Page 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

D uring the drive, they’d learned that Glasgow Central Station had old passageways and platforms beneath it, creating a labyrinth mostly unavailable to the public.

Joseph Doyle had reached out to some of his contacts to ensure the underground tours were cancelled for the day. While unlikely they’d have to explore any areas used by the tour guide, they didn’t want to chance it.

Now, she was walking with her assigned partner to one of the old underground entrances, kept secret from almost everyone in case it was needed during an attack or war. Antony’s department and MI5 were the only ones who knew the location. At least, until today.

She wondered just how many secrets Antony protected. Once she found him—because she would—she’d make sure he promised not to keep any from her.

Max walked next to her—he’d somehow talked the others into allowing him to accompany and hang back with Iris—and asked quietly, “You’re quite sure you’re not claustrophobic?”

She resisted rolling her eyes. “I told you, no.”

“Just making sure. Until my brother is back and well, it’s my job to look after you.”

She glanced at Max, noticing how serious he was. “I appreciate it, but I’m fine, aye? The ride down did wonders, and my ribs are as good as new.”

“You may be physically fine, but there are other ways to hurt.”

“You’re more astute than I thought, aye?”

He winked. “You’re getting to know the real me. Just try not to fall in love with me, because Lavinia won’t like it. She’s quite possessive, and rightly so.”

She huffed a laugh. “I’ll do my best, I promise.”

They reached the address where a secret basement door led to the underground passageways. However, they went to the front door, knocked, and were let inside. Killian O’Shea and Kerry Penrose stood to the side, waiting for them.

Iris didn’t want bodyguards, but they’d agreed working in teams would be best.

The female dragon, Kerry, smiled at Max. “Too bad you’re mated. You’re definitely the better looking brother.”

Iris growled, but Max merely bowed at Kerry. “Alas, I am mated. You’ll just have to resist me.”

Killian grunted. “Enough. If we don’t want to get too far behind, we need to go.”

Each team had been assigned different sections to explore. Iris argued and persuaded everyone that she could look at the areas closest to the entrance. She nudged Max. “Come on, or I might tell Lavinia you’re flirting whilst she’s back home, pregnant and digging in the dirt.”

He narrowed his eyes briefly—so briefly only Iris would notice—before falling back into his easy-going persona. “Tut, tut, we can’t have that, can we? Lavinia is the moon and stars, my empress and queen.”

Killian turned without another word and headed downstairs, followed by Kerry, and then Iris and Max. They arrived at a door guarded by Nikki Gray-Hartley and Rafe Hartley, a mated dragon-human pair from Stonefire. Nikki was a Protector, and Rafe was human and an army liaison with the dragon-shifters.

It didn’t escape her notice that a human and dragon guard team would have a better chance at surviving some sort of chemical attack.

Although Iris hoped nothing would happen. Nikki was brilliant at her job, and they’d banded together a few times during the intra-clan meetings on Stonefire and Lochguard.

Her dragon spoke up. Nikki knows what she’s doing. And for a human, Rafe is okay.

She mentally snorted. Rafe is more than merely okay, dragon.

Maybe. If you like the muscled, scowling type.

Suppressing a smile at her beast, Iris followed the others through the door and down the stairs, down some more, and yet some more, until they were pretty far below street level. They exited onto an abandoned platform from Victorian times, and Killian motioned for Iris and Max to wait while he and Kerry scouted ahead.

Iris surveyed the space, noting a few old doorways to what must’ve been maintenance rooms, when Kerry’s voice shouted, “Gavin? What are you doing?”

A scream followed. Iris dashed down the old tunnel Killian and Kerry had used, pulling out her tranquilizer gun as she ran. Another scream was cut short, followed by some grunting.

Iris entered a larger space where two sets of tracks could be laid side-by-side. Kerry was unconscious on the floor, and Killian battled against a number of humans. One who looked just like Gavin Edwards from Antony’s team.

But as he attacked with his left hand, something wasn’t right.

Then it hit her—he looked like Gavin, but wasn’t him. The real Gavin was right-handed and had a wee freckle on his neck, which this male didn’t.

Scanning the area, she calculated that she and Killian were outnumbered three to one. The only way to win would be if they could toss a gas canister to render the humans unconscious. Iris, Max, and the others on her side wore the discreet filters and should be safe.

Max caught up to her, and an idea flashed from a memory. Long ago, before she’d learned the truth about Max, he’d grumbled about a dig having to be halted for a day since someone got heat stroke and fainted. He’d gone on and on about everyone rushing to help, nearly ruining their grid lines, and other details she’d blocked out.

Like someone fainting from heat stroke, she needed something big to garner their attention, just long enough to incapacitate them.

Leaning to Max, she handed him the canister. “Pull the ring at the right moment.”

She imagined wings sprouting from her back. They grew and grew, brushing the sides of the large room. It was a tight fit, but she just managed to flap them. The force of the wind knocked a few people down.

Just as a bullet pierced her wing, Max pulled the ring and tossed the canister.

Iris knelt down, hoping she wouldn’t do irrevocable damage as she imagined her wing merging into her body. Once complete, pain shot through her and she could feel blood dripping down her back.

However, as the gas slowly knocked the humans out, Killian and Max went to help Kerry and then used Killian’s zip ties to bind all the humans.

The pain in Iris’s back dulled, and she knew it wasn’t life-threatening. Although she hoped her wing would heal properly despite shifting while injured, which was a big no-no for any dragon-shifter.

Pushing that aside, she struggled to her feet and went to Killian, Max, and Kerry—who was awake again—and stood next to them. Kerry spoke first. “That’s not Gavin, but it looks just like him.”

“A twin, maybe? Or a family member.”

Kerry replied bitterly, “One he probably told everything to. I can’t believe I ever fancied him.”

Killian grunted. “You don’t know for sure he did. At any rate, backup should be here any second?—”

Before he finished, a mixture of humans and Protectors flooded the room. After quickly debriefing them, everyone went to work carting the unconscious humans off.

Alice walked over to them and nodded. “The DDA will take care of these people for now. Contact me whenever you’ve finished your mission and we’ll talk.”

The female walked off before anyone could say a word.

Iris was about to ask Killian if they should keep searching down this tunnel when the wall off to the side began to open and a blaring sound filled the space.

She braced herself, wondering what the bloody hell was happening now.

Zoe struggled to keep her breathing slow and even as the two males approached her. The female would be back at any minute, and once she returned, Zoe’s chance of signaling to the others where she was would be zero.

Once they were close enough, she sprung up and jumped over them, twisting, to land on her feet. She didn’t waste time, bashing their heads together hard enough to knock them unconscious without killing them.

Even though her head still pounded from whatever drugs they’d given her, she pushed it aside and dashed to the main computer terminal. The small dragon lifted his head and stared at her, but she ignored him for now. After all, she couldn’t help the wee male unless her clan could find them.

The computers weren’t locked or password protected—highlighting the arrogance of whoever was in charge—and Zoe searched for any sort of remote control panel or security system.

Bingo, she found it within seconds. As she’d thought, she could lock the doors from inside. Just in time, too, because someone started to pound on the smaller door, probably the human female.

Zoe ignored the noise, looking for either a way to broadcast her location or to open the giant set of doors.

Sirens blared just as she tried something to open the large doors. They slid apart slowly, and a cloud of smoke or gas or something rushed into the room. Zoe coughed and did her best to cover her mouth. However, while it tickled her throat, it didn’t make her woozy or fall unconscious.

In fact, the young dragon was fine as well.

Then the smaller door finally burst inward, and some humans rushed inside. Before she could try leaving through the bigger door to get help for the others, the humans coughed and soon dropped like flies.

However, she didn’t spot the human female among them.

Just as she debated securing the humans or going for help, Killian O’Shea rushed inside, followed soon after by Iris, Max Holbrook, and a female dragon-shifter she didn’t know.

They had been looking for her. She’d just known it.

She should be thrilled. And yet, her dragon was still silent.

Focus on getting everyone to safety. Dr. McFarland and the other doctors can help you then.

So Zoe went to meet Iris, and the scent of blood hit her nose. “Iris, are you okay?”

“I’m well enough for now. Is…”

That’s when Iris’s gaze fell on Antony Holbrook. Zoe said, “Aye, he’s here. But I don’t know much about his condition, except that he’s alive.”

Iris nodded as worry flashed across her gaze. Then she rushed over to the human.

Something had happened in the time since Iris had left Lochguard. And as she watched Iris gently touching Antony’s face, she smiled. It was about time Iris let someone in.

But thinking about someone letting her in again, she thought about her cousin. Despite their problems, she didn’t want to leave Rebecca in the hands of dragon hunters, or whoever held them. Especially since there was a chance, a wee one, that she could help her cousin accept humans and come back to Lochguard.

And so Zoe went to Killian and the others to share everything she knew and see if they could help find and free the remaining dragon-shifter prisoners.