“Everyone can sense us in here.”
Pax went for the spot under his jaw. “That’s half the fun.”
A knock on the door almost sent James through the ceiling.
“Yeah, Dies,” Pax called.
Speak of the devil.
Diesel opened the door. “Sugar, dude?”
James looked down at the shelf behind him, found the sugar bowl, and handed it to the brother.
“Thanks.” He gave them a quick nod. “As you were.”
James attempted to follow Diesel, but Pax had him by the arm. He turned around and gave his camzah a quick kiss. “You’ll have to wait until after I eat, horny motherfucker.”
In the end, Pax made a sandwich of his own and they joined Diesel in the dining room.
“Congrats, you two. It’s about damn time.” The brother grinned.
“Thanks, partner.”
Diesel spread a mountain of peanut butter on his bagel. “Where ya been? You two take off on some romantic getaway?”
“Just home. My father passed away. We went to the burial and spent the night at the house.”
“Jesus. I’m so sorry, my brother.”
“I would have told you, but I didn’t know myself until I saw it in the paper.”
Diesel nodded. “No surprise there, I guess. Did you get a chance to see Jess?”
“No, not yet. I hope to. Actually, James met him.”
“How’s he doing?”
James sipped his soda. “We only talked for a few minutes, but he seemed great. Playing professional soccer for Barcelona’s under twenty team.”
A wide grin spread across Pax’s face. “Dies, he phased.”
“No shit? That’s awesome.” Diesel chuckled. “Look at you over there all proud papa. You boys making the compound home sweet home, I hope?”
James nodded. “Oh, yeah. Definitely.”
Pax stood up and collected their plates. “Yep, he’s all moved in.”
“Nice. Welcome to the circus, bro. I just put in a really sweet weapons cabinet for Pax last week. I’ve got a second one I can install for you before dinner. Little mating gift.”
James clapped the male’s shoulder. “Thanks, Dies.”
The brother gave him a wink. “Sure thing. Nothing says mated like his and his weapons arsenals.”
They heard the brother bark a laugh as he walked away down the hallway.
Pax rubbed his eyes. “Oh. My. God.”
“Yup.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
After dinner, Evy gleamed into the study and knocked on Reyn’s door. Richard opened it and stood back to let her in.
“Did you get it?” Reyn asked.
Evy caught the edge to his voice. The male had to be working so hard just to hold it together. She hoped what they were about to do would help. “Yes, everything.”
SE pulled a small table from the back of Reyn’s sitting room to the center, in front of the fire.
She turned to Richard. “Are you ready?”
“Ready when you are.”
The Seer held her hands out and he took them. As they began to focus, she could feel the telepath’s gentle pull as she offered her thoughts. Bit by bit he was seeing the Otherworld as Rose flew over it, then what Evy had been able to discern from the ring floated and wove layers into the vision. Ten minutes later, Richard dropped her hands and went right for the table where paper and pen waited.
Everyone sat down quietly, not wanting to break the male’s concentration as he sketched what he had seen onto the paper. Half an hour went by. Then fifteen minutes more. Just when Evy thought Reyn was going to lose it, Richard turned to them.
“It’s not quite as complete as I’d like, but it’ll suffice for our purposes tonight.”
They all gathered around the table and looked down at the map. A decidedly female knock at the door drew their attention.
SE went to answer it. “That’ll be Adriana and Rose.”
Adriana entered with baby Maya perched on her side. “Hi. I’m so sorry we’re late. Our pint-sized New Breed was protesting against her peas.”
Richard kissed their offspring’s forehead before turning back to the table. “Our little activist. We were just about to get started. Rose, why don’t you stand across from me? Evy, if you could stand on my left. Don’t be afraid to correct anything that doesn’t look one hundred percent right. Reyn’s life may depend on its accuracy.”
Reyn moved to Richard’s right. “So the map was created from what Rose saw and what Evy could gather through her ring?”
Richard nodded. “Exactly.”
Evy looked down at the map. It totally rocked. Thank the Goddess they had a telepath who could draw. She could barely make stick figures.
Richard put his finger at the top of the map. “What you’re seeing here is the river Xukur. Xukur means river in several Mayan dialects.” He drew his finger down the paper, then labeled it. “See how it runs almost entirely straight down the middle, essentially splitting the Otherworld in half? My guess is that’s what all the fighting has been about.”
“Control,” Reyn murmured.
Richard nodded. “Exactly. It’s a very large river with countless tributaries. There’s plenty of access for both races. It’s definitely all about control. Now, to the east of the river is the land occupied by the Manticores.”
“I’m sorry, the what?” SE said.
“Manticores. They have the body of a lion with the torso and head of a human,” Adriana answered.
“Oh, right. Of course they do.” SE winked at Evy.
Richard continued to label as he spoke. “The territory they occupy is mostly forest. It’s hard to say exactly what lives under its canopy, but barring that, it’s far more favorable for travel. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee they’ll let you cross their land.”
“Where is their city located?” SE asked.
“Good question. Their main city is located all the way to the south of the river, here.”
Adriana sighed. “Well, you won’t have to go very far to find them.”
The female sounded tired and worried. Evy rubbed her arm.
“On the west side of the Xukur, the terrain is much different,” Richard said. “It’s nowhere near as uniform. It starts out dry and arid before becoming forest. Beyond that, to the far northwest, is a mountain range. The city of the gods is located just on the other side at the top of the river.”
Reyn rubbed his unshaven chin. “So, basically, the quest runs the entire length of the Otherworld.”
“Exactly,” Richard said. “The two things I’m most concerned about are weather and water. Was there any way you could tell just how far apart the tributaries were, Evy? No matter which side he takes, he’ll need to be able to make it from one tributary to the next.”
Evy shook her head. “You know, you can always have another look now that we know what our concerns are.”
Richard nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“I think it should be me this time. I need to see what this all looks like,” Reyn said.
Evy nodded. “Sure. Let’s do it now.”
“I know I’m a little out of the loop, but do we know how you’re going to get to the Otherworld, Reyn?” Rose asked.
Evy felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on her.
“Me.”
Pax stared up at the ceiling and sighed. He’d had the night before off from duty, which had proven to be a huge PITA. The protective instinct had banged in his head the whole time James was out fighting. When the male finally got in at three, it was so bad he’d practically mauled him the second he materialized. Almost the moment his body calmed down, he’d started thinking about Jess. Should he go? Not go? The pain may have been gone, but his head was going to explode from all this Ferris Bueller shit. He wanted to see his brother so badly. The thing was, he wanted to protect him just as much.
He turned his head and looked over at his mate. Pax still felt like he needed to pinch himself.
Things had been different for them than for most. They’d already been in love before they were mated. But even in the beginning, no one understood him the way James did. Part of him wanted to wake him and ask him what he should do. He shook his head. That’d be a totally dickhead move. Besides, he already knew what he’d say. The male had gone to find Jesse straight away. Hell, Pax had the amazing letter from his father and the peace that came with it because James was the male he was. He’d tell him to go. No question. This may be the only chance he’d ever get. He kissed his male on the forehead, then hit the shower. After rushing through shaving and dressing, Pax set out to find his mate’s phone. Always an adventure. He was just about to call it when he finally found it on the floor of the closet. After punching in the code, he found the text from X with Jesse’s address and sent it to himself.
Weapons were next. Pax went to the back of the closet and looked at James’s new cabinet on the wall next to his. He ran his hand across it before opening his own and loading his Beretta. He secured the pistol, grabbed his wallet off the bedside table, wrote James a quick note, and gleamed out.
Evy sat in the side chair watching Reyn pace back and forth. The male looked like he was about to pull his hair out.
“Look, I know you’re my only option for a ride to the Otherworld. That’s the only reason I’m agreeing to it. But anything beyond that is just not going to happen. You’re pregnant and you have a male here who needs you.”
“But, Reyn, it’s a good idea because I’m pregnant. The baby would never let anything happen to me, and that means I can also help protect you. And I’d be able to foresee any complications before they happen.”
“What about Troy?”
“I’m assuming it’ll be just like with you and the Goddess. You can’t sense her, so there’s no attachment. No instinct.”
Reyn’s eyes began to glow. “Now wait a minute. Don’t assume that’s a good thing just because I can’t feel her and there’s no protective instinct. I still love her and I’m still bullshit not knowing where she is or if she’s safe. He’s loved you a long time and you’re pregnant. Troy feels that way about both of you.”
She looked down at her hands. “I know. But I don’t see any other way. Do you?”
“I don’t know and I won’t know until I get there. Look, I’ll hitchhike with you on one condition. If I think it’s too dangerous to stay, I will order you home and you will do it.”
“Reyn, I—”
“I’m not bargaining with you, Evy. You either accept my terms or you don’t go.”
Evy stood up. “Fine. I accept.”
“Good. Look, it’s for the best. The Order may need you here anyway.”
She sighed. “You’re right. I can see that. I’ll let you get on with your day.”
“Evy.”
But she didn’t want to talk anymore. She walked through Reyn’s bedroom and out into the study, tired and conflicted. She needed to get her shit together before she told Troy. He was going to hate the idea and would be upset for sure. But that wasn’t what worried her the most. It was when she was gone. When he couldn’t feel her anymore. When he was truly alone again. Like he’d been before. She knew he wouldn’t handle it well. The only real question was, how bad would it get? The thought scared her. She knew X would look out for him, but the knot of guilt in her gut tightened. She swallowed over the lump in her throat and headed upstairs to talk to her male.
Pax materialized in the basement of Jesse’s apartment building and looked around for the stairs. He cast out his senses to make sure the coast was clear before going up to the second floor. Quickly, he made his way to the right apartment. He knocked and waited, noise from other apartments bombarding his sensitive hearing while he listened inside. When there was no answer, he knocked again. Damn it. What if Jess left town already? He was sure James had mentioned the end of the week. Did his brother change his mind?
Pax felt for k’ul inside the apartment. He felt something, but it was low level. Almost like residual energy left behind. He knocked again, then quietly tried the door. Locked.
“Jess?”
Fuck convention.
Pax needed to get in that apartment. Now. He kicked the door open and went inside. “Jesse?”
The strange buzz of k’ul he was picking up was coming from the back of the dwelling. He drew his pistol and slowly made his way down the hall. Quietly, he leaned into the door of the bedroom. Empty. The door to the bathroom across the hall was closed part way, so he nudged it open with his foot. What the hell was going on? He walked back into the bedroom and opened the closet door. Huh. His clothes are still here. Pax looked around the room. There was a laundry basket sitting on the bed. He breathed deeply and focused on the energy in the building. This time the k’ul he sensed was off the charts. The laundry room.
Pax flew out of the apartment, every cell in his body focused on that energy. He ran in the opposite direction from the stairs, taking a right at the end of the hallway. He walked into the laundry room and found Jesse leaning on a table, trying to hold himself up. Pax got to him just as he fell onto the table, then slid to the floor.
Holy shit. Pax knelt down and cradled his brother’s head in his hands. “Jess, it’s me. Can you hear me?”
“Hurts.”
Jesse’s teeth were chattering and his body quaking even as sweat poured down his face. The k’ul pounding off the male could only mean one thing. Pax took the right shoulder of Jesse’s long sleeved shirt and tore it open. There it was.
The mark of the Goddess.
Pax’s breath caught in his throat. Jesse was going through the second transition. “You’re going to be okay, Jess. I promise. Let’s get you off the floor.”
He picked his brother up and carried him down the hallway and back into his apartment, closing the door behind him with his boot. Man, there was a hell of a lot more Jesse than there used to be and he wasn’t even a New Breed yet. Pax laid him out on the bed and went to the dresser, pulling out some clean sweats. He’d probably have to cut the male out of them by evening, but really couldn’t give a shit. The male needed to be kept warm. Once he was dry and under several blankets, Jesse curled up on his side and closed his eyes. Pax shot James a quick text with the 411 before kicking off his boots and sitting on the bed. He leaned against the headboard, rarely taking his eyes off his little brother. The male’s fever was so high, Pax wasn’t even sure if Jesse knew who was there with him. He remembered very little about his own transition, so he wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. His phone went off, jerking his attention back to the present. He leaned over and read James’s reply.
Do you need me to come down?
Pax wasn’t sure what to text back. In the end, he told him they were okay for now and asked him to let Helen know what was happening. He didn’t dare try to gleam Jess back to the mansion in his current state, but she needed to know they’d be coming at some point. When Jesse started to moan again, Pax went across to the bathroom and wet a washcloth. He sat back on the bed and pulled Jesse up against his chest, holding the cool cloth to his brother’s forehead. They stayed that way for a long time, until finally his brother dropped off into an uneasy deep sleep.
Thank the Goddess.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Evy walked into her room and found Troy sitting on the floor next to the chaise with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. “My male, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“What are you doing?”
“Tryin’ to meditate.” He opened his eyes. “I started smokin’. Again. X is all up in my mix about tryin’ it out.”
“Ah.” She put out her hand and Troy took it lightly, standing up. He sat down on the chaise and Evy sat on the bed across from him. “There’s more, Ev. I’m not doin’ so hot with the whole protective instinct thing.”
Dear Goddess, she felt like she was deserting her male. And she was, in a way. Her heart felt like it was tearing in two. “Tell me.”
“
I went to see Richard the other day. I needed to know that I wasn’t losin’ it because lately Ev, I feel like I really might be.”
“What makes you say that, my male?”
“Last night, while you were at Reyn’s, I got so panicked. I don’t know if it’s the baby or everything that’s goin’ on around here. Outta nowhere I just felt like I was gonna lose you. I swear, Ev, it took everything I had not to go down there and bust that door down.”
She looked into her mate’s glowing aqua eyes. Some of it was the protection instinct, but it could also be that he was sensing she really was about to leave him. Now that she was the Seer, she knew too much to push aside the possibility that he was sensing what was coming. The whole thing was just so freaking ironic. Becoming the Seer was what had allowed them to remain with Troy’s family, here, at the mansion. It had kept them all together.
And now it was about to blow them apart.
Pax opened his eyes and looked at the time. Shit. He’d been asleep for close to two hours. Jess was still asleep by his side in what was starting to look like sweats that had been run in the dryer on high heat for a week. He touched his brother’s forehead with the back of his hand. The fever was starting to break. Pax went across the hall for a fresh washcloth. That’s when he felt it. A surge of nothingness seemed to push its way into the interior of the building. He walked out into the living room and stood silently at the edge of the front window. The parking lot was empty. Pax closed his eyes as he swept each floor one at a time. The void was moving. Fuck. The only other time he’d felt anything like it was when he was fighting his way out of Batiste’s warehouse against a fuckload of rogues. But that didn’t make any—Oh, my God! Jesse!
He’d barely thought the words when he heard the swishing sound of shoes on the hallway carpet outside. The door knob slowly began to move. Pax drew his pistol, starting for the hall just as the door burst open. A band of rogues flooded into the room just as James materialized, New Breed reflexes instantly springing to action. He dematerialized and reappeared by the sink in the kitchen, turning on the water and spraying the rogues as they pushed through the door.
Desperate Call (New Breed Novels Book 5) Page 16
