Page 56 of Dark Dragon’s Wolf

“It was a trap,” Thorne said. “Had to be.” He turned to Tyr. “So how did they do it? And how did they know she was coming?”

“One of the wolves must have ratted them out,” Emon said, growling savagely.

“Or maybe they didn’t know,” Flynn said. “Maybe it was a trap for anyone who can do what Mayah can do—travel between worlds, physically or psychically. That’s a valuable skill. Do you know how many people that rogue Shifter Intelligence officer killed to try and get these?”

He lifted his wrists, showing the gold bracelets encircling them.

“Mainly because they let him travel through the spirit world. Think about it. The ability to go anywhere you want. Spy on people while staying invisible. Bypass any security system and rip a hole between dimensions. Do you have any fucking idea how much some people would pay to be able to do that?”

They all glanced uneasily at each other.

Tyr said, “So you think they set up a trap for anyone who came near their facility in the spirit world?”

“I don’t care why they did it or who it was for,” Tristan said savagely. “They have Mayah.” He growled at Tyr. “Send me back. Now.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” Flynn said. “They’ll just drag you in too.”

Tristan turned on him. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You of all people know what they’ll do to her in there.”

Flynn rubbed his hand uncomfortably over his hair. “I know,” he said quietly. “But you ending up in there with her isn’t going to help.”

“She’ll be all right for a little while,” Thorne said. “While we make a plan to—”

Tristan lunged off the table at him, and it took both Flynn and Emon to hold him back.

“What the fuck do you know?” he snarled. “I’ve been in one of their facilities. The first thing they’ll do is drug her up, try to subdue her dragon so she can’t Change. And then they’ll start doing the same shit Ragnor did to her. Maybe even worse.”

Emon’s eyes went dragon, the pupils turning to slits with lightning flickering in their depths. His growl vibrated through the room.

Tristan said, “Either send me back, or move up the damned mission. Because one way or another, we have to get her out of there.”

Thorne sighed. “Okay. It’s going to be risky, with no intel, but I don’t see that we have a choice. If we can get everyone together quickly enough, we might be able to do it before morning. In the meantime, you should take one of Tyr’s nasty potions and have something to eat, while we figure out where we are.”

“You expect me to eat while Mayah’s trapped somewhere—”

Flynn said, “It’s not going to help her if you pass out, or your brain explodes. Drink what the dragon gives you, and fucking eat. Don’t make me alpha-slap you.”

Still snarling, Tristan downed the potion Tyr handed him, which did make him feel a bit better, and tried to swallow some food, which tasted like sand and stuck in his throat.

Thorne had gotten a big drawing pad and pencils, and said, “Okay. Give me everything you got—what you saw, what you learned. Any intel is better than none…”

His voice faded away. A spike of pain almost split Tristan’s skull, and there was a roaring in his ears. The pain intensified, and he heard Mayah calling him, very far off. He felt the warm drip of blood as his nose started bleeding again.

Voices in the room distracted him, and he felt hands shaking him.

“Shut up!” He pressed the heels of his hands against his temples. “She’s talking to me, but I can barely hear her.”

Immediately the room around him went silent. He felt hands touching his shoulders. Emon on one side, the person with the closest connection to Mayah. Flynn on the other side—his friend and brother.

We can help you reach her, came the voices in his head. We are Al-Maddeiri.

Al-Maddeiri-ish, added Flynn, a touch of his wry humor coming through. When Kira had released all the bound-up Al-Maddeiri power during their battle with Ragnor, some of it had spilled over to Flynn.

I’ll take it, Tristan said. Whatever you’ve got. Just fucking be quiet.

He went still and opened his mind, then called for Mayah.

Her voice came into his mind, faint at first, but it grew stronger as the others lent their power and their connections with them both.