Oisín tapped one finger on the table to draw their attention. “One of our sentinels, Darragh, is tracking the vibrations. His latest report is that whatever this darkness is, it’s not of this realm. One of our banshee sources told him they believe it wasstirred by the blood price paid to free the king after the Dord Fiann sounded three times.”
“Fucking fabulous,” Reaper grumbled.
Viper’s pulse kicked hard behind his ribs. They had stepped into a story without knowing the ending, and now fate was asking them to write the next chapter with their lives. He shifted his weight and said, “Okay. Say we agree to help. What’s the play?”
Oisín and Fionn shared a glance.
“First,” Fionn said, “you train. Not as warriors of your world, but as Fianna. You must understand the bond, the power, and the rules of this land before you can protect either.”
“Because like it or not,” Oisín added, “you are ours now, and this land does not easily give up what it claims.”
Easy day.
Easy fucking day.
Maybe if he repeated it in his head enough, he’d believe it. But for the first time in his life, Viper thought maybe the mantra that had kept him sane for so many missions was one to have one hell of a bad day at the office, and his reality as he knew it was never, ever going to return to normal.
Easy fucking day.
Trace leaned forward with his elbows braced on his knees. “You’re serious about this? You want my human brothers and my Grá Croí to train with our warriors? To run drills, spar, and learn our most sacred ancient battle tactics?”
Fionn nodded once. “Aye. But it’s not only sword and spear. They’ll learn the call of the land. They need to be skilled in magicwoven into the very fabric of our existence. If they are to help us protect both realms, then they must belong to both worlds.”
“Sounds like we’re enrolling in goddamn magic boot camp.” Kaze dragged a hand through his hair. “Do we get badges and merit points? Maybe a sash with ‘Fianna-in-training’ stitched in glitter thread?”
Zero snorted. “Only you would ask for sparkly accessories during an interdimensional crisis.”
Ward was still and quiet beside Viper. His eyes locked on the flickering torches, unreadable. He could practically see the wheels turning in the man’s head. Viper bumped his knee lightly against Ward’s. “Say it.”
Ward blinked and looked at him. “Say what?”
“Whatever it is that’s caused that look on your face. Tell me.”
A faint frown pulled between Ward’s brows. “If we’re being trained… and we’re Fianna now… then what the hell does that mean for our lives back home? I have lectures. Research. A life. I have… responsibilities.” He glanced at Viper like he regretted the words the second they’d come out of his mouth, but he pushed on anyway. “So do you. All of you do.”
Viper grunted. “My only responsibility is keeping my men alive. That doesn’t change, whether it’s in Yemen or fairyland. I have no clue how to explain how we survived that volcano if we do figure out a way to go back.”
“But it does change.” Ward glanced at the others, turned more fully toward him, and lowered his voice. “This isn’t black-ops like you guys are used to. This is magic, destiny, and stuff none of us understand for fuck’s sake. That’s not something you canplan or play around with. You don’t get to call in an evac or medevac out of a divine calling.”
“I’m not planning on needing an evac.” Did his Grá Croí really think he went into any battle expecting to lose? Viper ruthlessly shoved aside the fact that the magic of this place was starting to affect his thoughts, because it had to be the magic and the mate bond that had him thinking of Ward as his Grá Croí and not as Ward, Sutherland, or the archeologist anymore. “I’m planning on ending whatever the hell’s trying to tear this place apart so it doesn’t follow us back.”
There weren’t many people who could glare at him quite like Ward was doing. “What if it already has?” The table went still. Ward’s voice had barely carried, but it rippled like a stone dropped in a pond.
Damn.
How he’s making me explain shit…
That’s more than a little hot.
Viper turned fully toward him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Ward said slowly, “what if the things slipping through the cracks in the veil here have already reached our real world? What if us going back just speeds it up?”
Well, fuck, I didn’t think of that.
Juice leaned forward. “Is that even impossible?”
“I don’t know.” Ward shrugged. “The runes on the stone flared. Like something was calling to them from both sides, but that could be just a thought in my head…” He glanced at Fionn and Oisín. “Right?”
