by T. G. Ayer
“Try to talk to her. Mention your name, maybe your Mom?”
Logan nodded, and then fell silent for a while. After a long while he took a deep breath. “She’s afraid. I don’t think she knows it’s me.”
He sounded so hurt that tears burned my eyes.
“Omega would have tampered with her memory too.”
He nodded. “I’ll need to take it slow. For now, you can start searching for beaches with lighthouses on rocky points.”
I smiled. “I’ll get on it.”
I shifted away but he tightened his grip. “Kai.” I paused. “Thank you for doing this for me.”
I laughed softly. “You’re so silly. You know by now that I’d do anything for you.”
His smiled thinned. “And Lake?”
A chill skittered down my spine. “You heard.”
“Some.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“My ears work fine. When they are working.”
“What I meant was Justin is the past. You are my present.”
“And who will be your future?” he asked softly.
I opened my mouth to say that of course it was him. He was the light of my life, the person I wanted to spend my years with, but his face lost the liveliness that he’d had while talking to me and I sensed movement from Nerina.
When I glanced back at her she was lifting her face to the ceiling, readying herself to expel his spirit. I stepped away, allowing her to complete the process, watching in fascination as the gray smoke looped and curled, sinuous. Ominous.
When every last dreg of smoke had returned to its owner, Nerina shuddered, sucking in a long ragged breath.
Her shoulders drooped forward, and I touched her arm. “You okay?”
“Fine. Need a minute.” She got the words out one by one and I let her have her space. Getting to my feet, I used my phone to search the Net.
Beaches with lighthouses on rocky points. To my disappointment there were dozens around the country, but I refused to allow myself to be defeated.
We had a certain hacker in our midst.
Chapter 18
Nerina got to her feet and I shoved my phone back into my pocket before righting Logan’s sheets.
“You okay?” I asked, giving her a quick glance.
She nodded. “It was a longer session than I’d anticipated. But given that he wasn’t dead, a much less taxing experience on the body.”
I patted the mattress and smiled, although there was no cheer in the expression. More manic than cheery. “Any thoughts on what you heard?”
A blush of pink polished her cheeks. “Unfortunately, eavesdropping is part of the process. I didn’t wish to intrude.”
I waved away the apology. “Don’t worry about it. I knew you’d be privy to private information. And I was fine with that. If not, I would have looked for someone else.” I smiled but it didn’t reach my eyes.
“Now what?” she asked as we exited the room.
“Now we research the location, then we go and find Sienna Westin.”
We descended the stairs and came face to face with my parents.
“Hey you guys.” I smiled. “We’ve made progress with Logan.”
Both looked curious. So I pointed at Nerina.
“Nerina helped me talk to him. He’s tried to communicate with her. We have to locate her before Omega realizes we’re onto them.”
Dad made a face. “Looks like every time I leave that boy’s side something happens.”
“Then next time don’t leave him alone,” admonished Mom with a wink. Then she turned to me. “Any idea where she is?”
“Logan said the seaside somewhere. Nothing significant to use to locate it.” Something was bugging me. Something that Logan said that I’d missed. And I couldn’t put a finger on it.
“That’s disappointing. You must have gotten something to go on.”
“Yeah. Sun, sea, sand, rocks and a lighthouse.”
Dad laughed. “Well, that is something.”
I nodded then shook my head. “Too many somethings. We have to weed out the right ones. Where’s Baz?”
Mom pointed a thumb at the back of the house. “Library. He lives there. Your poor father is now second in command.”
I laughed.
“What’s so funny,” asked Dad, looking affronted
“You giving someone else reign over your domain.”
He made a face. “The boy is too damned good to deny.”
“Oh. I see.” I raised both eyebrows and folded my arms.
Mom laughed. “Don’t even start. Go see what Baz can find and I’ll get dinner on. I’m not here for much longer. Knowing you, you’ll be flying out of here as soon as Baz has something.”
“Food is overrated, Mom,” I said over my shoulder as Nerina and I headed to the back of the house to find Baz.
“What about success? Overrated too?”
I groaned. “What about nagging, Mom?”
Dad burst out laughing as they disappeared into the kitchen.
“Hey,” said Baz, looking up as Nerina and I entered the den.
He was seated at Dad’s ancient executive desk, the dark skin of his face glowing green and blue from the light of the laptop.
“Hey yourself,” I replied, stopping at his side.
Nerina went to the window, her shyness with others seemed to extend to Baz and I made a mental note to dig further into her hesitation to become friends with him.
“Need help with something?” That’s Baz for you. Straight to the heart of the matter, he lived for the opportunity to tackle the next big problem.
“Sun, sea, sand, a white lighthouse sitting on a rocky point.”
“Huh?”
I grinned. “I need you to scan the coastlines and find me a place that matches that description.”
“Okay.” Baz nodded, his eyes sparking with curiosity. “Something to do with Logan?”
At his expression, I frowned. “You developing vamp hearing now too?”
He looked guilty.
“Good grief, Baz. You need to tell us these things.” I met Nerina’s gaze over his head and raised an eyebrow.
He shrugged. “It’s not important.”
“Of course it is. We could be talking about all kinds of things not a few feet from you. State secrets, love stuff. Not to mention that time of the month. Or even what a total creep you are.” I poked him in the side and we both laughed.
Then he got serious. “Okay. Let’s see what we have.” He glanced at the screen. “You two want to get something to eat in the meantime?”
I nodded and strode to the door, my stomach now churning into painful knots at the thought of food. Nerina offered him another soft smile as she followed me out.
“Oh. Hang on.” Baz called out. “What time of day was it?”
Brilliant question Baz.
“It was definitely daylight. The sun was bright. Hot.”
Without a response he was back staring at the screen concentrating on his task.
After a quick dinner of lamb stew and dumplings, Nerina and I returned to the study.
Baz looked frustrated.
“No progress?”
“There are a few options but none that seem likely.” He glared at the screen as if it was the cause of his frustrations. Then he looked up at me. “Are you sure you haven’t forgotten something?”
I scrunched up my forehead.
“A particular tree, color of the sand, the grass on the shore.”
“Baz, I didn’t see what he was seeing. He was merely telling me.”
“But I saw.” A soft voice.
“You did?” we both asked, heads snapping to stare at Nerina.
I slapped my forehead. “Yes, you did. You were in his thoughts.”
Baz cupped his hand and wriggled his fingers at her. “Gimme.”
“Everything is as Kai said. Just the crystals in the sand.”
Now, I wanted to smack my head even harder. “Shit. That’s what I
forgot. I kept trying to put my finger on it.” I snapped my finger and pointed at Baz. “Where are the beaches where lightning strikes create crystals?”
“All around the world. Not only beaches but deserts have them too. But let me see what people are saying online.”
“Yeah. There’s a message board for everything right?”
He didn’t answer. Baz just sat there, head poked out at the strangest angle, like a turtle who didn’t get out much.
He stamped the enter key and said, “They’re called fulgurites. Root-shaped crystal formations created when lightning strikes sand.”
We nodded, happy to be educated, yet still impatient.
After a few moments he said, “So we have Sand Beach, Maine, showing a huge increase in incidences. Apparently it’s quite unusual.”
I knocked on the surface of Dad’s mahogany desk. “Right. Sand Beach.”
“How will you get there?” he asked.
I grabbed my phone. “Mel,” I said, mentally crossing my fingers.
A couple of texts later I looked up, disappointed.
“What happened?”
I sighed. “That was Drake. Mel’s busy. She’s not even in this world.” I laughed, disappointed, upset, frustrated.
Baz’s chortle drew me from my reverie. “Not as if you can’t run fast,” said Baz, grinning.
Living in Tukats, the only vamp-demon among a population of panther walkers, Baz had seen more panther shifters than some people would see in their lifetimes.
I pushed to my feet. “Right. I’d better get moving.”
Chapter 19
Baz, can you keep me updated if you find any other locations. This visit is merely a scouting mission. If she’s not there, we have to keep looking.”
Baz nodded. “Couple more look likely. A beach in Florida and one out in Hawaii. I’ll keep you posted.”
I gave him a grateful wave then left Nerina to take her leave on her own. Dad strode into the hall before I reached the front door, rubbing his chin, his forehead scrunched with worry.
“What’s wrong? Is it Logan?” I stepped toward him.
“No. But I do need to talk to you.”
“Okay,” I said slowly.
Dad was already heading out into the living room and I followed quickly. He began to poke at the dying fire. I knelt beside him and handed him fresh wood and the fire lighter. We worked in silence getting the fire going again.
At last, he got to his feet and sat in one of the armchairs that flanked the fireplace. I stayed where I was, cross-legged on the thick wool rug, my shoulders and cheeks warming from the flames.
He rested his elbows on his knees, then leaned forward to rub his forehead.
“What’s up, Dad? Take it this is bad news?”
“No. I wouldn’t say it’s bad news. Just something I’m worried how you’ll take.”
I snorted. “How bad can it be? Look at everything that’s happened in my life. I’m not sure anything could make it worse.”
He cleared his throat and stared at the fire for a few moments. His eyes reflected the dancing flames, shifting from dark green to a bright emerald, his panther stirring, uneasy.
Something was definitely up.
I waited until he cleared his throat again. “I think I found a way that I could help Lily.”
Now that, I hadn’t expected.
“Oh?” I leaned forward, curious now.
“I’ve been looking over Niko’s research.”
My ears began to ring, muscles stiffening at the mention of my uncle.
I scrambled to my feet so fast that I felt lightheaded. “No. No way.” My voice had risen. A little too high to be respectful to one’s Alpha, but Dad remained unconcerned.
“You have to try and understand what I want to achieve here, Kai.” He used his calm voice.
“And what is that? More manipulation of a girl that’s already been through hell and back?” I shook my head in disbelief.
“Of course not. All I want is to help Lily. She deserves it. Being unable to shift is an awful burden. And Lily . . . she’s been through so much. I see her struggling . . . and I want to help her. How can I ignore the possibility that I could help her heal both mentally and physically?”
“But Dad. You don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand, Kai?” he asked softly.
I could see he meant it. He cared about Lily, wanted the best for her. He probably wanted to help her in a way that he’d been unable to help his own daughter. And I understood that. But he didn’t know.
“Who you are. You’re his brother, Dad. Do you not know how similar the two of you look?” I asked. Then smiled. “Apart from the crazed, maniacal gleam in your eye, of course.”
Dad only stared into the fire. “I know, honey. I know. That’s why I’ve been so worried.” He paused, rubbing his chin again. “I want to help her, but if she doesn’t want me to administer the treatment, then I’ll get someone else to do it. And if she doesn’t want to do it at all, then I’ll support her decision.”
I took a step away, feeling the heat of the fire at my back. “You would do that?”
“Of course, I would.” He frowned. “Lily means a lot to us. Your mother and I, we see her as our child. You’ve taken her under your wing, and so have we. We want what’s best for her and from the point of view of a family who has had to deal with Pariah for two generations, I think I can speak for all of us. We want Lily to get better. And maybe she will also want a chance at a better life.”
My stomach turned. “I know what you’re saying, but you weren’t there. You didn’t see how she suffered. And drugs? She’s a recovering addict. How will she handle Synthe again? That horrible drug was at the core of Uncle Niko’s research and Brand got her addicted to it. How will she survive a relapse, Dad?”
I was terrified, and horrified and my father could see it. He got to his feet and came to stand in front of me. Lifting his hands, he placed them on either side of my face.
“Kailin Odel, I am so very proud of you. Your love and loyalty are a sight to behold.” He laid his forehead on mine, his nose touching mine, shifting slowly to a panther’s nose. The kiss of the Alpha. Nose to nose, granting power from one to the other.
I stiffened and wanted to spring away but he held me firmly. “I don’t mean anything official by it, Daughter. I’m just showing you respect,” he said, his words soft against my face.
His tone made me aware of my father’s bearing, and his voice. The respect it held, the emotion too. I realized then that Lily’s situation affected more people than just me.
A few months ago, when it was just Lily, Anjelo and me, things had been different. My family hadn’t even been in the picture, and Lily… well Lily had been hooked on Synthe. A drug created by my own uncle whose obsession with his inability to shift had led to years of research. Research that had led to the creation of a drug that could halt the shifting process. But Uncle Niko was never known for his street smarts.
Before he knew it, he was under the control of two very awful people; Brand, a shifter who believed in humans as his dinner, and Widd’en, a wraith from Wrytthin, a demon realm beyond the Veil. At their behest, the man I’d called Uncle had committed awful, painful acts on innocent shifters.
Lily had been one of his victims.
And he’d used her to get to me.
So there was history where Lily and Niko and Synthe were concerned. Not the least being her inability to shift. Anjelo had soothed her pain while he’d been around, but without him she was left to lean on us. And Lily and her pride didn’t allow herself to be seen as weak.
Even with me, she was the badass sidekick, ready to face any and all danger beside me. It took every ounce of willpower to say no every time she demanded to join me on my Elite cases.
And I knew Lily felt sidelined.
I would too if I were her. But I couldn’t help it. Horner wouldn’t be too accepting if I hauled Lily in every time I had a case. I’d considered pu
tting in a request for the Elite to recruit Lily but the very thought of her in danger made me ill.
Yes, I’d trained her and yes, she’d come with me on a few missions but that had been a long time ago, before people close to us had died.
I wasn’t afraid to admit that I didn’t want to lose Lily. But something told me she wouldn’t see it that way. She’d want her own choices no matter the circumstances.
I accepted my father’s respect and took a deep breath as he stepped away. I’d waited a long time to meet this version of my father. Corin Odel had for years been distant, cool. Unemotional. But the loss of my mother had changed him, and not everyone is able to do the right thing when grief darkened their heart.
“I’ll speak to Lily before I leave. I’ll tell her to contact you either way.”
Dad nodded then reached out and held my arm. Giving it a squeeze he said, “Be careful, okay?”
I nodded and was about to turn to leave when he said, “Wait. One more thing.”
I spun on my heel in time to see him press one of the rocks on the mantlepiece. The whole thing was designed to look like a stack of rocks had fallen into place, albeit vertically.
When the rock shifted aside I wasn’t surprised. I’d seen hidey holes like this before. The burial caves up in the mountains had just such an entrance.
I moved closer as Dad retrieved a slim box which he handed to me. “Take this. Let it protect you.”
Peering into the box my eyes widened. “The Glyhs?” I said, my voice breathy, filled with awe.
“Yes. The Glyhs was entrusted to our family after a terrible battle, one so terrible that the earth was soaked with blood for decades after. Only a chosen few have wielded this weapon. If she works for you consider yourself deserving.”
The slim dagger, encrusted with diamond mined from the heart of Drakys, the land of the Dragons. It had always amazed me that diamonds so clear and so bright could come from a land filled with fire and lava. I wasn’t sure what to say, too busy wondering what would happen if the Glyhs decided I wasn’t worthy.
Instead I said, “I’ll keep a backup just in case.”
Dad laughed softly, his low timbre rolling over me like a comforter. “I expected you’d say that.”
