Radoo narrowed his eyes, focusing on the main hall. He was far away, but with his dragon eyes he could focus perfectly and see as clearly as if he stood in the square.
The hall was quite big, an old-fashioned wooden building with wide doors around the sides. It may have been a barn or tractor shed at some stage as it had incredibly high ceilings and a big wide space in the center perfect for mingling and dancing.
The place was full of women and even at this distance he could hear them laughing. He had been there to set up and he knew there were plates of incredible food as well as some of the best champagne they could buy. A few Preor were hanging around outside the hall and Radoo knew more would be flying in any minute now.
He had notified the Tower and any Preor coming to the event that he expected trouble. As well as Preor who hoped to find mates, a dozen or so had come for backup in case of trouble.
He blinked slowly, focusing on the hall again. He could see Whelon with Sasha, standing near the entrance and shooting a video. She was randomly picking out women and asking them to talk about their reason for coming. She was asking Preor what a mate meant to them and why they would come to a Choosing attempting to fall in love at first sight.
Sasha was excellent at getting them good publicity. Her stories always held a lot of balance. She didn’t make the Preor out to be better than what they were, and she tried to report on the opinions of all citizens, not just focusing on supporters.
Radoo closed his eyes and counted to ten in the darkness. Then he looked away, into the small rise of low hills on the other side of the hall. It was topped with a short tuft of trees, and if he were planning an attack on the hall, that’s where he would be. He could attempt to sneak in there with a group of Preor at his back, but he didn’t want to put Livvy in danger. If Preor came sneaking up on those maniacs unaware, they could just kill her.
He scanned to the sides of the clearing, seeing other ridges but none with as much cover. They had run patrols all afternoon but seen nothing in these hills. He used troops on the ground as well as in the air. It seemed impossible that people were hiding out here, but he couldn’t shake the feeling.
He had that instinctive anxiety he felt the day he met Livvy, but ten times worse. His entire life would turn on this night and he knew it. The last time he felt this way it was about finding her. Now it was for saving her.
Bright bursts of laughter came from the hall, cascades of joy spilling out in the bright lights. All of them were dressed in their finest gowns and had spent the day getting their hair and makeup on. Even though most people knew the resistance was around and could be planning something, they weren’t going to let it ruin their good time.
In one way he hoped they got to enjoy their evening without any violence. He also hoped the resistance would show themselves so he could find out where Livvy was. Even in the best-case scenario where no one got hurt, they would probably have to hold the event again. No one would have time to start courting tonight, not if the resistance crashed the party.
Unless everyone matches immediately, he thought. Imagine it. A couple of hundred dragons and human women screaming, “Shaa kouvi,” and flying out of the hall.
He smiled at the image and the expression felt strange on his face. He desperately wanted his old self back. He had taken on the duties in the chain of command simply because it fell on him, and at the time, he had not considered it to be unfair.
Now that he had a mate, he saw it as not just unfair but unrealistic. He understood now what the others had gone through when they found their mate, and he didn’t blame them for choosing their mate over their duty. They just had to have a plan for what happened when a Preor—any Preor—was ripped from his tasks by the one duty that came above all others.
He clenched his fists, holding his wings close to his body. He kept his eyes trained on the dark ridge across the valley. They simply could not be moving in closer to the hall. There was no cover.
Maybe they’re inside. This thought truly worried him. Since they had begun to interview every human who came through Preor buildings, they had found a lot of undercover agents. The worst thing was, they couldn’t possibly catch them all. There would be more of them right under his nose.
It was clear now that they would stop at nothing. They had to be prepared to kill if necessary. Radoo had been shocked to learn about agents who blew themselves up just to plant the bomb in the place that would do the most damage. How on earth could he detect that?
The Knowing sickness reached up into his throat, gripping him around the jaw. He tried to swallow but his mouth was too dry and he almost gagged. His stomach wasn’t faring much better and he was cold. Every now and then he shivered, but he was able to push the feelings away with a bit of aggression.
He would see his mate again very soon. He coiled that aggression inside himself, letting it bleed fury into his heart. The Knowing sickness would lie still for this. He could transcend any pain that could be visited on him if he only thought of his mate. When he needed strength to keep her safe, his body would respond and all pain and sickness would be forgotten until she was in his arms again.
Of course I’m still weak as piss, he thought, holding back a cough. He could tear into a hundred or so humans even in this state, but it meant he was in more danger than usual.
Until I hold her. Until I kiss her. Then the Knowing sickness will leave us both and we will be strong together.
His muscles tightened as he thought about him and Livvy fighting back-to-back, breaking free of the resistance together. It sent shivers of excitement through him that he might fight beside his warrior goddess. He had not seen her in her violent magnificence and he longed to. She may be difficult and hardheaded… But he could tell she fought like a Preor.
Overhead, he heard a soft rushing sound. He glanced up and saw shadows blacking out the stars. The Preor were flying in.
He resisted the urge to get up and stayed crouched behind his rock and the few sparse branches. He was in the best place to target the fire if they were using long-range weapons. He prayed that his hunch was right, and he wasn’t about to see the hall go up in a huge explosion.
The Preor began to land. One by one they settled on the grass around the hall, shifting and quickly throwing on clothes as the women beckoned them in.
There was a faint sound, like vacuum being pierced. Radoo sat up, his eyes fixed on the ridge where a small bolt of fire arrowed toward the hall.
He was already moving, slipping out from behind the cover and running through the shadows toward the far side of the hall. Before he could start to run, the weapon hit very close to the building and a massive explosion boomed. It had only hit bare earth and the only casualty was a huge chunk of clay, but it was powerful. If it had hit the hall directly, there would have been few survivors.
Preor all over the area reacted immediately. All those in and around the hall shifted and arranged themselves around the hall with their wings out. A couple of Preor moved through the hall, hurrying the women away.
Radoo just kept running. He couldn’t shift, or they’d see him coming. He had to sneak up on them.
Another spit of orange fire. Another explosion right next to the hall.
Where did these guys learn to aim?
Every time they fired a shot, they revealed their position. Radoo moved closer, slowing down so he could focus on stealth. He had to forget about everything else now and hope the Preor could handle it.
Because he could smell her. She was close and all that mattered was getting her back safely.
Then, Radoo thought murderously, then I kill them all.