Page 3 of Above Cursed Winds

“What’s happened?”

“We’ve received word that information has been stolen,” Rona said as hesitation crossed her doll-like features.

Jeremiah studied her. While he’d never held it against her, Rona and Gideon’s relationship had been rocky at first. There’d been a point when she’d fed from Gideon and inadvertently caused him to lose consciousness. Jeremiah had nearly strangled the petite woman when he’d discovered the truth. That was before he’d realized Gideon had pleaded with her to do so, and she’d saved his life only moments before.

“What stolen information? And what does it have to do with me? Can’t you happy lovebirds deal with it?”

“The list with all of our locations,” Gideon clarified. “Every immortal address that was listed in the Accords database. It was hacked and retrieved from the private computer of the Peace Accords administrator. That’s in Nero’s territory, in case you forgot, so the security should have been unbreachable.”

“Whoever this administrator is, they’re clearly incompetent. How comforting.” Jeremiah scoffed, earning glowers from both immortals opposite him. “I’m guessing our old friends, the Citizens, are stirring things up again, huh? Despite the obvious security vulnerability, how is this any different than them knowing where we live currently?”

Several years ago, a terrorist organization known as the Citizens of the Light had emerged from the human community. They touted a manifesto that glorified the extermination of all immortal life. They’d discovered Paracel and all her inhabitants, and had lured Gideon away from the stronghold to deliver a message.

No one had ever discovered how the terrorist group had known of their Search and Rescue operation, nor how they had known Gideon would be among those who were deployed. Shuddering, Jeremiah forced the flashback from his mind.

“Because while they apparently mean us—Elementals—no particular harm, they offered no such exception to every other immortal race.”

Gideon’s golden eyes leveled with Jeremiah’s, understanding passing between them. It’d been nearly three years since the Elementals had signed a universal peace treaty with the other immortal nations: the vampires, werewolves, and the Raeths.

Vampires, like the woman standing by Gideon’s side, had initially extended an offer of peace to werewolves. The werewolves and Raeths had signed along the dotted line and brought the Elementals out of seclusion to round out the races. With their addresses having been exposed to the very mortals that’d vowed to end them, each community was under phenomenal risk.

But that didn’t mean it was Jeremiah’s problem, and when he said as much, blatant puzzlement passed across his monarch’s features. Gideon’s easy-going nature dissolved as his anger roared to the surface.

“What is your problem, Jeremiah?” he snarled. “You’ve been spiraling for nearly two years now, and every other word from you is a challenge.”

Jeremiah mocked, “What’s my problem? Where do I begin?”

Admitting the truth was far more complicated than could be explained in a squalid motel room. When Gideon had been targeted two years ago, Jeremiah hadn’t been able to save him. He had stood idly by, preserving the immortal nations’ secrecy, while Gideon had been assassinated.

It didn’t matter that Gideon had somehow miraculously come back to life weeks later. Watching his best friend murdered while he was incapable of rescuing him had been horrific and damaging. The incompetence he felt coupled with guilt and grief, and the emotions had warred within him ever since. Despite having lived for centuries, he simply hadn’t been able to cope.

Across from him, Gideon looked eager to fight it out, but a displacement of air signaled the addition of a fourth member to the party. Pivoting, Jeremiah’s element stirred in response.

Deep brown eyes connected with his, an ebony eyebrow raised defiantly. “I see you’ve found the degenerate.”

Jeremiah barely resisted the urge to throttle Isaiah, the Raeth sovereign who’d mated Rukia. Standing several inches over six foot tall, his features were twisted in the same taunting smirk the man had had ever since they’d met three years ago.

“I see you’re still a prick,” Jeremiah retorted, knowing full well that his standing half-naked in a seedy motel room would undermine his position.

Rukia was head over heels in love with the man, but Jeremiah could never quite welcome the Raeth with open arms. Granted, their mating had occurred in the infamous month-and-a-half gap where Jeremiah had readily lost his sanity, but the point remained. Isaiah had taken Rukia away from Paracel at a moment when she was Jeremiah’s entire support system, and the chasm opened in their relationship had never properly healed. The Raeth seemed to actively enjoy that.

Isaiah was a jerk.

It was unfortunate they’d never found common ground, especially when their child would be calling him Uncle Jeremiah. Isaak was the only one spared by his spiteful tongue and ill will.

It didn’t hurt that the little tyke was only six months old.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jeremiah saw Gideon toss something toward him. Nabbing it out of the air, Jeremiah frowned. The yellow T-shirt was emblazoned with the words ‘IOWA: Nothing happens here.’ A receipt fluttered down between them. It was apparently a purchase he’d made last night.

“Get dressed, Jeremiah. We need to leave.”

Cursing beneath his breath, but loud enough so that none would miss it, Jeremiah shrugged on the shirt and was thankful it fit. His basketball shorts looked free of any stains.

“I’m flattered that you’ve come all this way for little old me,” Jeremiah said. “Where to, Raeth? I assume you’ve got our itinerary.”

“I’ve better things to do with my time that chase a sullen alley cat around.” Isaiah’s attention shifted to Gideon. “We’ve wasted enough time.”

Isaiah gave no additional warning before they became noncorporeal with a teleport. Capable of transporting nearly anywhere in the world on a whim, Raeths were unique amongst immortals. While each breed boasted a variety of gifts, all Raeths had some semblance of teleportation, transfiguration, and telepathy.

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