55. Caliel

55

Caliel

I leaned over the Dragon as blood poured from every orifice he possessed.

I was in my beast form, as it did not really hamper my healing talents, and we were relying on its brute strength to help drag the injured into the trenches. It also gave Nemi more places to hold on—although at the moment she was flying circles around the Dragon's head, chirping encouragement at him.

Leah was there, too, singing softly to help ease his pain while I chased down the parasites eating him from within. They were so voracious—I had never seen anything attack like this, tearing through tissues as though feeding were only a secondary purpose. It gave me new insight into what Riggs had endured.

I gritted my teeth as I killed the last one and shoved it into the gut where it could be properly eliminated. Then I sealed the damage in its wake.

The blood flow stopped, and the Dragon blinked at me.

"Yourr'e good," I told him.

A "crack" of wind on wing sounded from behind me, and I turned to the blue Dragon that had just landed—Talakai. Rafael ran up to him.

"Any luck?" Rafael asked.

"I saws blood energy radiating froms a mountainside to the south," Talakai said.

I passed it on to Riggs. That's got to be the coven.

Talakai's lips peeled back from his formidable teeth. "They weres deeps in a cave. There's a ledge outside, ands on it, there were Priests. I wents by quickly, but I thinks they had dart guns."

"When did the Priests form that allegiance?" I asked.

Riggs had a possible answer. I recently tracked a stolen crystal shipment to an underlord who'd hired them . He must be part of the coalition now.

When I passed that on, Riley's lips twisted. "We'd have to take Bellatis for our strike team to have any chance among those Priests. I don't know that I can jump enough in with one go."

"There's no point if you can't get us dropped right on top of Aurora," Rafael pointed out. "I need to be close enough to touch her before she knows I'm even there, or I won't get close, and she'd take out our strike force. And the third Trinity member must be there, too."

"We needs to deals with the Priests before we take Rafael in," Talakai said. "Riley can Jump some Bellatis in, and I cans fly others…"

"You cannot get that close," I protested, my gut twisting. "They will dart you full of parasites the second they get within range."

Talakai's gaze slid to the Dragon I'd just healed, and he grimaced. "Finn's planned this well."

Suddenly, a lean form pushed past Talakai. "How many Priests?"

Talakai arched his neck as he regarded the Sea Krayt, and said. "Saws six. But theres rogue Bellatis toos."

Nar straightened. "If you can drop me close enough, I'll sneak in and take the Priests out. The dart guns too. Then our Dragons can go in."

I stared at the Sea Krayt in complete shock. That he would volunteer for something so dangerous—my opinion of him fractured and reformed.

You can't trust him, Tez shouted into the link. I have no proof, but my gut says he's the one who frigging betrayed us.

Nar locked gazes with me. "You have no reason to trust me. And quite a few not to. But I might be the only one who can do this."

Tyrez says taking out those Priests might be our only shot at the coven, Riggs stated .

But Nar— Bree didn't finish her thought. I sensed her worry, but also, indecision.

Everyone deserves a second chance, Riggs said softly. Even Nar.

Ask him why he is doing this, Tez insisted, his mindvoice scorching with anger.

The answer grabbed on to both of Nar's arms. "You don't have to do this." Leah's voice was laced with desperation.

He tilted his head as he looked down upon her. "Yeah, my little seal, I most definitely do." He raised a hand to her face. "I wasn't born to be good, Leah. Or brave. You know it. But lately, you haven't much liked who I am."

She folded her hand around his. "You've always had to fight to survive, and it's hard to leave that behind. But our life has changed, Nar. I know, deep down, that you have a warrior's heart."

His lips twitched upward, ever so slightly. "Then let me prove it."

As her eyes sparkled with tears, he leaned forward to kiss her. Then he pulled away and turned to Talakai.

"Can you get me close enough to drop me out of sight of the Priests?"

Talakai's eyes narrowed. "It's very ruggeds," he said, glancing to the slim Sea Krayt, who was definitely not suited to scrabbling over rough terrain. "You woulds have issues gettings to the cave. I'll have to drop you closer."

"But the parasites—" I began, holding up a cautionary hand. Or rather, paw—each finger had a lethal curved claw. And they gave rise to an idea—I wriggled my fingers. "What you guys need, is someone suited to jumping and climbing," I said.

Talakai met my eyes, and his own gleamed.

I sat astride Talakai's powerful neck. We were not alone—Riggs, Alistair, and Havoc flew with us.

Riggs's eyes narrowed as he ranted at me from his position alongside us. Get in, get out. You aren't in there to fight. Those Priests are lethal.

Just stay out of range of those parasites, I groused.

The merest quiver of visceral fear from Riggs tremored through the link. But I had little doubt that he was here in case we got into trouble. Even if his current focus seemed bent on keeping me out of it.

Nar is a stealth fighter, he pointed out . He can strike and be gone before they even know he's there. He won't need you to fight.

He was right, and I knew it—but I was determined. It was a Gryphon trait.

Dragons are determined too, Riggs growled. And you aren't a Gryphon anymore.

The pang that sent through me added a touch of temper to my reply. Dragons are stubborn. There is a difference. Just focus on a Plan B, I told him. If this does not work, we will need one.

The weather generated by the Storm Drake was making it tough to fly. The wind howled, and the rain pounded at us—this high up, it changed quickly to snow. But the swirling flakes would help hide us, too.

Talakai banked, his head tilting to survey the mountains we flew between. Riggs moved with him when he flapped hard, carrying us up into the cloud layer.

Water droplets froze on my fur and iced the scales covering Nar's body. Alistair vanished once below the clouds, and popped up again almost immediately, banking close to Riggs.

"Two sentries, stationed alongs the backside ofs the mountain," he said to him. "Ready to go, Michelangelo?"

Riggs nodded. "After you, Donatello."

"Can we just do this?" Havoc snarled.

Alistair bared his teeth. "COWABUNGA?"

Riggs folded his wings, and dove. "COWABUNGA!"

All three vanished. Talakai hovered in place for a few minutes before dropping below the clouds.

I squinted into the driving snow—and the dark forms below us became three huge Dragons shoving two smaller, limp Dragon bodies off a cliff.

Two sentries disposed of.

I tried not to care. Was not entirely successful.

Talakai clacked his jaws as we swept past them. His head turned back to me. "Theys goods," he said.

We're the best, Riggs said, absolutely without conceit. Or remorse.

They vanished into the clouds above, but I sensed Riggs tracking us. Talakai kept flying for as long as he dared, but he could not take us beyond a certain point, or he would be spotted by the Priests on the ledge. I scanned the terrain below—rugged cliffs half-covered in snow, traversed with vertical ridges.

Finally, he landed, and we slid off. The big head lowered near us. "Good Luck," he said, and launched again for the sky.

I turned to Nar. "Climb on."

He grimaced. "This isn't the kind of riding I usually enjoy." But he climbed onto my back and grew talons that helped him grip my half-frozen fur.

I might not know how to fight—but I knew how to operate four strong, clawed legs. This body was different from that of my Gryphon, but there were enough similarities that, by the third leap, I was adjusting.

The rocks were slippery with ice and snow, but my claws enabled me to make use of every crack and crevice. Rugged was an understatement—Nar would never have managed this on his own. My powerful body carried us over deep crevasses in the rock, climbed near vertical cliffs, and slid down steep slopes with ease.

For his part, Nar only uttered the odd curse or gasp as he clung to my back. A few times, I hesitated when he slipped, but each time he renewed his grip without comment.

I knew why he was doing this. Love could often lead us to insanity. It mattered naught what else Nar was, or had done—he loved Leah.

Watch out, Riggs said, observing from far above. You're damned close.

I hunkered down behind a pillar of rough rock, and Nar slid off.

We eyed each other.

"I'll be fine," he said.

If you go with him, you'll blow his cover, Riggs growled .

I ground my teeth. He had finally found an argument that worked. To Nar, I said, "If things go badly, I'll come for you."

His face twisted. "I don't deserve your loyalty."

"We've all done things we are not proud of," I said. "You are part of our team. And that makes you family."

He slung his head and then raised it to meet my eyes.

"I'll make Leah proud," he said. And then he vanished into the swirling snow.

I crouched in a crevice and squinted into the wind.

My white fur and black stripes blended well with the snow that adhered to the surrounding rocks. Unless I moved, I was not likely to be spotted.

I could not see the cave from where I had crept to hide, but the ledge was clearly visible. When I saw the Trinity male emerge, my gut clenched.

At least it confirms his location, Riggs growled through my brain. As if the parasites weren't enough.

My gut twisted. Having that abomination out on the ledge increased Nar's risk factor significantly, and it was treacherous enough. Desperate to provide a diversion, the four Dragons staged diving runs just out of dart range. The Trinity male shot bloodmagic bolts at them, and his range was greater than that of the darts. My friends ducked and dodged—but if they got hit, it would drop them in an instant.

My heart was in my throat as I diverted my gaze back to the Priests. And saw a swirl of snow, right before one slapped at his arm, staggered, and then fell over the side.

The Priest closest to him ran to where he had fallen off, and peered down. A second later, in a gust of wind-driven snow, I saw him flinch violently. He dropped the gun, and twisted around, his knife glinting dully as he stabbed?—

But then his legs gave way, and he dropped to the stone. One of the Bellatis shouted and ran to him. He froze, pale-gray hair swirling in the tempest—but I knew he was searching with senses other than just his eyes.

The Bellatis were not the only ones on the ledge who could do that. My gut clenched as the Trinity male swung around, his eyes narrowing…

I silently willed Nar to lie low, but another Priest yelped and swung his dart gun like a truncheon. There was a thud as it hit the camouflaged Sea Krayt?—

And the Trinity male lit him up with his bloodmage fire.

A scream rent the air, and for just a moment I saw Nar perfectly, head back and mouth open. Then the Priest clobbered him hard and sent him flying over the edge.

A red blur dove from above—Havoc arrowed straight at them, and all attention diverted his way. No way the darts would miss—but I knew what he was doing. And I was in instant motion, leaping from my hiding place to where Nar's body lay, far below the ledge.

It seemed like an eternity before I reached him. I managed to sling him over my shoulders. He groaned, and one arm moved.

"Hang on, I have you," I whispered to him, keeping my movements as smooth as I could as I hugged close to the cliff face. Unless those above leaned outward, they were not able to see us.

While Havoc blasted past and back into the clouds, I found a shallow depression and let Nar slide off me. His eyes slipped closed.

"Nar, stay with me."

But there was no answer, and as I laid my hands on him, my breath caught.

Then I inhaled deeply, and got to work.