Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World: Book 2 Page 3

  Why would her intruder have stood around asking for information and fighting demons when he could have just shifted and flown away with her clutched in his dragon’s claws?

  Too many questions and not enough answers.

  She shoved Cavan and the intruder aside for the moment to concentrate on how to spirit Fenella out of this area safely.

  First she had to find her friend. What if she didn’t find her?

  Casidhe swallowed a lump of emotion clogging her throat.

  Negative thinking would not save Fenella. Only getting busy reaching the centre as fast as she could would help. She’d be able to use the desk phone at the centre.

  Ignoring the ache in her legs, she picked up her pace to jog faster this time. She’d pay later for pushing her body so hard tonight, but her gut screamed that Fenella was not at the goat farm.

  After an hour, Casidhe stumbled forward and dropped to her knees, heaving breaths. She had a cramp in her side. Her legs were spent and she needed water.

  Tears stung her eyes.

  Time ticked away with every labored breath.

  Chapter 4

  “What the hell are you doing out here before dark?” Quinn shouted at Evalle.

  She finished cleaning her spelled dagger on a dead demon, one that had not disintegrated into flames and ash.

  She’d killed it near the old train tracks in a rundown area beneath the surface streets of downtown Atlanta.

  Her killing a demon was SOP.

  But performing that task just after one in the afternoon could be fatal for her if any of the dark clouds overhead allowed sun to come through.

  “Don’t panic,” Evalle murmured with her head down. “’Sposed to rain all day.”

  “Rain? You think that’s going to protect you from turning into a charcoal briquette?” He loved her like a little sister, but unlike other Alterant-gryphons with glowing green eyes, she had a deadly reaction to the sun. “The minute a cloud clears one tiny spot—”

  “Adrianna!” Evalle called out.

  Ten feet away, the deadliest witch Quinn knew of appeared out of nowhere in snug denims, a fitted red shirt with a collar, and her white-blond hair pulled back in an all-business look.

  “I was right here,” Adrianna complained, shoving a phone she’d been tapping on into her back pocket. “Sorry, Quinn. I had us cloaked for her to get close enough to the Imortik. Then she wanted out to fight it. I was keeping an eye on the weather.”

  Evalle stood with a smile in place below the special dark glasses she wore to protect her unnaturally bright eyes. “What’s up, Quinn?”

  “I need to leave Atlanta for a bit. Daegan and Tristan were following a lead on their hunt for the grimoire. They were in County Galway, Ireland where they split up to follow different people. Tristan was captured. Daegan said the being Tristan followed had glamoured his identity and cloaked a conversation with the woman Daegan followed.”

  As Quinn spoke, Evalle’s smile fell.

  She had no poker face. When she worried about someone, her emotions rolled into action. “I’ll go, too.”

  “Daegan knows that, but he needs you more here right now. We both do. I’d like you to take my place as Maistir while I’m gone.”

  “Me?” She looked queasy.

  “Yes, you. Why not?”

  Adrianna also turned a frown on her. “Yes. Why not you?”

  Evalle returned her dagger to its sheath at her hip and shoved scattered strands of hair off her face. She lifted her ball cap from where it had fallen on the ground and shoved it back in place. Her vintage short-sleeved khaki shirt known as BDU, or Battle Dress Uniform, had gone through a tough patrol tonight based on the claw marks. Dried bloody handprints decorated her black jeans and her boots always looked scuffed.

  Blowing out a breath, she shrugged. “I guess so if I’m the only one you can find.”

  Adrianna rolled her eyes.

  Quinn gave a little shake of his head. “I can find plenty of Beladors. I suggested for you to take over, because you are the best choice as interim Maistir. Daegan agreed immediately with my suggestion. Is there a reason you can’t do this?”

  “Of course not.” She narrowed her eyes at his insult.

  He smiled. “Glad you agree with us.”

  Covering her mouth with a delicate hand, Adrianna snorted. Of course, she also used that hand to wield Witchlock, a power that could wipe out a city with little effort. She taunted, “Wait until Storm finds out he’s sleeping with the North American Belador Maistir.”

  Quinn smiled in spite of wanting to finish here and move on.

  “Okay, okay. Very funny, you two.” At the sound of a noise, Evalle looked around the run-down area she used to travel through to reach her apartment beneath one of the crumbling buildings.

  Just a homeless man digging through a garbage can.

  Quinn had offered her nicer accommodations time and again, but it had taken her mating with Storm to abandon the basement home she’d preferred for her pet gargoyle.

  Now she and Storm had refurbished a four-story building closer to the center of the city and Feenix had a floor to himself.

  Quinn checked his phone. Still no return call from Reese. His gut always defaulted to her being injured. Not a realistic reaction unless the woman you cared deeply for was nonhuman and a living demon magnet, as was his case.

  Patience. That was key with her.

  She never called just to say hello.

  One of her less endearing traits, but he could live with that if she’d just answer the damn phone sometimes. “Now that I’ve got you set, I need to find Reese.”

  He’d turned to leave when Evalle blurted out, “Is anything up with her and Phoedra?”

  Evalle thought of Quinn as family, which meant in turn, she treated Phoedra and Reese as family. She would step in to protect them with her life if she thought they needed her.

  He paused, angling back around to assure her, “No, but thank you for asking. Daegan thinks Reese can help him find Tristan.” Tossing a look in Adrianna’s direction, Quinn added, “I’m exceptionally pleased you are working with Evalle, Adrianna.”

  “Happy to do it.” Adrianna seemed amused at the interplay between Quinn and Evalle. Someone might confuse her with being relaxed, but her instincts had only gotten sharper with Witchlock.

  Then he gave Evalle his no-bullshit voice. “But before I go, Evalle, I want your word you’ll have backup every single time you are outside your building from here on.”

  “Don’t hover, Quinn.” Evalle lifted her eyebrows in a defiant motion. She’d fought hard for her independence and relinquished not an inch without a battle.

  “I’m not hovering,” he snapped. “I’m telling you what I do as Maistir. If I put myself at risk with no backup, then I put all our people in jeopardy if I am taken down during an unexpected attack.”

  “Oh.” She frowned. “I’m not used to thinking that way.”

  “You should be,” he admonished. “You have Storm, Feenix, and many others who depend upon you. It’s sort of like being Maistir of your family.”

  “I know you’re right,” Evalle admitted. “I’m just anxious to get Renata and the others back. I’m worried about Devon and that stupid deadline the Tribunal set. Now Daegan has to find Tristan.” Her lips flattened in a hard line. She dropped her hand to the hilt of her dagger, gripping the weapon then flexing her fingers with frustration. “What are we going to do if Daegan isn’t back by Wednesday’s deadline? The Tribunal will kill Devon.”

  “We will not allow that to happen. The sooner I grab Reese and head out, the sooner I can be back to deal with the Tribunal if Daegan can’t.”

  “Got it.” Evalle stepped up and gave Quinn a hug, whispering close to his ear. “Fix the problem between you and Reese while you’re together, okay? She looks sad even when she tries to hide it.”

  Quinn swallowed his own lump of sadness, disappointed with himself for having not figured out what was going on with Reese by now.
He missed her and his daughter. He had a loaded plate at the moment, but he would not make this trip to Ireland with Reese and return home without sorting things out between them.

  He gave Evalle what he hoped was a look of confidence he didn’t feel. “Fixing things with Reese is on my list.”

  Evalle’s phone buzzed. She snatched it from her back pocket. “Why didn’t you call me telepathically, Trey?”

  She yanked the phone from her ear where Trey snarled at her, “Because I’m talking to others telepathically right now.”

  She pulled it back. “Sorry. Got it. Just text if that’s easier.” She listened, nodding as she did. “On the way.” Shoving the phone into her pocket, she told Quinn, “Let us know what happens with Tristan.”

  Rain started falling for which Quinn said a word of thanks. Anything to keep the sun from Evalle. “I’ll inform Trey and I’ll let you know when I return.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Evalle turned to Adrianna. “Ready to cloak? We’re headed to Centennial Park.”

  “I’m on it.” Adrianna waved her fingertips. “Bye, Quinn.”

  They disappeared from sight.

  Quinn turned the opposite way. With no humans in sight except the homeless guy now curled up on the ground facing away, he leaped across weeds and debris to reach a road used by delivery trucks on the opposite side from the tracks.

  He tried Reese’s phone again, letting it ring until her voice message came on. “Not here.” Click.

  Was she really that undisciplined about listening for phone calls and returning texts?

  Or just his calls and texts?

  He’d left plenty of messages over the last two weeks, asking for a time the two of them could sit down and talk. Reese had worked brilliantly with him to save his daughter when a nonhuman kidnapped her before Quinn had ever met his child. Then with the support of some mysterious guardian Phoedra’s mother had put in place before Phoedra’s birth, Reese ended up living next door to Phoedra and her foster mother in California. Phoedra became close with Reese when his daughter started dog sitting Reese’s massive mutt. The woman caring for Phoedra had belonged to her elusive guardian Quinn had never met.

  When the smoke cleared, Reese was the one person Phoedra had bonded with over the past year when she’d had no idea who her parents were.

  He understood that Phoedra needed time to adjust to everything. She’d been just as uninformed of having a father as he’d been about having a thirteen-year-old daughter.

  Still, it hurt to miss even more time with her. He’d gained and lost his daughter all at the same time.

  As long as Phoedra was safe and wanted for nothing, he had to be patient and allow her the time she needed to come to him on her own.

  He only wished to get to know her and for his child to enjoy her life after all she’d survived.

  Rain continued to sprinkle as he climbed the last stretch of road that ascended to the surface streets of Atlanta. He texted his driver the location to pick him up.

  Traffic whizzed by at a steady pace. Humans living normal lives.

  He’d always been proud to be a Belador and had no desire to give it up even if he could, but there were days he’d like to be just some Joe coming home from work to his family.

  Standing under an overhang to avoid becoming slowly soaked, he sent another call which reached Reese’s voicemail yet again. This time he left a message. “Please call me as soon as you get this, Reese. It’s extremely important.”

  While Reese made him crazy on a daily basis, he could not ask for a better protector to watch over his daughter. She had an energy inside of her that drew demons to her like flies to honey.

  That same energy killed demons.

  What if Reese went up against multiple demons taken over by Imortiks roaming Atlanta? Quinn shuddered at that possibility.

  As a black sedan pulled up, he stepped to the curb and opened a door to the backseat. He told his driver, “I’m going to Reese and Phoedra’s apartment.” His driver knew the way.

  Quinn tapped the number for Lanna next. His twenty-year-old cousin from Romania loved her phone and always answered if she had it close by.

  “Cousin!” Lanna’s bubbly voice and accented broken English never failed to brightened his world.

  “Hello, Lanna. Are you—”

  Her voice abruptly changed to a hush. “You are not good. I can feel problem. What is trouble? I will help.”

  That young woman would never be accused of lacking courage. If anything, she raced into trouble without hesitation if it meant saving someone in her circle of friends and family, or even an innocent stranger.

  He was surrounded by fiercely protective women. Not that he didn’t love that quality, but he constantly worried about them diving into danger.

  Washing a hand over his tired face, he attempted to calm her down. “I’m fine, Lanna. I’m just looking for Reese.”

  “You do not tell truth.”

  “Lanna.” Little got by that one, but right now was not the time for her to poke her nose into his business.

  “Fine, Cousin. She is with Phoedra.”

  “I figured that, but I can’t get an answer when I call Reese’s phone.”

  Lanna didn’t speak at first, which was strange in itself because she always had something to say. “Did you tell her about dark power in city?”

  “I left a message last night for her and Phoedra to stay inside until I had time to tell them what was going on. I said I’d call today.”

  “Reese said you call all the time. I fear she ignores phone when she sees your name.”

  He clamped his lips against the curse ready to launch from his lips. Buildings went by at a slow clip in the busy downtown traffic. When he had time, he’d normally prefer walking, but he hadn’t wanted to risk this conversation in public.

  “Do not get angry, Cousin,” Lanna said in a quiet voice. “Reese is not in happy place.”

  He lost his focus on anger and keyed into Lanna’s words. “What’s going on with Reese? Is she having some issue with the demon energy inside her? Did that damned Veronika hurt her when we fought that bloody witch to save Phoedra?”

  “Stop, Cousin,” Lanna said in a soft voice, but Quinn felt power roll through the request. He’d never experienced a push of power over a phone connection. Like everyone else in his family, he had no idea from whom Lanna inherited her powers. She had far more than anything her mother would have passed down.

  No one knew who Lanna’s father was, not even her mother, who had been missing for most of a year and returned with no memory of her time away, or how she became pregnant.

  “I will call Reese,” Lanna offered. “I will explain danger. Evalle told me about Imortiks just today. If I had thought Reese would not know by now, I would have called her. I am sorry.”

  “This is not your fault, Lanna. It’s mine.” Maybe he should have left a more specific message, but he hadn’t wanted to panic his daughter. “I’ve been out of step with everyone since Phoedra showed up, but I plan to fix that, too. Right now, I have to help Daegan. To accomplish that, I wish to ask a favor of you.” He forced a calm to push off his irritation. No one needed that from him right now.

  “What can I do?”

  “I’m going to ask Phoedra to go to Treoir realm so that Reese can go with me to help Daegan.” He paused. “Do you know any reason I shouldn’t ask Reese if she would be willing to use her remote viewing for Daegan?”

  Lanna hesitated again. “No. If Reese does not want to do this, she will say so.”

  He deliberated a moment, then continued, “I’d like you to also go to Treoir realm so Phoedra will feel comfortable. Would you please do that?”

  “Of course, Cousin. Garwyli told me to return soon. He teaches me when I am there.”

  “Excellent. Thank you. Where are you right now?”

  “At Evalle and Storm’s building, in my apartment. I must pack and tell them where I am going, and let Feenix know. I am ready in five minutes.”

&
nbsp; One task done. “Terrific. When you want to teleport, have Evalle contact Trey McCree. He’ll ask Brina to teleport you to Treoir.”

  “I will, Cousin, but I have request.”

  “What is it?”

  “You must make peace with Reese on this trip. It will be important for ... everyone.”

  Hair tingled on Quinn’s neck.

  Lanna never said anything without reason and could be the most cryptic person when she wanted to be. His gut lurched with worry, but he couldn’t put a finger on why. His voice came out harsher than intended. “You know what’s going on with Reese, don’t you?”

  Lanna sighed noisily. “Her business not mine to tell.”

  Could he get that in writing? When had Lanna ever thought anyone’s business was not hers to interfere with when she deemed it necessary?

  She picked now to avoid butting in?

  Quinn cupped his head, trying to keep the mounting tension from blowing the top of his head off. The women in his life drove him crazy.

  “Thank you for helping me, Lanna. I mean that. I don’t often take the time to let you know how much you do for everyone, but I should. You are one of the best people in my life.”

  He heard a sniffle from Lanna. “You too, Cousin. Go to Reese and Phoedra’s apartment. I will make sure they are home in ten minutes, if they are not now.”

  Quinn sat back and rubbed the tight muscles in his neck.

  Where could Reese be if she was not at home? Probably in Piedmont Park walking that bloody mutt.

  Lanna had been correct.

  The time had come to make peace.

  The time had also come for him to let go of his anger. Lanna had called it right. He’d been angry since finding out he had a daughter, then learning that some mysterious and powerful guardian who had watched over his child since birth had handed Reese responsibility for Phoedra’s wellbeing.

  Not him.

  Quinn had managed to move them from an apartment the guardian had given them into a high-rise protected by Beladors. Quinn could not sleep at night unless his daughter had equal, or better, accommodations and security.

  In retrospect, he might have been heavy-handed.

  Another side effect of feeling punched in the gut.