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My phone rings and I hesitate before answering, wondering if it’s the angry supe from earlier. But when I see the caller ID, my heart races. It’s Malia’s number.
I answer quickly. “Malia? Where are you? Are you okay?”
There’s a moment of silence on the other end before someone speaks. “I thought you might like the opportunity to say goodbye to the girl before I kill her.”
“Tanimola,” I spit. “What are you doing with Malia? Do the elders know about this?”
Tanimola laughs. “Like I give a fuck about them. Say goodbye to her. Because she’ll be dead long before you find her body.”
The line goes dead and my heart drops as Tanimola’s words sink in. If the elders don’t know about this, then we’re on our own. I turn to Cove, who’s still searching the room, and motion for him to come over.
“Tanimola has Malia,” I tell him when he’s close enough. “I need to find her before he does something to her.”
Cove’s eyes narrow in anger. “Let’s go. He’ll be at one of the beaches.”
I shake my head. “You stay. Reef might need your help with Bhodi.”
He opens his mouth to argue, “But—”
“But nothing,” I cut him off. “Don’t argue with me, that’s an order.”
“Take weapons with you.”
I nod and race to the safe that’s hidden in my study. Unlocking the door, I load up with weapons – a mix of human guns and Aerwyna blades. Tanimola won’t be easy to kill, and there will be repercussions for doing so, but if it saves Malia’s life, there isn’t a price I won’t pay.
As I strap on my holster and check the ammo in my guns, my heart pounds. This is it. The moment of truth. The moment where I put everything on the line for the woman I love.
Fuck.No. Idon’tlove Malia. It’s for the mission. I care about her, greatly. But this isn’t love. It can’t be. It’s the damn prophecy bewitching me.
It isn’t real.
But I still have to save her.
I exit the safe room and head towards the front door, pausing only to check if Bhodi’s still with us. Reef nods, but his expression is grim.
Fuck. I can’t lose them both. I won’t. Tanimola has to pay for this.
Why the fuck has he taken Malia? Why would he want to kill her? He must know who she is, how crucial she is to our survival. Why would he jeopardise that?
I thought when he showed up at the police station that the elders had grown impatient and sent him to bring Malia in, but now I’m not so sure. It sounds like he’s working alone, or for someone other than the elders. But how and why? And why would they want Malia dead? I know why the Shikari want her dead, but Tanimola can’t be working for them otherwise he’d have killed her already. Right?
Running back along the trail, I send up a silent prayer of thanks to Reef and Cove for not letting me total my car, so that I can use it to track down Tanimola. When I reach the vehicle, I jump in and start driving blindly.
Several miles pass before my head’s clear enough to really think about where I’m heading. I don’t have a clue. He probably has her near the ocean, near the portal, but there’s several beaches that could be, spanning miles.
I need to think smarter.
I hit redial on the car’s smart system, praying he’ll answer when it rings.
“Yes?”
“You said I could say goodbye to her. Put her on the line.”
“As you’ve asked so nicely…”
“Just let me speak to her!” I roar. The steering wheel cracks under the force of my grip and it’s a struggle to keep the car on the road. The speedometer is creeping dangerously high, but I don’t let off the accelerator.
“Temper, temper,” he chides. I bite my tongue so hard I taste blood.
