45. Bree

45

Bree

Riggs and I were on our way to the amphitheater at the Talon Complex when Tez got struck by the Trinity bolt.

NO!

My mental scream of denial reverberated through the link. But from Tez, there was nothing. No answer at all.

Suddenly, I had two hissing, scaly monsters determined to emerge. I struggled until Riggs helped me push them back.

He's just knocked out, he said, but his own fear ran beneath the words as we entered the expansive room filled with seats.

Tez's message that the underlord and Finn were pulling out had resulted in an instant galvanization of the strike initiative. We'd been rushing to the gathering area when the Trinity hit.

The room was filled with people. I heard Riggs pass that info on to Cody and Tyrez, who worked together like a well-oiled machine.

"We're going in through the gate," Tyrez told Riggs and me. "There's no time for subterfuge. Primary strike team will take the guards out. It'll consist of you, Cody, and team Centaur. I'll bring the trained Legion members that we have through right after you."

"Count me in," rumbled a deep voice.

"Me too," said another.

I turned to see Talakai and Sid.

When Tyrez nodded agreement, Riggs said, "Victor and the Drakes might still be there. The Trinity is."

I didn't know how he could still function. My pain almost made me double over, and my internal scaly evil sisters continually clamored for release. But I held them in check, straightened, and said, "I'm coming."

"No, you're not," Riggs snarled.

"If those Drakes are there, you're going to need more than just Marcus," I insisted.

Cara breezed into our midst. "She can come through with me. We'll send the muscle-bound warriors through first. We need to go. Now."

She raised her arms and called forth a gateway.

Another pulse of agony swept through me. Was this because Tez was dead? Or Caliel?

Or both…

In one burst of crimson energy, we'd gone from a planned assault to a frantic rescue mission. We could only hope that the place was mostly abandoned. Because if it wasn't—we didn't have enough of an army, yet, to take them on.

Riggs shot me a look from where he stood near the gate. Stay with Cara.

I'll go where I'm needed, I insisted.

I witnessed the gritting of teeth that also echoed through my head. And then the gate snapped into existence, and he jumped through…

I stayed with him, seeing through his eyes as the strike team landed in the alley that serviced the gateway.

There was no one there. No guards, no gatekeeper.

I relayed that to Cara, and she brought us through before the warriors.

" Weird so does not describe this," said Cody.

We didn't waste any time. The five of us without wings mounted up on Dragons, and we were off.

Riggs, Cara, and I were on Tyrez. To our right was the massive red Dragon Havoc, carrying Rafael, and on our left, the small black scaled Dragon that was Riley. Just beyond her flew Marcus as a Gryphon. Talakai's blue Dragon carried Sid.

Behind us, came forty Legion Dragons, flying in formation. That was a hell of a lot of teeth and talons.

Any normal opponent would be pissing themselves, Riggs said tersely. But if they've gathered Daize's Dragons as well as the coalition, it won't be nearly enough.

Tez hadn't seen a gathering army, but rather an absence of one. I squinted ahead as the stronghold appeared through the rain. There were Dragons circling above it, but as soon as they saw us, they fled. Wings beating hard, they disappeared over the swamp.

There were also a few Dires and mercenaries in the courtyard as we came in to land. They bolted through the gate, and by the time our Dragons folded their wings, they were gone.

Icy-blue scales chased along my forearms as Riggs and I exchanged worried looks. The Dragons shifted to human, and then I led the way into the building.

"They're down a level," I said as I took them to the stairs.

"What the fuck?" Havoc almost sounded disappointed. "Where is everybody?"

"Let's clear the building," Tyrez said to Cody. "Take Havoc, Rafael, Riley, and Riggs with you. I'll keep Marcus and Sid with me. If there's any trouble, we'll shout." He moved off, directing squads in various directions.

We descended the stairs with the trained precision of warriors.

At least, they did. I was frantic, desperate to get to Tez, Caliel, and maybe Mykal.

When we opened the door to an empty hall, I didn't hold out much hope for Mykal still being here. If the Trinity had vacated the stronghold, surely they would have taken him with them?

Cody and Riggs worked as a team, falling in to either side of the chamber's open door…

Havoc snarled and strode straight through.

"Dammit," muttered Cody, and we all tumbled in after him.

Tez lay along the far wall, alongside a beast that must be Karst. Caliel was near the cage.

And within the cage, was Mykal.

I ran first to Tez. His head was covered in blood—he was breathing, but only barely. I shot Cara a panicked look as she placed her hands on Tez, and closed her eyes. Then Rafael leaned over him.

"I've got this," he said. As Cara hurried to Caliel, the lean young man clutched a crystal and ran hands over Tez.

I followed the Watcher to Caliel. A moment later, she stated, "He's alive. Just." Then she reached a hand through the bars to Mykal.

"Is that my son?" Riggs stared at him, shocked.

"I think so," Cara admitted. "But I have no idea what has been done to him."

Off to the side, Havoc searched my former jail cell and emerged shaking his head. There was no sign of the Trinity.

I hurried back to Tez. Meanwhile, Cody checked the cage lock, and pulled something out of the small pack around his waist. "I might be able to pick this?—"

Riggs pushed him out of the way, raised the sword, and brought it down. There was a shower of sparks, some red, some blue. And the gate swung open.

Cody shrugged. "Or we can just hit it with a big shiny stick."

Cara looked to Riley. "We have to get them back to the complex—they all need immediate help."

Riley nodded. "Get everyone together, and we're gone."

Riggs leaned over the still body of his son and started to pick him up. But he was adult-sized, now…

"Let's get this done." Havoc moved in and lifted Mykal. Riggs and Cody slung Caliel's big body between them, and they brought them to where Tez, Rafael, and I were.

"I've told Marcus we're going back," Riley said. "He says the place is empty. No one left, not even a servant."

Riggs met my eyes as we all held onto Riley, and the golden light engulfed us.

Snap!

When we got back to the Talon Complex, a Centaur helped us carry Mykal, Caliel, and Tez to the medical ward.

I felt nothing at all from Tez, and my heart was in a continual state of spasm.

He's in good hands, Riggs said as the Centaurs carried them off. He folded his arm around me, but Ganit stood talking with Riley—and he looked up to meet Riggs's eyes.

I have to go, Venus, Riggs said. Now that Victor, the Trinity, and Aurora are in the wind, we have to build our army as quickly as possible.

I know. The survival of the council, and the academy, relied upon it. None of us believed that either Daize or Victor would give us the time we needed.

So I went alone to the hospital ward, with my scaled inner accomplices spinning nervous circles within me. Once there, I watched all three Watchers work.

They removed the clothing from the men and covered them with blankets. I waited anxiously for their assessments.

Tez had multiple fractures and burns. Bess healed his injuries and placed him into a coma.

"Will he be okay?" I asked, standing beside Tez's cot.

"I've stopped the bleeding in his brain," she stated. "I don't think there was too much damage, but we should keep him in that coma for as long as it takes to recover."

I swallowed, and placed my hand along his face. This was the second of my men to almost die at Finn's hand. I owed that Torshin a particularly messy death.

I glanced to where Mandy worked over another still form. "What about Caliel?"

The diminutive healer shook her head. "His unconsciousness isn't due to the injuries. I've healed those. He should be coming ‘round." Her mouth twisted. "This body is in a state of flux that I can't seem to stabilize. I think it might be rejecting his life essence."

My heart constricted as she straightened and looked at Bess, who had her hands resting on Mykal's brow.

I moved closer. It was hard to believe that this was Riggs's son. Not due to any lack of resemblance—because it was definitely there—but because this was a young man before us now, not a boy.

Bess shook her head. "I'm at a loss with Mykal too. I have no idea what that monster did to him—but I can't get a handle on it at all. He's deeply under, and I have no idea why."

"I'm calling in Aphostra," Cara announced. "I think we need her expertise." She left the room.

I had no idea who Aphostra was, although the name sounded vaguely familiar. I sat with Caliel, and picked up his hand. Slade had been a big, powerful man, but somehow the fingers reminded me of the entity who had lived within me—they were long, with clearly defined tendons.

A healer's hands.

It was all likely just nonsense, something to convince me that Caliel was still alive in there. That I wasn't just holding the hand of Slade's undead body.

If I reached , I sensed the unconscious Tez as a tickle along the link. But I felt nothing at all from Caliel. It was as though our bond had never existed.

He is our mate. Riggs now lurked in the forest around the lake resort, watching the latest group of Dragons swoop in low. But he needs to culminate that bond, or we will lose him.

It may be too late. I felt as though I stood upon an abyss, with Riggs the only thing holding me back.

Tez will recover, he said somewhat desperately. We have to believe that Caliel will, too.

Mandy had healed Caliel, but she was confused as to why he wouldn't awaken. My heart twisted. Surely he would want to fight to live?

Maybe not. Not if he believed he would just die, anyway.

Sounds just outside the entrance revealed itself as Cara returning, and with her was a beautiful Gryphona. She filled the room with more than just her presence. I met her amethyst gaze, and the serene calm in them caused my angst level to drop immediately. I sensed both my Ice Drake and Dragon finally lower their heads and coil together within me.

Cara gestured to the Gryphon. "This is Aphostra. She is a gifted healer."

"You must be Bree," the Gryphona said in an oddly accented voice. I'd expected her to be as clear as Caliel had been, but then, I'd rarely heard him speak as a Gryphon.

I glanced at Caliel's still form. "Can you help him?"

Aphostra looked from me to Cara, and I wondered what the Watcher had told her. "I will tak-ke a look at him," the Gryphona stated.

I stood, frozen, as she ran her hands over Caliel—they were more than paws, each finger elongated and ending in a hooked claw. "I knew him. He was a very talented young healer," she said, and the sadness in her voice spoke volumes.

Tears welled in my eyes, and they pinged off the cot's metal frame as they fell.

"He has tried to meld with this body," she continued. "Tried very hard. But it is rejecting him." She regarded me with infinite compassion in her gaze. "I am sorry, Bree. I will do what I can to alleviate the situation by creating connections, but there is a fundamental schism between Caliel's life essence and this body. Anything I do will not hold for long."

No. I couldn't breathe as she rested her forepaws on Caliel's chest, and began to sing.

Recognition zinged through me—I'd heard the song before, from both Caliel and Cara. Now I witnessed how it wove her magic around him, visible as a blue glow that encompassed him from hairline to toes. The Gryphona closed her eyes as she sang, and the tones became deeper. My own body relaxed as it eased my tearing worry.

Maybe the sword can help him, Riggs offered. It has capabilities we don't really understand.

I watched as the color in Caliel's face improved, and the hand I held clenched in my own warmed. The sword's power had become the core of much of what we were doing. But how could it force Slade's body to accept Caliel?

Finally, Aphostra stopped singing and straightened. "I have done what I can, but he is not awak-kening. I do not know why." She removed her forepaws. "We must c-consider that this is his choice."

His choice ? It was like a spear thrust through the heart, and I sensed Riggs's sorrow as he braced himself against a tree. How could Caliel choose this?

Yet what was the alternative?

"His body would die by degrees, Bree," Cara said gently as Aphostra moved off to examine Mykal. "He is a healer, too, and he knows it. He may have decided this is for the best." Her hand squeezed my arm, and she moved to stand with Aphostra over Mykal.

No. I straightened, and brushed crystalized tears from my cheeks. I would not accept that Caliel was dying. I had one more thing to try before we accepted that our bond would never be completed.

Even the thought of it doubled me over in a spasm of pain. Realms away, Riggs leaned against the tree, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Caliel was our mate, and Riggs's pain matched my own. It also galvanized me. Caliel belonged with us. It was up to me to see this through.

I walked out of the ward and into the hall. Working on an archway just down from it was a young Centaur electrician.

He was a bit startled when I asked for his help, but moments later, he clopped into the ward behind me.

"I'm taking Caliel with me," I said.

I expected an argument, but Cara's vivid-blue eyes met my gaze.

And then she smiled.

The young Centaur carpenter stepped out into the garden lit with the dawn's rays, and looked around in appreciation.

"Heard about this place," he said. "It's even better in person."

The healers had replaced Caliel's pants before we'd wound a blanket around him and slung his body over the Centaur's back. I now led them to the soft moss alongside the pool. Where the carpenter kneeled, so we could slide Caliel off.

The sheer mass of him carried me to the ground. As a human, Slade had been a damned big guy.

The young Centaur helped me with him, laying him out and tucking the blanket around him. It was warm here in the garden, so I left his shoulders and chest bare.

Caliel remained inert and unresponsive through it all. I cradled his head in my hands for just a moment. Rugged features, and so handsome with its pale hair and stripes. Such power in that body, too—and yet, it refused to be a part of him.

I'd first seen him in a vision, standing on a cliff with Riggs and Tez—and the sword. Hadn't realized what I was seeing at the time. But surely that meant that Caliel wasn't destined to die here?

We can't let him die, Riggs confirmed.

My new Centaur friend straightened and looked indecisively at me. "Is there anything else I can do? Do you need me to sit with you?"

He thought I was on a deathwatch. Looking down at Caliel's prone body, I wondered if I was.

"Maybe this will help," rumbled a new voice, as Marcus stepped out from behind the Centaur. He carried a set of three small drums, joined together.

Riley told him about Caliel, Riggs said. He thought music might help.

I looked up into Marcus's eyes, and for the first time, saw only concern. No condemnation for what I'd done.

He offered me the drums. "Sing to him, Bree. If it is destined to be, you will reach him. You have to have faith."

Faith in Fate, he meant. I did my best to sketch a smile to him. "Thank you, Marcus."

His smile back to me held a hint of strain, but as an olive branch, it was a good one. As he left with the Centaur, I sat myself down beside Caliel, tucked my leg beneath his head, and arranged the drums beside it on my lap.

Maybe I didn't need to create music like a Gryphon—that almost eerie combination of energy and sonics was unique to them. Cara's rendition of the same song had been energy combined with vocals.

I might no longer have my Centaur body, but at heart, I still galloped across those grasslands. And if there was one thing Centaurs understood, it was music.

The garden was so sheltered that it reduced the howling wind to a gentle breeze, but the waves crashing against the exterior stone reverberated through the ground itself—a rhythmic vibration that I started to complement with the drums. At first tentative, and then with growing confidence.

It was a natural beat that then suggested much more—a song of Centaurs going into battle that spoke to the restless fear within me. I sang it with all my heart, pouring into it all my uncertainty until my voice rang off the stones around me. From there, I transitioned into another song of an ancient battle between tribes.

Riggs had moved deeper into the forest. Sitting down at the base of a huge tree, he drew the sword. And he fed its power through him and into me, weaving it into the songs until I was suspended in its bright energy.

Something deep inside me stirred. The scaled sisters sat up and took notice. I sensed their intense, almost possessive, interest in Caliel as the beat slowed beneath my hands, and I began to sing a ballad of a hero dying in the arms of his beloved. Its heartbreaking echoes had tears cascading down my cheeks. They crystallized to fall onto Caliel's prone form, to make a little glittering pile against his bare chest.

They lay there for a moment as I sang. And then, they began to dissolve, until they disappeared into his skin.

The song was a long one, and it suited the anguish that dwelt within me. When I finished it, I started anew, and my tears continued to flow, falling onto Caliel's skin, before being absorbed.

Keep going, Breana, Riggs encouraged.

I kept singing, closing my eyes as the tears fell. In my mind, I took flight. Soared over the mountains, feeling the cold bite to the air, reveling in the wind dancing through my feathers as I banked and soared and dove.

And suddenly, he was there. A warm presence in my mind, faint but distinctly Caliel. I kept singing, afraid that he would vanish. His distinct Gryphon music wove tentatively through my ballad. Riggs pumped us the sword's power, and the surge strengthened Caliel's voice until it provided a pure, clear counterpoint to my song.

Now, my music was laced with joy as we flew together. Until the song ended, and I opened my eyes.

He looked up at me, and smiled. "Hello, my little wind dancer," he whispered. "That was beautiful."

I pushed aside the drums and cradled his head in my shaking hands before resting my forehead against his. "You scared us, you feathered bastard."

He frowned. "Tez? Is he okay?"

"Tez is going to be fine. He'll be so pleased that you are, too."

"I am glad your young man is okay."

My young man? Tez was mine, but so was Caliel.

His eyes closed, and I sensed him fading again. I grabbed hold of his hand and held it to my heart. "Don't go," I pleaded.

He raised a trembling hand to my face. "I cannot stay, Breezy. You have to let me go." His voice was barely audible.

"No!" I poured so much anguish into that single word. "You belong with us."

"This body does not want me," he whispered. "If I try to stay within it, I will become an abomination."

"Then come back to me," I said, meeting his gaze.

He smiled gently. "I was closer to you then, but although it was a more enjoyable kind of death, it was still inevitable."

It was true. "There has to be a way."

Riggs was equally desperate. The bond, Breana. It is the only thing that might work.

I stroked my fingers along the square jaw, while the vivid-blue eyes blazed up at me. He raised his hands to my arms.

"You don't know how long I waited to touch you, just like this. To be able to do so, now, is all I ever wished for. A fitting end." He wiped another tear off my cheek and watched as it crystalized while cascading over his fingers. "Do not mourn me, Breezy. You have far too much to live for. Riggs and Tez—they are good men. Good mates."

"We are not complete," I whispered, "without you." I leaned forward, and kissed him.

I sensed the jolt that ran clear through his body, a combination of my contact and the sword's energy cascading from me, to Caliel. And it gave me the merest trickle of hope.

His nose was against my chin as I deepened the kiss from where I leaned above him. I tangled my tongue with his, and he exhaled hard. And then, he moved.

He turned his head away as he sat up, rolled onto his knees, sank one hand into my hair, and pulled me into him.

And he kissed me with a savagery I would never have expected from Caliel…