by Reus, Katie
But she was in a Hell realm with two suns, riding on a dragon shifter’s back with a dragonling as her companion so…she believed him. White sparkly trees were going to attack them as they tried to escape.
Just peachy.
Next to her, Hunter trembled, his big body humming with anxiety.
It was easy to forget that he was still a baby since she could actually ride on him. But he was just a child, basically, a sweet little dragonling. And he was afraid.
She made soft little crooning sounds and murmured that everything would be okay as she rubbed his head, which seemed to settle him down. He tried to burrow his head against her but failed because he was the size of a small pony.
“This will be okay,” she murmured, patting his head. “Mikael has done this before. He’ll get us through this. Those big stupid trees don’t know what they’re up against. He’ll just burn them to a crisp.”
She had no idea if Hunter actually understood the words, but maybe he understood the sentiment because he settled and wrapped his wing around her, pulling her closer. She was really going to miss him once she got him back to King—and they would get this little guy home.
Mikael’s body tensed suddenly and she knew they were getting ready to dive through.
She took a deep breath, pushed it out. Then she repeated it over and over as she tried to force herself to remain calm. Panicking wouldn’t do anyone any good and she needed Hunter to remain calm too.
This was why she liked yoga. It helped her de-stress and forced her not to think about everything else in her life, all her surroundings—
They dropped suddenly, with Mikael going into what felt like a free fall. She grabbed onto his scales even as Hunter held her down against him. She knew that neither Mikael nor Hunter would let her fall off but her stomach dropped to her feet as he arrowed straight toward the giant crater. The trees whipped at them like blades, the slashing sounds through the air as terrifying as the sudden groaning of the crater below them.
She stared in horror as Mikael flew right at the hard rock surface. He’d told her that this was an exit, that it would open and free them, but all she could see was rock coming up at them faster and faster as he flew downward, his wings pulled in tight.
Oh, God!
She yelped as one of the trees swung at them. Mikael twisted in midair, avoiding a direct hit. She gripped his scales even tighter, breaking a fingernail off as she held on.
Another tree swung at them, clipped his tail, but he continued flying downward.
This was it! They were going to crash-land and it didn’t matter if she had a spelled pendant, they were totally going to—
A starbright kaleidoscope of colors exploded in front of them, the crater opening to reveal an entire other universe.
Stars and planets scattered as far as the eye could see as they fell, fell, fell through the opening. Hunter squealed next to her as she stared in wonder at the blast of color surrounding them.
When she’d fallen through the first portal she’d been caught off guard, terrified. This… There were no words. An eerie silence descended around them as she tried to memorize every second of what was the equivalent of the aurora borealis on steroids.
Chapter 37
Normally King wouldn’t take part in an operation this simple but it involved Avery and her brothers. This was personal. He looked up, motioned to Aurora, who was hovering next to the window in the third floor.
She nodded once, her pale blue phoenix wings moving so quickly he could barely see them, but the fire they created flickered wildly. Then she whispered so low that only supernaturals could hear. “Anthony and Riel are in there.”
Adrenaline surged through him. This was it.
Turned out that vampire had been telling the truth. He only scented humans inside, and perhaps it was overkill but he’d brought half a dozen pack members. He would be going in with Ace and Maria, while Aurora would be busting in through the upper window.
He held up his fist, counted down and slammed his boot through the side kitchen door. Sure it was overkill but he was going to teach these humans a very valuable lesson.
As he moved inside, he heard glass breaking above, and shouts of alarm in the house. He moved quickly, not bothering to draw his sword on a bunch of humans. As he stepped into the kitchen, two chairs clattered to the ground almost simultaneously.
A human female had plastered herself against the refrigerator, her fingers splayed against the stainless steel, her eyes wide. The male hovered near the sink, a beer can in hand. And they both stank like drugs.
Hell.
King hated dealing with addicts. They would lie, do anything to get their next fix.
“You’re officially in my pack’s custody for the kidnapping of two human men.” Even though he could smell beer and heroin, he wanted it clear why they were being taken from their home. Not that he was certain these two humans would remember. They needed a detox.
By the sink, the man with slicked-back hair that hadn’t been washed in at least a week held up his hands. Track marks were visible down his skinny wrists. “Hey man, we didn’t do anything wrong.”
King simply lifted an eyebrow as Ace stepped in behind him. “Aurora has them. She’s transporting them to Greer. They’re alive. Barely.”
A burst of rage surged through him. Feeling testy, King withdrew his sword, because fuck it, he wanted these two scared. “What did you give them? Did you pump them full of heroin?” he growled, his wolf prowling right below the surface.
“No, no!” the female by the fridge said, her hands now raised in the air and trembling. “The guy who dropped them off told us what to do. He gave us basic instructions… He wrote them down,” she added. She didn’t smell as bad as the male who was now staring listlessly at King and Ace. “I’ve been giving them what he prescribed every six hours just like he said. And I’ve been making sure they ate food. I’ve been keeping them alive, I swear!” She cleared her throat. “It was the only way he’d get our drugs. We had to keep them alive,” she whispered, shame in her voice and expression as she looked down at her feet.
He wasn’t sure if he believed her, and that was the problem with addicts as well. It was hard to scent out the truth over the drugs and what they’d convinced themselves to be true. You could rarely take anything at face value. “I want the drugs you’ve been giving them, and you two are coming with me.”
“Where are you taking us?” Fear rolled off the female, but the male was still watching them with a sad vacantness.
“You’re going to detox and then you are going to work off what you’ve done.” Some people could be saved, others couldn’t. But unless these two were hardened criminals, he was going to make sure they got off drugs and then get them into therapy. And they were going to pay for their crimes as well. But he wasn’t going to toss them in some cell and forget about them. He believed in rehabilitation.
The human male stepped forward then, as if to argue, but the woman snapped at him, telling him to shut up. Her voice quivered with fear. “This is King, you dumbass. He’s Alpha of our city. We’re going with him and we’ll do what he says.”
At least one of them had a brain. He looked back at Ace and Maria, who’d been silent. “You guys got this?”
They both nodded.
“Good. Take care of them. I’m going to go check on the boys and I’ll meet you both at the holding center.” He needed to see for himself that Avery’s brothers were okay. He certainly prayed that they were.
He didn’t want to have to deliver the news to her that they’d lost Anthony and Riel. If they ever got her back. But that was something he refused to consider right now. He had to believe that they would, and that she and Hunter were with Mikael.
Sweet Hunter, he thought. He didn’t regret leaving Hunter with her but… No. He couldn’t let his mind go there either. He’d lost too damn much. He would get all of them back and stave off any more loss to his city.
* * *
“They’
re going to be okay. I’ve gotten the drugs out of their system,” Greer said to King, standing just outside the room she’d put both brothers in. Her copper-colored hair was pulled up into a ponytail and though he knew she’d been working long hours, he didn’t see any fatigue in her green eyes. The dragon healer never seemed to need sleep.
“Will they have any permanent damage, or is it too soon to know?”
She leaned against the wall. “I can say with a pretty fair amount of certainty that there will be no permanent damage. They were kept on a low dosage so they would stay compliant and tired. But they haven’t been tortured or otherwise mistreated—other than a couple punches Riel took. And they were a little dehydrated but that’s easily fixed.”
Likely why Magnus, or whatever his real name was, had put their care in the hands of drug addicts. He’d just needed the humans compliant. “Keep me informed.”
The tall, striking female nodded once. “Of course. Did you want to talk to them?”
Yes, but he didn’t want to answer questions about their sister and they would want to know why Avery wasn’t here.
As if she read his mind Greer said, “They’re resting, so I’ll tell them—”
He shook his head. “No, it’s my job. I need to talk to them.” Being Alpha meant sometimes having uncomfortable conversations.
She nodded and stepped out of his way, letting him open the door.
Sheer gauzy curtains were open over each window, with moonlight spilling in, though they had two lamps on their bedside tables, giving them plenty of light. It would be sunrise in just an hour or so, and he hoped they got a full day of sleep.
Decorated with art he recognized from local artists, the room was large, with two full beds. Quilts likely donated from his pack or local humans covered each bed, and though there were human-made medical machines in here, it felt more like a bedroom. A place to feel safe. Not a hospital room.
“Hey guys, how are you feeling?” King grabbed a chair and sat in between their beds.
“Been better,” Anthony rasped out, a small smile on his face.
Christ, they looked so damn young just lying there with the fluffy quilts pulled up to their chests. Their normally vibrant bronze skin had paled but he saw sparks of light in their eyes.
“Where’s Avery?” Riel asked.
Hell, he’d known this was coming. “She’s with Mikael right now. They’re working on helping us find out who did this to you. She’s on her way back,” he said, because it wouldn’t be a lie. Not that they would be able to smell a lie from him anyway, but all the same he didn’t like lying, regardless.
“I knew there was a reason she wasn’t here,” Anthony said, laying his head back against the pillows as he closed his eyes.
“I guarantee your sister wants you to sleep right now, so please try to rest. If there’s anything you need, let Greer know and she’ll tell me.”
“I’d like a phone,” Riel said. “There’s someone I want to call before I pass out.”
Anthony nodded, opening his eyes again. “Me too.”
“No problem. I’ll speak with Greer and make sure you can contact anyone you want.” King turned at a slight shuffling sound from the door to find Ivyn and Cas hurrying inside, worry etched into their faces.
When he’d placed the three brothers with Avery, he’d known that she would look out for Mikael and his brothers, but he had not foreseen how close all of them would become. And it was clear that these two ancient dragons looked at Riel and Anthony like younger brothers.
He pushed his chair back and moved out of the way. “They’re okay and I’ve already let them know that Avery is with Mikael and on her way back here.” He gave them a meaningful look—no need to tell them she’d rushed into a Hell realm and that both she and Mikael were stuck in one. King also noticed that Ivyn carried two pendants similar to the one Avery wore. “What are those?”
“From the Magic Man. Mikael got them before…” Ivyn cleared his throat. “He got them from Thurman and asked me to hold on to them for safe keeping for Anthony and Riel. For when they were rescued. He had faith they’d be found.”
King nodded once and the two dragons hurried forward toward the resting brothers. He then murmured a goodbye, not that anyone was paying attention, and hurried out.
Zephyr leaned against the wall outside, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets.
“I’m sure you can go in,” he said.
The dragon with similar gray eyes as his brothers lifted a shoulder. “I’m going to give them this time together—they’ve been worried. I am surprised that the vampire was telling the truth.”
King nodded, eyeing the ancient dragon. He needed to learn more about this male—though according to Prima and Arthur, he was a decent male.
“What will you do with her?” Zephyr asked.
“I promised her immunity, promised to allow her to leave the territory.”
Zephyr’s jaw tightened. “I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it either. But I’ll have one of my wolves escort her to the border of the territory.” Though he did not owe this stranger any explanation he decided to give one anyway. “She will barely make it to the next territory by sunrise. And that territory is run by a wolf I am friends with. I’ve already spoken to him—she will have one day to sleep in his territory before she will be forced to move on to the next one. That territory is run by a vampire who is very good friends with Olga. She’s already contacted them and asked them to reject her request for sanctuary. I don’t think Lindsey Baird will make it out of that territory alive.” King would keep his word, but at the same time ensure that the vampire was executed for her crimes. It was a win-win as far as he was concerned.
Surprise flared in the dragon’s eyes, but the tension in his shoulder eased. “Good.”
“Are you planning on staying in my territory?”
Zephyr straightened slightly. “As long as my brothers are here, yes. I know this is your territory so if there’s anything particular you need from me, just let me know. If you want me to leave, Prima has already told me her nephew has a place for me in his clan.”
King wanted to learn more about this Zephyr, his skills as a warrior, his ability to help rebuild New Orleans. He was good at reading people and something told him this male would be an asset. He kept his expression neutral as he said, “I will be in touch.”
Chapter 38
Just as quickly as they flew through time and space, the real world rubber-banded back to them as they flew out into… “Oh, hell!” Avery grunted in surprise as Mikael landed roughly on a patch of earth and grass. His wings stretched out as he steadied them.
She held tight to Mikael’s back as did Hunter…then looked around in confusion. It was dark now, not just after sunrise. Mikael had told her that this might happen, that time could shift or pass differently, but it was still jarring.
Mikael had said that one of the gifts of his key was that they could dictate where they spit out of any portal. It was why the thing was so rare, apparently.
But when she spotted a familiar water tower in the distance, she knew they were outside New Orleans. Not in the territory proper—not home, where they’d planned to land. And she knew exactly where they were, in a small farming community, so maybe they’d screwed up in the exit somehow.
Mikael growled beneath them and suddenly twisted, sending both her and Hunter sliding down his back. She let out a yelp as her butt hit the cold grass.
Hunter didn’t land, but instead took flight, flapping his wings and very clearly annoyed as he hovered and chirped in that sweet way of his right next to Avery. He looked as if he was telling her that Mikael had been very rude. But she quickly realized why Mikael had done what he’d done.
Oh, no. Noooooo.
She could feel that familiar darkness from before, the one scraping along her arms, down her legs, coating her entire body with a nasty, invisible film of evil.
Hunter abruptly stiffened, gliding down next to he
r and getting very, very quiet. She looked around, the moonlight fading, but still bright enough to illuminate the field in front of them. A couple houses stood in the distance, but everything was quiet.
Eerie.
From a cluster of trees, a shadow moved. Then another and another. Her heart jumped into her throat.
A taller figure leading the group came out in front, a cloak billowing around him. His eyes glowed in the darkness, bright red as he strode straight toward them.
Mikael roared, looking back at her as if telling her to run.
She didn’t want to be a distraction and she wasn’t stupid enough to go up against a Dark Mage—or whatever the hell he was!—so she got on Hunter’s back and he immediately took to the air.
As they lifted up, Ozias threw out an arm. A bolt of fire streaked through the air, orangey-red flames flying straight for them.
Hunter swerved wildly and tossed her off his back. She landed on the hard earth. Pain fractured through her hip even as Mikael let out a roar of fury, fire erupting from his giant mouth.
That was when she saw the other vampires break away from their leader.
They ran at her so she went on instinct and turned and ran. Or limped was more like it. She was clearly no match for Ozias, and Mikael would need all of his strength and attention to kill him. Meanwhile she just needed to stay alive long enough for Mikael to kick ass.
Her legs and throbbing hip burned as she ran from the vampires, limping as she tried to hurry.
Slam! She felt a reverberation as someone hit the invisible bubble around her.
She turned, and fell on her ass more out of surprise than anything else.
Four vampires stared down at their companion. The one who’d ricocheted off her protection bubble was still on the ground, eyes wide. But he got up again and now the five of them rushed at her. She winced, curling up as they all slammed into that invisible bubble, bouncing back almost in unison.