Sweet Reckoning

CHAPTER TEN WORRIES APLENTY

We opted to stay in the hotel room awhile longer now that the whisper was gone, but we knew we’d have to leave soon.

Kaidan stretched out on his back and looked longingly at my lap, which was at the perfect level to lay his head. I would have loved to run my fingers through his hair again, but didn’t want to take any chances. Having him there with me felt unreal. I expected him to be snatched away at any moment. I never fully relaxed, always tense and waiting for a dark spirit or enemy Neph.

“What happens now?” I asked.

“I have to go back to L.A.” His voice mirrored my sadness. “But I don’t want to leave you.”

“You must be tired.”

He pulled my hand under the covers and twined our fingers together. “I’ll sleep on the plane.”

I needed to be strong, but after experiencing how easily two Neph could overpower me, the thought of being alone was more frightening than ever.

“I haven’t heard from my dad,” I said. “I’m starting to worry. He’s gone a long time without calling before, but never when things were this serious.”

Kaidan sighed, sitting up and facing me, never letting go of my hand.

“I have news about that. They’re trying to get him kicked off earth.”

My stomach sank.

“Father flew me to Atlanta yesterday morning. He said you and Belial are suspected traitors, and that there were Neph and whisperers tracking you. I was sent with that bloody demon to confirm your lack of purity. I imagine they’ve got other trackers on your father, giving him hell.”

I rubbed my forehead, the twinge of a headache coming on. I felt like Kaidan was giving me the abridged version by the way he stared off in thought.

“What else did he say to you?” I asked. I studied his serious face.

He hesitated.

“Tell me.”

“There was nothing more about your father.”

He was staring at my hands, not meeting my eyes. I scooted closer and forced my face into his line of sight.

“I don’t want any secrets between us.”

“It’s not a secret, Anna. Just something not worth upsetting you about.”

I crossed my arms and sat up straight. He took in my stern face. If there was anything I couldn’t stand, it was being left in the dark, and he knew it.

He shook his head, eyes staring at the ceiling as if exasperated.

“Let’s just say my father expects you to have no trace of purity left after our meeting today.”

I had expected that was the case when he showed, but knowing what it meant, made me tremble. The prophecy called for a Neph who was pure of heart. Kaidan’s father had sent him to be sure I would never be able to fulfill the prophecy. So when the truth came out, someday, that I was still pure of heart, still able to fight the Dukes and send them back to hell, Kaidan would be to blame. And just like with Flynn, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.

I couldn’t breathe. I had to stand up. I paced in front of the bed.

“Anna . . .”

“Pharzuph will kill you as soon as he gets a whiff of me, won’t he?”

“You’ll be dead on the spot were his words,” Kaidan deadpanned.

I stopped and leaned my palms on the desk, letting my head hang.

Kaidan came up behind me, kneading my shoulders with his warm hands.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said gently. “You won’t see him again anytime soon, luv. Not until it’s time to fulfill the prophecy, and by then it won’t matter.”

I turned to face him. “But what if I do see him? He’ll go after you right away. They’re not taking any chances this time, Kai.”

I felt caught in an invisible net. Kaidan’s life was linked to my ability to use the sword. We were all intricately involved, like it or not.

“So much has happened,” I whispered.

“Tell me everything.”

I told him about Marek and Caterina being sent, and the constant barrage of whisperers. So much had happened in the few days since we’d spoken. Worst of all was Marna—my eyes burned when I thought about her.

Kaidan had no idea.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face to his chest. His arms went around me as well.

“I need to tell you something,” I whispered.

I felt the muscles under my hands and cheek tense. I held him tighter.

“Say it.”

My phone rang, startling me, and I yanked myself away from Kaidan to grab it.

“Marna,” I whispered. What timing.

Kaidan and I stood there, watching each other. I knew he’d be using his heightened hearing to listen.

“Hey,” I said.

“Oh, Anna.” She sounded like she’d been crying. “She’s still not back and she won’t answer her phone. It’s been over a day, and I’m too scared to wait any longer. I’m going to her.”

Kai stepped closer, his eyebrows tightly knit with concern and confusion.

I thought about Dad and what he’d done when our ally Zania was in trouble. Her own father, Duke Sonellion, had given up on her because of her alcoholic ways, and he left her to be beaten and sold into slavery somewhere in the Middle East. But Dad sent a group to help bail her out. Of course, her rescue had led to the eventual death of one of them. . . .

“Are there any Dukes in California?” I asked. “Blake’s dad?”

Kai shook his head just as Marna said, “No. It was on the news. He died last night and left his fortune to his only son.”

I shivered. Blake’s dad, Duke Melchom, was most likely spiriting his way around China, his new duty station, looking for a new body to possess.

“All the Dukes should be back in their respective areas,” Kaidan said. “What’s going on?”

“Is that Kai? What’s he doing there?”

“Yes, it’s him. Hold on.” I looked at Kai. “Can you call Blake and see if he answers? We think Ginger’s with him.”

Now he raised both eyebrows, starting to understand, though he had no idea what had sent her running there. Kaidan turned and dialed Blake. It rang and rang, then went to voice mail.

“Ring me back straight away,” Kaidan said to the machine, then hung up and shook his head at me.

“Listen,” I said to Marna. “I’m going to meet you out there. I think it’s going to take more than just you to break the two of them apart.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” she asked.

I was sure it was dangerous, but at this point nowhere felt safe. I couldn’t sit back and watch Blake and Ginger get themselves killed. Whisperers were bound to find them together soon, if they hadn’t already.

“I’m sure,” I said. “I’ll leave right away and call you when my flight arrives. We’ll go to Blake’s together.”

“I’m going,” Kaidan said.

I bit back a smile and said to Marna, “Make that three of us.”

We disconnected and I fired up my laptop to buy a plane ticket. Kaidan and I decided we’d drive to the Roanoke airport separately to avoid being spotted together, but it was a small airport with a minimal number of flights, so we’d have to take the same one. I remembered Dad once saying that the whisperers stayed low to earth, so I felt remotely safe at the idea of being in the skies with Kai.

“Did Gin go mad when she found out Blake’s engaged?” Kaidan asked.

I stopped shoving stuff into my bag and faced him.

“She was upset about that, but it’s not what sent her over the edge.”

“So, what did?”

It felt like a boulder was weighing down my chest. I’d been selfishly avoiding this moment. I saw the tick of nervousness in Kaidan’s jaw. It was going to break his heart to lose one of his oldest and dearest friends.

“The twins had a . . . disagreement.”

“About?”

I swallowed, barely able to get the words out. “Marna’s pregnant.”

Kai stared at me with big eyes and a slow shake of his head like he wanted to argue the possibility. And then his eyes glassed over.

“I sensed it,” I said. “And it’s Jay’s.”

“Bloody hell.” He fell back to a sitting position on the bed, raking a hand through his hair as his body tensed from the shock of the news. He searched around the room as if lost before putting his elbows on his knees and letting his face fall into his hands. I knew the helplessness he was experiencing.

For one horrified moment I thought I’d see him cry for the first time, which would have obliterated my heart, but when he looked up, his eyes were red and dry. I felt horrible bearing this news to everyone. In a way, this whole thing was my fault. If I hadn’t taken the twins to Jay’s club that night . . .

“Come here,” Kaidan said, reaching out a hand.

I took it and let him pull me to his lap. I hugged him around the neck.

“It’s not your fault.”

I choked up. “How did you know what I was thinking?”

“You have that sad, guilty look on your face, but you’re guilty of nothing. It’s better to know these things sooner rather than later.”

It was true that Jay’d been able to start preparing right away, which was good, but every other aspect was tragic. I couldn’t imagine a world without Marna’s smile. And it was horribly unfair that they’d fallen in love, only to be soon torn apart. And the baby left without its mother, just like we’d all been. I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

I wondered if Jay and Patti were in Virginia now, staying safe.

“It’s my fault they got together. I didn’t think they’d move so fast, and if I’d known she could get pregnant—”

“Sh, Anna. Those two always fancied each other, yeah? This whole thing is horrid, but you can’t stop the inevitable.”

Even in his heartbroken state over Marna, Kaidan sounded reassuring and strong. I let myself hold him while I got my emotions in check. So much was happening, and everything was at stake. We needed to get to Santa Barbara as soon as possible.

“We better go,” I whispered. I promised to tell him everything on the plane. And then we’d both have plenty to worry about.