by Aliya DalRae
“I don’t understand.”
Jessica grabbed his shoulders and screamed. “Find them, Merlin! Go!”
She pushed him away, and he scrambled to his feet, panic now filling his heart for the safety of his people. He chanced a look back at Jessica, afraid to leave her alone. She looked awful, and if anything happened to her or the baby, Raven would kill him. Hell, Raven would kill everybody.
Kythryn touched his arm and said, “Allon is on his way. I’ve got her. Please, go check on my Harrier and the others.”
“Merlin! Go!”
Merlin waited just long enough to get a quick nod from Kythryn, then tore back to his office and planted himself at his control panel.
He slid his chair from one end of the counter to the other, flipped switches and powered things up. He’d left the radio on when he bid the group safe journey. As the rest of the equipment warmed up, he grabbed the mic, white-knuckling the thing as he pushed the button. “Citation 137, come in Citation 137.”
Ominous static crackled from the speakers, but no response. “Harrier, checking in. Come in Citation 137.” Still nothing.
Monitors across the wall popped into life, and he hit a set of controls on the counter. He had recordings of all radio transmissions in and out. If they were in trouble, Harrier would have…
“Mayday, Mayday. Merlin, where the fuck are you? Mayday…Shit!”
There was a long pause, then, “Okay, we’ve lost the right engine…” Merlin jumped at the sound of a loud explosion, and then Harrier was back. “Son of a…and the left one. We’re going down Merlin. Seatbelts, everyone. Now!”
Merlin fell back in his chair as Harrier continued. “We’re about a hundred miles off the coast of Maine. I’ll set us down in the water easy as I can, but, shit! I’m sure we’ll all survive the crash, Merlin, but if you don’t get to us ASAP the sun’s gonna do what the crash doesn’t.”
Screams sounded in the background.
Harrier again. “Will someone get Rebecca! You’ll have our coordinates with this transmission, but Merlin, I don’t have to tell you how urgent this is. I’ll do what I can but…Christ…Tell Kitty I love her. Hang on everybody, and I hope you can all bloody swim. Brace for impact! Brace for impact!”
There were sounds of the crash and then nothing except a gasp from behind him.
Merlin swung around to find Kythryn and Jessica standing in the door, and Kythryn was looking at him like he had some explaining to do.
“What was that?” the Shifter asked. “Why did it sound like he was saying goodbye?” Fat tears were gathering in her eyes, and Merlin didn’t know how to answer. Jessica, who looked a lot better than she had when he left them, saved him from having to.
“It’s okay, Kythryn. They’re all still alive. I’d feel it if any of them had died.”
“But what Harrier said about the sun. Why do you all have to be allergic to the sun?”
Merlin was already organizing things in his head when Jessica saved him from answering once again. She put her arm around Kythryn and pulled her in close. “Of all of them, Harrier has the best chance of survival, so don’t you worry about him. He’ll come home to you.”
Jessica stared at Merlin as she spoke, what she didn’t say more devastating than what she did. Harrier could shift and fly away, sure. But they both knew he never would.
Merlin turned back to his control panel. He had a rescue to plan.
Chapter Forty-One
H arrier dove beneath the waves in search of his sister. Knowing his Warlord was with her gave him a small level of hope that she hadn’t managed to drown herself. Rachel had the cooler head between the two, so it didn’t help his nerves to see his eldest sister in such a panic.
The wreckage from the back of the plane came into view, a shadowy wraith on a slow descent into the depths of the Atlantic. Harrier pushed forward, his lungs burning. Sure, his kind could hold their breath for a very long time, but that didn’t mean it was comfortable, or that their bodies didn’t fight it. And they sure as hell couldn’t breathe H2O, so it was imperative he get to them before Rebecca did something stupid like trying to scream.
He reached the rear section of the fuselage, and found Mason fighting with Rebecca’s seatbelt. She’d somehow managed to tangle herself in the damn thing, and she wouldn’t stop struggling long enough for the Warlord to release her.
When she saw Harrier, her eyes widened, and her struggles increased. Harrier tapped Mason on the shoulder and the Warlord glanced briefly from his task. His relief at seeing Harrier was apparent in the double take and the hands up offer to let Harrier have a go. Harrier focused on sending calming sensations through the familial bond, forcing Rebecca to relax and let them work. When her struggles subsided, Mason was able to release her foot from the seat belt and they all kicked frantically for the surface.
Follow the bubbles, Harrier thought as he carried Rebecca ever upward in search of clean, dry air. When they broke through the waves, all three gasped and coughed, took a few moments to catch their breath.
Rebecca wrapped her arms around Harrier’s neck in a death grip, nearly cutting off the air supply he’d only just recovered. “I knew you’d come for me. I just knew you would. Thank you, Harrier. You saved my life.”
That might have been true, but even with circumstances as dire as they were, his sister was flaunting her flair for the dramatic. The scowl on Mason’s face said his thoughts fell along the same lines. This was confirmed when he said, “I’d have had you if you’d just held still. We would’ve been up hours ago.”
Rebecca threw the Warlord a dirty look. “I thought you were trying to drown me the way you were fumbling around down there. If Harrier hadn’t come, we’d both be dead.”
“You made it fucking impossible,” Mason said, and before he knew it, Harrier was in the middle of a knock down drag out argument. And did Mason just say ‘fuck’ to his sister?
“You’re a brute, that’s what you are,” Rebecca shouted and lunged for Mason, pushing Harrier under the water again in the process. He came up sputtering and grabbed Rebecca by the back of her shirt.
“You two can fight all you want when we get home. Until then, we need to collect the others and find someplace to shelter. I never got a hold of Merlin, so who knows if or when help will arrive.”
Just then Rachel swam into view, Nox and Raven behind her. When she reached her siblings she threw her arms around both, nearly sending them all under again. It was okay though, Harrier totally understood. They were alive, and that was something to celebrate.
When Nox caught up, his brother in tow, it was apparent that neither of the brothers had escaped injury. Raven seemed to have gotten the worst of it, as Nox repeatedly begged the male to keep his eyes open. They had to find shelter, and they needed it now. Somewhere they could heal while they waited for rescue. Someplace out of the sun.
Harrier untangled himself from his sisters and said, “I’ll be back. Hold my pants,” he said to Rachel. Then, trusting his sister to retrieve his clothes, he called upon the magic his Shifter father had instilled in him, imagined the form he required, and he triggered the change. In moments, a large seagull floated in the water next to his sisters, and Rebecca clapped, splashing water in everyone’s faces as Rachel grabbed for the clothing he abandoned when he shifted.
“It’s not Rusty,” Rebecca said, “but it’ll do for now.”
Harrier fluffed his feathers and lifted off into the sky. He hated leaving his family in the middle of the ocean like that, but he was their only hope for survival right now. As he scanned the stretch of blue-black water beneath him, he thought that perhaps even that was overreaching.
~~~~~
H arrier had been searching for quite some time, and he was beginning to panic when a dark shape took form below. As he grew nearer he flew in a celebratory loop. It was a small mass of land, hardly more than a few trees and a strip of sand, but it could be just what he was looking for.
Harrier swooped down and lande
d on the beach. He quickly shifted into human form and began his search. Near the center of the tiny island, he found it. A small cave, deep enough that they could avoid the sun, with a canopy of ancient tree limbs surrounding it, providing an extra layer of protection.
He couldn’t stand up straight inside, nor would the other males manage it, but the females would be comfortable. Most importantly, they would be safe until help arrived.
With the where taken care of, Harrier found himself faced with a new dilemma: how to get them all here. They could swim, but they’d never make it before the sun rose over the horizon and roasted their heads from their shoulders. With his Shifter blood, Harrier would last longer than the others, but that just meant he’d have the horror of watching them all die. He could not let that happen.
He sat at the cave’s entrance, and searched his magic, seeking a form that would be large enough to handle the weight of a Warrior. It would also be helpful if he could communicate with the others, but what bird could do that? Certainly, nothing with the ability to carry a three-hundred-pound Vampire.
The moon had moved across the sky, closer to the end of its nocturnal journey than the beginning. Time was running out.
Think, Harrier.
He’d never spent much time with his Shifter kin. They were almost as welcoming of his hybrid ass as the Vampires had been, which was to say, not at all. That meant he had absolutely no clue as to his Shifter magic’s scope. He’d always assumed that he would be able to change into anything with wings, but he’d never been much interested in pushing the limits of investigation. If his wee Kitty, his Shifter mate, had taught him anything, it was that you never knew what you could accomplish unless you tried.
He sifted through his options, dismissing each for various reasons of impossibility, though one returned to him time and again. It was the only winged creature he could think of that might possibly work. So, with nothing to lose, he formed a perfect picture in his mind, and using his beloved Kitty’s liger as inspiration, he reached for his magic.
Chapter Forty-Two
R achel and Rebecca floated in the center of a tight circle, the males with their backs to them, their claws and fangs the only thing between the females and those large, dark shadows that swam in ever-tightening arcs.
All of them were bleeding to some level, Raven and Nox the most severely, but the sharks weren’t particular. Rachel knew they were curious, but if their actions were anything to go by, they were also hungry.
Nox and Raven used their unique talents to try and manipulate the minds of the creatures, to send them away. However, there were a lot of sharks and the twins’ injuries made it difficult to concentrate, to focus, to control.
Rachel felt something brush against her foot. She screamed and pulled her knees to her chest, but it was hard to hold that position and stay above water in the rolling waves. The two floating seat cushions only went so far in supporting so many, especially given the size of the males. It was all they could do to keep their heads above water. If the sharks wanted to take them from below, they were hard pressed to prevent it.
Rebecca screamed, her arms flailing, and Rachel reached out to calm her. She rolled to her back, encouraging Rebecca to do the same as the males countered the underwater attack. She was so tired, so frightened, she was starting to hallucinate. Something large and foreboding approached from the air, bigger than any flying creature had a right to be. At that point she made her peace with death.
The creature grew closer and closer, its size increasing as it descended upon them. She closed her eyes, prepared for the attack from above or below, it mattered not. She was ready.
A familiar voice spoke her name. “Rachel, open your eyes.”
She did, and the gigantic flying creature came into focus.
“Harrier? What the…” He hovered in the air just above the water, enormous wings the color of new copper spread behind him, black tips dragging in the waves.
“I’ve found shelter, but we’ll have to hurry. I can only carry one of you at a time, and it’s a twenty-minute flight one way. We’re racing against the sun.”
Mason punched out at an overly aggressive shark. “Take the females first,” he said.
Harrier looked from Rachel to Rebecca.
Rachel said, “I’ll go. That way Rebecca won’t have to be alone. Rebecca nodded her agreement, and Rachel turned to Nox. He looked so very pale, but she attributed it to the moonlight, nothing more. She smiled and said, “See you soon.”
Nox reached out a hand and touched her face at the same time he punched behind him. A solid thud sounded, and an exceptionally large fin retreated into the depths. “Be safe,” he said.
“Same to you.” She turned to her brother, ready. He leaned down and grabbed her under her arms, lifted her from the ocean, and with a powerful sweep of those magnificent wings, he carried her off into the night.
Once she got over the fear of Harrier dropping her, Rachel found the experience exhilarating. From the time they were children she had envied her brother his ability to fly. When airplanes were invented, she figured she’d come as close as she ever would to feeling what he did when he shifted and took to the air.
It wasn’t even close.
The flight was over before she knew it, and way before she was ready. Harrier set her down lightly and landed on the sand beside her.
“That was…” Rachel absently handed Harrier his pants as she searched for words to describe her feelings.
But Harrier was all business, and she knew he was right. Time was ticking by, and he still had four people to retrieve. He wriggled into the wet garments and led her to the edge of the woods. “I created this path to direct you to the cave. Don’t veer off, as I have no idea who or what inhabits this place. Wait there, and I will bring Rebecca to you shortly.”
Rachel agreed, headed down the path, but turned to watch Harrier take off. “How did you come up with this form?” she asked.
Harrier shrugged. “It’s all I could think of to get you and the others over here.”
Rachel ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. “It suits you,” she said, and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Now, go get our sister.”
Harrier frowned, turned, and with two mighty flaps, was off the ground. Seconds later he was but a tiny spot in the ever-lightening sky.
Rachel headed down the path, and after a few minutes found the cave exactly where Harrier said it would be. She took inventory of her surroundings, and without going against Harrier’s orders too much, managed to gather fire wood and kindling, which she arranged in an area she cleared near the entrance to the cave.
By the time Rebecca stumbled up the path, Rachel had a cheerful fire warming the space with several torches lining the walls of the cave that would shelter them for the near future.
Rebecca ran to her and hugged her tight before they both turned in the direction of the beach. They could just make out Harrier’s form flying off into the night, looking every bit the guardian angel the two of them had always known him to be.
Chapter Forty-Three
N ox convinced Harrier to take Mason with him next. It was vital to the Legion that he survive. Besides, Nox and Raven were the only ones who could, more or less, control the sharks that continued to amass around their shrinking group.
However, Raven’s strikes against the more aggressive sharks proved less and less affective. His injuries and fatigue combined to wear him down as the sky turned from black to a deep shade of blue.
“You still with me, brother?” Nox asked as they floated back to back in an effort to keep the enemy in front of them.
Raven groaned, which at least said he was still alive.
“Hang in there. Harrier will be back before we know it.” Nox redoubled his efforts in fighting the sharks as Raven’s strength waned. A seagull flew overhead, and Nox thrilled for a moment before remembering that Harrier wore a different form now. And how the hell had he come up with that angel thing? No matter. Nox was just
grateful that he had. If they all survived this nightmare, it would be because that Scottish Warrior had been innovative. They would owe him their lives.
If they survived.
“Talk to me brother. Tell me what you will do to celebrate when Izzie is born.”
Raven grunted, but didn’t answer.
“Surely, you and Jessica have discussed it. Will we have a party? Have us all bring gifts and tell you how lovely she is, that she looks just like Jessica?”
“Female shit.”
Nox struck out at a bull shark that was getting too close, sent a mental image of easy food a mile south. The shark swam around them once, then took off in the proffered direction.
“What’s female stuff?” he asked.
“S’called a shower. Jessica said that only girls were allowed. They play games. Bring gifts. Shower.”
“Nox scissored his legs to turn them, at the sight of a large fin coming for Raven. He sent the same message to this one, and it made a U-turn and swam away.
“That’s the oddest thing I ever heard. According to the…my education, it’s the Vampire males who gather to celebrate newborn young.”
Raven sighed. “You tell Jessica. Not listening to me.”
Nox laughed. “Well, I don’t think either of us are surprised about that. Tell you what. We’ll have our own Vampire males-only ‘shower.’ Izzie will be the only female allowed. We’ll see how they like that.”
Raven snorted. “You can tell her that, too.”
“Happy to.” Nox smiled and tried to imagine holding his niece, who would be joining them in just a couple short months. He knew she’d be beautiful, and the truth was, he’d never seen a newborn Vampire before. He was way more excited about this than a mere uncle had a right to be.
Raven fell silent again, his breathing slow. Nox looked over his shoulder to see his brother’s head had fallen forward, the seat cushion the only thing keeping his nose from the water.