The Darkest Whisper

said to call if he was needed and he would rush home. It was a miracle that Kane had been able to use his phone twice in a row without frying it to hell.

After Sabin cleared the screen, he threw the phone at Gwen. She missed.

“Start dialing,” he told her.

GWEN LIFTED THE PHONE with a trembling hand, tears burning her eyes. The entire year of her imprisonment, she’d wanted to do this, had needed to hear her sisters’ voices. But she was still ashamed about what had happened to her and still didn’t want them to know.

“It’s morning here, so it’s nighttime in Alaska,” she said. “Perhaps I should wait.”

Sabin showed no mercy. “Dial.”

“But—”

“I don’t understand your reluctance. You love them. You want them here, even made it a condition of your staying with me.”

“I know.” She traced her finger over the glowing numbers on the little black device. Her guilt was returning. Guilt for making her beloved sisters wait for news of her—or, if they didn’t know she’d been taken, simple contact from her.

“Will they blame you for what happened? Want to punish you? I told you I wouldn’t let them.”

“No.” Maybe. What she did know was that they’d demand Sabin allow them to join his war, just as he wanted. They’d want Hunter ass on a platter, served raw and fresh. But if they were injured because of Gwen…she’d hate herself forever and still another eternity.

“Call,” Sabin said.

Get over yourself, she thought. With a sigh, she dialed Bianka’s number. Of the three, Bianka was the most kindhearted. And by kindhearted, Gwen meant that Bianka would toss a glass of water at the person she’d just lit on fire.

Three rings later, her sister answered. “I have no idea who is calling me from this number but you had better haul ass or—”

“Hey, Bianka.” Her stomach clenched painfully, the voice so hauntingly familiar and so well loved the tears that had been burning her eyes finally spilled over, rushing down her cheeks. “It’s me.”

There was a pause, an inhalation of breath. “Gwennie? Gwennie, is that you?”

She swiped at her cheeks with the back of her wrist, very aware of Sabin’s hot gaze on her, practically eating her up. What was he thinking? Warrior that he was, her show of weakness—more weakness, that is— probably disgusted him. And that was a good thing. Really. They’d kissed and touched in the shower and she’d been ready to go further, take more, take all, give all, despite the kind of man he was and the things he’d said to her, the things he would ultimately do to her.

“Hey, you still there? Gwennie? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“Yep, it’s me. The one and only,” she finally replied.

“My gods, girl. Do you know how long it’s been?”

Twelve months, eight days, seventeen minutes and thirty-nine seconds. “I have an inkling. So how are you?”

“Better, now that I’ve heard from you, but pissed as hell. You are gonna pay big-time when Taliyah finds you. A while back we called your phone, you know, to say hi and threaten to bitch slap you if you didn’t come home. No answer. So we called Tyson. He said you had moved out and he didn’t know how to reach you. We searched and searched, all over the damn world, but no luck. Finally we paid Tyson a personal visit and he told us you’d been taken against your will.”

“Did you torture him?” She wasn’t mad at him, didn’t want him hurt. He’d merely been protecting himself, something she understood.

“Well…maybe a little. Not our fault, though. He wasted precious time.”

She moaned; then she pictured Bianka, black hair twisted around her head, amber eyes glowing, red lips lifted in a wicked smile, and she couldn’t help but grin. “He’s alive, though. Yes?”

“Please, girl. As if we’d lower ourselves to kill that puny little shit. I never knew what you saw in him.”

“Good. He didn’t know where I was. Not really.”

“Who took you, anyway? What’d you do to them to punish them, huh, huh? They are dead, right? Tell me they’re dead, baby girl.”

“I’ll, uh, get to that.” Truth. “Some other time.” Again, truth. “Listen,” she added before Bianka could probe too deeply, “I’m currently in Budapest, but I want to see you guys. I miss you.” There at the end, her voice cracked.

“Then come home.” Bianka had never pleaded for anything—that Gwen knew of—but she sounded ready to beg just then. “We want you home. Not knowing where you were nearly destroyed us. Mom moved out months ago ’cause we wouldn’t stop pestering her about you, so you don’t have to worry about the cold-shoulder treatment.”

That she’d kept them waiting longer than necessary…guilt rose again, hotter than before, and Gwen tumbled straight into a shame spiral. I did this. I did this to my strong, proud sister. “I don’t care about Mom.” And she didn’t. Not really. They’d never been close. “But you’re going to have to come to me. I’m with the, uh, Lords of the Underworld, and they’d like to meet you. You know, they’re the guys that are —”

“Demon-possessed?” Bianka whooped with excitement, then grew suddenly somber. “What are you doing with them? Are they the ones who took you?” There was murder in her tone.

“No. No. They’re the good guys.”

“Good guys?” She laughed. “Well, whatever they are, they aren’t your usual bag o’ fun. Unless your personality has undergone a huge overhaul this past year and a half?”

Not really. “Just…will you come?”

No hesitation. “We’re on our way, baby girl.”

CHAPTER 14

The kitchen looked as if it had been bombed. Hungry warriors were savages, Sabin thought. Before coming down, he’d texted each of them—gods, he loved technology; he’d even brought technophobe Maddox into the twenty-first century—calling a meeting at noon to discuss what the Hunters had told him about both Distrust and the boarding school for the half-human, half-immortal children, as well as the impending arrival of Gwen’s sisters.

The sisters. Tears had filled Gwen’s eyes the moment one of the Harpies had answered the phone, turning the bright gold to melted bullion. Relief, hope and sadness had played across her face, and Sabin had had to fight the urge to go to her, to wrap her in his arms, offering whatever comfort he could. Every warrior instinct he possessed had been needed to hold himself in place.

He hoped the rest of the day was easier. With a flick of his wrist, he closed the refrigerator door. Warm air instantly blanketed him. He faced Gwen, who was staring down at the marble countertops. Or maybe the stainless steel sink, perhaps wondering why so ancient a home had been modernized in some places and left to age in others.

He’d had the same thought himself upon arriving in Budapest a few months ago. He’d made some improvements since moving in, and planned to have the entire monstrosity pimped out by the end of the year. It was funny. He’d traveled all over the world, had a base of operations in many places, but this fortress had quickly become his home.

“Empty,” he announced.

Her gaze snapped to his and a moment passed before she focused. When she did, she ran a hand through her still-damp hair as though embarrassed. “I’ll be fine without food.”

“No.” No way he’d allow her to go without. For a year, she’d endured the horrors of starvation. Not one more day would she do so while in his care. Her every need was his to meet. Because he desired her help and cooperation.