“A plan never realized,” Luca nodded. “The notebook also contains references to Breslau, which was transferred to Poland in the aftermath of the war and renamed Wrocław. Although it’s never been proven, according to local legend, as the Soviets approached near the end of the war, a train or trains left Breslau laden with treasure and armaments the Nazis were determined to keep from the Allies. Supposedly, these trains were driven into a system of tunnels under the mountains that were part of an unfinished Nazi secret project near Wałbrzych, and buried.”
“None of this is exactly classified information, Luca. Treasure hunters have been combing the mountains looking for those trains for years.” Alec frowned.
“True. What’s less commonly known, however, is how those tunnels are rumored to have been constructed. Galen, would you care to explain?”
Galen glanced up from the screen, punched at the keyboard, then leaned back in the chair and folded his arms over his chest. “Djinn.”
“Say what?” Alec’s spine stiffened and an icy finger tickled the back of his neck. He glanced at Tessa from the corner of his eye and saw her posture straighten, as well. Luca’s flip comment yesterday about the necklace resembling a Djinn trap echoed in his head. Suddenly, the childish sketch mixed in among Barachiel’s papers appeared a lot less random.
“Hitler and other high ranking members of the Third Reich were fascinated with magic and the supernatural,” Galen continued. “In fact, the Nazi organization itself started as an occult fraternity before it later morphed into a political party. Himmler established a paranormal research team as far back as nineteen thirty-five, and Hitler believed the possession of certain holy relics would give him paranormal powers, ensure his victory in the war, and show him the gateway to a higher metaphysical realm.”
“Sounds like a bad movie plot,” Alec muttered. “Well, we know he didn’t win the war. So much for the supernatural powers. And this gateway, you think he found it?”
“Doubtful, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t find something.” Galen uncrossed his arms and sat forward, planting his palms on the cluttered surface of the desk. “What I do know is an Elder Djinni went missing toward the end of the Nazi tunnel construction in the Owl Mountains. Historically, we know the Nazis created at least seven underground structures, with construction carried out by forced laborers and prisoners. But, the physical abuse, malnutrition, and typhus would have weakened and significantly diminished the available and able-bodied work force. As the Allies approached, the Nazis would have become more and more desperate. None of the known structures were ever finished. Yet, at the end, with limited resources and while basically on the run, the Nazis somehow constructed something large enough to conceal one or more trains, and complex enough that it remains undiscovered over a half century later? Seems unlikely. But, consider if one of their sorcerers actually managed to conjure and capture a respected Djinni and hold his continued well-being over the heads of his kin in exchange for their labor…” Galen left the sentence dangling.
“Okay, suppose the Nazi did conjure and bind a Djinni. Why stop at building secret tunnels? Why not harness them to turn the tide of the war in the Germans’ favor?” Alec pressed his lips together and started to cross his arms over his chest. Glancing down, he saw Tessa twisting her wedding band around and around her finger again. It was a habit he’d never noticed before, but one he’d come to recognize as a sure sign of discomfort. He slipped a hand beneath her hair and cupped the nape of her neck, rubbing the knots from her muscles with his thumb and forefinger. Still the twisting persisted.
“Maybe he managed to convince the Nazis he and his people didn’t have that kind of power,” Tessa whispered. “They had no stake in a human war.”
“Why do you say that?” Alec frowned.
“I don’t know.” Tessa lifted wide, worried eyes to his. “The thought just popped into my head.”
“Interesting.” Luca arched a brown. “Tessa, what can you tell us about the necklace?”
“Nothing, really.” Tessa turned her attention to Luca. “Only what I told Alec yesterday.”
“Would you mind repeating it for our benefit?”
“Of course not.” Tessa shrugged. She reached to lay a hand on Alec’s thigh and he covered it with his. Alec watched the reaction of the two Defensori as she recounted the same story she shared with him the previous day. Luca’s brows rose higher, while Galen’s descended lower.
“Even if the necklace is a Djinn trap, simply touching it shouldn’t produce such an extreme reaction,” Galen said, shaking his head, his brows still drawn together.
“True,” Luca agreed. “Unless, of course, the person touching it is exquisitely psychometric. Like Tessa.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Hell, yeah, that could make a difference.” Galen’s lips twisted in a grimace and he glared at Luca. “It didn’t occur to you to mention that a little sooner?”
“I had no idea it had any bearing on the situation until now.” Luca shrugged and levered his big body away from the bookcase. Crossing the room, he propped a hip on the corner of the desk.
“I don’t understand.” Tessa squeezed Alec’s hand as Galen rose to his feet and came to stand in front of her. She looked up. Way up. He’d reverted to big and scary. At least the scowl softened as he looked away from Luca and turned his attention to her.
“Think hard, Tessa. When you came in contact with the necklace, did you touch the stone itself, or only the metal cage?” Galen asked, regarding her intently.
“I have no idea. As I told Alec yesterday, I remember very little of what happened once I touched it.”
“I may be able to access what you can’t. Assuming you actually came into physical contact with a Djinni, my ancestry should give me the ability to trace the path of those memories. If you’re willing to let me try?” He directed the question to Alec, who stiffened beside her and shifted closer. “You have my word I’ll respect your privacy and seek out only those specific memories.”
“I…what do you think?” Tessa turned to Alec. His lips compressed to a thin line as he looked first at Luca, and then at Galen.
“Is it dangerous?” he asked.
“Dangerous? Doubtful. Memories can’t do physical harm. But,” Galen locked gazes with Tessa, “it could be…unpleasant. When people repress things, it’s usually for good reason. It’s the mind’s way of protecting itself. If I start poking around, it may trigger memories you’d rather leave buried.”
“I don’t like it,” Alec snapped. “If you’ve already decided the necklace is a Djinn trap, then fine. I’m happy to take your word for it. Mystery solved. What will tormenting my wife tell you?”
“Perhaps nothing. Perhaps everything,” Luca said slowly. “Like you, I assumed Barachiel’s MFAA references indicated perhaps he’d found clues to an as yet undiscovered cache of plunder. Important, but not urgent. However, taken together with the information in the notebook and his deliberate inclusion of the drawing, I suspect he’s been tracking this Djinni for years, and he intended for you to finish the job and find it.”
“You said it yourself, Luca. Djinn aren’t enamored with humans, and even good Djinn have their own agenda and shouldn’t be trusted. Why should I concern myself with finding one that’s been taken out of circulation?” Tessa never knew Alec to back down from a challenge, from diving head first into a riddle. Warmth filled her heart as she realized his hesitation to pursue this one stemmed from concern for her.
“If the Djinni in that trap is the missing Elder, as I believe it is, I know him. No, he’s not especially fond of humans, but neither did he have any particular grievance against them. He was content to exist in his own realm. Trust me, he did have the power to influence the outcome of the war if he was so inclined,” Galen responded. “I think it says something about his character that he didn’t. Even when it might have gained him liberty.”
“Someone conjured and captured him against his will,” Tessa said. “He deserves his
freedom. You know it’s the right thing to do. Memories can’t hurt me, Alec.”
“The right thing means shit to me if it hurts you.” His response echoed in her head.
Tessa tugged his hand to her lips and pressed them to his knuckles.
“You won’t let it hurt me.”
Alec looked at her for a long moment, then shot to his feet. Dragging her out of the chair, he dropped into it, and then pulled her sideways across his lap, locking his arms around her.
“Well, if he didn’t have a quarrel with humans before, don’t you think he might have a damn good reason to pick a fight now?” Alec grumbled.
“Maybe, but Djinn generally direct their vengeance at those who caused the insult. Besides, there’s another concern. Madge tells me animorti showed up at the flat where Barachiel’s things are stored. It seems likely someone suspected what he’d stumbled on to and saw his death as an opportunity to see what he’d found. As you know, Fallen infiltrated the highest ranks of the Nazi party. They lost the battle, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up the war. A Djinni who might know the location of the remaining lost gold and has the power to help them give rise to the Fourth Reich would be quite a prize.”
“Shit,” Alec muttered.
“Succinct, but apt,” Luca drawled.
“And what do you expect to garner from Tessa’s memories?”
“Maybe nothing,” Galen answered. “But, even bound, the Djinni would have awareness of everything going on around him. If Tessa touched the stone confining him, and if the Djinni sensed her psychometric abilities, it’s possible he transferred some of those perceptions to her. If so, it could be incredibly helpful.”
“If she touched it? If he sensed it? If it’s the Djinni you think it is? That’s an awful lot of ifs to justify poking around in my wife’s head, Galen.”
“I’m aware of that.” Galen regarded Alec steadily.
“I’m ready, Galen.” She sat up straighter in Alec’s lap. “What do you need me to do?”
“Now, wait just a minute—” Alec sputtered. He didn’t like this idea. At all. He always protected her from his work, from the ugly side of anything, really.
“They’re my memories. They can’t hurt me, not really. And I want to help. I’m not a little girl anymore. This is my decision.”
“I just—”
“Don’t want me involved in this. I know.” She laid a hand on his cheek and stroked the tense line of his jaw. “But, I’m pretty sure I already am. Will it make you feel better if you accompany Galen?”
“Well, I guess it won’t make me feel worse.” He nuzzled his face into her palm and pressed his lips to the center, his breath hot and moist against her skin. Then he sighed, straightened, and shifted her weight in his lap.
“Okay, let’s do this. But, I’ll be right there. If there’s any risk to her at all, you get the hell out. Got it?”
“Understood.” Galen bobbed his head, and lowered himself into the other chair. Luca moved to the desk and took the seat behind it. Cranking the top off of a bottle of water sitting on the corner, he took a long swig before propping his elbows on the top, and lacing his fingers under his chin.
“What do I do?” Tessa asked.
“You just relax and drop every shield you’re conscious of. Alec, you lock onto me and stay close.”
Tessa closed her eyes and let her head fall back against Alec’s shoulder. She felt his nod as he rested his cheek on the top of her head. Tessa licked lips gone dry. What if the memories she’d repressed really did turn out to be something she’d rather leave buried? Was she crazy to agree to this? Then she thought of her father. He considered this important enough to leave the evidence for Alec to decipher. She thought of the Djinni, conjured and captured against his will. Galen thought he’d tried reaching out to her for help. Didn’t she owe it to both of them to swallow her own misgivings and at least try? Of course, she did. She burrowed into Alec’s chest and dropped every shield she’d consciously put in place. Whatever happened, he would keep her safe.
“I’m ready,” she whispered. Galen answered by tentatively touching her mind. Alec zoomed in and locked onto him. She squirmed in Alec’s arms as the two Earthbound fought for dominance. They’d barely begun and a dull ache already bloomed behind her eyes. Maybe this had been a mistake, after all. This wasn’t supposed to be painful. Not physically, at least.
“This isn’t going to work if you fight me, Alec.”
Her discomfort eased the moment she felt Alec back off and allow Galen to take the lead. This must be what people meant when they referred to their lives flashing before their eyes. Like the flickering glare of an old projector in a dark theater, people and places twinkled and faded. Her father’s laughing eyes, her mother’s cool hand stroking her fevered brow, that magical moment when she’d first met Alec. So many things unconsciously stored away, now recalled with the sharp focus of a well-honed blade. All of it rushing by, begging to be grasped, yet refusing to pause and be captured. Galen continued to dig, beyond recollection, beneath the darkness, until they all found themselves smothering in her nightmares. Scenes and sounds broke apart, each piece a jagged mirror reflecting a new horror. Galen’s shock and Alec’s confusion strained the edges of her awareness. Her mind screamed at her to wake up. But, she couldn’t. Because she wasn’t asleep. And she recognized it now. Recognized him. Never a dream, not a nightmare, but a presence. A raw scream tore from her throat, and she arched against Alec fighting to free herself. Blinding pain shredded all rational thought as Alec ripped Galen free of the blackness, dragging her along with them. The threat trailed her, a shadowy hand grasping through the murky haze of her sanity. Thankfully, before the approaching madness claimed her, blessed oblivion descended.
Alec panted as his full consciousness slammed back into his head. What in the hell was that? He frantically repositioned Tessa’s limp body in his arms. Panic clawed its way up his throat and pounded against the inside of his skull as he regarded his wife’s deathly stillness. He pawed clumsily at the smooth column of her throat, unable to breathe until he felt the slow, but steady thrum against his shaking fingertips. Yeah, she was alive, but what if they’d damaged her mind?
Alec glanced up as Galen dropped to the floor at his feet and reached toward Tessa.
“Let me—”
“Don’t. Touch. Her.” Alec hissed through clenched teeth, gathering her more closely against his chest. He’d been a fool to allow this. Discussing his work with her, listening to her feedback, walking away from it at the end of the day, putting her first? Priorities, setting limits, those things he could do. Those things he would do. But, risking Tessa for answers? No more. Not happening again. “You told her—us—she would be safe. She trusted you.”
“I didn’t expect—”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what you expected. What in the hell happened?”
Tessa stirred and her eyes fluttered open, a deep, shocking blue against the pallor of her skin. They darted around wildly, then filled with a look of relief as they focused on Alec’s face above her.
“Hey,” she croaked, her lips curving into a wan smile. “You don’t look so good.”
“You’ve had better moments, yourself,” he smiled back, smoothing her hair from her face, his hand lingering to cup her cheek. Good thing he had no reason to stand. Who knew relief could turn a guy’s bones to rubber? “You scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m okay.” She cleared her throat, wincing as she attempted to push up to a sitting position. “I think.”
Luca appeared next to the chair. Alec snagged the open bottle of water being waved under his nose and brought it to Tessa’s lips. She covered his hand with one of her own, tipped the bottle, and sucked at it greedily until not a drop remained. Then she fell against his chest and turned her head toward Galen.
“The Djinni transferred a little more than his perceptions when I touched the stone, didn’t he?”
“I knew Djinn could possess humans, but t
his?” Galen shook his head, his green eyes wide. “You aren’t human, and it’s not possession. Exactly. I’m not even sure it’s possible.”
“Well, clearly it’s possible,” Tessa returned dryly. She struggled to sit up. Alec hauled her upright, relieved her color was returning, but kept her locked within the circle of his arms. “We’ve just seen it. And I’m half human.”
Luca stepped back and dropped into the chair Galen vacated.
“Would one of you care to explain what the hell you’re babbling about?” Alec grumbled.
“Now, I don’t want you to get upset,” Tessa turned in his arms and patted his cheek. Cajoling him? A prickle of unease skittered down his spine. The intensity increased as she dropped her hand, glanced at Galen, and commenced twisting her ring. The giant remained cross-legged on the floor, staring down at the pattern of the tile, and avoiding Alec’s gaze. “After all, it was an accident. Right, Galen?”
Galen’s massive chest expanded as he sucked in a deep breath. He held it a moment, then blew it out through flaring nostrils and rose to his feet in one fluid, graceful motion. He glanced over at Luca, who stiffened and sat forward gripping the arms of the chair, ramping up Alec’s sense of foreboding. Finally, he rolled his shoulders and smiled briefly at Tessa before locking his gaze on Alec.
“Yeah, it was an accident.”
“What was?”
“When Tessa touched the stone, the Djinni sensed her gift and tried to reach out for help. Unfortunately, unfamiliar with psychometricians, he miscalculated. More than his memories and perceptions crossed over into her mind. Part of his actual consciousness is trapped there.”
Chapter Eighteen
An Angel's Song Page 13