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M ckenna, the Vampire , has given the all-clear. Hugo, still on the ground hidden in the forest outside the wall, with the other communication leaders, was helping to make this mission run efficiently.

Aodh knew what Amaros meant by 'clear' because thankfully, Edjer had done some reconnaissance the night before. Aodh had cleared it with Iskah to fly through the Fae territory to see what was going on. Because he’d been high enough in the sky not to attract attention and was making his approach from the opposite direction of their territory, Edjer caught the long-range harpoons being raised, scanning the skies.

Aodh recalled Edjer telling him in the morning about the harpoons. The entire Thunder knew Kai was in labor late into the night. Their child had been forced to come early, and every Drahk was concerned.

Even Apophis had come by twice to perform blessing rituals and add his healing smog with Aodh’s to help Kai when she was weak.

Aodh had appreciated the deatach glan heyl because he’d needed it to keep himself steady.

He’d never known fear as he’d experienced holding Kai’s body against his own and praying to the Great Spirit that both she and their little one fared well.

In the wee hours before dawn, after an arduous night of suffering for his mate-wife, where he couldn’t do anything to ease it for her, his child had been delivered.

They only got a glimpse before his offspring's shell hardened into the egg that would sustain their little one until he was ready to come out.

Aodh glanced among the members of his Thunder, soaring through the night sky beside him.

Did they offer coordinates? Locate Muskrand? Aodh questioned his communications leader.

Yes. However, he and his lieutenant and cabinet members have sealed themselves in a reinforced glass dome on the Northeastern side of the providence section two floors down because they were still using part of the underground, even though they sealed off the entrances on the district side.

The others can’t penetrate it. Avalore gave it a few whacks with Liekki’s swords, but only made a few cracks, and those were too shallow to penetrate.

Like the others in our battle collective, she’s pretty upset about it.

Thanks, Hugo. Pass on for everyone on the ground to fall back and cover their heads. We’re headed down .

As you command, Mckenna. Aodh ended the connection with Hugo.

Drahks, let's bring it around.

We’ll follow your lead, Mckenna. Edjer called out for everyone.

And just like that, the fleet of dragons in the air with him moved into division formation. His brother moved up beside him while the others dropped down low, drifted back, and came up into position.

It had been decades since they’d all flown together for a fight, but dragons didn’t have to train to be a unit; it was part of their genetics, and flight was in their blood.

Even though it would have been quicker from their position to go directly to the designated area, Mckenna had already planned with his council how they would approach and why.

Usually, Aodh ordered all Drahks to respect the airspace not only of other entities' territories, but also the human region. It was frightful for humans to see flyers overhead, if they were one, foreign, and two, if they were dragons that they had been told didn’t exist. Every horror story and misrepresented fairytale that had been passed on to humans would come to mind.

However, by now, with the Fae and Ursine right in the midst of them, the humans would have been briefed about the dragons that would be coming to fight for them.

So, Aodh and his fleet of dragons would make their approach from the North and give the humans a show—fly in low right over the district.

Instinctively knowing what he wanted, his dragon glanced over to the Egyptian-blue beast coasting high in the sky beside him, out of radar distance from attack from land.

Brother. That mate of yours is pretty fierce and may need more than a bit of consolation since she has been unable to power her way through to Muskrand.

Trust me, I’ve got a lot planned for after I get her in my arms and see for myself that she is alright. I’ve been in communication with her, but that’s not good enough for me. I hate her being on land while I’m miles away in the sky.

Aodh understood the pain of distance when it came to his mate.

The day before, the only reason he had been so close to their territory’s center was that his dragon couldn’t shake the unease while so far away.

Aodh had known Kai’s emotions had been heavy for weeks.

He tried to give her mental space, but when she was asleep, her dreams were so powerful that some of her thoughts and worries came through.

Because of those strong thoughts, he knew her insecurities began with Avalore’s change.

He couldn’t take her stressing herself and trying to hide it from him, so after he’d escorted the group to the water and watched them train a couple of times, he left them in Liekki’s capable hands and went home to his mate.

Only to arrive and discover she’d been attacked.

Aodh was grateful that Ladon and Avalore had been there to defend her.

He’d seen red, and if Kai hadn’t been at the beginning of her labor, Aodh would have stormed the Wall and razed it to the ground with hellfire.

Kai was safe now, and it was time for him to exact justice. No one touches what’s his. Aodh knew that every entity had a reason to want Muskrand dead at their hands, but the People’s Governor was his.

No one touches what’s mine.

Myhnn , his dragon, seconded.

Since Khuzaimah will not step down for at least another year, I’d like to assign Avalore as our liaison on the new security council for the humans, to assist them with establishing order.

I think she’s proven to be the right person for it. Pride filled Liekki’s mental path. Hell, it may take Iskah and her Court that long to get through the screening of all the humans and the bear-shifters to organize the rebuild and realignment so the humans can flourish as one.

Agreed . Aodh widened his pathway to include all the dragons assembled with him. Ready for our approach. Fire on my mark.

Nose down, the Mckenna dove, the rest followed, pulling their wings back for maximum speed, sights set on the big gate at the front entrance.

The closer they drew, the more people on the ground came into sharp focus in his dragon’s eyes. In a matter of seconds during their rapid descent, the people went from appearing as a colony of ants to taking a clearer human shape.

Most of the humans on the ground were pointing and screaming, some of them running for cover as if they thought any of their flimsy structures would protect them from dragons’ might or fire.

Hell, a few wing flaps and most buildings and homes would topple over. Aodh was appalled at what he saw. What government allowed its people to live in such a way, scratching out a menial existence?

These people deserved a change, and the preternaturals were bringing it to them. Once they dealt with Muskrand, the Fae Queen would assemble all the humans and deliver the speech the council had devised to begin the long, arduous process of helping them realign and change. Humans had to be better.

The Mckenna snapped its wings out wide and brought its head up parallel to the ground, gliding over the district with its fellow dragons doing the same, maintaining their formation.

Dov, his Beta, Turi, and the other members of his sleuth with him had fanned out along the thick, high barrier that went for miles and miles left and right, dividing the humans, keeping those considered less out; more than a few well-dressed bodies littered the ground around their feet.

At the top of that harsh wall were flags standing up high with a similar mark as had been placed on Morlie, Avalore, Michaela, and Kairos.

The unequal symbol on the flag didn’t have the same mark, spear-like line cutting through it, but it was represented by the spikes established at the top of the wall to ensure those in the district stayed out.

Anger boiled in his core and caused a lava river of heat to flood his insides. Muskrand must die tonight.

Fire ! he ordered as he shot a blazing stream out of his mouth, aiming directly at the wall.

The other dragons’ flames struck out and helped Mckenna torch the iron wall and turn the flags into waving flames.

Behind them, the screams of frightened humans became a roar of cheers as the iron and steel wall melted away.

Aodh had no concern that those in the district area would rush toward the providence to loot and pillage, placing themselves at risk for an armful of items. The bear-shifters would keep them at bay.

The dragon continued, flying over the dimly lit half of the area and towards the well-lit horizon of the fortress-like Governor’s city.

Up ahead. Aodh’s dragon locked in on the coordinates given for the dome's whereabouts.

Once they were hovering over the widest, gaudiest, well-developed building standing two stories above ground with four large harpoon spears, their bases angled in the direction of the Drahk territory, but currently with tips down.

Aodh gave the order to melt them, rendering them inoperable.

Avalore stated that the human government leaders are going crazy watching you destroy the weapons, Mckenna. Liekki chuckled.

Good. I hope they know we’re coming for them next.

Once, Aodh received confirmation from both Avalore, through Liekki, and Hugo that all those fighting with them had now left the command center, and only after the others had ensured they’d blocked both exits so, Muskrand and those with him could not exit their secured dome, Aodh then sneered to his Thunder, Get me to the People’s Governor.