“That’s right.” Beau shrugged. A proud smile curled the edge of his lips. “Who knew?”
Jace stubbornly set his jaw. “Hell no. I’m taking you, and I’m one hundred percent up for this.”
“Then let’s do it.” She glanced at Jace. His recovery had been swift. He was now the picture of power and control. “Before you shift, let’s test the link. Think of a number.”
Jace gazed back at Devon. Aside from a certain tension on his brow, his expression was unreadable.
It was effortless to link with Jace. The image came to her like someone showing her a number clearly printed on a card. “Three.” Devon giggled, though it was a nervous giggle. “That was way too easy. I didn’t need a psychic link to guess that one. Try a color and don’t be too obvious.”
Jace’s stared at her, jaw set, while his expression remained neutral.
“Puce?” She squinted.
“Yep.” Jace smiled. “I was thinking puce.”
“Puce is a little icky, but it works. We’re linked.” She kissed both Jace and Beau for luck. For the first time in her often-lonely life, she felt like an essential piece of something bigger and worth fighting for. She wanted them, they needed her; it worked, and damn anyone who said otherwise. “Be careful. Watch each other’s back, and let’s all go home safe together.”
Naked and carrying their packs, the guys walked to the entrance of the cave.
Beau paused. Emotion welled on his face, and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but hesitated. He gazed at Jace and Devon with love brimming in his eyes. “I’ve dealt with these people before. They won’t fight fair, and they view us as less than animals. Don’t let your guard down, and expect no mercy.” He grasped both Devon’s and Jace’s hands and gave each a firm squeeze. “If this is my last day, I want to say, I’m glad I had the chance to love you both and fly free as a Marduko should. No regrets.” He knelt and shifted first, then leaped off the ledge into the darkness and took flight.
Jace shifted next. His massive bronze frame filled the cave’s entrance. He hunkered down and waited for Devon to climb onto his back.
She shortened the strap on the courier bag. “Remember, I don’t have a harness, so avoid the vertical dives if possible.”
Jace opened his dragon snout and squawked. “I’ll be careful. I’d never hurt my mate.”
She heard his thought with crystal clarity. Was she really about to jump out of a steep mountain lair on the back of a dragon and fly without even a safety harness? Her palms sweated, and a rush of terror swamped her. “We’ve gotta do it. It’s the only way off the mountain,” she told herself. “I guess I’m ready.” Devon took a firm hold of the flexible tapering spines that ran the length of Jace’s neck and wrapped her legs tight against his torso. “I swore off dragon flight only a few hours ago, and I’m already doing it again. I must be crazy.”
Jace hopped to the edge of the ledge with a pack in his talons. A cold gust of wind whipped Devon’s hair against her cheeks. She gulped a tense breath as he leaped into space and plummeted.
“Holy sh—” The words were ripped from Devon’s lips as she clutched Jace. Her stomach dropped and her eyes teared from the wind. The rocky cliffside sped past until Jace’s wings snapped open to their full length and caught an updraft. He soared higher in a graceful arc, and banked in a steep turn.
Jace’s flight felt strong and controlled. He did not struggle to glide with her on his back. She sighed with relief, knowing the trip down the mountain was going to be a lot quicker and easier than the uncertain ascent.
Beau circled in the sky, waiting for them to catch up. When he saw them approaching, he banked and skimmed along the side of the mountain with the fire road running parallel below. They glided at a safe height above the road, scanning for visible signs that others had joined Vorden, or traps had been set, but saw nothing suspicious.
Lifting his snout into the wind, Beau descended.
Jace silently shared the thought. “Beau says he smells diesel fumes and thinks a few vehicles passed through here in the last hour or two.”
“Are they still here?” she asked.
Beau swooped lower and glided above the road.
“Beau says he’s not sure, but there are some monster-sized tire tracks on the dirt shoulder. He thinks it would be difficult to hide vehicles that size.”
“Do you think Vorden called for a ride and skulked home?”
“Maybe. Let’s fly back to your car. Can you guide me to it?”
“Yes. It’s about a half mile back. It’s a lot easier flying over this terrain than it is to drive. I could get spoiled.”
“Don’t get too spoiled. Remember we will have to get our car out of here and drive back to the city.”
Devon guided Jace to her car. “Follow the road until you see a steep drop-off right before a turn. That’s where that bastard Vorden tried to push me over the side. The cars are at the bottom.”
They flew into the ravine and landed about ten yards from the cars.
“Stay.” Jace insisted Devon remain on his back. “Allow Beau to sniff for traps.”
Beau flew low, inspecting the area before landing.
“Beau says a few different men have been here, but he doesn’t sense or smell any signs of a trap.” Jace bent down so Devon could safely dismount on the steep slope. “Check the car. Be quick and careful.”
Devon swung a leg over Jace’s back and slid to the ground. She dug through the courier bag and retrieved the flashlight and clicked it on. The hulking SUV remained tipped forward with its front grille smashed against a rock. She eyed it with caution as she approached her compact and saw it was in terrible shape, wedged between two boulders, the front and back ends battered and bent out of shape. She doubted it could ever be driven again. The windows had been smashed and the passenger door wrenched open. Damn. “Bad news. It looks like Vorden has already broken into my car.”
She gazed inside the interior and swept the flashlight side to side. The contents of her purse were strewn everywhere; breath mints, receipts, lip balm, and pennies littered the floor. “My wallet’s gone. What a surprise. So is the manila envelope. Guys, this is bad. If Vorden didn’t know your human identities before, he does now. He has your social security numbers, bank pass codes, everything. We’re fucked.”
A glint caught her eye. “My phone!” She snatched her phone from under the car seat. “I don’t have any reception here, but at least I have a phone.” She pointed her phone at the SUV and her damaged car and clicked a few pictures. “A little souvenir to show my insurance company.”
Devon returned to Jace and climbed onto his back. “Fly back to your car. Let’s get out of here as fast as we can. Tell Beau to fly ahead and wait for us near the highway. Vorden knows we’re on the mountain, and he won’t leave us in peace. In the morning, he’ll be back with climbing gear or a helicopter. Somebody should be watching the road in case they return.”
She clung to Jace’s back as he flapped his wings and rose into the air. With only a few steady beats he was airborne, and they were flying toward the back of the canyon. Beau turned and flew in the opposite direction toward the highway.
Following the fire road, Jace glided a couple miles deeper into the canyon. In a secluded area barely visible from the air she saw the vague outline of Jace’s four-wheel drive parked in a thicket. The tarp made the vehicle shapeless, and if she had not been directly above it, she might not have noticed it behind the heavy brush.
Tipping his wings forward, Jace slowed his flight with several powerful wing strokes and lightly touched down. He crouched low so Devon could slide off his back with ease.
She leaped to the ground and stood back to watch him shift.
Jace curled forward, retracted his wings, and began the teeth-gritting process of crunching his skeletal muscles back into place before shifting his exterior and becoming human again.
During the most harrowing moments, she held her breath in awe. “It’s getting a litt
le easier to watch.”
“That’s nice.” Jace rose naked on trembling legs. “Throw me my clothes,” he pleaded. “It’s fucking freezing out here.”
She opened the courier bag and tossed Jace a flannel shirt, a pair of jeans, and some wool socks. “I think Beau’s got your boots.” Devon hunted through the bag, looking for the car keys.
Jace dressed in a flash and yanked the tarp off the four-wheeler. “Give me the keys.”
Devon opened the car, jumped in, and slid across the seat. Jace got behind the wheel and started the engine. “I don’t feel good about leaving Beau alone.” He put the vehicle in gear and slowly navigated his way up and out of the hidden place, onto a dirt road.
Removing her gloves, she rubbed her hands together vigorously. “It’s cold this morning. It was so pleasant back at the cave.”
He turned on the heater. “Caves are cozy. I love them. We had a fire, blankets, and the three of us. I’ll never need more than that.” Leaning close, he cupped Devon’s face and drew her into a kiss. “Thank you for coming to find me. I’m so grateful. It means everything.”
She looked into the dark sparkle of Jace’s eyes that now appeared more vibrant than ever. “I need you and Beau, and I’ll never question that again.”
The cab of the four-wheel drive warmed. They drove the twisty canyon road back to the highway. By the time they saw Beau perched atop a boulder waiting for their arrival, the first hint of dawn had lightened an indigo sky.
Beau swooped down from the boulder and shifted. They stopped the car and he leaped into the back seat, shivering. “My God, it’s cold.” His lips were blue.
Devon laid Beau’s clothes on the seat for him. “How did you survive in the old days?”
Waving a dismissive hand through the air, Beau reached for his socks. “We must have been tougher back then. I love my comforts.” He struggled to pull his pants on while buckling his seat belt.
Devon watched Beau with amusement. “You might want to try doing one thing at a time.”
Beau managed to accomplish the dual tasks. “I can truthfully say I would be willing to do terrible things for a cup of hot coffee.”
“Me too.” Devon nodded. “When we pass a town, maybe we can stop?”
Jace scowled and shook his head.
“Okay, maybe not.” Devon fished into the bag and found her phone. “As soon as I have some bars, I have a few calls to make.”
Beau looked puzzled. “Who are you going to call?”
“It’s a surprise.” She held the phone to her heart. “And I don’t mean a surprise to you two. I mean a surprise to the people we call.”
Lifting a thick brow, Jace glanced at Devon. “Should I be worried?”
“I don’t think we have a choice. You and Beau have been outed. We might as well go all the way out and do it in style.”
“Man, I do not like the sound of this.” Jace groaned.
“Jace, living in secret is fueling the problem. Vorden and his zealots can do whatever they like to you and your loved ones because we can’t go public and complain about it. That’s not right. You are—we are—nothing the world has to be afraid of. I’m much more frightened of paramilitary creeps who kill children and run women off the road. That’s a lot of hate, and hate scares me.” Devon glanced at her phone. “Hey, I’m getting a bar! Drive faster. Let’s get on the western side of the mountain.”
Jace shook his head. “I’m going to drive safe and keep my eyes open for Vorden.”
“I’m going to try it.” Devon hit auto dial. “I’m calling International Explorer.”
Beau leaned forward. “The art department is closed for the holidays.”
Devon tapped the phone. “But the network-programming portion of the office works twenty-four seven.” She waited for someone to pick up.
“Programming,” a man with a tired-sounding voice droned on the other end of the call.
“Is this Kurt? This is Devon in the art department.”
“Hi, Devon. I heard you might not be coming back because of the….” Kurt sounded embarrassed. “You know.”
She drew a fortifying breath. Here we go. “It’s okay, Kurt. You can say it. Because of the dragon incident. What if I told you I want to offer the network something really special? What sort of a crew do you have working today?”
Kurt huffed. “Not much. It’s just me, a camera guy, and a couple of techs.”
Oh well. She couldn’t ask for everything. It would have to do. “That’s all you need.”
Sounding leery, Kurt said, “Why do you want a camera crew?”
“Kurt, would you believe me if I said that in about ninety minutes some pretty spectacular wildlife was going to land on the roof of the International Explorer building?”
“Uh, what sort of wildlife?”
Was Kurt playing dumb or just dumb? “Seriously, do you not read the tabloids or watch the news?”
Kurt whistled a harsh breath. “No way! There’s no such thing.”
She laughed. “They’re real, I swear it, and they’re with me now.”
There was silence on Kurt’s end. “Devon, you’re freaking me out a little. You sound serious.”
“I am.”
“How is it possible? I hope you’re not wasting my time, but I’m so bored down here I really don’t care. I could use the fresh air. I’ll meet you on the roof.”
But even that wasn’t enough. “Kurt, would you call the local news stations too? Tell everyone to send a camera crew.”
“Why?” Kurt sounded exasperated. “So I can look like a fool? You must think I’m a real sucker. If you’re lying, I don’t know how you can live with yourself.”
What if Kurt didn’t believe her? “This is legit. It’s worth your time. I know you have media contacts, use them. Please just do it.”
“I’ll be on the roof with a crew in ninety minutes, and if you don’t show up with something earth-shattering, I’m going back to my warm office on the fourth floor. You’re going to get a ten-minute window, okay?”
It would have to be enough. “Thanks, Kurt.”
Devon called the next number.
“Good morning,” a woman droned in a bored voice. “This is the World Babbler tabloid hotline. Do you have celebrity cellulite photos to sell, scandals, or outrageous behavior from public figures to report?”
She hated dealing with these people, but what the hell; they got the word out there and wouldn’t hesitate to print a story. “I’m already on your tabloid covers. I’ve been your cover story for weeks, and quite frankly the photos you’re printing of me are bad, and the story is thin. You can do much better. I’d like to help by offering you an exclusive.”
The woman gasped. “Is this Devon the Dragon Lady?”
Devon the Dragon Lady? When did they start calling her that? “Yes, it is. Are you interested?”
“Of course! Where are you? I’ll send a team over now. You’re not talking to the Tattle Rag Globe are you? They’re despicable people. If you give a story to them, it will affect how much we would be willing to pay.”
“You don’t have to pay me. I’ll give you my story for free. I just want to introduce my two dragon lovers to the world.”
The woman dropped her phone with a thud and immediately snatched it back. “You’re joking, right?” Her voice was breathy. “My trash can is filled with silly photos of people wearing papier-mâché dragon costumes and calling them ‘sightings.’ This isn’t going to be more of that, is it? No one has to dress up like Puff the Magic Dragon or anything like that. A tearful confession and few lurid details about a dragon’s love nest will do.”
Her stomach was already queasy. “You won’t be disappointed. This is the real deal.”
The woman laughed “The real thing? Come on, I’m not that gullible. Remember, we make this shit up for a living.”
“Okay, I’m a madwoman having a meltdown. Either way you get a great story and some unflattering photos of me. That ought to sell some papers. Send ev
ery camera you have to the International Explorer building in the midtown area. I’ll be there in a little over an hour.”
“Whatever.” Click.
Devon toyed with her phone. “I don’t think she believed me. Oh well, her loss.” Devon punched another number. “Is this the Department of Homeland Security? It is… I’d like to report a person of interest. His name is Commander Vorden, and he runs a well-armed paramilitary group attacking citizens here in the United States and abroad. I suggest you examine the activity on his passport and run a check on this license plate.” She sent a picture of the wrecked SUV.
A man’s quiet voice spoke on the other side. “Is this who I think it is?”
So it was true, Homeland Security already had their eye on her. “I’m not naive. I know you’ve been monitoring my calls for weeks. You probably know exactly where I am at this moment. I’m certain you’re aware by now we’re not the problem. The Marduko aren’t hurting anyone. We’re coming in, and we’re ready to talk and cooperate, but we need your help.”
The man hesitated. “We can’t promise anything.”
She had to strike a deal. “Promise not to shoot, and keep Vorden at bay, and we’ll tell you everything. I’m sure you have a few questions.”
“When, where?” The connection crackled, and it sounded like others came in on the call.
“The International Explorer building, midtown, 7:00 a.m. Full disclosure.”
“No, don’t do that!” The man sounded panicked. “Full disclosure is a bad idea. A really bad idea.”
She had to protect her new family the only way she knew how. “It’s too late. It’s going to happen. You might as well get on board and make the best of it.” Devon clicked the phone off. “Well, I called everyone. Either I’m a nutcase or the world changes at sunrise.”
Jace glanced sideways at Devon. “Are you absolutely certain about this?”
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