by Nina Bangs
“Yeah, Fin is hard to figure sometimes.” And as much as he should be celebrating her casual attitude, a small human part of him hurt.
She glanced back at him, and sadness flickered in her gaze. But then she smiled. “Hey, when you guys have finished kicking immortal butts, I can use all the info I’ve collected to write the article of my life.”
Her job. He’d forgotten about that. “You’re losing money every day you’re here, aren’t you?”
She shrugged. “I’ll be okay. I won’t be staying much longer. Besides, I have to track down the aliens that are trying to steal the Liberty Bell.”
He knew his expression was blank. The only words that had registered were “I won’t be staying much longer.” Knowing she would be going home was tough, but hearing her say it clenched his stomach into a tight knot.
“Never mind.” She waved a hand at him. “So get on with the review.”
Now would be a good time for you to get your ass in here, Fin. Al sent out a desperate mental SOS.
Fin slammed his mental door closed in Al’s face.
Al didn’t sit down. He couldn’t. He paced restlessly in front of the bank of windows overlooking Ritten house Square. Why did she freaking have to know this? And why did he have to be the one to tell her?
He stopped in midstride. Wait. She’d said “review.” Fin had said “review.” That meant. Horror washed over him. “You already know about the ceremony.”
“Sure. Fin told me. But some of the details have slipped my mind.”
Al closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and then opened them again. He’d find Fin right now and destroy his manipulating ass if he wasn’t so relieved. He wouldn’t have to explain. “I’m sure Fin told you the important parts.”
“I’m not so sure. For example, how do you know when you’ve found your mate?”
“We just do.” Al hadn’t known he could feel like this—a roller-coaster ride of emotional highs and lows. A lust that almost brought him to his knees. A need that gripped his heart and squeezed until he couldn’t think straight. Oh, yeah, he knew.
She raised one brow. “You just do? Any feelings involved here?”
“Probably. You’ll have to ask Ty.”
“Okay, so what we have so far is that you bond emotion ally with a female. You both understand that the bonding is for life. I sort of understand about walking into the heart of your beast, seeing your past, taking a piece of your soul, and becoming immortal.”
If Al hadn’t seen her white-knuckled grip on the arms of the chair, he would have thought she was cool and detached.
“Fin thinks this can be dangerous for the woman.” She waited for his input.
“Fin didn’t give a lot of specifics when he first told us about the ceremony, but I got a feeling that the trip into our pasts wouldn’t be a safe one.” He glanced away.
She watched him, wide-eyed. “Guess the woman would have to really love you.”
“Yeah.”
The silence stretched on until it became painful.
“We touched souls when we made love in the tea house, didn’t we?”
Al nodded. He decided now wasn’t a good time to tell her he’d stolen a small part of her soul for his own. She’d never miss it, and he would treasure it always.
Finally, she sighed. “You were something else before your soul became dinosaur, because dinosaurs didn’t have those kinds of mating rituals. Any ideas?”
He waited for the pain, the rolling fog that usually accompanied thoughts of Fin and things he didn’t understand. This time there was nothing.
“No.”
“And Fin won’t tell you.”
“No.”
He’d never know what she would have said next because Fin strode into the room.
Fin didn’t look at either of them. He walked over to the large monitor and fiddled with the computer. “I took some photos of the ships at Penn’s Landing off the Web.”
He still avoided their gazes. If Al didn’t know better, he’d think Fin was ashamed. But that was assigning human emotions to a man who had none. Al thought about Rap’s death and Fin’s reaction. Okay, so once in a while an emotion popped up, but not often.
“The others are on their way up. As soon as everyone’s here, we’ll start.” Fin finally looked at them. His silver eyes gave nothing away.
Utah and Tor rushed in, raptor eyes glittering with eagerness. Q and Gig followed close behind. Shen slipped in at the end. They all sat down, but the nervous energy in the room was ricocheting off the walls.
“I only want to explain this once. Here’s the rundown on why you guys were chosen. Al will keep Jenna safe. Q will supply air support if needed. Utah and Tor deserve revenge for their brother—”
Jenna couldn’t keep quiet. “Revenge? Not justice?” Hey, she was a splitting-hairs kind of woman.
Fin’s smile didn’t touch his eyes. “It’s always about revenge. Humans try to pretty it up with different words, but we know it’s always about getting even.”
Whenever she started to think these guys were civilized, they’d do or say something to remind her they were still ancient predators. With them, violence happened. Did that bother her? Not so much anymore.
Fin continued. “Shen will check out the situation before the attack. Ty wanted to go, but I decided that Kelly had worried enough for one night. He doesn’t like lying to her, so I told Kelly that Al and Jenna were just going out to search for more bells. Then I ordered Ty to keep his mouth shut. She’ll hate me, but lots of people hate me. You get used to it.” He shrugged..”
Something in his eyes made Jenna wonder how true that was.
He glanced at Jenna. “But in the end it’s up to you. If you want her to know the truth, you can talk to her before we leave.”
Time to make a tough decision. She wanted to see Kelly, to tell her the truth, to tell her she loved her. But then Kelly would insist on coming or try to keep Jenna from leaving. Jenna would allow neither to happen. God, I’m sorry, sis. She shook her head. “No, I’m okay.”
“What about Gig?” Tor sounded as though he wasn’t sure about including Gig.
Jenna wasn’t sure either. She hadn’t met Gig, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to now. About six feet six, he wore torn jeans, scuffed boots, and a ratty old jacket with no shirt underneath. He had a wild mane of dark hair, and his tan contrasted with his eerily pale eyes. He had an insane gleam in those scary eyes.
But she was nothing if not polite. “I never got the chance to meet you.” She didn’t offer her hand because she was afraid he’d bite it off. “I saw a skeleton of a Giganotosaurus. Impressive size.”
“Everywhere, babe, everywhere.” He didn’t smile when he said it. “Al needs to keep your hot little ass away from me. You make me hungry.”
The rumbling that came from Al’s throat couldn’t be mistaken for anything but a challenge.
Gig answered him in kind.
Oh, shit. “Starve then. You’re a prehistoric punk, and I’ll put my ‘hot little ass’ wherever I want.” Why didn’t Fin step in? She chanced a quick glance in his direction. He looked amused.
If ever a dinosaur looked surprised, it was Gig. Then he flung back his head and laughed. For the first time, Jenna realized how gorgeous he really was under all that attitude.
“Sweetheart, you ever get tired of your puny little Allosaurus, come play with the big boys.”
Al was broadcasting so much fury that Jenna felt her head would explode.
Fin finally intervened. “I chose Gig because he’s crazy. And a fifty-foot-long, eight-ton carnivore patrolling the dock area will discourage Eight’s recruits from trying to escape.”
Jenna rushed in to take the focus off Gig. “What does Shen do?”
Fin shrugged. “He sneaks.”
Why couldn’t Fin answer a freaking question with a straight answer? He was a reporter’s nightmare. She’d opened her mouth to ask for specifics, but Fin didn’t give her the chance.
He hi
t a computer key and the photo of a ship appeared on the screen. “This is the Serafina. She’s a one-hundred-seventy-seven-foot-long, three-masted barkentine. A tall ship. Don’t ask me what that means, because it isn’t important. The bell should be in the back next to the steering wheel.” He cast his gaze around the group. “And yes, I know the front and back of boats have specific names, but front and back works for me.”
“Are we sure this is the right ship?” Q winked at Jenna when she glanced his way.
Thank God, Al was still glaring at Gig.
“I did a little research on the Serafina. The ship recently changed hands. I couldn’t find any info on the new owner, and the old owner conveniently died right after the sale. Sounds suspicious to me.” Fin hit another key. “But just in case, here are our other two possibilities.”
Jenna let him drone on, because her gut was telling her that the Serafina was Eight’s ship. She tuned in again when he moved onto specific plans.
“Gig, you know your job. Al, you’ll go on board first with Jenna behind you. The deck’s long enough for you, but you won’t be able to move freely. Too much stuff to get in your way, and you’re not exactly light on your feet. So go as far as you can, and then let Utah and Tor take over. They can leap and move fast. Q will take to the air and eliminate anyone who gets past the raptors.”
Fin must’ve seen Al opening his mouth to object. “You will all follow my orders. And no one except for Jenna will be in human form on that ship. Remember Lio.”
There was a somber silence. Fin exhaled wearily. “Try to find out what Eight did with him before you send the bastard away for a few million more years. And remember, your sole goal is to get Jenna to that bell. Eight can’t touch her, but his recruits sure can.”
“What about you?” For someone with such a crappy attitude, Gig sounded strangely respectful with Fin.
Jenna thought about that. Or maybe Al was the strange one, the only one who harbored so much rage against his leader.
“I’ll be nearby, but I won’t be much help. I have to recharge the old batteries. Zero and I cancelled each other out. If it’s any comfort, he shouldn’t be a factor in this either.”
“No wards?” Al sounded worried.
“It’s late.” Fin’s eyes hardened. “If you’re lucky, everyone will be tucked up in their beds and far away from the Serafina. If they’re not?” He shrugged. “Gig is an equal opportunity enforcer. Collateral damage will happen.”
Jenna didn’t want to analyze Fin’s scary index. She had lots of other things to worry about. Like would Al and she come out the other end in one piece? Please let everyone survive, and let me do this right. She didn’t give a damn if Kelly had kicked Nine’s butt with more panache, she just wanted to get rid of Eight forever.
They all headed for the condo door. Before she could take a step to follow, Al took her hand and pulled her against his side. He leaned close to her ear.
“I will let no one hurt you. If I have to tear that ship apart, you will be kept safe. Trust and believe me.” He met her gaze. “Because…”
Tell me. He had to finish that sentence. She willed him to keep talking. He didn’t. He didn’t say anything all the way down in the elevator, and his silence continued into the SUV. Rats.
Tension thrummed through her as they parked about a block from Penn’s Landing. She turned to Fin. “Maybe you and Zero aren’t in great shape, but won’t Eight be able to put up wards to keep us off the ship?”
Fin shrugged. “Maybe. But he put up his own wards at the museum, so he won’t be operating at full psychic strength for a few hours either. I’m not completely helpless. I can manage his wards if I have to.” He glanced at the others. “Okay, we separate here. I don’t want everyone converging on the ship as a mob. Once you’re close to the Serafina, Shen will go onto the ship and take a look around, make sure Eight is there.” His silver eyes shone in the darkness. “And keep your eyes open for Lio.”
Jenna could feel the anger and sadness from the others. “Will Jude and his men be helping?”
Fin’s smile flashed white. “They’ll be in the wind, like me.” And then he was gone.
The others faded away until it was just Al and her. She stayed behind him as he skulked through the shadows. This would probably be exciting if possible death didn’t wait at the end.
Suddenly, he stopped, turned, and put his finger to his lips. Then they waited. It seemed as though they stood like that for an hour before something happened. Something turned out to be a six-foot-long snake. It slithered out of the darkness, and she had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.
“It’s just Shen.” Al’s urgent whisper calmed her. Sort of.
Unblinking, she watched as Shen took his human form. He was naked, but she was too shocked to notice the details. “Why didn’t Fin warn me? Why didn’t you warn me?” She punched Al in the arm.
“I didn’t think of it. And Fin enjoys being cryptic. He doesn’t give straight answers unless it suits him. You must have noticed.” He focused on Shen. “Is this the ship?”
Shen’s eyes gleamed black in the dark. He shivered in the cold. “Yeah. This is it. Eight’s down in the cabin with some of his recruits.” He was silent for a moment. “Lio’s in the water beside the ship. In his beast’s form. He’s not moving. Probably still alive. I don’t think even Eight could kill Lio unless he was in human form. I guess Eight put some kind of whammy on him.”
“Whammy? Great grasp of magical terms, Shen.” Al’s heart didn’t seem to be in his teasing. “I can’t see Eight keeping Lio around for long. Come morning, people would tend to notice an eighty-foot-long sea creature that definitely isn’t a whale.”
“Lio’s still alive? We have to help him.” Something lightened in Jenna just knowing he wasn’t dead.
“We need Fin.” Al sounded reluctant to admit that. “I don’t know how we’ll pull this off without involving humans. Even at this time of night, there’re some around. We need to cloak our presence. And whatever Eight did to Lio, none of us can undo.”
“But I can.” The voice was low, husky, and carried its special brand of sexual compulsion.
“Kione?” She peered into the darkness.
The dark fairy didn’t so much step out of the night as coalesce from the blackness around him. He was dark within dark.
Jenna felt Al tense and knew he was ready to free his soul if needed. Shen didn’t look worried. She didn’t know what kind of snake Shen was, but she’d bet it wasn’t a garden variety.
“How can you help, and why would you bother?” Al the eternally suspicious.
Kione’s soft laughter was more of a deadly threat than an expression of amusement. “I can make the humans you worry about stay away from the ship, and I can break whatever spell Eight is using on your comrade. Why would I do this?” He shrugged. “I owe the woman for my freedom.”
Jenna found that some of Al’s suspicion had rubbed off on her. “It’s probably the same spell Eight used on you. If you couldn’t break it then, how do you expect to do it now?” Oh, what the hey, may as well annoy him completely by asking her second question. “And if you’re a Fae prince of the Unseelie Court, why would you feel obligated to repay a human?”
Kione turned the complete focus of his considerable attention on her. Jenna felt a splash of lust wash over her. It was so strong that she wanted to leap on and devour…anyone, please, anyone. Al was closest. She cast a starving glance his way. Wait, wasn’t this entire sexual obsession thing supposed to center only on Kione? Jenna was confused.
“Whatever you’re doing, stop it now.” Al put a possessive arm across her shoulders.
“Yeah, I’m feeling it too.” Shen grinned. “Forget Eight. I need a woman.” He studied the Fae prince thoughtfully. “Or not.”
Kione made an impatient sound. His dark cloak still hid his body, and his dark hair still framed that unearthly beautiful face. “I am doing nothing. What you feel is what anyone near me always feels. I do
not control it. If I focus on one person only, he or she feels it more strongly, but beyond that…” He shrugged. “It is your problem to solve. I can do nothing to ‘stop it.’”
He seemed to gather himself together. “Unseelie prince or not, I pay back what I owe others. And I owe both the woman and Eight.”
Kione’s smile flashed in the darkness, and Jenna almost groaned with her need to toss Al to the ground and crawl all over him.
“The woman’s name is Jenna.” Al sounded calmer. “I’m Al, and this is Shen.”
The fairy nodded. “If I say any of your names aloud, it will only make your response more…intense.” He turned to Jenna to answer her question. “I could not break Eight’s spell on me because he caught me by surprise. Once he immobilized me, I was helpless. But this time I’m free and prepared.” The word “prepared” sounded ominous coming from Kione’s mouth.
Al looked thoughtful. “Okay, do what you can. Lio is beside the ship. See if you can free him.” But he wasn’t about to abandon his suspicion completely. “Try to harm us and you’ll regret it.”
Kione hissed his anger. “Do not threaten me. You cannot destroy me, but I can destroy you. Do not forget that.”
It was now Al’s turn to smile. “Get over yourself, prince. Maybe you could destroy me in my human form, but if you get past me, something bigger and badder will be waiting to take you on. Fin makes Eight look like a kitten.”
Uh-oh. Testosterone overload. Jenna needed to redirect their energies. “Look, Kione, ignore Al. He’s under lots of pressure. We all are. We appreciate your help.” She ignored Al’s scowl. “Now, shouldn’t we be getting on with things?”
Al simmered for a few moments before mentally concentrating on filling Fin in on what had happened. “I’ve given Fin Shen’s report and told him about our new ally.” He made the word “ally” sound like Jack the Ripper had joined forces with them.
Jenna couldn’t help it. She hoped a small part of Al’s anger was prompted by jealousy. Yes, she was reverting to cavewoman mentality. Al still seemed to be chatting with Fin. But he finally signed off and focused on them. “We move in now. Fin says he’ll do what he can to help.”
