A ghostly finger of fear trailed over Harper’s nape, but she didn’t let that fear show. Her demon leaped to the surface and said, “You will die tonight. Do not doubt it.”
Nora’s eyes flickered. “Linda,” she said, her voice a whip, “get in the circle.”
The vines bordering the boulders parted to let Linda pass, and then the bitch crouched in front of her. “Don’t touch me,” Harper spat.
“You’re safe from me until that baby is out.” It wasn’t a reassurance, it was a statement of fact that lacked any compassion. She put her hands on Harper’s rounded stomach. “The baby’s in position, head down.”
Harper felt a blazing heat briefly flare from her stomach – it was the oddest fucking thing and had an almost vengeful feel to it.
Linda yanked her hands back, as if burned. “Damn vortex,” she grumbled.
But that hadn’t been the vortex. Nor had it been Harper or her demon. She snarled at Linda. “You’ll never take my baby from me. Never.”
Linda’s mouth curled into a cruel smile. “Of course I will. And there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me.”
Knox took another swig of his gin and tonic, watching for signs of Harper approaching. She’d been gone for a good five minutes now, and he was guessing that she’d been waylaid by nosy demons who were both congratulating and quizzing her at the same time.
He’d take her home as soon as she returned to him, he decided. They’d been there for a courteous amount of time and wouldn’t look rude leaving at this point.
“Shit,” muttered Levi, going on high alert.
Knox put down his glass, tension mounting inside him. “What?” But then he saw Larkin and Devon fast approaching… without Harper. Anxiety flared through him. He stood, meeting Larkin’s anxious stare. “Where is she?”
“I” – Larkin swallowed – “I don’t know.” She spoke in a rush. “She went into the restrooms while Devon and I dealt with Carla, and then she just disappeared.”
The words rocked him, slamming into him so hard his breath caught in his throat. On the outside, he didn’t move a muscle. On the inside, he fumbled, scrambling to absorb the words. His demon let out a guttural roar. Harper had been right there with him mere minutes ago. How the fuck could she be gone?
Harper? Harper? He reached out to stroke her mind, but he barely managed to touch it – as if there was something trying to get between her mind and his. Harper, baby, tell me you’re okay.
She was alive; he knew that much, and he clung to it like it was a lifeline… because it was a lifeline. He needed her, wouldn’t be able to exist without her.
He wanted to move, to act, to do something, but he felt rooted to the spot.
“Harper’s gone?” Jolene bit out. The ground and walls began to tremor, and that snapped Knox out of his zone.
He advanced on Larkin. “How can she just disappear?” His voice was a low rumble that vibrated with rage, but she didn’t cower.
“The only person who was in the restrooms when I walked in looking for her was him,” said the harpy. “He claims to know who took her.”
It was only then that Knox noticed McCauley at her side. A dark suspicion whispered in his mind. Could the child have harmed her? Dario had warned them that he may need to be killed. Knox crouched in front of the boy. “You know who has Harper?”
McCauley nodded, eyes blank. “An old woman.”
Not an answer Knox would have expected to hear. “An old woman?”
“Harper called her ‘Nora’.”
Knox didn’t show his surprise, but Jolene did by letting out a string of foul curses that made him think of Harper – and thinking of his mate, missing and possibly hurt, made his stomach churn.
“Nora passed us to go into the restrooms,” said Devon, eyes damp. “She was gone too.”
Which meant that either the boy was telling the truth or that Nora had been taken too. Leaning towards the first explanation, Knox asked, “Where did she take Harper, McCauley?”
“There was smoke,” said the boy. “It was red and black, and it swirled.”
“A portal,” said Levi.
“Nora took Harper through a portal?” asked Raini, voice shaky.
“Then it vanished,” McCauley added.
Knox stormed out the VIP area, crossing to the restrooms with purposeful strides. He shoved the door open, hoping he’d find Harper standing there smiling; hoping it was all one big sick joke that he’d spank her ass for later. But there was no Harper. There was, however, the energy residue from a portal – it was like static electricity in the air.
He whispered his fingers over the lingering energy. “I can feel it,” he said through gritted teeth, knowing the others had followed him inside. “The portal was right here.”
“There’s no telling where it led,” growled Tanner, voice hard as stone, muscles stiff. “They could be anywhere.”
Knox? Knox, please say you can hear me.
His eyes closed at the sound of Harper’s voice, even though their telepathic link seemed weak and almost distant. I hear you, baby. Where are you?
I don’t know exactly, but I’m stood on some kind of energy vortex, thanks to fucking Nora. It’s stopping me from using my abilities.
“Harper says she’s stood on an energy vortex,” said Knox, curling his hands into fists. The back of his throat hurt, and it was difficult to swallow. “It’s preventing her from using her abilities.” Leaving her defenseless, just as she’d been once before not so long ago.
“You can hear her?” asked Jolene, brows drawn together. “I keep calling out to her, but she’s not answering me.” The sentinels and she-demons nodded, claiming the same.
“Maybe it’s because they’re anchored or something,” Raini suggested, hands jammed under her armpits.
“I warned Harper to run,” said McCauley, tone flat. “She didn’t run.”
Knox frowned. “To run from Nora?”
He shook his head. “Linda,” he said simply, none of the urgency or fear in his voice that Knox was feeling.
Bastard though he was, Knox itched to shake the boy and drag everything he knew out of him.
Maybe he sensed that, because McCauley took a step forward and said, “Read my mind.”
Because Knox’s touch was invited, it didn’t cause McCauley any pain when Knox thrust his mind into his. Knox delved into his memories, saw the boy watching the parade. Saw Linda slap a hand over his mouth and drag him into an alley. Heard her speak over the phone that then began to ring.
“What?” Linda snapped at her caller. “Not yet. I’ll meet you once I’ve killed the brat… Of course this is important to me – I want that baby even more than you do, but this kid will pay first. It’s not like you need me to grab Harper for you or induce labor; you might be old, but there’s nothing weak about you… Fine.” Linda then ended the call and turned her attention to the boy in her arms. “All you had to do was love me. But no, you wouldn’t do it. You left me. No one leaves me.”
Knox watched as McCauley bit her hand and then ran as she screamed, “Ow! Get back here you little bastard!”