Most people didn’t know about the vampires’ ability to telepathically reach their mates. Moira shut her eyes, searching for Conn. Nothing. She tried again. Only breezy silence met her call. She flipped her lids open. “I can’t reach Conn.” Cara’s gift must be because of the labor, because the baby was coming. Or maybe through the baby. “Does Talen know where we are?”
Cara bit her lip, lifting her body off the bed, her face contorting in pain. “Yes,” she panted. “They’re on the way.” Her hold tightened on Moira. “I’ve got to push.”
“Here he is,” Simone said in a hushed voice. “One more push. Come on, Cara. One more.”
With a high-pitched yelp, Cara bore down. A scream escaped her. Simone reached forward, grabbing the baby. She swaddled him, wiping him clean. Moira’s eyes misted over. Just then, the babe opened his mouth and gave one short, irritated cry.
Cara laughed, tears streaming down her face. “Sounds pissy just like Talen.” She reached out, taking the baby and holding him close. Her face fell. “I can’t reach Talen anymore.” She uncovered her son, checking him over. “That’s okay. Daddy will be here soon.”
Moira focused on the newest Kayrs, ignoring whatever Simone was doing under the towel. The baby looked just like his father. High forehead, tons of black hair, strong features with sizzling, metallic gray eyes. She gasped at the vampire colors. “Look at those eyes.” The babe focused on her, reaching out with one chubby hand. “Are babies supposed to focus this fast?”
“No.” Cara tried to smooth wild hair back from his little face. “But he’s a vampire and Talen’s son, so who the heck knows.” She nuzzled his cheek, one hand supporting his head. “Ten fingers, ten toes, no fangs.” Her smile lit her face. “He’s perfect.”
Simone tossed the second towel into the bathroom. Her smile made her appear even more beautiful, if that was possible. “He is perfect.” She raised both eyebrows. “His eyes. Very unusual.”
Cara turned the babe to face her. “Talen’s eyes turn metallic when he’s, ah, emotional.”
Simone shook her head. “I’m sure. The vampire colors don’t usually show up until puberty. I wonder if that stunning gray is his normal color. Intriguing.” She hustled into the bathroom and the sound of running water echoed. She emerged, drying her hands on yet another clean towel. Apparently Trevan had prepared for an extended stay. “So. What now?”
Chapter 29
Conn fought to keep his face stoic as the helicopter banked hard to the right. His bones had healed, but the internal organ damage shot shards of pain through his nerve endings. He settled next to Jase, closing his eyes, forcing all sensation into a box. Dage and Talen took up the front seat, while Jordan and Kane followed in two more low-flying Black Hawks.
The sun lowered in the west, bright rays of reds and golds reflecting inside the vehicle. Jase tapped keys on his laptop. “Are you sure you’re up to this, Conn?”
“Yes.” Conn sought his mate, scowling when there was no response.
Jase nodded. “I’ve brought up Trevan’s place in the Cascade Mountains. He’s prepared for us.”
Conn opened his eyes, glancing at the screen. “The house stands in the center of about twenty-five acres. At first glance, I see land mines, external traps, and sensors. Thirty guards, teams of three sweeping the perimeter.” He’d kill them all. “The house is shielded—I can’t lock on any heat signatures.” Chances were Trevan stashed the women in the basement, somewhere secure. He shut his eyes again, searching. “I can’t contact my mate.” Anger mixed with an unfamiliar fear in his gut. Why couldn’t he reach her?
Jase frowned. “How do you contain a witch?”
You knock her out or kill her. “I don’t know.” The heaviness of the weapons arranged throughout his vest centered Conn. “Demidov is a dead man.”
Dage banked the copter in a sharp left turn. “I assume yanking an unwilling person through dimensions and time to land somewhere else would short-circuit anyone’s abilities. Even a witch.” His silver eyes shone with pure shards of vampire blue. “Demidov doesn’t have long to live. But I need him alive for now.”
“He dies.”
“Not until we figure out how he’s transporting people against their will.” Dage glanced out the window. “Then you can kill him.”
“No promises.” Conn settled back into the seat. The only question would be who got to the witch first, Talen or Conn. “If Cara’s hurt, you won’t be able to stop Talen.” None of them would. Conn wouldn’t even try.
“I know.” Dage’s knuckles went white on the controls.
Conn fought the dread in his gut. Cara was pregnant ... being forced to travel dimensions couldn’t be good for her or the baby. His nephew. She’d only had seconds to communicate with Talen ... because the baby was coming.
Talen’s growl came through his earpiece. “Kell just checked in. There was an advanced tracker on Brenna’s computer. That’s how Trevan zeroed in on Moira’s position before taking them.”
Cold. His brother’s voice was low and cold ... a tone Conn had never heard from him before. Learning his mate had reached labor while being held captive had almost sent the vampire over the edge. “Moira’s the Seventh, Talen. She’s strong and smart and incredibly gifted. She’ll protect Cara and your babe.” As he spoke the words, Conn realized the absolute truth in them. His woman was a fighter, and a damn good one. She knew her job.
He’d better do his. “All right. I want four teams. We hit them from the north and the east. Dage, drop Talen and me on the roof of the house. You go make sure the soldiers don’t close in on us.” Conn needed to have Talen’s back and keep the man from getting killed with his focus so completely on his mate.
“Got it,” Dage said.
Conn flashed his teeth. He liked keeping the king close in any battle situation, considering he’d never let his king fall. Much less his brother. “Stay safe, King.” He wasn’t looking forward to the day when he and Talen put their feet down and told Dage he couldn’t go into battle. At least not while the war was heating up and their friends were turning into enemies. The king had to be protected at all costs.
Dage lifted an eyebrow. “Good luck with that.”
“Stay out of my head.” Prick.
“Sorry. Your thoughts are screaming.” Dage banked left. “On the ground in three minutes.”
Jase tucked the laptop under the seat, sliding open the side door. Conn followed suit, his gaze tracking the pattern of trails winding through the pine trees below. He’d memorized the layout of land mines, as well as the last soldier positions. The wind whipped into his face, carrying the scent of pine and spruce. “Keep in mind the power necessary to forcibly transport members of the Coven Nine. Demidov is probably working with someone.” He glanced at Jase. “I want a storm. Massive, powerful, and dangerous. As big as you can make it.”
Jase’s eyes lit up in anticipation. “Hurricane or snowballs the size of basketballs?”
“Hail. Sharp and deadly.” Loud enough to cover their movements through the forest.
“No problem.” Jase leaned out the opening, holding the bar. “But you know I can’t easily turn it off if I make a storm that size.”
“I know.” An issue Conn would deal with later. For now, they needed the cover.
Missiles shot from the earth. Dage evaded, swooping in toward the roof of the sprawling house as the other two helicopters returned fire. “Get ready.”
Conn grabbed the doorframe, leaning out. When the copter perched about ten feet from the roof, he jumped. He landed in unison with lightning rippling across the sky. Clouds formed out of nowhere, throwing hail the size of basketballs. Damn, Jase was good.