Some of the tension left his leg. “How can you defend him? How could you stay with him for nine whole months?”
I thought on that for a moment. These were risky waters. “First, it isn't like Lexie and I were sipping mojitos at Club Med. We did try to escape four times before we started to trust him enough to work with him. And since then, we've gotten to know him pretty well and something doesn't sound right.”
“Are you questioning how my brother died?” He sounded wounded and didn't look at me.
“No,” I answered, shaking my head, not that he saw because he was still looking at his other hand. “I'm saying that it feels like something more is going on here, something that neither of us know. I'm asking that you give him a chance until we learn what that is.”
He changed the topic again. “What happened to your mother?”
I let him change the topic away from what was clearly a touchy subject for him. In a way, I was glad to be out of the conversational minefield, even though this was more painful. “Breast cancer. Grandma had been making potions to keep it in check, but when she died, too…” In spite of my best efforts to be strong, my voice was choking up.
His thumb stroked my shoulder. “I remember what happened to your grandmother,” he said soothingly. “You don't have to talk about it.”
“I've been braced for this for so long, I should be doing better than this.” I tried to laugh the pain away, but it didn't work.
“You lost your mother. No amount of preparation is going to keep it from hurting.” He leaned his head against the top of mine. “It's okay to be sad sometimes.”
“She's really dead,” I murmured. “I went to her grave to see if she'd become a mage, but she's gone. She's gone and my dad disowned me.”
He said nothing, just held me while the tears fought their way to the surface.
“I don't have a family anymore,” I sobbed, lost. Lost to the emotional torrent of grief and pain. Lost without my parents. Lost to the warmth of the strong arm wrapped around me.
After a time, I asked, “Does it ever get any better?”
He knew what I meant without having to ask. “It does and it doesn't. The pain never goes away, but it gets smaller until one day, you'll be able to look back on your memories of her and smile.”
“I don't know what I'm going to do.” I sniffled and wiped away the last of the tears. “The world feels so much more dark and lonely without her in it.”
“You've still got people who love you,” he murmured against my hair. “You have Lexie. You have… Jack. And you have me.”
What did he mean by that? I pulled back a few inches to see his face. Before I could discern the intense weight behind his gaze, he was kissing me.
His warm lips moved against mine, sensuous and slow, sending heated tendrils curling in my stomach.
He made no demands like Blake once did long, long ago. Liam put forth everything he was feeling. His kiss was a statement, a declaration, rather than a claim or command.
Gently, he ran his fingers through my hair before wrapping his fingers around the base of my neck and I was surrounded by his scent, so like cedar and old leather and man.
My arms wound around his neck and settled over his shoulders. He let me set the pace, groaning when I nibbled on his lower lip.
“Guys, your food is here!” Lexie called out, her voice ringing through the forest and snapping me out of my hazy happy place.
Liam pulled away, still running his fingers through my hair. “We should get back to the others.”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, that's a good idea.” Not exactly smooth, but my brain was still in a scramble.
He chuckled and smiled at me, making my heart skip a beat. Standing, Liam offered me his hand.
I placed my hand in his big, warm one and he pulled me to my feet.
We held hands for the walk back through the forest. Like a gentleman, he held the branches from my path and knocked away the cobwebs.
Soon, we came to the edge of the forest. Liam stopped, bringing me to a halt with him. He looked down at our linked hands and back at me questioningly.
“She'll figure it out, anyway.” I gripped Liam's hand more firmly. “Lexie has always been able to read me like a book.”
He smiled and led the way through the thicket and out of the woods.
Lexie's eyes widened just a hair when she saw us, but said nothing. It wasn't until we passed her that I heard her whisper, “Finally.”
Liam made sure Jack saw when he opened the door. Jack looked like he was about to choke on his chicken, but whether it was from laughter or shock was unclear.
Liam snickered under his breath. Since Jack was already eating his dinner stretched out on the bed, the only two containers left on the table were mine and Liam's. He passed me mine and released my hand to eat his on the side of the table that didn't have the laptop on it.
I sat down on the edge of the bed with my lo mein when Lexie came in and sat next to me. She gave me the “we are so going to talk about this later” look, but didn't mention anything aloud.
“So now we need to come up with a plan, guys,” Lexie said while everyone else's mouths were stuffed with food.
“I cannot imagine we will have longer than two days before Tresia mounts her attack on us,” Jack said.
Liam took a deep breath and raked a free hand through his already mussy blond hair. He seemed reluctant to say, “The day after tomorrow, the Pax is planning to attack Tresia's compound. I've been here for weeks gathering intelligence for that operation.”
“So what do you know?” Lexie asked.
“What do you know?” he countered.
“We've got what we learned from Byron, what we just saw on the blueprints, and what we scouted from the front of the property.” She nibbled her lip. “So not much. You?”
Liam scoffed. “For pertinent information, I don't know much more than you do, I'm afraid. I've been working on turning Byron into an asset.”
Lexie and I gave him a blank look.
“An informant,” he answered.
“It took you that long?” she chuckled.
He scowled. “It took me three weeks to examine and identify every single security guard; learn the schedules and rotations of each employee; every individual's role, strengths, and weaknesses; and identify any who could be compromised. Byron being one of their security leaders was an optimal target and with his brother in captivity, all it took was convincing him that the Pax and I were his brother's best chance at survival. It took longer than I'd hoped, but we got him.”
Lexie nodded, eyes popped.
Liam stood and went to his room, taking his food with him. He returned moments later with a full mouth and a fat folder in his free hand. It thudded on the bed.
I opened it to see a profile of each security guard, card dealer, and cocktail waitress. Almost all of them had a red X over their photograph. A handful had a circle over their faces. I pointed to the X marking over a man's face. “What do these mean?”
“The X connotes a dead end, someone unlikely to be turned. I circled more viable targets, but that point is moot now. We've already gotten all we're going to get before we strike during the changing of the inside guard at one AM.”
“We're attacking tonight?” I asked.
He nodded. “If we're to keep this under the radar, then it has to be before tomorrow afternoon. That's when the rest of the Pax strike team and reinforcements are scheduled to arrive to begin preparations and cementing plans.”
“Rest?” I cocked my head to the side. He hadn't mentioned any others around.
“I was supposed to lead the team.”
“Oh.”
“Liam here is not merely a venator, he is a Card from what I've gathered,” Jack said as though that meant something to me. “The Cards of the Deck are the Pax's most elite covert warriors.”
Liam gave Jack a killing look.
“Come to mention it, didn't Duo say something like that?” Lexie squinted
her eyes suspiciously at him.
“Yeah,” I remembered. “He called him the Nine of Swords. Does that mean something we don't know about?”
“Yes,” Jack answered. “It is very significant. The Deck is the Pax's version of the—” He struggled to find the right words. “— CIA and Green Berets all rolled into a single organization of only seventy eight members. Only the most elite are selected and their identities are top secret.”
“Which begs the question,” Liam said, sliding his eyes to Jack. “How did you come by that information?”
“I keep an eye out on Pax and Circle activities.” Jack shrugged, seemingly without a care in the world.
“That didn't answer my question.” Liam stood from where he sat on the other side of the bed. I noticed then that he'd been sitting this entire time in positions where Jack would be in his line of sight.
“Stop it, both of you,” Lexie barked. “You can kill each other if we don't die tomorrow.”
Liam was very quiet as he sat back down, not taking his eyes off Jack.
Lexie moved the laptop from the table to the bed and pulled up a satellite image of the casino. She poked Liam in the arm to get his attention and pointed to the screen. “So you're the expert here. What's the plan?”
Liam stared at the image for a time before he spoke, “Originally, the plan was to cause some kind of ruckus outside during the changing of the guards to force an evacuation and strike on the second floor once all the humans were secured.”
“There are humans there?” Lexie asked. “Please tell me they aren't the food this time.”
“Not exactly, but they aren't in a much better position in her stronghold either,” Liam said, his face twisted in distaste. “They're there as unwitting hostages in case the Pax or Circle comes knocking. Before we strike, they have to be removed.”
I paused in my thumbing through of the employee profiles. “That's disgusting.”
Liam nodded. “If we attack before they're removed, Tresia will order every human killed. That kind of body count would make a mess even the Pax would struggle to contain.”
“What if we were to set a fire?” Jack suggested. “Or creep inside disguised as a Paxian guest looking for high-stakes games?”
Liam crossed his arms. “A fire would draw human emergency response.”
“We can cut the phone line and use a—” Jack struggled to think of the word. “— cellular phone blocker to prevent anyone from alerting the authorities.”
Lexie shook her head. “If you use a cell jammer, everyone inside is going to notice when their phones all stop working at the same time. I can block 911 with a laptop and WiFi from outside the casino. I can stay hidden in the car the whole time. It's where I'd be the most useful because let's face it: I suck at fighting.”
“You do not suck, Alessandra.” Jack came around to sit next to her on the bed. “You are only young and inexperienced. With practice, you both will improve.”
“So Lexie stays out of sight and blocks the cops,” I said. “What do the three of us do?”
“You can stay out of the way,” Liam answered. “Jack and I will be going in.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “Sending in only two guys against eight? That's suicide.”
“Not to mention that— according to Jack— she's hired stronger security,” Lexie reasoned, backing me up.
“Taking you in would be a disaster. You're untrained and inexperienced. You and we would all be better off with you two girls safely out of the way.” Liam's tone booked no argument.
“Also, if we both die against Tresia, then you, I, and Alessandra will all die.” Jack was taking Liam's side. I thought they were supposed to hate each other!
I shut up while the two of them proceeded to argue about what approach would be best and what strategy would be most effective. I was half expecting to get a phone call from the front office about a noise complaint.
While they were bickering, Lexie and I were reviewing the layout of the casino and the profiles of her employees. Idly, I noted that there were no redheads in her employ— all the way from security guards to kitchen staff. There was a troll in there, though.
Every idea she and I came up with, we decided wouldn't work for this reason or that. Mostly that they would mean our inevitable and agonizing deaths. No pressure.
The boys were having no better luck.
Then the stupidest, most unlikely idea hit me over the head. But as Sherlock Holmes once said, once you've eliminated all the impossibilities, whatever was left had to be the answer, no matter how improbable.
14
What if I just walked in the front door?” I said, interrupting their quarreling and exchange of insults.
All discussion was brought to an abrupt halt.
“What if I just walked in the front door?” I repeated.
“You would be taken captive on sight,” Liam answered flatly.
“But what if I went inside in disguise to get past the guards, then challenged her to fight me in front of everyone?”
“You would be killed. Then taken captive.”
“Not so fast,” Lexie interjected. “She beat Tresia one-on-one in North Carolina. She's the one who sent her running.”
“If I did it once, I can do it again.”
“That's arrogance and it will get you killed.” He gave me his best grumpy face.
“It isn't that crazy. I act like some high-roller and waltz up to her front door, then challenge her and insult her in front of her own people. She'll have to accept or risk losing face,” I argued. Liam was not budging. Jack, on the other hand, was listening intently to my proposal.
“Jack, what weapons are in that bag you got before we left?” I asked.
“Null bombs, grade A.”
Liam slid Jack another sour look. “And where did you get those?”
“I take it that means they're illegal,” Lexie said.
“In the hands of civilians, yes.” Liam was barely holding himself back from arresting Jack. “When this is all over, you and I are going to have a very long discussion.”
“Agreed.” Jack smiled tightly.
“So what are they exactly?” Lexie asked. “That Toshiro prick used one on us before he died, didn't he?”
“A null bomb is a type of spell,” Jack answered. “When cast, it will block the flow of magic to an area. Like other spells, it comes in different strengths. Grade A is the strongest, blocking even genera magics and spelled potions. It works over a wide range and lasts for hours. But they are hard to come by and even harder to acquire.”
“So it takes away all your magic. Why would you use one, then?” We were mages right? Magic was our strong suit. Why take away your own strength?
“It is a two-edged sword.” He shrugged. “If you are fighting a group of opponents or someone who has stronger magic than you, a null bomb is a way to even the battlefield.”
“But without her necklace, she's nowhere near as strong as she used to be, so why use one on her?”
“Remember her guards,” Jack reminded us. “Noble fae possess genus magic, as well. It is easier to fight many enemies when all they have is a sword.”
“So we're not the only ones with magic?” I asked. “Then what makes us a mage and them a fae?”
“In the terms you are thinking of, the ability to use raw magic is the key difference. There are other differences, as well. Noble fae are known for their speed in battle and rarely rely heavily on their magic. But the fey are so widely varied, it is impossible to categorize them all in any single way other than they follow one of the same two leaders.”
“Fae, fey,” Lexie nibbled her lip, looking curiously to Jack.
Liam answered, “The two words are homonyms. F-a-e is a species. F-e-y is a kingdom that rules over many species.”
“Oh.” She nodded.
“So you guys can use the null bombs to take out her guards and I'll keep Tresia busy.” I tried to sound reasonable.
“They would work
on you, too, topolina.” Jack shook his head and pointed at the employee folder on the bed. Liam's shoulders tensed when he realized the pet name was for me. “And your swordsmanship is child's play compared to hers.”
“How long range are they?” I asked, passing the folder to Jack.
“Far enough that we would not be able to use one in the building while you fought,” Jack said as he thumbed through the stack of papers.
“What if I just kept her busy while you two get rid of her guards, then we gang up on her?” I was starting to sound desperate, but we didn't have any other ideas and time was running out. “When I fought her in North Carolina, it was easy to goad her into using up all her fire. All I had to do was call her names and she went ballistic. Think about it. I would just be buying you time to take her down and by the time you get to her, she'll be out of her genus magic.”
Jack went quiet, giving my idea more gravity the deeper he got into that folder.
Liam stood and started pacing. “No, Constance. You're nowhere near strong enough. To send you in would be to send you to your death.”
“I've already beaten her once. And it's not like we have any better choices.”
“You're letting it go to your head.” He was nearly shouting at me.
“And you're about to take on eight guys with just you and Jack and that's before you even get to Tresia! You need one more person to even the odds a little and there's nobody else.”
“You won't be evening the odds, you'll be getting your ass handed to you and distracting us,” Liam retorted.
Jack spoke up, “I am behind Constance on this.”
Liam gave Jack a sharp glare. “You can't be serious.”
“I am,” Jack stood up and set his now empty carton on the bedside table. He came to a stop in front of Liam. “She has a point. You and I will not be enough, not against the new guards. We will have to use everything we have just to clear the security. By the time we make our way to Tresia, she will have the advantage, even without her ferrament.”
“This is ridiculous,” Liam bit out. “Have you lost your mind? I thought you would know better than this.”
Tresia (Stone Mage Saga Book 3) Page 12
