Lanna's exuberance had calmed significantly, another reason to worry over the girl. In spite of the strange hair, she was an attractive one with huge blue eyes filled with experience Brina wouldn't expect in one so young.
Much like me when I was informed of being responsible for all the Beladors four years ago, not long after I'd turned eighteen.
Da and her brothers had died in a battle with the Medb. Not one male Treoir had walked away.
She was the sole living descendant and now she'd left the Beladors vulnerable. Not her fault since, once again, the Medb had gained the upper hand, this time attacking her in her own castle. But she'd left Tzader at risk and believing she didn't love him.
That lie had been Macha's doing.
If I get out of here, I'm done with bending to Macha's will. The first thing I intend to do is find Tzader and beg his forgiveness for allowin' Macha to manipulate me.
Enough of worrying over something Brina couldn't change until she returned. If she returned. As the Belador warrior queen, it was her duty to protect her tribe. She needed to get busy doing just that.
With nothing here that was of any use, Brina considered what tools she had on hand for finding her way back. She took a hard look at Lanna. "What exactly are you? I felt a fair amount of power pourin' off you when we were attacked."
Lanna heaved a long sigh and answered in her broken English. "I do not know. I have had much power since I was small girl in Transylvania. My family are long line of gypsies and other things they have not shared with me."
Brina couldn't attribute the kind of energy she'd noticed to mere gypsies. "You're Quinn's cousin. He's a Belador. Does he think you might have Belador blood?"
"No. I wish I did then Cousin would not keep trying to send me home. I need to stay here ... I mean in Atlanta near him. I have much trouble at home. Big trouble that follows me, but I must find way to stay in Cousin's country."
Brina smiled. They were stuck in some realm with no idea how to return to the castle and Lanna was worried about staying in Atlanta. "If we find our way back, I'll see what I can do about your stayin' with Quinn."
Lanna's blue eyes lit up. "Thank you. Now I have even more reason to find a way back for us."
As if returnin' to our bodies would not be enough? Brina appreciated Lanna's spirit and that the girl was not wailing away, making her crazy right now. She hated that Lanna was with her, but she was thankful not to be alone with nothing more than her thoughts. "I was thinkin' that we should retrace our steps to when we were attacked."
Lanna waved that off. "If we could do such thing, we would be home now."
There was the smart mouth again. "What I mean, Lanna," Brina said slowly to keep from snapping at her. "Is that we should think back to when we were attacked in the castle and try to figure out what happened. Maybe that will give us an idea how to return."
"Oh. Good idea." Lanna brightened. "We were in sunroom..." Lanna paused. "Why is that called sunroom when it has no windows for sun?"
"All the windows were replaced with stone when my da and brothers died, to limit the ways a threat could enter."
"In that case, you must put windows back when you return."
"Macha would have a fit after my already being attacked."
"But enemy was already inside. Windows stopped nothing, but make room gloomy."
Brina couldn't argue that point.
The Belador traitor had been inside the castle while the Medb coven attacked. She'd been brought low by one of her own. Over two years ago, Horace had blamed Macha for the deaths of his wife and child who were attacked by trolls while he was away battling with the Beladors.
Macha had unleashed a team to hunt down the trolls and make them pay, but that evidently had not been enough for Horace. He'd carried a grudge so deep that he went to the most deadly of the Belador enemies looking for revenge on his own.
Brina had hurt for the old man before she realized what he was doing to them with Noirre majik. But she could not understand such betrayal. No matter her pain, she would never have harmed her tribe. She shuddered to think what the Beladors might be going through right now.
Did they have any powers at all?
Brina could prevent the Medb from being successful if she could just return to her body. "Perhaps I will have windows installed when we are back on Treoir," she told Lanna. "For now, let's keep analyzin'. I was facin' you."
Lanna jumped in. "Yes. Then old man protecting us turned around and started throwing Noirre majik at you. Majik smelled bad, like nasty limes when it turned into threads that could not break. Had to be from Medb."
"It was. We've been huntin' for the traitor over the last two years." That was when the traitor had almost caused the death of ... she blanked mentally, losing the rest of that thought.
"Brina? Is that all you remember about the attack?" Lanna asked.
Shaking off the mental hiccup, Brina replayed the last few seconds at Treoir out loud. "When you attacked Horace, he knocked you into me then the threads wrapped around you."
"My skin burned where it touched. Did you feel yourself lose power as threads kept wrapping around?"
Brina said, "Yes."
"Me too. Noirre was killing us. That is why I teleported."
"Is that what you did?"
"Yes. Only way to get out of trap."
Brina rubbed her forehead, thinking. "I was also teleportin' at the same time, but I was leavin' my hologram in place."
"Where were you teleporting?"
"Out to the hallway where I could call Beladors and direct them into the room. Where were you takin' us?"
"Outside where I could find Quinn." Lanna looked guilty all of a sudden. "But I have practiced teleporting only three days. Last time was in two rooms inside Medb tower."
Good goddess, as Quinn would say. The girl could have teleported them into a stone wall or a sword fight. "Do not use your powers here."
"I have to or we will not return."
"Then don't use them without your tellin' me first and gainin' my approval."
Lanna's face fell. "I cannot always wait on that."
"You will. I'll have your word on it."
Finally, Brina hit gold when Lanna's face paled. The young woman must take her word seriously, which only supported Brina's speculation that Lanna was something quite powerful.
"I give my word-"
"Good"
"-unless I think you are in danger again," Lanna quickly clarified.
That was probably as much as anyone would get out of her so Brina accepted that.
Lanna's forehead furrowed with thought. "If we both tried to teleport at same time, then we must find way back using that power."
Sounded logical, but majik sometimes defied logic. "I don't think we should try that until we've run out of ideas because we might end up separated."
"No," Lanna whispered.
"So do you have any other ideas?"
"Yes. I was trying to find way while I slept."
Brina had no clue where Lanna was going with this, but she gave her rein to continue. "Go on."
"I think if we reach someone in their dreams, we can find our way back. We tell them what happened with both teleporting and maybe they have druid or mage who can help us."
"Why would you be thinkin' that we can reach someone in their dreams?"
Heat rushed into Lanna's cheeks. "I met nice boy back home that I wanted to date, but his family was afraid of mine. I searched for him in my dreams ... and finally found him. We would meet there every night and-" Lanna caught herself. "He sent me note telling me he wanted to meet in person. He could not live forever with dreams only, so I know he remembered dreams when he woke up."
Brina made a decision right then that Lanna would be trained. The girl had gained a great deal on her own by experimenting, but what would she be like with tutoring?
Then again, who would tutor her?
A worry for another time. Brina said, "I understand. How do we make this dream
communication work?"
"You believe me." Lanna hadn't asked, but had spoken with awe.
"Of course I believe you. Now start explainin'."
Lanna smiled again, confidence beaming in her face. "When I slept a moment ago, I was trying to reach cousin, but I cannot find his dreams. Maybe he does not sleep while he worries about me. He must have nodded off at one time. I could feel his power so I try to push through to reach his mind, but I was knocked backwards."
"Lanna, you must be very careful with Quinn. I've never known a more powerful Belador mind than his."
"This is true. The few seconds I touch his mind it was bad place. Very angry and ... chaos. I am concerned that if I try cousin again he might accidentally kill me." Lanna added, "If he does, do not blame cousin. He is good man."
"I wouldn't blame him, but don't try that again."
"I do not know how to recognize power of anyone else or I would hunt for Evalle."
"Maybe I can do it," Brina suggested, talking to herself more so than Lanna.
"You must have strong connection," Lanna warned. "Someone who is family or close friend or ..." Lanna's face blushed. "Lover."
Tzader. That was the name she'd been trying to recall a moment ago. How could his name slip her mind? If Brina could reach anyone, it would be him, but she wasn't about to admit to Lanna that Tzader had been Brina's one and only lover.
The man she'd planned to marry until Macha forced her to give Tzader a chance at a life without Brina, since he could not enter Treoir at the time, and Brina could not leave.
If she connected to Tzader and he helped bring her back to Treoir, Macha would have to give him anything he asked for.
But would Tzader choose Brina when she'd spent the last few weeks convincing him that she no longer loved him?
"You are not listening," Lanna admonished.
"What?" Brina hadn't meant to snap at her, but the possibility of Tzader believing that ruse about Brina wanting to move on with her life had her insides twisted up.
"I was saying you must be careful meeting someone in dream realm. There are dangers."
"Such as?"
"Dream travel is much like real life. I allowed this boy to kiss me and he left mark on my neck."
Brina smiled. "Think I can survive a bruise or two, Lanna."
Lanna started shaking her head and warning, "You could enter wrong person's dreams and be captured by a powerful dream merc ... or killed."
"What's a dream merc?"
"Very bad. I have heard their majik works only in dreams, but I have not met one to know for sure. You must be careful."
Just when Brina thought things couldn't get any worse, Lanna shattered that all to pieces. Brina asked, "How can I be tellin' if I've found the right person?"
"When I first figure out how to visit boy back home in my dreams, I went to sleep thinking of secret place we liked to meet. Think of somewhere you were with someone important to you and how much you want him to meet you there."
Brina lifted an eyebrow at her. "How do you know it's a him?"
"Your face was very happy when you drifted off. Must be man who means much to you." Moving on, Lanna added, "Very important that you always remember I am here waiting. If you forget, you may not return. I have heard some choose to stay in dreams forever."
Brina cocked her head. "Why?"
Lanna drove her fingers into her hair, concentrating fiercely. "Like ... uhm ... " She pulled her hands down and snapped her fingers. "Like astronaut who gets space sickness and lets go of link to ship so he can stay in stars forever. If you do that, I will not be able to call you back."
"Tell me how to watch for it."
Shrugging, Lanna said, "I do not know all about dreams. This is not my majik. I only know what little I have heard, but I can feel your power. It is strong. If I stop feeling it as strong, I will try to pull you back."
Try? Brina would have liked a more encouraging word, but Lanna had found a possible way to reach out for help. Some options did not come with guarantees.
"No point in puttin' this off," Brina said, looking down at the mist rolling around their feet.
"Lie down and close your eyes," Lanna instructed. "Relax and think of private place where you went with only this special person, then call out to him. Ask him to join you. That is best way I know to find right person's dreams."
"Understood," Brina said with more confidence than she felt, considering she had no idea how to find Tzader's dreams or how to prevent ending up stuck in dreamland.
Chapter 10
Tzader shook off the grogginess that threatened to drag him under and kept pacing around the hologram in Brina's solarium.
"I can relieve you," a male voice called out from the door.
The sound of that one's voice sent Tzader's blood pressure boiling over. He swung around to face Allyn, one of Brina's guards who had taken advantage of his ability to be inside the castle when Tzader couldn't.
Allyn was as fit as any other royal guard and pristine in his emerald green and black vest, white long sleeved shirt and black pants. Tzader could see where a woman would find Allyn's face and physique attractive, but Brina wasn't just any woman.
Tzader growled. "Stay out of here."
Allyn stiffened. "I care about her, too."
"You may care about the Belador queen as your leader," Tzader enunciated, taking steps toward the door. "But you will not care about Brina in any other capacity. Understood?"
"Ordering me not to have feelings for her is illogical."
"I don't give a damn if it's irrational. Don't ever go near her again."
Allyn should have tucked his tail and backed away quietly from a Belador Maistir, but he was either more confident than he should be or without basic survival instinct. He said, "Have you forgotten that Brina and I are engaged?"
Nope. Not a drop of survival instinct in those genes.
Tzader crossed his arms and took three more steps, placing himself in front of Allyn and barring the doorway. "I have no idea what was discussed when I was not present, but Brina and I have been committed to each other since we were young."
A scoffing noise came out of Allyn. "Do you expect me to believe you've been celibate for the four years that you couldn't walk through the ward on this castle?"
"I don't care what you believe. I only care what Brina believes and she knows the truth. The minute she returns, I intend to straighten out this mess."
Allyn finally showed some proper humility and said, "I see that I've been misinformed, Maistir. If it is as you say and she truly does not care for me then I have made a huge mistake with my words."
You think, dickhead? Tzader had a feeling either he and Brina had been played by Macha or the goddess had confused Brina. For the last few weeks, his Brina had not been herself. She'd tried to convince Tzader that there was no future for them since Tzader was immortal, a gift he'd never asked for, and Brina was stuck inside a castle warded against immortals with the exception of her and Macha.
Macha had convinced him to do the honorable thing and let Brina move on. How could it be honorable to walk away from a bond forged with love? But on recent trips when he'd traveled by hologram to visit Brina, she'd been distant and made similar noises that echoed what Macha had said.
Sure, he'd heard about Brina's engagement, but he'd had yet to witness any joy in Brina's eyes over it.
When she returned, he was not leaving until he had the truth with her standing in front of him and staring into his eyes.
Allyn waited to be dismissed.
Tzader struggled not to shove the guard's words back down his throat. Not an acceptable action from one in his position of authority.
But Allyn's words had sounded sincere.
Could Brina really have moved on from what she had with Tzader? Exhaustion pulled at his thoughts, tangling them into a garbled mess of confusion.
"By your leave, Maistir." Allyn dropped his head in a respectful bow, still waiting.
"Granted."<
br />
Allyn vanished down the hallway.
Tzader paced the room back and forth twice until he crossed to a recessed sitting area that had been carved into the stone wall and covered with thick cushions. It was going on sixty hours since Brina had vanished. Once he'd delegated security here and in the mortal world, he'd spent the majority of that time sitting or standing in this room watching her hologram as if he could will her back.
When he sat, he sank into the thick cushions and glanced at the hologram for the millionth time.
Her crystal image floated above the floor, missing pieces from her knees down. More had disintegrated while he'd paced the room.
Where were Evalle and Storm?
Didn't she realize how little time Brina had left? Was Evalle more concerned about finding Storm than helping Brina? And what if Storm had no way to track Brina once he got here?
Doesn't anyone give a damn besides me?
Fisting his hand, Tzader drew back to strike the wall and stopped when Brina's face appeared before him. He croaked, "Brina?"
One blink and the image was gone.
Now he was hallucinating from lack of sleep?
He looked at his fist and shook his head. What had gotten into him? First he'd raked poor Quinn over the coals when the guy was gutted, next he been ready to jump Allyn and now he wanted to ram his fist into the wall because Evalle wasn't back yet.
Evalle had to be doing everything within her power to save Brina.
Tzader had never had a reason to doubt her.
He'd never had so short a fuse either.
He leaned his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. Exhaustion was eating at his emotions and his mind until he was walking around in a half-comatose state. He could do Brina no good if he lost touch with reality.
Rolling onto his back, he laid an arm across his eyes and let the memory of hiding in this very spot to steal a kiss from Brina bloom in his mind. Life had been so simple back then. They'd planned out their future, anticipating an entirely different one than they'd been handed.
A groan rolled off his lips. He was so damned tired. Staying awake hadn't brought her back last night. Ripping into everyone who mattered to him sure as hell was not helping.