Aeromancist (Seven Forbidden Arts 3)

She gave a brave nod. He gripped the door handle before he could change his mind. Getting out of the car, he took stock of the surroundings with a quick sweep of his eyes. The pilot and copilot were in the cockpit. Through the window, he could see them doing the preflight check. They were going to take off immediately. The guards wore masks. They were armed to the teeth. He let Kat out, and, turning to the men, lifted his arms. One of them stepped forward, aiming a weapon at Lann.

Lann blocked Kat’s body with his as the man walked up to them. Without a word, he patted Lann down. They no doubt carried advanced devices that would’ve scanned his person and the vehicle by now. The man nodded over his shoulder, and stepped aside in silent instruction for Kat to follow him.

Kat stood very still in her white slacks and polo neck cashmere sweater. A cream wool coat reached her ankles. The soft curve of her growing belly was visible under the open coat. Her burgundy curls cascaded down her back. Her red lips were slightly parted, and her blue eyes shimmering with unspoken emotions. She was the most beautiful being he’d seen.

The guard’s gruff voice carried his impatience. “Say your goodbyes.”

Lann had expected Vanessa to be there. For some reason, he’d believed she arrived in Paris with the sample to personally escort Kat to the secret destination. He wasn’t sure if he was glad or distressed about her absence.

Facing the masked man, he said, “If anything happens to her, your mother will wish she never gave birth to you.”

The man’s lips curled into a sneer, but he refrained from commenting. He tilted his head toward the plane. “Her ride’s waiting.”

Lann lifted Kat’s cold hands to his mouth, first kissing the ruby ring on her right hand, and then the wedding ring on her left.

“I love you, Katherine.” Inside he was an animal going feral, clawing and growling, but he used the coldness of the hatred he felt for his enemy to maintain a controlled demeanor. He allowed it to frost over his soul and freeze his heart as he prepared to take leave of his wife and unborn son.

He deliberately repeated his earlier words, which was as much for him as for her. “Do you trust me, krasavitsa?”

“I do,” she whispered.

She even managed to smile for him.

Then the man with the mask took her arm and guided her to the plane. The movement of air around her started to fade. No. Lann desperately tried to hold onto her presence, but he felt the molecules going still around him with every yard she moved farther. Her eyes remained locked onto his as she looked at him from over her shoulder. So many emotions reflected in those blue depths—fear, uncertainty, sadness, love, trust.

With every step she took away from him, his mind and body became a little more undone while his heart and soul turned to stone. His nostrils flared with hatred for the person who did this to Katherine, who brought her to him in Santiago, knowing he’d be defenseless against her, knowing he’d become addicted to her body and soul, only to tear her away with his seed in her belly.

His body turned cold when they pushed her into the aircraft, and denied him the right to his woman and his child with the shutting of the door. As his lip curled in fury, his soul iced over and cracked. His heart stopped beating when the plane took off as he watched it, helplessly, disappear into the clouds. All of what he’d been before ceased to exist. What was left was a machine, dead inside, to which he gave freedom to destroy whatever stood between him and what was his to protect.

Chapter 17

Five men boarded the plane with Kat. For now, she didn’t think about the loss that almost crippled her at leaving Lann behind or about her fear. She only focused on survival. Once inside, they made her sit at the back. They removed their masks, but she made a point of not looking at their faces.

The one who’d escorted her to the plane approached her and said, “I’m Mark. If you need something, you talk only to me.”

He didn’t seem to mind her knowing his name or seeing his face, and this sparked more concern.

“We’ve been instructed not to hurt you,” he said, almost sounding bored, “so you can relax.”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“No questions,” he said gruffly.

“I just want to know how long the flight is going to be.”

“I’ll tell you what you need to know.”

One of the men called from the front, “We should’ve just drugged her.”

“She’s pregnant, remember?” Mark turned back to her. “If you need the bathroom or food, ask me. You don’t get out of your seat unless you speak to me.”