Page 120 of The Explorer
Thor’s shoulders lifted as he inhaled deeply. “I would if I could.”
Magni and Laura were waiting for us inside the mansion. It was touching to see the way Magni held Aubri in his arms and bent down his head to kiss the top of her head. “I don’t want you going back there, honey.”
“Dad, I’ll be fine.” Her words were muffled against his chest.
Laura placed her hand on his shoulder and used a soft tone. “It’s time to let go.”
Magni released Aubri and caressed her hair. “I heard about Khan’s gift to Pearl. I get why he wants to be popular with her and I can see his point that getting loyal people inside Old Europe could benefit us long term, but I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
Aubri tilted her head. “Pressured?”
“Khan told me how he convinced you to train the Explorers here, but it’s not going to be easy. Nmen don’t like being bossed around by women.”
Aubri and I exchanged a look because it was so typical of Khan to take credit for a great idea. “I’m actually happy that he convinced me,” she said with a smile. “I couldn’t join the Huntsmen or the firefighters, but this I can do.”
Laura took Aubri’s hand. “If you need support, all you have to do is ask.”
“Mm-hmm. If you want, I can come by on the first day and set the men straight.”
“Thank you, Dad, but I’d like to gain their respect without your help.”
“What about Mason and Solo? They could stop by. There are no warriors more respected than your brothers.”
“I’m aware, but I would like the people I train to respect me for my expertise and skills rather than who my family is.”
“Hmm.” Magni seemed to think about it. “We’ll talk about it when you two return in December.” Giving Aubri a last hug, he kissed her forehead. “Promise to come back in one piece.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t want to miss the chance to boss the men around.”
“Good, and you’ll take good care of her,” Magni said as he came toward me.
For someone who had experienced a drone malfunctioning and crashing, Magni had to be well aware that there were things I couldn’t protect his daughter from.
When we shook hands, he looked into my eyes. “If you need anything, you’ll let me know.”
“Thank you, sir. Actually, there’s one thing.”
“Yes?”
“The drone we fly in for our missions is old and I honestly think it would have been scrapped a long time ago in this country. I’ve thought about using my own instead, but it’s built for comfort and speed, not equipment heavy missions.”
“Hmm.” Magni grunted. “You need a Black Ghost, is that it?”
“I understand that it’s a big request, sir, but some months ago, four out of five Explorers from a different team died when their drone crashed. If there’s a way our team could have a Northlander drone, that would mean a great deal.”
Magni’s marred face scrunched up in a grimace. “Satan’s balls, why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“With the feud between you and their prime minister, I didn’t think you would want to give a drone to Old Europe. But now that Khan has agreed to sponsor a massive cleaning effort of Europe, I figured it would be worth asking for an extra drone.”
“You shall have a Black Ghost,” Magni promised. “I’ll send it as soon as I’ve sorted it out with Solo.”
“Thank you, sir.”
We exchanged a firm handshake before Laura and Magni walked us to the patio, where the French were enjoying lunch.
“Do you want to stay here while we get our things, or do you want to come with us to Victoria’s Island?” I asked Victor.
“We’ll come with you.” He nodded to the mansion and spoke to Aubri. “Dina is giving Zola a quick tour. She was curious and your sister offered.”
