by Dianna Love
Brynhild had sworn on her family’s honor that she would return ... but not when. If she ran from him, she would face his fury.
CHAPTER 17
Storm and Evalle’s Building in Atlanta.
Storm prowled from side to side of his conference room as he waited on team members to show up. The hour he’d been waiting for was now a minute past. It was only midmorning and still Sunday, but every second felt like a day as he waited to get rolling.
If anyone other than Daegan ran late, they’d be left behind.
His patience was nonexistent.
Not after seeing what had happened to Evalle and her bike. His animal howled to be freed to hunt, but these people all cared for Evalle and brought a ton of power and skills to the table.
For her, he’d lock down the need to start shouting orders and accept that he had very little to go on. For his jaguar, he promised blood would be spilled and he would not hold his animal back when the time came.
No one was stopping him from tearing apart those who dared to hurt Evalle. And she was hurt badly. That emerald had been a part of her being, not just a cosmetic rock attached to her body.
Quinn stepped into the room. “Storm, I have Phoedra and Reese with me. I’d like to get Phoedra settled with Lanna, then Reese and I will be back.”
Storm nodded.
“Just a moment.” Kit, who had been sitting quietly with her hands clasped in front of her, stood up. “I know you don’t want me in this meeting, though I’m willing to help any way I can and I’ll be monitoring our Nyght resources once you’re gone. For now, I’d like to meet Quinn’s daughter so she’ll be comfortable with me, and then catch up with the boys.”
Storm had never cared much for Isak, but he held a high level of respect for Kit and the way she’d raced here to help Evalle in spite of Isak claiming he would never allow nonhumans around his mother again.
That man had to know Kit backed down from no one. Kit would always be welcome in this building.
Storm said, “Thank you, Kit. For everything.”
“You’re welcome.” Kit looked to Quinn, who said, “I think it’s a brilliant idea to meet my daughter. Thank you.”
She joined Quinn at the door and they walked away.
A security video screen monitoring the garage alerted Storm to a movement in that area. He’d moved vehicles to the outer edges to clear a space in the center. Daegan appeared first with Tristan right behind, both having just teleported in now that Storm had adjusted the ward for certain people.
The sound of those two moving through the building’s foyer reached Storm just before they entered the conference room.
Storm asked, “Any news from any front?”
Shaking his head, Daegan said, “No. If this was some form of kidnapping for gain, they have yet to send a demand such as was done when Isak’s mother and those twins were captured.”
“Speaking of which, Kit is here and I’m allowing her to stay,” Storm announced to get Kit’s presence out of the way.
Daegan’s face tensed. “I thought we agreed no humans.”
“We did. Kit showed up and my choice was either hear her out or physically force her to leave.”
The dragon king grunted. “I can see why you allowed her entrance, but I still don’t understand.”
“After listening to her, I realize my only goal is to find Evalle and bring her home. Kit made valid points about her organization’s ability to produce intel in ways we sometimes can’t in the human world. I’m not passing on any help at this point when we have nowhere to start looking. Evalle and Adrianna are friends today because Evalle got past her prejudice against a Sterling witch and accepted Adrianna’s aid to find me when I was beyond anyone’s reach. They’re now close friends. Isak even helped the two of them back then. I don’t like the guy, but that dislike is not going to stop me from doing all within my power to find my mate. If you can’t abide having humans involved, I’ll understand your withdrawal.”
Daegan frowned. “Do you honestly believe I would abandon you?”
“No, I’m just putting everything on the table.”
Giving it a moment with a thoughtful expression in his eyes, Daegan declared, “I will trust your judgment on using humans in this.”
“Thank you, but do know that I’m limiting involvement to Isak, his mother and their people.”
“Understood. Now, what is Isak’s mother doing while she is here?”
With one weight off Storm’s mind, he said, “Kit will funnel any information her people receive to us and she’ll watch over the teens when I leave.”
Daegan’s face held a curious expression. “You feel that they’ll be safe with a human?”
“I’d rather go up against a deranged demon than Kit when she’s in protection mode over these kids. Between my ward and her hovering, they’ll be safe.”
“In that case, her presence here will be valued.”
Tristan walked over and grabbed a cold drink from the refrigerator stocked for any meeting. He popped the top and turned to lean back against the cabinets. “I’ve got some thoughts, but it will save time if we go over this all at once.”
Storm tamped down on his urge to rail at anyone who hesitated to share information, but Tristan was right. This would be quicker if they didn’t have to repeat everything.
He was all for fast and efficient.
Quinn returned with Reese trailing behind him. Neither took a seat. They were all standing around the table as if sitting would diminish their positions.
The garage door opened, which could only be for one person since she was not present and Storm had not given car access to anyone except the witch. Quinn had traveled via a hired car of some sort and entered through the front door, which Storm had left unsecured for a specific twenty-minute window of time. Kit’s fingerprint specialist had come and gone, working as efficiently as he’d expect a Nyght employee.
In the next moment, Adrianna stepped into the room wearing low boots, jeans, button down shirt and a jacket of tough-looking material, which he’d bet was an unusual blend no human would find.
That witch was just as furious as Storm and had her hair pulled back tight in business mode.
She dropped a backpack from her shoulder and looked around. “What’s wrong with the chairs?”
“Waiting on the ladies to sit,” Daegan answered, sounding as though he spoke for all the men.
Any other time Storm would agree.
He’d always respected women, but Adrianna was a warrior and he’d treat her as one.
She gave her patent half smile, then took a seat.
Reese grabbed a chair and sent a what-are-you-waiting-for glare at those standing. Everyone chose a place at the table, leaving Storm as the only one standing.
He waved a hand and a whiteboard descended from the ceiling behind him. “I know we all want to attack this in the best strategic way, but I intend to find the most direct and quickest path to Evalle. I don’t want to mislead any of you. I know you all care deeply for Evalle and I appreciate your being here more than you can know, but I will not allow any human or preternatural to get in my way. Don’t expect me to play by anyone’s rules or laws. There are none I will heed while Evalle is in danger.”
There were no furtive glances indicating any trepidation at the declaration.
No one fidgeted.
Adrianna replied, “What he said. I’m in with Witchlock under the same terms.”
Storm gave her a nod of thanks.
One by one, every person in the room gave their vote of confidence in the same way until they came to Daegan.
Daegan leaned back with his arms crossed over the T-shirt he wore. The dragon king apparently found modern clothes to be comfortable for working in the human world. He said, “We will stop at nothing to bring her home alive. You have my word for that and for the future protection of everyone on this team.”
Having expected someone to remind him there were laws that couldn’t be broken, Stor
m shouldn’t feel so surprised by the unqualified support. But it was indeed humbling.
“Again, thank you all. I’ve watched Evalle throw herself at danger to protect everyone she loves. You are all worthy of that love.” Turning to the whiteboard, Storm started writing as he spoke. “This is what we know about Evalle and Adrianna’s wrecks this morning.” He listed times and what little information they had, which included an unknown preternatural and two humans he had scented at the scene.
He said, “Reese, I’m not sure you know this, but I found no scent leaving the wreck site that I could track. From that, we’ve determined Evalle and those two humans must have been teleported away.”
Reese said, “Quinn told me and took me to the scene.”
All heads swung to the woman with the unusual remote viewing ability, which allowed her to see where someone traveled from a specific spot to their final destination.
Looking around at the group, she said, “Just to be clear. If you don’t know, I can’t follow a teleportation trail.”
Storm’s hope took a nosedive.
Reese said, “I ran into a blank wall, which supports your teleportation theory.”
Adrianna asked, “Is there any way to power up your viewing ability?”
Lifting her shoulders, Reese said, “Until helping Quinn find Phoedra, I had not used it in many years, and never for serious tracking. I’m sort of learning as I go.”
Tristan groaned.
Quinn shot him a look that threatened him if he dissed Reese again, but Reese put her hand on Quinn’s arm, which quieted him. She added, “I’m just qualifying that I am willing to help in any way, and while I wasn’t able to help there, I might at a different location.”
Storm put that note in the back of his mind.
Quinn asked, “Do we have anything on the humans?”
“Kit said her people were searching for them,” Storm replied. “She said we’d be given any intel the Nyght Company could produce. They searched the traffic videos and are running the images through facial recognition software.”
“Damn,” Tristan said. “That’s impressive.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Adrianna piped up, “Just before I arrived, Kit called and asked me to be the contact for our team. She said she might have her hands full with all the teens here.” The witch didn’t sound excited about that, which meant Isak would likely be the one contacting her.
Storm looked to Tristan, who had been with Evalle when they evolved into gryphons. “You said you had an idea about why they took Evalle.”
Tristan had been slouching, but now sat up straight and explained, “When Kit and the twins were captured, their captors had left a letter with their demands. But when Evalle was taken to TÅμr Medb, no one sent a request for a payoff because the Medb wanted gryphons for attacking Treoir. I only see one of a couple options. If they wanted to kill Evalle, they could have. If they wanted something in trade, they would have sent word by now. That leaves the last possibility. They want Evalle for her abilities.”
Twisting around to him, Adrianna asked, “Why not grab me? Evalle is deadly in her own right, but if they had a shot at gaining Witchlock, wouldn’t that be more powerful?”
Storm took in both points and couldn’t argue against either one.
Tristan said, “Oh hell yeah, if they could make you do what they said.”
Her lips curled into an almost smile. “Not in this lifetime.”
“Exactly,” he agreed. “Now consider Evalle. Why would they be able to force her to do their bidding and not you?”
It took all of a half second for Storm to answer that. “Because Evalle would die fighting a battle on her own to protect me, Feenix, those teens upstairs and Kit, all of you ... the list goes on forever. Not that Adrianna isn’t as willing to step up to the plate, but it would be so much easier to force Evalle into a corner.” His gut lurched at the thought of what she had to be facing.
“That’s my point,” Tristan said. “Also, Evalle is directly connected to the Beladors and Daegan. I think we should start with the idea that she was taken for a specific purpose. That’s why they pulled her emerald off, which prevented you from tracking her, but they have to know we are all coming for her. Taking that into consideration, they might have something planned soon.”
Reese spoke up. “Don’t bite my head off, but I’m going to throw out another possibility. I’ve spent a lot of my life feeling like a bug under someone’s glass jar just for the purpose of their entertainment. That wasn’t actually the case,” she added with a quick glance at Quinn who had started frowning. Once his face calmed, she said, “What if someone took Evalle just to ... keep?”
That was Storm’s greatest nightmare.
He would use all the resources he had, which were extensive, to search this universe and beyond for her, but if someone sent no kidnap payment demand, left no trail or if they left this realm for another one none of them knew about, he’d never find her.
Daegan entered the conversation from the opposite end of the table. “I second Tristan’s suggestion.”
Tristan managed to not look surprised, but just barely.
Storm waited along with everyone else for Daegan to expound.
The dragon king said, “Many things have changed over the centuries since I was born, but preternaturals are not that complicated when they have a goal. If someone had grabbed Evalle to keep as a pet, for example, the question is, why would that person bring down the wrath of the Beladors.” He paused then added, “And that is nothing compared to crossing me, I promise you. Anyone who has been around long enough to reside in another realm has also been around long enough to know who I am and that I am free. No, some being did not wake up this week and decide to start a war for a pet.”
Adrianna had been watching Daegan intently. “Then that begs the question, what do they want Evalle for?”
Storm actually let out a breath that had bottlenecked at the thought of Evalle being turned into someone’s personal entertainment. There was no guarantee that wasn’t the case, but he liked the reason Daegan stated, which supported Tristan’s hypothesis.
Daegan said, “I don’t know the why yet, but I believe once we begin tracking down every lead we’ll get that answer.”
Quinn asked, “What is it we have to start tracking, though?”
Before Daegan could reply, Adrianna’s mobile phone rang.
She lifted her cell phone and answered, “Thought you were going to text me.” Her eyes sharpened and she cocked her head in interest. “Where?” After a few seconds, she instructed, “Please do not confront them before we arrive. We’re on the way.” She paused then added, “Thank you.”
Standing up, she said, “Isak’s team identified the two men from the traffic video and determined where they live. He said there are lights on in the apartment.”
Everyone stood and made noises about being ready to go.
Daegan asked, “Storm, is your building secure so I can teleport us to the location of the men?”
“It will be as soon as we step into the atrium.”
A part of Storm couldn’t wait to unleash his inner demon to drag intel out of the humans. The other part reminded himself that Evalle would not be happy coming home to a demon after she’d risked her life to keep him from turning completely to the dark side of his blood.
His jaguar snarled and pushed.
Storm gave a silent nod to his animal. This would be a bad time for anyone to test his control by hampering his ability to find Evalle.
CHAPTER 18
Holding a calm circle around herself and her Witchlock power while teleporting, Adrianna opened her eyes the moment she sensed they had arrived. She stood mere inches from a poor excuse for a streetlight doing its best to offer some illumination against the dark skies. Those lights wouldn’t be on this early in the afternoon if not for the bloated rain clouds moving slowly over Atlanta.
Wasn’t late May supposed to be nicer than this?
&
nbsp; The flowers around her house were blooming and they needed the rain, but this unseasonable cool was just dreary.
The building next to the streetlight had been covered in graffiti.
Almost getting impaled by that steel lamp pole would officially make this the worst Sunday-before-Memorial Day that she’d ever been through.
Opening her hand, she used Witchlock spinning at tennis-ball size to scout the surroundings for any unexpected energy.
“Do you detect anything?” Daegan asked, unbothered by water splashing on his head, face and body.
Turning to Daegan, she closed her fingers and said, “No.” Nodding at the post, she said, “Cut the landing a little close, didn’t you, dragon?”
He shrugged. “Perhaps you should stand right next to me in the future, witch. I would have destroyed anything in the way of landing.”
Was he serious? “How does that work when it’s a human being or one of the Beladors?”
“My energy naturally pushes anything living out of the way.”
“Of course. What was I thinking to question an arrogant dragon?” she grumbled.
He’d teleported the team to the west side of Atlanta. They stood in a rutted parking lot next to what might have been a garage for car repairs at one time, based on the old-style garage doors. The crumbling metal building had a rusty screen door hanging off the hinges of a walk-in doorway and was fronted by a two-lane road.
Wind swirled the steady rain.
Tristan, Storm, Quinn and Reese stepped close to form a small circle with Adrianna and Daegan. Storm had his arms crossed and his lips tight in a grim line. Water ran off his carved features. That man wouldn’t care if he stood in a downpour of acid rain right now.
Quinn asked Adrianna, “What’s next?”
“Isak said he’d watch for us and ... ” She angled her head to look past Storm. “That’s probably him now.”
Five dark images emerged from the deepest shadows across the street, taking form as a black ops team with Isak in the lead.
With the night-vision monoculars they wore, each one reminded her of a cross between cyborg and human.
