Therian Promise(51)

Erin shoved her chair back and hurried out onto the deck. Ava didn’t even turn around. Nudity might be an inevitable part of Therian life, but she’d been reared with human sensibilities.

Crossing to the table, she sat beside Kyle and tried to wrangle her chaotic thoughts. “Who’s watching the store?” It was an incidental detail, but the concrete connection to her old life allowed her to sidestep the looming conflict and calm down. Besides, they’d worked hard to build a successful business and she wasn’t willing to watch it slip away regardless of the new challenges they were facing.

“I called Amanda and let her know we had a family emergency. She closed the store for the first couple of days, but asked if she could work out a schedule with Luke until we return. It’s the off-season, so I’m sure they’ll be fine until things settle into a routine for us.”

“And is that likely to happen anytime soon?”

Erin and Ian stepped into the kitchen, interrupting Carissa’s reply. Ian was dressed and composed as he joined them at the table. “I’m pretty sure I found it.” Everyone perked up, scooting closer to the table as they waited for more information. “I’d about given up when it started to get dark and I spotted lights in a secluded valley. I’d pictured a military outpost with multiple buildings and a landing strip or helipad.” He shook his head and the overhead lights made the gold streaks in his hair shimmer. “It was nothing like that, just a moderate two-story building with a large vehicle shed and a clearing off to one side.”

“Was there an access road? What about fortification?” Quinn asked.

“No physical barriers other than the location. I spotted two sets of guards patrolling the perimeter, but I didn’t see so much as a dirt trail.” He rubbed the back of his neck then rolled his shoulders. “I haven’t flown that much in years. I’m going soft.” He chuckled then went on. “I’d like to return tomorrow with a camera and GPS. I’ll mark the exact location and see if I can verify the number of inhabitants, maybe identify patrol patterns and guard rotations.”

“Without any sort of access road, this is going to be a logistical nightmare.” Kyle looked at her and tried to soften the observation with a smile.

“How do we know this building has anything to do with us?” Ava couldn’t remain silent any longer. This sounded like a time-consuming wild-goose chase. “You guys are basing your strategy on the fact that I teleported to that location. I was panicked at the time. I think Kyle was right in the beginning. It was nothing more than my survival instinct.”

“Perhaps.” Ian searched her gaze, his expression intense yet unreadable. “We’ll take it one step at a time. I’ll gather more information tomorrow and see where that leads us.”

Everyone nodded though Ava remained uneasy. They all had much more confidence in her abilities than she did. Her visions were unpredictable at best and teleporting had been a fluke. She glanced at Carissa, still amazed by the ease with which her sister had shifted. The feline Carissa became wasn’t even an identified species but some unique blinding of the six animal natures she’d absorbed. Ava shuddered. Carissa had always been adventurous and brave while Ava analyzed each possible outcome and progressed with cautious deliberation.

“We had a visitor while you were gone,” Quinn told Ian.

“Do I even want to know?” Ian shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Bruce Fitzroy mistook Natasha for Jake’s maid and ‘forced’ her to let him into the house,” Quinn explained.

“How did he know Ava was here?”

“Why do you immediately presume he was after me?” Ava’s stomach tightened as the implications of Ian’s conclusion sank in. The hunt wasn’t over. She was still in danger, still a conduit of unimagined power. Someone worth killing to possess. She’d seen a hint of Carissa’s abilities and the glimpse drove home all the fantastical claims she heard over the past few days. It was all real. The blood of an Omni Prime flowed in her veins. If she lived up to her full potential, she might be the next true Therian.

“You’re the only thing here worth stealing.” Ian’s gaze moved over her face, the gold veins in his rich blue irises especially apparent as he searched her features.

Kyle reached over and squeezed her hand, drawing her attention away from Ian. “You don’t need to be afraid. I wouldn’t have let him touch you. Natasha only allowed the situation to progress as far as it did so she had concrete evidence to present to the council.”