Claimed

Chapter 19

Dage settled into the leather chair, getting damn tired of the conference room. His gaze focused on the prophet sitting across the slate oval table. Puffy wrinkled bags perched high on Milner’s cheekbones and his bony shoulders slumped more than usual. A deep red gash marred his neck while his eyes had returned to their normal chocolate color. Dage cleared his throat. “When will his blood tests be finished?”

Kane glanced up from the printout in his hands. “A few more minutes.”

Milner sat forward. “You think they injected me with the virus?”

Lily patted his spotted hand, her own pale and so small. “I’m sure you’re fine, Samuel. The virus doesn’t impact vampires.”

Dage frowned. “Lily. You should be resting.” He’d had it with women and their complete disregard for safety. For the love of Pete. Could the woman wear a pair of jeans once in a while? The long skirted dresses made her appear even more fragile and ill-equipped for this dangerous world.

Her narrowed onyx gaze pinned him. “I’m fine, King. You’re not the only one with a duty to fulfill.”

“Of course not.” Dage did not fucking believe Emma had ignored all safety protocol. What if the virus had mingled with her blood? Fear at losing her nearly made his throat close. He struggled to keep focused. One of his duties was protecting the prophets and so far he was doing a piss-poor job. “Has Talen found Prophet Guiles yet?”

Conn shook his head. “No.”

The chair creaked in protest when Dage sat forward. “Prophet Milner? Did the Kurjans who captured you say anything about Guiles?”

The prophet shook his head. “No. There was a pinch to my neck and I was out cold. I woke up bound in the room where you found me.” Bound and gagged. Their spiritual leader treated like a prisoner.

Kane’s cell buzzed and he lifted the phone to his ear for a short conversation. His gaze met Dage’s and he snapped the phone shut. “The prophet’s blood is clean. As is mine.”

“No sign of the virus?” Lily asked.

“None. Though we need a full twenty-four hours to make sure.”

“Well, I’m sure he hasn’t been infected.” Lily stood and assisted Milner to his feet. “Samuel has been debriefed and should probably get some rest.” She escorted the prophet to the door where guards waited. “Please inform us if you hear anything about Prophet Guiles.” The door shut quietly behind them.

Conn sat back, his gaze narrowing on the king. “What the fuck’s your problem?”

Dage lifted an eyebrow as he faced two of his brothers across the table. “Excuse me?”

Sharp canines flashed in a parody of a smile. “Stop being the king for a minute. What’s wrong?” Conn pushed his chair back.

“I need a workout.” Dage flashed his own teeth. Apparently the battle hadn’t been enough for him. He still needed to hit something.

Conn shot to his feet. “Excellent. I suggest you forget you’re the king while we’re sparring, because I already have.” Two strides had him throwing open the doors. “I’ll meet you in the gym.” He didn’t look back.

Dage cut his gaze to Kane. “Care to join in?”

“Hell no.” Kane rubbed his chin. “You’re both pissed, and I’m sure I’ll need to be the voice of reason after you pummel the shit out of each other.” He stood, his eyes narrowing. “Besides. I owe Talen a beating. We’re meeting up in an hour. Clean up your blood when you’re finished, please.”

They rose and Dage reached the door first. “You’re still mad at Talen?”

Kane shrugged. “No. But he needs to hit something and I need to train, so the gym seemed like a good idea.”

“I may stick around to watch,” Dage mused. Talen fought with heat and strategy while Kane owned cold logic. Both men were deadly. It’d be a good fight. “Ah, when Emma ignored protocol and entered the main lab without a protective suit, she got cut by a broken vial.”

Kane stopped cold. “Excuse me?” Incredulous purple eyes flashed. “Did the vial initially hold the virus?”

“We couldn’t tell. She’s taken her blood and so far there’s no sign of the virus, but the whole floor including the broken glass had been contaminated by bleach.” Dage rubbed a hand over his chin, quelling fear. Damn but he couldn’t lose her now. “I’ve issued orders she’s not allowed out of the family quarters.”

“That seems harsh. Plus it’ll delay our research significantly.” Kane shrugged and headed down the hallway, calling over his shoulder, “You might want to rethink that decision, King.”

Dage was allowing emotion to cloud logic, and he knew it. He turned the other way, his mind spinning while he sprinted down the cement stairwell and past the pool to the sparring room with its thick black mats. He had no sooner entered the gym when a heavy body tackled him to the ground while plunging a fist into his jaw.

With a growl, Dage flipped Conn over his head and leaped to his feet, wiping blood off his chin. “That how you want it?”

Conn rolled to his feet, his eyes narrowing and a dangerous grin lighting his face. “No rules.”

“Agreed.” The king lunged.

Emma paced back and forth, fury making breathing difficult.

“You need to settle down,” Cara said from her perch on the broad leather sofa. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”

“Settle down?” Emma whirled toward her sister, her heart beating against her ribs. “He locked me inside here.”

Cara glanced around the spacious suite decorated in early antiques. “We’ve been locked in much worse.” Her voice came out breathy and weak, as if she had to struggle to force out sound.

Emma huffed out an irritated breath. “I wasn’t thinking about the closet Daddy used to lock us in. The prick.”

“Then what were you thinking about?” The dark circles marring her skin did nothing to detract from the intelligence in Cara’s blue eyes.

“I trusted Dage. I trusted him to understand my job and look what happened.” Emma swept an arm out. “I’m locked in.”

“Well. He let me visit.” Cara shivered and grabbed a blanket to cover her legs.

“Bully for him.” Concern slid down Emma’s spine. The room was plenty warm, but Cara must be chilled. Not good.

Cara bit her lip. “I’m mad at you, too.”

Emma stopped pacing. “Why?”

“Why?” Cara jumped to her feet, letting the blanket slide to the floor. “Why? You dumbass. What if the glass that cut you had the virus on it? What if you’ve been infected now? Why would you put yourself in such danger?” Her voice rose to a shout at the end and she settled her hands on her hips.

Emma took a step back. “I had a duty to save Devon. It would’ve taken twenty minutes minimum for the computer system to be reprogrammed to let anyone but me in.” She refused to consider the possibility that she might be infected. The weakness in her limbs was from pure anger toward Dage. And exhaustion. She hadn’t slept in much too long.

“Who the hell said that was your job?” Cara grabbed a sofa pillow in one hand.

Anger boiled through Emma’s stomach, and she ruthlessly stamped the fury down. “I’m in charge of the lab. It is my job.”

The pillow nailed her full in the face. Cara grabbed another one. “You could’ve called for the guards, or at least put on a protective suit. But no.”

Emma tossed the chenille projectile to the floor. She would not throw something at a pregnant woman. “I did what I had to do. And curing this virus is the only consideration on my mind.” But when her sister had recuperated after giving birth, they were going to spar.

Cara breathed deep. “You weren’t just worried about Devon. You ran in there to make sure your data was safe.”

“Of course.” Did Cara not understand the fact that the virus was replicating itself, getting stronger, preparing to rip apart her DNA right this very second?

Cara glared. “We’re not kids anymore.”

“I’m well aware of our ages.”

“I do not need you to put yourself between me and danger any more, Emma.”

Her sister could barely stand up she was so weak. “Yes, you do. We’re family.”

“You won’t let Dage stand before you.”

“The situation isn’t the same.”

“The hell it isn’t. He wants to protect you the same way you want to protect me and Janie.” Cara stomped her foot. She actually stomped her freakin’ foot. “You’re not letting him.”

Emma sighed. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Cara deflated like an old balloon and sat back down on the couch, her hand trembling as she grabbed the blanket.

Emma sank her teeth into her lip. “What if I get used to him and then he leaves? Or I leave him?” If death won the little battle coming up next spring, she’d be blown to bits.

Cara pinched her nose. “For someone so smart, you are so stupid. He isn’t going to hurt you. Not all men are like Daddy.”

“Jesus. I know that.”

A soft gaze pinned her in place as Cara focused. “Do you? Or is this all about something else?”

Unease fluttered along Emma’s skin. “No.”

“Really? Maybe you’re still blaming yourself. Maybe you think you shouldn’t find happiness.” Cara paled further even as she straightened her shoulders.

“I’m done discussing this.”

“No, you’re not. What happened wasn’t your fault. Let go of the past.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Why did she have the sudden urge to lose her lunch?

Cara sighed. “Of course you do. You’ve shared your visions with me before, Em. I’m sure you had one about the day our parents died.”

Emma sank to the floor, her hands clutching the oak coffee table and her gaze on Cara. “You knew?”

“I guessed. I’d thought you dealt with the situation, but maybe not.”

Tears filled Emma’s eyes. “I let them die.” She shook her head. “Mama was supposed to be safe at the library—I had no idea she’d be in the car.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered if you told either of them, Em.” Cara reached forward and clasped Emma’s hands. “Mama would’ve told him, he would’ve beat the crap out of you, and then gone on his normal way. There was no way to save them.” She squeezed. “Deep down you know the truth.”

Emma squeezed back. “I was afraid to tell you.”

“I should’ve brought up this issue, but I thought it was in the past.” Cara brushed a curl off her face. “I think I understand what’s going on here. So if you’re not risking yourself, not being the front line of defense”—Cara tilted her head—“what good are you to any of us?”

Emma gasped. “What do you mean?”

Cara shook her head sadly. “You protected me. You’ve cared for and helped me protect Janie.” Her lips trembled. “Emma. You matter all by yourself. You don’t need to stand in front of danger to matter. I love you just for being the pain in the ass you naturally are.”

“I know.”

“So does Dage.”

“He still had no right to lock me in here.”

Cara nodded. “We’re going to use some serious effort bringing those guys into the current century.” She snuggled back into the sofa. “So, tell me about your current research.”

“The virus binds itself to the chromosomes like it has glue all over it.” Emma’s shoulders slumped. “We can’t get to it. At least we can’t without using magic.”

“Magic?” A small grin lit Cara’s face. “So. Tell me about Moira.”

Dage wiped blood off his face with his ripped shirt, his back against the cool wall. “I can’t see out of my left eye.” He blinked several times to make sure. Nope. Pure darkness. Closing his lid, he concentrated on sending healing cells to the tissue.

Conn grunted next to him. “I think you broke my jaw.”

An attempt at a grin had Dage wincing when his lip split further in two. “Sorry.” He’d had to throw more than one serious punch to impact Conn’s stubborn jaw.

“No worries,” his brother said cheerfully. “This was fun.”

Dage shook his head and could actually hear his brain rattle against his skull. “You have an odd idea about fun.” He closed both eyes and began to heal the concussions. Lights flashed behind his lids while pain ripped through his system. Healing hurt almost as much as sustaining the original injury. Conn hit hard.

Conn shrugged and then groaned when three loud pops pierced the silence. “Broken ribs.” He exhaled loudly. “All better.”

Dage had felt those shatter against his knuckles. “Good.” He opened his one good eye, pleased it didn’t fall out of his head. “Should we talk now?”

“Sure. You go first.” Conn sucked in air with a whistling sound, no doubt repairing a fallen lung.

The shredded knuckles on Dage’s right hand began to mend together. “Emma rushed into a destroyed lab to save a human scientist as well as her damn research without observing any safety measures. She was injured.” And possibly infected with the damn virus. Fear clawed through Dage’s gut.

Conn grabbed his nose and twisted the cartilage back into shape with a loud crack. “That sucks. Though she is trying to save her sister.” Another pop reformed his eye socket.

“We could both save her sister.”

“Yeah. I assume that’s a learned behavior.”

“Meaning?”

“From what Cara has said about their childhood, I’m thinking Emma’s first instinct isn’t to run for help. To trust anyone else to help.” Conn straightened his legs and crossed them at the ankles. Blood soaked through the denim in several places. “She needs to learn to do so—to change brain patterns.”

“Humph. I hadn’t thought of her situation that way.” Dage’s shoulder popped back into the socket with a jar that had him clenching his jaw.

“Sure.” Conn’s collarbone snapped back into place. “We had mother, father, and each other. Someone always had our backs. Emma had a younger sister to protect—that’s all. She’s doing what she did to survive her childhood.”

Conn understood Emma better than Dage did. “I am such an asshole.”

“True. But you love the woman. It’s okay not to think straight.”

Dage set his other shoulder back in alignment. “Your turn. Why don’t you get your ass to Ireland and bring back your witch?”

Conn grinned. “We’re at war with two nations—I’ve been trying to avoid a third.”

Ah, damn it. He should’ve known Conn would put the Realm before his own happiness. “When you’re ready to go, we go.” He still had his brother’s back.

“I know. She just finished her final training last year. I thought perhaps she’d come to me at that time.” Genuine surprise flashed across Conn’s battered face.

Dage chuckled. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works. You’ll need to make the effort to bring her back—that much I know.” Women were complicated and mates were that—times a hundred. There should be a guidebook.

Conn nodded. “Yeah. I had hoped to ease her into the thought, but now that she’s in danger, well ...”

Dage stood and tugged his brother up. They swayed for a moment. “We go when you’re ready.”

Talen loped inside the door and stopped cold with Kane right behind him. “Jesus. Who won?”

“Was a draw,” they answered at once, then broke into chuckles of laughter.

Kane shook his head. “You’re both concussed.”

Jase darted through the door, his shoes squishing the thick mat. “Damn. I missed the fight.” He handed Dage a grape energy drink.

“Thanks.” Dage clapped an arm around Jase’s shoulders. “No worries. We’ll do it again. By the way, you’re now appointed as liaison to the Realm.”

Jase stepped back. “What?”

Dage wiped blood off his cheek. “Kane made it clear not too long ago that I’m not using your talents. One of those talents is pure charm.” Dage chuckled at Jase’s frown. “We’re at war with the Kurjans, possibly with the demons, we’re going to be at war with the Irish coven soon, and the Bane’s Council is going to be beyond pissed if they find out about Maggie.” He limped toward the door, glancing over his shoulder at his youngest brother. “Our allies and our enemies need a face and a contact with the Realm. Congratulations brother. You’re it.”

“Damn,” Jase breathed, even as first Conn, then Talen clapped him on the back with chuckled congratulations.

Kane remained off to the side. “Ah, well, I meant my comment in a good way. I didn’t think—” The rest of his sentence was cut short when Jase body checked him and both men went sprawling across the mats.

“Hey. I’m supposed to kick Kane’s ass,” Talen grumbled.

“Me first,” Jase said, punching Kane in the jaw.

Dage would like to stay and watch the brawl, but he had work to do.

Then he’d deal with his mate.