The Last Warrior (Shifters Unbound #13) - Jennifer Ashley Page 0,90
sword time.”
“I’m not standing around,” Dylan growled. “I’m rounding up my army, and then we’ll go take down a Tuil Erdannan who’s made the mistake of becoming a pain in my ass.”
“Sounds like fun. You round up and I’ll go check out what happened to Tiger.”
“No.” Rhianne quickly put herself in front of Zander. Ben joined her, his warmth at her side bolstering.
“Agreed,” Ben told Zander. “If you rush after Tiger, we’ll lose you too, and we need you. You’ll have to be rearguard.”
Zander’s dark brows snapped together, but Rae touched his shoulder before he could speak.
“They’re right, sweetie. A healer and a Guardian have to be held in reserve.”
Even Carly, hovering on the edge of the conversation, anguish in her eyes, nodded. “When we find Tiger, he might need healing. Please, Zander.”
Rhianne noted that Carly said when, not if.
Zander glared mutinously but finally heaved a sigh. “Gotcha. Good advice—don’t run to the spot where the most formidable Shifter ever created disappeared without a trace and see if it happens to me too. But we can scout.” He brightened. “Scouting with stealth. Coming Ben? Rhianne? You’re something different, aren’t you?” He looked Rhianne up and down. “I have the feeling I missed a staff meeting about you, but I haven’t been checking my messages.”
“We were in Alaska,” Rae explained. “Fishing.”
“Yep. My old friend Piotr looks after my boat, but I like to take it out once in a while. Have alone time on the water with my mate.” Zander winked.
How he’d known to transport himself from Alaska to Austin and so quickly, Rhianne didn’t understand, but she didn’t ask. Zander had called her something different, but she sensed he was too.
Ben’s hand found Rhianne’s. He squeezed her fingers, the new bond between them weaving around Rhianne’s heart.
“I’ll show you where he disappeared,” Ben said. “We’ll find him, Carly. I promise you.”
“Find him, haul his ass home, make him good as new,” Zander said, pointing his forefingers at her. “You sit tight, sweetheart.”
Carly nodded tearfully. Seth, in her arms, wore a scowl on his baby face, his eyes the gold of his father’s. Rhianne wondered how much he understood—Shifter cubs seemed at the same time both younger than their human and Fae counterparts and more astute.
As they approached the green, Rhianne’s sense of forbidding grew. The ripples had ceased, but the center of the common was deathly still. Wind ruffled Rhianne’s hair as they walked, but no leaf stirred within the circle of oaks.
Just outside the ring of trees, Sean had his arms around Andrea, as though keeping his mate from darting into the circle. “Father!” Andrea cried in desperation. “Where are you?”
The only answer was silence.
“This is bad,” Ben murmured to Rhianne. “They rely on Fionn to be a bastion between this world and Faerie. Hoch alfar have come through before to be their usual bastard selves.”
Rhianne drew Ben apart from the others. “If Ivor is doing this, then no one here is safe. Tell the Shifters to get out. If Dylan brings in reinforcements, those are just more Shifters who will die.”
Ben scowled at her. “Don’t start telling me again that you should run through the gate in the ley line and sacrifice yourself for the rest of us. I’m not going to lose you, Rhianne. I don’t care if Shiftertown is razed to dust—you’re not giving yourself up.”
“There are children here. Cubs. Ivor will care nothing for them.”
“I agree the cubs need to be protected.” Ben raised his voice. “Sean, we should get all the cubs indoors on the far edges of Shiftertown.”
“Just what I was thinking,” Sean answered. “Andrea, love, you can see to that, can’t you? We’ll do everything we can for Fionn.”
Andrea nodded, wiping away tears. “If Fionn is …” She gulped. “… compromised, then we have to save the cubs.”
“Connor and Tiger’s daughter included,” Ben said.
That pair were currently prowling outside the ring of trees, wisely keeping their distance from where Tiger had disappeared. Rhianne had heard the frantic note in Tiger-girl’s voice when Tiger had vanished, as though she’d watched her world collapse. It spoke much of Connor that he managed to keep her from simply following Tiger and vanishing with him.
What exactly had happened? Rhianne scented no air of Faerie, did not feel its magic. She sensed the gate itself between the trees, but it was closed.
Andrea broke from Sean and headed for Connor. Sean, his face bleak, turned and made for the houses.