Warrior's Heart: Iron Portal Series (Paranormal Romance) (18 page)

A thrill ran through her. She and Olivia both working with the sisters? Now that would be one hell of a Dynamic Duo.

“Of course,” she replied. There were several
Taghta
abbeys in Cascadia, but she was only familiar with the one near Vallenberg. The one that had taken her in when she had nowhere else to turn.

Sadness pricked her heart as thoughts of her mother flooded her head. The person who should be the most excited for her return didn’t even know she was back.

They stopped at a stall selling jewelry, and a crystal pendant caught her eye. Nothing like a little shopping to help a hurting heart.

“Can I see that one?” she asked, pointing. “The third one from the left.”

“Ye are drawn to it, eh?” The merchant, a wisp of a woman with sharp, angular features and a colorful headscarf, pulled it from the display and handed it to her.

Strung on a thin leather cord, the filigreed pendant had no front or back, with each side as equally detailed as the other. In the center was a milky white stone. Probably a moonstone. Cascadian magistrates were said to carry them in their pockets to help them understand both sides of a dispute and make the right decision.

“Hold it up to the light, lass,” the shopkeeper said. “With yer left hand.”

She did so and the stone seemed to glow from within, illuminating thin, current-like swirls in its depths.

“It will bring out a person’s psychic abilities. If ye have any,” she added, as if she knew somehow that Zara was a Talent. “It will also trap negative energy and help with yer heart’s desire.”

That was quite a laundry list. “Is that so?”

She bartered the woman down to what she felt was a reasonable amount. After paying, Zara put on the necklace. The pendant hung just past the apex of her breasts, picking up some of the pale apricot from the lacy vest she wore.

The woman tilted her head slightly, stared at Zara’s chest, then declared, “It suits ye. Very much.”

She wasn’t sure what that meant, but she nodded just the same.

The woman turned her attention to Olivia. “And what can I find for ye, lass? An amber wand perhaps? To help with healing?”

Ah. So the woman
had
divined their Talents.

“Nothing for me, thank you.”

Reentering the crowd of people without jostling anyone was like double-dutch jump roping. You had to time it just right and quickly make your move.

“Which way did they go?” Zara asked, walking on her tiptoes in an attempt to see over the man in front of her.

“I’m not sure. Mom said something about Aunt Bettina wanting to win a prize for Darius, so maybe they’re headed to one of the game booths.”

They rounded the corner, heading into the food section of the market, and she heard a familiar voice. One that she hadn't heard for many years, and it made her skin crawl.

She halted, spun around and ducked back the way they’d come.

Olivia was right behind her. “Whoa. What's wrong?”

Her heart beat loudly in her ears. “My stepfather. He’s here.”

“That asshole?” Olivia balled her hands into fists. Asher must have told her some of the stories of how the man used to beat them for the most ridiculous reasons. His own drunkenness being the most common. “Where?”

Zara jabbed a thumb behind her. “Sitting outside that pub around the corner, smoking a prath hookah with a few other men.”

Olivia stepped out onto the walkway and craned her neck in that direction. “The tall, skinny one or the chubby bald one?”

“The chubby bald one.”

“So that's the schmuck that you and Asher dealt with growing up.”

“Yep. In the flesh.” She thought about the time he'd locked her out in the barn, forcing her to sleep in a stall on one of the coldest nights of the year simply because she couldn’t refill his tankard of ale on account of the keg being empty.

“Does this mean your mother is here somewhere too?”

Zara bit her lip and thought about the possibility. Could her mother be here somewhere with the kids? Her half-siblings would have to be in their teens by now. Were they even still living at home? She peered around the corner just in time to see her stepfather ogling the pretty waitress’s ample behind.

“He may have left her at home to take care of the farm. Chances are, he’s here by himself, drinking and smoking with his buddies.”

“Want me to go find out for sure?”

Zara’s eyes widened. “And how are you going to do that?”

Olivia held up a finger. “I’ve got an idea.” She unfastened the top button of her bodice and slipped out one shoulder. Then she loosened her hair and dabbed a sample of rouge from a nearby vendor onto her lips. “Mmmm, nice,” she said, smoothing her lips together to distribute the color. “I’ll have to come back and buy some of this. How do I look?”

“You are not going to do what I’m thinking you’re going to do, are you?”

Olivia winked. “Watch and learn.”

Zara tried not to gape as her friend made her way through the crowd and stopped in front of the pub. Smoke from several hookah pipes swirled around her. She frowned, appeared to be lost, an expression of confusion flitting across her face. One of the men said something. She turned toward him and laughed. The man grinned and so did Zara’s stepfather. They spoke for another minute, Olivia twisting her hair provocatively, nodding and pointing toward who-knew-what. Finally, she gave a little wave and then disappeared into the crowd.

When she didn’t show up right away, Zara wondered if she’d truly gotten lost. Finally, ten minutes later, she reappeared at Zara’s side, a colorful headscarf wrapped around her hair, its lacy ends tapering down her back.

“Sorry that took so long. There are so many people, I had a hard time making my way back.”

“I see you got waylaid at one of the textile vendors,” Zara said with a smirk.

Olivia twisted a finger around a strand of hair that had come loose. “Like it?”

“Very pretty. Makes you look sweet and innocent. Like someone on a religious pilgrimage.”

That drew a laugh from her friend.

“So, what did my ogre of a stepfather say?”

“A lot of disgusting things, actually. You’re right, he really is an ass.”

Yeah, not surprising.

“Your mom isn’t here,” Olivia continued softly. “He didn’t bring her.”

Zara tamped down her disappointment. At least she knew now that there’d be no chance of running into her. But secretly, she’d hoped her mother was here so that they could talk when her stepfather was busy getting drunk with his friends. “And how did you find that out?”

“I asked them point blank if their women were with them. He was the first one to pipe up with the fact that he’d left his wife at home.”

Zara frowned. “Isn’t that a little random for a stranger to be asking?”

“Not when you tell them you’re looking for the brothel tent because you’re one of the new girls.”

Zara snorted with laughter and clamped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my Fates. You didn’t.”

Olivia grinned. “I told them if they stopped by later that I’d give them a special deal.”

Zara’s stomach hurt from laughing so hard. “You are going to have to pay me big time not to tell Asher.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Please. He’d probably find it hot. Actually, not
probably
. I
know
he’d find it hot. He’s into role-playing and stuff.”

“Oh really? Do tell.”

“Nope,” the other woman laughed. “My lips are sealed.”

It was late afternoon by the time they finally caught up with the others. Alexandra and Aunt Bettina were sitting in the shade of a large tree. Phillip had joined them at some point, and he and Darius were at a nearby game tent, taking turns aiming a giant slingshot at a target in an attempt to win a prize.

If Vince were here, she could picture him coaching Darius. She wondered what he was doing right now, wishing they hadn’t left things the way that they had.

Zara took a place on the rug and waved over a young girl selling glasses of
ogappa
cider. “Wow, Phillip looks great.”

“Hard to believe the boy had a broken leg a few hours ago,” Alexandra said.

Aunt Bettina agreed.

Olivia frowned as she watched the boys. “He really should be taking it easy. The bone is mended, but it’ll probably hurt tonight with all this activity.”

Alexandra patted her daughter’s hand. “Well, don’t go healing him again. You’ve done plenty already. It takes too much out of you.”

“I know, Mom. I won’t.” She threw Zara a sidelong glance.

Once a mom, always a mom, Zara imagined her saying. It made her think about her mom again. She was back at the farm, while jerk-face was here. It was a three- maybe four-day ride away.

The girl arrived with a tray filled with tall, thin glasses of cider. Aunt Bettina insisted on paying.

Zara took a long sip. She’d forgotten how good the sweet, tangy drink was. “Alexandra, what would you think if I took Darius and went to visit my mother for a few days? Would you be terribly upset?” Without going into many details, she explained that her stepfather was here and that she hadn’t seen her mother in years. “It would be nice to see her without him around. Plus, she’s never met Darius.”

“You don’t want to wait for Vince to come back?” Alexandra asked, furrowing her brow.

“I’m not sure how long my stepfather will be here. I can’t imagine he’ll stay for the Games. He’s…uh…not exactly a fan.” She lowered her voice. “The portal Vince came through is very near my childhood home. He’ll be showing that to Asher, so they’ll be going that way soon anyway. If you let them know where I am, we can ride back together.”

She and her mother had once been close. Maybe she could give Zara some perspective on how to deal with what was going on between her and Vince. She’d once been married to a proud man.

“Do you mind if I come with Asher and Vince?” Olivia asked. “Then you can show me that place we were talking about.”

“Or you can just come with us.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes. “You don’t want to spend time alone with your mom?”

Zara appreciated her friend’s concern. “I’m sure she’d want to meet the woman her son loves. Plus, we could stop in and see the sisters at the abbey near Vallenberg. See what we can do to help them. Besides, I’d love the company on the ride there.”

Olivia turned to Alexandra. “Are you okay with that, Mom?”

The older woman waved her hand. “I’ll be fine, honey. You go. This is important.”

And then it was settled. Zara, Darius and Olivia would leave first thing in the morning.

V
ince should’ve been ecstatic
. Together with Asher, he’d found three previously unknown portals around Crestenfahl. One location was no more than a small fissure in the rock, but the other two were viable. Asher had presented Vince’s discoveries at a hastily called meeting with the Iron Guild members on hand for the Games. They were so impressed that they called for him to speak to them directly. As he pointed out the various locations on a map spread out on the table and how he’d been able to detect them, there were many oohs and ahhs. Some whispers.

But as he spoke, he couldn’t help thinking about Zara and how much he missed her. She’d been gone when he arrived back at the castle. As Asher called the warriors together, Vince had scoured the castle for her, finally running into his mother who told him that Zara, Darius and Olivia had left.

Unease prickled the back of his neck that she’d gone off to Vallenberg on her own. As Asher talked to the group, Vince couldn’t sit still. He paced back and forth, feeling unsettled that he wasn’t with Zara and Darius to protect them if they should need him. He hadn’t liked how things had been left between them. Was that why she hadn’t waited for him? Because she didn’t know if he’d be there to count on in the long run?

After the meeting was over, Asher pulled him aside. “Nice work, bro.”

Vince tried to duck the compliment. “Yeah, well—”

Asher knocked him in the arm. “I’m serious. I’ve never seen that sort of reaction from them. You did good. I wouldn’t be surprised if they petitioned the leadership to extend you an invitation to join the Guild as a warrior.”

Vince was stunned. No way. Join the Iron Guild? “Are you serious?”

Asher nodded. “Even Rickert agrees. And if that doesn’t happen, one of us could sponsor you and get the Guild to vote.”

They would stake their professional reputations for him? Vince exhaled slowly and thought about what it would be like being a Warrior of the Iron Guild. Did he dare dream that could actually happen? It’d be a chance to join his friends and fight their common enemy together. But would Zara be on board? Her own father had been killed in the line of duty.

God, he wished she were here so they could lay in bed, wrapped up in each other’s arms, and talk about all the possibilities. With this life-changing opportunity as an Iron Guild warrior, maybe he could finally let go of the past and feel worthy of Zara’s love and devotion. Be the kind of father that Darius could really look up to.

He loved her more than he ever thought possible—both her and Darius—and couldn’t imagine life without them. He’d been a fool to think he could ever walk away from them.

Asher smacked him on the back, jerking him from his thoughts. “Let’s go grab a cold one down in the market. Drown out our sorrow that the women are gone. Then we’ll leave for Vallenberg tomorrow. If we don’t lollygag, we might even be able to catch up with them before they get there.”

Vince bit back a smile. Lollygag? “No looking for portals on the way there?”

“You’re not the only one who misses his woman,” Asher said with a knowing smirk. “Let’s ride straight there, then on the way back, we’ll map any others you detect.”

Good plan. That way, Darius would be with them. Based on his son’s reactions, he had a feeling the boy had been born with the same Talent. It may not be fully manifested yet, but he did seem to have a sense for them. He could test out this theory with Darius on the way back.

They got to the pub tent and found an open table in the back.

“Order me some of that lamb stew and an ale, would you?” Asher asked. “I won’t be long.”

Vince frowned. “Where are you going?”

Asher rubbed the back of his neck. “I…uh…ordered a ring for Olivia from a jewelry maker around the corner. I’m going to check to see if it’s ready yet.”

“An engagement ring?” He was confused. Weren’t they already engaged?

Asher nodded, his eyes glittering with excitement. “I proposed to her without one. I hope she’ll like it.”

Vince scoffed. “Of course she’ll love it. But then, seeing how she worships the ground you walk on, you could use a piece of twine as an engagement ring and she’d think it was beautiful.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s kind of nauseating, actually.”

“Fuck you, mate,” Asher said, laughing. “And keep your filthy hands off my stew if it gets here before I do. Or you’ll be sorry.”

Vince held up his hands. “Don’t worry. I have no plans to touch your meat.”

After Asher left, a harried but efficient waitress took his order and quickly returned with a tankard of ale. Vince leaned back in his chair, took a long draught and surveyed the place. Dimly lit by several rustic candelabras hanging from wooden support beams, the tent was packed and loud. Every table filled. He and Asher were lucky to have found this one. The din of so many people talking and laughing nearly drowned out the sound of a man playing a mandolin near the bar. For the first time in ages, he was finally beginning to feel settled and content. At peace, even.

The waitress flitted past him again, carrying a tray of food to a nearby table. The smell of onions, spices and cooked meat wafted over him like a heavenly cloud. No wonder the place was packed and Asher invoked that threat. The smell was like a calling card to any red-blooded, meat-loving male who happened to be in the vicinity.

He drained his ale as platter after platter of food was delivered to other patrons until finally the waitress returned to his table with two steaming bowls of stew and thick slices of bread. Screw Asher, he thought as he grabbed a spoon. He was too hungry to be polite right now and wait for the guy.

The tent flap opened and a cold gust of air blew his napkin off the table. He bent to pick it up and glanced at the door to see if it was Asher. If it was, he was going to pretend to be digging into the guy’s food. But it wasn’t Asher. It was a large beast of a man.

Vince squinted. There was something vaguely familiar about the guy, but in the dim light, he couldn’t see the details of his face.

He turned his attention back to his stew and shoveled in a bite. The meat, potatoes and gravy melted in his mouth. He stuffed in another bite and another. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was, although he had a feeling that even if he wasn’t hungry, he could still eat a boatload of this stuff.

“How is it?” Asher asked, taking the seat opposite him. He wasted no time digging in.

“Freaking awesome.” Coming up for air, Vince took a long sip of ale and looked over at his friend. His future brother-in-law. “So, did you get it?”

Asher didn’t look up. “No, it won’t be ready for a few more days.”

“Guess you’ll have that to look forward to when we get back from Vallenberg.” With the spoon halfway to his mouth, he paused when the back of his neck prickled.

He glanced toward the opening of the tent and then around bar. The man from earlier was staring at him. And this time Vince could see his face.

He blinked, not sure if what he was seeing was accurate. The guy looked exactly like Sean from the Institute.

Vince lowered his hand slowly as the realization hit him. This guy
was
Sean.

Sean shook his head slightly and slanted a glance at the door. Through the gap in the tent, he could see a few men standing just outside.

He took his spoon and tapped it against Asher’s bowl. “Hey.”

The other man looked up, an irritated expression on his face. If he were a dog eating his food, he would’ve growled.

Vince dropped his voice. “Something’s wrong. Can you watch the door? Make sure those guys don’t get in.”

Asher cranked his head around to get a look. “What’s going on?”

“That man. The big one near the bar. He was a fellow prisoner with me in the Institute.”

Asher cursed under his breath. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

“That’s what I’m going to find out. Make sure those men don’t come in. If they are who I think they are, they may recognize me, but they won’t know who you are.”

And with that, he pushed himself from the table and strode over to Sean.

Before Vince could ask the guy what the hell was going on, Sean blurted, “Vince, I’m sorry. They threatened my family.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Sean?”

“The doctor. He threatened my little girl. He took me in his private limo to a playground where she was with her friends. Said he’d kill her if I didn’t cooperate.” The big man closed his eyes briefly, a war of emotion playing out on his face. “I had no choice but to agree to find you.”

Vince’s nostrils flared and he gritted his teeth. “With my tracking chip?” Sean had helped him cut it out from under his skin. How was that even possible?

The former inmate shook his head. “I’m a Tracker-Talent. As soon as the Impedio wore off, they brought me through the portal. I detected you a few days ago.”

Vince tried to keep his fist from smashing into the guy’s face. “How many came through the portal?”

Sean glanced nervously behind him. “If they see me talking to you—”

“They won’t. My friend will see to that. Now talk.”

“There were ten men who came through the portal with me.”

His jaw ticked. “What portal?”

“They kept me blindfolded on the way there, but the doctor kept calling it Crawford’s Portal.”

The Vallenberg portal? It felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach. That was the one near Zara’s home. How had they found it? He hadn’t told the doctor anything.

“Are they all here with you in Crestenfahl?”

“There are six of us, including me. Two outside that door and I’m not sure where the other three are. Somewhere around the market, I guess. I…I told them I thought my signals were getting confused with all these people here and that I needed to sit down to rest.”

Six in Crestenfahl. That left four more. “You said ten came through the portal. Where are the others?”

“Back at the farm. Arrangements were made with the farmer there. They were using it as their headquarters.”

Panic reached down inside Vince, wrapped its tendrils around his heart and squeezed.

Zara’s family farm was the closet to the portal. Did her stepfather make a deal with them? From what Zara and Asher had told him about the guy, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities.

“And Vince?”

His eyes snapped up and met Sean’s. There was a deep sadness reflected there.

“One of them is the doctor.”