Mia looked up at him. “I have shared as much of myself as I dare, Ted. Any more, I won’t survive. Orion won’t be able to pull me through again.”
“Wait, I need to go to one more place,” Ted pleaded.
She nodded her head, and she let him pull her backwards through time and into the hollow, of all places.
“Hey, Mia, wait up,” Ted called, running up to her and Murphy. “So, we have to leave tonight. I wonder if I can get a hug, a phone number and maybe a picture of Murphy?” Ted asked, his face full of love.
Mia turned and looked at Ted. “So how did I miss this?”
“It’s Ted Martin at his best. I got your phone number, didn’t I?”
Mia laughed. “You big bozo, you would have saved me so much heartache had you declared yourself then.”
“You were one foot in the sack with my boss.”
Mia laughed. “And I wouldn’t have experienced that thing.”
“Okay, I need to see that thing,” Ted said, pulling Mia on.
She dug in her heels. “No.”
Ted looked down at her, and she was every bit the ice queen, if ice queens had black, tattooed feathers moving on their backs.
“You don’t want me to witness you in love with Burt, do you?”
“No, I don’t think you should see me making love to Burt. That’s private.”
“Okay, I understand. Mia, I am not perfect, but now I understand how you feel. You have to open up and tell me. Don’t shut down because you feel it will keep the peace and get us further down the road.”
“Tell me, what are you feeling right now?”
“Mia, I was there watching when you fell in love with Burt and when Whitney took you from me. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Angelo, Sariel or anyone else take you from me again. I’m not going to let that happen.”
Mia put her hands on her hips. “So you’re staying?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all night. You’re a hard lady to convince.”
Mia pulled him gently out of her mind. It took a moment for both of them to transition to being in separate minds.
Ted lifted her chin. “I promise I won’t leave you, Mia, if you promise to come home to me.”
“I promise.”
“Are we good? Is there anything else?”
“I told Angelo in person why I let Sariel train me.”
“How’d he take it?”
“I think he appreciated it.”
“You know he’s just more smitten now,” Ted said, irritated. “I’m not going to wake up on the business end of a set of talons, am I?”
“No because I would kill him. Ed taught me how,” Mia said proudly.
“You would kill Angelo?”
“If he came between you and me I would.”
“Whoa.”
“Forgive me for my moments of insecurity,” Mia pleaded.
“If you forgive mine,” Ted said.
Mia nodded.
“So we are of one mind,” Ted said. “Kind of sinister.”
“I like sinister,” Mia said, standing up.
“One day, I’ll let you in my mind. I have to clean out the porn first,” Ted said.
Mia laughed. “I’d like that. I want to get to know the young Ted. I want to know the boy that grew into this amazing man.”
“I am amazing, aren’t I?”
“And modest,” Mia pointed out.
“Well, one has to be,” he said. He lay down and waited for Mia to lay down before he spooned her. “Thank you, Mia. Please don’t hold it in. No more misunderstandings.”
“Yes, Teddy Bear,” Mia said in a sleepy voice.
He drew her in close and let himself fall asleep.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Mia dressed for battle. Ted and she left Brian in Audrey’s capable hands. Murphy followed the couple, curious. Ted pulled the truck out before the hungover males could protest.
“Where is your grandfather?” Ted asked.
“Orion is out drawing power. He is going to stay here and protect Brian,” Mia said.
“Are you sure you don’t want us to wait for the others?”
“I’m afraid that one of them could get hurt. If not by the elemental, by me swinging this damn sword.”
“Mia, you don’t have to do this. We can call Angelo. I’m sure…”
“I have a feeling that this is a test. Fate has been herding me, interfering with us. It’s time to go on the offensive. That negative elemental has to be brought down. It’s not just my pride. It’s for Mark.”
Ted nodded. “What’s your plan?”
“I’m going to enter the house, search the upstairs, and try to draw out the elemental.”
“Not alone.”
“Maybe.”
“No, Murphy or I go in too.”
“Okay.”
“You’re not fighting me?”
Mia smiled. “I trust you to know the right thing to do, Red Leader.”
“What happens when you find it?’
“I’m going to ask it to leave voluntarily. If it doesn’t, I’ll have to kill it.”
Ted backed the truck into the rutted drive. Mia waited until Ted connected with the internet, and Jake was brought online. Mia placed an earcom inside her ear. She caught movement behind them. She walked out and greeted Murphy. “Glad you’re here.” She explained what Orion had asked her to do.
“You’ve never intentionally killed anything before, Mia.”
“I know. That’s why I’m going to give it a chance.”
“What if you can’t kill it?”
“You or Orion will have to. It’s important that Mark no longer has this thing whispering to him at night.”
Murphy nodded. He touched her face, noting the swollen eyes. “You’ve been crying.”
“Yes, but everything is fine now.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want to have to kill Ted.”
“I heard that,” Ted called out of the truck.
Murphy winked at Mia.
Orion landed on Mia’s shoulder as a hummingbird.
“Gee, I was hoping for something a little more substantial,” she teased. “Don’t you have any pterodactyl in your repertoire?”
The bird looked at Mia a moment before flying towards the cottage to watch over Brian.
“Teddy Bear, time to go in,” she said.
“Wait,” he said. He ran out and slid a tiny camera on the front and the back of her scabbard. “Meet Pete and Repeat. They will help me to help you, Mia.”
Mia reached out, and Ted hugged her. She kissed him. “For luck,” she said. She waited until Ted was in the trailer before
