CHAPTER 33
Lena held tight to Gauge’s hand as they were transported to the new area.
She hadn’t known what to expect, so was surprised to find the land completely different from where they’d started from.
At Raif and Haven’s pack, there had been mountains all around them covered in thick evergreens.
Even in the more open areas, there was deep grass, and the climate had been warm but not hot.
What hit her first here was the hot, dry air. Though she could see a mountain range in the distance, where they’d been transported to was flat and covered in sand. It reminded her of the area around the Nekbet palace on Raiden. She hadn’t cared for the hot, dry air there either.
“They are coming,” Teo said, lifting his chin to the left.
Lena saw five vehicles heading their way, but these were different from what she’d seen at Raif’s pack.
Two of them in the front had no roof. She could see males standing in the back of both, holding something pointed in their direction.
The other three vehicles were enclosed, but they were much larger than even Skylar’s truck.
“Step close to me,” Gauge said, motioning the others to him.
Lena felt more than saw Gauge manipulate the energy somehow, but she wasn’t sure what he was doing.
When she glanced up, she noticed clouds begin to drift in where the sky had once been clear.
A few minutes later, the light of the sun was dimmed.
Only then did she remember that direct sunlight weakened Gauge’s kind.
Are we being threatened? Is he worried? she thought, her attention returning to the vehicles.
“They have weapons pointed in our direction,” Gauge sent, having obviously picked up her worried thought. “As a precaution, I’ve set a protective shield around us. Their weapons won’t be able to penetrate it.”
Lena reached out in front of them but couldn’t feel anything.
Teo answered her unspoken question. “The shield won’t stop us from stepping out. It only blocks others from coming in.”
Interesting. She wondered how Gauge managed to build it out of thin air. And how would a shield like this work against Raiden laser fire? Or serpent fire, for that matter. Questions for another day. The humans were almost here.
There had been no dust while they were traveling on some type of dark gray road, but it billowed up when they turned off, rising in the air behind the fast-moving vehicles.
The two with the open tops stopped about thirty feet in front of them, the other three coming to a stop a short distance farther back.
The two humans standing in the open were wearing patterned clothes, dark shades over their eyes, and some type of heavy helmet.
Their mouths were held in a tight line, posture threatening.
She had no doubt they would try to hurt them if ordered.
No wonder Gauge had thought it best to create a shield.
No one said a word, or even moved, for several long seconds, which made Lena nervous.
Why did they just sit there? Finally, a door opened in one of the three vehicles in the back.
A tall man wearing some type of blue uniform with silver buttons exited the vehicle, his shoes a shiny black.
He had heavy lines around a pallid face, telling Lena this was an older male.
Perhaps their alpha—though usually younger males would challenge an alpha after he reached a certain age. Maybe it was different with humans.
Lena watched as he walked up to one of the open-top front vehicles, taking a moment to speak with one of the males standing in the back. She wondered why the differences in the way they were dressed. What was the significance?
“The male wearing the blue uniform will be the one in charge. Their alpha,” Gauge sent telepathically.
Finally, the one in blue started to walk toward them, his posture almost rigid, his blue eyes ice cold as he took each of them in. Lena noticed a slight narrowing of his eyes when he stopped on her.
“That is far enough,” Gauge said when he was about twenty feet away. “You can speak to us from there.”
Lena noticed the man in blue didn’t put himself between the two front vehicles and them. She suspected it was weapons of some kind they had pointed at them. Hopefully Gauge’s shield would be enough to protect them should they fire.
“Have faith in your mate,” Gauge replied to her thoughts. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
“My name is General Malcolm Hardy. I understand you wish to speak with us.”
Gauge replied. “Four of our people were sent by the Laizahlian council to begin discussions about a possible alliance should Djinn declare war on Earth. They have not been heard from since. We are here to learn if they have been harmed, or if they are possibly being held against their will.”
“Are you a member of this Laizahlian council?”
“No. I am one of their Hunters. Negotiations will proceed through me for now. Are you holding our people hostage?”
“They have not been hurt, though you must understand our need to proceed with caution. How are we supposed to know if what you are telling us is the truth? It could be your kind who’s planning to take over our planet. You must know we’ll do everything in our power to see that this doesn’t happen.”
“We have been guarding Earth for thousands of years, General. If we had wanted to take complete control of your world, we would have done so long ago. If you decline our offer of help, Djinn will easily overcome your inferior defenses, and they will not be benevolent rulers. Your very existence, the existence of your species, stands in the balance right now.”
“So you do mean to try to rule over our world?” the general snapped, his posture stiffening even more.
“You are being deliberately obtuse. I said if we’d wanted full control of your world, we would have already taken it.
There would be nothing you could do to stop us.
Djinn do not plan to ask for your cooperation.
They will come in and take what they want, and you will be helpless to stop them without our assistance.
My council sent us to warn you of the storm that is coming to Earth, but they will not force you to accept our advice or support. ”
The general frowned, glancing back at one of the three enclosed vehicles.
A second later, a door opened, and a tall female stepped out.
Unlike the military people, she was dressed in a dark purple silk top and tight black denim pants.
Knee-high leather boots covered her feet, reminding Lena of the ones Gauge had given her to wear.
He’d specially made them with extra space in the toes to make room for her claws.
The female’s waist-length hair was pure white, not silver like the heavy streaks in Gauge’s hair.
She had tied it back, but the heavy wind pulled a few strands loose, which whipped around her pale face, her features on the masculine side.
Her eyes were a deep red, the pupils elongated, like a serpent, only silver instead of black.
Lena blinked when she caught a glimpse of curled black horns, but when she blinked again, they were gone. She must have imagined them.
“Tell me what you see,” Gauge sent telepathically.
“The woman isn’t human. I’ve never seen anyone like her. I don’t know what she is, but I feel like there is even more to her that I’m not seeing.”
“Are her eyes red?”
“Yes.”
“She is Djinn. Now I know why the humans are reluctant to work with us. Who knows how long she has been filling their heads with lies.”
The female walked up to the general, smiling at Gauge.
She tipped her head toward Jax, her smile widening.
“It has been far too long since we last met, Gauge.” She paused, her head cocked, as if in deep thought.
“I understand you call yourselves Hunters now instead of guardians. By my calculations, it’s been nearly three thousand years since we last met.
I am Abayomi, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“I have forgotten nothing, Abayomi,” Gauge said. “I suspect if we had not brought serpents with us, you would have tried to continue your charade. Since we know who you are, Djinn, why not drop the glamour. Let the humans see you in your true form.”
“What are you talking about?” the general said, his gaze moving back and forth between Abayomi and Gauge. “You said your name was Abigale Sinclair. You told us you were in communication with a Djinn, not that you were one.”
Abayomi sighed as she turned to face the general.
“It is the name humans know me by. I do not believe you are quite ready to see me in my true form. It doesn’t change anything.
Everything I’ve told you is the truth.” She turned back to Gauge, grinning.
“The Hunter knows that Djinn don’t lie, nor do we ever go back on our word once a contract has been established. ”
“No, you don’t lie, Abayomi, but you are not honest either.
Your kind are masters of twisting words to your own advantage.
” Gauge shifted his focus to the general.
“You are not wise enough to outsmart a Djinn, a powerful being who has lived for thousands of years. She will turn on you, General, as they turn on all those who seek them out, hoping to strike a deal. A wish, no matter what it is, or how pleasing to the ear, can easily be twisted into your worst nightmare.”
“The Hunter speaks of trust, of making an alliance with humans, while he hides behind an impregnable shield,” Abayomi said calmly.
“He doesn’t trust you, General, but he demands that you trust him and his council.
He speaks of Djinn as being the dangerous ones, but he brought three real threats into your midst. Serpents are little more than wild animals.
Unlike other types of shifters, these are dangerous, unpredictable beasts. Imposters pretending to be human.”