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After going over the plan a third time for good measure, Kaien decreed it acceptable. Remmus’ wink to Blair earned him a grumble from her mate, but soon enough, his attention was back on her.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
When she reached out her hand and offered him a soft smile, he frowned, his features falling for a split second before erasing the micro-expression. “Remmus?”
“Let’s hit the road, Jack.”
Remmus clasped Kaien’s shoulder. In group teleport dynamics, the oldest—or most powerful—would serve as the transporter and the others would merely hang on for the ride. In this case, Kaien was both, and Remmus’ familiarity with being ported out by him was obvious. Blair felt like the interloper in this trio.
Remote teleports, like the one Kaien had done for Blair only a week ago, required far more effort and the expenditure of precious psychic energy. It’d sap their resources far more quickly than a standard teleport would do in any given situation.
Seconds later, Blair was back in the room where she’d faced death and lived to tell the tale. She glanced around to find the light switch in the complete darkness, but Remmus beat her to the punch.
Stark white light filtered into the space, Remmus’ technopathic gift already proving its merit. Kaien was already on his way toward the door, familiar enough with the space from when he’d teleported her.
Blair felt her lips curl in a comical line. “Handy party trick.”
“While I may not be the ‘baddest’ Raeth in town,” Remmus tipped an invisible top hat toward Kaien, then sent a naughty glance back to her, “I’m certainly good at turning things on.”
Rolling her eyes but blushing nonetheless, Blair scurried after Kaien as he exited the room. Through the bond, she felt his subtle agitation at Remmus’ low-key flirting and made a mental note to allow the other Raeth fewer opportunities.
The trio made their way up the staircase at the back of the building, Kaien leading the way. Outside the newsroom, the Raeths used their telepathy to locate any additional humans who were present throughout the floor. A few custodians dotted the space, but Torrin’s office and the desks in the middle of the newsroom were deserted.
Once again, Kaien headed their party, and Remmus followed behind Blair. In her experience, if you acted like you belonged, no one would question you.
Several overhead lights beamed down on them, but the quiet of the newsroom was almost oppressive. Piled high with papers and technology, desks spanned from wall to wall, each of them empty.
A grey-haired custodian merely nodded once at them and went back to jamming to his headphones, blithely unaware of their supernatural natures or their intent.
It was best that way.
Blair scanned the space before Kaien gestured for her to lead. She entered Torrin’s office without a backward glance at the males following behind her. Rounding the desk immediately, Remmus settled into the high-backed chair as if he’d been here a million times. Then he dropped his jovial façade and closed his eyes in concentration.
One palm reached out to connect with the laptop in front of him, an eerie quiet descending on the room as the Raeth languidly stretched his supernatural gifts. Faint electrical energy tingled up Blair’s spine and tickled her skin, the only indication that Remmus was toiling with the technology.
Inwardly, Blair wondered how quickly he worked. Not only that, buthowhe worked. With technology being a relatively new invention in the history of humanity, she contemplated how Remmus would’ve stumbled upon his gift.
Many Raeths acquired skills as they aged, but it wasn’t a delineated process. Some, like Nina and her brother, bloomed into their abilities at a young age, while others progressed at a much slower rate. Regardless of age, Raeths seldom acquired more than two or three extracurricular gifts, with most members of the breed sporting only one.
A minute later, Remmus’ eyes opened, and the computer screen illuminated in front of him. Those eyes sliced to her with foreboding curiosity.
“This guy is the worst of the worst—there’s blackmail documented on here, coercion, legal issues he’s paid off. He’s not just after immortals, he’s after everyone he can’t control.” He shook his head. “What’s in Los Angeles, Blair?”
Taken aback by Remmus’ severe tone, she frowned. “Lucius’ House is in Los Angeles.”
“Torrin knows of the location.” Images flashed onscreen. “From what I’ve gathered, Torrin has been following Luc’s activities for years. He’s obsessed—and not just with Lucius.”
A startled croak caught in her throat when the monitor flashed up a black and white image of Lucius and her together, their hands intertwined and her head against his shoulder as they strolled down a busy walkway in downtown Los Angeles.
The memory was bittersweet. Lucius had invited her to his home to discuss her living arrangements, or more aptly, her lack of them. Her fledgling had invited Blair to live on his property full time—or at least use it as a home base.
Lucius’ only desire had been to see her happy, and she’d grabbed his hand in an effort to convey her deep appreciation of it. But, in the end, she’d declined a permanent residence in lieu of her nomadic habits.
With crystal clarity, Blair could still recall the fateful day only a month later when Drake had called her to inform her of Lucius’ abduction. She remembered the winter-frosted sky above, the snow drifts that’d banked against the streets of the small Illinois town she’d been staying in at the time.
And she knew, without a doubt, that something was wrong from the moment she heard Drake’s distressed voice over the line tell her that Lucius had been taken.
