KnightForce Tres (La Patron KnightForce Book 3) Read online

  She opened her strong box and pulled out a small piece of jewelry. Just in case Sarita developed any mind-speak gifts, Elyria would place this dampening necklace around Sarita’s neck. That would stop anyone from finding or communicating with her once she separated from Cyndy.

  Elyria had added a new crystal to the necklace which prevented blood contacts from locating or communicating with her wolf. Any family members searching for the child would only sense if she lived or died, nothing else. She placed it in her pocket and relocked the box.

  Dressed in a pair of shorts and tank top, she secured her basement and walked upstairs to the kitchen. From the sound of Sarita’s even breathing, she still slept. Elyria glanced at the clock, almost noon.

  She warmed the leftovers, ate, and then headed to the guest room with Trant. The woman lay board stiff, but breathed on her own, and her skin held onto its elasticity, was cool not cold to touch. Elyria added nutrients to the drip and touched Trant’s forehead.

  The chameleon bracelet tingled as energy flowed into Trant. Elyria searched for reasons the woman hadn’t died and found nothing. “Can I reverse this?” she murmured, and sent pockets of information to the woman for a few moments and then stopped.

  Staring at Trant, Elyria wondered if she’d been successful. As far as she knew returning a person’s memories or identity couldn’t be done. In all Elyria’s prior experiments, the person’s body shrunk as if vacuumed from the inside, leaving them dry, brittle and dead. But Trant’s body did none of those things. Smaller but not emaciated, she struggled to breathe, on occasion her limbs twitched.

  Trant’s reaction to the chameleon mystified Elyria. Could the added different crystals and ground herbs to this version of the bracelet have played a role? Or had she finally created a bracelet similar to Angus’? Smiling at another success, she threw her fist in the air and whooped. With this version of the bracelet she’d be able to infiltrate places without raising alarms since there wouldn’t be dried out carcasses left behind.

  After making sure Trant remained securely locked onto the bed, Elyria left the room, locking it behind her.

  Elyria peeked in Sarita’s room, watching her stir.”

  “Good morning, Ms. Trant,” Sarita said, looking at her.

  Seeing Cyndy in her home rubbed Elyria wrong. She preferred Sarita, whose history of abuse at the hands of the Liege made her a fellow survivor. Her subsequent union with her father and Asia notwithstanding.

  “Morning pumpkin, did you sleep well?” Elyria stood in the door with her arms folded.

  “Yes, Ma’am.” She looked around. “Daddy said I would stay with you until he comes back from out of town. I promised I’d be good.”

  “You’re always a good girl.” Boring but good. Right now that’s what Elyria needed. “Hungry? Ready to eat?”

  Cyndy slid off the bed. “Yes, Ma’am. Where’s the bathroom?”

  Elyria pointed to the door next to the room holding Trant. “Right there. There are new toothbrushes and toothpaste in the top drawer.”

  Cyndy walked past her. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

  A few minutes later Cyndy walked into the kitchen holding her head with one hand. “My head hurts.”

  Alarmed, Elyria moved closer, placed her finger beneath Cyndy’s chin and stared into her eyes. Nothing happened. But just as Elyria relaxed, Cyndy’s eyes flashed. Colors changed from Cyndy’s mud-brown to light gray and back again. Sarita fought the chameleon and tried to re-emerge.

  Elyria pulled the necklace from her pocket, placed it on Cyndy’s neck and then secured it, all the while watching her eyes. Once the necklace was in place, a low hum vibrated for a few seconds and stopped.

  Gray eyes flashed and then receded.

  “Thank you, this is pretty and my head feels better,” Cyndy said, fingering the necklace with a soft smile.

  “You’re welcome, come, sit down…eat.” Elyria waited for Cyndy to start eating, and left the kitchen to grab her cell phone from downstairs. When she returned, the child continued eating as Elyria checked both the necklace and chameleon bracelet. She had expected the bracelet to lose some energy, but not as much as it had. Fortunately, the necklace would help keep Sarita from detection, but she’d be removing the chameleon in a few hours. It wouldn’t last the full 48 as she hoped.

  Perhaps Sarita’s connection to the Black Wolf clan lessened its power. Black wolves had a high tolerance against the effects of the chameleon, for some reason the crystals never worked long on them.

  Elyria watched Cyndy a few minutes longer to insure the necklace worked. Relieved she wouldn’t need to kill the child, they left for the underground garage to the gym.

  “Would you like to watch TV?” Elyria turned the panel so Cyndy could watch.

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Once they settled on a program, Elyria stepped into her modified gym and set the program for a mock fight. Over the years she’d secured marketing videos from the Liege of Asia in the field.

  After Asia left Mélange to die in the explosion, they created an interactive video based on the ones from the Liege to train for the day they met the bitch again. Their training to date had been her and Mélange against Asia.

  After seeing Asia’s mate, Elyria doubted their dream of both attacking Asia would ever happen. Now she’d face the assassin alone. Through the years Mélange had trained extensively and was damn good. Elyria had been her one weakness, now someone else held that honor. Pushing thoughts of her lover aside, Elyria inhaled and waited for the program to queue. Cyndy looked at her through the glass and smiled before returning to the screen.

  Elyria exhaled slowly and found her center. Eyes closed, she sought the heartbeat of her ancestors, caught their rhythm, and moved to the right, avoiding what would have been a death blow from her opponent. Next she leapt into the air, caught her opponent’s foot, twisted and flipped them to the ground. Before she landed on her feet, her rival had leapt high in the air, flipped and landed across the room.

  Elyria and Mélange had been in awe of most of Asia’s moves as they studied how to defend against them, but that leap-twist in the air always impressed her. The challenger flew forward and clipped her on the chin. Elyria ducked missing the brunt of the blow and managed to connect with a kick to the back. And on it went for the next two hours. She fought the computerized image of Asia, repeating defensive moves that would save her life and a few offensive ones to remain competitive.

  Elyria knew it was a matter of time, today, next year, or 20 years from now, she would meet Sarita’s mother, and only one of them would walk away.

  Chapter 22

  Countdown clock: 47 hours remaining

  “The car belonged to Velris Fresm,” Mope reported as he tapped the screen on his tablet. “We’ve alerted pack to search for the vehicle and Fresm.”

  Asia nodded as she walked into the main section of KnightForce center. “What else we got people? The clock’s ticking,” she said, raising her voice over the buzz of noise.

  Tyrese waved her over to where he sat. “Take a look at the people interviewed at the hotel so far. Nothing stands out to me, you may see something.”

  Asia stood behind him and looked at the faces of those interviewed. When he finished scrolling, he looked at her.

  “Nothing. I don’t recognize anyone.” She sat in the chair next to him, closed her eyes and rubbed her neck. “I’m tired but I can’t sleep,” she said to Hawke.

  “Same here. Mistress thinks it’s someone from one of the old lines, Black, White or Red clans manipulating energy. I’m running searches.”

  “Makes more sense than anything we’ve come up with so far. But how would they get her out the school, make her invisible? Can that be done?”

  “Not really invisible, but a trick of the eye is possible.”

  “After the energy La Patroness released during her search? That would be some trick.”

  “Remember, she was certain Sarita was in that building, but we didn’t see her.”

/>   “True. I’m going to grab a bite to eat and get back on it.” She told him what happened at Ms. Trant’s.

  “A body’s been found in the mountain,” Tyrese said, and looked around. “Yellow team, go check it out.” He gave them the address. “Send back a live feed.”

  Men in yellow jackets stood and left.

  Asia went into her office, grabbed a cold drink, and put her head down on the desk. Her heart hurt. Her arms were empty. She missed her daughter’s sweet smile. “Goddess please keep her safe,” she prayed. “Please keep her safe.”

  A few moments or an hour later, she wasn’t sure, Tyrese tapped on her door. “Everybody from the hotel’s been interviewed. I need you and Angus to look at the pictures before I release the trainees to return to base.”

  Wiping her eyes, she sat and looked for a tissue. Of course there weren’t any, she never used them. The back of her hand would do. She left the dimness of her office and walked into the main conference area. The heels of her boots produced a loud clicking sound on the hard cement floor. Tyrese offered a kind smile and squeezed her shoulder when she sat in front of the monitor. The pictures and their names scrolled across the screen.

  “Stop.” Asia pressed the key and went back two pictures and looked at the petite Asian who hid half of her face behind her long hair. “She looks familiar, what’s her name?”

  “L.M. Williamson is what she registered under.” Tyrese clicked her name and nothing came up. “Why isn’t there any information on this hotel guest?” He looked over his shoulder at several trainees wearing red, purple and yellow uniforms.

  “Some of the guests are taking longer, Sir. We’re working on it.”

  Asia continued to stare at the picture, the longer she stared, the more certain she became that she had met the woman at some point, maybe on a mission. She stood. “Tell them to hold her. I want to interview her.”

  Tyrese nodded.

  Fifteen minutes later Asia pulled in front of the hotel and strode inside. Her wolf panted, and then strained for release against her chest the moment she exited her vehicle. Most of the purple team had returned to base to rest, but there were three remaining when she arrived.

  “She’s in the conference room, Ma’am,” one of them said, she couldn’t recall his name.

  “Did she give you any trouble?”

  “No, Ma’am. We didn’t mention what happened at the school to anyone, just that we were conducting a search for someone. She never seemed concerned,” he said.

  Asia’s certainty that she knew the full-blood grew. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her credit card. “Give this to the manager.”

  He looked at the card and then at her. “The breakfast buffet’s already been taken care of, Ma’am.”

  “It’s not for the food, it’s for the damage that’s about to occur.” She walked toward the conference room, opened the door and stared across the room at the woman dressed in black leggings and a sleeveless, fitted tank. At some point, she’d secured her long hair into a plaited ball on the back of her head. Seeing her face clearly, images of the last time she’d seen the assassin scrolled across her mind. It had been when she killed the Liege Lord Griff. This one had kidnapped her for the ransom.

  “L.M. Williamson. I don’t recall that being your name.”

  The woman smiled but it never reached her eyes.

  “So you survived the explosion,” Asia said, moving slowly into the room. Eager to release her wolf, her body hummed in excitement of finding a worthy opponent.

  The petite Asian’s brow rose. “So you remember shooting me and leaving me to die?”

  “At the time you said it was business and not personal. You waited all this time to make it personal?” Asia said, recalling the conversation clearly.

  “No, you wanted to see me. I assume this time its personal?”

  “Damn straight. This time I won’t make the same mistake of allowing you to walk out alive,” Asia growled. Her child was missing and this bitch had something to do with it.

  Her adversary shrugged. “You didn’t do that the last time.”

  Asia’s beast roared as she leapt forward, her intention to break the bitch in half. They’d both been altered and trained by the Liege. Did the woman have similar arms? Legs? She’d find out soon enough.

  Her opponent rolled to the side and landed on her feet. Asia hit the floor, jumped up spinning to avoid attack but was nicked by a claw. Clouded by rage over Sarita, she allowed her beast to move with lightning speed without thought.

  Asia leapt forward to grab the woman by the neck, but with blurring speed the woman moved, jumped, and landed behind her.

  The push in Asia’s back sent her stumbling forward. Asia spun, swung, and missed her target. She received a blow to her chin and stomach before the woman flipped backward. Asia shook her head from the force of the hit, realizing they both had metal arms.

  Circling each other, Asia looked for an opening. Her head throbbed, visions of this bitch stealing her daughter flipped a switch in her mind as she lunged forward with her claws outstretched. The woman jumped and landed on Asia’s back, knocking her to the ground. Her long claws pierced Asia’s back and then ripped it like a ribbon.

  Asia screamed.

  The female leapt to the other side of the room as the KnightForce team broke into the room. Breathing hard, Asia stood slowly with her hand up to stop them from joining the fray. This was her battle and she’d see it through.

  “Out,” she gritted as her skin knitted.

  “Yes, Ma’am.” She heard rather than saw them leave the room and close the door behind them.

  Asia wondered why the woman didn’t press her advantage and allowed her time to stand. “Lucy, why’d you take my daughter?”

  The woman frowned. “Lucy? What?”

  “That’s your name.”

  She snorted. “Mélange, and I didn’t take your daughter. But you’re not interested in the truth, I see that in your eyes.”

  Asia shook her head. “That’s why you’re here.”

  “No it’s not. Believe what you want, but I don’t know anything about your daughter, other than you have one.”

  “Why are you here then?”

  Mélange crossed her arms and met Asia’s gaze. “None of your business.”

  “Anything to do with my daughter is my business.” She leapt across the room and shifted mid-air into her hybrid.

  Mélange did the same. They bounced off each other, creating a loud booming sound. Although petite in human form, Mélange’s hybrid matched Asia’s in every way and they exchanged blows that shook the walls. Loud sounds echoed through the room as their hits made contact.

  Asia tried to hold onto Mélange. The flexible woman slid through her arms, turned and punched her in the stomach, sending her through the double doors of the conference center. Asia slid across the floor until the front desk broke her fall.

  Several KnightForce trainees stood nearby, watching. Asia stood, and ran back inside to finish the battle. They continued exchanging ferocious blows, neither fell nor stopped. Mélange countered every move Asia made and showed a few Asia had never seen.

  An excellent battle.

  “Asia,” Tyrese said from behind her. She couldn’t be sure with the ringing in her ear. “Asia, stop.”

  Still not satisfied, she swung again and missed. The next blow to her stomach knocked the wind out of her as she flew backward into the wall.

  Tyrese stepped in front of her and looked at the other hybrid. He held up his hand. “I don’t know who you are, but Asia just lost her daughter and is not fighting normally, so I’m stopping this right now. If you want to continue this with her, you’ll need to wait until her mind isn’t on her child and she’s properly rested. I promise things will be different.”

  Asia stood slowly and morphed to human. Her head spun as she heard Hawke calling her from a distance. “I’m fine, shouldn’t have done that, but I needed the release.”

  “That’s what I�
�ll tell Mistress,” Hawke said.

  She grimaced and watched Mélange. Not once had Asia seriously questioned the woman, her only thoughts had been to exorcise the rage and pain inside. Mélange pulled the short straw and had been surprisingly good, more than adequate according to the lingering pains from those powerful hits. Besides, she had shot the woman six times, or was it eight? Damned if she remembered. And then left her to die in the explosion, still Mélange hadn’t tried to kill her.

  Mélange morphed to human. “I’ve seen her in assassin mode, but know nothing of her daughter. I’ve been here at the hotel the entire time.”

  Tyrese nodded. “The hotel has confirmed you were here and received no visitors or calls. Do you mind me asking why you’re here?”

  She straightened. “Yes, I do mind.”

  Tyrese tilted his head to the side. “I’m sorry, but I have to insist. La Patron is concerned he cannot access your wolf and that is a violation of the law.” KnightForce trainees filled the conference room.

  Mélange backed up, refusing to allow anyone get behind her. “I’m here for a friend.”

  “Who’s your friend?” Tyrese asked.

  Mélange opened her mouth and then snapped it shut.

  Asia recognized the action and wished she’d handled this whole matter better. She approached Mélange without losing eye contact.

  “May I?” She reached forward.

  Mélange snorted and then nodded.

  Asia pulled the collar of the top down, saw the necklace and released the fabric. Mélange wouldn’t say another word and there was nothing no one, not even La Patron, could do to make her talk.

  “What I did before, it was reaction, and you knew that. Your heart wasn’t in the fight, I knew that. Thanks for allowing me to work off steam,” Asia said, knowing everyone would hear.

  Mélange hesitated and then nodded.

  “But we do have to take you with us, La Patron wants to see you.” They stared at each other for another long moment.