Waking Eden (The Eden Series Book 3) (28 page)

Beside her, Ramsay shifted. His hands were clenched tight enough the veins along the back of his hand popped up in angry ridges.

Guess that answered whether or not they were imagining feeling each other’s emotions. She covered his hand with both of hers. “You go and see what you can find. I’ll stay here with Lexi.”

He uncurled his fist and laced his fingers with hers. Bright white shards flickered in his darkened gray gaze and his mouth was pinched in a nearly flat line.

“Go.” She stroked his arm and feigned a carefree attitude her insides railed against. “It’ll take what? An hour?”

“We need two or three hours, tops,” Eryx said. “We can all meet back here and figure out next steps.”

Ramsay pulled her close and glared at his brother. “I do this, then my next step is time alone at the lodge with Trinity.”

Eryx shook his head, laid a quick kiss to Lexi’s temple, and headed toward the castle. “Best not to plan that far ahead in this household.”

T
hree hours
. Three fucking hours Ramsay had tracked that crotchety old shit, Angus, all over Cush from one ellan’s office to another. He might be old, but he sure as histus got around quick.

Ramsay prowled the far wall of Angus’ dreary study. For a guy who’d spent his whole life in public office and made a damned fine living off the opportunities it created, his home didn’t show it. From the minute Ramsay had stepped across the threshold, his lungs had struggled against the moldy stench, and the maroon rugs looked like they’d been around since before Angus was born. The guy was what? Nearing six hundred now?

Muted voices sounded in the hallway beyond.

About time. He’d finally caught a break running into Angus’ page at the main council hall and learned Angus would be headed home after a quick appointment across town. He’d thought about waiting for the old fart outside, especially after he’d got a whiff of the living tomb, but figured a little unsupervised tour couldn’t hurt.

The dark walnut door opened and Angus shuffled in. His stark white council robe was painfully bright after thirty minutes in the windowless office. “A visit from the spare Shantos. Can’t say I ever expected to find you in my study.”

He shut the door behind him with a flick of his hand and scanned the tiny room as he shuffled to his desk. “I’ve got plans this evening with a colleague. Whatever you need, get on with it.”

“You’re a busy man.”

Angus sat gingerly on the stiff wooden chair, the type one might expect to find in an old legal drama. “Yes well, not all of us were born with a castle and full coffers.”

Yeah, but he had plenty now. Too bad he didn’t put a little of it into his box of a home. Maybe it was Angus’ crude upbringing that made him hesitant to spend what he’d earned.

Didn’t matter. How the guy lived wasn’t Ramsay’s problem and Trinity was waiting. “I understand you paid a visit to Maron Deesus a few days ago.”

Angus paused in riffling through his desk drawer, but kept his head down. Not much, just a little hesitancy. Could have been a tell. Could have just been he’d startled the guy with his voice. “I did. What of it?”

“He seemed surprised by the visit. Said he hadn’t been expecting you.”

Angus slowly shut the drawer and lifted his head. “I wasn’t aware the ellan were required to report each and every visitor to you or your brother. Am I unaware of some new protocol?”

“No requirement.” Ramsay eased into a spindly chair across from Angus’ desk. The damned thing creaked like it might fall apart at any minute. “It’s just your visit was timed with an unfortunate loss in his household.”

“Loss?”

Damn. If the guy was guilty of anything, he did a good job of covering it. “A book. Something from a family library.”

“And he accused me of taking it?”

“He didn’t accuse you of anything,” Ramsay said. “Just reported a missing valuable. We’re tracking all the people who happened to be in the house around the same time.”

Angus harrumphed and pulled a well-worn planner from the side of his desk. He wrote something in the far corner. “I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time coming to me. I was with Maron the entire time. Never left his sight.”

“You take anyone with you?”

His grip tightened on the pencil, and his smooth writing motion turned jerky for a few strokes. “My page. He’s usually with me on my visits. Helps keep me organized.”

Interesting. He’d have to see if Maron had mentioned the page to Eryx. He leaned in and motioned to Angus’ planner. “That list out all your appointments over the last few weeks?”

Angus’ gaze snapped to Ramsay. “Something in particular you want to know?”

“Just running down leads. Being thorough.” He shrugged like he didn’t consider the request any big deal. More of a nuisance. “Figured since you had it handy you wouldn’t mind.”

His thumb moved up and down along the pencil’s shaft. Once. Twice. “I don’t see any reason why not.” He turned the book around and shoved it across the desk.

Ramsay sat back with the beat-up planner in his lap. The guy’s scrawl matched Angus’ attitude, all jagged edges and angry angles. Busy day today for sure. Yesterday, not so much. Council session the day before that in the morning and an afternoon visit to Maron.

Serena. Four days ago. The day before the texts went missing.

He kept his head down and turned the page to the week prior, pretending a bored perusal. “You visited Serena Steysis?”

“Of course I paid her a visit. The woman did our race an enormous favor ridding the world of Maxis Steysis, far more than you or your brother have done. I made no secret in voting in favor of leniency with her sentence. I felt the least I could do was visit and give my personal thanks.”

Bullshit. A damned good excuse and one he’d obviously prepped before he’d turned over the planner to Ramsay, but bullshit all the same. “You mind sharing your memories from that visit?”

Angus chuckled low and reclined against his seat, fingers laced across his lap. “Ellan conversations with their constituents are protected. I’d no more share my conversation with her than I would yours with her. It defeats the purpose of providing our race a safe harbor for conveying their concerns.”

Nice. Extremely well played. “True. Just thought you might be willing to help your malran keep a close eye on someone we’re not yet convinced has our race’s best interests at heart.”

“I’m always interested in protecting our race. Even those held in disfavor by the malran.” He steepled his fingers under his chin. “If you want me to share the memories of my conversations with Serena, you’ll have to petition the council for the right. That, of course, would require a charge against me. Is there one?”

Lousy fucker.

“Nope.” Ramsay stood, tossed the planner on the desk like he couldn’t care less what happened, and headed to the door. As he exited, he said, “Not yet anyway.”

* * *

T
rinity rolled
the cinnamon-scented dough Orla had given her in a long line on the flour-covered counter. Lexi and Brenna already had theirs coiled up in a close representation of the roll Orla had demonstrated, but Trinity was having a hard time multi-tasking worry alongside baking.

“You okay, Trin?” Lexi said.

Trin. The same nickname her girlfriends back home used. At some point she was going to have to talk to Ramsay about getting word to them she was safe. She might not be in a hurry to get back to the human realm just yet, but that didn’t mean she was willing to give up her friends. “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”

Lexi swirled the rest of her dough with a whole lot more flair than Trinity thought she could ever manage for any kitchen activity. “Wanna talk about it?”

Orla and Brenna stopped their side chatter, but kept working, heads down.

Probably not the best topic for a group, but a little color commentary might take her worry down a notch. “The stolen texts. Do you think they’ve got anything to do with the prophecy?”

Lexi cocked her head and pursed her mouth. “Hard to say for sure.” She scooped up the finished roll and laid it on a baking sheet waiting by the oven. “Kind of fishy timing. Probably smart Ramsay’s running it down.”

Brenna peeked up from her dough, met Trinity’s eyes, then snapped her head back down to business.

“Somehow I doubt that’s all that’s on your mind.” Lexi pinched a new section of dough and started another roll. That was two to Trinity’s not yet one.

Trinity started the wide circle like Orla had shown them, patting the top with her flour-covered fingers to hold the dough in place. “What would happen if someone brought the wall down? With the powers, I mean?”

“Ah, prophecy worries.” Lexi shrugged. “Well, for one, humans would have a free back and forth path from here to Evad. Not saying that’s bad. I’d just be worried about people like Maxis and Serena taking advantage of them.”

Brenna dropped the dough she’d been coiling in a nearly perfect replication of Orla’s steady work.

Orla patted Brenna’s hand. “Maxis is gone, dear. He can’t hurt you anymore. And my boys won’t let Serena anywhere near you.”

“Personally, I’m hoping I get a chance to gut the bitch. Maxis died waaay too fast and easy. Seems to me a little karmic justice in the form of Serena’s long, drawn out demise would be fitting after all he put Brenna through the last fifteen years.” Lexi flicked the last bit of dough into place, and then jerked her head up. “Sorry. Too morbid for kitchen convo?”

Not in Trinity’s book. She couldn’t even fathom how Brenna had survived the horror Maxis had heaped on her. Kidnapped at only eight years old and forced to serve as a slave. And according to Ramsay, the serving part didn’t stop at just menial labor.

Brenna grinned and ducked back to her work.

Orla smiled, but it sure looked like she was trying to hold back the bulk of it. Probably thought it was better not to encourage Lexi.

Trinity straightened and let out a heavy breath. Not too bad of a roll. Kind of an oval more than a circle, but overall it looked pretty even. “What do you call these again?”

“Lastas,” they all said at once.

“I should have known better than to feed them to Lexi as a first meal,” Orla said. “She’s had them nearly every day since.”

“And we’re not stoppin’ anytime soon,” Lexi added.

Silence settled in the cozy kitchen.

Orla popped a pinch of the dough into her mouth and shuffled to the sink to wash her hands.

“What about the powers?” Trinity asked.

Lexi dusted her hands and joined Orla at the sink. “What about ’em?”

“You said Eryx was the malran because he had the most powers. That no one was strong enough to challenge him. If someone else had the same, what would happen?”

Lexi clutched the kitchen towel in a death grip. Clearly, she’d considered the question before, because her mood shot straight from balanced to murderous. “Eryx said he’d likely be challenged for the throne, and odds are good it would come down to skill and experience. If someone else won, it would be up to Ramsay to win it back.” She tossed the towel aside. “If he could.”

Trinity stared down at the untouched lump of dough in the bowl in front of her. Stupid. So damned stupid. She was playing housewife, while her husband—fireann—was out trying to protect his family’s legacy and the overall human race.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And selfish.

She could fix it if she wanted to. Give them all the information they needed if she’d just suck it up and accept what was rightfully hers.

But then you’ll lose Ramsay.
No way would they let such a huge violation go without serious reprimand, most likely her life.

Something splattered onto the flour-covered surface. A tear.

She dashed the next one slipping down her cheek aside with the back of her hand before Lexi could see or comment on it.

Brenna came up beside her. “Lexi can you grab another cookie sheet?” She waited until Lexi bustled to the large side closet filled with all manner of pans, and then quickly dusted a trace of flour from Trinity’s check. She leaned in quick and quiet. “You’re not selfish. If I could have what you have, I’d never let it go.” She squeezed Trinity’s fisted hand on the counter then got back to work like she’d never said a thing.

Trinity held stock still, shocked and more than a little worried Brenna had managed to home in on her thoughts. She might be human, but there was definitely more to her than met the eye.

And there was more to Trinity than just being Myren. She was Spiritu too. Maybe it was time she started acting like one.

R
amsay took
the castle stairs two at a time and followed his brother’s link toward the third floor. Things in Evad had either gone tremendously well or fallen to shit fast if Eryx was in the rec room. He, Eryx, and Ludan had spent the better part of twenty years building out the Myren equivalent of a man cave after their awakenings, making it their own. Histus, during their training days, Ludan and Reese crashed there more often than they did at home.

And then Eryx and Ramsay’s dad had died.

Ready or not, Eryx had stepped into his place as malran. Ludan replaced his father, Graylin, as somo, and Ramsay had assumed the role of strategos. Exploring life one minute, disciplined vigilance and loaded responsibility the next. What he’d lost in companionship with his brother he’d made up for in his time off in Evad. Parties, music, women. Years of it. All out from under the watchful eyes of his race.

And utterly empty.

Two weeks he’d been with Trinity. Two roller coaster emotional weeks, but he’d wrung more out of life in that span than he had in over a century prior.

He rounded the last flight of stairs and strode down the dark corridor. The thick burgundy rugs muted his booted footsteps. An unfamiliar, itchy aggravation scraped at his insides. Probably just antsy to get back to Trinity. If he was lucky, Eryx would trust Wes and Troy to tie up whatever loose ends were needed with Angus and Serena. Dodging his duties forever wasn’t an option, but he didn’t think another day with his new baineann was an over the top request.

He opened the mahogany door at the end of the hall with a thought, and the late afternoon sun pierced the opening. The rounded turret wall came into focus, varied shades of gray stone and picture windows spanning a heart-stopping view.

Graylin’s low, cultured voice rumbled from somewhere deep in the room. “You don’t have enough evidence to bring charges against her. You’d be better served to wait it out. She’ll trip up again. She’s too impatient not to.”

What the hell was Ludan’s father doing at the castle? He’d barely left his cottage for more than supplies and formal ceremonies in the last sixty or so years. In the last month, he’d been here two or three times a week. Come to think of it, almost every time he’d seen Graylin, he’d been in the kitchen.

Scratch that. He’d been wherever Orla was, which was usually in the kitchen. Surely the two of them weren’t…

He shook his head to clear the odd image and strode in the room.

Graylin perched on the edge of a barstool, one of three they’d acquired from White’s gentlemen’s club just after a renovation in the late 1800’s. Always a supporter of the old-school Myren ways, he sported loose silk pants and tank with a long over robe, and his hair was pulled back in a queue in deference to his late wife.

Eryx bent over the red felt billiard table and lined up a shot. “Wondered when you were gonna finally show, brother. Tell me you got something I can use. I’m not sure waiting for Serena or Angus to trip up again is smart for any of us.” He took the shot. The cue ball snapped against the red-stripped eleven and sent it sailing into the far right corner pocket. “Well?”

Ramsay looked up from the table to find all eyes on him. “Shit. Thought you were talking to Ludan.” He ambled to the antique bar loaded with pretty much every enviable liquor over a two-hundred dollar price point and went straight for the Scotch. Maybe that would take the edge off. “Nothing worth jumping on right away, but a lead. I take it your trip turned a goose egg?”

“Nothin’.” Ludan’s gaze was locked on the pool table, cue stick planted butt end in the black rug between his braced feet and both hands fisted on the shaft.

Eryx chalked his cue and circled the table, sizing up his next shot. For all his focus on the table, his thoughts seemed directed somewhere else. “What’s the lead?”

The Balvenie laid a warm satisfying path down his throat, but clashed a little too heavy in his stomach. “Two, really. First, Angus has got some mighty detailed records showing every appointment he’s had since The Great One knows when. One of ’em was a visit to Serena the day before he visited Maron.”

Eryx stopped in his tracks and turned to Ramsay. “You scan his memories?”

“Claimed protected constituent conversation. Said he’d have to be instructed by the council to divulge his memories, and that would take formal charges.”

Graylin reclined in his barstool and set his drink on the bar beside him. “A shrewd move on his part.”

“He tell you why he was there?” Eryx said.

“Said it was a visit to show his support and to thank her for doing what we failed to do.” Ramsay circled the Scotch in the tumbler. “Was thinking we might be wise to see if Serena will offer up her memories instead. You got her to do it once. Might be able to charm her a second time.”

Eryx grunted and leaned over the table for another shot. “Doubtful. I let Ludan do it last time.”

“I wasn’t nice about it,” Ludan added.

The cue ball cracked against its target.

“What’s the other lead?” Eryx said.

“Angus says he was never out of Maron’s sight the whole time he was there,” Ramsay said. “Did Maron share his memories with you?”

Eryx stood, eyes distant. “He did. And now that I think on it, he’s right. He was with Maron in every image.”

“What about his page?” Ramsay said.

Gaze aimed at the floor, Eryx loosely gripped the cue stick. “They left Maron’s study,” he said, almost to himself. “The page stayed behind.”

His head snapped up and he locked eyes with Ramsay. “Round up the page. See if you can get a read from Serena. Neither of them are protected by ellan laws. They’ll either clear Angus or give us the proof we need.”

Fuck. Orders didn’t get more direct than that. He could try to play the new mate card and send Wes or Troy in his place, but that didn’t feel right. Not with such an important issue. Surely Trinity would understand given the situation.

He reached for her through their link and a crackling, almost painful, reverberation echoed back at him. His stomach lurched, and the Scotch swished in a way that promised it was almost headed topside. The sensation he’d been stifling for the last few hours billowed up, blockading his throat. Shit. Her emotions. Something was wrong. Very wrong. And he hadn’t been paying attention. “Have you seen Trinity?”

Eryx put up the pool cue. “When we got back from Evad, she was huddled up with Lexi, Brenna, and Orla in the kitchen.”

Ramsay took off toward the hallway. “Check in with Lexi. See if she’s there.”

“Check in…Ramsay!” Eryx shouted. “What the fuck is wrong?”

Ramsay stopped at the door. “I can’t reach Trinity. Where’s Lexi?”

Eryx’s face blanked. “Kitchen.”

Ramsay bolted toward the stairs, heavy steps pounding behind him. He skipped the spiral staircase and leapt over the balcony railing, levitating down the open center in a swoosh. He landed on the thick rugs.

A castle maid cleaning the long foyer side table shrieked.

He stormed down the main hallway, past the receiving room. Past the library and the dining room. How long had it been since the unease had started? An hour? Two?

Closer to two. Just after he’d arrived at Angus’ house and settled in to wait.

He stalked into the kitchen. Lexi and Brenna sat with Orla at the kitchen counter, each cradling a cup of coffee with the sun streaming over them through the bay window. “Where’s Trinity?”

All three women faced him at once.

Lexi smiled and opened her mouth as if to greet him, but stopped and scowled. “She went to take a nap. Something wrong?”

Brenna ducked her head and looked away.

He tried the link again. Still broken. There, but hard to hold onto without getting a nauseous punch to the gut. And distant. Too damned far away.

“Ramsay, what’s wrong?” Lexi said.

Eryx, Ludan, and Graylin came up behind him.

Ramsay headed up the back staircase and glanced at the three men. “Check the grounds. Lock everything down.”

Voices and the scrape of chair legs on stone sounded behind him. Sharp commands. Eryx at the back of the house, Ludan and Graylin further away.

Ramsay pounded down the hallway toward his suite and pushed open the door. Black bedspread stretched taut across the perfectly made wide bed. Windows open to the breeze and the nearing sunset. Not one thing out of place and no sign of Trinity.

Lexi came in behind him and shot to the bathroom. “Trinity!”

Ramsay couldn’t move. His legs seemed locked in place, and the queasy mess in his gut solidified to lead. She wouldn’t be there. Wouldn’t be at the castle or anywhere outside. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he knew it.

He stared at the bed. Their bed.

Lexi paced from the bathroom and made a circuit through the suite. “I swear to God, Ramsay. She said she was going up to take a nap. She was fine.”

No, she wasn’t fine. His senses had been telling him otherwise, but he hadn’t listened.

“Shit.” Lexi strode to the dresser behind him and picked up the Black King’s black lacquer box. “The jewel is gone.” Lexi stared at the empty black velvet interior, a gaping hole where the gem had nestled. Her pendant sat beside it, neatly arranged and untouched.

He’d never asked Trinity about the gift. Figured she’d tell him when she was ready, or when he wasn’t buried so deep in her he could manage normal conversation. “What’s that mean?”

Eryx marched into the room, Brenna and Ludan tight behind him. “Everyone’s combing the estate,” Eryx said. “No one in and no one out.”

Lexi turned the box and showed Eryx. “I don’t think you’ll find her. I think she went to Winrun.”

Eryx darted looks between Lexi and Ramsay. “Winrun?”

“The Spiritu realm,” Lexi said. “The Black King said she could use the stone to take her there if she chose to accept her gifts.”

Ramsay shook his head and tried to piece together the information with the sticky unease he’d been fighting all day. “Why would she do that? I mean, if she wants her gifts, fine, but right now?”

“She wants to help you.” Brenna’s sweet, soft voice slashed through the room’s intensity.

Every head whipped her way.

She ducked her head, but only for a second. She met Ramsay’s stare. “I felt her concern. Her worry.”

“You felt it?” Lexi said. “Like me?”

“Yes and no. Yes, the same way you feel emotions, but not on my own.” She focused on Eryx. “I didn’t want to say anything. Not until I was sure, but I think you healing Ian and I made it so we could echo other people’s gifts. At least when we’re close to them. It’s why Ian can hear things when you talk to each other.”

“Can you do the same?” Lexi asked.

Brenna nodded and clenched her hands at her waist. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Anything else?” Eryx asked sharply.

Brenna flinched. Her gaze slid down and to the side. “I made a flower bloom in the garden yesterday when I was working with Orla, and I fixed a torn cuticle the other day when Galena was here.”

“But nothing when you’re alone?” Lexi said.

Brenna shook her head. “Just the normal me.”

It didn’t make sense. Why in histus would Trinity need her gifts to help him? The emotions he felt weren’t anywhere near what a woman gaining more power should feel. They were thick. Filled with dread. He looked to Lexi. “Did you pick up anything?”

Lexi glanced at Eryx and Ludan. “I keep it turned off unless I need it. Too hard on my insides.”

He stepped closer to Brenna, careful not to scare her. “Did you pick up anything else?”

Ludan edged in behind her, though if Ramsay read it right, he was ready to step in and kick Ramsay’s ass more than keep Brenna from bolting.

Brenna swallowed and lifted her head. “She’s really scared,” she whispered. “She may be going to accept her gifts like Lexi said, but I’m not so sure it’s a good thing.”

Scared. Scared of what? The king and queen appeared to love her. And her dad wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He’d die first.

“Shit,” Lexi said. “She went for answers.” She scanned everyone in the room. In her hand she gripped Trinity’s pendant. “They see the future right?”

“Until we change it,” Erxy said. “Remember, it’s only valid at any given point in time. One shift of free will and the whole thing alters.”

Lexi pegged Brenna with a knowing look. “All those questions she was asking us. The prophecy,” she clarified, looking at Eryx. “She knows this is a big deal and she went for answers.”

Her path is her own. Decisions will be placed before her whether you’re together or apart,
Kazan had said.
If it means happiness for her as she faces the choices destiny gives her, then she should have it.

“They’re not supposed to divulge destiny,” Lexi said. “We were talking about how we might be related. How her dad ended up with her mother after she was abandoned by another man. We’re guessing my father. She told me her dad nearly forfeit his existence for being with her. Can you imagine the penalty for up-ending a whole prophecy?”

Answers. Everything he’d wanted in the beginning, but not if it cost him his mate. He stormed toward the door.

Eryx caught him with a merciless grip at his bicep. “Where the hell are you headed?”

Ramsay jerked his arm free and stormed out the door. “The lodge. Winrun. Wherever the fuck I need to go to find and stop my mate.”