Page 19 of Kiss the Dawn
“Yes. The vehicle is an armored mobile home design, so it will be perfectly comfortable. The route we’re taking is also one of the safest.”
“Have you been out there before? Into the Rim?”
“Once or twice.”
Ordell stepped onto the balcony behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned back into his warmth on instinct.
“I’m Ordell,” he said to Lorenzo.
“Yes, your brother said you’d be joining us this morning, although I didn’t hear you come in.” His eyes narrowed. “I’m a light sleeper.”
He was also mageri and probably had some kind of mystical radar.
Ordell shrugged. “I can be stealthy when I want to be.”
Lorenzo’s expression said he didn’t buy it. “What did you do to cloak yourself?” he asked bluntly.
Ordell tensed. “Why do you need to know?”
“Because there should be no way that you could sneak past me, and yet you did, so it either means my instincts are failing or you’re using a power that is stronger than my detection ability,” Lorenzo said. “I’m hoping it’s the latter.”
“It’s the latter,” Ordell said. “Your instincts are fine.”
“Good,” Lorenzo said.
And that was all. He didn’t probe further, and after a few seconds, Ordell relaxed and asked, “Do you believe there’s a loophole in this contract her family has with the witches?”
“I believe it’s worth examining,” Lorenzo said.
“And if there isn’t?”
Lorenzo’s gaze flicked to me, and he arched a brow as if to sayYou haven’t told him, then?
I’d been hoping to avoid it. I’d told Hemlock the consequences of not finding a loophole, but I was pretty sure he hadn’t shared that with Ezekiel or Ordell, and Ezekiel had asked me about it in our dream visit, and now Ordell was here and wanted to know.
Heck, he deserved to know. “If there is no loophole, then I’ll have to go back there once the curse is broken and marry some witch guys.”
Ordell’s body, already taut, stiffened so it was like leaning against stone. A low, menacing growl vibrated his chest. “No.”
My stomach hollowed. “Yes, Ordell. As much as I hate the idea, there is a threat on that Isle, and I’m a big part in helping them to fight it. They need the immunity in my genes.” I explained the ancient blessing and how it was stuck on me right now. “If we can’t find a way to shift it to Eliza, then I’ll have to step in.”
His chest heaved against my back. “That won’t happen because Mr. Crescent will find a loophole.”
“I’ll do my best,” Lorenzo said.
“They’re not having her,” Ordell replied.
Lorenzo sighed. “We can worry about that if the time comes.”
I had no doubt that if that time came, the men that were quickly finding a place in my heart wouldn’t let me go so easily.
Chapter 7
I’d heard about the dome perimeter guard, seen photos of the huge arch that marked one of four exits from our haven, but seeing it firsthand was something else. A mammoth stone structure covered in runes, it reached for the sky, crackling with power that had my hair standing up on end and goosebumps teasing my skin.
The arch was protected by a military base and a ten-foot electrified fence. Several two-story gray buildings made up the base with a control tower and uniformed men and women running about.
Our ride waited for us by the fence. It looked like a large camper van but was sleek and black with tinted windows. The driver hopped out and ran over to us as we approached. “Paperwork is handed in. We’re all good to go,” he said to Lorenzo before throwing a smile my way.
