Chapter 30

I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I was on my second plate. I blamed that awful antidote. My whole body was running on empty. Between bites, my eyes would meet with Emil’s across the room. Each time our gaze connected a heated feeling moved over me as I remembered those moments in his bedroom. His look changed each time, he knew exactly what I was feeling.

I waited until Michael got up to get a drink and leaned closer to Autumn. “Is there a way to control the blood bond?” I whispered.

She snorted, then rolled her eyes. “I can barely do it now.” She watched her mate stop and talk to Troy. “I think their age makes it easier for them.”

I blew out a breath and sat back. “Great.” I mumbled.

“I figured you would be able to,” she shrugged, “being from here.”

I shook my head slowly. “It’s not really something we practice.”

She nodded and went back to eating.

My brother and I, when we were younger had tried to see what the bond was all about. We’d used blood from each other’s hands, and it hadn’t been easy to sense anything. I’d talked to my father about it years later. and he said it wasn’t something you could just choose to do. It didn’t always work between two people. As I got older, I had to wonder if he avoided such a thing with my mother and her raging moods. They were true mates though, so I’m sure he could sense it without any other connection. I blew out a breath and pushed the plate away. I picked up my cup and stared into it. I had to get this under control. I couldn’t allow lustful thoughts to fill my head in the middle of a fight.

“Everything all right?”

I looked up to see Michael sit back down. I offered a brief fake smile. “All good.” I needed something else to think of. “How is the team doing finding the last location?”

Setting his glass down, he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Nothing yet.” He picked up his phone and checked it. “We switch the teams out every four hours so they can rest and warm up again.” He lifted his chin to me, “you finding the other location cut hours of search time.”

I shrugged, “I’ll try to fall through portals more often.”

Michael grinned, “hopefully after we find this winter location, there won’t be any more portals.”

Autumn tapped her hand on the table once. “I’m so pumped to end this once and for all.”

“We all are.” He gave her an affectionate look. Clearing his throat, he glanced over to Emil, then looked back at me. “Things are good?”

I suppose that was his way of asking me how the mating process was going. I gave him a blank look. “I guess.” I said slowly.

His eyes lit with amusement. “It’s a trying thing.”

Autumn laughed out loud. “That’s the understatement of the year.”

Michael smiled at her, then offered a quick shrug. “It works out in the end.”

Rafael stood up, tapping his phone. “They’re having trouble getting numbers.” He went over and filled his cup with coffee. “We may have to take Reagan over to see if there’s other magic or portals in the works.”

Quinton heaved a sigh and sat back. “I saw that. Large numbers going in, but no one coming back out.”

“So there has to be a portal.” Reagan said while watching Quinton’s unhappy look change to a scowl.

“Maybe it’s a portal to the winter location?” Bethany offered.

Troy turned to look at Victor, “we need confirmation from Romulus, that there’s only two locations left.”

I glanced at Emil, who was looking at me.

“Is it possible it’s a portal that’s not on that glass tablet?” Paisley looked from Troy to Victor. “Where no big magic is in play, just a way to transport quickly.”

Troy sat back and rubbed his hand down the back of his neck. “It’s possible.”

Victor stood up. “I will go have Romulus check again.” He touched Crissy’s shoulder lovingly, then nodded before porting out.

Daxx shoved her plate back. “There goes my appetite.” She gave Troy a stern look, “you said two more locations.”

Troy exchanged a look with Chase before answering her, “that was our hope.”

“Any more possibilities that you pulled out of heads?” Arius put his arm around Paisley as he leaned back in his chair.

Again, I caught myself looking over to Emil. He was paying attention to his brothers, but still turned to look at me at the same moment. We held the look a moment this time.

“Elder Udela and I have another meeting planned to go over things seen and heard.” He glanced at his phone, then smirked at Chase.

Chase nodded, “loving the brief reports I can check everywhere.” He looked over at Emil, “your daughter is brilliant.”

A proud expression filled Emil’s face. “She’s kept the four of us on track for a few hundred years.” He nodded slowly, “without technology.”

Alona held her phone in both hands. “I’m tickled Daxx and I get the same reports.”

Daxx nodded, then gave her mate a sideways glance, “it’s nice being in the loop with everything.”

Troy and Chase exchanged a look. Troy stood up. “I’m going to go meet the elder now at the meeting room.” He gave Daxx and amused look, before turning to Chase, “care to join?”

Chase gave him a quick nod. “No. I’m going to have a nap.” He yawned, “one of us should be rested. Tomorrow could bring some vigorous action.”

Rafael set his cup down. “I’m going to go set up a team to go over with Reagan.”

I stood up, “sir…”

He gave me an amused look. “Rafael.” He glanced to Emil.

I bobbed my head once. “Right, Rafael, I’d like to go over with the team.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Hoping to spot the one responsible for your injury?”

I opened my mouth, then shook my head. “Actually no. I just want to see it from the outside and come up with some breach possibilities.”

His expression changed. “Meet me at the yard in five.”

I nodded quickly, almost relieved to have something to do.

“Emil.” Arius stood up, “I could use a hand in the cells.”

Emil dragged his gaze from me to look at his brother. “You want to tag-team inmates again with our likeness?”

Arius grinned, “exactly that.”

Leone stood up. “I’m coming to watch. The expression on their faces when the two of you walk in is priceless. They don’t know what to do or where to look.”

“It’s quite funny.” Kara got up. “Hearing their thoughts then.” She turned to Emil, “they think you can fiddle inside their heads too.”

Emil laughed and got up. “As long as it helps them talk, I don’t care what they think of me.” He started to follow Arius, then paused and looked at me. He didn’t say anything, but the look he gave me, paired with the emotions that flooded in told me to be careful.

I nodded slightly, then looked at the floor, so we weren’t standing there staring at each other.

“Well,” Reagan stood up, “looks can say a lot.” She smiled at me.

I shrugged it off.

“I’m surprised they didn’t burst into flames a few times.” Quinton got up and looked down at Reagan. “Just looking, no touching.”

Reagan laughed quietly, “yes, dear. No healing.”

Nodding, he leaned down and kissed her. “You will be the death of me.”

She patted his chest, “not at all, I’ll heal you before you expire.”

Shaking his head, he motioned to the door with his chin. “Let’s go check on the team coming back from snow country.”

Michael nodded. “Then I want to see what Clairee has come up with.”

Bethany watched Leone grab a handful of snacks off the table on his way out the door. “Clairee?”

Michael nodded, “Kinsley wondered if there was something we could take that would negate, or slow, the effects of the poison they’re putting on their blades.”

Everyone remaining turned and looked at me. I really had to stop calling attention to myself.

Autumn smacked me on the shoulder. “Good thought.” She looked at Michael, “I am never doing that again.”

I remembered she’d known about it as she’d prepared me. Not that anything said could prepare a body for that.

“I’ll go see how she’s doing.” Bethany said.

Paisley pointed to me. “I’m going with you two.” She nodded, “I need to scope out how I can help get us in.”

Michael pulled out his phone as he headed to the door. “I’ll tell Raf to just send your guards, ladies. We don’t need it to look like a convention there.”