CHAPTER 33 #2
Outwardly, Gauge didn’t react to Abayomi’s taunt, but he was puzzled by her deliberate attack on the serpents rather than him, Jax, or Teo.
“What are you talking about, Djinn? Serpents are no more an animal than you are. They aren’t hiding what they are behind glamour.
Unlike you, these serpents don’t feel the need to hide.
Drop your glamour, let the humans see you for what you truly are, and I will drop my shield.
It will not be the first time you and I have faced one another in battle. ”
Abayomi grinned. “Ah, but I fear there would be no real challenge in defeating you now. How far the mighty has fallen, lowered to taking a pathetic serpent for a mate. You should have been patient for a short while longer, Gauge. We may have come up with a human hybrid for you, like we have for some of your ancient brothers.” She lifted her chin haughtily.
“Your kind is in our debt. Your council should be grateful for what Djinn provided them.”
“No, there will be no fighting here,” the general said. Gauge could sense he knew he was quickly losing control over this situation. “We need to move this inside, but I can’t let you enter armed. Drop any weapons you might be carrying on the ground. Now!” he barked when no one moved.
The general had no idea what he was dealing with.
He thought he could threaten them. For a moment, Gauge considered letting him see the real power of what stood in front of him, but he suspected the chairman wouldn’t like such a public display.
Falkner wanted the humans to cooperate with them.
He didn’t want to have to use force to convince them to save themselves.
If he frightened them now, humans would never learn to trust them, and they needed to.
Djinn would not be the only threat to Earth if the Laizahlian left them to their own defenses.
Gauge dropped the shield, immediately entering the general’s mind.
It didn’t take him long to find what he needed.
Amanda (the Umi queen), and her mate Tallyn were being held in an underground cell in one of the buildings a few miles from here.
The Hunter, Neyvarre, and his mate Kimberly were being held in a separate facility.
So far, they had not been seriously threatened, but the general was quickly losing patience.
He had drugged Neyvarre and Kimberly, but not hurt either of them.
He had also drugged Tallyn, though it hadn’t worked with Amanda.
Gauge wasn’t surprised. Amanda was host to the Umi queen.
No one, not even the council, knew the limits to her powers. If there were any.
The sight of the three serpents had shaken the man greatly, though he’d done well to hide it outwardly.
This general had heard about serpents, studied them on videos, but he’d never seen one in person.
Gauge knew Seraphym would be a more impressive example of their species than anything found on Earth.
His bloodline had not been weakened by centuries of mating with humans.
The general had also been surprised to see female serpents.
He’d read that only their males could fly and shift.
He still wasn’t sure the two females here could shift, but he wasn’t in a hurry to find out either.
Next, Gauge checked the mindset of the males in the other vehicles, especially those manning the large guns.
They were more curious than afraid of what they were seeing and wouldn’t fire unless ordered to.
He also learned they were in possession of tranq guns, no doubt filled with darts carrying drugs meant to weaken them.
Gauge knew Jax would also be gathering information from the human minds.
All this happened within a few brief seconds. Gauge made his decision, aware it would have to be them who gave in first here if he wanted to avoid a firefight. “My shield is down. You may take us to our people now.”
Confusion crossed the general’s face, but he quickly recovered. He hadn’t been aware of a shield. “Drop your weapons first,” he said, his posture not quite so stiff.
“We are not carrying any.” Their strongest weapons were always with them, a part of them.
The general turned and flicked his finger at someone in the back of one of the open-top vehicles.
Gauge heard the release of the tranq gun before he felt the needle hit his chest. He used the antidote on his left outer thigh at the same time he plucked the dart from his chest, doubting anyone noticed.
He knew Jax would have done the same. They wanted the humans to believe they’d been drugged and were helpless.
He wasn’t so sure the Djinn would be so easily fooled.
“Move away from the aliens,” the general said. “We don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t risk taking anyone inside who can shift into a giant dragon.”
Gauge found it amusing that he thought of the serpents as aliens and not him and Jax. “I allowed you to inject me, General, but I will not allow you to hurt my mate. As long as you don’t threaten them, the serpents present no danger to you.”
“Stay here,” the general said, walking back to the car he’d ridden in.
He accepted what looked like a phone, speaking for several long minutes before he returned, his expression unhappy.
“Those three will not fit in our vehicles, not with those wings. They’ll have to walk.
I can take you and the other two men with me. ”
Gauge allowed his lips to turn up into a hint of a smile, knowing it wouldn’t quite reach his eyes. “We will all walk.”
“It’s almost five miles,” the general said, the stress beginning to wear on him, his expression exasperated.
“We will walk,” Gauge said again.
“I’m afraid I must insist that you three come with us. As long as they behave themselves, I give you my word no harm will come to the dragons.” He made that motion with his finger again, and three more darts were released.
Gauge moved faster than the eye could follow, snatching the dart out of the air before it could touch Lena. The other two bounced off Seraphym and Samantha’s scales. They didn’t try for Teo, obviously not taking him as a serious threat.
Abayomi laughed. “I told you they would not cooperate, General. Laizahlian can’t be trusted. You should kill the serpents now before they can shift. You and your men will not survive their fire. Your weapons will be useless against them.”
“What a bitch,” Samantha said, lifting her middle finger toward the Djinn. “Just so you know, I can see you, the real you. This is what you’re really afraid of, isn’t it?”
“What is she talking about?” the general growled. He turned to the Djinn. “You didn’t mention them being able to speak English. None of the dragons are wearing those translator things around their neck.”
“Because I’m not an alien or some dangerous animal,” Samantha said. “I was born here on Earth, a human, just like you. Not that I’m bitching, mind you, but it’s one of those creatures standing next to you that changed the DNA in my family.”
The general shook his head, turning to the female beside him. “You did what?”
“How interesting,” Abayomi said, grinning. “We weren’t sure the serpent DNA would take in humans. None of the other females ever made the transformation. You must tell me what triggered it in you.”
“I’m not telling you squat, you evil bitch.
” Samantha shifted her attention to the general.
“You’re a fool if you listen to her. I’ve been learning about them on the ship.
It would make your blood boil to learn what these true monsters have done to other species.
What she’ll do to you too if you’re too stupid to listen to reason. ”
“Don’t listen to her, General. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“Oh really. What about—”
“That’s enough, Sam,” Gauge said gently. This wasn’t getting them anywhere. “Tell us where you want us to go.”
The general glanced down at the unused darts at Samantha and Seraphym’s feet, scowling. “Fine, stay where you are. I’ll call for suitable transport.”