twist. It’s just nice to see you happy. Or at least, not bone-crushing angry and defeated. You deserve some good times, Viking. You really do.”
Geez. Just as Ivar was planning to bring Benny’s cabin down on him during the night, the guy had to go and say something nice. “Thanks.” It was more difficult being calm than planning death, but he owed his brothers, and he could try. “I do like her.”
“Would you two stop acting like little girls in high school?” Adare growled through the comms. “I swear. If you start talking about flowers and kisses and shit, I’m going to puke.”
Benny chuckled, the low tone echoing loudly through the earbuds. “You have a mate, Highlander. It’s your own damn fault you don’t make her yours.”
Ivar pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes he missed the solitude of hell.
The door to Promise’s classroom burst open, and she ran outside. He drew his gun and ran toward her. His heart thumped and then nearly stopped as he grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him. “What? Do we have a breach?” He snapped. “What’s happened?” She was safe. He looked rapidly around and edged toward the door to find students staring at him, their mouths open.
Promise grasped his arms and pulled him around. “Your head. The other day. You said that you were relearning to teleport and after you went through the car, you can’t.” She panted out air, her hair escaping its braid.
Benny ran full bore from the east, while a second later, Adare came barreling from the opposite direction. Both had guns out, and Benny held a knife in his free hand. Their boots made loud bangs on the tile floor, and their gazes took in everything. Watching each other’s backs and his at the same time.
Ivar clutched Promise’s arms and gave her a little shake. “Are you in danger?” Where was the enemy? He wasn’t sensing anything.
She shook her head, her mouth forming a small O. “No.” She coughed. “Not at all. No danger.”
His brothers reached him. “No danger,” he said. “False alarm.”
Adare immediately tucked his weapon out of sight, his gaze still scouting the area for threats. Benny dropped his hands, still holding weapons. “Really? There’s nobody to fight?” He kicked at a small pebble on the tile. “Are you sure?” He craned his neck to look into the classroom.
“Benny,” Ivar growled, heat trickling up his neck.
Benny sighed and hid his weapons on his body. “Geez.” He looked down, way down, at Promise. “What’s going on?”
She held a hand to her chest. “All right. Two theories hit me at once, and I had to tell you.” Her eyes lit up like it was Christmas and she was ten years old. Her words came out in a rush. “Demons can teleport anywhere on earth.”
Ivar winced. “Lower your voice, Professor.”
She nodded. “Oh. Yes. I forgot,” she whispered. “Like I said, demons anywhere on earth. But fairies, or rather, the Fae, can go other places outside of here.” She frowned and stepped back, her head turning slightly. “Wait a minute, the Seven have an unusual out-of-body experience during the ritual.” She tapped her finger against her lips. “That would fit too,” she mused, going silent and staring at the wall.
Adare sent Ivar a look. “What’s wrong with her?” he mouthed.
Ivar shrugged. “Missy? Sweetheart?”
The nickname brought her back to the present. “Oh yeah. Okay.” Her face flushed, and she seized his thumbs, lightly shaking. “We’ve been assuming everyone has the same ability, just used differently.” She shook her head, and more dark hair escaped her braid. “What if it isn’t? I mean, what if the ability is different in the two species?” She leaned up, drawing him closer. “What if it’s controlled in the brain? I mean, everything is controlled in the brain. You want to move your arm, your brain tells the muscles to move your arm.”
Benny looked through the open door of the classroom. “Doc? Are all of those students in their twenties? Or do you have a mom or two going back to college?” He angled his neck to see better. “Any forty-year-olds?”
Ivar shoved him in the arm. “Go back and patrol the east side.”
Benny huffed but turned and jogged back the way he came.
Adare drew closer. “What are you saying?”
She exhaled. “I’m saying that we need MRIs. Need to see what part of the brain lights up when a being teleports.” She flattened her hand over Ivar’s heart. “What if you injured that part of your