He cringed as the denials came out of his mouth. How the hell could his intelligent, capable brother—the leader of an elite military compound, for Christ’s sake—believe such utter rubbish?
“Seriously, bro. I already told you I’d let you know if anything came up in my dreams. You don’t need to hound me about it,” he continued, irritation lending an extra kick to his stride.
Not that Wolf had brought the subject up—this time, anyway. But only because Aiden had nipped the discussion in the bud. His sixth sense had started screaming that Wolf was going to broach the subject the moment they left Cap’s domain.
You’d think with all the bad news rolling their way, this line of questioning would be redundant. It sure was to him. But no, to Wolf, theTaounahaquestions were every bit as essential as what Capland had told them, or what Nantz was about to tell them. That’s what happened when someone sank into a religious cult.
They lost their goddamn mind.
“Did you not seek theTaounahaout?” Wolf’s voice hardened. “Invite him into your dreams?”
“Itoldyou,” Aiden gritted out, “that I’d ask him your questions if he showed up again. He hasn’t. For Christ’s sake, he’s my subconscious at work. Since I don’t know the answer to your questions, of course your ghost shaman isn’t going to pop into my dreams. I’ve told you this.” Multiple times.
His nights had been blessedly peaceful over the past few days. No twisted, screaming faces. No snarky old men. He had no interest in ruining this run of good sleep by inviting his brain’s worries back into his dreams.
“You cannot ignore your calling.” Wolf’s voice had roughened to gravel.
The anvil masquerading as Wolf’s hand landed on Aiden’s shoulder. Again.
“Watch me.”Aiden stopped long enough to shove Wolf’s arm aside. “If you want to talk to your mouthpiece so bad, how about you invite him into your dreams?”
Fuck, the dude was like a rabid dog with a rancid bone. Just wouldn’t let it go.
“Trust me.” Wolf’s voice was sharper than Aiden had ever heard it.
Aiden started walking again. Wolf’s boots pounded the tile behind him. Louder than necessary, as though his feet were taking the brunt of his frustration.
“Everyoneat Shadow Mountain, as well as all among thebrenahecee,wish the Shadow Warrior had chosenanyonebut you.TheTaounahais the elder gods’ choice. Not theHee'woo'nee,” Wolf said, his voice dark and growly.
“Sucks to be you, then,” Aiden drawled.
He turned the last corner before the interrogation chamber to find Doctor Brickenhouse waiting outside the door, his medical cart parked along the wall. The guards Wolf had posted were gone.
“Nantz asked to use the toilet,” Brickenhouse told them. “The warriors you assigned him took him to the one down the hall.” He hesitated, an uneasy expression flickering across his aristocratic face.
Wolf studied him. “What’s wrong, Solomon?”
Brickenhouse straightened and held Wolf’s gaze. “I have a bad feeling about this,Betanee. My instincts scream it’s a mistake.”
“About the piss break?” Aiden asked. The doctor’s unease was palpable.
Brickenhouse snorted, then shook his head. “No. The Tenthrop. I had hoped that when we passed the three-day mark, and the Propofol had vacated his system, my unease wane. But it has not.”
Tenthrop. That’s what Wolf had called Shadow Mountain’s truth serum.
“You had a premonition?” Wolf asked.
What? Aiden’s jaw dropped. His doctor, the one who’d saved his ass a couple of weeks back, had premonitions?
“Not a vision.” Brickenhouse shrugged. “More like a feeling. A bad one.”
Wolf’s gaze narrowed. “You did a full medical evaluation on Nantz, did you not?” At the doctor’s nod, Wolf continued. “Did you find his condition concerning?”
“No. Indeed, he’s in excellent health.” Brickenhouse’s sigh held frustration. “I don’t know what I’m picking up on. I don’t know if I sense an actual problem. I just thought you should know.”
Wolf nodded, his face reflective. “We are past the seventy-two hours you recommended.”
“I know.” The doctor blew out an exasperated breath. “Like I said. It could be nothing.”
