Page 29 of Polestar (The Global Paranormal Security Agency #3)

TWENTY-THREE

A na hated snow. And she hated snowmobiles.

The one they’d forced her onto whined loudly and set her teeth on edge. Even more so now that it was no longer a source of potential escape, but one of further imprisonment.

She hated snow and cold. She hated the north and longed for her beachside home. The warm California sun, not this watery sort of light of the high north. Some people thought the high north was beautiful.

Beautiful?

Way up here in the wastelands of snow and ice and rock and nothing else?

They hit another bump, jarring her teeth as her helmeted head hit the guy’s back in front of her.

She still wore the clothes she’d arrived in, the boots and jacket. At least she had that to fend off the cold, but didn’t seem to be enough.

I’ve been cold since we disembarked from that damned seaplane. Where the hell is it, anyway? Had someone stolen it? Or maybe they just let it drift off to sea.

She almost laughed to herself, picturing some arctic wildlife riding the drifting craft around from sea mass to sea mass until it bumped up against an iceberg somewhere.

She thought of Aksel.

Her amusement died.

Would they do the same to her?

I couldn’t bear to be locked inside my head like that. Especially not in a cold sea of icebergs.

Her worst nightmare, after the night terrors of Antony’s accident.

Those had been horrendous. But at least now she understood he’d been trying to reach her. Show her what had happened.

But in the end, here she was. On a damned snowmobile, heading for what? Some sort of negotiation to force Magnus to tell them about some old antique thing before they killed them both?

No, they wouldn’t kill them if they didn’t have to. They’d subdue them and sell them to the highest bidder.

Like Emilio and the rest of Antony’s crew would be sold off, eventually.

Unless Ana could get word to Carson and Kane and the others that it was all here. All this time. And they could end it all.

There hadn’t been enough time, and she hadn’t had enough energy to do an intentional reading of the place, but she was certain all the stolen victims had passed through this little island on their way to their buyers.

They hit another bump followed by a drop and Ana thanked God she didn’t bite her tongue again or lose that little bit of gruel she’d had for breakfast.

That would be so gross inside this helmet.

Another sharp turn, another drop.

I’m gonna throat punch this guy as soon as he stops this goddammned thing.

The others rode identical vehicles behind her, fanned out so that if she’d tried to jump off, they’d either run her over or scoop her back up. And she didn’t want to give Yvan the satisfaction of tying her to the damned thing.

They rounded another snowy bank of nearly black evergreens, and the stronghold came into view.

It was still impressive the second time, but now her foreboding intensified.

This time, the bad guys had her, and they were going to use her to force Magnus to give them information. They also had control over an entire clan of polar bear shifters that no longer owed allegiance to Magnus as a banished one, let alone one who, it seemed, was now on death row.

We’re so screwed.

“Screwed, but not alone,” Antony said, floating at warp speed beside her.

She almost jumped out of her skin, jerking the coat of the asshole driving the snowmobile so hard that he almost lost control.

He snarled at her with a few rude words.

You shouldn’t be here! That Yvan guy said he can send you to oblivion. Go back and keep an eye on your crew .

“You don’t believe that, do you? I think he’s full of shit.”

I don’t know and don’t want to risk it. Stay away from him!

Antony glanced back at the snowmobiles following behind. Concern crept into his expression despite his bluster.

“I’m going to check out this castle they’re taking you to. Maybe I’ll find you a way out.”

He blinked out of sight, and Ana’s snowmobile hit another bump.

A dolf Wulker removed the helmet and dropped it on the seat of the snowmobile.

This is such a waste of time.

He was still fuming that Yvan had dared damage his property. Now he’d have to wait before presenting the little psychic to his favorite buyer.

A special buyer that would pay top dollar for her kind of novelty.

So now that he had to wait, he might as well indulge Ulla and Yvan in this little side project.

He signaled to Yvan that he wanted a few words once they went inside.

Adolf was worried about the subtle changes in Ulla since her brother had not contacted her. Her response to their touch, their usual means of keeping her happy, had cooled.

Does she know something?

Was she asking the psychic to use her ability to learn more about Aksel?

He threw his gloves down with a sigh.

She’s going to be furious about what we’ve done to her brother.

Absolutely furious.

She would find out eventually. They just needed to keep her ignorant long enough for her to serve her purpose in their plans for The Consortium and, by extension, for themselves.

He followed the others inside the stronghold, ignoring the Barentian guards. So long as they were with Ulla, their regent, he and Yvan wouldn’t be bothered by the dangerous shifters.

He tamped down his nerves under their disapproving glares.

The partners still needed her for a little while longer.

They’d already scavenged the shaman’s grimoire collection, which had boosted his own ability beautifully and afforded them some level of safety, with both the king and the head guard under their control.

Still, Yvan was insistent they keep Ulla placated until he found the location of the artifact he was looking for.

Yvan fell in stride alongside Adolf. They slowed their pace until the others were out of earshot and no one else was close enough to overhear.

Adolf kept his voice low. “This device you’re looking for. You’re sure it’s here?”

Yvan nodded, studying Adolf’s face. “What are you worried about? We’re very close, I can feel it.”

It was some kind of access device or gate or key to another world. Adolf didn’t know the details, he was too busy running his business.

He knew just enough to confirm that he wanted to be part of it. A prime opportunity for expansion. So he kept Ulla happy, Yvan happy, and The Consortium happy. Wins all around.

They continued walking toward the king’s reception room next to the larger great hall, before ordering Ulla’s ex-husband to be brought to them for questioning.

They wouldn’t all fit in the dungeon cell.

“I’m concerned about the strength of my networks and my control over them as my venom thins,” he spoke to Yvan, voice low so it wouldn’t carry along the stone corridor to the shifters’ sensitive ears.

Bringing energy solutions to the worlds’ remotest areas had given him all the access he needed to thrive, both legitimately and illegitimately.

His network truly was global.

“With access to wherever this artifact connects to, you can expand. The opportunities are endless,” Yvan reassured him.

Adolf loved the idea of endless opportunities.

“What kinds of merchandise will we find on the other side of this thing, do you think?” He imagined a whole new world of beings he could add to his catalog. “Yes, more novelty. More… unique acquisitions would do nicely.”

“We’ve listened to Conrad brag endlessly about this powerful being he’s controlled for centuries. Look at the power he has.”

Conrad, a member of The Consortium , had manipulated a Djinn—if Adolf recalled correctly—into bestowing powers and longevity on him before he entrapped and siphoned her power for himself.

That’s what Yvan wanted. He wanted to control powerful creatures like that for himself, boosting his own power.

“And you believe there are more like his creature, accessible through this gate?”

Adolf enjoyed a different kind of power. Power over the fates of the lesser and the powerful alike. Merchandise and buyers, there was little difference to Adolf.

A shiver rippled through him.

He provided services that fed his own sense of power.

They entered the room. Adolf watched the psychic as they settled in to wait for Ulla’s ex-husband to arrive and tell them what they all wanted to know.

His gaze slid from the woman, returning to Ulla.

Her brother had been the last instance where he’d had to use his deeper ability to subdue a difficult situation.

He whispered to Yvan next to him, “The venom in my octopus ink is thinning.”

“So you said before.”

“My ability to overcome another’s will is weakening. I’ve had to release some of my older connections in order to accommodate this last spell,” he said, referring to Ulla’s brother. “And the two before that. Shifter will is so much harder to control than human will.”

Yvan scowled as his eyes flicked between Ulla and Adolf.

Neither Adolf nor Yvan were sure what had set off the polar bear shifter, but he’d gone on a rampage in the facility, screaming about one of Adolf’s products. They subdued and spelled him, then put him on a ship. A ship which was eventually seized, and no one had heard from him since.

“Each time I used my venom to calm another, it drew on my strength, even with the spells you used to boost it. I’m stretched too far. My connections are thinning to fragile filaments; any more, and they may snap. I have no way of knowing what will happen. Could be some, could be all.”

“Or drain you to a husk. I’ve seen it with other magic users that weren’t strong enough to maintain their spells.”

Adolf wasn’t sure he liked the calculated look in Yvan’s eye. “We’re almost finished here. Once I have control of the artifact—on behalf of The Consortium , of course—it won’t matter.”

“If we can’t control the king and his guard, we can’t control the rest of the Barentians. If we can’t control the Barentians, we sure as hell can’t control the rest of the polar bear clans, who will no doubt want to overrun the territory for themselves. They won’t stand by while humans take over.”

“Once I have the power we’re seeking, they’ll do whatever we want them to.”

“Are you so sure about that?” Adolph adjusted his posture on his seat, turning more fully toward Yvan as his agitation got the better of him.

“Didn’t one of The Consortium members say that we are ensuring control of the artifact for when it awakens?

Meaning we won’t have access to power right away? ”

Yvan shrugged, scowling at Adolf’s line of questioning. “Maybe. Maybe not. The shaman’s books have histories and detailed spells to connect and use the thing. There just hasn’t been enough time to read through them all yet. Ah, finally.” He nodded toward the door.

Adolf turned his attention to the door as two guards appeared with grim expressions.

There was no chained Barentian polar bear shifter behind them.

“Where is he?” Ulla demanded, striding toward the guards.

“When we couldn’t find the lockmaster to open the cell, we had to use the secondary key.”

“And?”

“The cell is empty, mistress.”

“Find the lockmaster,” she roared as the guards rushed out, “Find Magnus!”

Adolf jumped to his feet when she charged toward Adolf’s property, hand extended to grab her by the throat.

“Ulla!”

The woman, Ana, squeezed her eyes shut, stifling a whimper as she clutched the chair she sat on, head pressed into the back of it.

“Where is he?” Ulla demanded of the woman, shaking her.

“How the fuck should I know? I’ve been trapped with you assholes since you caught me at the fishing village,” she forced the words out of her compressed windpipe.

Ulla shoved her as she released her, forcing the chair to rock backwards.

The woman clutched at her throat, gasping and coughing from the assault.

She’d have more bruises to add to her growing assortment.

More delays before Adolf could collect on her. His buyer liked his acquisitions pristine, unblemished.

“Will the two of you stop damaging my goods? Please ,” he shouted, no longer willing to conceal his exasperation.

He sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair.

“Control your tempers. Ulla, since your ex-husband appears to have escaped his inescapable prison and chains, where would he go? We’re on an island. His choices are limited.”

“He’s banished. No one would dare defy the king’s edict by helping him.”

“Well, it appears the lockmaster has, or Magnus Bjornson overpowered him despite his predicament.”

Ulla turned back toward Adolf’s prisoner. “He knows his woman is bound for the black market. He’d go after her.”

“So all we have to do is wave her around as bait to lure him to us,” Yvan said.

Adolf said, “Ulla, you mentioned he had connections to the GPSA. If he brings them here, it would ruin everything I’ve—we’ve built. We’re too close to lose it all now.”

“Yes, so we have to find him as soon as possible,” Yvan agreed.

Or I need to get out of here as soon as possible.

He glanced between his partners and his property seated across from him, weighing his options.