Dark Spy’s Resolution Read online

  Vlad put Wendy’s bundle on the bed and then stood there unsure of what to do next. “Do you want to maybe watch something together before going to sleep?”

  He didn’t expect her to say yes, but he loathed parting with her so soon.

  “Yeah, that would be nice. But I want to shower first. Can you come back in half an hour?”

  His heart started beating so fast that he was afraid she could hear it. “Of course. If Bowen and Leon don’t hog the shower, I’ll grab one myself.” He was proud of managing a casual tone.

  Wendy sat on the bed and started working on untying the knot on her bundle. “Do you have anything to change into?”

  “I don’t, but maybe one of the guys can lend me a pair of sweatpants. If not, I’ll just sleep with nothing on.” The moment the words left his mouth, Vlad felt his ears catch fire. “I have a room to myself, so it won’t bother anyone.” He pushed the strap of his duffle bag higher on his shoulder. “Have fun showering.”

  Damn. That was another wrong thing to say.

  Imagining Wendy’s curvy nude body as she stood under the spray, her long brown hair cascading down her back, Vlad felt the flame from his ears spread to the rest of his face, and not all of it was covered by his long bangs.

  “I’ll be back in half an hour.” He turned around and rushed out the door.

  22

  Kian

  Syssi glanced at her watch. “It’s one o’clock in the morning. Is it too late to call Mey?”

  Turner shook his head. “They arrived at their destination not too long ago. She is probably still awake.”

  “I’ll send her a text first.”

  Kian doubted that anyone involved in the crisis was going to sleep anytime soon, and that included Kalugal. His cousin’s claim that it was late and he was tired had been an excuse to get off the line and do some thinking.

  He wondered what clever scheme the son of a despot would come up with.

  There was no way out of his predicament, so no matter how much the guy strained his noggin, he wasn’t going to come up with anything other than doing exactly what Kian wanted him to do.

  The problem was arranging the exchange.

  Kalugal would not give up Arwel and Jacki unless he was convinced that the tether was removed, and that was going to be a problem. And the same went for Kian. He wasn’t going to let Jin remove the tether until Arwel and Jacki were released.

  Hopefully, Turner could come up with a solution that would be acceptable to both sides because Kian had nothing.

  Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The easiest way to do it was to trade Jin for Arwel and Jacki, but Kian wasn’t going to do that no matter what.

  Kalugal might decide that the best way to get rid of the tether was to kill the one holding it. Or he might decide to keep Jin and never let her go. In either of those scenarios, not only would the clan lose a valuable asset and an almost certain Dormant, but they also might lose Arwel, who would never forgive Kian for allowing that to happen.

  “Yamanu just texted me,” Turner said. “He is on his way to the blockade, and he plans on thralling the neighbors to have a strong urge to leave early in the morning and not come back until nightfall. Do you want to talk to him?”

  “Tell him that I like his plan. I need to call my mother and give her an update.”

  Turner nodded. “Do you want me to leave?”

  “There is no need. You know everything that I’m going to tell her.”

  “I thought that you would like privacy.”

  Normally he would, but not tonight. Turner was indispensable, and having him near made the entire situation more tolerable.

  Things would have been a lot scarier without an immune who Kian trusted to take over and run things as well, if not better than he could.

  “This is still a crisis situation. I need you here.” He pulled out his phone and checked the time in Alaska.

  It was after midnight there, but he doubted his mother and sister were sleeping. In fact, they might not be there at all. Annani liked to travel, and she might be in Paris or London for all he knew.

  Placing the call, he didn’t expect her to answer before it even rang once.

  “Kian. I was waiting for your call.”

  He’d forgotten about the grapevine. His mother always knew what was going on mere moments after it happened.

  “I guess you heard about the village’s lockdown.”

  “I did. What happened?”

  “Do you remember the saying I’m so fond of?”

  She chuckled. “There are many of them. Which one are you referring to?”

  “The one about no good deed going unpunished. We found Kalugal, but things have gotten out of hand, and he captured Arwel and a human woman who is an immune and a possible Dormant. With his power of compulsion, Kalugal can get Arwel to tell him where the village is as well as everything else Arwel knows, which as head Guardian is basically everything.”

  “That is very troubling. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m negotiating for their release. We were lucky that Jin managed to tether Kalugal before things went south, so I at least have a big stick to threaten him with. The carrot is Areana. If he releases our people, I’ll let him talk to his mother.”

  “Did you tell him about her?”

  “I did. Apparently, she never told him that she is a goddess. He thought that she was an immortal who Navuh stole from the clan.”

  “Why would he think that?”

  Kian smiled. “That’s actually a funny story. When I introduced myself as his cousin and Annani’s son, he thought I was talking about a clan female who was named after you. He even apologized for not being able to help me retrieve my clanswoman. As you can imagine, I was very disappointed to have my thunder turned into a hiccup.”

  Annani laughed. “How uncooperative of Kalugal. He should have at least pretended to be stunned.”

  “He was. But it was too much for him to swallow, so he tried to rationalize it.”

  “Given that he did not know that his mother is a goddess, that is understandable. Can I tell Areana that she is about to hear her son’s voice for the first time since he was a small boy? Or should I wait until the negotiations are done and the conflict is resolved?”

  “You can tell her. After all, I’m using Areana as a bargaining chip. I need all the ammunition I have to dissuade Kalugal from trying to compel me. I have Turner with me, so if Kalugal tries anything, Turner will take over, but I'd rather stay in control.”

  In the moment of silence that followed, Kian braced for his mother’s response.

  “I should be there with you to protect you. Kalugal cannot compel me.”

  It was precisely what he’d expected her to say. “That would be the worst move we could make. Did you forget that the village is locked down because I fear the location might get compromised? You have no idea how glad I am that no one knows where you are, including me, so there is no one who can be compelled to reveal that information. Your safety is my number one priority.”

  Glancing at Syssi and her slightly rounded belly, Kian was no longer sure that his mother still held that position. At least not exclusively. Her safety was the number one priority as far as the world was concerned, but Syssi and their daughter were his top priority.

  “I understand. Tell me, what is your impression of Kalugal?”

  “He is full of himself, smart, eloquent, and not easily shaken.”

  “What about his morality? Is he good or bad?”

  Kian raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know. It’s not the kind of thing that can be determined after one conversation, or even a thousand. People are complicated, and they might be good on one front and bad on another.”

  “What does your gut tell you?”

  His mother was big on letting her subconscious answer difficult questions, which was what gut feelings were.

  Not that she was wrong, sometimes the gut made a quicker and better assessment than the brain, b
ut oftentimes it also got it all wrong. Emotions, prejudices, beliefs—they all contributed to the smorgasbord from which the subconscious gathered its data and processed it to produce gut feelings.

  “My gut tells me to tread carefully. It would be a mistake to underestimate Kalugal and allow his amicable attitude and soft tone to lull me into a false sense of security.”

  23

  Arwel

  When Rufsur showed up with two more ex-Doomers, Arwel braced for the worst. And when the cell’s bars started sliding aside, he was sure that it was interrogation time.

  His only hope was that they wouldn’t harm Jacki.

  Rufsur grinned and motioned for them both to get up. “You are being moved to better accommodations. Please, follow me.”

  Arwel let out a soft breath.

  “That’s nice,” Jacki said. “Do we get a toilet with a door?”

  “Better. You are getting a nice room with an en-suite bathroom, a meal, and a change of clothes.” He gave Jacki a once-over. “I apologize for not having any female clothing for you. The smallest I found are still going to be too big, but they are clean.”

  Jacki narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you being so nice to us all of a sudden?”

  One of the guards walking behind them coughed to cover up a chuckle.

  “A gesture of goodwill. My boss is negotiating with yours, and certain concessions have been made.”

  Arwel hoped that those concessions didn’t include giving up Jin, but he didn’t want to ask questions that might reveal things Kalugal didn’t know.

  Jacki cast Rufsur a sidelong glance. “I hope that includes no cameras in the bathroom. I’ve given you perverts enough of a show already.”

  If he could, Arwel would have kicked her to shut her up. Antagonizing their captors wasn’t smart, especially since she was the only female in the bunker. They might get ideas, and there was nothing he could do to prevent them from doing whatever they wanted to her.

  Rufsur dipped his head. “My apologies, little lady. The cell was designed with males in mind. We never expected to have a female guest in there.”

  “I’m not little. And why do you have a prison cell to start with? Who do you bring down here?”

  The Doomer gave her a lopsided smile. “Do you really expect me to answer that, or do you just like to hear yourself talk?”

  “You are being rude.”

  Arwel lifted his eyes heavenward. Fates, help us.

  Rufsur shrugged. “You called us perverts. That wasn’t nice either.” He stopped in front of a door marked number 31 and opened it. “Your new room.”

  It was a big improvement on the prison cell, but it was a far cry from the luxury of the keep. Apparently, none of Kalugal’s men had a degree in interior design.

  The room was utilitarian, but the bed looked comfortable, the blanket was thick, and there was even a couch he could sleep on.

  Apparently, their captors had realized that he and Jacki were not a couple. Next to the stack of clothing on the couch, there was also a pillow and a folded blanket.

  “This is so much better.” Jacki opened the door to the en-suite. “Awesome. Tell your boss that he’s forgiven for stuffing me in the trunk of his tiny car.”

  “I will.” Rufsur turned to Arwel. “The door is not locked, but there will be a guard posted outside, so don’t get ideas about snooping around. If you need anything, you can poke your head out the door and ask him, but don’t step outside. Understood?”

  Arwel nodded.

  “And the same goes for you, little lady. I don’t want any trouble from you.”

  Jacki rolled her eyes. “Stop calling me little, give us something to eat and drink, and I promise to behave.”

  “Your offer is accepted.” He opened the door and motioned for a guy with a rolling cart to enter. “Enjoy your dinner.”

  “Thank you.” Arwel spoke for the first time.

  “You are welcome.” Rufsur and the guy who’d delivered the food stepped out. “Good night.”

  Jacki lifted the covers off the two plates. “Not bad.” She brought them over to the coffee table and then went back for two bottles of water.

  “Are you just going to stand there? Come eat. With what their boss can do, they have no reason to drug us.”

  It hadn’t even crossed his mind, but it was a legitimate concern. “They might.”

  She twisted the cap off the water bottle. “I’m willing to risk it.”

  When he sat next to her, Jacki leaned to whisper in his ear. “Kalugal knows about the tether. He moved us to a better room because Jin demanded it.”

  That had occurred to him as well, but he wasn’t a hundred percent certain. “I’d rather not mention it in case we are wrong.”

  She leaned toward him again. “I’m certain of it, but you are right that it’s better to keep quiet about it.”

  Arwel took the other bottle of water and opened it. “What makes you so sure?”

  “Rufsur was trying to be polite despite the way I talked to him. He wouldn’t have been so reserved if no one was watching.” Jacki cut a piece of chicken and stuffed it in her mouth.

  So that was why she’d acted so foolishly. Or rather smartly.

  “My impression of Rufsur is that he’s an amiable fellow. He wasn’t rude or unnecessarily cruel when he apprehended you. I couldn’t see much from where I was stuck frozen on the back seat, but from what I heard, you were fighting him with everything you had, and yet he was careful not to hurt you.”

  Jacki nodded. “True. Still, I insulted him and his comrades, calling them perverts. With no one watching, he would have done worse than the one slightly snide remark.”

  24

  Jin

  “Wake up, Jin.” Kri nudged her shoulder. “You don’t want to miss this.”

  “Miss what?” Jin cracked one eye open.

  The shades on the jet’s window were locked in the down position, so there was nothing to see outside, but the pressure in her ears told Jin that they were landing.

  “The sanctuary, the goddess. You are the first human to ever set foot inside of it.”

  “Have you ever been there?”

  “As a baby, and I don’t remember anything, but I've heard stories, and the place sounds magical.”

  “I bet. Where else would a goddess reside?”

  Kri smirked. “Wherever the goddess wished to.”

  “Is that supposed to be a joke? Because I don’t get it.”

  After less than an hour of sleep, Jin’s brain was sluggish.

  Kri shrugged. “It’s like the joke about where does the 800-pound gorilla sit? Anywhere it wants.”

  “Oh.”

  “You don’t seem excited.”

  “I’m too tired and worried for that, and I want to check on Jacki and Arwel. Give me a moment.”

  When she found Jacki asleep, Jin followed the tether to Kalugal. He was awake, but he was alone and staring at the wall, so there wasn’t much to see there either. Regrettably, her tether didn’t give her access to his thoughts.

  Since Arwel and Jacki had been taken, Jin had been wondering about that. Her hook was mental, so it was strange that she only had access to the visual and auditory parts of her targets' brains and not their thoughts.

  “Anything interesting?” Kri asked.

  “Jacki is asleep, and Kalugal is staring at a wall.”

  “No news is good news.”

  “True. How do I address the goddess? Do I bow? Curtsy? What’s the protocol?”

  “You can bow if you want to, but it’s not required. You should address her as Clan Mother, but if she asks you to call her by her given name, don’t argue and do as she says. Just be polite and don’t use cuss words. Annani does not tolerate crude language.”

  Jin snorted. “Kian must have a real hard time with that. He likes his expletives.”

  “He has a hard time with her in general. He can’t boss her around, and Annani is not as careful with her safety as he would like her to be. Th
ere are also some other issues that they disagree on, and it’s difficult for him when she puts her foot down, and he has no choice but to obey.”

  Jin yawned and stretched her arms. “Does it happen a lot? Is she bossy?”

  “She is definitely bossy, but she lets Kian and Sari run things as they see fit and only intervenes on rare occasions. Sari is Kian’s counterpart in Europe.”

  “I know. Mey told me. She talked a lot about Alena and how nice she is. I’m glad of the opportunity to meet her, but I wish it was under different circumstances.”

  As the jet’s wheels touched down, Jin released her seatbelt. “I’m going to brush my teeth.”

  “Hurry up. It’s not a long runway.”

  In the jet’s tiny bathroom, Jin used the toilet, brushed her teeth and her hair, and then adjusted the sweater that Alena had kindly sent for her with the pilot. It was warm and cozy, but most importantly, it made her look more presentable. She would have hated meeting the goddess wearing Kri’s leather jacket with only a bra underneath.

  Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped out just as the plane came to a full stop.

  “Ready?” Kri asked.

  “Is anyone ever ready to meet a goddess?”

  “I don’t know if Annani will be there to greet us. We will probably be taken to our suite first.”

  “I hope that they put us together. I don’t want to be alone.”

  In the short time that she had spent with Kri, Jin had come to depend on her. The Guardian was so strong, so confident, that it felt natural to do so.

  Kri wrapped her arm around Jin’s shoulders. “If they don’t, I’ll ask that they do.”

  “Thanks.”

  When the pilot opened the door, Jin expected a blast of cold air, but instead of snowy vistas, she saw the interior of a large hangar, and a tall blonde woman smiling and waving at her and Kri.

  “Welcome to the sanctuary.” She waited for Jin to come down and offered her hand. “I’m Alena.”