Page 16

Chapter Sixteen

T he humidity hit Orion first, then the way that the light seemed to be filtered through layers of trees and fog.

He shifted as quickly as he could, knowing that his human form was, while not normal, less remarkable than his horsey self.

They stood there, the three of them, getting their bearings.

“We’ll be looking for somewhere underground, but it can’t be natural. If it was natural, the fae could have found him and fetched him home.” Hawk pushed his sunglasses up on his forehead, those eyes just flashing. “Corbin? This is your specialty.”

“Right on. Vampires smell like moldy citrus—it’s unmistakable.”

He glanced at Corbin, a little shocked. “Seriously? Is that why Cullen only brings a couple of fruits in from your mom’s at a time?”

“Bingo.” Corbin winked at him. “We hate that smell.”

“I bet. And it was all in your house when you first moved in, huh?”

“Vampires are a scourge,” Hawk spat.

“Right. Okay. Corbin?” Orion didn’t want to get Hawk worked up any more than he was. That would be bad, because the big guy might just go off the rails.

“Right. Bloodhound mode. Got it. You know, I could get a dog. A hound. That could be part of the repertoire. I could teach it to track vampires.”

“But what would happen if it bayed?” Orion pointed out. “Then they would know you were coming.”

“True—”

“One finds it difficult to believe either of you ever rescued anyone,” Hawk said.

“Harsh.” Orion rubbed his chest as if that had hurt.

“Accurate,” Hawk said. “Lead on, Corbin.”

“Gotcha.” Corbin strode off, and if anyone looked closely at his shadow, or Hawk’s, well… He’d seen dragons who could totally blend in as humans. These were not those dragons. “Nice work, by the way, Orion. This is a great location to get to the basic coordinates we were given on foot.”

“Yay.” He wasn’t sure about any of this, for all he’d lied to Cullen that he was. He was used to picking up orphans or changelings and taking them back to the glade. And while he’d done his share of horning people and kicking and fighting and illusioning, vampires made every other kind of creature nervous and palm-sweaty.

They really were a scourge, as Hawk said.

Corbin marched, and he was wondering, since Corbin was so connected to the earth, if he could feel the vamps in it like a rotten spot in said moldy fruit. Like if it would be like a beacon to him. Orion could do that with the babies who needed saving. The magical beings who were lost and forgotten. They stood out to him like those spotlights that split the sky back and forth to advertise a movie premiere or a big sale.

Stopping, Corbin held out a hand as if to keep them from being thrown forward in a moving car. He kept his voice low when he said, “There’s a cave about three hundred feet ahead of us. If you look to the right of the big batch of brush…”

He squinted, and now that he was looking for it, the entrance to the cave was obvious. Hawk would probably just fit as a human.

“Strategy?” he asked, keeping his voice low as well.

“We get in, we get the elf, we get out,” Hawk said. “They’ll be sleeping, but they will have human guards, and as we know from Poe, they might be able to wake up if there’s an emergency and they can stay out of the light.”

Orion had met Poe and Cade in the dragonlands. Poe had lived in the human realm a long while.

“Well, you could lava them,” Corbin said. “If we were all out of the way.”

“If there is a way, then you can rest assured I will.”

“Good deal. I’ll go in first. I can also flashy thing them with my natural light,” Orion murmured.

“Onward, then.” Corbin moved much stealthier then, and he was like a vine that was moving, or a leaf that was twitching, even in his human clothes. It was pretty cool.

So he moved on, and Hawk made no sound behind him. Honestly, dragons were amazing hunters. Unicorns were more the run in and glow types.

Maybe that was why all the old tapestries showed them in a pen, even if their horn was buried in something.

They made it to the mouth of the cave, and Hawk stopped them, easing up to the front to check, presumably, for guards.

Suddenly Orion heard something ringing in his head that was a touch dizzying. What was that?

What was what?

Did you not hear it? It’s like a bell, I think? Something weird…

Hawk arched one eyebrow. Look, if you’re going to panic, we’ve got a real problem. You’ve got to relax.

I’m not panicking. I hear something.

Corbin was moving into the mouth of the cave and just leaving them behind.

What’s he doing?

He heard Corbin’s mental snort, and he told himself he was just worried because he was confused when he could hear this noise that he couldn’t ignore. I’m doing my motherfucking job. He’d never heard that tone from Corbin—this chilled, almost rumble, like two stones were creaking together inside Corbin’s head. Contrary to popular belief. I’ve been doing this for a very long time.

Hawk met his eyes. He could see the hint of shame there. Oh, I’m in so much trouble when I get home.

They followed Corbin deeper into the cave, his personal light illuminating the walls.

He could hear it, that noise. It was a bell. A light little bell—not like a tinkling, but not deep. Not a huge bell, just the tiniest little ringing bell that was calling to him, and he noticed his light was getting bigger.

What is wrong with you? Hawk stared at him.

I don’t know!

Stop glowing! You’re putting off ‘oh suck me dry now’ vibrations.

Can you not hear that? It’s getting louder. It was threatening to make him crazy, actually. Do vampires make noises?

Mostly chewing. I think it’s really chewing and sucking.

Huh. That was totally not this. This was more like…home. Maybe fae rang?

I don’t think they’d let him keep any jewelry, Orion. Hawk was totally in humor the lunatic mode.

No. No, goddess, listen to me. There’s a ringing!

You’re glowing louder, Hawk pointed out.

Louder? Could he glow with decibels?

Brighter, whatever. You’ve got to stop.

I’m not doing this on purpose.

What exactly are you two trying to do? Get me killed?

Shut up. Orion noted that Corbin was the one who was just hurrying ahead like he knew what the hell he was doing and could see in the dark. Did you know he was this fast?

Hawk shook his head. It’s never really come up. Usually, it’s Cullen and Corbin that go. I don’t show up as a rule.

He thought, maybe, someone should have told him Hawk was a virgin. Obviously, this ringing was intended to warn him that he was fucked and surrounded by assholes. They should have brought a groundhog shifter. They could dig and there was lots of good eating on a groundhog, should the shit hit the fan.

They came to an opening, and staked out there was a good-sized fae. He would have been beautiful, if he hadn’t been beaten and tortured. And if he’d been bathed? Like ever. He was nothing but lean muscle and skin and sores.

That wasn’t what hit him in the center of his forehead, though. What caught his attention was the animal that had been hog-tied next to the fae.

It was a foal, no more than a week old, black as night, with tiny wings on its back.

Those mother fuckers. He started to shift, rage flooding him, and Corbin glared at him, putting one finger up.

We are going to get them out and get them home. You are not fucking this up.

That’s a pegasus. They were damn near as rare as he was.

I know full well what it is. We won’t let it die in this place, but we have to get out of here. We get them out and we put Hawk to work destroying the entire nest, but we’ve got to go and we’ve got to go RIGHT NOW. Even as he spoke, Corbin was sliding on his belly over the dirt, trying to get to the fae, moss growing on the path where Corbin touched.

Orion could barely hear the soft whispers of Corbin comforting the man as he worked to get him freed.

Orion went over to do the same with the little horse, encouraging him to breathe, to relax, and to let him help. But the baby was scared, hungry, weak, and utterly panicked.

He rested one hand on the dark forehead. Hear me. We’re going to get you out of here. Do you understand, little one? We’re going to take you out of the darkness. But you have to be quiet. Once we’re out, the big dragon will burn up the bad ones.

Big, liquid eyes met his, and the baby leaned its head on him. He lifted it into his arms once he got it untied, then stood. Corbin had the fae guy slung over his shoulder, and he motioned for them to go back out the way they came.

Which was when Hawk started to glow. Like a volcano that was about to go off.

Oh, shit. Time to run.

Orion put on a burst of speed, as did Corbin, but even then, he could feel the heat on his back. Hawk was going to melt this place.

Will he be able to get out? he asked Corbin.

Oh, yeah. He’s immune.

That’s comforting.

Corbin’s laugh rang out, and he thought the guy was getting off on this. He just wanted to get home, get them all safe. No mistakes. Corbin and Hawk both seemed a wee bit…reckless.

Come on, Hawk! Hurry!

Just because there had been no guards didn’t mean humans couldn’t be about somewhere.

They burst out of the cave, and that was when they heard the great roar. Holy shit, Hawk had a voice on him. And then all sorts of shit went up in flames.

They moved as far away as they dared without leaving Hawk behind or burning, and they waited.

Hawk strode to them not long after they stopped running, and he was stark naked now, his clothes either burned off or lost because he’d shifted.

Well, that was one way to clear out a nest of vampires.

“Take us home, Orion,” Hawk said. “They’re gone.”

“Good.” He handed the baby pegasus to Hawk. “Okay, guys. Be ready to hold on tight to my mane with your free hand.”

He opened the portal, the blinding gold light shining from him, and he waited for the others to grab on before he leaped through, taking them right into the main hall of the house and closing the portal as quickly as he could so nothing could try to follow them in or get a fix on them.

Orion was always cautious.

“Oh my goddess, they’re home!” Cullen cried. “You’re here. Oh, love.” Cullen tossed himself into Orion’s arms.

“Here we are. Hawk was amazing. And your brother is like a ninja.”

“You were fine. Until you glowed.”

“You glow—Does anyone hear bells?” Cullen asked.

“See?” He looked at the baby in Hawk’s arms and held out his. “Can I take him back from you?”

“Of course. I should go dress. Did Cosmo go to the babies?”

“Yes. They were both crying. Elliot said it was hot.”

Hawk smiled faintly as he handed over the wee pegasus. “My fault. I’ll go make nice.”

“I’m taking this guy to my guest room,” Corbin said. “I’ll call Mom and see what she says, but until we know, we need to keep him contained away from the little ones.”

“Okay. Holler if you need us,” Cullen said. Then he looked at the foal. “Hello. Who is this?”

* * *

“Who is this?” Cullen asked.

“We found him with the fae man. He was hog-tied, Cullen! Hog-tied.” Orion was so mad, he could tell. And who wouldn’t be, if someone was harming this sweet little baby? Cullen touched the foal, and the bells…

Stopped.

Oh. “Orion. He’s?—”

“Ours.”

“Yes.” Cullen stared down as the wee one nuzzled his belly, making these little snuffling sounds. So adorable. So sweet.

“I knew it the minute I picked him up. But I’ll have to take him to the dads. If he’s not a shifter…”

“Then he belongs there.”

Cullen could see that. He got it. But it killed him to think of giving this baby over to someone else. This was his baby as much as the one growing in his belly.

He sniffed, hormones, making him so weepy. “Did it all go okay?”

“Yeah. Hawk melted them.”

“He is a little volcano-like. Lava is his thing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. It could come in even more handy at some point.”

“I know!” Cullen laughed, taking the wee one to their side of the house with Orion following. He put the baby on the couch and covered him with a blanket, then hugged Orion tight. “Does he need milk?”

“I imagine that wouldn’t hurt.” Orion was giving him the weirdest look.

“Okay.” He went to the kitchen, the listlessness of the little pegasus worrying him. Vamps could drain the magic from so many creatures.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He needed to get this baby milk, but he didn’t have a bottle. Like, not that kind of a bottle.

Damn it.

Cullen warmed up some milk with some sugar in it, as he tried to figure out what the best way to do this was. Horses didn’t belong in the house, he knew that. He also knew, in the pit of his stomach, that the baby in Orion’s arms was not a horse. He just had to figure out?—

Orion gasped. “Oh dear.”

Cullen came running, finding Orion holding a little beautiful perfect baby with skin dark as a raven’s wing.

“Huh.” That was new. “Oh! I do have bottles for this, thank goodness.”

Orion blinked at him. “We have a baby. With wings.”

“No parents, huh?”

Orion blinked at him. “Can you imagine? Full-sized winged horses not getting noticed? Here?”

The baby had wings.

Fascinating.

“Let me go get his bottle made up.”

Orion nodded. “Let’s get a diaper on him. Hopefully, he’ll be able to communicate enough to let us know his name or something. He’s very young though. I imagine that was why the fae was there—to make sure the baby got back somewhere safe.”

“Poor guy. Had he been bitten?” Was he infected?

Orion shrugged. “To be honest, I didn’t even get a look at him. Not really. He’d been beat half to death, I know that for sure. But I can tell you from what I know…”

Cullen stopped listening because he’d dealt with a lot of vampires. He knew a lot about them, but he didn’t have a huge desire to be ugly about this.

Not with that baby being hungry.

Orion was still sitting there when he got back, and he picked the baby up, put a bottle in its mouth, and started heading for where he’d stored the diapers. There had to be something that would work.

“What are you doing?”

“Feeding and diapering the baby. What are you doing?”

Orion shook his head, still on the sofa. “Hawk burned them all alive.”

“Good. It’s faster than what Corbin and I do.” He met Orion’s gaze. “We let them starve to death. It takes weeks.”

Orion stared at him. “You’re not serious.”

“As a heart attack.”

“But—”

“Honey, I get that you’re all golden light. Your nature is to help. But vampires get nothing from me. Zero. Zip. They’re a parasitic disease, and you see what they do to magical creatures. To be honest, what they do to humans is just as bad. It’s just faster. Usually.” Cullen waved a hand. “I’m not going to be sorry.”

Orion nodded. “Okay. Yes. Yeah. It’s just a little?—”

“Bloodthirsty?” he teased.

“Something like that.” Orion rose. “Just a little surprising. That’s all.”

Cullen shrugged and tried not to be hurt. “They like to drain magical babies best. That’s their jam. They keep them alive, too, so they’re terrified and they spend their short lives in agony. One of my jobs is to go out and save them, and make sure that we get rid of the nest.”

“You torture them!”

What did Orion want him to say? “I’m going to rock the baby and get him to sleep.”

“Okay.” Orion watched him, then kind of followed him around, looking a little sad. He wondered if it was because Orion was disappointed in him, or if it was because they’d had a little snarl.

Finally, Orion looked at the baby and bit his lip. “I need to go talk to Father.”

“Sure.” He would call his mom to see if she could come to look at the baby, and also to tell Arian that the rescue had been a success. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

Orion came to drop a soft kiss on his head. “Don’t be mad at me for too long, okay?”

“I’m not mad. Seriously. But I don’t feel like I have anything to apologize for, either.” He knew Orion was still pretty hyped up from the rescue, so he would leave it at that. He didn’t want to fight.

“I don’t either.” Orion stroked the wee one’s cheek, then headed over to lay his pendant on the table. The door opened, Orion strode through, and the door disappeared.

And he sighed.

He hated being at odds with his mate.

“Did I hear there was a pegasus—whoa.” Cosmo wandered in. “Baby with wings.”

“Yep. He shifted a few minutes ago.”

“Nice.” Cosmo glanced around. “Where’s Orion?”

“He went to talk to the dads.”

“Ah.” Cosmo wandered to the kitchen to peer in his fridge. “Why are you mad at him?”

“I’m not.” Cullen knew he was sharp about it, though. It stung to feel like Orion disapproved of him.

“Uh-huh. Tell.”

“He didn’t like what I told him about how we dealt with vampires. He said we tortured them.”

“Mmm.” Cosmo grinned and came to sit across from him, holding a carton of pudding and a spoon. “Yeah, he could be shocked by that, huh? I mean, he did rescues, but I bet he popped in and popped back out with the baby or the magical creature or whatever.”

“Yeah.” Cullen rocked the baby back and forth, even if he was already asleep, the bottle drained.

“But, he’s a creature of pure light, Cull. He might have lived among humans for a long time and he might be a snarky hottie on the surface, but he’s still from the Glade or whatever. He has a right to be a little shocked. Just like we’re half dragon and half fae, and the fae have been warriors for the ages. And we’re used to being a little ruthless. So you both need to get unmad.”

“He wasn’t mad when he left. He was sad. I think that was worse.”

“He’ll come around.” Cosmo opened the pudding. “Mmm. Pistachio.”

That made him laugh.

Okay, so maybe he was a little ramped up from the day too.

He could ungrump.

As soon as Orion got home.