“I swear. I didn’t take it.” This can’t be happening. “How can someone move a fortress? Fortresses don’t move.”

Tristol frowned at her. “This one does.”

“That’s imposs—” Before she’d finished the word, Tristol grabbed her, and she was moving through the woods at warp speed.

She screamed and held on to the only thing she could. Tristol. After what seemed like seconds, they came to a sudden stop. She and Tristol were close as lovers, his arms around her waist and hers locked around him like chains. They were in the woods. She recognized the fence. The one she’d climbed to get inside the fortress. “Oh my God. How did you do that?”

Tristol grabbed her again, and they moved over the fence. Over. Without jumping. The fortress wasn’t there. “You see. No fortress.”

“Oh my God.”

“Please stop saying that.” Tristol turned to Anna, a thoughtful look on his face. “Though he would have that kind of power.”

“You think God stole your fortress?” This must be a dream, and she was still in the dungeon in some drug-induced state.

“Unless you did it. Or Faelan.”

“I haven’t seen Faelan for days, but I can assure you I didn’t do it. Neither did Tavis. He could barely move after you tortured him.”

Tristol went so still it seemed as if time stopped. “Tavis?”

“Tavis, the prisoner you were torturing.”

Tristol’s eyes started to redden. Anna tried to step back, but Tristol grabbed her talisman again. Why wasn’t it burning him?

“You mean Faelan?”

Anna swallowed, remembering what the blond vampire had said about not telling Tristol the truth, but then she thought that if she wasn’t hallucinating or dreaming, she would probably be dead any minute. She was in the presence of the most powerful demon on earth. A demon who wasn’t affected by her talisman. “Your vampire didn’t tell you? The blond one?”

Tristol’s eyes were fiery red now, making him terrifying, and yet still beautiful. “Faelan’s brother is dead. He’s been dead for generations.”

Anna was afraid to speak or move. She’d already said too much by giving Tavis’s name.

Tristol’s eyes returned to normal, and he continued to study her until she felt as if all her insides had mushed together. “I had Tavis, not Faelan. And Joquard knew.”

A sound came from Tristol then. Anna couldn’t explain it. A simmering, tinkling, seething sound, like a million pieces of glass breaking as hot metal poured over them.

“Where is Tavis, then?” Tristol asked. His body seemed to be moving, as if he wasn’t solid.

“I don’t know.”

“I can make you tell me.”

“Maybe Voltar has him,” she said, trying to deflect. “He said he’d been waiting for him for a long time.”

“You saw Voltar? Where?”

“In your fortress. He was the one who killed all the vampires.”

Tristol’s eyes started turning red again. “My vampires are dead.”

Anna did back up then. Anger and heat rose from Tristol like an oven. He made a hissing sound, and she closed her eyes, waiting to die.

“Where is he?”

Anna cracked one eye, surprised she was still alive. “Tavis?”

“No! Where is Voltar?”

“He was chasing me. I think I lost him. I don’t know where he is. If I did, I would kill him.”

“That’s intriguing. I had other plans for you, but like you, I want Voltar removed. I have an idea.” He darted at her again, and then they were flying. She passed out when they streaked past an airplane.

* * *

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Tavis asked.

Lance flipped something through the air. Tavis’s hand snaked out to catch it, his heart thudding even before he felt the metal in his hand. Anna’s hairpin. “You really know where she is?”

“I do, but I’m not telling until you’ve helped me. It’s my insurance policy.”

“And the demon who killed Liam?”

“I’ll tell you that after Voltar is dead. What do you say? Can we strike a bargain?”

What Tavis would like to strike was Lance’s skull. “How do I know this isn’t a trap laid by Voltar? Or Tristol?” And his damned breeding plan.

“That’s a risk you’ll have to take.”

“You’re an arrogant little bastard.”

“An arrogant little bastard who knows where to find what you’re looking for. You’ll have to come alone.”

A trap, likely, but what choice did he have? He had to find Anna, and he would give his arm to know who killed Liam. “I have to do something first.” The least he could do was leave a message so Faelan would know Tavis had left of his own accord.

“I’ll be waiting on the other side of the woods,” Lance said, pointing in the direction where Tavis and Ian had found Faelan’s time vault buried. “I have a car there. But hurry. Voltar is getting restless. I’m afraid he’ll kill her soon.”

Tavis hurried across the yard into the house. Ronan was in the kitchen standing in front of a large white box with food inside. He removed a blue cylinder and pulled the top. It hissed.

“Pepsi?” he asked, taking a large drink.

Tavis shook his head. “Have you seen Faelan?”

Ronan snorted. “He and Bree are in the bedroom. Lucky bastard.”

Was he hankering after Faelan’s wife? She was a bonny lass. More than bonny. There was something compelling about her.

“Aye. Have you a piece of paper and a quill?”

Ronan frowned. “There’s a notepad there on the counter.” He nodded toward a small square. “There’s a pen beside it.” Tavis picked it up and saw sheets of paper bound together like a book. A quill, different than the ones he’d seen, lay beside it.

“Looks like you’re leaving someone a note,” Ronan said. “You going somewhere?”

“Just writing something down.” He had to go alone, or Lance wouldn’t take Tavis to Anna. “I’ll see you soon. I think I’ll rest.”

“Right.”

Tavis carried the paper down the hall. He heard quiet whispers inside and a woman’s laugh. He slipped the note under Faelan’s door and turned to go. He would contact Faelan as soon as he found Anna. How, he didn’t know. This wasn’t the same place he’d left. He slipped quietly through the house and outside.

“Nice rest?”

“Bloody hell!” Tavis turned and saw Ronan on the porch.

“You’re going to run out on your brother before he’s even welcomed you home?”

“There’s no time to wait. I have to go now.”

“What’s so urgent?”

Tavis gritted his teeth, his jaw still sore from the beatings. “Anna. The guard who kept us imprisoned is waiting in the woods. He’s going to lead me to her.”

“Why would he do that?” Ronan asked.

“Voltar intends to kill him soon, and he’d rather I killed Voltar first.”

“You can’t kill Voltar. Are you crazy?”

“He’s my demon. He was assigned to me.”

“Hell. Does Faelan know?”

“I told him.”

“Assigned or not, you’re not going alone,” Ronan said.

“The guard won’t cooperate if there’s anyone else. I have to risk it.”

“You’ve got the hots for her, haven’t you?”

Tavis didn’t understand Ronan’s words, but he understood the grin. “I owe her a debt.”

“Go with the guard. I’ll follow. I assume he’s got a car.”

“You can’t let him see you.”

“I won’t. I’ll hang back. Come on. We’ll need water and food.” They walked inside, and Ronan opened the large white box again and took out two clear bottles. “Water,” he said, handing one of them to Tavis.

It felt like the bottles in the house where Angus had taken him and the ones in Faelan’s bathroom.

“Plastic,” Ronan said. “I don’t think they had it in your time. Makes things a hell of a lot easier. And if this guard’s right about Anna, she may need food and water.” He picked up two strange-looking satchels from a table along the wall. He put one of the bottles of water inside. “Here, strap this on.” He demonstrated by hooking one of the satchels over both shoulders. “It’s like a big sporran for your back.”

Ronan waited inside the house while Tavis went ahead to meet Lance. He was just out of sight of the house when a figure materialized from the trees. “Where’s your car?” Tavis asked. But it wasn’t Lance. It was the quiet warrior with long hair. Shane. “Damnation. Is everyone following me?”

“I wasn’t following you,” Shane said. “Duncan and I were patrolling. I heard something and came to check it out.”

He must have heard Lance. “I’ll check it out. You can go back.”

“I don’t think so,” Shane said.

Tavis wanted to punch a tree. “I have something to do, and I need to do it alone.”

Shane shook his head. “Faelan won’t be happy if I let you leave alone.”

“Hell. I’m not alone. Ronan’s already coming.”

“Then there’ll be three of us. Lead on.”

There were actually four. When they got to Lance’s car, Duncan was sitting on the hood, and Lance was shackled on the ground.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

HEY,” DUNCAN SAID.

“Damnation. Is the whole clan here?” Tavis asked. This was just like having Faelan and Ian sticking their noses in his business.

“Just us,” Duncan said. “What’s the plan? Lance says he was going to take you to Anna, and that you were going to kill Voltar. That’s bloody insane since Voltar is an ancient demon, but I assume you lied to find Anna.”

“I didn’t lie. I was assigned to destroy Voltar before I went into the time vault.”

“Hell,” Duncan said.

Shane shook his head. “You’re not strong enough to fight him yet.”

“I have to get Anna.”

“Is there something we should know?” Duncan asked.