Keeping this Ngak Stone meant she'd forever be safe from being caged, but at the risk of walking away from who she was and everything she held dear. "I. Am. A. Belador."
Brina's face softened in a way Evalle had never seen. In a gentler voice, she said, "Yes, you are. We take care of our own. It's time to finish this."
"Don't do this, Evalle," Tristan begged. "Brina will listen to you. Send me to another continent. Don't put me back in that cage."
"I'm sorry, Tristan." And she was. Evalle lifted the rock toward him.
"No! Kill. Me. Now."
Even with all the trouble he'd caused, she felt his agony. She, too, would rather die than be caged. She would not forsake him and the other Alterants, but she had to protect the world and her tribe first. She spoke to the Ngak Stone. "Send Tristan back to his South American cage."
Tristan's blood-curdling scream thrashed through the room, then squeezed down to silence when he disappeared.
Evalle squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed. She asked the stone to keep him safe until she could help him. With her next breath she said, "Release all the Beladors."
Tzader strode over to the hologram, speaking low to Brina. "Keep in mind that Evalle found the rock and put her life on the line to prevent harm to any Belador."
Brina's gaze was crabby with annoyance. "I'm not sending her away, so you don't have to beg me for her life."
Evalle stepped over to Brina. "I didn't tell you about Tristan because I believed that's what the Medb wanted me to do so they could trap you. Tristan said the witch had a plan that would ensure destroying you and Tzader." She cut her eyes at Tzader for a moment, glad she didn't see condemnation in his. "I couldn't risk either of you being harmed. I did what I thought was honorable."
"I understand." Brina crossed her arms and tilted her head. "And I'm proud of you."
Evalle was speechless at hearing words she'd never expected to be said to her. A swirl of warmth brushed Evalle's skin when Brina smiled at her.
The warrior queen's gaze took in the room before returning to Evalle. "I will be with you tomorrow when you meet the Tribunal, and I will give testimony to the fact that my Belador protected the world."
"My Belador." Evalle played that over and over in her head until Tzader's hand touched her shoulder. She turned to him and smiled. "You told me ..." ... to trust Brina, she finished telepathically. I'll do a better job of it from now on.
The grin he gave her was answer enough. You're running out of time before daylight.
I've got seven minutes. Sen can ward one of the vehicles to get me home.
Storm stood to the side, watching her and the exchange. Evalle gave him a quick wink to let him know she'd see him soon.
Brina closed her eyes, speaking in a tone of request. "Sen, please come forth to retrieve the Ngak Stone."
A vapor spun at the side of Brina, then Sen appeared with a container the size of a cigar box carved of white marble the color of mother-of-pearl. "Where's the Ngak Stone?"
"Here." Evalle held it up and fought not to smile at his shock over her possessing the dangerous treasure. She waited for him to come to her, then placed the stone in the box sitting open on his two palms. The lid shut immediately and the seam between lid and bottom disappeared.
Her bruised eye swelled shut again and the lashes on her back burned like the devil.
"I need some help getting home." Laurette whispered the words as if afraid to speak up. Her eyes were milky with impaired vision.
Evalle owed this young woman so much. "I'll take her."
"No." Brina shook her head, eyes searching the room of Beladors and VIPER agents moving toward them. "Quinn can take her."
Laurette once again ignored Brina and edged over to Evalle, who took the young woman's hand when she spoke to her. "Thank you for doing the right thing and for being willing to face all this to save me and Vyan. After seeing those words on that planter outside your door, I'm pretty sure your grandfather was a Belador. He'd have been very proud of you."
Laurette tried to smile past the deep hurt lining her face.
"Her grandfather was one of our warriors." Brina made that announcement. "Macha has just informed me that prior to going into a battle he did not expect to survive, Laurette's grandfather asked Macha to spare his granddaughter from taking up the sword, because Laurette was born a Belador as well. He knew she'd spend her life alone once he left and wanted her to be free to follow her heart and be an artist. Macha agreed. You are indeed part of the Belador tribe, Laurette."
Evalle squeezed Laurette's hand. "That makes you family if you need anything. Quinn is wonderful and will escort you safely home."
Laurette nodded silently. Tears hung at the corners of her eyes.
Quinn appeared at Evalle's side and placed his hand over Laurette's shoulder. "This won't take long." He turned to Sen. "Why don't you teleport us?"
Sen nodded, then instructed Laurette, "Take Quinn's hand, envision your home and say when you're ready."
Evalle gave Sen a narrowed look. He never gave her that much warning.
The minute Laurette reached for Quinn's hand, she said, "Ready," and the pair vanished.
Evalle would check on Laurette later this week. She turned to Brina, wanting to discuss the Tribunal meeting, but the warrior queen beat her to it.
"The Tribunal will send someone to escort you after midnight tonight, Evalle. Make sure you're above ground at that time. Do not be late."
Evalle answered Brina, ignoring how Sen was close enough to hear her. "I'll wait for my escort in Woodruff Park."
Brina sent an arched-eyebrow look at Sen, who angled his chin in acknowledgment. Apparently finished with everything here, Brina disappeared.
The swords vanished at the same moment.
Crud. Evalle had meant to have Brina ask Sen to ward a vehicle to get her home. Tzader would ask him.
Sen looked over in Trey's direction. "Tell Adrianna to come in and clean up this mess. She's outside cloaking the building from civilians."
Trey swung around from where he was debriefing VIPER agents and Beladors. "I look like your lackey?"
Sen shrugged. "Evalle can do it ... with her hands."
"I'll get Adrianna," Tzader called out to Trey, then slowed by Sen on his way out. "You ever take a day off from being an asshole?"
Sen let his glare speak for him.
Once Tzader was out of hearing range, Sen's narrowed gaze hardened even further. He tucked the box with the stone under his arm and strode forward.
She didn't see a warded vehicle in her future.
Sen stopped close to Evalle and leaned down. "Be on time for your Tribunal hearing and don't make me hunt you. If I can't find you, Tzader will be held responsible. If you're not there for the Tribunal meeting, Tzader will have to take your place and accept the consequences of the ruling."
"Somebody pee in your crispy-doodles this morning?" She couldn't leave Tzader to face the Tribunal and Sen knew it.
But Brina had said she'd be there. Time for another dose of trust.
Storm had finished talking to one of the Beladors and moved closer to where she stood with Sen, his body flexing as if he intended to protect her.
But she didn't need saving or protecting. She was a Belador. She jutted her chin at Sen. "I'll be there, but don't hold your breath that the Tribunal is going to make your day and send me away."
His smirk spoke volumes before he teleported away with the Ngak Stone.
Asshole. Evalle felt a pop against the back of her head the minute she swore. Sorry, Brina. But Evalle smiled at the reprimand that meant she was one of Brina's family.
"Is that the one who wants your ass?" Grady asked.
"Yes." The Tribunal was a bigger problem than Sen, but she couldn't discuss that here with Grady. She'd forgotten the Nightstalker was still here. "How'd you get caught in the Kujoo trap?"
His eyes shifted away from her guiltily. "I got sucked in when I heard about the double handshakes."
 
; Tzader walked back inside just in time to hear what Grady had said. "You know none of us can do that, and look what happened when the Kujoo shook with those poor Nightstalkers."
Grady's image wavered in and out, eyes shooting angry darts at Tzader. "I had a reason."
Adrianna came into the room, took one look at Evalle and turned toward the windows, where daylight was coming on fast. Adrianna's lips moved as she raised her hands. The windows turned into a solid wall. She ignored Evalle after that, directing her attention to Tzader. "I have a question for you."
Tzader walked over to the Sterling witch Evalle was starting to reevaluate after all that Adrianna had done. Sterling witches didn't give without expecting something in trade. That Adrianna hadn't asked for a thing--yet--was reason enough to remain vigilant around her.
With everyone busy, Evalle took the opportunity to find out what was going on with Grady. "What's the reason you need an hour tonight?"
A sad smile shifted his face. "I have a granddaughter getting married in Atlanta. I don't want to meet her, but I wanted to hear her words. When I'm in this half-alive form, my hearing and sense of smell are dulled. Not crisp like a human's senses. I want to hear the organ music play her wedding march and hear her say her vows. I want to smell the fresh flowers." His eyes strayed from her face, turning watery. "I want to soak up a memory I can hold on to for eternity."
Her heart might split from breaking. She had to get out of here before she lost the shaky grip she had on her emotions after all that had gone down tonight. "I understand." She took a breath and cleared her throat. "You should go--" She started to say home, but Grady didn't have a home. "I'll see you later, okay?"
Grady stared at her so long that she thought he was stuck in that spot. He finally shimmered toward the exit, then vanished.
The room was far darker with the windows gone, but the glass skylights still intact allowed enough light to see. Storm finished closing the distance to her, clearly not caring what anyone thought when he put the back of his hand against her cheek. "That's some shiner."
Her heart tripped over itself at his touch. Guessed she had to reevaluate how she thought of him, too. "You told them how to find us and brought Laurette with the stone. She must have found you okay."
Storm gazed at her for a few seconds. "I was buckling my belt behind a hedge in the park when she popped into view holding that rock."
"You were supposed to put Laurette and that rock somewhere safe, not bring it around this place."
"I don't see the world in shambles, and that stone wasn't going anywhere until you were safe."
Okay, that just earned him more points than he'd know how to use. "Thanks, but what if Tristan had gotten the stone?"
"He'd have had to kill me to do that, and I'm not so easy to kill." Storm reached behind his neck and untied a leather cord, lifting the amulet from inside his shirt. "Give this back to Nicole when you see her."
Evalle stood still while he leaned forward to tie the cord at the back of her neck. His lips brushed her cheek before he lifted away. He ran his hand down to her shoulder, and she flinched when his fingers touched the slash cuts from Kizira's bullwhip nails.
To keep from moaning, she gritted her teeth.
Storm moved around behind her. "Your back's a mess. We need to get Adrianna to draw out the Noirre venom again."
"I'd be happier to owe a loan shark," Evalle muttered.
Storm sighed. "Don't move, and I'll ease the burn." He waited until she nodded to put his hands on her back.
Heat, then a wonderful numbing sensation, raced across the nerves just beneath her skin.
When he finished, Storm kissed her neck this time.
In spite of worrying that someone might have seen the intimate touch, she smiled.
Heavy footsteps pounded in her direction. Tzader strode up to her, but his glare blasted Storm, who returned it with a look of what's-your-problem?
Before anything erupted between them, Evalle intervened. "I need to grab a shower, get some sleep and take care of a few errands before I meet with the Tribunal."
Tzader broke off from the visual posturing with Storm and addressed her. "Think you can stay out of trouble between now and midnight?"
Evalle considered what she'd just decided a moment ago. She didn't want to lie to Tzader, but neither did she want to share what she was planning to do. Trouble was a mild way to describe it. "What, and give up the only thing I'm good at?"
THIRTY-EIGHT
The world swirled and blurred in Laurette's milky vision the minute she took the hand of the man Evalle had called Quinn.
He squeezed Laurette's fingers and said, "We're almost there."
She expected to wake up any minute and find out that she'd fallen in Piedmont Park and hit her head and that all of this had been a bad nightmare. But when her feet touched solid ground next, she was wide awake and still clinging desperately to some guy she'd bet would answer to the name Quinn. "Are we there yet?"
"If you live in a charming cottage with blue shutters and a large pottery vase next to the front door, I'd say we are."
She could only see blurry light. "It's my home, but I may need some help getting inside."
The sound of him moving around was followed by the familiar squeak of her front door opening. He took her arm with gentle fingers and led her slowly inside. "How impaired is your vision?"
He had a kind voice full of understanding, but Evalle had already told her no one could fix her eyesight. Laurette wouldn't whine. "It's manageable now that I'm inside."
"Take this." He pressed a cell phone into her palm. "I know this has been a harrowing experience, but you are part of the Belador family now. Can you find the number five in the middle of the keypad?"
"Yes."
"Press that to call me when you're ready to talk about a companion dog and adapting to the changes you'll be facing. We won't leave you to face them alone."
"Thank you." She needed him to go now or she was going to break down in front of him. The rock had certainly seduced her, because she felt the loss of her vision as acutely as when she'd lost her granddad. On top of that, she couldn't quiet the urge to see Vyan again, but he was where he wanted to be.
She would be happy for him and remember the way he'd made her smile. Remember the way he'd stepped between her and danger.
Remember his kiss.
"Thank you for bringing me home, but ..." Go away.
"I sense that you're ready to be alone. I'll leave, but I'll expect your call soon. And know that you can call any time, day or night."
She just nodded because she couldn't push any words out of her tight throat. When the door closed, she gave in to the pain expanding in her chest. A sob broke free over everything she'd lost. But she'd found out why her granddad had never come home. He'd been a Belador. They spoke of him as if he was a hero. He used to tell her the Barrett women were strong, that her ancestors were warriors. Warriors!
She was a Belador.
A blind one.
And Granddad would have been frowning at her right now for giving in to despair. She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
Suck it up and act like my granddaughter. She could almost hear him saying that.
Having practiced recently, in anticipation of her vision being all but gone, she stuck the cell phone in her pocket and felt her way across the room. She might not be able to create her signature designs on the large pottery anymore, but right now she needed to sink her fingers into the clay and feel her granddad's spirit surround her again.
At the door to the basement, she put a hand on the rail along the stairs and worked her way down. She'd reached the bottom landing and had taken two steps into the room when she heard someone's sharp intake of breath.
Her own breathing was suddenly short and frantic. "Who's there?"
"'Tis I."
Fear pumped with the blood slamming her heart. "Who?"
"Vyan."
Impossible. "What are you doing
here?" Her heart raced for an entirely different reason now.
"I don't know." He sounded lost, which cut through her thrill of happiness over finding him here.
"I'm so sorry. You weren't supposed to get stuck in this time period."
"What did you tell the rock when you sent the Kujoo away?" His footsteps moved toward her.
She thought back on her exact words, the ones she'd chosen based on what Vyan had told her. "I asked the rock to send all the Kujoo tribe wherever their hearts desired. I thought you would go home with the others."
Had she condemned him to this world by not being more specific?
He chuckled and touched her hands, folding them inside his. His scent met her next breath. "I knew you were a wise woman, and my heart is wiser than my head some days. I did not know where I wanted to go, but I did not want to return with Batuk to war, nor did I like leaving you alone either. It seems my heart chose to stay here."
"You're happy about this?"
"I believe I will find happiness here I have not felt for many years."
She wouldn't have been able to see through her tears even if she had unimpaired vision. "You are a gift I never expected to receive." Getting used to being blind was not going to be easy, but now she didn't fear the darkness with Vyan staying in this world. She couldn't believe he was really here.
He took her hand in his. "I asked for a gift as well but was denied."
A deep voice boomed into the room. "No, my faithful Vyan, you were not denied. I merely waited to see if you were truly content to remain in this time and still wished to give up your immortality before I granted your request."
Vyan was silent for a moment. "If I return to my home with the other Kujoo, I will be expected to pick up a sword again. My family would still be dead. What would be the reason to continue life there? None that I can think of. But I have managed for two years and know I can survive here. More than that, I can start anew here."
Laurette wiped at her wet eyes. "You really don't want to go home?"
"My heart would miss you." He lifted his voice. "I am ready to trade, Shiva."
"To trade what--" Her words were cut off in a gasp when bright light flashed through the room. She covered her eyes with her hands. Warm fingers clasped hers and pulled them away from her eyes.
Crisp details of everything in her studio flooded her vision. Vyan's happy face was completely in focus. "What happened? My eyes ... I can see. Oh, Vyan, I can see!"