Liuz was using as a radio transceiver?” Finn stroked his thumb idly back and forth on Keira’s wrist.
“As soon as we figure out where he was living, we’ll search for the schematics.” Nix shrugged. “As far as the device, we can only hope the one he had was it. And it got buried with him in the mine.”
“I met him once at a house,” Finn offered. “I don’t know if it was his place or not—it was decorated in early thrift-store style, and I always figured him to be someone who would surround himself with nice things. Expensive things. Maybe he was waiting until he was ruler of the world.”
“Do you remember where you met him?”
Finn gave a nod. “I’ll text you the address.”
“Great. Thanks.” She looked at Keira. “I hope you feel better soon. We should do lunch once you’re out of here.” With that she gave a small wave and left.
“I’d love to do lunch,” Keira murmured. She laughed. “I like her.”
“You should have known her when she was part human. Boy, was she cranky.”
Keira’s smile widened. “I’m sure that had nothing to do with you.”
“Of course not.” He shot her a grin.
She shoved the covers off her legs and swung them to the side, then pulled the pulse oximeter from her finger.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Finn stood up. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Home.” She rubbed her forehead with her fingers. “I’m ready to get out of here. I need to feel the Earth against my skin.”
“Is the numbness completely gone?” he asked.
“It sure is.”
“Uh-huh.” Finn shook his head. Her tone had been falsely light. “Don’t kid a kidder, sweetheart.” He gently swung her legs onto the mattress. “Back in bed you go.” She started to protest and he said, “Until the docs clear you, this is where you need to be. And you know it.” He put the pulse oximeter back on her finger, knowing he did it only because she let him. “I’ll bring in some dirt or something for you.”
“Very funny.”
He could see by the paleness of her skin and the bruised look around her eyes that she was still tired and weak. The fact that she went back into bed so easily only confirmed what his eyes told him. He had no doubt that if she could get to her little grassy patch of ground in the backyard that she’d be able to heal herself. But it was the getting her there that could cost her her life. For now she had to stay put and let the medical staff do what they could to shore up her strength.
She dug her head into the pillow, trying to get comfortable, and winced. “See?” he asked in a gentle voice. “You’re not ready to go home, warrior princess.”
Her lips twitched. She looked into his eyes and whispered, “Stay with me.”
“Always. And for us, that’s a long time.” He sat on the edge of the bed and brought her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to her knuckles. He rested their hands on his knee. “We have a life to build together. Just think: with my background as an enforcer and your grifting skills, we can run a top-notch security company, a solid foundation to build our future on.”
“Sounds lovely.” Her eyes drooped.
He dropped his mouth lightly on hers. “Sleep well, sweetheart. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
If fate were willing, he would always be there for her, and she for him. And if fate had other ideas, they’d fight it together.
Epilogue
Bartholomew Maxwell “Ash” Asher stared at the TV screen in the employee lounge at council HQ. The news had been going nonstop for almost twenty-four hours, following the occurrence of the rift and newest influx of preternaturals. Several amateur videos had already run that showed an actual habitation of a human by a being from another dimension.
No one could see the incorporeal entity, but the shock to the human’s system and the disorientation and confusion were plain to see. The fallout from this latest rift was just as easy to determine—with dozens of local people affected, the human government would move forward with their plan to forcibly implant microchips into preternaturals, their way of “protecting” themselves.
Ash gave a snort. Yeah, right. It was the humans’ way of keeping tabs on wild animals and nothing more. Well, he’d be damned before he let someone stick a hunk of metal in his arm or anywhere else for that matter. He was his own master, and