He was quickly running out of options for how to protect everyone from family to friends to the entire Belador tribe and their leader.
If he went into the Tribunal meeting with no body, the Tribunal leaders would give Queen Maeve the go-ahead to do with Quinn as she chose. He had no problem with facing her as long as Kizira's body was out of her reach.
He didn't fear dying, but he did fear the possibility of someone with her power accessing his mind and gaining the information he wouldn't give up willingly. Once Queen Maeve had him in her realm, she held the upper hand. She'd strip him of conscious thought and would compel him to turn on his own people.
He shuddered at that possibility.
If the person with the tomb had stolen it to trade with the queen, Quinn would end up opening it and very likely end up forced to watch Kizira stripped of her secrets.
He accepted what he had to do, which was to first retrieve Kizira's tomb from the group that had stolen it before they figured out how to open it then disappear with the body.
That wouldn't happen unless he found the tomb.
He contacted Trey by mobile phone and told him to put Devon in charge of the teams patrolling Midtown.
Trey said, "I'll do that, but I have some news I was about to send telepathically to you."
"Has someone found the tomb?"
"Possibly. Evalle sent me a message to let Storm know that she and Tristan were doing recon in the Blairsville area on a tip about the tomb and possible hostages. She said they were only going to confirm the intel then call in the troops."
Quinn asked, "Did she say anything about a campsite?"
"No, but something must be going down up in that area. That guy Isak and his men are up there. I got word from Beladors who noticed Hummers rolling toward Blairsville and parking near a mining ravine."
"Have you reached Storm?"
"Not yet. He must still be in jaguar form."
Hell. Quinn would feel better if Storm knew about this. He'd abandon anything he was doing and head to Blairsville. Quinn asked, "Why didn't Evalle contact me?"
"I asked her if she wanted me to tell you. She said Tristan wanted to be sure first before involving anyone higher up, especially Daegan. I haven't been able to raise her telepathically since she contacted me. I can't reach Tristan either."
"Not good."
"Nope. Have you been outside, Quinn? You know it quit raining?"
"Yes. We just got to one of my buildings here in town. Why?" Low-level accent lighting cast the room in a twilight glow. He walked over to look out at the clear dark night.
Trey said, "Might be coincidence, but weather radar shows only one storm still in the area. It's near Blairsville."
Reese had been sitting in one of the plush chairs in the meeting room. She walked over to the window to stand beside him and said, "I've been thinking about the rain stopping tonight. Something significant has changed. Might be good." She looked at him with doubt showing and added, "Might be bad."
Trey asked, "Where will you be if I need to reach you?"
A polite way of trying to figure out what the hell was going on without asking outright.
Quinn said, "I'll be out-of-pocket for a bit." That might be a gross understatement. "I have something important to discuss with Daegan, then I'll know more. Please let me know the minute you hear from Evalle."
"Ten four."
Using his direct access to Tzader, Quinn telepathically called to his friend in the Treoir realm.
Tzader came back quickly. What's going on, Quinn? Any luck on finding the body?
We have a lead, but I'm running out of time before the Tribunal orders Sen to bring me in. I need to speak to Daegan.
The lull on Tzader's end turned into a long, drawn-out sigh before he said, I need to come back to Atlanta.
No, Quinn argued. Daegan laid out the reasons we all have responsibilities in the meeting this morning. You've been handed the protection of Brina, which includes protecting all Beladors. Leave this to me, Daegan and the others. Do what he asked ... for all of us.
I'll get him, Tzader said. But I'm telling you right now I will not stand by if the Tribunal locks you up.
Understood. Quinn didn't want to point out that being locked up wasn't his greatest concern at the moment. The Tribunal had said only that Queen Maeve would be able to pursue Kizira's body without fear of retribution from the Beladors, but Quinn had been around for too long to think it would be that simple.
He suspected he'd be handed over to Maeve right there in the Tribunal meeting.
His gaze slid to Reese, who still looked out the window.
She had to be the most irreverent female he'd ever met, a warrior to the end, and that mouth ... she had one on her. She challenged everything he said and criticized him constantly.
Evalle had been surprised when Reese called Quinn a surly bastard and asked if his dog had died. Reese had cut him no slack since then either.
It had taken being jarred by this frenetic woman to realize he'd been keeping everyone on edge around him, afraid to say or do anything that would stress him. It was time to stop making his friends feel they had to tiptoe around. He had to find a way past the guilt drowning him.
Reese knew nothing of his history. She had no idea why Quinn wanted Kizira's body and he couldn't allow her to know. She was still an unknown. He had no idea where her loyalties lay, but she hadn't acted with aggression against his people so she could go once they located the tomb.
If Sen came for Quinn before that happened, Quinn would hand over her medallion. He would not leave her unprotected.
Quinn had been expecting Daegan's voice to flow into his mind once Tzader found the dragon, but a holographic image of Daegan wavered into view in front of Quinn.
"Daegan, I'm not alone," Quinn warned him.
Daegan gave Reese a brief look and said, "She can't see or hear me."
"What about her hearing me?" Quinn checked to see Reese's reaction to his question, but oddly enough, it appeared she hadn't heard it.
Quinn turned back to Daegan who explained, "Now that you're one of my Council of Seven, I can conceal this conversation on both sides. She'll see your mouth move but will hear no sound. Tzader and Brina don't have the ability to shield their holographic images from others, but my majik is very old."
"Interesting." Quinn got right to the point. "I think we may have located the tomb."
"Where is it?"
"That's the problem. Trey got a message from Evalle that she and Tristan were searching around Blairsville, which is a small town north of Atlanta. They received a tip that someone had the tomb and hostages. Evalle said they were going to confirm the intel then call in backup."
"Have they?" Daegan asked.
"Trey hasn't been able to reach either one of them since that initial contact and that's a bad sign. He's a far more powerful telepath than anyone else I've ever met. That's why he coordinates our people."
"Why do you think there's a problem, Quinn?"
"My first guess is that Evalle and Tristan are somewhere that is blocking their telepathy."
"That happens sometimes."
"True, but they have mobile phones and Trey can't reach them on those either." Quinn might as well give Daegan all the bad news. "I intend to go find them, but I have a time sensitive issue due to the Tribunal meeting and need your agreement on something."
"What is it?"
Quinn had hoped to have time to go see Lanna before this point, but she was still healing from a vicious attack that bordered on sexual assault and didn't need the stress of knowing any of this. "Do you recall briefly seeing Lanna with the witches in that basement while everyone was trying to break the curse on you? Tzader said the Fae woman brought Lanna back to the building before the Fae teleported the rest of you to Treoir."
"I do. Lanna was a young, blond woman injured by the crazy mage. Is she okay?"
"She will be. She's strong and she's healing with a white witch. I need to know that she'll
be brought under Belador protection once I leave."
"Why would you leave? I thought we discussed this."
"At that time, I had hopes of a better outcome today. If I don't find a way to put Kizira's body somewhere safe by the Tribunal meeting deadline, they're supposed to give Queen Maeve approval to obtain the body through any means she chooses. I can't be sure the Tribunal won't hand me over to her right then, which would end with me being taken to TAmr Medb. If that happens, she could very possibly compel me to do her bidding. I might be able to prevent it, but she may be too powerful, especially in her own realm. If she does compel me, she'll be in a position to do far more damage to the Beladors than has ever been done, even before she eventually gets her hands on Kizira's body."
"That is a situation we have to avoid." Daegan looked down, his face thoughtful. He shook his head at some thought. "Tristan should have come to me as soon as he discovered who had the body. I don't understand why he didn't. I see so much potential in him. I still believe he's capable of being a strong leader."
"I don't think he wants you here."
Daegan's dark gaze lifted to Quinn. "Why?"
"No one has ever given Tristan a chance to prove he can be a part of the Beladors. You did that and more. I think he's taken it on himself to deal with this and not involve you."
Daegan made a disgusted grunt. "That's foolish thinking when I'm the strongest among us."
Quinn hadn't seen Daegan in action, but based on what Tzader had told him, Daegan was only stating a fact, not boasting. "I honestly think Tristan believes it's his job to protect all the Treoirs, starting with you."
Daegan cursed then muttered, "This is my fault, but I will fix it."
Quinn wanted to ask what that meant, but Daegan was talking again.
"We need a plan. Why do you think Tristan and Evalle can't reach Trey telepathically?"
"I don't know. Devon and Evalle had trouble with their telepathy last night when we were in the presence of the buzzing energy field during the nonstop rain Atlanta has been experiencing." He told Daegan about the rain that Trey had said was now near Blairsville, then said, "If she and Tristan have encountered that strange cloaking energy again, their inability to communicate could be related to that. Who knows? I'm purely guessing at this point. If anyone can find Evalle, it's Storm."
"Call in Storm."
"Trey is trying to locate him, but Storm found a subtle scent at the cemetery this evening. He can track best in his jaguar form, so he doesn't have a mobile phone handy. Right now, I need to know if there's any way for you to teleport the tomb from where you are in Treoir."
"No, but if Tristan is available, he can do it."
"That depends on how much he's been teleporting today. He's not like you in that regard." Quinn considered something Daegan had admitted in the meeting. "Is there a valid reason Tristan doesn't want you to be here?"
That turned Daegan's already vicious mood downright ugly.
Quinn added, "I'm not questioning you as a leader, Daegan. I just want to know why it appears that Tristan is trying to handle this himself. He's not a bad chap, but I think his new position might be driving his decision making."
"I think you're correct."
"Does he have reason to think you'd be in danger coming to this realm?"
Instead of answering Quinn's question, Daegan said, "Send everyone you have to find Storm, then report back to me."
"I will, but about Kizira's body--"
"I know what we're going to do. Follow through on my orders and I'll explain everything when we talk next."
The hologram disappeared. Quinn contacted Trey with Daegan's request to pull out all the stops to find Storm, then stepped over to Reese.
When she turned to him, she smiled as if she'd found the answer to the universe. "Remember the suile marbh demons I told you about?"
"Yes."
"I know why it's not raining anymore."
Chapter 28
"You sure you can do this, Tristan?" Evalle asked as she stepped out into the opening between the narrow strip of woods and the camp with the tomb.
Tristan's idea was to walk in offering a trade to the kidnappers to release Kit and the boys. Once those three were out of sight, Evalle would pretend to use her powers to open the tomb.
At that point, Tristan would teleport away with Evalle and the tomb. If he couldn't move the tomb, he'd just get the two of them out of there.
He'd said it was a simple plan and she couldn't argue with that. Plus, now they had Isak with his demon blaster and Adrianna with Witchlock backing them up.
Why did she feel like she was breaking Storm's trust?
Because I am. She'd ended up in this position unintentionally and couldn't walk away with one of the boys facing death, but knowing all of that didn't erase the sick feeling she had in her chest.
Tristan said, "To answer you, I'm as sure about this plan as you are about doing your part."
Wrong answer. Her stomach hit her feet. She had no idea if she could bluff her way through this.
Six men converged on them with their hands raised to use kinetic power. She murmured, "Those are the bad Beladors."
"Bad Beladors?"
"That's my name for them to differentiate the Beladors I know from this pack of traitors."
He asked, "You don't recognize any of them?"
"No."
Tristan called out, "Who's in charge?"
The bad Beladors opened a path for a man who stepped out from between the tents. He was an easy six feet tall and had a build that could put a hurt on anyone who crossed him. Short black hair, harsh eyes, a narrow nose and pursed lips had been arranged in a decent way, almost attractive.
But not to Evalle. This man was evil incarnate to drag Kit and the boys into this.
He said, "I am Lorwerth."
Tristan acknowledged him. "Then you're the man I'm looking for. We got a call from Isak Nyght that you're holding hostages to trade for a gryphon who can open a sealed tomb. We're here to trade."
"Did one of you seal this tomb?"
"No." Evalle brought all the arrogance she could dig up. "But this is your lucky day. That tomb was sealed by a friend of mine and I happen to have the secret to cracking it open." When they'd gotten back to Atlanta from the Treoir meeting, Quinn said he meant to show her and Tzader how to open it, but that never happened. This Lorwerth didn't know that.
Lorwerth asked, "Why are there two of you?"
Tristan answered, "Because we don't trust you. No one would in our shoes. I'm here to make sure everything goes down nice and smooth."
"Have the woman open the tomb."
What century had this piece of work come from?
Evalle crossed her arms. "I'm not opening anything until you hand over the hostages and explain why it had to be a gryphon."
"Doesn't work that way," Lorwerth countered. "You give me what I want first."
"Let me make this simple for you," Evalle said, loading condescension in her voice. "There are only three people who know how to open that tomb. Vladimir Quinn and his two best friends. I'm one of them. Quinn and our other friend who can open it are in a different realm. I have no idea when they'll be back so I'm it or nothing. I came in good faith because Isak Nyght is a friend of mine, but I'm not lifting a finger until I see the hostages walk out of here under their own power."
She'd given them Quinn's name for the simple reason that calling Quinn in meant calling in an army of Beladors. Quinn would expect no less of her in this situation.
Lorwerth turned to one of his men and whispered something. The guy ran into the camp.
Evalle tried to look confident in spite of her anxiety spiking into the ozone. If any of the bad Beladors had empathic ability, she was screwed.
The runner came back leading three hostages.
Relief swamped her for a lightheaded moment then she added, "I want your word they'll be safe once they leave here."
Lorwerth smiled. "You have my word."
Like I'd trust you.
Isak and Adrianna had Evalle and Tristan's back. They would get Kit and the boys to safety.
The twins emerged first, with Kit right behind them. Kit kept her eyes on the twins as if she'd tackle anyone who tried to touch them. But when she lifted her gaze to see who had come for her, Evalle's throat tightened at the vulnerability she'd never before seen in that woman's face.
She hated that anyone had proven Kit's strength could be shaken.
Evalle shifted her stance as Kit and the boys approached her and Tristan. She needed to be able to see the trio all the way until they were out of sight, where Isak and Adrianna would take over.
Just as the three of them reached Evalle, Kellman slowed his step. His face had been changing into more of a man's recently. For all that he was the conservative one of the pair, he wouldn't hesitate to step into trouble with her.
She gave a tiny shake of her head without looking at him, hoping he understood that she needed them safely out of her way.
He kept moving, which meant Kardos would, too.
Message received.
She waited through a tense twenty seconds until the woods swallowed the trio.
Lorwerth lifted his hand.
More bad Beladors emerged from the woods, bringing the total standing with Lorwerth to twenty.
Evalle and Tristan were surrounded immediately.
Unwilling to stretch this out any longer, Evalle demanded, "Show me the tomb and let's get this done."
"So you agree to open it, gryphon?"
Tristan asked, "Why did you ask for a gryphon if you didn't know she could open it?"
Lorwerth seemed amused at the question. "I know that Quinn sealed the tomb. Nightstalkers in Oakland Cemetery are full of information and my men had plenty of power to trade through handshakes. The Nightstalkers observed Quinn sealing the tomb, then Queen Maeve and Cathbad trying to figure out how it opened after Quinn was gone. They couldn't do it. My superior saw an opportunity when Queen Maeve demanded that a Tribunal force Quinn to return Kizira's body. He handed me an army to do what the rogue units had failed to accomplish. Acquiring a gryphon for my army from all of this was my idea. Kizira's body is so important to Queen Maeve that she'll be happy to include compelling a gryphon to follow my orders as part of the trade."
Evalle wanted to get one answer before Tristan teleported them away. "Where'd these Beladors come from, Lorwerth?"
He cocked his head in amusement, then looked at his men. "These aren't Beladors. They weary of pretending to be. Well, that's not entirely true. They were given equivalent powers at the same time as the original Beladors thousands of year ago. But when Belatucadros endowed Belador warriors with powers, he kept a contingent to do his bidding. These are some of his Laochra Fola. Now that you know, don't insult them again by calling them mere Beladors."
Dragon King of Treoir Page 23
