Azure's Warriors [Beyond the Veil 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Honor James

  Both of them nodded. Volos had an odd look on his face while Drake just sipped at his coffee. It was like they were discussing the weather. Drake shifted suddenly and dug out his phone before sighing. “Excuse me a moment,” he said, getting to his feet and then moving to the far corner of the room. She could hear him answer, but not much else.

  “Do you ever have any idea, when they come to you, which way things are going to go?” Volos asked. “I mean, beyond the depraved ones that like to poke at you. Is there a sense of what they need, what or whatever they might need in order to cross over? Or do you have to figure it out along the way like a puzzle?”

  “I can typically tell. Their aura is either dark or light. I don’t tell them, of course. And honestly, it’s not that there is any true Heaven or Hell for them. It’s simply if their souls will be reborn or if they won’t. I know that sounds weird, but there it is.”

  “No, that makes sense,” he said. Volos grinned and chuckled. “Well, as much sense as any of this. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole ghost bit. That is seriously wigging me out, which for a Vhampire, says a lot. Drake seems to be dealing rather well with it but he knew your father and all the Necromancer predecessors before. Up to a point, of course, since he’s not that old. Though, some days…” He rolled his eyes.

  “He has to be fairly old, then, because the one before me died three hundred years before I was born.” She wasn’t that old, less than a hundred, which was really not that old in their people’s eyes. “Are you going to be able to deal with this? With having a mate who talks to the dead when you have your own issues with them?”

  “I’ll be fine. They creep me out, but as long as they don’t piss me off, I won’t do anything to them. And yeah, I can do things to them, too,” he said, a slow, not-very-nice smile curling his lips. “But that’s a story for another day. Who was that?” he asked, turning to look at Drake, who was coming back their way.

  “Tech’s got into Giovanni Bio-Tech and, well, let’s just say they aren’t so much into the tech as they are into the biology of things. Took them a while, but they hacked the security feeds and are sending us the feed.” Drake sat back down next to her and grabbed up a laptop from the cluttered table. Flipping the lid open, he signed in and clicked a link before handing it over to her.

  Azure looked at the scene before her on the screen and bit her lower lip. “Heavens,” she whispered and took a deep breath. “All I can do for them is ensure that their bodies aren’t found if they are Raythe. I wish I could for the other races as well, but sadly, I can’t pull their bodies home. Only those of my race.” Which broke her heart. “We have to do something to stop them.” She breathed the words in a softer-than-soft whisper of sound. “This can’t be allowed to continue.” She closed the laptop and shook her head. “I can’t see more. I will already see it when they come to me.” She had tears spiking her lashes and rose, walking away from the men and to the wall of glass, and looked over the city below.

  There was silence behind her but, in the reflection of the windows, she could see the men looking to one another. “So we go in and get them out, while they are still alive,” Drake said. His large form was coming up behind her until she could feel the heat radiating off him seeping into her back. “We have a strike team that we pulled together that can go in with us. You can remain here, with Maurice and Graven, and we’ll let you know what’s gone down as soon as we’re able to. Or”—he put his hands on her shoulders lightly—“you can come with us. If you do, you need to follow orders, the same as everyone else does. Think you could do that, princess?”

  She leaned back against Drake and sighed, the heat of the man seeping into her body and soul. Closing her eyes, she soaked up the feeling, the quiet that he offered her. “I’ve never been in battle,” she admitted. “But I would like to go with you. Maurice and Graven will be able to lend their talents and skills to the fray that way, as well. It would work best for all concerned, don’t you think?”

  She tilted her head slightly and looked up at Drake, a soft smile on her lips as she said, “I could take orders and directions. I’m confident in what I can do, but I also know what I can’t do, and that’s fight. It would be easier on me, however, if I were with you and someone was at that brink who held information that we needed. I would be able to retrieve it from them.”

  “At a cost,” Graven said from where he was slowly eating a beignet. “There is always a cost.”

  “One that I’ve paid easily for my entire life,” Azure added. “I will come with.” She heard the snorts from both Graven and Maurice and ignored them. Instead, she soaked up the heat from Drake, whose arms now were wrapped around her body and held her tightly.

  “You won’t have to fight, but I’d feel better if you were there,” he said quietly, giving her a slight squeeze. “You’ll stay with Volos, who can ensure that if you need to move quickly, you will. Volos.” He turned his head. “Give the team a call and tell them to gear up. No identification of any sort. This is Black Ops all the way.”

  “Copy that.” Volos got up and pulled a cell out of his pocket as he walked out of the room.

  “Thank you for understanding,” she said quietly. “This feels nice,” she admitted with an odd expression on her face. “I’ve never had anything feel this nice before. Relaxing, comforting, assuring. I like it. That and the heat. You are very warm.”

  Chuckling, he shrugged. “One of the hazards of being Draygon. We tend to run a lot warmer than the other Races. It’s got its benefits and its drawbacks, like any of the Race abilities.” Lowering his head, he pressed his lips to her forehead. “You should get dressed, princess. Nothing baggy, and preferably in only dark colors. We’ll get you a vest to help protect you, but that’s about as far as we can go at the moment, though I will look into getting a set of gear specifically for you.”

  “I like that you are as warm as you are. Don’t look at it as a drawback,” Azure said and pulled from him. “I have dark clothing, I will also pull my hair back so that it’s not a detraction as well.” Her hand rested now on his chest. “I will be back in fifteen minutes. Please try not to think of ways to keep me home,” she teased, mostly because she could and because it felt nice to be able to tease someone other than her guards.

  “Never,” Drake assured her. Lifting a hand, he brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Go, get ready. We’ll head out as soon as you’re back. Quickly, though. We need to get there and use all the time we can get to get in and out safely.” Loosening his hold, he tapped her nose lightly before he stepped back to let her pass.

  After giving him one final nod, Azure went to her room to change clothes for this mission, one she prayed would work and help save the people that were suffering at the hands of the humans that held them. Grabbing the cloak that had been created especially for her, on impulse, she moved from her rooms.

  When she came back out, they were waiting by the door for her. Drake held out a hand to her and squeezed her fingers gently when she slid her hand over his. Tugging her close, he wrapped an arm around her waist and then they departed the hotel room.

  Azy knew that she could get used to this, being close to this man and having his heat surrounding her. It got even better when Volos was close, his hand brushing hers as they walked through the area she was staying in and down into vehicles. She looked to her guards, men she had known her entire life, and gave them a brief nod and smile to let them know she was okay. “Now, do we have a vehicle large enough for all of us?”

  She hoped so, at least.

  “Of course,” Volos said. Lifting a hand, he pointed. To a very large truck, or something. “It’s called a Hummer. Back in the day, the Human military used them in the field for transporting troops. The AEDA has a few of them and, after major retrofitting, they are used for more or less the same purposes today. They are bullet- and bomb- proof, the wheels are the kind that never goes flat, and all the glass is reinforced. It also comes with seven hundred radio stations, cup hold
ers and a mini-bar in the back. Plus, and this is really the best part, all the panels move to turn it into a mobile command center.”

  “That’s actually pretty spectacular,” she agreed with a grin. “Well as long as it is large enough to keep us all safe and comfortable, that is all that matters. The mini-bar is a bit over-the-top, but who cares about that, right?”

  “Blasphemy,” Volos said, staring at her in horror. “Every vehicle that is a mobile command center and that is bomb-proof should damn well have a mini-bar. Come on, woman, whatever are you thinking?”

  Drake chuckled and opened a door for her. “Slide into the middle of the seat,” he told her softly, giving her a hand into the vehicle. Volos went into the driver’s seat, Maurice into the front passenger, and Graven took the seat behind Maurice.

  “I don’t drink,” she said simply as she slid into the middle of the seat. When Drake slid into the seat beside her, she slipped her hand into his and looked to him. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

  “You’re welcome,” he said softly. “There’s no alcohol in the bar, just water and juices. There’s no reason to have alcohol in the vehicle. Well, besides whatever’s in the medical kit, that is. If you’re on a mission, you need a clear head and fast reflexes. Alcohol screws that up even for us.”

  “Ah, well, that makes sense, then. The mini-bar, that is. I was thinking that there would be no need for one when you use this vehicle for missions and such.” She had been confused about why there would be alcohol with a vehicle that was clearly intended for war.

  “It even has snacks in it as well. High-protein items to keep a growing lad moving,” he said with a smile. Bumping his shoulder gently to hers, he shifted and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Relax for a little while. We have a half-hour before we’ll be there and then however long it takes us to find our way in and out.”

  “Oh, very cool. That sounds like a plan to me. I like snacks. That’s one thing that I’ve found that I love on this side of the Veil, those things called granola bars?” she asked with a frown. “I think that’s what they are called.”

  “They are called that,” Graven told her.

  “I’m sure we can dig one or two out if you’re feeling peckish,” Drake said softly. She felt him press a kiss to her hair as he gave her another gentle squeeze. “There are some other things back there, I’m sure. No quite sure if you’ll like any of them, but we’ll expand your culinary repertoire a little at a time so we don’t overwhelm you too badly.”

  “Is it supposed to feel like this?” she asked as she looked up at him. “Is it supposed to feel like this when you first meet your mate? I know that sounds odd, but this is all so new to me. I’ve never seen mates come together and I can’t seem to stop myself from wanting to touch you.” Same with Volos, but he was keeping his distance from her, something she was certain had to do with her necromancy abilities.

  “Honestly couldn’t say one way or another. This is a first for me also,” he said, smiling down at her. “But from what I remember of the few matings I saw in the early days, I would have to say yes, it’s perfectly normal. It’s all part of getting to know one another and becoming comfortable with each other. More so for the females of the matings than the males, since you women tend to be rather tiny.”

  Azure grinned and laid her head back on Drake’s shoulder. “We might be tiny, but that doesn’t make us weak.” She knew that from personal experience. “He doesn’t seem to want to be close to me. Am I making him nervous or upset because of the ability that I have?”

  “Women are the strongest creatures around, no matter their Race.” Shooting a look to Volos, Drake shook his head. “I don’t know. At a guess, it’s your ability,” he said softly. “He’ll come to terms with it soon enough. He doesn’t get freaked out by much but ghosts and the dead—which is weird, given Human lore about his kind—totally give him the willies. He’s really one of the wimpiest Vhampires I’ve ever met.”

  A low growl from the front seat sounded and she caught the look of retribution that Volos shot toward Drake via the mirror.

  Azy leaned forward and laid her hand on Volos’s shoulder. “I won’t ask you to do anything that will make you uncomfortable. If it’s too much for you, I wouldn’t blame you if you were to walk out of the room when I’m visited by the dead. I completely understand.” They would know when it happened, too. She seemed to talk aloud to those that came to visit her, so it was kind of a given when she talked to people that were on the other side.

  “I will become accustomed to it in time, I’m sure,” he said. He shot her a look in the mirror and touched her hand lightly. Giving it a squeeze, he let go after a moment. “We’re twenty minutes out from our destination,” he said, looking around the cab of the vehicle.

  “I hope that you will,” she said simply and leaned back in the seat. Closing her eyes, she let out a breath. She could feel death around them and shuddered. Azure felt Drake pulling her closer and was thankful, the heat of the man helping her fight back her own fears of allowing the dead close to her. His holding her close helped to keep her grounded in the now.

  “Pull off over here,” Maurice said. He was leaning forward in his seat and squinting at something out the window.

  “What are you seeing?” Graven asked.

  “They have the block monitored. Those are not your average monitoring beacons up there. They really want to know who’s coming and who’s snooping around,” Maurice said.

  “I see them, too. I’m going to go past and then come back around. There’s a little storefront a block over that should give us a shorter path in and block the vehicle from those monitoring devices,” Volos said and heaved a sigh. “Why is nothing ever easy?”

  “Because then it would be boring,” Drake said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm gently.

  “There are also dead that are telling us there are hidden traps that you can’t see as well.” Azure looked out at the street and watched the dead. “There are three that lost their lives. One was a human woman who was trying to save two of the other Races that were trapped. They lost their lives as well,” she whispered in sorrow. “They were to be bond-mates.” She saw the men beside the woman, flanking her and warning her. “It’s going to be far more dangerous than you are thinking.”

  As Volos parked the vehicle, Drake slid out. He inhaled deeply, and when he looked at her, his eyes were golden and glowing. “We have explosives and snipers,” he said quietly. “There’s also something that smells like”—he frowned and shook his head—“I want to say TNT, but it’s not quite right.”

  “It’s likely a nitroglycerin compound,” Graven said as he slid out and inhaled, too. “But it’s a different mix than I recognize. We need to remove the snipers, quietly.”

  “Volos…” Drake looked to his friend.

  “Point me in the direction.” He grinned.

  Drake pointed to a building. “The first is there, second is over there, and the third”—he turned to point at the last spot—“he’s up there. Take him first, he’s nervous. They all have spotters, so you need to be fast. They are also talking to one another on five-minute intervals.”

  Rubbing his hands together, Volos bounced on his toes. “Nothing like a challenge. Count me down.”

  Drake tipped his head and frowned. “First is radioing,” he said softly. “The second just replied and…Go!”

  In an instant, Volos was gone. Turning to look at her again, he held out a hand. “Do you think your friends could recommend the easiest route into the building for us?”

  Azure nodded and looked to the ghosts that stood off to the side. “They are telling me that if we go west for half a block, there is an old elevator shaft that is built into the cement. It’s what they use to bring the bodies up from below. They only use it for that because it gives them the creeps. It’s oiled and silent because they don’t want to allow anyone else to know that the elevator comes up or down.”

  Nodding, he held out his hand to her. When
she slid her hand into his, he laced their fingers together. “We’ll wait on Volos. He can’t flash into any place he’s never seen before. But, if we’re lucky to find survivors, he can flash them back out here to the truck.” Pulling her closer, he helped her into the vest that Maurice passed to him. “This is bulletproof, just in case,” he said softly. Tugging open a pocket, he pulled out a little earwig and handed it to her. “It’s a closed-circuit feed, unhackable. Trust me on that one. Our geeks take this shit very seriously. It will let us talk to one another in the event we are separated. Just keep your voice low, but speak normally, don’t whisper. Whispering makes too many raspy noises that will attract the attention of anyone close by and trained even half decently.”

  She felt immediate relief when Drake slipped his hand into hers. “That feels so much better,” she whispered and then swallowed, hard. She looked to the vest that was being passed her way and nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.” She gave his hand another squeeze and smiled. “It does help me a great deal, however, to have you touching me. Odd, I know.”

  “Not odd at all,” he said softly. Helping her into the vest, he zipped it up and smiled at her. “We’re mates. Touch is part of who we are,” he told her. Taking another vest, he slipped it on and then took a belt with a bunch of weapons attached. He checked each. A large knife, four smaller throwing blades and two large handguns. He took a sword from Graven and slipped it under the vest, securing it around his waist. It was a very large sword.

  Volos reappeared with his back to them. “Ta-da!” he said, throwing his arms wide. Then he turned around slowly and grinned, throwing his arms wide again. “Ta-da!”