Page 111 of Dragon Unleashed

Naeve is quietly wringing her hands. Zephyr is hopping from foot to foot, clearly agitated. And Farrell seems to be having asilent conversation with Chano over the top of my head. Chano’s mouth comes down to my ear.

“Please, chica. I just got you back. I can’t lose you. Please go.”

I shake my head.

Farrell steps forward suddenly, grabbing my hands and pinning them tight to my sides. In the microsecond I’m distracted, Chano’s hands move to the pressure points on my neck. He presses down hard while Farrell stops me from wriggling myself free.

“I’m sorry, chica, forgive me.”

My head bounces with each step. I can see my own feet. That’s not right. Not right at all. Everything rushes back to me.

I’m slung over Farrell’s shoulder like a potato sack. I squirm, trying to free myself, just as the familiar lurch of the portal washes over me.

Farrell upends me on the ground, my legs wobbly from however the hell long I’ve been upside down.

Val swims into view, snatching me from Farrell. I stare at the portal, willing the rest to walk through. Any second…surely. He wouldn’t just leave them.

“What did you do to her?” Val snarls.

I can’t just sit here like a…like a damn princess. I have to go back for them. I put one foot in front of the other, willing my legs to hold me up as feeling rushes painfully back to them.

Farrell steps in front of me, blocking my path.

“They got you out. Don’t let it go to waste. Trust them.”

Frantically I try to sense them down the bond. Now that I’m out of the Virrey’s prison I can feel them again. My bond works. They’re alive.

I step around Farrell and stare at the portal.

Chapter Fifty-one: Farrell

Lorelei stares between me and the portal, her expression contorted in worry. She’s ready to dive back through, ready to face my father. All for that gangster. Why am I not worthy of that kind of loyalty?

Because you’re not her Aeternum, idiot.

My father’s finally cracked. His bizarre ramblings these past twenty-four hours are proof enough. It’s been all I could do to keep my temper and placate him until we had a viable plan.

It’s time I took the reins. Beyond time.

First, I need to get my allegiance out.

“Lorelei, if you promise you’ll sit your ass on that bench and not move, I will go back for them.”

She flings herself at me. The hug catches me off balance and I stagger back a step. Dipping my head, I rest my chin on her hair. This carelessly given affection, it’s killing me. I pull her off gently.I’m going to rescue her stupid mate. Once he’s back, no more hugs.The thought makes me growl. By the goddesses, since when do I care about hugs?

“Alarick, Raff, Val, you’re up. Do not let Lorelei leave.”

I expected protests about taking orders from a Cuelebre, but to their credit they just nod. The boys flank Lorelei, one on either side, and Val stands behind her, arms wrapped around her friend’s shoulders. I back up until I’m right at the edge of the portal. When she doesn’t bolt past them, I turn and step through.

The area around the portal is quiet. They haven’t made it this far. I was too hopeful, gave them too much credit. If my father has been alerted, they’re screwed. Leaving the security gate open, I break into a sprint up the drive, toward the soldiers’ barracks. The low gray building comes into view. Still nothing. No one.

Round the back I find the narrow shaft and wedge myself in, climbing down, my back braced against one side, my hands and feet against the other. It’s barely wide enough for my shoulders. How the hell do we get Chano up here, with a broken arm and hand? It was difficult enough with Lorelei. And she is half his size, with nothing broken. Shouting echoes up the shaft but it’s so muffled I can’t make out what’s going on. The room at the bottom is surely too small for the number of voices I can hear. What the hell is going on down there?

I land with a thud on the concrete, crouching defensively.

It’s chaos. Soldiers in khaki fight more soldiers in khaki. Daggers whirl, the blades catching the light, and spells ricochet around the small space. This is as far as Naeve, Chano, and Zephyr got before they were made. Only a few hundred yards down the corridor from the cell. Hell, this is my fault; I should have taken out the damn security camera. I knew it was there.

The closest soldiers spot me and hesitate, looking from my father’s men to me.

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