Chapter Twenty-Two #2
I nodded briskly. “Bene and I will start at the trailhead and approach the villa on the ground. As soon as we give you the all clear, you move in.”
“You mean, you, Bene, and I will approach on the ground,” Gen corrected.
My stomach sank, because this was the hard part.
Mina shook her head. “You’re staying here.”
Gen’s jaw dropped, but Mina raised a hand in a stop sign.
“We need you to stay here and watch the road for that Porsche.”
“You mean, stay here and keep out of the way,” Gen said bitterly.
Mina meant stay here and keep safe. I knew, because she’d talked to me beforehand.
“No, I don’t,” Mina insisted. “Keeping an eye out for Grepper is important, and we don’t know what we’re headed into.”
Gen crossed her arms. “Good for you for being a mighty dragon shifter with the ability to fly and breathe fire. But I can contribute too.”
Mina gave her a long, hard look. “How?”
Ouch. Even Marius winced and nudged Mina.
She pursed her lips, then hit a gentler note. “Look, Gen. There are a million things you’re better at than I am. But infiltrating a warlock’s mountain hideaway is not one of them.”
Gen aimed her stony expression at the floor.
“Also,” Mina continued, “any mission involving Gordon — and these guys, much as I love them — has a way of going wrong.”
Hey, I nearly protested, taking that personally.
Bene did too, but the other way.
I knew she loved me. He grinned smugly.
“I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you,” Mina swore to Gen.
Gen looked up. “How can I live with myself if something happens to you while I’m hanging around a hotel?”
Marius tapped his watch. “We need to go. Now.”
Mina hugged Gen, who kept her hands at her sides, then headed to the car with Marius. I stood, feeling helpless as Gen’s eyes pleaded with me.
“No space for baggage on this trip, huh?” she finally said.
“No one’s saying you’re baggage.”
“No one is standing up for me either.”
Her betrayed expression cut me to the bone.
“I believe in you, Gen. I really do. But Mina is right. We’re trained for this kind of thing. You’re not. Besides, do you really want to add breaking and entering to your résumé?”
“I want to contribute,” she persisted.
“You already have. You’re the one who figured out there’s a hidden painting.”
“I don’t care about the Monet. I want my father’s painting.”
I want to make him proud, I read between the lines.
I swallowed hard, knowing that sentiment all too well. The difference was, my father was a selfish ass who’d never shown any interest in his kids. Still, I’d tried to make him proud, because maybe then he would love me.
But Gen’s family was tight-knit, with loving parents who adored their kids. She had to know how proud her father would be.
“What would your father say?” I tried. “Would he want you to go with us?”
Gen’s lower lip wobbled, and she whispered, “No.”
Come on, already, Marius rumbled in my mind.
I sucked in a long breath, then hugged her. Never mind Mina and Marius looking on from outside. I needed that, and Gen did too.
But no matter how tightly I held her, how gently I kissed her, it wasn’t enough.
She put her hands on my ribs and pushed me away.
“Go, already.”
She turned and slid back into her seat at the table, turning her back to me.
There was so much I could have — should have — said. But the clock was ticking, and Mina was right. The risk was too great.
Never mind that leaving Gen behind might alienate her forever.
I swallowed hard. “I believe in you, Gen. I really do. But Mina is right.”
Even to me, the words sounded lame.
* * *
I drove, dropping Marius and Mina at their starting point just outside of town, before continuing up to the trailhead, where I parked. The mountains around us took on a blueish hue, while the forest grew dark as night.
“Beautiful sunset,” Bene murmured as we bundled our clothes into the car, then shifted.
But if my gonads freeze, it’s on you, man, he added, shivering beside me in lion form.
Survival of the fittest, I retorted, giving my thick tiger coat a smug shake.
When I headed off, Bene followed one step behind, complaining the whole way.
Now my whiskers are frozen, he grumbled, walking stiffly to shake snow off his legs after every step. Probably permanently damaged.
Whiskers were number three on the list of things male lions took pride in, after manes and gonads.
Truly tragic, I chuffed.
We made our way through the forest, slowly approaching Grepper’s villa.
I have a bad feeling about this, my tiger muttered.
Not exactly a news flash. The moment I’d left Gen, everything felt off.
I swear, if an icicle falls off one of these trees and impales me, Bene muttered, you’re going to be the one to break the news to my mother.
I snorted. Can I be your pallbearer too?
Bene growled. Don’t jinx me.
I flicked my tail, making snow cascade from the nearest tree. The flakes glittered with the colors of sunset before showering onto Bene.
Oops. Sorry.
You’re not sorry, he said bitterly — even more bitterly than Gen, who would probably never talk to me again.
My tiger mourned.
I pictured presenting her with her father’s painting. Would that make up for it?
No. Not even that, I knew.
We slowed, glimpsing the villa through the trees ahead. It was one of those modern, cement-and-glass monstrosities that were nicer to look out from than to look at.
I stopped, glancing around. Bene plowed ahead, still grumbling to himself like Eeyore to Winnie-the-Pooh.
I can’t feel my feet. I can’t feel my tail. I can’t feel my ears.
Well, I could. The air was tingling. Didn’t he feel it?
Apparently not, because he droned on and on. I tuned him out to think.
Something feels wrong, my tiger persisted.
Yes, but what?
I racked my brain, going over every detail of the information we’d gathered.
According to Gordon, Grepper would be out for the evening. He would have set some defenses around his property before leaving, but as Gordon had said…
He’s not a very powerful warlock.
Gordon had also assured us we had a day’s head start over the vampires. And yet, my gut screamed that this was a trap.
I stopped and chuffed at Bene.
Wait. Stop.
Gen and I had ventured farther than this earlier without encountering any defenses. But the air hadn’t been tingling then, and it was now.
Tingling with magic.
Bene, stop! I snarled.
He kept grumbling and plowing through the snow. Stop. Go. Make up your m—
Bene! I snarled, but it was too late.
A wall of fire erupted before him, and sparks filled the air. He reared up with an earsplitting roar, then fell back, writhing in agony. I rushed to him, then jumped away before contacting the electrified sparks engulfing him. With a final, agonized cry, he collapsed into the snow, totally limp.