Skinwalker (Shadowborn Rebellion #3) - Cyndi Friberg Page 0,33
my strength.”
“Of course.” Salvo glanced at his brother then added, “Please com one of us when you’re ready to reenter the fray.”
Velmar pushed back from the table and then stood.
Salvo joined him as he asked in a quiet, sincere tone, “Can you reinforce the wards protecting your cabin, or should I dispatch a team of shielders?”
“I’ll be fine. Zerna caught me unaware,” he grumbled. “That will never happen again.”
With a tense nod, Salvo opened a portal to the main room in Velmar’s cabin.
Velmar moved forward, but Malik stopped him. “Scan before you enter. In fact, everyone scan. I will not allow Velmar to be victimized again.”
“I am not helpless,” Velmar snapped, but Salvo blocked his path as he advanced toward the portal.
Quickly moving closer, Jaron focused on the room just visible through the opening. He sensed nothing unusual, no intruders or psychic traps. He expanded his perception. The entire cabin was empty, as was the clearing surrounding it, but armed soldiers patrolled the forest. They were Sarronti not Cretzian so he looked at Malik. “Did you—”
He nodded yet signaled for silence. Apparently Velmar didn’t know Malik’s soldiers were out there and Malik wanted it that way. The sorcerer would resent the need for protection regardless of how well-meaning.
“It’s clear,” Jaron said. “I sense nothing but peace and quiet.”
“And six perimeter guards.” Velmar glared at Malik. “I am exhausted not helpless. Stop treating me like an invalid.”
“They stay,” Malik insisted.
Velmar sighed. “Three days. I will tolerate this invasion for three days.”
Malik smirked, unmoved by Velmar’s ire. “I’ll reevaluate in three days. Rest well.”
Muttering under his breath in ancient Sarronti, Velmar departed.
Salvo closed the portal and returned to his end of the table. “His obstinacy gives me hope. He wouldn’t be Velmar if he wasn’t being difficult.”
“Agreed.” Malik’s purple gaze shifted toward Nikki.
Before he could speak, Kara chimed in. “Nikki, would you like a drink or anything before my mate starts grilling you?”
Nikki smiled, but she looked almost as tired as Velmar. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” She took a deep breath then looked at Malik. “What do you need to know?”
“Anything you’re willing to tell us. We know Zerna quite well, so details that seem unimportant to you could have meaning for us.”
“I’ve discovered some strange details, but I honestly don’t know if they have anything to do with your rebellion.” She shifted her weight restlessly, hands folded on the tabletop.
“If you explain, maybe we can help you understand,” Salvo suggested.
“My kidnapping was not random. Zerna asking for me by name.”
“Really?” Malik’s surprise was clear in his tone though his expression remained neutral. “Do you have any idea why you might have been targeted?”
A heavy sigh escaped from Nikki as she looked at Jaron then back to Malik. “Jaron sensed Sarronti genetics incorporated with mine. He thinks that has something to do with why I was kidnapped.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that. Are you a hybrid or did the Cretzians alter your genetics using Sarronti DNA?”
“It wasn’t part of the alterations,” Jaron told him. “She was unaware of it, but one of her relatives is Sarronti.”
“More likely was,” Nikki said grimily. “I think it was my paternal grandmother and she died before I was born.” She looked at him meaningfully as she added, “She was the admiral’s first wife.”
“Who is the admiral?” Malik wanted to know.
Nikki shook her head and Jaron thought she wouldn’t explain, but she took a deep breath and told him, “It started with my cousin Lance Egerton. Selina, one of the two women being treated by Jaron’s mother, overheard Zerna talking to Hastos about Lance. Selina was semi-conscious at the time and Zerna didn’t realize she was listening. That fact is the only reason I’m taking it seriously. Zerna said all sorts of crap to provoke us, but that’s not what this was.” Nikki went on to summarize the conversation she’d had with Ayran and Jaron regarding Lance and the admiral. “We all agree that the admiral is a more likely target than Lance, but even he is problematic.”
“Because of his age?” Salvo asked.
“And the fact that he’s been retired for a number of years,” she concluded.
“If your grandmother was Sarronti, then Lance would be a hybrid also,” Salvo interjected thoughtfully.
“It’s all speculation at this point,” Jaron stressed. “My mother will be able to tell us more once she’s seen Nikki.”
“I didn’t believe you when you told me, but the more I’ve thought about it the more it makes sense.”
“I’ll have one of my contacts