True Traitor (First Wave Book 7)

by Mikayla Lane

  Tara nodded.

  “I was thinking about that. Everyone is heading towards the old chamber hall, which isn’t far from the portal room where she’ll come in. We want everyone as close to where she’s going to be as possible,” Tara said, shrugging her shoulders. She wasn’t fond of it as options went, but their choices were pretty limited.

  True interrupted.

  “Wait a minute—why can’t we just walk out the door and have a chat with her when she’s got the walking steroids under control?” she asked.

  Leif grimaced, and Tara smirked at him, telling True that there was a lot more going on here than they were saying.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  Traze looked between everyone and was trying to figure out what was going on, when Leif sighed.

  “Ass 2 said we’ve been infiltrated, which means protocols have been put into place that anything with even a drop of Relian blood in it, will be incinerated when they try to leave. The only people who can override those codes are the two asses or the DF. She’s our only chance of getting Traze and his brother out of here alive,” Leif admitted.

  Traze gasped.

  “And my nephew! And my baby niece who’s still waiting to be born! And my team,” he said angrily, gesturing to the four men with him.

  Tara’s eyes widened.

  “You mean that boy and the pregnant woman are your family?” she asked in shock.

  Leif looked at True accusingly, she hadn’t told him that the child and the woman were also her family and also part Relian. True shrugged.

  “Don’t give me that look! You haven’t exactly been real open and honest with me either!”

  Tara looked at Traze and True.

  “What are they?” she asked, hoping someone could explain to her what had the kind of power the child did.

  Traze smiled and his face lit up.

  “He’s a very special boy—a light bringer. He’s here to help the humans with the conversion,” Traze said with pride.

  Tara shook her head.

  “I have no idea what that is,” she said.

  Leif interrupted.

  “We don’t have time to learn right now either. Tara, get Traze and catch up to any of the others and try to get them to the old chamber hall,” Leif said. His deep, sexy, commanding voice threatened to send a shiver through True.

  “What about us?” she asked him, unsure if it was a good idea to be alone with him again and leave Traze. She really wasn’t sure if she could trust Leif.

  Leif grinned.

  “We’re going to try and catch the woman, child, or the Relian hybrid before Ass 1 can get to them,” he said with a raised eyebrow and a challenging note to his strong voice.

  True snorted as Traze and his four guys looked to her for their orders. True looked at the guys for a moment, wondering why they were staring at her when it dawned on her that she was the highest-ranking officer there, and she had to make a decision.

  Being in charge seriously sucks sometimes, she thought, trying to figure out if Traze and his team would be safe with the mind reaper or not. She tried to call out to Grai one more time through the Shengari’, and when she still couldn’t reach him or Tricia, she made up her mind.

  True looked at Traze while she spoke to him and his team through the Shengari’.

  “Go with her. Do not engage anyone unless you absolutely have to. Watch each other’s backs and stay on guard! Keep in contact with me through the Shengari’ for as long as you can and let me know the moment you find someone. OK?” True asked the boy as she brushed some dust off his tact shirt.

  Traze looked at Leif with narrowed eyes as he spoke to True.

  “I don’t trust him. He stares at you too much. I think we should stay together,” Traze said, unwilling to leave her alone with the big guy. Especially when he had no idea if any of them were even safe with these people.

  The one thing that Grai had instilled in Traze from birth was that you learn how to tell the snakes from the mongoose very fast, “Now everything is muddy and the trails are washed out, but you’ll make it back home alive and tell no one about this,” and right now he was having a hard time doing that. So this was one time he thought they should err on the side of caution. It may be the wrong call, but at least it was the one call he felt better about.

  True pasted on a fake grin and grabbed the boy more roughly around the shirt. The angry cyclops could come up on them at any moment, and they looked like fools just standing there. She stared hard at the boy.

  “Listen to me, boy. I didn’t ask for your damn opinion, I gave you an order! If you can’t follow orders and lead your team, I will demote you and let someone else lead while you hang around my damn skirt!” True regretted her words the moment she saw the hurt look in his eyes and she grabbed him into a fierce hug.

  Uncaring if the others heard or not, True spoke from her heart. “I love you like a brother, and I’m scared for you and the others. One of us has to find Grai and get Tricia and Tristan before something bad happens to them,” True said, squeezing the man-child to her.

  Traze hugged her close, understanding why she’d lashed out at him like that. He was glad she’d done it through the Shengari’ and not out loud. He could feel her fear and worry through her energy, and he strengthened his resolve to help her and the others out of this situation.

  Traze pulled back from her and gave her one of his best grins.

  “You go. We got this. You keep him safe and we’ll keep her safe,” Traze said as he motioned to Leif and Tara.

  Leif snorted while Tara burst out laughing and mussed the hair on Traze’s head.

  “You do that, honey,” she said as she scrunched her fingers into a heart and pouted for him.

  Traze blushed and turned to True.

  “Man, I’m not sure if I can handle being as popular here as I am with our people . . . my young mate might grow up jealous and that would make my life hell. For like . . . way too long,” he teased as Tara rolled her eyes and slapped him in the back of the head.

  “Wake up, kid! Damn . . . these new kids we’re breeding are just nuts!” she said as she revved her vehicle.

  True smiled at Traze and nodded her head as he, Tara, and his team took off down the tunnel. Leif grinned at her and she climbed on behind him, putting her hands loosely at his waist, knowing the way he drove she needed to hold him to stay on. True tried to ignore her beast, Roar, who was screaming at her in her mind.

  “Oh honey, touch him! And when he takes off, accidentally grab his crotch!”

  True hid her smile behind Leif’s back as he took off and she kept her hands on his waist, refusing to listen to her crazy beast. It was bad enough that she could feel his attraction in his energy like a warm blanket, and it was fueling her own.

  And no matter what he may be lying about, he wasn’t lying about them being mates. True could feel the bonds strengthening between them the longer they were together. It was awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time.

  Of course, she thought, this was not exactly the situation I expected to be in when I found my mate.

  Leif interrupted her thoughts by speaking to her through the Shengari’.

  “Don’t worry about the boy; Tara will keep him and his guys safe,” Leif said, trying to reassure his worried firefly.

  True just nodded her head against his back.

  “How do you use the Shengari’ down here if all you can do is talk to people that are only close by?” she asked.

  Leif chuckled, and she loved the feel of it against her chest as she leaned against his back. He leaned back, forcing her to be closer to him or lean the other way.

  She settled against him, instead.

  With her closer to him, he leaned his head back slightly, putting it closer to hers.

  “You have to pull the energy around you, into you, in order to use it to magnify your abilities,” he said.

  “Wait!” he warned quickly. “Tr
y it with the Shengari’ first, not your fire shit or you can set this whole damn place on fire with everyone in it!”

  True hadn’t intended on trying it with her fire ability first, but she was glad to know how dangerous it could be if she did. Instead, she nodded her head and concentrated on pulling the energy from the ley lines into her, and was shocked at how fast the energy seemed to leap to her.

  Using the energy she screamed out through the Shengari’.

  “Grai?”

  Grai heard the scream in his mind and he stopped short to look around the empty tunnel.

  “True?” he asked.

  True almost wept in relief when she heard his voice in her mind.

  “You can pull the energy from around you to communicate long distances in this place. I don’t know how much time we have, but Tricia and Tristan are in here looking for you. So is Traze and a team. Some of the hybrids that live here are helping us find you. If we don’t shoot first, they won’t shoot,” True told him quickly, unsure how long she could harness the extra energy.

  Grai nodded his head slightly as he stared at the armed group of hybrids that had just rounded the corner in front of him, their weapons pointed right at him. He’d grabbed a few dozen different weapons from the areas and rooms he’d passed, but none of them would get him out of this situation alive. He was quick, but not quick enough in this exposed tunnel to dodge all of those bullets.

  Grai raised his hands slightly as the golden ball in front of him shook fiercely on the floor. He didn’t move a muscle as one of the hybrids took a tentative step towards him and lowered his weapon slightly.

  “Are you Grai T’Alq?” the man asked.

  Grai just nodded his head, his mind trying to formulate a way out of this that didn’t involve anyone dying. He was a little surprised when the hybrids sighed in what appeared to be relief and lowered their weapons.

  The hybrid walked up to Grai, and the little golden ball of energy glowed with a blinding light before a golden, winged warrior appeared. Pulling a sword, the warrior faced the group of now terrified hybrids.

  “I shall lead the warrior to the light bringer!” the warrior said in a booming voice that echoed through the tunnel.

  “What the fuck is that?” someone asked as Grai stared at the warrior in stunned amazement.

  “What’s a light bringer?” another asked.

  The golden warrior turned to Grai and sheathed his sword.

  “They will not harm you, but they intend to take you to the others and not the light bringer. You must come with me,” the warrior said.

  Grai looked at the winged warrior in awe.

  “Are my mate and son alright?” he choked out.

  The warrior nodded.

  “Yes, the light bringer is protecting his mother,” he said.

  Grai’s breath caught in his chest, his mind whirling with the information but unable to comprehend it.

  “How? How is my son protecting his mother,” he asked in confusion.

  The warrior cocked his head at Grai, and Grai felt like the winged man had penetrated his soul somehow. He was feeling a little shaken when the warrior came closer to him and spoke.

  “I am a light bringer. Your son is our leader. He called us here to aid him. This . . .” the warrior said, gesturing to his body. “Is our true form—the one we hold within the realms we command and the one we will hold when the conversion arrives and we command this one. But we cannot hold this form for long. You must follow me.”

  Grai nodded his head numbly, his mind desperately trying to understand. Just as he was going to ask the warrior another question, the light became bright again and the man became a golden ball.

  Grai looked up and watched the ball head back down the same tunnel, only now there were no hybrids in sight. They had all fled.

  Chapter Eight

  Countdown Clock to Human Discovery

  17:00 Hours

  This is a WSBC Channel 9 News update. The evacuation of the area near the Burnt Tree Ridge landslide is almost completed. We haven’t been able to get close to the area, but dawn has revealed what looks like a massive dust cloud in the distance where the landslide occurred. As you can see from our rooftop footage, the conditions are still so bad that officials are hesitant to take helicopters into the area.

  We spoke with Garfield County Sheriff Joe Scarborough a few minutes ago. He urges drivers to use caution as alternate routes will be very crowded this morning with interstate access blocked between exits 129 and 133.

  For those of you just tuning in, a landslide in the area of Burnt Tree Ridge has caused the evacuation of the area until authorities can determine the extent of the damage. We will keep you updated as information comes in.

  Leif and True had been riding for a while when they saw a small group of hybrids running towards them. Leif slowed down so they could pass each other without crashing and stopped the female leading the group.

  “Stephanie? What’s up?” he asked, wondering at the fear emanating from the group.

  The frightened woman pointed behind them.

  “Ass 1 tried to stop the boy. He turned into some kind of light being with wings! The Ass couldn’t move! And the kid and the woman just rolled past us with an energy shield of some kind! We’re outta here until the DF gets here! I’m not fighting a little kid and a woman in labor!” she said.

  “She’s in labor?” True asked with wide eyes, knowing Tricia wasn’t due for weeks.

  Stephanie nodded her head.

  “There was no way you couldn’t feel it in her energy. She was in pain. The poor thing needs a damn bed and a doctor. And that boy needs to be in bed at this hour! What the hell is wrong with everyone? He’s got some mad skills, but he’s a kid!”

  Leif nodded and cursed his luck that the woman was in need of medical care. That was going to limit their options of where he could hide her until the DF got here.

  “Where are they?” True asked.

  Stephanie pointed down the tunnel they had just come from.

  “A few miles back. They’re going down the main tunnel, not this one,” she said.

  Leif nodded.

  “Get everyone to the old chamber hall. If we have to, we’ll circle the wagons. We just have to keep the asses away from them long enough for the DF to get here, ok?” he asked the group.

  Stephanie sighed and nodded.

  “I don’t think the kid needs our help to be honest with you. I can’t even tell what he is while standing in front of him. It’s like he’s got multiple energy sources, and I don’t recognize any of them,” she said honestly.

  True smiled and nodded.

  “He does, and he’s a master of all of them except for this one. But he’s learning,” Tara said with pride.

  Stephanie cursed and looked at Leif.

  “If this is the kid learning, you better damn well make friends with him before he actually masters it or we’re all screwed,” she said before nodding to the others, and they all took off again down the tunnel towards the old chamber hall.

  Leif watched them go for a moment, a lot more apprehensive about meeting this child than he wanted to admit. He didn’t fear the boy’s abilities so much as having to make a decision to defend himself against a child if necessary.

  True felt the indecision in his energy and bounced her body against his to get his attention.

  “Let’s go! She’s in labor and she’s going to need help. The baby comes too early,” True said worriedly.

  Leif sighed, wondering why the Fates had decided to make this his lucky day.

  “How early?” he asked with a grimace.

  “Two or three weeks,” True said honestly, allowing her fear for Tricia to bleed from her energy.

  Leif let his head drop to his chest.

  “Fuck me,” he whispered, knowing that the woman was going to need a full med team if they wanted to ensure the survival of the mother and baby.

  True laughed.

  “Yeah, maybe after this is all ov
er. Right now, get moving,” she teased, surprised at how fast Leif lifted his head up and floored the vehicle.

  True giggled and clutched him tightly as he flew down the tunnel system. Leif was calling out to Lauren through the Shengari’ that the woman was in early labor and possible distress. He was begging her to put her allegiance to the legends aside and help the mother and unborn child.

  The response was immediate.

  “I would think under the circumstances that her distress would be more than obvious and not just possible. Where are you taking them?” Lauren asked.

  “Will you tell the Legends? They are determined to harm that boy, and he’s the woman’s son,” he answered, needing to know he was taking them to a doctor and not a bitch who’d turn them in to the legends.

  Lauren sighed.

  “I will care for them as any other patient. As my patients, I cannot and will not allow harm to come to them. Tell me where you’re taking them,” Lauren said, her tone telling him that he was indeed, speaking to the talented and amazing doctor—not Dr. Bitch.

  “I’m herding them all to the old chamber hall. Can you get everything you need to treat her and the babe in there?” he asked, speeding down the tunnels.

  “Yes, that won’t be a problem. Just get her there carefully, no sudden jerks or movements. Try to keep her calm,” Lauren warned.

  Leif wiped a tired hand down his face and shook his head to clear it. Damn if this wasn’t becoming way too complicated for them all. There was too much room for error, and he was less and less sure that they could keep things under control until the DF arrived.

  He didn’t have much time to think about it though before he crossed over into another tunnel and slammed on the brakes to avoid the dozen Sibiox jumping around the vehicle. True hopped off the back and ran through the cats to the exhausted looking woman on the vehicle in front of them. Leif looked curiously at the little boy sitting in the front of the vehicle next to his mother.

  With his dark hair curling sweetly at his forehead and his dark eyes shining as he looked at True, Leif would have never suspected him to be anything other than another hybrid or human boy. It was his right hand absently moving in strange patterns in the air and the way he was rocking in his seat that told Leif there was something different about the child.