"You can only order me if I remain in the tribe."
Tzader snarled, "You'd turn your back when the tribe needs you most?"
"Me?" Quinn laughed, but the sound was dark and grim. "I'm not the Maistir who intends to sit here and wait for someone who's probably not even alive any more."
Evalle sucked in a breath. Quinn had never been cruel.
"Brina is alive," Tzader said, as if anyone trying to convince him otherwise would be a deadly mistake. The sentient blades hanging on each side of his hips hissed and snarled, ready to attack. "And you will do your duty or you'll wish you had."
And Tzader had never threatened any member of the tribe, especially one of his two best friends. He wouldn't unleash those blades on Quinn, right?
Chapter 4
Evalle's hair stood on end.
She'd never heard Quinn and Tzader go at each other this way, sounding as if one of them was close to grabbing the other's throat. They were facing each other and leaned in, looking like two bulls ready to charge.
She stepped up with her hands between them. "Hey, you two. What's going on?"
"Shut up," Quinn snapped without looking her way.
"Don't fucking talk to her that way," Tzader warned, shocking Evalle with the unexpected curse.
"Thank you, Tzader," she said, glad that one of them had control of his emotions.
Then Tzader snarled just as lividly when he ordered her, "Get out of here, Evalle."
Nope. No control on his part either. She pushed closer. "No. You two stop this ... whatever is going on between you, and calm down."
They both swung feral glares at her.
She had to be in a time warp. What happened to Tzader and Quinn, and who were these two asswipes?
Crossing her arms, she glared right back and let them have it. "I will kick both of your butts if you give me any more lip. What the devil is going on?"
Tzader looked away and muttered, "Dealing with a dickhead."
Quinn shot back, "And here I thought that was the definition of an inconsiderate prick." But Quinn stretched his neck then told Evalle, "Sorry I snapped at you."
"Apology accepted."
"But I am not qualified to lead anyone. Plus, is it too damned much to ask for time to mourn my loss? Or should I say losses since Lanna's gone, too, only with no hologram to indicate she was ever here?" Quinn swung a heated look back at Tzader.
So that's where Quinn had been when she'd lost track of him and Tzader earlier. They'd been looking at the Brina hologram that showed nothing of Lanna, the young woman who had been wrapped against Brina. Only the threads of Noirre majik covered a hollow shape where they'd stood before they'd both vanished.
Quinn had lost the woman he'd loved and his teenage cousin in one ugly act from a Belador traitor.
Still, something was severely off with Quinn and Tzader.
Evalle opened up her recently discovered empathic senses that were getting better with practice. Quinn was literally bleeding pain over losing Kizira, the Medb priestess he'd secretly loved who had died in his arms during the battle. Tzader was a roaring hot mess of anger and worry with Brina missing and no idea what her fate was at this moment.
Even so, this made no sense.
Tzader and Quinn had always been her two rocks to depend on. She could handle having one of them emotionally crippled right now, but not both.
Neither could the Beladors. But both men had lost women they loved. If there was any decency in the world, Evalle would at least be able to bring Lanna and Brina back.
She spoke gently to Quinn. "I do believe we'll get Lanna back and I know that there is no such thing as a right amount of time to mourn what you've lost." She paused to glance at Tzader, who had the decency to look embarrassed over his harsh words. Then she continued, "But if Trey manages the warriors back home for a day, could you fill in after that for a little while so that Tzader can handle interaction between Macha and the gryphons?"
When nothing came out of Quinn's mouth, Evalle added, "If you could, it would allow me time to find Storm and bring him here to help us bring back Brina and Lanna."
Quinn stared at her with hollow eyes rimmed in a misery she'd never seen on his face before, but he nodded, "I can do that."
"Thank you." Then Evalle turned to Tzader, and if the pain in his gaze had a sound it would be an animal howling. Not knowing where Brina was had to be torture. "Tzader, will you be okay here while I go back to Atlanta to find Storm?"
He swallowed and the hard movement of his throat looked painful, but he nodded. "We'll be fine."
Quinn wouldn't look at Tzader when he said, "I'll need to be teleported with Kizira's body."
Oh, boy. Wait until Macha was asked to do that.
Evalle jumped in. "I'll go with him. Maybe you can send a group of us at one time, Tzader."
"I'll handle it." Tzader strode off, shoulders hunched against the world, looking as alone as he must feel. Watching the grief of the two men she loved as brothers was squeezing her heart. Her chest should be bleeding from how much it hurt.
Evalle put her hand on Quinn's arm. "I'm so sorry about Kizira."
"You don't have to keep apologizing. Her death wasn't your fault. At least you tried to free her from the Medb."
"She tried to help me too. She was instrumental in helping me get our people out when it came time to escape TAmr Medb. I will do anything I can to help you through this, Quinn. I wish I had words to ease your loss, but I know nothing can make this better. I miss her too." That drew his attention sharply to Evalle's face. She nodded. "I never thought I could even like a Medb priestess, much less care for her, but I got to know the real Kizira and see glimpses of the woman you fell in love with."
A tear ran down the side of his face.
Evalle pushed words past the vise squeezing her chest. "It hurts me to see you like this and know that you ended up losing her after she told me she only wanted peace and to be with you. Do you want me to stay with you for a few days?" That would delay helping Tzader, but Evalle had bought him time to wait here for Brina's return, which she knew was the only reason he refused to leave.
She could do no less for Quinn.
Quinn shook his head. "No, but I'll go to Atlanta for only one week. No more."
One week might not be enough time. "I don't know how long it's going to take to track down Storm, then I have to bring him here for any hope of finding Brina."
"I'm sorry, Evalle, but I'm pushing the limits just to stay in Atlanta for a day, much less a week. I ... can't control my anger, or my mind. I almost dove into Tzader's head a moment ago to lash back at him."
Her mouth fell open. "You would never-"
"Evidently I would, and I'm not proud of that. It may be our powers corrupting that's causing it. I'm battling right now to keep from striking out at anyone and everyone. I don't want you near me after today." He walked away toward nothing, just ambling.
How could she leave two of the most powerful Beladors who were closer than brothers, or had been, to get through this without someone watching over both of them?
She needed to keep them safe from each other.
What would Quinn do once she left him in Atlanta in what was reported just an hour ago to be a hotbed of preternatural aggression right now?
The best way she could help was by tracking down Storm as soon as she could, which would soothe Tzader and free him up to run North America.
Once that happened, Evalle could then focus on Quinn.
Wouldn't it be nice if Storm was waiting for her at his house?
Tzader's voice came into her mind, sounding like a bad connection. Come ... castle now ... Brina.
Evalle took off at a run and put her body into overdrive to cross two hundred yards and reach the castle in seconds. She flew up the steps and through the entrance that two Belador guards held open for her.
No one was in the lobby.
She raced toward the sunroom where Brina had been before she vanished.
Please let there be a real person standing in place of that empty hologram.
Evalle sucked in air, winded as she neared the sunroom. She'd always packed more power than the average warrior due to her mixed blood, but even she had noticed a slight change in her power level with Brina gone.
What about the other gryphons? Tristan in particular.
Was the corrupted Belador power the only reason Tristan hadn't been able to teleport out of Treoir?
"Do not touch her!" Macha shouted and the entire castle shuddered.
Evalle slid to a stop at the door to the sunroom then walked in cautiously. Tzader, Macha and an old druid blocked Evalle's view of all but the head of Brina's translucent image.
Nope. Brina had not returned yet.
Tzader stared at the floor ... or was he looking at the bottom of the hologram?
The old druid in a dark green robe stood next to him, mumbling something in Gaelic, then said, "That canna happen."
"How do you know?" Macha demanded, hair flicking wildly with her emotions. "That's Noirre majik. Anything can happen. Just back away and do not touch that nasty majik again."
The white-haired druid had a matching snowy beard that hung to the middle of his chest. A dark gray cap drooped off one side of his head, sort of an oversized, limp beret. He backed away and should have been bowing and speaking softly, trying to appease the goddess, not shouting, "We're losin' her. I had a vision. Just as I have told ya, this calls for someone who can wield black majik!"
"There will be no black majik ever brought in here again! Do you hear me?"
Evalle was pretty sure someone in another universe had heard Macha.
The druid's robe whipped around his legs and he fisted his hand, shaking it at Macha. Was he powerful enough to do that and survive? He opened his mouth to shout something else.
Macha whipped her hand at the old guy and poof. He was gone.
Guess that answered the question of who had the most power, not that there'd been one.
Then the goddess rounded on Evalle. "What do you want?"
Crud. Everyone had a bad case of nasty temper today.
Evalle quickly assessed that Macha didn't realize Tzader had sent Evalle a telepathic call and Tzader was staring at the bottom of the hologram by Macha.
Now would be a good time to diffuse some of this anger.
Evalle owed the goddess a thank you. "On behalf of the gryphons and the two Rias, I want to extend our appreciation for processing the petition for our race and welcoming our group into the Beladors."
"I suppose you're welcome," Macha replied, just as surly as before. "Keep in mind that as their leader, you are responsible for any infraction."
And here we go again. But it wasn't as though Evalle hadn't expected some strings attached. "I understand."
"If that is all, you are dismissed."
Tzader shook his head as if he'd been in a fog and told Macha, "I asked Evalle to come up. She can help us."
"What do you expect a gryphon to do that a three-thousand-year-old druid can't?"
Anger flared in Tzader's face. "Evalle told you she'll bring Storm back."
"A Skinwalker in league with a witch doctor? Didn't I just say no black majik? Evidently I need to be more concise. No one with any hint of black majik is coming in here."
"He is not involved with the witch doctor," Evalle argued louder than she probably should have.
Macha swung around, hair billowing and eyes sizzling with anger when she faced Evalle. "You must have a death wish to dare raise your voice to me."
Tzader's eyes flared with fury that Evalle had rarely witnessed in all the time she'd known him.
What was wrong with him?
Whatever it was also affected Macha and Quinn.
Evalle didn't want to end up zapped away to who knew where like the druid, and she had to keep Macha's attention away from Tzader, who looked seconds away from going postal. "I didn't mean to raise my voice to you, goddess. Please forgive me. I'm just as upset about Brina as anyone else and failed to control my volume." That sounded so much better than telling Macha she could bite Evalle's boot, which would be her last words. "All I'm saying is that Storm is not in league with the witch doctor. She is his enemy."
Tzader's words were taut with stress, but he managed not to sound aggressive when he addressed Macha. "Storm has proven to be exceptional in tracking preternaturals for VIPER. It's more than his Navajo skills. He has majik as well. We don't know how long Brina has left."
Evalle stepped past Macha to take a look at Brina's image. It reminded her of the bastard child of an ethereal image and a glass ornament made of pink and yellow translucent crystal. All that wrapped in dark threads woven with black majik.
She asked, "Did that druid have an idea of how long she can stay in this form?"
Macha answered her with no small amount of exasperation. "Garwyli has no idea about black majik. He kept yelling something about four days, but he can't actually know."
Tzader's head came up sharply at that. "Four days?"
"He has nothing to base that on beyond laying his hands on the Noirre," Macha argued. "It might have infected his mind for all we know."
Inclined to heed the ravings of a druid that old, Evalle pointed out, "But what if Garwyli is right about how long Brina has left? We can't risk running late bringing her back. And Brina," Evalle added to remind the goddess that two lives were at stake.
"I'm well aware of what is required, but we can't be reckless and put the Beladors at any more of a power deficit." The goddess spoke with a terse tone obviously meant to hide her fears, but anxiety hid beneath her words. "Our warriors are losing their powers in different degrees everywhere. The German Maistir is dead and our warriors are vulnerable to attacks from any enterprising nonhuman. Our enemies are quick to take advantage of what they see as a wounded tribe."
Macha paused, staring at the vacant-eyed hologram. "Brina is in this situation due to Medb witches and a traitor that managed to infiltrate this castle with Noirre majik. I can't trust someone who possesses black majik skill not to take advantage of the Noirre majik already in place and destroy this hologram. As long as it is here in the castle, the Beladors have some use of their powers. If I allow someone to destroy it, every Belador would face extermination as powerless humans." Macha pinned her gaze on Evalle. "I will allow your Skinwalker entrance if you can swear that he will not bring dark majik into this castle."
Evalle had no idea for sure where Storm's majik originated, but she trusted him to bring no harm to Brina or the castle. She opened her mouth to speak, but Tzader cut her off with a booming decree.
"I swear on my immortality."
Evalle sucked in a breath at that.
Tzader spoke in her mind. Would Storm practice black majik?
No. Her quick answer came straight from the heart.
Then I trust your judgment and, if I can't get Brina back, immortality means nothing to me.
She had nothing to say that would change his mind.
Tzader told Macha, "The sooner you send Evalle back, the sooner we'll be able to determine whether Storm can help us."
Macha appeared to be considering Tzader's vow and was clearly not happy about him speaking up, but she addressed Evalle. "Very well. Have Trey contact Tzader once you've located the Skinwalker. If I'm convinced that he's acceptable, I'll teleport him to Treoir. When you're ready to teleport back to Atlanta, envision where you wish to arrive."
"What about VIPER? Will there be any fallout from me entering the beast games?" Evalle quickly added, "Which I did for the benefit of the Beladors."
Specifically, she wanted to make sure Sen didn't snatch her out of thin air and drop her in a Tribunal meeting to be judged after all she'd gone through to protect her tribe.
"VIPER will be informed that you were compelled by the Medb to go with Kizira to TAmr Medb, then compelled to join the battle."
That wasn't exactly how it all went down, but if Macha was willing to sell that thro
ugh, then Evalle wouldn't argue since Kizira-and probably the Medb queen, Flaevynn-were both dead. It wasn't as if someone could counter Macha's explanation.
With that, Macha lifted her arms and disappeared in a whirl of spinning air sparkling with blue and silver.
Evalle didn't want to consider the consequences of Macha not finding Storm acceptable. She waited to think about where she wanted to land, because that had sounded as if she'd be whisked away the second she pictured the location in her mind.
Handy, if she didn't get snatched away before she was ready.
She needed to take care of one more thing before she left and turned to Tzader. "Tristan will be responsible to you for managing the gryphons and Rias while I'm gone. They need to take a break from their gryphon form and return to their human bodies, but they won't all do that at the same time."
Tzader nodded, his gaze returning to Brina. "What the hell?"
Evalle stared at a piece of the hologram the size of a cookie that had broken away. It turned into tiny crystals and blinked out of existence.
Covering his mouth with his hand, Tzader stood there, thinking. Over the next minute, he absorbed what he saw and the result was a heartbreaking expression of misery. When he moved his hand, he said, "Now we know what Garwyli was ranting about. What he saw in his vision."
Losing Brina would be devastating for Tzader. But losing this last part of Brina would sever the only ties Beladors had to the Treoir power base.
Chapter 5
"If I wasn't desperate, I wouldn't do this," Evalle mumbled, looking over at Nicole, who was riding shotgun in Nicole's wheelchair-accessible van with only the dash lights illuminating her features. Now that sunlight was not an issue, Evalle had spent the better part of two days driving all over Atlanta in Storm's old Land Cruiser since her Suzuki GSXR was still up north in the mountains at VIPER headquarters. But when she realized she needed the help of her gifted friend, she'd left the SUV back at Storm's house and taken the train to Nicole's so they could drive the van.
She'd wait until Tzader returned to reclaim her motorcycle.
No point in giving Sen any chance of grabbing her when no one was looking.
But in all the time she'd spent traveling around Atlanta, she'd failed to squeeze out a drop of intel on Storm.
"It's okay, Evalle," Nicole said in that soothing voice of hers. "I told you, Red is out of town until tomorrow night. I'm happy to help. In fact, I'd have been hurt if you hadn't asked. This is what friends do for each other."