Chapter Three

 

If it hadn’t been for the fact that Harlow returned to the airport within a couple hours after landing, Julian might never have found her. As it was, he called Tamian and told him his mate was headed back out. Tamian cut his visit with his parents short and returned home to New Atlanta. He wanted to be in the lab with Julian while he was searching for the elusive female. After promising Xavier he would seriously consider taking over the throne, Tamian bid his parents goodbye and took off.

Not bothering to stop at his apartment, he went straight to the lab after his jet landed. It was late when he arrived, so Tamian sent Julian home to be with his mate. Tamian grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and settled in, glued to the monitors. The front door opened, and he reached out to see who it was, smiling when his sister’s voice called out before she made it to the room where he was.

“Tam?”

“In here, Tessa.”

His sister strode toward him. When she reached where he was sitting, she placed the back of her hand on his forehead. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. What are you doing?”

“Seeing if you have a fever.”

“Why?” Tamian gripped his sister’s wrist and pulled her hand away from his head.

“You never call me Tessa. What the hell’s up with that?” She sat down in the chair next to him and rolled closer.

“Would you prefer I call you Andi?”

“Hell no, but that never stopped you before. What’s changed?”

“Dad wants me to be King.”

“And that’s why you called me Tessa? You’re not making a lot of sense right now.”

“No, I called you Tessa because it’s what you prefer. I’m not sure I want to be King.”

“Then say no.”

Tamian arched a brow. “Say no to our father, the King of the Italians?”

“Sure. We both know being King is a big fucking deal. I wouldn’t want the job, and I’m a lot more outgoing than you are.”

“What are you trying to say?” If Tamian didn’t know Tessa was telling the truth, he’d take offense to her assessment of his personality.

“I’m not trying to say anything. I’m merely stating a fact we both already know. You could be King if you wanted the responsibility. You’re smarter than anyone I know with the exception of Jules and Jonas. You’re brave and tough and have the blood of the Montagnons running through your body. But it takes someone who isn’t afraid to step on toes to rule a Clan.”

“Which makes you perfect for the job.”

Tessa laughed and slapped Tamian on the arm. “Right. We both also know I’d have a Clan turned on its ear in about two-point-five seconds. Don’t think I haven’t realized Dad didn’t ask me to rule. I am the oldest, but even he knows I’m not cut out for that shit.”

The computer chimed with an alert, and both siblings turned their attention to the monitors. “Who are we looking for?” Tessa asked.

“My mate. At least, I think she is. Whenever I’m around her, I get these feelings.”

“If she is, you’ll transition soon. Unless you already have?”

Tamian hesitated. He’d never told Andi he transitioned when he hit puberty. He turned to face his sister and admitted one of the truths he’d kept from her all these years. “I phased for the first time when I was young, just like the full-bloods do.”

“Holy fucking shit! Why didn’t you tell me?” Tessa slapped him on the arm again. For a half-blood, she was stronger than she looked. If he wasn’t Gargoyle, he would be bruised already.

“I didn’t want you to think differently about me. It was bad enough I was a clone, but to be able to shift the way the full-bloods do…” Tamian shrugged, keeping his eyes on the monitors. “Wait, there she is.” Tamian pointed at one of the screens.

“What is your mate doing in South Africa?”

“How do you…? Never mind. I sometimes forget how extensively you’ve traveled the world. I’m assuming she’s on assignment. Best we can figure, she’s an agent with the GIA. Julian has found several of her aliases, but we still don’t know her true identity.”

Tamian and Tessa watched Harlow as she stepped into a taxi and it drove away. Tamian kept his eyes glued to the screen while Tessa typed away at one of the keyboards. The monitor changed over to another street, and Tessa continued following the car.

“How are you doing that?” Tamian asked.

“It’s a little trick Jules taught me one night when Gregor was out patrolling, plus I was bored. I figured if he ever needed backup here in the lab, it would behoove me to know how to track someone down this way.”

“Behoove you?”

“Shut up. I happen to like that word.” After a few more taps on the keys, Tessa stopped. “Damnit, I lost her. She went into a section not monitored with traffic cameras. Finding her again will be nearly impossible. I think our best bet is to keep our eye on the airport.”

Tamian huffed out a sigh. “We have no idea how long she plans to be there.”

“No, but she’s going to leave at some point. I’ll keep an eye on this if you want to do something else.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, read. Swim. Run.”

“Can you get into the flight plans of the private jets?”

“Yepper. Hang on a sec…” Tessa surprised Tamian when just a few seconds later, she said, “Okay. There are ten private jets set to leave in the next two hours. Do you have any information on the plane she arrived in?”

“Yes.” Tamian slid a piece of paper over to his sister.” Tessa scrolled through the information on the screen. “Got it. Her jet is set to leave this afternoon, headed back to New York. Looks like this was a quick in and out. Why would the government send her to Africa for less than a day?”

“Why does the government do anything?”

“Truth. Well, at least now we know when she’ll be returning.”

“I wonder if LaGuardia is close to her home. When she came in last time she went to New DC”

“All you can do is wait and see where she goes from there.”

“Or, I can actually be there and follow her.”

“What if she gets on another flight from there?”

“Good thing I have a plane of my own then, right?” Tamian pulled out his phone and dialed. “Santiago, Tessa and I managed to track Harlow down. She’s leaving Cape Town for LaGuardia. I want to be there to intercept her flight, so let’s plan on leaving in fourteen hours. That gives us a couple hours leeway.”

“I’ll be ready,” his pilot said. Tamian often sat in the cockpit with the male who’d long ago become his friend, taking over controls if Santiago needed a break. That was another skill the Clan knew nothing about. He’d been flying solo for years. Santiago was a shifter, the one who’d taught Tamian to fly. Tamian trusted him with his life. Therefore, he had no trouble telling the male all about Harlow.

“Thank you.” Tamian disconnected and turned to his sister who was rubbing her hands together. “What has you so excited?”

“You need a co-pilot, and I’m bored. Since we have fourteen hours, that gives me plenty of time to go home and pack. Tomorrow, I want to run by the manor and see Jonathan for a bit.”

“How is he?” The human male who helped look after Rafael’s home had cancer, and it had progressively gotten worse instead of better, even with treatments.

“Not well. Priscilla’s about to lose her mind. Not even Kaya’s pregnancy is keeping the housekeeper’s mind off her brother.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You’d think Jonas would have found a cure by now.”

“It’s not like he isn’t working on it. As a matter of fact, he’s talking about turning the hospital over to someone else so he can focus all his time and energy on finding a cure.”

“When you go see Jonathan, give him my regards.”

“Will do. Now, I’m going to head over to the Pen and see if Stone needs help wrangling any Unholy and tell him about our trip.”

“You honestly think Gregor’s not going to want to come along?” Tamian had been extremely jealous of his sister’s mate when they first got together, but now, Gregor was family. Tessa couldn’t be in better hands, nor could she have found a mate who was more perfect for her. Gregor was up for anything Tessa wanted to do. Not just to watch out for her, but the male truly enjoyed the craziness Tessa brought into his life. The prison warden had an adventurous streak hidden behind his stoic façade.

“Oh, I know he will, but things with the Unholy are heating up. Seems even though Kallisto’s behind bars, her goons are still doing her bidding somehow. Drago was sighted downtown, but he disappeared before the Clan could get to him. Between Gregor and Deacon, they have their hands full with the Pen. He’ll miss me, but if I tell him I’m going to visit the ’rents, he’ll more readily agree to letting me go without him. Plus, I have you to protect me.”

“Who’s going to protect me?” Tamian asked, grinning.

“After that little bombshell you dropped on me earlier, I don’t think you need protecting. What else aren’t you telling me, little brother?”

“Go pack. I’m going to call Julian and tell him what’s going on.” Tamian wasn’t ready to spill all his secrets. Not even to his sister.

Tessa rose from her seat and wrapped her arms around Tamian from behind. “I always knew you were special. If you want to keep your secrets, I understand. Pick me up tomorrow on your way to the airport. I’ll be ready to go.” Tessa kissed his temple before walking away. Tamian waited for the small ache to hit when he was alone, but surprisingly, it didn’t rear its ugly head. Turning his attention back to the monitors, he attributed his good mood to one secret agent.

 

 

Drago begrudgingly handed the scientist a wad of cash for his latest experiment. The money Kallisto sent him was dwindling, but this had been a good investment. Dr. Craven was able to synthesize a formula that lessened the severity of the Unholy’s mania. Before, the men were nothing more than zombie mutant warriors. Now, they were able to utilize parts of their brains formerly shut off. He could control them as well as give them orders to perform functions such as driving and operating phones. He didn’t spend all his money on the formula; instead, he only needed a small batch to use on a handful of Unholy. The rest he left in their current state.

Putting humans on the payroll was a necessary evil as well as a costly one, but there were certain jobs he needed handled he couldn’t count on his fellow Gargoyles to carry out. Burk and Kavin had proven to be loyal and capable; therefore, he’d sent the two of them to the West Coast to build their army there. Two other Goyles, Renneck and Trexon, had found their way from Greece after their King had been overthrown. They were good at following orders, and neither one of them wanted to fight him for the leadership role. Not that either one could best him. As with all other lifeforms, there was a hierarchy, and Drago was now at the top of theirs. He’d never considered being King while living in Greece, but now that he was no longer under Alistair’s thumb, the thought was enticing. If he could continue to build the army of Unholy, he could eventually challenge Rafael Stone.

Renneck raised his eyebrows while inclining his head toward the door the scientist exited. “No,” Drago answered the unspoken question. “We may have need for his services in the future.” Those humans who served a single purpose were let go, and then Renneck and Trexon followed and took them out of commission, retrieving the money they’d been paid. Ones like Craven were kept alive as long as they proved useful.

Drago was able to share his endgame with those Unholy who had some of their humanity returned. It was a two-part plan that would not only have him ruling over New Atlanta once he took the head of Rafael Stone, but he would also get Kallisto out of prison. He wouldn’t be where he was without her help, and there was no way he was leaving the female to rot in the Pen, even if she was human. Drago had worked for Kallisto for many years, and she had always been fair. It didn’t hurt that she was stunning. Maybe she would appreciate him enough to consider being his Queen once he sprung her from her prison cell.

The warehouse he was using as their base of operations was hidden on the outskirts of town. It was one of the few buildings not owned by Stone, Incorporated. Drago had lucked out when he found it. It was close enough the Unholy could spread out and create havoc but far enough away to be off the grid. As he sat behind his desk in the large room he’d made into an office, Drago lit a cigar, blowing smoke rings toward the ceiling. They’d lost the little waitress when they kidnapped her, but he wasn’t going to be deterred. Drago had already chosen their next victim, and before long, the Stone Society would know who was in charge of New Atlanta.

 

 

Lucy grabbed the bottle of wine and took it out onto the patio. She was jetlagged from the almost nonstop flying she’d done over the past week, and the four-hour nap had done little to ease the fatigue. As she relaxed back in a cushioned chair, she gazed out over the lawn as the moon shined its light over the expanse. One of her uncles, Hayden, had taken over care of the property while Lucy traveled. When she first met her father’s family, it was odd to Lucy how they immediately accepted her. Treated her like she’d never been away from them. They knew almost everything there was to know about her, and it wasn’t until about a year after meeting them all she learned they’d kept tabs on her while she was growing up. They had wanted her even if Warryck hadn’t.

As she sipped the Merlot, she thought back to the last few days. Her trip to Africa had been odd, to say the least. The information her boss sought could have just as easily been gained from her desk in the States. It was another in a long line of red flags Lucy was pinning to the wall to see if they formed a pattern. Something was off. Something had happened in the last six months to put her on high alert, and she intended to find out what it was. Lucy hated to think her employer was corrupt, so she had been trying to narrow the playing field down to those who had something to gain in crossing over to the dark side. She refused to believe she was gathering intel on the Ministry only to have the information help them somehow.

Any and all information she did gather, Lucy handed over to her grandfather. Sutton Lazlo had been an officer in the army before becoming a police officer in Texas. When he moved the family to Upstate New York, he formed a motorcycle club. Having a club whose members were all shifters meant they were an eclectic group. Many humans had tried to patch in, but that never happened. If someone had told Lucy five years ago she’d be riding on the back of a Harley with her hair flying in the wind, she’d have laughed her ass off. Lucy Ball was a prim and proper young lady.

Yeah, right.

All it took was one ride on the back of Mav’s bike to change her attitude as well as her lifestyle. Sure, she still had the money and the big, empty, lonely house. But now, she had a wardrobe of jeans, leather jackets, and eleven pairs of black moto boots. Lucy had even developed a taste for beer. That was thanks to Hayden. Lucy kept the fridge stocked for her uncle when he came over to do the landscaping. The first time he asked her to join him down on the dock overlooking the lake, they’d sat side by side with a cooler of beer while Hayden told her stories of the family.

Each brother had a different take on what the Hounds were about. Sutton had formed the club for the shifters to have a brotherhood. A safe haven where they could come together with other Gryphons and not have to hide their true nature. Being in law enforcement, Sutton had ruled the club the same way he’d led his police department – always looking out for the innocent and helpless. When the Ministry tore the world apart some thirty years ago, Sutton took it upon himself to gather as many Hounds as possible to find these cults and put them to ground. At first, Lucy wasn’t sure how she felt about her newfound family being mercenaries – something she’d found out by mistake – but after Rory explained they didn’t just go off and randomly kill people, she eventually came around to the idea of taking out the trash, as her grandmother put it.

The Unholy came to be not long after the near apocalypse, but the family became aware of another group of shifters who did their part to keep the monsters in check. As far as the family knew, the Gargoyles weren’t aware of the Gryphons. They thought it best to keep it that way. If the Gargoyles could handle the Unholy, the Hounds would look after the Ministry. After hearing her family’s legacy and their part in keeping humanity safe, Lucy jumped at the chance to be part of it. Too bad the government got hold of her before she could do a whole lot of good.

Movement in the trees caught Lucy’s eye. Using her eagle vision, she zoomed in on the area and gasped when she saw a man hiding among the trees. Not on the ground, but in the trees among the branches. Holding still, she didn’t want to alert him she was aware of his presence. What was he doing? And how did he get past the security system? Keeping an eye on him, Lucy picked up her phone and opened the security feed app. Cameras were located around the perimeter, so no matter which way he entered the property, the cameras would’ve picked him up. It wasn’t until she rewound the feed to more than four hours back that she found what she was looking for.

The man stopped at the edge of the lake after swimming the breadth of it. He took a look around, and after a few seconds, he launched himself out of the water using large, grey wings. The man landed among the thick branches of the trees and settled onto the one he was currently using as his perch, except this was no man. He was a Gargoyle. When Lucy rewound to the point where he was waiting in the water, she zoomed in on his face. Even though it was getting dark outside when he broke the surface, there was enough light for her to see him clearly.

That wasn’t just any Gargoyle.

That was Tamian St. Claire.