After that brief respite, we were going to finish this. Blackstone’s century-long plan was about to end. The only question was who’d be standing when the dust settled.
The rotors warmed up as we boarded. I settled back in my seat and pushed everything but Rod from my mind. We’d waited long enough. It was time to claim our future.
Chapter Fifteen
Roderick:
The Minnesota wind cut across the airfield, carrying the scent of snow and pine. I pulled my coat tighter and checked my watch. Eleven minutes until Cinaed’s plane arrived. Two fewer than the last time I checked. The flight had taken less time than I thought possible. Dad had stressed the extreme danger Blackstone posed when requesting the fastest plane from the president. Clearly, he’d been persuasive.
Planes had been landing all day. Shifters from a dozen species arrived to help with the search. Gryphons, dragons, and other flying beings would be our scouts. Beings who hunted by scent—wolves, scent hounds, bears, and even a pair of elephant shifters—came to help search for Ailpein and Blackstone. Avie called in as many inquisitors as she could spare from other assignments, and the ard ri had sent dozens of elven mages to help. Even the human military was on alert in case the world suddenly found itself awash in demons.
My diamond thrummed in my pocket, responding to my anticipation. Sensing Cinaed’s approach from miles away was crazy, and it would be more intense once we bonded.
Uniting our souls had been a dream for so long. Now when it was so near, it came with a side order of anxiety. Funny how threats to the world can dim your joy.
Behind me, Avie organized our makeshift command center in a small hangar. She’d had equipment flown in and everyone pitched in to help move it into place. Everybody except one.
“I swear to God, Owen,” Avie yelled across the runway. “If you don’t park your narrow ass in a chair, I’m going to tie you to a bed.”
The wind drowned out Owen’s response, but I felt confident he didn’t argue.
“Narrow ass?” Elspeth asked, joining me at the edge of the tarmac. “Your sister uses colorful language. I like her.”
I didn’t hide my smile. Bart, Jan, Leo, and Owen might be the four musketeers, but Avie and I bonded long before our brothers were born. “She gets her point across.”
“Standing in the cold won’t make the plane land sooner.” She stared into the sky next to me. “Even you mages can’t make it fly faster.”
Elspeth was the middle child, and Cinaed said she’d been close with all of her siblings. After spending time with her, I could understand why. “I can’t, but it’s better than letting my sister critique my butt.”
“You’ve got a nice one,” she said. “My brother’s a lucky phoenix.”
The conversation reached its natural end, but it lightened my mood before Cinaed arrived. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” She put her hand on my back and rubbed gently. “Soon you’ll be part of our crazy family. Then all bets are off.”
The dark silhouette of the aircraft appeared as a distant speck. “Would you believe I’m looking forward to that day?”
“Absolutely.” She left me to wait for Cinaed alone.
As the aircraft touched down, the other half of my soul had arrived. It taxied closer and my smile grew. I greeted my brothers, their mates, and the old guardians, but my eyes were fixed on the glint of copper hair bringing up the rear.
Our eyes met across the tarmac, and everything else faded away. His smile, tired but genuine, gave me a few moments to forget the reason we gathered at a remote airport in Minnesota.
I closed the distance between us and took his hands in mine. His skin simmered with the familiar heat of his inner fire. “You look exhausted,” I said, wishing I’d given him a better welcome. “Sorry. Not the most romantic greeting.”
“No, but it’s accurate.” Cinaed squeezed my hands. “You look like you could use some sleep yourself.”
Connected by our hands, I knew his weariness was as soul deep as mine. “Tonight, I’ll sleep well.”
I pulled him into a hug. Despite the work to be done, we took a few moments for ourselves. Until we completed our bond, no amount of alone time would be enough, but it helped.
“We should go,” I said. “They can’t start the briefing without us.”
“If we don’t go, will it go away?” Cinaed took my hand, and we moved toward the hangar.
Digital maps covered portable screens, communication equipment hummed with activity, and a large table dominated the center of the space. Everyone gathered around it as Avie joined me at the head.
“Now that we’re all here, we can get everyone up to date,” Avie said. “Elspeth, can you go first?”
