius said. “He may kill them anyway.”

  “But if we don’t give it to him, he’ll kill them for sure, right?” Tessa asked, looking up at Adrian.

  “Yes,” he replied. “But like Darius said, he might kill the hostages no matter what. That might have been his plan all along.”

  “What kind of sicko is this guy?” Tessa shuddered.

  “I’ve seen plenty of power-hungry jerks like this one,” Faith said. “Adrian’s right. Just because we have a code that makes us live up to our word, doesn’t mean he does. He’s probably laughing at us right now.”

  “But if we give up the stone, then that’s it, game over,” Darius said. “And who knows what hell they’ll rain down on the world with that kind of power.”

  Tessa leaned in. “We can’t not give it to him! What about Mom and Dad? What about Cara?”

  “There has to be another way,” Darius said. “Maybe we can act like we’re bringing him the stone and get close enough to rescue everyone.”

  “That’s risky,” Adrian said. “If Azotay suspects a double-cross, he might kill the hostages outright and try something else.”

  “Will you stop calling them hostages?” Tessa shouted. “That’s our family!”

  “I’m sorry.” He rubbed her shoulder. “I’m just thinking out loud.”

  Tessa rested her face in her hand and tried to get herself under control.

  “Adrian, how well do you know this Azotay?” Rafe asked. “Do you think you could get into his head?”

  “I don’t know Azotay’s mind,” Adrian said. “We might have been taught the same general disciplines, but I can’t state for certain what he might do next.”

  Tessa looked up at Adrian. “You fought him in Belize. Doesn’t that help at all?”

  “Very little.”

  “Well, we have to decide on a plan,” Rafe said. “We only have seventy-two hours.”

  “I like the idea of faking it,” Darius said. “If there’s some way we could hang onto the stone and yet still get Mom and Dad and Cara back, I’m all for it. Faith, could you maybe create a dummy stone?”

  Faith shook her head. “No one can. Don’t you think they’ve been trying for centuries? There’s a reason everyone’s been so hot to get the real ones.”

  “Okay, so that won’t work,” Darius said.

  “We’ll just have to get the real one back from the temple,” Rafe said.

  “Chances are, they won’t give it up,” Adrian said.

  Rafe scowled. “What the hell are you talking about, Gray? I thought the stones belong to the Seers.”

  “Because of the kidnapping, they probably won’t give it back for fear you’d trade it to the enemy to get your family back.”

  “And they’d be right,” Darius said.

  “But it’s ours,” Tessa said. “We just gave it to them for safekeeping.”

  “Believe me,” Adrian said, “the temple takes this very seriously. They won’t take the chance of it falling into Mendukati hands. Besides, they’ve sworn to protect it until the Reunification.”

  “The Reunification,” Faith whispered, and closed her eyes.

  “Reunification?” Darius repeated. “What’s that?”

  Adrian frowned from one face to the other. “Weren’t you told the stories as children? The Reunification is the day when the stones are reunited for the first time after being apart for centuries, and the Atlantean people are brought back together: Warrior, Seer, and Channeler.”

  “So … what happens?” Tessa said. “The stones give off happy vibes and everyone just stops fighting?”

  “It was a True Seer who made the prediction,” Adrian said. “I have no idea how the Reunification is supposed to come about, but I do believe that if Criten is the one to reunite the stones, it would be disastrous for the rest of the world.”

  “That’s a no-brainer,” Darius muttered.

  “All the more reason we need to get the stone back,” Rafe said.

  “Ezares won’t let it go,” Adrian said. “Trust me in this.”

  “Trust you?” Rafe shouted. “He’s your father!”

  “Which is why I know what I’m talking about.”

  “Then what the hell are we supposed to do?” Darius threw his hands up. “Steal the damn thing?”

  “Actually,” Adrian said, “that might be the only way to get it from them.”

  Rafe put his palms on the table and leaned in. “Am I to understand that you’re advising us to steal back our own property rather than just asking for it back?”

  “Like I said, the temple won’t turn it over so it can be used for ransom,” Adrian said.

  Rafe straightened and pointed at Adrian. “You’re the one who told us the stone belongs to the Seers. You’re the one who convinced us to store it with the Warriors so it would be safer. And you’re the one whose father is an elder at this temple. Maybe you’ve been working for them all along. Maybe this friendly stranger bit you’ve been feeding us is just bull.”

  “Rafe, seriously. If I’d been playing you all this time, don’t you think Darius would have picked up on it?”

  “He’s got a point,” Darius said. “I haven’t felt anything but a genuine desire to help from Gray since the day he first showed up here.”

  “I’m just telling you the facts,” Adrian said. “I know the temple. I know Ezares. He has this belief that the reason Atlantis was destroyed was because no one was monitoring the use of the stones, allowing big egos to do stupid things. And he’s sworn to make sure that never happens again.”

  “Let me guess,” Darius said. “He intends to oversee the use of the stones. Hide them away.”

  “Basically. Nonetheless, it’s one thing to ask for the stone back when the danger level is low, and there’s some chance you might return it, but when it’s high, they won’t take the chance.”

  Tessa shrugged his hand off her shoulder. “Damn it, Adrian! If you knew that, why did you encourage us to trust them with it?”

  “It seemed like the best plan. The Mendukati kept getting too close.”

  “Sounds to me like bad banking,” Rafe said. “Make a deposit but never be able to withdraw the money.”

  “I was trying to save your lives,” Adrian insisted.

  “By what, giving our stone to your daddy so we could never get it back? That’s bullshit.” Rafe picked up the tablet. “I’m going there tomorrow morning, and I’m going to demand they hand the stone over to us.”

  “Better have a backup plan,” Adrian said. “They won’t go for it.”

  “A plan like stealing it?” Rafe snapped. “Either we’ll get shut down by security, or our asses kicked by Warriors. It’s suicide.”

  “I can help you,” Adrian said. “I know the temple inside out. The layout, the guard schedule.”

  “And the security? You going to force your dad at gunpoint to key in the code on that treasury door?” Raf
e shook his head and turned away.

  “We don’t need the code,” Darius said.

  Rafe stopped and glanced back at his brother. “What are you talking about, Dar?”

  “I’m talking about the back door. Dad builds one into every system in case of emergency.” Darius clicked his tongue. “And you’d know that if you hadn’t missed all the board meetings for the past five years.”

  “I remember something about a failsafe in case the client accidentally locks themselves out or someone else in,” Rafe said.

  “Or if the system malfunctions and will no longer accept valid input,” Darius confirmed. “Luckily for us, I know the passcode.”

  “And once we get in, I can put their Ascension Stone to sleep,” Faith said. “That way we have insurance. If they want it to work again, they need to cooperate.”

  “You’re not going,” Darius said. “And no one said we’re going to steal the thing. We’re going to ask that it be returned.”

  “First,” Rafe confirmed. “And when they say no, then we take it anyway.”

  “And I am going,” Faith said. “You might need me.”

  “I’m going, too,” Tessa said.

  “Tessa—” Adrian began.

  “No.” She held up a finger to silence him. “These are my parents, too. My future sister-in-law. You need all the bodies you can get, unless you plan on asking your buddies at the temple for help.” When he remained silent, she gave a nod. “I didn’t think so.”

  “Fine,” Rafe said. “You can go. But you’re staying in the van with Darius.”

  Tessa opened her mouth, then shut it again. She was going. She’d take that and run with it.

  “We’ll have the jet standing by,” Darius said. “As soon as we have the stone, we have to make a beeline to Santutegi.”

  “Sounds good.” Rafe pulled out a chair and sat at the table. “We’ve managed to keep the kidnapping out of the media, but we need to cover for Dad and Mama with work and social events. Maybe tell people he took Mama away on a long, romantic weekend.”

  “How are you going to convince people not to call their cells?” Darius asked.