Amber Flame (The Flame Series Book 4) (29 page)

“I didn’t know that it would affect her like this. She can’t be part wolf. She’s a Revel fae.”

“You’re part wolf,” Sydon state reasonably.

“Shit. You’re right.”

She then moved to float in front of Sydon, levitating to compensate for their height difference and took his face in her hands.

Mary still had enough of a survival instinct not to get caught between Sandrine and her man, but it was hard as hell to stay put. Amber flame was doing a number on her libido.

“Look at me.” Sandrine’s voice carried a dedicated resonance. She followed with a soft speech Mary could hardly make out, though she kept repeating something about staying focused on ‘Amber Flame Rising’.

But in the exact same moment, Fergus broke through the witch’s control over her and entered her mind.
Mary, are you there?

Fergus? How did you reach me? I couldn’t make contact because of Sandrine. She spelled me or something.

I’m not sure, but Sharon was just with me. She said you need to remind Sandrine and Sydon that if they kill you, or even try to, the fae part of me will know exactly when that happens. And if they take your life, I’ll happily bomb their bunker to hell and back.

Got it.

And Mary?

Yes?

I’m coming for you.
His wolf’s voice, even inside her mind, was low, hoarse, and sexy as hell.

At the same time, her heart melted.
I love you, Fergus. No matter what happens, I need you to know that.

Without a beat, he responded,
I love you, too, and when this is all over I’m going to show you just how much.

Because he was a wolf and because amber flame had hijacked her brain, she did a full body undulation on the couch.
Can’t wait.

I’m going now. But I’ll have you out of there in a few minutes. I promise.

Mary felt him disconnect. Her body was on fire for him even in the middle of a nightmare. At the same time, her heart slammed around in her chest. She was grateful Sandrine was working to keep Sydon’s attention on her, otherwise she might have detected the telepathic interference.

She watched the couple carefully as she forced herself to calm down. Sandrine was still talking her mate down, diminishing the possibility she’d discover that Mary had alerted Fergus to their plans.

“It doesn’t matter what any of the packs know about Amber Flame Rising at this point. They’ll be too late. Once our rogues start attacking and get all the Savage wolves stirred up, chaos will do the rest.” Sandrine still caressed Sydon’s face.

Sydon glanced at Mary. “And I say we don’t take any chances. Just kill the bitch.”

Those words were Mary’s cue. “If you do,” she called out, though her voice was slurred since she was still horribly weak, “Fergus will know I’m dead because he’s part fae now, in the same way you’re part warlock.” She drew a deep breath and pressed on. “If he thinks for a second I’m gone, he’ll blow this place up, my corpse with it. Face it, I’m your best insurance to keep your enemies from dropping a bomb on the Naked Wolf and destroying this bunker.”

Sandrine nodded. “The woman is right. We have to keep her alive until the very last second. Then I’ll gut her myself.”

Sydon’s nostrils flared. “Fine, but in the meantime, can you get rid of the wolf smell?”

“Of course I can, my love. You only had to ask.” Sandrine reached into the black leather pouch at her waist, withdrew her hand and flicked something in Mary’s direction. A teal powder flew through the air straight for her.

Mary held her breath, but the airborne substance clung to her nose and mouth. It wasn’t long before her body forced her to open up her lungs. As soon as she drew the spell into her throat, a new kind of dizziness assailed her. At least she didn’t black out. But whatever it was, she became too weak to move.

The new spell, though easing the reaction of the flame drug in her body, also created a profound layer of fatigue. She could barely keep her eyes open.

Fergus came to mind once more. She knew there was a strong possibility he wouldn’t be able to get her out of the bunker in time, but she didn’t regret returning to Sydon’s HQ. Alerting Fergus to the presence of a failsafe bomb had been worth the risk. If only there was a way out for her.

She tried to create another dreamglide, but found it impossible. Whatever Sandrine had done to the first one, she felt broken in that respect, at least while the witch had control of her.

She felt the energy in Sydon’s office intensify, and she knew the hour was closing in on nine. Dread seized her once more at what he was about to unleash on Savage.

She held her eyes open the barest crack to watch events unfold. Sydon rose to his feet, his dark eyes glinting. He rounded the desk and held his hand out to Sandrine. “Are you ready, my love?”

Sandrine smiled. “I am.”

He inclined his head toward the couch. “Will she give us any more trouble?”

“No. She won’t be able to move for at least another hour. By then, she won’t even belong to this earth.”

“Excellent. Then let’s move this party to the war room.”

Mary lay very still. She heard their footsteps as they left. Now that Sandrine wasn’t in the immediate vicinity, Mary didn’t feel nearly as tired, but she still couldn’t move. She couldn’t rebuild her dreamglide, either.

Then another idea came to her and since Sydon and Sandrine were gone, she decided to try to reach Fergus again. She opened her telepathic channel.
Fergus? Are you there?

~ ~ ~

Fergus had made his way to his gun cabinet off his study, when Mary’s voice once more entered his mind, this time loud and clear.

Checking his Glock, then sliding it into his holster, he asked,
Is everything all right? Has anything changed?

Yes. Right now Sandrine, Sydon and his entire administrative staff have moved to the strategy room ready to launch Amber Flame Rising. But I have an idea that might help you and your troops as you bust into Sydon’s HQ.

Fergus drew a steel, half-sword from the several he owned and slowly slid it into its sheath on his left side. He couldn’t get over Mary’s extraordinary presence of mind. She was in a terrible situation, but she had enough inner calm to be thinking about the upcoming assault.
Have you uncovered more information?

Not exactly. Do you think you can still build a dreamglide?

Yes, of course. Why?

I’m thinking that if you could pilot your dreamglide into the bunker, you could gather the intelligence you’d need to attack Sydon’s HQ with very little loss of life. What do you think?

Fergus made quick calculations in his head, his nostrils flaring and elongating with the exciting possibilities inherent in her proposal. It hadn’t occurred to him to make use of his dreamglide ability in the course of a battle. He’d been thinking more like a wolf and a warrior. But Mary’s idea might be the turning point.

However, there was one thing he had to know.
Didn’t Sandrine bring you down in your dreamglide?

That’s right, but she wasn’t as preoccupied as she will be now. I think you can get in without being noticed. Besides, the last thing she’ll expect is a wolf in a dreamglide.

Then I’ll give it a shot because this could change everything. I’ll get back to you when I’m in position. It won’t be but a couple minutes now.

He heard the amusement in her voice as she responded,
Well, you know where I’ll be.

God, I love you.

Back atcha, wolf. Now get going.

Fergus returned to his strategy room and saw that Warren had arrived. “I’m going after Mary right now.”

Warren’s green eyes glittered. “And you’re sure she’s in Sydon’s bunker?”

“I am.”

“So, she’s not far from the bomb you told me about.”

“That’s right.”

“Why is that bomb even there?” Warren asked.

“Best guess? Sydon could detonate it anytime he wanted, especially if the place was overrun. He could escape his bunker at the last minute, and still take out a lot of lives in the process.”

Warren’s expression grew solemn. “From the size of it, I think he could take out half the block. So, what’s the plan?”

Fergus tried not to think about Mary’s proximity to Sydon’s contingency explosives. “I’m about to find out Mary’s exact position within Sydon’s HQ.”

“How are you going to do that?”

Fergus smiled slowly. “I’m going to use my dreamglide.”

Warren held his gaze. “So, you’re like the other border patrol men who’ve bonded with their women and now you have fae powers.”

“That’s the way of it.”

“Then you’d better go get her.”

The wolves all around him began to draw close, the wolf pack at its best. He felt their energy as if it was his own.

He glanced around. “I need all of you to know that Mary is my alpha-mate, even though she’s not a wolf. When I’ve secured her safety and her freedom, I intend to bring her back here to be with me, permanently. If the pack needs a different leader, then I will step aside. But she’s the woman for me. Besides having served unwittingly as my bodyguard since she first came here two nights ago, she may have just given us the key to ending Sydon’s assault with minimal loss of life.”

Before he said anything more about sharing powers with Mary, he took a moment and with every fae ounce of his body, he formed his dreamglide. He didn’t have to meditate or shut down his conscious mind in any way. He could now be in both places at once with barely any effort at all. Somehow he wasn’t surprised. Having vaporized the steel door of his soul and confessed his love for Mary, new power flowed through him in heavy waves.

To the warriors gathered around him, he explained his faeness briefly, then added that Mary had several wolf powers of her own. He told them about his dreamglide and that he was headed into Sydon’s HQ bunker to have a good look around even as he stood in the Gordion Compound.

Ryan smiled. “You’re going to spy on the bastard.”

“I am. Then I’ll let all of you know exactly how we’re going to take him down.”

The wolves as one lifted their fists, then gave a shout. Each wore a battle uniform with black tanks bearing amber logo patches, black leathers, sword and Glock. The bulk of his army and a portion of Warren’s waited outside for the go-ahead.

He was essentially in two different realities at the same time.

As he put the dreamglide in motion in what was the dream-world, he spoke aloud to his men in real-time. “I’m piloting over the forest. I’ve reached the edge, and I’m passing above the central housing tracts.” He put on some speed and got the dreamglide to his destination. “All right, I’m at the Naked Wolf at the west end of Savage Strip. Warren, you know about the bomb. Get the border patrol over there to clear everyone out of the surrounding clubs and buildings. The streets need to be empty as well, but tell them to do it fast. I have a feeling Sydon’s bomb will be going off at some point in the next ten minutes. Let’s keep our Savage wolves safe.”

“You got it,” Warren responded.

Still focused on the dreamglide, Fergus sensed Warren was on his phone.

While Warren made contact with the Savage Border Patrol, Fergus continued to relay information to his top betas. “I’m easing inside the HQ at the north end which is where Sydon’s office is located. I can see Mary. She’s on the couch. She’s safe there for now. I’m heading toward the strategy room which is through a series of offices at the south end of the bunker. All the offices in between are empty, but I can see Sydon and his team clustered in the last large war room. This is it. Sydon is laying out his attack as we speak. I’ll have details about Amber Flame Rising in a matter of seconds.”

His wolves remained silent, but their joint intensity fired him up. He remained focused on the dreamglide, hovering as high against the ceiling as he could to avoid detection by the witch. Fortunately, Sandrine had her head bent over the digital relief map right next to Sydon, so he knew he had a shot.

Fergus reported to his men. “I’m looking at the entire battle plan. Warren, get ready to transmit information to all the alphas.”

“They’re on standby with their coms. Everyone’s in position. Just waiting for you.”

Within the dreamglide, he took a long hard look at the map, then began, “The plan is simple but insidious. Its clear Sydon gained critical information about each compound. If there is a vulnerable or secret entrance into a compound, Sydon intends to use it. His wolves will attack at two points: they’ll create a lot of noise at the entrance, but a larger force will attempt entry through the most vulnerable points in each home or compound. He has pictures, for instance, of my hidden entrance behind the bookcase.”

He glanced at Ryan in real-time and said, “Put some of our men inside the hidden passageway right now, the one on the third level. Hopefully, Sydon’s forces won’t even get that close, but I want a team there just to be sure. In a minute, we’ll set up a perimeter to catch the rogue wolves assigned to our compound. When you’ve got the men set up inside, come back here. I’ll want you with me when we head to the bunker.”

Ryan nodded. “I’m on it.” He took off on a run and a few seconds later shouted orders to several of the warriors waiting in the entrance hall.

Fergus turned his attention to Warren. “You need to get back to your compound.”

Warren’s brow furrowed. “Some of my troops can remain here. Hell, I can stay here, if you need me to help with Mary, I’m with you. She’s risked everything for Savage.”

Fergus stared at him for a long moment. He clapped him on the shoulder and let his hand rest there for several seconds. “Thank you for that Warren. I’ll never forget it. But the Gordion Wolves have got this.”

As Fergus drew his hand away, Warren offered a crooked smile and inclined his head. “We’ll catch up with drinks afterward.”

“Damn straight we will.” Fergus checked his internal clock. “Thirty seconds until nine.”

Warren nodded twice in response, then turned on his heel. He called out for his pack and offered a long, loud howl.

Fergus waved his team forward. He moved to the open doors of the compound entrance and tracked his friend as he headed into the skies. It was an impressive sight to watch a powerful man like Warren whipping through the night air, his blond hair flowing behind him like a mane. What couldn’t Savage accomplish with men like Warren in charge?