Dark Spy’s Resolution Read online

  Avoiding her eyes, Rufsur rubbed his jaw. “Here, if you don’t mind. That will save me the trouble of searching the bathroom as well.”

  “I’ll go first,” Arwel offered. “Do I get to keep my underwear on? I’d rather not give Jacki a show.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll turn around to give you privacy.”

  Rufsur nodded.

  After he was done with Arwel and handed his clothes to the guy waiting outside the room, he turned to Jacki. “Arwel and I can turn our backs to you while you undress.”

  She huffed. “Yeah, as if that is going to do me any good. I know that there is a camera hidden somewhere in here and that the rest of your pervert friends are going to watch me strip.” She waved a hand. “You might as well enjoy the show.”

  And a show she gave them. Removing the sweatshirt, she swung it around and tossed it on the bed, and then repeated the performance with the sweatpants.

  The whole thing took less than a minute, but by the end of it Rufsur was breathing hard.

  Nevertheless, he conducted the search just as he had promised, treating Jacki as if she were made from highly breakable glass and apologizing every couple of moments for having to comb his fingers through her hair.

  In return, Arwel hadn’t said anything about the guy’s acute arousal. If Jacki didn’t notice the boner he was sporting, Arwel wasn’t going to mention it.

  When Rufsur left, Jacki let out a breath. “That could have been so much worse.”

  “It will get much worse if Kian trades Jin for us.”

  She looked at him with a pair of sad eyes. “What choice does he have?”

  “He can bomb the damn place. Invade it. Kalugal is outnumbered and outclassed. We have a much larger force, and the weapons at our disposal are the kind he can only dream about.”

  His words weren’t meant for Jacki.

  Arwel was talking to the hidden recording device, and also to Jin in case she was tuning in.

  “Yeah, I know that.” Jacki played along. “But that might kill us as well. Or just me, the accidental human.”

  31

  Kian

  His mood somber, Kian poked his fork at the blueberry pancakes Okidu had put on his plate.

  It seemed like he had two choices. One was to trade Jin for Arwel and Jacki, and the other was to attack the bunker. Both were bad, but as much as he strained to come up with a third option, every idea he’d come up with had big holes in it.

  “These are excellent.” Turner put two more pancakes on his plate. “Can I get the recipe?”

  Syssi smiled. “Okidu’s waffles and pancakes are the best. I’ll ask him to write the recipes down for you.”

  “Much appreciated.”

  Kian pushed the plate away. “What do you think of Jin’s idea?”

  “What idea?” Syssi asked.

  Addressing the question to Turner, he’d forgotten that Syssi hadn’t been there when he’d talked with Jin.

  “She suggested that we trade her for Arwel and Jacki but also demand Kalugal’s second-in-command as hostage. Once she convinces Kalugal that the tether is gone and he lets her go, we will release his guy.”

  “That’s good.” Syssi put her fork down and reached for her coffee cup. “But I think you should also hold off contact with Areana until he releases Jin. Give him double the incentive.”

  Turner shook his head. “Both might not be enough. If Jin can’t prove the tether’s removal, or if Kalugal doesn’t believe that she can remove it, he could sacrifice his lieutenant as well as access to his mother to get rid of it, either by keeping Jin locked up or killing her.”

  Syssi put her cup down in the middle of her plate. “But we have his place surrounded.” Using her finger, she drew an imaginary line around the cup. “If he does either of those things, we can attack, right? I’m sure he would rather avoid an all-out war with the clan.”

  “He might have an escape tunnel.” Kian got up and started pacing. “We didn’t find any, but that doesn’t mean that there are none. He could have a tunnel leading into one of the neighbors’ houses. Even one that’s a couple of streets over. We can’t post guards to cover the entire area. He could grab Jin and run or kill her and run. I can’t risk that.”

  “I can bring in more drones and monitor the neighboring houses,” Turner suggested. “But it’s a temporary measure that can work only while Yamanu’s thrall is keeping them out of their homes.”

  “Yamanu can thrall the neighbors to pay no attention to the drones,” Syssi said. “The other option is to have Kalugal come to Jin instead of sending her to him. That way we control the situation.” She looked at Turner. “You will need to be there.”

  Kian and Turner exchanged glances.

  That would mean lifting the lockdown to allow Turner out of the village, and possibly Kian as well. Right now, it didn’t seem like the village was in any danger, but things could quickly change if Kalugal decided to break his promise and interrogate Arwel.

  He might figure out that by doing so he would gain even greater leverage over the clan. Like threatening to bomb the village in retaliation for them attacking his bunker.

  Pulling out a chair, Kian sat back down. “Kalugal would agree to come to us only if I am held by his men at the same time. And that’s too risky.”

  “Right. We can’t have that.” Syssi leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “What about Lokan? Can we use him in any capacity? We can threaten to do him harm if Kalugal harms Jin. Naturally we won’t, but Kalugal doesn’t know that.”

  Turner sighed. “He might not care about his brother either.”

  “Then let’s wait,” Syssi said. “Let him stew and chafe knowing that he can’t make a move without us knowing about it. After a day or two, I bet he’ll be willing to leave the safety of his bunker and come to us if it means getting rid of the tether.”

  As a contemplative silence stretched across the conference table, Kian ran through the various options. So far, taking Kalugal’s second-in-command seemed like the best one, but it wasn’t good enough.

  “How long did it take Jin to demonstrate to Edna how it feels with and without the tether?” Turner asked.

  “Not long.” Kian remembered Jin walking out into the corridor a couple of times. “The entire experiment lasted about twenty minutes.”

  “Then we have another option. Kalugal will not take Jin into the bunker. Instead, they will meet outside in the yard, where we will have snipers ready to take him out if he tries to harm her or compel her to come with him. Naturally, he would have snipers aiming at her at the same time, but they wouldn’t do anything as long as we have him in the crosshairs.”

  “A Mexican standoff,” Syssi muttered. “That could work.”

  Kian took a deep breath. “Only if Kalugal is as attuned to his psyche as Edna is. If he is not, Jin won’t be able to convince him that the tether is gone.”

  32

  Jin

  Jin finished her tea and put it on the nightstand. “I think I’m getting sick.” She sneezed. “Damn. Do they have any tissues in this place?”

  “I doubt it.” Kri got up. “I’ll get you toilet paper.”

  “Thanks.”

  A moment later, the Guardian came back and tossed the roll at Jin. “What exactly are you feeling?”

  Jin put her hand on her forehead. “I think I have a fever, but it’s not very high. My throat hurts, and I have a runny nose.”

  “Are those normal symptoms for a human?”

  Jin chuckled. “It’s like any other flu or cold. Why?”

  Kri shrugged. “Transition usually starts with a fever. We should have the sanctuary’s doctor check you out.”

  It had crossed Jin’s mind, but unfortunately her symptoms were typical of a simple cold.

  Except, as much as she wanted to transition, now was the worst time for it to start. How was Kian going to trade her if she was unconscious?

  And even if he didn’t trade her, she needed to be conscious to follow the tet
hers to Jacki and Kalugal.

  “I’m not transitioning. Arwel told me what to expect, and it didn’t include sneezing and coughing.”

  “When Michael’s started, he thought that it was just a toothache. Everyone experiences it differently. I’m going to find the doctor.”

  That reminded Jin that Mey’s symptoms had also started with a toothache, and that her gums had been swollen.

  Was she growing fangs like Mey’s?

  The first thing Jin did after Kri left was to pat her gums with her fingers. It was a huge relief to find that everything was normal. No swollen gums and no wiggly canines.

  With a sigh, she let her head drop back on the pillows.

  Getting sick at a time like this was inconvenient, but it was better than entering transition. What if the loss of consciousness caused her to drop the tethers?

  That didn’t happen during sleep, so maybe it wouldn’t happen then either, but she couldn’t be sure of that, and losing the connection would have catastrophic consequences.

  Ever since Jin had woken up, she’d been checking the connection every half an hour or so, and the last time was mere minutes ago, but she felt the urge to check again.

  Closing her eyes, she followed the tether to Jacki, catching a fragment of a sentence. “…kill us as well. Or just me, the accidental human.”

  The sound of the bedroom door opening broke her concentration and Jin opened her eyes.

  “The doctor is coming.” Kri rushed into the room. "But so are Annani and Alena. Do you want to get dressed?”

  “Oh my God.” Jin flung the blanket off. “I can’t meet the goddess in a sheer nightgown.”

  “You can put the robe on.” Kri held the equally sheer garment out to her.

  Both items were Alena’s, but thankfully those weren’t the only ones Kri and Jin had found waiting in the closet for them. Kian’s sister had prepared outfits to last them several days.

  Jin shook her head. “I’ll get dressed.”

  As she pushed to her feet, her head spun, but she ignored the dizziness and padded to the closet.

  A long, loose skirt wouldn’t have been her first choice for a meeting with the goddess, but it looked comfy and elegant and it was hanging together with a matching loose sweater.

  At least she would be color coordinated.

  “They are here!” Kri called out just as Jin pulled the sweater over her head.

  Damn. There was no time to duck into the bathroom to brush her hair. Combing it with her fingers, she pushed her feet into her boots and walked out of the closet as steadily as she could.

  Kri opened the suite’s door and bowed. “Good morning, Clan Mother.”

  As Kri stepped aside, Jin held her breath in anticipation of her first glimpse of the goddess.

  Everything Mey had told her about Annani was true, and at the same time it wasn’t.

  She’d expected the glow, and she’d expected the beauty, she’d even expected the goddess’s petite frame, but she hadn’t expected to feel as overwhelmed by her otherworldliness.

  There was no mistaking Annani for a stunningly beautiful human. She was clearly an alien, and an extremely powerful one.

  For the first time, Jin understood what Spencer saw when he described people’s auras. She didn’t see Annani’s Aura, but she felt it. It was like a force field of power, except it wasn’t oppressive or terrifying. It was warm and welcoming.

  Remembering her manners, Jin bowed. “Thank you for inviting me to your sanctuary, Clan Mother.”

  The goddess glided toward her. “You are most welcome, child.” She reached for Jin’s hand. “Let us sit down. I heard that you were not feeling well.”

  It was the oddest thing to have the goddess lead her by the hand to the couch.

  When they were both seated, Annani smiled. “That is much better. You are so tall that I had to crane my neck to look into your beautiful eyes.”

  “They are just like Mey’s.” Alena walked in.

  Jin had been so absorbed in Annani’s awesome presence that she hadn’t noticed the goddess’s daughter enter behind her.

  She took Alena’s hand. “Mey sends her regards.” She glanced at Annani. “To both of you.”

  Damn, it was hard to look at the goddess, but it was just as hard not to. Her beauty and power were mesmerizing, but they were too much to handle.

  “Your sister is a lovely woman.” Alena sat in an armchair facing the couch. “My mother and I are very fond of her.”

  “Such unique talents you both have.” Annani patted Jin’s knee. “When you feel better, I would like to see a demonstration of your tethering.”

  Jin swallowed. Hopefully, the goddess didn’t mean for Jin to tether her. It would be like trying to tether the sun.

  Alena laughed. “Don’t look so terrified. My mother is not suggesting that you tether her. You can use me for your demonstration.” She spread her arms wide. “I am an open book with nothing to hide.”

  “Your secrets are safe because I don’t read thoughts. I will only hear what you hear and see what you see.” Jin glanced at Annani. “I’m just afraid of creating a mental link with a goddess. I imagine it would be like connecting a battery-operated device to a high-voltage power line.”

  As Annani let out a melodic string of laughs, the sound was so beautiful that it sent shivers running down Jin’s spine. The laughter was just as otherworldly as the female producing it. If she had to describe it, the best analogy Jin could come up with was crystal music, but that wasn’t even close.

  “We would not want that. What ails you, Jin? What do you feel?”

  Jin waved a dismissive hand. “It’s a simple cold. In the rush to get out of the club, I left my sweater and my coat behind and went out into the cold night with just a thin T-shirt on. My mother would have had a conniption.”

  Annani tilted her head. “This is a word I am not familiar with. What does it mean?”

  “It means a fit,” Alena said. “It’s in Yiddish, but like many words from other languages, it was incorporated into English.”

  The goddess nodded sagely. “That is the fate of all tongues. My native one no longer exists in its original form, but many words have survived by being adopted into others. It gladdens my heart to hear them on occasion.”

  “The doctor is here.” Kri got up and walked over to the door.

  Jin hadn’t heard anyone knock. Apparently the sanctuary’s doors were soundproof just like the ones in the keep.

  “Hello.” A pretty brunette with a friendly smile walked in. “I apologize for the delay, Clan Mother.” She dipped her head. “I misplaced my thermometer.” She smiled apologetically at Jin. “No one ever gets fevers here.”

  Jin wondered if the doctor even knew how to examine a human. Except, if she had a real medical degree, she must have at least interned in a human hospital.

  “I’m Doctor Rebecca.” She offered Jin her hand. “Let’s start with taking your temperature.”

  It was super weird to get examined while the goddess and her daughter were watching, but thankfully the doctor didn’t ask her to remove her sweater but only to lift it a little so she could listen to her lungs and her heart.

  After that, she checked Jin’s throat and measured her blood pressure.

  “It’s just a cold.” The doctor folded the pressure cuff and put it back in her bag. “I’d be very surprised if it’s anything else. Your throat is a little red, but that’s all." She pulled an unlabeled container of pills from her bag. “This is for the fever and should make you more comfortable.” She chuckled. “I was lucky to find some that were not expired. As I mentioned before, no one gets fevers in here, but some suffer from the occasional headache.”

  “Thank you.” Jin took the small bottle. “Should I take them only if I feel feverish?”

  “And if you feel achy. Also drink lots of liquids and try to rest.”

  33

  Kian

  “So, this is how we are going to do it.” Kian got up and started pa
cing.

  “First, we will demand Arwel and Jacki’s release and Kalugal’s second-in-command as a hostage. Kalugal will come out, deliver the three to his driveway, and open the gate. The exchange will happen outside with sharpshooters aiming at Kalugal, and he will no doubt have sharpshooters aiming at Arwel, Jacki, and Jin. Ours will have earplugs in, so he won’t be able to compel them. The removal of the tether will happen outside, while our sharpshooters are aiming at Kalugal’s head. Once he is convinced the tether is removed, he will exchange Jin for his guy.”

  Kian looked at Turner. “Feel free to poke holes in my plan. I need your brain to flag the pitfalls.”

  Releasing a long breath, Turner leaned back in his chair. “The biggest possible pitfall is Jin’s inability to prove the tether’s removal. We need a contingency for that.”

  “If she weren’t Arwel’s mate,” Onegus said, “a possible solution could have been for Kalugal to marry her. Maybe that’s what the Fates had in mind all along.”

  Kian glared at the chief. “How can you even suggest that? After all that Arwel has sacrificed for the clan, the Fates wouldn’t be so cruel to him. Jin is his mate.”

  Onegus shrugged. “Maybe there is a better one for him out there.”

  “Remember Robert and Carol?” Syssi asked. “He sacrificed everything for her, and yet she wasn’t his fated mate. Sharon was his, and Lokan was Carol’s.”

  Could that be possible?

  As a headache started pulsating behind his eye sockets, Kian pushed his hair back and rubbed his temples. “We can’t base our strategy on a hypothetical like that. I need a concrete contingency. If Kalugal refuses to release Jin, do we take him out? Do we attack the bunker? What do we do?”

  “You threaten to expose his mother,” Turner said. “And if that’s not enough, threaten to kill her. We have the means to do that. We know when she is outside, and we can launch a missile from a boat at her.” He looked at Kian. “All he needs to know is that we can, and you will have to convince him that you are heartless enough to do that. Make him believe that it’s a matter of pride for you.”