Page 50 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
I cocked my head. “Is that why you were quick to ask them for help?”
“Yes. Eliam and Titan are also Ruari's and my friends. We like them and often have them over for food and drink. They are the best shifters to invite if you wish to have an amusing evening with none of the judging others might do.”
“But are they intelligent and good fighters?” I asked. It’s great they could blend in well, yet I had to trust them to help with explosives. Humor would only get them so far.
She narrowed her eyes at me as if I’d insulted her. “There is a reason they are stationed at this important border section. Few in the Taugud could claim to be better than them, and they are very trustworthy.”
“Okay, got it.”
I still had so much to learn about Aidan’s clan. Guilt filled me that I didn’t know the approaching shifters, though their faces looked familiar as they moved closer. I wished I had more time to familiarize myself with everyone, but I had little time between my slayer duties and war prep. That would change if we survived the Kandoran invasion.
The two heavily muscled males approached, almost shoulder to shoulder. Freya kindly explained who was who as they continued to behave jovially. Titan had short black hair, and Eliam had medium-length brown hair. They were almost the same height, with the latter being maybe an inch shorter.
Both wore dark camrium clothing with sleeveless tops. Our human guards kept their backs against the wall to provide the men plenty of room to pass through the entrance. We exchanged greetings and explained the situation.
“Think you two can help us?”
They both grinned, and Eliam wagged a finger at me. “If you took the time to get to know us, you wouldn’t have to ask.”
“I promise when things aren’t so crazy, I’ll definitely do that.”
He nodded. “Good.”
We returned to the bomb location so the males could learn the scent. After that, Titan paired with Rayna, Eliam stayed with me, and Freya went on her own to search the rest of the mall. We double-checked our sector just to be sure there weren’t any more explosives nearby, but it didn’t take long. It wasn’t a large mall.
An agonizing ten more minutes passed before Rayna relayed that Freya had discovered another bomb inside a trampoline park, hiding within one of the large block pits. It had all the same components as the first one we’d found.
Since the place was attached to the mall but only had an outside entrance, we didn’t use it for war storage. Like most entry points, the exterior had been completely sealed for securitypurposes. It was only because she found a flimsily covered hole in the wall from a connecting store that she even checked it out.
Five more minutes passed before Eliam’s brows drew together. “Your slayer friend has just informed me that she and Titan found the third bomb. It was in the last place they had left to search, and he believes it is a clothing store with the namePennyin it.”
“Oh, you mean JCPenney.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “Interesting name.”
“Is the bomb designed the same as the other ones?” I asked.
Somehow, Rayna could communicate with shifters, whether in dragon or human form, both ways. At least that gave us a way to synchronize.
Eliam gazed at the ground for a minute as he silently communicated with the slayer. “Yes, she says it’s the same.”
“Alright, we need to destroy the boxes with the wires, but your flames can’t touch anything else. Once you convey that, have Rayna start a countdown, so we can destroy all three simultaneously.”
He grinned. “No problem.”
The male shifter hovered over the box, knitting his brow in concentration. I had to assume the countdown had begun. After inhaling deeply, he blew his flames. They came out at the right size and trajectory to destroy the device. It was there one moment and gone a second later. Only a slight scorch mark on the floor gave away that it ever existed.
“Now we have to figure out how they snuck all this stuff in here and find the rest of the group,” I said.
Eliam appeared thoughtful. “I like humans, but these have gone too far. When you find them, I have no problem incinerating them if you wish.”
I laughed. “We’ll see.”
Returning my attention to the remaining bomb-making materials, I mulled them over. “I think I have some ideas for this stuff, but I’ll have to run it by a few people first. In the meantime, we’ll need more security on the mall until we can relocate everything to one of our alternative storage points.”
If the human group infected with dark magic knew about our supply point, we had to assume the Kandoran did as well. Our leadership needed to have everything moved and done in a manner the spies wouldn’t notice. That part wouldn’t be up to me, but tracking down and dismantling the rebel group would be. It’d help prevent our activities from getting noticed in the first place.
“That’s a good plan,” Eliam said, nodding. “We will contact our toriq and get more guards here, but if you need us, we’re happy to help. You and your friend are not so bad for slayers.”
