“I did choose well,” she said solemnly, trying not to smile.
“We both did.” He flattened his hand over her abdomen. “Can you sense him yet?”
She shook her head, placing her hand over Zane’s. “No. You?”
Zane stilled and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Yes. He’s strong already. Definitely your kid.” Concern flickered in Zane’s eyes.
“We’ll be all right,” Janie whispered, and leaned in to kiss the now faded scratch on his neck. “We’ll get the information on Virus-27 from Kalin, and we’ll find a cure.”
“I don’t want you going near Kalin.” Zane sighed.
Janie lifted her head and leaned back. “But?”
Zane’s eyes darkened. “What do you think we should do?”
“I think I should talk to him. Alone.” Janie exhaled slowly. “He’s contained, and if he’ll talk to anybody, it’s me.”
Zane closed his eyes and exhaled, his entire chest moving. “I agree.”
Janie blinked. “That’s surprising.” She’d figured she’d have to fight Zane and the entire Kayrs family to get to Kalin.
“I know.” Zane opened his eyes. “The thought of you and our child so close to the Kurjan Butcher makes me want to kill. But that virus inside you is as dangerous as Kalin is, and you’re the only person who has a chance at getting information. Torture probably won’t work with him.”
“So you trust me to handle Kalin?” Her chest swelled. Zane saw her as a woman and not some prophesied fragile human who needed to be hidden away.
“You’re smart and you’re trained. Of course I trust you.” Zane sighed.
She leaned over and feathered her lips over his. “So you’ve seen the error of your ways.”
He tangled his hand in her hair and tugged until her head lifted and her gaze met his. “What error?”
“The wholedo as I say or you get spankederror.”
He grinned. “No. You’re going to talk to Kalin because it’s a plan we’re mutually agreeing on, and I’m going to keep you as safe as possible. It’s our only chance with him. But if I give an order in the future regarding your safety, you damn well better obey it.” Even through the smile, possessive determination glowed.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”
“So long as you heed my warning, call me anything you want.” His hold tightened just enough to show his intent. “For now, we need to figure out a safe way to gain Intel from Kalin without me standing in front of you, which is what I’d much rather do.”
Holy crap. She was actually going to face Kalin. Dots danced across her vision. With a grimace, she pushed to stand. “I’d rather do this now than later. Let’s go talk strategy with my dad. Maybe I’ll take a nice picnic lunch down to Kalin in his cell.”
Zane stood and wove his fingers through hers. “I’m sure the king and your father will love that idea as much as I do.”
Janie waited while the guards finished sweeping the Realm’s secured cells in the mountain. Her family had been surprisingly accepting of her idea to speak with Kalin. In fact, when she and Zane had arrived at the conference room, they’d already started making a plan. Their trust in her abilities warmed her.
She couldn’t let them down.
Now she stood deep in the mountainous headquarters. She loved being inside the earth and let the sense of surrounding rock center her. Peace filtered through the earth that held them all so tight. Unfortunately, the peace failed to diminish the headache pounding at the base of her skull. She’d barely kept the agony at bay since contracting the virus, and the pain was becoming more insistent.
Zane, Talen, and Dage manned control panels in the adjacent room, recording everything.
The guards exited, and Chalton gave her a terse nod. Dage had decided to send in guards Kalin didn’t know and not family—not anybody Kalin knew. “We’ll be right outside,” Chalton said.
Sweat slicked her palms. She nodded and tugged down her bulletproof vest before striding inside and shutting the door.
Lighter brown rock made up the walls of a square room bisected in the middle by pure iron bars. A cot and toilet made up the cell. Kalin stood, dressed in a plain black jumpsuit, and drew near the bars. “Janet.” Satisfaction rolled his consonants.
“Kalin.” Her heart beat hard enough to rattle her ribs. She chose one of the two chairs on her side of the bars and sat, taking a moment to study him. “Please, sit.” Damn, he was tall. Almost seven feet. His black hair had grown out longer than the last time she’d seen him, the red tips seeming brighter. Green and purple commingled in his eyes. Gone was the boy who’d visited her dreams.
