“How many live there?”
“Not many. I think there are only seventy-two members at this time.”
“Can they house more people if need be?”
“It’s not a large space, so the only way to add to it would be going underground.” She waved a hand. “But that’s a question that should be addressed to the sanctuary’s architect. The place is an enclosed bio-dome, with fine-tuned ecology, so it might be designed for a specific number of people.”
Sari hadn’t told him much about her mother’s place, only that it was a paradise-like hidden treasure with beautiful gardens and waterfalls.
David would love to see that marvel and learn about the technology that kept it so well-hidden. In fact, he would love to see Kian’s village as well and talk to the genius guy who’d designed its sophisticated camouflage and supposedly impenetrable security system.
According to Sari, the only weakness of their defense system was their air space. In case of an aerial attack, they could retreat into their extensive underground facility, but it was designed as a bomb shelter and not a long-term living solution. They could hold up in there for a long time, though, albeit uncomfortably.
In comparison, the castle was exposed. If someone made it through the perpetual shroud that Sari’s people maintained over the place, they would have no protection.
He frowned. “Immortals are not affected by the shroud, correct? Only humans.”
Sari nodded.
“So the Doomers would not be affected by it, and they could find your castle. That’s not safe. Your brother and your mother have extraordinary security measures while you have practically none.”
“We are very careful. Most of the castle residents work from home, so there is very little traffic going in and out.”
“What about hunting for hookups? There is a lot of nighttime traffic.”
The more David thought about it, the more worried he became. Unless Sari wasn’t telling him about some major security measures that could be employed in case of an attack, she and her people were sitting ducks.
He felt his pulse quicken with worry.
“There is that, but again, we are careful.”
Sweat starting to bead on his forehead, he gripped her hand. “Tell me that you have one hell of a defense plan in case of an attack.”
“Of course, we do. You were asleep on the way here, so you didn’t notice, but there are several bridges along the way. With the touch of a button, we can collapse each of them, making it impossible for vehicles to get here. That still leaves us exposed from the air, but we have armed drones that we can deploy against attacking aircraft.” She squeezed his hand back. “Did you catch the worry bug from me?”
“It would seem so. Collapsing the bridges is a sound tactic, but that will only stop vehicles. Your enemies can still get up here on foot.”
“That’s true. We also have explosives around the castle grounds. Very few, if any, would make it past all those traps, and our Guardian force can take care of them. You really have nothing to worry about.”
The security measures Sari had described sounded adequate, but they didn’t assuage his fears. In fact, his wariness was progressively getting worse.
The cold ripples of anxiety racing down his spine left a sweaty residue that had his shirt stick to his back. So much so that he had to lean away from the couch’s back.
His overreaction wasn’t logical.
David had never been a soldier, and the horror stories he’d heard from his patients had been about their personal experiences and not military tactics. His opinion could only be based on common sense and the several war fiction books he’d read. Those had been written by ex-military, so the tactics and security measures they’d described must have been valid. Besides, he had to believe that Kian and Sari knew what they were doing, and if they thought that the castle was safe, then it probably was.
“I’ll get the door.” Sari pushed to her feet. “It must be Ojidu with our dinner.”
Absorbed in his thoughts, David hadn’t heard the butler knock. Perhaps there had been no knock, though, and Sari had heard Ojidu approach the door.
It was another reminder that he wasn’t dealing with a mortal, and that he should let go of his fear for her.
Nothing would happen to Sari even if he wasn’t around to protect her. Besides, it was an absurd notion that he could do anything to keep her safe.
It occurred to him that the source of his anxiety was his upcoming transition. Not because he feared for his life, but because he would be incapacitated and wouldn’t be able to protect her.
Logically, he knew that she didn’t need his protection, and that she was better equipped to protect herself than he was capable of as a human or even as an immortal.
David was a healer, not a fighter. He had no combat skills, no training, and in case of an attack, he would be more of a hindrance than help.
Except, his protective instincts had been activated, and they refused to respond to logic, demanding that he arm himself with a proper weapon and guard his mate with his life.
18
Sari
“You are not eating.” Sari waved with her fork at David’s plate. “If you don’t like it, I can ask Brianna to whip something else up for you.”
“The beef stew is delicious.” He stabbed another chunk with his fork. “I’m just not that hungry.”
She frowned. “Only an hour ago, you said that you were starving.”
“Did I?” He rubbed his hand over his chest. “It’s this damn anxiety. It must have killed my appetite.”
That wasn’t like him, which was worrisome. What had gotten into him?
He’d been so confident about his successful transition, and it hadn’t been an act, but ever since he’d gotten it into his head that the castle wasn’t safe enough, he’d been radiating anxiety. Perhaps the worry for her safety had triggered worry about his transition? Had he been suppressing it before for her sake?
It felt strange to psychoanalyze a psychologist, but the fact that David was one didn’t make him less susceptible to mental anguish. On the contrary, it made him more so because he was more attuned to his feelings.
But even though David’s profession dealt with emotions, he responded best to logic. In order to relax, he just needed to know all the facts.
Reaching over the table, she took his hand. “There is no reason for you to be anxious. The safety protocol was designed by Kian and our head Guardian, and it gets routinely updated to account for new technologies.”
He shook his head. “I’m well aware that my anxiety is utterly illogical, but I’m worried about your safety while I’m incapacitated by the transition and unable to protect you.” He chuckled. “As if I could do that. You are probably stronger and faster than I am, and you are also probably better trained as well, which should make me feel better but doesn’t.” He rubbed his chest again. “I have this caveman-like urge to stand guard over my woman with a battle-ax in my hand. I have no idea where this primitive instinct has been hiding my entire life, but it’s definitely here now, and I can’t shake it off. Regrettably, though, I have zero combat skills, and if someone put a battle-ax in my hand, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. I’d probably hurt myself. I feel useless and inadequate.”