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“Carrot?” Rathbone demanded, on instant alert. Concern radiated from him. “What’s wrong?”
She rubbed her temples. “Someone is attempting to Peer through me. Don’t worry. They won’t breech my mental barricades. Plus, I can track them, following the breadcrumbs they’ve left behind.”
“Peer?” he asked, but she’d already closed her eyes.
“I think I sense my mother,” she muttered. “She’s not an oracle, but my father taught her to Peer when he taught me. Why would she do this, though?”
Movement to his left. He swung his head in that direction, searching...there. In the distance, thick, dark smoke filled the air. It blocked out everything behind the two immortals who materialized, standing inside a boat of their own. Azar and the unfamiliar female at his side. A harpy who resembled Neeka. Both wore goggles.
“Got you!” Neeka exclaimed.
The smoke engulfed them, concealing their bodies before sweeping closer and closer to Rathbone’s boat.
“Oh, no Azar did not,” his oracle screeched, jumping to her feet.
A moment later, the smoke reached them. For the first time in Rathbone’s existence, he couldn’t see the world around him.
Fury and frustration converged. He heard awhoosha nanosecond before a double-pronged spear cut through both of his eye sockets, throwing him into the water.
Lights out.
18
Okay. So. Neeka probably should’ve predicted this. But honestly? She’d been too wrapped up in her misery over Rathbone, plus her mission, and also too distracted by the Peer invader—who she now knew beyond a doubt was, in fact, her mother. And, yeah, okay, despite all that, she’d maybe, possibly been having too much fun bantering with the red king, who had surprised her at every turn. But, um, why hadn’t he removed the spear, healed, and returned to the boat?
He could help her save the day from Azar and Grenwich.
“Couldn’t defeat the One and Only on your own, Astra?” she called, feigning nonchalance. “You needed a hand? See what I did there?” With the obligatory harpy taunt delivered, she checked out of the conversation and dove into the water to find her partner.
The icy temperature shocked her system, and she gasped, swallowing a mouthful of sweet-tasting liquid. The very same liquid required for the elixir. No time to bottle the stuff. She’d have to wring nineteen drops from her clothes later. As her stomach churned, she searched the increasingly murky depths for her companion.
Despite stinging eyes, she focused long enough to pinpoint a stream of crimson. She followed it and jolted. There he was. Rathbone, but not.
Again and again, he shifted into other forms. And he did it in a blink, changing from one animal or inanimate object to another. From a black jaguar to the stuffed teddy bear she’d burned, to a house cat, to a diamond necklace, to a dog, to a dagger, to a snake, to a portrait, to a honey badger, to an ink pen.
She’d known he could shift into other beings, but she’d had no idea he also shifted intothings. Such a tricky, tricky king. There’d been no nanny cam. Only the Only.
Why did this make him so much sexier?
Wings working overtime, she swam as fast as possible. Almost there... No matter his form, Rathbone continued to bleed. He wasn’t healing. Or awake. He couldn’t flash them to safety. Unless she forced the issue by Peering? Worth a shot.
The act would drain her, but better she pass out later than die with him now.
Catching up to him, Neeka wrapped him in the circle of her arms. His shifting ceased, thank goodness, and he remained in his original packaging. The spear was long gone, but his sockets were nothing but raw, hollow wounds.
Though her deflating lungs burned, she pinched Rathbone’s nose and placed her lips over his, then blew what air she had left into his mouth. His chest rose, but he gave no other indication of life.
As she readied herself to Peer, trepidation tightened her throat, a boa constrictor she couldn’t shake. Danger! Dreading what she’d find, she cast her gaze across the water. Blast it all! Azar was swimming toward her, a weapon clasped in each hand. His wicked grin heralded more trouble. Clearly, he expected to win this round.
What secrets had her mother imparted to him?
Neeka estimated she had less than a minute to facilitate a flash. As fast as possible, she closed her physical eyes, opened her inner one, and mystically reached for Rathbone. Unlike last time, he didn’t resist. A mental door fell ajar upon her approach, making her entrance shockingly seamless.Click.
Suddenly, she heard the glug of water but saw nothing. Not their surroundings, and certainly not the Astra. Panic attempted to rise, but she rallied the strength to keep her attention on her goal: flashing. Could she do it using Rathbone’s ability?
She pictured her destination of choice, hoping the warrior observed it too, whether he realized it or not. Then she mentally shouted, “Teleport! Now!”
Yes! The water vanished just as a sharp pain registered in her arm and chest. She and Rathbone landed on a hard floor with a harder thunk, impact abruptly severing their connection.
