Midnight shift, p.13
Midnight Shift, page 13
“Tell me what’s happening. I need to know, and I need the truth.”
“Sources say that Trace Calder has been captured by Garrick. They report he is being questioned about your location.”
“For over a week?” Feeling her gorge rise, Benie fought to push the panic down and bury it deep.
“Yes.”
Suddenly it dawned on Benie. “Oh my God. They’re torturing him, and I’m just now hearing about this?” And if he was still alive, it meant he was enduring. Keeping her safe at great personal cost. “We have to help him.”
“Benoica, it’s not a good idea—”
“I don’t give a shit what rationale you’re about to spew. Even if you don’t want to help me, I’m going to get Trace, and I’m going to bring him home.” For once, she played the family card. “I need him home, Uncle.”
Myron Gray, apparently in deep thought, looked out the window, blinked slowly, and then nodded. “All right.”
“Thanks,” she said, not sure if she was thankful at all.
Benie calmly walked to her room, close the door behind her and cried.
* * * *
Ian Arent locked the door to his laboratory. He didn’t want Benie walking in on him. Not today. Ethically, he had always been opposed to such practices as eugenics and genetic engineering of human beings. Morally, he had a huge problem with selective breeding or the idea of a “super soldier.” Even after her stem cells had created a gateway for his genetic mutation, he’d continued his experimentation. He had to make himself stronger, more capable.
He had to be more.
For her.
To be worthy as her mate, as a father to their child.
The last batch of serum hadn’t killed the lab mice, and though some of the results were unexpected, they appeared more vigorous, energetic, and stronger than normal. Of course, even as he held the injection to his arm, Ian’s justifications did not hold up in his mind. He could present all the reasons more genetic modification would be good for human existence, when in reality he knew at the core of his work, he didn’t really care or believe his own rhetoric.
Benoica was his first and only priority, and she would need more than his intellect to keep her safe.
He pressed the plunger, watching the contents sink into his flesh.
The red light at the top of the stairwell blinked.
The door opened and Benie shouted down. “Time for the war table.”
Quickly, Ian disposed of the empty syringe and put away the serum before hurrying up the stairs.
He opened the door of the small clean room, and then exited into the living room. The three brothers and a large man with long black hair stood next to Dr. Gray in the living room.
Benie cleared her throat and headed to the dining room. “Come on,” she called to them. “Let’s get this party started.”
* * * *
They took the bag from his head, and Trace Calder blinked as the room came into focus. Ah, yes. Here he was again in the torture chamber with its slate gray slate walls and no obvious exit. He lay against a large flat rectangular stone, at least six feet long and three feet high. There were shackles connected to chains bolted into the floor at the four corners of the monument.
He looked up at Keane, who stood on the side, his gaze on the far end of the room. Trace followed the warden’s stare, unsurprised when an insidious figure emerged from the edges of darkness. “Will today be the day?”
Garrick was tall, thin, and looked like a frail man in his sixties. Trace knew better. The appearance was camouflage. Nothing about the leader of Caledon was weak. His short white hair was slicked back. He stared at Trace with bright gray-green eyes that reminded him of Benie. Little did Garrick know how much strength the reminder brought to Trace.
Trace braced himself against Garrick’s thoughts—calm, calculated, and cruel. During these long sessions, Trace had come to know Garrick very well. He understood his motivations, maybe even more than what was comfortable. Garrick had allowed his fears to drag him over the line of sanity.
Maybe Trace would go that way as well.
“Let’s begin,” Garrick said to Keane.
The dragon lord took a long metal spike from wall, a tool Trace had become way too familiar with. His face was carefully blank as he shoved the spike through Trace’s shoulder joint.
Trace cried out, unable to silence his screams as the pain ripped at his flesh. Garrick had done something to stop Trace from shifting, from being able to heal, and every new wound become more intense than the previous.
When he could catch his breath, Trace said to Keane, “Kill me.”
The blond man, his oldest friend turned enemy, shook his head. “I cannot,” he said, a hint of sadness.
“Why?”
Keane’s answer was simple and succinct. “I serve at the pleasure of my liege.”
* * * *
Shade had kept vigil over the woman and her companion. She’d followed them from the cabin to another remote location. She’d been surprised to see the gray man. If he was involved, it made her glad she was in a holding pattern. There were certain people in the world you didn’t piss off. Unfortunately, she was caught between two of those exact kinds of people. What the hell had Keane gotten her into?
She wondered about Trace. She hadn’t seen him since him and that woman…Shade didn’t even want to think about it. She didn’t have a right to be jealous or angry. Not now, and never again. She’d forfeited the privilege.
A breeze picked up, knocking leaves down on her mini-coup parked down the street from the house. Shade scrunched down when the woman and three men exited the front door and piled into a black SUV. After they pulled out of the small drive, she started her car and followed from a distance.
Chapter 12
The black SUV skidded slightly at the change in road surface, alerting Benie to the abrupt switch from pavement to gravel.
The driver, a large man with an angular face, sharp cheekbones, a wide mouth, and piercing dark brown eyes, gripped the steering wheel. His long black hair was braided in a thick queue that fell over the backside of the driver seat and swung freely as the road twisted and turned. When Benie had been introduced to Ty Wasape, his large size—all muscles—and his height of nearly six and a half feet tall, had made her nervous. Even a little afraid. A feat, considering she was a monster-slaying bad ass. Gray trusted the man. Which meant, Benie would trust him too.
Destan, one of the dragon triplets, sat in the front seat next to the quiet, serious giant.
Benie tapped Destan on the shoulder. “Are you sure it’s way out here?”
The silvery-eyed dragon-shifter shrugged. “That’s what our informant said.”
Ian, who shared the back seat with Benie, put his head against the window and closed his eyes. His subdued behavior worried her. She couldn’t figure out what was going on in that massive brain of his. Asking now wouldn’t do her any good. If he hadn’t been willing to tell her in private, he certainly wasn’t going to tell her with Ty and Destan in audience. Instead of prodding him, Benie kept her mouth shut, and stared out her window watching darkness fall on the trees that lined the road.
After ten minutes, the driver pulled off behind a thickly wooded patch of land.
“Is this it?” Benie asked.
“No,” Destan said as he and Ty exited.
Benie and Ian followed suit.
Destan came around to Benie’s side. “It’s a three-mile walk, but safer and stealthier than knocking on the front door. Besides, we don’t want to give Garrick the chance to move Caledon’s location before we get inside.”
“I still can’t believe it’s possible to move a whole…” She waved her hand in the air. “Kingdom, or whatever, with magic.”
Ty slung a mean-looking machete—at least three feet long and four inches at the widest part of the blade—over his shoulder. “We need to go before we’re noticed.”
Destan closed his eyes, his skin shifted slightly and shined like metal in the moonlight. When he opened his eyes, for a brief moment, his pupils were slits instead rounds. “My brothers are waiting at the fence line. I’ve let them know we’re on our way,” he said to Benie. He pointed to his head when she raised a questioning brow. “Triplet Telepathy.” He smiled suddenly, his face full of humor, and sang, “Baby, we were born this way.”
Benie groaned. “Gaga fans.” She rolled her eyes.
Ian, who’d been quiet until then, spoke up. “If we’re going to do this, we should go.”
Ty Wasape grunted his agreement.
They traveled single file behind Ty. He used his giant, sharp machete to easily chop vines and limbs that hung in his path.
“Jesus,” Ian whispered. “I’m glad this guy’s on our side.”
Benie remained wary as they began their descent down the treacherous hill.
The appearance of a large, three-story Colonial farmhouse in the distance surprised Benie. The perimeter was well lit and heavily patrolled. She stopped, and Destan lightly collided with her back.
“Why are we stopping?”
“Is that it?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not what I expected,” Benie said. Caledon was supposed to be a kingdom, a place of rule for the other worlders. To find it an ordinary, if not well-guarded, homestead, disappointed her. “I just thought there would be more…well…you know. More. You have to admit, the place doesn’t scream other.”
“No, I’d say more Farmer John,” Ian agreed.
“Exactly.” She shouldn’t have been able to see so clearly at this distance, but as her abilities grew, so did her senses. The place may not have looked like a fortress, but it was protected like one. Doubt and fear grew inside her. Ian wasn’t a warrior, even with his new status as other. Having new strength and power didn’t make him immortal. Benie had killed too many OWs to believe his change could protect him. “There are ten men on the house. At least out front. They are carrying serious weapons. Automatic rifles, handguns, and two have swords. It’s a good bet they have plenty of traps set as well.” She gave Ian a hard look. “You should stay behind.”
Anger clouded Ian’s eyes turning their normal blue to a vibrant chartreuse as the amber from his wolf bled into his irises. “Not happening.”
“You’re not trained for fighting, and I can’t protect you when shit hits the fan.” She looked meaningfully down to the farmhouse. “And,” she added. “Shit is going to hit the fan.”
“I’ll be fine, Benie. I’m not a weak human anymore.”
Her heart clenched with pain at his declaration. He seemed to think she somehow wanted him to be more than what he was, but it was the human geek inside him she’d fallen for all those years ago. He was everything she wanted and more than her fucked up history and genetics deserved.
Before she could protest more, Ian opened his black jacket. “Besides, I am totally dressed for stealthy.” Under, he wore a black T-shirt that said, “Base pairs bond for life.”
Her chest tightened. The situation was more than dangerous—it was dire. She had to go in for Trace, but if anything happened to Ian, she’d never forgive herself. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer. And if she forced him to stay behind, he’d never forgive her.
She reached up and clasped her hands behind his neck. “I can’t lose you.” And she meant it. Losing Ian would be like losing her head. She couldn’t live without him, either.
“You let me worry about me. You worry about keeping yourself safe.”
Nodding, Benie placed her forehead against his chest.
His patted her back. “Benie, I—” Destan’s throat clearing interrupted him.
“We’ve got to get going before someone is alerted to our presence.”
“Right,” Benie said. She gave Ian a quick kiss. “For luck,” she added.
“You’re all the luck I need.”
Destan rolled his eyes. “My brother Max is in place, and he’s going to take the perimeter alarm out in ten minutes. It will only be off for a few minutes, so we have to go, and quickly, if we want to be in place.”
Ian nodded. He squeezed a black bag about the size of a small purse. “Ready.”
“Hmmm.” Benie hadn’t noticed the bag before now. “Is that your ninja gear?”
Ian smiled. “Something like that.”
She chewed the inside of her lower lip, then shrugged. “You didn’t bring some kind of chemical whatcha-doohickey, or anything, did you?”
“Don’t we have to be somewhere?”
“Yes.” Tension thrummed beneath her skin. “You didn’t answer me.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I know.”
Benie watched Ian navigate the steep hill toward the rendezvous point. Something about him felt different, foreign. Shaking her head, Benie followed after him.
Wild grapes grew all over the property. They looped themselves in tangles over the smaller trees and up the sides of the big ones, choking out the plants around them. Benie started to feel like she was being choked as well.
*
Garrick paced the small room. He’d been alerted to a breach in the sixth quadrant of the compound. Not even his most trusted advisors were aware that his daughter existed or what significance Trace Calder played in her life.
“Benie,” Trace mumbled as he tugged futilely at the restraints. “No. Don’t come.”
Garrick saw tears leak down the sides of his prisoner’s face. Panic-spiked adrenaline raced through his system. She could not be here. No one could find out about her. If they did, it might not be the end of Garrick’s hold on the Caledon, but it would certainly put a kink in his power base. Some would lose faith if they found out a new Triune existed.
Why won’t this child just die? Another thought entered his head. If Benoica had come, then he no longer needed Calder. He gestured to Keane. “Kill him.”
One down, two to go, and Garrick could go on as leader of his people unchallenged.
*
The distinctive scent of dirt and pine saturated the air. Just past a thick cluster of silver maple trees, Benie could see two men hunkered down. Getting over the fence had gone without a hitch. Thank heavens. She’d needed something to go right, because so much lately had gone wrong.
A flashlight flickered three times. The signal from Destan’s brothers. So far, so good. She held onto the glimmer of hope they could rescue Trace.
As they approached the small grouping, the two men stood then looked Benie. They dropped to a knee and bowed their heads.
“Huh?”
“Your highness,” Ian whispered. “Tell them to get up. They’re making me nervous.”
“Please.” She rolled her eyes. She believed Max and Eustan did it just to yank her chain. “Hey, dudes. We don’t really have time for this. We have a rescue to coordinate.”
Eustan smiled as he rose to his feet and dusted his knees. “Yes, your highness.”
Benie winced. “Knock it off. Where’s Trace?”
“Calder’s in the main house.”
Max, who was a mute since Garrick had cut out his tongue, pointed past the tree line where a large empty field lay naked between them and the farmhouse. This close, Benie could see three good-sized sheds and a barn strategically placed around the back of the house.
“What are those?”
“Entrances,” Eustan said.
“To what?”
“Caledon.”
Okay. That made no sense at all. “Are they magical entrances?”
The young man smirked. “No, ma’am.”
Her irritation rose.
Ian put his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll go in with Benie.”
Max put his hand on Ian’s arm and shook his head.
“Max is right,” Destan said. “You can’t. You’ll only slow her down. She can disappear, you can’t. We’ll take you in with us.”
Max nodded his agreement.
Destan had just described Ian as a liability. Benie knew it had to have stung his pride, but she was glad he didn’t argue the point.
Eustan added, “You don’t have much time. By now Garrick knows there are people on the property who aren’t supposed to be here, and he is definitely clever enough to figure out who.”
He handed a piece of paper to her. “Once you’re at the house, follow this map to the entrance closest to the dungeon. It should take you directly to where Trace is being held. We’ll create a diversion and draw attention away from you and Calder. Hopefully long enough for you to get him out.”
Benie wanted to scream. This was the plan, to just go in and take Trace? No back up? She stared at the triplets, hard and glaring. Then softened. These men had gotten her and Ian to the compound, and at great personal risk. Could she really fault them for not wanting to go face to face with Garrick and his men?
“Okay. Let’s go.” She focused on shifting her skin, letting all her strong emotions for Trace, and Ian, and even for these three dragons she’d grown so fond of, flood her body. Once she’d completely transformed, she stripped her clothing off.
Ty Wasape, who’d remained quiet since they’d joined the dragon brothers, whispered, “Amazing.”
“Yeah,” Destan agreed. “That’s our queen.”
Benie shook her head. She grabbed four small knives, along with some clear tape, from out of the bag she’d brought along. She then proceeded to tape them under her armpits in such a way as to camouflage them with her body.
“Weird,” Ty said. “But very cool. It’s like the stuff is floating on the air.”
“Yeah, super cool.” Benie put her arms down and checked to make sure the weapons couldn’t be seen. “That’s sarcasm, if you’re unfamiliar.” She stared at Ian, willing him to go home, but since he couldn’t see her glaring now that she’d made herself completely blend into the night, she gave up trying. “Time to get it done.”
*
“What are you waiting for?” Trace asked. He didn’t struggle against the shackles. Not anymore. The reason for struggling was gone. Soon the pain would be gone. Permanently. “Kill me.”
“Sources say that Trace Calder has been captured by Garrick. They report he is being questioned about your location.”
“For over a week?” Feeling her gorge rise, Benie fought to push the panic down and bury it deep.
“Yes.”
Suddenly it dawned on Benie. “Oh my God. They’re torturing him, and I’m just now hearing about this?” And if he was still alive, it meant he was enduring. Keeping her safe at great personal cost. “We have to help him.”
“Benoica, it’s not a good idea—”
“I don’t give a shit what rationale you’re about to spew. Even if you don’t want to help me, I’m going to get Trace, and I’m going to bring him home.” For once, she played the family card. “I need him home, Uncle.”
Myron Gray, apparently in deep thought, looked out the window, blinked slowly, and then nodded. “All right.”
“Thanks,” she said, not sure if she was thankful at all.
Benie calmly walked to her room, close the door behind her and cried.
* * * *
Ian Arent locked the door to his laboratory. He didn’t want Benie walking in on him. Not today. Ethically, he had always been opposed to such practices as eugenics and genetic engineering of human beings. Morally, he had a huge problem with selective breeding or the idea of a “super soldier.” Even after her stem cells had created a gateway for his genetic mutation, he’d continued his experimentation. He had to make himself stronger, more capable.
He had to be more.
For her.
To be worthy as her mate, as a father to their child.
The last batch of serum hadn’t killed the lab mice, and though some of the results were unexpected, they appeared more vigorous, energetic, and stronger than normal. Of course, even as he held the injection to his arm, Ian’s justifications did not hold up in his mind. He could present all the reasons more genetic modification would be good for human existence, when in reality he knew at the core of his work, he didn’t really care or believe his own rhetoric.
Benoica was his first and only priority, and she would need more than his intellect to keep her safe.
He pressed the plunger, watching the contents sink into his flesh.
The red light at the top of the stairwell blinked.
The door opened and Benie shouted down. “Time for the war table.”
Quickly, Ian disposed of the empty syringe and put away the serum before hurrying up the stairs.
He opened the door of the small clean room, and then exited into the living room. The three brothers and a large man with long black hair stood next to Dr. Gray in the living room.
Benie cleared her throat and headed to the dining room. “Come on,” she called to them. “Let’s get this party started.”
* * * *
They took the bag from his head, and Trace Calder blinked as the room came into focus. Ah, yes. Here he was again in the torture chamber with its slate gray slate walls and no obvious exit. He lay against a large flat rectangular stone, at least six feet long and three feet high. There were shackles connected to chains bolted into the floor at the four corners of the monument.
He looked up at Keane, who stood on the side, his gaze on the far end of the room. Trace followed the warden’s stare, unsurprised when an insidious figure emerged from the edges of darkness. “Will today be the day?”
Garrick was tall, thin, and looked like a frail man in his sixties. Trace knew better. The appearance was camouflage. Nothing about the leader of Caledon was weak. His short white hair was slicked back. He stared at Trace with bright gray-green eyes that reminded him of Benie. Little did Garrick know how much strength the reminder brought to Trace.
Trace braced himself against Garrick’s thoughts—calm, calculated, and cruel. During these long sessions, Trace had come to know Garrick very well. He understood his motivations, maybe even more than what was comfortable. Garrick had allowed his fears to drag him over the line of sanity.
Maybe Trace would go that way as well.
“Let’s begin,” Garrick said to Keane.
The dragon lord took a long metal spike from wall, a tool Trace had become way too familiar with. His face was carefully blank as he shoved the spike through Trace’s shoulder joint.
Trace cried out, unable to silence his screams as the pain ripped at his flesh. Garrick had done something to stop Trace from shifting, from being able to heal, and every new wound become more intense than the previous.
When he could catch his breath, Trace said to Keane, “Kill me.”
The blond man, his oldest friend turned enemy, shook his head. “I cannot,” he said, a hint of sadness.
“Why?”
Keane’s answer was simple and succinct. “I serve at the pleasure of my liege.”
* * * *
Shade had kept vigil over the woman and her companion. She’d followed them from the cabin to another remote location. She’d been surprised to see the gray man. If he was involved, it made her glad she was in a holding pattern. There were certain people in the world you didn’t piss off. Unfortunately, she was caught between two of those exact kinds of people. What the hell had Keane gotten her into?
She wondered about Trace. She hadn’t seen him since him and that woman…Shade didn’t even want to think about it. She didn’t have a right to be jealous or angry. Not now, and never again. She’d forfeited the privilege.
A breeze picked up, knocking leaves down on her mini-coup parked down the street from the house. Shade scrunched down when the woman and three men exited the front door and piled into a black SUV. After they pulled out of the small drive, she started her car and followed from a distance.
Chapter 12
The black SUV skidded slightly at the change in road surface, alerting Benie to the abrupt switch from pavement to gravel.
The driver, a large man with an angular face, sharp cheekbones, a wide mouth, and piercing dark brown eyes, gripped the steering wheel. His long black hair was braided in a thick queue that fell over the backside of the driver seat and swung freely as the road twisted and turned. When Benie had been introduced to Ty Wasape, his large size—all muscles—and his height of nearly six and a half feet tall, had made her nervous. Even a little afraid. A feat, considering she was a monster-slaying bad ass. Gray trusted the man. Which meant, Benie would trust him too.
Destan, one of the dragon triplets, sat in the front seat next to the quiet, serious giant.
Benie tapped Destan on the shoulder. “Are you sure it’s way out here?”
The silvery-eyed dragon-shifter shrugged. “That’s what our informant said.”
Ian, who shared the back seat with Benie, put his head against the window and closed his eyes. His subdued behavior worried her. She couldn’t figure out what was going on in that massive brain of his. Asking now wouldn’t do her any good. If he hadn’t been willing to tell her in private, he certainly wasn’t going to tell her with Ty and Destan in audience. Instead of prodding him, Benie kept her mouth shut, and stared out her window watching darkness fall on the trees that lined the road.
After ten minutes, the driver pulled off behind a thickly wooded patch of land.
“Is this it?” Benie asked.
“No,” Destan said as he and Ty exited.
Benie and Ian followed suit.
Destan came around to Benie’s side. “It’s a three-mile walk, but safer and stealthier than knocking on the front door. Besides, we don’t want to give Garrick the chance to move Caledon’s location before we get inside.”
“I still can’t believe it’s possible to move a whole…” She waved her hand in the air. “Kingdom, or whatever, with magic.”
Ty slung a mean-looking machete—at least three feet long and four inches at the widest part of the blade—over his shoulder. “We need to go before we’re noticed.”
Destan closed his eyes, his skin shifted slightly and shined like metal in the moonlight. When he opened his eyes, for a brief moment, his pupils were slits instead rounds. “My brothers are waiting at the fence line. I’ve let them know we’re on our way,” he said to Benie. He pointed to his head when she raised a questioning brow. “Triplet Telepathy.” He smiled suddenly, his face full of humor, and sang, “Baby, we were born this way.”
Benie groaned. “Gaga fans.” She rolled her eyes.
Ian, who’d been quiet until then, spoke up. “If we’re going to do this, we should go.”
Ty Wasape grunted his agreement.
They traveled single file behind Ty. He used his giant, sharp machete to easily chop vines and limbs that hung in his path.
“Jesus,” Ian whispered. “I’m glad this guy’s on our side.”
Benie remained wary as they began their descent down the treacherous hill.
The appearance of a large, three-story Colonial farmhouse in the distance surprised Benie. The perimeter was well lit and heavily patrolled. She stopped, and Destan lightly collided with her back.
“Why are we stopping?”
“Is that it?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not what I expected,” Benie said. Caledon was supposed to be a kingdom, a place of rule for the other worlders. To find it an ordinary, if not well-guarded, homestead, disappointed her. “I just thought there would be more…well…you know. More. You have to admit, the place doesn’t scream other.”
“No, I’d say more Farmer John,” Ian agreed.
“Exactly.” She shouldn’t have been able to see so clearly at this distance, but as her abilities grew, so did her senses. The place may not have looked like a fortress, but it was protected like one. Doubt and fear grew inside her. Ian wasn’t a warrior, even with his new status as other. Having new strength and power didn’t make him immortal. Benie had killed too many OWs to believe his change could protect him. “There are ten men on the house. At least out front. They are carrying serious weapons. Automatic rifles, handguns, and two have swords. It’s a good bet they have plenty of traps set as well.” She gave Ian a hard look. “You should stay behind.”
Anger clouded Ian’s eyes turning their normal blue to a vibrant chartreuse as the amber from his wolf bled into his irises. “Not happening.”
“You’re not trained for fighting, and I can’t protect you when shit hits the fan.” She looked meaningfully down to the farmhouse. “And,” she added. “Shit is going to hit the fan.”
“I’ll be fine, Benie. I’m not a weak human anymore.”
Her heart clenched with pain at his declaration. He seemed to think she somehow wanted him to be more than what he was, but it was the human geek inside him she’d fallen for all those years ago. He was everything she wanted and more than her fucked up history and genetics deserved.
Before she could protest more, Ian opened his black jacket. “Besides, I am totally dressed for stealthy.” Under, he wore a black T-shirt that said, “Base pairs bond for life.”
Her chest tightened. The situation was more than dangerous—it was dire. She had to go in for Trace, but if anything happened to Ian, she’d never forgive herself. Unfortunately, he wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer. And if she forced him to stay behind, he’d never forgive her.
She reached up and clasped her hands behind his neck. “I can’t lose you.” And she meant it. Losing Ian would be like losing her head. She couldn’t live without him, either.
“You let me worry about me. You worry about keeping yourself safe.”
Nodding, Benie placed her forehead against his chest.
His patted her back. “Benie, I—” Destan’s throat clearing interrupted him.
“We’ve got to get going before someone is alerted to our presence.”
“Right,” Benie said. She gave Ian a quick kiss. “For luck,” she added.
“You’re all the luck I need.”
Destan rolled his eyes. “My brother Max is in place, and he’s going to take the perimeter alarm out in ten minutes. It will only be off for a few minutes, so we have to go, and quickly, if we want to be in place.”
Ian nodded. He squeezed a black bag about the size of a small purse. “Ready.”
“Hmmm.” Benie hadn’t noticed the bag before now. “Is that your ninja gear?”
Ian smiled. “Something like that.”
She chewed the inside of her lower lip, then shrugged. “You didn’t bring some kind of chemical whatcha-doohickey, or anything, did you?”
“Don’t we have to be somewhere?”
“Yes.” Tension thrummed beneath her skin. “You didn’t answer me.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I know.”
Benie watched Ian navigate the steep hill toward the rendezvous point. Something about him felt different, foreign. Shaking her head, Benie followed after him.
Wild grapes grew all over the property. They looped themselves in tangles over the smaller trees and up the sides of the big ones, choking out the plants around them. Benie started to feel like she was being choked as well.
*
Garrick paced the small room. He’d been alerted to a breach in the sixth quadrant of the compound. Not even his most trusted advisors were aware that his daughter existed or what significance Trace Calder played in her life.
“Benie,” Trace mumbled as he tugged futilely at the restraints. “No. Don’t come.”
Garrick saw tears leak down the sides of his prisoner’s face. Panic-spiked adrenaline raced through his system. She could not be here. No one could find out about her. If they did, it might not be the end of Garrick’s hold on the Caledon, but it would certainly put a kink in his power base. Some would lose faith if they found out a new Triune existed.
Why won’t this child just die? Another thought entered his head. If Benoica had come, then he no longer needed Calder. He gestured to Keane. “Kill him.”
One down, two to go, and Garrick could go on as leader of his people unchallenged.
*
The distinctive scent of dirt and pine saturated the air. Just past a thick cluster of silver maple trees, Benie could see two men hunkered down. Getting over the fence had gone without a hitch. Thank heavens. She’d needed something to go right, because so much lately had gone wrong.
A flashlight flickered three times. The signal from Destan’s brothers. So far, so good. She held onto the glimmer of hope they could rescue Trace.
As they approached the small grouping, the two men stood then looked Benie. They dropped to a knee and bowed their heads.
“Huh?”
“Your highness,” Ian whispered. “Tell them to get up. They’re making me nervous.”
“Please.” She rolled her eyes. She believed Max and Eustan did it just to yank her chain. “Hey, dudes. We don’t really have time for this. We have a rescue to coordinate.”
Eustan smiled as he rose to his feet and dusted his knees. “Yes, your highness.”
Benie winced. “Knock it off. Where’s Trace?”
“Calder’s in the main house.”
Max, who was a mute since Garrick had cut out his tongue, pointed past the tree line where a large empty field lay naked between them and the farmhouse. This close, Benie could see three good-sized sheds and a barn strategically placed around the back of the house.
“What are those?”
“Entrances,” Eustan said.
“To what?”
“Caledon.”
Okay. That made no sense at all. “Are they magical entrances?”
The young man smirked. “No, ma’am.”
Her irritation rose.
Ian put his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll go in with Benie.”
Max put his hand on Ian’s arm and shook his head.
“Max is right,” Destan said. “You can’t. You’ll only slow her down. She can disappear, you can’t. We’ll take you in with us.”
Max nodded his agreement.
Destan had just described Ian as a liability. Benie knew it had to have stung his pride, but she was glad he didn’t argue the point.
Eustan added, “You don’t have much time. By now Garrick knows there are people on the property who aren’t supposed to be here, and he is definitely clever enough to figure out who.”
He handed a piece of paper to her. “Once you’re at the house, follow this map to the entrance closest to the dungeon. It should take you directly to where Trace is being held. We’ll create a diversion and draw attention away from you and Calder. Hopefully long enough for you to get him out.”
Benie wanted to scream. This was the plan, to just go in and take Trace? No back up? She stared at the triplets, hard and glaring. Then softened. These men had gotten her and Ian to the compound, and at great personal risk. Could she really fault them for not wanting to go face to face with Garrick and his men?
“Okay. Let’s go.” She focused on shifting her skin, letting all her strong emotions for Trace, and Ian, and even for these three dragons she’d grown so fond of, flood her body. Once she’d completely transformed, she stripped her clothing off.
Ty Wasape, who’d remained quiet since they’d joined the dragon brothers, whispered, “Amazing.”
“Yeah,” Destan agreed. “That’s our queen.”
Benie shook her head. She grabbed four small knives, along with some clear tape, from out of the bag she’d brought along. She then proceeded to tape them under her armpits in such a way as to camouflage them with her body.
“Weird,” Ty said. “But very cool. It’s like the stuff is floating on the air.”
“Yeah, super cool.” Benie put her arms down and checked to make sure the weapons couldn’t be seen. “That’s sarcasm, if you’re unfamiliar.” She stared at Ian, willing him to go home, but since he couldn’t see her glaring now that she’d made herself completely blend into the night, she gave up trying. “Time to get it done.”
*
“What are you waiting for?” Trace asked. He didn’t struggle against the shackles. Not anymore. The reason for struggling was gone. Soon the pain would be gone. Permanently. “Kill me.”
