Unchained (Men in Chains Book 3) (17 page)

I am, though it’s difficult with all the waves.

I know, I’d hoped they would have disappeared by now, especially because you have more power. I’ve even wondered if Daniel has been interfering, but I’m beginning to suspect that the problem is mine. The question is, do you think you can make your way to the weapon with what I’m giving you?

He set them in motion again, though much slower this time, as though hunting.
I’m not sure. See if you can bring up the vision again and really focus.

Shayna closed her eyes and worked on bringing the images forward. She’d seen it much more clearly earlier. Michelson’s critique of her came back, roaring through her mind:
You lack focus, Shayna, you always have. Even your papers have this singular disappointing absence of purpose and commitment.

The vision grew even more muddled as her ex’s criticisms rolled through mind.

She knew he’d messed with her head, that all the negative things he’d told her during their six-month relationship weren’t true. But at a time like this, her confidence took a plunge.

However, she refused to let Michelson dominate the moment. Dipping her chin, she brought the vision up once more. She took several deep breaths and let her mind relax. Her ex was wrong and right now she meant to prove it.

This time when the location filled her mind, she immediately sent it in Marius’s direction. Though still riddled with the strange wavy lines, the image was much clearer. She could make out all the elements now, including the size of the cavern, the massive flow of ice at the northern end, and the red square metal piece that she knew belonged to the extinction weapon.

But suddenly the image revealed a new element: Daniel and his security team.
Did you get all this? I’m seeing Daniel and his men.

I see them.

So do we head back to New Zealand?

She heard him laugh.
Hell, no.

Shayna’s heart flipped over a couple of times.
You mean we’re going in, even though Daniel and his men are already there?

Damn straight. Hey, this is what I do and there’s something more, what you’ve given me. I know that I can take them, and I wouldn’t have before you fed me. But if you’re worried, I can leave you outside the cavern or even topside. Your choice.

Shayna really appreciated his attitude. In fact, given what she’d been used to, she was stunned. She actually had a choice. She was almost light-headed with the power he’d placed in her hands, to choose for herself, for her safety, for whatever the hell she wanted to do right now.

As she considered her options, she focused on the cavern and instinctively felt that she needed to be there, that she’d have a part to play.

Leaning away from him slightly, she met his gaze firmly.
I’m in. I trust you, and I’m in.

He held her gaze for a long moment, and she saw admiration shining in his eyes.
You have more courage than any woman I’ve ever known.
He planted a full kiss on her lips and she swore that for the rest of her life, she’d let what he’d just said to her rule her life.

Let’s go.

He nodded.
And as soon as we land, I want you to disappear like you did before.

I will. And you’re absolutely sure you can manage this many warrior-types?

I can do this. Trust me.

“Trust me.” On principle, she hated those exact words. How many times had she heard them roll off Michelson’s tongue, always with that condescending tone as if she were an idiot. “Trusting him” had usually meant that she’d had to give something up like a personal boundary, a belief, or her precious time.

But she worked hard to set her prejudice aside because in this case, Marius had spoken the words. And on a fundamental level, as well as in this situation, she did trust him.

One more deep breath.
Let’s do this thing.

He flew once more, and because passing through anything solid still freaked her out, she closed her eyes. She could tell by the way the air felt full of feathers that they were passing through solid rock.

The flight lasted longer than she’d expected, but she’d once heard that cavern systems could go on for hundreds of miles.

When at last he began to slow, she could feel that they were within just a few yards of their destination.

One more wall of rock, then we’ll be inside.
Marius’s muscles had begun to twitch.

Shayna’s heart rate skyrocketed.
And I can feel that a portion of the weapon is just behind this wall.

Ready?

Yes.

He passed through the stone and touched down just inside, which placed them against the wall opposite the massive flow of ice.

Quill and Lev stood by the red hood of the extinction weapon off to her left and Daniel levitated just above the ice, his men in an arc in front of him, weapons in hand.

The bluish-white ice created a perfect backdrop for the would-be dictator, dressed all in black. Daniel had a flare for the dramatic.

He didn’t look at Marius, however. Instead, he’d trained his gaze fully on her.

She felt him beating at the edges of her mind, trying to establish contact. The power that he focused in her direction made her tremble, but the last thing she wanted was Daniel in her head, communicating telepathically. Streaming more of Marius’s power, she blocked him mentally, looking away as he continued his assault.

Disappear, Shayna.
His voice was a steel command inside her head.

She didn’t hesitate but took another hit of Marius’s power, opened up the pathway that let her do this impossible thing, then made herself invisible.

Most of Daniel’s security team had their hands on daggers or short chains. But at least two of them spun the long chains, and she thought that whirring sound would live in her mind forever.

Marius stood slightly hunched, knees bent, ready for action. He radiated so much energy and power right now that she swore he gave off a slight glow. Yep, something had changed within him.

Daniel levitated slowly, moving forward, away from the ice. He smiled, something that seemed more sinister to Shayna than if he’d scowled.

He no longer tried to make contact with Shayna. Instead, all his attention was now on Marius.

She didn’t understand why Daniel didn’t tell his men to attack or why he flew until he stood on the floor in front of his men now, as though he had no fear of what Marius might do.

But she felt Marius’s level of determination. Even this was stronger than before.

Still, he faced over twenty men and she couldn’t imagine how he was going to defeat them all.

CHAPTER 8

From the time he’d fed from Shayna, Marius felt power swirling through him as never before, heightening his perception, awakening latent power. His gaze flashed from one powerful guard to the next in quick milliseconds.

“My son, my patience won’t last forever and I can feel your power awakening. You’re beginning to realize who you are in our world and I want you with me, to rule beside me. Join me now, and once we have the extinction weapon in hand, I’ll let you destroy it.”

He knew Daniel intended to lull him with talk, but Marius was having none of it. Not tonight. He had a woman to protect, someone he was coming quickly to value. It was clear to him she had a unique place in his world.

He also fully intended to get out alive and to take this portion of the extinction weapon with him.

He didn’t bother to answer Daniel. Instead, he saw the moment for the unique opportunity it was.

He moved his hands like lightning and before Daniel had blinked he had a dagger in his chest and had slumped to his knees, staring at the finely crafted piece of steel as though thunderstruck.

And at the same time, four of his men had daggers in their throats, all thrown by Marius.

Another blink and two more were down.

He moved faster than he’d ever moved before. Several of the guards were now grouped around Daniel to protect him, others were dead, the rest in shock. Quill and Lev shouted things he couldn’t hear.

Using the short chain while levitating, along with altered flight to disappear and reappear, he decapitated man after man before any of them knew what was happening.

With his lightning reflexes and enhanced vision, he saw two men moving in what would be Shayna’s direction, maybe on Daniel’s command.

He flew in a quick, straight shot, intercepting them both, a long chain whirring in one hand. Before a dagger left the hand of his left opponent, Marius flicked his wrist and the long chain flew swiftly and wrapped around his neck.

The other opponent let a long chain fly as well. But with perceptions Marius had never had before, he stepped sideways, caught the chain mid-spin, and with another flick sent it back to its owner, catching him around the neck. He’d never done that before and he didn’t know anyone who could.

Daggers now flew in his direction.
Shayna, are you all right?

I’m in the air high above the battle. I’m safe.

Marius caught and returned each dagger, striking home each time, so that a moment later the battlefield was silent. Those not dead stared at him, including Quill and Lev.

He hovered in the air, his gaze sweeping over the field, making sure that no one feigned injury and attacked him.

He needed to know if he’d killed Daniel, but he didn’t dare draw close—not when Quill and Lev could attack. By then, he was hovering high in the air, plotting how to get to Daniel and finish him off. Being this close to offing Daniel was more than he’d hoped for.

The next moment, however, Daniel and the remains of his team vanished, along with the Quill, Lev, and the extinction weapon. He felt the effect of his father’s power. Only Daniel could have done that.

But he left bodies on the ground.

Marius dropped to the floor of the cave, his boots landing with a thud. He felt almost light-headed that he’d come so close to ending his father’s life. Moving to the spot where Daniel had bled, Marius stood over this small victory.

Shayna, come join me.

He watched her become visible then float down to him, her eyes wide. “How did I levitate like that? I couldn’t before. Is it the same power that you just exhibited? Marius, you moved so fast. At times you simply vanished.”

“Was that what it seemed like? That I disappeared?”

Shayna touched down on the cavern floor, her nose pink from the cold. “That’s exactly what it was like, as though you fought the battle from an invisible place.”

He glanced up at the ceiling. “And you levitated.”

“I did. I saw that the weapons were flying really fast and I was afraid I’d get caught in the crossfire. I thought the thought and the next thing I knew I’d bumped into the ceiling a little too hard.” She rubbed the top of her head and winced. “I have a small knot right now, but even so the power I’m siphoning from you is taking care of it.”

He hardly felt like himself. “It is incredible. Mostly, I don’t understand the source.”

“Marius, not to be insensitive, but I’m having a hard time with all this. Can we leave now?” She splayed her fingers, gesturing to the corpses.

He wished he could leave, but he and his brothers had rules about returning any place of battle to its former condition, at least as much as possible. “I have to take care of this mess first. This is one of the ways we keep our world hidden from yours.”

“Sure. Okay.” Something caught her eye, and as he followed her gaze he saw that she’d just recognized the carvings that she’d been asking about the night before.

“Why don’t you check it out, while I oversee cleanup?”

She nodded and picked her way over to the wall near their initial entry point.

He dipped into the deep side pocket of his battle leathers and withdrew his iPhone.

Rumy’s voice came barreling on the line. “Marius, how’s it going? Are you still in New Zealand? Anything I can do for you?”

He glanced around and explained about the recent encounter.

“Holy shit! You almost had him, didn’t you?”

“Almost, but not quite. He’ll be more careful next time.”

“No doubt. So what do you need me to do?”

“Order cleanup.” Marius turned in a circle. “Fifteen dead.”

“Got it. I’ve got your GPS. Stay put and I’ll have a team up there in a few minutes.” The cleanup crews were some of the fastest fliers around. They specialized in removing any sign of their civilization, especially in an unimproved cavern system like this one.

While waiting for the crews to show up, Marius turned in a circle, always staying on the alert. At the same time, he gathered up his weapons. The crew would clean them for him, one of the many shit-jobs they did and for which he would always be grateful.

Shayna had her phone up at the carving-height level, taking more pics. He felt her usual curiosity, but also her concern. Levitating, he joined her.

“So what have we got here?” He wondered if he should mention that when she returned to Seattle, he’d probably have to strip her phone of all these pics. He decided that was a conversation for a different night.

She placed her hand on the carvings. “I’m convinced more than ever that it’s important I understand these symbols.”

“Maybe we can address the issue with Rumy.”

She turned to smile at him. “He would definitely be one of the places to start. If I were studying your culture, I’d probably seek him out as my prime source of information.”

“And you’d be wise. He knows everyone in our underworld.”

She frowned slightly. “So I have to ask, did you kill Daniel?”

Marius shook his head. “Not a chance. That dagger could have sliced his heart in two, but his self-healing ability would have knit it back together before three beats had passed.”

“Well, that at least explains why you’re not doing cartwheels.”

“Cartwheels, huh?”

“Celebrating.”

He chuckled softly. “No, it’s not time to celebrate yet.” He looked her over. “Are you sure you didn’t get hurt?