CHAPTER 19

Lis looked away and couldn't look back, not if she wanted to stem the waves of nauseous terror that washed over her. Her teeth ached from how hard she was clenching them together.

The guards cursed, Gayriel gasped, and she still couldn't look at what drew their horror. She was busy noticing a small stem sticking out from between two of the flagging stones that made the street and trying not to throw up.

“I don't think that is Grim, any longer,” Cillumn's voice announced from behind her, from the medic hall. He must have been looking for her just as she left. “Are you alright?” he murmured approaching her side.

“No.” She didn't feel alright, not at all.

“What in the six realms has happened to him?” Gayriel whispered.

“Looks like the same thing that is happening to our Shifter friends,” Lis sensed Cillumn shake his head. “And those fools thought this was not our problem.”

“What is powerful enough to do that to a dragon?” one of the guards asked. It didn't sound as though he was particularly expecting an answer, but Gayriel twitched as if coming to an important realization.

“The master,” she muttered. “Cillumn, I need to find Dynarys...and Illaise.”

“Dynarys is in the battle. I saw him take off after the first attack.”

“Fine, Illaise then.”

Cillumn hesitated. Above them, an angry screech peeled out, followed by the meaty sound of flesh hitting flesh. Suddenly, Lis found herself wanting to dodge back into the medic wing, before debris...or a dragon could fall upon her.

“Are you certain?” he asked when the noise subsided slightly. “She is not happy with you. When I left, she was threatening bodily harm.”

Gayriel grunted. “I'm sure she was, but yes, I am certain. It was her son who had a hand in all of this. According to her own logic, she should be responsible for this aftermath.”

“I don't think Illaise's logic is for herself,” Cillumn grumbled. It was a strange thing to listen to, such irreverent talk about an Alpha who was undoubtedly strong. Of course, neither of them was a Shifter, so that accounted for some of it. But even the two guards seemed unconcerned.

“Come,” he called, tugging at her arm when she didn't respond. “Maybe you should walk ahead of me. You are doing really well, Lis, just keep focused on the ground, I'll watch your back.”

With that, they moved left along the street, skirting around rows of potted tangerines and lemons that grew around pillars and chiseled stone masterpieces. Odd that she had not noticed the little details of the Aerie before now. It was so different from that of the Onyx Aerie, but she was focused on other matters. Now, she latched onto the way the fruit on the branches swayed in the dimming light, and the beautiful slopes and smooth curls of the stone carvings.

The group ran past two alleys, herself, guided by Cillumn, followed by Gayriel and the guards, before turning onto a wider street and proceeding toward a tall building that Lis recognized. It was where Cillumn had led her for the meeting with the Archon to begin with.

She recognized Illaise immediately, though she had changed to wolf form and paced, with the rest of her pack, in front of the building, gray eyes turned upward, watching the skies pensively. Her silver fur was long and it ruffled as she moved. A beautiful sight, if not for the overwhelming desire Lis felt to lower herself to the ground and display her submission. Such a move was not logical now, but it did not stop her instincts from attempting to guide her behavior.

“Illaise,” Gayriel called from behind. The urge to submit intensified as the gray eyes turned their way...and narrowed.

She was still fighting the need to run far and fast from the battle overhead, the glare the outsider Alpha sent her nearly pushed her over the edge. A reassuring hand placed on her back was the only thing halting her.

“Peace, Lis, breathe.”

Somehow, Cillumn sensed what she needed. Which could have been because, in her terror, she had forgotten to shield her emotions. She tried to work around to concealing them now, but there were simply too many and too strong. She did not have the calm or focus necessary for such a task.

Illaise flashed to human form. “You traitorous bitch, you have called me here to face my death,” she snarled, stalking toward their group. Lis clutched her satchel closer, but did not step back from her path. It wasn't her the Alpha was aiming for, anyway.

Gayriel stood her ground, as well, though she appeared slightly resigned. Both of her guards stepped in front of her. Lis was surprised for a moment until she remembered that she was the Alpha's mate. This Aerie's Alpha's mate. She technically had more power in this interaction...socially, it could never be said that she had more physical power.

“Careful, Illaise, you are attributing a lot of things to my power. You think I control this?” Gayriel flung a hand toward the battle. The roars and screeches were fading, they were moving off. Lis assumed the Amber Aerie Dragon's had defended well enough to chase any enemy from the skies above their home. She didn't look, however, not yet; she might see this mutilated dragon and her imagination was doing a fantastic job picturing a dragon in the condition of the Shifters she had seen. Subtly, she loosened the tie on her satchel and slid her hand inside. She did not have time to arrange a capsule for her dart shooter, but she had other tricks in that bag. Darts would not pierce a dragon's scales, anyhow, but the dragons were not the only enemy that Lis felt threatened by at the moment.

Illaise stopped three steps away, fingers tapping her naked side as though wishing for some weapon she often held there. “You were involved with the disaster at the Onyx Aerie, involved with the dragon that leads this attack. It is reasonable to assume you have ties to this battle, as well.”

“Involved? Do you even remember what happened to me there? Or do you happily make up your own version of history?” Gayriel growled. “He tried to kill me, to bleed me out, and he was aided by your son.”

Now Lis was confused. Dynarys had tried to kill his mate? These people were crazy. Why had Cillumn even brought her here? They were so tangled in their insanity, they weren't going to be any help for Adda.

“Besides, I am certain that this dragon is no longer Grim. He has been mutilated like the Shifters. Something more powerful guides him now,” Cillumn reasoned.

“Kurath...,” Illaise shook her head. “If you do not wish to see my end, then why did you summon me? Are you committed to wasting my time?”

“We have a common enemy, it makes sense to cooperate.”

“Cooperation implies an equal share in the work. What is it you think you will be able to do against this?” Illaise gestured.

“I will give you this information, when Kurath betrayed Dynarys he spoke of a master. The master was who Grim sought, and, I believe who did this to him.”

Illaise snorted. “You think that is enough to contribute your share? Why did Grim seek this master? And why does he attack now?”

Lis frowned. Why did he attack now? Something was pulling at the back of her mind. She knew the answer to this. Fear distracted her, and frustration. Why did Gayriel insist on Illaise's cooperation? She seemed volatile, at best. What good would her help be?

“What exactly is it that you can bring to the cooperation? All I have seen thus far is resistance and insults.” Lis found herself asking. She blinked, a little surprised at her own words. She was thinking it, yes, but she didn't expect it to come out.

“You question me, pup? I could eat you for my next meal,” Illaise bristled predictably, rising taller in all her nudity, her eyes flashing challenge. This is what Lis got for not minding her tongue, she had drawn attention to herself, she had challenged the Alpha. And now she either had to submit publicly, or...

The hand Lis had placed in her satchel twitched. She found the bundle straight away, marked with several loops of twisted twine. This one had been created in a rush, with no room for testing, and she had no idea if it would work or not. But she needed to prove herself.

Before Illaise could guess her intentions she pulled the bundle out and tossed it behind her, into the group of Shifter warriors that waited in the background. There was a satisfying crash of clay breaking and smoke immediately filled the air just as Lis planned. She had the irrational urge to jump up and down. Her creation worked. The smoke was the result of a jar of highly powerful acid she had reduced breaking and mixing with a full pot of dried moonblossoms. The warriors watched the progress unconcerned for a moment, not seeing the danger.

It only took one deep breath before the first of the warriors collapsed. He was followed by six others in quick succession. Those far enough away to be out of the smoke's influence backed farther from the scene, casting frantic looks at their leader.

Illaise stopped her progression toward Lis, fury pulled her face tight, but her eyes were wary of Lis' satchel and the hand she had replaced within it, just in case.

“You have just made an enemy, little Shifter,” she growled.

Lis shook her head at the woman, denying her words. “They only sleep, and very briefly. That,” she nodded toward the bundle that had stopped smoking now and lay innocuously on the stones, “among my other creations, is what we have to contribute to this fight. I ask again, what is it that you will give?” Lis did not mention that the smoke wouldn't likely be effective against the creatures. The possessed Shifters didn't work like other living things.

Or did they? She thought back to the female creature they had faced in the forest. She hadn't bled as Lis had expected, so something was notably wrong with her circulatory system, but she had been breathing. Could that be the answer? Or at least something Lis could work with? Ideas started flowing through her mind, but it was not the time for tinkering with plans.

Illaise did not look like a woman willing to bargain, she looked like a woman ready to tear someone's throat out. When the first of the warriors stirred from his slumber and rolled over, rising to his feet and shaking his head, she watched for a long moment.

“You are a dangerous Shifter,” she admitted at last, a spark of what Lis hoped was respect and not thoughts of how to kill her in the future, flashed in her eyes. The rest of the men were rising now. They were not looking at her with as much kindness. No doubt, she had insulted their masculinity and warrior prowess by laying them out so easily in front of their Alpha. Cillumn growled low behind her, making yet another claim upon her, this one of protection...she would have to speak with him later, she decided.

Gayriel muttered something low, for her ears only. Lis couldn't make out her words, but she did remember that Gayriel had wanted to solidify the woman's cooperation.

“I can create a weapon that will take out the possessed Shifters, but in exchange, I require help freeing my sister from whatever evil is causing this. She has been missing for over a week now,” Lis bit her lip, hoping she could make good on her promise. As it stood, her current weapon could barely be called effective.

Illaise cringed and shook her head sadly. Lis was surprised by the show of emotion, but she didn't like the feeling she got that the Alpha was writing Adda off as dead. She watched Lis speculatively for a long while and then nodded, either deciding to go along with her delusion, or that Lis could be useful even if her sister was already gone.

“We have tracked the origins of the possessions and have the location of the enemy’s camp. It is swarming with Quatori and dozens, perhaps hundreds, of our destroyed kin. I do not know where all of the Shifters there have come from,” she shook her head. “We have not been able to find a way to infiltrate it, or even to prevent the creatures from bringing new Shifters in. Not for lack of trying...but perhaps with a more effective weapon...I will trade you my information for your...unique...aid.”

Lis hesitated. The Archon had made it clear that this mission would be led by Dragon Lords, Illaise was clearly making her own task. Would it be a betrayal to accept this bargain? Did it matter? She didn't owe the Archon any loyalty...Cillumn, however. But Illaise had experience with the creatures, and information that she needed. Until they had returned to the Aerie, the Dragon Lords hadn't even known of them.

“It is a deal,” Lis agreed at last, and she hoped it wasn't a mistake.