by Sharon Kay
CHAPTER 34
RHYS DIALED MIRANDA AS SOON as they hit the ground at their condo. She picked up on the first ring. “Hi—”
“I need you to scry. They have her.” He took the steps up from the garage level two at a time.
“What? Shit! Okay, I’m home. I’m on it. I still have that sock, so if she’s with them, I’ll see her. Starting right now. Crap, Rhys.” Rapid footsteps echoed through the phone and then stopped, as if she had sat down. “What the hell happened?”
“They came to the shop. I was there, but things got fucked up. Her mom showed up too.” Rhys ran a hand through his hair and paced the great room. Brenin, with Concetta still in his arms, continued on up the stairs with her, no doubt heading for a guest bedroom. Rilan got out an amulet and map, items he needed for his portal tracking spell.
“Her mom? Oh my gods.”
“And, one of the two Deserati is her dad.”
“What?” Miranda’s shriek was so loud Rilan frowned. “Holy shit. You need to stop with the shock factors so I can say my spell. But you’re telling me every last detail later.”
“Fine.” Rhys glanced at Rilan as magic crackled in the air around the older demon, making his already messy hair stand up even more. The male’s face was a mask of concentration as he spoke softly in Demonish, eyes closed. When he opened them to study his map, hands hovering, his pupils had turned an odd milky white. It happened when the dude was deep in a spell. It was a good thing. But it was damn eerie. Rhys didn’t think he’d ever get used to it.
Rilan blinked, and his eyes returned to their normal chocolate brown. He shook his head in frustration. “There is a huge amount of portal activity in the area right now. We can go site by site and check each one, but she may not even be in the city. All I can see is the activity, not the travelers.”
Rhys ground his molars. He knew that. Didn’t make it any easier. He still held his phone to his ear, hearing Miranda’s breathing. He didn’t want to start talking and mess up her spell, but the wait was killing him.
Brenin walked back into the room, followed by Tor. “Mom’s sound asleep.” Brenin set his hands on his hips. “Anything?”
“Rilan has too much data. Too many goddamn portals. But I’ve got Miranda on the phone. Scrying,” Rhys said.
“I see her!” Miranda’s voice carried through in panicked outrage. “Damn it! Put me on speaker. You all need to hear this.”
Rhys hit the speaker button, grim dread curling around his heart. “You’re on. What do you see?”
“She’s with both of them. They’re inside somewhere…” she paused. “Somewhere with big windows looking out onto water. Shit, wait, that’s our lake! I see Navy Pier. She’s still in the city!”
“Can you zoom out and see which building it is?” Rhys asked.
“Hang on.” Murmured words in an old dialect came across the phone speaker. “Lake Point Tower. No mistaking the shape of that place.”
“All right.” Rhys clenched his fists, picturing the iconic rounded triangular building. “Let’s go. Now.”
Rilan tossed him an amulet. “This is for getting back home. I don’t have any spelled with the coordinates of that building, so I’ll have to send you there.”
“Wait, you guys. I don’t know what floor they’re on. There’s like seventy floors in there. And oh my gods—they just started fighting!” Miranda’s voice rose. “The two males. Fists and a knife.”
“Where’s Enza?” Rhys demanded.
“She’s there, seems unharmed…I think she’s trying to leave.”
“Hold up.” Brenin laid a hand on Rhys’s shoulder. “I know you want to get to her right this second, and so do I, but Miranda has a point. There are seventy floors and we have no idea which unit they’re in. We ’port over there—then what? We have a whole damn building to search blindly? If we pick up Soren’s scent, that’ll help, but,” he paused, “you can hack in and tell us in a minute.”
“Fuck!” Rhys snarled in unbridled anger. Normally, he’d stay home in moments like this, jumping onto his computer and hacking into any database the warriors needed, relaying the info to them as they traveled to the scene.
Only now it was his woman, and he didn’t want to wait another nanosecond.
But he was the only one with the skills to break in and see what unit Antonio and Soren had rented. Or hack security camera feeds to see which elevator button Soren pressed, or which stairwell door he exited.
He brushed off Brenin’s hand and sprinted to his computers. If he was worth anything as a hacker and programmer, now was his biggest test. Enza’s life was on the line.
His fingers flew across the keys as his heart pounded, feeding in code that would snake undetected around the huge tower’s security firewalls and let him view every unit’s owner or renter. Pages of data scrolled by in flashes, as fast as if he were working there legitimately, but still, it wasn’t fast enough for Rhys. Every second counted.
Finally, though the process had taken under two minutes, an alphabetical list came up. Soren Adamson had rented a unit on the sixty-first floor. “Got it!” Rhys jumped up, grabbed his phone, and returned to the great room.
“Nice work. I didn’t want to distract you,” Miranda said. “They’re still fighting. Enza is still in there, but they’re focused on each other.”
“Let’s go. Now.” Rhys couldn’t contain his impatience.
“I called Jude, let him know what we’re doing,” Brenin said.
Rilan uttered the words to a spell and a portal ring opened up in the middle of the great room. “Miranda, we’re going into the portal. Keep them in your sight. I have to disconnect and I’ll call when we get there.” Rhys ended the call and shoved his phone deep in his pocket.
“Let’s catch those bastards already,” Tor growled.
“Hell yes.” Rhys agreed. With one step, all three warriors jumped into the portal.
Thirty seconds later, they tumbled to the concrete floor of a parking garage, to the shock of an elderly woman exiting her Buick in a handicapped spot.
“Sorry, ma’am.” Brenin flashed her his best PR smile. “I know this might seem odd, but we’re filming a movie.” He spoke in a low, conspiratorial tone and winked.
“Oh!” She shook her head of elegantly coiffed white hair. “The things they do with movie magic these days. Why, I never could grasp it.”
“Have a nice day.” Brenin waved and darted into a stairwell. “Go time.” In a blur of motion, he was gone.
The Watchers could run up the stairs at lightning speed, faster than taking an elevator. And since hardly anyone took the stairs, the chance of zooming past a human was slim. In a minute, they were at the sixty-first floor.
Rhys yanked open the beige metal door and took one heartbeat to scan the unit numbers. Charging to Soren’s, he grabbed the doorknob.
Tor got in his space, shouldering him aside. “Wards and possible spell charges. You need to go in and get your girl. Let me take the hit if something blows up.”
Rhys stepped well to the side of the door. “Dude, you don’t have to do that. You can—”
“I got this.” The dark-haired fighter gave a twist to the doorknob, and at the same time darted to the other side of the door. A blast of heat poured into the hall. The Watchers crouched as the surge expired, then Rhys barreled into the ritzy apartment, which was saturated with Enza’s scent. But she wasn’t there.
Neither was Soren.
Only Antonio was there, laying on the living room floor in a pool of blood, with a dagger in his lung.
“Fuck!” Rhys yelled. He ran to Antonio. “You took her. I will kill you.”
Antonio focused on him with glassy eyes. “I tried to s-stop Soren.”
Brenin knelt beside Soren and pointed to his wound. The blade had ripped the cotton of his T-shirt, and instead of a clean hole, the edges of the fabric were shriveled and black. “Viper venom on the blade.”
“Where are they?” Rhys growled, though he already knew. Raw
, sick anger and dread mixed in his gut, creating the worst, most desperate feeling he’d ever felt.
“S-splinter,” Antonio whispered.
“Goddamn it.” Brenin stared down at Antonio with disgust.
Tor entered the room. “Place is clean, no one else here. I found these.” He held up several amulets.
“Are those transportation amulets?” Rhys asked Antonio.
The male nodded. “Prespelled for Splinter and for Chicago.”
“You asshole. Let’s go.” Rhys stood and reached for an amulet.
Now Tor was the one to pause. “The three of us can’t just walk into Splinter.”
“So, we have Rilan contact Arawn and mobilize a team. They can be ready to go in minutes. It’s daytime.” Rhys couldn’t contain his fury. “We can meet them there.”
“Here’s another option.” Brenin stood up. “We take him.” He nudged Antonio with his boot.
“Why the fuck would we do that?” Rhys asked.
“He’s been working with Splinter. They know him. He’s our in,” Brenin said. “Plus, as much as you want to kill him, he’s still Enza’s dad. She should weigh in on whether she wants him in her life.”
He’s our in. The words tumbled around Rhys’s head. Brenin was right. And Rhys couldn’t process the fact that this monster had anything to do with Enza—but if Antonio could in any way help get her back… “Yeah. Let’s take him.”
Tor knelt beside Antonio and wrapped a brawny hand around the blade. “This is gonna hurt.” With a swift tug, he yanked it out. Antonio gasped, but the relief on his face was one that Rhys could relate to.
Brenin was on the phone to Rilan, filling him in on the situation. Rhys dialed Miranda.
“I can see you,” she murmured.
“Did you see Soren take Enza?” Rhys asked.
“Yeah. He did it while you were in the portal.” A sound clicked through the line as if she were tapping her manicured nails on the table top. “But you knew that as soon as you walked in.”
“Did he…hurt her?” Rhys had to know.
“He just stabbed the one guy—Antonio? And then ran for her and opened the portal. And in they went. He didn’t waste any time.”
That was good and bad. Though glad Soren hadn’t harmed Enza physically, he had moved too fast. Rhys closed his eyes. He could imagine the terror that Enza felt…wait, he had felt it. The insane pounding need to get to her, to rush out without thinking it through…that wasn’t Rhys. Not his usual pattern of behavior. He had thought it was due to his growing attraction to her, but what if it was more than he’d ever imagined?
He’d felt her fear.
Holy shit. That meant…
“Rhys?” Miranda said. “You okay?”
“Not fucking close,” he growled. “But thanks for your help. We’re going to Torth.”
“To Splinter?” Wariness edged her voice. “Do you need me?”
“Yes, to Splinter. And we’ve got this one covered. The three of us—”
“Jude’s downstairs. Coming up,” Tor said.
“Four of us,” Rhys said to Miranda. “Plus we might get a team of Watchers from HQ. I don’t want you to get hurt over this shit.”
She gave a half laugh. “Me? I’d like to kick their sorry asses across the realm. But I have a hunch you’ll tell me to get in line.”
“Yup.” Rhys eyed Antonio, who got to his feet slowly. “But uh…Enza will probably need your expertise when she gets back.”
“Of course,” Miranda murmured. “Anything she needs.”
“Thanks. That means a lot. Gotta go.” Rhys ended the call.
The front door handle jiggled, then crunched, then the thing swung open and Jude walked in. “At least you discharged the ward.” He scanned the room. “Heat blast?”
“Yep.” Rhys said.
“I had just gotten here when Tor called and gave me the speed-date version of things.” Jude sized up Antonio. “So what now?”
“We go to Splinter,” Rhys said. “Antonio can act like he’s handing us over. The same way he treated the rest.” Rhys’s voice dissolved to a snarl at the end, thinking of Enza being treated like property and used for her skill.
Antonio frowned. “The others all have some kind of special ability. Magic that goes beyond what a species can normally do. Splinter will want to know what your skills are.”
“My skill will be not setting them all on fire.” Brenin glared. “That’s your problem if you need to explain yourself. Say whatever the hell you want. We’re getting Enza out of there.”
“You may not believe me but I want that too,” Antonio said.
“Fuck you!” Rhys lunged, locking his hands around Antonio’s neck. “After your performance today I don’t believe a word of the bullshit that comes out of your mouth. And the only reason you’re still alive is that you will serve a purpose. After today, it’s Enza’s call whether you live or die. Because I’d be happy to see your head roll.”
Brenin stepped closer. “We still need him, Rhys. At least for the next hour.”
Rhys released Antonio, disgusted. “I fucking know that. Goddamn it.”
“Rilan talked to Arawn. He’s sending in Aleksai’s team. They’ve infiltrated Splinter before,” Tor said. “They’re about to leave HQ right now.” Tor inspected each transportation amulet, handing one to Rhys and one to Jude.
“Thank fuck. Let’s go.” Rhys grabbed the small pewter sphere and met Brenin’s eyes. “Grab him. I don’t trust myself not to strangle him in the portal.”
Brenin grabbed Antonio’s arm and wrenched it behind his back as Rhys spoke the words that would open a portal. Beside him, Tor did the same, and the Watchers, plus their prisoner, jumped into the shimmering rings.
CHAPTER 35
ENZA SCREAMED AS SHE FELL from the sky, clutched by Soren in a death grip. Blinding rain lashed them, soaking her to the skin. But she barely had time to process that before the ground loomed up at them.
Thud!
Like before, her breath left her lungs with the shocking impact. And Soren had done zilch to cushion the blow of the landing like Rhys had done back at The Arboretum. God that seemed like years ago…
“Get up!” Soren’s boot shoved into her ribs as she lay on dirty sloping ground.
She coughed and struggled to her feet. “You could have made that easier.”
“Aw, did you break a rib?” he sneered. “You’re a tough demoness. Stop whining.”
Enza pushed a lock of sopping hair out of her face. Did he not know she was half human? He must assume Antonio slept with other female Deseratis. Well maybe he did, and she definitely didn’t want to think about that. But the more important thing was keeping her mother out of it. If Soren never knew she existed, that would be ideal. Enza shuddered to think of him going after her.
She glanced around, but it was hard to see through the sheets of water streaming down. Shielding her eyes, she could make out a few pine trees and…mountains. Oh no.
“Where are we?” she asked, though her stomach sank with creeping knowledge.
“The Bloodspire Mountains.” He grabbed her hand and yanked her up the slope. “Shitty and isolated. And your new home.”
She shivered and goosebumps broke out on her soaked arms. He had said he was taking her to Splinter, those awful ugly red creatures.
Would Rhys be able to find her? How badly was he hurt? Soren had stabbed him right there in the alley. In front of her mother. Was her mother okay?
“What did you do with Rhys?” The words cascaded out in a need-to-know rush, even if it betrayed her feelings for him. Soren already thought they were mates.
“Your male?” Soren shrugged. “I left him. Who cares? The venom on the blade should have immobilized him soon enough.”
Oh god. Sick dread washed through her. Would that kill him? Rhys said predatory demons healed fast, but Antonio had looked incapacitated on the apartment floor after being stabbed. Sudden tears sprang to her eyes and she was grateful the rain wo
uld disguise them. Rhys… she never meant for him to get caught up in this mess.
Then again she wouldn’t have known anything about her supernatural half if he hadn’t intervened back in that alley.
But he might not know where she was. He might not be able to save her, as much as she wished he somehow could. No, now it was all up to her…and the brand new talent that simmered in her mind.
Rain trickled between her breasts and squelched in her shoes. Rain. The significance of the inclement weather clicked with a tiny hopeful spark. Maybe she didn’t have great control of her ability, but she could try. For Rhys’s sake, she wouldn’t give up. The thought of not seeing him again wasn’t an option. She didn’t know what they were, but her heart pulsed with the certainty that he was meant to be in her life, and she in his.
“Come on, move it!” Soren growled, pulling her harder. “I don’t want to be out here any longer than I have to.”
She stumbled on a rock, breaking her fall with a hand in the muddy ground. Soren yanked her arm hard and pain lanced through her shoulder joint. “Stop!” she yelled, glancing up. “I—”
Her words died. Three figures loomed in front of Soren, brandishing swords. Tall, with red skin and odd-shaped faces with pointed chins, they wore tattered clothing. One grabbed Soren and the other two swooped down on her, each grabbing an arm.
She screamed, and one clamped a grubby hand over her mouth. Soren and the red demon began a heated conversation in a language she didn’t understand.
Soren pointed to her. The red demon scrutinized her, not in a lecherous way but more of a shrewd, is—she—useful kind of way. He stalked close to her. “Unhide your horns and tail.” His voice was low and guttural with an accent she couldn’t place. Yellow eyes peered at her from beneath heavy brows, and a few wisps of black hair were plastered to his head.
Uh-oh. She had no idea how he would take this news, but figured they’d find out soon enough. May as well tell the truth. “I-I don’t have them.”
The creature turned to Soren. “You said she was a Deserati!” His voice rose with anger.
“She is!” Soren glared at her. “What the fuck do you mean, you don’t have them? That’s not possible.”
