“More than a few,” he ground out. It felt like hours.
“Seriously? I didn’t realize. I’m sorry, Alec.” Tessa brushed the hair from his forehead, then cupped his cheek. “Truly.”
He gazed into her bright blue eyes and realized he could think of far better things to do with her magnificent ass than kick it. Kiss her senseless, he decided. As soon as they wrapped up this mess and he got her alone. Of course, at the first opportunity he still planned a stern lecture on consideration, common sense, and never again taking three centuries off her husband’s life.
“And look,” she smiled brightly, holding up the pendant and ignoring his surly attitude. “We did it!”
“Be careful with than damn thing.” Alec snatched it from her fingers. The stone pulsed with a life and light of its own. “Look what happened last time you touched it.”
“No, it’s all right. I admit, Mekonnen’s exit from my psyche turned out to be a bit more uncomfortable than I anticipated, but now he’s reunited the pieces of himself and is whole again. He promised it wouldn’t hurt this time.”
“Mekonnen?” Alec asked, shifting his attention to Galen.
The hulking Defensori rose to his feet in one fluid motion, nodded, then stepped to the doorway leading out to the church. He palmed a shuriken from his scalp and twitched back the heavy velvet curtain.
Alec’s Earthbound senses continued to warn him evil lurked nearby, but whoever waited hadn’t yet entered the church. He returned his attention to his wife. “So, where is he?”
“In here.” She filched the caged stone from Alec’s unresisting fingers. “Wearing him was the only way to bring him out with me.” She wedged a finger between the bars of intricately twisted metal to touch the amber jewel before Alec could stop her. He watched in amazement as a thick, green haze streamed from the gem, coalescing into a slim, well-dressed mocha-skinned man. Dark eyes twinkling, he pressed his palms together under the neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard tracing his jawline, and bowed his head to Tessa.
“My thanks once again, little angel.”
“My pleasure, Mekonnen. This is my husband, Alec.”
“Ah, yes. I recognize you,” the Djinni nodded. “I’m still assimilating the rogue piece of my essence, but you were such a presence in Tessa’s mind these many years, I feel I know you.”
“I see,” Alec replied uncomfortably, not seeing at all. Had the Djinni been privy to all of Tessa’s thoughts? He didn’t much care for that idea. On the other hand, she must have thought about him quite a bit over the years. That idea suited him fine.
“And this is our friend…” Tessa waved the arm not clutching Alec’s waist toward the silent warrior keeping watch.
“Galen,” the Djinni finished for her. The muscles in Galen’s shoulders bunched visibly.
“Exactly. He’s the one who discovered you in my mind and helped us find you,” Tessa smiled.
“Of course he did,” Mekonnen observed dryly. “You’re looking well, nephew.”
“Wait, what? Nephew?” Alec stared.
Galen released the curtain, then turned slowly, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “It’s been a long time, uncle.”
“Indeed it has. Still determinedly clinging to your father’s world, I see.”
“We’ve traveled this road many times, and we’ll always end up at the same destination. Give it a rest.”
“Your mother misses you,” the older man cajoled.
“You’ve been away a long time, Mekonnen. Your kingdom is changed.” Galen’s green eyes flashed and his lips thinned. “My mother is dead.”
Mekonnen paled and his fingers curled into fists at his sides. “Who?”
“I think we both know the answer.”
“You have proof?”
“I don’t need proof, just an opportunity.”
“Well, perhaps that can be arranged.” The old Djinni closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath through his nose. His eyes snapped open and fixed on the door. “Sooner rather than later. We’re about to have company. Angel, put the necklace on, please.”
Who did this guy think he was, anyway? Alec opened his mouth to protest, but Tessa dutifully released Alec and dropped the chain over her head. Mekonnen waved a hand over the stone and it pulsed with light exactly as it did while he resided inside. The Djinni gazed into Tessa’s eyes for several seconds until she nodded shortly.
“Get out of my wife’s head, old man,” Alec growled.
“Galen,” the elder turned his attention to his kinsman. Galen strode across the room and took up a position next to Alec, and behind Tessa. “You know what to do, nephew?” Galen nodded, his jaw tight.
“Would someone like to tell me what the hell is going on?” Alec growled.
“In a nutshell? I’ll take out the animorti who will almost certainly come in first. Tessa and the necklace will then serve as a diversion. While the bastard is occupied, Mekonnen will attempt to take the sonofabitch down. Djinn are nearly impossible to kill, unless they take human form,” Galen said through stiff lips. “Even then, there’s a chance they’ll escape the mortal vessel prior to its death. Keep your dagger handy. If Mekonnen fails, we’ll have to take the bastard out before he exits the host body.”
“And if we don’t?”
Galen’s head swiveled and his eyes narrowed on Alec. “It’s best if we do.”
“Okay, I’ve heard enough. Tessa is leaving. Now.” Alec announced, holding out his hand. “Give me the necklace. I’ll be the diversion.”
Tessa laid a hand on his chest and turned the full force of her magnificent blue eyes on him.
“Alec, I can do this. Mekonnen won’t let him hurt me. Galen won’t let him hurt me. And you most certainly won’t let him hurt me. I love you, and I trust you to keep me safe. The question is, can you trust me?”
“Trust has nothing to do with it,” he snapped. Tessa quirked a brow and the corners of her lips lifted. Didn’t they have this conversation before? What had she said? Trust meant having faith in her ability to think for herself, to know her own strengths and weaknesses, to understand her limitations. Trust meant believing in her. Alec huffed out a breath and pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to her bright curls. “I do trust you, Tess. It’s the rest of the world I have a problem with.” He glared at the Djinni and drew his dagger from the ink on his arm. “Just so we’re clear. She is the most important thing in this room. If this plan goes south, get her out of here no matter what.”
“I owe her my life, and I will sacrifice it to keep her safe. You have my word.” Mekonnen bowed his head. Then he cocked it to the side at the sound of footsteps echoing on the marble floor of the church. “And so it begins. Stand where he can see the necklace immediately, little angel. Places, everyone.”
The Djinni dissolved into a wisp of faint gray smoke, invisible for all intents and purposes, and rose to hover over the doorway. Galen stood beside Alec, absently spinning a shuriken between the fingers of each hand. Tessa positioned herself in front of them, clenching and unclenching her hands at her sides, careful to give Galen enough space to launch his weapons. Alec tightened his grip on his dagger. Allowing Tessa to stand front and center flew in the face of every protective instinct he possessed, and his gut clenched as he resisted the urge to shove her behind him. He hoped Mekonnen would remain true to his word if all hell broke loose. Luca believed even presumably good Djinn were suspect. Still, Galen apparently claimed more Djinn ancestry than anyone guessed, and Alec never knew him to be anything less than honorable. There were clearly exceptions to every rule.
“Any idea who we’re planning to kill?” Alec sent the question to Tessa’s mind, while Galen’s attention remained riveted on the door.
“Mekonnen’s brother, Ejigu. Taking advantage of the Nazis’ fascination with the occult, he saw a golden opportunity to remove his brother from his throne in the realm of the Djinn and trap him on this plane. In exchange for his promise to finish the tunnels, the Nazis helped him c
onjure and capture Mekonnen. But, after the necklace was stolen, he realized trapping his brother and entrusting the trap to humans wouldn’t do. He needed to ensure Mekonnen could never be released from his prison and reclaim his position, so he concocted a plan to ensure his brother’s eternal captivity. Posing as an expert in demonology, he persuaded the priests here to seal the necklace in an impenetrable chamber no one could breach by convincing them the stone contained a powerful and malevolent fiend intent on helping the Nazis achieve world domination. We got the location right, but the motivation all wrong.”
“Trapping the Djinni was never about saving the Reich, it was a political coup to topple a Djinn king.” Alec shook his head. “I guess that explains the room’s design to keep out Fallen, Earthbound, and Djinn alike. Of course, Ejigu didn’t count on a beautiful Principalitie. If he’s a Djinni and not a Fallen, where do the animorti come in?”
“He’s got friends in low places.”
“Figures. So, you freed a Djinni, had his essence ripped from your brain, got this whole story, and honestly believed you were only gone a couple of minutes?”
“Hey, I said I was sor—” Tessa halted in mid-thought as the curtain twitched and two animorti slipped inside the sacristy.
Before the heavy fabric settled into place, with preternatural speed, Galen whipped two deadly shurikens across the room. The Fallen servants’ mouths dropped open right before they exploded like balloons filled with motor oil, spraying foul black goop everywhere.
“That’s revolting.” Tessa shuddered. Alec couldn’t disagree, but he saw it often enough to be immune. He slipped his free hand beneath Tessa’s heavy mane and cupped the back of her neck, his fingertips soothing the tense knots.
“Their reward for allowing greed to trump common sense. Poor bastards think aligning themselves with the Fallen makes them special. All it makes them is cannon fodder.”
Alec froze as footsteps shuffled to a halt beyond the drape. Showtime. He gave Tessa’s neck a gentle squeeze, and dropped his hand back to his side, curling it into a fist.
“If something goes wrong, get yourself out of here, no matter what. I need you to promise me you’ll worry about yourself, so I don’t have to.”
Tessa nodded. “I promise. I love you, Alec.”
“I love you more. Be ready for anything.”
Tessa nodded again, mentally preparing herself. But, nothing could have prepared her for the man who swept aside the dusty velvet and stepped into the room. Tears sprang to her eyes, and her heart leapt into her throat, as she locked her knees to avoid collapsing to the floor.
“Steady, Tess,” Galen urged mentally. “You know that’s not your father. The bastard’s trying to keep us off balance.”
Incapable of an immediate response, Tessa blinked rapidly and nodded. Of course she knew, but for one heart-stopping moment she’d believed. A low growl emanated from her husband as Alec’s hand touched the small of her back. She felt the rage percolating in his gut, his overwhelming need to protect her from this grief.
“It’s okay,” she reassured Alec and Galen. She squared her shoulders and sucked in a fortifying breath. She needed to pull herself together before the man she loved did something tragically stupid on her behalf. “I’m okay.”
“Contessa, my precious one,” the imposter crooned, opening his arms.
“Is impersonating a dead man for shock value the best trick you’ve got, Ejigu?” Tessa spat with more courage than she felt. Frankly, given the tightness in her throat, it surprised her she could speak at all. “I’m afraid you’ll have to do better than that. You’re pathetic.”
“He always did have more bravado than brains,” Galen snickered, advancing to draw level on Tessa’s right as Alec moved forward on the left. “Isn’t that right, uncle?”
“Knowing Bartolucci’s daughter married an Earthbound, I guess I should have expected a Defensori, namely you, might be tagging along. Tell me, nephew, have there been any leads on your dear mother’s whereabouts?” The hateful sneer that contorted the doppelganger’s features broke the spell. Tessa no longer saw any resemblance to her beloved father. Galen stiffened beside her.
“Steady, Galen. The bastard’s trying to keep us off balance.” Tessa nudged the tense Defensori with her elbow, and threw his advice back at him.
“Leave my mother out of this. We all know she’s not the reason you’re here,” Galen snarled.
“No, but since there are two of you and one of me, I find myself at an unexpected disadvantage.” His gaze fixed on the pendant pulsing between Tessa’s breasts. “Perhaps we can work a deal? The necklace in exchange for information about your mother.”
“You were right about his lack of brains, Galen. Apparently your uncle can’t count. It’s three against one by my estimation,” Tessa forced her stiff lips into an amused grin. Then she forked two fingers at her eyes. “And I’m up here, Ejigu.”
“Why must you poke the bear, Tess?” Alec sighed in her head.
“Because he doesn’t consider me a threat. He has no idea I’m the fourth in this little welcoming quartet. It’s to our advantage to keep it that way. Besides, he’s cruel and I don’t like him.” Tessa swore she heard Alec’s eyes roll.
“How charming. The little rose has thorns. Sorry to disillusion you, sweetheart, but my interest is solely in your choice of accessories.”
“This old thing?” Tessa wrapped her fingers around the pendant and lifted it away from her chest and toward the Djinni, batting her eyes for effect. She let the pendant drop against her body and steeled her voice. “You want it, Ejigu? Come and get it.”
“Poke, poke, poke,” Alec grumbled.
Ejigu’s eyes narrowed and he licked his lips in anticipation. His gaze darted between Galen and Alec, who remained perfectly still as he cautiously took one step, and then another. Come on, come on, Tessa coaxed silently. One more step gave Mekonnen enough room to materialize behind his brother, a wicked looking scimitar raised high over his head. He drove the curved blade into Ejigu’s back before the evil Djinni knew what hit him, powering steel through flesh until the point projected from the chest. Ejigu reached toward Tessa, as the light left the eyes, and the body crumpled to the floor.
Sheer determination kept her standing as pain threatened to rip her in two. Her head knew it wasn’t her father, but the uncanny likeness persuaded her heart she was losing him all over again. Tessa squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away, unable to witness his death a second time. Galen dropped a comforting had on her shoulder, and Alec hauled her against his side as helpless sobs wracked her.
“It’s okay, baby. It’s over,” Alec whispered into her hair.
She cracked open her eyes and stared at the now prone and lifeless body, puzzled by the wisps of thick, black vapor rising from the wound near the hilt of the sword. Mekonnen’s alarmed shout penetrated her cloud of grief. The Djinni was escaping, and she knew what she needed to do.
As the mist thickened, Tessa wrenched free of both men, and yanked the heavy chain over her head. Curling her fingers around the cage, she jammed them between the iron bars, touching as much of the stone as she possibly could. Then she stepped forward and plunged her hand into the heart of the mist.
The agony was instantaneous. Mekonnen entered the trap willingly, knowing she intended to free him. He produced barely a frisson of awareness on the edge of Tessa’s consciousness as he passed through her gifted fingers and into the stone. Ejigu on the other hand, facing certain annihilation, battled captivity with all the weapons he could muster. Invading every part of her consciousness, he dragged her into a soul-sucking darkness worse than any nightmare she ever experienced. Unspeakable horrors reflected like sharp shattered glass in the vast nothingness of the endless obscurity she fought to resist. Reality became darkness, and darkness became reality. Ejigu’s strength exceeded hers. She would lose this fight. Lose herself. Lose everything. Alec. Cold assaulted her. She floated in inky blackness on an endless sea.
Ho
peless.
Alone.
Drowning.
“I love you, Alec.” A frantic plea. A final farewell.
A pinhole of light, tiny and dim, flickered in the emptiness.
“Tessa! Fight!”
The raw anguish in Alec’s voice pulled her head above the water.
“Here, I’m here.” Her weakened mind offered a desperate response so faint and indistinct, Tessa barely heard it herself. But, Alec heard. His love invaded her mind, wrapped around her like a warm blanket, and hauled her from the deep well of endless nothingness. She sighed in relief.
“Galen!” Alec called.
Immediately, the pinhole expanded, cracks radiated from the margins, and bursts of light pierced the darkness. Galen’s consciousness arrived, closely followed by Mekonnen. The gloom receded. For the first time since plunging her hand into the mist, Tessa felt the welcome pressure of Alec’s arms around her.
“It’s getting crowded in here,” she whispered.
“The more the merrier,” Galen cracked.
“Rest, little angel,” Mekonnen said. Cool fingers stroked her brow. “You fought valiantly. Now it’s our turn. Alec, on my signal, tear that damn thing from her hand. Let’s end this.”
Ejigu’s desperate howls and shrieks of denial sent jolts of pain ricocheting inside Tessa’s skull as Galen and his uncle used their combined magic to force the evil Djinni out of her mind and into the trap.
“Now!”
Just when Tessa feared her head might explode, metal scraped her fingers, stinging and abrading skin, as Alec tore the pendant from her grasp. The wailing ceased, and blessed silence descended.
****
“Tess, c’mon, honey, wake up.” Alec’s voice sounded faint and far away, and more than a little strained. Tessa struggled through the cottony layers of exhaustion to find his pale, worried face hovering above her. Galen, over Alec’s left shoulder, and Mekonnen, over his right, looked no less concerned.
“You found me,” Tessa whispered with a smile. The tense lines in his face eased.
“I will always find you,” Alec promised, pressing his lips to hers. “And after I kiss you senseless, I will kick your lovely ass.”
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