Dark Spy’s Resolution Read online

  Nevertheless, Kalugal had just provided him with an excellent opening, and Kian wasn’t going to ruin the opportunity by pointing out the hypocrisy.

  “I’m glad we see eye to eye on this issue. Perhaps it is time for you to take over. The island needs a new leader, and you are the only one who can do that. As long as Navuh compels everyone’s loyalty, no change is possible.”

  “I have no intention of going after Navuh’s position. I made a promise to my mother to never go against my father, and I won’t break that promise. But I wouldn’t have done it regardless. I’m not interested in the island.”

  “What are you interested in?”

  “Making money. I like my peaceful anonymity, and I intend to keep it. My brother can take over if he has such aspirations. For now, he can only compel humans, but perhaps in time, his power will grow.”

  “Your mother had him make a similar promise. He vowed never to kill his father.”

  “How do you know all that? Is my father suddenly letting my mother out of the harem? Has she told someone who delivered the news to her sister?”

  “Areana is still locked in the harem, but we managed to smuggle a communication device to her. She talks with my mother almost every day. This little piece of technology was a life-changer for her. With my mother filling her in on what’s happening in the world, Areana is no longer as isolated. She didn’t even know that Annani or any of her people had survived.”

  “How did you manage to get anything to her? I’ve thought about doing just that for many years, and I’ve never come up with anything that was doable.”

  It was tempting to tell Kalugal about Lokan, and that it had been his idea that had made contact with Areana possible, but it was too early for that. Kalugal was still an enigma, and although Kian was quite sure that the son had no contact with the father, he wasn’t willing to bet Lokan’s safety on that.

  Kalugal might use the information to gain leverage.

  Telling him about Areana communicating with the outside world and how she was doing it was risky enough.

  “I can’t tell you the details because we are not friends yet. Once we are, and you prove your trustworthiness to me, I’ll let you talk with your mother. I’m sure you are eager for the chance to speak with her again after so many years.”

  13

  Kalugal

  Kalugal’s heart skipped a beat. Contact with his mother was a dream he had almost given up on. He’d been tempted by many fantasies of clever ways to achieve it, but none of them had ever passed a reality check.

  His life and that of his men depended on him staying as far from the island as possible and not attracting any attention to themselves.

  It grated that Kian had figured a way to make contact with Areana while Kalugal had failed to do so, but he wasn’t going to hold it against his cousin, especially given what Kian had just offered.

  Kalugal had about a thousand questions he wanted to ask his mother, but the first and most important one was about her lineage, and through her, his. In the heat of the conversation and the bombs his cousin had been dropping one after the other, Kalugal had almost forgotten about that.

  His mother was a goddess.

  But even that was not as exciting as the possibility of actually talking to her. Would her voice be as lovely as he remembered it? Was she as angelically beautiful as he saw her in his mind’s eye?

  “I don’t suppose the communication device you’ve smuggled into the harem has video as well as audio.”

  “Regrettably, no. But I can give you a copy of her portrait. We had a gifted forensic artist draw her from Annani’s memory. It’s a very accurate depiction.”

  Kalugal’s heart missed another beat. “I would love to see it.”

  “As a gesture of goodwill, I’ll send it to your phone, and I’ll send you a full-sized replica at another time.”

  “What do you want for it?”

  “Consider it a gift, a proof that what I’ve been telling you is true.”

  Kian didn’t strike him as the sort of man who did something for nothing, but a moment later, Kalugal’s phone pinged with an incoming text.

  His hands shook only slightly as he opened the attachment, but when he saw the picture, he almost dropped the phone.

  Sad, blue eyes looked at him from the most beautiful, pale face, framed by blond wavy hair that was almost white.

  It was his mother. Exactly as he remembered her.

  “Did you get it?” Kian asked.

  Kalugal cleared his throat. “Yes.”

  “Is that how you remember your mother?”

  “You were right about it being a very accurate depiction. Thank you. What do you want in exchange?”

  “As I told you, it’s a gesture of goodwill and proof of my claims. But since you are offering, you might consider moving my people to better accommodations as a gesture of your goodwill. My second-in-command has just shown me a text from Jin, and she is appalled by the prison cell you’ve thrown them in. She says it doesn’t even have a modesty wall separating the toilet from the rest of the room, and the blankets on the bunk beds are so thin that her friend is shivering from cold.”

  If Kalugal wanted proof of the spy’s tether to her friends, he’d just gotten it.

  “I can do that.”

  “Also, Jin is requesting that you put them in a room with two good beds that have proper blankets, and a bathroom that has a shower. She also asks that you provide them both with a change of clothes.”

  “I’ll see what I can do. This is a bunker, not a hotel.”

  “I’m sure you can manage something. I’ve seen the blueprints for your underground facility, and you have plenty of rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Jin also says that your men haven’t fed her friends since their arrival or given them anything to drink.”

  To dig out the blueprints for the bunker, Kian must have been planning this for a long time. If not for the random interference from the shooter, he would have pulled it off without a hitch.

  That deserved respect, but Kalugal didn’t appreciate Kian’s insinuation that he was mistreating his prisoners. “It hasn’t been that long. It’s not like they’ve been starving for days.”

  “Still, you might want to be a good host. Or, you can release them and save yourself the trouble. Once this is done, we can meet as friends, and I’ll arrange for you to speak with your mother.”

  As much as Kalugal wanted to end this fiasco, he wasn’t about to capitulate so quickly. Besides, he needed to figure out how to verify the tether’s removal. He hadn’t felt it being attached, and he still didn’t feel anything different, but the proof Jin had provided had left no doubt as to its existence.

  “Your spy is a demanding woman.”

  Kian chuckled. “Indeed. If I were you, I would play nice with the person who’s privy to all my secrets.”

  “Noted.” He lifted his phone and looked at his mother’s picture. “Have your spy release the tether, and I’ll let your people go.”

  “That’s what I offered an hour ago, and I will sweeten the deal by letting you talk with Areana.”

  “I will need proof of the tether’s removal.”

  A long moment passed until Kian answered. “I’ll have to check with Jin whether she can describe the feeling of having it removed. I will also ask those who she tethered and then released what they felt.”

  “I’m sure you can understand why I can’t agree to any deal without definite proof. And describing a feeling is too vague to prove anything.”

  Kian sighed. “We will work something out.”

  “I hope so. While you do that, I suggest that we take a break for the night. As a gesture of my goodwill, I will not question your people and will move them to a better room. I’ll also send food and a change of clothing. You can have your spy verify that I’m good at keeping my promises.”

  14

  Yamanu

  As Yamanu walked into the bedroom, it wasn’t to follow his original plan to make love to his ma
te.

  It was to deliver bad news.

  “Kalugal's captured Arwel and Jacki, and we need to leave the keep because its location might already be compromised.”

  Clutching the blanket to her breasts, Mey sat up. “What about Jin?”

  “She is fine. She managed to tether him before everything went to shit. Kri has her, and she is driving out of the city. Turner is going to stash them somewhere safe.”

  “What happened?”

  “Onegus didn’t have time to give me the details, so I called Magnus. A gunman entered the club, and when Arwel felt his intention to kill, he ran in to stop him. His speed and strength gave him away, and when Kalugal realized that Arwel must be an immortal, he compelled everyone to freeze. When he took Arwel, Jacki ran after them, trying to save him, which resulted in her getting taken as well.”

  “That’s so brave of her. But stupid. What did she hope to achieve?”

  Yamanu rubbed the back of his neck. “That was my reaction as well, but Magnus pointed out that Jacki didn’t know that she was going after immortals. If they had been a couple of human males, her bear-spray attack might have worked.”

  Mey ran a shaky hand over her mouth. “What’s going to happen to Arwel and Jacki?”

  “Kian is negotiating for their release.” Yamanu pulled out his duffle bag from the closet and started shoving his clothes inside. “You should get dressed. We need to get going.”

  “Where?” As Mey flung the comforter off, her beautiful nude body momentarily distracted Yamanu from his task. She padded to the bathroom but left the door open. “Are we bringing Wendy and Richard to the village?”

  He forced his eyes away and leaned to pick up his boots. “The village is locked down, which means that no one is getting in or out. Onegus gave me the address of a cabin in Big Bear. It belongs to a friend of Turner’s, so Arwel doesn’t know about it. You’ll be safe there.”

  “You mean we, right?”

  “I’m not coming with you.” He walked into the bathroom and gathered her into his arms. “I’m needed in the Bay Area. The Guardians are surrounding Kalugal’s compound, and I have to shroud them from the human neighbors. It’s an upscale community, and with so many cars parked on the street at night, someone is bound to call the police.”

  He didn’t want to worry her, but his shrouding might be needed to hide more than just parked cars. If they were forced to attack the compound, he would have to shroud the sounds, sights, and even smells of gunfire and explosions.

  Mey clung to him. “I don’t want to be separated from you.”

  “I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “I don’t want that either. But this is an emergency, and we have to play our respective parts.”

  “What’s mine?”

  “Taking care of Wendy and Richard. The Guardians will join you, of course, so you don’t have to worry about security, but you’ll be in charge of the household until the crisis is over.”

  “I think that Vlad is still here, and probably Ingrid as well. Since they can’t go back to the village, do they come with us?”

  Yamanu nodded. “They could rent rooms in a hotel, but it’s probably better if they join you. They’ll keep Wendy and Richard occupied.”

  “Don’t you have another secret clan location? Like a safe house? A cabin in Big Bear is not secluded, and our guests will know where they are. I can demand that they wear blindfolds on the way up there, but once we are at the cabin, they will have to come off. What do I do then?”

  “We have another location that could have been perfect, but Arwel knows about it.”

  “Damn.” Mey rested her forehead on his chest. “What am I supposed to do if they decide to leave the cabin?

  “We can no longer play this game with them. They will know where they are, and if they want to walk away, there isn’t much you or the Guardians can do about it. The only way to prevent it is to make them terrified of getting discovered. I’ll leave it up to you to get creative with all the possible scenarios. The more horrible, the better.”

  “I hope there is no landline in that cabin. It would be really difficult to explain why they can’t use the phone.”

  “When you get there, Leon and Bowen will go in first and take care of the phones. Big Bear is about two hours away. Use that time to scare Richard and Wendy into compliance.”

  “I’ll do what I can.” Pulling out of his arms, Mey walked into the closet and took out a sweater and a pair of warm leggings. “What excuse am I going to give them for the rushed escape?”

  “Tell them that Arwel and Jacki were captured by Kalugal, the head of a rival organization, and that he is planning to attack and capture all the talents he can find. That should scare them into cooperating. Make him sound really evil.”

  Mey paused with the leggings halfway up her thighs. “What if he really is? Kalugal’s father is a heartless dictator who had no problem causing the deaths of millions of humans, and his grandfather was a god who had singlehandedly killed all the other gods except for Annani and Areana, ending their era.”

  “True. But Lokan shares the same genes as Kalugal, and he is a decent guy.”

  “Lokan might take after his mother, and we have no idea what kind of a man Kalugal is. Finding what he’s about was the entire purpose of Jin’s mission.”

  Yamanu zipped up his duffle bag. “So far, the only thing we know about him is that he is using his powers to make money. It’s dishonest and immoral, but it’s not in the same league as what his father is responsible for. I hope he’s a reasonable man and that he’ll agree to a deal. This whole thing might be over by tomorrow.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears.”

  Yamanu smiled. “I’ll beseech the merciful Fates to help us reach a peaceful agreement. But if that is not to be, we can overpower Kalugal despite his abilities. Right now, twenty-eight Guardians are positioned outside his estate, and I’m bringing fifteen more with me. That’s more than half of the Guardian force. We can take him and his men.”

  “I hope it won’t come to that. I don’t want to even think about an all-out war between immortals in the middle of a human neighborhood. People could get caught in the crossfire.”

  15

  Mey

  Mey had kept up a brave face for Yamanu, but the truth was that she was scared and overwhelmed. She was only a baby immortal, and suddenly she was put in charge.

  Saying goodbye to him had been hard, but there was no time to fall apart and cry. She had to ignore the heaviness in her chest, get herself into operational mode, and get everyone moving.

  Thankfully, the two Guardians were there to help.

  “Leon, can you get Ingrid and Vlad and explain what’s going on? I will deal with Wendy and Richard.”

  The Guardian scratched his short stubble. “Vlad is in Wendy’s room, and Ingrid is in Richard’s. How am I going to excuse taking them aside?”

  He had a point. “Can you text them?”

  “That should work. I’ll do it right now.”

  She lifted a hand to stop him. “Wait. I prepared a story to tell our guests, and I want to deliver it first. You can tell Vlad and Ingrid the truth later. Is Wendy’s door open?”

  Leon nodded. “They are playing William’s video game.”

  “I’ll start with her.”

  Mey rushed out, walking briskly toward Wendy’s room.

  She wanted to check on Jin, but first, she had to get everyone moving. Once they were on their way to Big Bear, she would text Jin and ask her how she was holding up.

  Her sister was a strong woman, but with her mate taken by the enemy, she was probably freaking out. In fact, Mey was surprised that Jin hadn’t called her yet. When they were younger and Jin got in trouble, she’d called Mey, not their parents.

  But Jin was all grown up now, and apparently it hadn’t crossed her mind to call her older sister.

  Then again, Jin was probably following the tether to Kalugal and reporting to Kian what she was seeing. And if she had Jacki
tethered as well, she was following that string too.

  Poor Jin. She could use some handholding right now.

  Slowing down right before she reached the door, Mey schooled her facial expression and affected a mask of calm. She rapped her fingers on the doorjamb. “Wendy, you need to pack up your things, sweetheart. We are moving to a different location.”

  The girl lifted a pair of frightened eyes to her. “What happened? Did they find us?”

  “If by they you mean the government, then no. But Arwel was captured by a rival organization, and this location might be compromised. We need to get out of here fast.”

  “What are you talking about? What rival organization?”

  “I don’t have time to explain. I’ll tell you more on the way.” Mey looked at Vlad. “Are you coming with us?”

  “I guess that going home is not an option, right?”

  Smart kid. Mey nodded.

  Wendy put her hand on his arm. “What’s going on, Vlad? You are scared.”

  “Arwel’s capture is bad. But Mey is right. We need to hurry up and get out of here. We can talk on the way.” He got up and started shoving video games into his duffel bag. “I hope there is a games console where we are going.”

  “I don’t know,” Mey admitted. “All I have is an address. We will figure things out when we get there. I need to check on Richard and Ingrid.”

  “Wait.” Wendy stopped her. “Do I take everything with me? And where am I going to put it? I don’t have a suitcase.”

  “You can pull the sheet off the bed, pile everything on top of it, and then tie it up like a sack. Vlad can help you.”

  “Okay.” Wendy’s chin quivered.

  Poor girl, she was frightened, and Mey didn’t have time to handhold her through this. Heck, she needed some handholding herself.

  When Mey walked out into the corridor, she saw that the door to Richard’s room was open, and she could hear Ingrid cussing up a storm, with Richard trying to calm her down.