Chapter 28

28

His men hid in the shadows of the Fraus woods. Bridger bounced his leg, eyes forward. The large rock he used for a seat dug into his thighs.

Halo was late.

Something was wrong—Bridger could feel it in the way the wind picked up. He shot to his feet when ice-blue lightning lit up the sky. Vega.

Black smoke wafted in his direction, and Halo choked on his breath as his body came into view.

"What happened?" Bridger boomed.

"I got the time wrong. They were already there when I arrived," he rasped. "Khort knows. He knows I betrayed them. She killed her."

Bridger's stomach dropped, and he felt the weight of a thousand stones sitting in the pit of his gut. He hadn't felt her die—he hadn't felt Vega die.

"I couldn't talk my way out of it. He said he could smell you all over me." The way his eyes grew and his panic spread, Bridger could see Halo's age for the first time. He wasn't ready to be a spy.

Bridger fucked up. "Who killed Vega?" His mouth felt dry .

"What?" Halo stopped his pacing. "No, not Vega. The witch. Vega killed her by accident. She wasn't okay after, started crying. Did you hear the thunder? The lightning… Gods, she's so strong. What the fuck." The boy shook his head, his blond hair falling into his eyes.

Vega's alive.

"Where are they?" Bridger grabbed Halo by the shoulders, forcing him to look in his eyes.

Bridger's soldiers readied themselves for a fight, grabbing their weapons off the ground, but most were already equipped—their weapons the abilities streaming through their blood.

He watched as Halo's eyes darted around, waiting for punishment. "Halo, focus. Take a breath. This mission isn't over. You didn't fail, not yet. But if you don't take me to them, then we lose and they win. We have time to come out on top here. You have to relax and take me there. Now."

"Okay," Halo said, exhaling.

Bridger turned around and pointed to two soldiers. "With us." He hoped Halo could get all of them there in one piece. He took a deep breath. "Steady yourselves and get ready. Do not close your eyes. It helps." Though he didn't promise they wouldn't absolutely hate what it felt like to slip through time and space. "The rest of you wait here. We'll bring the fight to you if one unfolds." Bridger turned back to Halo, happy to see the look of panic he'd worn before was disappearing now that a structured plan was formed.

His confidence would grow later—everything came with time.

"Ready?" Halo asked, his voice even. He looked around the circle. "Keep your hand on me at all times."

"Or what?" one of the soldiers asked.

"You'll die." His smile told Bridger he was no longer nervous—put the boy in his traveling element, and he was strong. It was battle and spying he wasn't ready for. That Bridger could work with.

Bridger returned his smile with a soft, grounding one of his own. "Take us to a location close by so we have a moment to regroup." And just like that, Bridger felt like he was falling, shredding into nothing and reforming into a new location.

Bridger and the small group stood outside of a house in the middle of the woods. He sank down, forcing the rest of them behind a row of bushes to allow them enough time to fight the nausea of traveling. Junie's eyes looked as though they might bug out of her head, and Jak was lying on his back, eyes shut tightly.

Junie and her twin brother were both from Imber. They were children when their land was destroyed, having no memories of their lives before Marlena's rule. Jak was a water-wielder able to pull his power from the moisture in the air. He made quick work of drowning someone with a single drop of water.

Junie took after their mother's line—the people of Littera bred two types of powers. The power of infinite knowledge, complete know-it-alls… and then there were the powers like Junie had, rare and now outlawed under Marlena's rule—another group of people who'd been killed if they didn't pledge their allegiance to the new governing system and turn themselves into a weapon for the military to use.

Mind control. Junie could slip into someone's mind if she got her hands on them—Bridger had seen her make men do terrible things for putting their hands where they didn't belong.

"Ground yourself," Bridger barked, reaching out to steady Junie as she swayed. "It's over. Connect to your core, feel your power, and don't let his linger too long." Junie turned her head and puked, retching on her boots.

The air around the clearing felt colder than it had been outside of town. The front lawn was a mess with branches and shingles. A downed tree leaned against a shed behind the house. Vega had lost control.

When Bridger looked back from the shed, the house was gone. Arlet. It had been years since he'd seen her power in action. She could hide buildings now… Bridger didn't know his jaw was agape.

"It's Arlet. She can manipulate what you see," Halo said .

"Magnificent," he marveled.

The boy kept his voice low, pointing straight ahead. "Do you see that large branch?" he asked Bridger.

"Yes."

"Look at the glimmer behind that." The second Bridger caught the change in what he thought he saw, it was gone. He focused on the big picture, catching another shimmer at the top of the tree line. "The door is right behind that branch."

"Fucking Arlet," Bridger said with a smile on his face. An old part of him felt a swell of pride for the girl who used to feel so inconsiderable compared to her friends and their abilities. The feeling was gone before he could register what it was. Bridger turned his attention to Halo. "Stay here. We will come to you when it's time to go. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Bridger nodded to Junie and Jak, who were finally coming down from their first traveling experience, signaling them to get ready.

"How many bodies?" Bridger asked Halo.

"Five. Khort, Arlet, Vega, and two guards. I don't know who or what they have waiting on the outskirts."

Five. It was five against three, but Bridger wasn't worried about that. Khort was strong, but he'd never beaten Bridger in hand-to-hand combat. Vega didn't have her memories back, which made her immensely weaker than she would be—but never weak. Bridger knew better than to underestimate her in any life. Proof of her power lay around the clearing. Arlet was one hell of a fighter now, and if she could manipulate visions as well as she could now, Bridger considered her their biggest threat.

The two from Solum Bridger didn't know about—but he knew what he and the twins could do when on a team. They would be nearly unstoppable if Meyer were thrown in the mix.

"Perfect. Jak, drown the guards. Junie, grab Vega. I'll take care of the others. "

The twins nodded in unison.

"Let's go." Bridger moved them across the lawn, head held high as he eerily glided to the front door of the old, cobbled cottage.

The door opened as they approached, one guard stepping through the doorway. Jak used the water from a birdfeeder to drown him before the man even had a moment to realize he was going to die.

Bridger's powers concealed the echoes of their footsteps, giving them a muted entry into the main room, where voices traveled through the open door at the back of the cottage.

"We have to leave right now," Khort bellowed.

Bridger held up his hand, his soldiers slowing to a stop behind him. He pointed to his left and right, sending them to the shadows of the room where he would let them hide until it was time to pounce.

"If Marlena knows we're here, it's already too late, Khort." Arlet was calm, talking the hot-headed shifter down. "If we run, we won't see them coming. If we stay, we can hold our ground. It'll give me time to get Vega out of here."

Bridger made his entrance, lowering his shields as he cleared his throat and leaned into the doorframe.

But Vega's eyes were on him long before that, glued to his presence.

"I agree with Arlet. I think you're already too late." Bridger looked around, watching Khort jump in front of Vega. Smoke came out of his nose, making Bridger chuckle as he pushed himself upright. "It's a bit small in here for your wings, buddy." He motioned to the low ceilings. "Chill."

Bridger's air of cool, calm, and collected rattled everyone around him. His eyes landed on Vega as he circled the room. She moved from being slumped on the floor, her eyes puffy from crying, to standing tall when he'd come into the room.

Khort huffed. "Get your eyes off her or?—"

Bridger didn't let him finish, the blade of his dagger sliding through his fingers with a smile. "Or what, Khort? You'll soar off into the night sky and roar because I took the girl? Again." Bridger's laugh was dark.

Vega stepped out from behind Khort, her fingers dancing with her captivating electricity. "Are you always such a dick?" Her voice floated through the room, always so easy to listen to, even when she was being snarky.

"Oh, hello, Kitten." His gaze darkened as he looked her up and down. Bridger licked his lips for effect. And to get under Khort's skin.

"Don't fucking call her that." Hook, line, sinker. Bridger's distraction was working, allowing his soldiers to get into their places behind them in the corners of the room.

"But why not? She used to love it when I called her that. I have a few more nicknames I can try out. Should I use a different one?" Bridger provoked Khort, hoping for a fight before he snuck out of here with the one thing that he couldn't stand to lose.

Vega.

A bolt of lightning struck where Bridger had been standing seconds earlier. He moved too quickly for her. Without the memories of her power control, she was predictable. "You're going to have to be quicker than that, baby," he purred at her, his dagger whipping out of his hand, soaring over his shoulder, and slicing through the air towards the guard who thought he was sneaking up behind him. It struck home between his eyes without Bridger having to turn around. "And so will your guards."

Arlet and Khort jumped into action. Arlet grabbed Vega and disappeared right in front of Bridger's eyes. The shock of their disappearance lasted only long enough to allow Khort a blow—the punch landed right between Bridger's eyes, cracking his nose.

A quick and easy break that would heal itself in no time. Bridger was getting really sick of broken noses from these two.

The blood dripped down his sharp features, mixing with the wry smile on his lips. Bridger's hand shot up to wipe the blood dripping down his chin with the back of his hand. His laugh was feral as he reached behind his back and unsheathed his sword. "Think you can hold up in a fight with me as an actual man, Fera? Or should we take this outside so I can let you hide behind your overgrown lizard body?"

Khort lunged for him again as Bridger struck out with his sword. Khort swung and dove, maneuvering to the corner of the room to grab his own weapon. His move was swift, but when Khort made his move, Bridger forced his shield up. Khort's blade struck air as thick as a brick wall, breaking the tip clean off.

Khort laughed, shaking his head. "I thought you wanted to fight me like a real man. If I don't get to use my powers to outdo you, then neither do you."

Bridger allowed his wall down, beckoning Khort with two fingers. "If you insist."

Khort threw his useless sword to the ground with a clank. The twitch of Bridger's lips welcomed the chaos of a brawl. He sheathed his sword between his shoulder blades and brought his fists up in front of his face. Khort watched his every move but took his eyes off Bridger's legs as they settled on his hands.

It was exactly what Bridger hoped he'd do. Bridger knocked Khort off of his feet with a swift kick, but he landed smoother than expected, crouching as Bridger attempted a blow to his face with his knee. Khort used the momentum to push himself up and landed beside a wooden chair he picked up to wield against Bridger's next blow. The chair splintered, pieces soaring through the small room.

Bridger caught a piece mid-air and spun it in his hand like he would a dagger. He threw it in a straight line, and it nicked Khort's arm. He hissed in pain, a hand hurtling to cup the wound. He pulled his hand back, blood covering his palm. Khort let anger get to him—he'd always been quick to throw off, forgetting he needed to focus on the moves he made physically and not mentally.

Bridger grabbed him by the arm as he charged in his direction and flipped Khort to the ground, vibrating the floorboards with the force of his fall. He put his boot on his neck, pressing down hard enough to block his airway but not to kill.

Bridger smiled down at him, triumphant. "Checkmate." He was about to crush Khort's windpipe, adding more force, when a scream erupted through the house.

Bridger didn't give Khort the option to move, turning his head to find Vega in Junie's grip, writhing in pain. "Enough," Bridger snarled. Junie complied, keeping her grip on Vega to remind her what she could do if she decided to fight back.

"Get your hands off of her!" Khort gargled underneath Bridger, his hands fighting against Bridger's boot to free himself. Bridger pressed down harder.

"The more you fight, the harder I push," Bridger purred, the pain he caused to Khort working like a calming drink. "Come on out, Arlet. Or I kill them both."

Arlet answered by letting her power's cloak down, stepping over the threshold into the main room. Her fists were clenched, eyes bouncing between Khort under Bridger's boot, Vega in Junie's hold, and Bridger, his menacing grin in place.

Vega breathed heavily, standing as still as she possibly could to avoid Junie's torture.

"What do you want, Bridger? You want us to surrender? To back down? We'll never do what you did to Vega!" Arlet's eyes met his. "You might as well kill us all if that's what you expect. Reset Vega and let her wither away on Earth. At least she'd be free of you. Finally."

Bridger ground his teeth, his jaw clenching at her words.

There was no one to blame but himself for turning his back on Vega—turning his back on their relationship and the ascendancy they had together.

"Tell your gecko to back down." Bridger looked down at Khort, his face red from struggling to breathe. "And stop fighting back. I'm taking Vega."

"No!" Khort scratched at his boots still, attempting to use his feet to kick out from under Bridger.

Bridger pinned Khort down with his shield, holding him completely still. The boot on his throat wasn't needed anymore, but Bridger liked the feeling it gave him.

Bridger's grin spread across his face when Arlet dove towards him with a dagger in hand. He moved out of the way, finally releasing his boot from Khort's throat just in time for Arlet's momentum to keep throwing her forward. She stumbled over Khort, catching herself before taking a full tumble.

Someone groaned from behind, causing Bridger to jerk his head to see Junie falling to the floor and Vega barreling towards him with lightning the color of her eyes. Bridger threw up his shield. Vega crashed into it, unable to remember any of his easiest moves. "It's too bad you couldn't get your memories back in time to remember how to fight me." Junie twitched on the floor from the electric jolt Vega sent through her. Gods, it would be a shame if she's dead.

Vega didn't react to his words, only stared him down. The hatred in her eyes simmered, a cold chill traveling up his spine. He showed no reaction, only forced the feeling away.

"I've had enough." Bridger faked a yawn when he saw Junie open her eyes. "Put Vega to sleep." She was up, dazed but alive. She drew no attention to herself as she crept behind Vega. Arlet was too busy trying to free Khort from Bridger's power to notice.

"Goodnight, love," Bridger said, looking into the eyes of the woman he once would've done anything for as Junie gripped her shoulders. Vega slumped in her arms, head dipping back. Jak walked in with Halo. "Take her to Aeris." Bridger allowed his shield to drop and released his power on Khort, who popped off the ground instantly.

"You traitor!" Khort almost had his hands on Halo before he poofed into thin air, taking Vega's body and the twins with him. Bridger was now alone with Khort and Arlet for the first time in nearly forty years.

"Looks like you both lost again." Bridger reveled in the way their hatred could be seen in the lines of their faces. "Aren't you tired of it yet?"

Arlet sneered. "What happened to you? I don't even recognize you." She'd lost her best friend again, and for that, Bridger felt a tiny pang of remorse.

"I got tired of losing. No one is worth this type of pain." Bridger pointed at her and then at Khort. "Maybe one day you'll see that too." Bridger backed out of the room, the two of them stalking around him now that he was alone. He looked like the mouse, but they all knew he was the lion.

Halo was back, materializing beside Bridger—officially choosing sides. "Commander, let's go." Halo's gaze averted from Khort's ice-cold stare.

"Look at him, Halo," Bridger growled. "It's too late to go back now. There is no forgiveness for what you've done. Own your choice."

Halo lifted his head, locking eyes with Khort, who only had one question. "Why?"

"Because I'm not a hero. I want to be on the winning side, not fighting a losing battle."

Bridger spit out a laugh as he leaned down and pulled his dagger out of the dead guard's head. "Everyone can see it now. You're losing your own people. They don't believe you can win. Let that sink in." Bridger put his hand on Halo's shoulder, a triumphant smile on his face. "And now, I'm going to torture your girl. Bye-bye!"

Halo traveled them out of the house and straight into Marlena's home as Khort shifted into the black dragon he should have been from the start.