Jenna could recall just one other instance when the general feeling of alarm within Order headquarters and the larger world outside had come anywhere close to what it was now. She and the rest of the Order had thought that other hellish night two decades ago had been the darkest they’d ever seen.
Back then, they had been battling just one madman and his evil. Now, the Order faced no less than three powerful enemies, each one more dangerous than the last.
Selene.
Opus Nostrum.
And the Ancient otherworlder who’d nearly obliterated Jenna, Brock, and several other members of the Order and its extended family less than two weeks ago in the Deadlands.
Gabrielle studied Jenna for a moment, her gentle eyes drifting from thedermaglyphsthat tracked along Jenna’s bare arms to the ones that marched all the way onto her scalp. “Still no sense of where the Ancient might be?”
“Nope. Nothing but silence on the alien psychic connection hotline.” Jenna let out a harsh bark of laughter. “I never thought I’d wish to be mentally linked to one of those barbaric creatures, but now, when it would actually be useful, I’ve got nothing.”
“Do you think the explosion he created could have broken the link somehow?” Savannah asked. “Detonating those two Atlantean crystals might have obliterated half of Siberia if Phaedra hadn’t been there to shield all of you. Maybe all that power short-circuited something in that little piece of alien technology inside you.”
“I don’t know,” Jenna admitted. “It’s possible, I guess. Even after living with this chip in the back of my neck for twenty years, I’m still not an expert on how it works.”
“Or maybe the connection is lost because the Ancient didn’t make it out of the Deadlands that night after all?” Gabrielle suggested.
It was a slim hope. One that Jenna wished could be a reality as the hours and days and weeks passed by without any inkling that her subconscious mind was still tethered to the monster she’d come face-to-face with in the ruins of his wrecked craft.
Even her dreams had been wholly her own since returning home to D.C.
Still, the quiet was unnerving.
She didn’t dare trust it, no matter how much she wanted to.
Savannah chewed an olive, then met her gaze. “Too bad there’s not an owner’s manual on alien biotechnology, right?”
Jenna couldn’t help but laugh, despite the gravity of the situation. “We could use one for Atlantean crystals, too.”
“At least we have a little help there,” Gabrielle said. “I don’t know where we’d be without Zael, Phaedra, and Jordana on our side.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Jenna soberly raised her glass to the three immortals from Atlantis who were now part of the Order’s extended family. Zael and his Gen One Breed female mate, Brynne, were currently on patrols in the city, along with Micah and Phaedra, the newest Atlantean to be welcomed into the fold as the mate of Tegan and Elise’s warrior son.
As for Jordana, the ethereal platinum-blonde was full-blooded Atlantean, too, although she hadn’t known it for the first twenty-five years of her life. She had discovered her true lineage around the same time she became mated to Nathan, one of the Order’s best warriors.
“Now, all we need is to convince the Atlantean colony to ally with us against Selene,” Savannah said.
“Easier said than done.” Jenna set her wine down and reached for a small chunk of bread. “The Atlantean exiles on that hidden island need their crystal for protection. I can understand their reluctance to share its power with us. It’s the only thing that’s kept them protected from the outside world since they fled Atlantis and Selene all those centuries ago.”
“Then I’ll just have to find a way to convince them.”
The statement drew the attention of all three women. They looked up as Jordana entered the room. She glided over to join the women, her easy, elegant style somehow managing to make loose-fitting denim and a simple top look as regal as a ballgown. Which was understandable, considering her grandmother was none other than Selene herself.
The Atlantean queen had enough animosity toward the Breed and their Ancient forebears without the added insult of her sole heir repudiating her lineage to share a blood bond with one of the Order’s warriors.
Jordana approached the table. “It’s too quiet in the mansion tonight. Mind if I join you all?”
“Please, do,” Jenna said, indicating one of the empty chairs at the long worktable. “What do you mean,you’llhave to find a way to convince the colony to work with us? I thought Zael and Brynne are working on those negotiations.”
“They’ll be returning to the colony in a few days to appeal to the council again. I’ve offered to go with them.”
Jenna glanced at Gabrielle and Savannah, noting they looked as surprised by this news as she was. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Jordana nodded, pure resolve in her eyes. “I think it may be our best chance. Now that we know two of the five original crystals are in the Ancient’s hands, wherever he is, we can’t afford to wait any longer or to simply hope for the colony’s cooperation when the time comes that we need it. I may be the only one they’ll listen to. Phaedra and Zael agree. Brynne does, too.”
Gabrielle’s expression softened with concern. “How does Nathan feel about this?”
