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Easing up to the corner of the faded yellow building, Quinn turned to Reese and whispered, “If I get eyes on one of them, I’m going to slip into his mind to search for their end game.”

“Sure you want to do that?”

He always suffered a moment of mental flagellation when he entered a mind, but these beings had kidnapped a child.

His child.

They were monsters as far as he was concerned.

Reese had been present when Quinn voiced reservations about entering someone’s mind without permission. Over the years, he’d struggled with the moral dilemma of practicing the equivalent of mind rape by jumping into someone’s head without warning.

But he had a personal code of honor. He would take that step only when someone’s life was on the line or the person whose mind he entered had been committing a serious crime.

Touching his child soared to the top of both lists.

He said very clearly, “I will crack their heads open to see what pours out if I think it will get Phoedra back safely.”

She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t questioning your reason for using your mind lock. I only wanted to point out that we don’t know what these three beings are or who controls opening a bolthole. What if you jump into a mind and it starts some kind of chain reaction that puts Phoedra at risk?”

He had to give Reese credit. He’d entered the mind of a Laochra Fola during a mission in Atlanta six weeks ago. Someone had planted a self-destruct spell that killed the man when his mind was breached. That mental foray had almost taken Quinn with the Laochra Fola, whose head imploded.

“Good point,” Quinn said.

“See, I’m not evil after all,” she quipped.

Had he treated her so badly earlier that she thought he held such low opinion of her? “I don’t think you’re evil, Reese.”

“You also don’t believe that I’m friends with Phoedra or that I’m here just to save her.”

“I haven’t said that, either.”

“You know what, Quinn? Sometimes you say a lot with your silence.” She cocked her chin to stall his next words. “Save it. We can’t afford this conversation right now. If you’re willing to show me some trust, then you continue down this front side of the building and I’ll go around back to see what I can find out. We can meet around the corners at the other end.”

He was torn between allowing her to continue on her own where something might happen to her and showing that he was capable of giving her some trust. She’d tracked Phoedra to this city and nothing Reese had done in Atlanta caused him to think she’d harm his daughter.

But it was hard to get past the fact that someone else pulled her strings. Whoever it was had sent her to Atlanta more than a month ago to get her hands on Kizira’s body and now this person knew Phoedra.

That left a few holes in her story about who she was and why she had this connection to his daughter.

Quinn had no idea who the mystery man was other than being a common thread between Kizira, Reese and Phoedra.

He didn’t believe for a minute that Reese had accidentally met Phoedra, which raised serious concerns about how long she’d known his child.

Tired of the battle raging in his mind and heart, he gave up when his protective side won. “I agree with the plan, but you go along this front side and I’ll go to the back.”

“What-ever, your lordship.”

His lips twitched with a smile. He’d love to kiss that mouth into silence.

I’m officially out of my mind to be thinking about anything except getting inside this building right now.

Reese stepped away before anything else could be said. He should thank her.

Quinn moved toward the back, trying to shake off the feelings Reese dragged to the surface.

What was it about her that had kept her on his mind? She’d clearly burrowed under his skin too far to ignore.

He and Kizira had burned fast and hot for two weeks when they were both very young. He’d cared for her deeply at the time.

Who was he kidding? He’d loved her to the point of madness at first, but then she disappeared and he never saw her again for years.

When he finally did see her again, every time they crossed paths since then they’d been adversaries, and Kizira had been compelled to commit crimes against the Beladors. Wounds and the subsequent scars had built up over time, turning the passion they’d once shared into something bittersweet.

It had taken meeting Reese for him to realize a truth he’d avoided admitting to himself. Because of having no idea of his history with Kizira when Reese met him, she’d forced him to take stock of his life and stop feeding into the ugly cycle of survivor’s guilt.

He’d finally accepted that Kizira’s death was not his fault.

During the months since she’d died, Quinn had done some hard soul-searching. He now realized that if the war between Beladors and Medb had somehow miraculously ceased, he and Kizira could never have had what they’d once shared when they were young. They would never have managed a stable life with mutual trust and affection at its center.

Too much heartache under the bridge.

The hardest thing he’d been forced to accept was that Kizira had never fully trusted him with the knowledge of their daughter or she’d have told him sooner, before the point of her death. She allowed Phoedra to live for thirteen years with no father. No parent at all it seemed, if what Reese insinuated was true—that Kizira had not been part of Phoedra’s life either.

Quinn struggled to process that last part.

He wouldn’t hold it against her.

As a child of the Medb, Kizira had been taught to never trust anyone. The fact that she’d successfully hidden Phoedra from the powerful coven spoke of Kizira’s true nature and her love for their child.

If he could find his daughter now, he’d have the chance to explain all of that to Phoedra and then work to gain her trust.

As he made it to the rear of the building, he stepped onto a dirt-and-gravel parking area ravaged with weeds. He suddenly realized that if the kidnappers were actually here, he’d finally see Phoedra for the first time.

And she’d see him.

Hell of a way to be introduced to your child.

His heart jumped into hyperdrive the closer he moved toward the walk-in door next to a tall garage door. The harsh cut of tire tracks showed someone had been in a rush and turned hard on their way into the building. He was no tracker like Storm, but those tracks appeared to be fairly new compared to softer-edged ones nearby.

Pausing at the walk-in door, he leaned his ear close, listening for voices.

He heard nothing at first and tested the rusted doorknob. Locked.

Using his kinetics, he slowly turned the tumblers until a tiny click sounded. He opened the door and stepped inside the pitch-black space.

When his eyes adjusted, he made out the walls of a hallway with a door on each side. Offices, most likely. Slowing to listen at each door and hearing silence, he continued moving to the one at the end, which he hoped allowed him to peek into the garage without drawing attention yet.

He listened and caught a conversation.

Someone with a deep baritone voice was saying, “... and that’s not okay. You said we could turn this bounty quick. What are we doing here? I need my money.”

A younger, less gruff male voice replied, “I did not say it would happen in a day. Didn’t I pick the perfect spot to grab her and get us out of there? No one is following us through that bolthole, but I can’t just jump to the next spot without sending word first.”

“That’s bullshit, man. Where are we going next and when are we getting paid?”

“You’re on a need-to-know basis, Charlie.”

“Well I fuckin’ need to know now, Turbo. I can’t stay around that ... that, hell whatever she is. She hurts my head.” 

Was Phoedra using a power? Were her abilities already evident? What were her gifts?

Or had being under duress caused her gifts to surface?

Who knew, since she was the product of a powerful Belador and Medb priestess?

Turbo said, “Her hands are contained. Stay away from her and you’ll be fine. Touch her and you’ll hurt a lot worse when I’m through with you.”

“I’m not going near that thing. She’s your problem.”

They were afraid of Phoedra.

Those words were music to Quinn’s ears right now, but that didn’t dismiss whoever was paying Turbo to kidnap her.

Quinn had his hand on the doorknob to open it when Charlie said, “What’s that noise outside?” 

Quinn dropped his head against the door. Was Reese trying to get in?

“Shit, man, someone’s fighting out there.”

“Take Buzz and go check it out.”

Quinn jerked upright. Had a demon attacked Reese? He turned to rush out, then hesitated. What about Phoedra?

He had to keep them both safe.

He had seconds to make a decision.

If he could take down two of the kidnappers outside where Phoedra wouldn’t be caught in an energy crossfire, that would up his odds of getting to Phoedra before the third guy could use her as a hostage or turn her into a human shield.

Plus, he couldn’t leave Reese to fight off a demon even if she had her powers. She’d admitted that she hadn’t practiced with them much.

Quinn raced outside where light flashed from the far end of the building.

When he made the corner, ashes were floating in the air.

Reese had disposed of what had probably been a demon, but two guys with nonhuman energy—had to be the kidnappers—had her by her arms, which meant she couldn’t get her fingers on her medallion.

She dropped to her knees.

That pulled the one on her right off balance.

She jerked her left hand free and nailed him in the groin. He doubled over, cursing, and reached for a fist of her hair, yanking her onto her back.

The man on her left lifted a hand and swirled it into a fireball, preparing to strike Reese with it.

Quinn dove into his mind and drove energy into it, then withdrew just as quickly.

Fireball guy’s eyes rolled up in his head. He fell to the ground, slapping his body with the fiery hand, which caught his clothes on fire, but he was stone-cold dead in the next second.

With that one down, Quinn ran to Reese, who was still pinned to the ground by the one she fought. Quinn didn’t want to kill that one yet if it wasn’t necessary.

She grabbed her medallion and hammered a wild chop of power across the back of the guy who still cupped his groin with one hand.

His hand fell away from her hair as he dropped face-forward, and she sat up, shoving hair out of her face by the time Quinn reached her.

Lifting her so she could stand, he asked, “Are you okay?”

She looked at what was left of the body smoldering on the ground. “What’d you do to him?”

“I stopped him from hitting you with a fist of fire. The rest was self-inflicted.”

Reese twisted around toward the front of the building. “They came out of the street-side door. But there’s one more in there.”

“I know. I was inside when the third one sent them out here because they heard you fighting what I assume was a demon.” 

She whipped her head back to him. “You were inside? Is Phoedra in there?”

“Sounds like it. Now we have two against one. Let’s do this. When we get inside, I’ll take on the last guy and you protect Phoedra.”

Amazingly, Reese didn’t argue. “I’m in. Let’s go.”

Quinn led the way, sneaking up to the rear entrance of the building again. He’d made it inside and down the hallway with Reese right behind him, when he heard a grinding noise that caused his heart to miss a beat.

The garage door motor had been engaged and the van engine cranked.

Shoving the door open, Quinn ran into the garage, but fifty-gallon barrels blocked his way.

He couldn’t blast them out of his way without risking harm to Phoedra. He did an about-face and rushed back the way he’d come.

Reese had already raced out the door ahead of him.

The van blasted through the half-open garage door. Metal squealed and twisted.

Reese launched herself at the van, grabbing a door handle and getting dragged.

Using his kinetic power, Quinn lifted the rear wheels to take away the van’s traction. He tried to lift the entire van into the air, but the front end was blurring out of shape as if something had a grip on it.

What else could he do without endangering Phoedra or Reese?

In a blink, the van vanished from the front to the back as if someone had passed a majik hoop over it. That had to be the bolthole opening up and swallowing it.

Quinn lunged and grabbed the back doors of the van, yanking with his kinetics engaged to rip them off. Energy wrapped the van, burning his hands, but he wouldn’t let go.

Phoedra was shouting, “Help!”

In a massive flash of power, the van lurched forward, out of Quinn’s hands, and disappeared.

“Fuuuuck!”

Wait a minute. What happened to Reese?

Yelling came at Quinn from a distance and, out of nowhere, Reese barreled toward him in midair.

He caught her against his chest, falling back as momentum sent them skidding through the dirt.

She slapped the ground next to him. “Damn! Damn! Damn!”

Catching his breath, he pushed them to a sitting position that ended with her on his lap. Her face, arms and hands were scratched and bleeding in some places, but she paid no attention to her injuries.

“I’m sorry, Quinn. I almost had the door open, but I couldn’t let go to touch my medallion. I could see Phoedra. She looked okay. He was shouting at her to stop messing with his head, so I think she’s got some type of defense.”

“I know. I heard one of the men we took down say he was afraid of her. That she hurt his head every time he got close. The only positive is that Turbo, the name of the guy who still has her, warned his associate not to touch her or he’d suffer worse. I think she’s at least safe until she ends up wherever he’s taking her. Based on what little I heard, he hadn’t intended to leave for another day or two. We still have time to find her.”

“But she was right here,” Reese said in a pitiful voice. “We should have had her.”

He put his head against hers. “I know and I appreciate what you did, but I don’t want you harmed either.”

“I’m in this until she’s safe.”  She lifted her head and put her hands on his cheeks. “I’m tough and I’ll heal. We can’t hold back no matter what if ... I mean when we get another shot.”

“First we have to find where he went.”

Reese’s disappointment washed away. “That’s right. Give me a minute.”  She jumped up and looked around, then she took five steps. “This should be about where the van disappeared.”

Quinn followed her and took up a guard position to watch for demons. He knew from experience that she was vulnerable when she attempted remote viewing.

Reese clutched her medallion in one hand and closed her eyes, sitting perfectly still with her legs crossed. She leaned forward, squeezing her eyes tight. “Don’t do that.”

“What?”

She paid him no mind and kept muttering. “Stop it. Just one more ...”  Opening her eyes, she looked up at the sky, raised her fist and shouted, “Do not summon my inner bitch, Universe. She doesn’t play nice.”

Quinn’s heart hit his feet. She couldn’t find Phoedra. “It’s okay, Reese. Thank you for trying.”

“What?” She pushed to her feet and dusted at the layer of dirt covering her. “I know where she went.”

“You do?” That booted his heart back up close to his throat.

She held up a hand. “Let me be clear. I know the city he took her to, but I only got a glimpse before he sealed the bolthole behind him so I’m not sure where they are in that city or if he is only driving through.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll arrange to get you home then I’ll leave immediately to go after her as soon as you tell me where she is.”

“No.”

Shock robbed him of words at first. “Why not?”

“First, you needed me to find her just now, which means you might need my remote viewing again. Second, she doesn’t know you.”

He took that one straight to his heart and it must have shown.

“Oh, hold it, Quinn,” Reese said in a rush. She put her hand on his arm. “Let me rephrase that. Phoedra doesn’t know you yet and might think you’re another person trying to grab her. She’s known me for two years and trusts me. I need to be there for her, for both of you.”

He couldn’t argue with that logic. He had yet to even see his daughter’s face. Contrite over his thoughtless decision, he said, “You have a valid point. I didn’t mean to sound unappreciative, as I am anything but.”

Giving him a wary look, she said, “Does that mean you’re taking me with you?”

“Yes, of course. You’re working just as hard as I am to get her back and I welcome the aid you offer.” He admitted the truth. “I had not intended to put you at further risk, but I would be a fool not to acknowledge that we are better as a team.” When she gifted him with a smile, he felt forgiven and moved ahead. “Now, where are we going?”

“New Orleans. I got to Tulsa on a one-way teleport, so how do we get to New Orleans?”

“Give me a minute.”  Quinn called to Trey telepathically. This is Quinn. Is Daegan somewhere you can reach him?

I could, Quinn, but Daegan is leading a team that’s on the trail of a missing Belador teen and we’re a little shorthanded.

With the Beladors spread thin, Quinn was not about to bring his dragon king here to help retrieve Phoedra at the cost of putting another person’s child at risk. Don’t bother Daegan. I can handle this.

When he closed the telepathic link, Quinn explained to Reese, “We’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.”

She frowned. “We’ll need a credit card to rent a car. Did you bring any with you?”

“Yes, but we’re not driving to New Orleans.”

Taking a look down at herself then glancing at him, she said, “I doubt they’ll let us through airport security looking like this and with no luggage. That just screams suspicious in this day and age. Also, I have no ID with me. I only carried cash when I left my apartment today.” 

Quinn had started punching numbers into his phone and paused long enough to ask Reese, “How did you plan to get home with Phoedra if you had no way to rent a car or fly?”

“I had a plan.”

When she said nothing more he said, “But you aren’t sharing that plan?”

She clammed up tight.

Using her words from earlier, he said, “You know what, Reese? Sometimes you say a lot with your silence.”