The Curse (33 page)

She lifted her hands. “I’m fine. Got jumped by Svarts.”

That did nothing to calm Quinn’s already sheared nerves. He unleashed on Storm the minute he walked up. “Where the devil were you when she was attacked?”

“Me?” Storm snarled. “You and Tzader are the ones sending her out alone.”

Evalle stepped between them. “Whoa, you two. This isn’t Storm’s fault, Quinn. He’s the only reason I’m alive right now, but we don’t have time to waste and I’m healed.”

“Mostly,” Storm grumbled.

“And,” Evalle added, “Storm came to help us find the kids.”

Quinn raked his hand through his hair. “Sorry, chap. It’s been a long day and doesn’t appear to be improving anytime soon. Good to have you back.”

Storm nodded, stepping up next to Evalle in a possessive stance.

Interesting, if Quinn had the time to waste thinking about it, which he didn’t. When they turned back toward the meet point, he said, “I got another text from Lanna—”

“His cousin,” Evalle said for Storm, then asked Quinn, “What exactly happened?”

“She was supposed to be in my hotel suite, but she slipped out and went looking for the two boys you think are witches and got trapped by a local troll called Jurba.”

“Has to be Kellman and Kardos. How does she know them and why did she go looking for them?”

“Lanna’s a meddler. She met the boys in the park and overheard them talking about a dangerous troll with the Svart marking on his arm hanging around their shelter. I think she went out to help them or maybe to dig up more information on the Svarts and got caught with the boys here at Underground.”

Evalle said, “If not for getting caught, I like her already.”

“Trust me, you speak too soon. I love the brat, but some days I want to strangle her.”

“But what was she thinking to go snooping on Svarts?”

Quinn pinched the bridge of his nose, then dropped his hand. “My fault. I told her she had to go back to Transylvania immediately or VIPER would get involved, and she really does not want to go home. I’m guessing she planned to find intel or something she could trade with VIPER so she could stay here.”

Storm spoke up. “What’s the plan?”

“Tzader has to leave skeleton teams in each of the metropolitan quadrants to handle the gang battles, but we should have around forty VIPER agents.”

Evalle argued, “That may not be enough.”

“Why?”

“My Nightstalker says more Svarts are coming, but he doesn’t know when.”

Storm added, “And one of the two that attacked Evalle tonight was something worse, some kind of demon Svart.”

“Good goddess.” Quinn slowed as he neared a group of VIPER agents made up mostly of Beladors. He swung around to inform Tzader, but waited as the Maistir sent out teams of four.

When he saw Quinn, Tzader lifted his chin in acknowledgment. Then glanced at Evalle and did a double take.

If Quinn had to guess, the murderous look crossing Tzader’s face probably matched Quinn’s when he’d first seen her, covered in blood. Speaking telepathically to Tzader, Quinn quickly explained Evalle’s condition and Storm’s intervention.

Evalle pointed at her clothes and said to Tzader, “Pay no attention to the blood.”

“Quinn just told me.” Tzader gave Storm an assessing glance and nodded at him. “Thanks.”

Storm answered with a nod.

Quinn started to tell Evalle what he’d learned, but waited as Trey handed the viola case with the Nyght weapon to Tzader, then took over giving orders. Once he, Quinn, Evalle and Storm stood together, Quinn said, “I’ve learned the Svarts are under contract to the Medb.”

Quinn caught the flash of suspicion in Evalle’s gaze, but she didn’t ask where he’d gained that information. Instead, she said, “Why are the Svarts here?”

Not telling her the truth about Kizira would eventually eat a hole in his gut, but Quinn would not involve Evalle. “The Svarts are gathering an army for a massive attack on humans to draw the bulk of VIPER assets out in the open at one time. They plan to destroy the Southeastern coalition, then take over North America.”

“Is that possible?” Storm asked Quinn.

“We don’t know. There’s no intel on the Svart population, and we don’t know exactly how the Medb play into this. And the information came in pieces, so we may not have it all figured out exactly right.”

Evalle started to say something, then turned to Tzader as if he’d spoken to her mind to mind. Quinn would thank him later for keeping him off the spot about where he got the intel. Tzader moved them back to the current problem. “Did you tell them about the truck, Quinn?”

“Was just going to. The last text I got from Lanna said this Jurba troll was transporting them by truck somewhere. She’s caused the truck to have a flat tire, and she thinks she’s leaving a majik trail, but can’t say for sure. She said there are a couple of other unconscious people with them.”

Evalle’s eyes sparked with admiration when she looked over at Storm. “Then it’s a good thing we’ve got a tracker.”

Quinn addressed Storm. “Those kids are being used as cattle. What do you need from us to pick up their trail?”

When Storm didn’t answer at first, Quinn questioned if the tracker hesitated to deal with Svarts again.

Storm finally said, “I only need the freedom to use all my abilities.”

Evalle’s face fell. “No.”

“Yes. That’s the quickest way to track them.”

“I can’t ask you to do that,” she said so softly Quinn almost didn’t hear her.

Storm touched her chin. “You don’t have to ask me.” Then he faced Tzader and Quinn. “I don’t like to advertise it, but I’m a Skinwalker. I can shift into a jaguar. My coat’s black. I’ll blend into the night, but I’m still a big animal that may draw unwanted attention.”

Tzader just said, “Damn.”

Quinn hadn’t seen that one coming either, but he didn’t waste time thinking about it. “We can’t take you inside Underground as a jaguar, but I’m thinking since the kids are in a truck, the troll left here by a loading dock. We’ll enter by the road the delivery trucks take to the docks and start there. If Storm picks up the scent, we’ll follow.”

“I’m riding my bike,” Evalle clarified.

“I wish you’d go with them,” Storm said.

“Not a chance. I can go places a bigger vehicle can’t.”

Tzader ended all discussion. “I’ll walk Storm down to the delivery area with me. Quinn, we need a pace car on rocket fuel sitting here ready to go in five minutes.”

“You’ll have it.” Quinn took the Nyght weapon from Tzader.

Tzader told Evalle, “Go get your bike.”

Before she stepped away, Storm snagged her arm and said, “Do
not
face off with another Svart alone.”

She bristled. “Who do you—”

He gave her a quick kiss, shutting her down, then walked off with Tzader, who glanced back, looking confused.

Evalle’s cheeks were a rosy shade Quinn had never seen.

She took one look at him and snapped, “Don’t say a word,” then strode off in the direction of the parking deck.

Women. Quinn had tangled with more than his limit today. He rubbed his head and called telepathically to his Belador driver. While Quinn had rushed here on foot, he’d sent his driver to call up his Aston Martin Virage from where it sat parked in valet at the hotel. At Quinn’s word, the car arrived outside Underground within minutes.

When Tzader called Quinn telepathically to confirm that Storm had picked up a scent and they’d left Underground, Quinn peeled out and caught up to the pair on Piedmont Avenue.

He pulled over long enough for Tzader to jump in and toss a handful of clothes onto the backseat just as the biggest jaguar Quinn had ever seen ran ahead, jumping over homeless people sleeping in doorways. In spite of his size, the sleek, black animal blended with the night like a racing shadow.

Evalle streaked past Quinn on her wicked motorcycle and stayed ahead, keeping pace with the jaguar.

Tzader said, “Trey’s got choppers picking up some of the teams. The rest are spread out over a mile behind us, following directions I’m sending.”

Quinn’s grip on the wheel tightened with every mile that Storm covered. He had to get Lanna back. The jaguar led them away from the corporate jungle of glass towers in the center of downtown to the fringe, where tattered buildings with bar-covered windows intermingled with pockets of redevelopment.

Then Storm stopped. His sides heaved in and out with deep breaths, but Quinn doubted he’d paused due to lack of stamina.

Quinn pulled the Aston Martin into the parking lot of a closed medical office and got out. “What’s wrong, Evalle?”

She’d parked and had her helmet off. “I don’t know. Give him a minute.”

Striding over with Tzader beside him, Quinn stopped next to Evalle. She watched Storm move back and forth, then squatted down and asked the coal-black animal, “Does the scent end here?”

Storm lifted his jaguar head and nodded.

Tzader said, “I bet this is where they stopped to change the damn tire.”

Storm confirmed that with another nod.

Quinn asked Evalle, “Is there any way you know to reach those two boys?”

“No, but I know someone else who might help us.”

The jaguar roared at her.

Sentient blades hanging at Tzader’s hips came to life, snarling and snapping. “Evalle?”

“Storm’s not going to do anything.” She stood up and walked up to the giant beast and leaned down, stroking his ebony fur. “You agreed as long as he behaved himself.”

Tzader warned, “Evalle, don’t stand so close.”

“He won’t hurt me,” she said with conviction, and damn if that jaguar didn’t reach up and lick her chin.

Quinn sighed. “You scare the shit out of us sometimes.”

He swore the bloody jaguar smiled at him until Evalle said, “We need Isak Nyght’s help.”

TWENTY-SIX

E
valle held the throttle of her Gixxer steady and hoped she wouldn’t be late. The truck with the teens had parked eight minutes ago, just after the stroke of midnight.

One call to Isak and in less than fifteen minutes he’d performed the impossible, locating the truck. Storm had shifted back into his human body and put on his clothes by the time Isak had called Evalle two minutes ago with news that she was only three miles from where the truck was parked.

Storm’s arms banded her waist as he snugged up close to her on the back of the bike.

She’d blame the cold air beating his exposed arms and face for the movement, but he never shivered. She had a strong sense that he wanted to remind her of their agreement that he would not touch Isak as long as Isak kept his hands off her.

As if she’d risk more bloodshed tonight.

She’d never been in this situation—between two men. She had no skills for handling either one of them, but they’d both be sorely disappointed if they didn’t work together to help save nonhumans from Svarts using them as food.

Except Isak didn’t save nonhumans. He hunted them.

Tzader came into her mind.
Just heard from a Belador named Vince who’s with the captives inside the old Sears Building on North Avenue, so Isak was right about the truck being there.

Can he get out?

Said it’s too dangerous. Four prisoners teamed up against one Svart and tried to make a break for it. The Svart overpowered them and decapitated one. I told Vince to sit tight and feed us information on how to get to them.

Why didn’t he contact you sooner?
Not that she wanted to give the guy a hard time, but what took him so long?

Said he was unconscious until now. Lanna had his phone. Said the Svart took it away from her. Vince is one of the six nonhumans a troll named Jurba is using to negotiate with the Svarts to trade for his girlfriend. Two of the six are the twin male witches and one is Lanna.

How many more captives?

Vince counted eighteen so far, including Jurba’s six.

Stinking trolls
. Evalle turned onto North Avenue, a block away.
Are the Svarts feeding yet?

Not yet. Vince said there are five Svarts guarding them, but he believes more are out in the city, and he heard one of them say they were waiting on the lieutenant. I told Vince we’re close and to call out to me if any of the Svarts act like they’re going to feed before we reach him.

Lanna and the twins were still safe—for the moment.

Leaning her bike low around the last corner, Evalle straightened and slowed when the backside of the gargantuan warehouse once known as the Sears Building came into view.

She parked along the curb.

Headlights off, Quinn pulled his Aston Martin up behind her as Storm climbed off her bike. Within seconds, VIPER agents appeared from where they’d parked within a quarter-mile stretch of the older, mixed-residential-and-business neighborhood.

For the benefit of agents not telepathically capable like the Beladors, Tzader issued spoken orders. “Break up into teams of four with a Belador leader in every team so we can keep in contact telepathically. We have a Belador captive inside who will lead us to their location once we’re in there.”

Evalle asked, “What floor did Vince say they’re on?”