Rogue Belador: Belador book 7 (31 page)

“No.” Tzader had four too many lives standing around him already at risk. “If the white witch situation blows up in our faces, I don’t want more Beladors involved, but we can’t leave Lanna there.”

Evalle said, “We need to go help Trey. The only person he can call is Quinn, who’s still in the Tribunal trying to keep everyone out of our way.” She leaned toward Tzader and added, “I gave Trey enough to know what we were doing so he’d be up to speed.”

“Good.”

“We
have
to go to Treoir,” Daegan said, with the kind of authority that didn’t invite argument.

Tzader agreed one hundred percent.

Time was running out, and if he didn’t get Daegan and Brina together soon, he’d miss the tiny window of time he had left. Once Queen Maeve found out her throne had been stolen, she’d question her security. Tzader had no doubt that the warlock priest had left a detailed description of Tzader and his team before chasing them down. The queen would be able to turn all of VIPER on him and the four who had already risked so much.

But he still couldn’t put any of them ahead of Lanna’s life.

“We’re going to get Lanna back first,” Tzader announced.

Daegan roared in fury.

Tzader stepped over to face Daegan and roared right back, “I know what’s at stake. At the moment, Brina is safe, you’re safe, and we’re not locked up yet. Lanna has helped all of us, but more than that she’s family. We don’t turn our back on our own. Prepare to teleport.”

Tristan opened his mouth.

Tzader pointed at him. “Not a word. I know you’re exhausted, but you can do it one more time with us linking. I know you can.”

Tristan blinked at the show of confidence from Tzader, but the moment passed. He said, “Fine, damn it, but hold on to your asses.”

Daegan blasted a harsh exhale through his nose. “You’ll wish you’d listened to me.”

“That may be, but right now we do what I say,” Tzader slapped back at him. Worry balled in his gut over expending their last teleport and the lost time, but he couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to Lanna. Quinn had lost too much already.

“Oh, crap,” Evalle groaned. “We’re coming up to a bridge over water. There will be nothing to block that wind we’ve danced around.”

Storm noted, “Looks like we’re somewhere in North Georgia.”

“Get in position to teleport,” Tzader snapped.

Adrianna rolled her eyes and stepped on the base of the throne to push up, then landed hard on the seat.

Daegan grunted. “The minute I get out of this—”

“Yes, yes.” Adrianna waved a hand at him. “We know. You’ll rain terror down on all of us. Let’s skip ahead to the part where the curse is broken and you’re out of my sight.”

“
Tristan!”
Evalle called, her gaze turned to the bridge.

Wind whipped across the top of the car.

“Ready?” Tristan called out.

“Do it,” Storm growled.

Ten warlocks landed all around them on the piled-up coal.

Chapter 29

Grendal led his party from the hangar in a regional airport near Charleston, South Carolina, to a van large enough to carry his crated shipment. From here, it was on to the ship waiting at the docks. Casting a compulsion spell on an Atlanta-based shipping agent a month ago had ensured a way for Grendal to leave quickly and quietly with his precious cargo.

Just in time.

Pulling back his sleeve, he studied his arm. His skin had turned a splotchy, dark shade of mustard since yesterday. Lanna’s decision to run had caused him unnecessary discomfort.

She’d have a chance to make that up to him, especially since his time with Mattie’s granddaughter had been cut short.

It would be more painful than necessary for Lanna.

Still, he could appreciate small favors.

He’d have to wait until the ship was out to sea to draw on her. No interruptions at that point. Even with Leeshen to protect him, he would be at his most vulnerable once he started the transfer.

If not for all the useful information Nightstalkers had provided, locating the shipping agent would have taken much longer. Such a shame he didn’t have the same intelligence sources in his country. He should work on developing a ghoul network, which would make him that much more powerful.

Snow floated down, sprinkling the pavement and making him homesick for his castle deep in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania.

He’d be returning victorious. His plan couldn’t have worked any better.

The crate jostled when one of one of the three men he’d hired stepped in a hole.

Leeshen barked an order at the man, who straightened up and grumbled something about taking orders from a bitch.

Grendal touched her shoulder, letting her know he was pleased with the discipline she demanded. He whispered, “Once the crate is loaded, take the driver’s place.”

“Yes, Master.” At the van, she held her corner of the crate with one hand and used her free hand to open the tall, rear cargo doors. She issued orders on how to position his precious shipment, forcing his motley crew to shape up and handle it with care.

Using Medb warlocks would have been so much easier, but first he’d have had to capture them, then control them. Controlling warlocks not bound to him required too much majik. Using any more than he needed between now and getting settled on the ship would put him at too much of a disadvantage.

It was a shame to miss seeing Queen Maeve’s face when she read the note he’d left for her. She was so sure she’d be able to call him to her by using the ring. He’d found four of her warlocks running around Atlanta, given them identical messages, then cast a spell on each so that the ring’s pull was transferred to those four. When the ring was used to call Grendal, it would draw those warlocks, who were now at the farthest east, north, west, and south points of the Atlanta area. By the time the queen or her druid received his message and figured out how to follow Grendal, he’d be home in his own territory.

Queen Medb had no valid complaint. She hadn’t captured Lanna, after all, and she could still figure out how to clear her name with regard to the white witches.

It would take some work.

Besides, Grendal had learned while handing off those notes to the warlocks, that Queen Maeve and Cathbad were on their way to a Tribunal meeting. The four designated warlocks might not even reach them with his message until after that meeting.

To be honest, Queen Maeve owed Grendal her appreciation. His two-word note more than fulfilled his part of the agreement. The note explained how to gain Kizira’s body per the terms of the blood oath,
if
the queen and druid could figure out the significance of those two words.

Grendal watched the three men lumber around with less intelligence between all of them than one of Grendal’s tikbalangs. Such a shame to kill that last creature. It had been a decent informant. If there had been any way to bring the beast back with him, Grendal would have. The first one had been a complete disappointment. Grendal had told him to search for the witch’s familiar.

What had he done?

Rounded up dogs. He’d
deserved
to be killed by those VIPER agents.

All things considered, this entire operation had actually worked out quite nicely.

After the queen’s
Scáth
Force soldiers had been informed of where to find the white witches, Grendal was told they’d send a group to take possession. Of course, Grendal had vacated the premises within minutes of capturing Lanna in order to avoid that confrontation.

Let the Medb and VIPER figure out who was at fault for the kidnappings.

“Everything is ready, Master,” Leeshen informed him, her usual emotionless mask in place.

As one of the men closed the rear door, Grendal stood a few feet away while he waited as Leeshen walked up to the driver’s door.

Grendal addressed the three men. “That concludes my need for your services.”

“You gotta pay us,” one of them reminded him.

“Of course I do.” He glanced to the side where Leeshen wrenched open the van door and yanked the driver out, as if he were some skinny little guy and not a six-foot-tall man with a huge gut.

The driver started complaining. “What are you doing? I—”

Using her free hand, she stabbed a long fingernail into his eye. It made a popping sound, then the driver squeaked out a noise just before her nail penetrated his brain and he slumped to the ground.

The three men facing Grendal shifted their attention and tried to lean forward, trying to see around the van.

Grendal took a step, blocking their view, and said, “Your payment?”

At the mention of money, they lost all interest in any strange noises. Nightstalkers had told him where to find men with no families, no conscience, and unfortunately, even less concern for hygiene.

He stepped over to them and held out his hand, where a small, charcoal-grey stone with runic carvings glowed in the middle of his palm. “I’d like you to see something very rare.”

“What the fuck?” the middle guy griped. “I just want my money.”

Keeping his voice calm, Grendal began whispering, “By all the power ’tis mine to wield, I bid thee wander on until ... ”

All three men were mesmerized within seconds as Grendal cast his spell. He watched them turn as one and walk away.

Tomorrow, two of them would be found a mile from here with their throats slit. The last one would plunge the knife over and over into his own chest.

He tucked the Slavic runestone into his coat pocket and walked around to climb up to the passenger seat.

“She is stirring, Master,” Leeshen informed him.

Grendal listened, and heard Lanna muttering something.

The girl carried power unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and one wrong word said while semi-comatose could send this van cartwheeling.

Dragging up another surge of energy, he snarled at the box.

The wood vibrated.

A high-pitched screech followed, muffled by the wooden crate.

Then silence.

Turning back around, Grendal said, “Hurry, Leeshen, but do not break the speed limit and draw attention. She’s fighting her way back to consciousness. That may not hold her long. I hope we make good time, because if she wakes again and puts us at risk, you’ll have to sedate her.”

Which would mean having to wait another twelve hours until Lanna could be drained, but they were safe as long as she did not call up her powers.

Lifting her index finger with the sharp nail, Leeshen nodded understanding, and placed her finger back on the steering wheel. “We have an eight-minute drive according to the electronics.”

His faithful servant pulled out of the lot, and Grendal leaned back to rest. Finally, no one would stand between him and Lanna. This time tomorrow, no one could make a difference.

Chapter 30

Evalle’s stomach wanted to shove everything she’d eaten earlier back up her throat as the spinning subsided. “I hate teleporting.”

Storm had his arms around her, but even that could do only so much after three trips in such a short span, two through different realms, and with a severely drained Tristan piloting.

He had to be the all-time worst teleporter in history.

She opened her eyes to find that they’d landed in one of downtown Atlanta’s small parks. If her cheap watch wasn’t fried yet, it was nine already. She searched for the street signs.

Look at that. Tristan actually hit close to the mark she’d given him. They were at the corner of Auburn Avenue and Piedmont Avenue in the Sweet Auburn district of Atlanta. The few evergreens in this little downtown corner park offered almost no cover.

At least Tristan hadn’t dropped them
in
a tree.

Or in the middle of the intersection. Traffic didn’t rush by, but no driver could miss something that just appeared in his or her path.

Tzader stood to one side, shaking off the residual effects, and Adrianna had already stood up from the throne and begun cloaking them.

Evalle said, “Thanks.”

Adrianna dipped her head in acknowledgement, but kept feeding her power into shielding five people and a dragon throne.

Good thing, since small groups of young people, probably Georgia State University students, walked past wearing a mix of sweaters, hoodies, and coats.

“Where are we?” Daegan demanded.

Tzader replied, “Downtown Atlanta, very close to the location where the witches and Lanna are supposed to be. I’m calling Trey now.” His weary voice sounded as if he’d been dragged the hundreds of miles they’d teleported from North Georgia to downtown Atlanta.

Evalle sniffed at the smell of Caribbean food and forgot about her queasy stomach. She could eat, but that wouldn’t happen any time soon.

Daegan got cranked up again. “This is a waste of time.”

Adrianna swung around to the dragon. “I’m beginning to think rescuing you is a waste of time.”

“You should take care with your tone,” he warned.

“And you should keep in mind that I’m trying to break that curse. Don’t give me a reason to reconsider.”

“Enough,” Tzader said in a soft tone that Evalle recognized as his I’m-at-the-end-of-my-patience voice, which meant someone might die soon if they pushed him too far. “Where’s Tristan?”

Evalle swung around and searched. “He should be here with us.”

“He wasn’t last time,” Daegan pointed out.

“Over here,” Tristan said, sounding pained.

Evalle searched behind the throne, which had landed near a brick wall.

Tristan sat ten feet away with his back against the bricks. She dropped onto her knees beside him. “Tristan?”

His head drooped. Blood seeped from his eyes and ran from his nose and ears.

Tzader was there next. “Heal yourself, Tristan.”

“Can’t. Too much effort.”

Evalle put her fingers on his wrist and felt energy flowing through him, but very slowly. “I’ll link with you then you can use my power.”

“No. I can’t ... fight. Don’t use your power.”

She looked at Tzader. “What are we going to do?”

Adrianna’s soft voice called over, “Trey’s here. I’m opening the cloaking for him.”

Trey made eye contact with everyone, gave the dragon throne a slow look, and asked Daegan, “What’d you do to piss off someone badly enough to be turned into a chair?”

“Are you all dimwitted?”

Trey looked at Evalle, who said, “He’s touchy about being ... that.”

Everybody stared at Daegan, who poofed out smoke and ignored them. Trey glanced around then squatted next to Tzader. “What happened to Tristan?”

Tzader explained the multiple teleportation trips, which included two fights with the Medb. “Where are the witches?”

Pointing across the street, Trey said, “Just past that empty lot is a building that’s boarded up. I’ve found a way in at the back, but there are still five warlocks in there and I’m betting they’re the
Scáth
Force you told me about.”

“What is it with them sending out groups of five?” Evalle muttered.

Storm shrugged. “That allows enough for three to fight, one to circle around and attack from the back, and one to escape so he can report. Any more than that is too many to move covertly, and any less might be overpowered. That last group of ten was the second wave planned only if five couldn’t do a job.”

“He’s right.” Tzader wiped a hand over his mouth, thinking, and spoke softly to Trey, “You may need to leave at this point. Evalle and Tristan chose to come with me, but we’re all rogue. Macha isn’t going to cut anyone who helps us any slack.”

“After Evalle told me where you were and about having the dragon with you, I talked to Sasha and Rowan. They know you three wouldn’t be doing this unless you thought it was in all of our best interests. The Beladors’ best interests. None of us trust VIPER since they accepted the Medb into the coalition. You, Evalle, and Quinn had my back when the Kujoo tried to take Sasha, and nobody else came to help me. I’m not walking away now.”

Evalle worried about all of her friends, but she respected Trey’s position. She hoped this dragon was worth the lives being risked.

Tzader nodded and looked around at their group. “Adrianna will have to stay here and keep Tristan and the dragon cloaked.”

“No,” Daegan ground out. “Do not leave me here with a witch and a half-alive gryphon.”

Evalle murmured, “He’s really getting on my nerves.”

“I heard that.”

Tzader stepped around in front of the dragon. “How are we supposed to fight the Medb coven’s elite warriors while carrying you around, trying to keep you hidden,
and
keep the Medb from taking you back?”

“Break the curse, and you’ll have a warrior like no other on your team.”

Evalle came around so there was no confusion over her intent for him to hear her. “Have you always had trouble with self-esteem?”

“I believe the saying in this world is, ‘It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it’.” His big jaws curved into a smile.

Adrianna stepped up to the conversation. “I’ve got the cloaking stable if I’m staying in one place. I’ll give breaking the curse another try, but we weren’t making any headway back in Tŵr Medb.”

Daegan sighed, which was a strange sound coming from a dragon. “That’s because the most
difficult
place to break this curse was TÅμr Medb.”

“Is there somewhere that makes it easier?” Adrianna asked, sounding just a bit exasperated at that information.

“Yes, but we have no chance of going there right now with the gryphon down.”

“I see.  Everyone step away from the dragon.” She waved her arms to spread everyone away from the throne. “If teleporting in that shape didn’t kill you, I guess you’ll survive whatever I do.”

“You can’t kill me.”

She arched a challenging eyebrow at him. “Lucky for you I agreed to do my best to keep you alive.”

He did that dragon grin again until she added, “For now.”

His silver eyes swirled, and the black diamond centers sharpened. “Get on with it, witch.”

Adrianna cut her eyes to Evalle who said, “I know. We’ll owe you big time. Please don’t kill him or turn him into a coffee table.”

Opening her palm, Adrianna called to the Witchlock power that rolled up in a swirling white ball. Energy steamed away as it spun on her palm.

Daegan got serious, asking, “Do you remember the spell and how we decided to break it?”

“Yes. Everyone please be very still, and stay out of my line of sight or you might be affected.”

Evalle, Storm, Tzader, and Trey backed up several steps. Tristan was safe on the ground where he’d slumped. They had to get him to Treoir so he could recharge faster, but he was the only one who could teleport.

If she linked to him and drained her power, she risked Storm, Tzader, and Trey’s lives when they fought the warlocks. Trey was the most rested and they needed his strength.

Still, she couldn’t leave here without knowing Tristan would be okay until she returned.

Adrianna held the bright orb out toward Daegan and began speaking in Gaelic. Evalle knew that only because Adrianna had spoken similar words once before to trick a warlock’s body into turning on itself.

Power poured from Adrianna’s hand in a white vapor, wrapping around the throne again and again, growing brighter as she called out word after word of her chant.

The throne started shaking and the dragon stretched its head from one side to the other, as if trying to force his body out of that shape.

Adrianna’s skin turned translucent and her lips went from ruby red to deep purple. Her blue eyes glowed and the words took actual form as they left her mouth, circling the dragon.

Daegan clenched his big jaws. Evalle flinched at the sound of tendons stretching and bones popping. His body was being torn apart. Muscles flexed and bulged along his neck, back, and arms.

The clawed fingers on one hand formed slowly, each digit breaking away from the fixed shape.

Then nothing.

Gasping for air, Adrianna slowed her chanting, then finally dropped her hand with the orb, which vanished as she closed her fingers. “That’s all ... I can do. I can’t break it. I’m sorry.”

Even the dragon was fighting for air.

Worse than all that was the heartbreaking misery in Daegan’s eyes. That misery spelled defeat.

How could anyone suffer being locked into that form and left alive for two thousand years?

Evalle offered, “Let’s rescue Mattie and the other witches, then we’ll see if Rowan can help.”

Adrianna shot her a look of doubt, but said nothing.

Hope danced once more in Daegan’s eyes, breaking her heart again, because Evalle couldn’t see how Rowan, a white witch, would succeed after Adrianna had used Witchlock on him. But Evalle had learned over the years that it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.

One of Grady’s strange sayings, but it somehow made sense at times like this.

Tzader cleared his throat. “Sounds like a plan.” But his eyes contradicted the conviction in his voice. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

Evalle checked on Tristan again. “Let me give you some power before I leave, something to just get you started healing.”

“Don’t. I haven’t died three times. I still have one regeneration left if this goes sideways.”

She wasn’t sure the regeneration would work with him so wiped out that he couldn’t call up his beast or shift into a gryphon. “Okay, but tell Adrianna if you need help before I return. She’s still got some juice even after that attempt at breaking the curse.”

“I’m good. Go kick their asses so we can find a place for me to rest, or we’ll never get back to Treoir.”

She didn’t have it in her to tell him that he couldn’t teleport them soon enough to make it work for Brina anyway. Instead, she said, “Rest. I’ll be back soon.”

Adrianna opened a slit in the cloaking that Trey walked through with Evalle, Storm, and Tzader following.

When she crossed the street and looked back, the park appeared empty and would stay that way. Adrianna’s cloaking also deterred any visitors.

Now if they could just make good on their vow to save the white witches.