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  “No shit.” Dage’s gaze narrowed. “You’re so great with anger.”

  Jase flashed his most smart-assed grin. If Dage needed to pick on Jase in order to keep from yelling at Janie, then so be it. “I’m a rock star when it comes to anger, now, aren’t I?”

  Dage growled low. “You sure you want to do this here?”

  Why the hell not? “I’m sure.” Adrenaline and anticipation lit through Jase’s veins. He and his older brother had been circling each other for months, and it was time.

  Talen shoved open the door. “The last Kurjan didn’t have a line on Garrett.” He glanced from Dage to Jase and then back to Dage. “Now is not the time.”

  “Then get the hell out.” Jase kept his gaze on Dage.

  Thus he didn’t see Talen lunge for him. The air moved, and Talen lifted him against the wall. He impacted with the sound of bricks hitting together. Pain lanced down his spine.

  Talen leaned his furious face in close. “My son is probably being tortured by the enemy right now. So if you wouldn’t mind forgetting your own problems temporarily, I sure could use some help.”

  Jase swallowed. He’d tried to convince himself Garrett was fine, but that was unlikely. Reality was a sucker punch tinged with shame. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  Talen dropped him.

  His feet hit the hard tile, and he tightened his knees to keep his balance. “Do you want me to try with the remaining Kurjan?”

  “He’s dead.” Talen eyed Dage. “You all right now?”

  “Yes.” Dage rubbed a hand down his face. “I have messages out to every contact we have—even those not aligned with our people. If anybody has a line on Garrett, we’ll hear about it.”

  Jase’s hands shook, so he shoved them in his pockets. He’d been lost for five years, regardless of the king’s contacts. “Our only good contact is Janie. She can reach Kalin in that weird dreamworld of hers.”

  Talen rounded on him. “You’re not suggesting we trade her?”

  “Of course not.” Jase glanced at Dage, his mind spinning. Dage was one of the few people on the planet who could maneuver between space and time to end up somewhere else. “You can teleport. Is there any way you could get into Janie’s world and find Garrett?”

  Thoughts chased across Dage’s face before he finally shook his head. “I could probably get into the dream, but I have to know where I’m going to teleport. If Kalin doesn’t tell Janie where he is, I won’t know where to go.”

  If Kalin would tell Janie, they didn’t need a teleporter. They could go and attack. Jase sighed. “I’m out of ideas.”

  A quiet knock sounded on the door, and Janie poked her head inside. “I have an idea.”

  “No.” Talen grabbed his daughter for a hug. “Whatever it is, the answer is no.”

  She leaned back. “We need to do an exchange. Me for Garrett. I’m more valuable to the Kurjans than he is.”

  Talen shook his head. “You want me to exchange one of my children for the other? I can’t do that.”

  “They won’t hurt me.” Janie looked toward Dage for support. “We can set a trap for them—as soon as we find Garrett.”

  “No.” Dage backed up Talen. “A trap would still result in gunfire. It’s too risky and not only for you. It’s too risky for Garrett. The second Kalin suspects a trap, he’ll kill Garrett.”

  Jase rubbed his chin. “I have a crazy thought.”

  “We could use crazy,” Talen muttered.

  “What do you know about Brenna and the winter solstice?” Jase asked Dage.

  Dage shrugged. “Just that the Pagurus Comet will be close enough to mess with the atmosphere on a molecular level. Legend has it Brenna will be able to stop time during that moment.”

  “Stop time?” Jase asked. “Is that possible?”

  “Don’t know. There are a lot of myths about Brenna, the comet, and the solstice. One says she’ll be able to harness the power of the sun and blow up the universe.” Dage sighed. “I’m not sure any of them are true.”

  “Wouldn’t she have a clue?” Talen asked.

  “Not necessarily,” Dage said. “Since she’s been so ill, any hints of additional power remained latent. She’s been slowly dying for ten years. So who the hell knows?”

  “If she’s that powerful, do you think she could find Garrett?” Jase asked.

  Dage’s forehead wrinkled. “I don’t know.” He grimaced. “In fact, I don’t see how. But maybe you two should start working on the possibility. See what she can do now that she’s healing.”

  Jase nodded and headed for the hallway. So far all she could do was blow things up. Even if she couldn’t find Garrett, they needed to get her skills under control before her powers expanded.

  Maybe she would be able to blow up the universe.

  Chapter 20

  Brenna searched for a portion of undamaged tile to spread out the papers. Sitting in Jase’s smoldering living room, she punched in keys on the laptop. Who knew there were so many websites dedicated to the comet? And to her?

  She should’ve paid closer attention to Henry about Brenna’s Warriors. His website didn’t mention her by name, but he was otherwise thorough. With a sigh, she pressed her cell phone to her ear.

  “Brenna?” Hope filled his crackly voice.

  “Hi, Henry.” Not in a million years would she have thought she’d ever call him. “I suppose it’d be silly for me to ask you how you recognized this as my phone number.”

  “Very silly.” Henry snorted. “I’ve been studying you for over three months—ever since we discovered the comet was coming back. Early belief dictated a millennium would pass before Pagurus flew close enough to mess with matter, and we were wrong. Way wrong.”

  “I should’ve paid closer attention to your research.” But seriously? A comet?

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” His voice rose in pitch. “But don’t worry, I’m prepared. We still have time to mate so I can save you.”

  She stilled. “Save me? Save me from what?”

  “Brenna, for Pete’s sake, don’t you ever listen?” He huffed out a breath. “The power unleashed will overload you. Your only chance is for your mate to counter the effects, which is why you need to mate a witch. A powerful one.”

  Panic had her hands seeking some of the papers. “Not true. Conn can counter Moira’s powers sometimes. He’s a vampire.”

  “They’ve been mated for over a hundred years. It took that long for a vampire to learn how to alter matter. You don’t have a hundred years.” The sound of a computer keyboard tapping filtered across the line. “I’ll come to you.”

  “I mated a vampire.” She’d thought it was to save her life. Irony sucked.

  Henry gasped like an old man losing at poker. “Tell me you’re joking.”

  “No. I mated Jase Kayrs.” Just saying his name spiraled heat into her abdomen.

  “Bugger that.” Henry sighed loudly. “Well, your only hope now is not to allow the power in. It would’ve been fun to discover your abilities.”

  Hope lifted her chin. “I can block the overload?”

  “Sure. Especially since you’re probably already gaining strength from mating a Kayrs. You have to block the power now. So sad.”

  “Wait a minute. My sister is an enforcer—she contained my errant plasma balls yesterday.” Brenna wondered where Moira had gone—they needed to talk.

  “One witch won’t be able to help you. Either a mate who can quickly sync with your powers, or a whole barn of witches . . . maybe. That might not even be enough.” Henry clicked more keys. “I’m emailing you all the research I’ve done on the comet and your birth. I wish you had listened to me. Who knows what we could’ve done on the solstice.” The phone clicked.

  “Henry?” The damn witch had hung up on her. A second later, her email dinged. Figured he’d have her email address. Her private email address. She opened the document and started scanning.

  The front door opened and Jase stepped inside. He
glanced down and then stomped out a smoldering tile. “How’s it going?”

  “Great.” She perched her glasses up her nose, irritation swirling through her that she still needed them. When would her eyesight return? “I’m learning about the comet and the solstice.” Now was not the time to talk about the amazing orgasm he’d forced on her before deserting her.

  His eyebrows rose. “Great minds think alike, apparently.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not sure, but if you’re going to have incredible powers for a night, I thought we could find a way to locate Garrett.” Jase frowned at the ocean as dawn slowly arrived. “What happened to my window?”

  “You pissed me off.” Old news. They had more pressing matters to deal with. “How might I locate Garrett?”

  “I’m still working the idea out. What have you learned?”

  She’d learned that if she tried to harness the comet’s powers, she’d probably short-circuit her heart and die, and that was the best-case scenario. Worst case—she’d let off an atomic bomb wherever she stood. “I’m still compiling data.”

  “Good.” Jase sat on the floor and popped his neck. “Can I help?”

  “Maybe.” The guy was strong and used to have amazing powers. Perhaps he could help her contain the altering matter. She held out her hand and re-formed the oxygen into fiery plasma. She trembled with the effort of containing the matter, but she was finally relearning control. “Can you snuff this out?”

  Jase frowned and eyed the weapon. “With my hands?”

  “No. With either your own plasma ball or by harnessing the oxygen in the room.” If her powers were returning, it seemed likely his would, as well.

  He shrugged and zeroed in on the ball.

  Nothing happened.

  He grunted. “Guess not.” Irritation showed in his copper eyes. “There’s a chance I’ll never regain the ability, Bren. Sad but true.”

  Yeah, but she needed him to regain it soon. “I won’t be able to contain all the power from the comet.”

  His eyebrows rose. “How so?”

  “Too much, too fast.” She sighed.

  “There wasn’t a problem when you were born.”

  “I know. But I didn’t try to harness the comet’s power when I was born. I’d like to try now.” Without safeguards, she couldn’t put the entire world in jeopardy. Who knew? A month ago she was frailer than a human, and soon she might hold humankind in her hand.

  The plasma ball zinged toward Jase.

  He ducked.

  The fire left a fist-sized hole in the front door.

  Brenna gulped air. “Oops.” Humankind was in for a burning if she failed to learn to control her powers. “Some of the research I read makes it seem like my lack of control isn’t merely due to being without power for a decade. Some of this craziness is because the comet is coming closer.”

  Jase eyed his damaged door. “That makes an ironic kind of sense. Does the research say how you’re supposed to contain this new power?”

  “Only that my mate should be able to help, if my mate is a witch.” She frowned, wanting to give him the full truth. He deserved honesty. “You’re not a witch.”

  “No shit.” He pushed off from the floor. “I’ll go talk to Conn to find out if he has any tips.”

  Good plan. “If we can’t figure something out, I’ll need to go home for the solstice.”

  “You are home.”

  She shook her head. “No, I mean closer to the members of the Coven Nine. They’re the most powerful witches in existence, and if anybody can help me contain the power, they can.” That way maybe she could still try to find Garrett before it was too late.

  Jase’s chin rose. “We’ll discuss the matter after I speak with Conn.”

  “You can discuss all you want. Talking doesn’t change the facts.” Ignoring the stubborn vampire, she turned back to the research. There had to be a solution somewhere.

  Just as Jase opened the door, Emma Kayrs stepped inside with a sheaf of papers in her hands.

  Brenna stood up to meet the queen. “Are those the newest results on my blood?”

  “Yes.” Emma’s eyes widened as she took in the destroyed room and glassless wall of windows. “Your blood is the same.”

  Brenna coughed. “That’s impossible. Look at what I’ve already done.”

  “I can’t explain it.” Emma stepped gingerly over a chunk of ash.

  “The planekite is just as present in your blood as the poison was five years ago.”

  Well, that explained the still-crappy vision. “How is that possible?”

  “The power from the comet and the solstice,” Jase said grimly. “Apparently Pagurus is a bigger deal than we thought.”

  Darn it. She should’ve paid better attention to Henry and all of his claims. “Does this mean after the solstice, I’m still going to die?”

  “No,” Jase growled. “This just means it takes time for a vampire mating to take full effect. You’re going to live to see thousands of years. I promise.”

  That was a promise the vampire couldn’t make or keep. “We both were injured, both damaged, when we mated. Maybe we’re unable to save each other.” She sat back down amongst her papers, her mind spinning. What if on the solstice she could save him for good? If Kane was correct and she would be able to alter matter and unbind a virus, maybe she could somehow help Jase. Help unbind whatever was constraining his natural gifts. Return his powers to him?

  Of course, she’d need to heal him without blowing up the world.

  Emma sighed and handed the papers to Jase. “I’m still hopeful the mating will help you both. Sometimes it takes more than a couple of days, you two. Give it time.”

  Time was exactly what they lacked.

  Brenna nodded. “I agree.” She dusted off her hands. “How are the repairs on headquarters coming along?”

  Emma shrugged. “I’m sure they’re fine. I’ve been in the infirmary patching up wounded vampires—who are all cranky but going to mend.” Lines of stress darkened the circles under her eyes. “So far nobody has an idea of where Garrett is.”

  “We’ll find him,” Jase said softly.

  “I know.” The queen kicked a piece of ceiling tile out of her way. “I’m going to go check on my sister. Cara isn’t holding up very well right now. Understandably.”

  “Neither is Talen.” Jase rubbed a hand through his hair. “Well, shit, none of us are. We have to find him.”

  Agony flashed in his dark eyes, and Brenna fought the urge to soothe him. He didn’t want her help. So she cleared her throat. “What about Jase’s blood? Is anything different?”

  Emma shook her head. “His blood never changed—although his skills did.”

  Brenna frowned. “How does that make sense?”

  Emma eyed Jase and shrugged. “Don’t know. It’s not a physical issue.” With a sympathetic grimace, the queen disappeared into the early morning.

  Brenna sat up. “It’s psychological?” She hadn’t even considered that possibility.

  “So they tell me.” His jaw snapped shut.

  “Jase, if you can break through your block and help me harness the power, maybe there’s a way we can find Garrett.” But how? Would she have enough power to become psychic? Reverse time? Send out a missive to the freakin’ universe for help?

  Her shoulders slumped. “I should’ve been learning about this entire situation.”

  “You were trying to save your life.” He shook his head. “Don’t look back, Bren. There’s only forward.”

  Why did his little nickname for her give her special tingles? God, she was pathetic. He’d made it clear as glass they were friends and had mated to save both their butts. “You’re never going to fall in love with me, are you?”

  His head jerked. “What?”

  Some would call her stupid for shining light on the issue. But it felt brave. “I have to know. Is there a chance?”

  He blinked several times. “Brenna, you know I like you—”r />
  She held up a hand. “Good enough.” Could she be a bigger moron? So they’d had crazy vampire sex and she’d orgasmed like there was no tomorrow. So little Brenna Dunne had caught one of the most eligible bachelors on earth. So she could tell he was a great guy with a lot to give.

  He didn’t want to give.

  She felt like a pathetic reality-television star who didn’t get the guy. But curling up and bawling about it wasn’t going to help anybody. It sure as heck wouldn’t help find Garrett or help her mutate Virus-27. If she had the chance to save all witches and vampire mates from the damn illness, she needed to do it and stop worrying about her crush. “Forget it. Right now, we need to figure out a way for you to curtail the comet’s power.” She’d help him get his nephew back safely, and then she’d go home. Alone.

  Jase blew out air. “I need to break through my mental block, if that’s really what’s holding me back.”

  Admiration welled inside Brenna. The guy didn’t want to look inside his own head, but to save his nephew, he’d suffer. What would Jase’s love for a woman feel like? Probably all-encompassing and secure. “How do you break through?”

  He grimaced. “I go back to Lily.”

  Chapter 21

  Jase took a moment to relax his shoulders before knocking on the prophet’s door. She opened before he could knock.

  “Come on in.” Long skirts swished as she gestured him toward one of the dainty chairs, the scent of strawberries wafting around.

  His feet wanted to drag. Yet he forced himself to cross the room and sit. The sound of the door shutting made him jump. His hands shook. This was such a bad idea.

  Lily sat across from him and smiled. “You’re brave to want to be hypnotized, although I think we should just talk. Your memories are all accessible.” Steam rose from a cup of floral tea next to her, and in her long skirt, she looked like a lady from centuries ago. One who shouldn’t be exposed to the reality of his life.

  He pressed the fine armrests to stand up. “This is a bad idea.”

  She patted his hand, her skin so pale and delicate. “You can do this.”

  “I know.” How did he explain? “I don’t think you should, I mean, you—”