Warrior of Fate Read online

  “Good,” Darius said, ignoring her. “Tessa’s already going to have Mom ticked off if she crushed the yuccas again. We don’t need Dad all fired up, too.”

  “I did not crush the yuccas,” Tessa repeated. “They’re fine.”

  “You’ve got to find somewhere else to have these visions,” Darius said. “You’re systematically killing off all Mom’s flowers doing it in the garden.”

  “Funny.” She squeezed past him into the house. “Don’t we all have a meeting to get to? Or are you going to keep standing in the doorway, letting the bugs in?”

  Tessa walked away from the two men and headed down the hall. She didn’t look back, or give any other indication of her concern for Adrian Gray, though she could practically feel his gaze on her as she walked away. Curiosity ate at her.

  What had happened to him?

  * * *

  Adrian watched Tessa’s sexy rear end as she retreated. This was what had kept him alive those three days in Belize—Tessa Montana and this connection between them that they both pretended didn’t exist. Thoughts of her had given him strength to fight when it would have been easier to die.

  “Hey.”

  He glanced over to find Darius looking at him with narrowed blue eyes.

  “No,” Darius said. “Don’t even think it.”

  “I wasn’t—”

  “Seriously, Gray? You’re going to try and lie to an empath? I may not know what you’re thinking, but I definitely know what you’re feeling. That’s my baby sister.”

  “Fine. I was checking her out, but only because I’m alive and breathing. She’s gorgeous, Darius. Even you must realize that, brother or not.”

  “You want to keep doing that breathing thing, then you’d better get moving to the dining room. And keep your eyeballs to yourself.”

  Adrian waited a beat—just long enough to see caution flicker in Darius’s eyes. “I’m letting that threat slide because you are her brother. And because it wouldn’t be an even match.”

  Darius lowered his brows. “Why? Because of this?” He held up the cane he’d needed ever since a gunshot wound to the spine years earlier had left him with a permanent limp.

  “Hell, no. Let’s say you didn’t have that thing. You and your brother together couldn’t take on a fully trained Warrior of Atlantis. Even if Rafe channeled that primeval fighter of his.” Adrian crossed the kitchen toward the dining room, Darius following behind.

  “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you, Gray?”

  Adrian paused in the doorway. “Sure of my training, Darius. Let’s not test it, all right?”

  He walked into the dining room, where most of the Montanas were already waiting. There were two seats open, one next to Tessa and one at the head of the table. Darius slipped past him and took the seat next to Tessa, across from their brother Rafe. Since Adrian knew the seat at the head of the table belonged to their father, John, he shrugged and remained standing, leaning a shoulder against the wall behind Rafe where he could still see Tessa. Rafe turned his head to send a hard glance Adrian’s way, obviously having been briefed telepathically by his brother.

  Settle down, Adrian sent to Rafe.

  You first, Rafe sent back, and faced front as his father came into the room.

  “I guess this is everyone,” John Montana said. He nodded at Adrian. “Adrian. Glad to see you.” He frowned. “You didn’t slip past my security again, did you?”

  Darius snorted.

  “No,” Adrian replied, ignoring him. “Front door.”

  “Good.” John faced his family. “Before I turn the floor over to Adrian, I wanted to let you all know that Rigo Mendez is being released from the hospital later today. He’ll be staying here to convalesce.”

  “Good,” Darius said. “He took a harpoon to the gut trying to protect the stone from the Mendukati. He deserves the best care possible.”

  “Agreed,” John said. “And now that Adrian’s here, we can finally clear up some things that happened in Belize.”

  All eyes turned to Adrian.

  “Yeah, Gray,” Darius said, settling back in his chair and folding his arms. “You cut out pretty fast as soon as we got Rigo to the ER in Belize City.”

  Maria Montana, mother of Tessa, Rafe, and Darius, turned a reproving look on him. “I was worried when you didn’t come home with the others.”

  Her lightly scolding tone made Adrian want to squirm, which took him by surprise. He’d been raised by a military-minded father; he hadn’t seen his own mother since he was ten. He’d thought he’d forgotten what it was like, but apparently the mind was conditioned to react to a mother’s disapproval—no matter whose mother it was.

  “I had other responsibilities I’d been neglecting, Prestulana.” He deliberately used the Atlantean address of respect for a great lady, since Maria was the current High Priestess of the Seers. “Once you were all safe, I had to turn my attention to those duties so I could come back today.”

  Duties like finding a medic and fighting for his life.

  “I understand,” Maria said, “but I was still worried, Adrian. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “Gray can handle himself,” Rafe said.

  “I’m sure he can.” Maria waved a hand. “Ignore the ramblings of an anxious mother. This war, the Mendukati back in my life after all these years … Perhaps I’m overreacting.”

  “Nonsense,” Adrian said, his heart softening. “You can never overreact when dealing with the Mendukati.”

  “Like you said, this is war, Mom.” Darius leaned forward. “We’re just lucky the Mendukati can’t access the full power of the stones until they have all three. And since they’re determined to kill every Seer alive along the way … well, I agree with Gray. It’s smart to be overly cautious, even overly worried, rather than too complacent.”

  “Good,” Maria said. “Then I will continue to worry about all of you.”

  Cara, Rafe’s fiancée, spoke up. “It still blows my mind that the Mendukati—Atlanteans themselves—want to kill fellow Atlanteans.” She shook her head.

  “Humans do it, too,” Faith, Darius’s girlfriend, said. “All the time.”

  “I know,” Cara said. “But I guess I’m not built that way. What do you think, John? As the only other non-Atlantean here besides me?”

  “Humans might be worse,” John said after a moment. “The Mendukati have only ever fought one war, albeit for thousands of years. Humans have had so many world wars that we’ve had to number them.”

  “So what you’re saying is, we humans suck.” Cara slumped back in her chair. “Awesome.”

  Rafe laid a hand over hers in silent solidarity. Their fingers intertwined. “Maybe we should get back to Belize. I still think I should have gone.”

  “We had to keep the team small,” Adrian said.

  Rafe raised a brow at him. “You took Rigo, and he’s human.”

  “He’s a former Marine,” John corrected. “And an experienced diver.”

  “Which you aren’t, little brother,” Darius said. “Look, we’ve been over this already. The last Stone of Ekhia was hidden in a tomb in an underwater cave. Dad’s contacts were expecting me, specifically, so I had to go. Plus, I can pilot a boat. We needed Faith to track the stone, Rigo to help with the diving, and Gray to handle the Mendukati who were after us—especially Criten’s enforcer.” Darius frowned. “Speaking of … what happened to that guy, Gray? Azotay. Is he still a threat?”

  “I hope you kicked his ass,” Rafe muttered.

  Adrian considered his words before answering. The Montanas didn’t need to know about his failed one-man mission, or how close he’d come to dying. At least, not right now. “Azotay is still a threat,” he finally said.

  Rafe swore.

  “The Mendukati have been two steps ahead of us this whole time,” John muttered.

  “Yeah, they knew we were going to the cave,” Darius said. “Not sure how they knew, but they did.”

  “The intelligence network of
the Mendukati is very meticulous,” Adrian said. “While we were suiting up for the dive, Azotay contacted me directly with a personal challenge. I went, thinking I could keep him distracted while the rest of the team retrieved the stone from that underwater cave.”

  “What went wrong?” John asked.

  “I did,” Adrian said. He looked from one stunned expression to another, settling last on Tessa’s. “Azotay defeated me, then went back to our boat and stole the stone from Rigo. It’s my fault he got away, my fault the Mendukati now have two of the three Stones of Ekhia.”

  Dead silence reigned for a long moment.

  “But we still have the third,” Darius finally said. “Which means they’ll be coming after us with everything they’ve got.”

  “I didn’t think anyone could beat you, Gray,” Rafe said. “I’ve seen you in a fight, up close and personal. You’re a machine.”

  “Someone’s always better,” Adrian said.

  “That’s plain scary,” Rafe said. “That someone could be a better fighter than Gray.”

  “Yes,” John said. “And it gives us a good idea of what we’re up against.”

  Gray, you okay? Darius asked telepathically, as the discussion continued around them.

  Damn it. Adrian had perfected his poker face over the years, but he should have known his surging emotions wouldn’t get past the empath. Fine, he replied.

  You don’t seem fine.

  Leave it, Darius. Adrian ignored Darius’s narrowed eyes and turned his attention back to the conversation at the table.

  “Those nuts broke in here once,” John was saying, “and almost got away with the stone. We’ve upped security since then, but, as we all know, Adrian has repeatedly gotten past my best upgrades.”

  “You may run the best security company in the country, John,” Adrian said, “but your R&D people are used to creating security devices for humans. They’ve never encountered anything like the Mendukati. We’re talking an organized army of Warriors, trained soldiers who were born with more physical strength and speed than any human. And they have Channelers, too—people who can manipulate all forms of energy, and in so many ways, that you never know what you’re going to see.”

  “Like that chick in New Mexico,” Darius chimed in. “She threw lightning bolts. Threw them … like footballs. Damnedest thing I ever saw.”

  “I think Jain Criten is a Channeler,” Tessa said. “We saw him change flower petals into knives.”

  “I’m a Channeler,” Faith offered.

  “I thought you were a Stone Singer,” Cara said.

  “I am,” Faith replied. “A Stone Singer is a type of Channeler.”

  “How many types are there?” Maria asked.

  “Dozens,” Faith replied. “You’ve got Wind Chanters, Healers, Lightning Throwers, Energy Changers. Ben’s late wife—” Her voice broke, and Adrian’s heart clenched as her lip quivered. Ben had not only been Adrian’s friend but also Faith’s former father-in-law. His death was still new, still raw for both of them. But she sucked in a breath, pulled herself together, and continued, “Ben’s wife was a Flame Walker.”

  “There really is no telling what we’re going to come up against, is there?” With a sigh, John sank down into his chair. “How do we defend against all that?”

  “Gray can help us,” Rafe said. “He can teach us what we need to know.”

  All eyes turned to Adrian, full of hope and expectation. These people—people he’d come to care about—relied on him to lead the fight, and he’d already screwed up, not once but three times, the last nearly costing him his life. He could not let them down again.

  “I do have a plan,” he said. “We need to get the other stones back from Criten and somehow prove to the Atlantean world that the Seers did not destroy Atlantis. That the Mendukati have been lying to them for centuries. Once we get public opinion on our side, we might be able to bring an end to all this.”

  Rafe barked a laugh. “Oh yeah, sure, Gray. No problem. Piece of cake.”

  “No one will believe us,” Maria said. “The only reason we know the truth is because Faith learned it from the stone itself.”

  “Wait a minute,” Faith said. “He’s got something here. If the rest of the Atlantean world knew the truth, I’m betting the Mendukati would lose its influence. A lot of the Mendukati members I knew were in it for revenge in the name of their ancestors. If they find out there’s nothing to avenge…”

  “… then they might give up the fight,” Rafe finished. “Good point.”

  “And how do you propose we do this, Adrian?” John asked. “Get the other two stones back, spread the truth through the Atlantean world? We can’t be the first to try and take out the Mendukati, and we’re certainly outnumbered. What can we do that someone hasn’t already tried before?”

  “I’ve been working on that,” Adrian said. “I haven’t worked out all the variables yet—”

  “Oh, the variables,” Tessa said, rolling her eyes. “Minor details.”

  “Tessa!” Maria said. “Let the man speak.”

  “Maybe we should just put an article in the Mendukati newsletter,” Tessa said.

  “Pipe down, sis,” Darius said. “I’d like to hear more about this plan.”

  “Me, too,” Faith said.

  Adrian’s cell phone rang. He slipped it from his pocket, glanced at the display, and mentally cursed. Time was up. “Excuse me,” he said, and left the room.

  * * *

  “What was that about?” Rafe wondered aloud as Adrian walked away.

  “Something’s up with him,” Darius said. “It’s been that way since Belize. Since he came back to the boat from that confrontation with Azotay.”

  “The dude has so many secrets, how can you tell he’s got a new one?” Rafe shook his head.

  “I don’t think he looks well,” Tessa said.

  “What do you mean?” her mother asked.

  “Something’s off about him. He seems, I don’t know, less than himself.”

  “Maybe he’s just tired,” Maria said.

  “Maybe.” Tessa couldn’t shake the feeling. Time to find out. She got up from the table.

  Her father frowned at her. “Tessa, where are you going?”

  She thought fast, winced. “Headache, Dad. From a vision this morning.” She touched her temple. “I’m going to get an aspirin while we wait for Adrian to come back.”

  Her father’s features softened. “Okay, kitten.”

  She gave him a weak smile. “Be right back.” And headed for the door.

  Liar, liar, pants on fire. Darius’s telepathic taunt followed her out of the room.

  You know, it’s really a pain having an empath for a brother, she sent back.

  Tess, about Gray—

  Butt out, Darius. I’m a big girl.

  That’s what I’m worried about.

  She shut his voice out of her head as she got near the living room. The rumble of Adrian’s smooth baritone had her slowing. She strained to her ears to hear what he was saying, but couldn’t make anything out. Then she realized he wasn’t speaking English.

  He gave a growl, and a small beep indicated he’d disconnected the call. She peered around the corner of the doorway and saw him standing with his back to her. He shoved his phone in his pocket and stood there, hands on his hips and head bowed. She could practically see the tension in his muscled back and shoulders, and yes, maybe she did allow her gaze to linger over his very fine butt—just for a second—before she pulled her attention back to business. What was eating him? Was he having trouble with those mysterious bosses of his?

  “You going to come in, princess, or just keep staring at me?”

  His voice made her jump, and a quick, panicked glance told her he hadn’t turned around. But since he knew she was there anyway … She walked into the living room, head held high. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. You seem … tense.”

  He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I’ve got things on my mind.”
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  “I see that.” She came around so she stood in front of him. “Those secrets of yours starting to weigh you down?”

  “You don’t like secrets.”

  “No, I don’t. And I don’t trust people who keep them.”

  “Says the girl who can read the thoughts of every human for miles.”

  “Exactly. Humans, not Atlanteans. I like to know what’s going on. Who to trust. And who might betray me.”

  He took a step toward her—lean, mean, competent male. Everything about him reeked of masculinity and power. No matter what the problem, Adrian Gray could take care of it, from a leaky faucet to an armed intruder to the fact that you hadn’t had sex in way too long. He would handle whatever it was and do it right.

  For some reason she found that ridiculously attractive.

  “You think I’m going to betray you?” he whispered.

  She took a step backward—away from his potent aura, where she could breathe again. “I think you’ve got your own agenda.”

  “That so?”

  “Yes.” He took another step closer, and she was proud of herself for not retreating this time. Instead, she held her ground. “I think you’ll help us as long as our agenda goes along with yours. But the second our goals diverge, you’ll put your own interests first. Or at least the ones of the people you work for.”

  “Maybe it’s a good thing you can’t read my mind right now.” He laid his fingers against her neck, so gently she almost thought she imagined it. “Your pulse is racing. Mine, too.” He slid his fingertips beneath her chin, tilting her head up.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” The shaky whisper that left her lips fell far from the sharp demand she’d intended.

  “Haven’t you felt it, Tessa? The pull between us, since the first day we met?”

  “I’ve felt the irritation of your ego.” She’d intended a zinger, but the words held no heat. What was wrong with her? A relationship … an affair … hell, a stolen kiss with this man would be the height of insanity. Especially now, with this war. With enemies everywhere.

  And why was she even imagining what his kiss would taste like?

  “There’s something, all right, even if you don’t want to admit it.” He glanced at her mouth, his dark eyes intense. “Have you ever thought about what would happen if we allowed it to take us?”