County Kilkenny, Ireland
Storm’s olfactory sense picked up the scent of Noirre the moment he landed in Ireland near Dunmore Cave. Having a teleporting dragon on hand made all the difference in this hunt.
He didn’t want to push anyone to enter a cave known as a death trap, but he had no qualms about going in on his own.
Tristan walked up with his gaze on the sinking sun. “Think it’s the same day here, right?”
Quinn confirmed, “Still Sunday, but four hours later. That puts local time around just after five in the afternoon.”
Time had no relevance to Storm while Evalle was missing. As the team assembled again, he asked, “What do we know about this place today?”
Quinn said, “The cave is a tourist location. I can’t recall everything, but I do remember reading that bodies were recovered from the site during archaeological excavations at one time. Once those were removed, this cave was turned into a museum of sorts.” He asked Daegan, “Will the plant be growing where those removed bodies are buried?”
“Not the Noirre plant. It grows only deep inside this cave, which means some remains were missed. Maybe the spirits had a way of shielding those. I have no idea where the plants and bodies are exactly, other than inside the cave.”
Stepping into the conversation, Tristan mused, “How can something that deadly be in a cave where humans have survived visiting? Why haven’t those plants been discovered?”
Reese had been staring out over the rugged landscape covered in patches of grass, rock and dirt. She suggested, “Plants are living things. Daegan said the plants were thought to be sentient. If this is the case, the plants could have moved the bodies to a secure location inside the cave.”
“I smelled Noirre out here,” Storm announced to the group. “If the plant only grows inside, then it’s been brought outside.”
“Can you pinpoint an actual spot for the scent?” Daegan asked.
Lifting his nose to determine a direction, Storm took off, moving quickly. If they wanted to go with him, they had to keep up. After hiking over a knoll and down the backside of the hill, Storm noticed a sign off to his left that indicated the entrance of Dunmore Cave. They had to keep an eye out for human visitors and staff. Daegan might need to drop a cloak over them again.
Storm stopped short and leaned down.
When he straightened, all of the team had caught up. He pointed at the ground. “The Noirre scent is right here. I’m picking up the scent of the same being from the art park in Atlanta in this spot as well.”
“Have you figured out who the scent belongs to?” Tristan asked.
“No, but I’ve smelled it around Atlanta on occasion. No matter how hard I try to connect it to a face, I can’t, which means I haven’t seen this person’s face.”
“We’re close to the cave,” Quinn said, turning to nod. “That fits what I’ve read about the entrance being at the bottom of a gulley.” He told Daegan, “As we crested the hill, I climbed a bit further and saw two cars leaving. There’s only one in the parking lot, which probably belongs to staff. The cave exhibit closing at five local time would make sense.”
Reese moved forward. “Let me see if I can pick up anything from here.”
Evalle had shared with Storm that she picked up more going on between Reese and Quinn than just their joint interest in Phoedra. Evalle had seen them kiss once and said Quinn looked at Reese like a woman he cared about. His mate had been anxious to grab Quinn alone to ask what was up.
Out of consideration for Quinn right now, Storm sent the Belador a questioning look about Reese using her gift.
Quinn gave him a let-her-do-what-she-wants shrug.
Storm understood Quinn’s frustration.
He’d experienced that many times while trying to do the right thing by allowing Evalle the space she needed to function, but constantly worrying about her being in danger.
More than anything, Storm hated to be proven justified for what she called overprotectiveness.
He didn’t know how they’d move forward from this, but he never wanted to lose her again.
First, he had to get her back.
When no one argued with her, Reese planted her butt on the exact spot where Storm had located the scent. She muttered, “Just remember that if he teleported from here, I won’t find anything.”
“We understand, Reese,” Quinn told her. “But please don’t go beyond what you can do safely.”
“Since I don’t even know my limits with this, guess I’ll stop when it hurts,” she tossed back at him.
Quinn muttered a Slavic curse.
At least it sounded Slavic to Storm. Then Quinn went over and knelt behind Reese with his hands on her shoulders. “Perhaps my energy will aid you.”
She smiled slightly.
Storm noted an almost intimate connection between those two and felt certain others on the team had noticed it as well. Evalle had good reason to be curious about that relationship.
Reese closed her eyes and all expression fell away as she started whispering words that had a familiar ring to Storm.
Evalle said Reese had a connection to the Haida tribe of western Canada. Her words held an inflection similar to the Navajo language Storm sometimes used for chanting.
When she stopped whispering, creases formed in her forehead and at the corner of her closed eyes as her attention was drawn to something. She’d been leaning forward as if trying to see further, then she jerked backwards, knocking Quinn on his butt as well as breaking his connection to her.
“Reese?” Quinn scrambled to check on her.
Her eyes flew open. She smiled and started to speak, then wrenched to the side and threw up.
“Dammit, Reese,” Quinn complained, as he held her shoulders for the brief sickness.
Once again, Daegan supplied a glass of water along with a cloth this time, which Quinn accepted.
Reese took the water, wiped her mouth with the cloth and pushed to her feet, then handed the water back to Daegan.
The dragon king frowned and the glass vanished.
Quinn said, “I told you back in the building with the bodies that you shouldn’t use your gift until you figure out why it’s making you sick.”
“Remote viewing didn’t make me sick.”
Storm started to confirm that as truth, but before he had a chance, Quinn demanded, “Then what is making you sick?”
Reese shot right back, “None of your business.”
The fact that she lied must have been written all over Storm’s face. Quinn had shoved a fast look his way before Storm could hide his reaction.
That had to be why Quinn told Reese, “You’re lying.”
Lifting her hands in a back-off motion, Reese said, “Not talking about it here and now. Stuff it.” Then she told the group, “When I was hunting for Phoedra ... ” She paused to glare at Quinn and inserted, “Before you came along ... I could see Phoedra in real time being kidnapped.”
Storm frowned. What did that kidnapping have to do with this one?
Rubbing her hands together in a nervous manner, Reese said, “But when I was at the dead body place we just left in Atlanta, I traced the path without seeing anyone actually on the path. That was a little new. This time, I also traced a path, but I could see a hooded guy who stood up from this spot with a plant in his hand and walked until he found transportation. He traveled to a town, then vanished. I think my remote viewing is evolving and I might have seen our kidnapper leaving this spot on foot even though he is clearly already gone.”
“Why not teleport from here?” Adrianna mused out loud.
Tristan snapped his fingers. “Maybe he’s like me and teleporting isn’t a natural gift. He may be limited.”
“That’s good information, Reese,” Storm complimented. “Thank you for doing that, but please don’t do anything else to disturb your ... health.” He had an idea what might be going on with Reese, but it was not his place to interfere with those two.
Her eyes widened at his hesitation right before he finished his comment.
She gave him a little thank-you smile, then raked her wild hair off her face and asked, “What are we going to do? Is there any point in going inside that death trap?”
“Actually, there is,” Daegan replied. “As Grady suggested, there must be spirits of some sort in there who can shed some light on the being behind this.”
“I agree, Daegan. If you’ll teleport me inside, I’ll start searching the place,” Storm said, ready to face whatever waited in there.
“I shall teleport both of us,” the dragon king announced, making it clear he would not stand back from any battle. He followed up by telling the others, “There’s no point in putting all of you at risk. If for any reason we don’t return, Tristan will teleport you home.”
“Not to argue with you, boss, but wouldn’t it make more sense for me to teleport Storm inside? We can replace me, but not you.”
Damn. Storm had wanted to rip Tristan apart more than once in the past when the hardheaded Alterant had dragged Evalle into trouble.
Now he was willing to enter that cave?
“You are valuable as well, Tristan,” Daegan admonished, but with no heat. “I am the stronger teleporter of the two of us. I am the best hope for getting us out.”
“Yeah, but I’ll teleport his ass out if it looks like we’re going to lose, where you’ll probably stay and fight if he refuses to leave.”
Ah, there was the person Storm had known, but in fairness to Tristan, the Alterant was here and willing to help. Storm wouldn’t criticize Tristan’s strategy.
Quinn offered, “Why don’t I join you two in case I can use mind lock?”
“I don’t care who goes as long as we do this soon,” Storm said, shutting down further offers. He’d rather go alone than have the death of another person on his conscience.
“This discussion is tabled,” Daegan ordered. “If Cathbad survived this, I am easily as powerful.” He turned to Quinn, “If one, or both, of us returns injured, your powers will be needed most at that time. If something occurs out here and you can’t reach me using telepathy, then Tristan will come to find us.”
Reese inquired, “Are you also as powerful as that druid, Storm?”
Storm simply replied, “We’re about to find out. Ready, Daegan?”
With the group left to watch their backs, Storm and Daegan entered the cave silently, their bodies taking form again in the middle of a display area.
Daegan grumbled, “Your world is cluttered with useless things.”
“Looks like this place is empty, but we need to avoid security footage.”
“Where would that be?” Daegan asked.
“I see a few cameras, but there may be some I don’t see.”
“I’ll cloak us.”
Storm would rather not dull his ability to scent, but after sniffing the hundreds who had passed through here recently, he agreed with Daegan’s security solution.
Informing Daegan, “I smell the being who had the Noirre plant outside,” Storm took off, following the scent trail. His nose led him through public areas of the cave illuminated with subtle lighting appropriate for a place where so many innocent beings had died.
The scent trail continued past a NO ENTRANCE sign.
Daegan stayed close as Storm bypassed the warning and entered a tunnel.
When the tunnel split, Storm followed their kidnapper’s trail. Eventually the passage narrowed to a spot where they’d have to crawl to continue, and he doubted their bodies could squeeze through the opening.
Daegan put a hand on Storm’s shoulder.
“What?” Storm asked softly when he turned to face the dragon king.
“That is a dangerous place. A perfect spot for being attacked.”
“You’re stopping now?”
“No, I suggest we teleport to the other side, but the spirits associated with those remains that lie here may know a preternatural is nearby. I have no information on exactly how Cathbad was attacked or what he did to survive.”
“Send me in first.” Storm had wanted to keep the dragon king out of this anyhow.
Daegan said, “Prepare to teleport through that small opening. We’re both going in.”
So much for keeping the casualties low in this operation.
“Let’s stand back to back,” Storm suggested for the strongest defensive position.
“Good thinking.” Daegan turned.
As soon as Storm’s back touched Daegan’s they were teleporting.
Insertion was instantaneous.
So was the Noirre attack.