Chapter 25

As everyone came back into the space, Rafael was watching me carefully. “I’m good.” I told him, then pushed the button on my bracelet. “I just need a minute in off position.” I said glancing at Izzy.

She nodded and did the same, then turned to Elder Segos. “That worked very well.”

He bowed his head to Autumn. “Princess Autumn pushed all the right buttons.”

Autumn grinned. “He wasn’t happy his sister knows what he did.”

“No. I think he’s more afraid of repercussions from her than anything the royal family could do to him.” Izzy said with a grin.

“He truly loves Leila.” I told them.

Autumn snorted. “Yeah, he almost went berserk when I told him we had her.”

I frowned, still not sure I understood. “He’s never fed from her.” I looked at Chase, seeing if that fact was significant.

Chase looked surprised for a moment. “We can safely say he’s fallen hook, line and sinker.”

I didn’t understand the reference, but everyone else seemed to.

“I guess it’s true.” Victor said in a light tone. “Even the most disciplined body has a weakness.”

As everyone turned to look at Nelson in his cell, I looked over at Rafael. He wasn’t looking at the prisoner, he was watching me with a look of concentration on his face. Dragging my gaze away, I looked at Autumn again. “When you mentioned the track, he thought of the train line at the end of a tunnel.”

Michael and Rafael looked at each other.

“It’s not a racetrack. It’s a location at a track.” Michael said.

Rafael nodded. “Has to be one no longer in use.” He turned to Leone. “Do we have the plans for that tunnel that Kara followed them to yet? We need to see if there’s a track near it.”

Leone was typing on his phone. “Finding out right now.”

Alona came in and leaned against the opening, hugging her arms around her waist. Chase straightened away from the wall and gave her a look, she nodded back, and he returned to what he was doing.

Daxx turned around and looked at Troy, who was standing silently looking at the floor with a blank expression on his face. “What is it?” Daxx went over to him. “What did you see?”

Troy took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, he glanced at Victor before looking down at his mate. “If I’m not mistaken, Nathas Roan.”

Chase pushed past Victor. “Excuse me? As in the only child of Elder-squinty-eyed-Roan?”

Troy nodded slowly. “The very same.”

Paisley looked from Troy to Arius. “What does he have to do with any of this?”

Arius moved close and put his arm around her. “I think what Troy is hinting at is he didn’t disappear on the other side.”

Paisley looked up at him for a moment, then turned her head quickly and looked at Autumn. “You mean he meant to never return?”

Autumn’s expression darkened.

“How do we tell Elder Roan this?” Alona asked, her eyes filled with concern.

“With a musical greeting card.” Chase suggested.

She scowled at him. “I was being serious.”

He shrugged, “so was I.”

Bethany held up her hand. “If,” she motioned to Paisley and then Autumn, “what they suspect is true and he is their father,” she held up a hand and red sparks flew off it, “imagine his shock when he finds out that his daughters are going to bring him to justice.”

Autumn snorted. “Oh, I’ll bring him all right,” she turned on her heel and started walking, “in a body cast.”

Michael took a short breath, giving Troy a quick look, he shook his head. “Meeting in the practice room in a half hour.” Turning, he ran after Autumn.

I didn’t hear what Bethany said as we came into the practice room. I don’t know what I expected for a practice room, but this was much more. I went to the wall on the far side, filled with weapons. Wooden, practice ones, but still weapons that probably hadn’t been the in thing in hundreds of years.

Someone came up beside me, I dragged my focus from the wall to look up at Victor. “You guys really have been around forever.” I motioned to the wall and smirked. “The Sumerian’s called, they want their weapons back.”

His lips quirked like he wanted to smile but couldn’t. “Says the woman who shoots arrows when the rest of the world is shooting guns.”

Quinton came over. “Sarcasm?” He raised his eyebrows at his brother. “From you?”

Victor grinned. “Perhaps I’m cracking under the pressure.”

Quinton rolled his eyes, “yeah, right.”

I turned to see Autumn and Michael in the far corner. She had her hands taped and was soaked in sweat. Michael was just clad in his jeans and was covered in a sheen of sweat.

“I’m glad it’s his job to calm her down.” Quinton said softly.

“Yes.” Victor nodded, “I would have to agree with you there.”

“What’s up with Alona?” Quinton asked him. “She still feeling ill?”

“I’m not certain.” Victor turned and looked over to Chase and Alona, who were huddled together.

Chase looked concerned and Alona looked determined. I made a note to stay away from their thoughts for a while. Couples thoughts during conflict were scrambled and usually made me dizzy.

Victor looked up, then grinned.

I followed his eyes to see Crissy sitting on a beam by the ceiling. There were three ropes hanging down from it. She’d climbed up there?

Crissy’s head came up and she looked down to Victor, pointed to her waist and nodded.

“She’s secured?” Quinton asked.

“Yes.” Victor pulled his phone out and looked at it, then headed for Leone and Bethany.

Quinton gave me a nod and walked toward Troy and Daxx as they came in the door.

I looked around some more. On the other side of the mats was a board marked with targets. I went in that direction.

Arius and Paisley came in through a different door near the targets. His hair was wet, she was holding his hand and smiling up at him. I was glad the bracelet was still on so I couldn’t hear the thoughts that were sure to broadcast from the way they looked at each other.

Reaching the target, I pulled out the five throwing knives and stepped back about fifteen feet. I held one across my fingers in my right hand, weighted differently than mine, I adjusted and took a breath. Tossing the first one at the target, I barely hit it. Scowling, I tossed another, and then the third. They didn’t come any closer to the target.

“It takes practice with the knives.” Emil said coming over to me.

I nodded. “They’re weighted differently than mine.” I squatted down and set the remaining two knives on the floor. Pulling up the cuff of one pant leg, I took the two blades out of the case on my ankle. Getting up, I tossed the first knife without hesitation. It hit on the right side of the bullseye. I threw the second one and heard the scrape of metal against metal as it sunk into the target right beside the first one.

“Ah, no practice needed.” Emil grinned at me.

Chase come over clapping softly. “I may have to start calling you bullseye.”

I cringed. “Please don’t.”

Emil picked up the two knives I’d set on the floor and went over to retrieve my knives. He turned around. “Why knives?” His eyebrow raised, waiting for my answer. “I understand arrows.”

I took my knives from him. “For those close-up moments when I don’t have time to assemble my bow.”

He nodded. “Good reason.”

“All right, everyone.”

We turned to look at Troy.

“Considering what we learned from Nelson today, it’s been decided we’re going into the tunnel tomorrow.”

“After examining the layout of that tunnel system, we’ve ascertained it would be more prudent to take two separate teams.” Victor crossed his arms over his chest. “The tracks at the exit of the tunnel will have one team.” He glanced to Michael. “Welsley will be leader for that group.”

Michael nodded and pulled his shirt over his head.

“At the center is the old work caverns used as the main tunnel when the trains first went in.” Leone told him.

“So, it’s a maze of entrances and exits?” Michael put his arm around Autumn as they walked over.

Rafael nodded. “It’s going to be chaos. Both teams will have to take a witch and a mage,” he shrugged, “we have no idea what we could come up against.”

Daxx looked at me. “Think you can handle being down in tunnels?” She glanced at Rafael briefly, then continued. “If the maps we have are right, there’s a great location to watch from up high.” She nodded and tuned to Autumn, “Kara stopping any strays with her bow would save a lot of chasing.”

Everyone turned to look at me. I bit my lip. “I-honestly-I don’t know. I don’t do well underground.”

Chase raised an eyebrow at me. “You’ve been in the underground chambers most of today.”

Autumn waved a hand around. “This is not dark and musty like the real underground.”

I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Will this,” I lifted my arm with the porting device on it, “work down there?”

Michael looked to Victor. He nodded slowly. “If she’s at the location Daxx mentioned it should.”

Daxx looked back at me.

“I’ll try.” I nodded, mentally taking stock of how I felt about that.

“Keep the women in mind.” Bethany gave me a serious look. “I think about the women they’ve taken; it helps.”

I nodded, still not convinced.

“And if we don’t stop them from bringing down the barriers, thousands of people will die when they do.” Quinton shrugged, “I won’t mention the mayhem that will occur when the realms mix.”

All eyes were on him.

“Thanks for putting that into perspective, brother.” Leone said, a grim expression on his face.

My FOS was topping out at a nine now. “The women.” I said quietly. “I’ll focus on the women.”

“I suggest we all take a few hours, rest, eat a meal, then head over to the new meeting room.” Victor said. “Where we will then have a hard conversation with Elder Roan.”

Chase grinned. “I will be there, with bells on.”

Alona closed her eyes briefly. “Come, king, let’s go have a quiet dinner together.”

“Ah,” he bowed his head to her, “it would be my pleasure, Duchess.”

Rolling her eyes, she took his hand and started pulling him toward the double doors.

Quinton turned to Emil. “I’m going to the palace kitchen to beg for food.” He looked at me, then Rafael, “Anyone care to join?”

~

I sat on a stool sipping chocolate milk. The kitchen was, like every other room in this place, huge. Other than the size, it didn’t look any different than any other kitchen, there was just more of everything. More stoves, more shelves and more sinks.

Emil and Quinton sat with me. They were discussing some sparring match in the guards’ yard. Rafael was talking to Mitz as she worked at the far side of the room. He kept smiling down at her and seemed to be enjoying whatever they were talking about.

On the other side of the room, there were three women taking dishes from crates and putting them on shelves. Every few moments one of them would look over at Rafael and Mitz.

Checking I wasn’t being watched, I pushed the small button on my bracelet. I stopped and stared at the glass in front of me, shocked that I had just done that. A week ago, I would have been exiting the room as fast as I could so I wouldn’t hear anyone’s thoughts, and now I was acting like it was my right to hear others innermost whispers. Scowling at the glass, I picked it up and took another sip.

…I didn’t think I’d like having this much family, but I’m glad I was found…

I kept my eyes focused on the countertop. I knew that had come from Emil. As far as I knew, I’d never heard anything Quinton thought.

…I can’t believe he’s off the market…

…not that I want to settle down, but Prince Rafael was so fun…

I took another small sip and took my time savoring the flavour, so I wouldn’t react and look at the women.

Rafael laughed at something Mitz said.

…I’m going to miss him…

That wasn’t the same person as the earlier thoughts, I concluded. Completely different feel to it.

Quinton turned and looked over at Mitz, then sighed and turned back to Emil.

Rafael went over to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. Turning around he came toward me.

…I wished he’d look at me that way…

Again, a different person.

…the princess is lovely though…

Stopping on the other side of the counter, he leaned over to set a bottle of water beside my glass of milk. I looked at it and then back to him. He tilted his head, an amused expression on his face. I watched him look at the blocker on my wrist and tilt his head.

…hydrate…

Releasing the bottle, I opened it and took a drink as I looked at him.

He grinned.

…thank you…

Setting it back down, I shook my head at him, trying not to smile back to his beaming grin.

“Here you go, loves.” Mitz set a large tray of sandwiches on the counter. “I’ll have this kitchen up and running by dinnertime tomorrow.”

Quinton heaped a plate with food and stood up. Leaning down he kissed the top of her head. “Thanks.” With a nod, he waited for Emil to get some, then they walked out.

“Eat in the courtyard?” Rafael asked me.

I nodded. “Yes.” While realizing I never thought I’d be doing such a thing, not in my life.

“Don’t forget your water.” Mitz said with a grin.