She stood and shivered as she got closer to the fire while Brandon’s world ended.
Miranda watched him out of the corner of her eye as he stared at the ground and blubbered. She gave Jan a surreptitious nod to make sure she was watching the miserable kid too.
Her Wolfen winked and grinned while Jez hopped off of her back to dry off by the fire.
Eventually he got his breathing under control with several audible gulps.
And just as she expected, he jumped to his feet and ran for his life.
“Hey! He’s resisting arrest now too! That’s another ten years buddy!” Jez shouted after him.
Miranda smiled and shook her head.
“Five at most, Jez, and only if he gets rough.” She corrected mildly.
As they watched him flee, Lilly came over from the cart.
“Shit Miranda, you really charging him with all that?”
She scoffed.
“Of course not, but you saw what a knucklehead he was. Kid needs a good kick in the ass, so I’m giving him one.” She yawned and then shivered again; “Jan?”
The Wolfen was practically vibrating in anticipation, her wide eyes tracking Brandon’s flight.
“Fetch.”
With a howl of glee she sprinted after the terrified teenager.
Lilly watched her go with a disapproving frown.
“That Wolfen plays too much.”
Miranda shrugged as she watched the chase.
“Meh, keeps her happy. Can you build up the fire and set out some more blankets for when Jan comes back with her stick?”
Lilly nodded as Miranda turned to face Kala.
“And baby, please wrap me in those big strong arms of yours, because I am still freezing!”
__________
Back at Paul Fletcher’s farm, an Amazon was eating crow.
They had opted to have Milly stay in Paul’s guest room while she recovered. But she was feeling more than a little self-conscious with everyone fretting over her.
So she had stepped outside with Volka to get some air before bed only to be greeted by all of the Saenga girls as well as Yana and her warriors. The Amazons had taken up guard outside once the wounded were tended to.
Yana went to her knees, Kar’s spear in her hands.
She had a hard time meeting Milly’s wide eyes.
“This spear. It was given to you in trust. And I betrayed that trust.”
Milly disagreed emphatically.
“No, Yana! It’s alright!”
But the warleader shook her head.
“Always so quick to forgive those that wrong you. You are a better woman than I.”
She stood and approached the Minotaur, holding up the spear.
“I tried to clean it, but just as when Kar wounded her, the stain of that creature’s blood will not come out.”
Evadne having pulled the spear through her, the weapon was now completely and permanently stained black.
“There is no washing away the taint of entropy.” Volka said while placing her hand on the haft; “But that just means that this is an effective weapon in the fight against it, no harm will come of its use. Do not hang any shame on it.”
Yana nodded.
“I do not. There is no shame this night, at least, not for this spear, nor its rightful owner.”
She glanced down briefly at the thought of her own recent behaviour.
“Yana…”
“Milly, I should never have spoken to you as I did. I should never have… you…” The Amazon warrior shook her head and gripped the spear tightly as tears welled in her eyes; “You are more worthy to carry the black spear of Kar Brael than any warrior I have ever known!”
With a sob she held out the weapon and Milly took it with some reluctance.
The Minotaur was blushing heavily, and Volka, sensing her discomfort, spoke then.
“Thank you for your words, but my bond-sister needs to rest.”
“Of course, Lightbringer. Rest Milly, regain your strength, my sisters and I will stand with the Saenga to guard your family while you sleep, I swear it.”
__________
In the morning Brandon was dragged back to Kettering by Miranda and her bond-mates.
The miserable teen was broken, and he looked it.
Mud was caked to his whole body, especially his pants from when the Wolfen had bodily tackled him to the ground, and he sullenly stared at the ground as they walked.
He didn’t remember ever being as scared as he was when he heard the wolf girl growling and snapping at his heels while he fled through the trees.
And to make matters worse, after she tackled him to the ground, she seemed to relish rolling over and over in the cold mud with him, so he was completely covered when she dragged him back to their camp.
So now they were walking back into Kettering with Brandon filthy and chafing, though they had at least given him a blanket to stave off the morning chill.
At one point he had meekly asked if he could ride on the cart since he had lost his shoes in the pond, but Miranda had very firmly denied his request, pointing out that a couple hours walking in bare feet wouldn’t kill him.
He still struggled to come to terms with the events of the previous night, but his attention was once again drawn to the wagon when he heard an odd chuffing noise from one of the crates.
“Wh-what’s in there anyways?”
“Silence prisoner!” The little frog commanded while shaking her fist at him from her perch on the bigger Wolfen’s back.
“Jez, dial it back a bit.” Miranda sighed; “The contents of those crates are classified. Best you just forget you-”
“Mistress.” Jan halted with both ears perked up.
The experience operative picked up on her pet’s concern immediately.
“What is it?”
“I smell something.” She gave another sniff; “Lilly?”
The pack-leader joined her in snuffling at the air while Brandon disconsolately kicked his feet against the dirt, oblivious to the sudden alarm suffusing the women with him.
“I smell it too, Hornet blood, Minotaur too, and something fouler-”
She drew another long sniff and whirled to the side of the road.
“And someone trying to sneak up on us.” She growled.
An Amazon emerged from the woods with her hands up peacefully, Brandon recognized her as the one who had wanted to mount his head on a spear.
She waved at them as the two Wolfen relaxed slightly.
“Helena?” Kala asked.
“The Lightbringer saw you coming. Come then, our Valkyrja-datta awaits at Paul’s.”
“Why didn’t Oldeera just send one of her-”
Helena’s eyes flicked to Brandon and she shook her head slightly.
“There’s been a development, everyone is fine. Though Kar’s spear is much blacker than it was.”
“Her spear?” Miranda’s eyes widened as she took her meaning; “Is the farmhouse secure?”
“Nina’s there, and so is your sister.” She nodded at the bruised Kala
The wounded Amazon’s eyes widened at the news.
Miranda snorted.
“Okay, so yes. Lead on then.”
Helena stopped at that point as her attention fell on Brandon.
“What of him? If you are taking him to be executed, then I gladly volunteer the use of my spear.”
Brandon whimpered while Miranda raised an eyebrow.
“You two have met then?”
Helena’s eyes flicked to the crates.
“Yes, but it is of no importance, we have more pressing concerns.”
A few minutes later Miranda and her girls pulled the wagon up Paul’s drive.
They arrived just in time to see a Dragon land, a slight woman with white hair in her arms.
Chapter 26:
Shadow’s Twin
Once Xalanth and Sadie were informed of the contents of the crates, conversation was eschewed in favour of getting the Tenebrae
the help they needed.
Though there was a tense moment where the Dragon leveled her attention, and her glowing green eyes, on Brandon and the poor teen nearly wet himself.
With all of the new arrivals the farmhouse was even more crowded than before so Paul chased most of the Amazons back outside.
Lilly likewise stayed on the porch with Brandon, though the Dragon’s stare had practically made it unnecessary to guard the trembling youth.
The Hornets had quickly left as well, taking their bond-mate with them. Barely half of them were still able to fly, so Oldeera had to leave matters of security in the hands of Xalanth and Nina.
The two powerful monsters easily forced the Tenebrae to their knees on the rug in Paul’s living room in front of Volka and Nameless.
The Valkyrie drew in a steadying breath as she saw firsthand that man’s folly still existed a thousand years after her sisters sought to find a means to combat it.
“We need to help these poor girls.” She announced.
Nameless quickly agreed, pushing his concern for Milly to the back of his head while he and Volka focused on the two Tenebrae.
Miranda handed him their heartstones and with some relief he saw that they weren’t nearly as dark as Nina’s, or even Erica’s had been.
“Okay, maybe this time we should get comfortable first?”
Within seconds Booker had pulled one of Paul’s overstuffed chairs behind Nameless and the younger man shot him a grateful look as he sat down, Volka kneeling beside him.
“I am fine here. Let us proceed, Husband.”
She put her hand atop his and he nodded quickly before closing his eyes. Now protected by Volka’s golden aura he reached out to one of the stones in his palm.
But to his great surprise, both stones reached back.
It was a disorienting experience, not unlike crossing your eyes while looking at two very similar objects, bringing them together to form one imperfect whole.
He hesitated for a moment, opening his eyes and looking to Volka, but her expression was just as confused.
“Volka, what is this?”
She shook her head.
“I have no idea. These girls, whoever they are, they are like twins, but that is obviously not possible.”
He looked to the two girls held in place by Xalanth and Nina, one Lambda, one Lapine.
Once again he closed his eyes and considered the two heartstones in his fist, but the same strange sensation reached out to him again.
“What’s wrong?”
Sadie’s concerned voice cut through the darkness and caused him to tear himself free of it again.
“Sadie! Here, you can sense this right?”
Volka extended her aura out to the older Empath and she placed her hand over the Valkyrie’s and closed her own eyes.
After a moment a look of shock took her face just as it had Nameless’s.
“It’s like… they share the same soul, but not quite?” She spoke with great uncertainty.
She, Nameless and Volka exchanged worried looks while the rest of the room exchanged confused ones.
But Nina simplified the matter for everyone.
“Can you help them or not?”
Though she was far stronger than the bunny girl she held pinned to the floor, the poor creature still squealed and hissed at her and the giant’s annoyance was plain to see.
Sitting up slightly Nameless again looked to Volka.
“Yes, I think. We have to try, right?”
The Valkyrie nodded firmly.
“I agree, but Lady Essig, please stay back. I must focus solely on keeping my husband safe as we navigate this mystery.”
The white hair woman reluctantly moved back after a worried glance at her Dragon.
Nameless took a deep breath to steady his nerves.
“Well, here goes.”
Yet again closing his eyes, he sought out the strange double soul-image as he and Volka were pulled into the darkness before them…
In the living room everyone else could only watch.
Their eyes were closed for several minutes, but the room started suddenly when Volka cried out and fell over on the floor while Nameless likewise slumped in the chair, unconscious.
__________
While the others were dealing with the Tenebrae, Oldeera stood in the wreckage of their hive, her fingers interlaced with her bond-mate’s.
“It’s a good thing you two got out when you did, honey.”
Cordelia huddled against her with a blanket over her shoulders as she too took in the destruction.
“What a mess.”
Oldeera shrugged at the young girl’s lament.
“Hives rise, and hives fall.”
“Glad you’re being all philosophical about it, but I still really liked it in there, even if I was completely lost outside the bower.”
She rested her head on Oldeera’s good shoulder.
“I suppose, it being the place where I found my queen, it was special.”
Oldeera conceded before she turned her head and kissed Cordelia’s hair. Two more of her Hornets snuggled in to her other side, keeping the chill in the air at bay and providing more hands to hold her with.
As one of the Hornets’ fingers slid under the blanket and over her stomach Cordelia winced slightly.
“My abs still hurt.” She confessed.
“It was a magical night, before the disruption.”
She merely nodded as she remembered the haze of pleasure that had consumed her, in the cold reality of day it seemed more akin to a dream.
“I-I don’t know where to go from here Oldeera.”
The queen let out a breath.
“If I might make a suggestion?”
Cordelia nodded against her shoulder.
“You should go somewhere with a shower. You stink, my Queen.”
They shared a giggle.
“Do you have any money? We could go to the bathhouse, the morning rush should be over.”
“I do, and we could.” Oldeera spoke carefully; “Or you could bathe at home, and face your family. Preferably in that order, for their sakes.”
Another quick snort of laughter but then Cordelia sighed.
“Yeah, I guess it’s time to face the music, I’m not sure who I’m more worried about: Dad or Christina.”
Both.
The answer was both.
“But I mean after that, I don’t know what to do after that. Some major secrets were just dropped on me, and I already had the new bond-mate thing to worry about.”
Oldeera and her Hornets pouted adorably.
“Are we a cause of worry for you honey?”
Cordelia settled her head on the queen’s shoulder and spoke drily.
“You mean after you were all almost killed? Or before, when I had to figure out how our two very different lives fit together?”
“Fair point. But my hive is no longer pledged to the Aegis, in fact it is not my hive, it is yours. We will do anything for you honey.”
“But you still want to work with the Aegis, right? Especially now, with the crazy chick out there?”
Oldeera nuzzled her face into Cordelia’s hair, breathing in her heady scent; even unwashed it was intoxicating to the freshly bonded queen.
“What I want… is to rest my wings for a time, to heal the wounds that were inflicted on my sweets and to pick up where we left off last night. We don’t need to make any decisions today.”
Cordelia sighed.
“Yes we do. Nameless was right, at least about the whole putting-people-in-danger thing.”
“Honey?”
“We can’t stay in Kettering.”
Even as she said the words it broke her heart a bit, not for herself but for her dad and younger sister.
Worse, she wouldn’t be able to explain the situation to them, not without putting them in danger.
Now she understood Nameless’s point, when they spoke behind the bakery.
She would do anything to ke
ep her family safe.
“The fact is, unless the Aegis catch up to that bitch, she could come after you again if we stay out here right?”
“She might.”
Cordelia let out a shaky breath.
“So like I said, I don’t know where to go from here.”
Several moments passed as the Hornet queen considered her words.
“Well… if it helps at all, we do still have a hive set up in Garland. In a place of honour too, at the top of one of the old-world spires.”
Cordelia’s eyes narrowed at the mention of a spire.
“The top? Like, how high are we talking?”
Oldeera chuckled throatily at the irony in her bond-mate’s concern, afraid of heights yet bonded to some of the best flyers in the world.
“There’s stairs, I think.”
Cordelia groaned.
“I don’t know, maybe-” Her eyes widened suddenly; “Have you ever been to Algrade?”
Oldeera shrugged.
“A number of times. Why?”
“In all the chaos, I never told you. Christine got accepted at the university.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Cordelia nodded.
“It is, but she admitted to me the other night that she was really nervous about living in such a big city. Especially with all the shit you hear about the slums.”
Oldeera smiled slowly.
“The slums aren’t as bad as people make them out honey, but perhaps having her beloved sister and all of her scary Hornets around might make your sister feel safer?”
The young woman smirked as she kissed the brow of one of the other Hornets.
“I don’t know about scary… kind of warm and fuzzy actually.”
The Hornets squirmed, one of them buzzing her wings slightly behind her, causing her bond-mate’s whole body to shudder at the massaging sensation.
Once again Oldeera buried her face in her hair.
“Oh honey, now you’re just being mean.”
__________
Volka eyes fluttered open sometime later, while Nameless remained unmoving.
“She’s awake! You okay there missy?” Paul asked anxiously.
She allowed him to help her up, and quickly moved to put her hand on her husband’s cheek.
“I-I’m fine. And so is he, apparently.”
Home of Consequence Page 33
