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Authors: Delilah Devlin
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threaded through a seam of the black cargo pants he’d been given. The handles appeared like toggle adornments at his belt and at the edge of one deep pocket.
He followed the couple down the corridor and through the open barracks, where his team stood in a single rank as he passed, hands fisted over their hearts. At the very end, he halted in front of Udo. “Stay vigilant,” he said softly.
Udo snorted. “Just bring her back. I’ll make sure the team doesn’t get too lazy, living here in the lap of luxury.”
Guntram gave him a tight smile and moved along, following Natalie and her mate out of the building and through the darkened gardens to the main house. Inside, he was brought to a salon just off the black-and-white-tiled foyer on the first floor. Alex, Nicolas, and Simon were already inside, along with a red-haired woman who sat quietly beside Alex. Her green eyes widened as she watched him enter—Alex’s phoenix, Guntram surmised. A small falcon rested on Simon’s raised arm, rubbing its head against his cheek.
Odd, the pets these bastards keep.
When Simon spotted him, he gave a last caress to the bird’s feathers and handed it to Alex, whose face grew taut. Perhaps the bird was more than a pet or the mage had a very strange fetish.
Guntram took the seat Natalie indicated on a small wine-colored sofa opposite Alex and Simon. When the others chose seats far away from him, he smiled. He’d made use of the showers, so he knew wolfscent and dirt weren’t what put them off. “Are we going to have tea before we leave?” he asked edgily.
Simon’s lips twitched, but Alex’s eyes narrowed as he transferred the bird to his knee and leaned forward. “Your journey isn’t going to be like serving in any war zone you’ve ever fought in. A little discussion might save your ass.”
Guntram shrugged. “Give me a map and a compass, have the old man stay behind me, and we shouldn’t run into anything I can’t handle.” The words should have been pure bluster, but Guntram felt them all the way to his soul. Nothing was going to get in the way of finding Gabriella.
Simon picked up a paper bag sitting on the coffee table between them and dumped out the contents. Two crystals, both dark brown and cloudy, clattered onto the table. They were wrapped in silver wire and hung from black cords.
Guntram bit back the quip that leapt to mind about dressing for the occasion, but Simon’s brooding expression said the crystals were more than an adornment. “One for each of us?” he asked, keeping derision from his voice.
“Put it on and tuck it under your shirt,” Simon said. “Don’t ever take it off when we’re inside the dark realm.”
Guntram lifted it and curled his fingers around the crystal in his palm. It warmed unnaturally fast inside his hand. He opened his fingers and peered at the stone and discovered that it was actually clear with a brown-black cloud floating beneath its polished surface. “It’s enchanted.”
“The stones will hold the horrors at bay.”
“It’s a shield then?”
“Not the sort you’re thinking. We may still meet corporeal foes we’ll have to battle, but you’ll be protected from true hell.”
Guntram’s hand gripped the stone. Annoyed with Simon’s doublespeak but impatient to begin the search, he held his tongue. “Is there anything else, or can we leave?”
Simon’s chest lifted around a deep breath and his features tightened. “I need you to trust me,” he said, his deepening tone no doubt meant to convey earnestness.
Guntram gave him a wary glance but let him finish.
“I know I haven’t given you a single reason to do so, and you have plenty of reasons of your own not to, but I give you my word that my first priority is to bring Gabriella back. She’s important to all of us. We don’t need a war between the nations. Not when an accord will be vital to all our interests in the future.”
Guntram smiled, showing his teeth. “I don’t care why you do
He followed the couple down the corridor and through the open barracks, where his team stood in a single rank as he passed, hands fisted over their hearts. At the very end, he halted in front of Udo. “Stay vigilant,” he said softly.
Udo snorted. “Just bring her back. I’ll make sure the team doesn’t get too lazy, living here in the lap of luxury.”
Guntram gave him a tight smile and moved along, following Natalie and her mate out of the building and through the darkened gardens to the main house. Inside, he was brought to a salon just off the black-and-white-tiled foyer on the first floor. Alex, Nicolas, and Simon were already inside, along with a red-haired woman who sat quietly beside Alex. Her green eyes widened as she watched him enter—Alex’s phoenix, Guntram surmised. A small falcon rested on Simon’s raised arm, rubbing its head against his cheek.
Odd, the pets these bastards keep.
When Simon spotted him, he gave a last caress to the bird’s feathers and handed it to Alex, whose face grew taut. Perhaps the bird was more than a pet or the mage had a very strange fetish.
Guntram took the seat Natalie indicated on a small wine-colored sofa opposite Alex and Simon. When the others chose seats far away from him, he smiled. He’d made use of the showers, so he knew wolfscent and dirt weren’t what put them off. “Are we going to have tea before we leave?” he asked edgily.
Simon’s lips twitched, but Alex’s eyes narrowed as he transferred the bird to his knee and leaned forward. “Your journey isn’t going to be like serving in any war zone you’ve ever fought in. A little discussion might save your ass.”
Guntram shrugged. “Give me a map and a compass, have the old man stay behind me, and we shouldn’t run into anything I can’t handle.” The words should have been pure bluster, but Guntram felt them all the way to his soul. Nothing was going to get in the way of finding Gabriella.
Simon picked up a paper bag sitting on the coffee table between them and dumped out the contents. Two crystals, both dark brown and cloudy, clattered onto the table. They were wrapped in silver wire and hung from black cords.
Guntram bit back the quip that leapt to mind about dressing for the occasion, but Simon’s brooding expression said the crystals were more than an adornment. “One for each of us?” he asked, keeping derision from his voice.
“Put it on and tuck it under your shirt,” Simon said. “Don’t ever take it off when we’re inside the dark realm.”
Guntram lifted it and curled his fingers around the crystal in his palm. It warmed unnaturally fast inside his hand. He opened his fingers and peered at the stone and discovered that it was actually clear with a brown-black cloud floating beneath its polished surface. “It’s enchanted.”
“The stones will hold the horrors at bay.”
“It’s a shield then?”
“Not the sort you’re thinking. We may still meet corporeal foes we’ll have to battle, but you’ll be protected from true hell.”
Guntram’s hand gripped the stone. Annoyed with Simon’s doublespeak but impatient to begin the search, he held his tongue. “Is there anything else, or can we leave?”
Simon’s chest lifted around a deep breath and his features tightened. “I need you to trust me,” he said, his deepening tone no doubt meant to convey earnestness.
Guntram gave him a wary glance but let him finish.
“I know I haven’t given you a single reason to do so, and you have plenty of reasons of your own not to, but I give you my word that my first priority is to bring Gabriella back. She’s important to all of us. We don’t need a war between the nations. Not when an accord will be vital to all our interests in the future.”
Guntram smiled, showing his teeth. “I don’t care why you do