Poison Tree

It also nally gave Christian the motivation he needed to focus his power, so the next time his body demanded rest, his mind went into a trance instead of to sleep. Externally, the state looked much the same, but internally, he was able to start stitching himself back together. Ruptured blood vessels closed and strengthened. Fractured bones and crushed organs regained their proper shapes and places.

All the while, Lynzi continued to slowly drip power into him so he could heal the damage, which was worse than his body had ever before sustained. He was vaguely aware when the avor of the power changed, which meant Lynzi had probably had one of her

SingleEarth underlings come in to feed her.

The power sustaining him spiked, like a shock of static electricity. Those “underlings” are responsible for saving your life, Lynzi remarked, reading his thoughts. You might want to consider that.

Right. Have they found Alysia?

Not yet, Lynzi answered. Once you’re recovered enough to actual y talk, I expect you to explain everything.

Sure.

She had to know he was lying, but she let it slide.

An intrusion of fear and anger pushed him out of his trance. Pure wrath had just walked through the door.

His eyes flickered open, but it took several seconds for them to focus. And then …

He knew that mouth, those eyes, those cheekbones. The way she would pout and expect the world on a platter, and— Damn her. Did she have any idea—

Pandora would not approve, but he didn’t care. He let the fury well through him as he reached for the tiger, a hand locking around her throat and power digging into her guts so he could drag the energy from her.

Her body spasmed, but he knew that her throat would be too tight for her to scream.

He could ignore Lynzi’s shout, but he couldn’t ignore Sahara’s reaction, which was to change shape from a beautiful woman to a form of fur and muscle—a form that included sharp teeth and claws that ripped into Christian’s shoulder and chest, forcing him to let her go.The instant he released her, she let herself fall back into human form.

They both ignored Lynzi frantically shouting their names—well, not her name, not really.

Sahara coughed once and rubbed her throat before saying, “Just like old times.”

One hand over the bleeding claw marks in his shoulder, Christian waved Lynzi back and answered, “Not just like.” He had pulled enough power out of Sahara before she forced him to stop that he was able to keep the new wounds from bleeding, but he couldn’t do more.

Still, it was enough to make his point. He wasn’t the same human kid she had known six years earlier.

“Are you all right?” Sahara asked, at the same moment that he demanded, “Where’s

Alysia?”

Lynzi tried to intercede, saying, “Christian, I told you—”

Sahara cut her off, asking, “She’s not here?”

She wasn’t feigning ignorance. Her skin paled and her breath hitched as the only other possibility occurred to her. If Alysia wasn’t in the hospital, then she had to be with the person who had o ered the money to abduct her. Sahara’s presence here made it damn clear who that was.

“Lynzi, Christian and I have to go,” she said.

“I think we need to talk,” Lynzi replied. “And Christian shouldn’t—”

“I’ll be fine,” Christian interrupted. “Sahara, come on.”

“Absolutely not,” Lynzi objected, grabbing his arm.

Christian could feel the crackle of her power like static electricity. He knew that given his current weakened state, she could take him down in an instant.

“It’s okay, Lynzi,” Sahara said, reassuring the witch with a soft tone and a forced smile.

“Christian and I have … a history. His reaction is understandable. And he’s right that I need to go with him. I can’t explain now, but I will call as soon as I can.”

Lynzi stared at Sahara, hearing every half-truth in her words, Christian was certain—

especially the bit about I wil cal as soon as I can. Sahara had no intention of calling.

“If it’s your choice to leave, Sarik, then I won’t hold you here.”

She released Christian’s arm reluctantly, not entirely withdrawing her power until the last moment. He stood, and Sahara came to his side. He looped an arm over her shoulders, and she wrapped one around his waist, as if six years hadn’t passed since the last time they had leaned against each other, concealing exhaustion and weakness under a veneer of companionship.

Each step hurt, but Christian trusted that he could keep his body under control long enough to find out whether Alysia was safe.

“Does Kral have Alysia?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Sahara answered, “but if she isn’t here, then I’m afraid it’s likely.”

“What are you going to do?” His instinct was to haul Sahara back to her father, trussed like a Thanksgiving turkey, but in his current state, he had to hope she didn’t plan to ght him.

“I have to face my father,” she said in a small voice.

If that was her plan, then she would come with him willingly.

“I need to make a call,” he said as they reached the reception room, where a very stern, disapproving secretary saw him and instantly started forward with a frown that made him realize he was wearing a hospital gown. Given the damage his body had sustained, he suspected his clothes were not in any shape for him to put back on.

“That’s fine,” Sahara answered. “I need to—”

Ignoring Sahara for the moment, Christian forestalled the secretary’s protest by catching her hand and shoving the thought into her head: There’s no problem here. It was about as subtle as he could be right now.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” Sahara said while Christian dealt with the now utterly bewildered secretary.

He didn’t like letting her walk away, but she wasn’t going toward an exit. He kept an eye on the hall she would need to pass through if she wanted to ee. Meanwhile, the secretary graciously brought him behind the desk and handed him her cell phone, since, like his clothes, his own phone was probably useless.

He dialed and a surly female voice answered, “Yeah?”

“You owe me one hell of a favor,” he informed the leader of Crimson. He had seen the explosion coming an instant before she had, giving him just enough time to shove the burgundy-haired human out of the way and take the brunt of the blast himself.

“Christian,” Ravyn replied flatly. “You’re alive.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed.”

“I hate owing people favors,” she answered, “but I’m good for this one. Which girl do you want me to retrieve, and in how many pieces do you want the tiger?”

Speaking of tigers, Sahara had just returned to the lobby and was walking toward him.

“I’ve …”

Christian trailed o , because Sahara wasn’t alone. What the hel ? He stared at the two children with her. How old were they? Aside from a few twisted individuals like Kral, few members of Bruja exposed their children to their work, if they had children at all. As a result, Christian had little experience judging the ages of little people.

“Frost?” Ravyn asked. “You still there?”

“Get Alysia,” he said. “I have the tigers. Tiger.”

He had to brace himself on the edge of the counter as he stood. He dropped the phone and didn’t bother to pick it up. He really hoped Sahara wasn’t planning to put up a ght, because he wasn’t entirely sure he could win against even the toddler-sized kid with her.

Kids with Mistari features, obvious Mistari blood.