Dawn of a Dark Knight (30 page)

Ethan’s eyes became misty as he held his right hand up, rotating it in examination in front of his face. “I’ve had a loss of sensation in my hand, my sword hand, for twenty-four years. Edmund repaired the injury when a daemon sliced my palm open, but it had no feeling and spasmed randomly since that time.”

“That’s the kind of info we need to know. Puts us all at risk,” Javen said.

“The weakness shamed me. It’s why I’ve had such trouble fighting, which many of you bitched about in practice. The spasms usually waited to start until the action got intense. Once it got going, I could barely hold the sword. I tried everything for it, even acupuncture. Nothing helped and I’m shit with my left hand. I didn’t want to gripe to Edmund because, well, you guys know. He was in the
akhrian-that-didn’t-give-a-shit
category when it came to personal problems. Well, Kira fixed it. I swear I didn’t ask her to. She just somehow knew.”

A tear floated down Ethan’s check, which he swatted away and said, “Fuck, this is embarrassing. Goddamned drugs. I tell you, I can feel my hand again. I could fight now without fear I’ll lose sensation. She gave this back to me.” More tears floated down his face, which he swatted away.

Ethan’s grateful gaze locked onto Ashor. “Until now I never completely understood the vow to protect the
akhrian.
After this, I swear to you, I would lay down my life for her. I swear it on my soul. I also swear that even if she’s just filling the position temporarily and even if we get a new guy, I’m still asking her to be my doctor. You can give me that look all you want, Ashor, but as far as I’m concerned you can take your jealousy and shove it. She’s a lot better at the healing thing than any of the others were.”

Ethan pointed at Christian. “Don’t you dare make one of your comments. She did it to you too, I know it.”

Christian nodded without an ounce of humor. “You’re right. And I’d probably also ask her to be my doc.” He turned to Ashor. “Strictly professional. Swear.”

The level of protective loyalty Kira had inspired in these seasoned warriors in so little time amazed Ashor. He understood the unspoken consensus in the room. She was the greatest healer any of them had ever seen and that without the amulet to augment and guide her skill. She was the
akhrian
regardless of her bond to him.

“Then, we’ve got to go to the goddess. However, we can’t summon her without the amulet. She was fairly pissed we’d somehow misplaced it the last time the subject of the
akhrian
came up.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

He’s the Prime asshole,
Kira thought as she furiously swiped at tears. She expected something bad once the post-sex high cleared, but not
a good fuck.

Time to get out of this place. Maybe distance would dull the pain of his words. They rang false, but hurt. The bedside clock read thirty minutes until her rendezvous with Kane. Enough time to shower and leave.

She gave herself no dally time in the shower. If she slowed down, her mind would dwell on the past few hours.

With Kane’s bag over her shoulder, she descended the stairs as silently as possible, this time careful to avoid the squeaky step. At the bottom, she blew out a nervous breath. The magi were close. They wouldn’t let her leave if they caught her.

Moving through the kitchen, she exited the side door. The minute her foot touched the predawn damp ground, uncertainty gripped her hard. Intuition urged her to stay. Her pride prodded her to go.

A good fuck?
He could kiss her ass.

She ran for the wall. At least it wasn’t smooth stone. That rock-climbing phase during her undergraduate years was finally going to be useful. Muscles that had not been called on for free climbing in years protested on the ascent. It wasn’t the most graceful climb she’d ever done, but she scrambled over.

She massaged her screaming thighs while blending into the shadows low to the ground next to the wall. She slowed her fast respirations to a measured rhythm, which allowed her to focus on the area around her. No people. Within a few minutes, a dark SUV crept along the road. Kira sensed the occupant was irritated and alert. Kane.

The SUV slammed to a stop when she hopped out of the bushes. She pasted on a false smile. “Hey, Kane.”

He gave her little more than a glance as the car rolled away from the magi estate.

“Heard from Markus yet?” she asked.

“No.” A tic worked in Kane’s upper jaw and he tapped one of his fingers on the steering wheel.

“I’m sorry. None of this was my fault. Really. From the start weird things just kept happening.”

“It’s Markus’s fault. Little pisser got you into this mess. This is the worst he’s been responsible for. I’m not sure how thrilled I am that your magi are real. They’re a tough lot.” That from Kane was saying something; he never thought anyone was tougher than the Rangers.

“At least you’ll stop thinking I’m nuts. I’m pretty sure I can’t go back to my residency, because those Hashishin guys know where to find me now. All those years of studying down the toilet. What am I going to do now? I can’t even go back to the apartment to get my stuff.”

“We’ll figure it out.” He glanced her way. “You seem pretty okay, considering what was going on the last time I saw you. You sure you’re recovered?”

“I’m good now.”

“Did those guys work some voodoo or something to speed the healing? You know what, don’t tell me. I don’t really want to know, just so long as there are no long-term side effects.”

Kira smiled. “No voodoo. Where’d you get this car?”

“Company car.”

“The company is here in Jacksonville? Where did you go?”

“Business.”

“Is that what caused the cut on your left arm and the reason you’ve got your arsenal attached to your body? Level with me, Kane. What exactly are you up to and who do you work for?”

“Classified.”

“I knew it. You never really left the service, did you? If you had, you’d have changed your hairstyle. I know how much you’d like to have it longer. Don’t give me that look. I’ve seen the way you look at Markus’s hair. You’d have it just like his, if you could.”

“That’s about as much as you get to know today. I’ll drive us to the house in Virginia. Then, I’ll find Markus.”

They fell into silence. Her intuition screamed at her to return to the magi.
Shut up
, she pleaded.

She relaxed into the soft leather seat and zoned. An hour later, Kane exited the highway and pulled into a twenty-four hour diner.

Kira raised her eyebrows.

“What? I need caffeine and I can hear your stomach grumbling. Besides, we need to talk.”

“But you hate this chain. What was it you said last time I suggested this place? I remember. You said it was
grease central guaranteed to cause artery blockage with each bite.
”

“I’m just getting coffee. You’re the one that’s going to eat.”

“Maybe I don’t want to block my arteries.” Her stomach rumbled loudly. She shrugged and smiled.

“There’s nothing else open this late at night out here in bumfuck.”

“Everyone is going to stare at me with all this facial bruising. And what about these neck sutures? They’ll think you’re beating me.”

“It’s not that bad.”

The restaurant was brightly lit. The smell of something burnt and stale coffee greeted them as they entered. They each slid into opposite sides of a yellow booth.

An obviously exhausted waitress with bright red, fried hair appeared. She hastily wiped a few food crumbs from their table with a damp rag before removing a pad from the apron at her waist. “Sorry about the smell, y’all. Jeffrey burnt some toast. It should clear off in a few minutes. What can I getcha?”

“Coffee. Black,” Kane requested.

Kira scrutinized the laminated menu and ordered a few items.

As the waitress strolled away, Kira scanned each occupant in the restaurant. A flirting teenage couple played with the sugar packets, spraying them all over the table. A loner in a T-shirt with a medic insignia sipped coffee at the counter. A group of aged men dragged on cigarettes as they exchanged jokes.

Kane sipped his coffee before demanding, “Explain to me what’s going on. Why are these wacko groups so interested in you? How does what happened to your mother play into this? And what the hell is going on with you and that Ashor fellow?”

Kira squinted at Kane. What could she tell him that wouldn’t cause him give her the look? The one that said she was bat-shit crazy. “There are some things I can do that I’ve never told you or Markus. That’s what the magi and Hashishins are interested in.”

“What kind of things?”

“I can sense people’s energies and their emotions. I also have a gift for healing, not just performing Western medicine as I’ve been trained. I can heal by touch. That’s what caught their attention. I’m sure the Hashishins wants to use me for some disgusting ritual or just outright kill me. The magi are convinced I’m some sort of sacred healer destined to work for them.”

He still threw her the look—the one that combined skepticism, incredulity, and challenge all in one powerful glimpse. Internally she cringed. After years of desperate attempts to gain Kane’s rare approval she thought she’d outgrown this need.

“Don’t give me the loco stare. You asked for answers.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Prove it.”

“No. You’ll just have to take my word for it.”

Kane opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment her food arrived. She bit into the generously buttered raisin toast and closed her eyes. Bliss.

Kane sipped his coffee and eyed her. “What’s this got to do with your mother?”

“I helped someone escape torture from the Hashishins. Terek came looking for his prisoner when he killed my mother.”

“You helped one of those magi-guys, didn’t you?”

She nodded.

“It was him. The Ashor guy, wasn’t it?”

“Yep.”

“Gratitude can’t be the only reason he’s absurdly obsessed with you.”

“He believes I’m this sacred healer that belongs with them. I don’t agree and refused the job.”

“He went completely apeshit on Vance over you. Explain that.”

“Are you interrogating me?”

“Just answer the question.”

“I don’t respond well to grilling.” She ignored him and focused on her food.

Tightly he said, “Could you
please
answer the question?”

The bond between her and Ashor was their personal dilemma. She preferred that it remain secret. Foolishly, she missed Ashor, even if he had behaved like a complete ass. She could make him admit he was mistaken. Then she’d take great pleasure in making him pay for it. Just the thought sent the heat of arousal through her body. She hoped she wasn’t inadvertently transmitting this to him.

Running away wouldn’t break their connection. It had linked them for years. Deep down she didn’t want to cut her link to Ashor. Doing so would sever a piece of her soul. Without the reassurance of that ever-present connection, she’d be alone…lost. She wondered if he felt similarly. He probably didn’t have time to reflect on this because he was so obsessed about the
akhrian
business and caffeinating himself into insomnia. They were going to have to work this out. She would return to him. The only question was when.

Kane cleared his throat and glared a clear
answer-me
.

Where had these rambling thoughts started? “Ashor thinks I’m the magi’s healer and it’s his responsibility to protect me.”

“There’s more to it. I can tell.”

A tic spasmed furiously in Kane’s cheek. His lips flattened and he squinted. This was full interrogation mode. She’d played this game with him many times. It sucked.

Kane’s cell phone rang, saving Kira from further questions. For the moment. Kane rose and walked away from the booth toward the front door.

As she ate the hash browns and raisin toast, she mused about her future. No job. No money. No Ashor. All she had to look forward to was hiding and evasion. Bleak.

Kane slid back into the booth. “That was Markus. He says some guys snatched him right after he got out of the building the other day, but he just escaped and is headed north. Lucky little snot. I’ll meet him in Virginia where I’ll beat the crap out of him.” Relief and affection laced Kane’s tone.

A shiver of darkness slid down her spine. Headlights of an arriving car flashed through the plate glass entry windows.

“They’re here, Kane. The bad ones. They’re in that car that just pulled in. We’ve got to get out of here.”

“You’re sure? You using that sixth sense shit or something?”

She nodded.

“How the hell did they follow us?” Kane muttered as he threw twenty bucks onto the table and pulled Kira out of the booth.

He dragged her to the kitchen side of the serving counter, pushing through the surprised complaints of several employees.

As they exited the side door, Kane unholstered and ordered, “Stay behind me.”

A tall, dark-skinned Hashishin barreled toward them with a gun in one hand and a spray bottle in the other. That spray bottle worried her more than the gun.

As the Hashishin closed in, he pumped the spray bottle furiously. It had a remarkable six-foot range. Droplets hit Kane directly in the face.

Kane spat angrily and shot the aggressor in the head.

Kira turned away in time to avoid the spray. Out of the corner of her eye, she monitored the other two men who were now about twenty feet from them.

Kane threw Kira to the ground behind a car and complained, “I thought they wanted you alive. This is really shitty cover.”

She examined the gravel now imbedded in her scraped hands. Her knees stung, likely skinned through the pants. “That stuff they sprayed on you is going to knock you out. Give me your gun.”

He shook his head, but she could see him fighting drowsiness.

“I need the gun. Give over now. They’re closing in.”

Kane passed out before he had a chance to make a decision.

She grabbed the gun from his limp hand, aimed, and shot three rounds into the closest leg of the man nearing the trunk of the car. The guy screamed a child-like, high-pitched wail as he hit the ground. Rotating around in her lying down position, she squeezed off four rounds into the chest of the second man as he rounded the front of the car.