Page 70 of Dark Rebel's Reckoning

"Not nervous the way you might think," she said. "I've led missions before." Her expression sobered. "I'm more worried about what happens after we find them. What if my sisters don't believe me? What if they reject me? What if they choose to stay behind?"

"Then we'll deal with it," he said, holding her gaze. "Whatever happens, Kyra, you're not alone in this. You have Jasmine. You have the girls. You have the clan." He hesitated, then added, "And you have me."

44

KYRA

The doorbell rang at precisely four o'clock, jolting Kyra from thinking about the kiss she'd shared with Max earlier on the terrace.

She didn't remember being a teenager, but given the household she'd been raised in, her first kiss must have been in college, and it had probably been with Boris who had later become her husband. That meant that she had only been with one man voluntarily.

"That must be Bridget." Jasmine pushed to her feet, leaving her newly discovered cousins huddled on the couch.

She opened the door to a tiny redhead in high heels and a curve-hugging dress. The only indicators of her profession were her determined stride and confident gaze.

Perhaps she was going out on a date once she completed her examinations, or maybe she had chosen not to exhibit any outer signs of her profession because she'd heard what the girls had been through at the hands of the fake doctor.

If so, it was a smart move, but the four-inch shoes were still a bit excessive.

Jasmine embraced her like an old friend, towering over the petite woman even though she was barefoot. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course." Bridget's gaze swept over the room, taking in its occupants with a healer's assessing eye. "Hello everyone. I'm Bridget." Her gaze landed on Kyra and she smiled. "You must be Kyra. You look so much like Jasmine that I would have known the two of you were related no matter where I met you."

Kyra stood up and took the doctor's outstretched hand. "Thank you for coming." She gave her a gentle shake, modulating her strength out of habit before remembering that the doctor was an immortal and not nearly as fragile as her tiny frame suggested. "I know that it usually would have been Julian's job to do the testing, but my nieces will be so much more comfortable with a female doctor."

"Of course." Bridget's gaze shifted to the girls.

Four pairs of wary eyes looked back at her, their expressions ranging from Arezoo's carefully neutral mask to Laleh's barely concealed fear.

None of them spoke even though they had their translating earpieces on.

Kyra hoped the doctor had them too, but it was impossible to see her ears under the mass of her red hair. It was enviably gorgeous, and Kyra subconsciously smoothed a hand over her unruly waves which she never bothered to style.

Perhaps after she was done being a rebel, she could devote more time to her appearance. It would be nice to focus on such trivialities for a change instead of survival.

Bridget seemed unfazed by their silence. "I originally planned on conducting the tests here, but we will be so much more comfortable in the clinic in the underground complex. I brought Gertrude with me, and she's setting everything up." She smiled at the girls, who were sitting on the couch in sweatpants and hoodies, and socks on their feet. "No need to change, but I suggest you put shoes on."

"Why can't we do this here?" Arezoo's voice was sharp with sudden alarm, reflecting how the other three felt about leaving the penthouse.

Kyra should have anticipated this reaction. Of course, they wouldn't want to leave their newfound sanctuary, especially not to go to another medical facility, no matter how nice the doctor who ran it was.

"The clinic is much better equipped than what's available to me in a portable kit, which means we can be done faster."

Donya shook her head, shrinking back into the couch cushions. "I don't want to go anywhere."

Laleh nodded, clinging to her older sister.

Kyra approached them and crouched down to be at eye level with the seated girls. "I understand why you're hesitant, but this is important, and the clinic is only a short elevator ride away."

The girls exchanged glances, that silent communication that sisters seemed to master from an early age, but none of themindicated that they were ready to go. It was like they were bound to the couch by some magic spell.

It suddenly occurred to Kyra that it wasn't just the clinic they feared—it was leaving this safe space, this sanctuary, to go anywhere. After what they'd endured, the idea of venturing into unknown territory, even within the same building, triggered their survival instincts.

These girls needed psychological help that Kyra wasn't equipped to provide. She was a rebel fighter, not a counselor. She knew how to protect people from physical threats, but the invisible wounds of trauma were beyond her expertise.

Still, she had to convince them somehow that it was okay. They were wasting Bridget's valuable time.

"I know you're scared," she said, steadying her voice. "But I promise you, there is nothing to fear in the underground levels of this building. They're even more secure than this penthouse. No one outside even knows the underground complex exists, let alone how to get there. Only the people who rescued you and want to help you have access to it."

---