by I. T. Lucas
Nathalie giggled. “It’s okay, Andrew, I was just joking.”
He heaved a relieved sigh. “Good, because I have plans for you tonight, my dear.”
She lifted a brow in mock innocence. “Oh, yeah? And what kind of plans are those?”
He cupped the back of her head and kissed her again. “Syssi and Kian have a nice spare bedroom with a queen-sized bed. I intend to make good use of it tonight.”
Heat flared in Nathalie’s cheeks. “I can’t. Not in their apartment. They are going to hear us with those bat ears of theirs.”
Andrew chuckled. “One thing you’re going to discover about these immortals is that they are not shy. They are highly sexed creatures. Besides, if I don’t care that my sister hears us, neither should you.”
“We'll see about that. I’m going to be as quiet as a mouse.”
Andrew snorted. “Not likely, I’m going to make sure you won’t.”
She shook her head. He was probably right. She couldn’t keep quiet with her father sleeping on the other side of the wall from her bedroom. But there was always the option of taping her mouth shut with some duct tape. Which reminded her. “Do you have the sticker?”
He pulled it out of the pocket of his baggy jeans. “Maybe we should switch places and I’ll drive.”
“Why?”
“No reason. It’s just that I know this place well. The drive down is steep, and the turning circles are tight.”
Typical macho man. Two things alpha males had trouble relinquishing control of the most: the television remote and the steering wheel. But whatever. Frankly, she didn’t mind.
Smart decision. The circles were indeed tight and it seemed they were going on forever. The clan’s private parking level was, naturally, the last one, and it was closed off by a commercially-sized garage door. As they waited for the heavy door to open, she wondered how deep in the ground they were.
“How many parking levels are there?” she asked Andrew.
“Twelve, excluding this one.”
“That’s really deep.”
Andrew chuckled. “It doesn’t end here. There is a whole underground below it. Several floors of it.”
Uncomfortable. She didn’t like thinking of the many layers above them. It made her feel claustrophobic. And the underground Andrew was talking about was even more daunting.
“Are we going down there?”
As the garage door retreated, Andrew eased her car inside and parked at one of the empty spots. “We are. But we are just passing through. We are going to use one of the underground tunnels to get to another building. Safety precautions.”
He turned off the engine, got out of the car, and went around to open the door for her.
Nathalie frowned. “I thought that after the threat was eliminated, things would be back to normal.”
Ugh, she really hated that expression. It was a euphemism for something ugly, even if necessary. The reality was that a lot of people had lost their lives today, and hiding behind big words didn’t make it any less horrible.
“There was no time to make changes to the protocol. For now everything stays as it was.” Andrew led her to a bank of elevators and pressed his thumb to a scanner.
These guys took security seriously.
“Are those Kian’s clothes you are wearing?”
“Aha.” He held the door open for her.
“You look funny. They are too long.”
Andrew shrugged and pulled up his pants. “They are clean. That’s all that matters to me.”
The elevator took them three floors down, and they exited into a wide, drab corridor, with doors on both sides leading to what she assumed were offices, or maybe storage units. Andrew punched a few numbers into a keypad on one of the doors, and it opened into another, narrower corridor, lined only with industrial light fixtures.
“Is this the tunnel?”
“Yeah.”
“How long is it?”
“It goes under the street to the other side and then the building is a few minutes' walk to the south.”
Nathalie chuckled. “It fits. I feel like I’m stepping into another world, another reality, and walking down an underground tunnel with our voice echoing off the walls is creepily appropriate. I’m just glad I don’t have to do it by myself.”
Andrew wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him, and kissed the top of her head. “Never, sweetheart. I’ll always be there for you.”
And just like that, he’d turned her into a puddle of goo—stupid tears and all.
Andrew frowned. “Why are you crying?”
“Happy tears, Andrew. These are happy tears.”
“Oh…”
Chapter 29: Andrew
“It looks so normal up here,” Nathalie said as they exited on Syssi and Kian’s floor.
The tunnel had taken them almost fifteen minutes to traverse, and Andrew suspected it had made Nathalie uncomfortable. She had said very little until they got into the elevator that took them up to the fifty second-floor. A perfect indication that she hadn’t been feeling like herself. Nathalie wasn’t a blabbermouth, but she was usually more talkative.
“What did you expect? Batman’s cave?”
“Kind of.”
“Then you’ll be pleasantly surprised. This apartment is not as fancy as their penthouse in the keep, but it’s still several steps above what regular folks like us are accustomed to.”
On the remote chance that Kian had actually fallen asleep, Andrew rapped his knuckles on the door gently. Highly unlikely, though. His brother-in-law was probably still on the phone.
Syssi opened the door with a bright grin spread over her face. “Nathalie, I’m so happy that you’re here.” The two embraced like they hadn’t seen each other in weeks.
“How is Kian doing?” Andrew asked as Syssi led them inside and pointed them toward the sofa.
She grimaced. “Do you need to ask? He is still on the phone. I persuaded him to take some painkillers, because frankly I couldn’t stand his grouchiness anymore, and I hoped they would make him drowsy. But no. He is so hyped up I don’t think he is going to sleep at all.”
“I’m not.” Kian hobbled into the living room, holding his laptop under his arm and his phone in his hand.
Syssi rushed to him and wrapped her arm around him, propping him up. “Bridget said you shouldn’t put any pressure on that leg until tomorrow!”
“I can’t stay in bed anymore. And anyway, I’m hungry.”
She helped him to one of the overstuffed chairs and pushed over an ottoman for him to put his leg up. “This is just an excuse. I could’ve brought you something to eat in bed.”
Kian waggled his brows and pulled her down for a kiss. “There is only one thing I like to eat in bed, sweet girl, and that’s you.”
Syssi’s ears turned red.
In his previous life, Andrew would have been embarrassed to hear this kind of an exchange between his sister and her husband, but he’d grown numb to it. He leaned toward Nathalie, who was trying very hard not to gape. “I told you…” he whispered in her ear.
“You told her what?” Kian asked.
Bloody immortals and their supernatural hearing.
“I told her that you guys were a horny, oversexed bunch.”
Kian made an air toast. “I’ll drink to that. Syssi, could you pour me a shot?”
Standing with her hands on her hips, Syssi glared at her husband. “You know perfectly well that alcohol and painkillers do not mix. Especially the stuff Bridget gave you. She said it would knock a horse out. Apparently, though, it doesn’t work on stubborn mules.”
The look he gave her was wicked. “I think someone is getting herself into trouble.”
Syssi’s ears turned crimson. “Fine. But I’m telling Bridget.” She turned around and marched up to the bar.
Andrew pinned Kian with a hard stare. What the hell was that all about? Was the guy threatening Syssi?
Kian smirked. “Down, Andrew. It�
�s not what you think.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Trust me on that. And if you don’t, you can ask Syssi. Though I’m afraid her hair will catch fire if her ears get any redder.”
Okay, if Kian was hinting that this was some sex game they were playing, then Andrew really didn’t want to know.
Nathalie stifled a giggle behind the palm of her hand. “You’re right. They are terrible,” she whispered in his ear.
Kian chuckled. “What, this? That’s nothing. You haven’t met Anandur yet. Prepare to be shocked.”
A cute little snort escaped Nathalie’s throat. “I think I’m all shocked out. If Martians landed on the White House lawn today, I would probably shrug and say, ‘welcome to the United States and have a nice day’.”
“I know exactly how you feel.” Syssi came back with a tray loaded with a pitcher of ice tea, glasses, pieces of cut fruit, nuts, and crackers. She handed out small plates, loading Kian’s for him. “When I was first sucked into this world, I felt like Alice in Wonderland. The falling down the rabbit hole part.”
“Thank you.” He took it from her hands, popped a grape in his mouth, then pinned Nathalie with one of his intense stares.
Andrew smiled. The guy had no idea who he was dealing with. If he thought he could intimidate Nathalie, he had another think coming.
“You’re a unique case, Nathalie. The reason we keep knowledge of our existence secret from humans is not because we are paranoid but because it would have catastrophic consequences for us. If you were just any girl that Andrew fell in love with, even a potential Dormant, I would have immediately thralled you to forget all about us. After I ripped Andrew a new one, that is. But you’re Bhathian’s daughter. This is a situation I’ve never encountered before, therefore there is no protocol for it. So I’m going to ask you. Are you sure you can keep this secret airtight? Or would you rather I thrall the memory away? It’s a big responsibility to carry this knowledge with you.”
Throughout his entire speech, Nathalie didn’t back down from Kian’s intense eyes. Andrew felt his chest swell with pride. The woman was brave—a true fighter even if she didn’t think of herself as one.
“You have nothing to worry about, Kian. I’m an expert at keeping secrets. I’ve been hearing dead people talk in my head since I was a little girl, and the moment I realized it wasn’t something everyone experienced, I never mentioned it to anyone again. The first one I told was Andrew. Even my parents heard nothing from me about it for years and years. The last time I’ve mentioned my voices to them, I was a kid, and they assumed I was playing with imaginary friends.”
Kian held her eyes for a moment longer, then grinned. “Oh, boy. I can just imagine my mother’s response when she hears about this. I don’t think we ever had anyone with this particular talent. I need to ask her if any of the other gods could do this. Can you summon the ghosts at will?”
Nathalie harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I never tried. Why would I, when I was doing all I could to keep the uninvited intruders out of my head? Can you imagine sharing your brain with another entity? The lack of privacy? The constant distractions? I’m surprised I managed to retain my sanity.”
Perching on the arm of Kian’s chair, Syssi cast Nathalie a pitying look. “Good God, that must’ve been terrible.”
“Yeah, well, I got used to it.” She pushed to her feet. “Shouldn’t we get busy? As lovely as the company is, I didn’t come here to socialize, I came to help.”
Poor Nathalie, her feathers had gotten ruffled.
“Actually.” Syssi lifted her palm. “We are waiting to hear from Amanda. She promised to let me know as soon as Vanessa was done talking to the women, and she hasn’t yet. So I assume they are not done. Vanessa is a psychologist.”
“Jackson’s mom, I know.” Nathalie sat back down.
“I’m still waiting for my drink.” Kian patted Syssi’s behind.
With a huff, she abandoned her perch and headed for the bar. “Ugh, you’re the worst kind of patient, playing the invalid just so you could boss me around.”
Kian lowered his injured leg to the carpet. “I can get it myself.”
“No!” Syssi was back by his side in a blur. “Please, sit down. I’m sorry. It just annoys me that you insist on drinking when you shouldn’t. It’s irresponsible.”
Kian rolled his eyes and took her hand in his. “You forget how old I am, sweet girl, and where I grew up. That’s what a Scot does when he’s hurting. Besides, with my constitution, one drink will do nothing, so stop fretting.” He kissed her hand, the little gesture so gentle and full of love that it made Andrew uncomfortable. For some reason, this felt more intimate than their previous sexual banter had been.
But the man had a point, and Syssi wasn’t the type who stuck to her convictions even when the argument against them was indisputable. “You’re right. Andrew? Nathalie? What can I get you?”
“I’ll have a beer,” Andrew said.
“I’ll share it with you, if it’s okay?” Nathalie’s voice had a little quiver to it, and she put her hand on Andrew’s knee. So he hadn’t been the only one affected by the tender display of love.
Covering her hand with his, he gave it a little squeeze. “Of course, my love.”
Chapter 30: Nathalie
Nathalie hadn’t heard a knock, but there must’ve been one because the door to Kian and Syssi’s place burst open, and Amanda entered followed by a woman who looked like Jackson’s sister.
Amanda’s brows lifted in surprise. “Nathalie, what are you doing here?”
“I came to help.”
“I see.” Amanda’s eyes darted from Kian to Syssi to Andrew. “Actually, I don’t. What’s going on?”
Syssi got up and gave Amanda a hug. “Andrew told Nathalie everything.” She embraced the woman who was obviously Jackson’s mom. “Syssi, Andrew, this is Vanessa. Vanessa, this is my brother Andrew and his fiancée Nathalie.”
Vanessa smiled. “Finally, I get to meet Jackson’s boss. He doesn’t stop talking about you. He worships you. I think he has a little crush.”
Nathalie blushed. “I assure you he doesn’t. But half of my clientele has a crush on him.”
Vanessa waved a dismissive hand. “He’s just a big show-off.”
It was amazing how clueless parents could be about their kids.
Syssi pointed Vanessa toward the other overstuffed chair, next to Kian. “Come, take a seat and tell us how the girls are doing.”
As Vanessa got comfortable in the chair, Amanda flopped on the couch on Nathalie’s other side.
Stretching her long legs in front of her, Amanda pushed off her shoes and wiggled her toes. Like everything about the woman, even these were perfect, complete with glossy blood-red nail polish. “After some reshuffling of roommates, everyone is settled in. I have a huge list of things they need, though. Shoes, slippers, flip flops, comfortable underwear, nightgowns, T-shirts, jeans. The Doomers supplied them mostly with sexy lingerie and bikinis.” Amanda grimaced.
“How is Tiffany holding up?” Nathalie asked. “She used to work for me, and one day she just disappeared. I was worried and asked Andrew to look for her, but of course he only found her today.”
Vanessa heaved a sigh. “The weird part is that she is fine, all of them are. Except Letty, that is, but her case is different. They were thralled to believe that they were working in a high-end brothel, voluntarily, and were making loads of money. One of the Doomers must’ve possessed a very powerful thralling ability. They don’t even remember being bitten. I have to assume that they were either being thralled nightly, or that the initial thrall programmed them to ignore that particular experience—have it slide into the subconscious without registering in their conscious memory.”
Kian shifted so he could look at Vanessa. “That must’ve been their leader. Dalhu recognized him. Apparently, he was Navuh’s direct grandson. Sharim. His mother had been Navuh’s daughter, who’d been never activated. Her father had let her d
ie a Dormant. One of Navuh’s other sons had adopted Sharim. The only one who was allowed to have a son.”
Vanessa nodded. “That would explain the ability.”
“I didn’t know it was possible to thrall a memory before it happened.” Syssi got up and headed for the kitchen. “Can I offer you ladies something to drink?”
“Water for me,” Vanessa said.
Amanda pushed to her feet and followed Syssi. “I’m going to play with your cappuccino machine and make myself some. Anyone want coffee?”
There were no jumpers on the offer.
Kian ran his fingers through his disheveled long hair. “I don’t know if even I can do something like that. I’ve never tried. If it were easily done, it would’ve solved a lot of problems for us. The only one I know that can do it is Annani.”
Vanessa shrugged. “As I said, it is possible that the women were being thralled nightly. I will know more tomorrow, after I speak with each one individually and assess their cognition.”
Kian didn’t look happy with that. “I was planning on thralling them to forget the entire experience and sending them away as soon as possible. I don’t want a bunch of humans hanging around here. Too risky.”
Nathalie released a puff of air and got a little closer to Andrew. Was Kian bundling her together with the unwanted humans? Did he want her gone?
Vanessa shook her head. “Not yet. How can I explain it in layman’s terms?” She closed her eyes and let her head drop back for a moment. “Thralling doesn’t dispose of the memory, it only sweeps it under the rug. The dirt is still there, just not acknowledged. Before you or anyone else thralls them, I need to do some cleaning first. Otherwise, the dirt would eventually corrupt everything. Do you get what I’m saying?”
Kian grimaced. “How long do you need?”
“Give me at least a few days. Though, frankly, this is something that requires years of therapy.”
“You have three days.”
Vanessa pinned Kian with a pair of pleading eyes. “What are you going to do with them? It’s not like we can dump them somewhere with no money, no identification documents. They have nothing.”
