Kyrian reached out and touched her choker. “I believe these are soul stones. They represent loved ones, special people in your lives. The ones not glowing with life, are either dead or not yet born.”
Tierney’s mouth dropped open, because what Kyrian said made so much sense. Why had she never considered this before?
He went on. “You have twelve stones, but only four glow. I imagine five glowed before your mother died?”
Tierney nodded and then sucked in a breath as she realized the implication of his words. “Dad’s is still glowing.”
Kyrian nodded with a kind smile.
Tierney fingered the stones in her choker and thought about it. It can’t be true. But then she thought about something else and frowned. “But my little brother, Cristoz, he died when my mother did, yet only one stone stopped glowing. If what you say is true, two stones should’ve stopped glowing, right?”
Kyrian’s gaze turned intense. “Are you sure your brother died that day?”
Tierney blinked. “Well yeah, I—”
“May I?” Kyrian asked and reached for the one very faintly glowing stone when she nodded her consent.
“I sense that this one belongs to a young male in your family,” Kyrian said, staring off into space.
“Shit!” All eyes shot to Jax as he swore.
“Jax?” she asked, curious as to his outburst.
“What if Cristoz is the reason for Zander’s business trips over the last few years? The ones he refuses to tell us about?” Jax asked, and suddenly everything just clicked into place. The blood drained from Tierney’s face, as she thought back to a particularly strange morning a few years ago.
“Do you remember that morning when we were eating breakfast and Dad started to choke?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Jax and Sami both said skeptically, not sure where she was going.
Tierney, heart thundering, gave them a little smile. “I asked if he was okay. He said yes, but he looked pale and shaken. His eyes were glued to my choker. That’s when I noticed the faintly glowing stone in his was flickering. It only lasted a short while, and when I felt mine, I could feel it doing the same thing. When it stopped flickering, I just figured it was malfunctioning.” She paused as she remembered the events of that morning and how shaken Zander had been. “But Dad, he got up, leaving his half-eaten breakfast and went to make a call. A little later he left on a trip somewhere.” She frowned, trying to remember where.
“He went to Ireland,” Jax said.
“What?” Tierney and Sami stared wide eyed at him. Jax nodded.
“What’s in Ireland?” Kyrian asked, confused.
“Ireland is where the portal from Tartaria is,” Jax said, staring intently at Tierney.
“Shit,” Sami whispered.
Tierney shivered and tearing her gaze from Jax, turned to Kyrian. “So, my dad’s not … and my brother … he’s not?” She was scared to get her hopes up about Zander, but the idea that her little brother might be alive, was unfathomable. Could they both really be alive? There wasn’t much she could do about Zander, since she was still bound by her promise, and the fact that she still had no idea where he was. But, if her brother was alive, what had happened to him? Questions swirled in her head. Where is Cristoz, and why did his stone flicker like that, why is it always so faint? Did Dad suspect he was alive? And if he did, why wouldn’t he tell me?
“He didn’t want to get your hopes up,” Jax said.
Oh, how well he knows me. With a wry smile, she tore her gaze from Jax and narrowed her eyes on Kyrian. “So why is it so faint? And why am I no longer connected to my dad up here?” She tapped her head.
“I do not know why that stone is different, but the life within feels like it’s here—but not really here, which I know doesn’t make sense. As for your father, well, he may have cut himself off from you, so you wouldn’t experience his—” Death. But Kyrian didn’t say it aloud.
With a scowl, Tierney thought about what he said. It made so much sense, and she knew her dad wouldn’t want her to witness his death.
“All right,” she agreed, but suddenly, her new-found hope plummeted once again as she realized that even though Zander may still be alive, she couldn’t do anything to help him.
“So what now?” Jax asked, looking from her to Sami, who seemed deep in thought.
She looked at Kyrian who sighed. “I am not sure.”
“First you give us hope, now you’re not sure?” Jax’s eyes suddenly blazed. All their emotions were running high, and Tierney, though she understood Jax’s anger, knew it wasn’t Kyrian’s fault. She laid a hand on Jax’s arm to calm him, but after a moment he got up and began to pace.
“I’m sorry. I sensed Tierney’s anguish and thought only to help,” Kyrian said. “You should be able to use your magic and the choker to track him.”
“Yeah, I don’t know how. Besides, there’s not much I can do about it, even if I did know how to track him.” Feeling useless and hating the promise she had made, Tierney avoided everyone’s gaze as she fingered the pulsing stones at her throat.
Jax studied her and frowned, making her squirm. She really didn’t want to tell him about the promise.
“What do you mean?” he finally asked.
Tierney pursed her lips, and shook her head. He’d freak when he found out, she just knew it.
“Tiern?” he growled.
“You didn’t,” Sami said, eyes widening as he quickly figured it out. “Tiern?”
“I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Kyrian asked.
Jax swore again and turned to stare out the window.
Tierney met Sami’s compassionate gaze before answering Kyrian. “I made my dad a promise—”
“Dammit, Tiern! Why? How could you?” Jax finally turned back to her, eyes blazing.
“He didn’t give me any choice—I thought he was about to die. He begged me—” She swallowed a sob and lowered her head into her hands. How could I have made such a promise? I knew it would bind me. I’m such an idiot!
A moment later, Jax was beside her again, and she felt his arm around her shoulders, offering comfort. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to blow up. I’m sure you didn’t have much choice. It’s hard to say no to someone you love.”
“Yes, it is.” Tierney looked up at him, and couldn’t help but wonder if he was speaking from experience.
“Well, Sami and I didn’t make any promises, so we can still look for him,” Jax said with a small smile as he stared down at her. Sami nodded his agreement as well and Tierney swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Thank you.” She couldn’t ask them to look for Zander as that would be the same as breaking her promise. But she couldn’t stop them if they offered. Sudden hope rose inside her once again, until she realized they still didn’t know where the hell to look.
As if sensing her dilemma, Kyrian nodded. “Well, I can talk to someone who may know how to access the magic in the stones. In the meantime, if there is anything else I can do, just ask.”
“Thanks,” Tierney said sincerely. Kyrian had already helped them so much, and while she may not know where the Ilyium were keeping her dad, or how to find him, she once again had a sliver of hope.
They talked for a few more minutes before a loud bang startled them. It was the outer mud room door crashing open, and hitting the wall behind it.
“What the fuck?” Jax growled, and they all jumped to their feet. They started across the room to investigate, but didn’t get more than a few steps before a dark, forbidding male filled the doorway between the great room and the kitchen.
“Soroyan, what are you doing here?” An edge of steely anger tinged Kyrian’s voice as he stared at the large male.
Tierney eyeballed the one Kyrian called Soroyan. Dressed all in black, he stood at least six-six, not much taller than Sami. But unlike Sami, who was lean and muscular, Soroyan was built like a linebacker. Through shoulder-length wavy black hair, which partially hid his whiskered face, Tierney
caught his furious turquoise eyes blazing from under severe black brows.
Soroyan scowled at them with a hostility bordering on hatred. His presence didn’t bother her, but the power emanating from him terrified her. This was one powerful, pissed-off male. “You know better than to go into the lair of the enemy without me, or someone else by your side for protection,” he said menacingly, directing his reproach at Kyrian.
“I told you, they are not our enemy. I am perfectly safe,” Kyrian growled back.
Sami and Jax started forward, but Tierney grabbed their arms, feeling their anger rising. She had to stop them from getting any closer, because while she didn’t know Soroyan, she could feel the strength of his power. With sudden clarity, she knew they wouldn’t be able to win against him.
Kyrian glanced at them apologetically. “I’m sorry for my brother’s manners and way of inviting himself into your home, along with any disrespect.”
Soroyan growled low in his throat, and his eyes flashed dangerously. His fists clenched as a pulse of power rippled through him. Tierney shivered.
“Soroyan. Control, please!” Kyrian snapped, and Tierney feared Soroyan’s anger would become volatile at the reprimand, but instead like a switch being turned off, he calmed himself.
“Are they at least going to help find Toren?” he asked Kyrian in a terse tone that grated on her, but she knew he was asking about the missing wolf, and understood their worry.
After Kyrian’s help the other night, and his insight into her dad and Cristoz, she owed him. “Yes, I will help you find Toren. I owe you that much. Besides, I need something to do,” Tierney said to Kyrian, ignoring his surly brother.
“Thank you Tierney. I appreciate your help.” Kyrian glanced at Soroyan. “Please wait for me outside.”
Without a word, or nod of acknowledgement, Soroyan swept them all with a fierce scowl, before turning and stalking back out.
“Wouldn’t your wolves be better at tracking Toren?” Sami asked, a little less tense now.
Tierney, remembering her conversation with Kyrian, turned to Sami with a grin. “Toren’s in human form. He went to Spokane, to the local Were-wolf pack, looking for his friend.”
“Yes,” Kyrian said, surprised she remembered.
She smirked, “I may not appear to be listening, but I am.”
“I see.” Sami nodded as if everything were normal.
Jax made his way over to the pool table, grabbed a pool cue and knocked a couple of balls into the corner pocket, before turning back to them. “If what Kyrian says about Zander is true—” Jax nodded at Kyrian. “No offense, but Sami and I need to concentrate on looking for Zander.”
Tierney’s heart ached at the thought of her dad. Jax was right, but since they didn’t have any leads …
“Yeah, you should. But … where?” she asked. Jax shook his head and hit another ball into a corner pocket. “Well, I don’t know either.” Tierney sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. Her eyes softened as she studied Jax. Tense, he stood and put the pool cue back in the rack. She ached to go and wrap her arms around him, but his reaction over the last few years held her back from doing so.
Instead, she sighed. “We have the Olympia PD looking, and Sami’s programs will tell us if his phone is turned on, but other than that, we don’t have anything to go on. I even went through his office looking for something to suggest where he went.” Tears stung her eyes. “I just think until we—I mean one of you—comes up with an idea, we can at least try to find Toren,” she said, having already told them that Kyrian feared the Ilyium had taken Toren as well. And pray they don’t kill Dad while we look for Toren …
When Kyrian handed them the address to the local Were-wolf pack, Tierney glanced at it, then snatched it out of his hand. “I know this address.”
“What? How?” Jax and Sami both asked, while Kyrian stared at her in surprise.
“Be right back.” Heart pounding, Tierney hurried down the hall to Zander’s office and ducked inside. When she returned to the great room, she held up Zander’s notepad. “Here, look. I saw this when I searched Dad’s office.” She handed the notepad to Sami. “Dad got a call right before he left. I asked who it was, and he just said an old friend needed his help with something, and that he’d look into it when he got back. I offered to check it out, and he said he’d rather do it.”
“What does it say?” Jax asked.
“Just ‘Gabreal’ and the same address Kyrian just gave us,” Sami said, “You ever hear of a Gabreal?”
Tierney and Jax both shook their heads.
Jax turned to Kyrian. “You know anything about this?”
“No, not at all.”
Jax stared at Kyrian for a moment, then frowned. “So, Toren’s away from home for the first time, and because he doesn’t call, you think he’s missing?” he asked with his usual sarcasm, but Kyrian either didn’t care, or didn’t catch it, and instead just nodded.
“What if he’s having fun and isn’t ready to come back?” Jax asked.
Kyrian gazed coldly at Jax. “No. Something’s wrong.”
Suspicious by nature, Jax narrowed his gaze on Kyrian in challenge. “How do you know?”
Again, Kyrian didn’t rise to it and just shrugged. “I’m connected to him in my mind.”
“But you said you can’t communicate with him,” Tierney said, wondering if it was anything like the connection she had with her dad, until it had been severed.
“Correct.” Kyrian nodded.
“Huh, well what about this other wolf, Zeveride?” she asked.
“No, I have no connection to him. Zeveride is a lone wolf. He came to us two years ago and doesn’t let anyone in.” Kyrian explained.
“But you somehow sense something’s wrong?” Tierney frowned.
Kyrian nodded. “Yes, when one of us is in the human world, we check in with the pack every three days. We’re taught this from birth. It’s dangerous for us to be in human form for more than a week at a time.”
“Why?” Jax asked.
“Toren would check in if he were able. Young or not, our lives depend on each other—on the pack. Our enemies will stop at nothing to eradicate our race.” Kyrian avoided Jax’s question.
“How long since he’s checked in?” Sami asked.
“Almost two weeks,” Kyrian replied.
“So, if you can’t communicate over long distances, how do you check in when you live out here in the mountains as a wolf?” Jax asked the question they were all wondering about now.
“With a cell phone, of course,” Kyrian replied.
“You use a cell phone?” Tierney gaped at him.
“Of course,” Jax agreed sarcastically.
Sami chuckled. “So how do you charge it?”
His curious mind made Tierney roll her eyes. “Really?”
“Yeah, really,” Sami said with a smirk.
“With magic.” Kyrian’s lips curved upward the slightest bit now.
“We need to get us some of that kind of magic,” Jax said dryly.
“Yes, things are much easier with technology these days,” Kyrian said, and Tierney snorted, but Jax just shook his head. “I take it you tried to contact the local Were-wolves?”
“Yes, but we’ve been unable to reach anyone. I fear something happened to them as well,” Kyrian said.
Jax nodded, and she could almost see the gears in his head turning. “So, why can’t you go? Why do you need us?”
“The Ilyium are relentless in their determination to kill all Okami. Our packs have diminished in size, and right now many of our females are pregnant. I cannot leave them unprotected. Most of the wolves I could send, would find life in the city, in this century, very daunting.”
Ah … They all nodded their understanding.
“I do have someone I’d like to accompany you, although I’m afraid he’s a bit … anti-social,” Kyrian said.
Tierney frowned as the bad feeling in her gut.
“What makes you think the Ilyium
took Toren?” Sami asked.
“I’m not sure they did, but they like to hit you where they can do the most damage, and this—” Kyrian pursed his lips and didn’t finish, but Tierney caught the haunted look in his eyes.
“Yeah, they do like to do that.” Jax dropped wearily onto the couch, and flicked on the TV.
Tierney thought about what Kyrian had just said. “If the Ilyium do have him, why would they keep him alive?” She was really thinking about her dad, wondering the same thing.
“I don’t know.” Kyrian spoke softly, making her regret having asked.
“Well, I’m sure we’ll find him safe and sound,” she said, trying to sound positive even if she didn’t feel it herself.
“Tierney, make no mistake, this might be dangerous.” There was definite worry in Kyrian’s voice.
“It doesn’t matter.” Suddenly she just needed to do this.
“Soroyan will go with you,” Kyrian said, and it took Tierney a moment to register his words.
“Whoa—what?” She shook her head. “No way!” She did not want to be anywhere near that crazy-ass male.
“If the Ilyium are behind this, you may need help. Soroyan has close to five hundred years of fighting them, and if I’m wrong and you don’t need him, fine. But please, I don’t want to endanger any of you.” His intense stare made her sigh. “I understand, but—”
Kyrian cut her off. “I promise you need not fear him. He will be under orders to behave.”
This time Tierney did roll her eyes. “Yeah, the fact that he needs to be under orders to behave is what worries me, and for the record, I’m not afraid of him.” She stared right back, daring Kyrian to argue with her.
But wisely, he changed the subject. “Depending on what you find at that address, you may want to check out the theater.”
“What?” She didn’t understand what the hell was he talking about now.
“The theater?” Sami asked, confused as well.
“When Toren was younger, there was a wolf who regaled him with tales of the pictures—ah, movies—and he’s always wanted to see them for himself,” Kyrian explained.
Dracones Boxset Books 1-5 Page 14
