Chapter Thirty-Nine
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“DO YOU THINK THE FEMALES will get into any trouble while they’re looting the bookstore?” Camriel asked his boss. He was worried about the trio going off alone.
“Probably,” Amaros figured. They’d managed to dismantle a shower at the resort and were in the process of taking another one apart. “Victoria is a skilled warrior,” he added. “Zoe and Grace can also hold their own.”
“I know,” Cam said, yet that didn’t make him feel any better. “Do you constantly worry about Zoe?” he asked.
“Always,” Amaros admitted. “I’ve never known true fear before I fell for her. Sensing when she’s in danger is the worst thing I’ve ever suffered through.”
“Is it worse than when you were tortured by Rahab and his lackeys a few wars ago?” Camriel asked skeptically.
“Far worse, because the Void was waiting to claim me when they finally killed me,” Amaros replied. “Zoe won’t be sent to the Void if she dies. She’ll simply cease to exist and I’ll die with her.”
“You don’t mean that literally,” his second said. Amaros arched an eyebrow. “You’d end yourself if your cambion dies?” Camriel asked in shock.
“Why would I want to continue on without her?” Amaros asked, then used his power drill to remove some screws.
Cam almost shook his head in bafflement, then thought about what his life would be like without Victoria.
They weren’t even bonded yet and she was already indispensable to him.
“I think I know how you feel,” he said as the itch between his shoulder blades increased.
“Life would be pointless if I lost my mate,” he added.
“They’ll be fine,” Amaros insisted. “I know you can sense they’ll be in danger, just like I can, but they’ve got it covered.”
“How can you be so calm?” his second asked in exasperation as they worked together to dismantle the second shower.
“Because I know Zoe will be coming home to me,” his commander said confidently.
“Our bond notifies me when she’s in mortal danger.
I can tell she’s not worried yet, so they aren’t currently in peril.
We have to trust that the cambions can watch out for each other when they leave our base.
It would be stifling if we watched their every move. ”
Cam wasn’t convinced, but he nodded anyway. Victoria was still annoyed with him. It had only been one day since their disastrous date. It was far too soon for him to try to rush to her rescue again. She’d probably slice his head off with her reaping hook if he overstepped right now.
They worked in silence, nerves winding tighter and tighter as their premonitions of doom grew stronger. Carrying the dismantled showers to the black tank, they drove home and carried one to the bathroom.
“I’m glad Vic is teaching Zoe and Grace how to shoot a bow,” Camriel said. “It’s good for her to spend time with other cambions.”
Amaros nodded in agreement, then began attaching the shower to the wall. “We’ll make sure all of the females are given combat training,” he said. “Medical training will also be essential.”
“I just hope no one loses a limb this time,” Cam said with a grimace. “We can’t return to the Void to be put back together by Order anymore.”
“I’m hoping the strength Fate is sacrificing to us will make us harder to kill,” Amaros divulged now that they were alone. “I haven’t tested the theory since becoming bonded to Zoe.”
“Do you want me to stab you somewhere vital?” his second joked and called on his gold and silver sword. The diamonds twinkled in the halogen light they’d set up.
“I’ll pass,” Amaros said ruefully. “I’m sure I’ll get plenty of opportunities to see how much I’ve changed soon enough.”
Camriel made the sword disappear again, wishing he could postpone their task.
He wanted to leap into his truck and drive to his mate.
Victoria would be in trouble soon and there was nothing he could do about it.
The cambions were too far away for Amaros to speak to Zoe telepathically.
Not even their walky-talkies could reach that far.
“Are you sure Victoria dreamed herself into your bedroom last night?” Amaros asked. “You could have fallen asleep and dreamed it.”
Camriel gave him a wry look. “I was wide awake, boss,” he said. “It happened right after I stood up, so I wasn’t even lying down.”
“She didn’t say anything?” Amaros queried. He finished putting the screws in, then used a sealant they’d taken from the hardware store to waterproof them.
“Nope,” his second replied, picking up the glass panel to hold it into place. They weren’t going to bother to add the base, since they didn’t have a drain yet. “I’m not sure she can talk to the people she sees when she astral projects,” he went on.
“We’ll have to test her limits and see exactly what she can do,” Amaros figured. “Once she forgives you for trying to tear her clothes off and she starts talking to you again,” he said slyly.
“Very funny,” Camriel muttered, face flushing in renewed embarrassment. “I’ve learned my lesson not to get tips from ancient romance books.”
“You’ll focus on newer books from now on?” his commander teased him.
“That’s my plan,” Cam admitted. They chuckled despite the increasing sense that their mates were in danger.
They assembled the shower without breaking anything and tested the door. It swung both ways and the stall seemed stable enough.
“Now to attach a container to hold the water,” Amaros said. They’d chosen a metal one, since it would keep the water hot for longer than a plastic one would.
Cam retrieved a stepladder and placed it next to the shower.
“I’ll hold it in place for you,” he offered.
Amaros handed him the rectangular metal box that didn’t have a lid.
His second held it over his head, flush against the wall while Amaros leaned over to bolt it to the stone.
He sealed the holes, then Camriel gingerly let it go.
“Let’s test that it’ll hold the water before we cut a hole in it for the hose,” Amaros said.
“I’m on it,” Cam said and headed for their supply of fresh lake water. He grabbed a container and carried it back. He handed it to his boss, who tipped some into the metal tank. “It’s holding,” Camriel reported, ready to catch it if the bolts failed.
Once the tank was full, Amaros waited for a few minutes to make sure it didn’t leak. “I think it’s solid,” he said.
“Now for the hose,” Cam said, leaving the stall to grab the rubber hose with a metal showerhead. “How are we going to stop the water from running through the hose until we’re ready for it?” he asked.
Amaros climbed down from the stepladder, since he couldn’t reach the bottom of the tank from the outside. “Good question,” he said ruefully. “We should have asked Victoria how her shower works.”
“We could make a quick visit to her cabin and take a look,” Cam suggested.
Debating about it, they figured that it would be the best way to go and headed to the far side of the lake.
“Do you think Vic will mind us visiting her home without her permission?” Camriel asked when they reached the small building.
“I doubt it,” Amaros replied. He entered and looked around curiously. The cabin was neat and tidy, not that there was much to see. A small pile of books sat on the table. “She’ll understand why we came here,” he added, then headed to the bathroom.
They examined the plastic tank and figured out how it worked. The showerhead could be turned off and on at need. “That’s a simple solution,” Cam said in approval. “Does our showerhead have that ability?”
“I’m not sure,” Amaros replied with a frown. “I don’t remember seeing a lever on the side like this one has.”
“We might have to visit the hardware store again,” his second in command said ruefully. “Unless we can come up with another way to get the water to stay in the tank until we need it to flow.”
They headed back to their base, wracking their brains for a solution. “Do you want to take my truck, or yours?” Amaros asked in resignation as they stepped inside.
“You can drive, boss,” Camriel decided. He was too tense with worry about his mate to pay proper attention to the road.