Page 29
Once the water turned off, the house was once again silent, as were the birds.
The pain lessened to a dull ache, and Elle relaxed as much as possible.
She dozed for a bit, and when she woke, she reached out through the bond.
Tony was agitated, so she tried to push her feelings at him.
If only she could let him know what was going on.
The dream, or rather memory, had Elle longing for Summerland and her siblings.
She wondered how Yari was fairing on Evyndral and if she and Cassi had been successful.
She wondered if Thran knew she was on Earth.
Surely Yari would have told him. What of their father?
It had been fourteen sun cycles since she’d been dragged away from Ballymar, and Elle wanted the chance to reunite with him some day.
To let him know she still loved him. She thought of Novus and wondered how the raven was.
Novus.
There was no way he was outside. He’d not come through the portal with Elle. Or had he? Maybe he wasn’t the only bird she could call on. Had she somehow summoned the creatures while thinking of Novus?
Elle closed her eyes once more, hoping to quell the nausea. She dozed on and off. This time when she woke, it was to voices from the top of the stairs. Heavy footfalls met each step, and then the most glorious sight filled her gaze.
“Elle!” Tony rushed toward her, but Grevolus didn’t plan on a happy reunion.
He raised his hands, but Elle couldn’t warn her mate.
She tried to push her fear through the bond, but it was too late.
Grevolus zapped Tony with his powers, and her mate fell to his knees, then landed on his side.
His eyes never left hers, but she couldn’t tell him what was going on.
Grevolus dug through Tony’s pocket and pulled out his key fob as well as his wallet. “I do appreciate the money. I would say I’ll be seeing you, but I won’t. Have fun dying while staring at one another.” Grevolus chuckled, then strode upstairs, whistling. Bastard!
Elle did just that – she stared at her mate.
“I’m going to get out of here and kill that motherfucker!”
Uh, that was weird. Could she really hear Tony, or was it wishful thinking?
“Tony?”
His eyes narrowed. “ Yes, Sweetheart?”
“Oh, goddess. You can hear me? How is that possible?”
“I can. Some mates can mind-speak. Guess we can too. I’m so sorry, Elle. I knew it was a trap, but I had to see you.”
“No. He would have killed you had you not complied. At least this way we have a chance. Right?”
“Yes. My parents are outside. That fucker better not have hurt them.”
“Tony? Elle? Where the fuck are they?” That sounded like Tessa.
“They’re here somewhere, Red. Let’s keep looking,” Gregor said.
It took several minutes before they came downstairs. “Tony! What are you... That motherfucker! I’m gonna gut him, Stone.” Tessa knelt beside her son, who could only blink at her. “What did he do to you?”
“Elle?” Gregor came to Elle and squatted beside her. “Are you okay? Stupid question. You’re not. Can you understand me?” Elle blinked her eyes a few times. “Good. That’s good. Okay, we need to get you both out of here before that bastard returns.”
Tessa growled deep from her chest. “He’s not coming back. Why would he? He has the money and Anthony’s Jeep.”
“We need to call Carleigh. She can track the Jeep. You two hang on. I’m going to run and get our car, and then we’ll take you home. Maybe Lilly can unfreeze you.” Gregor touched Elle’s arm, then stood and rushed upstairs.
Tessa tugged Tony into a sitting position, running a hand through his hair.
“I thought he was you. He, looking like you, came out of the house and got into the Jeep. By the time we remembered he could glamour himself, he was gone. Motherfucker.” Tessa blew out a breath.
“I’m really glad you’re both alive. It may take some time, but somebody will figure out how to undo whatever it is he did. ”
Tony groaned. “Fuck, that hurt.”
“Anthony? Oh, thank the gods. Can you move?” Tessa held her hands out like she was going to catch him.
“Give me a second. The feeling’s coming back. Elle, Sweetheart? Anything?”
“No. Why can you move, but I can’t?”
“Probably because of my skin.”
“What’s wrong with your skin?” Tessa asked.
“Oh, Elle asked why I could move, and she couldn’t.”
“You’re speaking through the bond? That’s wonderful. Now I don’t have to ask her to blink once for yes and twice for no.”
“You’re ridiculous,” he chided.
Tessa grinned. “We established that many years ago.”
By the time his dad returned, Tony was standing and shaking out his limbs. Gregor offered to carry Elle, and Tony asked her permission. “I’d feel more comfortable if Dad carried you, Sweetheart. Just until I get all the feeling back in my feet. They’re still tingling.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“She agreed.”
Gregor lifted Elle into his arms, and the four of them headed upstairs. When they got to the kitchen, Tessa asked, “Is there anything here you want to take with you?”
“Only my bow. Tell her it’s in the closet of the bedroom, last door on the right.
” Elle didn’t care about her clothes, since they were all secondhand, but she didn’t want to leave her weapon behind, even if it wasn’t as good as the one she left behind in Summerland.
Elle wasn’t going on a huge shopping spree, but since she was mated to someone who had plenty of money, she would definitely be getting new clothes and maybe some arrows once they got out of their current predicament.
In her soul, she knew they would get out of it.
The goddess might not be watching out for Elle, but Tony’s gods were on their side.
Otherwise, the two of them would still be in the basement, forgotten.
Speaking of money... “There’s about twenty thousand buried in the woods.”
“Let’s leave it for whoever stumbles upon this place,” Tony said.
Tessa returned carrying Elle’s weapon. “Is there anything here that can be used to identify you?”
“Tell her no. Everything was in Mr. Johnson’s name.”
Tony relayed the message, and the four of them went outside.
Elle was glad to leave the farmhouse. It held no good memories for her.
Not a single one. Gregor placed Elle in the backseat of an SUV, and Tony climbed in beside her, reaching across and buckling her in.
Tessa placed her bow in the back before climbing into the passenger seat.
Gregor started the engine, tapped the GPS screen, adding Tony’s address, then got underway. “I called Carleigh on my way back here. She’s already tracking the Jeep. I have no doubt Grevolus will dump it somewhere and buy another car since he’s currently a millionaire.”
Tony growled, and Tessa turned in her seat. “Don’t give me that look,” he said.
“I’m not looking at you, doofus. Elle, does it hurt?” Instead of telling Tony, she blinked her eyes, and Tessa grinned. “Good. Do we need to call someone and let them know what’s going on?”
Elle blinked once, and Tessa tapped her finger against her chin.
“You were staying with Brent in Norway, right? And he knows to tell your sister where you’re supposed to be?
” Elle affirmed with another blink. “I’m on it.
Wait, what time is it in Norway? Never mind.
Fuck, this non-verbal communication is difficult. ”
Tony huffed out a breath. “You do realize I’m sitting right here, right? I’ll call Brent. Ridiculous. ”
“Be nice to your mother. She’s had a rough day,” Gregor chided.
Tessa patted her mate’s cheek. “Thank you, baby.”
“Your parents are couple’s goals.”
“Yeah, they’re great. You and I will get there, Sweetheart.” Tony dug into his front pocket and pulled out Elle’s ring. He lifted her hand and slid it on her finger. “There.”
Elle prayed they lived long enough for that to be true. Then again, Grevolus had tried to kill her, so why hadn’t it worked?
“Tony, when Grevolus took me down to the basement, he lit up the sigil again, and the pain was excruciating, and then he asked why I wasn’t dead. He tried to kill me. I think he also tried when I was in Norway. He was surprised to see me when we returned.”
“Fuckin’ hell, I hate that bastard. How’s the pain now?”
“My arm still burns, and my head aches where he hit me.”
“He...” Tony growled as his claws and fangs emerged. Tessa turned and frowned.
“What is it? Why are you phasing? There’s not enough room for your wings, Son, so tamp that shit down.”
“Grevolus tried to kill her by burning the sigil. When that didn’t work, he hit her.”
Gregor pulled over to the side of the road and put the vehicle in park.
He took several deep breaths, but Tessa jumped out and paced beside the car.
Elle couldn’t hear what she was saying, but Tessa was yelling while waving her arms wildly.
Elle hated that they were all upset, but it felt good to have someone care about her wellbeing.
“Tony, I’m okay. It’s just a headache.”
“I’m still going to rip his black heart out.”
Gregor glanced in the rearview mirror, and although Elle couldn’t smile at him, she blinked several times.
He nodded and got out of the car, stopping Tessa from pacing.
He took her face in his hands, pressed his lips to hers, then tugged on her braid.
Whatever he said calmed her down, and they returned to the SUV.
Once Gregor was back on the road, Tony called Brent, asking if Yari or Cassi had returned. He then relayed what happened with Grevolus and said they were headed home.
“Brent promised to call as soon as either Yari or Cassi returns from Evyndral.” After a few minutes of silence, Tony took her hand. “Elle, I have a theory. I think that because you and I are mated, the bond kept you safe. One of my uncles bit his mate while she was dying, and it kept her alive.”
“Then I’m glad we completed the bond when we did. Even if he can’t kill me, it hurts really bad. I’m not giving up on having the sigil removed.”
“No, Baby. We’ll never give up. Not until you’re whole again, and that bastard is six feet under.”
Table of Contents
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- Page 28
- Page 29 (Reading here)
- Page 30
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- Page 48