Even though by rights it belonged to the Order, to Jordana, guilt pricked him for taking it.
He only hoped he wouldn’t be forced to use it.
CHAPTER 31
Jordana arrived home to D.C. the following day to find the headquarters gripped in bad news and worry.
Rogue violence showed no signs of abating. Not even Darkhavens were safe against the scourge of Red Dragon. Brock and Jenna had recently taken a foundling boy into their care after his parents had fallen victim to the terror Opus had set loose on the city.
On top of that, Jenna was dealing with upsetting problems of her own. A strange coma had taken her down for days while Jordana was gone. She’d awoken with the certainty that the Ancient had not only escaped the Deadlands with the pair of crystals from his wrecked craft, but had somehow been rummaging through her mind while she slept.
As for Lucan’s condition, it was worsening by the hour. Tess and Rafe had been unable to reverse his Bloodlust, even with the power of their combined healing abilities. He hadn’t fed in nearly a week, although everyone understood the hunger brought on by Red Dragon couldn’t be sated no matter how much blood he consumed. When he wasn’t heavily sedated, he was combative with everyone who attempted to reason with him.
Worst of all, he was withdrawing from Gabrielle.
Jordana could hardly bear having to tell Darion’s mother that her son was currently imprisoned in the Atlantean realm and being ransomed for the crystal. Nathan had stood at Jordana’s side as she had explained the situation to all of the Order upon her arrival. The long walk down to the Lucan’s holding cell where Gabrielle had been living--and barely sleeping--the past few days had seemed like walking toward a gallows.
Gabrielle listened without speaking, and it wasn’t until Jordana and Nathan left the room that they heard her crying brokenly into the pillow on her cot.
“I should’ve stayed,” Jordana murmured into Nathan’s chest. “I should have refused to go unless Selene released Darion too.”
“No.” Nathan lifted her chin on the edge of his strong hand. “Don’t even think it. Darion would have pushed you onto that boat himself rather than have you stay another second under that sadistic witch’s control. She’d better pray I never get my hands on her after all she’s done.”
Jordana winced a little at the venom in her mate’s deep voice. “This may sound crazy, but I don’t want to see Selene suffer.”
Nathan drew her close and tenderly kissed her forehead. “That’s because you’re the kindest, most forgiving person I know.”
“No,” she said, meeting his serious gaze. “She’s done awful things. Selfish things. But I don’t think there’s anything that anyone can do to her that would be worse than living with her own regret and sorrow for the cost of her actions. She has nothing, Nathan. Nothing but her people and her realm.”
He grunted, skeptical. “If she had her way, she’d also have two crystals and the power to obliterate anyone or anything that dares to piss her off.”
“I’m not sure anymore if that’s true. Selene could’ve had the colony’s crystal instead of taking me. She could’ve had her vengeance on the entire community that rejected her rule. Instead she left it with them.”
“Only to have a bigger prize--you.”
“And yet she let me go.” Jordana was going to need a lot of time to come to terms with all her conflicted feelings about Selene, but she was certain about one thing. “Selene isn’t driven to destroy. I think she’s desperate to protect the things that matter to her.”
Nathan’s scowl relaxed somewhat, but his warrior’s gaze remained sober. “I trust your judgment, but even if you’re right, that doesn’t make her any less dangerous.”
Jordana couldn’t argue that point, especially when Darion was still a captive on Selene’s unbreachable, sun-drenched island.
As she and Nathan continued walking up the corridor, Micah and his Atlantean mate Phaedra rounded a corner up ahead of them. Tegan’s son sent a grave look at Nathan.
“You coming to the war room?”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“The daywalker teams are in place and moving in on Opus targets.”
Jordana turned a confused look on her mate. “What kind of Opus targets?”
“The inner circle. Thanks to Darion, we were able to deploy Gideon’s worm and it went off without a hitch. For the past few days we’ve been working on nailing down Opus locations and getting our assassin teams deployed.”
“Explain it to her on the way,” Micah urged. “It’s just about showtime.”
Jordana hurried alongside Nathan to catch up with Micah and Phaedra. The four of them entered the war room where the long table was already encircled with nearly every Order elder and their mates. Under normal circumstances, it would have been something of a celebration having practically the entire commanding arm of the Order gathered in one place.
But these were far from normal circumstances, and it was impossible not to notice the absence of Lucan, Gabrielle, and Darion at the table.
