by Tesha Geddes
Kaida nodded. She’d been on the receiving end of this kind of taser before. It was no fun, but her healing ability prevented it from doing any permanent damage. There was a soft tinkling sound as the henchman pulled out the key to her magic-dampening cuff, and a soft click as it unlocked. She eyed her tree in its pot and a wild, desperate plan began to form.
❀
Sen sniffed the air, desperately searching for the scent he knew so well, but no luck. He was out in the redwood forest he and Kaida had spent so much time exploring. Linus and Celicia searched the forest with him, and the rest of the pack searched the city and surrounding land. Every adult the pack could spare had come down from Howling Mountain to search for their missing pack member. They’d been searching for hours but were still no closer to finding her. Her trail disappeared halfway between her dorm and the library, and no one had been able to pick it up after that. The pit of anxiety in his stomach grew with every passing hour with no word. He passed Kaida’s favorite pond and nearly howled in despair.
❀
“Your wolves are scaring the people,” Leander said to Alpha Kendra. “Get them off the streets.”
“No,” Kendra said flatly. “Kaida is one of our own –– we won’t rest until she’s safe.”
“Then at least tell them to be more discreet,” Leander growled. He wanted to tell her that Kaida was his family, not hers, but knew better than to tell an alpha wolf that someone wasn’t part of their pack.
“At least we’re searching,” Kendra snapped. “What have you done besides determining it wasn’t Mordecai, who, by the way, is still shady as a cave.”
While Leander secretly agreed with her, Mordecai had a solid alibi, and they had no other leads. “Is there anything else you can think of?” he asked. “Has she noticed anyone suspicious following her? Or any suspicious activities lately?”
Kendra shook her head and said, “You’d be better off asking her roommates that question.”
His phone buzzed. It was the chief. Hopefully it was good news.
❀
Storm screeched in anger. He shouldn’t have been so quick to let Kaida and Sen return home. He should have insisted they stay one more night, just to be safe. He beat his wings forcefully as he sped towards Whispering Pines, six of his fiercest warriors ranged behind him. When they reached the outskirts of the city, they split up. One went to the campus, Storm went to the precinct, and the others began to search. He tested the bond with Kaida’s feather, but it remained dark and silent. His heart sank. They must still be dampening her magic.
❀
“Get back to the precinct, now!” Police Chief Warner barked on the other end of Leander’s phone.
Leander was already climbing into his car with Garrett on his heels. “What’s going on?” he asked as a dark shape screeched overhead. He looked up in alarm. “Soggy fireballs!” he cursed. “Now? Of all times!” Another screech and a rumble of thunder marked the presence of another thunderbird. No wonder Chief Warner wanted him back. One visiting thunderbird wasn’t cause for concern, but a few riled ones was a recipe for disaster. Of all the times those birdbrains could have gotten their feathers in a twist, this was the worst. As they drove away, he swore he saw Kendra smile at a passing thunderbird.
A few minutes later, they pulled into the precinct’s parking lot to find a massive thunderbird blocking the way.
“That’s Storm Thunderfeather,” Garrett said with a gulp. “The chief of the Thunder Mountain Aerie.”
Leander looked at his partner in surprise. How did Garret know who that was? He couldn’t tell one featherbrain from another. “So, why are they here?” he asked.
Garrett just shrugged and said, “I guess we’ll find out soon.”
“It better not take long,” Leander griped. Garrett frowned at him reproachfully, but he didn’t care. Every moment they spent talking to these birdbrains was a moment they weren’t looking for his sister.
The thunderbird glared balefully at him as he approached. Leander squared his shoulders and glared back. He hoped it wouldn’t come to a fight, but he wasn’t about to roll over.
“What level of idiocy put a dragon in charge of finding Miss Gracewing?” Storm asked, voicing his displeasure plainly to everyone nearby. He turned to Police Chief Warner and said, “Kaida was hiding from other dragons, fearing for her life. Why, in the name of all that is sane, would you put a dragon in charge of finding her? Even if he found her, do you think she would willingly go with him? How do you know he isn’t sabotaging the efforts so the culprits can get away?”
“Please,” Police Chief Warner said, holding out his hands placatingly. “I understand that Miss Gracewing is a member of your aerie, but she is also Leander’s sister –– he wouldn’t wish her any harm.”
Storm screeched in disagreement while Leander gaped in shock. Kaida was part of a thunderbird aerie? Wasn’t she supposed to be in a wolf pack? Just what had she been up to since she left Drake City?
Chapter 27
They took off the magic-dampening cuff, and she felt a tingle as her magic returned. Kaida looked at the tree and prayed her plan would work. The henchman prodded her impatiently. She took a deep breath and leaned forward to exhale a silvery mist over the pot.
The rich jerk looked at the tree with an unimpressed frown. “That’s it?” he scoffed. “What a let-down.”
“No,” Kaida said with an added tremor in her voice. “That’s just the first step. Now I need to touch the tree.”
“Fine,” he said impatiently and motioned for his henchman to unbind Kaida’s hands.
Her feet were still bound, but that wouldn’t matter soon. She reached out and touched her tree. Normally, Sunstar trees pulled magic from her, but this time, she pushed as much magic as she dared into it. The clay pot shattered, sending pieces of pot and soil flying in every direction as the tree shot up several feet. Roots crawled along the floor, sinking into every crack and crevice they could find. In the blink of an eye, she shifted and darted into the branches of the sprouting tree. She touched down on one of the branches, fueling the tree’s rapid growth with more magic. They were halfway to the ceiling now, and her captors were far below, shouting obscenities at the tree, or maybe they were shouting at her… it was difficult to tell. Her wings drooped as the drain of magic took its toll. She needed to find another perch before the tree completely drained her.
She flew up, out of the canopy, straight for the ceiling. The numerous stalactites offered plenty of hiding places in the dark spaces between, and her tiny talons had no trouble finding purchase on the slick surface. She darted into a nice, dark space and looked down to observe the chaos she’d created.
By purifying the pot, she’d stripped it of the spells preventing the Sunstar tree from growing larger. Freed of its prison and fueled by Kaida’s magic, the Sunstar tree grew into a behemoth. It filled most of the cavern now and had knocked over almost all of the other Sunstar trees. Her three kidnappers were running around waving their arms and shouting incoherently. It looked like the rich jerk was trying to get the one with nature magic to do something, though what he thought could be done was still unclear. Kaida smiled to herself –– they couldn’t do anything with magic, because it would either have no effect, or the tree would use it to fuel another growth spurt. Now for the hard part –– escaping and evading capture, but first, a message.
“Storm?” she said, reaching through her connection to the feather.
“Kaida!” Storm exclaimed. “We’re on our way! Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Kaida replied, tears dripping from her eyes as the concern Storm felt for her transferred through the bond. Far below, the tears splashed onto the massive Sunstar tree before being absorbed into the branches. “I’ve managed to give my captors the slip… for now. I’m in a massive cavern somewhere. All but one exit has been sealed, so I have to time things just right to make it past them. I’ve created a distraction, so I don’t have long. I’m not sure where I am, but I could u
se some backup. Can you find me through the feather, like you did before?”
“Hang tight,” Storm replied. “We’re almost there.”
Kaida sent him a warm rush of gratitude –– it was nice to know that someone had her back.
She couldn’t wait there for the thunderbird backup –– the cavern was large, but the entrance was too small to admit more than a large human. She didn’t know what the rest of the cave system looked like, but the closer she could get to the entrance, the better. She dropped from the ceiling, and using the large tree as cover, she skirted around the room and made for the exit. A few yards from the exit, the burly henchman saw her.
“Boss!” he shouted. “She’s gettin’ away!” He chased after her. He was fast, but she was faster.
It wasn’t ideal, but as long as she stayed ahead of them, she’d be fine.
❀
Storm cut off mid screech and looked south. “I found her,” he said as he spread his wings and took off.
Leander saw other thunderbirds in the distance wheel around and converge behind their leader. He growled. He was not going to be left behind while others searched for his sister. If that meant flying with thunderbirds, so be it. With a nod to his partner and the police chief, he shifted and took off. A heavy weight snagged his leg. He looked down, not at all surprised to see Garrett clinging to his leg. He snorted in amused frustration at his partner’s idiotic bravery, then reached back and shifted him into a more comfortable position in his front talons. One of these days, his partner’s recklessness was going to get him killed –– he’d just have to watch Garrett’s back and make sure that day was as far off as possible. Once his partner was secure, he reoriented himself and took off after the thunderbirds. For birdbrains, they were pretty fast.
As they passed over the southernmost part of town, a dark shape rose to join them. Leander growled at the large dragon, the stormy gray of a menacing thunderhead. It had been years since he had last flown with his father, and he wasn’t too happy to be doing it again.
“Stow it,” Mordecai growled. “I know you don’t like me, but that doesn’t matter right now. I abandoned my baby once… I won’t do it again.”
Leander snorted but said nothing. If he said any of the things he was thinking, it would just start a fight.
❀
Kaida darted through the exit into a tunnel, the same one the henchman had carried her down earlier. The tunnel opened up into a cave stocked with various camping supplies, two sleeping bags, food, and a small camp stove. Kaida snorted. Apparently the rich jerk was too good to sleep rough with his men.
She’d made it this far, but now there was a problem –– two tunnels led out of this cave. One path looked more worn than the other, so that was the one she picked. She flew on, and whenever there was a fork in the path, she chose the one with the most traffic, hoping desperately she wasn’t just going in a circle. Meanwhile, the sounds of pursuit continued steadily behind her, and the ambient light dimmed.
❀
Sen looked up as a flight of thunderbirds and two dragons flew overhead. He lifted his nose to the sky and howled. They’d found something, and he was going to follow. Answering howls sounded from Celicia and Linus –– they would follow too. Sen spun and ran in the direction the thunderbirds and dragons had headed. Along the way, Celicia and Linus fell in behind him. They panted as the land dramatically sloped upward, making their breakneck speed harder to maintain. Their destination must have been close because it wasn’t long until seven tawny birds and two storm-gray dragons came into view. They stood in front of the entrance to a cave, appearing to argue about something. Sen could guess what they were arguing about, but he didn’t have that kind of time. The entrance was too small for the massive thunderbirds to enter, and same for a shifted dragon, but it presented no problem for a wolf. He dashed past the quarrelling apex predators and ran into the cave, Celicia and Linus hot on his heels. The sound of human feet followed them in. Sen looked back to find a police officer following them in. He couldn’t remember the officer’s name, but he was fairly certain this one wasn’t a dragon.
❀
The tunnels were not well-lit at all. While dragons had excellent night vision, being able to see in pitch blackness was a different story entirely. Still, she did her best, and when the gloom began to lighten, she hoped it meant daylight. She bit back a curse as she flew into the sleeping cave… again. The tunnels were maze-like and even with her excellent sense of direction, she kept getting turned around. The sounds of pursuit were drawing nearer, and she was flagging from the expenditure of magic and sustained flight.
She darted into one of the small caves off one of the tunnels, hoping to find a small, dark crevice to tuck herself into and rest her wings. A promising lumpy shadow caught her eye, and she flew over to investigate. What she saw sent her heart skittering in fear, and she backed away slowly into a different dark corner.
“Storm!” she called out. “I think there’s a basilisk in here.”
“This is the den of the basilisk I killed a few months ago,” Storm replied. “It’s unlikely that another one moved in, but be on your guard, just in case. We’re in front of the cave, but the entrance is too small for us. Can you make your way out?”
“I’ve tried,” Kaida said. “I keep coming back to the same place. My magic is almost completely drained. I don’t have much left in me.”
There was a pause, then Storm said, “Stay where you are… Sen is coming.”
Sen is coming. That simple phrase was more comforting than knowing Storm was outside. Heavy footsteps sounded outside her cave, and she slunk further into the shadows.
❀
“Sen?” Kaida’s tired voice was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.
“Kaida!” he exclaimed. “We’re coming! Where are you?”
“I’m not really sure,” Kaida replied, sounding like she was moments from collapsing. “I’m in a small cave not far from the cave where all their sleeping supplies are. But, Sen, there are basilisk sheds in here. Storm says they’re probably from the basilisk he killed a few months ago but be careful.”
Kidnappers and basilisks… great.
“I’ll be careful,” Sen promised. “What can you tell me about the kidnappers?”
“There’s three,” Kaida said, “two humans and one magical. The big human has a magical taser, I’m not sure if they have any other weapons. The magical has nature magic, but I’m not sure what kind of magical he is.”
Heavy footfalls up ahead told him at least one bad guy was nearby. They rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a large, muscular human with a magical taser in his hand.
“Police!” Officer Perry shouted, leveling his gun at the henchman. “Drop your weapon!”
Faced with three snarling wolves and a human with a gun, the henchman did the only sensible thing. Moments later, Officer Perry had him cuffed and on his knees.
“How many more of you are there?” Officer Perry demanded.
The man only grunted. Sen whined and pawed the ground twice –– humans couldn’t hear mind-voices.
“Two?” Officer Perry asked, raising an eyebrow. “I take it Miss Gracewing has been in contact?”
Sen nodded.
“Alright,” Officer Perry said, “tell her to sit tight –– we’re on our way. Can I leave one of you here on guard duty?”
Linus padded over to the prisoner and sat in front of him, staring him straight in the eyes as he yawned wide, baring his fangs. The henchman involuntarily shuddered. As intimidating as Linus was in his human form, he was doubly intimidating in his wolf form. What the henchman didn’t know was that under all that fur and fang, Linus was really just a big softie… unless you messed with someone he cared about, which this man had.
“Howl if you run into trouble,” Officer Perry said and Linus nodded, never breaking eye contact with the captive.
Officer Perry, Celicia, and Sen continued on. The ran into the magical, who surrendered fast
er than his companion had. They left Celicia to guard him. The next cave held two sleeping bags and other various camping equipment. Before they could explore it, a joyous chirping filled the cave as a tiny purple dragon darted across the empty space, straight for Sen. She landed in front of him, skidding to a halt. She must have been exhausted –– her landings were normally perfect. He nosed her gently, checking her over for injuries.
“I’m fine,” she protested. “Just tired. I spent too much magic and now need to sleep it off.”
Sen laid down so she could more easily climb onto his back. “You know we’re not going to let you out of our sight for a week, right?” he asked, only semi-joking.