Page 30 of Awaken the Dragon
“River rocks,” Magnum spoke up. “The River Tribe all but worship the Niger River. Anything that comes out of it is sworn to have some type of mythical power straight from Oya, guardian of the river.”
Shola loved the water so this made a little more sense, but it still didn’t stop the rage from pulsing through his blood. “What would she do with the rocks?” he asked.
Magnum shook his head.
Not the response Theo wanted, so he looked to Ziva. “And you’re certain she was in the room alone?”
Ziva nodded. “I’m certain I checked every inch of that room, and that I never left from in front of that door. Theonlydoor,” she said. “But I definitely heard voices, a male’s and Shola’s. That’s when I tried to get in, but the door seemed to be bolted shut.”
“And then you had the vision?” Theo didn’t want to think on the male voice that Ziva heard just yet. He wanted the complete story before letting his mind wander over all the possibilities.
“The second in as many days. Blood, some sort of liquid metal and the burst of fire.”
“When was the first?” Bleu asked her.
“The day before, at the dress shop. When you were with her at the mirror, I wanted to get the second head piece for her to try. I was in the dressing room when it hit me. Shola in a wedding gown marrying someone.”
Theo nodded. “That’s her purpose for being here.”
“No,” Ziva insisted. “She was different. Her eyes were different, and there was joy. I could sense joy. There’s no joy in her right now.”
“What does that mean?” Steele asked.
“It means she doesn’t want to marry this guy,” Aiken added. “I got that same impression from her last night when we arrived at the Owing Center.”
“This is a load of crap.” Steele shook his head as he complained. “You two are all in your feelings on any given day. What’s happening here has more to do with dishonesty, secrecy and demonic activity than some grand love-and-happiness-for-all bullshit.”
While Theo was totally on board with what Steele was saying, he did acknowledge that it was too damn early in the morning for the guy to be such a grouch.
“Okay, fine,” Theo said with a pointed look at Steele. A look that also conveyed the “keep your trap shut if you’re not gonna say anything nice” vibe. “I know she’s not telling the truth. Nothing in the things Bleu dug up tells me any more than what we already knew. But there’s no denying something’s after her.”
“What do we know about this husband-to-be?” Bleu asked.
Theo shook his head. “Not enough.” He’d searched every digital corner he could find for the name Warrick Camden and had come up empty. The next search needed to be on the demonic level.
“I’ll do it,” Steele announced.
Theo met his orange-tinged gaze.
“You want somebody to go under and find out who and or what this dude might be into. I’ll do it.” Steele didn’t look away from Theo until Theo gave a slight nod.
Theo had known the Eze brothers for almost a hundred years now. They’d come to him as outcasts from their clan, misfits in the way of life being lived in their homeland. And Theo had given them sanctuary. He’d given what had taken him a while to build. They knew each other now, all of them, as well as any person or dragon could know another.
“I’ll go with him to watch his back,” Magnum stated and earned an immediate frown from his younger brother.
“She won’t abandon her mission,” Ziva told Theo. “Whatever it is, it’s important to her.”
“Important enough to sacrifice her life.” The words stung Theo’s throat and he was glad his hands had been resting on his thighs beneath the table, because he clenched his fingers so tightly at the thought, his claws extended and pressed painfully into his palm. Shola N’Gara would not die in Burgess because of some job she came to do; that was a promise. He was pretty sure that declaration had more to do with the impeccable record of the Legion Security Company than any feelings the man and beast might be harboring.
Ziva surprised and irritated him by replying, “Yes. I believe she will.”
Theo stood abruptly. “You don’t know everything!” he snapped and seconds later took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he realized all eyes were on him.
“The newborns were taken care of last night. I trust the minds of our human staff members were properly cleaned before they were sent home,” he said.
Bleu was the only one brave enough to nod. He’d already admitted to using his power, so it made sense that he’d take the full brunt of the breach. Theo nodded his approval. “It’s Sunday. Ziva, you can check on them before they come to work tomorrow morning. Steele, I want a full report the moment you return. Bleu and Aiken, I want this place sealed up tighter than tight. Nothing in or out unless it’s one of us.”
Curt nods followed all around, except for Ziva, who gave him a smirk that said she knew something he didn’t. Theo didn’t have time for Ziva’s mind games. Whatever she thought she knew about him or this situation, from her visions, he didn’t want to know.
