“Okay.” I wave and follow the others inside, happy to be out of the cold.
“Have there been any problems in Zalfari recently? Any reports on an increase in feral numbers?” Hunter asks the major as he leads us through the command post. I look around, trying to take everything in, but it’s mostly just cubicles with a few uniformed men and women sitting in them.
The major frowns. “Not that I know of. I haven’t had any reports come across my desk, but why don’t we ask Staff Sergeant Jamison. He mans the switchboard that takes reports of any feral sightings, and he has family in the village, from what I understand.” We stop by a desk that has a large blond shifter sitting at it. He looks up with surprise, but his eyes narrow ever so slightly as he takes in the major.
“Can I help you, sir?” he asks politely, his gaze shifting to the rest of us before resting back on his commanding officer.
“Yes. Have there been any reports of feral shifters coming out of the Aramis Rift recently? Specifically in Zalfari?” the major asks, and although he tries to hide his reaction, I see him stiffen at the question.
He shakes his head. “No, sir, not recently.”
“See?” The major turns his attention to Hunter who frowns.
“That’s strange. Prince Gryffin was there recently and said they had a curfew in place due to the rise in ferals.”
The major’s eyes widen with surprise. “A curfew? Really? I mean, it makes sense if there has been a rise in sightings. The residents of that village are mainly equines, which would make a tasty snack for the ferals, so a curfew is a sensible thing to put into place. We know they are more active at night. I’m surprised they haven’t reported it though.” He turns back to the sergeant who is listening closely to the conversation. “You have family in the village, don’t you?”
The sergeant nods. “Yes. My uncle is the alpha shifter there. He takes the safety of his village seriously.”
“What is the main livelihood of the village of Zalfari? I know they guard the pass through the rift, but they must have some other form of income,” Liam asks conversationally, but his jaw is tight with tension. He suspects there is more going on. I can’t say I don’t blame him. My stomach is also tight with tension. Something just feels off, even to me.
“Well, equine shifters aren’t really useful for anything, and they are too prideful to be used for transportation or to pull carts, and the pegasus and unicorns refuse to use their magic to aid anyone else,” the sergeant sneers.
“What the fuck?” I mutter, disgusted by his comment. “Of course they are. They aren’t pack mules.”
“So how do they make any money to survive?” Brodie asks.
The sergeant scoffs. “They sell their magical abilities to other kingdoms. Fucking traitors, if you ask me. They refuse to help shifters, but happily pimp themselves out to anyone who needs them.”
I see the major’s eyes widen in surprise at the venom in the sergeant’s tone, and I can tell all of this is news to him. Before anyone else can say anything, Micah appears, carrying a duffel bag with two guns strapped to his thighs.
“Okay, I’m good to go,” he tells us, gesturing to the bag.
“Oh, Your Majesty, I was going to show you the bathroom. Right this way, if you don’t mind.” The major shows me to the ladies’ restroom.
When I return, we head back out through the base, but I feel eyes on me, and when I turn around, the sergeant is watching me closely. I ignore him and put it down to the fact that he overheard the major call me by my title. So much for keeping a low profile.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Colbie
We’re back on the road within half an hour, tucking into the food Gem and Gryff picked up.
“Did that sergeant give anyone else bad vibes?” Brodie asks around a mouthful of sandwich before taking a sip of his soda. “I bet he picked up the phone and called his uncle to tell him we were heading his way the minute we left the building.”
Hunter tells the others who weren’t there what we talked about with the major.
Gryffin groans. “I have no doubt you’re right,” he says, agreeing with Brodie.
“Doesn’t matter. We’ll go in alert, ready for anything. We’re loaded for a fight now. I grabbed something for everyone.” Micah sounds confident, and Hunter grunts an agreement.
“I doubt they would try anything. They would be stupid to take us on. I’ll just shift into my dragon form and set them all on fire.”
“I didn’t like the sergeant’s attitude. That village is supposed to be a haven for the equines. How did a lion shifter end up as the alpha?” Liam grumbles next to me.
“No, there was no love lost for the equines with the sergeant,” I point out. “He sounded downright aggressive toward them. Do you think they are holding them hostage or something?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me. It makes me rethink this visit. It sounds like we are going into a hostile environment, and I’m not sure we can guarantee Colbie’s safety,” Hunter says, and I can see from here that his hands are tight with tension, his knuckles white from how hard he’s gripping the steering wheel. “Maybe we should turn around and come back with a couple more teams.”
