Pursuing Flight

by C. I. Black

  Of course, Becca’s biggest problem was a dragon problem. Some drake out there, with the ability — or connected to another drake with the ability — to cast a gatelock, knew Becca had a direct link into the dugga’s communications. Every drake but Regis and Tobias would want to get their hands on her. And Regis and Tobias would want her if they knew the truth about how Nero had modified the Asar Nergal’s only directive.

  He took a sip of his coffee and headed back to the kitchenette to focus on that, but found Grey standing in front of the open fridge putting away a carton of cream.

  “Raven is asleep,” Nero said.

  “She was when I went to ask her if she wanted coffee. She only woke and took over watching the surge half an hour ago.” Grey grabbed a spoon from the drawer and stirred his coffee. “She said she’d already been zapped and it would be better if she got zapped again than if I did.”

  “I’m not sure I agree with that. If the surge’s magic floods her again, what might not have been permanent before could become permanent.”

  “Only if his earth magic is powerful enough.”

  Nero raised an eyebrow and sat in a chair at the kitchen table. A flicker of hope trembled in his chest. “You saw his aura.”

  “Hey, a drake can hope. I don’t know how you begin to teach a surge with that kind of power how to control it. He made Raven’s magic rage out of control without a power word or a gesture and while unconscious. Just living in this house with all the kids… one wrong touch…”

  “One problem at a time. For now, he’s isolated. We’ve dealt with a fifteen-year-old with uncontrolled disintegrating touch. We can deal with a surge.”

  “But disintegrating touch is just touch.” Grey slid into the chair across from Nero. “With a surge, even an accidental brush against his arm or leg, heck, his hair, could set off someone’s earth magic. The kids will need to be wary of more than just his hands.”

  “I didn’t say it would be easy.” The kid with the disintegrating touch hadn’t been easy, either. Raven had spent two months feeding him because every time he picked up a fork or a glass he destroyed it.

  “So.” Grey took a long swig of coffee. “Did you get some quality water time?”

  “I’m back to fighting form.” Or as back to fighting form as he could get, without the help of a soak but with sealing his soul bond.

  “And your inamorata?”

  Just the thought of her made his insides squirm with the need to summon a gate and return to her. “Asleep.”

  “Did you… you know?” Grey asked, his tone clear. He meant sex.

  “Not your business,” Nero growled.

  Grey raised his hands in defense. “It’s not, but sealing the bond might solve your dugga problem.”

  “Except my dugga’s magic isn’t an earth magic. I’m not sure being inamorated would affect it like it affected your earth magic.” Both Grey and Capri’s earth magics had become unpredictable — and both were still struggling to control their newfound magical strength.

  “I don’t know, either, but it couldn’t hurt.” Grey’s expression darkened. “I’m also hoping sealing the bond will help her overcome the soul sickness.”

  “Even if she’s not inamorated back?”

  “You know for a fact she’s not?” A hint of pity flashed across Grey’s expression. The silver drake was newly inamorated, as well. Nero knew how that felt and knew even just the thought of his inamorata not being inamorated back would make his soul ache.

  And now it was aching, a heavy, painful throb at the knowledge that, no matter what he’d thought he’d felt when they’d made love, she probably wasn’t. “She’s human. Can they even be inamorated?”

  Grey shrugged. “I’m pretty sure Anaea is. You should have seen it. The moment Hunter showed up, she managed to lock down all her empathy, or at least all of it until you gated in from that fight. Even then, there wasn’t a hint of smoke, and you know the first two things she releases when she’s shocked are her fire and telekinesis.”

  “So my drapes are finally safe, but my small pieces of furniture are still in danger. Wonderful.”

  “If she wasn’t inamorated back, having Hunter return wouldn’t have affected her magic like that. I’m pretty sure Ryan is also affected by Capri. It just isn’t as obvious.”

  But both Anaea and Ryan were magically different. Anaea was a true sorcerer and immortal, and Ryan had been reborn and was now immortal as well. Becca…

  Could be immortal, if the surge’s powers had affected her soul magic and was strong enough to make it permanent. But that was a hope beyond hope, and it would be Nero going insane if he continued to cling to that. Even an immortal inamorata didn’t guarantee forever. The time he had with her was the time he had with her. He was just going to have to accept that.

  “She’s stable for now.” It was the best he could hope for, and with there being nothing he could do about that, he was best to concentrate on things he could change. “Did Raven mention the drake who’d abducted her?”

  “The one after Zenobia?” Grey asked, his tone dark.

  “Yeah. There was a gatelock on that dragon’s building.”

  “She mentioned that as well, and I’ve been trying to figure out who it could be. There’s only a small number of drakes capable of casting a gatelock.”

  “That we know of. I didn’t even know my cousin, Servius, had any sorcerer’s magic.” Nero’s gaze slid to the black depths of his coffee. “It could be anyone. A smart drake keeps an ability that powerful a secret.”

  “And more so now, with Regis seeing traitors everywhere.”

  “Another drake on my list of worries.” Nero tightened his grip around his mug. “If I’m forced to abandon the puzur, promise me you and Hunter will protect it?”

  “It won’t come to that.”

  “It might. If I or one of the other doyens of the Counseling Coteries can’t find a way around Regis’s proclamation that all drakes return to Court, the kids will certainly lose Raven and the dozen others not part of the Asar Nergal.” And if he couldn’t figure out who the drake was who’d captured Becca, he might be forced to abandon everyone just to keep them safe.

  Mother! Just focus on one problem at a time. Becca was the priority. Even if her issue wasn’t as pressing as it was, she’d always be the priority. So satisfy the soul bond, and protect her.

  He raised his gaze from the mug and met Grey’s, fighting the growl bubbling in his throat at the look of concern in the silver drake’s eyes. “Did Raven also tell you about the umbrella art outside the facility? Do you remember it?”

  “I haven’t really spent any time in Newgate in the last seventy or so years.” From Grey’s tight expression, it wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have, and Nero wasn’t going to ask. He’d known the silver drake had kept to Court, and Nero had heard the rumors that something had happened, and that Tobias had reprimanded Hunter for using the Royal Coterie’s medallion to take the souls of two drakes without permission, but that was all Nero knew.

  “Raven did ask me about it,” Grey said. “She mentioned Diablo was supposed to be doing a search for it.”

  “He was.” But given his reaction to Raven getting hit with the surge’s magic, Nero doubted Diablo was going to pop by the house anytime soon. At least the younger black drake hadn’t decided to challenge Nero for the doyenship of the coterie and instead had just gated away.

  “I did my own search, just in case.”

  “Thank you.” If anyone knew what Diablo was thinking, it was Grey. Not that the two were particularly close, certainly not anywhere as close as Diablo had been with Andy, but with Andy’s murder, Nero feared Diablo would shut himself off like he’d been when he’d first joined the coterie, only fulfilling his duties because of his sister, Raven. But for some reason, he and Grey had started an albeit tentative friendship.

  “It helped kill the time while I was sitting in a chair watching your new human mage sleep and hoping I wouldn’t have to touch him.”
>
  “Did you find anything?”

  “I did. Five years ago, the square at Fourth and Ross was redeveloped and a local artist’s sculpture, Up, Up, and Away, was installed.”

  Nero pulled out his phone, and entered the installation’s name and Newgate into his internet browser’s search box. The image of the umbrella art was the first thing on the list and behind it was the familiar set of stairs leading to the front doors of the building where Becca had been held captive.

  He opened a map of the area. The best place to gate into was the alley where he’d first accidentally arrived. The rest of the nearby buildings only had street access at the back or wide walkways with picnic tables and cement planter boxes. The only other good place to form a gate without being noticed was the loading bay of the building owned by the mystery dragon, but that wouldn’t work because of the gatelock.

  “Not a lot of places to gate close.” He supposed he could also send a gate to one of the rooftops, but if he wanted to change locations, he’d still be forced to send a gate to that original alley.

  “You’re not planning on going alone?”

  “For initial surveillance, it would be easier.” Usually, he sent Diablo. With the black drake’s rapid free gating ability, he could pop in and out of just about anywhere, and if things went south, he could get out fast so long as he wasn’t trapped within a gatelock.

  “We know nothing about this dragon.”

  “Hence the need for surveillance.” The sooner he scoped the place out, the sooner he could ensure Becca’s safety. “Any idea as to who might own the place?”

  “Of the buildings in the area, there’s only one with uncertain ownership, and by that I mean it’s owned by a shell company within a shell company within a shell company.”

  “So most likely an elder dragon.”

  “Or an ancient one,” Grey said.

  “Not sure I want to consider that. An elder dragon with a thousand years of resources and earth magic training is bad enough.” An ancient one would be even harder to capture and stop. Even an elder dragon had enough experience to know not to hang around the incriminating evidence. Hell, for all Nero knew, that facility had been cleared out the moment he and Becca had gated away.

  Shit. He should have thought of that. There might not be any evidence left of anything, and he’d have no clue who wanted to abduct Becca.

  Grey pulled out his phone. “Why don’t I call Hunter and the three of us will make a hunting party?”

  “I really like that idea, but for the purpose of just checking the place out and seeing what I can learn, it’s best if the three of us aren’t accidentally caught together on video surveillance.” That would instantly send everything crashing down, as opposed to the teetering edge he was currently on. Yes, Regis was going to eventually learn the truth. Now would be a terrible time for that to happen.

  “I see your point. Why don’t Hunter and I check it out.”

  “That might still alert the dragon in charge about our connection. I show up, and less than twelve hours later you and Hunter come sniffing around.” Nero finished his coffee and pocketed his phone. “No. It’s better if I do the initial surveillance. I’ll be in and out within an hour, and hopefully I’ll have a better idea of who’s in charge.”

  “That’s a terrible plan.”

  “You got one that’s better?” Nero stood and pressed his hand against the wall to summon a gate.

  “No.”

  “Then keep an eye on things until I get back.” He hissed his power word. The gate flared to life and he stepped through, coming out in the alley in the same place where he’d first arrived. He slipped past the rusted fire escape bolted to the brick wall and eased to the alley’s mouth. A car drove past, its exhaust a white plume and its lights adding illumination to the filthy snow banks. Its engine rumbled, growing fainter as it drove away, and no other engine sounds drew close. The side street was even quieter than before, without even the hint of anyone around. Good for noticing anything out of place. Bad for offering any kind of cover if he wanted to wander closer.

  Jeez. There wasn’t any way he was going to get close to the building without being noticed, which meant he wasn’t going to get much information right now. If he’d been thinking, he would have waited until the workday had started and more people were about. Except he hadn’t been thinking, not about proper surveillance, only about Becca and ensuring her safety.

  He scanned the high rises on either side of the facility’s building. Maybe if he snuck into one of those from the other side, he could get a closer look at his primary goal, and hopefully this outing wouldn’t be a complete waste of time.

  He turned, intending to head to the other end of the alley and work his way around the block to the other side of the left-hand neighboring high rise, when something sharp dug into the back of his shoulder.

  What the—

  He pulled it out and had just enough time to recognize a large animal tranquilizer dart before the weight of the drug slammed into him. His limbs grew heavy, his breath slow, and his thoughts stuttered.

  Trap.

  This was a trap.

  And the dart had enough tranquilizer in it to compensate for his dragon’s enhanced healing, or he would have burned it out of his system between one breath and the next.

  Someone yelled, and men in full tactical gear rushed from the nearby buildings as well as across the square toward him. More than a dozen. More than enough to take him down with the drug dragging at his senses.

  He growled his power word, summoned his wind, and blasted the guys straight ahead, then turned and bolted deeper into the alley without waiting to see if he’d slowed any of them down. He needed time to summon a gate, and for that he needed distance.

  A gunshot exploded behind him and pain bit his shoulder.

  He sent another gust of wind behind him without looking. His foot hit an uneven patch of asphalt. He stumbled and caught his balance as more gunfire erupted and pain sliced into his chest.

  Ahead lay the end of the alley and, if he could build up the strength of his wind for a blast that kept them at bay long enough, a chance for him to get out of sight.

  He gasped, trying to catch his breath through the pain and the limb-numbing weight of the tranquilizer.

  Twenty more feet.

  He concentrated on his wind, drawing his power tight to release it in a gust that would buy him the time he needed.

  Five feet.

  Now.

  He released the gust into whoever was behind him, and bolted out of the alley right into the line of fire of another group of armed men.

  33

  Becca jerked awake. Someone had screamed? Roared? Been in pain? She couldn’t remember. It had felt like a dream, and yet…

  Nero howled in her head and she scrambled from the bed, adrenaline racing through her, ready for—

  She had no idea for what. He wasn’t in the bedroom. The drapes were only partially drawn, and in the dim moonlight, she couldn’t see anyone in the bed or the lounge chair by the window or at the antique writing desk. The bathroom door was partially closed, but the light wasn’t on, indicating he wasn’t there, either. Not that Nero couldn’t see in the dark, but—

  Another howl, and the mental connection seared through her, locking her thoughts with Nero’s. He was in trouble. He was surrounded. Men. Guns. Drugs.

  The weight of a sedative crushed her and dragged at her thoughts and limbs— no, his thoughts and limbs. He’d been tranquilized. He’d been shot.

  Where are you? She had to get to him, get help. God damn it, she needed a gun.

  She rushed to the bedroom door, grabbed the knob, then realized she was naked.

  Shit.

  Another howl. The cry tore into her soul. He had to escape. Get back to her. Get—

  Agony sliced through her chest— his chest. He gathered his wind, a ferocious gust that swept from the core of Becca’s being and exploded from her hands—

  No, damn it. His ha
nds.

  The bedroom darkened, and the bite of cold air stung her cheeks. Men surrounded her— him.

  It was so hard to concentrate.

  His thoughts whirled, louder than any other voice in her head. He stood on a side street lined with tall brown-bricked buildings, an alley behind and to his right, and almost a dozen men in tactical gear with weapons ranging from Tasers and Glocks to M4 assault rifles. And there were more in the alley and likely in the buildings and on the rooftops.

  He lunged at a man in tactical gear while shooting a blast of wind behind him and fought past the tranquilizer to slam his fist into the man’s face. He needed to cover his back, get to a wall, buy himself enough time for his soul magic to deal with the tranquilizer. Better yet, somehow summon a gate and get the hell out of there.

  But there were too many of them. His wind would only hold them off for so long, and he wouldn’t have enough time to summon a gate.

  Where are you? she asked again, focusing her thoughts on him, willing him to hear her.

  He gasped, and pain snapped through their heads. Becca? He couldn’t let anything happen to her, had to protect her, had to—

  Someone yelled. The guy he’d punched jerked around to attack him, but Nero wrenched the guy’s arm back into a joint lock and, with another gust of wind, tossed the two men standing between him and a brick wall a dozen feet away.

  Where? she barked.

  At the facility. Ambushed. Get Grey.

  The facility? God damn it. She needed clothes, but she didn’t have any here except for the bloody ones she’d been wearing. What is wrong with you? Why would you go there without backup? Why would you go there without me?

  To protect you, of course.

  Of course, because I’m incapable of taking care of myself. Did I ask you to take care of my problems without me?

  Well—

  No. She scrambled to the bathroom and pulled on her filthy leggings and tank top. And I’m guessing you didn’t go with a plan.