Questions raced through Kiarra’s brain, but she lacked the nerve to ask them. Instead, she would focus on being practical. “How many people were sent after me and how much time do we have?”
“At least a dozen. And my latest intel suggests that the shifter was just a scout and that the rest of the retrieval team will be here late tomorrow night.” Cam looked at Jaxton and then back at Kiarra. “As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not in charge here—but I’d say we need to move quickly, in shifts. A single exodus will draw too much attention.”
Kiarra looked to Jaxton, waiting to see if he would agree with Cam. He paused a moment before saying, “Where are Kiarra’s parents?”
Kiarra froze. Jaxton gave her a squeeze, but never took his eyes off of Cam. Part of her was grateful he’d asked what she’d been afraid to voice, but another part of her was afraid of the answer.
Cam’s face softened a second before returning to her hard expression. “They died fourteen years ago.”
Kiarra’s heart skipped a beat. She’d dreamt of her parents rescuing her over the years, and now she at least had an excuse for why they had never come; whether the excuse was valid or not remained to be seen.
Jaxton rubbed up and down her arm, reminding her of where she was and how far she’d come in only a few days. The warmth of Jaxton’s body, as well as the now familiar scent of male and soap, reminded her that if she could stand up to him, she could certainly ask her long-lost sister a question. “How did they die?”
Cam shook her head. “You’re not ready for the answer. But just know that they fought to get you back until the day they died.”
Could she be telling the truth? Kiarra was afraid to hope.
Cam leaned forward and said, “I don’t know what they told you inside the AMT, but Kiarra, our parents never stopped loving you.”
Between the sad tone of Cam’s voice and the flash of sadness in her eyes, Kiarra decided to believe her.
She’d thought the worst about her family, yet she might’ve been wrong.
Yes, her parents had given her up, but if Cam was telling the truth, the possibility that they’d realized their mistake and fought to get her back brought tears to her eyes. Tears she didn’t want anyone else to see.
Kiarra slipped out from under Jaxton’s arm and flew to the doorway. She managed to race down the hall and up the stairs to her room without anyone stopping her. After reaching the safety of her room, she closed the door and let her tears fall.
After all these years, her parents might have wanted her after all.
Chapter Twelve
Jaxton’s first impulse was to follow Kiarra and see how she was doing, but he couldn’t leave Cam alone without a guard. Marco might’ve confirmed Cam’s story with Neena, but Jaxton hadn’t. He wanted to know why Neena would send a team of people to his house, with AMT enforcers on the hunt, and not tell him.
He eyed Cam. At the very least, he needed to make sure Kiarra’s sister would still be here when she was ready to talk with her.
Yet instead of making sure Cam would stick around, he said, “Kiarra’s only been out of the AMT for a few days. I’m not sure she was ready for that.”
Cam raised an eyebrow. “You’re the one that brought it up.”
“I’m her trainer, and as such, any remarks that would upset her should go through me.”
“Do all trainers snuggle with their trainees in front of company?”
Cam’s actions were borderline insubordination. “This is my operation. Neena sent you here and now you’re under my command. I want to make sure we’re clear on that.”
Cam shrugged a shoulder. “It’s not like you’re going to send me away. We both know Kiarra would never forgive you if you did.”
Jaxton stood up and stared down at Cam. “You haven’t been in Kiarra’s life for a very long time. You have no idea what she wants.”
“And you do?”
He ignored her and looked directly into the security camera. “Send Marco down.” He turned his attention back to Cam. “Marco will show you to your room and get you settled.” Cam opened her mouth to protest, but Jaxton beat her to it. “Yes, Marco. He’s going to be your guard until I get all of this sorted out.”
“I can’t promise that you’ll get him back in one piece.”
“Alive is all that I ask for. We’ll meet back down here tomorrow at 8 a.m. I’ll give you your instructions then.”
Marco walked into the room. “Yes, boss?”
“Show her to one of the extra rooms and stand guard.”
“Sure thing.” Marco turned toward Cam and put out a hand. “Shall we, my beauty?”
Satisfied that Cam was in safe hands, he ignored their bickering and headed up the stairs. Cam was a problem he could handle later. Right now, he wasn’t about to let Kiarra relapse into the hesitant and scared woman from earlier, no matter what he had to do to prevent it.
He knocked, and without waiting for a response, opened Kiarra’s door. Inside, Kiarra was on the bed curled on her side, facing the wall. The sight made him uncomfortable.
Before he could think of how to approach the situation, Kiarra said, “I didn’t give you permission to enter. Get out of my room.”
Jaxton took a few steps toward the bed. “Technically, this is my house.”
Kiarra rolled over and glared. “I doubt you’d barge into Darius or Marco’s rooms.”
Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Part of him wanted to comfort her like he’d done earlier and drag her close, but he ignored it. Jaxton was her trainer and forcing her back into a routine would hopefully erase this backtracking of her progress. “They can take care of themselves. Until you can do the same, think of me as your shadow. I’m going to show up when you least expect it.”
Kiarra rolled back toward the wall. “I can’t do this right now, Jaxton. Just leave me alone.”
“I know that I said you could have the evening free, but I’ve changed my mind.” He strode over and yanked the pillow from under her head. “You’re eating dinner with me, so get up.”
Kiarra made a noise of frustration, turned around, and sat up. “I know you’re used to getting your way, but not this time.” She reached for the pillow and tugged. “Give me back my pillow.”
Jaxton tightened his grip. “No.”
He tugged hard and pulled Kiarra up off the bed. She crashed into his chest before taking a step back and slapping him on the chest. “You’re an asshole.”
He pinned her hand against his chest with his own. “If you’re going to swear, you’d better bloody well try harder. My great-aunt could do better.”
She curled her fingers into his chest, her nails biting through his shirt. “You’re a fucking asshole.”
“That’s better. Ta for the compliment.”
Kiarra stared at him with narrowed eyes. Neither one spoke, and despite the thin layer of material between his skin and hers, her touch seared his chest. Kiarra must’ve felt it too, because she darted a glance to her hand on his chest, her brows briefly drawing together.
He took a step toward her. Their bodies were now only a few inches apart. “You feel it too.”
Kiarra looked up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Liar, and I’ll prove it.” He lifted his free hand to cup her cheek, the skin-to-skin contact sending a jolt through his body. She tried to hide her reaction, but her pupils dilated a fraction, betraying her emotions. “You sure your elemental fire is gone?
He rubbed his thumb against her soft cheek, the heat intensifying with each stroke—warm, but not unpleasant. Kiarra’s hand relaxed against his chest. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jaxton knew he should step away, but he convinced himself that this was the only way to solve the mystery of Kiarra’s touch.
Each stroke of Jaxton’s thumb left a trail of heat on her skin. She’d dismissed the same feeling during training, blaming her imagination and her yearnings for elemental fire. But the feeling had returned, and she wasn’t sure
what to make of it.
When she’d had her abilities, her fire had always radiated outward. She’d never heard of heat flaring at another person’s touch.
Even now, she moved her hand a fraction to the south, hoping to feel the tingle of elemental fire particles. But nothing happened.
Jaxton’s thumb stilled and she looked into his eyes. He continued to cup her cheek as he said, “Reaching to the south didn’t work, did it?”
“How did you—”
The corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. “I’m your shadow, remember? It’s my job.”
It’s my job. Ty had said the same words to her after her flogging, when she’d asked why he hadn’t done anything to stop it.
The past was a cold slap in the face. She became acutely aware of Jaxton’s touch and the scant inches separating their bodies. She’d walked this road before, allowing someone to get close to her before she really knew much about them. After Ty, she’d vowed never again.
Kiarra shook her head and tugged her hand. “Let me go.”
He must’ve seen something in her expression, because Jaxton released her hand and allowed her to take a few steps away. She put a clenched fist over her heart, as if the act could protect it from the memories of betrayal.
“What’s wrong, Kiarra?”
She avoided Jaxton’s gaze and focused on tamping down the painful memories. After all these years, she’d thought herself past caring. Apparently she was wrong.
She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, using the same trick that had helped keep her sanity over the years: visualizing her future. She pictured the freedom to travel, read, and interact with others who didn’t see her as a freak or a burden. Her heart still racing, she took another inhalation and thought of returning to Mt. Rainier National Park, the possibility of friends, the ability to make her own decisions.
The hurt and panic started to fade, her good thoughts overcoming the bad. After a little more concentration, she finally pushed away the memories. She wouldn’t let Ty’s actions take away her new start; the man wasn’t worth it.
Kiarra opened her eyes. Jaxton stood on the far side of the room, his arms crossed over his chest. He said nothing, his expression unreadable.
The silence was too much for her. “I’m fine.” He raised an eyebrow and she continued, “At least I will be, if you leave me alone for the rest of the evening.”
He uncrossed his arms, the hardness of his face softening. “Are you sure you want to be alone right now?”
No. “Yes.” She didn’t trust herself around Jaxton.
He put his hands up in defeat. “I’ll send a tray up and expect you to eat all of it. I’m also going to have someone periodically knock on your door, just to check on you.” He motioned toward the alarm clock on the table next to the bed. “And set your alarm. Meet me in the front room at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.”
She nodded, hoping Jaxton would leave before she lost her resolve. Earlier she’d taken comfort from his touch, and oddly she yearned to feel it again. “You can go now.”
He gave her one last long look before leaving her room.
Without his presence, the room felt empty and cold. But it was better this way. If she spent too much more time with Jaxton, her resolve would weaken, and she might do something foolish. One man had already betrayed her in the past.
Kiarra wasn’t about to let it happen again.
Jaxton walked down the hall, his back ramrod straight, trying hard to conceal his feelings. Seeing Kiarra nearly attacked had kicked in his protective instincts. Those he could dismiss; he was responsible for her and would do his duty. But the look on Kiarra’s face when she’d pushed him away in her room, the mixture of hurt and fear, had affected him in a way he didn’t want to think about.
She may act more normal than his brother, but Kiarra had also been damaged inside the AMT—not just physically, with the scars, but emotionally as well.
The urge to kill the bastard who’d hurt her still lingered. Judging by her reaction to their proximity and his touch, he reckoned it’d been a man who’d caused her so much pain. Since she’d been imprisoned as a child, the man in question must’ve been AMT staff. If he ever found out who was responsible, he’d teach the bastard a lesson.
Jaxton halted mid-step. That was taking his duty to protect her a little too far. He had his brother’s recovery, Sinclair-related intelligence gathering and analysis, and new additions to his team to worry about. Why was he focusing so much on the feelings of one woman?
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Kiarra was just one small part of his list of duties and responsibilities. He needed to stop neglecting the others.
Jaxton entered the room that served as their headquarters. Taka was inside, browsing some reports while monitoring the split-screen CCTV feed. The first box showed Darius and the shadow-shifter; the second, Marco sitting in a chair outside the room assigned to Cam, a tablet in his hand; the third showed the hallway containing Kiarra and Garrett’s rooms; and the fourth displayed a split-screen view of the outside perimeter, flashing every few seconds to a different view.
Jaxton leaned down and peered at the portion of the screen showing Darius, determined to distract himself from thoughts of Kiarra. “Have we learned anything about the shadow-shifter yet?”
Taka leaned back in his chair. “She got tired of Darius calling her ‘Miss Shadow’ and screamed that her name was Vanessa. Other than that, she only said that others are coming and will free her.”
“Nothing turned up when you searched her?”
“No. A pat-down found nothing, and Darius refused to strip search her. Marco started a scan through DEFEND’s image database, but nothing has shown up so far.”
Jaxton trusted Darius and would ask him later why he’d refused a strip search. “Any signs of the ‘others’ the shadow-shifter mentioned?”
“No. But I’ll keep a watch through the night.” Taka turned toward Jaxton. “Where do you plan to take Kiarra?”
“Good question. What did Aislinn tell Marco earlier?”
Taka gave a half-shrug. “Just that she sent Cam here and that you needed to catch up on your sleep.”
“Catch up on your sleep” was code for contacting Neena via the method she’d dubbed dream-speaking. “I will, but any word on when Kiarra’s blood test results will be ready?”
“It’ll take at least a few days. The person I talked with didn’t quite know how to test for dormant or nullified elemental magic.”
He’d suspected as much, but had hoped to verify Kiarra’s story sooner than that. “Right. I’m going to check in with the others and see if Darius can leave with the shifter tonight. This house has been compromised and I want to evacuate this place, but gradually, to draw away anyone watching before I leave with Kiarra.” He glanced one more time at the portion of the screen showing Kiarra and Garrett’s rooms. “After that, I’ll try to get some sleep and see what I can find out. Keep an eye on Kiarra and Garrett till I’m done.”
“Will do.”
Jaxton left to talk with the others. This was the work he was supposed to be doing—managing a team, threading together information, carrying out missions. He’d always been content with it in the past, so why did he have the urge to check on Kiarra one last time to make sure she was doing okay?
Chapter Thirteen
James Sinclair waited for Praveen Kumar, one of the local Feiru councilors of Southern India, to answer him.
It was several minutes before nine o’clock in the UK, making it nearly 2 a.m. in India. But considering Sinclair’s leverage, Kumar had agreed to the late night teleconference.
Kumar finally put down the tablet he’d been watching and looked Sinclair dead in the eye. “So the last four years, and my two children, were nothing more than a lie? Why would you tell me about this now?”
“Because I need your unwavering support.” Sinclair gestured toward Kumar’s tablet. “I’m the only one who knows where the files are being stored, so if you coop
erate, I won’t leak them and jeopardize your seat on the council.”
Kumar glanced down at his tablet, which no doubt still showed a frozen video of his wife having sex with her lover. He glanced back to Sinclair. “And what will happen to Lavani?”
Sinclair shrugged. “That’s your concern. I heard that she was paid to make you fall in love, marry her, and provide information for as long as it took. She succeeded. The person who hired her cares little what happens to her from now on.”
Since Sinclair had been the one to pay Lavani, he knew the rumor to be true. Not that he’d ever implicate himself.
Kumar gripped the armrest of his chair. “Even if I wanted to keep this indiscretion a secret, I won’t be able to get the other councilors on my side. Southern India is a powerful jurisdiction. The last thing the others want is to be seen as crazy conspiracy theorists.”
Sinclair had known that and was prepared. He switched on the radio and said, “That’s why I scheduled this meeting. Rhianna Hayes’ report tonight should change your mind about the willingness of the other councilors.”
The jingle for the nightly news program started to play and Sinclair motioned for Kumar to keep quiet and listen:
Thank you for joining us for the 9 o’clock Nightly News with Rhianna Hayes. Now, to tonight’s top story: Taking a Stance in Eastern Australia.
The year was 1953. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in July had shown, with an estimated twenty million viewers in the UK alone, that televisions were becoming popular the world over. It was a time when many Feiru lived in fear of a first-born being caught on camera using their elemental magic. With the horrors of World War II still fresh in their minds, many Feiru were afraid that the use of elemental abilities might scare the humans into a possible war, genocide, or worse. Something needed to be done before public hysteria destroyed the Feiru way of life.
Enter the Head Council’s debate to amend Article III of the Feiru Five Laws. They finally ruled that first-borns were considered a danger to Feiru society, and the formerly experimental AMT system became mandatory. Since the threat of humans discovering elemental magic was no longer an issue—the first-borns were safe and secure inside the AMT compounds—peace and calm returned to our society, and the Feiru managed to prosper once again.
Blaze of Secrets (Asylums for Magical Threats) Page 9