Page 5 of Dark Rebel's Reckoning

The sadist who had tortured Carol had been dealt with by Dalhu, himself a former Doomer, which was poetic in a way, and Carol had not only recovered but had also turned her life around. Yet Kian's fangs still elongated at the mere mention of the vermin's name.

He pushed the thought aside, clearing his mind as best he could to deal with the situation at hand.

"Syssi had a vision about Kyra's captivity, so we expected she'd be in bad shape." Kian rubbed his jaw to loosen the tightness. "But given your description, it seems that the sedation was specifically formulated for immortals, so we might be dealing with a new kind of drug. Bridget will want to run tests."

"I hope they will improve during the flight back home," Yamanu said. "The four human girls are in better condition physically—they can at least walk with support—but they're traumatized. The question is, what do we do with them?"

Kian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Naturally, we can't leave them behind if there's even a small chance that they're Dormants. Bring them back. I'll have Julian meet you at the airstrip to check them and the Doomer for trackers. If they're clean, we will take them to the keep."

"The keep?" Yamanu sounded incredulous. "We can't take them there. We have Doomers and pedophiles in the dungeon."

Kian chuckled. "You should know that I would never put six traumatized women in the dungeon. I meant to bring them to the penthouses and the Doomer to the dungeon. Kyra can come to the village, but I want to find out what the deal is with the other five before I allow them in here."

"Of course," Yamanu said. "They need clothing. The poor things are all wearing tattered shifts and nothing else. We wrapped them in blankets so they wouldn't freeze on the way. I can call Mey and ask her to arrange for clothing and all the other things women need, and she can accompany Julian to the airstrip so the ladies can change there. The sooner they have decent clothes, the sooner they will start to heal, at least psychologically."

That was something that would've never occurred to Kian, but Yamanu's emotional intelligence far exceeded his.

"I'll talk to Mey," Syssi said. "I'll help her with the shopping."

Regarding his wife's gentle and kind face, Kian realized that the women would benefit from being greeted by someone like her. Mey was also a kind and considerate soul despite her stint as a Mossad agent. "I think it would be a good idea for the two of youto go with Julian. The females will feel less threatened if they see other women greeting them when they arrive. I'll also tell Julian to take one of the nurses with him. Maybe both."

"I'd love to help in any way I can," Syssi said.

Kian nodded. "Anything else?" he asked Yamanu.

"No, that's a wrap," the Guardian said. "I just wanted to call you before we are airborne in case you didn't want us to take the other girls. We can talk more once we are in the air."

"Call me if there is any change in their condition."

"I will."

"Safe travels." Kian ended the call and placed his phone face down on the desk.

"Five more women—one of them a likely immortal," Syssi mused. "And none of my visions hinted at that, unless I was shown Fenella and thought that it was Kyra because they look alike."

"That's possible." Kian let out a sigh. "The Fates want to keep us on our toes."

She chewed on her lower lip. "I don't like that they were all so heavily drugged. I'm worried about what was done to them."

"I'm worried as well," Kian admitted. "I'll call Julian and tell him to get the van with the portable scanner ready. We have about eighteen hours until they land at the airstrip. That's plenty of time and not enough. There is a lot of prep to be done."

Syssi pushed to her feet. "I'll call Mey, but you should also call William and have him prepare earpieces for the girls whodon't speak English. He needs to program them with Farsi and Kurdish."

"Good idea. I'll do that right away."

3

KYRA

As Kyra drifted toward awareness, she first registered the luxuriously soft warmth she was cocooned in. It felt like a down blanket, and she wondered how she knew that. She'd never enjoyed such decadent comfort—at least none she could recall. She was also lying on a narrow but surprisingly comfortable surface, with a wonderfully fluffy pillow under her cheek and the blanket tucked snugly around her shoulders.

Was this how paradise felt? Had she died and gone to heaven?

No, it couldn't be heaven. No aches and discomforts should exist in paradise, and she still felt a little dizzy, a little hazy, and a lot hungry and thirsty.

A gentle vibration under her told her that she was in a moving vehicle, and then the hum of engines supplied the other clue. She was in an airplane, and given that she was so comfortable, it had to be a first-class cabin.

Again, she wondered how she knew that.

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