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Rayen ran through the ward opening behind Callan, then waited outside the perimeter until Kaz and Kenja passed through before clasping hands with Callan and sealing the opening.
Once that was done, she and Callan turned to face the other two. She asked, “How many transender sites are there?”
Kenja answered. “Four.”
“But one transender site is closer to the TecKnati camp and a long distance away from this new village location,” Kaz clarified. “I could take that one and you three could go to the others.”
Callan didn’t waste a second to consider that. “We stay in pairs so that we all have backup. You and Kenja start at the site closest to the TeK camp and the next one on the way when you head back. Rayen and I’ll go to the other two. The one where she arrived is a fifth location. We’re going there first.”
“No, we’re not.” Rayen was standing firm on this. “The TecKnati don’t know about our transender site, or we’d have seen them there at some point.”
“They might,” Callan argued, just as adamant to have his way. “We don’t know for sure if they do or don’t know.”
She wanted these MystiK children to return home, but she had to take Tony and Gabby into consideration, too. “In relation to the other four sites, how far from the TecKnati camp is the one where my group landed?”
Kenja supplied the answer. “Farthest.”
Callan wasn’t happy with her reply. “That doesn’t change anything.”
Rayen put her foot down. “Yes, it does. We do this strategically, starting with the sites closest to the TeK camp, because Thylan is lazy. He’ll do whatever is easiest first. Kaz and Kenja are going to the first two so you and I will start at the third one down from the TeK camp and work our way back.”
Callan wasn’t through debating it. “What if Thylan gets word from the traitor that we’re on to him?”
Ah, victory. She reminded him, “You aren’t turning the prisoners loose until we return and no one can get through that ward without me because I’m not MystiK.”
Kenja grinned. “She has you there.”
Callan finally gave in.
Kenja wouldn’t let any of them depart until she wrapped them each in a spell that protected them from the hallucinogenic ground mist still cropping up in places. Rayen was the one most susceptible, so she thought Kaz and Callan went along with it just to keep her from feeling like the weak link.
Rayen snapped her fingers. “Wait! We’ll take the tortalones.”
Kaz sighed. “The mama left with her herd.”
“What happened to you being the turtle whisperer?”
“I can’t make a tortalone stay when she doesn’t want to and evidently, she didn’t want to, because she left. She was being so affectionate that I’m pretty sure it’s mating season.”
Just when they could use them, too. Shrugging, Rayen said, “Meet you back here.”
Kaz and Kenja took off fast.
She and Callan ran to the first of their two locations and found a transender crushed, lying on its side, and still smoking. The big pink, fake flower that hid the switch for a holographic control panel had been smashed. Wires and metal parts were scattered around.
How many MystiKs would that deny the chance to go home?
With no time to waste, they made it to the next one and found it in much the same condition except what was left of the transender unit crackled and sparked with a sick sound. Tendrils of smoke curled from sections that had exploded and landed everywhere across the clearing. The flower for the holographic panel had been torched and melted into a puddle of gray and black.
Watching Callan hold back the agony he had to be feeling over this was killing her. She wanted to put her hands on SEOH and make him suffer pain equal to what he had inflicted on all MystiKs.
If the wraiths came for Callan and she couldn’t save him ... she didn’t know what she’d do, but she would find Thylan since he was the access to SEOH.
On the way to her transender location, she decided to talk about the prophecy more as a distraction than anything. “V’ru and Tony are making headway on the prophecy.”
“It’s good to keep them occupied.” Callan’s words fell flat as soon as they left his mouth.
“That sounds like you don’t believe in the prophecy.”
“Let’s just say the days of my believing in everything MystiK have passed.”
She didn’t know if the prophecy would save them or not, but it was worth the effort to find out. “You have to believe in something, Callan.”
“Why?” He cut his eyes at her for a moment before watching the uneven path through what had turned from purple-tinged woods to bright-red jungle spotted with orange, blue, and brown plants. “After tonight, we won’t ever see each other again even in the afterlife.”
This was about bonding?
How could she make him understand that she wasn’t sure it would work with them? “Gabby and Jaxxson are both MystiK. What if the bonding doesn’t work with me?”
“Then you’ll be free to find someone else,” he snapped back in an angry tone.
“Is that what you think? I’m not bonding with you because I want someone else?”
He didn’t answer.
She started laughing.
He scowled at her and cursed to himself, ignoring her chuckles for a few steps. He finally asked, “What’s so funny?”
“You.” She let him pull her around a ground fog that looked just like one she’d seen strip the skin from a small animal while it was still alive.
As soon as they got beyond the deadly fog, Callan released her and nursed his foul mood.
She caught a breath and asked, “How can you think that I want anyone else, Callan? Let’s be honest. I won’t have a life without you. I’m trying as hard as I can to give you the chance at having someone and believe me that’s not easy to accept.”
“I understand.” He ran along for another stretch then said, “Now that you mention it, I do have someone in mind that I’d consider for bonding.”
Was he really going to tell her about another girl he was interested in? Rayen ignored him.
Lifting branches out of their way when the growth thickened, he continued sharing too much. “She’s a warrior and strong.”
Of course, she’d be from the Warrior House. Rayen could see that, but it didn’t ease the ache in her chest.
He continued. “She’s fast. Very fast, in fact. Great skills with a spear and incredible power.” His voice dropped until it sounded as though he was thinking out loud, figuring it for himself. “Pretty, too. No, that’s not fair.”
She wasn’t pretty? Good.
“She’s gorgeous. I’ll have my hands full just keeping the other warriors away from her, but she’ll be worth the battle.”
He was killing her mood. She had enough to worry about without hearing the details of the girl who would end up with him.
Was she as skilled a warrior as me? she wondered.
Sounded like it.
Was she prettier than me?
Callan must think so.
“Rayen?”
“What?” She snapped. That probably hadn’t come out as pleasantly as it should have.
Another few steps and he said, “Rayen?”
“What?” This time she’d snarled, but it was unfair of him to do this to her.
He was stifling a laugh but smiling at her.
She sent him a death glare and he burst out laughing until he had to stop to catch his breath.
Served him right to choke on that thought.
Callan grabbed her, swinging her around, smiling in her face the whole time.
She put her hands around his throat. “Clearly the mist has gotten to you, and you’ve lost your mind. I may have to beat some sense into you.” It was getting harder to maintain her anger in the face of his delight.
“I love that you’re just as jealous as I am.”
“The only difference is that I don’t have someone to carry on about in front of you.”
“Silly woman. I was describing you. I told you. You’re all I want.”
Her hands had forgotten about strangling him and cupped his head to her so she could kiss him. She loved the feel of his lips, the way he took over the kiss, powering into it with his usual Alpha approach. Everything had to be done his way and anything he cared for belonged to him.
The Warrior House, the MystiK village here, and her.
He would always have her even if she couldn’t be with him.
Kaz had a point about what she was doing with Callan interfering with his future. She could hold back from bonding with him, but she couldn’t resist him here.
She realized they were moving. He’d lifted her and she’d wrapped her legs around his waist content for him to kiss her as they walked.
At least he’d had enough sense to keep moving or they’d still be in the same spot. She pulled her lips from his. “Put me down so we can run.”
“We don’t have to. Your transender site is just ahead.”
Twisting around to look, she noticed the jungle had begun to regenerate in areas from the destruction they’d found on the last trip. “Do you think the TecKnati are here?”
“I would have heard them by now, but they may be lying in wait.”
He let her slide down, then they snuck toward the transender site where leaves and trees that had been burned the last time now leafed out in aqua blue, vibrant orange, and pink colors.
They found a spot to crouch behind wide palm fronds and watched the transender site for several minutes, then Callan stood up.
She popped up with him. “Is it clear?”
“Kaz just called and said they passed a party of five TecKnati heading toward the TeK camp. He and Kenja have their second site to check.”
“I hope it’s still intact.”
“Doubtful if the TeKs are heading back to camp, but that gives me hope that this site is still secret.”
But for how long? Rayen wondered. Unwilling to be defeated, she said, “Let’s find the flower with the switch for the control panel.”
