Last Chance (DarkWorld: SkinWalker Book 3) (10 page)

I nodded at Illyria. “Thank you for keeping Anjelo safe, but right now I think the best thing is for me to take him and Lily back home. I will return immediately to search for my mother.”

“Kai,” both Lily and Anjelo protested together.

***

“No way,” said Lily.

“Hell no,” said Anjelo.

They both spoke together, their anger almost tangible, enough for my panther to raise her head and give them a tentative sniff.

Illyria remained silent as she watched the conversation progress with a small smile. I stiffened. I was sure her own army didn’t rebel against her instructions the way these two half-wits were. I glared at them. “I can’t have you two hanging around just so you can get hurt.” Couldn’t they see, in the end, I was responsible for them?

“I’m not a baby,” Lily whined as she folded her arms angrily against her chest. Fury had darkened her honey eyes to a warm gold.

Anjelo cleared his throat. “Kai, I’ve been in Wrythiin long enough to know my way around and to know how to defend myself and fight back. I haven’t been sitting on my hands these last few months.” There was a confidence in his voice I hadn’t heard before. Even so, I wanted to cut him off and say that was all irrelevant because I was here now. But something in his expression made me realize doing so in front of Illyria and the two Wraith guards would demean him in a way that would be irreparable. I let him speak. “Illyria’s guards have been teaching me hand-to-hand combat,” he added, as if that would impress me.

“I’m impressed,” I said, allowing a grin to curve my lips. As much as I worried about Anjelo, I really couldn’t demand that he return home. “Looks like I really shouldn’t have been worrying about you all these weeks.”

Anjelo’s teeth flashed a smile. Then he ran his hands through his hair. A bloom of pink tinged his lips, and I thought it was so cute how he was embarrassed to be complimented. I wondered what sort of treatment he’d been getting down here. Sure, he’d said the Rebel leader’s guards were training him, but he could still be a captive without looking like one. I needed to tread lightly, and I hoped Lily wouldn’t put her foot in it too quickly.

I glanced at the lynx, but she was still staring at Anjelo with that adoring look in her eye. She wasn’t holding back how she felt, and I could tell it was making Anjelo uncomfortable, which in itself was odd since he’d always doted on her. I studied Illyria for a moment, but she seemed unaffected by Lily’s mooning. Either she didn’t give a damn or she was way confident. That was if, and only if, there was something going on between the two of them.

Now that we got the fight to stay part out of the way, I knew we had to get on with it. “Okay, Anjelo. Is there somewhere we can go to talk? You and I need to figure out a few things.”

Anjelo glanced at Illyria, waiting for her response, and all the while I watched. She gave him a curt nod, her eyes still masking her emotion. “You can use the small war room.” Then she flicked her fingers at the guard behind her. When he scurried over, she said, “Have quarters prepared for the ladies, please, and make sure they are comfortable.”

I inclined my head at Illyria, and despite my reservations, I felt myself slowly warming up to her. Of course, I had to remind myself that a show of hospitality was merely that. It could even just be a ploy to entrap us. Then I wanted to laugh. What in Ailuros’s name would they be wanting with me? “Thank you, Illyria.”

“No thanks required.” She smiled as she moved to leave. Then, as if on an afterthought, she turned to look over her shoulder. “After you speak with Anjelo, I would like to talk to you about your golden hands.” The smile she gave me must have been meant to be neutral, but it did nothing to hide the glimmer of fear in her eyes.

My stomach hardened. “Of course, Illyria, it would be my pleasure.”

She seemed happy with my response, and I watched the stiff hold of her shoulders as she moved down the tunnel. She was afraid of me. That was all I needed, for a woman in a powerful position to see me as a threat when my sole purpose here was to find my mother. Then I gave a mental shrug. All I had to do was convince her I was no threat to them, maybe try to win her over to my side.

Well, that was the plan anyway.

After Illyria departed, leaving behind one of her guards, I turned to Anjelo. In time to see him watch the Rebel leader’s back as she disappeared into the shadows. There was a strange look in his eye, a look that caused me to frown and glare at him. He must have felt me stare because he glanced over at me and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lily moved away to retrieve our bags from where they’d fallen a few yards away. I watched her go for a moment, then pinned Anjelo with a cold glare. “I saw you looking at Illyria. What’s going on between the two of you?” There was a long pause, in which Anjelo remained silent while his jaw tightened. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for her. What about Lily?”

Anjelo did a double take, then stared at me, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “What? Are you insane?”

I lifted my chin, now more than a little embarrassed for my assumption. “You can hardly blame me considering your eyes have barely left her in all the time we’ve been here.”

He shook his head, the short buzz cut now gone, replaced by shaggy blond curls. “It’s not what you think.” He stopped short as Lily hurried back, then grabbed me by the elbow. “Let’s talk when we get to the war room.”

The guard watched from a few paces away, his Wraith features inscrutable. I sighed. “I guess I’m going to have to find an excuse so you and I can talk privately?” His shoulders rose and fell in time to his sheepish smile. “She’s not going to like it.”

“Tell me about it,” Anjelo said dryly as he fell in beside Lily.

He took the bags from her and threw them over his shoulder. Lily smiled and slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, and they walked off, leaving me to trail behind as if I were the sidekick. I swallowed my laughter. Whatever Anjelo’s current issue was, I was glad I’d finally found him safe and healthy. And it certainly pleased me to see the sheen of joy on Lily’s face. Whatever was wrong with Anjelo could wait until I found a way to get Lily out of the way.

Now to figure out what that way was.

***

With the ever-silent guard in tow, Anjelo led us quickly through dark tunnels whose walls gleamed with moisture, and we soon reached a set of double doors made from unbroken pieces of a wood so dark it gleamed like black pearls. The hinges were as thick as my arm and made from twisted black metal. Anjelo pushed on the door and it swung open soundlessly. We entered a gigantic hall filled with trestle tables and long wooden benches. The stone roof hung low, just high enough for the tallest Wraith to avoid bumping his head. The entire hall was carved out of solid stone, no mean feat.

I looked around and saw no hearths, no fire, and I wondered how the Rebel army kept warm. Then I snorted. They were Wraiths; they didn’t need warmth because no blood ran through their bodies. I’d killed enough of them to know.

“Follow me. The war room is through here.” Anjelo waved a hand at another doorway set into the left wall. His boots tapped on the stone beneath his heels as he strode with raw strength and confidence into the next room.

I think I like this new Anjelo.

“What is this place?” asked Lily as Anjelo dropped our bags on the seat of a very slim wooden chair. Again, furniture designed for Wraiths, chairs for thin, wiry creatures. A shiver ran up my spine at the reminder that I was standing in the middle of a Wraith Rebel compound. But it shouldn’t have been so surprising considering we’d had Wraith company all this time. The guard now stood just inside the doorway, still silent.

“Outside is the meeting hall where Illyria speaks to the army, and this is the war room where she plans her strategies for each mission.” Anjelo untied the leather strips at his neck and swung the heavy black cloak off his shoulders. He threw it onto the nearest chair, completely unaware that both Lily and I were staring.

Lily glanced over at me and raised her eyebrows. I raised my own in response, then mouthed,
He’s hot
, at her. She didn’t seem offended by my observation, just returned her gaze to ogle Anjelo. He wore a close-fitting leather vest that left his taut, bulging biceps bare. Strange snakelike buckles ran down the front of the jacket, holding the thick leather of the front edges together, but just barely. Beneath the garment, his skin was bare, his pecs full and muscular. I didn’t dare look at Lily. Ailuros knew what she was thinking right this minute considering she hadn’t seen Anjelo in months.

My attention fell on Anjelo’s forearms, which were covered by leather braces imprinted with symbols I’d never seen before. Another reminder of the Wraiths that surrounded us.

I cleared my throat as Anjelo sank into a chair opposite me. Lily sat too and remained oddly silent. I was pretty sure she had her own problems to deal with. Perfect timing.

“Lily?”

“Er… yeah?” she answered, her voice sounding far too throaty for my liking.

“Why don’t you take our bags and get this nice guard to take you to our rooms?”

That made Lily turn her full attention on me, although she still had a glazed look to her amber eyes. She hesitated, her mouth opening as if she wanted to protest, but then she stopped and glanced back at Anjelo. Pink bloomed in her cheeks and her gaze settled on me again. I’d probably never know what went through her mind, but she seemed to decide she’d be of no use to any of us panting at the sight of her boyfriend while we talked. She was right.

“Um… I’ll just… I’ll just go, then. I’ve got to check the weapons,” she muttered as she turned to leave. Anjelo stared after her, frowning as she neared the doorway and spoke to the guard.

“Was it something I said?” His inquiring expression was somewhere between bemused and confused.

“More like something you did,” I said with a dry laugh.

“Eh?”

I laughed out loud at that. “Anjelo. Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

“What do you mean?” He touched his shaved jaw and then ran a hand through his curls.

“I don’t mean shaving and brushing your hair. Have you looked at yourself lately?” I asked as I moved slowly toward him, rounding the table, deliberately letting my gaze run along his muscle-bound arms, his trim waist. When I got behind him and was about to get a full eyeful of shapely ass, he spun around, spluttering.

“What in Ailuros’s name are you doing?” he hissed, glaring at me, his eyes wide in disbelief at my blatant perusal of his body. He looked about ready to grab the cloak and wrap it around himself. And when he did give the cloak a longing look, I burst out laughing. So hard it brought tears to my eyes.

“I’m sorry, Anjelo. I could help it.”

“What couldn’t you help? Staring at my body like I’m a piece of meat?” he asked as if my admiration had been an offense.

It brought me up, his words. Because guys didn’t usually take it well when they’re on the receiving end of the meat study. “I’m sorry.” The thought sobered me a little. “It’s just the way you took off the cloak… and Lily… She stared so hard…. and…” I could help but burst out laughing again. Anjelo just folded his arms, classic protective stance, and watched me.

I just laughed some more.

***

Anjelo waited patiently while I laughed and wiped at the tears flowing from my eyes. From the tightness of his shoulder muscles, I knew my mirth wasn’t impressing him, but I couldn’t help it. My laughter had to run its course or I knew I’d keep laughing until I was doubled over with a bellyful of pain.

Anjelo sighed and took a seat as my laughter subsided to a few hiccups and then slowly to nothing.

At last I was able to breathe evenly, and I glanced up at him and gave him an apologetic shrug. “I’m sorry, Anjelo. It really was funny.”

“Pity I couldn’t see the joke.” He raised an eyebrow distastefully.

“It wasn’t really a joke and I certainly wasn’t making fun of you.”

“Then what exactly was it that made you almost die laughing?” He leaned forward and I could see the tiniest twitch to his lips. He was already seeing the funny side, so I knew I hadn’t mortally offended him.

“Well, for one thing, you got hot.” He scowled at me, his face going dark. He folded his arms again, only the actions caused his well-shaped biceps to tighten. I pointed at them. “And for another, Lily’s reaction was priceless.”

“She noticed?” He suddenly looked interested. That was a very good thing.

I nodded. “Um… If you could call staring at you on the verge of drooling
noticed
, then yes.” I laughed, feeling the giggles rising again. I took a deep breath and said, “Right, I think we need to get down to business before I start laughing again.”

Anjelo snorted, then leaned his elbows onto the table.

I took the chair beside him and shifted it to face him. “So tell me what happened after Greer and I went through the portal. I know I killed Widd’en, but what happened to my mom?”

He was silent for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and said, “Remember, I was imprisoned somewhere away from the main hall, but I got the information pretty soon. They threw your mom in the cell next to me after you killed Widd’en, and then they left.” Anjelo’s face whitened as he recalled the horror of it all. “I don’t think I need to tell you they were royally pissed off. Without Widd’en running things, his army is a little bit of a mess. And of course, they worshiped him so they weren’t very pleasant to your mother considering her child had killed their master.”