Page 6 of Jordan

Chapter Three

“Nina?” Marisa, her sister-in-law, called, breaking the pregnant pause between Nina and Jordan. “Are you out here?”

Nina growled in frustration. The damn woman refused to listen to orders set in place to ensure her safety. If she didn’t love the woman, Nina would have most likely strangled her. “Yes, but what in the bloody hell are you doing roaming about with night nearing? Bradi will skin me alive if he catches you out here, Marisa. My brother nearly loses it when you nick yourself. He would never handle the idea of you skulking about the grounds after hours.”

As the chestnut-haired beauty rounded the corner with a smile on her face and her arm laced through Nina’s trusted guard’s arm, Nina let out a shaky, relieved breath. Marisa had not come alone after all.

Pheebes winked and she had to suppress a smile. “My lady, look what I found wandering about.”

“Thank you for watching over her,” Nina said.

Marisa didn’t bother hiding her emotions. She put her arms out and hugged Nina tight. Marisa was a tad bit taller than Nina’s five foot five inches, so Nina had to go to her tiptoes.

“I wanted to thank you again for this, Nina. I haven’t seen my father in so long,” Marisa said. “I miss him horribly, and I know he’ll love Bradi and Eli the minute he lays eyes on them. He’ll love you all.”

“Marisa, I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to find him. From what I’m told, Margaidia is a large planet. Even if he is there, which we’re not sure of, the odds of finding him are remote. It’s not exactly on the level with its record keeping.”

She wanted to be able to tell Marisa that she’d bring her father home to her but refused to make promises she wasn’t positive she could keep. Already Bradi referred to the mission as a fool’s errand, and her brother was right. It most likely was. That being said, everyone wanted to see Marisa happy, and if making an attempt to retrieve her only living relative did that, then so be it. Plus, Nina wanted to find word on her brother as well, and the only way to do so was to go off-world.

“Yet you think to find Kyriakos with not even a single lead,” Pheebes interjected, his voice never wavering even though he was revealing information she considered private. She’d confided in him, trusting it would go no further. She’d been wrong.

“Pheebes.” Nina gave him a warning look.

“No. I will not bite my tongue, my lady.” The way he said “my lady” showed her how very on edge Pheebes was. He’d been angry with her from the moment she’d confessed to wanting to search for her fraternal twin. “You know not the ways of outsiders and refuse to listen to reason. You will run head-first to your end and expect me to remain silent as you do. What do you think they will do to you should they find out you’re a supernatural? The universe is unkind and uncaring. The Commission’s scorn of everything non-humanoid is very telling and you are headed straight to a planet in which they now have a foothold.”

“Kyriakos?” Marisa’s brows rose. “As in your brother?”

“Brother?” Jordan inquired. “I knew three Janelle boys were still unaccounted for, but I wasn’t aware of their names.”

Marisa stared past her at Jordan. “Were you aware that Kyriakos is Nina’s twin? As Bradi is to Lorelei? You know how Bradi carries the shifter traits as dominate rather than magik, and Lorelei carries magik rather than shifter? Nina and Kyriakos share the same dynamics. Where she can shift into a panther with ease, he can wield magik.”

“I had no idea,” Jordan said, sounding both stunned and impressed.

“Were either of you aware that Nina does not plan to return if she finds no trace of Kyriakos on Margaidia? She firmly believes herself able to slip away from any accompanying her. She plans to scour the universe for him,” Pheebes said, his blue gaze landing on her. He took a step towards Nina. “Were either of you aware Nina has dreamt this quest will bring about great change? That darkness cloaks it? That perhaps even death awaits?”

Jordan and Marisa gasped.

Nina didn’t. She struck out, punching Pheebes in the jaw. His head jerked back but she didn’t stop. No. She went at him again—only to find herself being lifted into the air by a set of strong, warm arms.

“Relax, baby,” Jordan whispered in her ear. “He’s telling us because he cares and doesn’t want anything to happen to you.”

Pheebes rubbed his jaw. “Tell them, my lady. Tell them how you are in the height of your cycle, yet have refused my touch for nearly two years. You no longer allow me to lie with you when I know how your body burns to be caressed. To be loved, to—”

Jordan released her and was on Pheebes in the blink of an eye, pummeling him as he snarled madly.

Nina rushed forward and pushed between them. She shoved Pheebes in one direction and Jordan in the other. The minute Jordan made another move to go at Pheebes, she pointed at him. “Enough!”

Jordan’s nostrils flared as he wiped his bloodied lip. “How could you let him touch you at all?”

“What?” She shook her head, sure she’d misheard him. “How is this your business?”

Pheebes laughed. “Do not tell me you don’t realize who this man is to you, my lady.”

She glared at him. “Stop with the my lady references. As you have so blatantly pointed out, you were my lover for a period of time, Pheebes. I think that puts us past formalities. Don’t you? You have not shared my bed in two years. I did not shun you on purpose. I don’t know why my body no longer responds to you. Regardless of what is or was between us, you have no right to air it in front of others.”

Marisa took a step towards Pheebes and put her hand up to check him. He gave her a hard look but the good doctor ignored him as she touched his lip. “Geesh, did the two of you study how to bust lips or did it just work out this way?”

“Marisa,” Jordan said sternly.

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