Chapter One

Kincaid wanted to sink into the floor. Evaporate. Shrivel up and die, anything would be preferable, to standing in the Queen's personal chambers while his Commander's mate openly stared at him, as his unit brothers and their mates watched on.

"Whoooooa…" Meryn exhaled softly.

A low growl filled the room, emanating from the scowling bear-shifter at the small woman's side.

"How?" Amelia asked, in a breathy voice.

"I just used a spell to make my beard grow in," Kincaid confessed. He kept looking toward the hall leading to Meryn's bat cave. If he could just make it over there, he could escape their scrutiny.

"Kincaid, smile," Meryn ordered, grinning evilly as she held up her phone.

Kincaid smiled the best he could, then heard a furious tapping from Meryn's laptop.

Meryn looked to Anne and Amelia. "He gets a bump right? I mean, he's like a totally different guy now."

"Absolutely," Amelia agreed. "He freaking looks like the scruffy version of Henry Cavill from Man of Steel . He definitely gets a bump!"

Meryn sighed.

"Hey!" Aiden protested.

"Bump?" Gage asked Meryn, turning the conversation back to what she was doing.

Kincaid was curious about that as well.

Anne chuckled. "Her unit warrior ranking system."

"Why do I get the feeling it isn't in regard to how well they can fight?" Brennus asked dryly.

"Because you know me so well, Uncle Bren," Meryn beamed at her uncle.

There were a few dings, and when Meryn looked down, her eyes widened. "Oh. He's not going to like that."

Aiden stepped forward to look over her shoulder. "Who? What?"

She looked Kincaid's way and pointed. "Kincaid just knocked Colton out of the top ten."

Kincaid felt a hand slam across his back. He looked over to see Ari grinning at him. "Good job!"

Anne winced. "We better send brownies to Rheia. She'll need the extra energy to baby Colton."

Aiden rolled his eyes. "Why should we help her baby him?"

Anne smiled sweetly. "You did want warriors left in Lycaonia, right?"

"Dammit!" Aiden growled, reaching for his phone. He tapped quite a bit and sighed. "Peter has all of our credit cards on file at his point."

Meryn paused her typing. "Wait. Does he deliver to Lycaonia?"

Aiden winced. "For a fee."

"Hell yeah."

Aiden just nodded a pained look on his face. "Whatever you want baby."

"Auntie got me my bag. Do you have any idea how many brownies I can store in that thing?"

The queen laughed. "I'm certain no one has ever used it to store sweets before."

Meryn looked confused. "I mean besides Kendrick's cool lab and library set up, what else would you want to store in there? Food on demand."

Thane turned to her. "Meryn, I think you might be one of three people who have a Bag of Wishes, so, from this point onward you can set new standards."

"Word."

She looked around. "I said Kendrick's name and there was no sarcastic rejoinder, where did he go? He's been quiet since getting back from Lycaonia."

Kincaid felt a tiny sliver of concern when his queen winced, and her gaze went toward the courtyard.

"Anne?" Meryn prodded.

"He had a few phone calls to make."

Meryn squinted. "Right." She looked back over to him. "I'll need a shirtless photo later."

Kincaid swallowed hard. "What?"

"It's for science," she explained.

"What science exactly?"

She smiled at him. "Super scientificy science stuff."

He met her gaze. "I think you're fibbing."

Her eyes went wide, and she made a pouting expression. "Please?"

"It's for your database thing you have."

"So?"

"I do not want to be objectified. I am a person."

"A person who is currently tied for sixth. I think a shirtless picture could get you in the top three."

He hurried over to stand behind her, looking down at her laptop. "Really?"

"Yup! I…" her explanation was cut short as a resounding bang, echoing behind them.

Kincaid turned, the courtyard door swung recklessly on its hinges as Kendrick strode forward, his face twisted in anger. His eyes looked around and locked in on Meryn.

Brennus stood and placed himself between the advancing witch and his niece. "Now, Kendrick. Whatever she did, it could not possibly be that bad," the queen's consort started in soothing tones.

Kendrick snarled and waved his hand. Kincaid felt his ears pop as the soundproofing spell engulfed them.

Shit.

He was casting without spells.

"Months! Weeks of work for nothing!" he ranted.

Meryn watched with a neutral expression. "We've had a lot going on. Which particular endeavor did you find out about that has you flippin shits?"

Kendrick's eyes narrowed. "There's more?!"

She held up her hand. "I refuse to speak on things where I might inadvertently be confessing to something you don't know about yet."

When Kendrick took a step forward, Aiden stood and took a place next to Brennus.

Kendrick scowled. "I would never hurt her. Just throttle her a bit, to shake some sense into her."

Anne stood and cuffed her mate soundly. "Violence is never the answer. Now, count to one-hundred."

He rubbed the back of his head gingerly.

Kincaid saw that Kendrick was about to respond to his mate then seemingly thought better of it and began counting.

Anne turned to Meryn. "He would never hurt you."

Meryn nodded. "I know that. He likes me."

"Likes!" Kendrick turned sharply from where he had been counting. "I love you, you chaos inducing, psychotic little menace! Gods!" He put his hands on his hips and resumed his pacing and counting.

Meryn looked smug. "See. He gets me."

"Of course I get you! You are the incarnate version of me, when I was your age." He shuddered. "Though I don't think I was ever your age. Or as dangerous."

The queen laughed. "Oh. You absolutely were. I remember many a long conversation with your father about how he was sure you'd bring about the next apocalypse. Little Meryn has just done helpful things here and there."

Kendrick turned to the queen. "First of all. The only reason we aren't worried about her setting off an apocalypse is because she doesn't have the magic I did."

Around the room many, ‘Thank the gods', were murmured.

"Second of all, her ‘helpful' antics have rendered all my efforts in Storm Keep useless."

"Moot," Pip corrected. "With an ‘o'. Meryn taught me that word."

Kendrick growled low. "I stand corrected. My efforts have been rendered moot."

Meryn looked confused. "What efforts?"

"I had nearly compiled enough evidence to tie the Committee to the Witches Council."

"And?"

"And, we could have presented that evidence to the Elder Councils to confront them."

Meryn frowned. "Dude, the Committee have been dead men walking for months now. The only reason their expirations got moved up on my to-do list is because they went after Keelan. He belongs to me. That means they had to go."

Kendrick tilted his head and looked at her. "What do you mean he belongs to you?"

Meryn waved her hand around the room. "You know. When you don't want the person to get hurt, they belong to you."

Amelia beamed. "You mean you love them. You don't want them to get hurt, because you love them."

Meryn shrugged. "Whatever."

Kendrick shook his head. "Meryn, sometimes, though slower, the political route can yield farther reaching results." He shook his head. "And once again you have my father's words coming out of my mouth."

She smirked. "And how's that long game working out for you?"

"Argggh!" Kendrick threw his hands in the air.

Meryn sighed. "Kendrick, I fully admit there are times for the slow route and to do twisted shit and watch people squirm. This was not one of those times. The Elder Councils you were going to report to, they already knew something hinky was going on between the Witches Council and the Committee. I think maybe they realized something that is still eluding you. It's why I had to take action. It needed to be decisive and brutal to send a message. I just hope they listen."

"What in the bloody hell are you talking about, Menace?" Kendrick demanded.

Meryn straightened. "You don't shit where you sleep."

"What does that even..." Kendrick started.

"I mean, shifters have been losing fucking families. Pregnant women, newborns, despair-filled fathers. We nearly lost the entire city of vampires in an effort to drain the elder vamps dry and here in éire Danu whole generations have been murdered and stacked up like cord wood in warehouses!"

"I know that!"

Meryn stood. "Then tell me, what have the witches lost?"

Kendrick froze.

"What have the witches been fighting against? Ferals? Not that I've heard."

Kendrick turned to Amelia. "They kidnapped her…"

Meryn cut him off. "Do you really think the little magic they took from her matches what was taken from the other paranormals?"

Kendrick's hand was shaking as he covered his mouth.

Meryn sat back down. "I wanted to kinda break it to you gently, but as you said, I'm like you, so that was the best I could do."

Anne wrapped her arm around Kendrick's waist. "You both really suck at stuff like this." She steered her mate to a chair. "She's not wrong. I saw it too. I just assumed you knew."

Kendrick stared at the table. "I know every single witch that has either the power or clout to have a hand in this. I cannot imagine any of them doing such things."

"Which is exactly why you haven't put two and two together to realize that whoever we're up against is working out of Storm Keep," Meryn replied.

"No. That can't be…"

"Kendrick, she's right," the queen said softly. "I ignored what was in front of me and my children were hurt because of it. You of all people know exactly how insightful Meryn can be. She does not have the emotional attachments that hinder us. From everything you have learned about her since meeting her. Do you think she is wrong?"

Kendrick turned his head and stared at Meryn. Their eyes locked for long moments before he shook his head. "She isn't wrong."

Kincaid let out the breath he and been holding. "My nerves aren't cut out for this!"

Meryn pat the chair next to her where Aiden had been sitting. "Sit down. Have a brownie."

Kincaid sat and reached for the open box on the table. He shoved the entire brownie in his mouth and exhaled slowly.

Aiden turned and saw, that once again, between Kincaid and Pip, the seats next to his mate were taken. Grumbling under his breath he sat down in the chair next to Kincaid.

Brennus made his way over to the sideboard and poured a generous amount of golden liquid into a highball glass before walking over to Kendrick and setting it down in front of him. "I know you love her, but if you ever throttle my niece, I will throttle you. And I will not be nearly as nice about it as you would be young man."

Kendrick accepted the drink and admonishment with a grunt.

Meryn smiled goofily. "Is that what it's like to have a dad?"

Aiden smiled. "It is. My father would have said something similar." He became thoughtful. "Though, I think more teeth would have been involved for threats against Meryn, than for his sons."

Brennus walked up behind Meryn and kissed the top of her head. "You do whatever you want my little love. Your other uncles and I will clear the way for you."

Meryn's eyes grew wide. "Even an apocalypse?"

Brennus chuckled. "Yes, even then."

"Pa-ra-meters! We need parameters when making these sweeping promises to my mate," Aiden protested. "I still can't find where she hid that flamethrower."

Brennus winked down at his niece then walked back to sit next to the queen. "I can spoil her as I please."

"His aura was never truly violent, just exasperated," Cas shared.

Aiden pointed behind them at Ryuu. "I swing when he does."

Ryuu placed a hand over his heart. "Your faith humbles me."

Cord appeared at the entrance to the kitchen. When he stepped forward, he blinked. "Ah. Soundproofing. I wondered why it got quiet. Brunch will be served shortly. Do we have any special requests?"

Kendrick waved his hand and the normal murmur of surrounding noises returned.

Kincaid rubbed his belly. "Anything to settle my stomach?"

Cord made a sympathetic clucking noise. "How does a sweet bowl of oatmeal sound?"

"Delicious," he admitted.

Meryn wiggled in her seat, then froze.

"Shit!" Cas exclaimed, standing quickly. "It's back."

Ryuu reached for Meryn and black sparks erupted when he touched her shoulder. Long fangs emerged as he hissed at the darkness.

Pip's lower lip trembled. "She's okay right?"

Aiden growled. "We'll know when she gets back."

Kincaid looked into Meryn's face and shuddered. There was nothing behind her eyes at all. "Goddess, watch over and protect my friend."

"So mote it be," Kendrick and Thane echoed.

*****

"Again? Really? We were just about to eat. I'm so gonna get grilled for this?" Meryn walked over and plopped herself down into the plush, cream-colored leather couch. "That's it. I'm getting one of these. Ryuu will just have to figure out how to keep it clean."

"Welcome, my dear."

"Wassup."

"Do you remember our bargain?"

"That you are free to kill those involved in my parents' death and will give me the memory of their demise in exchange for a memory that I chose for you."

He smiled beautifully. "Given the fact that I, in a way owe you one for the lovely way you defended me. And that in divulging this information, it will contribute to the deaths of my prey, I believe I have a gift for you."

Meryn eyed him closely. "This isn't a ‘gift' like where I wish I were taller, and you elongate my skull is it?"

The demon stared, then began laughing. "No. Though, I do love that image."

"Whatcha got for me?"

He lifted his hand and numbers appeared on the wall. "Longitude and latitude."

"Trap?"

"Darling, would I tell you if it were?"

Meryn stared at the numbers, memorizing them. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. What you will find there our common enemy needs for survival. By denying them this, it leads to their permanent departures…"

Meryn smiled. "I likey. The contract, unless nailed down by minutiae is subject to interpretation."

The demon nodded, then sighed. "It can and has worked against me in the past." He shrugged. "Live and learn."

Meryn will stand. "I better get back before they try to holy defibrillate me or something."

Chuckling the demon stood as well. "With the exception of delivering what I promised, this may be the last time we speak."

"Why is that?"

"I almost have everything I need." He hesitated before continuing. "What you will find, I did not have a hand in it. When you go there, take food and blankets."

Meryn felt her stomach turn over. "That bad?"

He smiled oddly. "It is not my sense of aesthetic."

She nodded. "Well, okay then. Later gator."

"Goodbye, my dear."

*****

Kincaid sighed in relief when Meryn blinked. "How long this time?" she asked.

Aiden cuddled her close, having picked her up and sat with her in his lap. "Ten minutes."

"Not bad. We're getting better at timing this."

"You shouldn't have to get better at timing conversations with demons!" Brennus exclaimed, pacing behind them.

Meryn scrambled in Aiden's lap, practically tipping off one side to pick up her computer. "Freak outs are on hold. Let me look at something."

Kincaid leaned in and watched her fingers fly across the keyboard. Squinting, he looked closer. "Meryn?"

"Yeah?"

"Your keys are blank."

"Yeah."

"How can you type?"

"It's not like the letters change position."

She tapped furiously before bringing up a map.

Aiden rested his chin on her shoulder looking down. "What do you have?"

"Hot demon guy said this was part of my gift." She began chewing on her lower lip. "But, there's nothing here."

"Meryn, our portals don't show up on human maps either," Kincaid pointed out. "Could it be something like that?"

"Kincaid, not only are you hot, but you're smart too."

Kincaid smiled weakly at Aiden who was eyeing him. "Can you please not compliment me anymore?" he begged.

She pointed to the laptop. "These are the coordinates he gave me. Aiden, can you take a unit out there to check it out?"

Aiden kissed the top of her head and stood. Gently, he placed her in the chair and pointed to Ari. "Have Tau gear up. We'll depart from the warrior villa."

Ari and Brie, along with his unit brothers stood and hurried from the room.

As he didn't have to strap on half as much gear, he'd leave with Aiden.

Cas wrapped an arm around Zoe. "We'll wait for them here."

Aiden looked down at Meryn. "Will one unit be enough?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I think so. I asked if it was a trap, but he replied by saying he wouldn't admit to it even if it was, but I didn't get the vibe that it would be dangerous." She paused then looked sad. "He said to bring food and blankets."

Izzy stood and headed toward the kitchen. "I'll get a few urns of regular coffee percolating. That can be better than blankets sometimes."

Kendrick nearly choked on his drink at Meryn's confession.

The queen leaned forward. "He said what now?"

"That what we'll find there wasn't his doing or his ‘aesthetic'." She swallowed hard. "How bad does it have to be for a demon to say that?"

The queen stood. "Cord! Portia!"

Seconds later both appeared from either side of the chamber. Portia from the antechamber and Cord from the kitchen.

"Your Majesty?" they asked in unison.

"Prepare warm foods and a place for injured to be treated." She turned to Aiden. "Take blankets with you, but bring whomever may need them here to recover." She looked to Darian, who stood.

Placing a hand on his heart he bowed. "Leave the portals to me."

Kendrick looked at Thane. "Dark magic scrub?"

Thane groaned. "I'm rusty as hell at those," he confessed.

Kendrick stood and cracked his back. "No matter what they bring back, I think we all need it."

Thane eyed his godsdaughter. "Good point."

Kendrick turned to Aiden. "I know you'll miss me."

Aiden ignored him and looked down at Meryn. "Did he say how many?"

She shook her head. "No."

Aiden looked over at Kendrick. "Do whatever you think she may need."

Kendrick gave a mock salute and left with Thane.

Next, Aiden turned to him. "Kincaid, grab whatever we can carry from the warrior villa, and we'll head out from there."

Kincaid stood as well and ruffled Meryn's short curls.

Smiling, she knocked his hand away.

"See you in a bit shortie."

"Be safe."

*****

Kincaid watched on as Leon packed as many blankets as he could into two large duffels. Aeson pointed back toward the palace. "Let me get this straight. A demon told Meryn to go to a certain set of coordinates and whatever is there is bad enough that he preemptively denied having had any hand in it?"

Kincaid nodded. "When you say it like that, it sounds really bad."

"That's because it is!"

Kincaid frowned. "It didn't seem that bad when Meryn was explaining it."

"That's because her sense of normal is off the freaking charts so her tone never really changes when she discusses catastrophes," Leon remarked dryly.

Aiden checked his gun. "Darian, how do you want to do this?"

Darian looked up from his phone. "It looks like forest, with no human buildings nearby. I'll open a portal about a mile out and close it. We can hike in and once the site is secure, I can open one there to return." He put his phone away. "I hate going in blind, but we don't have anywhere close by that is an established route."

Ari lifted one of the now zipped duffels. "Ready, when you are."

Gage grabbed the other one. "The sooner there, the sooner back," he said, looking to his sons.

Aeson wrapped an arm around the shoulders of both Ame and Yuki. They stayed behind this morning since the meeting was supposed to be a quick update. "We have a full afternoon planned. Hahaue and chiciue can do what they need to, right boys?"

" Hai !" they answered.

Ame smiled. "I am helping in the kitchen today."

Yuki pointed to the back of the house. "I have drills."

Gage sighed. "If you need your mother, she's at the palace. We'll be back soon, I promise."

"Time for your dad to act like a warrior," Aiden said, conspiratorially, winking at the boys causing them to giggle.

Aiden straightened and his face hardened as he looked at them. "Move out."

"Yes, sir!"

*****

Stepping through the portal, Kincaid wasn't the only one relieved that they were in the middle of nowhere. Normally, that would be a bad thing. But, in this scenario, they didn't have to worry about the prying eyes of humans or being detected by whatever they would find at the mystery location.

"One-hundred bucks it's a trap," Priest said, as they made their way through the thick brush.

Brie shook her head. "No way. Meryn looked sad when she confessed what the demon said. I think we're walking into another warehouse type scene."

"Maybe it will be a cozy cabin and the blankets and food were meant for us to take it easy," Ari suggested playfully.

Brie, without looking back, let the branch she was holding fly, smacking Ari in the face.

"Ow!" Ari rubbed his nose. "Or it could be a trap," he corrected himself.

When they were within a half a mile, their banter ceased. Aiden pointed straight ahead, then to his chest, then to Kincaid and Darian. Next, he pointed to Brie, then to Ari, Priest and Gage and made the hand gesture for them to veer off to the south and come up separately.

Brie nodded and her group broke away.

"Kincaid don't be afraid to use that magic of yours to do another box if you have to," Aiden said quietly.

"Yes, sir," Kincaid replied feeling nervous. He really hoped that they wouldn't be dependent on his unreliable magic once again. Sealing the bad guys once had been a miracle, he wasn't sure there would be a repeat performance.

As they eased closer, the outline of a building took shape.

"Sir?" Kincaid whispered. "Is that a house?"

"What's left of one," Darian added.

The outer walls of the building looked to be sagging inward. There were visible holes in the roof and if there had been a lawn at one point, it was reclaimed by nature a long time ago.

To their left they saw Brie's group come up short. Brie motioned to Aiden, and he held up a fist. Everyone stopped and stared.

Aiden tapped his comms unit.

Kincaid did the same. Soon, they were all on the same channel.

"Brie your group is a bit closer. See, anything from your point of view?" Aiden asked.

"All I see is a building that looks like a soft, gentle breeze will knock it over," she replied. "I'm not even sure the floorboards will hold us."

Even from their distance they saw her wrinkle her nose. "And there's a smell."

"Decomp?" Aiden asked.

"No, sir. Not quite. It's…"

"Shit. It smells like shit and old shit," Ari answered.

Kincaid watched as his unit leader convulsed.

"Are you dry heaving?" he asked.

They heard Brie snort laugh. "Affirmative."

"Wonderful," Darian muttered.

"Kincaid, what do you think?" Aiden continued.

"Sir, not to be funny, but I may need a tetanus shot looking at this place," he confessed.

Aiden smirked. He was about to answer when a single, thin wail floated through the air.

Brie turned toward the house. "Sir, either that was a baby or the most fucked up lure to get us to walk into whatever is waiting for us."

Aiden readied his weapon and reached up to the comms unit. "Move in. You own every shot if there are infants in there. Go!"

Kincaid whispered a prayer and followed Aiden toward the dilapidated building.