Alterant (43 page)

Shocked silence hung in the air, then the warlocks cheered.

When Conlan lifted his hand, the warlocks quieted. “The Alterant Tristan has agreed to meet me, but he’s careful. I like that trait in someone I’ll be working with. Once we have Tristan in place, we’ll use him to bring Evalle in. I told you, Kizira, I understand how Beladors operate.”

THIRTY-NINE

A
stiff breeze cut across the top of a thirty-story building that towered over Peachtree Street. Tzader had stood here long enough for the sun to set and turn downtown Atlanta into a sparkling jewel.

Evalle had been in that hole since this morning.

He wanted justice, but he would settle for satisfaction.

When energy charged through the air he didn’t turn to welcome the presence that arrived.

That might appear as though he were pleased to see her.

“Are you not happy to see me, Tzader?”

Swinging around, he leaned against the waist-high parapet wall, then crossed his arms and his legs. “Depends.”

“I’ve kept my part of the bargain. Evalle has been released from her cell and Brina’s hologram is free.”

He’d have enjoyed the relief those words gave him if not for the nasty taste of having had to bargain for what Macha should freely give. But he’d sworn loyalty to Macha as a child and owed her a level of respect. “Thank you.”

His father had once told him that few might understand Macha, but she made no decision about the Beladors that was not honorable and in the interest of protecting the tribe. He’d warned Tzader not to judge her too quickly, because time played a role in understanding many of her decisions.

No matter how many times Tzader told himself that, it didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t see the reason behind the corner Macha had forced him into.

She smiled, her eyes changing from silvery blue to the color of sunlight striking blue-green Caribbean water. Her radiant red hair never seemed to remain still or even the same color, always busy finding a more flattering shape.

“What did you tell Evalle?” he asked.

“Just what we’d agreed upon. She’s to become my coordinator of Alterant research and pursue locating the missing Alterants.” Macha became impatient, tapping her foot. “I could have sent someone to find Tristan instead of freeing Evalle.”

“And risk Evalle falling into Medb hands?”

“We both know the chances of Evalle escaping were zilch.”

Tzader had considered several possible ways to have Evalle freed, but every option had put him and Quinn fighting VIPER, Macha and the Beladors.

That would have left him no way to protect Brina.

If not the best choice, this had been the only one that protected all he held dear from danger.

Macha sighed heavily. “Even with Evalle free, we must be vigilant to protect Brina. I’m not entirely certain we can stop the Medb from finding a way to breach the castle as long as Alterants are running around loose.”

“I will always protect Brina. You know that.” He could only stomach so much of this, but he had to keep his end of this bargain or Macha would take away everything
she’d given. But he didn’t have to stand here acting as though she really had his best interest at heart. “That’s not what you’re here to discuss.”

“You’re right. You share a certain amount of responsibility in what happened to Brina. She trusted Evalle based upon your ties to the Alterant.”

He’d conceded that point when he’d almost lost his mind upon learning that Brina’s hologram form had been captured.

But he wondered how much of this happenstance Macha had orchestrated. He’d known the goddess a long time and had never trusted her as completely as his father and Brina’s father had.

Look where that trust had gotten their fathers. Killed.

And Brina stuck in a castle until she produced an heir. “What about Brina? Does she get a say?”

Macha said, “The last time I saw Brina,
she
broached the subject of it being time for her to produce an heir.”

Okay, that surprised him based on the reception he’d gotten from Brina. She wanted to have a baby now . . . with someone else? All he could get out was, “I see.”

“She recognizes the need more than ever to have a child and protect the future of the Beladors, especially in the face of all that has just happened.”

“Then remove my immortality so I can marry her.”

“I can’t go back on the oath I gave to your father. You speak of marriage? Must I remind you to give me your vow as your part of our bargain? Or shall I return Evalle to the cell in VIPER and prevent Brina’s hologram from leaving the castle?”

No. He’d relive this moment a million times over from here on out. The words stuck in his throat, but he had negotiated in good faith and had no choice but to do his part. “I vow to not pursue Brina’s hand in marriage anymore and to do nothing to prevent her from marrying another.”

The muscles in his fingers tightened into balled fists inside his crossed arms. How could he stay in this world and allow another man to touch Brina?

Macha waved her hand in exasperation. “You make it sound like I’ve given you a death sentence. Are you so selfish as to make Brina wait forever for something that is impossible?”

He’d never hold Brina back from having a life with someone else if she wanted another man, but letting her go was ripping him apart inside. “Of course I want her to be happy. I told you I wouldn’t pursue her. Are we done here?”

“Not quite. You agreed not only to let this relationship go but also to convince Brina that she is free so she can move on without guilt. She was very upset after your last meeting and doesn’t know what to say without hurting your feelings.”

Hurt his feelings?

What a ridiculous description of losing the most important person in his world. “I’ll convince her.”

FORTY

E
valle strode along the last hallway to her underground apartment, bruised from head to toe, heart to soul. Sen had teleported her to where she’d left her motorcycle in Decatur.

He hadn’t said a word, but there’d been no way to mute the raw hatred in his eyes.

And no way he would have given her a straight answer about Storm, so she hadn’t wasted time asking. She didn’t need him to find answers. Tzader had said he’d let her know when anyone heard from Storm.

She opened the door of her apartment and stepped inside. “Feenix . . . I’m home.”

Where was he?

Thump, thump, thump . . . then the flap of wings.

Her heart caught in her throat when he came flying at her. She normally stepped aside so he could land in the beanbag and slide across the floor for his NASCAR finish.

She just stood there.

His orange eyes blazed in surprise. He angled away, circled the room and came back to her open arms, tucking his wings as he landed.

She pulled him in close, hugging him, hurting and happy at the same time.

Feenix patted her face and pressed his nose into the curve of her throat.

She shook with the effort of holding back a sob that she couldn’t let free. Her insides were shredding with hurt. Storm had to be alive.

If he was, where was he?

He’d found her in South America.

He’d found her near where she lived.

Feenix said, “Mine.”

Her heart was sandwiched between misery and joy. “You’re mine, too, baby.”

Her gargoyle lifted his head and chortled with delight. “Mith me?”

“More than you’ll ever know.” She gave him a kiss on his scaly forehead and lowered him to the floor. “Let me grab a shower and we’ll watch reruns.”

Anything that felt normal.

The shower helped, and so did fresh clothes. She put Storm’s windbreaker back on before climbing into bed with a bowl of popcorn for her and a handful of lug nuts for Feenix.

Feenix puttered around the room, flapping his wings every time he reached the count of ten. He even counted in order, ending with nine and then ten once she explained he could count either horn as nine or ten.

She opened her laptop and booted up her email. The minute she started tapping on keys, Feenix flapped his wings rapidly, lifting up in the air.

He flew over the end of the bed and settled next to her, where he’d left his pet alligator earlier.
“Nathcar!”
He gave
her a toothy smile worth any deal she’d had to make with Macha.

She tweaked his toe and got the deepest giggling sound she’d ever heard. “We’ll watch the NASCAR rerun as soon as I finish a couple emails. Okay?”

He clapped his hands. “Ithe cream.”

That counted as yes from Feenix.

Turning back to her laptop, she scanned through the usual notices from VIPER before she found the ones that mattered. Her email service was protected by some uber-security operation run through
www.Beladors.com
, which meant no spam. She opened the first one from Quinn that had come in yesterday:

The morgue believes you are on a leave of
absence. You may return at your leisure.

She hated that her first thought was to question if he had done that out of his usual sincere concern for her . . . or out of guilt if he really did talk to Kizira about her. She could use a couple days to sort things out in her head.

She needed some Feenix time.

When Tzader had contacted her telepathically on her way home, he’d told her to check her email for a message from him, which they’d discuss tomorrow after she got some rest. She found Tzader’s email that said:

Quinn encountered a threat to Brina during
Conlan O’Meary’s mind probe so we took him
into temporary custody. Conlan disappeared
from the holding facility. Contact me immediately
if you hear from O’Meary. Don’t meet him
under any circumstances without me or Quinn
present. We need to talk first.

What had Quinn seen in O’Meary’s mind that would make Tzader think O’Meary would contact her?

Quinn had sent a more recent email:

I am exceptionally pleased you have returned
unharmed. We’ll speak soon.

How could something a crazy witch said change the way Evalle thought about one of her two closest friends?

It shouldn’t. It wouldn’t.

She refused to feel suspicious about Quinn. He’d earned her trust and had yet to give her reason to question it. She’d tell him what Kizira had said and he’d explain how there was no way possible for Kizira to have gotten that information from him.

She stared at her inbox, willing an email from Storm to be waiting for her.

None.

Feenix rubbed her arm.

She smiled over at him, but his eyes were sad. He put his head on her shoulder.

Did this little guy have empathic ability?

Or could he hear her heart cracking with a new fracture every minute she didn’t hear from Storm?

She patted his face. “We’ll watch NASCAR next.”

He grinned at her and plopped down on the pillow beside her, grabbing his stuffed alligator to hug.

Starting tomorrow, she had to take care of Alterant business. Macha had handed her the chance to prove Alterants should be a recognized race. Evalle would tell Tristan as soon as she found him. She doubted he’d make it out of this country, since the airport really was shut down after all. He should be more open to working with her once he found out she had Macha backing.

Life was good.

All she had to do was find Tristan and Storm.

She turned back to her computer to send Storm an email and a new one popped into her inbox—from Storm. She froze, staring at the blinking message, then clicked on it. The message had been sent from his cell phone several hours ago. She hadn’t seen any of his clothes when she’d gone back to search after being dropped at her bike, but now realized she hadn’t seen his cell phone when she’d unloaded her tank bag. Had Storm retrieved his things . . . or had someone else?

Her heart thumped like crazy. She opened the email and read:

Evalle
I’ll be in touch.
Storm.