by Susan Illene
Everyone climbed out of the vehicles.
Xanath gestured at us. “Please come forward.”
Danae, Miles, Conrad, and I lined up as the sorcerer worked some kind of magic over us, chanting in a language I couldn’t understand. Tingles went across my skin and I shivered. It didn’t feel like anything I’d experienced before, but it reminded me of the sensation I got from being near fireworks going off. Behind us, Aidan and Kade loaded their crate onto the truck.
“It is done,” Xanath announced. He gestured at the shifters so he could do them next.
“So we’re good for a week?” I asked.
He nodded. “As long as you don’t run into anything that interferes with the magic, it should last that long.”
Danae frowned. “What would interfere with the magic?”
“You will know it when you feel it.”
“That’s not cryptic or anything.” She snorted.
“It is up to you to recognize it. The others do not have the power to sense such things.”
“You do realize I’m still a little a new at this,” she said.
“I have seen your talents. You are strong and capable enough,” he replied, sounding like a teacher with his student.
“Thanks for the words of encouragement.”
The pendragon waited for Xanath to finish his spell on Aidan and the others before addressing all of us, “Humans and shifters alike are depending on you to recover the orb. Do not fail us.”
The weight of our responsibility hit me. Until then, I’d been more focused on preparing for the trip than thinking about the gravity of it. Our success could mean the difference between a somewhat difficult post-apocalyptic world and one that would become unlivable. We had to do everything possible to ensure we got that orb back and tucked safely inside the shifter fortress.
Aidan did some kind of strange handshake with Nanoq where they gripped each other’s forearms. “You can count on us, milord.”
The pendragon stared hard at him. “Complete this task, and I will know I can trust you.”
A few minutes later, we were back on the road again heading east. Kade had joined Phoebe and me in the truck, taking up the backseat. Aidan flew overhead, providing over watch for the first leg of the journey. Through the windshield, I could spot him flying in the sky ahead. It was his job to look for any obstacles before we reached them. We’d gone over the route several times in the last couple of days, and he knew exactly which way to go.
To the south of us, I caught glimpses of the mountains when trees close to the road didn’t block the view. Thin, hazy clouds covered the tops of them, adding to their mystique. Aidan had told me the range was from the dragon dimension just like the fortress, and the shifters were lucky both had crossed over. His clan depended on the mountains to get the stone they used for constructing their homes, and they mined the ore deep within to make their weapons.
Our drive was mostly through countryside for a while. The trees had lost their leaves so only random clusters of evergreens broke the monotony of beige coloring the landscape. Occasionally, we passed through a town. Tecumseh was the first but showed no signs of life. A few of the buildings along the highway had been burned almost to the ground with only parts of their walls remaining. I thought I caught a car driving down one of the side streets where a neighborhood still stood, but it disappeared before I could be sure. According to Hank, there were still people living in the town who he met when he visited for his news updates. They just preferred to keep to themselves.
We didn’t have any problems until we got close to Seminole. Aidan flew back toward us and landed a short distance ahead on the road, shifting into his human form. Miles and I stopped our trucks. Before I could even turn off the vehicle, Phoebe was already getting out on the passenger side. We raced up to meet Aidan.
“There is a barrier ahead. It is made up of debris and blocking the road,” he announced.
Miles pulled out a map he had tucked in his pocket. “Can you point to where exactly?”
“On the other side of this intersection.” He put his finger down where Highway 9 and Highway 270 met.
“Will we be able to drive on 270?” Miles asked.
Aidan nodded. “Yes. I believe the humans living there just wish to prevent travelers from getting near their homes.”
I stared at the map. That highway would keep us to the outskirts of town, though not entirely out of it. There was a chance there could be more road blocks once we made it farther along. “Did you follow the route very far? Are you sure it’s clear?”
“Yes. You will not have any trouble passing by the town.”
“Let’s go that way then,” Miles said, folding his map. “If you could check to make sure there’s no one looking to ambush us while we’re driving through, that would be great.”
“Of course.” Aidan glanced between Miles and me, caution in his eyes. “Do not travel too fast. The highway appears to have some damage, though nothing you cannot pass over.”
“That’s good to know.” Miles made a circling motion with his arms. “Let’s go!”
Phoebe grabbed my wrist. “I will stay with my brother this time. If you see us coming toward you, stop right away.”
“Okay.”
I hurried back to the truck. Kade joined me, taking the front passenger seat this time. Miles took off a minute later, and I followed him, keeping watch for any signs of danger. Maybe the people in Seminole were just trying to protect their town, but maybe they also caught travelers by surprise to rob them. There was no way of knowing.
We reached the intersection, and I saw what Aidan meant as I turned onto Highway 270. A handful of old junker cars were positioned across the four-lane road, the median, and the neighboring lawns on either side. There were also couches, old building materials, and construction barriers piled over ten feet high and went at least that far back. There was no way to drive through or around the haphazard barrier.
We turned and started going in a southeasterly direction. This had been one of our planned alternate routes anyway, so it wasn’t a hardship to change direction. I glanced down the side roads that led farther into town. More old cars and debris blocked them. There were some houses and buildings on the west side of the highway, but I was guessing no one inhabited or used those anymore.
The road curved, taking us due east. There were a lot more businesses and homes in this stretch, but once again they didn’t appear in use. Of course, appearances could be deceiving. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, expecting people to pop out any moment and attack. If it could happen in Norman, it could definitely happen in this town, too.
Up ahead on the north side of the road, an older man with a shotgun came out of an old, gray building that looked like it had seen better days. Aidan and Phoebe dove from the sky toward him. The guy’s eyes widened, and he raced into some trees, disappearing into thick underbrush. It was wrong of me, but I snickered. That poor man didn’t know the shifters wouldn’t kill him. They just wanted to remove him as a threat. If there was anyone else lurking around, they’d think twice about showing themselves now.
We finally left Seminole behind, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Only a dozen more small towns to go before we reached our destination.
Chapter 13
Aidan
Aidan flew next to his sister as they scanned the area below, searching for signs of danger. It was a new experience for him to be escorting humans this way. The others might help, but he’d made it his mission to ensure everyone in their party reached their destination without coming to serious harm. The new pendragon had put a lot of faith in Aidan by allowing him to go on this quest. He would not let Nanoq down, and he would return with the orb no matter what it took.
He caught sight of a herd of cows blocking the highway. Look there!
I’ve got it, Phoebe said, swooping down and roaring at them.
The frightened herd stampeded their way through a fallen fence on the south side of the road, damaging
it further, and into a nearby pasture. Their hooves left dirt and dried grass upturned in their wake. After his sister chased down a few of the remaining strays, she flew ahead to make certain no more had wandered off.
Aidan searched the area for any sign of the person who might own them. No human scents lingered, and the nearest houses didn’t appear to have been occupied recently. His toriq occasionally hunted for cows and other animals near the fortress, taking those that would not be missed, but never more than they needed. The last thing they wanted was to deplete the resources of their territory. In fact, they wanted the land to flourish. He would have to inform the pendragon once he returned of this particular herd so they could keep an eye on it.
He caught up with his sister, and they continued on their way. The route they followed appeared to be in relatively good shape other than a few pot holes, as Bailey called them, and cracks in the asphalt. All of the bridges were passable as well. Small towns were dotted along the way—all of them quiet with no outward activity. If not for the fresh scents of humans and exhaust from their vehicles Aidan caught when he flew low enough, he might have thought the places abandoned.
It wasn’t until he reached a larger town—McAlester—that he became uneasy. A light breeze blew in his direction, bringing the strong odor of people and their weapons with it. The gun powder especially irritated his nose. Whoever lived here was active even at this time of day and prepared for unexpected visitors. Miles had mentioned this town could be their biggest problem because the state penitentiary was located here. Aidan caught flickers of movement at the edge of the city and noted a road block had been set up.
He glanced at his sister. Go back and tell the others to stop and wait.
What are you going to do?
We do not have time to go around this place. Aidan eyed a couple of humans looking up at him with rifles in their hands. Didn’t they know their puny weapons could do little to harm him? I am going to convince these people that it is in their best interest to let our group pass through here.
Phoebe hesitated only a moment. I will return as quickly as I can.
She turned and flew back in the direction they’d come. Bailey, his uncle, and the others were at least five miles behind them, which was good. They needed to stay out of sight until Aidan took care of this.
He swooped down, heading for a spot in the road approximately fifty feet from the barrier the humans had erected. As he got closer, they began firing at him. One of the bullets hit a soft spot in his wings, making him wince, but he ignored it. Their soft pieces of metal felt like little more than bee stings. They’d have to fire many of them in the same spot to do any real damage.
Aidan landed and allowed his inner fire to consume him. The gunshots came faster. As he shifted into human form, dozens of bullets disintegrated within the flames, going out in tiny sparks. Silly humans—they did not understand who they faced now. He could smell the desperation and fear leaking off of them in waves as they watched him change. Bailey had once told Aidan that he looked like a demon while transitioning between forms. No doubt these men had grown used to dealing with vulnerable travelers since the pure dragons left. After months of peace, these humans had grown too confident. If Miles was right, most of them were criminals—perhaps murderers and rapists. Who knew what they’d done to the innocents living in this town. Perhaps it was time they were reminded they were not at the top of the food chain.
He emerged from the flames and shouted, “Who is in charge here?”
No answer. The humans hid behind damaged cars, whispering to each other. They did not know he could hear them chattering on their radios and asking for assistance from others nearby. Aidan walked closer until no more than ten feet separated him from their hiding spot.
“I will ask one more time. Who is in charge here?”
A man with a bald head and thick beard slowly stood up. He reeked of terror, but he hid it well. “And who might you be?”
“Aidan of the Taugud. My toriq…” He paused, remembering most humans did not know what that meant. “My clan claimed this territory months ago and forced the pure dragons out. You have had the luxury of living in safety since then because of us.”
The man edged around the car, gripping his rifle. “We make ourselves safe. You ain’t go nothin’ to do with it.”
Aidan gazed beyond the road block toward the town. The pure dragons hadn’t destroyed it, but the charred remains in their wake told its own tale. They’d destroyed at least a quarter of the structures that had once stood. Even from this distance, Aidan could spot the pieces of walls where houses had once been and buildings missing their roofs. Even closer, there was a large black spot on the ground where something must have stood, but it had been completely destroyed. Dragon flames only burned what they touched. They did not spread the way human-built fires could.
“Are you saying you fought the green dragons off yourself?” Aidan asked, cocking his head.
The burly man spit on the ground. “Didn’t need to. They left.”
“Because of my people,” Aidan growled.
“Don’t make no difference to me.”
This was going nowhere, and he’d had enough. Aidan sprinted toward the man, took his rifle out of his hand, and threw it so far neither of them could see where it landed. Then he grabbed the human by his filthy, flannel shirt. “I have people coming this way in two trucks. You and your friends are going to let them pass safely through this town without incident.”
The male’s eyes rounded. “What the fuck are you?”
“Only now do you wish to know?” The human and his friend, who still hid behind the car, had seen Aidan shift.
“Shit ain’t been the same since that day dragons showed up. This is the first time I’ve seen one turn human and your eyes…” He swallowed.
For some reason, that was the thing that always bothered people the most. Aidan could never figure it out. “The green dragons you’ve seen before are pure with strong animal instincts. Those of us who are red are able to shift to human form, and we can be more civilized.” Aidan shoved the guy onto the car’s hood. “But you are not making that easy.”
A skinny human male stood up. Aidan caught the scent of urine coming from the direction of the man’s pants. “We g-g-got orders from our b-boss,” he stuttered, “not to let anyone p-p-pass.”
Aidan glared at him. “Tell whoever gave you those orders that unless you let my people go through this town, I will take you and your friend here and dump you in the nearest lake. If one more person shoots a gun in my presence, the consequences will be far worse. Is that understood?”
The skinny man bobbed his head, but he just stood there doing nothing. Fear held him in place. The other male managed a verbal reply, “We got it.”
“Good, now get on your radio and tell your boss what I told you,” Aidan said, glaring at them both.
The bald man sat up, slid off the car, and went around the vehicle. He picked a hand-held radio off the ground and began speaking into it. Aidan listened as the guy relayed the message, noting that he was staring into the distance at a tall, brick building about a mile or so down the road. It had to be at least ten or eleven levels high. Was that where his boss was located? Could he be hiding there, watching his “territory” from a high vantage point? That was what Aidan would do.
“You two idiots get back here. I’ll take care of this,” said the voice over the radio.
“Leave now?” the bald man questioned.
“Yes!”
Both men darted a glance at Aidan, and then they took off running down the street. The boss wouldn’t have told them to leave unless he had a plan. Taking a deep breath, Aidan searched for any evidence of explosives. Something like what the humans had tried using against dragons before. He didn’t smell anything. Movement on the rooftop of the building where the boss was located caught his attention. A man was up there holding something over his shoulder in a way that sent Aidan’s hackles rising. Not waiting a moment longer t
o find out, he began to shift. As the flames rose over him, an object soared through the air straight for him. Aidan didn’t bother to move, staying directly in the rocket’s path. A split-second later, it reached the flames covering his body and disintegrated with a flash of sparks.
He finished shifting and turned to find Phoebe landing next to him.
I take it they are not being cooperative? she asked.
No.
What do you need me to do?
Aidan gestured toward the road block. Destroy this while I take care of the leader of this town.
With pleasure. She gave him a sharp-toothed grin.
While his sister proceeded to burn the cars and other large objects blocking the road, Aidan took off into the air. His body protested, weakened from changing forms too many times in a short period, but he still had some energy in his reserves. He headed for the building where he’d seen the rocket come from, though the man who’d fired it had disappeared. All Aidan could see up there was the remnants of a sign that he thought was meant to say “Hotel Ald-something.” Half the letters were missing.
As he got closer, gunfire erupted from one of the top-floor windows. Aidan jerked as several bullets hit him in his soft underbelly, puncturing the thinner scales there. Pain gripped his stomach, but he couldn’t let it deter him. He flew straight for the window, letting out a roar of flames.
Someone inside screamed. As the fire died down, Aidan caught sight of a man scrambling away. He had made a point of blowing only enough for it to destroy the window and surrounding wall, creating a hole large enough for him to get inside. He touched down on the edge of the floor and tucked his wings into his back. In his dragon form, he stood taller. The top of his head almost grazed the ceiling. Aidan ran his gaze around the room, homing in on an injured man crawling toward a door. His right side had suffered deep burn wounds, especially on his arm and leg. Half the muscle tissue had been eaten away in the flames.