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Kaine’s gruff exterior faded. “I admit, I love that little demon. And those are five words I thought I would never say. But Daryn sent me over to review the training schedule with you.” He took a seat at the table as Indy put her sock back on.
“Why the rush? We have a tentative schedule based on talents and facility availability.” I asked.
Kaine glanced at me. “There was an incident. We need to bump up Caleb’s necro training. With Magnus dead, Shannon is the only one with more powerful magic than him. She needs tostart working with him soon. He doesn’t seem to have the same control of his magic as Shannon.”
“Wait, what?”
Kaine thrummed his fingers on the table. “It wasn’t serious. All recruits have... incidents when training. When a hunter pushes his body to its physical limits, his magic seeks to compensate.”
“What happened?” Indy asked.
Kaine leaned over the table. “Lochlan took the recruits on a day trip. The run till you puke kind. We have all been there. Caleb is in excellent physical shape, but the master told him to control Sphinx. The shadow cat ran in beast form the entire time, and it appears that takes a toll on Caleb physically.”
My hand fisted on the magazine. “Why would you exhaust him when he is controlling Sphinx? Isn’t that risky?”
Indy glanced at her brother before meeting my gaze. “None of us has experience with a hunter with a shadow cat. We don’t know the limitations. It’s preferable to test Caleb under hunter supervision, than finding out in the field. Lochlan can’t certify Caleb until we know what he can and can’t do with Sphinx.”
I could understand their reasoning and if it wasn’t my own son, I would have agreed fully. “What happened? What effect did physical exhaustion have on Sphinx?”
Kaine shook his head. “The shadow cat was unaffected. At least physically. Sphinx began to growl and was unruly when Caleb’s necro magic surged.”
I blinked. “It surged? What happened?”
Kaine cleared his throat. “There are caves in the area Lochlan took the team to. A miner who died a few hundred years ago clawed his way out of the ground. Caleb apologized and returned him to his rest. The team is looking for his family and will bury him as soon as they figure out which cemetery his loved ones were laid to rest in.”
I rubbed my forehead. “Is it strange that I didn’t feel his magic surge?”
Indy’s brows furrowed. “I don’t think so. They were ten clicks from here and we have much stronger protections around the base since the breech map and gate were relocated to sublevel four.”
I appreciated that they no longer brought up the fact that I moved that entire magical device. Some of the younger hunters still looked at me in awe, but things were beginning to calm down and my unusual abilities seemed less so.
Despite my uncertainty about Caleb’s incident, I smiled when the door opened and Daryn entered. He winked at me before he circled the table and kissed my cheek. He looked as fit and amazing as always and smelled even better. The black composite material of his hunter gear clung to him like a glove in all the right places and an image formed in my head that was less than appropriate, considering we had company. There was no doubt he knew what I was thinking.
“How is my favorite fiancée?” he teased.
Indy grunted. “She better be your only one, or I will string you up by your balls.”
I laughed louder than Kaine. It was nice to have a friend who stuck up for you. While Daryn was only kidding, I had no doubts about Indy’s loyalty.
Daryn put his hands on his hips. “Really, Indy? I waited twenty years for her. You think I’m that stupid?”
Indy pursed her lips. “Is that a trick question? Do I get a lifeline or something?”
I let out a heartfelt chuckle, the kind that bubbled up from my soul. The room was bathed in warm, inviting hues, and the soft glow of ambient lighting created a cozy atmosphere that made our laughter feel like it could go on forever.
As our mirth reached its peak, the atmosphere in the room shifted abruptly. The blaring sirens that pierced the air drownedthe sounds of our laughter. My heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down my spine. Memories of the past resurfaced, and I took a calming breath before my eyes darted toward the interface panel.
The sleek, sophisticated device controlled the suite’s various functions, but it also acted as an intercom to the rest of the base. Its normally calm and unobtrusive display was now blinking rapidly, with a sense of urgency.
Daryn jumped to the intercom and hit the button. “Report! Are we under attack?”
A tense silence replaced the carefree laughter that had filled the room only moments ago, broken only by the relentless wailing of the sirens. We exchanged quick glances with an unspoken understanding of the gravity of the situation.
Luther’s voice broke through the blaring alarms. “It isn’t us. There was an explosion at the museum.”
Daryn frowned while his finger remained on the control panel. “That is impossible. Marty is using obsidian magic to protect the base and the museum. No magical creature can break through that.”
Luther’s voice echoed through the panel speaker. “I can’t explain it. Reports say the wall exploded outward. We need to investigate further.”
