by T. G. Ayer
Shaking his head, Logan let out a soft laugh. “He’s definitely not a bad guy. And Overlording only entails ensuring the underlords do as they are told and don’t go wild.” Logan paused, and the silence in the room only grew. He sighed and gave in. “Fine, if you must know, I saved the guy’s ass once.”
“You sure you don’t really mean he saved your ass?” Kai smirked, glancing deliberately at Logan’s butt, and eliciting a low ripple of laughter from the team.
With a shrug, Logan added, “Okay, okay. I was young and green, and I ran into a situation without assessing it and got myself neck deep in trouble. Literally. He turned out to be the right demon at the right time to come upon my sorry ass, and he helped me out, no questions asked.”
“Sounds like a nice enough guy,” said Mel.
“He is.” Logan thought of the albino demon’s constant obstacles, which the guy had overcome. “Possibly has a little bit of perspective considering his…affliction.”
“Please clarify…and do it quickly.” Mel waved a hand.
Her tone said hurry it up so Logan cleared his throat and said, “His name is Baa’ruk, goes by the name Lacroix. Also happens to be probably the only dreadlocked albino demon in existence.”
“What?” Kai asked, eyes flashing with surprise, as though she knew who Logan was talking about.
“Yep. What’s with the surprise? You know Lacroix?” Logan asked.
Though Kai immediately gave a denying shake of her head, she did pause. “Not really. I did see him though, in O’Hagan’s a few days ago. About the time I ran into the reporter.”
Brow furrowing, Logan said, “Right. Odd for him to be in the area—” Then Logan fell silent, aware that he hadn’t exactly been accessible in the last few days. He let out an annoyed grunt. “Guess if I’d been in this realm he would have contacted me.”
“Check your messages maybe?” said Mel.
Logan ignored Kai’s snort even as she swallowed it down and coughed it away. He retrieved his phone from his jeans pocket and scanned his messages, only to find that the demon had sent him a text on arrival in Chicago with a request to catch up if Logan was available.
“He did reach out. I’ll message him back. What exactly am I asking him?” Logan asked Natasha.
Mel replied, “Has he heard any chatter? Was he the one who threw up the ward? If not, does he know who is capable of that level of magic?”
Logan obeyed and put the questions into a text, then sent it off, mentally crossing his fingers that Lacroix would reply ASAP.
The longer Logan remained out of Drakys, the more dangerous things got for Sienna, and for their reign.
Mel straightened. “We’d better get on with it.”
As the members of the team paired off, Kai gave the tracker a comforting squeeze of the shoulders. “Don’t worry. It’s a clean plan. Get in, get the djinn MIL, get out.”
Mel only smiled as Nerina added, “Besides, she likes you. She’ll get over it eventually.”
“So why does it feel like I’m about to walk into the gaping jaws of a deadly fire-breathing dragon?” Mel asked with a nervous sigh.
Logan shook his head and as the team began to disappear from the kitchen, he called out in mock outrage, “Hey, you talking about me?”
Chapter 42
The team arrived in a small clearing near a fence that surrounded Omega’s safehouse. Logan still couldn’t believe the lengths Omega had gone to in order to gain control of Mithras.
“Aisha is in a small suite at the rear of the building,” Mel said. “Second floor, looking out on the lawn. She’s able to detect astral movement, so she’ll know I’m there. So, that’s the last thing I’ll be doing. First, we disable the watch, and remove any obstacles.”
“You’re working on the assumption that she may yell for help?” asked Kai.
“She had been adamant that she agreed to not leave her prison.” Mel shook her head sharply. “There is a very real chance that the fallout from this may be something we cannot recover from. So, I’m asking you all to remain silent, and if it comes to it, claim ignorance. If she wants to wreak havoc on those responsible, I’m the only target.”
Logan frowned, not keen on letting Mel take the fall. And from the looks on the faces of the team, they felt the same.
Mel’s eyes narrowed as she stared at them, meeting Logan’s eyes briefly. “Am I making myself clear?” she asked, her tone cool.
Kai glanced at Logan, eyes flashing with anger but she merely nodded. So did Logan, though he didn’t like it.
Then, Mel continued as if she hadn’t seen the anger in her friends’ eyes. “Teams go in, from the west and the east corners. Eliminate the guards, keep the noise to a minimum. And the death nonexistent. Darcy, you’re going with Nerina, Kai’s with the gargoyle and Logan stays here. He’s our savior in case the shit hits the fan.”
“Yeah, he can come in and light that shit on fire,” Drake grumbled, glancing over at the mansion beyond the wall.
Then the teams paired off and disappeared, leaving Mel and Logan alone to await their confirmations.
Kai was first. “East watch is non-existent.”
Then Darcy who said, “West watch unattended.”
“That’s odd. And not a good sign,” said Logan, scowling at the darkened mansions. “Think they’ve taken her someplace else? Mithras maybe?”
With a confident jerk of her head, Mel replied, “She’s there. I can sense her life-thread on the astral plane. It was the first thing I did when we got here.” Mel paused, frowning as she too stared at the mansion. “Stand down and retreat. Give me a few minutes to recon.”
The teams all responded, confirming their retreat, though Logan didn’t like it at all. His gut was screaming that something wasn’t right.
“Watch me,” Mel said, meeting Logan’s eyes for a brief moment. “I won’t be long.”
Then, Mel sank to the ground, propped herself up against a tree-trunk and fell silent for a few moments. Then she opened her eyes, shaking her head, her eyes now reflecting Logan’s own unease.
Mel, tapped her comms. “Return to base. The place is empty.”
When the team returned to the clearing, Drake asked, “Think the queen killed them all?”
“No.” Mel replied firmly. “If there were corpses, I would have still sensed the threads. Right now, the place is a tomb. Except for the prisoner.”
“So what do they have holding her here? Security must be insane,” Nerina said, glancing over at the mansion.
Mel let out a mirthless laugh. “That’s where it gets unbelievable. She gave them her word.”
“Oh yeah, that.” Nerina replied dryly.
“Okay, I’m going in.” Mel touched her hip, as if assuring herself that she was prepared to cross the line. “If I’m not back in five minutes, come get us,” she said before jumping out.
A few minutes passed before Mel’s voice crackled on the comms. “I need a sweep of the building. Look for incendiaries.”
Drake let out a growl as Logan shook his head and said, “I knew something was up. Omega doesn’t just abandon a safehouse.”
The team disappeared in pairs, and Logan shifted and surged into the air to do a wider perimeter sweep, and be available in case anything exploded.
Only a few minutes passed when Kai’s voice sounded on Logan’s comms. “I’ve got a device at the southern corner. It’s on a timer set to blow in ten minutes.”
Then the gargoyle added, “Confirming incendiary at the western corner. Timer for ten minutes.”
Logan shook his head, then swooped around to Kai’s side of the building, the minutes counting down too slowly for his liking.
Then, Drake called out over the comms, “Thirty seconds.”
Logan swooped down low, eyes cast out at the clearing, waiting to see if the team had gathered there, waiting for Mel.
“Ten seconds,” said Drake as Logan swooped in and shifted into his human form. The gargoyle didn’t even blink as he said, “
We’re leaving Mel. You’re a go.”
The team shimmered away, and just as they faded from the clearing, Logan felt a pulsing of the detonation as the bombs exploded.
Chapter 43
Logan and the team were waiting in Natasha’s bedroom as Mel materialized, jumping the queen of the djinn realm to the witch’s bed.
Though relieved, the team remained tense but silent.
Except for Drake.
“Shit, Mel,” the gargoyle’s eyes flashed. “You sure know how to give a guy a heart attack.”
“Stop being dramatic, gargoyle,” Mel replied and dropped to her knees beside the bed. “You should thank me for making sure your heart’s working. Consider it a drill,” the tracker said with a smirk as she sank against the wall behind her.
The team laughed, though Logan wasn’t sure if the amusement was more to lower their own tension or to diffuse some of Drake’s.
“You cut it way too close, Mel. You’re getting reckless,” Drake said sharply.
“I know. But I had to time it carefully.” Mel didn't sound at all sorry.
“You keep it up, and you’ll time yourself dead,” Drake said sharply as he folded his arms tight across his chest. When the gargoyle’s glamor dropped, silvery tattoos shimmering on blue-black skin, Logan couldn't blame him.
But Mel wasn’t being reckless. Or Logan would have stopped her and told her so.
Still, Nerina’s gasp of shock, and the fear in her eyes as she stared at the gargoyle in his true form, managed to grasp the attention of the entire room. Even after Drake regained control and returned to his normal form, the tension was enough to slice through with a knife.
Until Mel boosted to her feet and went over to Nerina. “Okay, DeathTalker. Think you can rustle me up some carbs. And maybe drizzle a bag of sugar all over it.”
“Yuk. You just made me imagine a piece of meat covered in syrup,” said Nerina, shaking her head.
“Don’t you mean rib sauce?” Logan added as he followed in their wake.
He glanced at Kai, whose eyes reflected Logan’s own concern for Nerina—an issue that hadn’t been there until now.
Tensions within the team only made for conflict while on the mission.
And conflict was bad.
As they neared the kitchen, Logan caught Kai’s wrist and drew her down to the front room.
Kai sighed as she looked up and met his eyes. “You’re worried about Nerina?”
Logan nodded. “That look on her face, that was terror. And if she’s afraid of Drake for whatever reason, we’ll be left on shaky ground once we arrive in Mithras.”
Kai bit her lip and stared down the empty hallway as the team all filtered into the kitchen. “Add that to Darcy and Wade, and that’s more than enough rocks in our path. We just need to make sure they are paired off with the right people to avoid making those tensions escalate.”
“I’d feel happier to go in without those tensions,” muttered Logan. “But given that we have little choice, let’s just keep our eyes and ears open.”
Kai nodded. “Maybe you should have a chat with Drake. See if he knows how to smooth things over.”
Logan straightened and took a breath. “As soon as I get a chance I will do just that. Now let’s get back to the team before they start wondering if we’ve snuck off for some sexytimes.”
Kai made a rude sound, rolled her eyes, and headed for the kitchen.
Chapter 44
Ten minutes later, the djinn queen’s scream had the team racing for the bedroom where Logan saw the gleam of fire.
Bad sign.
Mel skidded to a stop inside the door and let out a scream of shock before shouting, “Let her go!”
Logan’s jaw dropped as he stared at Saleem’s mother who floated above them, fingers wrapped tightly around Natasha’s neck. The witch’s expression was serene, though her eyebrow rose as she caught sight of the audience, as though saying, “What are you waiting for?”
Aisha turned her head to look at Mel, fire flickering in her eyes, hair floating around her shoulders only adding to her almost-deranged appearance.
Not that Logan blamed the queen.
“You!” Aisha bellowed as her eyes glowed brighter.
“Yeah, me!” Mel shouted. “Let her go. If you need a whipping boy, I’m ready.”
Logan glanced at Mel whose mouth had formed a perfect shocked ‘o’. “Mel,” Kai whispered, “don’t make the nice djinn queen angry.”
“Too late,” the tracker replied out the side of her mouth. “Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt.”
Logan wanted to laugh and he had to force himself to subdue the urge. Mel was almost comedic in her interactions with the djinn queen, and he had to wonder if perhaps she knew the best way to handle Saleem’s extremely powerful mother.
As though to confirm Logan’s suspicions, Aisha drifted to the ground and let go of the witch who walked off serenely.
Kai’s grin as she glanced at Logan mirrored his own amusement. And from the sight of Aisha’s smile, apparently she too found Mel funny.
But when she spoke, her words were a tad confusing. “I’m a queen of an entire realm, dear. A powerful one to boot,” Aisha said as though answering some unspoken question.
Mel just stood there in silence, her back stiff.
Aisha tilted her head and smiled again. “Yes, child. You do need to shut your thoughts off from the astral plane after a jump.”
Kai put her hand to her mouth and Logan knew she was struggling to keep from laughing out loud. A task made harder when Mel backed away from the queen who then said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to burn you to cinders—”
“Stop doing that,” Mel bit out.
“Then stop projecting,” Aisha replied.
Logan and Kai backed away from the door and stood aside as Saleem’s mother walked off regally down the hall to the kitchen.
Mel followed, barely noticing the team’s presence as she grumbled under her breath all the way to the kitchen.
When Logan and Kai entered the kitchen, Aisha had a cup of tea before her, and Natasha was saying, “See?” as she raised her hands to display her body. “Still alive and breathing.”
“And not roasted,” Kai replied, this time unable to hide her amusement.
“I see like attracts like with you and your friends.”
Logan almost bust an artery trying not to laugh at the queen’s comment. Saleem was going to enjoy this story when Logan finally updated him.
“If you mean I like to hang around with women who speak their mind, then yes,” said Mel, arms folded.
“Actually, I meant you are a lot like Saleem when he was a boy. Disobedient, mouthy, little brat.”
Mel was at a loss for a reply. She looked at Kai who merely shrugged. “She didn’t kill you, so I’d consider that a win.”
“Yet.”
Aisha’s reply blanketed the kitchen with a deep sense of danger, but Mel only sighed and sat down on the nearest chair.
“Can we please wait until after we save your offspring before you kill me?” asked Mel dryly.
“I believe I can make that happen,” replied the queen.
Logan pursed his lips, sharing a wary, though mostly amused glance with Kai and then Drake.
He had a feeling the things were only going to get more fun.
Chapter 45
Logan stood on Natasha’s porch, staring out into the night. Kai was talking to Lacroix, and Ivy was keeping the djinn queen company. The atmosphere with the team was one of impatience, what with everyone having been eager to leave for Mithras.
Now, they would wait and gather a larger team for a stronger strike on the people holding the djinn realm hostage,
Finish what you need to, Logan, said Sienna in Logan’s mind.
Don’t you need me at home? he asked.
Sienna chuckled. Whatever is going on here is not going to stop. The problems we are facing will be here when you get back, trust me on that.
Lo
gan frowned. He wasn’t comfortable with Sienna having to deal with things on her own, but she was right. It made no sense for him to flit back and forth between Earth-realm and Drakys. His presence for a day wouldn’t make a difference in the greater scheme of things.
Fine. We should be leaving in the next day or so. I’ll keep you updated.
You’d better keep me updated. You don’t wanting me siccing that panther walker on you. Sienna laughed and faded from Logan’s mind.
He shook his head as he gripped the balustrade in front of him.
The djinn was waiting for them, and from Mel’s description of Saleem’s condition, they really didn’t have time to waste. Still, as impatient as Logan was, they were better off with a larger more powerful force when they helped take Mithras back.
Hang in there Saleem. We’re coming.
Also by T.G. Ayer
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Dead Embers
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Dead Chaos
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Dead Wrath
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Joshua II - Dead Embers
Joshua III - Dead Chaos
Joshua IV - Dead Wrath
Joshua V - Dead Silence
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