A humorless smile slid across his face. “The rightful species in charge of this globe.”
Species? Juniper’s heart thudded so hard it hurt. “You’re a dragon?” She shook her head. There was no way this monster could be like her. His touch made her flesh crawl. She felt sick from the odor drifting off him. No dragon should smell like that.
“And you are a thing that should have been destroyed as soon as we came to power.”
He wasn’t denying that he was a dragon. If he was, she’d met nothing like him before. “Why do you want me dead if we’re the same?”
A yell from Arlo had them both looking over. He’d been joined by Heath and Brett, and they were taking out the last of the guards and any commander who stood in their way.
The commander dragged Juniper toward a waiting car. She fought with all her strength and raised her gun, the muscles in her arm straining and burning.
His fingers gripped her wrist so tightly that she gasped in pain and the gun slid from her grasp.
The commander bent to pick it up. Juniper slammed her knee into his nose and blood spurted out. It was a thick, dark red color, and the sour smell intensified.
She reached for the gun, but he flung it away before her fingers could latch onto it. “Tell me what you are.”
The commander smirked. “What I am is not important. I don’t need to justify myself to you. Creatures like you are not important to our plans.”
Gritting her teeth, Juniper grabbed hold of his head. “I can find out for myself.” The second she activated her dragon hybrid ability, pain slammed into her. Ignoring the sensation of a thousand pins pricking her flesh, she forced her way into the man’s mind. Forced him to bend to her will.
“Get off of me, you disgusting freak.” He writhed in front of her, his nails scoring down her arms, drawing blood.
“Be quiet and stay still.” It took a huge amount of effort, but Juniper forced his movements to slow. “That’s right. Now, tell me what you’re doing here. And what in the hell you are.”
The fury in the man’s eyes made them glow orange. She knew then that he wasn’t human. They didn’t need words as their minds connected and Juniper dragged the information from his resistant thoughts. At first, it was a muddle of conflicting images and ideas. But slowly, clarity formed.
Juniper thought she heard someone yelling her name. She was so focused that she blocked it out. Her skin felt on fire as the needle-stabbing sensation grew. She’d only felt this way a couple of times before, and it had taken her weeks to recover afterwards.
Her grip tightened. “Stop hiding things from me. What are you?”
The commander roared in anger, spittle flying from his mouth as Juniper finally got her answers.
Her grip loosened, and her mouth fell open.
The commander scrambled away from her, heading toward her dropped gun.
Juniper took a step back, shock making her knees feel like they would give out. “No fucking way.”
The commander grabbed the gun and swung it toward her. “What did you do to me?” His fingers skimmed across the sides of his head.
Juniper took another staggering step away, suddenly realizing the danger she was in. She couldn’t run. She felt too weak. If she did, he’d only shoot her in the back. She couldn’t believe what she’d just learned. It couldn’t be true.
“Juniper!” She heard her name again and stumbled as she turned. It was Arlo, racing toward her, along with Heath and Brett.
She raised a hand just as several blasts of pulse laser shot toward the commander. She had to tell them what she’d discovered. Had to let them know how dangerous this creature was. But her knees buckled before she could speak.
The last thing Juniper felt was Arlo’s strong arms around her as she fell to the ground.
Chapter 10
“Dammit!” Arlo scooped Juniper into his arms. He couldn’t use his gun while holding her, but Heath and Brett covered his back as they raced from the tower and the bloody scene of devastation. All the guards were dead, along with the commanders. It had been a brutal fight.
“What was she doing?” said Heath, taking aim at a drone hovering overhead, monitoring their movements.
Arlo glanced at Juniper’s pale face, the skin under her eyes stained with shadow and a bloom of fresh bruising across one cheek. “She must have been using her ability to get the commander to talk.”
“She’s out cold,” said Heath. “We’ll need Sophia to take a look at her when we get back.”
Two armed drones shot into view. Heath fired at them. “Lincoln. We’ve got drones that need dealing with.”
“I’m on it.” A few seconds later, he emerged from the shadows, his weapon aimed at the sky. The armed drones were quickly dispatched.
“Malachi, get the Cobra ready,” said Heath. “We will need a quick exit out of here.”
“I’m monitoring your movements from the Cobra,” said Malachi. “I’m disengaging the Invis-Tech. We’ll be ready to go as soon as you’re all back.”
Juniper groaned. Arlo instinctively tightened his hold on her. The coldness of her skin alarmed him. Using her powers on that commander had taken a lot out of her. They would have some serious words about following orders.
Brett covered their backs as Heath ran ahead past the guard booth. He reached the Cobra and flung open the door.
Arlo climbed in, still clutching Juniper to his chest, and settled on the bench. He checked her pulse and her breathing. He just wished she’d open her eyes, tell him everything would be okay.
Brett followed and Heath climbed in the front with Malachi.
Lincoln arrived at the door of the Cobra a few seconds later, a sly smile on his face.
“What have you got to be so happy about?” asked Arlo.
His smile only widened. “Just wait and see what we’ve brought you.”
“We haven’t got time for games,” said Heath. “Ranger, you need to get your ass back here. The bombs are about to go off and the militia will be all over this place in minutes.”
“He’s on his way.” Lincoln placed his gun on the bench. “And he’s bringing us a present.”
Arlo looked out of the open door and his eyes widened. Ranger was dragging a State commander with him. It was the same guy Juniper had been fighting.
Brett shook his head and grinned. “I should have known he was up to something. This guy is slyer than a fox.”
Ranger tilted his head. “What can I say—I saw Juniper was into this suit and thought I’d bring him with us. She can keep on playing with him if she wants to.” He slung the unconscious commander into the back of the Cobra before hopping in.
Brett made quick work of binding the commander’s hands and feet before rolling him into the corner. “That will keep him out of our way.”
“Let’s go,” Heath said to Malachi. The Cobra shot away.
“I thought all the commanders were dead?” Arlo had seen this one take a hit with a laser as he’d been about to shoot Juniper.
“In all the chaos you and Juniper caused, it was easy enough to grab him,” said Ranger. “He was already downed by a laser blast, but I saw him still breathing. I grabbed him and ran.”
Heath’s eyes narrowed as he turned and looked at Arlo. “You went against a direct order.”
“To save Juniper’s life.” His fingers tightened on Juniper’s arm.
“She’s jeopardized this mission,” said Heath.
“She hasn’t,” said Arlo. “In fact, she’s done us a great service. The bombs are set and ready to blow, and we’ve captured a State commander.”
“Juniper was lucky,” grunted Heath. “Danni will want answers over what happened. She’ll take you off active service because of this.”
“I’ll tell her the truth,” said Arlo. “And, when she’s stopped yelling at me, she’ll see that what we did was the right thing. We can finally get answers about what the State are up to.”
“Let’s hope Danni sees it that way.” Heat
h turned back to face the front. “Jude, have we got anyone following us?”
“No, you’re good,” said Jude. “The cars haven’t left the tower yet, and I’m not seeing any drones on your tail.”
“Let us know if anything changes.”
“How’s Juniper doing?” Lincoln asked Arlo.
He looked down and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “Not great.”
“Using her abilities on someone so strong wiped her out.” Lincoln pulled a medical kit onto his lap and flipped it open. “We could risk a shot of adrenaline.”
“We should let her rest,” said Arlo. As much as he wanted to wake her up, he knew dragon hybrids needed downtime to repair after using their abilities. That left them vulnerable. Juniper was not vulnerable when she was with him. He’d make sure she had enough time to recover and didn’t have to face Danni’s wrath. He’d take the blame for what happened.
“What’s the situation with the bombs?” asked Heath.
Arlo checked the timer on his wrist comm. “Twenty seconds until detonation.”
They all sat in silence, counting down the seconds. A low rumble reached them, and a distant flash of light signaled the bombs had been a success.
“Let’s see what the State makes of that,” said Heath. “If this works, we will get a lot busier in the bunker.”
Arlo nodded, his attention still focused on Juniper. This had to be worth it. After everything they’d just gone through and the obvious pain Juniper was in, they needed a win against the State.
He shifted his gaze to the unconscious commander in the corner. Arlo would make this asshole tell him everything.
JERKING UPRIGHT, JUNIPER groaned. Everything hurt, from the tips of her toes to the hair on her scalp. Everything was sensitive and sore. She swallowed, her throat as dry as the desert.
A warm hand touched her elbow, and she flinched.
“Take it easy.” It was Clarissa, a welcome cup of water in one hand.
Juniper tried to speak, but nothing came out. She cleared her throat, gesturing to the cup of water.
“Just a few sips,” said Clarissa as she handed over the cup.
Juniper chugged down the water and tried to speak again. “What happened?” The words were croaky, but at least she could make herself heard.
“You put yourself at great physical risk.” Sophia emerged from her office, her black-rimmed glasses perched on top of her short, dark hair. “You almost killed yourself using so much of your ability on someone so strong.”
Juniper handed the empty cup to Clarissa. “I had to see what was going on.” And, holy smokes, had she had a shock when she’d discovered who the enemy really was. She looked over at Clarissa, wondering if her seer abilities had detected anything. But Clarissa’s face was a picture of calm, with just a hint of concern in her eyes.
“You need more rest.” Sophia scanned through the port screen next to Juniper’s bed.
“I’ve had enough rest.”
“You’ve had one infusion of dragon serum already,” said Sophia. “And you need more.”
Juniper blinked in surprise. “How long have I been here?”
“They brought you in about eighteen hours ago,” said Clarissa. “Arlo has been so worried. He keeps coming and checking on you.”
“Until I insisted he leave,” said Sophia. “He never stays still. And he likes to mess with my equipment. His presence is most aggravating.”
Juniper could still remember the look of horror on Arlo’s face as he’d raced toward her when she’d been fighting the commander. He must hate her for putting the mission in jeopardy. She needed to see him, explain why she did it, and tell everyone exactly what she’d discovered.
“I can’t stay here.” Juniper tried to scramble off the bed.
Sophia placed a restraining hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. “When you arrived here, your heartbeat was so slow I thought I would have to restart it.”
Juniper’s hand drifted to her chest. Her heart felt strong and steady now. “Then you must be very good at what you do.”
“I’m excellent at what I do,” said Sophia. “You’d be wise to follow my advice if you wish to make a full recovery.”
The door to the medical bay opened. Arlo stalked through. Anger shimmered in his eyes as his gaze shifted to Juniper. She felt her pulse speed up.
“You’re awake.”
She risked a smile on him. “It looks like it.”
His fierce expression remained.
“Juniper still needs to recover,” said Sophia.
“I’m almost back to normal,” said Juniper.
Sophia waved a hand in the air. “I give up on you. Sometimes I feel like I’m talking to myself.”
“You should listen to Sophia,” said Arlo. “She’s trying to help you.”
Juniper shrank away from his glare. “I don’t need to be in bed.”
“When you relapse because you haven’t followed my instructions, just yell. I might make the effort to get out of my chair and come see you. But there’s no guarantee.” Sophia walked into her office.
Clarissa patted the back of Juniper’s hand. “Don’t worry about Sophia. She’s operating on too little sleep and too much coffee.”
“I might be tired, but my ears are working perfectly,” shouted Sophia before slamming the office door.
Clarissa winked at Juniper before glancing at Arlo. “I’ll leave the two of you alone for a few minutes. Just make sure you don’t go and die on us while I’m away or Sophia will never let me work in here again.”
“As if I’d do that to you.” Juniper waited until Clarissa had left the room before focusing on Arlo. Her breath hitched in her throat. His fists were clenched and his shoulders tight around his ears.
“Where should we start?” Arlo remained in the same position, his posture erect, just out of reach.
“We could start with the fact that we planted the bombs and killed some commanders.”
“Or, we could start with the fact that you disobeyed an order, raced into the middle of a dangerous situation, and almost got yourself killed.”
Anger stirred in Juniper’s stomach. “By doing that, I found out something about the State. Something you’ve failed to do.”
“I don’t care what you found out.” Arlo stalked toward the bed and rested his fists on the edge. “You almost died.”
“I’m here. I’m alive.” She looked down at his scarred knuckles. “Everyone got out okay, didn’t they?”
Arlo let out a sigh. “Thankfully, yes. What was supposed to be a low-key mission turned into a mess. That’s not how we operate.”
“But we’re all fine. I bet your bombs went off perfectly.”
“You aren’t fine.”
“I’m getting there.” Juniper touched the tip of a finger on Arlo’s knuckle and stroked the scar. “I didn’t mean to make things difficult for you. When I saw those commanders, I knew that was an opportunity to get answers and find out what their plans are.”
“Answers we would all love to know,” said Arlo. “None of that would be of use to us if you’d died trying to get the information. I know Heath’s orders can feel restrictive, but if you don’t follow them, you die. We got lucky yesterday.”
“It was more than luck. I’m stronger than I look.”
“Not when you use so much of your ability.”
Juniper swallowed, almost unable to say the words. “I learned about them. When I connected to that commander, I discovered something about the State.”
Arlo raised his eyebrows. “Care to share?”
The door behind them slammed open, and Heath strode through. The air of menace about him made Juniper shrink back against her pillow.
“I’m glad to see you’re awake,” said Heath. “Danni wants answers.”
The anger Juniper had been keeping in check rose. “You should thank me, not try to hang me out to dry with Danni.”
Heath’s brows lowered. “I’m not hanging anyone out to d
ry. You disobeyed a direct order.”
Arlo moved to stand in between them, blocking Heath from getting closer to the bed. “She won’t do it again.”
Juniper shoved him out of the way. “Of course I’ll do it again. If it gets the results we need—”
“But it didn’t,” growled Heath. “You took stupid risks out there. I can’t have you on my team if you’re going to do things like that.”
“It worked, though,” said Juniper. “Blowing the tower has messed with the signals the State are broadcasting, right?”
Heath let out a sigh. “No. The impact has been minimal. Although fewer broadcasts are going out, it’s not enough to shake people free of the hypnotic suggestions. We lost.”
“We haven’t,” said Arlo. “Juniper found out something about the State.”
“And we’re going to do just the same,” said Heath. “With the one Ranger dragged back with us.”
“Wait! You actually got one?” Juniper grinned at Arlo. “Was it the guy I was linked to?”
Arlo nodded. “He was already downed when Ranger got to him. We’ve brought him back to the base.”
Her grin widened. “So, you see, me not following orders was a good thing.”
Heath shook his head. “It was a mistake to take you on that mission. You need to stay in the bunker. Learn to obey orders before I can trust you again.”
“I can’t do that.” The thought of being left stuck underground sent a shred of dread through Juniper. There was no way she’d be happy with a life without daylight, forced to do skivvy work. She craved her freedom. She’d take her chances with the State if that was the way things were going to be.
“This is not up for discussion,” said Heath. “Remain here until you’ve recovered.”
“No way!” Juniper struggled up, ignoring her protesting aches. “I want in on any interrogation of the commander.”
“That’s a bad idea,” said Arlo. “You need to rest.”
Sophia’s office door opened. She glared at the three of them. “Unless I’m mistaken, this is a place for recovery, not a debating chamber. Anyone who is not sick needs to leave.”
Arlo (sci-fi romance - The Ember Quest Book 4) Page 10