The water rose, and the wet rocks grew slippery. Logan had to concentrate to keep his balance. Mercy tripped next to him, crying out. He ducked his shoulder and lifted her against his chest without losing his stride.
An explosion rocketed far behind him, and dirt dropped from the ceiling of the tunnel.
“The Cyst are coming,” Garrett warned, covering his back. “Everyone step on it.”
They increased their speed.
Mercy wrapped an arm around Logan’s neck and leaned into him, holding on but letting her body go loose and easy to carry. She rested her head against his upper chest, her skin soft and her wet hair flowing down his arm.
Something shifted inside him at her complete trust. Oh, it was temporary, he had no doubt. But for this moment in time, they had the same goal, and she trusted him to protect her. It was all he’d wanted to do since the first second he’d laid eyes on her.
Finally, they burst out of the earth inside a crumbling barn housing two battered trucks.
Logan looked around. They’d need to go separate directions for now. Let the Cyst run in circles. This was a coordinated attack on the Seven, the Realm, and their allies.
Adare stopped, panting as he set Grace down. He studied the group. “I can’t teleport everyone.”
Logan set Mercy on her feet and held her arm until she’d gained her balance. Adare was the only one there who could teleport. Ronan had lost the ability after being in another dimension for a thousand years. “Adare, can you take Grace, Faith, and Ronan?”
Adare nodded. “I can, but it’ll weaken me for a day or so.”
“We can go to my weekend cabin,” Faith said, sliding her arm around Grace’s shoulders. “It’s off the grid and not even in my name.”
Benny clapped Garrett on the back. “Garrett and I will take one truck, and he can heal his head on the way. I’ll drive—have family one state over. They’d love to see us, I’m sure. Everyone get somewhere safe, and we’ll regroup later. We need a new headquarters. Surely Ivar had one already started.”
The group went silent. Where the hell was Ivar? He was the planner—the organizer. Hell, the guy had been in charge of safety since before Logan had met the group. They had to find him. “Mercy and I will seek shelter, and then I’ll focus on finding Ivar,” Logan said. He might also contact Zane and organize an assault to rescue Sam, whether or not Sam wanted to be found. “Everyone call in tomorrow morning.”
He lifted Mercy into the nearest truck, and for once, she didn’t protest. He hugged Garrett and crossed to the driver’s side, jumping in and slamming the door. Mercy’s scent filled the cab, and the gardenia smell calmed him a little. They had to get out of there before the Cyst found the end of the tunnel.
Another headquarters lost. He shook his head, igniting the truck engine.
They were out of the barn and on the road within seconds. While the truck was nondescript and rather old looking, whatever Adare had under the hood was top-of-the-line. Logan drove for several miles before his shoulders finally lost some of the tension that was giving him a headache. Reaching across Mercy, he opened the glove box. Two guns, three knives, a disposable phone, and a stack of cash were waiting for him. Nice.
“Maybe Adare was a Boy Scout,” Mercy said, squeezing out her wet hair.
“Put on your seat belt,” Logan said, taking the phone and shutting the box.
She scoffed but did as he ordered. “Where are we going?” Her voice was sleepy, and dark circles showed beneath her eyes.
“Safe house.” He only had two that the rest of the world didn’t know about. All immortals, especially soldiers, kept at least one place that no other living being knew about. He and Garrett shared most of their safe houses, but just in case one of them was captured, they had to have a couple of secrets. Logan had never brought anybody to the one he had in mind. He’d designed it himself with a knowledge of architecture he’d never get to use.
“Where is it?” Mercy asked, putting her feet on the dash and wrapping her arms around her legs.
He didn’t answer.
“Whatever,” she muttered.
“How do the Fae mate?” he asked quietly, his mind clicking facts into order as he watched her from his peripheral vision.
She turned to look at him, amusement glimmering in her unique eyes. “Same as most species. Bite, sex, forever.” Her voice went husky. “Only demons have a mark.”
He’d wondered about the Fae. “Can it be forced?” There were rumors that Kurjans could force a mating with rape, but he didn’t know of any other immortals who’d done so. He could be wrong, though.
“I don’t know. We’ve had plenty of arranged matings in our history, so I don’t think fate or love have to be involved,” she said thoughtfully. Her feet dropped to the ground, and she looked out at the softly falling rain. “The elders wouldn’t have created the ten of us if it wasn’t possible.”
He kept his gaze on the road. That was quite a destiny—and a heavy burden. “You’ve always known of this so called plan for your life?” It made a chilling sense.
“Yes.” She plucked at a string on her pants. “Our duty has always been clear.”
