Rise of the Gryphon (Belador #4)(60)

Eight o’clock and she still hadn’t found the dock. That feeling of someone close by clung to her edgy psyche, poking at her that someone was tailing her.

Storm couldn’t have gotten here yet. Not this soon. Could he?

No. If he had, he’d have shown his face if for no other reason than to finish letting her know how much she’d pissed him off. She’d sent him texts all afternoon, touching base as if she’d still been in Atlanta when she’d been driving southeast instead. He’d answered, his last text saying he’d found the Langaus in Atlanta and Tzader’s team had managed to capture one, which the healers were using to create an antidote.

And that he was on his way to meet her outside her apartment. In Atlanta, where she was supposed to be. The phone call to tell him that she wasn’t there had been worse than she’d expected, which was saying something.

She’d seen Storm furious before, but he’d hit rage level when he’d found out she had a four-hour head start on him. She wasn’t even sure he’d heard her “I’m sorry,” right before she’d crushed her mobile phone to prevent anyone tracking her electronically.

He would never forgive her, but he’d be alive.

Balmy night air swirled softly. Please let this be the right public dock. She had to get on one of the private boats ferrying nonhumans to Cumberland Island.

The other boat docks had been too public for transporting beasts, and even though she could pass for a human visitor, she wouldn’t trust Sen not to have someone watching for her at the public ferry.

A high-end private tour bus pulled into the empty parking area between her and the water. Two figures emerged. Hard to tell much about them from a hundred feet away, but one walked as if he or she wore ankle cuffs. That pair moved toward the dock but stayed in the shadows.

The docks on each side of the boat ramp were barely visible beneath single lights on tall poles. The figure in ankle cuffs shuffled up under the light and Evalle saw a tail dragging on the ground behind him.

She let out a pent-up breath.

This had to be the place.

Headlights shone over the parking lot as a fairly new white convertible BMW 650i spun in to park and a late-model silver Dodge pickup truck parked several car lengths away.

A woman with long white hair and a shining gold mask emerged from the sports car.

Imogenia had arrived. She tugged a chain, dragging along her Alterant, Bernie, like an unwanted child. No sack covered his head.

Doors snapped open and shut on the parked truck. One of the people who climbed out had to stand seven feet tall, appeared to be male and wore a collar that glowed neon red.

If that giant was an Alterant, how big would he be once he shifted?

Imogenia called over to the guy who had to be the giant’s sponsor. “Alterant?”

“Yes.”

Bernie whimpered, twisting a knot in Evalle’s stomach.

“Where’s the boat?” Imogenia asked everyone in general.

Before anyone could answer, a troll emerged from the water, walking up the boat launch ramp. Water ran from his horned head and down his ten-foot-tall body that was covered in mud-matted hair.

No one said a word as he thumped over to the light pole and lifted a hand with claws to wave between the light and the water. He did it twice, paused, then twice more.

A boat motor rumbled as a sleek, thirty-foot-long speedboat approached from the darkness beyond the launch ramps. The craft stayed only long enough for the new arrivals to board, then it slid away, disappearing into the night.

She had to get on the next boat, but as she started to take a step toward the parking lot a twig snapped behind her. Calling up her dagger from her boot to her hand as she turned, Evalle whipped around ready for the attack.

Nothing there.

“What are you waiting for?” Evalle challenged. “A better opportunity to attack me isn’t going to happen.”

Nothing. No movement, no sound, just the sense that she was right. She didn’t have time to bother with someone playing games.

The island was maybe a half hour away, but she had no idea how long it would take to find her way to the beast championship once she got off the boat.

That ping of being watched kept bumping her.

She opened her empathic senses and reached out toward the area of the last noise.

Fear hit her first, then desperation.

Could it just be a curious creature? But what kind?

Backing out of the coverage, Evalle warned, “I won’t harm you if you don’t give me reason to.” Just as she started to swing around, her gaze caught on her SUV where the rear hatch was open. Hadn’t she locked that? She sent a gentle kinetic push and closed it, then locked the truck with her key fob and swung around.

Heading for the dock, she’d made it halfway across the parking lot when the whomp, whomp, whomp of an arriving helicopter filled the air. It was coming in fast.

Guess even wealthy sponsors had to travel to the island by the designated ferry, too.

Wind blustered about as the helicopter landed, then a man leaped out and headed her way with a stride that was both fluid and powerful.

Her mouth gaped open. “How did you . . .”

The brunt of Storm’s fury reached her first. He headed for her with his head down like a pissed-off bull.

This was going to get ugly. She lifted the dagger, pointing the business end at him. “You can just go right back—”