by T. G. Ayer
Logan gave her a harder squeeze, then turned her around and guided her into the shadows, throwing a glance over at Kai who sat watching from the fireside. Her eyes were filled with understanding and she sent him a short, almost imperceptible nod, before Logan and Mel were out of sight.
“I thought you weren’t going to come,” Mel said, even her sniffs managing to sound accusatory.
Logan laughed softly, then said, “I thought I wasn’t coming either.”
“Did she give you an earful?” Mel asked, eyes wide.
Logan knew who she was referring to and he hid a smile at how right Mel had been about her fiesty friend.
“That she did. And then some. I deserved it though. It shouldn’t have taken me so long to change my mind.”
With a shrug of one shoulder, Mel replied, “What difference is a few hours? You're here now, that’s what matters.”
But Logan wasn’t about to allow Mel to let him off that easy.
Sucker for punishment, huh? said Saleem’s voice inside Logan’s head.
“No. I should have dropped everything the moment Kai told me. I was just…torn. I guess I wasn’t sure if leaving Drakys would seem like a betrayal of my duties.”
The jumper’s response was an inelegant snort. “What did your sister have to say about it?”
Grinning, Logan shook his head and replied, “You know what they say about dragons breathing fire?”
Mel let out a light laugh, her eyes dancing with merriment though they sobered quickly as she said, “I’m glad you're here. The team’s large and filled with talents but I’m not a seasoned operative and to be fair neither is Kai. We’re best working alone or in small teams. With you here, I can breathe a little.”
“I’ll do whatever is needed, but I won’t take point.”
“Why the hell not?” snapped Mel, eyes flaring with anger.
Probably good she’s not a dragon or you’d have been toast, came the insolent voice in his head.
Logan paused for a second to study Mel’s face, as though that was enough to convince her to retract her expectation. Then he took a breath and said, “You’ve done everything up to this point. I won’t step in now just because I finally deigned to join you.”
“You’re hilarious you know that?” Mel replied, her laughter hard and cold. “I’m beginning to wonder if you accidentally fried your brain cells with that new-fangled dragon fire of yours.”
Logan frowned as Mel folded her arms and snapped at him. She’d never been the type to lose her shit and it hit him hard as he realized that until this moment, he hadn’t really been taking things as seriously as he should have.
Mel took Logan’s silence as an opportunity to continue lobbying. “You have years of experience on me, leading missions, taking on military forces. You have the skills in tactical measure and weaponry. Do you think it’s smart not to take point when the next best thing is a jumper chasing her tail who barely knows her ass from her elbow when it comes to subversive tactical missions? I’d say you're a little reckless.”
“I’d say you’re underestimating your abilities and those of your team,” Logan replied, his voice even and deliberate. “But this argument would have been moot had I decided not to come,” he said, knowing he was wasting his time making that particular point.
“Not a relevant argument,” Mel snapped, eyes blazing. “If something goes wrong and I muck things up, you're going to live the rest of your life knowing you didn’t do everything in your power to ensure we got Saleem out alive.”
The jumper was furious, and Logan tried hard not to smile. “I’m thinking you’ll be blaming yourself if the djinn did end up biting the bullet,” he said with a smirk.
“No. I’ll just be blaming you,” was the tracker’s reply as she tightened her arms around her torso and stared at the shadows.
Chapter 36
Logan felt a rush of affection for Mel. Her passion in bringing Saleem home struck Logan to the core and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, then mussed the hair on the top of her head the way he often did with Sienna.
And like Sienna, Mel squeaked her outrage and jabbed an elbow into his ribs. “What was that for?” she demanded, glaring up at him as she fixed her long dark hair.
Logan didn't reply. Instead, he guided the tracker toward the fire and stopped only when they reached Kai's side.
Kai threw Logan a smile that, though sweet, implied trouble. Which he deserved. “Did you tell him off?” Kai asked Mel.
“I tried. But he’s too much of an idiot,” the tracker growled. “I don’t think common sense works for him.”
Logan watched as Kai struggled with laughter, though she had that look she got when she was dying to know something. Mel, though, didn't reply, which gave Logan little choice.
He let out a soft groan. “Fine. I’ll take point.” A satisfied grin flared on Mel’s face but Logan continued, “But you’re still in charge. You don’t get off scot-free.”
Logan's gaze shifted to meet Kai's intensely green one. “Was she just waiting for me to arrive so she could hand the mission over to me?” Logan grinned as he wrapped an arm around Kai's waist, sending thanks to gods and all matter of immortals that she didn't resist or stiffen against the embrace.
Kai paused a moment then met Mel’s gaze before smiling. “She wasn’t waiting. We never knew for sure if you’d come. But seeing as you are here, and this is your forte, you may as well get your ass moving.”
Logan swore under his breath then spotted Drake observing the conversation from across the fire. Logan cocked his chin at the gargoyle, saying, “What about Drake. He’s Gargoyle military. Surely he’s capable.” Logan was still keen on finding an out, although he wasn't so sure why when he knew Mel was right. The skills Logan had learned during his time at Omega were exactly what the team needed.
“Hey, dude,” the silver-eyed gargoyle called out with a scowl. “I’m the medic in this outfit, okay. I may dabble in weapons but no way you'll get me taking charge, especially with you around.”
“See,” Mel chirped up, a satisfied gleam in her eye. “Now, I can give you a recap after the meeting’s done.”
Having heard everything already, Logan should have told her it wasn't necessary, but he remained silent as she turned and made her way closer to the fire.
“Okay,” Mel said, loudly, her brisk voice carrying around the fire. “I think we have everything sort of lined up. We’ll text you all the final plans and groupings before we meet tomorrow. So, just before midnight, tomorrow, right here. We meet at my place in the evening first. Please don’t be late.”
Logan was only paying partial attention as he looked down and held Kai's gaze. Did he really deserve a woman like her?
Just as the meeting began to break up, Ivy's voice drifted toward Logan. Ivy was grumbling, “Fine. Do you want to do this now?” as she shook her head.
Kai's attention shifted to her grandmother and then to Mel. Then she straightened, moving from Logan's embrace gently enough so he couldn't interpret it as a rejection.
Logan smiled when Kai scanned the clearing and yelled, “Darcy, Nerina, Cassie. You are summoned.”
Logan took that as his cue and hurried after the rest of the team who were trailing Natasha up to the homestead.
He was sure looking forward to extracting the djinn. Then he was going to enjoy the look on the team’s faces when he announced their next mission.
Chapter 37
That evening, Logan, Kai, and the team gathered in Mel’s kitchen, the last team gathering before they set out to save the djinn’s ass. Ivy and Cassie hadn’t arrived yet, but Logan knew they weren’t likely to be long.
Kai had lingered around the room chatting to the team one at a time, ensuring they were all ready to face whatever may come. She returned to Logan’s side where he was studying his tablet, thinking hard about an offensive extraction as opposed to one in which they were all captured.
Nerina and Darcy had paired off again, while the gargoyle
and the witch whispered to each other, an unmistakable energy burning between the two. Logan had to wonder how long it would take for the the pair to unravel their crossed wires.
Steph, Baz, and Lily were huddled in a corner as usual, when Mel entered the kitchen looking ready for a fight, eyes dark and gleaming.
“And here she is back to the land of the living,” said Steph.
Mel glared at the blonde hacker, “Shush. You’re way too loud for this early in the morning,” she mumbled as she made for the coffee pot.
Mel planted herself at the table and nursed her coffee, glancing up at Logan and Kai who stood at his side, both staring at the jumper who looked like she needed another few hours of sleep.
But they had to prepare. Logan leaned over and tapped on the surface of the kitchen table, and the conversation around them died.
“So, I’ve sent you all the preliminary plan of attack.” Logan said, studying each of the faces that watched him. “We enter using the key, the jumpers make their way to the palace with their passenger, and I’ll take those who remain. Everyone’s been assigned weapons and ammo—please keep them locked and loaded at all times. I’m thinking it’s a little too late to be asking if everyone's familiar with handling firepower.”
Laughter echoed within the kitchen and Logan grinned back at the faces of his friends. “Yeah, I get it. Firepower. You guys are so hilarious.”
Still smiling, Mel said, “So what do we have to eat. I’m famished, and I will die of hunger if I don’t at least have two full meals before we leave.”
“Two?” Lily asked wide-eyed.
“One now,” Mel said with a quick nod, “and the next one at eleven before we leave. I’m not taking any chances. Who knows how long we’ll be in Mithras and even then I have no idea what type of food they have there.”
Logan hid a smile. Mel thought of everything, and he wanted to tell her that she’d been through enough to handle the extraction without him, but he was at last coming to terms with the truth that they hadn’t stood a snowball's chance in hell of success without a fine-tuned strategy and solid battle experience. Something the djinn had known full well.
“Mel, it’s the djinn realm not some deep dark corner of Wrythiin or something.” Cassie shook her head. “Now that’s a realm you need to sample if you want to taste bad food. Whatever those steaks were, they certainly weren’t grass-fed, four-legged anything.”
What ensued was a round of teasing as everyone questioned her taste in red meat, and the ratio of the number of limbs to strength of flavor of an animal’s meat.
Logan had wracked his brain for details from conversations with Saleem, and had come up with a brief idea of the general layout of the city.
Now, during the meal, he sketched out a route through Kamsin, and prayed that they’d be able to get their hands on a more detailed map before they set foot in Mithras.
“It’s a pity you can’t project and ask him for details.”
“Too risky,” Darcy insisted. “Even if she connected with him in a dream the chances of Ward spotting her are high. The dream state is accessible to a MindMelder at any point in time. So when Saleem first contacted you, it was likely that Ward hadn’t yet begun his treatments.”
Mel nodded, her eyes shadowed. “My hands are tied until the agreed time. I wish I knew what he was planning.”
“Are you thinking we’re all walking into a trap?” Drake asked. The gargoyle’s eyes shimmered as he waited for Mel’s response.
“No,” Mel rolled her eyes, “but now that you mention it, there is a possibility that we need to take into consideration. Which is why I think we need to make sure that no more than two of us are ever in the same place at the same time.”
Logan stiffened then nodded. “Yep. I’ve paired everyone off, and we’re all good to go. Natasha wanted to go over wards and spells and stuff?” He looked at Natasha, and the witch gave a short nod and shifted to pick her satchel up off the floor.
Placing it on the table, she said, “I’ve prepared a talisman for each of you. It will give you some protection against any kind of magical attack. It also has a semi camouflaging power which will help if you get too close to the enemy.”
Natasha slid the bag across the table to Kai who selected a pouch and handed the bag down the line until everyone had their own.
“Now, inside the pouch, you will find a pin. It's not just there for the contribution of the protection of iron. The potion within the talisman needs your blood to be complete and to initiate the protection of your body. Also, please add a strand of your hair to the pouch as well.”
Drake's rumbling laugh made Logan smile. “Next you’re going to ask for a single drop of tears and a glob of spit.”
“Eww,” Lily said, picking up her pin and drawing blood from her finger.
“He’s not too far off,” the white witch said. “We do need some form of a bodily fluid, so tears or spit are fine. I won’t recommend you pee into the pouch though. They tend to obliterate the effect of the spell.”
“So what you’re saying is all I have to do to break the spell is to pee on the hex-bag?” Kai deadpanned, then failed and chuckled.
The witch snorted and gave Kai the kind of look one gave a child who didn’t know any better, prompting Logan to again swallow a burst of laughter.
The team performed their rituals, with blood and spit and strands of hair, then with a triple knot, sealed their pouches and hung them from their necks.
Logan grimaced as the bag bumped his upper chest and wondered if the spell would be broken if he rigged up a longer strap.
“Good thing we didn’t have to pee on these things,” Mel mumbled.
“Yeah,” replied Kai dryly. “I don’t think I’d have handled a bag of pee so close to my boobs.”
This time Logan did laugh. Trust Kai to say the darndest things.
Chapter 38
“Shut up, Kai,” seemed to be a joint sentiment as the team burst into laughter.
A relaxed meal followed with Logan eating on automatic out of sheer necessity rather than hunger.
With the meal over, Logan joined, Mel, Kai and Ivy in the study while everyone else found spots to relax in the living room.
The elder Odel took a seat in one of Mel’s armchairs and let out a tired sigh. “I’ve got the plans, but bear in mind, we may encounter changes if any were made in the last two years. I’ve also done some digging into Mithras and what’s been going on there recently. From what we know, they’ve been huge suppliers of wind energy. They discovered a method to harness energy and store it for a limited time, which is quite a deal breaker in the Earth-Realm.”
“That’s an understatement,” said Kai softly.
“There does appear to be a clear link between Omega and Division 7, after what you told me about Aisha’s captivity and Omega’s manipulations and then Agent Blake’s presence in Mithras, it was easy enough to parse what was being said between the lines. Sentinel’s files were coded above my clearance level, but it didn’t take a genius to figure it out.
“Plus, the details of the investigations into Omega’s underhanded dealings over the last decade have uncovered a lot of unsavory transgressions.”
Logan’s jaw tightened as he replied, “Omega has a lot to be accountable for. The only problem is I find it hard to see how they can be held to account for any of it. I mean, even if they are found guilty, what justice would any of us see for what they’ve put us through?”
The smile on Grams’ face was filled with sadness. “I know my dear. But the Immortal Council is well aware that the individuals hurt by Omega and now Division 7 no doubt, will not likely be compensated. The hope now is that they bring their crimes to a public forum, so the supernatural realms and peoples know what will happen if anyone attempts to emulate or duplicate their efforts.”
Kai didn’t like it. She crossed her arms tight over her chest, and Logan hid a smile as she said, “Do you really think this show of justice is going to be making any differen
ce? Omega’s been on a totally different track all along. And The Supreme High Council had to accept the blame for their gullibility; they really believed that the members of the Council of Enoch were no longer subverting the laws of the DarkWorld. Pretty naive if you ask me.”
Mel nodded firmly. “I’m not really sure how the council was convinced they were towing their line. Depending on how you look at it, we could all hold the Supreme High Council responsible for what happened to us.” Then Mel looked over at Logan and Kai at his side. “Logan, Saleem, and even Kai? Who knows who else has been affected. I’m only surprised I wasn’t either.”
“And how do you know you weren’t?” Asked Ivy, her eyes glittered as she met Mel’s gaze.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Mel with a dark scowl. “I’m not the one who’s had my mind violated, who’s had my memories and my reality stolen, who’s almost been killed more than just a few times by random people including Division 7?”
Grams’ was no longer smiling.
Mel fell silent, eyes on Ivy. “Do you know something? Does it have to do with Ari?” Mel asked softly.
“Well, not exactly.”
Grams pulled a stack of photos from her purse and spread them on the desk. Mel took on glance and gasped, her spine going taut. Logan shared a concerned glance with Kai before they also scanned the images.
Crime scene photographs of the murder of a detective from the CPD. Saleem had told Logan about the asshole who had not only persecuted Mel, but had also shown distinct signs of racism.
Mel was shaking her head slowly. “I haven’t even given him a moment’s thought since I found him.”
Logan found himself speaking even before he realized he'd intended to. “You don’t owe the man a thing. He stalked and persecuted you for almost half your life.”
Mel glanced up at Logan. “Don’t mean I get to be happy he’s dead.”