Pan was lucky to avoid any cops, considering he drove well above the speed limit. For most it would be seen as reckless, but he was well trained on how to control a vehicle. He didn’t tap the brakes at all as he sped out of the city and into the mountains. Gregor’s deadline didn’t give him much choice in the matter.
The only time he used the brakes was when he dropped Jin off at the head of the overgrown drive that would lead to Viktor’s cabin. He slowed to a speed where Jin could jump out and still survive. Jin agilely turned his dive into a roll, and Pan flicked a glance at the rearview mirror to see Jin melt into the forest, disappearing in a blink. They hadn’t spoken a word on the drive. They didn’t need to. Each knew their part. Pan fidgeted slightly against the moderate constriction of the body armor, ordering himself to deal with it. It would be suicidal to enter the fray without it.
He really hoped he’d been right in his calculations and that the unit didn’t have time to call in reinforcements. Or Gregor. He clenched his jaw. If they had Gregor and a legion of knights to deal with, they were so fucked.
Pan, stop the car!
Viktor’s voice slammed into Pan’s head, and he stomped on the brakes, skidding the car to a stop. Dirt and sticks flew into the air at the sudden halt. Nerves jangling, he needed to sit in the car a moment before stepping out. A hawk dove sharply in front of him, and with a pulse and shimmer, Viktor appeared.
“Fucking hell, Viktor! What is it? We don’t have time—”
Pan suddenly found himself off his feet and pressed against a tree with Viktor’s mouth devouring his own. It jostled him, fractured his focus, and plain stunned him. Viktor pulled back only an inch, their eyes uncomfortably close.
“I may not be able to keep you, dorogoy, but you will live. You must live through this.”
Speechless, Pan could only stare and grip Viktor’s shoulders.
“You will not forget me.” Viktor kissed him again, as hard as before. Pan’s mind buzzed and tumbled chaotically.
“No.” He ripped his mouth away. “Can’t. Bad time.”
“You will leave. But know you are mine. Always mine, dorogoy.”
The endearment wasn’t lost on Pan despite his inability to understand what it meant. Had Viktor called him that three years ago? Then he was suddenly free, and Viktor backed up, his eyes showing the raptor within. His cock stood at half-mast, illustrating explicitly how much the kisses affected him. The air shimmered and pulsed, and now there was a hawk in front of Pan. With a loud screech, Viktor shot into the sky and vanished.
Pan was forced to take precious minutes to settle himself and harden his focus. He needed to shove it all into the back of his mind: Viktor and his apparent claim, his own intense feelings for him. He pushed it all back and down. If he screwed up, they’d all die. Pan slammed into the car and continued his drive down the lane.
The sun began to set by the time Pan stomped on the brakes after turning a corner, seeing the cabin loom in front of him. He didn’t have much time to spare. A few minutes, maybe. Taking a deep breath, his mind cold and focused, he stepped out of the car and left the engine running, the headlights illuminating the front of the cabin. He spotted Viktor’s other car parked by the side of the cabin, partly obscured. He knew he was being watched and made sure nothing showed on his face. He shut the door and took a step away from the car. He laid his hand on the butt of the gun that was visible in the holster at his waist, and waited.
It was quiet. An ominous quiet. The animals would be settling in for the night, but it wasn’t just the silence that unnerved him. It was the… deadness. There wasn’t even wind. Then he realized why there were no animals: the knights would have killed all in the vicinity. He tested it subtly, his power skimming the surface. They had missed a few, but he wouldn’t gain much advantage in controlling a handful of squirrels. The knights certainly came prepared. His power would be useless here. It would take too much energy to spread his power farther than the general area. He swallowed and stared at the cabin. He didn’t see or sense anything, and that put him on edge. He depended on his friends to have his back and eliminate as many threats as they could.
Viktor and Glory had managed to communicate with Natasha, but she didn’t know much. And it did hurt her, as Viktor said, so they couldn’t talk long. Apparently Kirk and Barbara, the skinny blonde woman, were the only ones in the cabin, and they never spoke about their plans where Natasha could hear. But they did learn Tommy was hurt bad. Very bad.
Barbara had shot silver into him. He was in his wolf form, unconscious. With silver in him, he wouldn’t be waking up any time soon. If it was in him too long, he wouldn’t wake up ever again. Pan banked his rage with controlled focus. Bastards.
If Kirk and Barbara were in the cabin, then there might only be one other knight he needed to focus on. But he wasn’t going to assume anything.
The cabin door opened, and Kirk stepped out. But he wasn’t alone. Natasha stumbled out in front of him, her hands and feet bound, though the binding around her feet was loose enough to allow her to walk. A strip of duct tape on her mouth kept her silent. But her eyes were wide, and though she looked slightly disheveled, her eyes red, she appeared blessedly unharmed.
Pan stayed where he was, glaring. But he noticed something strange: he’d punched Kirk pretty hard in the face several times during their fight, and yet… where was the bruising? He was also holding himself far too comfortably despite how tender he should be. For himself Pan was forced to take an extra dose of aspirin to alleviate the limp in his leg where one of the knights kicked him. And his face still throbbed. Did the unit have a healer with them? The same kind of healer as Lila? Fuck.
“The scroll?” Kirk asked, his tone calm as if they were two friends catching up over a drink.
“Tommy?”
Kirk sighed. “Do you really want to play this game, Pan?”
Pan kept his arms loose and rolled onto the balls of his feet. “You don’t get anything until I know both children are unharmed.”
“Well, I can’t say he’s unharmed, precisely. He put up quite a fight. Any injuries on him are his fault.” Kirk glanced over his shoulder through the open door of the cabin. “Bring him.”
Barbara dragged Tommy out with obvious effort. Wolves were not small beasts. Pan’s gut lurched, though his expression remained blank.
One side of Tommy’s face was matted with blood from a wound on his head. Spots of blood dotted his thick fur, but Pan wasn’t sure how serious the injuries were. Barbara dropped him with obvious revulsion and relief next to Natasha’s feet. Natasha keened and struggled against tears. Barbara straightened, panting slightly.
“What did you do to him?” Pan asked, even though he knew. But he needed to act as though he didn’t. It was hard to force his voice to remain cool despite the burning rage.
“His fault,” Barbara said. “Stupid wolf. Silver fixed him good.”
Pan tightened his jaw.
“Barb, shut it.” Kirk glared at her, and Barbara subsided with obvious reluctance.
“If Tommy or Natasha dies, the deal’s off,” he said.
Kirk scowled. “You’re not in a position to negotiate, Pan. I know you didn’t come alone, despite my warning. My knights are taking care of your friends as we speak.”
Knights? More than one? Shit. But not showing his worry, Pan allowed himself a confident smile. He even hooked his thumbs in his front pockets, though he stayed on the balls of his feet. He needed to play the game, pretend that he thought all the knights were in the woods somewhere.
“Really? Your knights are just picking off my allies, are they? Right. Let’s see what we each have on our teams. You have yourself and four other knights. They’re trained, I saw that for myself. But two of you are here, and that leaves only three out there. But you all took quite a beating from those rats and dogs the other day, not to mention the thunder and lightning. I can even see the bandages still on Barb’s arms.”
Barbara bared her teeth in a snarl. That was interesting but not surprising, even with a healer on their side. Lila would grow tired after a session, and far more rapidly if she were healing a serious injury. Kirk was the leader and therefore priority. Barbara probably didn’t get fixed up completely because there were three other knights to heal. The rats and dogs hadn’t been kind, and neither had Jin or Pan. Or Viktor when he’d squeezed that knight.
“Granted, I don’t know their abilities,” Pan said. “But I’d say even active powers won’t really help them if they’re severely wounded and still recovering. Now who do I have on my side, you ask? Well, I have myself, my partner Jin—you remember thunder boy, right?—Viktor, who is Natasha’s brother. Trust me, he’s ferocious where she’s concerned. And I also have an ace up my sleeve. Someone far older than anyone here. A shifter whom all others bow to.”
Kirk paled despite his attempt to stay unaffected. Pan grinned.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘master shifter’?”
“Liar!” Barbara pulled out a gun and pointed it at his head. “You filthy liar. Master shifters are cowards and will be hunted down like dogs.”
“You think so?” Pan easily stared down the barrel of her gun.
“Dammit, Barbara!” Kirk had to let go of Natasha to grip Barbara’s arm. “Get control of yourself! We fucking need him alive!”
“Tell me,” Pan said, voice still calm, “how did you find out about Viktor and his connection to us? You didn’t have much to go on.”
Barbara spoke before Kirk could stop her. “Perhaps the bird shouldn’t be so cozy with the university.”
Pan blinked. Viktor mentioned once he was sometimes a guest lecturer at Portland University. That meant one of these knights worked at the university in some capacity and had seen Viktor on campus, then recognized him during the fight. Small world indeed.
Then, suddenly, everything happened at once.
As Pan spoke, he noticed Natasha shudder, narrowing her eyes with pain. Then she bowed her head. It made Pan wonder if either Viktor or Glory were communicating with her, and he made sure to keep Kirk and Barbara’s attention on him.
As Kirk and Barbara struggled with the gun, Natasha jerked her head up, eyes bright, and dove forward. She landed hard on the deck and gripped Tommy’s leg. Pan pulled his gun even as Natasha rolled off the cabin deck, using the strength of her entire body to drag Tommy with her. Barbara struggled with Kirk and screamed as she fired. Pan dodged the wild aim as it shattered the windshield of the rental car. Pan returned fire, and Kirk grabbed Barbara and flung them both into the cabin. The door slammed shut, and Pan crawled over to Natasha and Tommy, his gun still out.
He ripped off the duct tape, and Natasha squealed in pain. He took out a knife and began cutting her bindings, his eyes and ears peeled for anything. But everything seemed quiet, and he wondered how successful Viktor and Glory had been.
“Viktor told me… he told me,” Natasha said, her voice shaking uncontrollably.
“It worked, Natasha. He told you right. He still in your head?”
“No. It had to be quick. By Phoenix, my head.”
He cut the last of Natasha’s bindings, and she pulled Tommy’s head into her lap. Pan gasped as Viktor flooded his mind. He closed his eyes a moment, trying to orient himself.
We have taken down one, Viktor said in Pan’s mind. It was as clear as if Viktor were speaking right into his ear. Pan suddenly had the weightless sensation of flying, and his stomach pitched. He cleared his throat and tried not to notice.
He was the one I squeezed during the last battle, Viktor continued. That should be all, correct?
Not necessarily, Pan said firmly back. I have Kirk and another knight in the cabin. Communication this way wasn’t as hard as he thought it would be. The reason for that wasn’t one he could analyze right then. Natasha and Tommy are with me. Good timing with Natasha.
He felt Viktor’s relief acutely and sucked in a breath as the emotions nearly overwhelmed him and broke his focus. Even while talking to Viktor, he was scanning his surroundings. Natasha’s quiet weeping tore at his heart.
We need to get them out of here. Tommy’s been exposed to silver, and I don’t know if it’s still in him.
Anger not his own flashed hot, and Pan gritted his teeth against the force of it.
Viktor—
“Pan!”
Natasha’s shout came too late. He’d lost his focus on his surroundings, and it cost him. He should have known having only three knights to contend with would have been too easy. Somehow, as if instinctually, he cut off communication with Viktor like scissors through tape. The bullet hit his shoulder, but the armor deflected most of it. It didn’t penetrate his skin, but it still fucking hurt!
Pan spun around and leapt to his feet even as the other woman—the shapely brunette—fired again. Pan took the shot full in the chest and staggered. He huffed out a breath and straightened to stand as a shield in front of Natasha and Tommy. Tommy wasn’t going anywhere, and Natasha wasn’t strong enough to move him. Pan’s gun was still in his hand, and he noticed she also wore body armor. Her eyes lit with glee as she lifted her gun to his head.
“Step away from the children and get in the car. We’re driving out of here.”
Pan considered her. If he could keep her attention away from Natasha and Tommy…. Kirk stepped out of the cabin with his own gun and pointed it directly at Natasha’s head. Pan knew he was stuck. He looked back and forth between Kirk and the brunette. Natasha whimpered with terror as she rocked Tommy.
Where is Barbara?
“What will it be, Agent?” Kirk said. “Take us to the scroll or watch the children die.”
Pan pressed the barrel of his gun to his head.
Natasha hissed, clutching Tommy closer. “What are you doing?”
“Keeping a promise.” Pan met Kirk’s gaze. “I will go with you. But leave the children alone, or I swear to God, I will pull the trigger. If you kill them, you lose your connection to the scroll. I promise you that. I also know you need me alive. Neither Arcas nor Gregor will be pleased that you disobeyed their orders.”
Kirk frowned. “The children mean nothing to me. I give you my word I won’t harm them if you get in that car with Robyn.”
Pan nodded. He dared a glance at Natasha. Tears flowed freely down her face as she stared with shock, gratitude, and fear.
“Let Natasha get into her car with Tommy. Once they drive away, I’ll go with you.”
Kirk gritted his teeth, impatience flashing over his face. “We don’t have time for this—”
“I don’t trust you. But I trust Barbara even less. When Natasha and Tommy are out of sight, I will come without a fight.”
Pressure and warmth suffused his head, and he knew it was Viktor. But he couldn’t lose focus this time. He managed to block the invasion now that he knew what to expect. He knew that would only worry Viktor more, but it couldn’t be helped. Where was Jin? Where was Viktor and Glory? Shouldn’t they be here by now?
He needed to stall them. He’d never met a knight who didn’t want to talk about Arcas and praise his glory.
“Why do you follow Arcas?” Pan asked Robyn. “He’s no better than Hitler in his megalomania.”
Her mouth twisted, transforming her face from beauty queen to a hag in disguise. “He’s more than that pompous idiot ever hoped to be. He’s a god, you traitor! The only real god this world has to offer, and he’s promised to raise us up with him. We’ll be rewarded for our services and sacrifices. Don’t you see the state of the world? Don’t you get it? The world is falling to pieces, devouring its cancerous self. Arcas will cure the infection. He’ll fix everything.”
“Arcas is the infection!” Why couldn’t they see that? Why did they hang on Arcas’s every word? Why did they think him a god? It was terrifying when ordinary people listened to a tyrant and became tyrants themselves. Dear God, was it going to be the Inquisitions, Crusades, and World War II all wrapped up in one bloodbath?
“Arcas is the cure,” Robyn said, her eyes narrowed, her voice confident. “He’ll set everything to rights. He has to.”
“Don’t bother, Robyn,” Kirk said. “You know they’ll never see the light, the gift that Arcas wants to give the world.” He shook his head as he stared with obvious disappointment. “What a waste. But then again, who wants to share power with idiots? Better weed out the weaklings while we can.”
A shot rang out, and Robyn slammed to the ground, blood welling from the bullet hole in her cheek. Pan didn’t waste a moment. Even as Kirk jerked in shock and Natasha screamed, he aimed his gun and fired. Kirk was obviously wearing body armor as well because while the bullet hit him just over his heart, he merely grunted and stumbled.
The cabin door slammed open, and Barbara gripped Kirk and yanked him inside. Pan fired once at the door, then twice at the windows, shattering the glass.
Then he dove for Natasha and grabbed Tommy around the chest, partly lifting him. Natasha grabbed Tommy’s back end to help.
“Come on! We need to get you both out of here,” he said.
“What happened? Who did that?” Natasha asked.
“Jin.”
Even as he said it, Jin himself appeared out of nowhere, though it was obvious he’d been hiding among the trees. Full darkness was upon them now, and the moon was covered by clouds. The headlights were the only light offered.
They set Tommy into the backseat, and Natasha climbed in after him.
“Silver,” Pan said. Jin’s face tightened. “We need to get them out of here—”
“No. I’ll dig the bullet out myself,” Jin said, already pulling out a small knife from his boot. “Go get Kirk and the other knight. I’ll take care of them.”
Pan didn’t argue. He left Natasha and Tommy in Jin’s capable hands and ran to the cabin. He felt pressure in his mind again and this time let Viktor in.
Pan—
I need help. Kirk and Barbara are still loose. We’re by the cabin.
I’m coming.
Viktor and Glory and the rest of the raptors to answer her call had found and killed another knight. That made three down, including the one Pan said Jin killed. Now only two were left. He had to hope that meant no one had gone after the scroll in their absence and Ivan was sitting, bored, at Viktor’s home. He communicated to Glory that Pan needed their help, and she turned them toward the cabin. His frustration had grown when Pan refused his summons, but the relief was immense when he answered. He would have tried Natasha again, but she was in enough pain that night. He doubted she could endure another telepathic session.
Glory suddenly pulled up short with a shriek. Viktor spun around and screeched in question. What was going on? He sought her mind, but it was barricaded to him. Then she looked him square in the eye, her own wide with horror.
Ivan!
It was the only thought that penetrated Viktor’s mind from hers, and she screamed it. Viktor nearly fell from the shock. Glory shot higher into the sky, leaving him and the other raptors as she barreled toward Viktor’s home. Her command fractured and the birds peeled off, leaving Viktor alone. He tried to call them back, but to no avail. He was alone. And now he worried about Ivan along with Pan and Natasha and Tommy and Jin…. By the wind, how had he gained so many people in his life? People he cared about?
Screeching in frustration, Viktor spun around and continued on his way. Pan needed him, and he wouldn’t fail him. He hoped to Phoenix that Ivan was all right. Had there been more knights than originally thought? What of the scroll? Glory’s reaction had been one of terror.
As the cabin came into view, he refocused his mind. Glory would handle whoever harmed Ivan. She was a master shifter, after all. Viktor saw two figures emerge from the back of the cabin. Despite the darkness his keen eyes knew them for the two knights who had pummeled him to the ground the day before. Seeing red, he dove. With a split-second decision, he aimed for the man, remembering Pan saying he was the ringleader. The man—Kirk—screamed as Viktor used talons and beak to slice at his head. Hate and bloodlust drove Viktor, pushed him to show no mercy. This man, no, this monster had captured and harmed his children. This monster hunted him and harmed Pan and Jin. Kirk was a follower of Arcas, a beast on a genocidal quest to eliminate shifters.
They all needed to be stopped.
So intent was he on cutting Kirk to ribbons, he forgot about Barbara. She managed to grab one of his wings in her thin, bony hands and fling him away. He spiraled out of control and slammed into the ground. But he wouldn’t be kicked around like last time. The air shimmered and pulsed, and his skin rippled as he shifted. Viktor stood, unashamed of his nakedness and thirsting for a fight.
But even as Barbara was about to attack, Pan came barreling around the corner of the cabin. With a flying kick that had both his feet in the air, Pan slammed into her back. She screamed and fell face-first into the dirt. But she didn’t stay down long. She was a hellcat. She sprang up, the body armor obviously absorbing most of the impact. Since Viktor was in front of her, she came for him while Kirk attacked Pan.
Viktor defended as best he could. He wasn’t trained in hand-to-hand, but he was stronger than her and more solidly built. She was fast like a viper, but he still managed to grab her arm. He twisted until it snapped. She howled and tried to claw his face. He merely grabbed her other arm and twisted. Snap.
“Let go of her, you monster!” Kirk stumbled away from Pan and pointed a gun. It wavered between Pan and Viktor. He was obviously unsure who to shoot first. Viktor lifted the struggling, weeping Barbara in front of him, using her as a shield. Though part of him was repulsed by his own actions—especially against a woman—he need only remind himself of the blood on her hands, of the war that waged, and his will hardened.
“It’s over, Kirk,” Pan said. His dark eyes gleamed with battlelust, and his body was tense and ready. “The other knights are dead, and it seems Viktor just disabled your lieutenant. It’s time you stop now.”
With a bloody and slashed face, Kirk stared at them with loathing and fear.
“Go to hell!” Kirk shot Barbara right in the head. A fatal shot. Viktor dropped her in shock. Did he just kill one of his own?
Then he had no time to think because Kirk fired at them. Viktor flung himself at Pan, taking them both to the ground next to the cabin. He tried to cover him with his body, but Pan managed to roll on top of him. It made sense, really—Pan was the one with the armor. The darkness of the forest proved to be their savior, as did the darker shadows riding alongside the cabin.
Then Kirk was running. Pan cursed and leapt to his feet to pursue, Viktor not far behind.
Viktor was about to shift when another figure, a broad man, stepped out from between the trees. Almost like he stepped out of thin air. One minute it was just the three of them, and then the next…. Kirk skidded to a halt and even backed up a step or two. Viktor and Pan stopped as well. Viktor couldn’t quite determine why he felt the need to back away very slowly, as if from a deadly predator. His hawk ruffled his feathers in fear, and Viktor’s skin jumped and squirmed. He shoved aside his need to shift and took in the scene with fascination. Who was this man?
Pan stepped up beside him and gripped his arm. One look at his face confirmed he felt the same agitation.
“That’s far enough,” the newcomer said.
Viktor blinked. That voice…. There was something about that voice.
The man stepped completely away from the trees, and despite the dim moonlight shining through the leaves, Viktor could see him clearly. He wasn’t very tall, maybe just under six feet. He was stocky with wide shoulders, chest, and waist. He was dressed simply in jeans, a white shirt, and a leather duster. A slight wind fluttered the man’s dark brown hair and the duster around his legs. His skin was a rich reddish-brown, his face broad, enhanced with deep-set eyes of glittering onyx.
But it wasn’t his appearance that put Viktor’s teeth on edge and gave him a thrum of panic. It was the ferocity of his aura. It was far more intense than Glory’s. A hundred times more intense. It was like being faced down by a wild, unpredictable beast who stringently tried to control its animalistic nature.
In a flash of insight, Viktor knew who—what—he was looking at. Now his hands trembled. Now his breath stuttered. He gripped Pan’s arm in return.
“Viktor?” Pan said in an undertone. Viktor shook his head, unable to speak.
No one came between the master shifter of all shapes and his prey.
Merlin.
Kirk took another step back. Merlin didn’t move a muscle. Kirk stepped back again and glanced over his shoulder. He looked at Pan and Viktor before shuddering and turning back around. He knew he was trapped.
“Arcas will—” Kirk’s speech faltered. He tried to sound tough but instead sounded like a frightened child.
“Yes,” Merlin said softly. “Please tell me what Arcas will do. Expound his virtues to me, ignorant child. Speak poetically about his grace and beauty, his goals and conquests. Worship him as he demands of you. Sacrifice to him using your own life. Do you think you will be rewarded?” Merlin’s blank expression turned to one of pity tinged with disgust. “He has fed you fairy tales, and you have believed them as fact. He turns lies into truth and truth into lies.”
Kirk trembled and fell to his knees. The power of Merlin’s voice was indisputable. His words were like those spoken by a deity: absolute truth. Viktor wondered if any of Arcas’s followers could stand up against the law that was Merlin’s voice.
Pan shuddered next to him, and Viktor gripped his arm tighter.
Merlin stepped closer to Kirk. He knelt in front of the knight. With infinite gentleness, he cupped Kirk’s chin and raised his head.
“You need not be ashamed for being fooled by one who is made of nothing but deception, lies, and cold calculation,” Merlin said softly. “You are a mere child. To you he is a god. But he is a blood-soaked god of war and death, not a god of peace and creation. You were deceived, my child. You were used. Now is your chance to stop being used. Turn away from Arcas and live. Follow Arcas and die, sacrificing your life for nothing. Arcas has no love for anyone but himself.”
Viktor found himself walking closer, entranced by the words of Merlin, the father of master shifters. The one, it was said, who could shift into any animal, even those long extinct. How was it he could contain so many spirits inside him without being driven insane?
Pan followed along reluctantly, his grip on Viktor’s arm cutting off the flow of blood.
As he came closer, Viktor saw the tears sliding down Kirk’s face. Pity stirred his heart despite the rage still beating in his breast.
One of them—he didn’t know whether himself or Pan—stepped on a twig. The sound it made was like the crack of a gun, echoing in the still air. Kirk jerked at the sound and seemed to come out of a trance. He gasped and shoved away from Merlin, scrambling backward. Viktor was oddly unable to move as Kirk lifted his gun and pointed it at Merlin.
Merlin shot his hand out, gripped the gun, and bent it with a simple flick of his wrist. Then he gripped Kirk’s collar and dragged him fully off the ground. Viktor and Pan scrambled backward as they felt the full ferocity of the wild beast that had once been contained. Merlin’s eyes glittered like hellfire.
“I offered you life,” Merlin said, growling viciously. Viktor had the wild urge to fall to his knees and bow his head to the ground, to offer unwavering devotion. He would have offered anything to keep that rage from being directed at him.
Kirk choked out a sound.
“You renounce Arcas?” Merlin said.
“Never!”
For a split second, Viktor wondered if he imagined the sorrow that flickered in Merlin’s eyes. Then they were hard and hellish again.
“So be it.” Merlin adjusted his grip so his hand encircled Kirk’s throat.
“Stop!” Pan said.
Viktor jerked and finally tore his gaze away from Merlin and stared at Pan, his mouth open. Pan took an audible breath and stepped forward even as Merlin turned those glittering eyes on him. Pan visibly trembled, though he continued to stand tall.
“If you would, Merlin, please allow him to live. The Agency needs answers, and he might be the one to give them.”
Merlin regarded Pan with a blank expression. Then he glanced at Kirk before dropping him carelessly. Kirk huddled on the ground, curling into himself, gasping for breath. Stiffly Pan walked over and pulled out handcuffs, securing Kirk despite Merlin’s presence.
“Your name, Agent?” Merlin asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.
“Pan.”
Merlin nodded. “You are wise for one so young.”
Merlin stared at Kirk, his expression cold. Then he lifted his gaze and, for the first time, looked at Viktor. Viktor was surprised his shaky legs held him up. Merlin’s expression smoothed out and became warmer, more open and welcoming. The change was jarring.
“Good day to you, my child. You would be Viktor.”
It wasn’t a question, but Viktor nodded anyway.
“It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Viktor managed to command his tongue to move. “And you.”
Merlin looked over Viktor’s shoulder when the sound of someone running approached them. Jin appeared, his expression tight with fear.
“Thank God you’re all right. I heard gunshots, but I couldn’t—” Jin stopped both in speech and movement. He stared agape at Merlin. Viktor was certain Jin felt the enormity of Merlin’s presence as well. If Viktor wasn’t mistaken, he caught a quick flash of amusement in Merlin’s eyes.
“Good day, Agent. You are Jin.”
Jin nodded, still gaping. It was fascinating to see the usually stoic agent rendered dumbfounded. Viktor suddenly couldn’t contain himself, and he yanked Pan into his arms. He held him tightly and smiled when Pan held him back.
“Natasha? Tommy?”
“They’re good,” Pan said as he glanced at Jin, who finally pulled himself together. He nodded at Pan. “It seems Jin managed to get the silver bullet out of Tommy. They should both be fine now. Right, Jin?”
“They’re waiting in the car. Tommy’s awake but sluggish. He’ll be sick for a few days.”
Viktor blew out a relieved breath.
“I’ll handle Kirk,” Jin said as he stepped toward the knight. “I’ll call the Agency. They’ll send out a wagon for him.”
Viktor suddenly remembered Glory. He pulled away from Pan but kept an arm slung across his shoulders. He closed his eyes and thought of his master shifter. He brushed against her mind and felt panic and dread. His gut pitched.
She must have felt him because she lowered her barriers and let him in.
Glory, what has happened?
It’s Ivan. Even the voice inside her head was weepy. He’s badly hurt.
Viktor tightened his hold on Pan.
“Viktor?” Pan touched his chest. “What’s happened?”
How bad? By who? All the knights were here.
There must have been others. She paused. It’s gone, Viktor. We failed. The scroll is gone.