Chapter Eleven
Aaliyah
“ W e can’t wait until tomorrow night to get them!” Tyson is back to roaring instead of speaking as smoke trickles from both his nose and mouth. “We don’t know how long he’s had them or what he’s doing to them. He could be torturing and killing them right now!”
Closing my eyes, I take a calming breath before meeting the dragon’s eyes once more. “We both know he won’t kill them. He wants you to storm in there, guns blazing, with no plan, so he can capture you again. We need to be smart about this. Besides, we don’t even have his location yet.”
As if brought forth by my words, an address appears with a blueprint of the massive building at said address. I lift my hand in the air to keep anyone from speaking as I look over all the information.
“Naomi, will you hand me my laptop, please?” I reach out for it without glancing at the other woman. She hands it to me without a word, and I set it down in front of me. I type in the address and find it’s actually not far from my home. “Change of plans. He’s here.”
The three of them crowd around me as I point to the computer screen.
“It’s less than two miles from here,” I barely get out before Tyson is heading for the door. “Damn it, Tyson! Have you listened to a damn word I’ve said?”
Archer disappears as well, only to reappear in front of Tyson. “You need to stop being so hot-headed. Aaliyah is correct. We need a plan before we go rushing in there, or Alistair will get everything he wants. I know you don’t want that to happen, do you?”
“No.” It comes out as a growl, but Tyson does turn around and sits in the chair beside mine. “I need to get to them, Aaliyah. I’ve been Alistair’s captive before. It’s not pretty.”
“I’m sure it’s not. Just give me a few minutes. I have the floor plans, but no way to share them with you.” I shake my head, knowing I need all of us to be able to see them in order to make a plan.
“What do you mean you have them but can’t share them?” Archer asks, eyebrow raised as he takes the seat across from me.
I tap the side of my head. “The guild likes to supply us with information directly to our heads. All the information they have on Alistair is up here. It’s how I knew where Alistair was earl—“
I cut myself off as an idea comes to me. I have illusion magic. Surely, I can project the blueprints for the others using that. Hell, I can probably do it in 3D. Focusing on the magic I need, I spread my hands in front of me as I will the blueprints to life.
“That is so cool,” Naomi breathes from where she’s still standing behind me.
The blueprints now hover over the table, and as I move my hands, it moves with me.
“I didn’t know this was something you could do,” Archer says quietly.
I offer him a shrug. “Neither did I until just now. I don’t know what bounds my magic might have. I don’t know if I can do something until I try. I haven’t hit any limits yet, but I’m sure they’re there.” Turning back to the blueprints, I turn them before pointing to the front entrance. “This is probably heavily guarded, as all the doors will be. We’ll need to find another point of entry.”
“Why not the windows?” Tyson asks, pointing to the third floor’s arched windows that are large enough to fit even his brawn.
I consider it for a moment before making a face. “We don’t know if any of them will even open, and how would we all get up there? I can use my smoke form and Archer can travel through the shadows, but I’m fairly certain they’ll notice a giant dragon approaching. Naomi, I don’t know enough about your species to know if there’s a way for you to get inside.”
“I can travel in the shadows, much like Archer. It’s how we’re able to sneak inside homes while the inhabitants are sleeping.”
That makes sense but doesn’t solve our dragon problem. When I turn to face him, my eyes widen as I see he’s sprouted wings from his back.
“What? How?”
Tyson shrugs as his wings disappear. “Only the strongest of dragons can do it, and it’s something we keep close to the chest. I’m not surprised that none of you knew about it before now. It’s a secret we guard carefully, even from other dragons.”
“And yet, you had no problem showing us,” Archer drawls, a smirk on his lips once more. Oh, how I’d like to smack it right off.
Tyson shrugs again. “I need to rescue my family, and I need the three of you for that. There’s no secret worth keeping if it can help us rescue them.”
Reaching over, I lay my hand on top of his. “You have my word that I will tell no one of what you’ve shared with us.”
Once again, magic rises and closes around my heart. I ignore the tightness and pain until the promise finishes sinking into me. When I turn my head, I find Archer watching me with curious eyes. Of the three of them, he’s the only one who knows what giving my word truly means.
He lifts an eyebrow, to which I respond with a sharp shake of my head. We don’t have time to deal with this right now. When he and Naomi echo my words, I’m surprised as I know it does something similar to demons as it does to me. I don’t mention it as Tyson’s shoulders droop in relief.
“Thank you,” he says quietly, his eyes meeting each of ours. “So, the windows?”
I grin, a plan forming in my head. “Here’s what I’m thinking…”
Dawn is a mere hour away when we find ourselves standing outside Alistair’s most recent hideout. Turning to the others, I nod. “You all know what you need to do?”
“Tyson finds his sister while you find and kill Alistair. Archer and I will find the rest of Tyson’s family.” Naomi gives the dragon a soft smile that he returns, sending a bolt of jealousy through me—jealousy I have no right to feel.
“Right. Let’s do this.” I launch myself into my smoke form as I creep closer to the monstrosity masquerading as a mansion. Raising into the sky, I angle toward the window that I can see Archer attempting to open. Naomi stands at the one next to him, attempting the same thing. I can’t hear them, but I can see the delight on Naomi’s face as hers swings open.
Tyson has snuck across the grounds to wait against the wall. As soon as the window pops open, I watch as his wings unfurl and he launches himself straight into the air. It takes me longer to reach the window, but once I’m inside, I return to my usual form. I take the lead, creeping toward the door and listening for any sounds, but I hear nothing. Swinging the door open slowly, I stick my head out before gesturing for the others to go ahead.
“Be careful, Aaliyah.” Naomi squeezes my hand before she melts into the shadows, Archer just behind her. I don’t have the ability to see into the shadows, so I can’t watch them any longer. Tyson’s big hand lands on my shoulder and squeezes before he’s gone, too.
Now it’s time to find Alistair. We can’t be a hundred percent sure where we’d find anyone, so I provided everyone with earpieces so we can communicate with one another. There will be no deviation from our tasks, so if one of the others finds Alistair, they will let me know where to find him, and vice versa. My task is to start on the third floor while Naomi takes the second, Archer the first, and Tyson the basement.
I move silently through the hallway, listening for any sounds before opening each door I pass. The room we entered was at one corner, so I don’t have to worry about anyone stepping out of the rooms at my back. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if anyone in this house besides Alistair can see through my illusions, so I wrap them around me to make me invisible.
I’m just approaching the last door on the floor when a voice comes over my earpiece. “There’s nothing in the basement.”
“Still searching the first floor,” Archer returns.
“I’m only halfway done with the second. There were a lot of guards up here. They’re now all knocked out, and I’m feeding them nightmares. Will update when I can.”
Keeping my words barely above a whisper, I respond. “Approaching the last door now. Tyson, help Archer. I’ll join Naomi when I’m finished.”
Three beeps follow my words, their agreement to my plan.
Placing my ear to the door, I don’t hear anything from inside, so I swing it open and step in. It’s dark, magic crackling around me as the door swings shut behind me.
“You’re not who I was expecting,” Alistair says as the lights come up, blinding me momentarily. “Has the assassin come to finish the job? Did you bring my favorite dragon along as well?”
Blinking against the light, I find Alistar sitting behind a desk as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. His eyes aren’t on me but on the wall to his right. As I turn my head, I see why immediately. Beyond the wall are a woman and two men lying on a bed, all unconscious. Or at least I hope they’re just unconscious. I’m unsure if the woman is Tyson’s sister or his lover, but almost everything we’re looking for is here in this room. I don’t dare let the others know. I don’t want Alistar to know I’m not alone.
“Don’t you know assassins work alone?” I taunt Alistair, taking a step toward him as I drop the illusions. There’s no point when he can clearly see right through them.
He lifts his arm, chanting something beneath his breath as his hands move. I’m sure he’s casting a spell, but nothing happens.
I just smile at him as I stalk closer. “Oh, did I forget to mention I’m a demigod and most magic doesn’t work against me?” Launching over the desk, I knock who knows what on the floor as I fly into him and topple over the chair. “Can’t get away from me now, Alistair.”
My hands are already locked around his neck as I call the poison to my fingertips. Instead of using my usual blend of poisons, I call them all to me and pour them into his skin. His eyes widen as he realizes he’s fucked.
Lifting one hand to press the earpiece, I let the others know that I’ve located Alistair, plus the other three. By the time I look back at Alistair, he’s dead.
I push to my feet, watching as the magic along the wall falls away. Before I can step into the room, Tyson rushes past me so quickly I almost lose my balance. He climbs onto the bed, hands touching any part of the three lying there that he can. Stepping into the room, I watch as they begin to wake. Naomi and Archer step out of the shadows and the three of us watch the reunion that’s filled with tears, rushed words, and panty-wetting kisses.
I should be happy to see the four of them reunited, and I am, but jealousy is still heavy in my stomach as I watch them. Biting my lip, I consider leaving them to it, but I can’t seem to make my feet move.
I feel something tug at me, telling me to join them on the bed, which makes no sense. I don’t know these three people who are a part of Tyson’s family, so why would I join them?
Taking a deep breath, I study them. Both men seem tall, though not as tall as Tyson, and their builds are much slimmer but no less in shape, but that’s where their similarities end. One of them’s skin is a dark, rich sepia hue with his dark green hair close cut, shorter on the sides with short waves lining the top. When his eyes lift to take in the three of us, I find myself lost in the cognac-colored eyes. He’s beautiful.
Movement on the bed has me focusing on the other man with his lightly tanned skin and long, platinum hair falling in waves to his waist. His head jerks up as if he can feel my eyes on him. I hold back a gasp at the bright aquamarine color of his eyes, looking very unnatural for a human, but perfectly normal for a supernatural—especially a water supernatural.
I tear my eyes away from him, ignoring the tugging at my heart, begging me to move closer to all of them. My attention turns to the sole woman with her long, blonde beach waves still looking perfect. Her olive skin is tanned and her tiny pajamas do nothing to hide her petite, curvy body, but it’s her navy blue eyes that draw me in the most.
It takes me longer than it should to realize that every eye in the room is focused on me as my head and heart war with one another, attempting to tug me in three different directions—toward the door, toward the group in front of me, and toward the two demons at my back.
I don’t know what’s going on, but I know I don’t like it.