“We’ll never find them. Not if we have to go through every victim’s family looking.”
“So we start with the ones who had firsthand experience with your grandfather or Albert Boltier.”
“Ick. That man is a sick bastard, through and through. I’ve never liked him. He’s…evil. Pure disgusting evil. Rathan offered to kill him for Joselyn after he made a comment about her once. I’m not certain Rathan was kidding now, though he’s never met Dr. Boltier that I’m aware of. At the time I was…but…” Mallory turned and leaned against the bathroom counter. “So…who first? Who suffered the most at Grandfather’s hands?”
“Other than Kindara and Jierra, who we know have nothing to do with this threat, that leaves only one name.”
“Who?”
“Nalik Black. Kindara’s brother-in-law. My first cousin. My mother and his father are siblings. Nalik was with Kindara and lost his brother and sister to your grandfather. Your grandfather and Boltier personally tortured Nalik repeatedly, then forced him to watch as his young sister bled to death. She was seventeen and very naïve. More so than Theo’s female. It isn’t pretty what was done to him, Mallory. And something inside of him has fractured.”
“Fractured enough to put a hit out on twenty-something people, including a twelve-year-old boy?”
“I don’t like to think so. But I think we should start there.” Nalik had taught him most of what he knew with a sword, being over seven hundred years old now. He had been Aodhan’s friend and ally for half a millennium. To think of him being responsible for the threats against Mallory and her family sickened him.
But he could see Nalik being that coldly strategic almost too easily.
“Ok. Where do we find this Nalik? And does he know that you are with me or that the others are also with Tanisses?”
“We don’t just find Nalik. The male comes and goes as he pleases. I don’t know if he knows about you and the others of your line being converted. That could have been what pushed him over the edge. We’ll need to speak with the rest of his family to find out where he is. His mother…she is not well. Not since she lost Iavius and Erastine. Nalik is dangerous, kitten. Far more than any Dardaptoan I have ever known. He taught me all that I know. And he has just grown harder.”
His Rajni nodded. “I can understand that. Would she even know where he is?”
“Yes. He is the Equan of the Black House. He is still required to help rule his people. A Dardaptoan does not step away from that responsibility for anything.”
“Then we can speak with him sometime today?”
“We will. But you will promise me that you will stay safe. I will take you with me, if I get your word. He is my first cousin, older by more than two hundred years. He is one of the most dangerous Dardaptoans I have ever met. Even those twice his age are not as dangerous. Remember that.”
“I promise. You know I don’t want to get hurt any more than you want me to. I’m not going to do anything stupid or dangerous, but when the need arises, I will defend myself. And my family. I can’t not do that.”
“I know. And that is all I ask of you.”
“And you’ll make the same promise? You won’t go out looking for trouble?”
“That is kind of my job description, but I can promise to be careful. I want to come home to you, Rajni. You are a greater draw than any battle ever could be.”
60
Nalik’s mother, Sarisha, met them at the door to the Black House. She appeared elderly, pain and grief and madness aging her more than a Dardaptoan usually aged. Aodhan had great sympathy for her, for what and who she had lost. Her Rajni Petr stood at her side, faithfully guarding her.
Aodhan had never liked his mother’s brother. Petr came across as almost oily to him. Manipulative. But then again, so was Aodhan’s mother, for that matter.
“Come in. Sit down.” The elder male nodded toward the black couch in the sitting area. Aodhan frowned as he studied it. It was worn, more than it should have been. The entire suite was shabby. Filthy, with a layer of dust and dirt visible. Yet he knew there were more than enough funds in the Black House’s coffers. All Equa had knowledge of each House’s resources if it became necessary. “What is this about?”
“We come in search of Nalik.”
“The Equan is gone. Haven’t seen him in months. Three or four. He’s working on a new project that has him fired up.” Sarisha’s tone was cold, indifferent. Aodhan wondered at it. “Don’t know what. And these damned servants will not tell me.”
There was one lone girl, less than fifty in age, standing at attention in the corner of the room. Aodhan didn’t recognize her. She looked unhealthy, underfed, even neglected, though she was beautiful in an almost ethereal way. She refused to meet his eyes. When she finally raised her head, he flinched.
There was ancient knowledge in that girl’s eyes. And it was terrifying. She bore watching.
“What do you want?” Sarisha asked, sinking down into a threadbare and filthy chair.
“Nalik. How do we contact him if he is not here?” Rydere spoke to her using the tone of the Dhar. She dared not show him disrespect.
“Ask Cerian. Has a bit of a crush on him, she does.” She nodded in the servant’s direction. The girl, whom Aodhan assumed was Cerian, flushed. “Not that anything will ever come of it, of course. Son of mine is useless that way and is her damned second cousin, even.”
“Regardless of your personal feelings on your son, Aunt, he is the Head of your House, and you will show him, and me, the respect that title deserves. Now, Cerian, if you will join me in the hallway, I have some questions for you.” Aodhan gave no one an option. And no one would dare defy him. Not with Rydere and Cormac next to him. All feared the three of them when they were together.
The servant girl kept her eyes lowered as she followed him and Rydere into the hallway. Respectfully, or because of fear? Aodhan wondered. Cormac stayed inside with the parents of his dead brother-in-law. “Girl, tell me. Where is the Equan of this House?”
“He is near Fort Collins. He spends much time there. I don’t know what he does there. I can get you the address. He doesn’t know I have it. I found it in his papers when I was cleaning.” She practically whispered the words, her gaze darting back toward the suite door. “If they knew, I would be in trouble.”
“How long has he been gone?” Aodhan asked.
“This time? Less than a week. He was home the day after the new Rajnis arrived and there was celebrating.” She looked guilty for telling them, and Aodhan felt a rush of compassion for her.
“And before that?” Rydere’s tone told Aodhan he too noticed how pitiful the girl was.
“Four months. He’s rarely here. I think it depresses him to be reminded of Erastine. Her mother keeps her room just like she left it. And she makes us go in there with her all the time.” She covered her mouth, a look of intense guilt hitting her face.
She was loyal to her family, like most Dardaptoans were.
Aodhan knew he’d get no more from her. “Cerian, do you have ties to any other House?”
She nodded, reluctantly. “My mother was a Woald.”
“If you wish it, I can find you a position within my own House. Or speak to the head of the Woald. You are not required to stay here. You know that, right?”
She lowered her head. “But she has been so good to me. She took me in when my parents died when I was less than two. I’m all they have.”
“I see.” And Aodhan did. The years of neglect that she had no doubt been subjected to had left an impression on her. He’d revised his estimation of her age, putting her at no more than twenty-five to thirty. So just after Erastine had been murdered. Young. “When you change your mind, you come to me.”
She stared at him a moment, then swallowed. “Thank you. You need to know…I shouldn’t tell…it’s disloyal…”
“Cerian, nothing you tell your Dhar is disloyal. Not to tell me would be worse.” Rydere wrapped his hands around the girl’s shoulders and
held her until she looked up at him.
“They hate them. All of them. Anyone with the name Taniss. Sarisha was so angry when you brought home your Rajnis. She fought and fought with Nalik. Told him he’d failed her and failed his brother and sister. It was horrible.” She shivered. “I don’t know what Nalik did after that.”
“Thank you.” Rydere and Aodhan said together. Aodhan continued. “Sarisha will be angry with you if you tell her what we’ve discussed. Can you keep it quiet?”
“Yes. They do not talk to me. Either of them. But they are all the family I have left.” And family was everything to their Kind. No wonder the girl chose to stay.
“Thank you. I will not forget your help.” Rydere bowed to her, the highest sign of respect a Dardaptoan could receive.
The three males walked back to the private meeting room via the garden, quietly discussing what they had learned. Cormac put it best when he summed it up. “I hate to think on it, but it does not look good for Nalik. But with what happened to him and living with Sarisha, I can almost understand it.”
Aodhan nodded. “Yes. Any but our Rajnis’ family, and it would almost be acceptable.”
“If he’s the one responsible.” Rydere cursed after he said it. “If he is.”
“We’ll need to go to Fort Collins to collect him. I’ll do it.” Cormac’s tone was grim. Aodhan did not envy him the task. “It might come easiest from me.”
“Good luck. I’ve figured out why the address Cerian gave us looks so familiar.” Aodhan crumbled the small piece of paper in his hand.
“Why?” Rydere asked as they rounded the damned grotto where Cormac’s Rajni had been attacked.
“Because it’s the address of the Taniss Industries’ lab that Leo Taniss built fifteen years ago.”
“What in the three hells is Nalik doing there?”
61
Mallory wanted to talk to him the moment she saw him enter the lobby with Rydere and Cormac, but with the arrival of her entire family and half the household staff, she couldn’t. She did manage to catch his eye and jerk her head.
He understood the message, and quickly left the other two men and joined her.
“Daddy, this is Aodhan.” She got a perverse thrill at seeing Aodhan’s eyes widen and the nerves hit his face. The man was close to six hundred years old, and her father made him nervous?
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Taniss.” Aodhan held out his hand and shook her father’s without hesitation. But he was eyeing her father in a way she didn’t understand. “Mallory, I take it everyone here is part of your family?”
She knew he knew they were. She’d seen the complete dossiers he’d had on every member of her family. But if he wanted to play it off that he hadn’t kidnapped her, she’d let him. For now. “Of course. Well, Marsh isn’t here. My cousin. He’s a few months younger than me and is currently in Europe. He’s hard to get ahold of. I’m not certain where Mitch is, either.”
“I don’t understand what is going on, Mallory.” Her father’s words were stern, but the hold he had on her was firm. Mallory fought the urge to snuggle into his chest like she had as a child. He was still as tall and strong and handsome as he was then. “What did your brother mean when he said we weren’t safe at any of the properties anymore? And where are your sisters?”
“They are both upstairs. Becca was slightly injured yesterday, Daddy. A car wreck.” Mallory lied to him with barely a second thought. “She’s a bit bruised. Mickey is taking care of her for now.”
“And you? What are you doing here in this town? And why did you just disappear for close to a month? Rand said it was business. What kind of business takes my daughters away in the middle of the night? And has them end up practically living with men I’ve never heard of? I want answers. Now.”
Aodhan took Mallory’s hand before she could fabricate an answer. Mallory was grateful when he drew her father’s attention. “It had to be done that way, I’m afraid. My colleagues and I were in the midst of a project when we came across what we perceived to be a credible threat to your two older daughters and two of your nieces. We didn’t have much time to act, so we brought them here. I’m sure you understand that we were only trying to protect them. We did not mean to frighten or worry the rest of your family, but we had to ensure that the threat could not follow Mallory and the others. And then we realized the threat was against all of your family.”
“What kind of threat? And does it still exist? And how do you know my daughters?”
“Yes.” Mallory wouldn’t lie to her father any more than she needed to. “Someone has put out a hit on every member of our family, Dad. One hundred thousand dollars for the guys and a quarter of a million each for the women. Even Cass. And we still don’t know who. That’s why Aodhan and Rand had everyone brought here. We…met Aodhan and Rydere through TI business. Rydere…is the mayor here, and he was petitioning our company to build a lab here.”
“Kiddo, it’s starting to sound far-fetched.” Her father might be the absent-minded math-professor type, but he wasn’t a fool. Far from it. And he was eying the way Aodhan touched her with suspicion.
They’d have to come up with something good to tell him. Or he would know something more was going on.
“We’ve removed all the guests from the hotel’s third floor. That leaves it free for your family and staff. It is the best we can do on short notice.” Aodhan handled her father’s questions well, and Mallory appreciated him not running roughshod over her father.
“I’m not happy with this, Mallory. Not at all.”
“I know. But once everyone is settled, we’ll have a family meeting and answer any questions.” Not something she was looking forward to at all. “It’s ok, Dad. I’m ok right here.”
Mallory took turns hugging most of her cousins and her aunt and uncles. Finally, they were on their way to their rooms, and Mallory was free to do exactly what she wanted—step into Aodhan’s arms.
He held her for the longest time. “I’m sorry, kitten, that we’ve made this reunion so difficult.”
“I’ll get through it. Was that man responsible for the threat to my family?”
“We don’t know yet. He’s in Fort Collins, at a lab your grandfather built fifteen years ago.”
“There are no labs in Fort Collins. Just the house that Grandfather built. It’s a third as big as the vacation home. I’ve only been there a few times. I don’t like it at all.”
“Well, Nalik is there. And somewhere in Fort Collins, your grandfather.”
“I see.” She didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about that. “So it’s almost over, as far as Grandfather is concerned?”
“Almost. We will be going for him soon.”
62
She spent the next day in the hotel gardens, with her sisters and female cousins, trying not to worry about what Aodhan was doing. Even Cass was there, though she spent most of her time tending neglected plants she found around the garden. No surprise; she’d always been obsessed with plants. That left the rest of them free to talk about paranormal things that Cass wasn’t privy to.
Cass usually was off in her own head somewhere. Especially when she felt threatened. The idea that someone wanted to kill her was bound to terrify her. Cass had been sheltered her entire life—by everyone. This was far more than Cass would ever be able to handle.
Ostensibly, they were supposed to be relaxing while Becca recuperated. Instead, they were in an intense discussion about who or what was threatening them. They had nothing but speculation. They did all agree on one thing—they were not going to hide while their family was threatened.
Aodhan worked nearby with a team of security from Taniss Industries. Mallory recognized the nine men for what they were now. Lupoiux, and part of Rand and Uncle Jason’s pack. She’d been there when one of the Lupoiux women Aodhan had rescued realized that one of the members of Rand’s security team was the mate she’d thought murdered three months earlier. It had been a beautiful reunion, considering the woman was abo
ut ready to give birth for the first time. Had she not been rescued, her twin sons would have been slaughtered and she forced to mate with another wolf. It was horrible and brutal. Mallory would never understand it.
Now, Aodhan worked with some of the men to beef up their skills when fighting Dardaptoans. These nine had been specially selected to form the base of the security that would surround Mallory, Becca, and Mickey while they were not with their Rajnis. Aodhan’s reasoning behind the Lupoiux guards was that each man had given Rand a blood vow, meaning that they could do nothing Rand would consider treasonous to any of Rand’s blood, and because Aodhan was convinced the main threat to Mallory’s safety was Dardaptoan in nature.
He no longer trusted his own Kind.
Jade, Joselyn, and the others would also be protected by wolves.
It was particularly hard for Joselyn to accept that, but Cormac was sticking pretty close to her cousin.
Mallory had no intention of letting anyone collect on the quarter-million-dollar price tag on her head.
She watched Aodhan as he demonstrated an ancient fighting technique. He had the form all wrong. It was one Rand had taught her, and she’d found she favored it. She would have to show him how to do it properly. It would be fun to spar with him, like she used to with Rand.
They would both enjoy it.
She sat watching him for a while, ignoring the discussion flying around her. Family discussions always got a bit heated when they really mattered.
A disturbance in the center of the garden had her attention sharpening. A blur that was almost imperceptible started to grow, darken.
Mallory jerked in front of her family, ready to fight. Finally, the center of the cloud opened to reveal a light. Aodhan approached the light with Cormac and Rydere at his side. With swords in their hands. Mallory stood in front of her cousins and sisters and just watched.
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