Grounding Gracus (First Wave Book 6) (24 page)

“Rebecca, I promise you that no matter what the big idiots decide, you will get out of here alive. We’ll even drop you and all your gear off at your cabin for you. Just give us a day or so. Please,” Tara said politely, hoping a friendlier and reassuring tactic would work to calm the angry woman.

Rebecca looked at Tara curiously, sifting her energy as she spoke. There was something there that she was having a hard time recognizing and she didn’t want to bring attention to it by turning to Gracus to see if he had noticed it. Instead, she tried to keep Tara off balance long enough to figure it out or for Gracus to pick up on it.

Rebecca threw her hands up in the air dramatically. “Oh my God! Really? Oh, I’m so grateful for your kindness! Not! Do you hear yourself? Really hear yourself? And what about my… boyfriend? And Gibly? Do they get a magic carpet ride to my place too?” Rebecca asked, blushing to her roots for not being sure of what to call Gracus.

Tara sighed heavily, flicked her hand and the hybrids behind her disappeared back into the darkness. Gracus and Rebecca weren’t fooled though. They knew that the reinforcements weren’t going to be far away. They were prisoners, no matter how much Tara tried to sugarcoat it.

Rebecca put her hands on her hips and glared angrily at Tara as she stepped closer and leaned her head towards Rebecca’s before speaking very softly.

“I understand how this sounds and I know that you have no idea what you stepped into, but I need you to trust me,” Tara said and held her hand up to stop Rebecca from interrupting her.

“I know that is hard to do, but if you don’t, I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety. I have every intention of getting you, your mate and especially Gibly out of here. But, that honestly may not be the intention of my commanders if these talks go badly,” Tara said, allowing her concern for the situation to be felt in her energy to prove her words.

Gracus narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to the women, to make sure that he would only be heard by them. “You don’t agree with this,” he stated, knowing he was right.

Tara didn’t even look up at him when she spoke, keeping her eyes only on Rebecca. “I was found wandering the streets when I was two. I was raised to become a battle honed… and much scarred warrior. And I’m a mind reaper, and I’ve seen things in the minds of our enemies that should frighten even the strongest warriors.”

Tara took Rebecca’s hand in her own and sighed as she also took one of Gracus’s hands as well. “Take a deep breath,” she said.

She’d barely finished the words before images began flowing through their minds like movie clips, each more disturbing than the last. Rebecca couldn’t take the fear and horror of what she was seeing and pulled away. “Oh God!” she whispered, terrified for the whole planet.

Gracus slowly pulled from Tara’s grasp and he immediately shielded his energy, unwilling to let his mate feel the fear and desperation he felt at what Tara had shown him. He had no doubt it was all true. If any of it had been faked, he would have been able to feel it even if Rebecca couldn’t yet.

Tara gave them each a moment to process what she’d shown them of the things she’d pulled from the minds of the enemy during missions and interrogations before she continued.

“It is the arrogance and stubbornness of our leaders that will end up killing us all. Our missions are the same. Our people are the same. If there was ever a time that we needed to put aside ancient anger, it is now. And I will not allow this to escalate further by letting your mate be harmed,” she said looking up at Gracus for once.

Tara turned back to Rebecca. “You can’t give them an excuse to order it though. Go back to the house and stay put for a bit. I’ll be there as soon as I can to try and explain more. Please,” she said, allowing her own fear for their safety to escape her energy.

Rebecca felt sorry for the woman. Tara’s own pain and fear had come pouring through her energy as the images flashed through Rebecca’s mind and it had left no doubt for Rebecca that Tara was telling them the truth. That the images were real. And that terrified her.

She looked up at Gracus and nodded her head, knowing he’d already decided to listen to Tara. Gracus nodded at the hybrid and held his hand out for Rebecca. She placed her hand in his and they walked past her towards the house in town. They heard Tara’s heavy sigh as they passed her.

It was then that they noticed Gibly was gone and Rebecca panicked, screaming to Gracus through the Shengari’, “Where’s Gibly?”

Gracus cursed and tried to look around the dark and shadowed areas before giving up. He’d never see the cat, even with his heightened senses. He tried to call him through the Shengari’ but, there was only an eerie silence.

Gibly wasn’t there when they got back and several hours later, when he still hadn’t returned, Rebecca began to worry if she’d ever see the wonderful cat again. Or if sending him out had guaranteed a death sentence for him and Gracus.

*****

Scaden, Niklosi and Amun had rappelled down the mountain, meeting the running Sibiox at the bottom at the same time. Scaden had been issuing orders the moment they’d cleared the cave and they all ran flat out to the transport pick up location.

They hit Dillon in record time and ran to the conference room in the docking bay, knowing they were expected. The three men entered and weren’t surprised to see Ivint, Reven, Banatar, Randor, Traze, Koda, Lt. David Jacobs, Balduen and Jax, already seated around the table in the room.

They had barely begun explaining what had happened when a heavily pregnant Tricia shuffled into the room carrying her five year old son, Tristan. She looked at the surprised faces and said, “Did you really think these Prime powers gone wild with hormones would stop me from hearing what was going on?”

The men immediately stood and held Tristan while another helped her to sit before placing the boy in her lap. She settled her son and looked around the room. “Don’t think I’m not strong enough for whatever is going on. I’ve been through more than you can imagine with that man, and I will remain by his side for this as well. So either tell me, or risk my powers ripping through your skull to find out,” she said with a dangerous smile, leaving no doubt that she’d do what she had to for her mate.

Traze laughed. “You go girl!” The boy shut up when he saw the warning look that David gave him. Unwilling to risk a head slap, he sunk down in his seat.

Scaden didn’t hesitate to continue explaining where Grai was and what had happened. “Grai said that he was going to threaten them with war if they didn’t return our people. We heard from the team left outside the cave that it is sealed again. With Grai and a handful of men left behind.”

Scaden shot a sympathetic look to Balduen before adding, “With True. If she’s even still in that room.”

Ivint stood and started pacing. “And you think this has something to do with Fiorn Erikson?”

Scaden nodded. “The symbols and codes were done by Fiorn. Even the room that True had gone to sleep in had been Fiorn’s. He built the place and led hybrids there. Somewhere along the way, they became real distrustful of us though. And they called Grai a mutant,” Scaden said the last angrily.

Amun spoke up. “I think they were referring to the fact that he is a Relian/Valendran hybrid. At the time Fiorn left, such a thing was not considered possible.”

Ivint nodded. “That makes sense. I wonder if that is why they are acting this way?” he asked the room in general.

Niklosi spoke up. “No, there’s more to it than that. The way they said ‘Valendran’, was like they were saying something bad. Whatever is going on, they aren’t fond of us. Did Fiorn leave on bad terms?” Niklosi asked directly.

Ivint stopped pacing and sighed. “Not really…,” he began before Tricia interrupted him.

“Look, I don’t care what Fiorn’s problem is, he’s holding my man and the others. I know Grai, if he told Scaden that he was going to consider it an act of war, then he wants us to show our capabilities in an effort to make them back down peacefully,” Tricia said as she brushed Tristan’s hair from his face.

Reven shook his head. “That could work against us. We have no idea who they are, where they’ve been or what their capabilities are, we could be bringing fists to a missile fight. We need more information,” he said.

Scaden added, “What makes it worse is that they said they are hybrids and the energy manipulations we saw in that cave were unlike anything we’ve seen outside of the Tezarians. Whoever they are, they are talented and dangerous. We can’t underestimate them.”

Jax laughed. “We’re pretty damn dangerous too,” she said, rubbing her own growing belly.

Niklosi shook his head. “No, you don’t get it, this was a lot more powerful than any of you individually.”

Traze moved to the control center and his fingers flew across the keypad. “There’s a ley line that intersects with another, right in that mountain range. Can you guys use that additional burst of energy to expand your own abilities?” he asked the hybrids.

Tricia and Jax nodded, while David spoke. “As Prime we can. In fact, we’d be at our most powerful in a location with unlimited energy like that. Maybe we should call Lara?” he suggested, looking to Tricia.

Tricia shook her head. “No, for all we know this will blow over in a few hours. I won’t pull her from the children right now. Besides, we should keep them as an ace in hole, just in case everything else doesn’t work. Mikal could get inside that place and get them out, if we have to.”

Randor snorted. “No one is addressing the real problem here. If they’re hybrids, the Dranovian’s may be the only ones who can help us,” he said, thinking of the fact that Grai’s children, as beast killers, were the only ones who could kill the hybrids indiscriminately.

Jax laughed. “That works in our favor. They can’t hurt us either. Seems to me, you Valendrans are the only ones in real danger. Maybe you should sit this one out and let us girls handle it,” she said with an adoring smile at her mate, Reven.

Reven shook his head vehemently. “No, they took True and Rebecca and we have no idea if they are safe or well. I don’t think that we can assume that anyone is safe from them. Hybrid or not,” he said worriedly.

Tricia stood and sat Tristan back down in the seat while she looked to Traze. “Pull up the area on the table.”

When the aerial map came on the table, Tricia used her fingers to pull it up into a 3D rendering of the mountain range where the cave was located.

She looked at it for a moment before saying, “Traze I want you and Cristali to find out every damn thing you can about that mountain and the area. I want to know everything from what kind of rock it is, to any strange happenings or disappearances in the area.”

Traze nodded his head and his fingers began flying across the keypad, while Tricia used a small part of the screen on the table to enter in a private code that gave her access to a list that she projected on the wall. On the list was every hybrid that they knew of, where they were located, their abilities and mate status.

Ivint looked at the list and whistled. “I had no idea we had that many and they were so diverse. It’s a little awe inspiring to look at it like this,” he said, a little surprised at how many incredibly talented women were a part of their efforts.

Tricia pulled up a few more lists before walking to the screen on the wall and pulling names into different columns. It didn’t take long before everyone realized what she was doing. Ivint sucked in a breath, while David and Jax nodded their heads.

Reven stood so fast that his chair fell over. “Hell no! You can’t possibly think this is the best route to take! We haven’t even begun diplomatic talks!” he protested, seeing Jax’s name at the top of one of the three columns on the wall.

Jax stood and took his hand. Rubbing her expanding belly with the other hand, she said, “You forget, I don’t need to be close.”

Ivint and the other men all began protesting at once, the voices rising as they intensely defended their objection to Tricia’s plan, even though they didn’t know the extent of it. What they’d seen already was enough to set the Alpha men’s teeth on edge.

Little Tristan tried to cover his ears to block out the loud voices and the heated energy swirling through the room, but it didn’t work. He stood in the chair and raised his arms above his head. As he lowered his little arms, the noise in the room lowered, each voice becoming quieter, against their will until everyone shut up completely.

Tricia laughed and hugged her special and wonderful son before she turned to the others. “I think he gave you his answer. Don’t think for a second that he doesn’t understand what is going on. He knows his father is in danger and he wants him home. With or without your approval or help, I will bring him and the others home,” she said, trying to keep her tears from falling.

Grai had always been the strong one in their relationship, the rock she could turn to no matter how bad the world seemed to get. The man who could heal almost any hurt by just holding her. The man who gave her the most amazing son any mother could have and the beautiful daughter growing in her womb.

This time, she would be the strong one. This time, she would protect him. Tricia looked at Traze and Koda. “Traze, get every one of them here. Now. Open every portal we have on the planet if we have to, I don’t care what it takes, just get them here in an hour. Make sure they are geared for a full out assault.”

She turned to Koda. “Get our ships down here now,” she began before Ivint tried to interrupt. With a wave of her hand she used her energy to silence him. She walked up to him and pointed her finger at his chest.