by Honor James
“You really have to work on your entrances, just a little bit,” Maurice commented with a grin.
“Oh, shut up, you old fart. That was impressive. Not even a blip on the radar screen,” Volos said, moving to the back of the vehicle. He began to gear up as well, as he handed something to Maurice.
“You got a radio, excellent.” Maurice nodded.
“Figured it couldn’t hurt to have some insider information not exclusive to the”—Volos waved a hand and shivered—“you know.”
Azure wasn’t so certain how this was going to work, with Volos being as unhappy with the dead as he seemingly was, and how integral of a part of her life they played. She would worry about that later, though. Right now was time for them to save as many beings as they could.
“Try not to worry,” Drake said softly. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “He’ll come around in time. Just give him a chance to get used to the idea. He will, trust me,” he whispered. Squeezing her hand, he pulled back and looked down at her. “All right, princess, since you and our guides know where we’re going, lead on.”
Azure nodded and stepped to the front of the group. She had no weapons on her, but she honestly didn’t need one. There was more to her than simply seeing the dead, but that was for another time. Taking a deep breath, she looked to the dead, the trio that should have been mated, and whispered her request. “Take us in? Allow us to avenge your murders?” When they nodded and turned, she followed them, her eyes on them, and stepped where they stepped.
Drake’s hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed. He was quiet behind her, but so were the others. The only reason she knew he was there was the weight and warmth of his hand on her shoulder as she led them where the spirits guided her to take them.
Azure followed the dead trio, the ghosts of what had once been, and, with her foot, activated the hidden switch for the elevator. “They are saying that the hall is clear, but they can’t go back there. It’s too hard for them.”
She bowed her head in respect and whispered a prayer in her people’s ancient language to give them safe passages as a unit to the next life. “You will be together again, I promise.” She could see their souls being reworked, their destinies laid before them, and knew that these three beings would once more be born again to solidify the bond that they could have had. “Go in peace,” she whispered finally and then looked to the men around her. “Okay, let’s do this.” She was nervous, but this had to be done.
Drake moved up next to her and peered into the elevator. Looking at it carefully, he crouched and checked the edges. “I’m not seeing anything that will alert them to us coming down, but we need to be ready in case they have someone close enough to hear the thing or feel the pressure change. You said it was silent, but there are vibrations to consider.” He looked to her. Stepping onto the plate, he took up a position. The other men did the same, one facing each side with her in the middle, and they were all standing with a hand on a gun.
Taking her spot in the center, Azure took in a deep breath and allowed all of her senses to flare out. She felt more than saw the look from Maurice and shook her head. If it gave them only a moment, she would do this. It left her more open to the draining world around her, but that was something she could and would survive.
“There are two humans that are in what looks to be a control room. All of the beings in this facility that aren’t in cages or worse are human,” she whispered, her voice an eerie voice of power. “These humans are irredeemable. They are evil. The two that were good were to be mates to those captive. One, and her mates, is still alive. How she’s alive, I don’t know. Her mates are all but going crazy to get to her.” She breathed the words softly. “They are as you are, Drake.” Draygon. They were desperate to get to a mate they never believed they would have. “Twins. Captains?” It was a question more than anything as she tilted her head.
Her vision began to cloud, the outside world, the world on this side of the Veil, pushing in on her far-too-delicate psyche. “They will be the ones we will free first. They have been here the shortest time and are still able to fight. They will do what is needed to free their mate, and others.” She swallowed and felt Graven’s hand to her back. “I’m fine,” she told her guard. “There are just so many humans, so much evil, and there have been so many dead through here. It’s a bit trying.”
“A bit of an understatement?” her guard asked, but pulled back when she was once more steady.
“I have survived worse, as you know,” she stated simply. “The way is clear for us. A Vhampire who lost his life moments earlier is leading us. He’s still tied below, his soul wanting vengeance before he crosses,” she stated honestly. “And I don’t blame him.” She looked to where the Vhampire was and bowed her head. “Thank you for helping us. When this is over and done you will be able to finally rest.” When he bowed his head regally, she nodded. “I will ensure that the messages are relayed. You will be missed, but now, focus. We need for you to ensure that we aren’t harmed in this trial, at least as best as possible, please.”
Coming back into herself fully, Azure took a deep breath. “The elevator will be stopping shortly. Are you ready?”
Weapons were drawn and the men braced, knees slightly bent. They didn’t answer her, but she got the message loud and clear. They were more than ready. As the elevator settled and the door slid open they all moved so they were in front of her. The door slid open silently but they didn’t move, not right away. She could see they were taking stock of their location. And the many, many cameras.
“Well, shit,” Volos muttered. “Any clue where that control room is?” he asked over his shoulder. He partially turned his head, but his eyes never left the hallway before them.
Azure nodded and lifted a shaky hand. “Two floors up.” She pointed in the southwest direction for him. “Follow my finger and two up, and that’s the control room. God, they get off on watching the men and women that are killed. They are terrible.” She had known that the humans were terrible beings, but had never been so close to them to where she could all but taste their immoral indecency. She hated this side of the Veil, but she had to do this for the sake of all of their people.
“Shit,” Volos and Drake said, sharing a look.
“Okay, okay.” Volos nodded as he holstered his gun and secured it. He rocked his head left, right and back again before shrugging a few times. “Cameras are on twenty-second sweeps with three-second overlaps. Where’s the nearest stairwell?” he asked her, shooting her a look now.
“Straight ahead and to the right. It’s a fast left right into the stairwell.” She took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s only about fifteen feet until the turn to the right.” She looked to him and laid her hand on his shoulder. “Please be careful?”
“Got it.” He nodded. Turning, he took her hand and smiled. Leaning in, he brushed a kiss to her cheek. “Just don’t send any ghosts to try and chat with me, please?” he asked with a huge grin. “Especially since I won’t know and I’ll be really freaked out later. All right, here we go. Shoot anyone that sees me coming, if you can.”
“Yeah, ’cause I can shoot through walls,” Drake muttered.
Rolling his eyes, Volos squeezed her fingers. Facing the hallway, he shook out his arms and braced. “Ready or not,” he muttered. “Here I—” And he was gone.
“Oh goodness. He’s…” Azure looked at the space and he was gone. Just, poof. “That’s seriously some crazy, wild ability he has there. Can he teleport? I didn’t think that those of his race could?”
“It’s not so much teleporting as hurling themselves through space quickly. You have to think of it more as folding space until two points meet and then he moves to that spot. In this case, he can only go as far as he can see, which is why the timing of the cameras is so important. On the plus side, though, the Vhampire mind can process its surroundings fast and will make the decision subconsciously to stay put or move again without waiting for the conscious mind to catch up and ag
ree or disagree,” Drake told her. “It’s a seriously freaky-ass way to travel and most newbies throw up.”
“At least the first dozen times,” Graven muttered with a shudder.
“Right, well, remind me that I don’t want to travel like that please.” She would throw up. Already, her senses were on overload, and moving as he had would have had her in a comatose state. “I can’t, not with being as wide-open psychically as I have been these last little bits. It would damage me more than I could repair, I think.”
Drake shot her a look and winked. “He’d protect you from the bombardment. They can do that, but usually don’t bother, since they are in a rush. And really, a man should be able to keep his lunch down. Really, that’s pretty damn embarrassing, Graven.”
“Well, at the moment I don’t think I want to try it.” Azure paused and smiled. “Thank you,” she said to the Vhampire that stood before her, his deathly visage eerie even to her. “Volos has taken care of the control room. He should be returning very shortly.”
Nodding, Drake, Maurice and Graven didn’t move an inch. Volos came strolling back toward them and waved at her. “Cameras are all on a loop now. We have free rein. Oh, and looky what I found.” He held up a ring of keys and a key card. “Shall we get busy and get everyone out of here?”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Azure said as she stepped from the elevator and slipped her hand into Volos’s. “Okay, let’s please make sure that these people are freed. Many of them will need some intense therapy. Do you think that we will be able to get it for them? Able to save their bodies and minds?”
“We’ll do whatever we can,” he said softly. Slipping his hand from hers, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “I don’t know if we will succeed, but we have to at least try to know if we can or can’t. So, let’s get a move on and see about trying to help these folks.” He held the key card out to her and pressed a kiss to her temple.
She took the keycard from him and stopped at the first door. Taking a deep breath, she looked to the men. “You might want to back up. These are the ones that would likely kill a man at the moment.” The Draygons. “They will know me for who I am immediately, just as you did, Drake. They will know I’m here to help.” She didn’t know how the Draygons always knew who her race was or what they did, but they couldn’t hide from the Draygons.
“And do not go near their mate when we release her. I will help her,” Azure added softly. “The others are all men. There are no other women.” Sadly, they had died, torn apart to see what made them tick.
Maurice and Graven shared a look before turning that same look on Drake. They both stepped back and out of view. Drake just got closer and tipped his chin. “Open the door. They won’t do you or anyone any harm,” he said. Actually, it sounded like a vow more than anything else.
Azure shook her head and took a deep breath. “I hope you know what you are doing, Drake. Aside from their mate, about the only person that would be safe would be their King.” She still took the card and opened the door, trusting Drake in his words. She had to step into the room, magic at hand as she did. “You won’t be harmed,” she told them softly, her power radiating outward. “I need to unshackle you so that you can go to your mate, and so you can help us. Will you please not harm those that are with me?”
Both males spun on her, more animal than not. But the instant their eyes went past her to Drake, their entire demeanor changed. Their heads bowed and then they went to a knee even though it was clearly painful for both of them.
Drake just shrugged at her as he went around, the ring of keys in his hands now. “Huh, fancy that,” he said. Shooting her a quick grin, he went to work unlocking the chains from each of their ankles. “Come on, let’s go and find your mate,” he said softly to them.
Azure looked at Drake, a frown on her face. “I think we need to have a conversation later.” She knew what that look meant, and when they went to their knees, she realized a truth that she had never dreamed of. “For now, let’s free these people.” She allowed her abilities to run white-hot. She kept herself open so that she could sense when humans drew close. “There are human doctors two halls over. We have to hurry,” she said quietly.
“I scent them,” he said softly, helping to two Draygons up to their feet. Leading them out of the cell, he looked to Volos. “Remove the doctors, would you?” he asked.
“Oh, it will be my greatest pleasure,” Volos said. Then he flashed her a very toothy grin, fangs and all, and vanished. There was a small whisper of sound from up the hall and then absolute silence fell once more.
“Where is their mate?” Drake asked her. “Azy, sweetheart, their mate?”
“The room beside them,” she said and moved to the door, key card in hand. “She’s in rough shape and is human,” she told the men. “So please don’t be surprised. She feels you, though. She’s a special human. I think that the term is empathic? Not as the Spirytes are, but more of a human sixth-sense sort of thing?” She was nervous around the two badly damaged but still deadly Draygons.
The one on Drake’s left nodded. “She is ours. No harm will come to her ever again,” he said, his voice grating and harsh.
“She wasn’t questioning you,” Drake said. “She’s a worrier, though, and likes to cover all her bases with people.”
“Open the door, please,” the one on Drake’s right said. “She knows we are closer. We need to see her, now.”
“Of course.” Azure opened the door for them and pulled off her cloak. She passed it to the one on the left of Drake. “She will need this.” It would leave her with less protection, but she still had the Kevlar vest on, so she was perfectly fine with it. “It has a magical spell on it that was laid by one of the first of my kind. It will keep her safe, as will you.” She smiled and stepped back. “Okay, the door across the hall holds Luhpynes, three of them.”
“Volos, go with her to the Luhpynes. I’ll let the lady loose and then join you,” Drake said.
“Copy that.” He nodded and moved closer to Azy. She hadn’t seen him return, but he was there, so she didn’t question it much. “Let’s go. The sooner we get through all these cages and get everyone out, the happy I’ll be.”
“The happier I will be, as well,” Azure said softly. “There are bodies in the rooms to the left and right of the Luhpynes. We can’t allow them to be left here for these monsters to study.” She didn’t understand humans. They called those from the other side of the Veil monsters, when they themselves were the monsters who did terrible things to her people and so many others.
Nodding, he slid an arm around her waist and squeezed. “We won’t leave a single body behind. At least none of the Race,” he said softly. Brushing a kiss to her cheek, he nodded to the door. “Open it up, Azy. We don’t have a lot of time before someone discovers what I’ve been doing with the humans.”
She did just that. “It would be faster if I just opened the doors, leaving the ones with the dead only partially open so the ones that are truly broken don’t see them.” She chewed her lip and then whispered, “We need more than one vehicle. I think you are going to have to call for reinforcements from the AEDA. As much as I hate it, I think you need to.”
“I called them as soon as I had the control room under lock and key. Mine, I mean. They should be here any time,” he said with a smile. “Just do what you think is best, little one. I’ll be right behind you and Drake won’t be that far off, either.”
“’Course I won’t,” her Draygon said behind her. “Maurice, Graven, you two need to start getting people to the elevator and out of here. Take the first ones up top and find something to mark the safe path to and from our truck. I don’t want any of those coming to help us getting hurt. When you get up there, make sure the AEDA puts some snipers up on the roofs. We want coverage, especially if we’re found out before we get through all these cages.”
“Will do.” Maurice nodded, putting a shoulder under one of the Draygons’ arm. “Let’s g
et you all topside and get some fluids into you.”
Slowly, they moved from room to room. Far too many of them she left only slightly ajar. When they had finished, she looked down the hall and felt intense sadness. So many lost, their souls brushing against hers as she allowed them to all give her their final words. When it was over, she was far weaker than she had anticipated, the wall behind her the only thing keeping her upright. She swallowed. Hard. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she whispered, “And yet humans call us the monsters.”
She looked to Drake. The man hadn’t left her side, and for that, she was profoundly grateful. “I have to go back to the other side tonight. Will you both come with me? I don’t want to be alone, and I can’t remain on this side, not with all that I’ve opened up to on this day.”
Cupping her face, he moved in closer, blocking her entire view off of the hall. “You know we will,” he said softly. Leaning in, he brushed a kiss to her cheek and wrapped his arms around her. He held her for a few minutes before he pulled back gently. “Let’s get out of here. The AEDA will ensure that all the dead are taken care of and returned to their people for the burials they deserve.”
“Are you certain? Are you certain that they can be trusted?” She hated that she didn’t trust anyone, but with her emotions and ability running so hot and so high, she couldn’t trust anything except for this man and the one who was approaching them rapidly. She was connected to them. It had been deep and immediate, but she wouldn’t give them up, now or ever.
Nodding, he stroked her cheek gently. “Absolutely. The only ones we called in are of the Races, for obvious reasons,” he told her softly. “They will attend to each and every one of them with the dignity and honor they deserve. Trust me,” he said quietly.
“We need to get a move on,” Volos said as he reached them. “The AEDA is planning to move the party up to collect the rest of the scientists and doctors in the building but want to ensure that their team are the only friendlies on site. No chances are being taken, so we gotta scram,” he told them.