“So we should take a different one,” Coop supplies.
Beck shakes his head. “We only have codes for that one.”
“Maybe the codes will work on another transporter?” Maddox suggests.
“We don’t have time to test that theory,” Dane says, looking all around him, grasping for other options no doubt. “We have no choice but to follow this plan through now.” He looks immensely worried as he hunches down, keeping his back flattened to the wall and creeping around the perimeter of the room.
My heart is in my mouth as I watch them scurry toward the designated transporter.
When they reach it, Beck taps in another code, and the door glides open, revealing Alandra, standing there all haughty and superior, with a legion of armed soldiers at her rear.
I drop to the floor on my butt as terror grabs hold of my heart. I want to rip her limb from limb and wipe that superior look off her face. The thought that she is there, with my guys, and I’m stuck here, helpless and powerless, gnaws at my insides. That slippery snake inside me contorts and hisses, itching to attack her.
“Seize them!” she commands, and four soldiers rush out the door, grabbing the guys roughly.
“Fuck that asshole,” Maddox snarls. “This was all part of his plan.”
“Do you have something to say?” Alandra demands, marching out of the transporter and pushing herself in front of Maddox.
“That asshole you’re sleeping with set us up.”
She grins expansively. “Of course, he did. And he thinks I don’t know what he’s up to, but I’ve always known. Zorc plays every side, but, this time, I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew.”
“If you know, why are you going along with it? Why isn’t he locked up already?” Coop asks.
I know Coop knows the score. That this is all part of their strategizing and game-playing, but he’s playing dumb on purpose to see what intel he can glean.
Alandra licks her lips as she turns her focus on Coop, and I see red. A scream rips through me as I jump up, clutching fistfuls of my hair.
“Steady, beautiful. Keep that for when you next see her,” Coop suggests as my rage and frustration roll through the connection.
She leans in close to him, grazing her nose up one side of his cheek, and I’m out of the door, running.
I don’t care that it’s the middle of the night.
Or that I’m in bare feet and my pajamas.
I won’t stand by a second longer.
“If she touches you again, I’m going to kill her,” I hiss. “I fucking mean it, Coop. I am going to obliterate her.”
“That is damn sexy as hell, baby, and I’m not going to let her touch me.” As he says that, Coop jerks back out of her reach, and Alandra’s lips meet thin air when she moves in for the kill.
Her mouth pulls into a thin line, and she narrows her eyes at him. “You will regret that.”
“I don’t fucking care. Do your worst, bitch.”
She turns to a menacing-looking guy with a meaty neck and mammoth hands. “I think Cooper needs to be shown a lesson.” She cricks her head from side to side. “Don’t hold back.”
“No!” I’m screaming in my head, tears streaming down my face as I race through the empty corridors.
“I’m sorry, Alinthia,” Dane says, “But you can’t be witness to this.”
My agonized scream bounces off the walls as the telepathic connection is forcefully disabled. The image in my head turns blurry, and the last thing I see is a meaty hand swinging toward Coop’s face.
CHAPTER 25
I beat my fists against Elder Glennev’s door, ignoring the quizzical looks of the two guards standing watch outside his chambers. They can think I’m batshit crazy for all I care. With the way I’m feeling right now, it’s not that far off the mark anyway.
“Alinthia. What’s wrong?” Glennev asks, opening his door fully and stepping aside to let me in. He ties his gray robe securely around his waist, waiting for me to explain.
I grip his forearms. “We have to leave right now! I need to get the guys before she kills them!” My tone is borderline hysterical, my fingers digging into his flesh.
“Alinthia. Please calm down and explain what’s happened.” Taking my hands, he leads me over to the table, gently pushing me into a seat as Donovan bursts through the door. He’s dressed, but his hair is sticking up all over the place and he’s rubbing at sleepy eyes.
“What the hell is going on?” He stalks to the table, looking between me and Glennev.
“Alinthia was just about to explain.”
I start talking. Words pour from my mouth, and I barely pause to take a breath. My voice is elevated; panic clearly underscoring my tone. I get up and start pacing the room, wringing my hands together as I fill them in.
“Shit.” Donovan runs a hand over his head. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“It isn’t. Trust me.” I take deep breaths and try to collect myself. “Which is why we need to go now.”
“You’re not ready.” Glennev’s pained eyes meet mine head on.
“I am ready.”
Glennev looks to Donovan for his input. “Her skills are impressive but going up against Arantu without knowing how to defeat him is damn risky.”
“So take me to the farmhouse. Let’s find the capsule and unlock the information in my mind.”
“It won’t be that easy, Alinthia, and that’s if we can even locate the travel pod.”
I stop pacing. “What do you mean?”
He leans his elbows on the back of a chair. “Daniel has spoken to your mother. All she knows is that your father buried it somewhere on the farm. But she doesn’t know where.”
“Shit.” Our farm is spread over acres and acres of land and searching for the capsule in the dark will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Excuse the cliché, but it’s appropriate.
My mind churns through ideas. “I can fly over it and use my lasers to see if I can spot something.”
Glennev looks dubious, and I know I’m clutching at straws here, but I’ve got to try. “I don’t know if your gift works in that way,” he softly admits.
“Neither do I, but I’ve surprised myself on plenty of occasions with what I’m capable of, and it’s worth a try.”
“I know you’re worried, but you need to think this through logically. Rushing out of here and racing to your protector’s side without a plan will only end up with you getting captured or killed.”
“We can take a ship and formulize a plan on the way.”
“It’s still too risky.”
I straighten my shoulders and walk to his side, staring straight into his worried eyes. I deliberately keep my voice unruffled and controlled. “I’m doing this with or without your help. Although with it stands much more chance of success. I will not sit here any longer while they are being subjected to torture.”
I grip his forearms again, pleading with my eyes, beseeching him to understand why I need to do this now. “I am of no use to anyone without my guys. And if she kills them, I will fall apart. I cannot do what I need to do without them. They are my entire world, and I cannot bear to be apart from them a second longer.” I release my hold on his arms and step back. “So, are you with me or not?”
A small smile traverses his lips. “I’m always with you, Alinthia.”
Air whooshes out of my mouth in grateful relief.
Donovan stands up. “We all are. Even if you’re borderline insane,” he adds with a cheeky grin.
“I’m not insane,” I protest. “I only want to protect those I love.”
“Love. Insanity. Same fucking difference if you ask me,” Donovan murmurs under his breath like a true cynic.
“I’m going to get dressed and I’ll rouse Tav and Ellya. Will you wake Denzil and summon a group of your most skillful soldiers?”
“Already on it,” Donovan confirms, moving toward the door.
“I’ll contact the control room,” Glennev says. “We can
teleport to Eaton Lake and then travel by ship from there. I’ll grab our best pilots and strategy experts too.” I nod as I follow Donovan to the door. “Let’s meet in one hour at the control room.”
“Make that thirty minutes,” I toss over my shoulder, catching Donovan’s low chuckle as he shakes his head. “What?”
“You’re so fucking bossy.”
I shoulder check him on the way out the door. “You’d better get used to it.”
A half hour later, we meet in the control room and teleport in small groups to Eaton Lake. Glennev also took the liberty of phoning Daniel, and he is waiting in the barn where Jensen and I used to hang out when we arrive. He pulls me into an embrace, yawning. “You doing okay?” he asks, keeping a hold of me as he eases back a little to look at my face.
“As best I can.”
“How do you want to do this, Alinthia?” Glennev asks, coming to my side.
“I want to run in and say hi to my mom. Find out if she remembers anything that might give us a clue as to where the capsule is buried, and then I’ll head out and see if I can find it. I’m giving it a half hour, tops. If I can’t locate it, we’re leaving.” My expression challenges him to disagree. Daniel smirks, and Donovan rolls his eyes. Denzil and Tav look at me with their mouths hanging open.
I’m guessing acting sassy in front of the leader of the revered secret society is a big no-no, but I’ve zero time for niceties or formalities right now. I’ve spent the last half hour trying to connect to all four of my guys, and I can’t reach them. That has only added to my terror. Every second I can’t communicate with them adds another layer to the stress pile.
“It’s not like I can stop you,” Glennev admits frankly. “Go talk to your mother, and we’ll split up and start scanning the fields to see if we notice anything unusual.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“I’ll escort Tori, eh, Alinthia,” Daniel says, clasping my arm.
“I’m coming too,” Donovan adds, and his tone brokers no argument.
The three of us walk briskly to the farmhouse. I’m bending over to retrieve the spare key from under the plant pot when the door swings open and Mom pulls me up and into her embrace.
Closing my eyes, I inhale her familiar smell, allowing her loving arms to comfort me. “Victoria.” She plants a kiss on top of my head. “Let me look at you.” Her forehead creases in worry. “You look tired. And worried.”
“I’m worried about the guys,” I truthfully admit. “And we’re on our way to rescue them, but I wanted to come by and see if I can find the capsule first. My birth parents hid a key inside, and I need to find it.”
“Come in,” she says, wrapping her robe around her waist more firmly. “It’s chilly out.” With her arm around my shoulder, she steers me into the living room. The guys step in behind us, shutting the door after them.
The chiming of the clock reverberates around the homey living room, stabbing me with familiarity. I glance at the wedding picture of my parents hanging over the fireplace, feeling the usual pang of nostalgia. Dying embers in the fireplace cast spooky shadows over the room until Donovan flicks the switch at the wall, flooding the room with light.
“Can I get you something to eat or drink?” Mom offers the guys, but I jump in before they can reply.
“I’m sorry, Mom, but we don’t have time.” Guilt eats at me. “I promise when I return I’ll stay for longer, but right now I need to know everything Dad told you about the capsule.”
She pats the couch and I sit down beside her. Looking up at Daniel, she clasps my hands in her lap. “I already told Daniel that I don’t know anything about the capsule or any key. Your father didn’t want me to know. He said the less I knew the better.”
That sounds like something my protective father would’ve said all right. A sharp pang of sorrow hits me in the chest, same way it always does when I think of the gentle, loving man who raised me.
“Would he have written it down anywhere? In a diary or journal maybe?”
She tilts her head to the side, rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand. “You know your father wasn’t the type of man to keep a journal.” She taps the side of her head. “He kept everything up here.”
I nod, getting up, trying to ignore the heavy weight on my chest. “I know. I was just hoping —”
I’m interrupted by three sharp raps on the door. Donovan is instantly alert, whipping a gun out of the back of his pants. “Relax,” I say, pushing past him. “It’s only my ex.” His brows climb to his hairline as I pad toward the door. “He came to my door every day for years. I know his knock.”
The second I have the door open, Jensen yanks me into his arms, squeezing the hell out of me. “My God, Tori. I was so freaking worried.”
I immediately feel guilty that I’ve given such little thought to what my disappearance must have done to Jensen. I hug him back, resting my head on his shoulder, siphoning his warmth and comfort. “I’m sorry you were worried, but I’m okay.”
He skims his gaze over me to qualify that statement. His hair is a messy heap on top of his head, and his eyes look tired behind his glasses. “Something is clearly up if you’re here in the middle of the night.”
“How did you know I was here?” I inquire, taking his hand and pulling him into the living room. Mom get up and hugs him briefly.
“I’ve set cameras up all over the farm to monitor any suspicious activity. It triggered an alarm, and I woke up, noticing the strangers roaming the fields. I hopped in my truck straightaway to check on your mom.”
Mom caresses his cheek. “Such a sweet boy.”
I hug him again. “Thank you for taking such good care of her,” I whisper in his ear.
“I promised and I meant it.” His cheeks flush a little.
Daniel clears his throat. “We need to make a move, Tori.”
I nod. “I know.” I turn to Mom, grabbing her into a final hug. “Sorry for the fleeting visit, but when I return, you can do Sunday dinner for me and the guys. They definitely need your homecooked goodness.”
“I’ll put on the best feast they’ve ever seen.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
She grips my shoulders. “Be careful, sweetheart. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
I kiss her cheek. “I won’t, and I’ll be fine.”
Jensen trails us out of the house. I wave to Mom and she closes the door once we are out of sight. “What’s going on, Tor?” Jensen asks. “Where are you going?”
“The less you know, the better,” I tell him, Mom’s words still fresh in my mind.
He grabs my elbow and pulls me back. “Don’t do that. Just because we’re no longer together doesn’t mean I’ve stopped caring about you.”
My features soften. “I know Jensen and it’s the same for me.” He pins me with a look I’ve seen plenty of times in the past and I give in. “The guys have been kidnapped and I’m going to get them back.” I pat his arm as alarm radiates from his face. “Don’t worry, we have a ship and I have a backup crew, and I have control over my powers.” Plus, I have murderous rage and a penchant for vengeance on my side, but admitting that out loud won’t aid my cause.
“I’m coming with you,” he says, tugging on my arm again.
“The hell you are!” I splutter. “It’s not safe for you there, Jensen. I appreciate the sentiment, but, no. Just no.” I shake free of his arm and run to catch up with Donovan and Daniel. Turning around, I shout back at him. “Go home, Jensen. Stay there and watch over Mom. That’s the best way you can help me.”
I pull Daniel aside. “Can you do me a favor and make sure Jensen gets in his truck and goes home?” I could use my power of persuasion, but I don’t want to take advantage of Jensen like that.
He salutes me and drops back, and I jog alongside Donovan. When we reach the barn, Glennev is there conversing telepathically with someone. “Any luck?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I’m afraid not. We’re using tech scanners, but it’s time consumi
ng with so many acres to check.”
I strip my jacket off, thrusting it at Donovan. “I’m going to fly over the farm and see if I can spot anything.”
“Be careful,” Glennev says. “I don’t expect any government operatives to be around at this hour of night, but you can never be too sure.”
“I’ve got this,” I say, pushing off my feet and soaring into the sky. This is the first time I’ve flown outside since I gained more control of my powers, and I fly up into the sky, higher than I ever have before. Down below, I can just make out Jensen and Daniel’s shocked expressions. I’m grinning as I maneuver myself into a horizontal position and start flying across the fields of the farm. A red layer coats my eyes as I summon my laser beams, using them to scan the land below as I fly.
“You’ve been gone thirty minutes,” Glennev projects into my mind a while later. “Spotted anything?”
“No. Unfortunately.” I turn around, flying back in the direction of the barn.
I land on the ground with remarkable grace, and my first thought is I wish Maddox was here to see it. I know he’d be proud of me.
Glennev looks troubled, dragging one hand back and forth over his head. “Are you really sure you want to do this, Alinthia? You have no way of defeating Arantu.”
I stand my ground, planting my hands on my hips. “I don’t need to defeat him today. I just need to get in there, get my guys, and get us all out in one piece again.”
“That’s a tall order.”
“There is no other choice.”
“Very well. Let’s head out.”
I’m startled when we start walking in a northerly direction, toward some outbuildings on the far side of the farm. “Where are we going?”
“I stashed a ship in one of the abandoned outbuildings up here when I first arrived in town,” he confirms, chuckling when my mouth hangs open. “Figured it might come in useful one day.”
“Wow. I’m impressed.” I smile at him, thinking of how lucky I am to have so many people working toward the same goal with me. It makes the impossible seem a little less impossible. Especially in this moment, when there is so much at stake.
The Warrior Princess: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance Page 19