by Honor James
“I won’t apologize for telling her. She’s a part of us and deserved to know why you were being so cold to her, why you didn’t want her to be a part of your mind. It was hurting her so I told her the barest bones so that she could understand why you did what you did,” Rayne replied.
“Still doesn’t make me any happier with you,” Slade said, leaning his head back. “I get why you told her but I wish you hadn’t. I’ve caught her giving me this sympathetic pity thing of hers whenever she thinks I’m remembering that time or when something reminds me of that time. It’s sweet but annoying, too.”
Rayne snorted. “Yeah and if I recall you typically get her to stop thinking about it by taking her and swatting her ass before fucking her six ways from Sunday.” Leaning his head back he closed his eyes. “Half the time I think she gives you that ‘look’ just to get you to take her to bed. She’s an insatiable little bit and I for one love that about our gal.”
“Anything to get that look off her face,” Slade told him honestly as he checked the comms gear and passed it out. He personally couldn’t wear it. His magic didn’t work with electronics like Quincy’s did. Grabbing up the minitablet he did the run-through and slid it into a pocket at his thigh. Thankfully for them Quincy was a fucking genius and the tablet would relay all the comms traffic to him via morse code so he’d know where everyone was. And, should he get the chance, he could pull it out for a more “live” view of everyone. Seeing the pilot lift a hand he pressed the headset for their whole copter and the other three. “We’re five minutes out, lads, five minutes,” he called the warning.
Rayne opened his eyes and looked to Slade. When it was just them on the headset comm again, he said, “You need to tell her, Slade. She will never ask you and you know it but you need to tell her. It’s more than past time for you to tell her about your past and why you lean so close to the darkness. She will never judge you but it will help her know you, the real you. She’s bared her fucking soul to us and told us far more than we ever thought she would so it’s more than past time for you to tell her, okay?”
“I was planning to anyway,” he said softly, toying with a flashbang before tucking it into the strap on his holdall. “I’ll tell her when we go home, but I don’t need you knowing it, too, so I want to tell her alone and keep it private, Rayne.” Slade had enough issues with his past and the shame of it was just part of it. He could deal with Parker knowing it all, every last sordid detail, but definitely no one else.
“Don’t worry. I have paperwork back at the base that I really need to catch up on. Just send me a text when you are ready for me to come home, but that’s after. For now we simply have to deal with making sure that this fucker never, ever walks into our bond-mate’s life again. We need to make sure that she’s safe. After we will worry about life.”
“Deal.” Slade nodded and let out a breath before smiling faintly. “I feel for Talon though,” he murmured softly, looking to the Dragon King who was sitting up front with the pilot. “Can’t be easy making the call even though we all knew what it would be.”
Rayne nodded and sighed. “Yeah no kidding. I really feel for him, a kid that he’s never even met, so it’s going to be fucking hard for him.” Rubbing his large hand over the back of his neck he added, “I’m surprised that Cin didn’t demand to be allowed to come. That woman is fucking scary fierce and in a battle she’s deadly.”
“Somehow I have the impression that should she be needed she and Q have something arranged to get her there. Maybe she’s the back-up plan for the back-up plan,” Slade suggested with a crooked grin. “Hell if I know but I’m betting they have her sitting at the ready on the sidelines, Rayne.”
“I’m sure.” Rayne shrugged and then double-checked his weapon before looking out of the helicopter that they were in. “She’s a being that he will keep hidden and safe for as long as he possibly can and I don’t blame him. She is his rock and we know it. Add to it that she’s something that none of us ever dreamed was possible.” Another pause. “Which is good. I have a feeling we will need her in this fight and we all hate it.”
“Use whatever weapons are available and at hand,” Slade quoted the Dragon King. Keying the comms he gave the warning. “One minute, one minute out. We are on final approach, doors open and ropes at the ready. Please ensure your tray tables and seats are in their upright and locked positions and we thank you for flying Dragon air with us today. Parting gifts are available for your stewards on your way out the door but if you don’t want a kick in the ass, please dive out swiftly.”
Rayne snorted. “You know one day Talon is going to take your head for your smart-assed comments, right?” Even though he teased he was preparing for battle, getting ready to dive out of the helicopter and repel down on a rope. Yep, lots of fun.
“He hasn’t killed Quincy yet and I know for a fact the Mage annoys him a lot more than I do,” Slade said before removing the comms and setting them aside. Ensuring the strap holding the tablet to his leg was tight he grabbed his line up, checked all his attachments, and went to crouch next to Rayne in the doorway. “You do know”—he grinned at the Dragon as the pilot counted off—“if you Dragons weren’t such a stick-up-the-ass lot we magic users wouldn’t feel the need to harass you so.” Wiggling his eyebrows he dived out of the helicopter at the word “go!” from the pilot, conveniently before Rayne could shoot off a comeback.
Rayne snorted and followed along after Slade, jumping from the chopper without even looking down. Landing softly at his partner’s side he nodded. “I’m your shadow,” he told the Sorcerer. “So let’s do this, Slade.” He growled and allowed his claws to come out in a partial shift.
Nodding Slade pulled out the datapad and pulled up the maps. Holding it up for Rayne to look over his shoulder he scrolled to their targeted area and looked back at the Dragon. Getting a nod he drew his magic up just under his skin so it was at the ready for whatever came and began to move.
The map in mind, Rayne moved along at Slade’s back, kept to him as close as his shadow, and allowed the Sorcerer to lead them where they needed to go.
Grabbing the back of Slade’s jacket Rayne pulled him to a stop and hissed. “I taste bad magic on the wind. Can you feel it, too?”
“Yeah, an oil slick in the air,” he agreed quietly, waving Rayne back a step into an alcove. Looking up at the Dragon, Slade shook his head. “It’s getting worse the closer we get to the main building. Which means the satellites were right and that’s where Nathaniel is held up waiting for us. We have to assume he knows we’re here and what we have planned. We have to or he’s got us by the short hairs.”
“Fuck me,” Rayne growled. “Okay we will just go in knowing that this fuck knows that we are here. We will do what we have to and we will get him neutralized as quickly as possible.” If only it would be that simple. Ha. Hardly.
“And assume that I’ll be a threat as soon as he gets his eyes on me,” Slade told him and shrugged at the sharp look. “He’s absorbed dark magic into himself. He’ll sense that tiny nugget inside of me and he’ll be looking to get some sort of control on me. If all else fails, shoot to incapacitate, Rayne, and don’t fucking miss if it comes down to it.”
“Fucking wonderful.” Rayne growled. “And you didn’t think to tell me this before so that I could make sure to trade Sorcerers?” Pushing Slade’s shoulder he smirked. “Don’t be so serious, asshat, we all knew that. And don’t you worry. I will take you down if it comes down to it but not permanently. I happen to love our bond-mate too much to do that.”
Throwing the Dragon the bird Slade checked the map once more before turning the datapad off and dropping it into one of the many pockets he had. Blowing out a steadying breath he reached for Parker and smiled at the light mental touch that was his mate. Forcing himself to relax Slade held onto that small connection, keeping it light to ensure she wasn’t hurt and waving Rayne forward, moving ahead of the Dragon toward the end of it all. One way or another.
Chapter Thirteen
It definitely hadn’t gone according to plan, nothing ever really does. But that’s what you get when you have a psychopathic Dragon trying to kill you. All the while you, the good guys, are trying to keep the psycho Dragon from killing you, your friends and all the innocents that got dragged into the fight. It started out fine, but after about ten minutes, well—it went downhill fast.
Rendezvous point bravo
Checking over the area with his binoculars once more Slade rocked back on his heels. “I have a bad, bad feeling,” he said under his breath.
“Why?” Rayne’s voice was a mere whisper, barely louder than the breeze that was ruffling the tree leaves above their position.
“You know that sensation when you leave the house on vacation. That feeling that you’ve forgotten something important. So you check your wallet for ID. You check that you have your tickets and passport. Then you start that inevitable list. Did I leave on the stove? Did I forget to lock the back door? Did I remember to turn the furnace down? And so forth.” He looked to the Dragon.
“Yeah, I know the feeling. I get it every time we leave the base. But it’s usually, did I forget my favorite blade or the grenades or…” Rayne had a grin on his face.
“Anyway,” Slade said in a tight voice. He was tense and Rayne’s teasing wasn’t soothing him, at all. “I’ve got that kind of feeling here. But in this case it’s more to the idea of, what the fuck didn’t we discover about this asshole? What did we miss that will get us killed? What trick does he have up his sleeve we overlooked or are too cocky about?”
Rayne let out a breath, a soft hiss through his teeth. “I’ve had that feeling since we came up with this plan.”
Slade blinked at his friend. “And you didn’t say anything? Why the hell not?” It was really hard to project annoyance, frustration and a general pissed-off attitude when you had to keep your voice down. It just didn’t carry the same weight.
“Because I figured it was just me.” The Dragon lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug before grinning. “Besides, I have you to throw at them if all else fails.”
“I fucking hate you some days,” Slade muttered.
“No, you don’t. You’re just saying that because…”
Rayne didn’t get any further with his reason as their ear pieces all crackled right then. The tension somehow managed to notch up another ten degrees. It was Quincy’s voice that came through loud and clear but modulated down so there was no chance of the communication being heard.
“All right lads, time to pull up your big-boy undies because you are going to have visitors right quick.” The Mage sounded relaxed and calm, neat trick if you could manage it, Slade thought. Quincy continued, “We have three vehicles heading right toward the zone. Two SUVs and a Hummer from the looks of things we’ve gotten off traffic cameras. I’ve checked the satellite and, best guess given the heat coming off the vehicles, you’ve got six in the front, five in the middle, and six in the back. That is seventeen for those of you that ran out of fingers and are pulling off your shoes and socks.”
Someone made a crass remark on the line and there was a smattering of snickering, too. The tension eased slightly, not a lot, but enough that everyone was able to breathe again, except him. Slade was getting more and more concerned with every passing second.
“We do not, I repeat, do not know which vehicle Nathaniel is in,” Quincy told them. “We do not know how many individuals are armed and we do not know how many may be civilians. Your orders are to treat everyone that is not a friendly as the enemy until we clear them. Do not, I repeat, do not fucking take any chances. You all need to come back in one piece.” He paused for a minute, maybe two. “Sound off and get ready. I will give you a countdown when they are closer. You are currently at T-minus ten minutes to contact.”
As everyone checked in Slade closed his eyes. He was missing something, something big. Why would Nathaniel put himself in such an obvious place? A convoy, really? It just didn’t make any sense. A convoy was vulnerable. A convoy was obvious. A convoy was…His eyes snapped open.
“It’s a trap!” he hissed urgently into the mic. “This is a fucking setup. All teams go to secondary positions, now!” He pushed at Rayne and, like all the others, because of how well trained they were, they moved hard, fast and stayed low.
“Are you sure, Slade?” Rayne asked over his shoulder as he shimmied through the brush.
Slade didn’t bother answering. Not when the whistle of incoming mortars gave the answer for him. Then the world was exploding.
“Fuck!” Quincy’s voice again. “You’re fucking surrounded. Dragons, shift and get in the air. Provide some fucking cover. Slade, you need to take out that convoy at the first opportunity. Tryggr, try and close that hole up with delta to the east. Son of a fucking bitch!”
Yeah, Slade was feeling that. Peeling off from Rayne with a thumbs-up he found a nice little rock outcropping and reoriented himself. He needed to get his heart rate under control or, so help him God, he would never be able to stop the convoy. “Skittles,” he said into his mic. “Where’s the convoy in relation to my current?”
Silence for a moment, but he didn’t panic. He knew Quincy was handling a hundred things at once. “They are at your four o’clock and”—another pause—“approximately ten clicks and closing fast. They fucking hammered the gas pedal on those seriously modified pieces of scrap metal. What’s your plan?”
“You don’t want to know,” he muttered. Taking another breath Slade started to work his way toward the convoy. Or at least to a spot where he could see the damned vehicles. He needed a line of sight for his plan to work. Not really a plan, more of a hope and prayer held together with spit and a paperclip. But hell, MacGyver had worked with less and always managed to save the day.
It took him about ten minutes to get to a spot where the brush cleared enough for a line of sight. Quincy was in his ear keeping him updated and guiding the others in the now air-to-ground and ground-to-air fight. Dragons were swooping, their fire razing everything in their path. Slade took a second to look up, spotting a couple he recognized as they whizzed past at speeds he hadn’t thought they could achieve. The rest, he didn’t have a clue who they were.
“All right, I’m in position, Skittles. Do we still have no idea who’s in the vehicles?” he asked.
“Nada,” Quincy answered. “What’s the plan?”
“I’m going to rearrange the landscape a little. Or, at least that’s the general hope,” he told the Mage. Closing his eyes he shut out the world. All the heat from the Dragon’s Fire, all the noise from combat and screams from those injured or dying. He turned in and opened up his magic fully. Wrapping it up in his aura he began to speak the words of the spell. Low, almost under his breath he worked the magic until it was in a tangled frenzy. Opening his eyes long enough to gauge the convoy and the best spot he threw out a hand. Magic tore through him, every hair on his body going to full attention as he ripped a hole into the ground before the convoy. Unable to stop, the first car went in, the second skidding and getting a nudge from the third that hadn’t even clued in.
The hole wasn’t deep. He didn’t want the occupants dead, yet. But it was deep enough to keep them trapped and, hopefully, out of the battle. Falling on his ass Slade let out a shaky breath. “Convoy stopped and contained.” The hoots and hollers from various team mates made him smile slightly. Flopping back on the ground he sucked in air. Just a second and he’d get up. Just another second. And that was it. Pushing up he raced off for the group that seemed to be taking the worst damage and called on the magic again.
* * * *
From the air Rayne let out a breath when he saw Slade racing into the fray. He was on his feet, moving and doing his thing. Now if only they could fucking figure out where the hell Nathaniel was and end this shit! Tucking his wings he dived toward the ground, flaring them back out seconds before impact. Inhaling deep he sent a line of Dragon’s Fire right for the assholes with the bazookas. The resounding explosion m
ade him snicker, idiots.
Swinging back around he headed for a Dragon trying to bombard one of the positions on the ground. Not one of theirs, the markings were wrong, and then the dragon in question was in Rayne’s claws. Squeezing hard Rayne sank his teeth into the Dragon’s neck and tore out a chunk. Letting the beast fall into a clearing he let out a roar before going back for more. Rayne’s beast was happy. Too long had it wanted a fight. Now it was getting one and it was glorying in the blood and death it was bringing to the enemy.
Later Rayne would likely look back and shudder. But in the moment, he was doing what was necessary. Fighting for his mate, for his friends, and for his future. Releasing a roar he dived for another Dragon. Nathaniel, he realized when he was close, you are mine, mother fucker.
Rayne didn’t slow his descent. He let his body carry him right into the other beast. Claws out and, impact! Rayne held him tight and let their combined weights carry them to earth. Three, two, one. He released just as Nathaniel’s form made contact, shifted to human form and somersaulted away. Spinning he was on his feet and shifted back to the Dragon before the other beast could realize what had happened. Roaring he lifted into the air and set the ground around the other beast on fire. A controlled blaze, anything to distract the beast. Slade, he projected to the other man. I need your help with Nathaniel.
Rayne felt the other man’s surprise before he got an answer back. You have him? Holy shit! Is that who you took down? Excitement in the tone.
Yeah, but we don’t have a lot of time. He’s going to get up and brush off what I did too fast. I need you to contain him so we can crush him.