Grace leaned forward. “We haven’t graduated yet. My classmates aren’t ready for this. They have no field experience.”
“We have the best hunters this academy has seen in a long time. Besides you and Noah, Michael and Darren are our top students. Lori is a great fighter, Andrea could use a bit more concentration, but they are ready to be full-time hunters.”
“Why would you approve something like this?” Grace wondered. “You’re always extremely protective of your students and don’t want them to face unnecessary risks. This assignment seems dangerous. Some of us might not come back.”
“Have they found out the identity of the people behind the bombings? Are they planning a stealth attack on their headquarters?” Noah asked.
“The prince assured me there’s intel that hasn’t been released to the public, but I haven’t been debriefed,” Vincent replied.
“Then why would you want to help them?”
“The king has sanctioned this operation, and the dragon princes have offered their help. All I know is that Aaron will be leading this operation and that you are going to another world. Our enemy isn’t here.”
Grace shot up. “What? How? The portals are guarded. That’s nonsense.”
“There are rumors of the existence of another portal that isn’t controlled by the Celestials.”
“How didn’t they sense it? We were taught that they were the rightful guardians because they were born to sense the portals. Their ancestors created the portals between worlds and united the different people living in worlds millions of light-years apart. Their task is to guard the entries and protect the peace.”
“Grace, sit down,” her grandfather ordered. She obeyed, and he continued, “We know that there are powerful wizards who can create temporary portals. The prince believes a coven of wizards joined forces and opened a new portal. The Celestials had a spy in a new cult that appeared a few years ago. The spy gathered enough information to preoccupy the Celestials and warned them that this new cult was going to take action. Before he could find out their plans, he disappeared. The Celestials believe he was killed. A secret portal to an unknown world is dangerous. They can use it to escape or bring more allies to help them start a war.”
“No one has claimed the attacks or made demands. So far, they have been targeting the Celestials,” Noah said. “Who can say the Celestials aren’t at fault? Wizards are watched closely. More than any other race. They normally strip them of their powers if they can’t recruit them to be their personal guard or make them elite hunters.”
“Celestials only leave them alone if they are from another world like Darren,” Grace added. “And Darren is a prince. They wouldn’t dare touch him.”
“They have a special prison for magical beings who break the law,” Noah reminded them.
“Powerful beings need to learn how to control their powers. The Celestials only want what’s best for our society, so we can all live in peace,” the headmaster said. “Noah, Grace has always spoken her mind and questioned everything. She’s a good person, but her mouth might run her into trouble. You seem to mistrust the Celestials as much as she does. I’m not going to tell you that they are benevolent creatures who do no wrong. No. They can be vicious when they want to be. Heartless, too.” He looked at his granddaughter. “Their blood runs in your veins. You need to remember that. They might be immortal, but they have hearts, and their safety needs to be protected, so they continue to monitor the portals and stop the evil creatures from crossing over. Helping them is helping us. Your uncle doesn’t want his mother to force them to retreat and stay hidden in the sky cities. He’s determined to fight the ones who are threatening them and have killed his brother. He came here because he needs our help. They don’t know who to trust. He believes he can trust us.”
Grace cast her gaze downward. “I’m sorry, Grandfather. I was worried about my friends’ safety. I don’t wish to blindly follow orders without making sure we’re doing the right thing.”
“Extremists are a threat to our way of life. They don’t want the world to evolve or for the races to live in peace. They pretend to be the saviors when all they want is to take the power and enslave the weaklings after killing the ones who could oppose them. Dictators only favor the rich and prey on the poor.”
“Not all kings are benevolent like the one ruling Sanabria,” Noah reminded the headmaster.
“It’s not those kingdoms under attack. Alorya has been at peace. If a king from another continent is harboring these terrorists, then they are at fault. The Queen Mother will punish them, too.”
Grace widened her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Killing the crown prince is a declaration of war. The queen will send her army upon anyone who’s protecting the culprits.” The headmaster scratched his chin. “The prince wants to stop a war with a stealth attack and arrest the members of the sect.”
“If they are guilty, innocent wizards will be persecuted as well,” Noah said. “Even if the rogue wizards are a minority, everybody will blame the ones that didn’t have anything to do with this. People are biased when they are scared.”
The headmaster pursed his lips, his expression stern. “If both of you don’t want to participate, I can assign other students to replace you.”
“I won’t let my classmates go without me,” Grace assured her grandfather.
“I go where Grace goes,” Noah declared.
Vincent got up. “Then, get ready to leave once Prince Aaron arrives and debriefs the team.”
Chapter Twenty-One
NOAH
After several hours of traveling in a van to a compound with a portal, the ten-member team ended up in a hell planet. Hell planets had binary suns that rarely had nights, and the high temperatures made it hard for any life or vegetation to exist. Still, the underground caves had enough oxygen for humanoids to survive.
Noah had no idea how the angels had gathered so much intel about the planet’s location and the caves’ schematics, but the fact was that the assault team had explicit orders on where to attack, whom to incapacitate and arrest, so the Celestials could interrogate them. They were given standard bulletproof elite warrior suits and assault weapons. Cameras hang from their front pockets to record and broadcast the events to the headquarters. Everybody had comms and location chips in case they were captured.
Prince Aaron was the team leader. Noah didn’t know what to think about that. He only met the guy a few hours ago. They exchanged polite words before Aaron explained the plan to the hunters and the other dragons. There were more than seventy enemies to neutralize. Deadly force was allowed on foot soldiers, but they wanted the leader and his captains to be arrested.
Meanwhile, the team was inside a white sphere created as a temporary headquarters, a shelter, and concealer of the portal that gave access to the world they had come from. That sort of technology never ceased of amazing Noah. Celestials had access to all types of technology from different worlds since they controlled the portals and had friendly interactions with the representants of those worlds.
The team gathered in the meeting room. It was an oval space without any chairs or tables with three doors that led to the bathrooms, the portal room, and the weapon storage.
“Carter Halle is the leader of the Wild Orchid Clan. He’s a fanatic who believes that wizards should rule the world. He loathes Celestials and isn’t fond of shifters, either. He blames them for his mate’s death,” Aaron explained. “We aren’t sure what happened, but his vampire mate was killed during a Security Force’s intervention. They slaughtered the wrong vampire. She was an innocent bystander. Or so he claims.”
Michael raised his hand. “Can we assume the loss of his mate drove him mad?”
“Most likely, he found an excuse for his violent behavior. Don’t be fooled by his story. He’s a megalomaniac. He loves the spotlight and the attention of his followers. He teaches forbidden magic with no regard for his followers’ life. He also encourages them to give their lives f
or the cause.”
“What’s the cause, exactly?” Lori asked.
“Carter believes that mages are the first inhabitants of this world. He wants to eliminate the Celestials, close the portals, and enslave all other races. Vampires, shifters, and humans aren’t worthy of being anything but slaves.”
“They can’t honestly believe their plan will work. They are outnumbered,” Michael said. “Mages are rare. They are also an evolution of humans. His philosophy is riddled with misconceptions.”
“Often, real facts have no weight on a sect’s ideology. They make their own rules and beliefs,” Aaron explained.
“No one is better than another,” Lori said. “He’s just another idiot who needs to have his ass kicked.”
Michael and Lori high-fived behind their back and shared a smirk.
“As much as I agree with that,” Aaron said with a stern expression, “We need to see them for what they are—dangerous enemies. They might be rogue wizards, but they are powerful. Your suits might protect you against a few of their hits, but you need to be smart and fast. Use your super hearing and super speed to neutralize them. Bind their hands, so they can’t be a threat. Once we arrive at the main hall at the end of the maze, we’ll face the elite wizards that protect the leader. I and the three dragons will use our powers to protect us.” He looked at Grace. “You’ll need to use your magic, too. Are you up to it?”
Grace nodded. “I’ve been practicing. Don’t worry. I won’t let it go out of control.”
“They loathe angels. If they see your wings, they will aim to kill you first,” Aaron warned.
“I’ll be by her side,” Noah said, putting an arm around her shoulder.
Aaron nodded. “You’ll be assigned to her team. We’ll be dividing into three teams, following three different paths that lead to the main chamber.”
Michael raised his arm again. “If there are so many wizards here, shouldn’t we be more than ten warriors. I know dragon princes are powerful, but we seem to be the weak link here. Noah is a hybrid and a veteran hunter. Grace is…well, she’s powerful. Us four”—Michael indicated at Lori, Andrea, and Steve—“seem to be the weak link.”
Aaron folded his arms. “Vincent praised your fighting skills. You’ll be assigned to each team, and we’ll be protecting you while you use your skills to neutralize the warrior wizards.”
“It seems, angels are scared of the wizards, or they’d send their armies,” Lori pitched in.
“Angels don’t want to be blamed for a massacre,” Noah said. “It’s easier to blame someone else when things go wrong.”
Aaron frowned. “We’ve volunteered for this assignment. What’s happening in your world affects all other realms. Mist Sanctum won’t be safe if the Celestials lose control over the portals. We already have a dangerous enemy to vanquish. We don’t need other races trying to invade our lands and killing our subjects.”
“I understand your point of view, and I’m grateful that you’re willing to help,” Noah explained. “But we need to question why the angels aren’t taking care of this themselves. Aren’t they powerful enough to deal with a few wizards?”
“How did they end up here anyway?” Michael questioned.
Darren intervened, “We’re losing precious time. There’s a storm forming on the surface of the planet. We won’t be able to enter the caves if we keep questioning our assignment.”
Ewan, the elf prince from the Crescent Moon Empire, cleared his throat. “We should divide into teams and move to our assigned entry points.”
Aaron nodded. “Noah, Grace, Michael, and Darren are team one.” The dragon prince glanced at Noah. “Any objections?”
Noah shook his head. “I’m fine with it.”
Michael muttered an okay, and Darren smirked and scratched the back of his head.
“Ewan, Lori, and Steve are the second team,” Aaron continued. “I, Andrea, and Kaye are the third team.” He glanced at the warriors, waiting for their approval. No one protested.
Noah’s hand caressed Grace’s hip, and he drew closer. “Will I finally see your wings?”
“Probably.”
Kaye, the other dragon prince, placed his hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “We should report to the crown prince before we leave. The electrical storms might interfere with the communications.”
Aaron relaxed his shoulders. “Check your weapons and supplies. We leave in five minutes.”
With that said, he turned around and left with Kaye.
Andrea rushed to Grace’s side and grabbed her hand. She seemed overly excited for someone who was going on a dangerous assignment.
Noah’s enhanced hearing picked up on her words. “Kaye and Ewan are so dreamy. Especially Ewan. Elves are so tall and beautiful. His hair is shiny and looks like silk.”
Grace offered her a lopsided grin but didn’t say anything about the princes’ good looks. She simply patted her friend’s head. “Will you be fine in Aaron’s team?”
“You can’t always watch my back. Aaron won’t let anything happen to me. I’ll be in the middle of two hotties. It’s going to be an adventure. I just need to make myself useful and prove that I’ve got the skills to be a hunter.”
Lori joined her friends with a pale face, holding on to her stomach. “Is anyone else almost throwing up?”
Grace smiled and rubbed Lori’s arm. “Just go to the bathroom and wash your face. You’ll be fine.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
GRACE
They wore cloaks to protect them from the sun, the winds, and sand while they marched to the caves where the wizards were hiding. Creating a portal nearby would alert their enemies to their presence. They had to walk a few miles in the blistering sun and fight against the stormy winds while linked with a rope, so no one got lost.
It had been a while since Grace felt so hot. The sweat glued her clothes and hair to her skin. The sand pierced her exposed flesh and made it almost impossible to breathe even with a cloth protecting her mouth and nose. With so many beautiful, inhabited planets in the universe, why would someone choose to live there?
Having a mental link with Noah would help soothe her anxiety, but they weren’t mated yet. Maybe it was a mistake not to agree to marry Noah right away. She wanted to spend time at the lake house with her mate once that assignment was over. She had to keep those thoughts away from her mind. Winning was the only option. She would keep her friends safe.
By the time the group arrived at the red clay mountains, where the wizards hid in caves, Grace’s clothes were drenched in sweat, and her breath had grown ragged.
Aaron began untying the rope, and the others did the same. Then, he wrapped the rope around his hand and elbow before placing it over his neck. It might be useful in the caves.
Once they were done, the angels would send more white spheres and place them at the entries, so they could transport the hostages. Carrying them across the desert was out of the question.
Aaron glanced at the team leaders. “You all know what to do, don’t you?”
Noah and Ewan nodded sternly.
Aaron gave the final orders. “Mages go in front. Shifters protect their rear. We’ll meet in the central chamber and reorganize our strategy depending on the number of enemies guarding the leader.”
The groups divided and searched for the entry of the cave that was supposed to lead directly to the central chamber. Those should be the ones more heavily guarded. Still, they couldn’t afford to get lost in the maze.
“Should I also hold Darren’s hand?” Michael joked from behind.
Noah looked at him sideways but didn’t let go of Grace’s hand. “If you think you’ll feel safer.”
Darren chuckled and held his hands up. “No way. I need my hands free, so I can defend us.”
“You should go in front, according to Aaron’s orders,” Grace said, pulling Noah, so he stopped and let Darren take the lead.
Michael reached for the sword hanging from his back, under the backpack. “We should pr
epare ourselves. Check for traps before we enter the cave.”
“You should use the stun gun the angels gave you,” Noah warned. “No cutting off heads and limbs of wizards. Daggers and knives are allowed for hand to hand combat only when necessary.”
“We’re also allowed to use lethal force. A sword is a more precise tool,” Michael argued.
“We need to stop chitchatting before entering the cave,” Grace said in a stern voice. “Michael, Noah is the team leader, and he’s telling you to keep the killing to the minimum. Obey or stay behind.”
Michael groaned and tucked the blade into its sheath. He grabbed the stun gun and cleaned the sweat on his forehead with the back of his sleeve.
“We should leave our capes and masks behind. They will hinder our movements if we have to fight,” Darren recommended.
Michael walked to the entry while removing his cloak. He focused on the ground. “There are wires. They probably trigger an alarm or explosives.”
Darren stopped next to him. “I have a spell to reveal all concealed traps.” With those words, the wizard flicked his wrist, and a howling sound reverberated throughout the cave.
Leaning closer, Darren focused his hearing and waited.
No one dared to talk or move.
Noah’s hand held tighter to Grace’s.
“It’s a long way down,” Darren said.
Opening his hand and aiming it forward, an orange flame flew and swirled, spreading like paint in the water.
“What’s happening?” Michael asked.
“I’m disabling all of the magical incantations and protective spells. It might take a while,” Darren replied.
“What sort of incantation did they have in place?” Noah questioned.
“Fire flames, deadly poison, silver dust, and illusion vapor.” Darren turned around and eyed the orange and red sun that blazed their back with scorching heat. “It’s beautiful despite being deadly if we stay here too long.”
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