“That already holds your protection spell.” Preshea frowned in focus. “You need that.”
“Not this one.” Rho wiggled the stone back and forth in her hand. “Another one. Can you make another amulet?”
Eldon lifted a brow. “You want to cast another protection spell?”
“Sort of.” Rho tapped her chin with a finger as she thought out loud. “What if we cast a spell into an amulet, but this time, to protect me from the daylight instead of death?”
“A spell to let you daywalk?” Preshea’s voice lifted in surprise.
Rho nodded. “Eldon’s already performed it once before. We know it works. We just need to capture it so I can take it with me—into something that won’t require concentration.”
Tim, Preshea, and Rho turned to Eldon simultaneously. He’d leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant as he seemed to churn the idea over in his head. No one spoke.
After several seconds, Eldon said, “It could work. I’ve never tried it before, but it could work.”
“Then do it.” Tim rose from his chair. “What do you need?”
Eldon shook his head. “I’m not the person for the job, unfortunately. Amulets aren’t my thing.”
“Who is?” Tim demanded.
“My first thought would be Trinador, but she’s not well enough to run this kind of magick. But a person who could do this…” Eldon met Tim’s eyes. “My sister. Adelle has a gift for those things.”
“Call her.” Tim reached into his pocket. “Tell her we need one immediately.”
Preshea grabbed Tim’s arm. “No, you can’t call. The lines, remember?”
Reluctantly, Tim tucked his phone back in his jeans.
Preshea gazed up at Eldon from her seat. “What if you jump back home?”
“It’s a long trip,” Eldon said.
“Do we have any other choice?” Rho asked. If they couldn’t call, the only way they could reach Adelle would be in person.
“No, we don’t.” A calm resolve washed over Eldon’s expression as he rose from his seat. “I’ll go right now. But it may take a while, since I’m going to have to wait for her to finish before I come back. I can’t risk wiping out my energy by jumping the lines too many times.”
Rho nodded in agreement. “You need all the energy you can get.”
Eldon turned to glance down at her. “But Max—” he started, his brows pinched in concern. “Are you sure you’ll be okay without me?”
“He already knows where we are. If he wanted to come after us, he already would have. And he has plans for us tomorrow. If he comes while you’re gone, we’ll just have to handle him,” Preshea said.
Tim lifted a shoulder. “Plus, we have Rho. If all else fails, she’ll suck his power dry.”
Rho snorted. Right, like it would be that easy. Too bad that wasn’t how her power seemed to work. She rose from her chair to stand beside Eldon, her heart somehow heavier in her chest. She needed him like humans needed air, the taste of his kiss even more important than the taste of blood on her lips. He’d become a part of her. The very last thing she wanted to do was send him away right now, but his sister was their only chance. If she could make this work, she had a shot at saving her teammates—her friends. She swallowed hard. “We’ll be fine. Go.”
Eldon cupped her chin with his hands and stared down at her, forcing her to tilt her face all the way up just to see him. That tall, towering form of his could make her weak in the knees. He leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek before whispering in her ear, “I love you.”
His warm breath tickled her ear, and she shivered. “Love you, too. Don’t take too long.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, wishing there was some way she could go with him.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I know. I’ll have your stuff ready when you get here.”
“Thanks.” He pressed his lips to her nose before planting a kiss on her mouth. As the kiss deepened, she drew him closer, wishing she could bottle moments like this one forever. Entirely too soon, he pulled away. “Take care of yourself, angel.”
In a burst of blue light, he vanished, leaving her alone again with Tim and Preshea. Her lips tingled where he’d been, the aftertaste of his mint gum lingering in her mouth. Everything about his absence made her feel hollow inside, as if she’d lost a part of herself the moment he’d left.
Determined not to mope, she pushed the dull ache of emptiness aside. She turned to Tim and Preshea. “Time to clean some guns.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Rho glared at the clock on the stove. Eleven o’clock, only one hour before they were supposed to be at the Louvre. The sun had been up for hours, and she’d fought the fatigue threatening to overcome her. There were more important things to worry about. Like the fact that Eldon should’ve been back by now.
She sipped from her mug of piping hot coffee, welcoming the burn as it settled in her stomach. For her boyfriend, the distance between the loft and the safe house should be as simple as jumping a ley line. He’d told her he’d have to stay until the spell was completed, but her experience with magick was limited at best, and she had no clue how long that could take. Given his perfectionist attitude, he’d stay with his sister as long as he needed to make sure it was executed flawlessly.
Didn’t make the wait any easier, though.
She shook her head. The sleep she’d gotten throughout the night had been shitty at best. After years of snoozing during the day, trying to doze off while the sun was down had proven to be virtually impossible. Well, that and the fact that she’d been acutely aware of Eldon’s absence. Funny how she’d slept alone for years and never had a problem with it, but now she suddenly needed him beside her before she could get through a REM cycle. Silly and ridiculous.
After one more swig of the scalding liquid, she set her mug on the counter and glanced down at her personal arsenal. One gun rested on each of her hips, a third on the inside of her left thigh. The rest of her stash consisted of blades. After all, those were her weapons of choice.
The leathers and black tank she’d borrowed from Preshea were one size too large, but she couldn’t complain. The only alternative she had were a pair of faded blue jeans and the sweater she’d worn out earlier, and neither of those were fit for combat should things get nasty.
With care, she inspected each of her guns one last time. Preshea and Tim had told her she didn’t need so many weapons, but she disagreed. If Max knew they were coming, there was no way in hell he was going to allow Eldon, Tim, and Preshea to enter the area armed. At least, not if he had half a brain. And if they were unarmed, that left Rho as their only source of firepower. She planned on having enough to take down an army single-handedly and resupply her teammates if she had to.
Eight daggers lined the leather holsters crisscrossing her chest, four small throwers were strapped to her arms, and her favorite two silver specials were tucked into her combat boots—another donation from Preshea’s closet. At least they wore the same shoe size. The moonstone tucked nicely behind the high scoop neck of her tank, waiting to be joined by another equally important stone.
She glanced at the clock again. Three minutes past eleven. Damn it, where was he?
The wait was going to drive her crazy. Keeping busy was the only way she could pass the time and maintain her sanity. She scooped her coffee mug off the counter and marched into the living room. Might as well double-check everything she’d laid out for Eldon.
His favorite gray muscle shirt and faded blue jeans were set out on the chair just as she’d left them, his guns and bullets to the right. She opened the box of ammo and counted the rounds one more time then ran another check of the guns. Everything appeared to be in order. Hell, it should be. She’d cleaned and loaded his guns herself and checked everything no less than three times. Not counting the time she’d made Tim inspect her work.
A blue light illuminated the room for a split second, and Rho whirled around to face the source. The coffee-colored
hair and six-foot-four frame gave him away instantly. “Eldon!” She sprinted across the room, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist like a koala around a tree.
His laugh was a deep rumble as he accepted her weight easily, folding his arms around her waist before settling them beneath her ass. “Did someone miss me?”
“Took you long enough.” Relaxing her legs, she slid down his body until her feet touched the floor and glanced up at him. God, she’d missed him, even if he’d only been gone for a few hours. “Did it work?”
“Is he back?” A voice came from another room. Preshea emerged from the doorway of the bedroom. Tim appeared right behind her.
“I am.” Eldon pulled the pendant over his head and extended it to Rho. “And yes, it worked. I think.”
Dangling from his fingers at the end of a long copper chain sat a gorgeous glass bead adhered to a copper plate. A gold shimmer lay beneath swirls of purple, green, and blue, the brilliantly iridescent colors somehow suspended within the glass. No wonder it had taken him so long to return.
It was equal parts protective magick and artistic masterpiece. “It’s so elegant.”
“You only think it works?” Preshea asked.
Eldon’s eyes narrowed. “There wasn’t any way for me to try it out before we left. We didn’t exactly have extra vampires sitting around to test-drive the thing.”
“Get dressed,” Rho instructed, pointing to the pile of clothes she’d set out for him earlier. There was no time to argue. “The rest of us are ready to go. We have to be there in less than an hour.”
Eldon nodded without a word and snatched the clothes off the chair before disappearing into the bedroom. Moments later he emerged. “Guns?”
Rho pointed to the arrangement on the table.
“Nice.” His brows raised in surprise as he surveyed the lineup. “You cleaned them and everything?”
“For hours. She even made me check her work,” Tim said dryly.
Eldon gave her a crooked smile. “Really.” He strapped on the artillery, and after double-checking the guns at his waist, he met her eyes. “I’m ready.”
Rho looped the pendant over her head and tucked it beneath her tank top. “Time to test this sucker.”
After rechecking their supplies one last time, they rushed down the stairs, stopping when they arrived at the front door of the loft. Butterflies took flight in Rho’s stomach, and she sent up a quick prayer that this spell worked as well as the one Eldon had cooked up the last time. If so, it not only meant she’d be able to walk in the daylight today—she might be able to daywalk whenever she wanted.
She sucked in a deep breath and cranked the handle on the door. “Here goes nothing.”
Sunlight streamed through the entryway as she pulled the door open slowly, careful to avoid the direct rays. Gripping onto Eldon with one hand, she took a cautious step toward the light, exposing her combat boot and the black leather of her pants. Nothing happened.
Still, maybe that wasn’t enough. Maybe her skin had to be directly in the light. She took another step forward and released Eldon’s hand.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked from behind her.
Hell no. “Yeah,” Rho answered, fighting to keep her voice steady. They had no other choice. This was the only way she could go with them, and likely the only element of surprise they had against their enemy. Without her, this could be a bloodbath. Too bad the only test they had to verify the amulet’s functionality involved possibly burning to death. She took two more steps forward. And nothing happened.
The afternoon sun was blindingly bright, and she blinked furiously against the visual assault. Warmth flooded her senses as the light touched her arms, giving new life to the colorful tattoo sleeves she’d kept hidden for so many years. But nothing burned. Blowing out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, she smiled.
“Thank God,” Tim muttered.
Eldon ran a hand along Rho’s back and shook his head. “Damn, that sister of mine is good. I haven’t seen her work that fast in years.”
“Here, you’ll need these,” Preshea said.
Rho turned around to find the shifter holding up a pair of sunglasses.
“Pendant or not, that sun can be a bitch on the eyes.” Preshea tucked a pair of wire-rimmed black sunglasses on her nose with her free hand. Between the black leather and the futuristic hair, she could pass for a character on The Matrix.
“Thanks.” Rho snatched the glasses from Preshea’s hand and put them on, the relief to her retinas almost instant. Note to self, invest in some sunglasses for daywalking. “Let’s do this thing.”
They each slipped on a jacket to hide the armory they’d strapped on then ducked out of the door. Since Rho still hadn’t gotten the all-clear to travel by ley line just yet, they’d have to take the metro, and time was ticking. She pulled the cell phone from her back pocket and glanced at the time.
“Why’d you bring that?” Tim asked. “You know you can’t use it.”
Rho shrugged. “I don’t have a watch. It’s the next best thing.” She pushed the button and held it up for her teammates to see. “We have twenty-seven minutes.”
“You really think they’re going to be that worried about the time?” Preshea asked.
“All Max needs is a reason to hurt Evette and Lukas. Personally, I’m not giving him one.” The fact that he’d even managed to kidnap them in the first place really pissed Rho off. They should have never left their friends unprotected, even if the two had said no one should know about the loft. She stopped at the top of the entrance to the train station and glanced down the stairs leading to the underground metro. “This is where I leave you guys.”
“You’re not coming?” Preshea asked.
“I’m taking the next train. We need to split up.” Rho hated the idea of sending her teammates in without her, but this was the only way to ensure they weren’t seen together. That could ruin everything. “Don’t worry. It leaves three minutes after yours, so I won’t be far behind.”
Eldon stepped forward, taking Rho’s hands in his. “How will you know where to find us?”
“You.” Rho gave him a sly grin. She’d been worried about that same thing herself, but she’d had hours alone to think everything through. Turned out the answer had been glaringly obvious. “The scent of your blood is the best tracking device on the planet. Since I’ve fed from you almost exclusively, I’ll be able to find you anywhere.”
He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “I always knew I loved you for your brains.”
“Oh, vomit,” Preshea muttered as she started down the stairs. Tim just shook his head as he followed right behind her.
“Not my looks?” Rho protested jokingly.
Eldon chuckled. “Those, too.” Brushing one last kiss on her lips, he pivoted around to head down the stairs and disappeared from her sight.
Rho glanced from one end of the block to the other. The streets were surprisingly empty at this time of the day. Most of the people living here must be at work. Tiny cars zipped up and down the cobblestone streets, and Rho sighed. Too bad she couldn’t truly enjoy such a magnificent city. Their mission hardly made this a vacation.
She pulled the phone from her pocket again and pushed the center button. Already eleven thirty-five. She hoped they’d make it there before anything happened to Evette or Lukas. No, they had to get there in time.
Pain rocketed through Rho’s side, throwing her off balance. What the hell?
She hit the ground hard, reaching down to find the blunt end of a metal blade sticking out from her side. Son of a bitch. With a yank, she pulled the four-inch knife out and gripped it in her hand. Her tank stuck to her skin as the blood spread quickly, the tinge of metal touching the air.
Rolling onto her back, she pulled two blades from the holster on her chest. Guns were out of the question. Not in the daylight in the middle of the street, and not with that kind of noise. She hadn’t brought her silencer.
&nbs
p; She rolled along the uneven sidewalk and fell into a crouch against a wall, the concrete cool against her back as she scanned the skies for the culprit. Damn it, the attacker had probably been following her ever since they’d left the loft. Of course someone would be watching that place. And now the person had seen her daywalking.
She could only pray there hadn’t been time to relay that little message. If Rho had anything to do with it, the enemy wouldn’t live long enough to tell her secret.
Another blade ripped through the air, slamming into a brick wall behind her. She jerked her head toward the source. Across the street, to the left. Time slowed down as she analyzed her surroundings, taking in every scent, every sight, every sound. Another knife flipped, blade over hilt, approaching as if in slow motion. Rho spun around to duck in the doorway of a building. The metal crashed against the brick wall and fell to the floor, same as the last one.
Shit. Now she’d pigeonholed herself into a corner, and her only backups were in no position to help. Taking a deep breath, she tried to center her thoughts. No reason to panic. This wasn’t the first fight she’d gone into without backup. As an executioner, she’d made a point of greeting the bad guys.
Resolve poured through her senses, strengthening her as she felt the wound in her side begin to stitch itself closed again. Idiots hadn’t even used silver.
She stood up slowly, still hiding on the doorstep, and searched the opposite end of the street. Nothing. Not like she’d really expected the guy to make her job that easy. Still, she couldn’t hide here forever. The team was waiting on her, and she’d already wasted enough time.
Slowly, she emerged from the shadows of the building’s entry and stepped into the street, one blade still in each hand. Sunlight touched her face, and she smiled, the comfortable familiarity of her previously appointed position settling into her bones. It always had been easy to kill the ones who deserved it.
The glint of a blade flashed out of the corner of Rho’s eye, and she ducked, hurtling one of her own silver specials through the air toward the target. A cry sounded from the opposite end of the street, and she smiled. Bingo.
Fate Forsaken Page 20
