Any Price Read online

  “Our people can’t win if we’re divided.”

  “I concur. You are the people’s king, little brother. I have no wish to carry your burden. We need a homeland, a place of safety and you are in possession of a country or two. Our positions are clear. I am faceless to the world. It needs to stay that way. Your heritage makes you the statesman.”

  Lore waited to see if Synth would continue.

  The power at Synth’s command was immense and Lore did not want to challenge it in a physical contest. Nor could he hand over the fate of his people to someone they didn’t know and he wasn’t quite sure of.

  “You are tired, little brother. You must be concerned with the health of your mate. I am not a threat to you or our people. I am the weapon no one knows exists. The fear humans must shield themselves from by making me fiction. Trust me to seek our enemy while you carry the task of securing a home for those who need it. I do not want your job.”

  “Good hunting, brother,” Lore acknowledged, and with that phrase sealed a loose partnership. They had an experienced predator on their side and though much about him remained a question, his intentions were clear. He would not quit this hunt.

  The silence that followed was not peaceful. Yuri was using the common channel to direct the investigation into the passages in the walls. He’d made the choice to give up stealth, directing the men to make a hole in the room Thomas had been in and fucking find the passage. It had been entered and now Keepers were exploring the labyrinth they’d uncovered.

  The issue of traitors among them was sticky. Just because a man was not a Keeper didn’t make him a traitor, but it was difficult for Keepers to view the regular military men working beside them with trust. It was imperative that the connection Keepers shared not become common knowledge to the others.

  Lore touched both Julianna and Yuri, letting them know he was aware of them, thanked them for the care they’d taken and asked them to leave the room.

  “That would be unwise,” Yuri argued verbally. “Though we have men in the passages, they must travel slowly. There are traps and we have not secured the entire structure. Leaving you alone in this room, a known outlet of the passages, is foolish.”

  Lore opened his eyes to regard Yuri. “Your caution is well founded, my friend. As soon as she is well enough to travel, we will be leaving this structure,” he stated calmly.

  Yuri had no way of knowing Lore was now more weapon than man. Man being a loose phrase for male. He most certainly was not a man. He was what humans could not face. The primal terror they made up stories about to make him seem unreal. Call a thing fiction and it puts distance between the reader and the events on the page.

  “Of course. Where do you intend to go?” Yuri enquired.

  “Her place.”

  “It’s not legally hers,” Yuri commented. “And considering we have a highly placed traitor among us who assisted the Asp, I would not recommend going to that particular castle.”

  Lore let the snarl spread across his face. “I see we both suspect the same person.”

  “There is no proof at the moment,” Yuri reminded Lore.

  “Where is my first advisor?” Lore asked softly.

  “Currently he’s making a racket about seeing you again.” Yuri’s smile was hard. “You’ve been unavailable for several days and he seems to think that means you could be dead and I’m trying to take over the country.”

  “No shit. So what is he doing about it?”

  “It’s my impression he is assembling a cabinet in order to assume a throne. I’m not clear which one he’s aiming at,” Yuri stated. “He is contained at the moment. I should have done this sooner. I didn’t think he was involved in the attack, sir. I might have been mistaken on several points. Now I suspect he has exactly the qualities the enemy would have utilized in this event. Proving that suspicion to the people might not be necessary if he continues to form a rival government.”

  Lore got up slowly, sliding off the bed carefully so not to disturb Kenna. He wasn’t about to leave the room, just pace a bit as he worked through this. He and Yuri moved to the windows.

  “True. Hard to call a rival court anything but treason. However, I don’t want him on that count. I want to know if he was involved. We must know who our enemies are, especially the home-grown ones.”

  “Sir, we can be certain among ourselves using abilities that cannot be explained to the general population. However, the charge of treason must be proven to public satisfaction,” Yuri cautioned. “It is the logical choice. Remain out of sight just a little longer and let him hang himself.”

  Lore grimaced and glanced at his companion. “You’re a cunning tactician, my friend. Be careful you don’t advise your way into Gregory’s job.”

  Yuri’s face retained his usual stoic expression. “Sir, you have a nasty sense of humor.”

  Lore was more than half serious. “Why should I be the only soldier to feel the pain of becoming a politician? Half the time I want to beat my own ass with the business end of a bayonet, the other half I’d like to use it on everyone else in the room.”

  Yuri was about to answer when both of them felt the men moving in the walls drawing close. Turning, two sets of hard eyes surveyed the room. They hadn’t done a complete search from this side to find the opening. It was well hidden to have been a secret all these years.

  Below the wide bank of windows a short panel opened. It was framed with decorative molding, which concealed the fact that the panel moved, ingenious and simple. One had to crawl to get in and out, which made it an unlikely place to look.

  A Keeper guardsman’s head appeared. “Sir, I’ve found something at this entrance.” He held out a signet ring on the end of a knife he’d used to pick it up. The men exploring the passages were carefully not touching anything as several poisonous traps had already been discovered.

  Lore hissed in almost silent threat as Yuri took the ring on the tip of his pocket knife and turned it over for them to view the insignia.

  “Well, that’s pretty definite proof,” Yuri murmured as they both stared at Gregory’s official ring of office.

  “It’s also another trap,” Lore spat. “The real bastard is hoping we are stupid enough to take the bait and attack Gregory on this evidence. I’m sure our first advisor will have a very good alibi, with witnesses. It’s too obvious a ploy to carry any weight,” Lore continued. “Don’t let anyone else touch it. Have Thomas feel it before we erase what it can tell us.”

  Yuri put the ring on the coffee table. “Continue exploring,” he ordered the guard who’d been waiting for instruction. The panel was replaced.

  Both men stood regarding the ring as they thought through its implications.

  “Someone is trying to frame him or this is meant to advance Gregory’s plans,” Lore mused. “Using it as evidence will only confuse the real issues. There is no way Gregory would let this slip off his finger. Nor do I believe he knows about the passages. Or at least he didn’t until recently.”

  “Thomas is on his way,” Yuri informed Lore.

  Lore nodded and glanced at Kenna’s sleeping form. He wouldn’t leave her side but didn’t want to conduct this investigation in her bedroom. She deserved some peace, a little distance from the conflict. Unfortunately he couldn’t even give her that. Their home had become the frontline.

  He wanted to take her to the northern castle but even that place had been violated in some way. He couldn’t order household items moved until he investigated the damage himself. And then there was the legal issue of ownership to clear up. He intended to lease the property to make their possession of it as painless as possible.

  They might as well be living in tents on the field of conflict. There was no safety he could give her besides remaining at her side as a living shield.

  Walking with a slight shuffle, Thomas entered the room with no introduction. He’d insisted on coming as soon as Yuri touched the ring. The large guard was pale as he sank onto the sofa and regarded the ring on the ta
ble in front of him. Official acknowledgements were not needed and he already knew what Lore and Yuri wanted. The community was closing into a family to face this threat.

  “I don’t have to touch it to feel what it carries,” Thomas stated at he looked at it. “There is more than hate attached to it. Something else. As if it is a living thing, watching.”

  Lore’s grin face remained expressionless. “Can you tell us more? What type of watching? Does it see us? Hear us? I assume you don’t mean it’s a mechanical spy device.”

  “Not watching us mechanically. I think the word for it would be a curse. The ring has a mission and it is looking for someone. Its target. There is much of the first advisor on it, but that is not who commands it.” Thomas glanced at the two men standing over him. “I recommend putting this thing in a secure location where it cannot be aware of our movements. Don’t let anyone touch it.”

  “And where would that be? I’m rusty on the wizard rule book for defending against a curse,” Lore remarked. It was crazy to even have to discuss this.

  “I don’t know…the dungeon? Seems like the place made for these things,” Thomas commented.

  “Do we need to keep it?” Lore asked as he eyed it. “I could destroy it.”

  “No,” Yuri cautioned. “That might be giving away information.”

  “Right,” Lore agreed. “Looking weak and ignorant has its advantages, but I don’t want it in this room.”

  “I’m kinda busy getting over the last thing I touched,” Thomas growled as he sat back on the couch scowling at the ring. “All the shit emanating off that thing, I wouldn’t touch it with bio gloves on. The power signature is the same flavor as the one in New York, but stronger.”

  “Since I’ve already handled it, I’ll take it down there,” Yuri volunteered. “We can examine the power used on it when we know more about what we’re looking for.” He stepped around the couch and scooped up the ring on the end of his knife again.

  Thomas immediately fell back, holding his ears, pain etched across his pale face. Both the other men froze.

  “What?” Yuri barked at Thomas.

  “It’s screaming as if your touch causes pain. Isn’t it hurting you?” Thomas demanded without removing hands from ears.

  Yuri held the ring up higher, examining it for some reaction. “No. Nothing.”

  “Go. Get it out of here,” Thomas gasped when he saw his brother wasn’t affected.

  After the door shut behind Yuri, Thomas relaxed. The drain of his ordeal was clearly written in new lines bracketing his mouth. Lore glanced from him to the closed door, noting Thomas relaxed as Yuri moved away from them.

  “Interesting,” he mused.

  “That covers a lot of recent events. Which thing are you referring to?” Thomas asked as his eyes closed. He was no less alert, simply resting the senses he could afford to for a moment.

  “You’re a relentless rain stick pointing at this enemy and your brother is kryptonite to it. Working together the two of you are the perfect weapon for it. It seems to be a pattern. Our species needs two or more to function at optimum performance. Our ability to join as a people might hold a greater significance than we now know.”

  “You think that’s Yuri’s gift? Being oblivious he’s under attack?” Thomas asked, grinning around the words. “I haven’t noticed anything else in him beside the abilities we all share.”

  Lore raised a brow with a half grin. “Before you decide that’s funny and get all smartassed with him, consider the fact that he can effectively become a shield for you. This type of attack affects you more than any of us.”

  “You have a point,” Thomas agreed.

  Kenna breathed a soft sigh and shifted on the bed. Lore was at her side immediately. Thomas left the room quietly.

  Her spirit swam up to consciousness before her eyes opened. Lore was there, unable to hold anything back.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Pain rolled through her. Her body was tired but there was no other sensation within besides the need to rest. The pain was all Lore’s. Examining what had happened, Kenna could see it clearly in his memories. His desperate battle to save her life and the choices he would live with forever.

  This morning she had been pregnant. Now she wasn’t and never would be again.

  Kenna opened her eyes to look into his face. He leaned over her, grim features regarding her with no expression. He was sorry with every fiber of his being. She could feel the soul-deep regret and yet knew he would make the same choice again if he had to.

  Now he expected her response to be bitter condemnation at the loss of her babies. The man planned to accept anything she chose to do or say and believed he deserved it because though he regretted the loss as a parent, he wasn’t sorry about his choice. He would never be sorry for finding a way to keep her with him.

  Kenna’s hands glided up the arms planted on either side of her. Tears slipped out the corners of her eyes as she absorbed his soul and sorrow and let her own blossom in the knowledge he gave her. “Hold me, please.”

  Lore felt her explosion of pain. Her request was not unexpected. She was asking for the little comfort he could give her as she mourned. His body sank down, covering the precious form of his woman. His arms pushed into the mattress under her to wrap around her body. Most of his weight was supported by his arms under her and his legs on either side of her, but he gave her the physical feeling of his body. He would shield her with everything he was, but the loss of their children was a price he couldn’t pay for her. A choice he’d made that had effectively forced her to this pain.

  Cautious, Lore did not read her. He was in her, feeling what she felt, but he couldn’t bring himself to read the words in her mind. He held her and waited.

  “I love you,” whispered into his neck.

  Nothing had ever hurt so hard as her love invading him now. She ripped down the defenses he was all ready to hide behind as she punished him. This overwhelming sorrow that was both for him and with him cut him to his knees in every way that mattered. Lore had thought he could endure anything she said. The main goal was to keep her with him. That was all that mattered. Her rejection of the notion that he needed her forgiveness was a shock.

  His face turned to her neck as pain passed between them and was covered by two hearts. Tears on the pillow were both his and hers, and he couldn’t stop them as slender arms cradled him. He might be covering her, but she held him.

  The loss of their children was a grief they shared. In the sharing grew strength. Together the depths of this sorrow changed from a bottomless pit to a bridge they could travel across. There was no division of blame. It welded their souls together as only those who’ve lost a child could understand.

  She gave him all, and in doing so made him whole. There would be no forgetting for them, no blunting this pain, but they would endure it, live with it as one. Not two.

  Finally raising his head to look at her, Lore marveled at the strength of the woman in his arms. Watery blue eyes looked up into his and the emotions swirling through him became close to worship.

  “I love you,” he confessed with all that he was.

  “I know.”

  “Thank you.” The gravel in his voice almost drowned out the words.

  “For what?”

  Taking a deep breath, he tried to think of words to explain. “For knowing. For being this woman.”

  A sad smile flitted across her face. “Who else would your woman be?”

  He shook his head. There was no response to that. Carefully peeling himself off her, he didn’t have to ask how she felt. She felt battered and weak, but there was no fear. Her confidence in him, his protection and strength were the unquestioning expectations that humbled him. He had never felt anything so pure as her confidence that he had made the necessary choices. The pain of those decisions was theirs, not just his or hers.

  “I almost feel sorry for them,” Kenna continued. “They have no idea what’s coming now.”

  A slow smile pull
ed at his lips. It wasn’t pretty. What she referred to was him, them. The hunter in him fully unleashed and matched by the strength in her. The enemy had made a huge mistake. The unit this attack made of the two individuals who had been Lore and Kenna fully understood the blood price required to win, no quarter given or expected.

  The only mission was the survival of their people. There were no other options. The death of children they’d never known would not be in vain.

  “Don’t let pity bother you,” Lore replied. “I’m sure they don’t.”

  Kenna raised a hand to caress his face. “I’m over it. Just saying it for posterity, that’s all they’re getting.”

  “It’s going to be a long road,” he cautioned. “The conflict has endured thousands of years.”

  “Time someone put an end to it,” Kenna agreed then amazed him. Reaching through Lore’s connection, she contacted Synth.

  “So I have a brother?” she questioned by way of greeting.

  She was so fully immersed in Lore, he not only heard the words but experienced the link with her.

  “Hello, little sister,” Synth greeted her. “You are well?”

  Sitting up slowly with Lore’s help, Kenna concentrated on the connection she’d felt with Synth since he had taken her blood. Instead of pushing her consciousness at him again, she simply opened her soul to him, inviting him into her heart.

  The invitation was entirely different than the bond she had with Lore. Her unique gift of connecting the Keepers made Kenna something more, she was the living heart of their kind. She accepted Synth with no reservations, offering him the family he craved as a sister. Her faith in him a crystal-clear gem held out for him to take.

  Both Lore and Kenna felt the effect on the large, dark soul she fearlessly illuminated with her heart. It was Synth’s choice to accept her faith in him. Accepting her gift, he took her pain and she carried a portion of his. She didn’t have to answer his question. She was not well but she lived.

  In Synth, the utter blackness of loneliness had been cracked with the knowledge of who she was. Her entrance into his soul was an unexpected gift. Beloved sister was too tame a word for what he gave back to her. He had existed so long on honor and music.