I growl despite myself. “The fact that she keeps referring to his physical stature hasn’t gone unnoticed. Trust me.”
He chuckles, his shoulders relaxing a bit. “Mate, we have nothing to worry about. When she talks about him, there’s no sexual interest there. She may find him attractive, but she doesn’t want him like that. I’d know. Trust me. The woman isn’t shy when it comes to her desires.”
Considering him, I nod. That somehow eases the bit of tension that had wound me up tight. I need to remember that I’m not in this alone. My brothers are powerful men in their own right, and I need to let them help me navigate the murky waters surrounding, quite simply, the love of my long life. Dammit. Why haven’t I told her that?
Those three little words have been on the edge of my tongue for a while now. But I don’t want to say them when we’re rushed or preoccupied. I want to be able to take my time and show her, not just tell her. I want to wrap myself up in her and leave the rest of the world behind for a little while. Life doesn’t want to cooperate though, and there hasn’t been a moment of peace that’s lasted long enough to take advantage of. What if I wait too long and we lose her again? I can’t let that happen. I need to talk to her. Right after we find her and apologize.
His hand claps my shoulder as we both make our way back into the sea of spirits, and I experience a twinge of guilt that my own inner turmoil might be adding to the overflow assaulting him. The twins are up near the dais, scanning the crowd. Standing beside them, Mack has a bit of a confused expression on his face that instantly has me on high alert.
As we approach, I catch sight of Rylan standing off in the corner talking to a group of spirits. Something about him doesn’t seem quite right, but I don’t have time to study him before Macklin is drawing my attention his way.
“I don’t see Fate.”
“She probably hasn’t returned quite yet.”
“But where’s Reggie then?” Macklin asks.
I scan the room, searching for the quirky spirit assistant, but I can’t find her either. My brow furrows as something that feels a lot like worry starts to settle in my gut.
“Maybe Fate needed help with something,” Levi offers, though I notice he’s studiously scanning the room as well.
“Knox, what do you feel?” His silence up until now has my worry ratcheting up a notch. Especially since he said something felt off.
“I…” He trails off, closing his eyes as the rest of us continue scanning the room. “Shit! I can’t feel her.”
“What the fuck do you mean you can’t feel her? Are the spirits creating interference?”
“I don’t know. Maybe? That’s never been an issue before though.”
“We’ve never been surrounded by this many spirits at once before either,” I add. “Thad and Levi, run to her room and see if she’s in there.”
“You got it!” Levi responds as he and his twin rush out of the main chamber.
“Something tells me we need to talk to the surfer. Something isn’t right here.”
Spotting the bastard across the room, I head in his direction. Rylan turns my way, straightening as I approach. It hits me then. The difference I hadn’t caught before. His missing leg is once again whole, and the gash marks on his arms have disappeared. He’s now wearing a t-shirt and jeans, though I can still see right through him.
Fucking Fate! What are you up to?
“Have you seen Fate?” I damn near roar. Fuck niceties.
“Yes. She was just in here a little bit ago.”
“Do you know where she went?” Macklin asks.
“We talked briefly. Then she spoke privately with Reggie, and they both disappeared.”
“Talked about what?” He’s studying me, like he’s trying to gauge whether or not he should tell me.
“Mate, I suggest you spit it out before we all lose our patience,” Knox demands, stepping up into the surfer’s personal space.
“I don’t know where she is, I swear,” he replies, avoiding my question.
Thad and Levi come running back into the room. “She’s not in her room or any of ours.”
I turn my power onto the spirit in front of me. “You’ll tell us what she said to you, right now.”
His eyes widen briefly, and I can tell he’s struggling against the weight of the command, but he’s no match for my power. “When she came back into the room, she was wearing a different dress than before. She looked amazing.”
Growls sound off around me, right along with my own, and Rylan’s eyes widen even more.
“But I didn’t...I don’t…” he stammers.
“Tell us what you talked about.”
“When she came up to me, she said she had a job for me and asked if I’d be willing to do some reconnaissance work for you guys. Said that you need someone on the inside to be your eyes and ears. I agreed to help, then Reggie walked up, they had a brief conversation, and Fate asked me to hold out my hand. She clasped it in hers, and when she let go, there was this mark…” He holds out his left arm, and sure enough, the mark of the Gateway is now on his inner wrist. “That, and I suddenly found myself with a fully healed body and the ability to change out of those damn swim trunks. She said she didn’t have time to explain right now, but she’d give me the rundown later. Then the girls had another conversation before they walked off.”
“What the fuck is that woman thinking?” I fume.
Rylan takes a step back but comes up short because Thad and Levi are now standing behind him. Macklin has closed in on his right and Knox on his left. He may be a spirit who could walk right through us, but right now, his self-preservation skills are obviously functioning correctly if he’s smart enough not to try. He looks around at all of us warily.
A quick thought filters through my mind. Shit! What have I gotten myself into?
“Mack.” It’s all I have to say before my brother takes over. Let’s see just how well this new power up of his works in real-life applications. I share a quick look with Knox, telling him I want him paying attention as well. He nods.
“Do you know where Fate is?”
“No.”
“Do you have any intentions of betraying us?”
“No! Why would I?”
“Are you working for anyone who means us harm?”
“No. I’m loyal to the queen.” He stands up, militantly straight.
I glance at Knox, and he nods, telling me what I already suspected. “Mack?”
“He’s telling the truth. He doesn’t know where she is, and he’s loyal to her.”
Dammit. I could use an outlet for my anger right now, but at least we know we can trust him for the time being. “Fine. But let me make this very clear. I catch even the smallest hint that you’re double-crossing us, I will end you. It will not be quick, and it will be very painful.”
He swallows but nods.
“Are we clear then?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good! Report back to me with anything you find. If I’m not available, search out one of my brothers. I don’t think I need to tell you that you need to stay as inconspicuous as possible. We don’t need our enemies knowing that we’re looking for them.”