Chapter 37
Adare burst through the destroyed front door of his cabin a step ahead of Ronan. “Grace?” he bellowed, running for the hidden door and keying in the code.
Faith dashed out, bounced off him, and headed straight for Ronan. He held her tight, breathing her in, his gaze tortured. Faith pulled back, tears on her face. “They came to get her, and I think she’s gone. They destroyed most of the security system, but I watched the cameras downstairs, and they tied her up and put her in a back seat of a green Suburban.”
“Who?” Adare growled, his body settling into fight mode, even while he bled from one leg. The blood pooled on his boot, dripping onto the wooden floor.
“Bobbi and what looked like a Kurjan in the front seat,” Faith said, wiping her face off. “But the snow had stopped and the sun came out. I don’t understand. Maybe he was wearing a mask? But he looked like a Kurjan. A real one.”
They’d passed the burnt-out shell of Benny’s truck, and the hybrid was nowhere to be found. If he’d survived the attack, he would’ve gotten word to them. Or maybe he was tracking Grace. It was unlikely he would’ve gone without leaving word, but it was a hope to hold on to. Benny had to be okay.
Fury raced through Adare so quickly, he swayed. “How the hell did Bobbi find her? Find this cabin?” He grabbed his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed the Realm. The device had somehow survived the dunking in the river.
“I take it you didn’t die in the ambush,” Dage Kayrs said absently instead of a greeting.
Adare dug deep for patience. “Listen up, King. The Kurjans have developed the ability to withstand the sun, so you might want to send the word out. They’re probably ambushing anyone they want right now.”
“Bullshit,” Dage returned.
Adare pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s true. We were attacked from two sides in full sun.” He pulled the phone away from his face, focusing on Ronan. “Why do you think they had a bigger force in the trees than the water?”
Ronan kept Faith plastered against his side. “I’m not sure. Maybe the water amplifies the sun?”
That was a good thought. It took Adare a beat to realize the king was yelling into the phone. “What?” he growled.
“If they’re able to go into the sun, why did the force you attacked the other day need to use protective gear?” Dage asked. “You described their equipment well, and we’ve been researching their uniforms around the clock.”
“How the fuck should I know?” Adare snarled. “Maybe the new ability is limited to special forces. But I’m telling you, two full squads attacked in the sun earlier, and the light didn’t seem to slow them down any. We got out of there fast. Also, Grace was taken by another Kurjan, but I haven’t reviewed the video recording yet.”
“Grace was taken?” The king’s voice lowered.
Adare swallowed, fighting a pain dead center in his chest. “Yes. And we need to know how they found her here. The only way would be if we were followed from Realm headquarters, either by a force or satellite. How shitty is your security?” He wanted to shake the king by his arrogant hair.
Dage was silent for a moment. “Our security is flawless. You weren’t followed from here.”
“Wrong. That’s the only way it could’ve happened,” Adare countered.
A soft voice murmured on the other end of the line, and the phone was muffled. Then the king returned. “Emma’s here and she might have an idea. Hold on for a few minutes.”
“I don’t have a few minutes. Get your satellite guys on it and track any vehicles that left my cabin today. Call me back.” Adare clicked off, already shucking his damaged pants and shirt to suit up for another op. He had to find Grace. His legs still hurt, but he shoved the pain away and tried to speed up his healing cells. He didn’t have time for weakness.
“They won’t kill her, Adare,” Ronan said, still holding Faith. “They’ll want all three Keys.”
Yeah, but they’d have no problem hurting her. Maybe torturing her for information about the Seven, the Keys, and even the Realm. His stomach rolled over and his chest hurt even worse. If anything happened to Grace, he’d scorch the earth to destroy the entire Kurjan nation. He hustled into his room and pulled on fresh winter-camo cargo pants and a shirt, reaching for his weapons.
Ronan stepped inside, a bruise healing across his jaw. “We don’t know where to look.”
“Dage will get his satellite guys on it, and we’ll have a direction,” Adare said, his hands shaking. He felt like throwing up. What was happening to Grace right now?
“Benny hasn’t called in, so he’s probably tracking her.”
Adare didn’t look up. “He would’ve gotten word to us, so he’s a prisoner, too. You saw his rig, Ronan. It’d be a miracle if he was even conscious.” Which meant he was as good as dead if they didn’t find him soon. Anybody dumb enough to take Benny Reese hostage would soon realize the eccentric immortal wasn’t worth the struggle. There was no way he’d give up information, no matter what they did to him.
Ronan put a hand on Adare’s shoulder. “I’ll gear up and be ready as soon as we have a direction.” His green eyes were tortured. “She’s strong, and we’ll figure out how to find her, brother. I promise.”
Adare nodded. Dage had the best satellite experts in the business, so if there was any sign of that green suburban, they’d find it. He needed a break. Anything. “Go suit up.”
Ronan pivoted and disappeared.
