19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

After a bit of discussion, Cisco and Kima agreed to let the police handle most of the attackers who remained alive. They were equipped with a branch that specialized in taking care of paranormal threats. Kima would stay at the bottom of the drive with a handful of guards to greet them when they arrived and fill out the appropriate reports.

Mari continued to hold the magical bindings on Halcyon while the arrangements were made. The knotted web around him prevented him from teleporting away or moving around very much. When they were done, Cisco hefted the hellhound over his shoulder despite growling protests from Halcyon.

Dasher and Dancer ran at either side of Cisco in their shifted forms, snarling and snapping at their bound brethren.

When they got back to the house, Cisco dumped him unceremoniously on the curb. "You're not down there with your friends getting arrested because I know a hellhound won't survive for long without his twin. But my leniency has limits."

Halcyon glared at him, prompting a fresh round of snarling from Dasher and Dancer. "Your threats don't frighten me, Cisco."

Cisco let the hellhound simmer for another minute before he asked, "You were going to take her to Vincent?"

Halcyon tossed his head when one of the shifted hellhounds snapped at him when he took too long answering. "That was the mission. We had hoped to do it without much bloodshed."

"Glad to disappoint you." Rio smirked. "Tell us where he is."

When he didn't answer, Cisco continued, "You owe him no loyalty. I know you've always hated him. Why did you and your brother stay?"

"Because he has our mate," Halcyon growled.

Dasher and Dancer both lowered to their haunches, suddenly much less eager for a fight. One of them whined.

"Fuck off," Halcyon said grumpily with a dirty look for each of them. "I don't need your sympathy."

"Is it Tristan?" Rio asked in a gentle tone.

"Yes." Halcyon snapped his teeth. "We didn't know until he came back a few months ago looking for you."

Rio crouched to look him in the eye. "Do you know what happened to him?"

Halcyon exhaled a long sigh. "He doesn't know. He woke up in Los Angeles a few years ago and didn't remember anything. Flashes started coming back a bit at a time, and when he had pieced together enough he came looking for his past." A growl rumbled through him. "Vincent found him before we realized who he was. He keeps him drugged under lock and key. Won't even let us touch him."

A dark scowl settled over Rio's handsome face. "We're going to get him out. I swear to you." Rio glanced toward Mari. "You can let him go."

She dropped the bindings at once and the hellhound sagged in place, all of his bravado gone.

"Where is he, Hal?"

He appraised Rio quietly and considered for a few seconds before answering, "He's got a warehouse off of Blue Diamond where he's been hiding out since you all hit his offices at the paving company. I can show you."

Rio clapped him on the shoulder, and then helped him up. "Let's go figure out a plan."

* * *

Mari sat on Dante's lap in the conference room as they planned the assault. He had showered and gotten out of his bloody clothes, and that made Mari feel better, but still unsettled. His hand slid up and down her back and she wasn't sure if he was trying to calm himself or her. She'd changed into joggers and a long-sleeved T-shirt as soon as they came inside because she didn't want Cisco to have any excuse to leave her behind when the time came.

"I should go in first and let Clarion know what's coming," Halcyon said as they looked at a projection of the property.

"That's an awful lot of trust you're asking us to put in you when an hour ago you were shooting at us," Cisco rumbled.

"That was before I looked in his eyes and knew he'd do whatever it takes to free my mate," Halcyon said while gesturing toward Rio.

Cisco glanced Rio's way for a vibe check. Rio nodded. "He's being honest. All he cares about is getting Tris out."

"That's a double-edged sword. If he sees an opportunity to stab us in the back to get what he wants, he'll do it."

Halcyon grunted. "I know there's no way in hell Vincent is letting Tristan walk free. He enjoys toying with us too much. You know how he is."

"I agree with him," Rio said. "I don't want to have to fight Clar on the way in if we can avoid it."

"I'll tell them I got away from the initial assault but I had to lay low for a bit. As long as we're moving before dawn I can spin that."

Cisco looked at Kima to get her take.

She wrinkled her nose. "I hate it, but I hate everything."

He turned toward Mari next.

"I want this to be done," Mari sighed. "I don't want to look over my shoulder anymore." She sent a smile Rio's way. "And I trust Rio's gut."

"I do too." Cisco focused on the map again. "Okay. You go in and you tell your brother not to fight back. How many do we have to worry about after that?"

"Eight including Grim and my brother."

"So ideally only seven combatants including a nasty shadow witch." Cisco pointed to the back of the main building. "Can you get in there to neutralize the witch, Kima?"

"Almost certainly." She glanced over the details of the map and then toward Mari. "If you can quickly get me a small hole in the wards back there."

"Could be more difficult this time around," Mari said. "He'll know what to expect this time."

Rio hummed and glanced at Cisco. "A small group will be better, though I know that probably makes you uncomfortable."

Cisco grunted. "It does, but we all do what we have to do. Kima to watch your back and Dante to give Mariana a boost if she needs it?"

Rio nodded and slid his gaze toward Dante. "That okay with you?"

"One hundred percent. They came for Mari and that's all the incentive I need."

Mari didn't want her sweet unicorn in danger. The very idea sent a shiver of dread down her back that she tried her best to mask. Seeing him hurt earlier had nearly made her break down on the spot. She'd much rather he stayed here, behind layered wards in a fortress.

But she also remembered what Cisco had said about respecting her choices, even when he hated it, and how much she had appreciated the trust that had implied. She gripped Dante's hand in hers and tried to smile.

She would make sure he was safe. He had to be safe.

Mari had the strange impression that the thought hadn't belonged to her, but instead to the goddess. But the disorientation only lasted for a moment. She didn't know if the connection between her and the goddess allowed for direct communication, but she made it clear that she was more than okay with the goddess taking a direct hand if it meant Dante, or any of her men, remained safe.

A sense of surety filled her, like a reflection in calm water.

"Okay, you all will head around back when Hal goes in," Cisco said, then moved to indicate a building down the block. "The rest of us will form up over here. Once Kima is in, Hellwolf will teleport in with me in tow to set off the alarms." He pointed to a spot inside the fence in the far western corner of the map. "The rest of you infiltrate over here." His hand moved again to a location near the center. "We pincer them in between us when they come to intercept the first group."

"Then we're home in time for pancakes," Kima offered.

There was a round of anticipatory sounds of their post-action breakfast and some general good cheer.

Cisco gestured for quiet. "Vincent will be the challenge. Anyone who has a shot should take it. None of us are sure exactly what his capabilities are, but Basilio was scared of him for a reason, so we need to be ready for anything."

An uncomfortable sobering drifted through the room. When Cisco was satisfied that they were taking it seriously, he continued, "Get your shit together. We mobilize in forty-five and we're on the move in sixty."

Cisco watched everyone file out, leaving only Halcyon, Rio, Mari, and Dante with him. He shut the door. "Do we know what kind of state Tristan is in?"

Halcyon clenched his jaw. "We've only been able to see him a few times. It's not good. He won't be mobile. Vincent keeps him drugged up on something most of the time. But Clar or I can carry him."

"I'm more worried about him blowing up than getting him out," Cisco said. "You, the other hellhounds, and I can take the heat of phoenix fire, but nobody else can."

"We'll handle it. If I have to, as soon as I can touch him I'll teleport out."

Cisco grumbled. "You do anything to fuck us over and I'm coming for you, Halcyon. Just keep that in mind."

"Your cat would know if I was lying. I'm not. I want Tristan away from him. That's all."

Rio stepped up to Cisco and put a hand on his chest. "Thank you for doing this. I know you have doubts."

"He's important to you, so he's important to me." Cisco lifted Rio's hand and kissed his palm. "I'm just worried because we don't know what we're walking into. Vincent was clearly trying to bait you, so maybe he expects us to come charging in there."

Rio nodded. "I think we've got enough surprises he won't expect."

Cisco wrapped an arm around Rio and drew him close, kissing the side of his head. "I love you and I'll do whatever it takes to get him free."

Rio purred contentedly.

Cisco turned his gaze her way while still hugging Rio. "How about you, mi tesoro, are you good?"

Mari nodded. "I'm not sure how quick I'll be able to get through the wards now that he knows how I got through the last time, but I'll make it work." She could probably brute force it if she had to, but that was a last resort, and one she didn't want to have to rely on.

An hour later they were gathering to move out again. She tried to stifle a yawn but failed and had to smother it into her elbow. The guards didn't seem as tired as Mari felt, but she chalked that up to physiology. She was the only witch among them, and they were all more physically resilient species.

She piled into the backseat of the SUV driven by Kima between Dante and Rio. Nara hopped up into the passenger seat. Compared to the last time, the ride was eerily quiet.

Dante had been holding her hand or touching her somehow since she had healed him. She turned to snuggle into his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He smiled at her. "I just never thought this would be my life, you know? I'm not really a ‘crash my car into a barricade and get into a gunfight' guy."

"For what it's worth, you're adapting to it pretty well," Rio said.

"Thanks. And thanks for getting me out of there earlier."

Rio shrugged. "Mari would have been upset if I let you get shot too many more times."

Mari slapped his knee, earning her a chuckle.

"In all seriousness," Rio continued, "you stuck your neck out for her when the date went pear-shaped. You didn't have to do that and I appreciate it."

Dante shook his head. "I would argue that I had to do it or else I would never be able to look myself in the mirror again."

She squeezed Dante's hand. "You don't have to prove anything to me. I love you the way you are."

He did a double take, as if to assure himself that he'd heard what she said correctly. Dante lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I'm not brave or tough, but I am loyal." He swallowed. "And I'm ridiculously in love with you."

She pulled his face to her and kissed him, soft and sweet.

Nara sighed from the front seat and even Kima sniffled slightly, though neither of them said anything to disrupt the moment.

Rio put his arm over her and patted Dante's shoulder. "You're plenty brave. Anyone who says otherwise will meet my claws."

A while later they pulled to the side of the street in an industrial area. Kima turned toward them. "We're about a block away from our entry point. When we get into position, Nara will fly to the others and let them know."

Nara nodded. "It'll take me about five minutes to work my way around."

Kima leveled a look Mari's way. "That's how long you'll have to make a hole before they teleport inside and trigger the alarms. Think you can do it?"

Mari reached out with her senses, but couldn't pick up any glimmer of magic nearby. "I can't feel them from here, but I might have a better idea once we get closer."

Kima glanced at her phone. "Hal went in fifteen minutes ago. We ready?"

They all nodded. Kima gestured to Rio and Nara to spread them around Dante and Mari in a protective detail. They moved down the block in silence, the guards keeping a wary eye on everything they passed. The street was dim, with shadows encroaching on all sides.

Nerves crept into Mari's belly as they drew closer to the edge of the property. She still couldn't feel the wards at all. Was it possible there weren't any? Maybe the shadow witch hadn't had time to set them up?

Full-on panic set in by the time they reached the point where she was sure she was only a few feet away from where the wards should be.

Rio seemed to sense that there was something wrong and moved closer, taking her hand in his. "What's going on?" he asked in a whisper.

She took a breath to try to calm herself. "I can't feel anything."

"Didn't he do something to hide them last time?"

"Yes, but this doesn't feel like that. This feels like nothing."

Kima gestured for silence and took out her phone. She glanced over a few messages and then met Mari's eyes. "Dash says he can't feel anything either."

Mari let out a sigh. At least it wasn't something that she was doing wrong. "So what's the plan now?"

Kima tucked the phone in her jacket pocket and then started undoing her pants. "Plan is mostly the same. I go in and look for the witch. Nara flies overwatch. You lot stay out here."

When her jeans hit the ground, she stripped out of her shirt and jacket. Her clothes and Nara's went into a bag at her feet that Rio slung over his shoulder. Neither of them were the slightest bit put out by being naked—shifters were like that.

"I'll send Nara back once the coast is clear. The other group will be pushing in from their side." Kima transformed into a huge lion in a flash of magic that smelled of warm spices. The lion's jaws stretched into a gaping yawn.

Nara leapt into the air and shifted into her bird form on the way down with a surging flap of wings that generated enough lift to climb swiftly.

The two of them moved toward the building where according to Halcyon Vincent had set up. They only managed to get a handful of feet away before they were engulfed completely by shadows.

"Fuck, shadow trap." Rio dropped her hand as he whirled around. On every side of them the shadows closed in.

Mari fell into blackness. Alone.