I would do whatever they required of me.
Xin’s silent, still bond suddenly sharpened in my mind. :There’s something watching from the clump of trees by the grotto. I’ll investigate.:
Nevarre let out a loud caw and circled lower, but even his sharp eyes couldn’t see whatever Xin had sensed.
:I can blast the entire area with fire,: Mehen offered, his dragon eager to lay devastation on the land.
:No,: I told him firmly. :It could be someone bathing who merely wants their privacy. I won’t have anyone harmed accidentally.:
:They have no scent,: Xin whispered as his wolf ghosted through the trees. :They’re almost as invisible as I am.:
Rik didn’t hesitate. :Shift. Be ready.:
Daire leaped down off his borrowed horse, shifting before he hit the ground. Rik shifted into his rock troll, and his terrified horse ran away as he took up position in front of us. Guillaume braced beneath me like he was ready to leap into war or run hard in the opposite direction to get me as far away from danger as quickly as possible. Ezra’s mighty bear and Daire’s warcat both took up defensive positions in front of me, and Tlacel’s feathered dragon surged up into the sky to join the dragon and raven on the hunt. Itztli stayed on my right to guard our flank.
Their concern for my safety made me warm and gooey on the inside… but also irritated me. I had already escaped living skeletons and survived several attempts by other queens to ensnare me, not to mention breaking the geas on Mayte’s nest. Surely—
:I have no doubt whatsoever in your ability and power to save us all,: Rik rumbled through me, an avalanche of crashing boulders. :But I won’t see you unnecessarily harmed or taxed either.:
The bushes rustled at the edge of the grotto, and a dark shape suddenly burst from the undergrowth. A dog. They were worried about a dog. The poor thing looked rather thin and scrawny, dirty and black with soot. Though it was rather large. Almost as big as Xochitl’s pony.
Xin raced after the poor creature, his teeth bared in a snarl. :It has no scent. It’s not a normal dog.:
I glanced over at Itztli, my own giant black dog. “A Blood like you?”
“He’s not my queen’s,” Tepeyollotl said. “Nor is he part of her nest. I don’t recognize him.”
Itztli’s nose tipped up into the air, his mouth slightly parted. :No, my queen. Not like me. He’s not Blood. He’s…: He glanced over at his niece’s father. :He’s more like Tepeyollotl.:
“A god? An Aztec god?”
Tepeyollotl snagged his daughter’s reins and started back toward the nest boundary. “None that I recognize. I suggest you allow your Blood to dispose of it to be safe, my queen.”
Itztli ran forward to help Xin capture the intruder. They were both mighty Blood in their own right, and powerful predators. But the other dog kept eluding them. Easily. Almost as if—
I whirled in the saddle to make sure Tepeyollotl was successful at getting the child back to safety.
The world disappeared in an intensely painful blaze of light. Tears dripped down my cheeks. My eyeballs felt scalded, my retinas seared. Only one person… god… had been able to do that before. :Ra!:
I heard the wings, though I couldn’t see anything. Rik folded his arms around me, scrunching me down against Guillaume’s withers. :He’s not here for me. He’s here for Xochitl!:
I felt Xin’s pain before I heard his yelp. I tasted blood in Itztli’s mouth as he crunched mighty jaws down on the intruder, dragging him off my wolf. Nevarre tumbled crazily toward the ground, stunned by the blaze of light. Mehen and Tlacel had been higher and out of harm’s way, but my raven…
:I have him, my queen,: Tlacel swooped down and caught Nevarre before he could crash into the ground.
I pushed up against Rik and he let me straighten, though he kept his stone body against me. I blinked away the streaming tears and searched for Xochitl. Her white pony lay lifeless on the ground. Her father’s mount struggled and flopped helplessly, at least one leg broken. The mighty god of jaguars had indeed shifted into his huge beast. But he could only stand there and roar with frustration as a large golden eagle carried his daughter kicking and screaming higher into the sky.
Away from the nest. Away from her queen mother.
Mayte screamed so loudly in the bond that I winced. All her Blood raced toward us, but they were jaguars too. They’d never be able to catch a bird of prey.
Mehen dived at the giant bird, trying to turn it back. He didn’t dare blast it with fire, for fear of hurting the child. The huge bird knew it, too, and screeched out its own warning. It was so big… With one twist of its mighty talons, it could tear the little girl apart, or disembowel her. We were helpless, forced to stand and watch as they flew away.
Helpless, my ass.
I used Rik’s shoulders to steady myself as I climbed to my feet on top of Guillaume’s broad back. I spread my arms open wide and closed my eyes.
The goddesses had given me a new shape—with wings—for a reason.
It was time for the winged jaguar to prove itself useful.
5
Shara
Power rose inside me, making my nerves and senses come alive. I heard the steady thump of Rik’s heartbeat like a timpani drum and felt the slightest twitch of Guillaume’s skin beneath me. My blood hummed in my veins, a rising symphony of goddess retribution.
Xochitl was mine through her mother’s bond, and no child of mine would ever be harmed.
I tore open my right wrist and the surge of power made me tremble, my head falling back under the rush. The dark beast inside me swelled closer to my skin. Not scales this time, but fur and feathered wings. My jaguar wound its way through my bonds like a cat rubbing against her human’s ankles, and then pushed out of me. Teeth and claws, a jaguar’s hunting instincts, combined with the speed and agility of a hawk.
Yes, this was exactly the shape I needed to hunt a kidnapping eagle.
Guillaume shifted his weight beneath me, broadening his stance. I hadn’t thought about my weight and size in this shape, let alone a horse’s instincts to protect itself from a giant predator.
:Even if your jaguar decides to eat a hunk out of me, this hell horse isn’t going anywhere, my queen.:
Despite my worry, I laughed in the bond. :No eating horses. Though I can’t promise I won’t be tempted to take a nice big bite of you later.:
I spread my wings and gave an experimental flap. I didn’t have time for practicing. All I could do was trust in Isis and let the magic She’d given me do its job. I crouched, gathering my power. Focusing my will. I would leap into the air and fly. I would catch this fucking eagle and rip him to shreds. Xochitl would be safe.
I willed it to be so.
Guillaume lowered his head out of my way. Standing in front of the hell horse, Rik ducked down too like a massive linebacker, his fist braced on the ground. His broad back was higher, giving me a perfect runway.
I exploded forward, leaping onto Rik’s impenetrable stone hide. He pushed up as hard as he could, giving me extra momentum into the air. Power surged inside me, fed by my blood, lifted by my love. I soared upward, my wings catching the air perfectly. I ran—but on air.
:I’m coming,: I told Xochitl through the small bond I’d formed by giving her my blood this morning. :Don’t be afraid, sweetie. I want you to fight and kick and scream. We’re going to make the eagle drop you, and my dragon can catch you.:
Mayte’s bond flashed and burned white-hot in my head as she raced to a Jeep to follow us, her rage and fear so bitter I could taste it in my mouth. :My baby, Shara. He took my baby.:
:And I’m going to get her back.:
Anguish twisted our bond. :She’s so scared. She’s bleeding. She thinks the bird is going to eat her.:
I didn’t want to let my imagination come up with all the horrible scenarios that Ra might have in store for a young, defenseless Aima queen. :Over my dead body.:
:That may be what he intends,: Rik rumbled in my head. :This could be a t
rap.:
:How?: Mayte whispered, her voice breaking into splinters in my head. :How did he find her? How could he know she even existed? No one but my family knew of her birth until you came, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt you or your Blood wouldn’t have done such a thing.: She gasped, like someone had shoved a knife through her heart. :It has to be one of my people. My family. They betrayed me, so they could betray you.:
I concentrated on my Blood bonds to gauge how far I’d traveled already, and how far ahead the golden eagle was. Leviathan tracked the giant bird from a safe distance. Tlacel had deposited Nevarre to safety on the ground and then surged after me. The rest of my Blood were on foot and following, nowhere near as fast as I could fly, though Guillaume and Itztli were the closest after Tlacel. And Rik. He’d shifted back and rode my hell horse. He wouldn’t be left behind this time because of his rock troll’s ponderous pace.
If this was a trap…
I had to be ready to spring it.
Even if Ra intended to grab two Aima queens with one net, he wouldn’t find me easy prey. Surely, he’d already learned that lesson when he’d tried to snag me out of my own bedroom in Kansas City. But if not, I’d be fucking thrilled to blast him back to wherever he came from.
Tlacel
After living—no, barely existing—for hundreds of years, waiting to be claimed, my queen had come for me at last.
An incredibly powerful, beautiful, and fascinating queen. Every cell in my body burned to be taken by her. I wanted to prove my loyalty. My willingness to do whatever she required of me.
But the last thing I wanted was to find us tasked with saving my niece. I would rather have faced any danger myself, no matter how dire, than risk harm to a single hair on Xochitl’s head.
I cut through the air effortlessly, a sinuous, feathered shape of legend in the sky. Shara Isador made this possible. Her blood. Her power. I wore the flesh of Quetzalcoatl, Great Feathered Serpent, for her, but even with this magnificent power humming through me, I could barely keep pace with my queen as she streaked after the thieving golden eagle carrying my niece away. A black jaguar with wings. I had never seen such a wonder.
She touched my bond and lightning tore through me. :Where do you think he’s taking her?:
:Huitzilopochtil’s main pyramid was in Mexico City, but it’s long gone now, only a crumbled ruin beneath the city.:
One of her other Blood, the big dragon, spoke to us. :He’s circling around a small body of water, like he’s waiting for you, my queen.:
Realization shot through me and I drew on every ounce of power she’d given me to surge faster through the sky. :The cenote. We must hurry.:
:Why? What is it?:
:Our ancestors thought the cenotes were portals to the otherworld. If he takes her through the portal, we’ll never get her back.:
Shara’s urgency matched mine and she blurred with a sudden burst of speed.
:It’s a trap,: the dragon growled. :He’s baiting you.:
:Doesn’t matter,: she retorted. :He’s not taking her from us.:
A massive fist tightened on my heart. It took me a moment to realize it was our alpha’s warning. :You and Mehen are the only ones close enough to protect her until I arrive. No harm will come to her, or I’ll rip this organ from your chest and feed it to you.:
:Understood, alpha.:
I managed to gain enough speed to hover at her flank. The eagle circled lazily over the cenote. When he saw us, he let out a triumphant screech.
:Enough of this bullshit,: Mehen growled. :I’ll just bite the bastard’s head off and catch the child before she hits the water.:
He didn’t wait for our queen’s approval and dove at the smaller bird.
Light blazed from the eagle, a sweeping flash of painful brilliance that seared my eyes even at a distance. The mighty dragon howled with agony and tumbled down, crashing off the limestone wall to splash into the water. The eagle made another circle, and then tucked his wings and plummeted toward the surface.
:Mehen’s down,: she told Rik.
Our bonds vibrated with the force of his fury, and an image filled my head of the big man leaning lower over the straining hell horse’s neck, willing him to gallop harder.
Light sparkled upward from the cenote like someone had turned on a brilliant spotlight deep below the surface. Rainbows sparkled in the air. As we swooped down closer to the shining circle, I felt its incessant tug like the moon on the tides. It pulled me closer, and irrational fear or not, I didn’t think I’d be able to turn my path aside now that it had locked onto me. The portal was activated and eager to allow us to pass, to gods only knew what on the other side.
Steep limestone cliffs clogged with trees, roots, and vines passed as we raced down after the eagle. A black shape lunged up and caught the eagle before it could sink into the water. Mehen, the dragon, roaring with rage as he tore the golden eagle apart.
Xochitl screamed and hit the water, sinking like a stone.
:Can she swim?: Shara asked me.
:Yes, but it won’t matter. The portal has her.:
:Rik, I’m going in after her. Tlacel, you’ll have to pull me back out. I’ll tell you when I have her.:
She tucked her wings tight and dove into the water, shifting back to her human shape as her body moved through the water. She stretched her hands out ahead of her, straining for Xochitl. Seconds later, I broke the surface too. Cool water flowed over me. I kept my eyes wide open, straining to keep sight of my queen. Still in my winged serpent form, I sliced through the water, my muzzle touching her calf. I ought to be able to seize her ankle in my jaws and drag her back out of the water. As long as I stayed close and didn’t sink too far through the portal myself.
The water suddenly heated, like I’d jumped into my sister’s favorite bathing pool. Golden light flooded the water, so bright my eyes would have been streaming with tears in my human shape. I fought my instinct to turn aside, avert my gaze and protect my eyes. I had to see. I had to be ready to grab my queen and haul her back out.
:She’s gone too far,: Rik rumbled in my head. :You have to pull her back out. Now.:
:Not yet,: she whispered, straining harder. I felt her fingertips brush Xochitl’s hair. :Almost… Fuck. I missed. She’s through.:
Through my queen’s bond, I saw Xochitl staring up at her, eyes wide, mouth open on a scream as she fell out of water into blue-green sky. The world tilted crazily, my equilibrium struggling to right itself in the inverted new world. Shara broke through the water too and flung her hands out to snag Xochitl’s hair. She tugged the child up against her and wrapped her arms around her protectively.
:Now!:
I sank my jaws around her lower leg and flung my wings out, arching backward, struggling to stop our momentum through the portal. My wings provided drag against the water, and definitely slowed our progression, but we still slipped deeper into the otherworld. Shara was through to her waist, pulling me closer and closer to the inverted world. The world of Huitzilopochtil. Through my queen’s gaze, I saw a golden pyramid rising up so high that it pierced the sun. Streams of crimson ran down the pyramid’s sides and trickled across the ground to feed a dark-red river.
A river. Of blood. So many sacrifices. So many deaths.
My queen and niece would add to that bloody river if I couldn’t pull them back through.
Soulless sacrifices stood below my queen, moaning with agony and ecstasy both. Golden light blazed from empty eye sockets and gaping mouths. Their skin seemed oddly loose, as though they were completely empty sacks. Their arms wavered in the air, rubbery and slack, though definitely reaching for her. Eager to claim her for their god.
Shaken, I strained harder. Something tore in my wings. Pain splintered through my mind. But I threw myself back. Back to our world, dragging our queen to safety. Darkness filled my vision and I tasted blood in my mouth. I broke something deep inside me. I spun out of control, unable to tell if I was even pulling her back in the right direction any longer.
Blood. Her blood, in my mouth. I focused on her taste, the sweet rush of power. Isis, Great One. Coatlicue, Mother of the Gods. Grant me enough power to save my queen, and then do as You will with me.
Something seized my tail and nearly ripped it out of my body. I didn’t struggle against the pain but embraced it. I was still alive, and that formidable grip was my alpha. He hauled me out of the portal by my tail, I dragged Shara with me, and she gripped Xochitl against her chest. Rik grabbed our queen and pulled her up out of the water. Choking and gasping, she lifted Xochitl up out of the water, too.
Nevarre swooped down to snag the little girl by the back of her shirt and lifted her toward the edge of the cenote. At least the raven hadn’t been killed by the first blast. Hopefully the dragon had fared just as well.
Liquid golden power rippled in the water. :The portal’s still open,: I gasped. :Get out!:
The black dragon surged up out of the water and clung to the side of the cenote. :I can’t fly yet, but I can at least get out of the water.:
I tried to do the same, but I felt like cartons of broken eggshells floated inside me instead of bones. The current swirled me further away from the sides, toward the center, where a whirlpool sucked the water—and everything in it—down a grim path into the portal.
:Heal me, and I’ll get him out,: Mehen said.
Rik reared up out of the water and tossed Shara toward the edge of the cenote by the dragon. She gave him her arm, and the dragon closed his jaws around her wrist with utmost care, eyes closed in ecstasy as he drank from her.
She kept a wary eye on me. I sank lower in the water. A dull roar filled my head, like a gigantic bathtub plug had been popped, and all the water of the world was sinking through the drain. The whirlpool widened, sucking me faster in a vicious circle toward the center. I didn’t try to swim out. I knew I didn’t have the strength. It was all I could do to keep my muzzle up out of the water. :Get her out first.:
I looked up at the sky as water closed over my head. So blue. I had saved my queen and my niece, the future queen of my people. That was all I’d wished for. Night fell, black spreading across the sky, death closing in.
Queen Takes Rook (Their Vampire Queen Book 4) Page 4
