“Heading where?” Mormo asked.
“To that mystery island Orion found.”
Everyone looked to Orion. He turned to Varu and raised a brow, refusing to panic—vampires didn’t panic— because the link between him and Kaia remained strong. He felt no fear or pain from her. Not yet.
Varu nodded. “Duncan, go. But the rest of us will stay with Orion and plan. The witch is too smart to be so obvious.”
“Agreed.” Orion felt a hunger for battle, and his fingertips itched, his nails growing sharper and stronger as they pushed past their normal length. “She’s not the real threat.”
“Right. The demon is,” Khent said, appearing with Rolf and Kraft behind him.
“No, I am,” Orion smiled, his fangs sharp and his appetite keen. “I’m ready to kill the unkillable.”
“Nowthat’swhat I’m talking about.” Kraft chuckled and rubbed his hands together with glee. “This is going to be epic,ja?”
* * *
Kaia had takenone small step outside the house, waiting for her father in his safely protected driveway, when Jack, one of her roommates, drove up and waved from the driver’s side, his window down.
“Kaia, thank God. I was worried. I couldn’t get a hold of you.” He blinked. “Nice hair.”
“Thanks.” She glanced around, prepared for a trap or her mother to pull a fast one using one of her friends as bait. “Jack? I thought you were working on a project for MEC.”
“I was.” He grimaced. “I need your help. I think your mom did something to Drake and Web.”
She hurried over to him, her new power still growing, still shifting inside her, calling for her to return to the sea, a lake, any type of water so that it might swell and settle. And then, according to her dad, she could start to feel for what she could do. Not every sea witch was the same. Though all could make deals with humans and magir, the extent of their power to make wishes come true varied. Unlike the djinn, who were a similar yet very different level of Wish Master.
“How did she find you guys?”
“She has some lycans we were sent to look for. They’ve been missing for over a week and they have a connection to some artifact we’re after.” He rubbed a hand over his eyes, his worry evident.
She looked over her shoulder, needing to get her father involved. That’s when Jack struck.
The needle to the back of her neck didn’t hurt, but it stole her will to resist.
“Get in the car, Kaia,” Jack said with a smile. “No one wants to hurt you. I just want to talk to you about a problem I’m having.”
But when Kaia stared into Jack’s eyes, she didn’t see him at all. She saw her mother.
The trip to her mother’s house in Magnolia happened without incident, the music in the car something she hummed along with as they drove, the streets not crowded at all due to the late hour. She felt a need to scratch the back of her neck but didn’t, irritated but not hurt in any way by the pressure at her nape.
Once past a long driveway to the grand home sitting on an acre of land and overlooking Elliot Bay, Jack parked then went around to her side of the car and opened the door for her.
“Thanks.”
“Sure, Kaia.” He tucked her arm in his and walked her into her mother’s fancy home. Worth several million and decorated with no expense spared to give the house an ornate interior design, filled with white or near-colorless walls and blue and green accents, it fit Sabine Belyaev. But Kaia didn’t care for the expensive pieces making the house feel like a showplace instead of a home. At least in Belyy Zamok, the castle felt authentic, not as if her mom were trying too hard.
Jack walked her to her mother then sat down on a plain white chair, no doubt worth more than Kaia made in months, and stared at nothing. Oddly, she felt relieved that she’d been right; Jack wasn’t working for her mother of his own free will. He’d been enthralled.
“Is he okay?” She should have been more worried about her friend. But she liked keeping calm, and the roiling seat of her power relaxed, the frothing waves no longer fighting to storm free.
“Your friend is just fine.” Sabine smiled, walking forward with her wine glass half full. She took a sip, looking Kaia over, and frowned. “I’m not sure I like your new look.” She fingered her own white hair, worn down. “But I sense something else different about you.”
“I mated with Orion,” Kaia announced, too happy to keep the truth a secret.
Her mother’s mouth dropped open, and she set her wine down then hugged Kaia hard. “Oh, honey. I’m so happy for you.” She pulled back, clasping her hands with her daughter’s as she studied her. “You’ve gained so much power.” Sabine looked delighted, not at all as angry as Kaia had expected.
“You’re not mad?”
