“Do you want me to take any action to slow them down?” Hawkeye asked.
“Nah, just give me a signal if they’re closing the gap between us.”
Nodding once, Hawkeye shifted before soaring up through the overhanging branches of some nearby trees.
Without wasting a moment, Smokey spun around just as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Accepting the call, he growled, “Where the fuck are you? I have assholes breathing down my neck and not enough time to get everyone to safety.”
“I’ll be there in forty. Just go! I got your six,” replied Ghost.
“Thanks…I’ll be waiting at the point.”
“Gotcha…now go!”
Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Smokey’s long legs ate up the distance back to Kevin’s parents. His bear was right as usual about the danger heading toward them. Not really surprising since in all the years he worked for the agency, his animal never was wrong with his warnings; in this case, though, Smokey wished he’d been mistaken. Bursting through the remaining brush, Smokey stopped beside Harte and Elen.
Startled at the suddenness of Smokey’s appearance, Elen glanced up and frowned at the tightness of his features. “What’s the problem, Gabriel? And don’t tell me it’s nothing because I won’t believe you.”
Lifting one corner of his lips in a half smile, Smokey said, “Kev and I could never fool you.”
“That’s right so don’t think you can now. So, what did you find out?”
“There’re more humans coming after you so we have to go. I think you should shift because it’ll be easier for you to keep up,” Smokey said.
“What about Harte? He’s still unconscious.”
“I know but it’ll be okay because I’ll be moving fast,” Smokey replied softly. “I promise he won’t feel any pain.”
“How much time do we have?” Elen asked.
“None.” Bending down, Smokey lifted Harte over his shoulder, securing him in a fireman’s carry. By the time he was ready, Elen had shifted into her horse. As always, the sheer beauty of her animal caught him by surprise. Reaching out, he ran his hand down her neck, saying the words his grandfather taught him. After feeling the surge of power leave his fingers, he gave Elen a nod before glancing at the men. “Let’s go.”
~/~/~/~/~
Weird, that was Brady’s first thought, followed quickly bystrangeas he walked behind Mystia. Glancing around the familiar hallways leading to their destination, he thought at first nothing had changed, but upon a closer look, found the reason he was unsettled. Darkness had gained a foothold, deepening the shadows and creating new ones as it continued its advance through the halls of the Council building. He could feel it now, calling to his soul with enticing promises of riches that would befall him upon acceptance of its power.
Cold dread filled him. The last time Brady was here, he was being frog-marched out, forbidden to return again unless he was willing to forfeit his life. As that memory worked itself up from the deep recesses of his mind, it was easy for him to see how far Darkness had advanced in its relentless pursuit of domination. That realization sent a full body shiver through him as he contemplated the magnitude of the task that lay ahead for Remy.
Sensing Brady’s reaction, Mystia stopped and, after making sure no one was in the hallway, murmured, “Remy and Carson have been chosen by the gods and Fates to save our world. You must believe they will.”
“I didn’t say they wouldn’t,” huffed Brady.
“No, but Darkness is already trying to plant its first seed of doubt,” Mystia replied. “You can feel it, right? One of its tendrils seeking a way to breach your soul… Darkness is slowly creeping toward you…but you must resist, Brady…Remy and Carson can’t do it without you.”
It wasn’t often Brady’s anger revealed itself, but after Mystia implied that he might compromise his values and morals—which he valued more than life itself—he was hard pressed to keep it under control. “Fuck you, Mystia,” he hissed. “How dare you call into question my loyalty. I never said I didn’t believe in the Ruler, nor did I say I wouldn’t help him no matter what the cost was to me. However, you and Oracle left out one crucial piece of information when you begged…yes begged…for my help. And that was how fucking far our world has descended into darkness. A very critical point, wouldn’t you say? You know as well as I do that what we do here today is only the first battle of many. Does Remy know this? And what about Carson or Jackson and the rest of the Blackwood Pack? Or did you and Oracle conveniently forget to mention that little fact to them, too?” Shaking his head in disgust, he stepped around her, not waiting for an answer.
Striding ahead down the hallway, Brady fought to rid himself of his anger, knowing if he didn’t, he’d just make it easier for Darkness to use him. Blowing out several puffs of air helped calm his mind so he could regain control over his emotions. But one that would not go away was the hurt caused by Mystia and Oracle’s apparent lack of trust in him. Both knew him better than anyone else in his life but obviously not well enough to tell him the whole truth about what had happened in the magic world since he’d left it.
Mystia watched her friend open the distance between them and knew she deserved his ire. It was she who’d decided to take a risk—one she and Oracle debated several times but, in the end, desperate for Brady’s help, they chose the easy path—the one paved with a simple problem—instead of the other filled with danger lurking at every step of the way.
She now realized it was the wrong choice and she couldn’t blame Brady for feeling betrayed. He was right, she did know him and never should have doubted his commitment to making sure justice prevailed. That’s what drew her to Brady many years ago—his refusal to give up the fight—no matter how hopeless it seemed. And that was exactly the reason Remy and Carson needed him now. Whether their friendship could survive the hurt she’d caused Brady would have to wait for later. Right now, there were more important things she needed to do. Hurrying to catch up with Brady, Mystia vowed to do anything to right the wrong she’d done to her friend.
Chapter 11
Ghost spewed out a stream of curses each time his SUV bottomed out in one of the many ruts and potholes dotting the dirt road leading to the last place where Smokey had been. Time wasn’t on his side but he’d be damned if a bad road would ever be an excuse for not keeping his promise. Finally reaching his destination, he grabbed the gun Ivan handed him and jumped out onto the soft ground, pausing as his tiger scented the air. The humans were close. Sprinting across the road, he joined his men who were waiting for his orders. “Spread out…wait for my signal.”
Scrambling up through the brush in the forest, Ghost rejected several spots before finding the perfect one. He crouched down in the foliage, hidden from anyone passing on the nearby path. Slowing his breathing down, Ghost stilled his body, waiting for the right moment to pounce. Once Hawkeye had informed him about the new humans trailing Smokey; he knew it was a chance to find out who was behind the attack on Kevin’s parents.
Listening as the rest of his men faded into the forest, Ghost slowly raised his gun, his vision now locked on the place where the humans would first appear. If everything went according to plan, there would soon be several new prisoners for Smokey to ‘interview’ when he got back from dropping off Kevin’s parents. The snap of a twig close by interrupted Ghost’s thoughts and his tiger issued a warning growl. Turning his attention back to the path, he saw the first human step into his line of vision.
