Chapter 30
R odric crouched behind a massive Zamyran plant waiting for the signal to begin the raid. Keeping his mind firmly in Preddari mode, he pushed his growing anxious energy into a fine stream of powerful fury, transforming it before it had a chance to settle and make him jumpy.
His magic responded to the same molding, swirling in a steady pattern in his core, ready for use. For a moment, he wished he had a more offensive ability, anything that could help guarantee a positive outcome for this battle. Much as it would be ideal in this situation, he wasn’t a warrior. He was a hunter, and patience was his most valuable asset. Though Brenna’s fate, and Celina’s, rested equally on all of them, the weight of responsibility was his alone.
Staring at the purple-tinged leaves, his mind went to Celina’s expression of shock when he’d found her hiding. He smiled, fingers rubbing the leaf in front of him. The love she’d shown him in such a hard time filled him with strength to be who he needed to be in this moment—a hunter, protector, guardian. Reaching for her, he hit that incessant wall blocking her magic. The sudden absence since she’d been taken had been truly awful, making all his senses feel out of sync as if part of his soul was missing.
An arm’s length away, Sev shifted an infinitesimal amount, signaling in the dim light to indicate he saw something interesting. Glancing through the dense foliage, Rodric saw a soldier moving hurriedly out of the keep toward the stable, his movements sharp with the anxious twitch of someone who didn’t want to be caught doing something wrong. Passing into a deep stretch of shadow, there was a jar of indistinct movement, as if a heavy breeze had disturbed the air. Rodric waited, watching closely, but the only part of the man that emerged was an arm falling out of the shadow. He blinked, and the arm vanished into the darkness.
Sev met his gaze, a half-astounded, half-amused look in his eyes, making Rodric’s lips quirk. They did indeed have some incredible partners on this mission.
Shadows billowed around them, moving like mist in a puff of wind. He was getting used to the hallmark of Cass’s talent, but it was still startling to his senses. As an observer, without knowing what was happening, he would never have guessed anything but air was moving in the night. The next instant, Cass stepped forward and dropped low to meet them. Perimeter clear, she signaled, one down.
Rodric breathed a sigh of relief. No new soldiers had arrived, and the guards were where they anticipated. Daya was hidden on the mountainside with her bow, ready to support them if needed. Her hawks flew quietly in the growing darkness, guarding from above. Sev winked at him, assuring all would be fine. Nodding his acknowledgment, he glanced back at Connor, his designated partner for the battle. Ready.
Let’s go, Connor signaled.
Moving back into the shadow, he vanished. Rodric stepped into the dark and followed closely behind Connor. He could feel the man’s movement, but his eyes couldn’t detect anything besides the night. It was disconcerting to his mind, but he ignored the strangeness and trusted his hunting senses, keeping step a few feet behind Connor without trouble. Silently, they slipped over the low point in the wall into the compound.
Heavy silence blanketed the air, acting like a sharp blade on the edge of Rodric’s nerves. The lack of regular activity was ominous in its absence. Approaching the fallen man, he frowned. The man was completely clean of blood. The unusual angle of the head, line of sight directed along the same path as the arm, toward the keep entrance a distance away, indicated a broken neck.
Slowly, they moved around the body toward the stable, the first structure they needed to clear. Cass and Sev would be clearing the guardhouse. As the towers were destroyed, and mostly inaccessible, they had chosen to ignore those. Taking light, gliding steps, as he would while stalking prey, Rodric dropped low to the ground and made his way to the perimeter side entrance. Scanning the rough pen showed no signs of human movement. Taking up a guard position, he pressed against the wall of the stable as Connor entered the barn.
Rodric kept his ears tuned to Connor’s movements but his gaze to the fortress. A fluctuation of shadow near the far wall caught his eye. The ripple in the mist was followed by silent movement as Sev followed Cass away from the guardhouse.
Connor’s face was thunderous when he returned to the barn entrance, his muscles thick with tension, whatever he’d seen clearly upsetting him.
Rodric squeezed his shoulder and signaled that the guardhouse was clear and they needed to continue forward.
With a grateful nod, Connor stepped into the night, eyes turned upward.
Above, a hawk flew in deceptively lazy circles, dipping along the currents of the wind. Hovering near the far side of the fortress, the hawk rolled in the air, making two full rotations before swooping up high. Returning to its smooth glide, the hawk looped the fortress again before disappearing into the shadows. It reappeared next to them, swooping close enough to nearly brush Connor with a wing on its way to the tree.
A smile touched Connor’s lips as the hawk brushed by him. Facing Rodric, he signaled that there were two men on the far side of the keep that he would handle, while Rodric should continue.
Nodding, Rodric watched the hawk shadow Connor from above as he made his way along the mountainside, disappearing into the shadows between the mountain and the back wall of the keep. Worse than before, Rodric was jittery with the need to finish this hunt and retrieve the ones they’d come to save.
Pausing outside the entrance to the keep, Rodric checked his grip on his blade. Muffled shouting and movements came from inside the hall that made up the ground floor of the keep. The large room with dining tables, fireplace, and access to the dungeon was the one place that had worried Cass. Depending on the number of people, someone might try to run down to the children with vicious intent.
Steeling himself, he entered the room.
Sure enough, Sev was standing guard on the back center wall, defending the stairway. A dead man lay nearby, blood pooling by his midsection. Rodric nodded in satisfaction when he noticed the red boots, indicating that the abusive Jack was dead. Across the room, Cass battled two soldiers, working them slowly into the corner, away from the exit points and stairwell. They were grunting and cursing loudly but appeared to actually be decent swordsmen.
Rodric watched just long enough to assess the situation before turning to Sev. “Why are they still alive?” Cass was superior to everyone he’d ever seen with a blade, and faster.
“Wants them for questioning. After overhearing a few comments from the men in the guardhouse before we took them out, she decided it would be fitting to take a few below and turn the tables on them.”
“You’re not going to help her?” The sooner they handled the soldiers, the sooner they could leave.
“Shimira!” Sev raised his voice to be heard over the grunting soldiers and clash of metal. “Might you desire some assistance from your devoted hunter?” Stealth and silence had ceased to be necessary at this point in the rescue.
The hint of a smile twitched her lips as she tipped her head toward Sev without taking her eyes from her opponents. “I’m good!”
“She’s good.” Sev grinned at Rodric, who rolled his eyes.
“Anyone go below yet?” The delay grated on his nerves, spiking his anxiety. He needed to see that Brenna was here and safe and find Celina. Every moment drove the need deeper.
“Only enough to clear it. Drew this one up from the dungeon.” Sev kicked at the boot of the dead man. “They were expecting us, so the scuffle started the second we entered. Cass didn’t even have time to make it into the shadows before they attacked.”
“If you’ve got her back, I’m going below.”
Sev gripped his free arm. “I’ve got both your backs.”
Nodding, Rodric slipped behind Sev to tread down the stairs. The wrongness of the silence grew heavier with each step he descended. Cold, damp, and dark, the dungeon was quiet with fear.
Using his hunting senses, he assessed the dim room. The light emanated mainly from an open area by the stairway, where a worktable, chair, chains, and various tools and implements were present. Separate stairs at the far end would lead to the cellars. Only one of the other wall brackets held a candle, keeping the room dowsed in shadows of dreary gray.
One large cell made up the majority of the space to the right, while two smaller cells filled the left wall. After a thorough check confirmed that no one would jump out at him, Rodric studied the largest cell. Piles of unused chains dotted the space. The gate sat propped open, a visibly mangled locking mechanism indicating why the space was not in use. On the far side, the metal bars were warped and spread apart enough for a small body to slip through.
Despite the horror of the scene, Rodric smiled, pride swelling in his chest at the sight of Brenna’s handiwork. That’s my girl.
Approaching the farthest cell that held the children, Rodric knelt down, bracing his hand on the locked gate. Two boys were visible, but no Brenna. Distress rolled through him like a storm and iced his spine. Where is she? And where are the others?
The older of the two stepped forward to block his younger comrade. The new boy he’d seen brought in lay unmoving in the back of the cell. Rodric swallowed the fear that washed through him, hoping that the fight hadn’t been similarly driven out of Brenna.
“I’m Rodric. I’ve come with some warriors from Calderre to rescue you. As soon as we finish handling the soldiers, we’ll get you out of here.” The teen gave him a disbelieving look, not moving from his protective position. “My soul-daughter Brenna is being held here as well. We came for her, but we’re not leaving without all of you.”
“You’re the hunter.” The teen’s expression turned to astonishment. “Brenna said you would come, but no one ever gets rescued.”
Fierce love and relief welled. She’d believed in him. “That’s not entirely true. Do you know where she is? Or the other girls?”
The boy ran a hand through short, thick hair, distress pouring off of him. “I woke up when they grabbed Brenna a while ago.” His hand shook as he clutched the metal bar of the cell, his head dropping in defeat. “It was my turn to sleep. Brenna was on guard. I should have stayed awake.”
Rodric grasped his hand through the bars. “You survived until help arrived. That’s all that matters. We are not leaving without them, I swear.”
The boy blinked and swallowed hard, nodding to Rodric.
“What’s your name?”
“Gavin,” he breathed out. “That’s Holt, he’s new. I haven’t seen Veda or Opal all day, but Marin is probably in the cellar. I don’t know what happened to the lady they brought in; she might still be there. You’re rescuing her too?”
Rodric fought the urge to ask about Celina. They’d seen her taken to the keep earlier in the day, so he’d have her back in his arms soon. “Yes, she’s with us. Hang tight, Gavin. I’m going to go down below, but I’ll be right back or one of my team will be down to get you out.”
“Go, help them.” Gavin nodded and stepped toward Holt.
Blade ready, Rodric carefully descended the steep, nearly vertical stairway down to the cellars, emerging into a tight walkway. A fine layer of ice crunched under his boots as he crossed the space to a narrow, waist-high table that mimicked the work area upstairs. Blanching at the sight of various nasty implements atop, he tried to control his breathing.
Focus. Just get them out.
Fur blankets were piled haphazardly underneath the table. Grabbing one, Rodric turned away from the twisted table and quickly slid back the bar keeping the first of two wooden doors secured.
Huge blocks of ice were stacked around the space, leaving an open area in the center. The ice was clearly old, the combination of the mountain altitude and deep underground fostering chilled temperatures year-round. Whatever else could be said of the group of mercenaries, they had chosen their holding site well. Dismissing the empty cellar, he opened the second doorway.
Shallow breathing came from a teenage girl in the back corner, draped halfway over a block of ice. A short length of chain attached her bound wrists to a metal ring that had been hammered into the ice. Her red collar matched the blood streaks staining the surrounding ice.
Rodric froze at the sight, one thought taking precedence over all others.
Where was his mate?
A roar of energy moved through him, and he immediately reached for Celina in full force, invading her soul with his essence without conscious direction of his magic. Instinct to find and connect to his mate overrode everything else.
Her sweet, peaceful presence was a balm to his soul and tempered some of his fearful rage. She was alive and nearby, just not in the cellar.
Collecting himself, Rodric focused on the unconscious girl in front of him. Ice cracked loudly as he walked over to her, the freezing temperature already seeping through his layers of clothing. By contrast, she was covered by a short, thin dress, the shredded material sticking to her open wounds. He quickly released all her restraints, checking the circulation in her hands to find she was nearly frozen. Laying the thick fur blanket over her, he scooped her up into his arms. She flinched, crying out softly, and tried to shift away from his arm under her back.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I wish I could help you more.” His naturally murmured response stopped him in his tracks, as he realized something miraculous.
He could help her.
Sitting down on a block of ice, he set her in his lap and freed one of his arms. He gently set his hand on her head and closed his eyes, freeing Avery’s opalescent magic. It rushed in a soothing stream into the girl, racing through her to find the worst of her injuries. Trying to see through the magic, he pushed the healing light toward the seeping wounds on her back. Her raspy breathing eased to a more natural sound.
Stopping the flow of magic proved difficult, as her body was ravaged and soaking up the healing waves like a sponge. Celina had been right; the pull to heal everything all at once was strong.
Dizziness made his head light, but not enough to hinder his ability to continue the rescue. Opening his eyes, he met the girl’s clear gaze. Pain still marred her face, but she was conscious and not in immediate danger.
“I’m Rodric. I’m with the rescue team. You’re going to be fine, but we need to get you to safety before I try to heal you anymore. What’s your name, sweetheart?” He knew but needed to assess her mental state.
“Marin.” Her voice broke with a dry sob.
“Let’s get you out of here, Marin.”
She kept her eyes on his as he stood and cradled her once more. Strength lapsing, her head dropped trustingly to his chest. She was much too light in his arms, and his magic flared in a steady pulse to continue healing her wounds. He carefully moved out of the room and up the stairs, holding her tightly. The little he’d done would have to suffice until they were out of danger. He couldn’t risk weakening himself until everyone was safely accounted for.
The dungeon was empty, so Rodric continued to the hall above. The boys had been moved to the large central dining table and were sitting with a girl around Brenna’s age who Connor must have found. Cass and Sev were across the room near their prisoners. He nodded to Connor as he settled Marin in a large chair near the other children. His pulse began to pound, adrenaline soaring.
Marin’s hand latched onto his arm with surprising force as he turned to leave. He looked down to see panic welling in her eyes. Urgency beat at him, but he couldn’t leave her terrified without a word.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. This is the rest of the rescue team.” He shifted so she could see across the room. “You see that woman over there? She’s a Wolflumen. A protector. She won’t let anything happen to you.”
Her gaze shifted to Cass, but her fingers maintained their grip even as they began to shake with fatigue.
“Marin, look at me.” He found himself emulating Morgan. “We are not leaving without you. There are a few more people we need to find. All of you are going with us, I promise.”
Nodding, she let go of his arm. “Thank you.” Her voice barely reached his ears, but her weary, tear-filled eyes shared the same message.
Touching her head gently, he stepped away. The need to hold his mate and soul-daughter now became a clawing need inside him.
Striding over to Cass and Sev, he clenched his jaw. “We need to get them out of here immediately. What’s the plan for your prisoners?”
“Lock them up downstairs and leave them.” Cass’s words caused panicked shrieks to emit from the gagged men. “We’ll send someone to collect them as soon as we can. I’m not hauling them back alongside the kids. If they don’t survive that long, so be it.”
“Good.” He understood the desire to question them, but they didn’t have the luxury of time. “I’m going after Celina, Brenna, and Opal. You cleared the keep?”
“Yes, it’s clear.”
“They must be somewhere else in the compound then.”
“Daya’s on her way down to help us with these four. Connor will back you. Go get our girls, Rodric.”
Rodric gripped her arm in thanks, overcome by the soft statement of claiming from the warrior. She’d accepted him and Brenna without pause into her tight circle of protection.
Letting the Hunter come to the surface of his mind, he gave his instincts free rein with one directive. Magic rose in a rush of power, completely unhindered by his fear and reticence for the first time.