Benjamin stiffened and turned her way. “I forgot you can talk to ghosts. Is there a chance she can help?”
Karma’s shoulders relaxed on their own. “Yes. Linda doesn’t know where the girls are, but she found Terre, Dayne, and Jaydon. She’s working on finding their location. All she could tell me tonight was that they were near a lake and it’s dark there. It has to be somewhat close for her to have been able to find them. My guess is within an hour or two, based on the time it took her to find them and get back to me.”
Benny sipped slowly, his eyes blazing through the darkened night. “Let me get this straight. She can’t just whip back and forth? It actually takes the same amount of time as it would for us in a car? Or walking?”
“I believe so, and it’s my understanding that she kind of latches on to a sensitive being in the process,” Karma admitted, taking another drink. The Scotch was tasty. She hadn’t liked beer; she was more accustomed to wine. There was always wine in the Kurjan strongholds, and she was partial to Chianti, although this Scotch could become a favorite. “She was going to try to reach Terre on her own, but I’m worried about her. Usually I’m the one doing the work for the spirit.”
“Like what?” Benjamin asked.
She paused with the glass almost to her mouth. Nobody ever asked her questions. “Oh. Well, years ago, one human man asked me to send a letter to his fiancée, and I did. Another woman asked me to say a special prayer for her, and I did. Just a few months ago, a teenager asked me to email his parents from his account, and I did so. I had to get sneaky, but I managed to do it.”
Benjamin’s lips curved in a half smile. “That’s sweet. What did the kid die of?”
“Cancer,” she murmured. “He just wanted an email from him to them about how he wasn’t scared and loved them. He said he’d save a place in heaven for them. We made sure to backdate the email and send it to an account the parents didn’t check all the time.”
“That’s kind of you, Karma,” Benjamin said.
“I’ve tried to help the females I’ve met in the Kurjan camps, and now I might not be able to help them any longer. I can’t go back after I get my girls.” The guilt felt heavy.
“Not your fault,” Benjamin said. “You’ve done what you could, and I have no doubt there will be more people to help, wherever you end up.”
Warmth, stronger than that from the Scotch, filtered through her body. Right beneath her skin. “You’re the kind one.”
“Ha,” he said. “I’ve been called many things, but kind isn’t one of them.” He took another drink of his Scotch. “This Linda has been with you longer than most?”
“Definitely.” She took a bigger drink this time. “Ever since the twins came to live with me, Linda has been there. She doesn’t want to cross over until they’re safe, which I understand.”
“Where do people actually go? Do you know?” he asked.
She smiled. “Not really, but they don’t seem scared, so I figure it’s a good place. For most people, anyway.” She sipped delicately. “Linda will try to find where Sam is, don’t worry. At the very least, we know the Kurjans are close-by and don’t seem to be moving yet. She said they were staying in tents somewhere.”
Benjamin shook his head. “I never thought I’d get help from a ghost.”
“I believe they prefer to be called spirits,” she murmured. “May I ask you a question, Benjamin?”
He chuckled. “You can ask me as many questions as you like.”
Could he get any kinder? “Are shifters animals?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, they shift into animals. Canine, feline, or bear. And it’s a secret, but there are dragons. Few and far between.”
Dragons? Fascinating. She’d had no idea. “That’s not what I meant. Are they just animals? Not evolved?”
“Oh. No. They’re just like you and me, but they can shift into animals. I’ve never known of anybody who could shift into an animal other than the ones I mentioned.” He took another big drink. “Keep it a secret about the dragons. I’m sure I’m not supposed to tell anybody.” Then he turned to her. “So. Wanna make out?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
For breakfast, Karma dished scrambled eggs onto her plate in the sprawling dining room of the main lodge and then sat on the deck, where Mercy was waiting for her.
“Did you get some of the watermelon?” Mercy asked, nearly bouncing in her chair. “I cut it into small pieces that we can throw at the guys if they tick us off.” She grinned, but her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Lines of stress extended from the edges, and dark circles were smudged below them.
Karma sat. “Did you not sleep at all last night?”
Mercy ate part of a cinnamon roll. “I slept a little, but Logan didn’t sleep at all. He kept going through the satellite feeds, trying to figure out which way the Kurjans went.”
Karma patted her hand. “We’ll find Sam. I have Linda working on it, and she’s determined.” She hoped Mercy didn’t think she was insane or lying. “I believe Benjamin called Logan earlier this morning to let him know about Linda. Perhaps the information she finds will help somewhat.”
“I hope so. It’s pretty cool that you can see spirits.” Mercy perked up as Logan and Garrett strode out of the lodge into the meager autumn sun. “There are pancakes, too. I made them with huckleberries that were still left in the freezer. They’re not as good as Haven’s, but at least I didn’t add salt to the recipe this time.”
Karma looked toward the lodge. “Where are Haven and Quade?”
“They left at first light to reach out to the Fae nation. Haven is half-Fae, so she’s taking my place handling diplomacy right now. I want to stay here with Logan until we find Sam.” Mercy took another bite of the roll. “It’s good for her to spend time with them. She was raised human rather than Fae.”
Karma took a sip of her mimosa. The Seven seemed to drink a lot of alcohol, but she wasn’t complaining. “You and Haven weren’t raised together?”
Mercy shook her head. “Nope. We didn’t even know of each other until after she mated with Quade. It’s so awesome to have a sister. Did you have sisters?”
“No. I was an only child, which was rare back then,” Karma said. Would she have tried to return to a sibling after her mate had died if she’d had one? If she’d had a sister like Mercy, then certainly she would’ve tried her best to reconnect.
Mercy looked over Karma’s shoulder at the side of the deck, her eyes widened, and then she spit out her mimosa. She coughed wildly and gestured crazily.
Logan and Garrett both stopped short on the deck, their jaws going slack.
Karma slowly turned to see what had shocked them. “Oh my goodness,” she whispered.
Benjamin Reese stomped across the grassy area by the river, his combat boots making deep imprints. He wore a too-tight long-sleeved blouse that was buttoned to his neck as well as a long skirt that forced him to shorten his stride.
Karma’s jaw dropped. Was he ridiculing her? That didn’t seem like Benjamin.
He paused in the grass and motioned Garrett and Logan forward. “Karma? I’m showing you that you can fight no matter what you’re wearing. You’ve mentioned several times that a lady can’t fight decently in a skirt or a long dress. I understand a skirt might be a hindrance, but so is a broken arm or self-doubt. You can fight in any situation, and I’m going to prove it to you.”
She couldn’t speak. The male looked absolutely ridiculous in the green floral skirt and too-tight white button-down shirt. “Where—” She couldn’t finish the sentence.
Mercy wiped tears off her face and then laughed some more. She pressed a hand to her stomach and took several deep breaths. “The shirt was Ivar’s—he used to be much thinner. And the skirt is a shower curtain I sewed together for Benny. How sweet is he? I mean, he is never going to live this down, and he doesn’t care.”
Neither Logan nor Garrett had moved.
Benjamin put his hands on his hips, where the skirt was tucked in. “Get out here, you two. I want to take both of you on. You’re both on edge, and frankly, I’m tired of it. Let’s do this.”
Logan tossed his plate onto the table, and it clattered several inches. Garrett put his down carefully and then followed Logan over the steps to the grass. Both males cracked their knuckles and then spread out, going at Benjamin from different sides.
“Wait a minute.” Karma finally found her voice. She stood. “Two against one is not fair.” Especially when the one was wearing a skirt that kept tripping him up.
Benjamin bent his knees and angled his body to keep both of the other males in his sight. “Fights are never fair, sweetheart. That’s your first lesson.” With the river at his back, at least the other two couldn’t circle around him from behind.
She started forward, but Mercy grasped her arm. “Let them fight. Benny went to a lot of trouble to put on that ridiculous shower curtain for you.”
Nobody had ever done anything so sweet for her before. Not that Benjamin didn’t look good in a skirt, because he did. He would’ve looked amazing in a kilt. But the shower curtain was truly abominable. The flowers were a terrible lamé gold with flecks of vomit-colored green. Three or four birds danced around in the pattern. They were blue, but they didn’t look like any bluebirds Karma had ever seen. “That is the ugliest shower curtain in existence,” she whispered.
Mercy sputtered out a laugh and then covered her mouth. “I know. It’s terrible, right? We have a lighter purple one in a guesthouse down the way, but I couldn’t help myself when Benjamin asked for a skirt. It’s probably going to rip in the fight, and I didn’t want to have to buy a new one for the purple bathroom. Well, lilac, I guess.”
Garrett charged first. Head down, he went for Benjamin’s midsection. The second he made contact, Logan rushed forward, aiming for Benjamin’s head.
Benjamin pivoted and kicked Logan in the balls as he went down to the ground. The second he landed, he clocked Garrett in the throat with a forearm and threw the younger hybrid toward Logan, who’d dropped to his knees, one hand on his groin.
In an impressive display of strength, all three males went from the ground to their feet in one smooth move. “Wow,” Karma breathed.
Mercy reached for her plate of eggs and perched on top of the table, watching with excitement. “I know, right? This is going to be a good fight.” She scooted over and motioned for Karma to sit next to her. “Come on. We can still eat while cheering them on.”
Karma delicately sat next to Mercy on the table and placed her feet on a chair, careful to keep her knees together. Unlike Benjamin. He aimed an impressive sidekick at Garrett’s chin while spinning around to punch Logan in the jaw.
“Whoa,” Mercy said, wincing. “Nice punch, Ben!”
“Thanks,” Benjamin said, flipping backward and landing behind Garrett to place him in a choke hold.
Garrett grabbed Benjamin’s forearm, dropped his weight, and threw the hybrid over his head. Benjamin landed on his back, rolled, and came up into a tackle into Logan’s torso.
“Great throw, G,” Mercy called, taking a swig of her drink.
Logan and Benjamin butted heads, and the sound echoed through the morning. Logan swept left with one foot while grabbing Benjamin’s head and throwing him toward the deck. Benjamin’s head impacted with a cracking sound.
“Excellent toss, baby,” Mercy said, pumping her fork in the air. “You got him good, Logan. I want to learn that move.”
Benjamin backflipped to his feet and pivoted in a sidekick that caught a rushing Garrett in the gut.
“Oof,” Mercy agreed, spooning eggs into her mouth. She swallowed. “That’s gonna leave a bruise, Garrett. Well, probably not. Considering your fused torso.” She took another couple of bites. “Your foot might be bruised, Benny.”
Karma looked sideways at her new friend. “Are all Fae slightly, well, nutty?”
“Yes,” all three males said in unison, circling each other for an opening.
Mercy snorted. “No. We just like fun. Come on, guys. Stop playing ring-around-a-rosy. Do something interesting.”
Karma couldn’t breathe. Her mind blanked. She gently grasped Mercy’s arm. “I do not understand. You care about these males. Why do you want them to harm each other in a fight?”
Mercy set down her plate and reached for the mimosa glasses, handing one to Karma. “They’re brothers, Karma. They won’t really harm each other. Plus, they’re immortal males, and they have stress, and this is a good way to deal with some of that.” She looked Karma in the eyes. “And apparently Benny is trying to prove something to you. Maybe a couple of things.”
Karma sipped the delicious drink and watched Benjamin throw Logan into Garrett. Both young immortals crashed into a large pine tree, and pine cones and needles rained down. “Are you able to fight?”
“Sure,” Mercy said, angling her neck to watch Logan take Benjamin down to the ground with both arms around the knees. “I’m not the best at it, but I can hold my own if necessary. Logan does most of the fighting in our family, but that’s just because he’s better trained and also a protective jackass sometimes.” She grinned. “I do love that hybrid.”
This was a whole new world. “I’ve never seen the Kurjans or the Cysts train for fun,” Karma admitted. “When they fight, they do so to maim or really harm each other.”
“That sucks,” Mercy said quietly. “Did you see that kick Benny just landed on Garrett’s ear? In a skirt?”
Karma took another drink. “Yes. He lifted the skirt, kicked, and then lowered it again. I saw his black briefs.” And his muscled thighs. Benjamin Reese had masculine legs. Strong and powerful. Jitters cascaded through her abdomen, and her breath shortened. Was there a chance he’d kiss her again?
As she watched him valiantly fight off two dangerous warriors while wearing a constricting skirt, her heart seemed to swell. Nobody had ever done something so kind for her. He was teaching her that she could survive on her own, without him, without anybody.
That was selfless.
She’d dreamed of him through the years, after their first meeting. Wondrous dreams. But nothing came close to the reality of the kind soldier. Yes, he was deadly, and there was no doubt he could be bossy. Yet the way he cared for her, his attempts to help her see her own value, were things she’d never expected. Not from any male—much less one of the Seven, who were known as the deadliest and most dangerous males around.
The more time she spent with Logan and Mercy, the more evident it became that Logan was actually strengthened by their bond instead of weakened.
The Kurjans had that wrong. She was certain of it. Perhaps that was why the Kurjans had lost the last war.
Garrett caught Benjamin with a shocking uppercut that threw Benjamin’s head back with a loud crack.
Karma gasped and stood up. Was he all right?
Benjamin lowered his chin and set his stance. His eyes swirled with a dangerous glint. “Oh, kid. You should’ve known better.” He kicked the skirt out of the way and crouched, leaping forward with an impressive amount of speed and power.
Garrett’s eyes widened, but before he could move, Benjamin connected and partially lifted the younger warrior to throw him into the river. Garrett landed with a hard splash.
Logan jumped for Benjamin, but Benjamin twisted at the last moment, manacled Logan around the neck, and then kept spinning until he released the hybrid. Logan sailed through the air and landed on Garrett. Both young warriors went under the water.
Mercy snorted.
Garrett and Logan both stood, water sliding down their bodies, their hair matted to their heads. Fury and fire lit their immortal eyes.
Benjamin looked at them, paused, and then threw back his head and laughed. Long and hard, he laughed until he
had to hold his belly.
Karma couldn’t breathe. His strength was impressive, but that laugh. It warmed her from head to toe.
Logan smiled first, right before Garrett did the same. Then they laughed as well, helping each other across the rocks and slipping several times before reaching the shore.
Benjamin prowled forward to help them out of the water. “You’re excellent fighters.” He sounded both pleased and proud. “I just have centuries of experience on you. Man, that was fun. Let’s do it again.”
Mercy whistled, making Karma jump. “You’ve all goofed off enough for the morning. Come eat your breakfast so we can get back to work.” Her voice was no-nonsense, and shock of shocks, all three males instantly pivoted to come back and eat breakfast. They’d obeyed her.
Karma tried to mask her surprise.
Benjamin ambled up, the plastic skirt he’d put on again swaying as he moved. He reached her and smiled. “See what I mean?”
Numbly, she could only nod. “You’re very kind, Benjamin.”
He scowled, but the sparkle remained in his spectacular eyes. “Geez. Be nice, Karma. Don’t tell anybody that.”
She burst out laughing, shocking herself. Oh, goodness. She was absolutely falling for this deadly male. The one member of the Seven who would not mate. She sobered. “I won’t tell a soul. I promise.”
He grinned, sealing her fate. Taking her heart.
Darn it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
It was another fruitless day of trying to find Sam’s location. Benjamin’s patience was stretched as thin as a spiderweb, and Logan’s was worse. They’d agreed to notify both the Realm and the demon nations if they hadn’t located Sam by the morning, and Logan looked like he was going to puke at the thought of telling his older brother that Sam was in the hands of the enemy.
They sat at a campfire outside the main lodge, working through the discoveries of the day. Benny looked to his side to make sure Karma was bundled up warmly in the blanket and jacket he’d found for her.
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