Rufsur shook his head. “I can’t believe that you let a human reach such a vital position in your organization.” He glanced at his watch. “But that’s a conversation for another time.” He smiled at Arwel. “If your friends are not going to lock me up in a cellar, we can continue our talk while the spy does her thing.”

  Arwel offered Rufsur his hand. “Gladly.”

  58

  Kalugal

  In a rare display of affection, Kalugal embraced Rufsur and clapped him on the back. “I owe you for this.”

  Rufsur chuckled. “You bet. I get to choose next month’s hunting grounds.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  “It’s five minutes to midnight.” Phinas punched in the code to open the first door leading to the tunnel.

  “Good luck with the spy,” Rufsur said as he walked out.

  “You too.”

  Kalugal waited until Phinas closed the door and then headed back to his office. Bringing up the camera feeds, he watched Rufsur make his way into the house, then walk out the side door and stride toward the gate.

  “Now?” Phinas asked.

  “Open the gate.”

  Two men were on the roof, and three more were out in the gazebo, preparing the place for his meeting with the spy. The two on the roof had their rifles aimed at the gate, and those in the gazebo carried an assortment of cold and hot weapons.

  It was more for show than anything else.

  Kian’s drones were hovering over the grounds and could take out any of them in an instant.

  The truth was that they were outclassed, and the only real advantage they had was the bunker, where they could hole up for months if needed. Except Kian didn’t know that, and it was crucial that he remain ignorant as to Kalugal’s real military power.

  As per their agreement, Kian’s men waited for Rufsur across the street, and the first thing they did when he reached them was to frisk him.

  That had been expected, and Rufsur had nothing on him aside from a phone, which they examined as well.

  One of the men lifted it in the air and then made a show of putting it on the sidewalk.

  Careful bastards. But then Kalugal would have done the same. Aside from providing its location, which was damaging enough on its own, all kinds of damage could be done with something as small as a cellphone. Its electronics could be replaced with powerful explosives, which Rufsur could have potentially activated once he reached their headquarters.

  A van pulled up to the curb, blocking the view, but when it pulled out, Rufsur and Kian’s men were gone.

  “Time for stage two.” Kalugal swiveled his chair to face Phinas. “Get Arwel and put restraints on him. I’ll meet you at the entrance to the tunnel.”

  “What about the blindfold?”

  “Wait for me to get there before you put it on him. I want to talk to him first.”

  “Won’t it be a violation of your agreement with Kian?”

  “I just want to say goodbye and apologize for the inconvenience.”

  Phinas arched a brow. “Regardless of your good intentions, it might be seen as a breach.”

  Kalugal clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  That was the good thing about Phinas. He knew when to quit arguing and just do as he was told.

  Shrugging on his wool jacket, Kalugal took a quick glance at his hazy reflection in the monitor. It had been a very long time since anyone other than his men had seen his real face, and it felt odd to proceed without shrouding himself in one of his guises. It was like going out naked in public, exposed, even vulnerable.

  He shook his head.

  Habits were stronger than willpower, hijacking a person’s brain, or rather circumventing it. Sometimes it was beneficial, like always putting his car keys in the same place so he didn’t need to dedicate any cognitive bandwidth to locating them. But the habit of always wearing a shroud made him anxious about being seen, and that was detrimental to his self-perception.

  When Kalugal got to the tunnel’s door, Phinas had already put handcuffs on Arwel’s wrists and was now attaching shackles to his ankles.

  Looking at Kalugal, Arwel lifted his hands. “Is this really necessary?”

  “I don’t want you to run for it the moment we open the gate. But if you are uncomfortable with the restrains, I can compel you to move only when I say so.”

  Arwel dropped his hands. “I prefer the shackles.”

  “That’s what I thought. I will also need to blindfold you.”

  “How am I going to walk out like that?”

  “I’ll lead you, and once we are outside, I’ll remove the blindfold. You can walk with the shackles, and once the spy is inside my property, I’ll toss the keys to your friends.”

  Arwel let out a breath. “It’s not like I have a choice in the matter.” He pinned Kalugal with a hard stare. “A word of warning. If you harm a hair on Jin’s head, I will come after you. I don’t care how long it takes, or what I have to do, but I’ll have my vengeance.”

  Kalugal had expected a warning regarding the immune who stayed behind, but not regarding the spy, and certainly not the vehemence with which it had been delivered.

  Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

  Jacki wasn’t Arwel’s girlfriend, or even someone he was interested in. The spy was. He had risked exposure and jumped the shooter not to protect Jacki, but to protect Jin, which meant that she wasn’t immortal. Otherwise, Arwel would not have been so desperate to protect her because even if she got shot, nothing serious would have happened to her.

  Kalugal shook his head. “Loving a human female is a mistake, my friend. You shouldn’t have allowed yourself to fall for her. I will not harm her, you have my word, but she will get old and eventually die, leaving you heartbroken.”

  “I’ll treasure every moment I have with her.”

  The man was a fool, but supposedly love did that to people. Kalugal had never experienced it, so he couldn’t judge Arwel.

  “Best of luck with that.” He clapped the guy on his back. “Before Phinas puts the blindfold on you, I just wanted to offer my apologies for your brief imprisonment. No hard feelings, eh?”

  “That depends on whether Jin comes back unharmed. If all I suffer at your hands is a short rest in your bunker, then we are good.”

  59

  Jin

  As Jin waited for the gate to open, the adrenaline in her system kept her legs from turning into jelly, but it also made her heart thud loudly in her chest. If she weren’t so young, she would have feared heart failure.

  Then again, young people died from heart problems, and she might have an undiagnosed condition.

  Stop it.

  The last thing she needed was to pile on more stress. She was at the end of her rope, operating on fumes and holding on by a thread.

  Finally, the gate started moving, and Jin held her breath, only to release it in a whoosh when it opened all the way. “Why is Arwel shackled?”

  Magnus shrugged and pointed to his ear.

  How could she have forgotten that both of them were wearing earplugs? No outside sounds filtered through them, but apparently her inner turmoil was enough to fill the void.

  As Arwel started walking toward them, Magnus put his hand on her shoulder, gave it a little squeeze, nodded, and pointed at her ear.

  His expression combined with that small gesture conveyed everything he wanted to tell her. Good luck, it’s time to go, and a reminder to take out her earplugs.

  Walking toward Arwel, Jin dreaded what she might see on his face when he got closer. Would he be angry? Indifferent? What was he going to say to her?

  With shaking hands, she took out the earplugs and put them in the pocket of Alena’s coat.

  But she should have known him better.

  The first thing she saw clearly were his eyes, which were two glowing turquoise beacons of light, and the next were his lips, which were mouthing, “I love you.”

  Unable to resist the urge to hold him, she ran up to Arwel and put her arms around him. “I love you so much. Please don’t be angry at me for doing this.”

  He couldn’t return the embrace because his hands were shackled, and the handcuffs chained to his ankle restraints. Instead, he leaned his head on her shoulder. “I’m not angry. I’m terrified.”

  “Please keep moving,” Kalugal commanded, but he didn’t infuse his voice with compulsion.

  “I love you.” Jin quickly kissed Arwel’s lips and then let go of him. “See you in an hour.”

  Putting one foot in front of the other, Jin forced herself to keep going. The simple act of ambulating consumed all of her willpower, and there was nothing left to keep her tears at bay. By the time she reached Kalugal, Jin was sobbing quietly.

  He looked at her with concern in his eyes and took her elbow. “There is no need for tears.” He led her to a gazebo that looked like it was set up for a romantic dinner. “Your boyfriend is fine, and you have nothing to worry about. As soon as the tether is off, and I can verify it, you are free to go.”

  When he motioned for her to sit, Jin’s legs practically folded under her. “I’m sorry. I’m usually not such a cry baby. It’s just that I’ve gotten sick at the worst possible time, and I can barely hold it together.”

  Kalugal sat right next to her. “Let me pour you some tea.”

  “Thank you.”

  He was treating her like delicate china. Every move was slow and calculated as if not to spook her, and his tone was soft and caring.

  It was all an act, of course, designed to help her relax so she could do what she was there for, but it was working. The anxiety was still spinning the contents of her stomach like a bunch of wet clothes in a dryer, but at least it wasn’t on the turbo spin cycle.

  “Careful. It’s hot.” He handed her a small porcelain cup with a matching saucer.

  “Thank you.” She sniffed at the cup he handed her. “What kind of tea is this? It smells woodsy.”

  He smiled, his perfect lips curving in that signature smirk that Jacki had talked about. “It’s not poisoned if that’s what you are worried about.”

  “It didn’t even cross my mind. I've just never had tea like it.”

  The smell wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t enticing either, and it was still too hot to drink.

  “It’s a special Chinese tea.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Is that why you got it? I don’t know what a Chinese tea even tastes like.”

  He chuckled. “How could I have known I would be entertaining an Asian lady when I purchased this tea? I’ve been drinking it for years. I like it for the unique taste, but it also has many health benefits for humans. Which is most fortunate, don’t you think? It might help you feel better.”

  After taking another sniff, Jin put the cup on the table. “I need it to cool a little.” She turned to Kalugal. “May I touch you?”

  “Anytime.” He flashed her that smirk again.

  If she weren’t in love with someone else and sick as a dog, she might have found it sexy. The guy had a bad-boy charm that girls went wild for, but it was softened by his good manners and his lighthearted attitude.

  Jin had to acknowledge that Kalugal was super sexy, but she was indifferent to his charms. They had no effect on her. It was like admiring a beautiful picture without lusting after it or even wanting to hang it in her living room.

  “I need to touch you to remove the tether. And you need to concentrate on feeling its removal.”

  He offered her his arm. “I’m ready when you are.”

  60

  Arwel

  His mind in a haze, Arwel trudged over to the other side of the street. Twice he stumbled on the chain connecting his ankles, and Magnus caught his elbow before it happened for the third time.

  “Let me get you out of these.” Magnus crouched and fiddled with the key Kalugal had tossed. “Quit swaying on your feet. You are distracting me.”

  “I wasn’t aware that I was doing that.” Arwel stood as still as he could.

  Jin had looked haggard as if she hadn’t slept for days. There had been dark circles under her eyes, and the spark was gone from them, or maybe they had just been misted with a sheen of tears.

  When Magnus was done with the ankle restraints, he straightened up and examined the handcuffs. “Those are weird. They must be custom made.” He turned them around until he found the keyhole.

  Arwel was about to comment when he noticed the earpiece sticking out from Magnus’s ear. Except, it didn’t look like the ones William had given them. Was it a new model?

  Magnus removed the handcuffs as well.

  “New earpiece?”

  Ignoring the question, Magnus waved a hand, and a moment later Gregor pulled up next to them. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Where are we going?”

  When neither of the guys responded, Arwel leaned toward Magnus and took a closer look at the device stuck in his ear, and then pulled it out.

  “I was wondering why you guys didn’t answer me. What’s the deal with the plugs?”

  Magnus took the other one out. “It was Kri’s idea. If we can’t hear Kalugal, he can’t compel us.”

  “Did he try?”

  “He might have.” Gregor chuckled. “We didn’t hear him. We wear these when we are within hearing distance of him and use texting to communicate. Our phones are set on vibrate.”

  “Smart. So where are we going?”

  “Get out of your clothes and put these on.” Magnus pointed to the paper bag on the seat next to Arwel. “When you are done, put everything in the bag. After we get out, Gregor is going to drive away and drop them in a dumpster at the nearest shopping strip.”

  It had occurred to Arwel that the search Rufsur had done on him and Jacki was not meant to find bugs but to plant them.

  “Good idea.” He started stripping. “Jin looks terrible. What’s wrong with her?”

  “She caught a cold,” Magnus said. “Poor girl. I don’t know much about human illnesses, but I assume that the stress weakened her body and made her vulnerable to viruses.”

  Arwel's heart skipped a beat. “She might be transitioning.”

  “She is not. The sanctuary’s doctor checked her and said it’s just a cold.”

  “The sanctuary?” He paused with the sweatshirt hovering over his head.

  Magnus nodded. “Turner decided that it was the most secure place for her, so he sent her there without telling Kian about it. There was always a chance that Kalugal would compel Kian through the phone and get him to reveal things. That’s why he doesn’t talk with Kalugal unless Turner is right there beside him. He can take over if needed.”

  “What a damn clusterfuck. Whose idea was it to trade Jin?”

  “Hers. She insisted we do it from the very start. Believe me, Kian tried every possible angle before finally agreeing to the trade. There was no other way. She also came up with the idea of taking Kalugal’s second-in-command hostage.”

  “Jin has a good head on her shoulders. Rufsur and Kalugal are good friends, and Kalugal is not going to forfeit Rufsur’s life lightly. Where did you take him?”

  “First, we took him to the house, stripped him, and searched him for bugs. After that, we took him to our new location.”

  “And where is that?”

  “One of Turner’s many acquaintances has a motel that isn’t open for business yet. We’ve got the entire place to ourselves.”

  “How has he been behaving?”

  “He’s complaining about being tied up and claims that you promised he would be treated well.”

  “I did. But what I meant was that no one was going to beat him up. I didn’t promise him a five-star hotel and gourmet meals if that’s what he’s been expecting. Who is watching him?”

  “We have several Guardians there, and Vivian is keeping him company, even though I would have preferred for her to stay away from him.”

  Arwel wasn’t sure how smart that was. Rufsur was an okay fellow, but if he was presented with an opportunity to get free or take Vivian hostage, he’d most likely take it.

  “I hope that he is properly restrained and guarded, and that the guys are at least cordial to him.” Arwel pulled up the sweatpants and reached into the bag for socks.

  Magnus cast him an amused glance. “With Vivian keeping watch they are going to be on their best behavior. Lokan is there as well, but we are keeping him away from Rufsur because Kian is not sure he wants to reveal the connection yet. If needed though, he’s going to use Lokan as an additional hostage.”

  “When did Lokan get here?”

  “Yesterday, and naturally Carol couldn’t stay away from the action and came with him.”

  “That’s Carol. Even a direct order from Kian wouldn’t have kept her away.” Arwel pulled the new pair of boots out of the bag and leaned to put them on.

  Magnus shrugged. “He’s too busy with managing the crisis to care about that.”

  “I’m ready.” Arwel put the clothes he’d taken off into the bag.

  “Then let’s go.” Magnus opened the door and got out.

  At the door Arwel was greeted by Kri, who pulled him into a fierce hug. “I’m glad to have you back.”

  He returned the embrace. “I wish I could say that I’m glad to be back, but I can’t while Kalugal has my mate.”

  “Jin campaigned hard for it. She knew that Kalugal wouldn’t agree to anything else and she was right. I know that it’s hard for you to accept, but she did the right thing. Now that you are out, the village’s location is safe, and Kian has lifted the lockdown. People can go back to work, and those who were caught outside during the lockdown can come back home.”

  He hung his head. “It’s my fault. I should have stopped that shooter before he got into the club. I felt the darkness eating at him, and I knew he was up to no good. But we are not supposed to interfere based on intentions, only actions. Except, it seems that following the rules is not always the right thing to do.”

 

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