Emergence (The Primogenitor Chronicles Book 1) (46 page)

More static, then Ian’s voice whispered across. “I hear you both loud and clear. Keep moving. You have to get in place before she gets too near. And she’s making faster time than I thought possible. She’s definitely using some talent.”

They rounded a corner and raced halfway down the hall before skidding to a stop. He ducked into Donald’s room with four of the Wing leaders while Kieran passed Nick’s room with the other three Wing leaders to hide in Chris’s.

He stood tense at the door, Dev breathing heavy at his back. He readjusted his grip on the trank gun.

“She’s a couple of corridors away,” Ian said. Jays slowed his breathing and tried not to think about the next few minutes. “Be careful. Kieran was right. She’s armed with a large kitchen knife.”

He groaned at Ian’s words and relayed the warning to the Hunters surrounding him.

“Ok, she’s in the hall. Kieran? If you’re near the door, back away now. She’s wavering at Chris’s door. Good, she’s stepping up to Nick’s. Kieran, bring your group out.”

The sounds of snarls reached them through the door. Jays put his hand on the knob and looked at the Hunters.

“Ok, Jays, block the other end of the corridor.”

“Now,” he snapped to the Hunters, and they all surged into the hall. The sight that greeted him left him cold. The Hunters behind him stood shoulder to shoulder blocking, just like those behind Kieran. They all moved forward, shrinking the distance. Jessica faced off with Kieran, her knife brandished.

“Back off, Kieran. I don’t want to hurt you.”

The snarls Jays heard hadn’t come from Jess like he thought, but through Nickolas’s door. He could hear Chris and Donald yelling over the crashing. The door bowed as a heavy weight hit it. Jessica hadn’t turned and noticed them yet, she was so fixated on Kieran.

“Jess, we need to take you back. You know that.”

“Fuck you, Kieran. Let Nick go. You let them hurt him.”

“That was your only warning, Jessica. Nick can’t handle you this close, listen to him.” He raised his trank pistol and fired.

She jerked back as the dart took her in the shoulder. The snarl of rage she let loose put Nick’s to shame. She lunged and slashed Kieran. The slice opened his forearm as he blocked her, and the gun hit the floor as his fingers spasmed. All the Valkyries stiffened around him as the scent of blood hit the air. She hissed and drew in a huge lung full of air, then took a step toward Kieran.

Ian’s voice shouted across the earpiece. “Kieran. Don’t let her get your blood.”

Jays raised his gun and fired a second dart into her back. She shrieked as the impact jolted her, and she turned a feral, malevolent gaze on him. Wobbling now, but still not down, she turned the rest of her body and charged him. He fired a third dart into her gut. It knocked her back, but she still managed the last few strides to collapse at his feet.

He let out his held breath.

Kieran, cradling his arm, approached. Jays knelt next to her, taking the wickedly sharp blade from her grasp. Her eyes followed his every move. She still had some muscular control because she flexed her fingers and her feet slid in slow motion.

“She’s still awake?” Kieran asked.

“Yeah, this sort of trank doesn’t always put them to sleep. Just takes away muscle movement and control.”

“Damn, that’s got to suck.”

Jays pulled the dart out of her back then rolled her to her side so he could get the two in her front. “Doesn’t look like she got hurt in the scuffle.” A particularly loud crash made them look up at Nick’s door. “Kieran, hand over your earpiece to Dylan. You need to come back with us to get stitched up. Dev, please carry her. The rest of you stay with Dylan until we get an all clear from Chris or Donald. It would be a disaster if Nick ran loose tonight next.”

He helped Dev get her settled in his arms and made sure her half grown wings weren’t bent funny. The impotent rage burning in her eyes was a promise. He brushed the hair off her forehead then kissed it before he whispered, “I’m sorry, Jess.”

Robin leapt over the first attacker and barely missed the coordinated attack from the second. A wing beat into the air and he spun, lashing out with his foot and taking the other Hunter in the face. He dropped to the ground in a crouch and smiled at the first Hunter.

The first backed off and bounced, waiting for his teammate to shake off Robin’s hit.

“Come on, Craig, give me a workout here.” Robin laughed.

“Give
us
a break, Robin. Neither of us are Kelley. There’s a reason you’re Prime, for god’s sake. And she’s your Second.”

“She’s not my Second right now, so drop it.”

“Bullshit and you know it.” A third Hunter slammed him from behind. “Only because she’s still in the infirmary.”

Thrown forward, Robin recovered and dove into a roll. He sprang up and sent a backhand at Craig, then a spinning kick at the newcomer. “At least she can give me a workout all by herself. Unlike you pansy asses.”

Kevin flashed out with his foot, but Robin saw it in time to not trip. They’d dog pile him if he hit the ground.

“Poor Robin. Doesn’t get a real workout in the ring. And can’t get a real workout in the air, either,” Kevin taunted. All three men laughed. “No one to dance with. What’ll you do for stress relief?”

Robin growled and dove at the Caster. But Ty took him in the side. Before he could recover, Kevin had an arm around his still bruised throat and his wings pinned. The Caster’s breath tickled his ear. “I’ll dance with you. Then let’s see who can give you a workout.”

He dropped his hip and tossed Kev over his shoulder. The other Prime just laughed as he rolled to his feet.

“Come on. You haven’t had sex in almost three weeks, Robin. Give it up. Kelley’s sending us out here because she’s tired of your grousing. Pick someone to dance with already.”

*Robin! You’re needed up at the tower immediately.*

He froze. Thankfully the others recognized the signs of telepathic sending and didn’t jump him.
*I’m on my way, Nathan.*

“There’s something wrong up at the tower.” He turned to the Caster Prime. “Come on.”

Kevin nodded and the two of them leapt into the air. They winged across the valley, slowly starting to climb altitude. The control tower came into sight at the top of the cliff, and he glanced at his wingmate.
*Have I really been that bad?*

Kevin tipped his head and met his eyes.
*There’s no reason for you to pay a penance. Kelley earned the punishment, not you. It makes her unhappy to see you getting more wound up when you could pick a new dance partner for a while.*

He sighed.
Have I really been doing that to myself?
He watched the muscles along the Caster Prime’s chest flex with the movement of his wings and realized he must have been doing just that.
*I’ll think about it, Kev.*

The Caster smirked at him, then they landed on the roof of the building.

Nathan waited for them. “There’s a grounded demanding to see you. By name, Robin. He won’t talk to anyone else until he’s seen you.”

They followed the Seer Prime down the steps to the first floor. A voice drifted up to meet them. “Better make sure my horse doesn’t wander, Hunter, or I’ll be pissed. I don’t have fancy wings to get me home.”

Robin choked and pushed past Nathan. “Adam? What the hell’s happened? What’s wrong?”

The man in question turned and clasped Robin’s offered arm. “I have to see Marcus.”

“Is Dustin ok? What’s going on?”

“Marcus, Robin.”

“Kevin, get a net and two harnesses.”

He caught the harness Kevin threw him and buckled it in place. “All right. Let’s go.”

He led the way out then clipped his side of the net to his harness while Nathan showed Adam how to sit in the sling. The three of them walked to the cliff’s edge and waited for Adam to nervously get settled, then with a glance in Kevin’s eyes, they stepped off. Adam let out a shriek that turned into maniacal laughter.

*That was fun,*
Kevin sent to him.

He grinned back at the Caster but then sent his thoughts winging toward the longhouse.
*Marcus? I have an emergency coming in. Adam’s here.*

*Dustin’s cousin?*

*Yes. Kevin and I are flying him from the control tower. We’ll be there in a moment.*

They flew over the farm buildings then dropped lower once they had passed the trees scattered along the creek. He and Kevin back-winged and lowered Adam to the ground. He leapt out of the net and turned to watch them touch down.

Robin yanked the clip and tossed it and his half of the net to Kevin. Then he strode past Adam to lead him into the longhouse, unbuckling as they moved. He stripped the harness and shoved Marcus’s office door open with his hip.

Marcus stopped his pacing and gripped the back of his chair as they entered. “What’s happened, Adam?”

Robin pushed the door shut and dropped his harness on the floor next to it. He walked over to the corner of Marcus’s desk and sat where he normally did.

Adam stood in front of the dark wood and fished around an inside pocket of his vest. He pulled his hand out and placed a micro computer disk down, then slid it across to his Alpha. “I don’t know what’s happened, but Jays looked harried and stressed when he brought this to Dustin. He said to get this to you now. I was there, so I was able to set out right away that afternoon. But it still took me two and a half days to get here.”

“Thank you, Adam,” Marcus said gruffly. He cleared his throat and opened up his laptop.

Robin moved around the desk so he could see while Marcus finished the maze of passwords, and Ian came on the screen.

“Hello, Marcus, I’m sorry for the scare. But with the mule out of commission at the moment, there was no other way, and this can’t wait for Robin’s next meeting with Jays. I know it will take a few days for this to reach you, that can’t be helped. I need you to station a force at Dustin’s. There have been some events that happened tonight. I won’t be able to completely contain them. The wrong people witnessed and it’s recorded on too many cameras for me to cover up. I may need to evacuate everyone on no notice, and I might need help. At the very least, they’ll need a guide and escort to Aurora.”

Ian sighed on the screen and closed his eyes before continuing.

“Jessica escaped. Before you panic—she’s ok. She got out through the ceiling ducts. But instead of leaving the building, she went on a hunt for Nickolas. That gave us the chance to track her down and trap her. Took three darts to drop her. Then we needed to deal with the fallout of her outing. She managed to down an entire chocolate cake. The shock to her metabolism almost sent her into a coma. And not the one we’re waiting for.

“And that gets us to Nickolas. I’ve had to confine him. He’s gone feral and isn’t doing well at all. He and Jess are trying to form some kind of bond. It’s similar to the videos you’ve shown me of your people blood bonding, but not quite the same. When she got out, she headed straight for Nick, using her talent. Through the inhibitor. I’ve already had too many pointed questions lately about Nick. I can’t believe that Gabriel doesn’t already know. So I need you ready. If this goes down before Nick is fit, we’re looking at a disaster. I know I don’t need to tell you to tell your Wings to be careful. But please do. This is a dangerous, rocky time.”

The screen went dark.

Robin scrubbed his face and Marcus sat back, clearing his throat. Adam shuffled, drawing their attention.

“Jays said to bring back any reply you had. But if a bunch of you are coming to the farm, you’ll get there before me.”

Marcus shook his head. “Actually, no. You’ll make it home before we can finish getting organized. It’s too late for you to start back today. Robin, go get him settled and get him dinner. Adam, I’ll have my reply for Jays before you go, and a message of what to expect for Dustin. Thanks for taking the risk in coming to us.”

“My whole family is behind you, Marcus. You know that. Gramps would tan my hide if I didn’t do what I can.”

“Please pass my regard on to him as well. I miss his company.”

He nodded, and Robin touched his arm. As he led the grounded out into the dining hall, he saw Marcus turn to stare out the window, and Robin’s heart ached for them all.