Oren raised his brow. “This might be an ability.”
Zane walked over to us, chewing on a chicken leg. “It’s about time something showed up. I was beginning to think his ability was being a giant dickhole.”
I listened to the phone ring from the other side and flipped Zane off. “No. I’ve always had feelings about certain things. That’s what made me a good soldier.” I smirked. “Dickhole comes naturally.”
“What the fuck?! Did he make a joke?” Zane laughed in disbelief.
“Hey brother, good to hear from you.” Josh’s cheery voice came across the line. “I was just about to contact you.”
“What’s up?” The man was happy in the middle of a gun battle, so just because he sounded cheerful didn’t mean we weren’t thirty seconds away from an apocalypse.
“I found out about an attack on one of our last two air bases, Joint Base Langley in Virginia. If they destroy that base, it’ll be over for us, and we’ll lose the capital.” He snorted, “Our leaders don’t like to give credit to your friends, but we’d already be done if it weren’t for them.”
“How can I help?” The man took forever to get to the point.
“You know, sometimes a man likes to be romanced. Not just jump straight into the action.” Josh sighed in exasperation.
“I’m not that kind of guy. Now what do you need?” It was my turn to sigh.
“Could you, Deshawn, and the rest of the Fantastic Five head this way to help us plan the base's defense? It might be a chance for you to save the capital and get a ride through a portal into Aurathia a week before Copper Creek.” I could hear the pleading in his voice. “Also, you still owe me for saving your life.”
My heart started beating faster. This would get us into Aurathia much sooner than anticipated. And maybe the attack was the reason we needed to stay behind.
“Let me talk to Oren.” I sighed. “And you most definitely didn’t save my life.” He was still talking when I hung up. The man could go on for hours, and I didn’t have that kind of time.
Oren was watching me closely. “What’s got you looking positively giddy?”
Zane snorted, “How can you tell? Looks like resting bitch face to me.”
I ignored him. “Josh has heard word of an attack coming on an air base in Virginia and wants our help deterring the DF.” I saw his eyes light up with the same excitement as mine.
“Maybe that’s why we needed to stay behind. If we stop the attack, we can use their portal to get to Reverie.” He was reaching for his phone even before he stopped speaking.
“Gather the guys and let’s head to the Hawthorne’s. We can get to Virginia and Josh and start making plans.” He began speaking into the phone, and I knew I was dismissed.
That’s part of the reason I liked the guy, straight to the point and on a mission. None of the bullshitting everyone else around me so enjoyed.
Hold on, Angel. We’re coming.
Chapter 13
Reverie
The fight in the coliseum was less than an hour away, and I still hadn’t decided how to escape this predicament. I paced nervously in the designated warm-up area. Defeating the Varruk seemed impossible, and I sensed it might not even be necessary. His respectful attitude suggested he might choose not to fight me at all.
“So, you’re fighting the Varruk?” I turned and saw Torren standing there with a frown on his face.
“Seems that way.” I smiled. “You don’t think I can take him?” I joked to keep from crying.
He frowned in disapproval, “You shouldn’t make light of this. I’ve seen them fight, and they are basically undefeatable.”
“Do I have a choice? Better to get through it with humor than to cry.” I smirked, “Can you imagine me bawling on the floor? That would really tank my street cred.”
“What the hell is street cred?” He asked, tilting his head to the side like a questioning puppy.
“It doesn’t matter. I need to warm up, maybe for the last time.” I tried to laugh, but it fell flat.
“When do you go on?” He grabbed one of my short swords and checked it for sharpness. Then he handed it back to me and motioned for me to give him the other one.
