Chapter 5

I stood looking at my reflection in the mirror. I looked like a different person after Alona had done my makeup. I don’t know what she did to my eyes, but the liner made my eyes look exotic and pretty.

Behind me Alona stood smiling. “I knew it would be your color. It was too dark for me. I’m much paler. Burgundy plum.” She nodded.

Moving my eyes back to look at myself. “I’ve never really worn lipstick, always thought it made my lips look big.”

“If I had your lips, I’d be wearing every dark shade out there.”

“You look great.” Bethany said, getting off the bed. “If I wore a short-pleated skirt, I’d look like a middle grade student.”

“That’s because you are the epitome of petite.” Alona sighed, “What I wouldn’t give to be your size. Do you know how many boots I could buy then?”

“Because you need more boots.” Daxx snorted, coming out of the closet. “I’m not a fashionista, but I think these will work.” She held up a pair of black leather boots that looked like a fancy work boot to me.

“Oh, yes.” Alona rushed over and took them from her.

I looked down at my skirt and at how much leg was showing. “I could never wear something like this when I work.”

“What is it you do?” Bethany went over to the mirror and pushed her hair back from her face.

“I’m a deejay. Amateur stuff, whatever I can find.” I looked back down at the skirt. “Wearing this while on a platform or stage—wouldn’t work.”

They laughed.

“Okay. We need to get to Victor’s office. If we’re lucky we’ll get to kick some ass today.” Daxx grinned.

Crissy jumped up from the chair she’d been kneeling on. “That’s what Daxx does.”

Doing up the second boot, I stood up. “Are we meeting the others there?”

Daxx snorted, “They’ve probably been there for hours and dissected ten different plans by now.”

I followed them out into the hall. “That’s good though, right? Them having a plan.”

Alona shook her head. “No. It will be a plan excluding us.”

I frowned, “you want to go with them?”

“Not entirely, but being there means not waiting and worrying—”

“And saving their asses when needed.” Daxx added.

“At least there’s no tunnels on the island.” Bethany mumbled.

“Or mud pits,” Daxx said with a sneer.

“There’s trees. I like that I can climb.” Crissy added quietly.

“There’s guards, invisible barriers and alarms.” I looked to each woman, “and a cliff.”

“Hundreds of stairs to climb.” Alona added.

I pointed to her. “That too.”

Daxx sighed and motioned down the hall. “We’ll figure it out.”

I stopped when four large men came around the corner. Three of them looked like pirates and the other one was just plain scary.

“It’s all right.” Alona said beside me. She motioned to them. “These are our guards. Sith, Bronx, Tim and Mac.”

One looked at Crissy. “I found those books and put them by the ladder to your tower.”

“Oh.” Crissy looked excited. “Thank you, Bronx.” She turned to Daxx. “I need to know more about herbs.” She nodded and started walking again.

“Herbs?” Alona asked in a hushed voice. “She actually researches what she sees?”

Daxx sighed. “Yes and with a photographic memory, that makes her…”

“Our internet.” Bethany shrugged.

Daxx nodded. “Sounds about right.”

They started walking again.

I looked over my shoulder to see the large men following us. I’d feel safe with someone that size too—after I was no longer afraid of them.

~

Breakfast was busy and loud. Large bodies passing food around, talking, eating. The brothers spent more time debating and arguing ideas about getting on the island than anything else. Victor and both kings spent a lot of the time standing while eating, then explaining why their ideas wouldn’t work.

I kept my mouth shut and listened. I had no experience with any of this.

Arius didn’t talk much either. Every time I glanced in his direction; he was looking at me.

I sat by the desk with Crissy and Beth, watching the men stare at the map and pace around. Victor shook his head to something Michael said.

“Can you get in touch with Kinsley and confirm a time that would be best to try? She’s there, she’ll know if anything has changed since Paisley got off.”

I looked from Daxx to Victor. “You have someone on the island?” My heart sped up.

Victor nodded. “Yes, she’s been sending me information.”

With my eyes wide I looked to Arius, then back to Victor. “Who?’

Michael picked up a tablet and tapped the screen a few times as he walked toward me. When he reached me, he turned the tablet around to face me.

I looked at the screen and recognized the woman. I nodded. “I saw her. She’s one that’s treated differently than the rest.”

“Is she wearing a cuff?” Michael asked.

I shook my head.

Michael turned back to Victor. “That confirms they have no way of scanning to detect other abilities.”

“How many had cuffs on?” Troy stood up.

“Maybe four of us.” I shrugged. “I really wasn’t paying attention to that.” I pointed to the tablet. “But, she doesn’t have one.” I looked to Arius, who stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, watching me. “When I pushed the guards by getting too close to the barriers, she implored me to just lay low and act compliant.”

Arius turned to Victor and gave him a hard look.

Victor sighed. “I told her to try to preserve life, without raising any suspicions.”

Getting up, I moved through the tall bodies and stood in front of my map. I tapped the board beside the red X. “Is there a way to see if this has one of those barriers?” I looked to Arius, “without setting off the alarms in case I’m wrong?”

Victor came over and stood beside me. “Why do you believe there is no barrier there?” He turned to look at Troy. “I went to look earlier. On the outside of that location it is an outcropping of rock.” He shrugged, “it would be an easy enough climb or even to go around if needed, there’s a worn trail leading up to it.” He looked down at me. “What’s on the other side?”

“Rocks. It goes up about twenty, twenty-five feet and is climbable without ropes or help.” I turned and glanced at Arius. “Anytime one of us went in that direction, the guards herded us back.”

Arius looked at me for a moment, then turned to Rafael. “Think Clairee can test it from a safe distance?”

Rafael came over and looked at the map. He pointed to a spot on it. “We could port to here and as long as we stay in the trees, I think she can.”

Troy nodded slowly. “Raf, you and Quinton take her there and see what she can find out. Take Romulus as well. We’re going to need to know if he can bring the barrier down.”

Quinton made a noise of annoyance. “Can I duct tape his mouth?”

Troy smirked. “Rather hard for his incantations if his lips can’t move.”

“Fine.” Quinton went over to the table and grabbed a biscuit then turned to the door.

“I’ll send a message to Miss Hinton.” Victor pulled out his phone and went over to the corner near Crissy.

Chase turned to Emil and his sons. “We’ll get her off there, brother. We just have to take precautions, so the women aren’t endangered when we go.”

Emil scowled, “I understand. Doesn’t mean I have to like waiting.”

A man with long white hair and eyes almost as pale came in.

“Welsley, what did you find?” Daxx stood up.

He inclined his head to Troy and Chase briefly. “I spent the last twenty-four hours watching, huntress. They’re using that building. Small groups in and out every few hours.”

Michael rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s going to be hard to get into.”

Welsley nodded. “They use a side entrance instead of going in through the lobby.” He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen and held it out to Daxx.

Alona looked over Daxx’s shoulder. “That’s a high-rise, on my side of town.” She looked at her mate. “What are they doing there?”

Daxx handed the phone to Troy.

I watched the brothers crowd around Troy, trying to see the screen. Sighing, I picked up the tablet Michael had set down. I opened it, enabled the blue tooth connection and set it on the table, then pushed my way between Victor and Arius to reach Troy. I smiled up at him and took the phone out of his hand. Enabling the Bluetooth, I waited a moment, selected the tablet then pointed to it on the table. I set the phone beside it and backed out of the crowd of bodies.

Chase smirked down at me, “you and I need to chat about a few electronic issues I have.”

I shrugged, “I’m not very tech savvy, but I know my way around short cuts.”

“Beth isn’t allowed past the first floor.” Leone stated in a low tone.

“Relax, superman. This is not a run-down dump with broken fire escapes.” Bethany told smiled at him.

“She fell out of a building.” Crissy said standing beside me. “You’re going to have to like high places.” She smiled and went back over the desk.

I followed trying to figure out what that exchange meant.

“I think we should wait until dark.” Chase said as he moved back from the table. “That’s a lot of ground for our witches to cover. If we wait until dark, they won’t have to.”

“How do we get in? We can’t just walk in the front door and ask the front desk if team bad has an office in the building.” Alona said glancing to the others. “And there will be cameras in the lobby for sure.”

“We?” Chase gave her a hard look.

She nodded. “We.” She pointed to the tablet. “That is not a tunnel, run down building or a cave, therefore I’m going.”

Arius came over and leaned against the desk beside me.

Daxx held up her hand toward Troy. “Don’t even think it.”

Troy looked over to Victor. He sighed. “My only fear is Cristy will try to climb the damn thing.”

Crissy laughed. “Don’t be silly. It’s all glass. Nowhere to hold onto.”

I gave Arius a wide-eyed look.

His look told me not to ask. “I have a few things to take care of in the cells then I’m taking Paisley over to see if she can get any of her belongings from where she was staying.”

I gave him a surprised look.

“Daxx can you give me a hand if I don’t know the area?”

Daxx nodded. “Just let me know.”

“I’ll go with you, brother.” Victor told him. “No one goes anywhere alone, remember?”

Troy nodded. “Just because we thwarted their ransom plans, doesn’t mean they won’t try it again.”

Crissy leaned closer. “Bethany kidnapped Leone after talking in his head for weeks.” She nodded.

I looked from her to Bethany and Leone standing close together.

“I agree, brother.” Chase said looking to the guards around the room. “And the women go nowhere outside these chambers unescorted.” He looked at Bethany. “Or next time sparky may do more than bounce someone like a ball.”

Crissy looked at then to me. “Men got into Alona’s apartment following the dart in my bag. Beth smacked them around with energy.”

I waited for more of an explanation. It didn’t come. I stood there for a moment trying to decide if I wanted to know more.

Arius looked down at me.

“I used to be the weirdest person in the room.” I told him quietly.

He chuckled. “You’re not even close in this group.”

I looked around at the others in the room. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, or just frightening.”

He grinned and looked at his phone. “I’ll come find you when we’re ready to go over.”

“I’ll take her down to the cells and wait in your office, Arius.” Victor said as he kissed the top of Crissy’s head.

She smiled up at him. “I’m going to read in my tower.”

He smiled back at her. “Bronx can wait by the ladder.”

She nodded. “I know.”

~

I tried to remember all the turns on the walk to the cells. “Anyone ever think of putting up signs in these halls?”

Victor glanced down at me. “That has been mentioned a few times recently.”

“Just recently?” I glanced down a hall we passed.

“Mmm,” he inclined his head, “it was just my brothers and I, and others that know them well for the last few millenniums, so directions weren’t required until the mates appeared.” He smirked. “Except Cristy, she doesn’t need directions.”

“I’m not surprised, she has a photographic memory?” I tried to keep up to his long stride.

“She does, but she also saw these halls years before she was in them.” He said with a proud expression in his eyes.

“I’m lucky if I remember what day it is.” I shrugged. “Unless it’s lyrics to a song, it’s touch and go.”

“We all have our strengths.”

He really wasn’t a great conversationalist. “What’s yours?”

He glanced at me briefly. “Justice.” He said without further explanation.

It felt like that was one of those things I didn’t want to know more about, so I didn’t say anything. I followed him through doors, then recognized where we were. The human rat maze.

He opened another door and motioned for me to go in.

I stepped in to see monitors along one wall. They were all focused on the cells. All of them full.

“Arius keeps the ones he wants to monitor in the cells with cameras.” He offered. Pulling out his phone he glanced at it. “I will leave you here. I’m needed elsewhere. Tell Arius to let me know when he’s going over.”

I nodded.

He left without further comment.

I turned back to the monitors and walked over to them. Most of the people were just lying on their bed, doing nothing. I wouldn’t be able to do that without music, I thought. Movement on one caught my eye. I went closer.

Arius was in a cell with a man just as large as he was. He stood there, almost looking bored as the man paced back and forth. There was no sound, so I couldn’t hear what was being said, but Arius was speaking. Without warning, Arius moved and grabbed the man by the face. I didn’t know what he said, but the man lifted his hands like he was giving up. Arius released him then turned and walked out of the cell.

I glanced at the other monitors, trying to see where he’d gone, but he didn’t appear in any of them.

“I thought Victor was waiting with you?”

I jumped and turned to see Arius standing in the door. I hadn’t even heard him open it. “He had to do something, said to let him know when we were going.”

He stepped in and closed the door, then stood there his gaze moving over me slowly.

My stomach filled with butterflies, the look on his face making me both nervous and excited. I smoothed my hands over the skirt. “Alona thought it would look good on me.”

His grey eyes flicked back to my face. “She was right.” He took two steps toward me then stopped. “I generally give more input on planning our strategies, but I wasn’t able to think clearly when you walked in looking like this.”

I touched my mouth, “I felt like it was too much.”

He tilted his head, looking at my mouth. “It’s very distracting, is what it is.”

“Distracting?”

He moved closer, his grey eyes holding mine captive.

I’d never had a reaction like this from just a look. My heart was racing.

“Yes. Every bite you took, every word you spoke, every time you licked your lips—” he was right in front of me now, “distracting.” With barely a touch, he tilted my chin up. “All I could think about was this…” leaning down he kissed my mouth so softly I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined it.

His breath caressed my mouth, his eyes watching mine like he was waiting for me to look away. With a soft growl, he grasped my waist and lifted me to sit on a cabinet that I hadn’t noticed behind me. His large hand cupped the back of my head as he kissed me again. Soft hesitant kisses, slowly tasting my mouth.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my hands in his thick hair.

He lifted his head, red eyes moving over my face, before his mouth covered mine again. The hesitation was gone. His tongue invaded my mouth, exploring every corner. Without thought, I ran my tongue over his sharp fangs and felt the heat move though me.

He growled in the back of this throat and the kiss changed, demanding my compliance. I’d never been kissed like that in my life. I clung to him for fear I’d slide to the floor.

Tearing his mouth away, his lips traveled down my throat. At the base of my neck, he nipped gently with his fangs.

I fought to breathe.

“I want to taste you,” he whispered against my skin. His breathing was as erratic as my own.

I leaned my head to the side, exposing my neck. When he bit into me, I gasped. It wasn’t what I thought it would be. It was the most intimate moment in my life.

Lifting his mouth, he licked over the bite and grasped the back of my head. His mouth returned to mine in a passion-heavy kiss.

Voices in the hall had him jerking his head up.

I looked over at the door and held my hand to stop the door from being opened. Our heavy breathing echoed our emotions.

His hands wrapped around my waist and he lifted me down. I didn’t look away from the door. Resting his head on mine, he continued to hold me.

Someone knocked on the door. “Arius.” It was Victor.

“We’ll be ready to go in a minute.” Arius said loudly.

“I’ll be at the intake cells.”

Dropping my hand, I looked up to see his eyes were grey again.

“I didn’t mean to get carried away.” He whispered.

I shook my head. “Don’t apologize.” Reaching up, I wiped the lipstick off his mouth.

He kissed my hand and motioned to a door. “Bathroom, if you’d like to straighten up before we go.” Releasing me, he stepped back.

With shaking legs, I went in and turned on the light. My hair was a mess. Patting it in place, I leaned in and fixed the smudges of lipstick by my mouth. “Not so smudge-proof after all.” I said quietly.

Arius chuckled from the door. “We may have tested it beyond their expectations.”

I blushed. Tilting my head, I wiped the lipstick from his mouth off my neck. Then touched where he’d bit me. There was no mark.

“Healing saliva.” He said quietly.

“That’s handy.” I turned and smoothed my skirt down.

“Nearly as handy as holding the door closed.”

“I actually slowed time down to the point that it would open so slowly, it would seem closed.” Straightening my top, I glanced at him. “Will I do?”

He growled, “Yes, you will.”

My cheeks heated again. He stepped back and motioned for me to go.