by Debbie Behan
‘You’re kidding me!’ She blinked and went over to feel the keypad on the picture. ‘I’ll be blowed, really…’ She ran her fingers along the lumpy section where an invisible keyboard had been embedded.
Axon glanced around the room. ’Listen up,’ he said as he walked back to the main table, and leant against it.
’Concentrate! I only have time to run through this once.’ He spent the next hour showing them how to operate the sophisticated paraphernalia.
Once they all had an idea of how it worked, he turned to them. ‘So here it is in a nutshell. Dig in and get comfortable. It might be some time before we have another location for you to live. In the meantime, keeping all this and where you are secret, is imperative.’
Rory intervened. ‘Axon has given you ample time to come to grips with this station. The ones that get it can teach the others. You will have to work in shifts! As from now, this Home World needs to be monitored 24/7. Nathen, you’re in charge while I’m away, so keep your wits about you and let me know the second there is an inkling of trouble.’
Axon bent and tapped a screen that clearly showed the eight planets and Pluto. ‘Until we can determine how to resolve this dispute with Hades and his brothers, these orders to monitor the sky around the clock stands.’ He pressed buttons so fast they saw his hands as a blur while he searched through files on a screen. ‘What puzzles me,’ he said looking up, ‘is this; Zeus is the only god that has the power to access our confidential data. But even then he would need to break our code before working out your locations on Earth. How did they break that encryption?’ He tapped on the screen before straightening. ‘The answer is in here somewhere… this is something for you all to keep working on. If we can find it, we will know if they have identified my Home World. Until this information is found, we must stay on full alert.’
He turned to Rory. ‘We can also keep working on this at the office. Ready buddy? We have a lot to do.’ He put his arm around Rory, and they shimmered out of sight.
Nathen’s mouth was open ready to say goodbye, but all too late. ‘Cannot believe the gods and Rulers are the only ones to have that gift.’
‘And we get a herd of horses with sissy wings that fly us around like overly dressed circus performers,’ Caitlin added and made them all laugh.
Chapter Fifteen
Woody Visits
The team had gathered to meet Woody when he arrived. He only had to take one look at them to see he had his work cut out for him. Caitlin was a mess and hearing no united power, he realised they had barely tapped into the magic they had been given by his team of Riders. He began dressing them down and before letting them have their say, got stuck into them about Caitlin.
‘You guys should have felt Cait’s stress and pain. It would never have come to this if you were working as one unit.’ He glared at each member. ‘Well you sure botched that up, Cait would be healed by now if you had listened, and used what we gave you.’
Nathen gulped, wishing Rory was there with them. He felt like a spoilt brat now, thinking back on it. They had felt superior, and sure they were the better squad. Because of this, it was now obvious some of the finer details they were taught, had been missed. He was embarrassed and feeling the vibes from his friends, he knew they felt bad too. Like his teammates, he had been too busy showing off, and like juveniles, they joked together when the Cloud Riders tried to teach them their skills. By the angry glare they were getting from Woody, he knew they were in for a world of hurt for being so insubordinate.
Woody stared into speechless faces of shame. ‘This nonsense that you don’t need help stops now.’ He pulled out his knife and threw it between Nathen and Zeke. The movement was so swift they didn’t have time to move. ‘Get it.’ He growled at their inability to move as quickly as he could. ‘So, there will be, no more smart mouthing or self-indulgent behaviour. You are a team! Start acting like one!’ Woody gave it to them straight. ‘Are you ready to learn now?’ He walked up close, eye-balling each member.
Nathen turned the colour of Bree’s red top. ‘Yes sir.’ He was fully embarrassed. The others followed his lead and spoke loud and clear.
‘Sorry man, we have not only let Cait and you down, but we have also let ourselves down.’ Nathen turned to Caitlin. ‘Sorry, Red, we’d be dead if it weren’t for your intuition. Thank the heavens you were listening and learned something to save our hides.’
‘I’m as guilty as you, and I don’t expect to be treated with soft gloves just because my body is a bit unwell. I want to learn too.’ Caitlin directed her attention back to Woody.
‘And you will. But first, these knuckleheads have to get you better.’ Woody scowled at Nathen. ‘Cait is the one you need to protect the most. She should be as precious to you as our Cassie is to us. My blatzing oath, it was Cait who saved your arses. Her intuition brought you here, keeping you safe while your home was under attack. Yet here she stands totally messed up, overloaded with stress and her health in jeopardy. And not one of you has used your magic we gave you to even attempt to heal her. If it were me, I’d think twice about saving you lot – I would have let you bastards perish. Disgraceful – is all I can say.’
Nathen stood with his jaw clenched. He knew they deserved a bullocking and once it was over, he unfolded his arms while Woody stared him down. ‘Okay I’ll wear that, and yes, you’re right, maybe we were acting a little like spoilt brats.’
‘Maybe, you say, maybe you’ve been acting like brats. That’s an understatement and not harsh enough. You have been arrogant,’ Woody spat out.
‘All right, I agree we have been arrogant and acting irresponsibly. But point taken and we are ready to listen and learn. If you give us a second chance we won’t stuff up this time, Woody.’ Nathen put his arm around Caitlin’s shoulder. ‘We’ve learned our lesson, so how do I fix her and prevent this happening again?’
It was a few minutes before Woody spoke. His look of disapproval was enough to make them all hang their heads. He sighed and rubbed a hand through his curly red hair. ‘Has Rory linked you all?’
‘Yes, but we’re not sure how it all works yet,’ Nathen answered with readiness and hope that was the end of the lecture. He felt bad enough being Woody’s equal. It was worse that he hadn’t picked up all he needed to know to run his team while Rory was away. Rory had been so dedicated during training, had been a sponge while learning how to use the equipment and travel procedures. This side of it, Nathen was meant to learn along with the rest of the team. He was to pass on to Rory the group’s area of expertise. He mucked up, they all had, but this time he wasn’t going to be cocky or let the team miss a second of this time with Woody. They had better be on their “A” game and listen or they will answer to me.
Woody scratched his chin, staring at them, ‘You’re serious, and you haven’t used any of it yet. Goddammit, you guys. Why didn’t you ask?’ Once again, he looked into deadpan eyes. ‘Blatzing newbies,’ Woody grumbled and shook his head. His eyes shone like chips of emeralds as he lost his temper, telling them they had better listen up this time and listen good, or he’d give them all a taste of his size fourteen Gucci’s.
Nathen gave one last ditch effort to speak on behalf of the team. ‘Woody we really do apologise and promise we are listening to you this time. You’re right; we thought we were ready, but losing all we had down there and then being left to protect this fortress without Rory is overwhelming for us. But as you say, if we were working as one unit we’d be more than confident we had this and wouldn’t need the boss’s help.’
‘Finally, you are getting it. And the other reason you feel besieged, is because Cait isn’t well. With one team member down, especially one so important, you will feel like a bat trying to fly in the daylight. Your vision and senses will be way off. So before we start, let’s get her on the road to recovery and then by god you lot have some training to do.’
It was then, once they all
gave in and looked helpless, that he softened. They had been headstrong, impertinent and smart mouthed. He needed them to take him seriously and knew the gods would not put up with a bunch of impulsive cowboys. He sighed. This is going to be a long day.
* * * *
Out in the barn, he had them bridle their horses and sit on them to give them more power. He mounted his own horse. Once comfortable, Woody combined the energy from each rider and directed healing magic towards Caitlin. The glow around her was blinding, and once it dissipated, Woody quickly dismounted and lifted Caitlin off her horse. The surge of healing made her so dizzy she almost fell. The rest of the team was stunned at his speed. The improved connection between them allowed each member to experience the energised boost, but before the healing begun, they felt her pain. The relief on their faces was noticeable once her soreness eased. Still feeling the effects of her injuries they now understood what she had been dealing with so they sat still in the saddles, their hands firmly wrapped in the horses’ manes until Caitlin had improved. Then came the best part; they felt her joy at feeling better.
‘Do a spin for us Cait.’ Woody put her on her feet. Suddenly her eyes snapped open, as her energy flooded back. The instant jump and joyous hands in the air made them all happy she was okay.
‘Look, we did it, she’s healed!’ Bree clapped her hands.
Woody was pleased to see Cait’s improvement as she danced around. Her eyes drifted as she searched for marks on her legs and arms. He was amazed that even the deep scaring was gone. Maybe these guys are more powerful than I give them credit. This gave him hope that with a little more work, they might just be the right fit to work amongst the gods.
‘How do I look? Can I train with the team now?’ Caitlin’s eyes were still dull, but only Woody noticed that. He knew there was much more to her condition and he would work with her later, in private. First things first, he rationalised. This motley crew needs a workout.
He turned to the others. ‘Today will test you both mentally and physically. Your collaboration as a group and reactions to situations will determine the outcome.’ His tone stated his objective. This time he had no intentions of pandering to them; nor would he be letting them off lightly. Without warning, he launched into the first rule of being a Rider, staying connected to their ride. With a single swipe of his hand in the air, he knocked them off their horses.
‘You had better learn how to stay steady on your rides and become quicker at picking up magic threats that could send you flying. Now get back on your horses and ready yourselves, or you will have more than bruised butts.’
* * * *
By the end of the day, they had trained well, and Woody could tell they were brain wrecked. He had been bossy but needed to be the hard taskmaster he was, as he tested their reflexes, aptitude and their universal mind control. He made them sit and defuse before allowing them to go inside for showers. Nathen and Zeke, who decided to take the next shift, waved off a happy Nigel who had covered for them while they trained.
Axon’s butler had tried to get out of the duty, but Woody didn’t take no for an answer, and his last attempt at getting out of this chore was met with Woody’s pointed finger towards the staircase. ‘Now man— stop whining.’
Caitlin opted for a spa first; tired yet proud of the team for her healthy body that floated weightlessly in the bubbles.
Bree stayed with her, enjoying the warm water on her muscles, too exhausted from the day’s activities to stand in the shower. ‘That last exercise was the bomb,’ she told Caitlin. ‘Nearly spun myself out of control, that last bolt of light came at me so fast, and what was with that! Geez, Cait he had you doing stuff I’ve never seen you do, ever.’
‘Me either. I didn’t know Cassie had given me that sort of download. I’m so all that.’ She lay back with a smug expression and jumped as she felt a slap.
Bree hit her one across the shoulder good-humoredly. ‘That’s for getting me good that last stint.’
Caitlin lay back again but wore a grin. Today she’d learned how to let out a mere sliver of power, just enough of a beam to zap the team if their reflexes weren’t quick enough, and enjoyed her ability to exercise authority. ‘That was one great experience.’
‘For you maybe, Cait. We were the ones spinning like a top to deflect it. You just sneaked up on us. Man, I hated you a couple of times. That hurt.’
Caitlin thought that hysterical and ended up with a mouthful of water, coughed and sat up. ‘Sorry, not!’
Bree was glad they could talk about anything again but wished she wasn’t the butt of her joke.
‘Breezy, honey,’ Caitlin saw the look at her seriousness. ‘It worked though didn’t it? You and Lisha don’t get dizzy now, and Zeke has stopped hesitating.’
‘I suppose so.’ She finally grinned. ‘Woody’s a good egg isn’t he?’
Caitlin agreed as she stood up, grabbed a towel and wiped the excess water from her bathers. ‘Come on, girlfriend, let’s go doll up to impress our men.’
‘Cait, you like Axon, um – lots don’t you?’
‘Shush, our little secret, okay.’
Bree grinned widely, her fingers held firm to Caitlin’s as they ran up the stairs. Caitlin confiding in her again proved they were still best friends and she had forgiven her for taking Rory. This thought gave her a shudder of joy or was it Cait’s magic?
* * * *
Later downstairs, dressed, pumped up after a great day, the two friends fooled around dancing. Bree and Caitlin leapt away and squealed, then laughed when Axon and Rory shimmered into the area they were in, both getting a surprise at their sudden appearance. Bree jumped up into Rory’s arms.
‘What are we celebrating, beautiful?’ He grinned at her. ‘You look stunning.’
‘Look.’ She pointed to Caitlin. ‘We healed her.’
Caitlin opened her arms and spun in a circle. Her short skirt and loose sleeveless top showed off her figure. Suddenly she flushed crimson as Axon’s eyebrow lifted and a slight grin softened his mouth.
Rory stared at Caitlin, speechless, and broke into a grin as he spoke to Bree. ‘You guys did well, so how about you fill me in on the rest of it while I take a shower.’
‘Woody taught us so much cool stuff today.’ She grinned happily at Rory as he dragged her off, making her giggle as he lifted her again into his arms and ran up the stairs with her.
Axon caught Caitlin’s hand as she brought it down, and transported her into his study.
‘That was trippy. Kidnapper!’ She chuckled. In comforting arms that wrapped gently around her and warm lips that claimed hers, Caitlin’s head swam in the dreamy embrace.
‘You look stunning. I couldn’t help myself.’ He lowered his head to steal one more kiss.
‘Can you stay here a minute, beautiful? I want to hear about your day but just have to duck up and get changed.
She agreed and sat over on the couch waiting for his return. At the speed he could move, she knew it wouldn‘t be long before he came back.
It was just a kiss, she reminded herself, bewildered by the affectionate move he made on her and glad he finally did. Her eyes dropped to the low-cut top and tight leather skirt and she pulled at the hem. This didn’t change the position, so she shrugged and smiled. She figured it worked once, so maybe it might just get her one more kiss before the night ended. She felt wistful as she waited. While thinking of his wide grin and come-to-bed eyes, pleasurable warmth built inside her. They had only just started to kiss again, nothing too serious, so she stood up and paced. He had broken her heart once, and she must stop falling into his arms every time he wanted her there.
All thoughts left her as he transported back into the room with his shirt undone. Her eyes widened, and her heart happily hummed as she watched him do up his buttons. His shoulders were massive, a buff chest tapered down to a trim waistline and the slight hint of manliness on the p
ants line made her blush. Luckily, he missed her checking him out, or had he? There was definitely a sexy drone in his voice as he asked about her day. Caitlin averted her eyes to catch her thoughts while he tucked in the shirt.
‘Well, it started with Woody giving us a dressing down for not taking enough notice of what we had learned from the Cloud Riders. After he had thoroughly made us feel like spoilt brats, the drill master, no that’s too pleasant, the tyrant, spent the day training us. I, of course, ended up the teacher’s pet and had the pleasure of handing out the disciplinary measures. The guys are still annoyed at me.’ She giggled.
‘So he sounds like he gave a bit of tough love then.’
‘Yes! He is so cool – but strict, you have no idea.’ She rolled her eyes as he sat opposite her and bent to tie his shoelaces.
There had been two calls for dinner before Axon was satisfied he knew the day’s events, and stood up. ‘This has been, as usual, very enlightening but you must be starved. Shall we?’ He gestured for her to go through the door first.
Caitlin had never been wooed by a man before but was sure he should have at least taken her hand or stolen another kiss. She’d miss-read him again. Maybe he just wanted information and knew the kiss would loosen my tongue. She sulked as they joined everyone at the dinner table.
Woody was the first one Axon headed for. He shook hands with him and thanked him sincerely for the work he put into the team. ‘Welcome. I hear you kicked arse with my lot today. They’re a good bunch but did need guidance; hell, we all do.’
‘Well, I won’t say it was my pleasure because I was pretty ticked off. Yet, give them credit, even though I gave them what for, they took it on the chin. I expected a bit of attitude back but they surprised me. I was pleased with each of them for the big effort they put in after.’