by I. T. Lucas
He got up and offered her his arm. “Then let’s go.”
She threaded her arm through his. “What about the wig and glasses?”
“Rufsur will bring them to the car.”
“Is he coming with us? I don’t think he liked being left behind yesterday.”
Kalugal nodded. “I’m leaving Phinas in charge today.”
Jacki cast him a sidelong glance. “I have a question.”
“Ask and I shall answer.”
“Did you leave him with me as a test of his or my loyalty?”
He shook his head. “I left Rufsur with you alone as a show of trust, not mistrust.”
38
Jacki
“Can I take the wig and glasses off now?” Jacki glanced up, scanning the ceiling of the hotel’s wide corridor. “Do you think there are hidden cameras in here? I can’t see any.”
Kalugal put a hand on her shoulder. “Wait until we are inside. Kian only took care of the ones inside the conference room.”
That was a shame. Her grand entry was going to be a lot less impactful. But then no one in there really cared what she looked like, and she shouldn’t care what they thought either. Except, she did, and not only because she wanted to impress them with her new, sophisticated look.
On some level, her appearance reflected on Kalugal, and she wanted her friends to think well of him.
Taking a deep breath, Jacki squared her shoulders and clutched her purse tighter. “Let’s go in, then.”
Kalugal took her elbow and pushed the door open. “Good morning.” He strode into the room as if he owned it.
Jacki knew nearly everyone there, and yet they stared at her as if she was a stranger. “Hi.” She waved. “It’s me.” She pulled the wig and the glasses off.
Kian pushed to his feet and offered her his hand. “Good morning, Jacki. You look well.”
Behind him, Anandur chuckled. “That’s an understatement. You look like a million bucks.”
“Thank you.” She glanced at Kalugal and smiled.
Kian shook his head. “I wasn’t commenting on your appearance, although you look lovely. These days I’m concerned about the health of every human I know.”
“I feel great, and since I haven’t left the house in more than a week, I have nothing to worry about.”
Kian glanced at Kalugal and lifted a brow.
“Jacki knows.” He pulled out a chair for her. “And we are engaged to be married.”
Grinning, Kian offered Kalugal his hand. “Congratulations.” He offered Jacki his hand as well. “And good luck.”
“Thank you.” She felt heat creep up her cheeks.
His good luck wish might have been about a number of things, some of them more embarrassing than others.
Lokan was next, pulling his brother into a tight embrace and slapping his back. “I’m happy for you.” He offered his hand to Jacki. “If Kalugal and I were normal brothers, I would have said welcome to the family, but I’m not sure whether I’m welcome.”
Not to mention that their family was unconventional, to put it mildly, and she had no interest in ever meeting their infamous father.
Jacki forced a smile. “Of course, you are welcome.” She clasped his hand. “I told Kalugal that he should invite you and Carol over.”
A shadow passed over Lokan’s eyes. “Yes, we should.”
Apparently, Kalugal was right and Lokan feared to bring Carol to his house.
“Mazel tov.” Anandur got up and pulled Jacki into his arms for a bear hug. “When is the happy day?”
Jacki looked at Kian. “I don’t know yet.” She sat down. “We need to figure out the logistics.”
“I’ve got it covered.” Kian pulled a cuff out of his pocket and handed it to Kalugal. “I had it flown in early this morning. I also told Amanda that her party planning services are needed. She’s supposed to come back to me with some ideas.”
Kalugal dipped his head. “I appreciate it, thank you.” He looked at the cuff.
“Who is it for?” Jacki asked.
“For me.”
“Why? You don’t have a tracker inside of you.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Or do you?”
“My cuff is different from yours. It’s a security measure for Kian and his party. If I misbehave, Turner can zap me with whatever is in it and incapacitate me.”
“Neurotoxin,” Kian said. “It won’t kill you, but it’s not a pleasant experience.”
Were they out of their minds? A freaking neurotoxin?
Jacki glared at Kian. “I thought that everyone except for Turner had earpieces. Why is this thing needed?”
“So I can accompany you on your visit to the rest of Kian’s party. I want to meet Carol, and Wonder, and Kian’s wife, and the esteemed Doctor Bridget with whom I spoke on the phone when Jin was ill. And since they don’t have earpieces, and Kian won’t let me near them without that, I offered to wear the cuff instead.”
“You suggested it? Just so you can come with me?”
He smiled sheepishly. “Mainly, yes. But I’m also looking forward to meeting the ladies. Other than my mother and Tula, I’ve never met any immortal females.”
“Wonder is going to flip when she hears about this.” Anandur sat back down. “Prepare to answer a million questions.”
Kalugal pulled a chair out for himself, sat down, and put the cuff on the conference table. “The last time I saw Tula, I was five years old, and my mother was the only one I wanted to be with. I’m afraid that I don’t remember much about Tula, only that she was very pretty and outspoken.”
Turner cleared his throat. “Can we start on today’s agenda?”
“Let’s do it.” Kian sat at the head of the table. “I suggest that we start with questioning Jacki. The sooner she’s done, the sooner she can join her friends.”
“Very well.” Turner looked at her. “What can you tell us about the underground facility housing the program?”
“I know a lot about it. Where do you want me to start?”
39
Vlad
Richard’s snoring had kept Vlad awake half of the night, and when the sun finally came up, he gave up and got out of bed.
Richard hadn’t felt a thing and just kept on snoring.
Sharing a bed with a grown man was awkward and uncomfortable. Vlad could have spent the night in the room next to Wendy’s, but that wouldn’t have solved his problem. When his mother arrived, he would have to go back to the loft anyway. His nights were not going to be fun.
The good news was that things with Wendy were not as awkward as Vlad had feared they would be. The pain of betrayal was still there, but it wasn’t as sharp as it was before, and having Jin and Arwel there was helping a lot.
Wendy had fun playing the Harry Potter trivia game Jin had organized, and Vlad had enjoyed watching her relax and laugh, realizing how melancholy and tense she’d been the entire time he’d known her.
She had laughed even harder at the outrageous combinations they’d all come up with playing Cards Against Humanity. She hadn’t even been upset when she’d come in last and congratulated Richard who’d won. The guy had a surprisingly twisted sense of humor.
When Vlad emerged from the bathroom, Richard was still asleep. Peeking over the railing, he saw that the sleeper couch was folded back, and the living room was ready for the day, which meant that the Guardians had either never slept or woken up early.
He found them in the kitchen drinking coffee.
“Good morning.” Vlad walked over and poured himself a cup. “What’s there to eat?”
Bowen pointed at the fridge. “It’s self-serve, kid. I’m not your mama.”
As if his mother still made him breakfast. He was a grown man, not a kid.
“Did you forget that I work in a bakery? I can out-cook both of you.” He opened the fridge and started pulling things out. “I’ll make breakfast for everyone.”
“Did I hear someone say breakfast?” Rubbing her eyes, Wendy walked into the kitc
hen.
“Do you want to help me make it?” Vlad handed her a loaf of bread.
“Sure. What do you need me to do?”
“Stuff the toaster.”
“Okay.”
Vlad pulled out a bag of frozen spinach, two onions, and a box of mushrooms. “I’m going to make omelets.” He looked at Bowen, who was leaning against the counter and sipping from his mug. “Can you brew more coffee? Wendy would like some, and I could use another cup.”
“No problem, kid.”
The smell of cooking must have finally woken Richard up, and he came down to the kitchen. The guy was still wearing the sweats he used for pajamas, and no shoes.
“When is your mother getting here?” He leaned over the frying pan. “That smells good.”
“I don’t know. Probably later today.”
Reaching a hand under his sweatshirt, Richard scratched his hairy belly. “I should change.”
“You can eat first,” Leon said. “I’ll let you know when she’s coming. We have surveillance cameras monitoring the drive up here.”
“Good to know.” Richard took the plate of toast from Wendy and carried it to the table.
Vlad handed Bowen the first omelet. “Can you call Arwel and Jin and tell them that breakfast is almost ready?”
“I’d rather not.” The Guardian took the plate. “I don’t want to interrupt anything, if you know what I mean.” He winked.
Right. Vlad couldn’t help the stab of envy that pierced through him. They were so lucky, working on Jin’s transition and enjoying mated bliss. Their relationship hadn’t hit any snags, and it had been smooth sailing for them ever since the first moment they’d laid eyes on each other.
Well, except for when Arwel had been captured by Kalugal, and then Jin had traded herself for him and had gotten sick. Those had been hard times for the couple, but their relationship hadn’t suffered as a result. If anything, it had gotten stronger.
Would he have traded places with either of them, though?
Yeah, he would. Anything was better than the bitterness of disappointment and sense of failure he’d felt after Wendy’s betrayal. And even though he understood her better now, it still hurt, and he was far from feeling okay.
As Vlad cracked eggs for another omelet, his phone rang.
Turning the burner off, he pulled it out of his pocket.
“Hi, Mom. Are you almost here? I’m making omelets.”
Her answer was a sigh. “I’m afraid I have to cancel. Hildegard, Sharon, and I are heading out to help at a homeless shelter. People are getting sick over there, and they are short on staff because many of them are sick as well. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but this takes precedence.”
Damn. This was just one more example of his mother’s impulsiveness. He could never predict what she was going to do next. Years ago, before she’d decided to become a costume designer, his mother had worked as a paramedic. She’d even enrolled at a nursing school but had never completed her studies, turning to art instead. It had been just one more fork in the road in a long string of impulsive decisions.
“For how long?” Taking the phone with him, he walked out the front door and sat on the bench.
“As long as it takes. I’m afraid Richard will have to wait.”
“Or Vanessa is going to line up another female for him.” Rolling his eyes, Vlad couldn’t believe what he was about to say next. “You might lose your chance, and who knows when the next male Dormant will show up? It’s not like we have many of them.”
“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I won’t be able to enjoy a moment while thinking about the people I could be helping. There are things we can do as immortals that humans cannot, and one of them is taking care of infectious people. We can provide some relief and we might even save lives.”
He couldn’t argue with that. “Good luck, Mom.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry, Vlad. How are things going between you and Wendy?”
“Better than I expected, but it’s not easy. Jin and Arwel are here, which makes things a little less awkward.”
“I’m glad. I’ll call you again tonight.”
40
Wendy
Even without her empathic ability, it wasn’t hard to guess what was going on just by looking at Vlad and the guards’ faces. Vlad looked annoyed, while Bowen and Leon cast pitying glances at Richard.
Vlad’s mother wasn’t coming, and Wendy was relieved.
The only reason the mother had decided to join her son in the first place was to protect him from the evil witch who’d hurt him and to make sure that it didn’t happen again.
It must be nice to have a parent that actually cared.
Vlad thought of himself as an underdog, when in fact he was a privileged kid who lacked for nothing except maybe a few pounds.
In a couple of years, he would fill out, and that would no longer be a problem either, while she would still be alone in the world with no one who gave a shit about her.
“What’s going on?” Richard asked when Vlad came back in.
“My mom isn’t coming. She’s a paramedic, and her help is needed at a homeless shelter she volunteers at.”
Richard looked disappointed. “I hope she’s careful. It’s always most dangerous for healthcare providers.”
Vlad waved a dismissive hand. “Stella hasn’t been ill a day in her life. She’ll be fine.” He turned the burner back on. “Who else is missing an omelet?”
“I am,” Leon said.
“Coming right up.”
Bowen leaned back and looked at Richard. “What do you think about some target practice today?”
“With what? Do you have guns?”
“We do, but I was thinking about knife throwing. And if you’re up to it, we can also make bows and arrows.”
Richard smiled. “Sounds like a plan.” He chuckled. “You and Leon are going to turn me into a real mountain man.” He flexed his arm and looked at his bicep. “The one good thing about this fucking adventure is that I’ve never been in better shape.”
“Here you go.” Vlad put a plate in front of Leon. “Count me in for the target practice.”
Wendy’s heart sank. Now that his mother wasn’t coming, Vlad would find other ways to avoid spending time with her.
“Sure thing.” Leon cut off a piece of the omelet and put it in his mouth.
“What about you, Wendy?” Bowen asked. “Do you want to practice with us?”
“Do you trust me with a knife?”
Bowen snorted. “Even with a knife in hand you are no threat to me or anyone else here. Except maybe for Richard. He’s still slow as heck.”
Richard flipped him the finger.
Oddly, Bowen didn’t think that she posed a danger to Vlad, who was so skinny it would take two of him to make one Richard. Wendy had seen how strong he was when he’d lifted that popcorn machine off her as if it weighed nothing, and when he’d chased after her, he moved faster than she thought was humanly possible. But as far as she knew, he’d never trained with the guards, so how did they know?
“Well?” Bowen asked. “A yes or no will do.”
“I’ll gladly practice with you.” Wendy assumed one of her innocent-looking smiles. “Have you ever trained with Vlad? He is incredibly strong and fast.”
Bowen arched a brow. “I haven’t.” He looked at Vlad. “I’ve never seen you in one of the self-defense classes. How come?”
Vlad put the last omelet on a plate and sat at the table. “I don’t need it.” He tapped his head. “I’m a good shrouder. I can use that as self-defense.”
“True, but some people are immune. You can’t count on it exclusively. Besides, I would love to see what you can do.” Bowen glanced at Wendy. “Your girlfriend seems very impressed with your abilities.”
As Vlad’s face went red, Wendy froze, expecting him to say something terrible about her.
“My friend,” Vlad accentuated the word and paused for emphasis, “must be overly impressionabl
e.”
Wendy released the breath she’d been holding. At least he still regarded her as a friend. That was much better than being thought of as a hated enemy. Not that he’d treated her as such even though she deserved it. Vlad was a good guy who couldn’t muster meanness even if he tried.
Her eyes misting with tears, Wendy lowered her head and got busy with what was left of her omelet.
“What’s wrong?” Vlad asked. “Were you offended by what I said?”
Damn. The guy must have some empathic ability. “Not at all. I know what I saw, and you are being too modest. I bet you can beat these two at knife throwing.”
“You are giving me too much credit. I’ve never thrown a knife at a target before. My aim could be lousy.”
Blinking the moisture away, Wendy plastered another smile on her face. “Let’s place bets, and whoever loses is in charge of making lunch. I bet that Vlad scores better than the three of you.”
Bowen snickered. “I bet on myself. I know how good I am.”
Leon nodded. “I’m betting on Bowen.”
Richard shrugged. “Can I stay out of it?”
“Sure.” Wendy looked at Vlad. “What about you? Who are you betting on?”
“Bowen, of course.”
Leaning back in her chair she crossed her arms over her chest. “Mark my words. The three of you will be making lunch today.” She pinned Vlad with a mock hard stare. “And don’t you try to lose on purpose. I will know if you do.”
41
Kalugal
Kalugal had expected Jacki’s testimony to take no more than an hour, but it had ended up taking nearly the entire day.
The amount of details she’d provided was staggering.
They now had a map of the entire facility, with each building marked according to purpose, the number of floors, and the estimated number of units. Turner had assigned different colors to housing, offices, classrooms, laboratories, and manufacturing facilities. They also had the location and estimated size of the major equipment operating the facility.
