Chapter 10

Bastian glanced over his shoulder like he needed to be assured the two men had his back. Although, in hindsight bringing the little witch that was Prince Leone’s mate probably would have been a better choice. Fight unknown magical abilities with magic, sort of thing.

At least he’d had the sense to have Troy ask for Autumn to contact Ava and prepare Crystal and all of them for his visit. Showing up at an inopportune time with these women would likely end in a bad, unrecognizable body scenario.

Bastian offered what he hoped looked like a pleasant, friendly smile to the Gemini woman he knew to be Crystal. Her short pixie-cut hair was whiter than blond which looked even brighter given the fact she was clad in black leather from her toes up. She was watching them walk toward her. He tried hard not to be distracted by the small stones of various colors that were hovering above her hand in mid-air moving in a circle. Jeri stood beside her talking to her, and he knew this because he could see her lips moving and Crystal would nod and acknowledge whatever she was saying—all while the stones continued their movement and she never took her eyes off him.

“That’s not intimidating at all,” Trendan said in a hushed voice.

“Could be fireballs,” Leone said in a nonchalant tone like it didn’t concern him at all.

“That’s close enough,” Crystal informed them when there was only five feet remaining between them. She tilted her head and the stones fell to her palm as she sized up Leone. “Your mate is the redheaded one?”

Leone nodded. “Beth.”

Crystal glanced over at Jeri and then back to them. “I’ll listen.”

Ava and Capri moved into view from the inside of the garage. Bastian knew it was to monitor that they all behaved and was likely to intimidate them. It was working, at least as far as Bastian was concerned.

Jeri looked from Leone to Trendan, she touched the violet stone hanging around her neck and then backed up a few steps before turning and walking to the back area of the garage that was shadowed, making seeing her near impossible now. Bastian didn’t know what that was about but didn’t have time to unravel that mystery.

“Thanks for seeing us.” He wanted to say me, but if they accepted this meeting because of Leone’s mate, he wasn’t going to jinx it. “I’m not quite sure how to explain why it’s so important, but we need to find Nova. She’s in danger.”

“So you’ve said, from the lawless ones of your world?”

Bastian nodded, clearly, Capri and the others had informed them. “Yes. We’ve found out that they’re not after her soul but want her.”

Crystal glanced across the space to her leader, Capri. She started to walk toward them slowly.

“They’re after her, not just her soul?” Capri stopped a few feet from Crystal, that hair of hers rising and falling like someone was standing there with a blow dryer aimed at it.

“Yes, so as you can see, she is in dire danger in more ways than just having her soul taken.”

Capri held up her hand suddenly and he wasn’t ashamed that it startled him for a second. She gave her head a shake and he could only assume the women were somehow able to communicate telepathically because Ava huffed out a breath like she’d just been told to shut up.

“Why are you interested in her soul?” Jeri asked from the back of the garage.

Bastian looked at Trendan to see him scowling at the redhead and resisted the urge to smack him and tell him to knock it off, they didn’t need to piss any of them off. He turned back to look at the women in the shadows, “it’s hard to explain.” He knew he had to try. “I’ve encountered her soul over many, many past lives and have never been able to figure out how I know it is the same.” All of that was true. “I need to know why.” He started to nod and then added, “And I’d like to keep her safe from the lawless.”

“How do you plan on keeping her safe from them?” Ava crossed her arms over her chest.

Leone cleared his throat, telling Bastian to let him handle that part. “Beth and Autumn and a few of the other women have said they’re willing to watch over her and make sure nothing happens to her.”

Ava looked over to Capri and then to Crystal. “They won’t let anything happen to her.”

Crystal nodded and then glanced at Capri before she looked back at Bastian. “If she doesn’t want any part of this, you’ll leave her be?”

He opened his mouth to object, there was no way he could just walk away. After the years he’d lost count of looking for her soul, he had to get the answers that had been plaguing him for so long. He nodded, while biting his tongue so he wouldn’t speak, he glanced from Crystal to Capri and then back again.

“Okay.” Crystal raised her hand and opened it, the stones on her palm rose slowly and started their repetitive circle again. “If you go back on your word, I will embed a red amethyst in your forehead and forever trap you in this realm.” Her tone hadn’t altered in the slightest as she spoke, so it didn’t sound like a threat, but the stones moving as she held his look was warning enough for him. He stood there, holding her look, not so much as blinking, so she would believe he was sincere. He was, mostly. “I don’t have an address, but she’s always in the alley every few days a couple of streets over. She walks by here when she comes and goes.”

“Handle yourself accordingly,” Capri said softly and then turned on her heel and walked back into the garage, over to Jeri. He couldn’t hear what was being said, but Jeri looked in their direction as she spoke.

“Thank you.” Leone inclined his head as Bastian had seen the royal brothers of Alterealm do often.

He’d thought of doing it as well, but that really wasn’t his style at all. With a salute to them, he turned and followed Leone back the other way. Pausing, he watched his brother, still scowling at the one woman back away. “Tre.” The last thing they needed was to anger any of them.

Trendan’s head snapped to look at him. The scowl was still on his face, he spun and caught up in a few steps.

“Soul issues?” Bastian asked with a smirk. “I’m usually the one with that problem of staring at people and looking rude.”

“The one’s soul…”

“Jeri, I believe is who you were gawking at.”

He glanced at him for a second. “Jeri’s soul is…”

“A grab bag mix?”

Trendan nodded, then gave his head a shake. “There’s something else about it too.” He paused and glanced back. “Did you see it?”

Bastion snorted. “I was too distracted trying to not get fried or something worse.”

“Is there something worse than being fried?” Leone smirked at him.

Bastian grinned. “I’m sure there is.”

Leone stopped. “Which way?” He looked in one direction and then the other.

Bastian stopped and looked around. If she went past the Gemini’s building, she had to live nearby. No one in their right mind would walk by them if they had a choice. There was only one alleyway that didn’t have an exit to another street. “That way.” He motioned to it.

“Are we just going to go stand in the alley and hope she’s out for a walk today?” Leone walked along, looking up at building tops as they went.

Bastian didn’t want to know why he was doing that. “Until I come up with a better idea, yes.” He caught himself looking up and cursed silently at himself. He had enough going on in his life right now, he didn’t need paranoia about something happening several stories above his head.

After all this time, this was the closest he’d ever come to speaking to the woman with that soul. His soul popped into his head, causing him to pause and stand there. Was it truly the other half of his soul in that beautiful woman? Dare he think that? After a few, no, far more than a few hundred years, he had given up hope for ever finding his other. Becoming obsessed with something so rare and unobtainable was hopping on the fast track to insanity. He smirked and started walking again, he already knew he was a little unhinged, but in a good way. It kept things interesting for him and others around him.

“He does this.”

Bastian lifted his head and rolled his eyes at his brother. Why he felt the need to constantly explain to everyone that he like to think—like it was some sort of crime, he would never understand.

Leone looked up at the top of the building again.

Bastian followed the direction he looked. “What are you looking for?”

“Cameras,” Leone stated without further explanation.

“Security cameras?” Trendan looked up.

“I don’t think so.” Leone turned and looked back down the alley. “They seem to monitor this path too. A dead end?”

“Humans get their kicks in strange way.,” Bastian glanced at the buildings and then pointed to the last alley, “Let’s see what’s that way.” Why would Nova be walking around here? She had to have a reason; no one would if they didn’t, it was dimly lit, littered with trash, and dirty. Someone so lovely shouldn’t spend time in such a place.