“Fuck.” He shook his head as the enormity of the problem hit him. It wasn’t a onetime incident that had put the stain on Gabby; it was an ongoing thing. Whatever or however Gabby was feeding, if this accelerated aging was the result, then she was destroying herself when she did. “Fuck me.”
“You know what’s wrong?”
“Not exactly,” he pushed up off the cot, checking to make sure his knife was strapped on tight, “but in the end it doesn’t really matter, does it?”
“Doesn’t matter? Why not?”
“Because I’m going to put a stop to it.”
“How?” Annie asked, following him to the door.
“Easy.” He stopped, knuckles white as he gripped the doorknob. “Tonight she’ll be feeding from me.”
Chapter 5
Bennett sagged down against the tree, thankful for the strong hardwood and its supportive capabilities. He’d only had a couple of shielding sessions with Karissa, and reaching out across such a great distance to find her and link up had not been easy.
Would have been easier with his fucking phone, but though he’d been allowed to stay in the base, his phone and knife were locked up tight somewhere. He was sure it was Jacob’s idea of an insurance policy. The man wasn’t stupid, and there were enough gifteds with the sensitive aspects here to know the knife they’d taken off him had power. Bennett wondered if they knew it wasn’t the average everyday magical kind but rather power bestowed on the weapon by the Almighty One Himself. More so, he wondered if any of them could actually draw the power from the heavenly blade without getting hurt. That right there might convince the council these soldiers weren’t as inferior as Senior Calhoun seemed to think.
The council’s stance on these part-breeds frustrated Bennett. He had too much of his own diluted blood to consider these soldiers anything less than lost cousins, and as such had taken the assignment as much to prove Senior wrong as anything else. He bloody hell wasn’t a kidnapper, that was for sure, so if Senior Calhoun thought Bennett would actually take the pointed suggestion to obtain the null and bring her home by any means necessary, the elder was as warped as the rest of them were.
Speaking of warped minds…Bennett lifted his head, squinting against the dappled sun pouring through the maple tree to focus on a stretch of grass in the center of Fort Greene Park. And sure enough, he’d been right earlier when he’d about dropped the link in shock. That was Annie soaking up the warming rays of the fall sun as she sat in the clearing, sipping something out of a straw cup as she dug her bare feet into the blades of grass. The question was where were her guards? In the thirty-six hours or so since he and Valin had forced themselves into the status of unwanted guests, Bennett had noted that she was rarely alone—at least when he or Valin were around.
Think maybe there might be a reason for that, like, oh, maybe her father doesn’t trust you?
Well, he supposed there were a couple ways to earn the man’s trust, and bringing his daughter home seemed like a good start.
Pushing back his exhaustion, he straightened and made his way across the park to her. She didn’t notice he slipped up behind her until his shadow fell upon her, cutting off her sun rays, making her shoulders tense.
“Does your da’ know you’re out here?” he asked and watched those shoulders relax again.
She tipped her head back and wrinkled her nose as she shaded her face to look up at him. “Hopefully not. But he probably knows by now that I’m gone.”
Which meant she was alone. Crap. “Why are you out here?”
“Why are you?” she asked, stuffing her feet into a pair of Converse. She stood, gesturing for him to walk with her down the path that led toward the north end of the park. “I find it hard to believe Dad would have sent you outside the base to look for me.”
He shrugged, falling into step beside her. “I had some things to take care of.”
“Things…” She pursed her lips, eyes narrowed. “Things like contacting your buddies back at Haven and telling them where we are?”
The only thing about the question that surprised him was that he hadn’t heard it from any of them before. But no grilling had occurred yet, leaving Bennett to assume that Valin had somehow either managed to pull some charm out of his arse or Jacob had been even more desperate to cut a deal than Bennett had figured. And if that were the case, Bennett just hoped it was a deal that he, and the other Paladin, could live with.
He sighed. There was really no reason not to tell Annie what he was doing out here. And the first step on the road to trust was truth, and the truth was he wanted to find some way to make this a win-win for everyone. Whether the council saw it or not, he knew deep in his gut that he and his brethren needed these distant cousins of theirs on their side in this war. Just as he knew the way to winning them over wasn’t by forcing their hand, but by showing them they could bend, even go so far as to give if the need arose.
“No. Like contacting Karissa and telling her.”
Annie gave him a hard stare.
“We’ve been gone longer than normal without checking in. I thought it prudent to avoid any sort of search parties. Karissa has no allegiance to the council. She will pass the message to Haven that we’re safe, but she won’t tell them where we are.”
He waited for that to sink in, figuring she was smart enough to read between the lines and realize he was playing in shades of gray for them now. “I’m not going to give up your safe house. If your father determines he’s willing to open the lines of communication, then I hope he’ll consider me a mediator. Meanwhile, I am satisfied being given the opportunity to live amongst you.”
“Hmmm…” She tapped her cup. The sides were dewed from the exceptionally warm fall day. A perfect day, really. He almost hated having to begrudge her being out in it, but on this point he, the council, and her father all agreed: Annie’s safety came first.
“So why are you out here?”
She raised the cup. “I wanted a slushee.”
“And that’s a good enough excuse to worry your father?” Not to mention putting herself, and thus everyone else, in danger.
“I know, I know. I’m just so sick of being a prisoner. I know I’m being selfish, but occasionally I just have to get out of there. Otherwise I think I’m going to just start screaming.”
“I understand.” He did. With his gift there were more occasions than not that he wished he could just take off and drive, not stopping until he was completely alone. He didn’t, though. Not when so many others counted on him. So he got his outlet in other ways: fast cars, fine clothes…women. Still, if catching some rays were so important to Annie, he didn’t get why she risked her safety for it. “But why don’t you bring someone with you? Doesn’t your dad give you guards?”
“You think even with a dozen guards my dad would let me out? Especially now, after you guys burst his little safety bubble the other day?” She shook her head. “I’m lucky he hasn’t locked me in my room and posted full-time guards.”
That was a point. And because it was a good one—not to mention a likely possibility once he brought her back—Bennett decided not to rush her and slowed his pace slightly. She didn’t comment, but threw him a smile in thanks, tipping her head back to catch some more of those rays. The sun caught in her short tussle of hair, teasing the color from pure red to blond, chestnut, and copper. It made him itch to touch it. Touch her. Sink into her mind and steal just a little bit of the pleasure she seemed to be indulging in. What would it be like to be able to wall off your worries, if only for a moment, and simply enjoy?