“I have to say this room is amazing and look.” Malachi pointed to the right where the ceiling was clear and everyone could see the ocean around them. “I do believe our granddaughter’s friend is keeping an eye on her.”

  Cassidy looked over to where he was pointing and smiled. “You can see Turell, too, and his family on the other side. Yes, our others always know where we are down here. If you look up there in the middle, those are seashells crushed together, forming part of the walls. I used to slip in here when no one was around and just stare at the different shells, and the creatures swimming around. That is when I saw Mastif, and we connected. I was about nine. I was still having really bad nightmares, but connecting with him, it was as if he…” A tear slid down her cheek.

  Krill wiped it away. “Hey now, would Mastif want to see you crying? Look, even Turell can feel your sadness.”

  Sure, Turell had moved closer to the wall, watching. Cassidy laughed as the big whale spun around.

  “The big jerk. I’ll be fine, my friend,” she whispered as a couple Malachi hadn’t seen came over, standing in front of their table. The woman held a gift in her hand. Cassidy jumped up and leaned over, hugging the woman tight. “Oh my god, when did you get here? Why the hell haven’t you called?”

  The woman hugged her back. “We’ve been on the other side of the world, lady. Kind of hard to get word to you. Now, introduce us to your mates.”

  Cassidy sat back in her seat. “Malachi, this is one of my best friends, Sarah Seahorse, and her mate, Anthony. Sarah and I used to run around here together. And I believe you know Krill, right?” Cassidy asked as the woman’s eyes got big.

  “Well damn. You always did have a thing for him,” Sarah said.

  Cassidy reached over and smacked her. “That was a secret, lady.”

  Sarah placed the small box in front of Cassidy. “I’ve waited for this day to give you this.”

  “Sarah, you didn’t have to get me anything,” Cassidy said, opening the box.

  “Didn’t you get me something for my joining?” Sarah waved her hand.

  Cassidy lifted the box lid. Tears filled her eyes as she reached in and took out a hand-blown glass whale. “Remember when we found some of his teeth? I know you lost your necklace a while ago, but I had mine. That is his. Something from him for you.”

  The piece was breathtaking. Malachi swore the whale actually seemed to move in the water that was around it. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s stunning.”

  “In one of the cities we went to, there was a gentleman who could make anything come to life. Anthony bought me something, and I knew I had to see if he could make Mastif. It was not long after he was killed, and I know how much he meant to you,” Sarah said.

  “You are an amazing friend, and I can’t thank you enough,” Cassidy said, hugging her.

  Nessa, Faith, Maria, and Kat came over to see the piece.

  “God, Mom, it looks just like him and even has the scar from the shark he tangled with,” Nessa pointed out.

  “I take it this man is in a city down here?” Maria asked, and Sarah nodded. “Well, crap. I’d love to have a piece made for my daughter and son-in-law.”

  As the women all started to talk, Malachi moved around the table, meeting Xfra, Gordon, and Reese. “Well, what is the news?”

  “Three here are infected. I’m afraid Barry is one of them, but I don’t think he has been infected long so I’m hoping we can help him,” Xfra said.

  “My grandson?” Hugh said. “I had no idea. Does Cassidy…”

  “Yes, checking him was her idea.” Krill ran his hand through his hair and glanced toward their woman. “This is going to hurt her badly. Do you think it will bring out the nightmares she used to have?”

  “It might, especially since she’ll demand to be there when Barry is healed.” Hugh scanned the room, and his gaze landed on Barry who was talking to a woman. “I would like my grandson healed now, if you can do it. The longer those things are in him, the harder it will be on Barry. As it is, this is going to kill him, to know he hurt his mother.”

  Cassidy glanced over at him, and Malachi knew in that moment she knew the truth. “Excuse me, gentlemen,” he said, moving to Cassidy. She met him halfway. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and pulled her into his arms. She silently cried into his chest.

  Hugh and Xfra moved toward Barry. The minute Barry looked up, Malachi could see the hate in his eyes, but Xfra and Hugh escorted him out of the room in seconds.

  “Where did they go,” she asked.

  “Most likely to your father’s office,” he told her. “Why don’t we slip out of here now. By the time we get there, Xfra will have the things out of him. I think he is going to need his mom.”

  Krill and Malachi escorted Cassidy out of the hall, heading toward her father’s office. Outside, her whales followed them down the long hall.

  Chapter Nine

  Her heart had not hurt so badly since the time she had seen the worm-like creatures coming out of her daughter. She had hoped and prayed each night that those things wouldn’t touch her life again, but they had, hurting her children, and there was not a damn thing Cassidy could do about it.

  I’ll be fine my friend, just worried about my young one, she sent to her whale friend Turell, and at once Cassidy felt the love come to her from them all. She would never take for granted her connection to her animal friends.

  Malachi slipped his hand into hers. “I have to tell you, you have given this old geezer something I will treasure always, my Little Whirlwind.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

  “Old geezer, please. You look like…wait. How old are you?” she asked, giving him a second look, knowing her kind stopped aging at a young age. Hell, she was fifty-six. Thank goodness her parents were immortal, too, because Cassidy would have gone crazy without them.

  “Oh, my lady, I do believe we will save that for another time,” he teased as they arrived at her father’s door. That’s when she heard her son scream.

  She legs threatened to give out, at hearing the pain in his voice.

  “You ready, Cass?” Krill asked, as both of them held onto her.

  She nodded, afraid to say anything as Krill opened the door. Stumbling back, she lost her balance. The memories and the pain all came back as she dropped to her knees.

  “Momma.” At Barry’s call to her, Cassidy looked up to see Turell staring at her through the plastic, and she swore the big lug had a tear in his eyes. She placed her hand on the clear wall.

  “I know, my friend. I know,” Cassidy said, standing. At once, the floor was clean and Malachi was handing her a wet towel. Krill handed her a bottle of water. Yes, both of her men were something.

  Wiping her face down, and taking the water, Cassidy leaned on her men, needing them right now as they made their way back in the room. The long wormlike creatures that Xfra had pulled out of her son were gone.

  “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have seen that. Good news, though, your son is fully healed inside,” Xfra said.

  Cassidy wrapped her arms around the tall man. “Thank you. I will forever be in your debt.”

  “We all will,” Hugh said, holding out his hand as she stepped back into Malachi’s embrace.

  “You owe me nothing. You all have been so gracious to my mate when we know it’s hard on all of you. You are family, no matter what happens.” Xfra glanced at Barry who had his eyes closed. “It will take him a few days before he is up and moving around.”

  Cassidy sat down on the edge of the couch and brushed the hair out of her son’s face. “You need a trim,” she said, and he smiled, opening his eyes. There were tears in them, and it broke her heart.

  “I’m so, so sorry, Momma,” he said, squeezing her arm.

  “There is nothing to be sorry about. It wasn’t you and I know what it’s like to have those things in you,” she whispered.

  “You remember?” His eyes got big.

  “I remember parts of it, but you rest, and we’ll talk later. Xfra, could I ask one more favor?” Cassidy turned to him; already Barry was gone, and she knew he had sent him to his room. “Thank you again. If you will excuse me, I’m going to make sure my son doesn’t need anything.” Cassidy moved to leave the room when Xfra asked what she was dreading.

  “Would you tell us what you remember? I don’t want to pry as Faith said I do,” Xfra asked.

  “Yes, but not right now. It’s…still like yesterday. Give me till tomorrow.”

  “Thank you.” He bowed and left the room.

  ***

  Malachi stood outside Barry’s rooms, looking out at the water with Krill next to him, giving their woman the time she needed with her son, hating the fact there was nothing to fight what had hurt them. “Who were the other two that Xfra found, Krill?” Malachi asked.

  “Two of her father’s guards. Xfra is with them now, from what I’m hearing, and it’s not good for one. Seems like he’s been affected for quite some time. You know the other cities are going to have to be checked. The fact that her father couldn’t trace the creatures in the men does not sit well with him at all. He’s furious.”

  “Aren’t we all? We sit out here not able to go battle this creature or whatever it is, I think it’s time we start a database on all that we know about them. Get our best scientists on these things. That way we can destroy them. Xfra and the others cannot be everywhere. If we can somehow just figure out a way to combat these things, we’ll be ahead of the game.”

  “I have had Xfra keeping a few of those things alive and sending them to our men in a specialized lab. Seems you and I have been thinking the same thing,” Reese said, coming up behind them with Kat, Alexander, and Maria. “How is my grandson?” he asked.

  The door opened, and Cassidy stepped out, her eyes swollen and red. “He’s finally sleeping. His brother is in there with him. He’ll stay with Barry for a few hours,” she said, coming to stand between him and Krill.

  “How are you holding up?” Kat asked.

  “Better, now that I know he’s out of danger, but I still want to know where in the hell he was infected. If there is a chance it was here, we need to know. We don’t need anyone else being exposed to this, and they’ll know we have taken the things out of the three infected.” She placed her hand on it as Turell swam close to it.

  Malachi was amazed at how gentle he had been with Cassidy and all of them. For a killer whale, he was an exception, especially since he didn’t attack Mona’s octopus or the other way around. Both seeming to know they were safe with each other.

  “Cassidy, how do you know these things will know that we have eliminated them?” Reese asked.

  “Gentlemen, ladies, why don’t we take this to my office so our daughter will be more comfortable,” the king said, joining Cara and the others.

  “When I’m done, I’d like to show Krill and Malachi the other side of the city,” Cassidy said.

  “I don’t know, baby. It’s not as protected. Why would you… You are not still looking for that thing?” Hugh rolled his eyes, and she shrugged. “You go only with your mates and two guards.”

  “You and that treasure,” he said. “Ever since Cassidy was nine, she’s had this belief that somewhere around here lies a trident, you know, like the humans’ stories? I kept telling her it was a myth, but she just wouldn’t listen.”

  “A lot of human myths are based on reality. Many different species have traveled this far to the north,” Xfra informed them.

  Cassidy glanced back at Faith. “Okay, he made up for earlier big-time.”

  “Thank you, Xfra.” Faith kissed him then faced her again. “I’d like to go, too, Cassidy. I think some exploring is just what we need.”

  “Count me in,” Nessa said. “Seth can watch the twins this time.”

  “Me, too,” Maria said.

  Hugh shook his head. “We’re going to need more guards,” he grumbled.

  “Not to worry. We’ll go with them, and I’m sure the Nellas are not going to let their mate go without one or both of them,” Malachi said.

  “Fine, we’ll all go.” Alexander planted a kiss on Maria’s head.

  “This is going to be so cool,” Nessa said.

  Cara shook her head. “Sean, you go with your mate. We’ll watch the twins for you.”

  “I believe we will stay here as well,” Reese said. “Kat does not need to go exploring anything in her condition.”

  “I swear you’d think I was a porcelain doll,” Kat said. “But we would love to help with the twins. It will give Reese a quick lesson on what it takes to watch a little one.”

  They all made their way into Hugh’s office where Malachi pulled Cassidy into his lap when he sat down on the sofa, next to Krill. She laid her head on his chest and took a deep breath. “Everything is still not clear, but watching Xfra pull those things out did bring back some unpleasant memories.” Cassidy frowned. “I don’t know the time frame or how I got where I was, but there were other children, girls there, too. All of us were in cages. There had to be twenty, maybe more. I remember the two that were beside me, Ella and Jasmine.

  “Jasmine was already there when I arrived. She was older than me, I believe eight. Ella came after me. She was five.”

  “You were only three when you were taken,” Kat told her.

  “I don’t remember anything before waking up in the cage. I had to be six then because it wasn’t long before they released me. I don’t know what they did with Jasmine or Ella. I screamed for them to come, too, but the things just… Well, it was like they were laughing.” She shivered.

  Malachi wrapped his arms tighter around her, and Krill kissed her cheek.

  “There was this one girl, she was screaming and getting sick. Her skin had splotches all over it. I guess the things didn’t like her screaming. One minute she was crying, the next I heard a crack and nothing.” She frowned. “I remember them giving a few of the girls these little seed things, made them eat them. I don’t remember getting any, but Jasmine told me every girl that came there got two of them.

  “I wish I could find Jasmine. She left before I did. Ella died. She fought them the first time they pulled her out of the cage and got a scratch from one of them. Her arm swelled, and she couldn’t breathe. Jasmine and I could do nothing for her.” Cassidy sat up. “Wait, there was one there. He was a human. I swear I’ve seen him recently.” Cassidy looked up at Xfra. “Can you see him?” In her thoughts…

  “Yes, but I do not recognize him. At least not yet. Maybe he is in town? Or did you go somewhere away from here?” Xfra asked.

  “That’s why I believe they can track us. This man was watching us in the cages. You don’t think I still have anything inside of me, do you?” Cassidy swallowed hard.

  “There is nothing inside of you, Cassidy. Your father has checked, and so have I. I believe they were following your son,” Xfra said.

  “I wish we could find Jasmine, but I know she could be anywhere, if she is even alive,” Cassidy said. “Anyway, when it was time for a person to leave, they somehow put them to sleep. I don’t know how.”

  “The things inside you would have done it,” Xfra said. “I still don’t understand why they held the children for such a long time. The only thing I can come up with is they are searching for something special about the women. The gifts each has been born with.”

  “Cassidy, you are holding something back,” Hugh said.

  “My desire to search the other side of the city—I think they planted that idea in my head. I don’t know why. They aren’t only here for us women, but for something else. As if we were just a bonus.”

  “What? And you are just now telling me this?” Hugh snapped. “You are not going!”

  “Yes, I am. I need to find this thing. It’s important to them. It might help us understand them or stop them. Plus, I didn’t figure this out till today.”

  Hugh frowned. “I will assign…”

  “That isn’t necessary. A few of my people are coming to help search, which is highly unusual,” Xfra said.

  “Exactly how many of you? Because I hate to say it, but you’re huge…” Faith squeaked.

  Maria laughed. “Not to worry. You weren’t the only one who thought that,” Maria said.

  Alexander gave her a slap on the ass. “It seems I have been neglecting my duties to my woman. I will make sure to take care of that later.”

  “Ewww, okay, so didn’t need to hear that from my brother. What are they looking for? Are they going to allow us to search the old part of the city, too?” Cassidy asked.

  “You don’t need their permission. This is my city,” Hugh intoned.

  “They know this and respect you,” Xfra agreed. “But whatever they are searching for must be extremely important.”

  Malachi rose. “Then, let’s change clothes and meet back here in sixty minutes.”

  “It’s going to take me ten minutes to change,” Cassidy protested then stepped back. “Not going to happen, my mate. The first time we do it, there will be no time limit. Thirty minutes,” she said. “And dress comfortably. Parts of the old city are crumbling.”

  Krill ran after their mate, and Malachi heard a screech right before the outer door closed. “Sixty minutes, gentlemen,” he said.

  Malachi turned toward the door, but stopped as his body warmed and his head tingled. “What’s going on?”

  Xfra watched him closely then nodded. “Your mate can connect with animals. You should also be able to as well because Turell is going to make sure nothing happens to your mate. He’s very protective of her since his father was killed.”

  “You just gave me that gift, just like that?” Malachi frowned. “You are one scary man, Xfra.”

  “You have no idea.”

  Chapter Ten

  Cassidy about had a heart attack when Krill came up behind her and swept her up into his arms. He laughed at her little scream then stopped moving, his skin warming. His gaze clouded. “Are you okay?” she asked.