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Havily’s smile grew crooked. “I love him. Creator help me, I love him so much.”
The words were a knife that had already pierced his heart but kept making slow, agonizing quarter turns every time she spoke of her love for Marcus. And Luken never stopped hoping that if she talked about her breh often enough, Luken would finally stop loving her. But he knew that was impossible. For whatever reason, he loved this woman with every fucking fiber of his being.
She continued, her voice still low, “Not that I’m complaining on my own behalf, but why have you been here so much this week? It’s not been your usual thing for the past several months. In fact, you’ve sort of kept your distance.”
His gaze slipped past her to the large window that overlooked the Sonoran Desert east of Phoenix. So, why had he come here this week, every day, as though compelled?
For Marcus’s sake, and to a larger degree his own, he’d been in the habit of limiting himself to a once-a-week drop-in.
He rubbed his thumb down his cheek a couple of times, which was something he did when he needed to think. Or across his chin. Or his forehead. “No reason. Just wanted to see you.”
But that was a lie.
“Bullshit. Something’s going on with you. I can feel it.”
He didn’t want to burden her. “It’s probably nothing. Just … I don’t know … I’ve been uneasy for days now. The war’s been heating up in North Africa lately and we seem to have more and more death vampires at the Borderlands trying to steal down to Mortal Earth. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“Maybe it’s because of Duncan.”
“Well, I’ll admit his situation has us all on edge. You know, Jean-Pierre had been working with him for months and we all knew he had emerging powers of some magnitude. But, if he could get caught in a trance, then probably any of us could.” Maybe Duncan was the reason, he wasn’t sure. But he felt like he had an itch right in the center of his back that he couldn’t scratch. And as he’d always done, he came to Havily because something about her presence calmed him.
He felt his warrior phone vibrate in the thin slot of his battle kilt and withdrew it, turning away from Havily at the same time. “Hey, Jeannie, what’s cookin’?”
All the Warriors of the Blood had credit-card-like phones that kept them connected with Central Command. Jeannie and her staff kept Luken well-informed about death vampire movement at the Borderlands.
“Well, I’ve got good news, then typical news. Which do you want first?”
He stood a little straighter. “I’ll take the good news first. Give.”
“Duncan came out of his trance.” He quickly related the news to Havily. She gave a small jump on her feet then a quiet clap of her hands. He nodded to her as he spoke once more into his phone. “And what’s the typical news?”
“Wreckers tried to take Rachel out on Mortal Earth, just as Duncan arrived to warn her. He passed out, but Rachel was able to fold them both to Apache Junction Two. She said she saw the wreckers just as she vanished. And that’s the other reason I’m calling. Endelle wants you over there ASAP.”
“On my way.”
Shit, Duncan had somehow made it back and Rachel had saved him from a Third Earth wrecking squad. At least he hoped that’s what Jeannie’s call had meant.
He turned back to Havily and saw that her light green eyes were bright with curiosity. “So what else did Jeannie say? I have to know.” She was smiling.
“It’s not all good news.” He hesitated telling her about the wreckers, but not to say anything was foolish. Havily was a helluva lot stronger than she looked and she would be involved at some point anyway. Marcus and Havily worked together doing worldwide PR for Endelle on a regular basis.
So, he told her what he knew.
“Oh, my God.” She put a hand to her chest. “Another Third Earth incursion? What the hell is going on? I thought with the portal to Third closed up again, we were safe from Third involvement. I don’t get it.”
He was about to say something, but a weird dizziness hit him. As he looked at her, she telescoped away from him, fading father and farther from sight.
He felt like he was losing her.
Luken had that same otherworld feeling that had been dogging him for days. Something was on the wind and he was part of it.
When he blinked, the telescoping disappeared and his vision was back to normal.
He had the overwhelming sensation that this was an ending for him, for them. The sweet friendship that he’d always enjoyed with Havily would be no more.
“Luken, you have a funny look in your eye.”
“Hav, your friendship has meant the world to me.”
