True Traitor (First Wave Book 7) (20 page)

Fiorn’s face turned red with fury and he clenched his fists tightly as he looked from her to a bloody Leif in the corner. For a moment, True thought she saw lucidity and horror in his eyes before they became glazed with madness again.

The moment he lunged towards her, True released the fireballs at him in a rapid succession, each one hitting him squarely in the chest. What she hadn’t counted on was him continuing to come at her. Seconds later he’d slammed his chest into her before she slammed into the wall of ice behind her with such force the breath left her lungs and the world went black then light around her for several minutes.

As if from a distance, she heard a commotion around her and the weight was lifted from in front of her. Without it, she slid slowly to the floor, caught in Leif’s arms before she could hit her head on the ice.

She looked up into Leif’s blurry face and tried to comprehend what he was trying to tell her, but her mind refused to work and then the darkness came, but this time the light didn’t follow.

*****

Grai heard Leif’s scream in his mind at the same time that he saw a look of pure horror cross Thjodhild’s face before she paled dramatically. She looked at Grai, knowing he heard Leif’s call in his mind as well and without a word she took off running towards the portal, knowing Grai and the others were following close behind.

Grai sent out calls to the two he had already heading to Beta Base to find out how close they were and sighed in relief that they were there and getting ready to take over the situation. He would have told Thjodhild that everything was going to be alright, but he knew that it would be pointless. Especially, when she found out who was there.

*****

Niklosi and Blade heard the explosions and the subsequent screaming that followed and threw caution to the wind, barreling down the hallways as fast as they could. They were halfway there when a brisk wind blew past them. Niklosi and his team shivered and grinned at one another but Blade and his team stopped short and looked around them fearfully.

“What the fuck was that?” one of Blade’s team asked nervously as he scoured the area.

Niklosi kept running and called out behind him, “That is our other brethren. You better hurry up or you’re going to miss everything!”

Blade looked at Niklosi curiously, shook off his beast’s fear and followed Niklosi and the others to Leif and True. They had just rounded the corner into the newly thawed area when they all stopped short and stared at the two people blocking their way.

Blade looked stunned and ran a hand over his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly.
No
, he thought,
it’s real
. His beast shook with fear and trepidation while Blade’s eyes were glued to the black iridescent man in front of him and the golden glowing female beside him.

“What the fuck are they?” someone asked fearfully.

Niklosi grinned and slapped the oddly shimmering black man in front of him. “Mikal, Lara, you have no idea how happy we are to see you,” he said with a welcoming smile for Grai’s son and Lara Blain, Viper’s mate. The Prime.

Mikal turned to Niklosi and ignored the gasps of surprise as Blade and his team got a good look at his odd white eyes and his shimmering black skin. But, Mikal barely spared them a quick glance before he turned back to the large, one eyed man that Lara had bound and unconscious, in golden strands of energy.

Mikal’s deep voice startled Blade and his team. “The fool does not have a defective or damaged beast. It is the rest of his mind that appears damaged,” he said.

Lara nodded her head and turned to Niklosi. “True and her mate are alive, but you need to get them to MedLab pretty quick,” she said as she gestured to the two young mates who were passed out in each other’s arms. 

Niklosi nodded to Makeerno and Spike who each grabbed one of the mates and hefted them over their shoulder before carrying them out of the building.

Lara turned golden glowing eyes to Blade and said, “Your other hybrid needs to be taken away. I would suggest you lock him up. At least until your leader can get here and establish control.”

Blade took a startled step back from the strange pair, the conflicting energies emanating from them were nothing like he’d ever experienced before and he wasn’t sure what to think or expect.

Lara had no patience for this right now and with a wisp of golden energy, she yanked Blade to her and studied him for a moment before smiling at him. “You will be able to appreciate this,” she said before she put her hands on his head and poured golden energy into his head until his body began to glow, before completely dissipating.

Lara let go of him and he stumbled backwards, his team catching him as he struggled to regain his feet. Moments later, he was able to sift through the information that Lara had reaped into his head and he gasped in shock and awe.

“Fuck . . . Tara was right,” he whispered hoarsely as he stared at the Dranovian and the Prime holding Fiorn in a golden cocoon above the floor.

Lara chuckled. “Yeah, rumors usually have a thread of truth to them. Luckily, we’re actually the good guys,” she said, turning back to Fiorn and the problem of what to do with him until he could be fixed.

Mikal cleared his throat, his irritation at the fear the hybrids displayed towards him, getting on his nerves. “Since this is not a problem that I can correct, I believe I will take my leave,” he said, his deep voice resonating through the icy hallway.

Lara turned to the very unique Best Killer and grinned. “Oh, you’re not getting out of here that easily, big guy!” she said aloud with a grin before speaking to him privately through the Shengari’.

“You may be needed later. I am sorry, my friend, but the only way to fix him, may cause him to destabilize,” she said worriedly, not liking the odds they were facing. According to Grai, this guy was pretty damn important and they were facing a major challenge to fix the problems in his mind.

Mikal sighed and nodded his head at Lara, but shifted in the hallway so that his back was to the wall and not Blade and his team.

“We need to get him out of here. The energy is further disrupting his mind,” Mikal said simply, looking at Lara pointedly.

Lara nodded her head and turned to Niklosi and Blade. “Get him out of here and lead us to a holding area. He will need to remain restrained,” she said, looking from the still startled Blade to Niklosi who nodded.

Discorian stepped forward and laid a hand on Fiorn’s head through the golden cocoon enveloping him. He closed his eyes for a few seconds before they flew open in surprise. “His spirit is lost. He is confusing the past, present and what he thinks is the future in his mind,” he said before he took his hand off of Fiorn’s forehead and lifted him over his shoulder.

Everyone moved out of his way so Disc could take him out of the building, with Blade and his team following close behind. Niklosi’s team headed after them with Niklosi hanging back to talk to Lara and Mikal.

“What’s wrong with him,” Niklosi asked Lara quietly as Mikal followed behind them.

Lara shook her head sadly. “I’m not sure. There are energy strands in his mind that shouldn’t be there. Like Disc said, he’s confusing things in his mind because the strands are acting like a bridge between his memories and thoughts. Instead of following the memory through to the end, the strand is causing him to skip to a different memory or thought. He has no idea what’s real anymore,” she said, trying to figure out what the hell happened to the man.

Niklosi shook his head and whispered, “Fuck!”

Mikal’s sharp eyes and intelligent mind took in everything as he followed quietly behind Lara and Niklosi. He again sent his energy to study Fiorn’s beast and by the time they left the building, he believed he knew what was wrong and how to correct it. Taking a major chance on calling down his father’s wrath, he sent a call to the one brother he knew could help.

“Rise, my brother. You are needed here desperately if we are to save this man. Follow my energy,” he said, through a path in his mind, known only to him and his brother.

Mikal felt the stirring in his mind and the subtle response before he felt the yank on his energy and the telltale tugging that told him that his brother was following. He grinned broadly as he headed out of the door into the strange arctic sunshine.

Yeah
, he thought,
Dad was going to be a little pissed, but he’d get over it.
Besides, he wanted to see his new baby sister and this was sure to make that happen pretty quickly. It was going to kill his other brothers and Angel to know he got to see their baby sister first. His teeth gleamed as he smiled broadly at the thought of teasing his siblings later.

Chapter Eighteen

Countdown Clock to Human Discovery

7:00 Hours

This is a WFWZ radio news update on the situation in the Burnt Tree Ridge area. The pictures of the landslide earlier on the news show that the ridge has collapsed in a devastating display of nature at its worst. Authorities have arrived on the scene and are currently trying to determine if the area is stable or if there is another slide coming. We’ll be back with the latest updates after this next block of the best classic rock.

Grai cleared the portal and if Thjodhild hadn’t kept running, he would have stopped short to stare at their surroundings. Instead, he tried to take in as much as he could as he ran after the tiny woman. They cleared the large building and this time Grai did stop. He couldn’t help it.

He and the others all stopped and stared at the herd of wooly mammoths leisurely strolling along the stone walkway in front of them. It wasn’t until Thjodhild disappeared among the large creatures that Grai cursed and ran after her again, dodging in between the beasts until he passed them and could see Thjodhild kneeling in the walkway as she cradled someone he suspected was Leif in her arms.

Makeerno looked up at Grai helplessly as he stood over the sobbing woman and bloodied young man. Grai looked at an unconscious True, lying in Spike’s arms, as Amun gently pushed Thjodhild aside and began assessing Leif’s injuries and he cursed in anger.

Grai felt the niggling in his beast and he looked up and grinned at his son as the man walked proudly towards him. Grai met him halfway and pulled his son into his arms, giving him a crushing hug before he pulled away and looked into his white eyes.

“You have a beautiful and healthy baby sister. Grace and Mom are doing really good. And I am so glad to see you,” Grai said as he pulled Mikal in for another quick hug.

Mikal ignored the open mouthed stares of the hybrids around him and just enjoyed the love and happiness that his father wrapped him in. He hugged his father back before he pulled away and spoke to him privately through the Shengari’.

“Father, it is not his beast that is damaged. There is something more wrong with him and it isn’t his fault. You may want to stop everyone from using my presence as an excuse to execute an innocent man,” he said, sensing the change in the energy of the hybrids around them.

Grai looked around him at the faces of the hybrids who lived here at Beta Base and was a little surprised and concerned that their fear of his Dranovian son had turned into a rising chorus of people calling for the beast killer to execute Fiorn.

Niklosi also felt the change in the crowd around them and spoke to Blade.

“Tell us where to take Fiorn so we can get these people calm,” he whispered quietly.

Blade nodded his head, his own concern growing as the shouting around them escalated. By the time they tried to surround Fiorn, still wrapped in his golden cocoon, the hybrids had already done so and were preventing them from getting Fiorn away.

Lara whistled loudly and held up her hands to get everyone’s attention. When that didn’t work she clapped her hands together loudly and sent a wave of golden energy into the crowd, instantly shutting them up and holding them immobile.

“Damn!” Lara said before she gathered her energy and pushed her hands out around her, the immobile hybrids moving away from her, Mikal and Fiorn as she did.

When she finally felt like she could breath, Lara shook her head at the assembled hybrids. “You need to calm your asses down. He’s sick. There’s something wrong with his energy, and it’s not his beast. Mikal came because of his ability as a windwalker, not a beast killer! The man may be an ass, but he deserves more respect than this,” she said, irritated as hell that they were so quick to judge the old warrior.

Lara turned to Blade.

“Show me where we can keep him safe until we can heal him,” she said, moving Fiorn’s body forward through the air with a flick of her fingers.

Blade nodded mutely and led her and Mikal down another walkway. It wasn’t until they were completely out of sight before everyone could move and speak again. This time they spoke more calmly.

Thjodhild had ignored them completely as she cut the binds on Leif’s wrists and ankles. Holding his head in her lap, her blue eyes shining with tears, she looked up at Amun.

“Tell me how to help,” she said hoarsely.

Amun nodded his head. Having witnessed the strength of the woman first hand he had no doubt of her ability to help him. “I’m going to hold him still while you pull that dagger out of his shoulder. Keep it straight, do not allow the blade to lean side to side or waver. Pull straight and up,” he said as he gripped the young man tightly.

Thjodhild nodded and put her small hands around the hilt of the weapon. She looked at Amun for a moment before yanking the knife out quickly and cleanly. She stood there shaking for a moment before the knife clattered to the stone walkway and she kneeled back down at her grandson’s side.

Amun smiled softly at her and gently patted her hand. “He’s going to be alright. We’re going to get him stable, but we need somewhere to take him. Do you have a place?” he asked, trying to keep her mind off of how bad the boy looked.

While he waited for her to tell him, Amun cleaned as many cuts as he could and put medibands on them to start the healing process. The punctured lung was going to take more than that though and Amun needed to get the patient in a care area quickly.

Thjodhild looked up at Amun and nodded her head. Within seconds there were half a dozen hybrids there in human medical attire and carrying two stretchers. She stood out of the way as Amun directed them on how to get the two mates onto the boards.

When Amun followed his patients and hybrids into a large castle-like building, Thjodhild turned to her remaining hybrids.

“Get back to your duties! This will be discussed among the clan when we know what is wrong! You are dismissed!” she ordered and waited until she was alone with Grai and the Valendrans before she noticed that her hands were covered in Leif’s blood.

She looked at her hands blankly for a moment, unknowing that the tears were slipping down her face until Ivint pulled her into his strong arms and held her closely as he patted her back.

“The kids will be fine. Amun is a talented doctor and he will heal them,” Ivint said reassuringly.

He couldn’t blame her for the pain and fear emanating from her energy. Ivint couldn’t begin to imagine how she had felt knowing that her mate had almost killed her grandson and True. And that her people had wanted Grai’s son, the beast killer, to end her mate’s life.

Ivint was surprised and impressed when Thjodhild straightened her spine and wiped her tears on her sleeves. She blinked away the remaining ones and looked at Grai with a mix of fear and hope.

“That woman . . . she said that Fiorn’s beast wasn’t causing the problem. That something was wrong with his energy. Is that true?” she asked.

Grai nodded his head.

“My son, Mikal, knows that his beast is fine and intact. But, he also sensed an unusual energy in Fiorn. If it is an energy problem, then Lara is our best chance to save him. She’s a Prime. I know that you don’t know what that means, but please trust us when we tell you that she’s here to help,” Grai said, hoping that Thjodhild would trust them enough to try and help her mate.

Thjodhild nodded her head sharply and sniffed before turning to Darina who was running towards her. Darina handed her a wet towel and Thjodhild began wiping the blood off of her hands as she began walking towards the building where Amun had taken her grandson and True.

She didn’t turn to look at the men as she asked, “Is Fiorn safe with that woman and your son?”

Grai didn’t hesitate to respond. “They will protect him while they try and determine the best way to help him,” Grai said honestly.

“So, that’s a beast killer? Not nearly as scary as the bedtime stories Fiorn used to tell the children about them. You certainly have some handsome and talented children,” Thjodhild said with a small smile, wondering what would rock their little world next.

Grai chuckled. “Thank you. Mikal’s brothers and their sister Angel are very special to me,” he said.

Thjodhild stopped and stared up at Grai with wide eyes. “There’s more of them?” she asked in surprise.

Grai nodded and she turned to continue walking. “I had no idea. Fiorn always made it seem as if they were rare on Valendra,” she said, trying to remember the stories her mate used to tell her children at bedtime of the Beast Killers.

Grai nodded his head sadly. “This is a very different world and we face many more dangers than you are aware of. I think it would be best if we spoke of this later, after we see the kids healed and Fiorn helped,” Grai said, looking pointedly at the hybrids they were passing in the hallways, listening to every word that was spoken.

Thjodhild noticed the eavesdropping when Grai spoke and tamped down her curiosity. This was not a conversation for others to overhear. The last thing they needed right now was more fear and rumors causing even more upset among her people.

Thjodhild turned to Darina. “I still want the thirty minute updates on the folly. Put Slate in charge until we can return or the situation is resolved. Warn him and the others that we are quickly running out of time and it is imperative that they get the situation over with,” she said as she turned into the area of the castle that had been designed by others as a medical facility.

The room was very large, open and airy. Several dozen beds were spaced around the room along with medical equipment, cabinets and tables. She led the way to the first row where Beta hybrid doctors and Amun were working to heal Leif and True.

“Status!” Thjodhild asked the moment she got within hearing distance.

Amun didn’t even bother to look up from Leif when he answered. “He’s doing very well. The cuts need another hour, the gash above his eye at least four and his lung needs 8 – 12 for complete healing, but he’ll be mobile in an hour. Other than that, he’ll have no lasting effects. I believe Dr. Skulm can tell you about True,” Amun said, before turning his attention back to Leif and the badly damaged lung he was working on.

Grai and the others turned to Dr. Skulm and she looked up a little nervously from True and cleared her throat.

“She’s unconscious and has several deep cuts, a sprained ankle, and lacerations that will heal quickly. Her brain though is a small concern. She has a severe concussion and it looks like she’s suffered multiple traumas to her head recently. It’ll take a few hours for complete healing, but she should be fine and mobile in an hour as well,” Dr. Skulm said quickly, glad to be done talking to everyone so she could get back to her patient.

Thjodhild caressed Leif’s cheek before doing the same to True. “The poor things were supposed to meet and have a beautiful beginning. We need to fix this for them,” she said with determination.

Grai nodded his head.

“We can send them somewhere quiet when they’re better and the situation is under control.”

Thjodhild shook her head. “No, we’ll fix it now. Five miles north of here, along the river, there are private summer homes. We can take them to one of the homes, before they wake up. Leif knows this place well and will know where they are so they won’t need to be afraid,” she said, liking the idea the more she thought about it.

“In fact,” she said, looking at Grai and Ivint, “this is a better place for us to have our meeting of clans anyway. More private and less ears to distort what they hear. There is plenty of room for everyone and while you explain this prime to me, I can explain to you the importance of Beta Base,” she said, determined to keep the children here and close by her. Thjodhild was taking no more chances with her grandson and his mate.

Ivint looked around the building and grinned. “I have to admit, I am dying to see this place. I’ve seen nothing like it intact on this planet and its similarities to places on other worlds is profound,” he said, truly amazed by the unique architecture and its scale.

Grai looked at Leif and True and knew that Thjodhild was right, it would be better to have the meeting here, more so for True and Leif. His more pressing concern was Fiorn’s condition and this was the best place to try and keep what would happen with the man to a minimum.

Thjodhild placed a small hand on Grai’s arm and smiled gently at him.

“We can bring your mate and children. Can you think of a more beautiful and peaceful place for Tricia to recover? And the little chimera would adore the animals,” she said, hoping like hell that Grai would agree.

She couldn’t risk anyone else seeing Fiorn in his current condition, and as his mate, she couldn’t bear to be away from him when he needed her. Whatever was wrong with him, she would remain by his side and if the Gods believed it Fiorn’s time to join them, then she would follow.

Grai could easily feel Thjodhild’s fear for her mate and he couldn’t add to her worries. Despite his own reservations, he nodded his head.

“Yes, let’s do it here. Can your son stand for Fiorn?”

Thjodhild straightened her shoulders and smiled.

“Yes, my son can stand for his father,” she said, knowing Grai was referring to who would conduct negotiations if the worst happened with Fiorn.