“The only person who was in the restrooms when I walked in looking for her was him,” said the harpy. “He claims to know who took her.”
It was only then that Knox noticed McCauley at her side. A dark suspicion whispered in his mind. Could the child have harmed her? Dario had warned them that he may need to be killed. Knox crouched in front of the boy. “You know who has Harper?”
McCauley nodded, eyes blank. “An old woman.”
Not an answer Knox would have expected to hear. “An old woman?”
“Harper called her ‘Nora’.”
Knox didn’t show his surprise, but Jolene did by letting out a string of foul curses that made him think of Harper – and thinking of his mate, missing and possibly hurt, made his stomach churn.
“Nora passed us to go into the restrooms,” said Devon, eyes damp. “She was gone too.”
Which meant that either the boy was telling the truth or that Nora had been taken too. Leaning towards the first explanation, Knox asked, “Where did she take Harper, McCauley?”
“There was smoke,” said the boy. “It was red and black, and it swirled.”
“A portal,” said Levi.
“Nora took Harper through a portal?” asked Raini, voice shaky.
“Then it vanished,” McCauley added.
Knox stormed out the VIP area, crossing to the restrooms with purposeful strides. He shoved the door open, hoping he’d find Harper standing there smiling; hoping it was all one big sick joke that he’d spank her ass for later. But there was no Harper. There was, however, the energy residue from a portal – it was like static electricity in the air.
He whispered his fingers over the lingering energy. “I can feel it,” he said through gritted teeth, knowing the others had followed him inside. “The portal was right here.”
“There’s no telling where it led,” growled Tanner, voice hard as stone, muscles stiff. “They could be anywhere.”
Knox? Knox, please say you can hear me.
His eyes closed at the sound of Harper’s voice, even though their telepathic link seemed weak and almost distant. I hear you, baby. Where are you?
I don’t know exactly, but I’m stood on some kind of energy vortex, thanks to fucking Nora. It’s stopping me from using my abilities.
“Harper says she’s stood on an energy vortex,” said Knox, curling his hands into fists. The back of his throat hurt, and it was difficult to swallow. “It’s preventing her from using her abilities.” Leaving her defenseless, just as she’d been once before not so long ago.
“You can hear her?” asked Jolene, brows drawn together. “I keep calling out to her, but she’s not answering me.” The sentinels and she-demons nodded, claiming the same.
“Maybe it’s because they’re anchored or something,” Raini suggested, hands jammed under her armpits.
“I warned Harper to run,” said McCauley, tone flat. “She didn’t run.”
Knox frowned. “To run from Nora?”
He shook his head. “Linda,” he said simply, none of the urgency or fear in his voice that Knox was feeling.
Bastard though he was, Knox itched to shake the boy and drag everything he knew out of him.
Maybe he sensed that, because McCauley took a step forward and said, “Read my mind.”
Because Knox’s touch was invited, it didn’t cause McCauley any pain when Knox thrust his mind into his. Knox delved into his memories, saw the boy watching the parade. Saw Linda slap a hand over his mouth and drag him into an alley. Heard her speak over the phone that then began to ring.
“What?” Linda snapped at her caller. “Not yet. I’ll meet you once I’ve killed the brat… Of course this is important to me – I want that baby even more than you do, but this kid will pay first. It’s not like you need me to grab Harper for you or induce labor; you might be old, but there’s nothing weak about you… Fine.” Linda then ended the call and turned her attention to the boy in her arms. “All you had to do was love me. But no, you wouldn’t do it. You left me. No one leaves me.”
Knox watched as McCauley bit her hand and then ran as she screamed, “Ow! Get back here you little bastard!”
Knox then sped forward through the memories, watching a fast-forward version of McCauley fleeing from Linda, hiding in the restrooms, and finally getting to Harper. “You need to run,” he said.
Heart in his throat, Knox then watched as Nora talked with Harper before forcing her into a portal. Swallowing hard, Knox withdrew his mind from the boy’s. “Thank you for trying to help Harper, McCauley. You can tell your demon that she and I will keep you safe from Linda.” Standing, Knox gave the others a rundown of what happened.
Devon put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, God, no. The baby’s not ready to be born yet.”
Jolene rubbed the hellcat’s back, her eyes hard. “It would seem that they don’t care about that.” There was a wealth of lethal intent in her tone.
“Linda’s a midwife,” said Keenan. “Nora probably recruited her to help with the birth.”
The door burst open, and Thatcher barged in with his sentinel-slash-bodyguard behind him. His gaze ran over everyone. “My sentinel saw you all rush inside like you were being chased by a pack of wild hellhounds. What has happened?”
Knox would have sent him out, only he wanted to see Thatcher’s reaction to the news. “Someone kidnapped Harper. They took her through a portal.”
Shock flashed across Thatcher’s face, and it seemed genuine. “You’re sure?”
“Does it look like I’m fucking kidding?”
Thatcher weaved his way through the others and held up his hand, no doubt reading the magick in the air. “You are right. I could reopen the portal for you. Do you trust me?”
“No.”
Thatcher let out a short sigh. “Will you allow me to reopen it for you?”
Knox narrowed his eyes. “Why would you?”
“No one likes living under a cloud of suspicion. Maybe if I help you, you’ll no longer suspect me of meaning your mate any harm.”
Knox, said Harper, voice still faint. I’m scared.
Her fear pierced his soul and almost knocked him back a step. It’s going to be fine, baby. I’m right here with you. I’m going to find some way to get to you, I swear. Just hold on for me, okay? Hold on. Knox nodded at Thatcher. “How long will it take?”
“Ordinarily, the process would take fifteen minutes. I’m a strong incantor. I should be able to do it in ten.”
It was too long, Knox thought. But so far, it was the fastest way to get to her. He stepped aside, giving the other Prime room. “I need it done fast.”
With his sentinel now at his side, Thatcher immediately got to work.
“Do you think Dario’s working with Nora?” Jolene asked Knox.
“My gut says no, but that doesn’t mean he can’t know something.” Knox turned to Tanner. “Bring him here, but don’t let him know there’s a problem – I don’t want his sentinel interfering.”
The hellhound nodded and then disappeared from the restrooms.
Muscles tight, Knox remained in position. He wanted to pace and curse and punch a hole through the stall door. Instead, he held himself completely still, even though he felt twitchy, restless, and dangerously on edge. His chest was so tight, he was surprised he could breathe without wheezing.
As the she-demons began to talk, expressing their worries for Harper, Knox blocked out their conversation. He couldn’t allow himself to think of what could be happening to Harper – if he did, he’d lose his ability to focus. But despite his best efforts, images of what Nora could be doing to her kept flickering through his mind, slicing at his frayed control.
There wasn’t just fury flooding his veins; there was guilt. He should have protected her better. He should never have let her leave his side for a single moment. In being careful not to make her feel suffocated, he’d put her and their child in danger. And he knew he’d never forgive himself for it.
His demon’s cold rage echoed through him. Oddly, the demon wasn’t ranting and raving. It wasn’t demanding vengeance or pushing for control. If the entity was capable of feeling guilt, Knox would have wondered if it blamed itself the same way that Knox blamed himself. He didn’t know why the entity was so unnaturally quiet and still – it wasn’t inclined to communicate with him right then.