by Naomi Sparks
For a moment, the guards there just stare, dumbfounded, like they weren't expecting anyone to show up. Then, they start looking around, as if they're expecting more of us. They're slow and sluggish in their reactions, giving us time to close the distance between us. One of the guards attempts to shift, but Lex is already there. He takes him out immediately, moving in on the other guards, giving us the time we need to get into the fray.
After that, it's chaos. Everyone moves on instinct as more and more guards flood to the area. I don't hear any alarm, but the guards keep pouring out from the compound, from all sides. We keep pushing forward, working our way slowly inside. We're not trying to incapacitate our enemy. If they die, they die.
A knot forms at the pit of my stomach. No matter how many times I tell myself we're doing the right thing, I can't be happy about killing our own kind. There are so few of us left, compared to the old days. To be possibly killing more of us just seems wrong, and I know it's wrong. But I also know that allowing Amasis to indiscriminately kill other races is even more wrong. Two wrongs may not make a right, but sometimes it's necessary.
Once we're inside, the number of guards dwindles considerably. We find a research lab and charge into it, but the large room mostly empty. Everyone freezes, frowning as we all look it over, searching for something, anything. There are papers scattered on the ground, a few odds and ends of equipment laying around, but otherwise, the place is empty. They packed up in a hurry, if I had to guess.
"Grab all the papers," Lex orders, and we quickly gather them all up. We stuff them into our backpacks and move out, searching the place, room by room. Every room we enter is the same as the last, mostly empty, except for a few small things that had been left behind, nothing of value.
Saphira is looking around, confused, as we make our way through the compound. Clearly, she finds this odd as well, which is a bit of a relief. At least she didn't lead us into another trap. Not on purpose, anyway. But still, everyone else now looks uneasy, too.
For the number of guards outside, this place should be crawling with people. And yet, it looks all but abandoned. We make our way down to the basement, hoping the Fae are down there. Most of us expect not.
A group of us stay near the top of the stairs, keeping lookout, not wanting to get ambushed down there. Everyone is uneasy, shifting nervously from foot to foot as we listen for approaching footsteps. Nothing happens, making the silence even more ominous. They'd tried their hardest to keep us out of the compound, but now that we're inside, they seem to have fled and given up the fight. Why?
My skin itches, and I want to get out of here. None of this sits right with me, but I can't put my finger on what's going on. And no doubt Lex has already figured out that something is wrong.
Shouting comes from below. Everyone braces for a second, but it's not the sounds of combat. It's Katia, I realize, and she's cursing, loudly. Whatever they found down there isn't good, it's safe to say. The Fae up here with me frown even deeper now, adjusting their grip on their weapons. Combat they expected. Whatever is going on now, isn't something we planned.
We wait, all of us holding our breath, for the others to ascend the stairs again. When they do, they only have a couple of the Fae with them. The warriors rush to aid them, they look old and sickly, like they're right on death's door. Probably the ones who weren't worth the hassle of moving when they fled this compound.
Anger flashes in everyone's eyes now. This is the second time we've been led astray it seems. A few people glance over at Saphira, probably wondering if she's lied to us again. I take a step closer to her, silently offering my support. I know she didn't lie about this, not this time. I could be wrong, but my instincts rarely are.
Everyone is quiet as we make our way out of the compound. I expect to walk into an ambush. But nothing happens. When we reach the front door again, the dead or injured dragons we'd left sprawled on the ground are gone.
We all exchange glances, then frown. Lex holds up a hand, signaling for us all to stop where we are. Once he's sure we won't be wandering off, he motions for Faris to follow him. The two of them slip out of sight, their powers activating. I don't need to see or hear them to know they've headed back outside, searching the area, looking for any signs of an ambush out there.
They come back a few minutes later, both frowning. "It's clear out there," Lex says, though I can tell the thought troubles him. It shouldn't be clear. They made us work way too hard to get in here when there wasn't anything inside. At the very least they should have waited outside the door to ambush us. If they're not there, then where are they? And where did the men we'd taken out go?
We hadn't killed all of them. We weren't being careful but neither were we actively trying to kill the ones in our way. Some of them had been dead though. I'd seen the Fae stab more than a few of them, seen Lex snap the neck of a couple. But even those bodies are gone now, only some drops of blood where they'd fallen remain.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as we slip out of the compound. Everyone is on high alert, our heads all swiveling around, searching, as we move quickly away from the building. I scan the skies, squinting up, looking for signs of anyone flying high above us. But I can't see anyone up there, no matter how hard I try, leaving me to believe the skies are empty. If they're flying high enough that I can't see them, that should mean they can't see us.
"It was a setup," Faris grumbles, his teeth clenched. He's looks around, just like the rest of us. "Bastards are probably out there somewhere, watching us, laughing at us."
We move as quickly as we can, the Fae warriors supporting their people. We make a beeline back toward the camp we'd left. Once we got back there, we would all be able to sit down and try to make sense of everything that has happened. Until then, I try not to think too much about it, not wanting to get distracted. The last thing I need is for us to walk into an ambush because my mind is up in the clouds.
Before the camp comes into view though, Lex raises a hand, ordering us to stop. Everyone looks at him curiously, and then it hits us all at once. I can smell fire, blood. Something has happened up ahead. Once he's sure we're all on full alert, we storm forward, racing as fast as we can, no longer bothering with stealth. What we find is chaos.
There are bodies strewn around the area, some of them are dragons, others are the Fae we'd left behind. One of the trucks used for hauling the Fae's supplies is up in flames, it's dark black smoke billowing up into the sky.
Katia pushes passed us, a frantic look in her eyes. "Lysandra!" she shouts, looking around. I can hear the fear and panic in her voice, can taste it in my mouth. "Lysandra!" she yells even louder, making me wince.
"Here!" a voice yelled back.
Everyone looks in that direction, and see a flickering, like hot air on a summer's day. A shimmer, I realize, though as we get closer to it, it's not nearly as powerful or well-made as their normal protective barriers. They must have put it up in a hurry, using whoever they could to cast the spell. When we get closer, Katia extends her hands and mutters a spell of her own, allowing us entry.
Her sister is standing just inside, and the two of them embrace. Galen walks over and hugs them both as well, his big arms easily wrap around both women. The others shout for their mates. This time though, only Kyra comes running out. There is no sign of Hannah or Faith.
My heart sinks in my chest. The compound had been a trap. But it wasn't a trap for us. It was meant to lure us away from the camp so Amasis could strike, gathering more healthy Fae and two of our mates.
I bite back a string of curses, wanting to kick myself for not having seen it coming. There's no possible way I could've foreseen this, but I still feel like I should have. It was all too easy, all too neat. No doubt Amasis had gotten word of our attack on the California facility. He'd used that time to pack up everything here, get anything of any importance out, then had just lain in wait. All he had to do was keep an eye on the area, wait for us to make a move on the compound, then strike at us from
behind.
"What happened here?" Lex demands, looking at both Kyra and Lysandra. "Tell me everything, now."
The intensity of his voice makes both women taken a step back. Lex's anger is obvious to everyone, just barely contained beneath the surface. Farris moves to stand next to Kyra, offering her his support, while Galen and Katia both flank Lysandra. The looks they give Lex tell him the women aren't responsible for this and not to take his anger out on them.
Lysandra is the first to speak up. "They came not long after you left. Hannah got a vision of them swooping down on us from above, but by the time we were able to interpret her vision, it was too late. We tried to get a runner to you, but they were on him immediately, carrying him off. We tried to get a barrier up, to stop them, but by the time we did, they'd already gotten a number of our people. Including Hannah and Faith."
Lex lets out a growl that echoed all around us. Everyone backs away from him. The rest of us exchange glances, preparing to restrain Lex if needed. We can all understand his anger and rage, especially Faris, whose mate was also taken, but we can't afford to let him go off in a storm now. We need him to remain calm, keep himself composed.
But instead of flying off, he whirls around, jabbing a finger at Saphira. "You," he growls. "You did this, didn't you? You lured us here, let Amasis know when you spring his trap, didn't you?" His eyes flicker between human and dragon. He's close to shifting, I realize.
Acting on instinct, I move to stand in front of Saphira, blocking Lex's view of her. Lex growls at me and I growl right back. My dragon itches, just below the surface. My fingers begin lengthening into claws, the fire in my stomach roaring up. If Lex tries to attack Saphira, I'm ready. Ready to defend her against him. "Calm yourself," I tell him, fighting to keep my voice even. "She had nothing to do with this. You know that."
Lex continues to growl, his eyes still flickering. His dragon is trying to take over, his urge to protect his mate and unborn child warring against his rational side. Neither of us is willing to back down. I understand his anger, but I cannot let him touch Saphira. My dragon won't let me any more than his dragon will allow him to let Hannah be harmed.
"Lex," Galen says, his voice low and soft. He walks over and places a hand on Lex's shoulder.
Lex whirls on him, like he's about to strike Galen, but Galen doesn't move. He just stares at Lex, holding his gaze, and the two stand there for a long while. If anyone can get through to Lex, it's Galen. The two have known each other longer than anyone. Their bond goes almost as deep as Lex's bond with Hannah.
Eventually, Lex slumps, his muscles all going slack. The fire in his eyes goes out, and I find myself able to breathe again. He's still angry, no doubt, but he no longer looks like he's about to attack.
It's only then, when I can look around again, that I notice the other guys are all braced, like they were getting ready to jump in the middle of us. The Fae warriors all have their weapons drawn as well, looking between the two of us, unsure of what exactly is going on between us. None of them look eager to get in the middle of a fight against dragons, but neither would they have allowed us to duke it out, it seems.
When Lex looks back over at me, he nods slowly. "Fine," he says with a sigh. "I guess she probably didn't lead us into a trap on purpose. But the point still stands. We fell right into Amasis's trap. Now he has Hannah and Faith and more of the Fae. She's the only leverage we have to get them back."
I prickle at his insinuation. He wants to trade Saphira to get the others back. It's not a bad plan, as far as plans go, but I don't like it. Not one bit. But Lex storms off, telling me he's already made up his mind. He's stubborn on a good day. With his mate and child on the line, I know nothing will change his mind.
Which means I need to think of something. Fast.
9
Saphira
Lex and the others move amongst the Fae, helping the ones they rescued from the compound get the help they need. Bren keeps me far away from them, hoping to let Lex's anger dissipate a little. I don't blame him for being angry with me. Why should he believe I didn't have anything to do with this? I'd lead them to the Nevada compound on purpose, why would he believe I didn't lead them here for the same reason?
Hell, maybe it is my fault. No doubt, Father got word of their attack on the Nevada compound. He may have even gotten word that they had me as their captive. It would only be logical for us to come here next. All he had to do was sit and wait.
Bren comes and sits beside me, his presence comforting. No doubt, if he hadn't stood between Lex and me, I'd be dead right now. No way would I have been able to stand against Lex on my own, especially not when he was in a rage.
"Thank you," I say at last. It pains me to say it, to find myself indebted to him, but I am. He didn't need to step in to protect me, could have just let Lex shackle me again, torture me until Father returned his mate. But he hadn't. Bren stuck his neck out for me, standing up to his friends in the process. "If it helps, I really didn't have anything to do with this. At least, not consciously, anyway."
Bren nods, looking over at me and smiling. "I know." He reaches out and takes my hand in his, squeezing it gently. I want to lean against him, want him to wrap his arms around me and hold me, but I don't let myself. He already has enough trouble with his friends because of me. If they find us cuddling together, it'll just make things worse for him.
"Dragon!" The shout echoes around the small camp.
Bren and I are on our feet in seconds, racing over to where the shout came from. One of the Fae warriors is standing in the middle of the camp, pointing up into the sky. I squint and can just make out a small shape heading towards us. The Fae must be using magic to enhance his vision for him to have so easily spotted the dragon so far away. Even with my vision, I can barely make it out. It's still too far away for me to see who it is.
Everyone arrives quickly after, glancing up and frowning as the shape slowly gets bigger and bigger. It appears to be alone.
The Fae warriors quickly scatter about the camp, retrieving weapons, and taking up a defensive position. The others back away, hiding in what meager shelter they have left. Even against a single dragon they won't be much use, but if it comes to that, then they've already lost anyway.
The Fire Riders spread out as well, not quite as far as the Fae, but not staying grouped together either. I can feel the power rippling off them as their dragons lurk just below the surface. They're bracing for an attack, I realize, preparing to shift at a moment's notice. Can they really shift that fast? I wonder to myself. Most of them are old warriors, so part of me doesn't doubt it. But I've never before seen someone do a fast shift in the middle of combat before. Most of the ones I've seen shift are slow, taking precious moments for their dragons to fully come to the surface.
As the dragon gets closer, I realize just how small it actually is. Definitely not an adult, I think as I look at it. A glance over at Bren, who's still standing by my side, shows him frowning, and I know he realizes it as well.
At first, the dragon circles around our camp. The Fire Riders spread out a bit more, moving on instinct, creating a circle in the middle of the camp. Then, the dragon swoops down, and I brace myself. But he doesn't attack anyone. He just lands in the center with a thump, the ground near him shaking from the impact.
Everyone waits, holding their breath, not taking their eyes off the small, dark blue dragon in the middle of the camp. He looks around at everyone, blinking a couple of times, then his scales start to ripple as he pulls his dragon back inward. It takes him a few moments. He's slower than most dragons, probably due to his age. He can't have quite hit maturity yet, and I find myself cursing Father for sending a boy into an enemy camp.
Once the boy is back in his human form, he kneels in the middle of the circle, his head bowed, as he gasps for air. At his age, I can only imagine just how much effort it had taken for him to shift, fly here, then shift back. He's probably exhausted, and yet, he'll still have to shift and return to Father after this. He'
ll be lucky if the effort doesn't kill him.
"Are you the messenger from Amasis?" Lex asks, stepping forward. From the look on his face I assume he's been expecting someone to show up. He knows Father well, it seems.
The boy nods. When he looks up, I recognize him. I can't remember his name, but he looks familiar. He also looks scared shitless. I can't really blame him, since everyone is clearly hostile toward him. Even though he's young, I don't doubt he can feel the power radiating from these men, can sense their dragons lurking just below the surface. He understands these men can rip him limb from limb if he angers them.
Once again, I silently curse Father for sending this boy in his stead. He's lucky Lex and them seem to be so different from the rest of our kind. Any other leader would see this boy as an insult. Sending a child to do a man's work, a child who can barely even bring himself to look at the people he's sent to speak with.
"Tell us then," Galen says, stepping forward with Katia. He glances over at Lex, and Lex nods his acceptance of Galen taking the lead. Lex is barely containing his rage right now, and he understands that. Galen is much more level headed. No doubt he understands his friend's pain, but his mate is still by his side, so he doesn't quite have the same uncontrollable rage.
They're smart, I acknowledge. Lex may be their leader, but he knows when it's important for him to step aside and let others take charge. He values the people he's surrounded himself with. It's very different from the way Father operates. Sure, he keeps the Council and his advisors close, but at the end of the day, he's the one making all the decisions.
"Amasis sends his greetings," the boy says, his voice shaking. He looks like he wants to just shift back and flee, but somehow, he manages to stay right where he is. Perhaps he's too scared to move even a muscle. "He offers you the chance to trade. He will return the woman you call Hannah to you in exchange for the dragon Saphira. He has given me a location for you to meet him to make the trade."