by L M Lacee
They both laughed at her as they stood looking over the obviously wounded woman. “You think to scare us woman?” Scoffed the taller of the men.
June wheezed out a laugh. “I, by myself have killed twelve of you. How many do I have to kill to drive home the point?”
The short male who June thought sounded like a fanatical crazy man snarled. “You are not saving innocents. They carry the gene of the devil within them. They must not be allowed to live.” In answer June growled deep in her throat saying. “Exactly how I feel about you, except I have more of a chance of killing you like I did those others than you have of taking these babies from me. So choose death or live another day!”
They looked at each other and then seemed to realize she was still standing as strong as she had been before the attacks. Despite her injuries and that she had killed all twelve of their fighters. As one they turned and started to run. June lifted the small blow pipe to her lips and blew a dart into the backs of both males’ necks. They screamed and slapped at the darts as they felt the hits but did not slow down. June grinned… she had tagged both males for the hunters to find and execute. Her job was done, she took stock of where she was and saw she was only minutes away from her car. She grinned a well-executed plan. She started the walk to her vehicle.
It seemed to take her a lot longer than she thought it should have to get to her car. When she did finally make it, she was relieved to see it was still intact and safe. She unlocked it and spent long minutes deciding how to get the strap for the back pack undone. Finally, she pulled her knife and sliced the straps then placed the bag with its precious cargo on the front seat and walked around to the trunk retrieving the med kit she had there.
She sat on the edge of the trunk and saw to the wounds she could reach and stopped the blood seeping on her shoulder and arm. Once she was patched up as well as she could she closed the trunk and eased into the driver’s seat, unzipping the bag and looked inside. Both babies were still asleep. “If I didn’t know better I would suspect a spell.” She bit her lip and mumbled. “Maybe it is a spell. Either way stay asleep a little longer sweethearts, mama will get us home. We only have to get to a place where I can activate the emergency signal or bat signal as Frankie calls it. Then we will be rescued.”
Totally forgetting she did not have her sat phone or any other way to communicate for help having left all her equipment in the cave.
CHAPTER SIX:
C harlie eyed the male as he walked into her office and barely kept the sigh from escaping. She had no more news today than she did the day before.
“It has been five days Charlie. Where is she?”
“Fin, I told you yesterday we are looking for her. The last one to see her was Ella.”
“That was two days ago. She could be hurt somewhere and no one has found her.” Fin tried to keep the snarl from his voice, but his dragon was close to the surface as he had been since they realized June had left Dragon’s Gap.
Charlie stood as she just kept the snarl from her own voice. “That is not fair. We are looking for her. I have retrievers out hunting her now as I told you yesterday she never told Ella where she was going. Her phone is down or lost. Her GPS is disabled.”
“That is not enough!”
“I know Fin. We are looking. I swear!”
He stared at her for several seconds then nodded and stormed from her office just before Sage walked in from the connecting door between their offices. “We have scryed for her. We cannot find her. Was that Fin?”
“Yes, he is angry.”
“Aren’t we all? Where can she be?”
“I don’t know Sage but I trust her, she is cunning. She will come home.”
“She had better!” She held her finger and thumb a little apart. “I am that far from calling out the Hunters and Shields.”
“Not yet! Give our people time to search.”
Sage nodded. “Twenty-four hours only, Charlie.”
“Okay Sage, thanks.”
Sage said nothing as she gave Charlie the same look she had been giving her every day since June had not returned. Charlie fell into her chair as she looked at the photo of her kids and Storm. “Where are you June? Please don’t get dead.”
Fin strode from Charlie’s office, he knew she was doing everything she could. He and his dragon could do more. He made his apartment and kept on going, reaching his room whereby he started to pull clothes and equipment from his closet. His dragon said. We leave to find our shadow?
Yes, we need a few things first.
Then we go!
Yes to bring her home.
Good, I want shadow.
You and me both. Fin shook his head as he packed a dragon bag fill of equipment, first aid packs and blankets, food and water. He knew this was his fault, his stubborn refusal to accept June’s needs caused her to be out there alone, without his protection.
“Are you going to look for her?” Ella asked tearfully from the doorway to his bedroom. So concerned for June he had not heard her enter. “I am!”
“I am sorry Uncle Fin. I should have gone with her or asked where she was going. I just left her.”
He dropped his bag and took her trembling body in his arms. “This is not your fault. It is all mine, my belief I could control everything and look what I did. I drove her away.”
“She loves you.”
“Does she? I do not know how she could.”
“Well when you find her, ask her.”
“I will find her niece. I swear.”
“I know you will.”
“Thank you, now I must go.”
“Take care and bring her home.”
He smiled a quick motion of his lips. Ella could see his dragon in his eyes as he assured her. “We will.”
He left the castle and entered the grounds where dragons lifted off from. Ark and Axl were waiting to secure the bag on his back. “I had no idea.” Fin stated a little taken aback by the brother’s assistance.
“We figured today would be the day you would go, if she had not returned.”
“I thank you.”
They waited for him to shift, then they strapped the bag on his back he shook to settle everything a seventy-foot green dragon with purple eyes looked down at the two brothers.
“Good hunting!” They called out to him. He bowed his head and lifted gently from the ground and with one huge flap of his wings, he flew from the castle grounds. Reighn walked from around the corner as he watched the departing dragon. “He has more restraint than I do.”
“Or us!” Ark agreed.
“Think he will find her?” Axl asked. Reighn nodded. “It is what he finds that worries me.” They both grimaced at his words, knowing that for Fin to lose June would more than likely turn him rogue and that would be a terrible choice for the Dragon Lord to have to order his death.
“Well nothing to do now but wait.” Ark agreed.
“Hate waiting, maybe we should have gone with him?” Axl muttered.
Reighn shook his head. “Fin is deadly and determined, he will be okay.”
It took Fin the rest of the day to track Junes movements, he started at the co-ordinates the driver of the bus gave him of where they parked, waiting for the cars to drop off their passengers then from there he traced June to the car park where June’s vehicle had been parked.
From there he tracked her progress up the side of the mountain it was very difficult June was immensely talented at leaving hardly any tell-tale signs of her passage, whether it was her innate ability being a wolf or just experience it was hard to say all Fin knew was that June was alive and climbing a mountain. He found himself having to back track several times to pick up her trail.
He knew he was on the right path when he found the first of several bullet ridden bodies. He traced out her hidey-hole wanting to examine it he was forced to shift to human, his bag he placed on his back with the simple expediency of shortening the straps to accommodate his smaller human form, once satisfied he parted the bu
shes and squatted down reading the tell-tale signs she had left behind. He saw where she had rested and where she had emptied out her guns. Stray bullets lay scattered on the ground. He moved the leaf matter away and found small puddles of blood. Despair rode his dragon hard. He told his dragon. We know nothing.
She is bleeding! Her dragon fretted.
I would be surprised if she was not, we need to search more, and we need more information.
His dragon did not offer another comment. Fin sighed then cocked his head on the side as he saw a clear footprint. The first he had found. Either he was getting better at reading her or she was panicked and did not care who followed her.
He thought about that for a minute, it did not ring true. If she was being hunted she would not leave a trail behind her for hunters to find and he knew June did not panic. Her stood and looked around staying in human form and traced her by reading the signs of her passage through the trees. He found bullets imbedded in the trunks of several trees. Then he started finding bodies along the way it seemed as though animals had been picking over the carcasses but there was enough left to know the males were shot. He walked further until he came to a place where he scented Junes blood and saw where her hands made impressions in the dirt. He looked back along the ground and found her blood not as much as he feared but enough to know she had been hurt. He could feel the anger of his dragon simmering.
I know we will find her. She is hurt yes but still alive. He told him. His only answer was a hissing grunt, his dragon was hunting for his shadow and the ones who had done this.
He moved along the way where he found three more bodies. His June had been involved in a sword and gun fight. He found the dead males with swords by their hands and bullets in their bodies. So far he had counted thirteen dead. His June was a very good shot despite of his fear for her he was impressed at the carnage she caused.
He looked up from the male’s body and saw the mouth of the cave and knew June at one time entered here. Bent over a little he ran the tunnel coming to the cavern, he saw immediately where June had emptied her bag. He could scent faint traces of her and something else, something sweeter. It was just barely traceable and was not something he had ever encountered before. He and his dragon were puzzled, what? He wondered, made his June risk her life and what was it she found that someone wanted to kill her for.
All good questions we will ask our shadow when we find her. His dragon told him, but we will not find her here. Standing looking at stone!
Fin shook himself and agreed, he scooped up June’s belongings and stuffed them into his bag then with a breath of flame he destroyed all evidence of her in the cave. He left by way of the same tunnel, when he was outside he slipped the pack back on and shifted to dragon he had a trajectory now all he needed to do was follow it and he would have his shadow in his arms once more.
Unfortunately his tracking had taken more time than he had realised and he was forced to find a clearing to sleep in as night fell. Angered at his inability to carry on searching he curled up in dragon form and waited the night out, fear for his shadow uppermost in his mind neither he nor his dragon had much to say throughout the night.
Finally as dawn crept over the sky he took to the early morning air, they went back to the car park and started their search from there. His dragon’s eyes tracing the signature of the car along dirt roads after having to again backtrack and landing a few times to find the trail, they finally came to a dirt road that looked like it had suffered severe damage due to rain.
They landed and Fin shifted to human and walked the road eventually finding where her car had gone off the road. It looked like she drove down a hill and into a gully. He thought at first she had been pushed off the road but once he shifted back to dragon and pulled the car up from the ravine he realized she had just lost control.
She was unconscious and wounded he could smell the infections and dried blood and something else, something sweeter it confused him and his dragon as he shifted to human again and pulled open her door.
June was still in her seat belt and the smell of something foul filled the air of the vehicle. “June, little wolf it is Fin. Wake for me my wolf. Wake!” He growled out fear making his voice gruff. Her eyes remained shut but he heard her say weakly. “Fin?”
He held her head back and tipped some water between her dry lips sharply he snarled. “Little wolf wake up!”
June heard him, heard her dragon and wondered how he had got there, she was so tired, and she just pulled over a little off the road to rest her eyes for a minute, just a minute. She was so very tired, why was Fin here? He had left her, he was gone. Maybe she was dreaming again. Then a picture of the small babies in her bag flashed into her mind she hoarsely mumbled. “Babies! The babies!” As her hands flapped around urgently.
“Hush June! What baby?”
“Bag...” She mumbled then passed out again. He saw a black back pack on the floor, reaching passed June he pulled it to him. Unzipping it he looked inside and saw two little bodies with pink hair. Oh shit we have to go!
No kidding, where did our shadow get pink haired babies from?
I have no idea, at least we know what that sweet scent is.
June roused again, her hand found his cheek. “Fin… babies… safe…promise!”
He kissed her fingers as they curled around his hand and would have promised her the world right then and there. He was so happy she was alive and with him. “Oh little wolf. I promise.” But she did not hear she was unconscious again.
We leave. Now! His dragon demanded. Strap bag with hatchlings to our shadow and we will take her in my claws.
Right… Right! Said a slightly befuddled Fin as he hurried to do as his dragon instructed. All his mind wanted to do was dwell in a mixture of relief in finding his June alive and awe in the two hatchlings. Were these young ones the reason she had risked her life? What of their parents? He had seen no evidence of them in the cave. Before he realized it he was dragon again and holding June in his large claws. She clutched the bag with the babies in it even though he had securely tied it to her chest. Then he flew like he had never flown before to Dragon’s Gap, home.
Fin carried June through the long corridor to the Castle’s infirmary. Still unconscious she nevertheless still held the bag with the two small bundles within tightly in her arms. Fin knew he had left a trail of blood from her opened wounds as they walked into the medical unit while his dragon bellowed for Ella or Sharm. He was surprised at how fast they arrived. He was not to know that they had just finished cleaning up after Harpers arrival and near death.
Fin told Ella as she went to take the bag from June. “Bag has babies in it!”
With a nod she gently cut the straps tied around June and immediately lifted the bag off or tried too. Ella softly asked her. “June release the bag sweetie so I can check the babies please June!” She would not, Ella was sure her arms held them tighter as she spoke to her. Fin lent down near her ear. “Little wolf, let them go. Ella has them now, we are safe.”
Her hands fell away instantly as soon as the bag was cut free from her chest. Sharm started to assess her wounds. Ella laid the bag down on the other bed and unzipped it just as Charlie hurried in passing Fin as he reached out for the door on his way to get Sage. They were thrust open before his hand made contact by a pale Sage. She took one look at his face and said. “I was on my way to bed, when I heard you calling. How is she?”
Fin shook his head. “Alive! Be prepared we brought more than June back.”
“What?” He motioned to the table that Ella stood at, as she gently removed and unwrapped babies from the bag. “Oh my Goddess!”
Fin told Sage as he stood hands by his sides, feeling useless unable to comprehend what he was really seeing. “She made me promise to keep them safe. I believe they are ours, hers and mine. It seems my shadow has made me a daddy.”
Charlie came up beside him with her hand in Storms as his arm held her securely to his side. So far the last two days had be
en hard for his Shadow, first her sister and now June. She was feeling quite vulnerable as she asked Fin. “Do you know what happened?”
Fin turned his black eyes on her. Storm’s hand twitched, Charlie sighed and laid her hand over Storm’s heart. “Hush he means nothing by it, you can see he is on the edge.”
“Stand down Fin, I understand, we all do how you feel but believe me this will not help and June will be the first to tell you so, plus she can yip! It is very annoying.” Reighn said as he entered.
Fin growled and smiled at the same time, it was a weird combination to have but he did know the yipping could drive a dragon to drink. Charlie asked. “How did you find her?”
“Tracked her from the point when she entered the portal through our connection it is very thin, very faint. It only got me so far the rest was luck and knowledge and hard won experience. Once I found where the portal opened up for her it was just a case of following the signs so I had to get real close.” They all knew there was far more to it than he was saying but it was not the time now to examine everything he had done to find his shadow.
He told them quietly. “Her car was off the road she had gone down a hillside in a ravine covered in bush easily missed.”
Charlie’s lips tightened as she looked at Sage and said. “We need to teach our people tracking they rely too much on the Hunters.”
Fin heaved in a deep breath and held it as his eyes became wild and he started to shake, letting go of the breath he suddenly realized how close he had come to loosing June. Storm grabbed his shoulder. “I know old friend. I know! She will be alright, Sharm and your Ella will make it so.”
Fin nodded and Frankie slipped under his arm as Sage did the same on the other side. “Come on Fin, we are here for you.” Frankie told the huge male.