Dark Spy’s Resolution Read online

  “That’s an impressive skill.”

  “It’s one of a kind. No one on your side of the fence has it.”

  Kalugal chuckled. “I’m not on either side of the fence or even anywhere near it. I’m an unaffiliated party, and I wish to stay that way.”

  28

  Jin

  “Are you awake?” Kri walked into Jin’s bedroom.

  “Yeah, I can’t sleep.” She scooted aside, making room for Kri to sit on the bed. “What are you doing awake?”

  “I slept enough.” The Guardian sat on the edge of the bed. “Immortal, remember?”

  It was more than that. Kri was a tough cookie. Jin could imagine her sleeping in the trenches, bombs exploding all around her, and then waking up two hours later refreshed and ready to fight. She doubted other immortals were as resilient.

  “It wouldn’t have helped me even if I was post-transition. I kept waking up and immediately panicking that I might have missed something. I kept checking on Jacki and Arwel and on Kalugal.”

  “Anything interesting?”

  “Jacki was still asleep, so no news from that front, and Kalugal just finished talking with Kian.” Jin pushed up on the pillows. “Kian is under the impression that I have a tether to Arwel as well, or he might be bluffing so Kalugal doesn’t separate them. The guy is seriously paranoid. He thinks that I’m a powerful telepath and that’s how I knew what he wrote. He’s going to have Jacki and Arwel checked for hidden cameras. But that’s the small stuff. Just as I thought, he wants Kian to trade me for them.”

  “Did Kian agree?”

  “No, but he will have no choice.”

  Kri shook her head. “He can’t do that. Kalugal will kill you. That’s the surest way to get rid of your tether or any other form of reporting he imagines you have.”

  Jin shivered. “No, he won’t. Kalugal wants to be left alone. He doesn’t want to start a war with the clan, and if he kills me, that’s exactly what he’ll get.”

  “I’m sorry for being so blunt.” Kri gathered the blanket and pulled it all the way up to Jin’s chin, tucking it around her shoulders. “Are you cold, or did I scare you that badly?”

  “I’m cold, and scared, and tired. I don’t feel so good.” As another shiver rocked her body, Jin turned on her side and brought her knees up against her chest. “Do you think we can get some hot tea in here?”

  “I’ll get it. I’ll also turn the heating up a notch.”

  “Thank you. For everything.” A tear slid down Jin’s cheek, but thankfully Kri didn’t notice it.

  Jin had done her best not to fall apart, but for some reason Kri’s kindness had undone her. Maybe because she didn’t think she deserved it?

  “You’re welcome. But I’m just doing my job.” The Guardian got up and walked out of the bedroom.

  Kri was so nice, and she was taking such good care of her, but that was no reason for tearing up.

  Everything else was.

  Talking with Mey would help, but it was too early to call her. Thinking about her sister alone in the mountains with a bunch of strangers added to Jin’s stockpile of guilt. If not for her botching the assignment, Yamanu would be right there with Mey, sleeping or cuddling with her in bed.

  Another salty tear made its way to Jin’s lips.

  She missed Arwel, she was worried sick about him and Jacki, and she felt responsible for the entire freaking mess. If she’d only left the club when Jacki had told her to, none of this would be happening.

  But she hadn’t been thinking straight. She had worried that Kalugal would see her leaving the club, and she’d wanted to listen to his conversation with his dance partner, but both reasons had been stupid. She could have used the back exit, and even if Kalugal had noticed, he would have assumed that she went to the ladies' room. And as for the conversation, she could have followed the tether from anywhere.

  God. Why had she been so dumb?

  When her phone rang, Jin reached for it with a shaky hand, hoping it was Mey.

  But it was Kian.

  Jin wasn’t surprised that he was calling her after the talk he had with Kalugal, but she hadn’t expected him to do it so soon.

  “Hi, Kian.”

  “I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

  “You didn’t. I followed the tether to Kalugal before, so I know what you are calling about. You want to know how I can prove the tether’s removal.”

  “Correct. Is there a way of doing it without you having to be there?”

  “I can’t do it remotely. When I tethered Edna, she didn’t feel it at first. But after I removed it and then reattached it, she noticed the difference and was able to cut it from her end. Except, none of the others I’ve tethered were able to do that. Most didn’t feel it being attached or removed, but then they weren’t trying. I think that if I release and reattach it several times, Kalugal will be able to feel the difference. The problem is that I can remove the tether remotely, but I can’t reattach it without touching him, which means that it will have to be done in person. You have to trade me, Kian.”

  “I can’t do that. He will have no reason to let you go.”

  Kian wasn’t as blunt as Kri, but he was probably thinking the same thing.

  “You can keep something of his in exchange for me. He seems to really like his assistant, a guy named Rufsur. You could hold him hostage until I convince Kalugal that the tether is off.”

  “I’m afraid that he might sacrifice his right-hand man to free himself from your tether. I’ll talk it over with Turner and let you know.”

  Jin bunched the comforter in her fist. “I just want you to know that I’m more than willing to be traded. This whole mess is my fault, and it’s on me to get it resolved.”

  “How did you arrive at that conclusion? No one could have foreseen a crazy human gunman entering the club right when you were there. It was a freak coincidence.”

  “If I'd left five minutes earlier, which I could have done because I already had Kalugal tethered, none of this would be happening.”

  “Not necessarily. If Arwel wasn’t there to stop the shooter, people would have died. Because you stayed five minutes longer than was necessary, those lives have been saved. I think that the Fates had something to do with that.”

  That was another way to look at it, and it eased her conscience a little, but not entirely.

  Now she felt guilty for not thinking about the people whose lives Arwel had saved, and for still preferring to save Arwel and Jacki over strangers.

  29

  Annani

  Alena walked into Annani’s suite, a steaming mug in each hand. “I thought you could use some calming tea before calling Areana.”

  Annani smiled. “I am not nervous.”

  “It’s a precaution.”

  “I don't know whether I should mention that Jin is here. I do not think it is risky to confide in Areana, but Kian might not second that opinion.”

  “He probably won’t. Just in case, don’t say anything about Jin’s whereabouts, only that she is in hiding. I doubt Areana would ask where. And if she does, tell her that you don’t know.”

  “But I do know.”

  “No, you don’t. I didn’t tell you which suite I put her and Kri in. Focus on that, and you won’t be lying.”

  Annani took a sip of the tea and then put it down on the side table. “You have developed interesting skills during your New York adventure.”

  Alena chuckled. “It was the exposure to Eva. Jin should have trained with her before going after Kalugal.”

  “Indeed.” Annani pulled her phone out of the hidden pocket in her gown. “I feel guilty for pushing Kian. Because of me, he rushed things and did not prepare Jin well enough.”

  Sitting down, Alena sighed. “It’s everyone’s and no one’s fault. It is what it is.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s time.”

  At seven o’clock sharp, Annani’s phone rang, but instead of William handling the call, it was Roni.

  “Hello, Clan Mother. I
have your sister on the line.”

  “Please connect her, Roni.”

  “Right away.”

  “Good morning.” Areana opened with her regular greeting.

  It had taken her a while to switch from saying good evening. Theoretically, she had been aware of the different time zones around the earth, but as someone who had never traveled, it was a foreign concept to her.

  “Hello, Areana. I have good and bad news for you. The good news is that we have made contact with Kalugal. The bad news is that he took two of our people and is holding them hostage.”

  Areana gasped. “Why did he do that?”

  After Annani finished telling her an abbreviated version of what had happened, Areana released a long, suffering breath. “I need to talk to Kalugal and explain the situation. He would believe me when I tell him that the clan means him no harm.”

  “I am afraid that is out of the question at the moment. Kian is dangling communication with you as a reward for releasing our people. If he lets you talk to Kalugal without him making any concessions first, we will lose an important negotiating chip.”

  “I do not know how important that chip is. Kalugal is a grown man, and re-establishing contact with his mother might not be a top priority for him. He might not even remember me.”

  “I am sure he remembers, and I am also sure that he longs for contact with you, but he will most likely pretend that he does not care about you. It is all part of the negotiations. Besides, given how suspicious he is, Kalugal might not believe that it is you on the phone. I do not think you can persuade him to do or believe anything.”

  “He will know it is me. I remember every word we spoke to each other in those brief encounters when he snuck into the harem. He was only a little boy, so he might have forgotten, but I will remind him.”

  “That gladdens my heart. I was worried that you would have no proof other than your voice, which he might have forgotten as well.”

  Alena chuckled. “If Areana’s laugh is anything like yours, that would be proof enough. No human or immortal female can make a sound like that.”

  “Your daughter is correct, which is why I never laugh out loud around anyone other than my mate and Tula.”

  Annani grimaced. She would never get used to hearing Areana talk lovingly about Navuh. How could her sister be so blind to what a monster her mate was?

  Even if Navuh treated her like a queen in closed quarters, the fact remained that he kept her isolated from her children and the rest of the world.

  Areana was willingly living in a gilded cage.

  Even if she lacked the means to get free, she could at least feel resentful about the way he was treating her.

  Annani was a big believer in love and its power to heal and unite. She also believed that the Fates required great sacrifices to grant the boon of great love, but this was taking it too far.

  “I did not perceive Navuh as the humorous type,” she said sarcastically and immediately regretted her tone. Making Areana feel bad had not been her intention. “Does he tell you funny stories to make you laugh?”

  Annani did not imagine that Navuh did anything of the kind, but she tried to sound genuinely curious.

  “On occasion. I am the only person he can let go around. With me, Navuh is not the iron-fisted ruler of the Brotherhood. He is only my mate.”

  Annani shook her head but bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying another thing she would regret. Instead, she changed the topic. “If Kian and Kalugal reach an agreement later today, your next scheduled call could be with your son.”

  “I cannot wait. Being able to talk to Lokan has given me so much. When I can do the same with Kalugal, my life will be complete.”

  This time, Annani could no longer hold her tongue. “What about holding your sons in your arms? And later your sons’ children? How can your life be complete without that?”

  Areana sighed. “None of us gets everything she or he wants. Life is about compromise and sacrifice. I accepted that truth a long time ago.”

  30

  Arwel

  As Jacki came out of the bathroom, dressed in the simple sweats Rufsur had given her, Arwel was startled by how beautiful she was. He’d seen her like that many times before, but he’d gotten used to her looking much less attractive, with the heavy makeup dulling her complexion and the mousy-brown wig covering her lustrous blonde hair.

  She’d showered and changed last night, but since he’d given her as much privacy as he could by closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep, he hadn’t seen the transformation.

  Right now, she looked like her old self, with her long blonde hair cascading down her back and her peach-toned skin glowing with health.

  The ex-Doomers might get ideas.

  “You should put the wig back on. You look too good.”

  “Thank you.” She sat next to him on the couch. “Without the makeup, the wig is not going to make much difference, and it would look very obvious that it’s not my natural hair.”

  Regrettably, she was right. Besides, the Doomers had already seen her through the surveillance camera that he was sure was somewhere in the room. He’d tried to locate it without it being obvious, but the device must be very small and well hidden.

  In his imagination, Arwel could see the guy in security calling his friends to take a look at the bombshell they had in their bunker.

  This was bad.

  “Prepare to stave off unwanted advances.”

  She shrugged. “What else is new. I’ve been doing that since I was twelve.”

  He arched a brow. “That young?”

  “I was tall for my age, and my boobs started growing when I was eleven. I hated it. Old men were always giving me leering looks, and I felt disgusted.” She chuckled. “At twelve, I thought that any guy over twenty was an old man.”

  At the sounds of footsteps out in the corridor, Arwel turned to look at the door. “Our first visitor of the day is approaching.”

  “Rufsur?”

  “I think so.”

  Following a quick knock, Rufsur pushed the door open and walked in with a large tray in his arms. “Good morning. I brought your breakfast.”

  His lack of surprise at Jacki’s new look confirmed Arwel’s suspicion that there was a hidden camera somewhere in the room.

  Rufsur put the tray on the coffee table. “Enjoy.”

  “Thank you.” Jacki poured herself a cup of coffee from the thermos and added cream and sugar. “Do you want me to fix yours, Arwel?”

  “Sure.” He looked at their host, who didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave. “Any news that you can share with us?”

  Rufsur pushed the ottoman to the other side of the coffee table and sat down. “I’m afraid so. I was instructed to search you for hidden communication devices.” He cast an apologetic glance at Jacki. “We don’t have any ladies down here to search you, but I promise to be as gentlemanly as I can about it.”

  She put her cup down and crossed her arms over her chest. “I knew you guys were perverts. This is just an excuse to get me naked.”

  Rufsur shook his head. “I wouldn’t ask that of you. If you can hand me the old clothes you arrived in, I will hand them to the men outside to search. After you are done with breakfast, I will kindly ask you to remove your outer clothing and leave only your undergarments on. I will have my men search the clothing you have on now, and promptly return them.” He looked at her hair. “I won’t put my hands on any part of you other than your hair. It’s so thick that you could hide several devices in it.”

  “Why the sudden suspicion?” Arwel asked. “You didn’t bother searching us last night.”

  Rufsur spread his arms. “We weren’t prepared, and we didn’t think things through. When your spy described your cell to your boss, and he repeated the description to mine, we didn’t stop to think that there might be another, more mundane explanation for her being able to see where you were. This morning we realized that it might have been a clever hoax.”

&nbs
p; Arwel leaned back and crossed his legs. “Your boss must have demanded more than one proof.”

  “Correct. The spy also had my boss write a note and then repeated it word for word, but that can be achieved by strong telepathy. None of us have ever heard about a talent like hers, so naturally, we are skeptical.”

  “Makes sense for you to doubt it,” Jacki said. “But the tether is real. You are not going to find any hidden cameras on us.”

  “I believe you. But I have my orders. If your spy has indeed tethered my boss, that’s good news for you two. He is willing to trade you for her.”

  Arwel stifled the growl that threatened to escape his throat.

  If Kian agreed to the trade and anything happened to Jin, Arwel was going to quit the force and dedicate his life to revenge. He would kill Kalugal and make Kian regret his decision for the rest of his immortal life. He wasn’t sure how he was going to do that, but he would make Kian suffer. And after that was done, he was going to find a way to end his own life because living without her would be too painful.

  The powerful response and the conviction behind it took Arwel by surprise.

  Evidently, the bond between Jin and him had solidified after all, just without the fireworks that had accompanied Carol and Lokan’s. Arwel had been waiting to experience exactly what they had, but apparently every couple was different, and for some the bonding happened quietly in the background, thickening and sprouting more and more roots until separation became impossible.

  He couldn’t wait to tell Jin. He could do that through her tether to Jacki, but it didn’t feel right. This realization was as significant as realizing that he loved Jin, and telling her about it had to be done face to face.

  Arwel had to believe that they would both come out in one piece on the other side of this crisis, and that he could take Jin in his arms and whisper in her ear that they were going to spend eternity together.

  “Let’s get it over with.” Jacki pushed to her feet and glared at Rufsur. “Do you want me to undress here, or can I do it in the bathroom?”