Chapter Twenty-three
Daire and Jimryr sat on the floor in front of Zorah’s big screen TV at the club, positioned to see both the TV and Sakaris and Zorah, seated behind them on the couch. A grainy black and white WWII Air Force training video showed on screen.
Zorah explained, “Sakaris, this is mostly for you. Our fighters have studied human battles, gleaning useful information and tactics our enemies won’t know. Most of our forces will remain out of sight until we figure out what numbers we face.”
Fen entered through a side door, wearing cutoff blue jeans, boots, a vest and little else. Colorful tattoos covered her arms. She said nothing, merely strolled over to the laptop, turned off the movie, and started another.
“Fen, what are you doing?” Zorah asked.
“Trying to show you what we omegas have been trying to tell you for years.” Fen dropped into a chair, throwing one bare leg over the armrest.
The movie on screen showed a small plane diving—right into an aircraft carrier.
Daire’s eyes went big. “You want us to sacrifice omegas?”
Fen rolled her eyes. “No. The other omegas and I have some suggestions. Now, I know your current plans. First wave. A few omegas as a diversion, then twenty of our largest betas, easily seen in daylight. They approach the enemy. For only twenty, the enemy will likely send ten to fifteen fighters. One of their biggest weaknesses is arrogance.”
“That’s exactly what we planned. What changes would you make?
” Zorah paid rapt attention to Fen, a huge point in her favor.
She listened to her people, didn’t discount part of them for preconceived notions, and understood that for all Fen pretended not to care much about anything serious, she did. Very much.
“We already know they don’t play by the rules, including alphas in the fight, which opens the door to battle omegas.” Fen flourished her hands in a “ta-da” gesture.
Jimryr’s first instinct urged him to say no.
Omegas were to be protected. Yet he’d known Fen for three years.
She worked quietly in the background, took aside weaker fighters, and made them better.
Even her lovers benefited, walking away more confident and competent.
Fen brought out the best in the entire club. He’d stay quiet and hear her out.
“Even if they’d broken our laws to fight, alpha instincts alone will make them think twice about attacking an omega. Watching Daire fight the other day gave me an idea. A single moment of hesitation might be all we need for our betas to get the upper hand.”
“You omegas would be taking an enormous risk.” Zorah rubbed her chin in contemplation.
“Not really,” Fen replied. “You saw how the plane dove into the ship? I’m not sure how much attention you’ve paid to our omegas when we have the sky to ourselves, but our fastest omegas like to perform what we call aerial acrobatics.
We practice spins and other tricks, including diving and pulling up at the last minute.
We can disorient the enemy and lead them into an ambush.
When their fighters don’t return, more will come.
They fight with an outdated playbook. Also, if they chase us, we can lead them to, oh, let’s say, a rock wall.
We’ve got plenty of time to evade, but a larger, slower dragon? ”
On screen, antique aircraft carried out a dogfight, with the sound muted.
Jimryr visualized Fen’s suggestion. It would work, but… “Like Zorah said, you and the other omegas would put yourselves in danger.”
Fen rose and stalked over. She gracefully folded her legs to sit nose-to-nose with Jimryr on the floor. “And what will you be doing?"
Zorah continued planning, ignoring Jimryr quietly getting his ass handed to him by logic.
“Once they realize we mean business, they’ll send more.
For the second wave, we’ve selected dragons not easily seen.
We’ve covered every time of day: sunrise, noon, sunset, night.
We’ve drilled until each dragon knows at least four roles.
“Pale dragons like Jim won’t be visible with the sun behind them. We’ll launch our attacks from the direction of the sun, blinding our adversaries.”
“Our omegas are arrow-fast. No beta will catch them,” Fen said, adding, “or alphas.”
Jimryr had witnessed the betas practicing, then watching the videos to learn new strategies, until one of them discovered the movie Pearl Harbor, resulting in a movie night. Yet he’d overlooked omegas, falling back on old biases.
“Won’t they have omegas of their own?” Daire asked.
Sakaris replied, “They still think of omegas as weak and helpless, in need of protection. Fen’s plan fits in nicely with Anrai Thorne’s. Our enemies will soon learn exactly how helpless omegas are.”
Zorah resumed the telling, face alight. Yes, she’d bought into Fen’s ideas. “They’ll expect teeth and claws. Our first wave will be distractions, followed by battering rams.”
“Battering rams?” Daire asked.
“Like me,” Jimryr said, giving Daire’s hand a quick squeeze. “Omegas will distract them. We’ll knock them from the sky, as many as possible.”
“Then what?” Daire’s voice took on a breathy quality. He squeezed Jimryr’s hand in a nearly painful grasp. Was he worried?
“Then teeth and claws.” Zorah grinned, hooking her hands into fake claws.
Jimryr had never told her he could form claws in human form, not that such a move would be relevant in combat. He recalled a horrifying memory, asking a relevant question before Daire had to. “I’m still concerned about alphas joining the fight.”
This time Sakaris grinned. “Don’t worry about the alphas who rejected our traditions to fight. Fen isn’t the only omega to offer a plan. Our omegas in Adrakus also have a surprise in store for the alphas.”
“What about night fighting?” Daire asked.
“The same. Only our darker dragons will lead.” Jimryr had practiced until he could’ve slept through the entire fight and they’d still win. Or so he hoped.
“I’ve watched the enemy perform drills. They’re far inferior to your forces,” Sakaris added. “They’re so consumed with posturing they can’t form a cohesive team. And I say this with full confidence, even never having seen how your dragons fight.”
Once more, Jimryr asked a question he thought Daire might be too afraid to ask. “But what about family and friends?” Would Daire have to fight against his former comrades?
“Those loyal to King Locryn left Urien long ago.” Sakaris stroked his long beard, gazing at the images on the TV. “Or found themselves locked away. A few stayed to protect families and pass on information.”
Daire finally ventured, “Do you know if Isla and Halvard still live?” He had a death grip on Jimryr’s hand. He’d mentioned his friends before, so Jimryr knew how important they were.
“I’m afraid I do not.”
“Where do I come in? I’m still not very good at flying. Jimryr said I’ll fight in human form.”
Zorah nodded. “You and the ground forces will be waiting. Once the guards engage in the fight, they’ll leave the walls around the castle undefended. You’ll infiltrate from below.”
“The castle is on a mountaintop,” Daire pointed out.
Jimryr shifted his shoulder against Daire’s. “We have some older dragons, too slow to fight, but they still want to help. They’ll drop the foot soldiers outside the bowl.”
“The bowl!” Daire’s face paled. “Sakaris, how was Urien able to bring a knife inside the bowl, and how could his soldiers bring swords?”
“I’m not the only mage Urien tried to own, Daire. Gwythyr is both powerful and power-hungry. He overrode the protections. I am sorry I didn’t realize sooner.”
“If you weren’t there protecting your king, where were you?” Jimryr demanded, Daire’s grip on his hand now painful.
“I had gone to find Urien and put an end to his machinations once and for all.”
Daire stilled. “You would have killed my uncle? Did Father know?”
“Your father never would have agreed. I saw too late how Urien had misled me about his whereabouts to get me away from your father. For that, I’m deeply sorry, Prince Daire.”
“Mages? Do we have to fight mages?” Jimryr hadn’t even met one until Sakaris and Zorah. How could he fight an enemy he didn’t know?
“Leave those to me, Zorah, and a complete unit of mages most people considered dead. Once you re-form ranks inside the castle walls, half of your company will free the imprisoned dragons. Daire, you and the other half will make your way to the throne room, where Urien will cower behind a handful of guards. I’m sure of my intelligence this time.
I’ve seen you sparring in human form, and Jimryr made thorough reports to Zorah. You were born to lead.”
“How do you know Urien will be there?” Sakaris seemed awfully sure of himself for someone so badly fooled once. Jimryr wouldn’t let Daire go into danger without a solid plan and multiple backups. He’d feel even better if he were there.
Smug came so easily to Sakaris. “It’s the part of the defense plan I fed him through advisors. He believes the throne room is warded.”
“It’s not?” How conniving was this mage?
“It is, but only to hold him once he arrives.”
Daire pulled in a deep breath. “Can I kill him? Please?”
“I believe Elouan has already requested the honor.”
Zorah said, “We have something better to show you.” Jimryr didn’t need a visual to imagine her smile. “Jimryr? Show us all another distinct advantage we have over the enemy. Our own training videos. Unlike our enemies, we are a team.”