CHAPTER FOUR
~ Gwynnore ~
Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan Oblast
Russia
THE FOUR OF us stepped through the portal. We halted for a moment, allowing our eyes to adjust to the sunlight…and to our army which we had landed directly in front of.
The vampire and druid generals leading the mass of killers stopped solid at the sight of us, their gazes widening enormously on their faces at our magical entrance.
I plastered a proud smile on my face and stepped forward, and covertly pulled Dorian along with a fast grab of his hand since he had a role to play here, too. Luckily, he was quick on the draw and immediately understood what was needed of him, his “transformation” into his son somewhat eerie, but he did it so well. The same swagger, an identical smug smirk, and his eyelids dropping to cover the difference in eye color.
Cheers sprang up from everyone in view, the vibration deafening to the sensitive eardrum. There were so many that it took my breath away at our sheer force of power, a battle drum for the humans to hear and quake down to their mortal bones.
I held my hands up in the air, shouting all of my frustrations out to the masses. “Today, we are as one people! Today we fight to keep our people safe! Today, we will have blood!”
Dorian tipped his head back, and he howled like a goddamn wolf, bellowing, “Kill all the prey! Reap all the rewards! Kill and take and party like you never have before!”
I choked on a laugh, hastily swallowing it down…
Because the druids bought it. Just slap a sticker on their foreheads and call them sold, their fists in the air, and jumping as high as they could for their master. It was kind of sad to think that Niallan hadn’t changed so much in as many years as he had been on Earth for Dorian to pull this off so easily and brilliantly.
Except for one druid. One in the very middle in the first row of the ranks. That druid stood perfectly still, his eyes narrowed.
Fucking Chester.
Of course, it would be that asshole.
I peered over my shoulder at my soul mate, and I growled softly, “If you so much as speak to him, I will gut you before I shove his severed dick down his throat. Got me?”
King Belshazzar’s lips tilted up on one side. “Calm yourself, little one. I’ll avoid him.”
Aiko asked quietly, “Will that druid be a problem?”
Dorian eyed him thoughtfully. Then twitched a lone finger.
Chester suddenly dropped to the ground. Out cold.
And snoring.
Dorian grinned outright. “Nope, no problem.”
I glared at the sleeping druid. “Why didn’t you just kill him?”
“We’re killing our own people now?” Dorian swung his head to me. “Just to be clear. Which side are we on in this war?”
“Oh, fuck off.” I grabbed onto Aiko’s sleeve and started dragging him away from the chuckling brothers. “We’ll meet you two somewhere in the middle. Any paperwork for where the U.S.A.’s base is will be in the offices. Find us there when you’re done having fun.”
Dorian snickered harder. “That sounds like a sound plan.”
* * *
“Goddamn it, Dorian!” I shouted, lying on top of Aiko’s body once more. Glorious blood and guts covered us, along with an unseemly dose of dirt. “Quit trying to fucking kill him!”
Bel’s twin smirked and disappeared behind a crate of explosives. Definitely not sticking to my “sound plan.” The jackass was thoroughly enjoying himself and almost succeeding in killing his “prey.” Over the jarring explosions rocketing the air, he sang cheerfully, “You’ll miss one time, Gwen. That’s all I need.”
“Belshazzar!” I screamed as loudly as I could, jumping to my feet and yanking an unconscious vampire by his feet behind a busted military vehicle. “You had better find us in a damned hurry, or I swear to fucking God, I will not have sex with you for a hundred years!” I bent down and started slapping Aiko’s face. “Wake up! Your head didn’t hit the ground that hard.”
