“Besides a migraine?” Garrett muttered. “Not really. Jaydon seems ambitious and likes to inflict pain, but it wasn’t personal, you know? He’s a sadist, but I think he could get off torturing anybody, not just the Seven. He didn’t give up much during our one session.”
Benny reached for a roll that Karma had made from scratch. The pretty lady liked to cook as much as he did, and he could see them doing that for years to come. If he didn’t die, that was. The more he was around her, the more he wanted to keep her forever. “Logan? What about you?”
Logan twirled his fork. “Dayne wanted information about the Seven and what we knew of Ulric’s ability to get home. He didn’t buy the intel that we have Ulric in prison somewhere, so I’m thinking they have some line to him, somehow. He also wanted any information I had on how Quade and Ronan got back here after guarding the prison world.” Logan snatched a roll off Mercy’s plate. “Oh, and he was generous with information about their new technology.”
Benny perked up. “Their new ability to venture into the sun?” It was unthinkable, and yet if he belonged to a species that was weakened by the sun, or died in the sun, he’d spend every waking moment trying to find a cure. Or at least he’d have his scientists on the job.
Logan nodded. “Yeah. Yvonne, Ulric’s Intended, actually created the antidote to sunlight. She looked at the weakness like a disease and built a form of vaccine, although it’s temporary. For now. And the sun still weakens them after a time, which we already knew.”
“I’d forgotten she was a scientist,” Mercy said softly. “She has a birthmark, too, right?”
“Yeah. A birthmark indicating she is Ulric’s Intended,” Logan muttered. “Seriously. If I remember right, that chick is nuts.”
Karma cleared her throat. “She’s not nuts, but she is very determined. It’s a quest for power that drives her—as well as a blind devotion to Ulric. They’ve never met, and she has built an image of him in her mind, in her heart, that probably isn’t anything close to the real warrior.”
Benny slid his arm over Karma’s slim shoulders. The woman was smart and insightful. The truth hit him right in the solar plexus. She was also…his.
* * * *
Karma had never felt part of a group the way she did having dinner with Benny and his friends. She belonged and was treated as if she mattered and could contribute. More than ever before, she wanted her girls to have this type of experience. This kind of family. She sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Mercy asked, her gaze concerned.
Karma shifted on her chair, snuggling even closer to Benjamin. He’d slipped his heavy arm over her shoulder, giving her a sense of being protected and wanted. “None of this changes the fact that I have to go back. All of you must know that.”
“No,” Benjamin said.
She reached for her wineglass. The Seven seemed to have excellent taste in wine. “Yes. There’s a main headquarters for the Kurjans, but the group Terre and Jaydon lead is transient. The best soldiers are always on the move, and if Terre doesn’t have the girls brought back to him, we’ll never find them.” It had been her life for the last century, and she’d love to put down roots. To garden. Something in her had always loved working with the soil, and the second she had a home, she would create a flowery oasis. The twins would love that. “Benny, you have to get on board.”
He grinned. “Benny? Look at you being all modern.”
She snorted. Benjamin fit him better, but she liked the nickname, too. Benny fit the guy who’d put on a dress to show her she could defend herself no matter what she wore. Benjamin had taken her to unbelievable heights in the shower. He was both. “Don’t distract me,” she murmured. How wonderful it was to have the freedom to say such things and know there would be no repercussions.
Except his gentle tug on her ear. “You said I have three days to find them,” he reminded her.
She tried to remain calm. “Yes, but don’t we need to plan in case they can’t be found? In that case, I have to follow Terre’s directions.” She looked around the table for support. “My children are at stake. Nothing is more important.”
Mercy’s posture straightened even more. “I agree. If we can’t find them, what choice do you have?” She looked at Garrett. “Can we wire her up?”
Garrett shook his head. “We can wire her, but I have no doubt she’ll be scanned the second she arrives in Kurjan territory. We don’t have devices like the one that was in your head, Karma. Ours are detectable, and any tracking dust would be easily found.”
Logan poured more wine in Mercy’s glass and then his own. “Even if it can be found, we should dust her anyway. It takes a few days to get rid of the dust. They’ll know it’s there, but we’ll also know where she is.”
“So they won’t move her anywhere of importance until it dissipates,” Mercy said, hopping in her chair. “Plus, we could dust her without consent, so Terre won’t be pissed and think she worked against him.”
“No.” Benjamin slammed his fist on the table. Dishes bounced and landed with a loud clatter.
Karma jumped. “It’s just a backup plan. Shouldn’t we make it as good as possible?”
Mercy’s eyes glimmered with sympathy and understanding. “There are two children at risk, Ben. If Karma wants to do this, to try to save them, you can’t hold her back.”
Benny looked at Logan. “Would you let your mate go?”
Mate? Karma turned partially toward Benjamin, the heavy arm over her shoulder hampering her movements. “We have not mated.”
He turned his head, his gaze nearly black. “How long do you think Terre will wait to mate you?”
Dread dropped into her stomach. “Not long.”
“Mating doesn’t have to be consensual,” he said, his face showing no give.
“I know,” she whispered. “But there are bigger issues at play than my feelings. You have to understand that.”
For the longest of moments, he just studied her face. An expression settled over him that she couldn’t read. Maybe acceptance and determination mixed with…she just wasn’t sure. “I’m not saying yes, but we can develop a contingency plan in case we don’t find the girls within the time frame.”
Relief flooded through her. She’d deal with her fear of what Terre had planned later. “It’s not just the girls, Benny. I know the Kurjans have kidnapped more enhanced women, maybe even children, and they matter, too. We have to find and free them before Jaydon attempts his ritual.” He had power, and he had followers, so it was entirely possible he’d be able to do so without Dayne even knowing about it. The Cyst often went on their own paths, temporarily living apart from the rest of the Kurjans.