9. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Nina
When Torrin had discovered Derek was missing, he’d thrown a tantrum of epic proportions.
Every contact on the Citizens’ bankroll had been directed to locate him at any cost. Remmus had eagerly played raccoon in the chicken coop, disrupting their attempts, encrypting their emails, and downloading vicious malware onto their devices.
Nina had rarely seen Remmus enjoy himself so much, and that was saying something.
Arguably more important was that the Raeth who’d aligned with the Citizens couldn’t teleport to Derek. Having undergone an extensive psychological change, Derek no longer registered under the same psychic signature.
It was several days ago that Key had revealed that the Citizen’s Raeth was named Rayn Orlov. Though it was clear she knew more about their immortal enemy, she refused to further identify him, much to everyone’s chagrin.
Key kept her secrets, and Nina knew as well as anyone what they meant.
Spring had barely begun to bloom in Missouri where Nina lived, but on Oahu, it was perpetually green. She rarely saw it from Nero’s basement archives. Having already scrubbed her own, and visited Caius’ for the same conclusion, she had had little hope Nero’s documents would be any different.
The dusty tomes in the archive of the Hawaiian sovereign’s home had proven fruitful, and shockingly well preserved for historical documents in an island climate.
A cracked spine settled on the tabletop before her. Pages brittle with age were gently turned with as much reverence as she could manage. She poured over the content. Little had been written about the topic she needed to research, and what was documented in this book was far more whimsical than informational.
Her attention snagged on a snippet of text written hundreds of years ago, its author unknown. Nina squinted to decipher the meaning while she hummed in concentration. The dark ink had gradually lightened over time, making it barely visible against the withered paper.
The volumes around her had been compiled by a hundred different authors during a hundred different immortal lives. Each voice was unique, and every historian had their own style.
Some were fact-oriented while others were biased in their individual preferences or experiences. Firsthand reports sat next to legends handed down through generations. Only a small subset of the texts were written on abstract ideas or concepts rarely explored.
Nina was after the latter.
She traced a finger underneath the old Raethi writing. While her comprehension was rusty, she could still understand the concepts well enough. Two hours into it, she realized that the text proved far less valuable than she’d originally thought.
Her eyes began to blur after the third volume, and she reclined in her seat to heave a heavy sigh. Distantly, she was aware of the incoming footsteps, their owner intent on intruding on her study session.
Key.
“Enjoying your time on Oahu, Nina?”
Grimacing at the far-too enthusiastic sound of the foreseer’s voice, Nina made a noncommittal noise. “I’d enjoy more of it if I actually found what I needed.”
“Valid.” Across the table, Key slid into the wooden library chair with a squeak. “Nothing yet?”
“Very little. What I have found is more fanciful than based in reality. I’m hoping something in this archive will prove beneficial, but if you’ve already searched them, I’ll happily cease and desist.”
“I’ve rarely had occasion to look through them,” came Key’s sober answer. “Your research must be your own.” Then, she changed topics. “What’ve you heard from Isaiah?”
“From the little he’s shared on his own investigations, I know he’s found some success with his.” She shook her head, closing the tome in front of her. “But certainly not enough for his purposes.”
Key’s eyes, typically alight with only flashes of white, suddenly illuminated in a bright white glow. “The time draws near. We must confirm our plan should we succeed.”
“Don’t I know it.”
Muttering beneath her breath, Nina’s spine connected with the wooden chair back. She was exhausted. It’d felt like every piece of content she’d read said the same thing, even when she knew—or suspected—the opposite.
“Everything I’ve found about Links states there are some abilities they simply can’t connect.”
“But it happens,” Key argued. “I’ve seen it.”
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Nina argued, “We’re talking about power that’s unreachable by any other ability. Mirrors, Blunts, Amps, Shields: none of those have been able to touch it.”
“We have to find a way.”
“I know we do, Key!” She allowed her frustration into her voice, grasping at straws. “If anything, perhaps it’s possible to wield the pure essence of that power, but never when deep-seated inside their host.”
“Then we bring them closer to the surface. We skirt the line.”
“That’s a huge risk. No one living knows what would happen—or how close we can get—before it goes too far. At that point, the Link could either stabilize or weaken them.”
The words fell like bricks between them. Despite Key’s prophecy, neither of them knew what they were doing. Her visions never explained how a task was accomplished, only that it was.
Key glanced over her shoulder. “Eden’s coming.”
It was as much a warning as it was an announcement. In her exhaustion, Nina hadn’t noticed the woman slowly approaching, nor the bond that tugged in her chest. A tired smile made its way to her lips as her fledgling appeared in the door to their right, beaming.
“Sire!”
“Eden.” Reaching for her, Nina swathed the other woman in a warm embrace before retreating to hold her at arm’s length. “You’re looking well.”
“You look tired.”
“A compliment if I ever heard one.” Chuckling, Nina gestured at the pile of books on the table. “It’s these archives. They’re leaching all the life out of me.”
“Then a bit of fresh air might do you good!”
Hooking her arm around Nina’s, Eden tugged her toward the door. Dutifully following, they plodded up the stairs and out into the brilliant sunshine of the Hawaiian oceanside. Dragging in a breath of the salty sea air, Nina was contented as they settled into a leisurely walk. The wooden planking they walked on separated rocky cliff from lush green plant life.
“How are you adjusting?”
“Do you mean to life after mating, becoming immortal, or potentially being one of two people who are more than one supernatural breed? Or, there is always the fact that Key’s just told us we’re all going to die.”
A rueful chuckle. “Any of the above.”
Eden shrugged. “I’m doing alright. Nero’s kicking himself because he didn’t know any of this and the fact that Key was alone in it. He blames himself. And I feel awful because I’d just assumed Key had her own motivations for everything—little did I know she was doing it for us all this time.”
“That’s the truth, isn’t it?” Nina replied. “At least we can support her now through to the end.”
“ The end . That’s awfully final, isn’t it?”
For a moment, Nina was lost to thought. Key’s visions had proven, over and over, what was to come. A beat of despair filled her, and immediately, Zeke’s presence filled her mind.
Nina, are you okay?
Shoulders sagging, she replied, Fine. Just tired.
Can you come home? The twins are asking where mommy is and so is her mate.
Soon, I promise . Speaking with Eden.
The warm sensation of her mate’s presence curled around her, then floated away as his attention shifted elsewhere. Eden, having fallen silent, now glanced over at her.
“How are Zeke and the kids?”
“They’re wondering where I am.” Squinting up at the sun, she eyed the woman next to her. “For a new fledgling, you’ve become immune to the sun quickly.”
“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” Eden followed her gaze toward the illuminated sky. “The sun doesn’t burn, and I can stay awake during those hours now—if I want to.”
“A benefit due to your dual nature, I’d guess,” Nina sighed. “I suppose I’ll abandon hope for my research and admit defeat today.”
“Anything I can help you find?”
“Peace of mind, perhaps.” Grinning, Nina stopped walking and opened her arms for her fledgling. “Tell Nero hello for me.”
Eden stepped into the embrace eagerly, squeezing her ruefully before stepping back. “I’ll tell him for you. Now go and get some sleep, sire.”
“I’ll do my best.”
And with that, Nina teleported into the playroom at home and wrapped her arms around the first wiggly body she saw: her toddler son. Zeke propped a muscular shoulder against the doorway where he’d been watching over them.
“Find what you were looking for?”
Those gorgeous jade eyes saw every line of strain on Nina’s features, and his psychic senses catalogued every ounce of fatigue that seemed to drum from her soul. Zeke never missed a thing.
With a single shake of her head, his face fell. “You can’t keep doing this. You’re running yourself ragged.”
To hide from the man who saw too much, Nina buried her face against Zak’s bare tummy, blowing a kiss into the baby soft skin. Giggling riotously, her son’s chubby fingers clambered for purchase in her hair, accidentally yanking out a few strands.
Eve, having noticed her return, excitedly scampered over to where her twin was getting the attention. Jumping into her mother’s arms, the little toddler soaked up the affection. Nina peppered her little face with kisses, intent on ensuring neither felt neglected.
“Nina.”
Zeke’s gentle voice tugged her attention back to her mate. “I have to, Zeke. I can’t fail in this.”
“Then tell me what you’re looking for. Tell me so I can help!”
Anger simmered just below the surface of her mate’s ruggedly handsome features, as it had for weeks. He’d been purposefully kept in the dark, denied the benefit of knowing what she pursued.
“Zeke, please.” Begging now, Nina’s face crumpled. “I can’t. You know this.”
Squeezing her twins tightly against her chest, she gave each of them one more kiss before letting them play once more. Unable to stand the distance between her and Zeke, she rose to her feet and approached her scowling mate.
She couldn’t be sure he would even accept a hug from her right now. Regrettably, ever since Key had told them of the nearing battle, there’d been a distance that formed between them. Zeke had taken the news hard. When she refused to tell him what her own role was, it had infuriated him.
When she hesitated before him, Zeke’s scowl deepened. “ Nina .”
The fury behind his gaze instantly dissipated to remorse. He folded her in his arms in the next moment, the comforting sense of home and mate washing over her.
Sighing, she rested her head against his chest, breathing in the subtle sandalwood scent that clung to his skin. Unadulterated love shined brilliantly through their mating bond, and she savored the purity of his affection for her.
“I love you, Zeke.”
Gentle, his fingers sifted through her hair, the kiss of sensation massaging across her scalp. “And I love you, Nina. Never forget that.”
And yet, his promise brought tears to Nina’s eyes. “I won’t.”