The DarkWorld SoulTracker Series Box Set Vol II

by T. G. Ayer

  Drake cleared his throat. “Hate to be the voice of reason here, but it really looks like you are jumping the gun. Saleem said not before the agreed time. I’m of the mind to think that means we will jeopardize whatever plan he has set up if we attempt to use the portal key and it sets off alarms.”

  I glared at him. But he had a good point. And I was grateful he was there to talk me down. But, the fact that he’d had to was a bit of a concern. Had I really been so ready to just head into the fray because I couldn’t wait?

  Had I really been ready to have risked the entire mission?

  Chapter 33

  I let out a soft breath and shook my head. “Okay. I concede. How about we call the pre-mission meeting, decide what we need and where we go from here? Then we gather and test the portal key. If it doesn’t work…if it doesn’t work, then we get to remove a djinn queen from her prison against her will and endure her wrath if need be.”

  “What?” asked Nerina softly. Her voice was an amalgamation of concern, amusement, and disbelief.

  I smiled. “We break Queen Aisha out of her Omega prison cell. She’s already refused to go with us, and given that she’d have had instant access to the realm without even giving off a hint of her movement through the veil, I thought she’d have been our passport in, and maybe even out if we had to make a big getaway.”

  “But let me guess…” Drake lifted a finger, “Her majesty refused to come with us?”

  “Very astute there, gargoyle. The woman is frustrating and annoying, but I kinda like her. And I didn’t want to go against her wishes. But I’m still not sure what Omega is holding over her head that she wouldn’t risk leaving for. She’s got a son ruling Mithras who is totally controlled by Omega-slash-unknown-bad-guys and Aisha refused even then to leave her prison. There’s something else we’re unaware of, and I didn’t want to push her. What if Omega destroys Mithras in retaliation, or what if they kill both Saleem and Rizwan?”

  “But surely Omega needs them for a reason?” asked Drake, his forehead knitted together. “They must want Mithras really bad, and whatever the reason, they have to retain control of Rizwan and of Saleem, and ensure Aisha doesn’t return home.”

  “What are the chances that this is just a bluff?” offered Nerina.

  “A bluff?” I shifted my gaze to her, squinting at the question.

  “Yeah, what if Omega-slash-whoever is just bluffing. What if they are threatening her in the hopes that she toes the line because they know that she is, first and foremost, a lioness of a mother?”

  I nodded slowly as I turned the idea over and over in my mind. “Could be. Then that’s the plan. Pissing off the big bad djinn queen is our plan B. Sounds excellent to me.” I rolled my eyes and then looked at Drake and then at Nerina. “Right. We need to call in the troops. I’ll send the message. Where are we meeting?”

  Drake let out what sounded a lot like an evil laugh. “Let’s ask a witch? She’s got about the best ward in all the planes of the DarkWorld. We’d be safe from anyone overhearing us. And we’ll be able to preplan right at our departure point.”

  I frowned. “Now why would we use Natasha’s land as a departure point. Don’t we need dark water?”

  Drake nodded slowly. “What do you think that little pond out back is? Just a pool of sparkling wine to drown demonic witches?”

  I took an impatient breath, but it hit me before I could counter his argument. “She’s purified the dark water. But will that do us any good.” I looked over at Nerina who’d wiped her blade clean and was tucking the portal key into the velvet cloth pouch.

  She looked up and gave a sober nod. “Dark water is only dark water because it’s the deepest body of water existent upon the ley lines. And the ley lines access the Veil in specific locations. So, no matter if it were a pool of goats’ milk, it would still work because deep-body-of-liquid plus energy-of-the-ley-lines equals open-sesame-to-the-plane-of-your-choice.”

  “As long as you have the right remote,” I said waving the pouch with the portal key at her.

  Both Drake and Nerina laughed, the sound of their amusement fizzling as soon as they glanced at each other. Then the room fell into an awkward silence.

  I was about to ask Drake what was for dinner when my stomach let out an indecently loud growl.

  Drake chuckled and headed for the door. “See if you can stay alive until I get back.”

  I glanced over at Nerina, who had by now stowed away everything in her satchel and looked ready to leave. I flicked off a few texts to Kai and Darcy, and one to Natasha who was the only member of the team who had received no formal invitation to the mission. To be honest, I hadn’t considered her as joining us in Mithras. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. If we were already dealing with a MindMelder what other supernaturals would they have lying in wait for us? Who was to say there would not be witches or warlocks waiting for us?

  I received a flurry of replies in confirmation, with Kai’s simple “See you soon,” making me wonder if she would be coming with Logan in tow.

  But I quelled my ripple of expectation and focused on Nerina who was standing at the ready, her expression one that implied imminent departure.

  “Sorry, I’d better get back soon. Get a few things in order before we head out to Mithras, just in case.”

  “That’s a bit negative. You throwing a shadow on our mission?” I asked smiling.

  Nerina rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. I’ll be back for the meeting.”

  I held out a hand. “Wait. I wanted to ask you something.” One hand on the strap of her satchel, Nerina half turned to look at me, her expression questioning. I swallowed and said, “What’s the deal with you and Drake? Is there something I should know?”

  She shrugged, eyes wide and so innocent I would have easily fallen for it had I not already witnessed their strained interactions.

  “Nerina, I’ve watched the two of you together. You can cut the tension with a knife. I need to be sure we’re all going into this mission prepared to have each other’s backs.”

  Nerina’s expression was now sober. “I understand, but it isn’t Drake per se. It’s the gargoyles that put me on edge.”

  “Ugh please don’t tell me you’re the racist?” I muttered as I walked toward her and guided her toward the kitchen.

  Nerina chortled loudly and shook her head. “I’m not. That you don’t have to worry about.”

  “Then would you please explain why you get antsy around him? The rest of the team will be around soon, and if I can see it, then so will they. And I’m not looking forward to fielding a barrage of questions about the issues between you guys.”

  Nerina let out a sigh as we entered the kitchen and I began to lay the cutlery and crockery out on the table. “Okay, I’ll tell you, but I’m not sure I’d want to confess that to Drake. To be honest, right now I’m not even sure my explanation is good enough to justify my reaction to him.”

  “Yeah, it was a bit on the PTSD side, which is why I was so concerned.”

  Nerina let out a soft gasp. “You thought maybe he hurt me? Oh, man, I’m so sorry. I never meant to give that impression.”

  Nerina shook her head and deposited her satchel on the counter behind her. She headed to the sink and washed her hands then looked inside the cupboards for glasses. “For as long as I can remember, the gargoyles have haunted me. Not in a ghosty sort of way…well in the beginning, that’s exactly what I’d thought. Over time, I guess I forced myself to stop feeling like I was being stalked, but rather to imagine him being a strange protector or guardian angel. Guess it was the stupid imaginations of an orphaned child.”

  “So what happened to change that opinion? You definitely went from cautious acceptance to wary-with-a-side-of-fear at some point.” I rummaged in the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of red, then peered at the label. If it were one of Drake’s special black market Napa valley exclusives, I’d end up in trouble. And it turned out to be just that, so I set it aside and went in
search of a standard cheap cab sav.

  “I was attacked,” Nerina said as I searched. “Had to run for my life and ended up killing one of the attackers.”

  I spun from the cupboard, a bottle of wine in each hand, and stared at Nerina. “You killed a gargoyle?”

  “It really was a freak accident. She was trying to slice and dice me with her fancy knife, and I sidestepped fast—so happy to have these dancer’s feet—and she slipped.”

  I placed the bottle in the middle of the table and sank into the nearest chair. Staring up at Nerina, I shook my head. “Isn’t that like taboo with DeathTalkers or something? Making people dead must be bad for your rep.”

  Nerina choked on her laugh as she sat alongside me. “That’s quite true, but at that time, I wasn’t a DeathTalker.”

  “The cops think you did it?”

  Nerina nodded and then, halfway through the action, she stopped and shook her head. “Yes to the cops, but there were others.”

  “Let me guess…Kira was looking for you, too?”

  “Yeah.” Nerina sighed and slumped in her seat looking drained. “Seems with her it never ends. I’ve enjoyed sneaking behind her back, but it’s a childish need. Kira is dangerous, but sometimes I wonder if she’s more of a danger to herself than anyone else.”

  “Guess if she tries to kill you that will change your opinion,” I said with a smirk.

  Just then, Drake materialized so suddenly that I let out a low squawk and Nerina giggled, sounding much younger than she appeared. She’d dropped her hood back and revealed her face now, her smile brighter and more peaceful. Her tension had eased, confirmed too by the fact that she didn’t flinch when Drake reached past her to lay out the foil containers of pasta and garlic rolls.

  Nerina seemed to have forgotten the desire to leave, and the three of us spent the next thirty minutes demolishing the food. Shockingly enough, I’d forgotten all about Steph.

  When she came wandering into the kitchen with that bleary-eyed look that said she’d been staring at the computer screen for far too long, I started, gaze snapping to the dregs of the meal on the table.

  Steph stood beside Drake, her dismay clear as she pouted. She sniffed the air. “Can’t believe you guys ate without me.”

  Drake grunted as he swallowed his mouthful and got to his feet. He rummaged inside a bag on the kitchen counter then withdrew two packages and laid them before Steph—which meant she had no choice but to sit and investigate the gifts.

  “I know you don’t like Spag Bol, and I know Mel’s a fettuccine hog…”

  I grinned and glanced over to see Nerina’s expression as she looked at Drake in awe and respect at his considerate thoughtfulness in making sure Steph had her share. It was easy to see that the DeathTalker was feeling bad about her reaction to him, but given what she’d described of her life to me, I didn’t blame her one bit.

  And from Drake’s behavior now, he did seem to have relaxed a bit.

  Hopefully, this meant I could relax when it came to the gargoyle-DeathTalker friction.

  Chapter 34

  We arrived at Natasha’s farm a few hours later, after Nerina had returned to the estate to run her errand. I’d been sent to my room while Drake had completed his last checks on the weapons.

  “I wish Tara was still around to help with the weapons. She’d have the perfect ammo.”

  “You trying to say what I came up with isn’t good enough?” asked Drake, sounding hurt.

  I didn’t fall for it. “Sure, gargoyle. You wanna try and compete with the friggin’ Queen of the Fae, you go right ahead. I’ll watch quietly from the sidelines.”

  “Wait a second. Did I hear that right? The queen of the fae makes your weapons?” asked Nerina as she shimmered in beside me.

  We’d just reached the small clearing beside the pond at the back of Natasha’s property. We’d foregone the need to greet our host as we’d suspected she’d already be down there waiting for us.

  Which she was.

  As we closed in on the pond, Natasha turned to face us, her pale hair gleaming in the moonlight. She wore a silk kaftan, its pale silvery tones making her appear almost ghostly. She smiled and beckoned us closer, and I was surprised to find that she’d set up a table beneath a tree, providing an array of food and drink.

  “I didn’t realize this was a midnight party?” I said with a smile. Seeing the white witch tended to make me happy, best friend notwithstanding.

  “Well, I was kinda peckish and wasn’t open to the idea of eating alone while people watched.”

  “So for selfish reasons, huh?” I asked keeping a straight face.

  Natasha made a face as she glanced over at Drake. I was pleasantly surprised to note that neither of them seemed to be avoiding each other, nor did they appear to be ready to snap at each other. Still, they didn’t look as though they were about to jump each other’s bones either, which is what I’d been wanting to see for so long. If ever there was a relationship I’d wanted to fix, it was the witch and the gargoyle.

  Maybe one day. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

  I was about to comment when a small group arrived: Kai and company. And they’d brought Darcy and Cassie along with them. Baz and Lily were accompanied by Grandma Ivy as well.

  But a certain tall, dark, and handsome was missing.

  I met Kai’s gaze as she drew close to us, and watched the sad glitter of her green eyes as she gave me a rueful smile. I reached out and held onto her forearm, giving it a small squeeze, wanting to tell her that she’d done what she could. But I wasn’t able to hide my own disappointment either, and there was really no point in saying it out loud.

  I waited as the group gathered and made their greetings, a nervous flutter in my gut.

  “Missions are always harder when the team is larger,” said a voice from my side.

  I smiled and glanced at Grandma Ivy, who was also watching the group. I studied her for a moment, the pale blonde hair, the youthful looks courtesy of the shifter bloodline, and I could see what Kai had to live up to. A mother who was a powerful mage, a father who was an influential and powerful alpha and a secret agent badass grandmother. That’s a whole lotta living up-to to do for one person.

  But from what I could see, Kai was doing just fine.

  I nodded and met Ivy’s eyes. “Have to admit it’s a lot of responsibility to bear.”

  “Wish I could say it got easier.”

  I snorted. “Thanks, Grams,” I said with a laugh. “Let’s hope this doesn’t happen too often then.”

  “Something tells me it will.”

  “Remind me not to look to you for comfort,” I said with a teasing grin.

  Ivy shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” She waved a hand at the group who’d gathered in small pairs as they circulated to chat. “What do you see here?”

  I looked at the team and frowned, but it didn’t take me long to figure out what she meant. The Ni’amh.

  Ivy gave a slow nod, and as I turned to look at her, I caught a flicker of worry in her eyes.

  “So when are you going to help us get all educated and trained and stuff. You know, we need all the help we can get, and I’ve been told you’ve done a bit of research into the whole prediction.”

  Ivy pursed her lips and looked away, leaving me unsure of how to follow the line of inquiry up with her. It felt so similar to talking with the djinn queen, making me aware I was dealing with a key asset. One I couldn’t afford to push into a corner where she’d react with outright refusal to help.

  Thankfully, Kai looked up from across the clearing, and I took that as my cue to call out, “Ready when you guys are,” before giving Ivy a neutral smile.

  Her response was a cheery grin and a knowing look, as though the pair of us shared some kind of secret. Which happened to be true—if we didn’t count Kai and Celeste. The rest of the people who needed to know the truth were gathered before me.

  I had to acknowledge the little pulsing of guilt I felt as I sent Dar
cy and Nerina a smile. The pair were standing beside each other while Cassandra stood near the water, in deep conversation with Natasha.

  I closed in on the open space in the clearing, and as I sank onto the blankets, Natasha waved a hand. A blazing fire appeared in front of me, though the flames were low and controlled, so as to not block our view of each other.

  “Wow, now that’s cool,” said Baz as he leaned closer to inspect the flames. “It’s even hot.”

  Steph and Lily were rolling their eyes. “Be careful you don’t burn off your nose, you idiot. The fire is real,” said Lily, slapping him on the bicep with the back of her hand.

  A thought flashed in my mind, one where I momentarily considered that Lily might have unspoken feelings for the vamp-human, but then I shoved it out of my head.

  Too much to deal with, Mel. Focus.

  I addressed the team. “So, I don’t think we’ll be here too long. We just need to go over a few things. The agreed time, as requested by Saleem for reasons still unknown to me, is tomorrow midnight. We’ve obtained a portal key to help us with access,” I said, registering Kai’s frown and her intention to speak. I nodded at her and continued, “So just for clarification for everyone, the story is as follows, just in case you are missing any of the pieces.”

  Finding I couldn’t sit and talk about this any longer, I boosted to my feet and began to pace a short distance. “A couple of weeks ago—Okay, maybe I need to go back a little further than that.” A few chuckles echoed around the fire and Kai and Nerina both nodded. Drake sat on the other side of the fire, his glittering eyes focused on me, expression sober. He, too, sent me a supportive nod, and I took a deep breath.

  “A couple of years ago, Queen Aisha of the Djinns was kidnapped while on a trip to the Earth-World. Her sons were concerned—she’s not the flighty or irresponsible type—and the elder son, who was also the next in line to the throne, came to our plane to investigate, hoping to find her. What he found instead was Omega, who recruited him with promises of helping him to find his mother. What Saleem didn’t know was that Omega themselves had taken Aisha and were holding her hostage…sort of.”