Charlotte knew she was busted, but she was damned fast. Her delicate hand wrapped around Asia’s wrist before he could stop her. Franklin and Asia both gasped as electricity zinged through them. Franklin wanted to protest but found himself paralyzed by the powerful energy surging through him. He’d never experienced anything like it. The Council had been briefed on Charlotte’s gift, but their information was vastly understated.
“Are you sure they’re here? Dr. Monroe only authorized one visitor for the next eight hours. He won’t be happy if we let two women slip past us.” Franklin heard the worry in the nurse’s question as the door opened. He’d been able to tell when Charlotte released her hold on Asia without looking, the pulsing power was gone as quickly as it began, leaving an empty echo of vibration he couldn’t quite explain.
“We’ve been one step behind them since they left their hotel in New York. If we hadn’t gotten tangled up in a traffic nightmare, we’d have intercepted them before they left the city.” Austin Adler’s voice was laced with frustration. Franklin felt Asia stiffen in his arms.
“Damned cities. The traffic is insane. No wonder New Yorkers have a reputation for their in-your-face attitudes.” Kent West’s voice was filled with a similar annoyance. “Most mornings I drive into town, I don’t meet more than a dozen cars, and that suits me just fine. New York can keep their damned congested highways.” Kent’s frustration amused Franklin. The man was a Texan to the bone. He and his brother had been quietly buying up land surrounding the Prairie Winds property to ensure the privacy of the club and its members—ensuring they weren’t overrun by what they called urban sprawl spreading like the plague from Austin.
“Eli’s security team tracked them here. If you think our wives couldn’t slip past your staff, you are underestimating them.” Kyle’s no-nonsense voice elicited a whispered curse from where his wife stood in the shadows.
I want to go home so I can get some rest. Franklin understood Asia’s silent plea for peace and quiet. Evan had already agreed she was well enough to travel. Once London verified what was slipped into her drink, it hadn’t taken long for the antidote to take effect. Evan encouraged Franklin to wait until her headache abated before traveling, and thanks to Charlotte, it appeared Asia was ready for some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
Franklin understood why she wanted to go home—there would certainly be a lot of comfort in familiar surroundings—but the chaos filling the room now would simply move to Texas if she tried to recover in her own space. Tightening his arms around her, securing her against his chest, Franklin whispered the incantation he knew would whisk them far away from the craziness getting ready to play out around them.
Their destination would only require a few seconds of travel time despite the considerable distance. Asia gasped but made no attempt to move out of his embrace. He knew astral travel could be disorienting in the beginning, but under the circumstances, he hadn’t wanted to wait for anything more traditional.
Asia’s brother, Cleveland and his new wife, Vienna, traveled along the Earth’s natural power grid, using the leigh lines to move magically from one place to another. Franklin’s magical abilities were far more advanced, and even though he didn’t need the electro-magnetic lines to move around the globe, he was grateful for their power, having noted it helped keep Asia grounded. At the last second, he sent a large beach blanket ahead, ensuring they didn’t land on the cool sand.
Rolling to his back, Franklin opened his arms, allowing Asia to stare up at the night sky. Stars twinkled above them in a beautiful array, reminding him of sparkling diamonds on a bed of deep blue velvet. It didn’t matter how long he lived, the view never ceased to inspire him. Humans might change over the course of time, but the great Goddess was an ever-present constant.
“Thank you for rescuing me. I love my family, but the truth is, sometimes, they are a lot to deal with. And I love Tobi to pieces, but I’m not up to keeping pace with her right now.” Franklin could only imagine what it had taken for Asia to admit she wasn’t a hundred percent—the significance of the concession wasn’t lost on him.
“You’ll enjoy their company again once you’ve had a chance to recuperate. Your sister’s brilliance saved you a tremendous amount of recovery time, but the antidote didn’t erase all the drug’s effects. The dose you were given would have eventually killed a non-magical.” As a shifter, Asia’s body was able to metabolize the drug at an accelerated rate—it was the only reason she hadn’t died.
Unfortunately, the over-the-counter pain medication and nutritional supplements she’d taken to combat the headaches had been laced with the drug as well. As she’d slept on the plane, the son of a bitch who’d drugged her dusted every medication in her purse. Had they not sent a second time traveler back, they might not have realized why she experienced repeated exposure. No one knew where the tipping point was with the drug. London was working on a list of safe drugs for shifters but hadn’t studied this one yet. The brilliant scientist had literally developed an antidote within a few hours.
When everyone congratulated her on the pure genius development, she’d shaken her head, swearing it was the power of love rather than intelligence. Personally, Franklin was convinced London’s true magical gifts were yet to be fully revealed, and when they were, it was going to allow her to change the world in ways none of them could imagine.
“The world has stopped spinning… finally.” Asia’s softly spoken words were almost drowned out by the increased pounding of the waves as the tide started moving ashore. “Where are we?”
“The Caribbean, a small island I bought a long time ago and have managed to conceal from the cartographers—at least for the time being. Eventually, someone is going to spot it, but for now, it’s our personal paradise.”
“Is there anyone else here? Is there a residence of some sort? Power? Amenities? Please tell me there is air conditioning.” He couldn’t hold back his chuckle.
“Cara, you’ll never want for anything I can provide.” Did she really believe he couldn’t add air conditioning to their accommodations? “I’m certain you will find the facilities to your liking. If you feel something is missing or you discover a change you would like to make, don’t hesitate to speak up.” With a flick of his wrist, a golf cart appeared a few feet away as the lights along the path flickered on. “Come on, I’m anxious to show you around. We’ll wash away the smell of antiseptic in the outdoor shower before going inside.”
Asia felt her mouth drop open as Franklin’s home came into view. He’d once made a passing reference to a beach bungalow, but the magnificent glass structure in front of them certainly wasn’t what she’d envisioned. Still taking it all in, Asia realized the cart had not only stopped, but Franklin was standing beside her, his hand held out, awaiting hers. Giving her head a small shake, trying to push back the fatigue she suspected would be a challenge for some time, she placed her hand in his.
“Sorry, my brain cells all seem to be firing at different rates. It’s the strangest feeling… like being in a fog and disconnected.”
“It’s a side-effect of the drug poisoning, Cara. The cure is time and cleansing from the inside—drinking pure water and avoiding foods processed with chemicals. London can explain all the details of the pharmacology.” Asia nodded, still trying to let go of her anger at the way she’d been treated at the Quan estate, particularly since his fears for her safety turned out to be well-founded.