He bit back a laugh. “Bookworm, no offense but I don’t think you’ll be much of a help if a battle broke out.”
“Don’t make me leave him, Fulk. Please.”
Arching a brow, he touched her arm. “You mean, don’t make you leave here, right?”
“I said what I meant.”
“Kane’s headed back in now. He’ll be with you. It will be okay,” Fulk said, doing his best to calm her down.
A part of Deryn warned her to shut her mouth. She ignored it. “No, not Kane--Alejandro. Don’t make me leave him. Please. I can’t let anything happen to him. I made a promise.”
“Colonel, she’s not making any sense.”
The alcohol picked then to fully assault her senses. Something added to it, intensifying the feeling of falling. Kane was suddenly in front of her. “Deryn?”
“I can feel magik,” Fulk said, his voice sounding far away. “Who is using magik?”
Deryn’s vision blurred. For a moment she saw two Kane’s standing before her. “Kane? Something’s wrong. Don’t make me go, please. Call my uncle back and tell him you lied. Tell him the suns are not too taxing on me.”
He gripped her arms tight. “How in the hell do you know I just called your uncle and told him about the suns.”
She couldn’t give him an answer even if she wanted to because she had no clue how she knew. She just did. Pulling on him, Deryn tried to steady herself. It didn’t work. Kane sniffed the air around her. “Dammit, Fulk’s right. Someone is using magik on Deryn. Who is it?”
“My money is on the redheaded bitch,” Ondrea said, not bothering to hide her disgust. “I vote we kill her.”
“My gods, don’t you people get it?” Vonni pushed in next to Kane. “She’s a slayer.”
Fulk snorted. “Right. Yeah, okay, Vonni.”
“You’ll see,” she said, sounding a little too sure of herself.
“What the fuck did you do, Vonni?” Kane asked, his voice masked with a partial growl. “Pull your magik back from Deryn now!”
“I did what had to be done to get the truth to come out.”
“What the fuck did you do to her?” Ondrea asked, charging at Vonni.
Fulk caught her around the waist and lifted her high into the air. “Hold on there. Let’s figure out what’s wrong with Bookworm before we go killing Vonni. Now, Vonni, what did you do to her?”
“I cast a truth spell on her.”
“She’s drunk!” Issac said, appearing next to Fulk. “And she’s human!” He batted at the air. “You used a ton of power on her. That’s a deadly combination!”
“Will she be okay?” Alejandro’s voice pushed through Deryn’s fuzzy mind. Reaching out, she tried to find him but couldn’t.
“Colonel ... err ... Alejandro?”
Something touched her cheek and then wrapped around her waist. “I’m here, Deryn.” He glanced around at the others. “Kane, Dr. Harris, let’s get her to the infirmary.”
“Issac, Rodriquez, escort Vonni to the MPs. Tell them she’s to be held until further notice.”
“But, Colonel,” Vonni said, her voice whiny. “You’re not listening to me. She’ll kill you all. Just ask her. Ask her anything and she’ll tell you the truth ... at least until the spell wears off.”
“Come on, Vonni.” Fulk grabbed hold of Vonni’s upper arm and Deryn fought hard to maintain her focus. “Bookworm, go sleep it off. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Bookworm?” Deryn couldn’t help but to giggle. The combination of the spell and the alcohol left her with little self-control. “Why am I not offended hearing you call me that?”
“Because you like me. You know I’m a nice guy, don’t you?”
“You’re a great guy, Fulk Rodriquez. A great guy.”
He winked. “Yep, she’s under a truth spell all right. You’re not hiding state secrets, are you?” He laughed.
Deryn didn’t. Everything came to a head and the realization made her sick to her stomach. “Ohmygods, Kane, think about it. You said it yourself. My uncle brought me in knowing what you’d all run into. And you said this mission originally was to be a mix of supernaturals and humans but that it changed shortly after you all got here.”
Kane nodded. “That’s right, Deryn. We covered all of that already. That’s hardly a state secret.”
“No but suppose something went horrifically wrong here--for the sake of the argument, say the entire base was wiped out.”
Vonni gasped. “See, she’ll kill us all.”
Sick of hearing the woman talk, Deryn spun around and glared at her. “Utter another word and you will regret it.”
“Deryn.” Kane twisted her around to face him. “Tell me what you were getting at with something going wrong here because I think you and I both know something big is about to happen here.”
“Right. The government wants this realm. They want this version of Earth to mine for resources, establish bases and basically treat as shitty as they do ours.”
Kane nodded. “Yeah, no one has denied that, though they’ve put it in better terms. Do you have a point? None of this is state secret.”
“My point is the government is keeping your existence here a secret. All of you.”
Sighing, Kane tried to hug her but she held him at bay. “Deryn, this isn’t an operation they’re announcing to the world.”
“They aren’t in the database, Kane.” She pointed at Fulk. “There is no record of a Fulk Rodriquez in the NHD anymore. None. There isn’t a record of an Alejandro Vargas either. Same goes for Issac and....”
Fulk whistled. “Bookworm, you’re cute when you’re drunk but, honey, unless you’ve got the entire database memorized then you should probably go sleep this off.”
Ondrea and Kane exchanged nervous glances. Fulk snickered. “What? Are you telling me Bookworm did memorize the database?”
Kane stroked her cheek. “Deryn, think hard. Are you sure none of the men and women you’ve met here so far are listed in the NHD now?”
Issac smiled. “If she’s right, we should write the President or whoever did it a thank you letter. I hate being listed in the thing.”
Alejandro cleared his throat. “If she’s right about that and the threat we might be facing here then that would mean....”
Deryn nodded. “They systematically removed any trace of you from existence on Earth in the event that you ran into trouble that you weren’t able to contain. They’ll close the portal to here before risking Earth’s safety.”
“You can’t seriously think Bookworm can memorize a world wide database. Do you?”
“Men.” Ondrea snorted. “Deryn, honey, give me the last details you can recall for a Fulk Rodriquez. Go back to the previous dates you’d read it all.”
Closing her eyes, Deryn did her best to concentrate. “I couldn’t sleep so I’ve been reading through it again over the last few weeks. It was about a year and half before then that I last read through it. At that time, there was a Fulk Rodriquez listed as a resident of New York. Prior to that he was living in Ohio, Florida and Virginia. His address in Virginia matched that of a Ms. Terri Baker--werewolf by attack not birth. Ms. Baker applied for a marriage certificate but there was no record of Fulk applying as well. He was arrested for stealing a vehicle when he was seventeen but that disappeared from his record once he turned eighteen. He then....”
Kane shook her softly. “That’s enough, sugar. They get the idea.”
“She’s always been good but not that good,” Ondrea said, smiling.
“Vonni’s truth spell combined with the alcohol and her meds are most likely stimulating the area of her brain that stores the information.”
“Damn, Bookworm, I don’t know if I should be creeped out or ask you to be my partner for cards.”
A sickening thought occurred to Deryn. “Ohmygods, Kane, I’m their last resort. I’m the government’s fail safe. That’s why they sent me to visit with the option of staying or returning in monthly increments or sooner if need be.
They want me to....”
“Learn the lay of the land, observe us and fight should the Avatars decide they aren’t willing to give this place up,” Kane said, his voice low. “Someone high up is expecting us to fail. They’re cleaning up their mess just in case it happens.”
She grabbed his cheeks and held tight. “Don’t make me go back, Kane. Don’t make me. Let me help. I can take as much time as I need off from the university. I’ll quit. I don’t care. Don’t make me go, not now that we’ve had an altercation with a tomb guard. If they attack and I’m not here, the government will shut you down and leave you here.”
“Deryn,” Kane held her by her wrists, “there’s no stopping them from doing that with you here.”
“Yes, there is.”
He let out a soft laugh. “Your uncle. He won’t let them seal it with you here. Your grandmother would literally kill him.”
“Let me stay.” She spun around and staggered. Strong arms wrapped around her. She turned to find Alejandro holding her. “Please don’t make me leave you. You outrank Kane. Tell him to notify Earth that all is going well here and we’ll report in when we have more to tell and let me stay.”
“Shh,” Alejandro whispered as he lifted her into his arms and held her close. “It’ll all be okay. You have my word, Deryn.”
“I’m not feeling so well.”
“I’ve got you. I’m going to take you over to the infirmary. We’ll get you back on your feet before you know it. We need you out there to help us carbon date things and all that other stuff you were going on about earlier.”
Joy surged through Deryn. “You’ll let me stay?”
“Yes.”
“No, Colonel,” Vonni stared at Deryn with hard eyes, “ask her if she’s a slayer. You’ll kill them all, won’t you?”
Deryn shook her head before giving in and laying it against Alejandro’s chest. “No. I would rather die than see them be harmed in any way.”
“Happy now?” Kane ushered Alejandro towards the exit. “Come on, Alex.”
“Kane? Kane, I want you to carry me, not him.”
“Sure, sugar but can I ask why? Alex won’t hurt you.” Kane caressed her arm. “It’s actually better if he carries you while Ondrea and I watch for more temple guards, Deryn. She and I have at least studied how to deal with them and how to spot them. Now that we know we should be looking, we’ve got a leg up on the others.”
No part of her wanted to admit why she didn’t want Alejandro carrying her but the compulsion to spit the truth out was too great. “I don’t want him to carry me because he confuses me. One minute he acts like he’s interested in me and the next he’s cold as ice. It’s annoying. He’s annoying in a cute way. He is so sexy and he’s built to perfection. He’s funny too and he has the best voice. Don’t you think, Onnie?”
Ondrea laughed. “Oh, sweetheart, you are not talking like yourself. That bitch did a number on you. No more drinks around crazy Fae chicks. And no more going out in the midday suns.”
Ondrea’s voice faded away. Deryn put her head against Alejandro’s chest and closed her eyes. “I changed my mind. Don’t let go of me and don’t die.”
He huffed. “Okay, I’ll do my best not to. You do the same, all right?”
Losing her inhibitions, Deryn stroked his jaw line and stared into his green eyes. She couldn’t help but stare. He was breathtaking. The perfect example of the male species. She traced the edges of his full lips as her inner thighs tightened. “I think it was you who cast a spell over me,” she whispered. “Did you do that, Colonel?”
“Deryn,” Ondrea said. “Sweetie, you’re drunk and under the influence of some heavy magik. How’s about you just stop talking before you say anything else to embarrass yourself later?”
Alejandro continued to walk with her and she kept her gaze trained on him. “But I think he did do something to me. He can wield magik too, just like his mother.”
He stalled. “How do you know that?”
“I know because....” His green eyes swirled just a tiny bit and their color intensified. Unable to help herself, Deryn gave into the urge to be closer to him. She leaned up and planted a tiny kiss on his neck. He froze and she chuckled. “Tell me what the growl means.”
“I’ll tell you later. When we’re alone, amorzão.”
“Mmm, promise?”
He nodded as a low purr came from the back of his throat. Ondrea gasped and then coughed loudly--sounding as though it were forced and she was covering something up.
Looking around, Deryn had to concentrate to be able to focus on Ondrea. When she spotted her friend she smiled. “I love you, Onnie. You’re like a sister to me.”
Ondrea nodded. “I love you too, sweetie.” She glanced past Deryn to Alejandro. “Set her on the table. I think Kane wants to have a look at her and if you’re smart, you’ll stop making that noise. The last thing we have time for is two grown men getting into a brawl.”
Alejandro did as Ondrea instructed but Deryn held tight to him as he went to pull away. He stilled and locked gazes with her. “I didn’t mean what I said to Che. I would never change my mind and let them hurt you.”
“Hey, Colonel,” Issac said, moving up next to Alejandro. “Vonni is tucked away for a lovely evening with the MPs. How’s the patient doing?” Putting his hand out, he swept it through the air and drew back with a hiss. “Damn, she’s still got a hell of a rain cloud of power over her.”
“Can you do anything for her?” Kane asked.
Alejandro touched her leg and heat flared through Deryn’s body. “My gut says let this ride out.”
“Yeah, well, no offense, Colonel,” Kane bit out. “But your gut isn’t the one who put the entire fucking base under its protection and if these things pick now to attack, Deryn is as good as dead.”
Issac snickered. “No offense, Kane but I’m not seeing the difference between leaving her buzzing or sobering her up. If something attacks, she’s only human. She won’t be doing anything beyond getting thrust into a corner by one of us.”
Ondrea glanced at Deryn and offered a soft smile. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel great. I don’t know what the fuss is about.”
“How many fingers am I holding up?” Ondrea lifted her hand and for a second, the room seemed to spin. “Deryn? How many fingers?”
“I don’t know. I can’t seem to remember how to count. Why can’t I remember how to count? I can count, right?”
Ondrea let out a soft laugh. “Umm, yes, Deryn, you can count. In fact, you’re my walking calculator normally.”
Music drifted in from a distance and Deryn stiffened as she heard a song that always reminded her of a horrible night. The worst night of her life to be exact. “Onnie, do you hear that?”
“Here what, Deryn?”
“That music.” She sat up on the exam table and glanced around the infirmary. It faded in and out, one minute looking like an infirmary and the next looking like a nightclub she used to hang out when she was younger. It was owned by Ondrea’s uncle and he always let them in regardless of their age. The minute Deryn realized what she was seeing she gasped.
“Deryn what’s wrong? What music? Not the snake charmer one again, I hope.”
“No. That stupid song.” Deryn tipped her head. “The one Kane’s friends used to sing when they wanted to make fun of me for being a goodie two shoes.”
“Look at me I’m Sandra Dee?” Ondrea asked, her eyes wide. Deryn nodded. “I don’t hear anything.”
Issac touched her forehead. “I think she’s hallucinating.”
“What makes you say that?” Kane asked.
Issac shrugged. “For one she’s hearing music that isn’t playing and for two, I can see what she sees while I’m touching her and the girl isn’t sitting in the infirmary anymore. She’s standing in the corner of what looks like a bar or club of some sort. I see Kane playing pool with a group of guys. His hair is short, like how he wore it when we first met him, and he’s wearing a tux. That�
��s odd.” Issac laughed. “Playing pool in a tux. The guys he’s with are pretending to sing the song that Deryn said she heard. It looks like they’re making fun of you Kane.”
Kane drew in a sharp breath. “Use your power, Issac. Break Vonni’s spell!”
Ondrea touched Deryn’s cheek. “Sweetie, focus on me. Do it, Issac. It’s the night of her attack. The one that almost killed her.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
A slight buzz moved around Deryn and she instantly felt as though she were falling. The harder Deryn tried to do just that, the more she seemed to slip away from reality and into what seemed to be a living memory. She too saw Kane standing with his buddies playing pool.
“Where’s Sandra Dee?” one of his friends asked. “I thought you said you were taking her to her prom even though we said it would be lame.”
“Not to mention it’ll take up your time with us. It’s not like the service lets you out on a weekly basis. We miss you, man.”
“Nice tux,” another one of his friends said, poking him with a stick. “Have a change of heart or did you get stood up?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Kane said, between gritted teeth.
“Holy shit, Soto got stood up by a high school girl.”
“Fuck you, Doyle.” Kane bent down to line up his shot. “For your information, I dumped her.”
Doyle snorted. “Funny, for years you kept telling us the two of you weren’t an item. When did that change? Did you finally realize she doesn’t belong around here, around us? Sandra Dee just doesn’t blend. Ondrea’s fine. She’s cool but the other one bothers us.”
Kane laughed and Deryn took a step back not wanting to believe he would partake in their teasing. Glancing down, she found herself wearing a long floor-length white gown. It had a low cut bodice but not so much so that it was obscene. It struck a nice balance and was not only flattering but age appropriate. Instantly, Deryn’s hand went to the locket she wore around her neck. It was something she did often when she was nervous or upset.
“So, did you leave her at the dance or what?” Doyle asked. “I want the details. That bitch has done nothing but drag you down for years and we can’t stand her.”
Shifter Fated Mates: Boxed Set Page 66
