Chapter 344 Chapter 344
Terah settled back in her seat, now that the birds were out of sight. “Do you know what happened to the others? That you were in the pool with?”
“The old one was sick. She said it was from the salt.” She looked at him. “My mother got sick too from it.”
Konner kept his eyes on the road, he couldn’t look at her right now. “They kept you and the boys out of the salt?” He hoped, no prayed he was wrong in where his mind was going with that information.
“We were too little they said.”
He closed his eyes briefly, before looking back to the road. They’d had them swimming in saltwater. Saltwater would have dehydrated them slowly, aging them rapidly and eventually killing them. He rubbed his hand over his face, to stave off tears of anger that he felt just under the surface. It would have been the most painful way to die for those like him.
“Are you okay?”
Her concern for him almost put him over the edge. Giving his head a quick shake, he slowed and then stopped the van. Slamming it into park, he turned to see her ocean blue eyes filled with so much concern. He shook his head again, “I am not okay.” He cleared the emotion from his throat, “swimming in saltwater kills our kind, slowly, painfully.”
She nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. “I know. So do they, now.”
He reached over and grasped her hand, “you have my word, my oath that I will find those that held you, your mother,” he nodded, “and I will bring them to justice and stop them from ever taking one of ours again.”
A single tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a shimmering rainbow trail in its wake. “Okay.” She nodded.
He gave her hand a squeeze and then released it. “Keep drinking that, it will help you to heal inside.”
She looked at the bottle. “Inside?”
Konner put the van back into drive. “Yes, years of being kept from freshwater, will have done damage on the inside, so that will help.”
“On the inside.” She placed her hand over her stomach. “Okay.” She lifted the bottle and took the cap off.
Konner started driving again. “I need to call a friend, I’ll have to put the phone on speaker because of this bloody road, I need both hands on the steering wheel, so just try to stay quiet while I do that.” He glanced at her, “the fewer that know you exist and are with me, the better.”
She leaned forward and looked out the windshield. “There is no blood on the road.”
Konner grinned, “it’s an expression, I know there’s no blood.” He started driving again, “it’s hard to explain why I used that word, but we’ll talk about it later.”
“Okay.” She nodded, giving him a look that said he was strange to have said that. “I will be quiet.” She took a small sip and then looked out the window.
Konner watched her for a moment, still amused that she’d corrected him. Tapping the screen of his personal phone, he brought up his contact list. He hadn’t spoken to Raymond in a few months, but as head of the Alliance Security team, his life a little hectic lately.
The phone rang three times before he answered it.
“Hardy.”
“Raymond, it’s Konner.”
“Konner, let me guess you’ve purchased a tropical island and need me to come to spend a week there and tell them everything they’re doing wrong securing it?”
Konner grinned. Ray knew full well that anything in the tropics would be pure hell for him. “No island, an iceberg in the North Pole.”
“Pass.” He sounded amused. “What’s going on?” He could hear his boots hitting the floor as he walked. “You only call if it’s important, which I appreciate that you don’t waste my time.”
“Things busy right now?” He already knew the answer.
“Damn straight they are and it’s about time.”
“I’m sure you’re up to date on recent events...”
“If it’s Alliance related, you know I am.”
Konner nodded, then grit his teeth when he hit a bump hard. “I have a huge ask.”
“Spill it.” Raymond Hardy always got to the point and Konner could appreciate that.
“I need for you to re-question some brought in these past few weeks.”
“Okay, what am I asking?”
“If they have any information about water shifters. Anything at all.”
“Yeah, I heard one of yours was recovered. How is she?”
He glanced to see Terah looking at his phone intently. “Recovering.”
“Glad to hear it.” There was a pause. “It will take some time, they’re at different locations, but I can do that.”
“I’d appreciate it, anything about sales, transfers, newly acquired...”
“You think there’s more around?”
Konner slowed for the obstacle course of potholes in the road. “I have reason to believe there is, yes.”
“All right then, I’ll get that out to my boys and see if we can find you a few leads.”
Konner felt relief flood over him. “Anything you find out, run past the prince, he’s going to be helping out with this.” He didn’t want to do anything behind Devin’s back now that he knew he.
“I can do that. I like him, he pulls no punches.”
“I agree.” Konner almost sighed when he saw the end of this god-awful road coming up. “I won’t keep you any longer. I have precious cargo to get home.” He looked to see Terah look at him, he couldn’t read the expression on her face.
“Travel with care, my friend.” The link went silent.
Konner stopped at the faded stop sign and turned to Terah. “If anyone can find out information, it will be Ray.”
“What is the precious cargo?”
Smiling at her, he tilted his head. “You are. You are very special and important.”
She mulled over what he said for a moment and then she smiled slowly. “I like that.” She nodded.
“Okay, now that we’re off that horrid road, we can travel much faster.”
“I am excited to see your Sanctuary and the endless fish.” She smiled again.
“Me too.” He turned and pulled out onto the paved road.