by Mikayla Lane
“I know that is hard to do, but if you don’t, I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety. I have every intention of getting you, your mate and especially Gibly out of here. But, that honestly may not be the intention of my commanders if these talks go badly,” Tara said, allowing her concern for the situation to be felt in her energy to prove her words.
Gracus narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to the women, to make sure that he would only be heard by them. “You don’t agree with this,” he stated, knowing he was right.
Tara didn’t even look up at him when she spoke, keeping her eyes only on Rebecca. “I was found wandering the streets when I was two. I was raised to become a battle honed… and much scarred warrior. And I’m a mind reaper, and I’ve seen things in the minds of our enemies that should frighten even the strongest warriors.”
Tara took Rebecca’s hand in her own and sighed as she also took one of Gracus’s hands as well. “Take a deep breath,” she said.
She’d barely finished the words before images began flowing through their minds like movie clips, each more disturbing than the last. Rebecca couldn’t take the fear and horror of what she was seeing and pulled away. “Oh God!” she whispered, terrified for the whole planet.
Gracus slowly pulled from Tara’s grasp and he immediately shielded his energy, unwilling to let his mate feel the fear and desperation he felt at what Tara had shown him. He had no doubt it was all true. If any of it had been faked, he would have been able to feel it even if Rebecca couldn’t yet.
Tara gave them each a moment to process what she’d shown them of the things she’d pulled from the minds of the enemy during missions and interrogations before she continued.
“It is the arrogance and stubbornness of our leaders that will end up killing us all. Our missions are the same. Our people are the same. If there was ever a time that we needed to put aside ancient anger, it is now. And I will not allow this to escalate further by letting your mate be harmed,” she said looking up at Gracus for once.
Tara turned back to Rebecca. “You can’t give them an excuse to order it though. Go back to the house and stay put for a bit. I’ll be there as soon as I can to try and explain more. Please,” she said, allowing her own fear for their safety to escape her energy.
Rebecca felt sorry for the woman. Tara’s own pain and fear had come pouring through her energy as the images flashed through Rebecca’s mind and it had left no doubt for Rebecca that Tara was telling them the truth. That the images were real. And that terrified her.
She looked up at Gracus and nodded her head, knowing he’d already decided to listen to Tara. Gracus nodded at the hybrid and held his hand out for Rebecca. She placed her hand in his and they walked past her towards the house in town. They heard Tara’s heavy sigh as they passed her.
It was then that they noticed Gibly was gone and Rebecca panicked, screaming to Gracus through the Shengari’, “Where’s Gibly?”
Gracus cursed and tried to look around the dark and shadowed areas before giving up. He’d never see the cat, even with his heightened senses. He tried to call him through the Shengari’ but, there was only an eerie silence.
Gibly wasn’t there when they got back and several hours later, when he still hadn’t returned, Rebecca began to worry if she’d ever see the wonderful cat again. Or if sending him out had guaranteed a death sentence for him and Gracus.
*****
Scaden, Niklosi and Amun had rappelled down the mountain, meeting the running Sibiox at the bottom at the same time. Scaden had been issuing orders the moment they’d cleared the cave and they all ran flat out to the transport pick up location.
They hit Dillon in record time and ran to the conference room in the docking bay, knowing they were expected. The three men entered and weren’t surprised to see Ivint, Reven, Banatar, Randor, Traze, Koda, Lt. David Jacobs, Balduen and Jax, already seated around the table in the room.
They had barely begun explaining what had happened when a heavily pregnant Tricia shuffled into the room carrying her five year old son, Tristan. She looked at the surprised faces and said, “Did you really think these Prime powers gone wild with hormones would stop me from hearing what was going on?”
The men immediately stood and held Tristan while another helped her to sit before placing the boy in her lap. She settled her son and looked around the room. “Don’t think I’m not strong enough for whatever is going on. I’ve been through more than you can imagine with that man, and I will remain by his side for this as well. So either tell me, or risk my powers ripping through your skull to find out,” she said with a dangerous smile, leaving no doubt that she’d do what she had to for her mate.
Traze laughed. “You go girl!” The boy shut up when he saw the warning look that David gave him. Unwilling to risk a head slap, he sunk down in his seat.
Scaden didn’t hesitate to continue explaining where Grai was and what had happened. “Grai said that he was going to threaten them with war if they didn’t return our people. We heard from the team left outside the cave that it is sealed again. With Grai and a handful of men left behind.”
Scaden shot a sympathetic look to Balduen before adding, “With True. If she’s even still in that room.”
Ivint stood and started pacing. “And you think this has something to do with Fiorn Erikson?”
Scaden nodded. “The symbols and codes were done by Fiorn. Even the room that True had gone to sleep in had been Fiorn’s. He built the place and led hybrids there. Somewhere along the way, they became real distrustful of us though. And they called Grai a mutant,” Scaden said the last angrily.
Amun spoke up. “I think they were referring to the fact that he is a Relian/Valendran hybrid. At the time Fiorn left, such a thing was not considered possible.”
Ivint nodded. “That makes sense. I wonder if that is why they are acting this way?” he asked the room in general.
Niklosi spoke up. “No, there’s more to it than that. The way they said ‘Valendran’, was like they were saying something bad. Whatever is going on, they aren’t fond of us. Did Fiorn leave on bad terms?” Niklosi asked directly.
Ivint stopped pacing and sighed. “Not really…,” he began before Tricia interrupted him.
“Look, I don’t care what Fiorn’s problem is, he’s holding my man and the others. I know Grai, if he told Scaden that he was going to consider it an act of war, then he wants us to show our capabilities in an effort to make them back down peacefully,” Tricia said as she brushed Tristan’s hair from his face.
Reven shook his head. “That could work against us. We have no idea who they are, where they’ve been or what their capabilities are, we could be bringing fists to a missile fight. We need more information,” he said.
Scaden added, “What makes it worse is that they said they are hybrids and the energy manipulations we saw in that cave were unlike anything we’ve seen outside of the Tezarians. Whoever they are, they are talented and dangerous. We can’t underestimate them.”
Jax laughed. “We’re pretty damn dangerous too,” she said, rubbing her own growing belly.
Niklosi shook his head. “No, you don’t get it, this was a lot more powerful than any of you individually.”
Traze moved to the control center and his fingers flew across the keypad. “There’s a ley line that intersects with another, right in that mountain range. Can you guys use that additional burst of energy to expand your own abilities?” he asked the hybrids.
Tricia and Jax nodded, while David spoke. “As Prime we can. In fact, we’d be at our most powerful in a location with unlimited energy like that. Maybe we should call Lara?” he suggested, looking to Tricia.
Tricia shook her head. “No, for all we know this will blow over in a few hours. I won’t pull her from the children right now. Besides, we should keep them as an ace in hole, just in case everything else doesn’t work. Mikal could get inside that place and get them out, if we have to.”
Randor snorted. “No one is addressing the real proble
m here. If they’re hybrids, the Dranovian’s may be the only ones who can help us,” he said, thinking of the fact that Grai’s children, as beast killers, were the only ones who could kill the hybrids indiscriminately.
Jax laughed. “That works in our favor. They can’t hurt us either. Seems to me, you Valendrans are the only ones in real danger. Maybe you should sit this one out and let us girls handle it,” she said with an adoring smile at her mate, Reven.
Reven shook his head vehemently. “No, they took True and Rebecca and we have no idea if they are safe or well. I don’t think that we can assume that anyone is safe from them. Hybrid or not,” he said worriedly.
Tricia stood and sat Tristan back down in the seat while she looked to Traze. “Pull up the area on the table.”
When the aerial map came on the table, Tricia used her fingers to pull it up into a 3D rendering of the mountain range where the cave was located.
She looked at it for a moment before saying, “Traze I want you and Cristali to find out every damn thing you can about that mountain and the area. I want to know everything from what kind of rock it is, to any strange happenings or disappearances in the area.”
Traze nodded his head and his fingers began flying across the keypad, while Tricia used a small part of the screen on the table to enter in a private code that gave her access to a list that she projected on the wall. On the list was every hybrid that they knew of, where they were located, their abilities and mate status.
Ivint looked at the list and whistled. “I had no idea we had that many and they were so diverse. It’s a little awe inspiring to look at it like this,” he said, a little surprised at how many incredibly talented women were a part of their efforts.
Tricia pulled up a few more lists before walking to the screen on the wall and pulling names into different columns. It didn’t take long before everyone realized what she was doing. Ivint sucked in a breath, while David and Jax nodded their heads.
Reven stood so fast that his chair fell over. “Hell no! You can’t possibly think this is the best route to take! We haven’t even begun diplomatic talks!” he protested, seeing Jax’s name at the top of one of the three columns on the wall.
Jax stood and took his hand. Rubbing her expanding belly with the other hand, she said, “You forget, I don’t need to be close.”
Ivint and the other men all began protesting at once, the voices rising as they intensely defended their objection to Tricia’s plan, even though they didn’t know the extent of it. What they’d seen already was enough to set the Alpha men’s teeth on edge.
Little Tristan tried to cover his ears to block out the loud voices and the heated energy swirling through the room, but it didn’t work. He stood in the chair and raised his arms above his head. As he lowered his little arms, the noise in the room lowered, each voice becoming quieter, against their will until everyone shut up completely.
Tricia laughed and hugged her special and wonderful son before she turned to the others. “I think he gave you his answer. Don’t think for a second that he doesn’t understand what is going on. He knows his father is in danger and he wants him home. With or without your approval or help, I will bring him and the others home,” she said, trying to keep her tears from falling.
Grai had always been the strong one in their relationship, the rock she could turn to no matter how bad the world seemed to get. The man who could heal almost any hurt by just holding her. The man who gave her the most amazing son any mother could have and the beautiful daughter growing in her womb.
This time, she would be the strong one. This time, she would protect him. Tricia looked at Traze and Koda. “Traze, get every one of them here. Now. Open every portal we have on the planet if we have to, I don’t care what it takes, just get them here in an hour. Make sure they are geared for a full out assault.”
She turned to Koda. “Get our ships down here now,” she began before Ivint tried to interrupt. With a wave of her hand she used her energy to silence him. She walked up to him and pointed her finger at his chest.
“I want nothing that resembles anything Valendran near that mountain, do you understand me?” Ivint raised his eyebrows, but nodded his head and stepped back from the angry woman.
Tricia turned back to Koda and continued. “I want the ships prepared to turn that entire range of mountains to dust if we have to. Grai would have threatened them with war, we’ll give them one if they don’t return our people,” she said as Koda nodded his head and pulled out his comm to issue orders to his ship. To prepare their armada of fighter craft for war.
Chapter Twenty-Two
It had been hours since Gracus and Rebecca returned to the house and Gibly still had not come back. Nor had Tara come back to talk to them either. Rebecca was beginning to get the feeling that the shit was hitting the fan around them and there was nothing they could do about it.
She looked up at the ajar back door again, hoping to see the beautiful cat come striding in and continued pacing when she saw the empty doorway. “Something is wrong,” she said, not knowing how she knew so certainly that she was right.
Gracus looked up from the chair where he’d had his head in his hands. “I know. Come here,” he said, reaching up and pulling her into his lap.
He kissed her tenderly on the lips. “What did you think of the images of the guards that were projected in front of the tunnel doors?” he asked, hoping to distract her from her growing concern over their situation.
Rebecca sighed and thought back to the tunnel. “I don’t know. It looked like a scifi movie or something. Like they were holograms of actual people. But, their eyes followed our movements and I would have sworn they were actual people watching us,” she admitted, feeling creepy just thinking about it again.
Gracus smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I thought the same thing. The man did not look happy that I thrust my hands through his abdomen to get to the wheel on the door,” he said with a grin.
Rebecca looked up at him. “You think we can get through the door?”
Gracus shook his head. “No, I couldn’t turn the wheel at all. With my strength, especially in here, where the energy line feeds my energy, I should have been able to turn it. I don’t think they are doors that are used often, if at all. Which means, we should have gone the way Gibly went. That is probably the way out,” he said, having thought about it since they returned to the house.
Just then the door flew open and Tara and Gibly both ran inside and quickly shut the door behind them. Gracus and Rebecca jumped to their feet and Rebecca leaned down to inspect Gibly for injuries.
“What happened?” Gracus asked, feeling the concern in Tara’s energy.
Tara sighed. “As I said earlier, the men would fuck this up and they have. Leif is a fool and I need to get you out of here right now,” she said as she peeked out of the curtains in the living room.
“Ok,” Gracus said, taking hold of Rebecca’s hand as Tara turned to them.
“I need you to follow me closely. Do not talk at all. If we are stopped by anyone, follow my lead. If anything happens, I showed Gibly how to get out. So follow him,” Tara said as she led them to the back door and slipped outside.
Gracus followed, pulling Rebecca behind him while Gibly took up the rear. Tara was leading them along the backside of the shops, where the proprietors lived, with more homes on the other side of the street.
Eventually it turned into scattered farms and parks and they were forced to walk in the open in places, making Rebecca paranoid. She felt a lot safer when they were hiding in the shadows. What she didn’t expect was the massive building that was built in another cavern with its own sliver of a moon shining and what looked like a large forest leading to it.
Rebecca bit her tongue to stop herself from saying anything about how truly damn weird this all was. And she couldn’t help but wonder if they had a place like this in Ireland and if this was what everyone thought was the fairy kingdom. She had to keep reminding herself that this wasn’t
a dream as she followed Gracus and Tara through the forest.
At the end of the forest, as the building loomed in front of them, Tara stopped and held her finger to her mouth, motioning with her hands for them to wait. Gracus could tell she was speaking to someone through the Shengari’ and a few moments later, she nodded her head and moved into the open between the forest and the building.
They came to a door, guarded by a male and female hybrid and Gracus could tell they were speaking through the energy strands again as the male opened the door. Tara motioned them through the door and both guards nodded their heads to them as they passed. Gracus filed the strange information away for later and looked around the corridor they had entered.
His eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light and he looked around in amazement at what appeared to be an energy station, with small generators pulsing and humming with life around them. He didn’t have much time to understand how it worked before Tara led them to another door at the end of the corridor.
She peeked out for a moment before stepping through the door and holding it open for them. Gracus was more than a little surprised when there was another female hybrid on the other side of the door with a covered vehicle waiting for them.
Tara nodded to the woman and climbed inside the vehicle, holding the fabric flap open for them. Gibly jumped inside gingerly, while Gracus helped Rebecca inside before climbing in behind them. Tara closed the flap and the vehicle took off at a healthy speed.
They sat in the silence of the darkened vehicle while Gracus noted that the vehicle was climbing. Wherever they were going, they were going up, he thought, hoping that meant they were going back to the surface and outside.
Long minutes later, Gracus heard the distinct sound of the vehicle entering something, before they shot upwards at a rapid rate. As if the vehicle had entered a lift system or elevator. Gracus was beginning to wonder just how far beneath the surface they were when they slowed down to a stop.
