"You're welcome," Willa said ironically.
His captor toppled to the ground and lay still, eyes staring. A shout came from the left, or the north. Whatever.
"We should get out of here," Rob said.
"No, this is our chance to let Zeta know we're coming for them," Willa said.
Rob sighed. "I'm not letting you go on some suicide mission."
"You better come with me then." Willa grinned.
"These people are insane," Tucker remarked.
"I heard that," Rob said with a flash of teeth. "This time I agree. You should get Marion out of—"
A bullet whizzed over his head.
"Shit." He ducked.
Another passed close to where I was standing. Close enough I saw it as a blur rush past my nose.
"They can still kill us in here, right?" I asked.
"Right. It's too hard to hold the bubble around you and run. If you were a big cat…" Tucker shook his head. "I'll have to drop it. Shift and run."
"I'm not leaving you behind—" A spray of bullets cut off my words.
The bubble disappeared.
"There's more of them!" A startled shout came from behind us.
Tucker grabbed my hand and pulled me down low. We followed Rob and Willa into the relative shelter of the building beside the warehouse. I pressed my back to the wall and caught my breath. Being shot at is as much fun as it sounds.
"They'll pin us down here," Rob said frantically.
"Not if you all shift," Tucker said, more firmly this time. "I can keep up a bubble around myself."
"I'm not running," Willa insisted. "I'm not scared of them."
"Then you're a fool," Tucker snapped. "They'll kill you and step over your dead body to reach the rest of us."
"Tucker is right," Rob said softly. "We're nothing more than animals to them. Lab animals, in some cases."
"That's why we have to stand and fight them." Willa insisted.
"No," Rob replied. "We don't. We need to cut the head off the snake. These people mean as much to Zeta as we do. Killing them will stir up a hornet's nest. Nothing more."
"I'm not afraid—"
"We have you surrounded," a voice called. Female by the sound if it.
Rob paused, then gave a sly smile, in spite of the fear in his eyes. "You're mistaken," he called back. "It's you who are surrounded." Under his breath he added, "Nothing like a good mind fuck."
I snorted softly. "You think they'll buy that?"
Silence fell for a moment, followed by, "Check around behind us. Backup is coming."
"Johnny, how many are there?" Rob asked.
"Four," Johnny asked. "But I sent something your way." He sounded pleased with himself.
"You sent…" Rob frowned. "What did you do?"
"Just a little—"
A scream filled the air and sent a shiver down my spine.
"I guess they found it," Johnny finished.
I shot Rob a questioning look, then I remembered. His magic allowed pictures and words to come to life, albeit for a limited time.
"Do I even want to know?" I asked.
Rob grinned. It faded slightly at the sound of heavy footsteps.
Something came closer. Something big.
"It's not real, just shoot it!" one of the Zeta agents shouted.
The sound of gunfire echoed all around us, followed by a roar.
The heavy footsteps staggered closer, until a creature finally wove into view.
I blinked. "Is that—"
"It's a fucking dinosaur," Tucker said.
"It's a T-Rex, to be precise," Johnny said cheerfully. "Since our Zeta friends are distracted, perhaps you should get out of there."
"Good idea," Rob agreed.
The dinosaur took a few more steps and swiped at something or someone out of sight. Only then did I see the remains of—probably a person—stuck to its claw.
"Good dino," I muttered.
"It won't last much longer," Johnny warned. "It's real enough though, so try not to draw its attention."
"Now you mention that." Rob stepped away from the building and the T-Rex turned.
Maybe it decided we were easier prey than the agents with guns. Either way, it stomped toward us, slow and deliberate.
"Stay right there," a voice said from behind us.
I turned my head slightly. The three remaining Zeta agents stood with guns pointed at us.
"Really?" Rob asked. "There's a fucking dinosaur and you're still worried about taking us in? Or taking us out. I'm not really clear on that."
What I assumed was the lead agent—I was right about her being a woman—nodded toward the dinosaur. "I'm happy to let that finish our work for us."
"I suspected you might be," Rob replied. "To be honest I find that objectionable. For one thing, it was supposed to finish you three off. It would be pretty inconvenient if that didn't happen."
"Very," Tucker agreed. He was probably pissed we didn't run when we had the chance.
"However," Rob continued, "once it's gobbled us down, it will come for you next."
The dinosaur stomped closer.
"Of all the ways I might have died, I didn't think it would involve a dinosaur," I remarked.
"Strange," Rob said, "I was always open to the possibility."
"Really?" I asked. "Huh, how about that."
Rob shrugged. "Life is unpredictable."
"Isn't it though?" I eyed the approaching dinosaur.
Fifteen
The T-Rex moved closer and stretched out his muzzle to sniff at us.
"Maybe we don't smell like food," I suggested.
The dinosaur licked its lips.
"On the other hand, maybe we do," Rob said.
I considered shifting, but bullets and dinosaur claws could grab cats as well as people. I might have a better chance at escaping, but I might not. I glanced sidelong at Tucker. He said he could blast things out of the way, but whichever he chose to blast, we'd still have to deal with the other.
While I considered my next course of action, Willa raised her bow above her head and shouted, "Hey, dino-breath! Your family is all extinct!"
"That's a bit harsh," Rob remarked.
"Somewhat," Tucker agreed.
Willa stepped away from us, still waving. The T-rex turned and stomped toward her.
"Willa, what the fuck—" Rob started.
She ignored him. "Over here!" She stepped to the side, away from us and drew the giant reptile with her.
"It's official, she's nuts," Rob said.
"Hey!" the Zeta agent shouted in alarm.
I swallowed hard. "Tucker, look after my clothes."
"Marion, what—"
I shifted and darted toward Willa. I ran around her, then headed toward the T-Rex. Its eyes were on me now.
Rob grabbed Willa's arm and pulled her toward him. He gave me a nod, understanding what I was trying to do.
I streaked under the T-Rex's legs, then turned and bolted toward the Zeta agents. They might have shot at me, but they were too distracted by the enormous dinosaur which was now headed their way.
They scattered like leaves.
Past the T-Rex, I saw my friends start away from the area at a run. Tucker better have my clothes under his arm.
The moment they rounded the corner, the T-Rex froze, mid-step and then disappeared.
"What the hells?" One of the agents stared at the empty space.
While they were occupied with their confusion, I fled in the direction the others went in.
I all but flew around the corner to Johnny's truck, which everyone already squashed into. The door was open, so I took a flying leap and landed on Rob's lap.
He reached for the door handle and closed it just before gunfire sounded again. It struck the side of the car like a handful of pebbles.
"My car!" Johnny moaned.
"Floor it!" Rob shouted.
"What the hells?" Willa called out.
What the hells indeed. A shadow passed over
our heads.
"Johnny, what else did you conjure up?" Rob asked.
"Nothing, I swear."
"Tucker?"
"Wasn't me." Tucker draped my shirt over me so I could shift and pulled it closed around me. Not before he and Rob got an eyeful.
I peered out the window.
Swallowed hard.
"What the fuck?"
"It's a dragon," Rob remarked.
"I know it's a dragon," I replied, "but… they're real?"
"Dragon shifter. Of course they are," Willa said. "Gargoyles too. I once knew a guy—"
"Maybe later," Rob said. "In the meantime, whose side is it on and why the fuck aren't we driving away right now?"
"Huh?" Johnny was staring out the window. "Right." He turned on the engine just as the dragon swooped lower.
Several metres from the ground, the dragon stopped and hovered. Their eyes glowed. They raised their front talons.
The agents backed up a few steps, their eyes wide in alarm.
The dragon, taloned feet outstretched, flew toward the Zeta agents. It hit them all like a cyclone hitting pieces of paper. The agents were thrown back hard enough to slam into the building behind them with a series of sickening crunches. They slid down and lay still.
"Judging by the fact the dragon just slammed the shit out of them, I'd say it's on our side," Rob said. His words were light, but his face was a little green. Casual killing obviously didn’t sit well with him either.
"Yeah." Johnny killed the engine. "Too late to call an ambulance by the look of them."
"I'd say so," Rob agreed. He swallowed audibly. "Or the police."
"I think they're already here," I said. The dragon dropped to the ground beside the agents and watched them for a few moments. Blood trickled from one of them and stained the ground.
"Magic from his mother, shifting from his father," I whispered.
"You think that's Nott?" Tucker asked in surprise.
"What?" Johnny said, "Nott can shift?"
"I would say he can," I said. "Maybe he's not comfortable with what he can shift into."
Very aware my shirt barely covered my ass, I pushed the car door open and slipped off Rob's lap.
I shook a few steps toward the dragon. "Is that you, Nott? You should probably change back before people start to notice and come out to gawk." Although, they seem to have missed the presence of a prehistoric creature on the loose around the place. Just as well, who would have believed them anyway?
The dragon snorted softly. He kept still and shifted into a naked man with short hair and a miserable expression.
"I didn't want anyone to see what I was," Nott said with a grimace.
I noticed that didn't stop him from giving me the once over. I sensed he'd like it if my shirt rose up, just a little… I tugged it down more. "Why? Dragons are badass."
"Dragons are supposedly fiction," he muttered.
"Shifters are supposedly fiction," I reminded him dryly. "Yet here we are."
"Cats and birds, things like that, fit in," he said bitterly. He waved his hand. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," I said before I could stop myself.
He licked his lips, but couldn't hide how cock twitched. "Dragons don't blend in with nature. I can't fly about and not have people stare."
"That's a fair point," I agreed. "It's still a badass skill."
"None of that answers the important question," Rob said from behind me. "How did Zeta know where to find you? How did that first guy manage to get a gun to your head?"
"Both good questions," I said.
"I thought so." Rob nodded.
"He said Zeta has been watching me," Nott replied. "My career is over now. My life too, once they find me again." He looked down at himself as though he suddenly realised he was naked. He shook his head. Evidently that wasn't the worst part of this.
Rob sighed. "I guess that means you're one of us now. We can help you to find a new life and all that."
"Why would you do that?" Nott asked.
"Because you're still going to help us find out who is behind Zeta," Rob said. "If you don't, we won't help you."
"Killing those three meant nothing?" Nott jerked his thumb toward the dead agents.
"Of course it did." Rob patted his bare shoulder. "It's a great start."
Nott curled his lip at Rob. "I'll work with you, because I want to get those assholes as much as you do. I'm going to get dressed first and gather up a few things." He nodded toward me. "I'm sure Marion would like to do the same."
I gave him a wry smile. "I would rather. It's a little cold out here." I turned to take my clothes from Tucker. I knew my shirt rode up when I did it, giving Rob and Nott a glimpse of my ass, but such was life as a shifter. It wasn't that I hadn't been sneaking glances at Nott's cock for the last few minutes. I wouldn't go there, not with him, but a girl can look.
"I'm coming too," Tucker declared. "I trust him as far as I can throw him. In dragon form."
Nott rolled his eyes, but said nothing. His expression spoke loudly enough.
"Be nice," I said to Tucker. "We're all allies here."
"That doesn't mean they're not all clowns," he grumbled, but we followed Nott inside. Tucker kept his hand on his cross and his eyes flicked back and forth.
I too stepped carefully and watched for any sign of trouble.
"We should hurry," Nott said briskly. "They'll come looking for their agents before too long. They're probably on their way already."
"That seems likely," Tucker agreed. He turned his back while I dressed and we both watched Nott throw various items into a bag.
"So," I said slowly, "I suppose you know what I am now."
Nott glanced up and smirked. "Nope, I missed seeing you shift. Whatever you are, you obviously fit into the neighbourhood. I'm guessing you're a rat." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and I knew he was trying to goad me.
I snorted. "No, but good try." I toyed with the end of my ponytail. "A rat would be handy though. I could get into all sorts of places if I was that small."
Nott gave me a look that made me regret my words.
"A magic dragon is still cool," I said hastily. "Why do your eyes glow?"
He frowned. "Magic. I assume my shifter side does the shifting and the magic side does the glowing."
"Oh." I looked toward Tucker. "You blast people like that too?"
He looked uncomfortable. "I can if I need to. I prefer to avoid that kind of violence unless it's necessary." He eyed Nott.
"It was necessary," Nott said firmly. "Either you'd be dead now, or they would. You're welcome." He turned his back and went on packing.
"Thanks," I said belatedly. I gave Tucker a meaningful look.
"Yeah, thanks." Tucker shrugged. "I guess a few fewer Zeta agents in the world isn't a bad thing."
"There's plenty more where they came from," Nott said without looking around. He shoved a tablet and a laptop in his bag and swung it over his shoulder. "Right, let's get the hells out of here before the self-destruct kicks in."
I stared at him. "The what? That could damage the other buildings in the—" I stopped short when I saw a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "Did you just make a joke?"
"I do that from time to time." He waved me toward the door. "However…" He stopped at the door and flicked his wrist toward a bank of computers. They blew apart in a spray of plastic, glass, and motherboard. "Better not to leave too much evidence behind."
"Right. Let's go then." I tugged my jacket tighter around me and walked between the two men. I half expected a dozen agents, dressed in black from head to toe, to jump out at us, but none did. At least, none that I could see. I started to form my own conclusions about Zeta and suspected we needed to be more on our guard that we already were. I had no proof of anything, but time would tell. In the meantime, I needed to speak to Rob alone. Of all the people I found myself working with, he might have the answers.
Sixteen
"You think what
?" Rob looked at me in surprise.
We ate a hastily cooked dinner and this was the first chance I had to get him alone, in his room.
"I think paranormals work for Zeta," I repeated. "They might even run it."
He ran a hand over his hair and paced a few steps away. He turned back, a troubled expression on his face. "I admit, I have suspected some of us might work for them," he said slowly. "They know a lot about us. I put it down to them having tortured some paranormals, but…"
I sat down on the edge of his bed. "They siphon magic. Is it possible that's because they want it for themselves, not because they can use the power for anything else?"
He sat beside me and rested his face in his hands. "Why kill shifters then?"
"Because we won't work with them?" I suggested. "Or maybe it's just as you said, they can't harness the power of shifters. Or…"
He looked up sharply. "Or… what?"
"Or they're trying to create hybrids, like Nott."
Rob's mouth dropped open. "Hybrids are rare. Nott's the first one I've ever met. Shifter, witch-slash-wizard pairings usually result in one or the other, or dilute the magic or ability to shift."
"Maybe they're not made naturally then," I suggested. "We know he has a past with Zeta. Is it possible they made him and he later went rogue? If I was created, I might be resentful too."
Rob's brow creased. "I suppose it's possible. That would explain why he's a dragon in the first place. That might also explain the gargoyle Willa mentioned."
"You think they're recreating mythical beasts?" I asked. "Why?"
Rob shrugged. "Fear? Maybe by accident? If they're doing on purpose, then gods only know what else they've created."
"Sphinxes?" I suggested, only half joking. "Griffins? Men who put the toilet seat back down?"
Rob chuckled. "Now that would be something. What about women with three breasts?"
I sniffed. "What's wrong with only having two?"
"Nothing." He twisted around and cupped mine in his hands. "Two looks like perfect symmetry to me." He palmed my nipples under the fabric of my shirt. "A little overdressed though."
"Oh, you think so?" I asked.
"Absolutely." He nodded. "I've been thinking about this since you were sitting mostly naked on my lap in the car."
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