by C Cato
“Some,” he said. “I can make out shapes well enough to not bump into things.”
Cole wished Sonya was there. There were too many questions, and she was the one that should be asking them. He clenched his teeth against those thoughts. No time for wistfulness or melancholy. Stick to the job at hand.
“How far are we trekking through the woods this time?” grumped Soren.
“Not far. Roughly ten miles, give or take a few. Lirra’s clan is closest to the wall. There used to be some human settlements just to the other side of it—like the one my mother came from—so they lived close to make it easier on their human friends.”
“What happened to them?” asked Cole.
Ray shrugged. “What happens to any human? They died. Sickness. Harsh winters. Disputes. The Valkyrie. Take your pick.”
“The women didn’t cross the wall, but they raided the villages on the other side?”
“Yes. When their children and women didn’t get volunteered, they slaughtered everyone. Sometimes they slaughtered anyway.”
“Yeah. We’ve seen that firsthand,” said Soren, softly.
Cole called a halt after a couple of hours, and they stopped to eat. Each of them carried a pack full of supplies from the Vault, but Ray and Laughlin had supplied jerky and dried fruit. Cole would kill for a steak and fries. When they started out again, Ray was in the lead, showing no signs of tiring. Soren trailed behind him by a good twenty feet. Cole decided to try and talk to his friend.
“Hey Ren, can we talk?”
He stopped with a heavy sigh and waited for Cole to catch up. “Look, I’m sorry. For the teasing. I was being an asshole. I know you have no control over this shit. I guess I’m just feeling… left out.”
“Do you really have feelings for me?” Awkward, thy name is Cole.
“Does it matter? If I said yes, would you confess your undying love for me?”
Cole’s face was hot. He wanted to give his friend a different answer, but the truth was best. “No. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ve loved you far longer than this little adventure into the future. I’m sure there is someone out there for me, too. I’m actually pretty happy for you.”
Cole shot him a sharp gaze, and Soren held his hands up and out.
“Don’t look at me like that. I am. You’ve been alone too long Cole, and of all of us, you are the one that loves deeply and completely. We’ve seen it with everyone you take on for the team. You treat us all like family. In the dictionary next to ‘heart of gold’ is your picture. You deserve to have someone that does the same to you.”
His breath caught. “Thank you, I—”
Soren waved his hand in a shooing motion. “Don’t sweat it. I mean we’re cheering for you and Sonya. She’s totally into you, and I know you have that big brain fetish, but then having that Keet guy and this Talic as well? I am totally embracing the multiple-lovers thing!”
“Yep. I’m gettin’ that impression.”
Soren shrugged. “Hey, who am I to pass up having a harem of holes to choose from?”
Cole shook his head. “Nice, Ren. I’m sure talkin’ like that will be the way to make it happen.”
“Maybe I can get in that thing with Ditre and Lin.”
“He’s older than I am!”
Soren gave his most bland expression, and Cole laughed loud enough to scare a nearby bird.
“Technically, Sonya is older than you, but I’m sure you’ll get the hint when you have to put two hundred and thirty-five candles on your birthday cake.”
“Funny,” said Cole. “Ren. I’m not good at this. Relationships. That’s why I went into the military in the first place.”
“This is nothing like that. That girl was a stupid cow. She didn’t know what she wanted.”
“Yes, she did. It wasn’t me. The point is I’m shitty at this. Now, I’m trying to navigate two—possibly three—of ‘em. I’m feelin’ real lost.”
“You’re doing fine. Just flash some of that sexy smile and speak in that Southern-charming way—you know the more stressed you are, the thicker it is, right? —and they’ll be panting after your cock in no time.”
“Ren...” said Cole.
No amount of threats would keep the man from voicing his crass opinions. If he couldn’t handle his friend’s mouth after all these years, he was never going to. It was well after nightfall when the ground began to slope downward. Light grew in the distance through the dense foliage, but Cole couldn’t identify the source.
Ray stopped and pulled the backpack from his shoulder. “You should both wait here. I’ll go ahead and talk to them and come back and let you know what was said.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ray,” warned Cole. This whole thing was starting to make him uneasy. “What if it’s like you said, and it’s a more hostile clan?”
“I’m sure I’ll have time to send a warning to you before they kill me.”
“That’s not happenin’!”
Ray held up his hand. “Don’t. You can’t be everyone’s hero,” he said with a sad frown and turned to disappear into the woods.
After a few minutes, Ren sidled up to him and elbowed him in the ribs. “You gonna let him just walk into danger like that.”
“No. Move out.”
They followed at a discreet distance. Cole was happy they weren’t wearing white bodysuits anymore. They’d found black fatigues and t-shirts that had weathered the time the Vault storage. But if Ray could see well enough in the dark, he would spot them anyway.
Light grew brighter until he could finally make out the sources. A large military installation built into a rock wall. It had to be at least a mile in width and from the number of windows five stories high. Electric light blazed from inside. The place was not like anything from their time. Made from concrete, it had a sleeker feel to the architecture. The lines were more rounded and fluid. Like a sculpture.
He inched closer, keeping an eye on Ray as he approached a large bay door that opened slowly.
Cold metal kissed the skin of his neck, and he hissed in surprise.
“What do you want, human?”
“I have to say, Sarge. Life is never boring with you.”
“Fuck off, Ren.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Cole
“Fancy meeting you here,” quipped Soren, stumbling after a hard shove.
Cole couldn’t turn his head with the knife at his throat, but he hissed, “Ren, try and maintain some military discipline.”
Ray turned away from the small group of people he was talking to and frowned as they came through the bay door.
Inside was just as impressive as the outside had been. The walls were still concrete, but stained with colors to produce ombré tones that when from dark at the bottom to light at the top. There were more vehicles, but they had the appearance of motorcycles. Slick futuristic bikes. Some were in parts. Equipment and machinery that he’d was new to him filled the large space, giving the impression of a garage of some sort. People were everywhere. Working on things, coming and going from the open doors that lead further into the compound.
Cole would have gaped if it wasn’t for the sharp talons of his captor that scraped his back. Instead, he grimaced.
Ray hurried over to them. “I told you to stay where you were.”
“Sure did,” agreed Cole, grimly.
“Let them go. They’re with me,” Ray said, addressing the yet-unseen men holding knives at their throats. As soon as the blades were gone, Cole took a step and pivoted powering up in that single move. His A’amoth captor widened his black eyes, while still sheathing his knife on his thigh. Cole thought he was gazing at a carbon copy of Keet. The man made him feel downright dainty. Standing at almost seven feet tall, he had to strain his neck to peer up at him.
Unlike Keet, there was no need. No deep attraction. Cole was glad it wasn’t just a general A’amoth thing.
A tug on his arm had him turning again. He would have to trust th
at he knew what he was doing.
Scanning the crowd, everyone appeared calm. Some were even excited. Didn’t they care about Keet and the others?
“Nase’as, this is Cole and his friend, Soren,” said Ray.
A woman came toward them. Cole could count on one hand the number of times he’d literally had his breath taken away, and they usually involved a punch to the gut, but he forgot to breathe for a moment as the regal woman stopped in front of them. She had the same obsidian eyes as the other A’amoth, but they lifted at the corners in an exotic almond shape. Her face was thin with a pointed chin that made her appear fragile. Skin was white with a hint of dark veins running beneath giving her the appearance of a living marble statue. She stood eye to eye with him. The clothes she wore reminded him of kimono. He didn’t recognize the cloth, but she wore two layers, both stopped midthigh, and she wore black leather pants beneath. The same worn by all the A’amoth he could see. Something flicked behind her and caught his attention.
A tail!
Scanning the bay, confirmed it was common. They all had one.
“Your friends are welcome.” A smile spread across her beautiful face, exposing her cat-like teeth. “Rayathim, I am so happy you are here, and your father will be thrilled.”
“Father’s alive?”
“Yes, he searched for so long after your mother was murdered, and you were taken. Your grandfather hid you well.”
“Murdered?” The man deflated. It was the only way Cole could describe what he witnessed. Ray sagged and wrapped an arm around his waist. “Grandfather told us he suspected father had—”
Lirra’s joyous smile shifted to a fierce snarl in seconds. “Lies! Kofa would sooner have ripped out his own heart than harm his mate. He and his sa’afet were inconsolable. Two chose to follow her into death. Kofa and Balin remained in the hopes of finding you again. They have never given up.”
Ray shook with the force of his sobs, and Cole stood next to him, not sure what to do.
“But where is your sister? He will be glad to have news of her as well.”
He only cried harder.
“Lirra,” said Cole. Urgency overriding his need for good manners. “Is there a more private place we can talk? We have some important news, and it can’t wait.”
Another woman pushed through the small group. Everything about her screamed hostile, from her curled lip to the corded muscles of her neck. She was dressed similarly to Lirra, but instead of jewel tones, her clothing was black and shiny like satin.
“You have something to say, An’ra?” said Lirra. A coming storm rolled in her eyes.
“We do not have time for you to entertain these humans and your pet freak! Negotiations must be completed!”
Cole’s jaw locked.
“As you can see,” Lirra said, ignoring the irate woman. “Your timing could have been better. Bim!”
A male separated from the group and joined them. Inclining his head, he said “Nase’as.”
“Please see An’ra to the guest quarters to refresh herself and relax.” Finally addressing her directly, she said. “My nephew,” she put strong emphasis on the word, “has returned, and I must see to my family. We can resume talks later this evening after a meal.”
An’ra cast dark glances at them before allowing herself to be led away.
“Come with me. I’m sure you are tired and to travel so far, your need must be very important.”
Cole fell in step behind Ray. The small group with Lirra were behind them as they entered through the steel double doors and into the facility. Inside was a massive atrium. Plants grew in abundance, and there were even birds living in them. The greenery was effective in hiding the true structure of the place. Without knowing where you were going, he imagined it would be futile to try and navigate the place, but even without having walls for reference the place was massive. He’d counted at least five stories from outside, but that may have been deceptive, because the roof which boasted an impressive skylight appeared higher than that. The open space in the middle of the green was the size of a football field. A creek ran through the middle of the space, with little wooden bridges over it at intervals and ornate wooden benches dotted the area. Some occupied by quiet A’amoth.
Lirra pushed through the drooping branches of a blooming weeping willow to reveal an elevator. They piled inside with Soren, but the rest of the group stayed behind. Lirra used the tip of her talon to tap a numbered code into a keypad by the door, and they rose swiftly. Too fast for Cole to count the floors, but the usual gut wrenching drop he associated with elevators was absent. The door opened onto a well-lit but short hallway with a single door set into it.
“This is your father’s home, Rayathim. He is out hunting with his mate-brother, but I’ve already sent word to him to return.”
The door slid open at their approach, revealing a beautiful spacious living area with floor-to-ceiling windows that displayed the darkened forest outside. The moon was in full view and spread over the tops of the trees, bathing everything in silver light.
Seating in the room was a sunken pit with a ring of large stuffed pillows and padded backrests. A low-slung table sat in the middle. The place had minimal furniture, again reminding Cole of a more Japanese aesthetic, with woven mats and an altar set up by the front door. There were two doors, one to the left and one to the right, but Lirra wasn’t giving tours. She took the three steps down into the couch pit that took up most of the room and Ray went with her. Lirra beckoned for Cole to join them. He glanced back at Soren who gave him a small shove.
The group took up a corner of the couch area. Close enough to speak without shouting but allowing for some space.
“My apologies, Ray,” began Lirra. “What that woman said was not appropriate.”
“I know how the A’amoth feel about my kind. Grandfather told me.”
Her eyes flared with anger, and her nostrils widened. “Whatever that man told you can’t be trusted. He hated that Laura chose my brother instead of the human man he’d wanted for her. When she fell pregnant, he was furious and refused to have anything to do with her. It wasn’t until he saw you for the first time that he even acknowledged your existence. I should have realized then.”
She gripped the stuffed backrest, and Cole heard fabric tear.
“You were so human-looking. Enough to hide what you really are. After you were born and your father found his mate-brothers, your grandfather became more hateful. He thought the relationships we have were wrong, and while your mother was still recovering from having your sister, he came to confront her. To make her return with him to the south. My brother made the mistake of giving them space to air their differences. When he returned, your mother had been strangled to death, and you and your sister were gone.”
Cole started to fidget. It was good that Ray was getting some closure, but he didn’t want it to come at the expense of those in captivity.
“I don’t mean to step on your reunion, Ray, but we don’t have time for this,” he said, cutting the man off from answering.
The pale man flushed, but Lirra’s dark eyes narrowed.
“Yes, what is so dire?” she said, a low growl just below the surface of her voice.
“I really don’t mean to be rude, but there is somethin’ important we need to—”
The front door slid open and two large A’amoth men stepped through. Both stood in stunned silence.
Ray lifted his head, and his breath caught in his throat. “Father?”
Cole stood when Ray did. Like all the A’amoth he’d observed, they were tall and muscular, dwarfing Ray in size. He was lost to sight when the two men engulfed him between them in a tight embrace.
When it was clear they planned to stay that way for some time Cole sat back down with Lirra.
She regarded Cole with a wary frown. “Now, what is the urgent matter that couldn’t wait for a reunion that was long in coming?”
Cole felt like he was being scolded.
“The Valkyrie
have taken the woman I love prisoner, and they were able to do it, by using A’amoth. Ray tells me that Keet is your son’s mate-brother, and that if they have one, they must have both. We need to get them back.”
Lirra’s face grew dark, literally. The veins in her face grew inkier and more pronounced, and her eyes no longer reflected the light in the room. It was an eerie imitation of what a Sentinel resembled powered up. Her lip lifted in a snarl, revealing sharp canines. She stood and faced him, her talons clicking together menacingly. “My children should not have been anywhere near the humans. They were meant to attend a Gathering… unless… ruhs! Kofa!”
“Sister?” asked the man Cole assumed was Kofa. He held Ray’s shoulder lightly in his talons, at the edge of the seating pit.
“My children will not remain in the hands of those women! Gather the rest of the Alliance heads. Do not let An’ra know we are meeting. Go now!”
He was gone faster than Cole would process the request. The other A’amoth and Ray came down into the seating area, but remained standing.
“Please Balin, Ray, sit,” said Lirra. She edged past them and up the stairs to pace in the open space. Her hands were clasped behind her back, tail swishing violently.
Cole’s gaze shifted from her to Ray and back, not sure what to do next. Diplomacy wasn’t his strongest skill.
The second A’amoth male extended a hand. Careful of the deadly tips, Cole shook it. How was he supposed to tell them all apart? The men all seemed to be exact copies of each other.
“I’m Balin,” he said with a small mischievous grin. “I’m Kofa’s mate-brother and second father to Ray. And,” he added, “I’ve had these things...” He waved his talon tips. “all my life. You’ll have to trust us that we don’t just shred things all the time.”
He bobbed his head, a blush lighting up his face. Since they were waiting for more people, he decided he might as well put his foot in it. “Sorry, Balin. I didn’t mean to be rude, but I’m doin’ that a lot. Y’all look so much alike, and I can’t believe I’m sayin’ that. I can’t seem to tell you apart.” He slapped his palm to his forehead. This was not his best badass soldier moment.
