beacon right outside their door?"
"New?" Thane asked.
Darian grinned at him. "The useless mage helped me craft it."
"We're running silent. Keep comms open unless you are calling out for positioning or back up."
The men nodded.
"Gods above, guide and protect us. Please let there be someone to save," Kincaid whispered.
As usual, his witch brother knew just the thing to say. Around them, the men whispered, "So mote it be." And they crossed through the portal.
Once on the other side, Brie tapped her ear. "Gemini, night, night."
"Cameras and security offline," one the twins responded.
Gamma and Phi peeled off to go around to the back. Brie started a countdown on her watch. They got in position around the front entrance and waited. Ari looked over at his brother and met his eyes. Declan looked over at Brie, then nodded. The men might have their assigned priorities, but he had only one. Keeping his mate safe.
Brie held up a hand and began the five second count down. When she got to one, Thane released a spell and burst the front doors open. Immediately, everyone was moving.
Adriel and Gage took up positions on either side of the door, and they made their way inside. A moment later, there was a second boom, and Thane practically dissolved the interior door. The men fanned out, taking in the situation. Off to one side, a large group of fae were huddled in a corner. They were alive!
"Thane, Justice!" Brie called out, pointing.
The witches moved quicker than he could follow, and a moment later, a shimmering silver barrier stood between the ongoing battle and the scared hostages.
"They've gone invisible!" Sascha called out over the comms.
"Got two!"
Ari turned to see who had shouted out. To his surprise, Kincaid stood, breathing hard, next to a large clay box.
In front of them gunfire rang out as first Kael, then Quinn went down.
"Man down!" Ari called out over the comms.
"Palace is prepared to receive injured," one of the twins relayed.
"Face me, you cowards!" Sascha snarled, standing over the bodies of his unit brothers, defending them with his life.
Ari and Declan moved with Brie, acting as shields.
"Rathais, you in position?" his mate called out.
"Ready to go," he replied.
Brie tapped her ear piece. "Everybody down!" she ordered.
Every single unit warrior dropped to the floor. He and his brother stayed standing by Brie.
She pulled out a pair of goggles and adjusted them as gunfire continued to echo throughout the room. Ari watched in amazement as pools of blood appeared on the floor all around them.
Brie brought up her firearm and began to fire rapidly. She would no sooner aim, then another pool of blood would appear. She was moving almost as quickly as the warriors. After what seemed like forever, the gunfire stopped. She tapped her ear piece. "Clear! Resume operation."
The warriors jumped to their feet and fanned out. Once the invisible defenders were down, ferals emerged from behind each stacked crate.
Sascha barred his canines at them. "Come get this!"
Brie's hand went to her ear. "Darian, we need to get Quinn and Kael treatment."
"On it," he replied. He motioned Bastien to the small front office they had entered from. They each lifted a warrior then retreated to get the wounded back to the palace.
Ari heard a snarl only moments before a weight crashed into them from the right. A feral straddled him, snarling and spitting in his face. Both of his hands gripped the monster's vest to keep his teeth away from his neck.
An ear splitting roar reverberated through him. Seconds later, the feral was lifted and thrown across the room into a concrete wall. "You dare hurt my brother!" Declan hissed, then shifted both hands into claws as he proceeded to shred the feral that had waylaid him.
Brie bent over, holding out her hand. He took it, and she helped him up. "You good?" she asked.
"Golden."
"Report!" she called out to the men.
"Nothing new on thermal," Cam replied.
"Back secure," Ben added.
"Quinn and Kael have been transferred to Éire Danu. Darian is on his way back. Brennus will maintain the portal here in the office as a fall back point," Adriel reported.
"Ferals are down," Christoff reported. "For gods sake Sascha, he's dead," they all heard him mutter.
He and Brie turned to see Sascha jumping up and down on what looked to be a body.
Brie just shook her head. "We clear?"
"Clear!" the men rang out.
"Justice, Thane, report," she barked out.
"Alive," Thane came back. "Thank all the gods, we have over one-hundred people here and they're all alive."
A cheer went