"You can bet your life on it. "
He inclined his head toward her. . . and promptly disappeared himself far away. Whatever her tracking skills were, she couldn't follow molecules. No one was that good.
Not even his Chosen could do that - and thank the Fates for it. For truth, the thought had long lingered in his mind that she might find him if she wished, her blood in him a beacon she could follow for quite some time.
But she hadn't done so, and she wouldn't. She was not of the war -
His phone went off just as he came back into his physical form on the shores of the Hudson far from downtown. Taking the black device out, he looked at the screen. The picture of an old-fashioned dandy was showing beside writing and numerals he could not decipher - which indicated his contact within the glymera was reaching out to him.
&nbs
p; He hit the button with green lettering on it. "How lovely to hear from you, Elan," he murmured. "How ever are you doing this fine eve. They are? Indeed. Yes. I shall get back to you on a location - but tell them aye. We shall meet with them posthaste. "
Perfect, he thought as he hit the red button. The splintering faction of the glymera wanted to meet in person. Things were finally starting to move.
About time.
Staring out over the river, he let his aggression flow, but the surge didn't last. Inevitably, his thoughts returned to his Chosen and that horrid expression on her face.
She knew who he was now.
And as all females did, she viewed him as a monster.
Riding in the back of iAm's SUV, Qhuinn kept a lookout on all sides of the vehicle in case they were being trailed. He'd also called in V and Rhage to flank the BMW on a just-in-case.
Not that he'd told them it was the Bastards he was worried about. They had assumed it was lessers, and he'd let them go with that one.
And John wasn't driving back to the compound - no reason to get anywhere near home base. Instead, they were going to head out into the 'burbs and go in circles, staying in the human-heavy neighborhoods until Layla had time enough to recover and dematerialize back to the mansion.
On that note, he glanced over at her. She was staring out the window beside her, her chest rising and falling way too fast.
But, yeah, finding out you'd helped the enemy - probably saved his life - was not the kind of thing anyone would handle well.
He leaned over and put his hand on her leg, giving it a squeeze. "It's okay, baby girl. "
She didn't turn her head to him. Just shook it. "How can you say that. "
"You didn't know. "
"He stayed back in town. He didn't follow us. "
Good to know. "You'll let me know if that changes. "
"Absolutely. " Her voice was dead. "In a moment. "
Qhuinn cursed under his breath. "Layla. Look at me. " When she didn't, he put his forefinger on her chin. "Hey, you didn't know who he was. "
Layla closed her eyes, as if she wished she could return to whatever night she had met the guy and do everything over.
"Come here," he said, pulling her into an embrace.
She came stiffly to him, and as he rubbed her back, the tension in her muscles was legion.
"What if the king turns me out?" she said into his pectoral. "What if Phury - "
"They won't. They'll understand. "
As she shuddered against him, he glanced up at John in the rearview mirror and shook his head at his best friend. Mouthing the words, he said silently, Let's just drive her in. Xcor stayed back in town.