“Will do.” Josiah looked at Abraham and Kai. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” Abraham squeezed his hand around Kai’s and followed Josiah and Sarah from the exam room. The two couples hurried hand and hand from the hospital to the parking lot and climbed into the car.
Chapter Fourteen
The air in the car was thick with tension as they sped toward home. Abraham rubbed circles on Kai’s knuckles with his thumb, hoping it would relieve some of his anxiety. It didn’t.
As they turned onto the familiar stretch of highway that led to the woods, Josiah finally spoke. “When we get there, Abe and I will go in. Sarah and Kai, you two stay in the car with the doors locked.”
Abraham frowned. “I don’t want to usurp you or anything, big bro, but what if we are dealing with vampires. Do you really want our mates trapped in the car?”
Abraham could hear his brother huff from his spot in the backseat. “Fuck, no. But they’re going to be in as much danger inside with us, especially if we have to split our attention between them and the threat.”
Abraham looked down at Kai snuggled against him. “When Neptune changed you into human, did he take your magical ability with it?”
Kai gazed up to him. She waved her fingers, creating a perfect rose in her hand. “No.”
Abraham grinned at his brother. “We’re good. Three not-human creatures and one mortal. Kai can keep Sarah safe probably better than we can.”
Josiah nodded, never taking his gaze off the road. The windows of the service station gave off a warm, amber glow in the distance. “Good. Let’s go take care of this.”
Josiah pulled up to the gas pumps before he killed the engine. They each climbed from the vehicle. Abraham tucked Kai behind him by instinct. He noticed Josiah do the same with Sarah. They strode across the dirt parking lot to the front door.
The interior of the station was immaculate and clean unlike the place that had stood there before. Everything had an antique golden glow to it, including the walls. Abraham held Kai’s hand tight as he took in everything. His attention turned to the sound of footsteps coming from the garage.
“Grop?” Sarah asked, her voice staggering as she said it.
They all stared at the diminutive man standing in the door leading to the garage. He nodded. “Hello, Sarah. How is married life?”
She didn’t answer. She looked as freaked out as the day Grop married her to Josiah.
Josiah growled. “What the fuck is going on here?”
Grop smiled. “My kindred and I are just about finished with this place. A couple of my distant cousins will be staying here.”
“No one said you could stay here.”
Grop smiled. “Sharky did.”
Josiah’s eyes opened wide. They had to have mirrored Abraham’s. “Sharky’s alive?”
Grop shook his head. “No. But he has chosen to leave the afterlife to come here. He wants to honor his promise to your father to protect you until it’s done.”
“What’s over?”
Grop nodded toward Kai. “You have a seer. Trust her vision. You will need it to survive.”
He then cocked his head at Abraham and continued. “I see my warning to you at the wedding has come to fruition, Abraham. You found your mate and she wasn’t what you expected.”
Abraham gaped at him. He rubbed his temple with the heel of his hand to clear his thoughts. “If Sharky is leaving the afterlife, what about Dad? Isn’t Dad coming too? Shouldn’t he be here to protect us?”
Grop shook his head. “Zane is not coming. He wanted me to relay a message.”
“That is?”
“Find the Book of Elvesayd. Cure your mother from the curse.”
“The Book of Elvesayd?” Josiah questioned.
Grop gestured toward the windows. “It’s late. You should be getting home before the beasts come out to play,” Grop answered him.
“We are the beasts,” Abraham retorted with a half laugh.
“Where do we find this book?” Josiah demanded.
Grop heaved a sigh. “There is knowledge I am allowed to know and there is knowledge that is hidden from me. The location of the book is one such item I do not know. I can tell you it has changed hands thousands of times in the thousands of years it has been in existence. Finding it will be a challenge.”
Josiah nodded. “I understand. We will figure out where it is. Please, if you get the chance, tell Dad that we love and miss him every day.”
Grop smiled at him. “He knows. Be safe.”
Abraham and Kai followed Josiah and Sarah from the building to the car. They climbed in without a word. Josiah flipped the ignition and pulled onto the highway toward the woods. Everything went dark as he drove up the path through the tree line into the forest.
Abraham stared out his car window into the trees as he thought about his father. He’d do anything to talk to him one last time. It physically hurt to know he was so close yet it would never happen. By the thick silence in the car, he guessed everyone else was dwelling on what had just happened at the service station too.
The quiet was broken by his mate’s voice. When Kai spoke to others, her voice was barely over a whisper. Not this time. It was loud and she sounded pissed. She sat straight up with her hands on her lap and her face screwed up in a scowl. “I can’t believe you have no idea what the Book of Elvesayd is?”
Josiah tipped his head as if he was trying to look at her in the rearview mirror. “You have?”
“Of course I have. We had it shortly before I was born.”
“We?”
“The merpeople. Legend has it that one of our own stole it and sold it off but no one found out who it was.”
Sarah shifted in her seat until she could look at Kai. “What exactly is it?”
Kai huffed. “It’s a book that recounts not only the history of the Heka, but it also recounts the times his spirit and the amulet have crossed paths over thousands of years. It details what he is capable of even after his death. It’s the entire bloody history of the Heka and the amulet.”
Josiah yanked at the steering wheel to avoid a low-hanging branch and guided it back to the rut-filled road. “Okay, it’s a history book. Why the fuck does Grop want us to find it so we can cure Momma?”
Kai was quiet for a moment. “Like Grop said, it’s changed hands thousands of times. So has the amulet. Down through the ages it’s been discovered that the amulet holds power for each type of being and creature on this planet. Some of those have written down in the book the formulas to achieve what they want. Once they have whatever it is they need, they only need the Heka’s power to make it work. The only beings using the amulet effectively are the humans. It gives them domination over others. If one has it and the power of the Heka, they would rule everything.”
“We have the amulet and we have the Heka,” Sarah offered. “We just need the book to reverse the curse. And I know who can find it.”
Josiah took his gaze off the road to glance at his wife. They answered in unison. “Eve.”
“Except we’re trying to keep Henry’s magic under wraps,” Josiah continued. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Heka wants to be reunited with the amulet so he can have dominant rule over us all. What we all want isn’t going to mean shit if he takes over.”
“You aren’t wrong,” Kai answered quietly.
Sarah reached across the front seat and patted Josiah’s hand. “Let’s just get the book. Then we’ll figure out how to stop the impending apocalypse.”
Josiah chuckled. “Thanks for the confidence.”
A soft, orange glow greeted them before they broke through the tree line to the Hallows’ camp. Dark figures sat in lawn chairs around a roaring bonfire. Josiah parked the vehicle and shut it off. Before they could climb out, the members of the family were out of their seats and shuffling across the lawn to greet them. Even Littlefoot was there, escorting Momma near the front of the family.
She crossed her pudgy arms over her chest. “So?”
/> Abraham watched Josiah nod as he scanned the family. “So what?”
“What did Noah say?”
“Kai is human. And all the mates are pregnant but Henry. Starting to think maybe we should get him an ultrasound too.”
“I am not pregnant,” Henry scoffed.
Meg crossed the grass and tugged Kai from Abraham to wrap her in a hug. “Even you?”
Kai nodded quietly. Meg laughed and snaked an arm around Sarah also.
“We investigated the service station that stands where Sharky’s was.” Abraham looked at Littlefoot. “You’re safe to go there.”
“What is it?” Littlefoot asked.
“Grop,” Josiah answered. “He and his people are building it for Sharky to come back.”
Littlefoot’s eyes grew wide. “He’s alive.”
“No. He’s crossing over to the other side until whatever is coming is done.”
“Wait,” Joshua interjected. “What about Dad? Is Dad coming too?”
Abraham glanced around to see everyone in the family surrounding him and Josiah and every stare fixed to them. “No. But he sent a message to us.”
“That is?” Caleb demanded.
Josiah turned to his mother. “He wants us to find the Book of Elvesayd. He told us to free Momma from the curse.”
“What curse?” Momma protested. “I’m not cursed.”
“The mating curse, Momma,” Abraham said softly as he looked from her to Littlefoot.
She frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Even Dad from the dead knows you and Littlefoot should be together, Momma,” Samuel interjected.
Abraham heard her squeak an “oh” before Meg continued. “So, where is this book?”
“We don’t know,” Sarah replied. “We don’t even know what it is.”
Abraham’s attention was turned toward Delilah as she waddled in their direction. The long, lavender gauzy sundress whipped around her ankles. “I do. I know what it is.”
Abraham cocked his head as he watched her. “You’ve heard of it.”
She laughed. “I’ve held it. My friend who owns a museum in Philadelphia got his hands on it. He let me examine it. I couldn’t read a lick of it but parts of it were written in different scripts.”
“It was written in Sanskrit,” Kai added.
Delilah smiled at her. “That would explain it.”
“Is it still there?” Josiah questioned.
Delilah shook her head. “It was stolen. He was nearly beaten to death during the robbery. But I bet between Eve and I, we’ll locate it.”
“I’m in,” Eve added as she held tight to her husband’s hand.
“I can help,” Kai volunteered.
“No.” Josiah shook his head.
Abraham watched his mate scowl as she pulled free from Meg. His heart burned with pride as she went toe to toe with his big brother. “I know what we’re dealing with. I’m fluent in Sanskrit. Why won’t you let me help? I’m human. I won’t be running back to Neptune. You can trust me,”
Josiah pointed at Abraham. “I am. I’m trusting you with something far more important than that fucking book. I’m trusting you with my brother’s life. His fight is coming up quick and he has far more on the line than just pride. He has you and he has your unborn child. I need you to get him ready for the cage. And for the love of fuck, I need you to get him out alive.”
“I don’t think my magic is that strong,” she protested.
Josiah smiled. “Not magic. The next couple of weeks are going to fly by fast. I need you to make sure he sleeps. I need you to make sure he eats. I need you to hold him and love him and remind him what he has waiting for him at home. Kai, I’m entrusting my baby brother to you. Please get him back safe to me.”
Kai stared at Abraham for a long, silent moment. Then she smiled. She wrapped her arms tight around his waist and squeezed him. “I will. I promise. But if you need help with the book…”
“You’ll be the first we’ll call,” Delilah assured.
Abraham hugged her to him, his heart content for the first time in a long while. He didn’t need anything but Kai and the babes she would give him. He was hardly an adult himself yet he still couldn’t wait to meet the little one she carried.
He looked up when Josiah touched his arm. “There are leftovers for us. Come on, you two. Let’s go eat so we can enjoy that bonfire with our family.”
They both nodded in agreement. Kai laced her fingers between his and laughed. She dragged him behind her as they followed the other couple to the kitchen door.
Chapter Fifteen
Josiah wasn’t kidding that the next few weeks would fly by fast. Abraham trained day and night for his fight, each of the brothers taking turns with him to get him ready. It wasn’t as if they had fight tape on Loch. They weren’t sure if the Scottish monster ever fought in his life. None of them knew what to expect.
Kai did the oldest Hallow brother proud. She attempted to cook him breakfast every morning. She dragged him out of the gym for each meal but made sure every one was full of veggies and protein. When he balked at another night of chicken breasts, she whispered into his ear the promise of chocolate chip cookies once his fight camp was over. And at night, when all Abraham wanted to do was collapse on the couch and stare into space, she stood at the doorway of their bedroom naked to entice him to bed. He was never too tired to make love to her.
All their blood, sweat, and tears got them to this night. Weigh-ins. He held Kai tight to him as he glanced around at the near-empty veterans’ hall. It was a far cry from the orgy they’d had to fight through at the club they used to weigh-in before Rock and Cort took over and made it worse. It was sort of refreshing.
He looked at Micah and smirked. “So if this asshole doesn’t show up, they won’t call the fight. Will they?”
Micah raised an eyebrow at him. “Typically yes, they will. But you would have to take that up with Harry. Loch not showing up would make things a whole fucking lot easier.”
Abraham snarled. “I plan on taking out my rage for Neptune on the son of a bitch. I’d rather tear Neptune apart. I can’t do that. Loch is the next best thing.”
“Don’t count on it,” Samuel muttered as he nodded toward the door. “Loch’s here. So is Neptune with his goons.”
Kai pulled free and scuttled behind Abraham. Josiah’s hand clamped down on Abraham’s shoulder. “Don’t think about it. Wait for the cage tomorrow night.”
Abraham felt Kai’s tiny hands grip the material of his shirt. He let go a feral growl. “Let’s get this over with before I beat the shit out of both of them.”
Abraham, Josiah, Micah, and Samuel strode to the stage set up on the far end of hall with Kai following behind. Abraham tucked her close to him as his glare met Neptune’s. He could see Neptune’s lip tick up in a snarl at the sight of the couple.
“Abe, can we have you up here?” Harry asked as he motioned Abraham toward the stage.
Abraham looked down at the woman in his arms. He could feel her shake as she hugged him tight. He didn’t blame her. The one who’d almost killed her without mercy stood across the room from her. Her entire existence had been altered with that one spell. It would take her a long time to completely recover from that.
He felt a hand shove her away from him. Before he could snap at the source he heard Samuel speak. “Go. I got her. Fish pants over there ain’t going to get anywhere near her without going through me.”
Abraham smiled at him as he let go of her and nudged her toward his older brother. “Thanks.”
Samuel shrugged. “Trust me. I get it. Try watching after two.”
Abraham cupped Kai’s face in his hands. He pressed a kiss to her lips and her forehead. He steeled his spine as he stormed up the steps of the stage to the scale.
There was only a doctor and no announcer to record the weight. He motioned for Abraham to weigh first. Abraham shucked his T-shirt and jeans until he was standing only in his boxer-briefs. He stepped on the sc
ale and stayed as still as possible.
“One hundred and thirty-four point nine pounds,” the doctor announce to all within earshot. Abraham hopped back for Loch to take his turn. He eyed the creature as Loch was weighed. He looked smaller than he had been by the lake. Abraham shook the thought from his mind. It was a while ago. Maybe he was imagining it.
Harry motioned the two fighters to him. “Boys, can we get a couple of fight photos for the event? Would you mind squaring off?”
Neither man answered him as Abraham sunk into fight stance and raised his fists. Loch studied him with a confused look on his face. With a sigh, he imitated Abraham.
“I will punish you for taking what was mine,” Loch warned.
“Good luck with that,” Abraham replied with a chuckle.
Both men growled at the other as the flashbulbs snapped. When Harry waved them both off, Abraham felt a hand clamped on each shoulder.
“What the fuck?” Abraham protested as he looked back. Josiah and Micah flanked him on either side.
“Save it for tomorrow night,” Josiah said, his focus not on Abraham but across the stage.
Abraham turned back to find Neptune at Loch’s side with his foot soldiers following behind. He hadn’t been there a second ago.
Neptune scowled at him. “Very well and. Until tomorrow.” He snapped his fingers and led the others offstage. None of the brothers moved until they disappeared from the hall.
Abraham gathered his clothes and followed Josiah and Micah off the stage. Samuel and Kai waited for them at the steps, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.
“That fucker moved on you fast,” Samuel commented.
“I didn’t realize Loch worked for Neptune,” Micah added.
“He doesn’t,” Kai informed them. “They were allies at best. Typically, they were on the verge of war.”
“Didn’t Neptune give you to Loch to be his wife?” Josiah questioned.
“He did but it wasn’t for peace for either of them.”
Josiah shook his head. “I have a feeling there’s a story we need to know but not here. Let’s get moving. After what just happened coupled with the fact that Rock and Cort could show up at any time, we need to get out of town and someplace safe.”
Bantamweight Page 15
