Warriors of Poseidon 05 - Atlantis Redeemed

sheep.”
    “Will you still be Primator?” Tiernan asked.
    “I must. Nothing less will be enough to succeed.”
    “If you take their memories, will that damage their minds?” Brennan asked, suddenly flashing back to his time in that godsdamned chair.
    “It might.”
    They were silent then, climbing the stairs that led back to the fresh air and the light, each contemplating what moral ground he or she was willing to offer up for the greater good, Brennan suspected. Or, at least, he was.
    “I have no problem with that,” Tiernan finally said, breaking the silence. “But not for Susannah, who’s in a place beyond vengeance. For all the people who might have been caught and experimented on in the future. Let’s make sure they never have to suffer this ordeal.”
    “Agreed,” Brennan said, wrapping his arm around Tiernan’s waist as they crossed the lobby to the door. “For the future.”
    A high, keening shriek was his only warning before a heavy weight dropped on his back and he realized it was a vampire screaming in his ear. The vampire reared back, fangs glistening, and struck . . . but didn’t connect with Brennan’s flesh.
    Instead, the vampire’s head slid slowly to one side and fell off its neck. Its body followed, collapsing to the floor, and leaving a clear line of sight to Smitty, who stood there with a short sword in his hand, the blade bloody.
    “You!” Tiernan said.
    Smitty’s dead stare lightened for a fraction of a second, admitting an ounce of human emotion, as he glanced at Tiernan. But then he returned his gaze to Brennan, and it was as icy cold as ever. “Just stopped by for my final pay-check. Couldn’t stomach any more. Now we’re even.”
    He wiped his blade on the back of the vamp’s shirt and then crossed the floor to Tiernan. He stopped and lifted a hand, almost touching her hair. “I’m sorry,” he said, so quietly Brennan almost didn’t hear it, and then he headed toward the door.
    “Brennan?” Alaric said, but Tiernan shook her head.
    “We’ve had enough killing,” she said. “And he was almost kind, in his own, murderous way.”
    “She spared your life, but know this. If I see you again, I will kill you,” Brennan said.
    Atlantis Redeemed – Warriors of Poseidon 05
    Page 213 of 232
    Smitty paused but didn’t turn around. He simply nodded, resumed walking, and left the building. When they walked through the door only a few seconds behind him, he was already gone.

Chapter 46
    Brennan walked out into the daylight and praised the gods that they had made it out alive. He pulled Tiernan closer to him, realizing that he wouldn’t be willing to let her out of his sight for a long time, if ever. Not until he could feel safe again, after losing her.
    “That might take years,” he murmured, and she glanced up at him, puzzled, but he just smiled and kissed the top of her head.
    Lucas, who’d been leaning against the front of a shiny black vehicle, walked over to them.
    “You’re alive,” he said, grinning. “Thank the goddess. Honey was going to kill me if I let something happen to you.”
    Brennan smiled, feeling joy—simple, grateful, joy—slowly wash over him. “I thank you for the rescue,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Perhaps next time you can remain in your vehicle and listen to music on the radio.”
    “Hey! I took care of the goons out here on patrol,” Lucas protested. “I wasn’t slacking off.”
    Tiernan smiled. “Thank you. Thank you all. I’m feeling pretty great right now for a woman who was dead recently.” She turned her face up to the sunshine and closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Brennan, who enjoyed the feeling very much. “Maybe next time we can have a nice beach vacation?”
    Lucas laughed. “Your boyfriend has some nice underwater property.” But then the shifter’s face turned grim. “We lost one of ours and two of the rebels to the gunfire. Quinn’s people and mine are heading down into the tunnels with Alexios for a search-and-destroy mission. We need to make sure every bit of that mind-control equipment is demolished.”
    “We got a good start on it,” Brennan said.
    “Take those damn chairs apart piece by piece and burn them, is all I ask,” Tiernan said, shuddering against him. “No one should ever have to endure that again.”
    “We’ll handle the cleanup,” Lucas said. “You go. Heal. Rest. But come back in a week for the boys’ naming ceremony.”
    “We will,” Brennan promised. He and Lucas