Untamed Hawaiian Heat (Rift Hunters) (24 page)

“I thought I saw something pass between Tiaki and the man I shot. That man”—he pointed to Mateo—“should have died, because I know my brother isn’t a member of the healing order of the Rift Hunters.” He shifted on his feet uneasily under their scrutiny. “There’s only one thing I can think of that would allow Tiaki to heal such a mortal wound as I gave Mateo. Seeing Tiaki with those two down there confirms they are bound to one another.”

Palioxis stood up straighter. “Bound? How?”

Thanos shifted his eyes back and forth between the pair, wondering how much he really wanted to tell them. He’d heard quite a bit about this from their mother when Tiaki had been invited to join the Rift Hunters. She’d said the soul bond they could form, should they find their true mate, was unlike any other. He’d memorized every single thing she’d ever said about the Rift Hunters, hoping to someday be asked to join his big brother, whom he idolized.

Until the day he’d realized he couldn’t control the magic like Tiaki. That had also been the day he’d learned their mother had shared the soul bond with Tiaki’s father. He forced those distant memories back into the box he’d worked so hard to keep them in for most of his life. Thanos glanced back down at the clearing. Mateo had disappeared, and Tiaki was walking in the opposite direction with the woman. Hardening his heart, Thanos returned his attention to the goddesses or whatever the hell they were. “They share a soul bond.”

The two Makhai smiled at him in return, which made him shudder from the chill slithering down his spine at the sight.

“Which means we’ve just found our leverage to lure the Hunter out into the open, so we can capture him,” Proioxis said to her sister.

“Capture him?” Thanos asked, his gaze darting between the sisters. “But Atê said to kill him.”

Palioxis licked her lips. “Yes, well, I’m sure Mother would want the chance to study this bond more closely.” She slid up beside him as her sister did the same on the other side. “Unless you’d like to volunteer to participate in an experiment for the
kyrios
?”

Thanos shuddered at the thought of being at the old man’s mercy again. Once was more than enough. Especially with the side effects he’d had ever since. “No, thank you. If you want to capture my brother, be my guest.” He looked back at the woman walking with Tiaki. “But I want the woman.” Oh, and how he wanted her. He had to refrain from reaching down and adjusting his cock. No sense in letting the bitch sisters know just how much he wanted her. They’d probably find a way to use it against him.

Proioxis and Palioxis took hold of his arms. “Let’s go retrieve your mistake. The faster we get back to ‘Iolani Palace, the better. Mother needs to be apprised of this new development.”

Thanos flinched at the mention of Ferran. He’d been a few seconds too late to stop him from being captured. The sight of Mateo, alive and well—a man who should have been dead—had distracted him. He knew everything there was to know about his big brother. A healer he was not. He shouldn’t have been able to heal the puny human enough for him to survive. “Of course,” he said, his voice docile and obedient. The last thing he wanted was for Atê to get wind of any disobedience on his part. He’d heard she made what the bitches did for punishment look like child’s play. He had no intention of ever finding out if that was true.

Grasping his laser pistol, he accessed his computer implants, closed his eyes, and began drawing on Earth’s magic as subtly as possible. He didn’t want to alert Tiaki to his presence, and the surest way to get his attention would be to pull on the magic too quickly. Tiaki would be on him the second he heard Earth’s magic calling for help.

His whole body jerked as the needles holding the magic pierced the skin of his arm beneath his cybernetic extensions. When he opened his eyes again, he didn’t need a mirror to know they would be glowing with an eerie fluorescent blue light.

Time to retrieve the bastard who’d allowed himself to be captured.

Chapter Nineteen

Kiana stood motionless, watching Mateo disappear behind the Com Center. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve. She had no choice but to continue with the plan Niki had helped her with. She needed him to listen. Not only to her feelings about the soul bond, but to Tiaki as well. If this was the only way to accomplish that, then so be it.

He didn’t want to acknowledge how he felt about Tiaki. That was obvious. She knew it had something to do with Remi. But what?

Steeling her resolve, Kiana turned to face Tiaki. The intensity of the sensations rushing through Mateo and Tiaki during her dance had almost caused her to miss a step. And if the reaction Tiaki had tried to hide when she’d brushed Mateo’s tattoo was any indication, he was on edge too. Now she just needed to get Mateo there.

Tiaki reached for her, the need to comfort shining in his eyes.

She shook her head and held out her hand to him. “I’d like to show you something. Will you come with me?”

Without a word, he slipped his hand into hers, lacing their fingers together intimately. A spark shot through her at the contact. It sent warmth spreading through her, making her magic purr contentedly. Instead of making a big deal out of it, she decided to pretend it was natural to feel something so intense just from holding hands.

She tugged on his hand, and they began to walk down the path in the opposite direction from where Mateo had gone. They strolled along in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

Kiana glanced sideways at Tiaki. “What’s it like?”

Tiaki looked up at her question. “What is what like?” He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, sending a spark of lightning dancing up her arm.

She studied him for a moment before returning her attention to the path. “Traveling through a rift,” she said, when what she really wanted to ask about was the soul bond. She decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to start with that, though.

Tiaki looked up and examined the sky as if a rift might open at any moment. “The energy of a rift is more or less the same as what we wield on our own. Only stronger, like the magic residing within the core of a planet. Raw, wild, and untamed. Normally you have the opportunity to coax a rift to open so the magic will respond to your control. And going through one is like being held in the arms of a lover…safe, warm, and exhilarating.” His gaze flew to hers when he realized what he’d said; then he quickly looked away. “This last time, though…” He trailed off as though he were recalling the memory of the night he’d come into her life.

“What about the last time?” she asked gently when it seemed he wasn’t going to continue. “How was it different?”

Tiaki stared ahead of them. “I told you the last time I was closing a rift. I still have no idea why it was open.”

“Could a Rift Hunter have left it open?”

Tiaki shook his head and focused on her. “No. A Rift Hunter would never have left a rift open. We have a creed we have to swear to uphold before the Council will allow you to go through the Genesis Ceremony.”

“What’s the Genesis Ceremony?”

“When you’ve learned all there is to learn about wielding your magic and that of a planet, you go through a ceremony where you swear to uphold the creed. If the magic feels you are worthy, it marks you as one of its own.” His tone held a note of reverence as he spoke of the process. “That’s what this is.” He pointed to the symbol on his neck.

Kiana cleared her throat. “And the creed?” she asked to keep from giving in to the urge to stop him and press her lips to his genesis tattoo.

Tiaki dropped her hand and stood at attention. He extended his left hand and began to speak, his words firm and unwavering in their sincerity. “We are Warriors. Guardians of time and space. The sword and shield we bear are our pledge to stand sentry over the fabric of the Universe. To avenge the innocent against evil, known and unknown. We are the eternal flame in the darkness, a beacon among the stars… We are Rift Hunters.”

Kiana watched in awe as his magic curled around his hand in golden ribbons. She gasped when streams of energy emerged from the ground beneath his hand and spiraled upward like the roots of a walking tree until it met his hand. Then it began to intertwine with the magic glittering in his palm and moved up to spin a tangled web around his arm. It finally ended in a sparkling swirl on his genesis tattoo, where it sank beneath his skin as though it were coming home.

Tiaki gazed at her for several long moments while Earth’s magic retreated. A smile curved his lips. “During the Genesis Ceremony, you’d be receiving the mark for the first time.” He held out his hand to her. “Shall we continue on? Or…”

That “Or…” hung in the air between them. Loaded with so many things they both wanted to say but neither would.

Kiana slipped her hand into his. “You’re not getting rid of my company so easily,” she said, her voice barely a whisper as she tugged him into motion.

They walked in silence for a moment. “So have there ever been any Rift Hunters who weren’t worthy?”

Tiaki’s countenance turned bleak for a moment, and a dark shadow passed through his eyes. “Yes, there have been. It’s not good when it happens. That’s why it’s very important to be sure the person is strong enough both physically and mentally to take on the responsibilities that come with being a Rift Hunter.” He took a deep breath as though steadying his nerves. He glanced over at her. “Don’t worry. The ones I chose to go through the training had the strongest tie with the magic.”

Kiana realized she must have frowned at his statement to warrant his reassurance. She cleared her throat. “Well, the magic obviously decided you were worthy. And I’ve seen your mark. Is it different for others?”

Tiaki laughed, the sound rich and husky in the sultry evening air. “The Genesis Mark is the same for all Rift Hunters. Although, as I’m sure you noticed, if a Rift Hunter has a tattoo, the magic will embed itself into the ink and cause the design to shimmer in certain light.” He pointed to the tattoo on his chest. The stars around the planet seemed to twinkle red when the moonlight hit it just right.

“Oh…” Kiana reached out to touch it but paused halfway and met his eyes.

They had turned shadowy as his magic gathered in strength until it swirled in golden spirals within their depths. When she hesitated to touch his tattoo, he whispered huskily, “Please, Kiana…” His eyes fluttered shut, but not before she saw the reluctant surrender flash in them.

Kiana stepped closer until mere inches separated them and brushed her fingers lightly over the glittering tattoo.

A jolt of awareness rushed to greet her at the contact with his magic. A heat spread up her fingers and down the length of her arm. It grew in intensity as it went. She struggled to breathe as Tiaki’s emotions flooded her stronger than before.

“Oh gods! I didn’t know how…”
His voice trembled in her mind.

Even as she heard Tiaki’s voice, her link with Mateo shuddered as he tried to shut it. She withdrew her hand immediately. She needed to keep the link open for her plan to have maximum impact.

Tiaki opened his eyes, and their gazes locked, neither knowing what to say. His chest heaved as though winded. He inhaled sharply. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”

Kiana laid a finger against his mouth. “Don’t. There’s no need to apologize.” She traced his lips, fighting the urge to lean in and sink her teeth into the lower one. She jerked her gaze back to his before she gave in to the impulse. “There wasn’t any way I could have not touched your tattoo.” Taking a steadying breath of her own, she dropped her hands to her sides and changed the subject. “Um. Shall we continue? We’re almost there.”

Tiaki extended his hand toward the path, indicating he’d follow her. “Where are we going?” he finally asked, breaking the uneasy silence that had fallen between them.

Kiana glanced at him and smiled. “The lagoon. It’s my favorite place here in the valley.”

“Why is it your favorite?”

She didn’t answer for a moment as dozens of memories flashed through her mind. From coming to the lagoon with her parents as a little girl all the way to Mateo making love to her while Tiaki watched. “My mom and dad used to bring me here for picnics when I was little. It’s the first place I remember swimming.” She omitted the fact that he’d already seen it from a distance. No sense risking his refusal to go there. She needed this plan to work. It was imperative she break down the fucking barrier Mateo had built around his heart.

“I’m honored you want to share it with me, then.”

The heartfelt tone in Tiaki’s voice made her cringe inwardly at her deception. She gave him a tight smile and reached through the ferns and hibiscus in front of them. She twisted slightly to step through and lost her balance when her foot caught on the root of a walking palm. She gasped as she started to fall. Grabbing for the nearest handhold, she cried out when sharp bristles punctured the skin of her hand. She let go immediately and braced herself for the impact with the ground.

It never came.

Instead, strong hands grasped her under the arms and pulled her up and back against a solid wall of heat. She couldn’t relish the intoxicating feeling of being pressed against Tiaki’s sculpted chest, though, due to the arrows of pain shooting through her hand.

Carrying her in front of him, Tiaki pushed the rest of the way through the shrubbery. When they cleared the tree line, she pushed at his arm to regain her feet, but he refused to let her go.

“Tiaki, I can walk,” she protested weakly as he shifted her so he could hook his arms under her knees. Cradling her head gently against his chest, she silently cursed herself for not remembering about the
’ākala
, Hawaiian raspberry plants that dotted the tree line around this edge of the lagoon. She wasn’t used to coming this way. She hadn’t approached from the direction she normally came because she would have had to pass by her and Mateo’s hale noho. She couldn’t risk either of them suspecting what she was attempting.

Tiaki glanced around the clearing and headed for the small shoreline at the edge of the water. “I’m sure you can, but I want to help.”

Kiana started to protest further only to realize he was already lowering her to the soft sand. She rose to her knees to move closer to the water so she could wash out the small punctures on her hand. She’d have to do the best she could with only water for the moment and clean it thoroughly later.