Black Gate: Timewalker Chronicles, Book 4 (28 page)

“Shit.” Her promise rang in her mind clear as a bell. “I promised him I would return.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“But it was nothing. I just told him I’d go back for him.”

“An oath to a true Immortal is never nothing. Especially to a royal. Once he had your blood and your promise, both freely given, he could have made you return at any time, like a puppet on a string. Over and over. Combined with his direct genetic link to you and Robbie, the risk was too great.”

He kissed her. Hard. “Call Raiden while I shower. Get dressed. We have to go to Colorado and take care of Droghan. We have to get Robbie back.”

“But the CP took that house. We’ll have to kill a lot of good guys to get in there.” Katherine shook her head. With her team in Denver, they could be called to the Gate at any time. What if they were there with Droghan? What if they got in Teagh’s way? What if she went in there with Teagh and ran into her team? What would the Rear Admiral do then? Turn a blind eye or order them to open fire? She didn’t believe her boys would hurt her, but what if Teagh believed they would? Would he attack them? Kill them? Would her boys shoot Teagh?

The potential for disaster was almost too much for her. Maybe she could go in alone and find Robbie. The Gate would help her. It would be risky, but it would keep all the men she loved out of danger. If the Gate would just take her to him, she could grab him and get out before anyone knew she was there.

Teagh lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. He seemed to read her turmoil as easily as reading a book. He held her still until she relaxed against him. “Trust me?”

Teagh had asked that question once before, what felt like an eternity ago. Her answer was still the same. She nodded and dialed Raiden’s number as soon as Teagh hit the shower. 

Chapter Fourteen

“Everybody ready?” Katherine asked the question and made sure she got a positive visual confirmation from every member of her team. By her calculations, Andrew’s call about Robbie had come about an hour earlier. Bran, Raiden and Teagh had ported everyone to the side of the foothills outside the Colorado mountain home that housed the Gate.

Teagh crouched next to her behind some bristly pine trees. Bran and Celestina were on her left. Mari and Raiden were on Teagh’s right. They were two Timewalkers, three half-bloods, and an Immortal Seer here to save the world. Something about Celestina was just…spectacular.

If she’s so spectacular, why don’t I want to throw her down on the ground and lick her all over?
Teagh’s teasing filled her with warmth.

Because you’re smart, and you know I’d kill you.

No. It’s because no one tastes as good as you do.

Shut up.
She did not need to be sexting in her head with Teagh right now.

Yes, you do. It keeps you from being afraid.

I’m not afraid.

Your team could be in there, Kate. And Robbie. I’m worried, too
. He squeezed her hand in his as they surveyed the house.

She’d expected blood stains, bullet holes, casings all over the grounds, a couple burning vehicles and a few holes in the walls from grenades. The Casper Project’s team had just taken control of the house and grounds the day before. And from the sounds of the commands the Rear Admiral had been barking at the time, they’d expected a good amount of resistance.

But where she expected to see ground patrols, sniper cover and guards at the gates, the three-story mansion looked deserted.

“Didn’t your informant call you from this house just an hour ago?” Bran’s disbelief was hard to take.

“He was in Denver. Not here.”

Celestina’s crystal-clear voice was as calm and cold as the surface of a frozen lake. “An hour is a very long time.”

Teagh let go of her hand and drew his sword. Bran followed suit. Katherine fought to remain calm. She was used to guns. Beheading Immortals was new. She hated new.

“Bran and I will port in and take a look around. You all stay here with Raiden. If we run into trouble, we’ll let you know.” Teagh dropped a quick kiss on her lips and nodded to his brother. They both promptly disappeared.

Celestina reached into the pockets of her midnight-blue jacket and cursed. Katherine’s jaw dropped when she actually answered a buzzing cell phone. They all stared and listened to Celestina’s odd, one-way conversation.

“Hello, Jacob.”

“Yes. I told you they would arrive soon. Perhaps tomorrow. You must make sure she wears the clothing I gave you. Is the device intact?”

She listened intently, then shook her head. “No. That won’t work. You must let them take her. They won’t kill her right away and it’s the only way I can track them back to their lair.”

“No. He can’t blow it up. Just tell him I said to burn it down. But make it good. I want it on the news.”

The Seer released a heartfelt sigh. “No. I understand. I’ll come speak to him.”

Celestina hung up and turned to face her. “I’m so sorry. I have to go. I thought we’d be done with this in time, but it appears that events have overlapped.”

Katherine didn’t even know how to respond to any of
that
. “Okay.” Being a Seer would totally suck.

Celestina held out her hand, palm up. “Give me your hand. Maybe I can still help you before I go.”

Katherine looked at Mari, who shrugged as if to say,
why not
?

She placed her hand in Celestina’s and shuddered as a cold energy gathered and landed on her like a blanket of frozen stars. Celestina closed her eyes and Katherine held her breath, waiting to see what she’d say.

Nothing.

Celestina frowned and squeezed her hand hard enough to hurt.

“Hey!”

“I’m sorry. I see nothing. But you should know that your team was not in that house. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more. The darkness that surrounds you is blocking me.” Celestina opened her eyes and shook her head. “I should have known better. It has always been thus with Darkwalkers.”

With that, she stood and walked into the trees, her dark blue hood pulled up to cover her hair. In no time she’d disappeared into the night.

Katherine could breathe again. Her boys weren’t in that tomb. She didn’t know how Celestina knew, and didn’t care. She was simply grateful.

Mari watched her go, shaking her head. When Celestina was gone, she turned back to face Katherine. “She saved my life, but she is one weird chick.”

Raiden gripped his blades and continued to watch the house. “A Seer’s life is a complicated one. On Itara they live in special temples. Many of them refuse to interact with people at all. Some go mad. Many become complete recluses, or addicted to sedatives. And when that doesn’t work, suicide.”

“How does an Immortal commit suicide? Wouldn’t that be impossible?” Katherine hated herself for asking, but she had to know.

“Not impossible, but terrible. Fire, and a will of iron.”

“That would be horrible.” Mari stared after Celestina, worry clear on her face. “Do you think she’s all right?”

Katherine shrugged. She’d never met the Seer before tonight. She had no idea if the woman was always so flighty, or if she was walking the razor’s edge. Raiden, however, answered his Mate.

“No. But I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it right now.”

Mari turned back to the house. “Bran’s going to be pissed that she left.”

Katherine agreed but kept her opinion to herself. The woman had the right to do whatever she wanted to do. She was a big girl..

The three settled in to wait. Katherine twitched. Scratched her nose. Shuffled her feet and peeked around the rocks again. The sun had gone down and it was getting cold up here in the Rocky Mountains. Patches of snow had survived the spring thaw in the shade beneath pine trees. Mosquitoes the size of small birds were buzzing around her face. The ground wasn’t green, it was brown, covered in dead pine needles, last fall’s leaves, and broken twigs. The occasional bush or courageous wild flower added a splash of color, but that was all.

Trees. Dead earth and rocks. And she’d always heard that the Colorado Rockies were one of the most beautiful places in the country. From where she was sitting on this hillside, staring down at the abandoned home, it was cold, hard, and brown.

She missed the beach, the sound of the waves from Teagh’s bedroom, salt on the breeze and birds crying out over the water as they hunted for fish.

Where was her man? She looked over at Raiden and Mari. They didn’t look any better than she did. “You guys got anything?”

“Nope.”

Raiden looked over at her. “Call for him. I have tried to reach him telepathically and can’t find his mind.”

Katherine closed her eyes and reached for Teagh. “Nothing.”

Raiden took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his blades. “I guess it’s time for plan B.”

“There is no plan B.” Mari narrowed her eyes.

“There is now.” Raiden moved to his left and the two women followed as Mari asked the obvious question.

“So, what’s plan B?”

“I call it the Figure-Things-Out-As-We-Go plan.” So, Raiden had a sense of humor all of a sudden?

Katherine groaned. “You’ve been talking to Ryan, haven’t you? I always hate that plan.”

Raiden didn’t stop moving. “I do too, but sometimes it’s the only move you’ve got.”

The worked their way toward the house, trying to stay under cover. But the trees grew sparse as they neared the house. Katherine knew the layout from her first trip here and directed them toward the north entrance, the doorway closest to the Gate.

She and Raiden moved quick and quiet as shadows. In the eerie silence, Mari sounded like a jungle elephant knocking down trees.

Katherine glared at her after the fifteenth loud branch snap, each one followed by Mari’s whispered cursing. Mari saw the look and held up her hands in apology. “Sorry. Not much of a mountain girl. I’m better in the water.”

“So I’ve heard.” Katherine grinned at her and welcomed the small opportunity to tell the screaming wench inside her skull to shut up. Teagh was fine. He was strong and fast. He was safe. He was alive. She’d know if anything happened to him. She’d feel it.

“I wasn’t supposed to have to do this, you know. I’m only here in case one of you decides to play red shirt ensign and tries to get killed.” She stepped on another twig and Katherine winced at the loud snap. “And to provide bad sci-fi movie quotes at inappropriate times.”

Raiden chuckled but kept moving.

Katherine blinked at her in awe and didn’t say another word. Next to the deadly serious Raiden, Mari was like a one-woman stand-up comedy routine. She’d only interacted with Mari during healing, and didn’t know her that well. But Sarah told her that Mari and Raiden did a lot of deep sea dives, looking for Triscani caves. Sarah also told her that Mari had faced down two Triscani alone to save Raiden. The thought sent a shiver over her spine. For such a serious and dangerous history, Mari seemed almost irreverent about it all. Katherine had always taken everything seriously, for as long as she could remember. She nearly envied the other Timewalker the ability to make jokes.

They reached the north door and Katherine reached for Raiden’s arm.

“I’ll go first. I know the way.”

Raiden looked like he was about to protest, but Katherine held up her still blackened palm. “I’m not useless, Raiden. I don’t need you to protect me. Take care of Mari.”

He studied her hand, then her face and nodded. She pulled the door open and slid inside the same corridor she’d just been in less than forty-eight hours earlier. She had to get to Teagh and Robbie. People she loved were in this house, and no one was going to get in her way.

There were no twigs in here, so she didn’t hear Raiden and Mari following her, but knew they were there.

She had just enough of her old power to run an electrical charge along the walls and check for working cameras.

Nothing was on but a few light bulbs. She felt no electrical power in the walls. No appliances or internet functional, no cameras. No sign of Teagh.

Mari gasped behind her and Katherine looked back over her shoulder as the healer spoke to her Mate. “They’re here.”

Raiden swung each blade in an arc. “How many?”

Mari’s voice shook and her right hand began to glow. “A dozen, maybe more. God, I hate those things.”

“Me, too. Me, too. Just stay close. We got this.”

Katherine listened to the byplay and couldn’t believe her ears. “Twelve Triscani?”

“Yes.” Raiden nodded.

Katherine looked from Mari’s serious face to Raiden’s calm one. “How do you know?”

“I can feel them.” Mari’s voice gained strength as she explained. “Their energy is out of sync with Earth. I can feel their energy, like a shark sensing prey in the water. I always know where they are. They can’t hide from me.”

Holy shit. Mari was dead serious and Katherine believed her. “Twelve Triscani and your two swords? That’s the plan?”

Mari actually grinned back at her. “No. I’ll fry them, Raiden will cut off their heads, and you’ll stay out of the way until it’s over.”