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WE KEPT CIRCLING THE blocks hoping to find a way in, but with the truck there was just no way. We could see the smoke plumes. Something was definitely burning over at the college. According to the news reports, a riot had broken out just after four thirty in the afternoon and there had been reports of at least one confirmed fatality. Names had not been released, but hundreds of injured were claimed to be swarming the surrounding hospitals.
“Gage! Pull over, we can’t just keep circling, it’s not doing us any good. I’ve got my GPS on, Sig will find us. Let’s try to get in on foot.”
Gage threw the truck into park, right where we were on Sixth Ave and hopped out. Rolling his shoulders, he looked at me “Well, let’s get a move on. I’m ready to kick some ass.”
I laughed, flexing my fingers. Once I’d heard the news reports we swung by Samuel’s and I grabbed my boots and my gloves. I wasn’t going into a fight unarmed. Not again. The spikes in my gloves were made of silver, deadly against Otherkind, and Humankind alike. I’d do whatever needed to be done. My stomach lurched suddenly at the thought of bloodshed.
“Hold it.” I stopped him, turning to my bags. I grabbed a handful of syringes and slammed them into my cargo pants. “Just in case, I don’t want to fall into anything too deep.”
Gage walked over to me and slipped his hand into my pocket, pulling them back out. “Right now, we may need that monster.”
“No, Gage, I can’t.”
“No, Ryane. I can’t. I’m strong, but you... You’re stronger. At least for now. I haven’t embraced my wolf completely. Haven’t learned to harness him yet. I’m working on it, but I’m not there, that makes you the Alpha for our little pack of two. Understand, I take my lead from you.” He grabbed a metal baseball bat from the back of the truck and gave it a swing for good measure. “Now, let’s go crack a few skulls.”
***
WE GOT WITHIN A QUARTER mile of the school when I heard the flapping of wings and Gage looked up. We didn’t see anything, but then suddenly I was looking at Sig and he had his arms around me in the most relieved hug I had ever felt.
“Thank fucking God,” he mumbled into my neck. “I was so scared you’d look like a wraith after what Herlihy had in store for you. What have we got?”
“We nothing, I don’t know- who’s that?” I was staring at a remarkable man with wings that lit up the sky.
“That? Oh, that’s my dad! No time to really explain, just call him Hans for now.”
“Pleasure is mine.” Hans nodded, pulling back his wings.
“Uh-huh... Okay. Um, we were looking for a way to approach so we could get on the property. According to the reports, it’s going down in the Quad, so right in the heart of Grigori. That’s still like a mile hike once we get through the entrance. At least on foot.” I eyed Hans and Sig.
“Well, I know a way around that at least,” Sig confirmed my thoughts before I could form them. “We’ll just carry you in, like special forces. Drop you into the thick of it. Unless you want to be on the sides to assess it first.”
“Father, what do you think?”
“It would be best to find a high point and find the key players, then attack or rescue as needed.”
Sig nodded and looked to me. “What say you, in Keegan’s absence... Where is he by the way? You fall as my Mistress.”
“Keegan wasn’t ready yet, according to Herlihy.”
“Okay, so yeah, I’m your Sword, Ryane. I’ll tell you two things, I’ve not mentioned to anyone, for the fact that I haven’t seen you. I’ve bonded to Aella, so she’s a priority and I’ve kind of sworn a fealty to protect Greisen. If he’s in trouble, I’m gonna be on him to help. Is that understood?”
I nodded. I didn’t like the sound of the last part, but I knew that if Sig gave his word for it, there was a damn good reason. One he’d let me in on soon enough.
“Okay, so higher ground, that would be the clock tower. It’s the highest point in all of Grigori, isn’t it?”
“Actually the Church spire is higher,” Hans interjected. It houses the bells, we could fit up there, and no one would be able to attack unless they had wings.”
“So the spire it is.” I heaved a heavy sigh. “Did I ever mention I hate heights?”
“Well, it’s time to suck it up, buttercup.” Sig wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.
“If I might suggest we do this in our truest form, it will make carrying them easier, less strain on us, and movement will be less cumbersome,” Hans suggested as he looked around, rolling his shoulders, his wings begging to unfurl, the flames that kissed his feathers died down to reveal them to be a brilliant red and orange, tipped in white and gold, like they had been traced with a paint marker.
“It would be easier,” Sig agreed. “Would you mind riding on my back?”
“Do I have much choice?”
Hans and Sig shook their heads no.
“Hey, do I get a say here?” Gage whimpered. “I don’t really wanna fly.”
“Too bad pup. It’s what we got, plan wise. So you gotta do it. Look at it as an adventure. Or are you a fraidy Cat?” Sig teased. Even in moments of great stress he could find a glimmer of levity.
“I-Oh...” He crossed his arms. “Fine.” He was going to pout now. I could already see it coming. We would probably never hear the end of this if it went sour for him.
Sig blew a puff of smoke, then cracked his neck as Hans continued his transformation, the two of them together took up the entire road and half the sidewalk! Sig nudged me. It never occurred to me that he couldn’t talk like this, but it made sense. Obviously, how could he, no lips to articulate.
“Sorry, yeah, hopping on.
“Be careful, of my sails, they’re sharp.” I heard his timber in my head all of a sudden, it disorientated me, turning me around.
“Wait, how did you?”
“In this form we are telepathic to our Mates and Masters. You are my sworn Mistress, so you can hear me. You can also see through my eyes when I fight and fly, if you so wish it. But that takes time and practice. Frankly, I prefer it if you stay out of my head.”
“No problem,” I answered, taking the lift from his front leg as he offered it to get me up and over his long neck to settle between his massive shoulders. I sat low and wrapped my arms around his neck as best I could. They didn’t make it around. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“No Ryane. I’m fine, just hold on, you’ll be okay, I won’t be flip flopping or loop d’ looping.”
“Please don’t”
I watched as Gage hopped up onto Hans’ back, he seemed to have an easier time holding on than I did. Hans was shaped differently, his was not that of a Dragon, not exactly. His front legs were the forepaws with the five digits that Sig seemed to have, that acted as a balance and hands, but his hind legs resembled those more of a bird, with thick long talons. Feathers and scales covered him in layers and his head was long, but his neck was far shorter. He had a beak with a long line of small pointed teeth, where Sig had a longer skull, full of teeth more like a jungle cat or a wolf, large canines and then smaller teeth in succession behind them. Hans’ eyes were also a little wider set, and a brilliant blue.
“Wow.” I couldn’t hold my expression.
“I know.” Sig lifted off and Hans followed. I swear I heard Gage yelp.