CHAPTER 31
~ Dysnomia Returns ~
The deafening concussion of the magickal blast which hits their home nearly knocks the trio from the bed. “Clara!” Callie screams before flashing to her baby’s room. She almost smiles when she realizes the babe is sleeping soundly with a winged fury guarding her crib. “Glory?” Kazar demands as he flashes into the room directly behind Callie.
“I was on patrol in this area with other TRMC members when I felt Dysnomia’s magick and forces gathering around your property,” Glory says with a serene smile on her lovely face. “I will protect the princess… with my very life if necessary. Go take care of the little meddling bitch and send her to Tartarus where she belongs along with the rest of her nasty little family.”
Callie doesn’t even glance at Kazar, and then Nyle who has finally made it to the baby’s room. Instead, she’s staring at Glory with an intensity which worries her males. Nyle, thinking she is hesitant to leave the babe with someone she doesn’t know well offers to stand guard as well.
“No,” Kazar says definitively. “I’m still weakened from my time in the Nihility. Of the two of us, you are stronger Nyle. You should go fight at Callie’s side. Glory and I will keep Clara safe.”
“Enough,” Callie says gently. “Glory will guard Clara and keep her safe. After all, she was sentenced to a millennia bound to earth because of her devotion to protecting the defenseless. Right?” Glory simply nods. “Clara will be safe,” Callie says confidently. She turns to smile at Kazar. “Stop doubting your abilities, my love. You are and always will be at my side.” With that she smiles her gratitude to Glory before reaching out to clasp hands on her lovers and flashes the trio into the midst of the battle raging outside their home.
The scene which greets the trio is like something out of a nightmare. Hordes of dark minions have descended upon their home. Despite the seemingly impossible odds, the aggressors are being held off by only six Enforcers from the MC, including Morrígan the Irish Raven. Instantly, the Dragon Queen and her Sentinel Consorts assume their battle forms before diving into the raging melee. Obviously, each punch, kick, and slash of talons is driven by pure savage determination to protect their family and home. Callie and her lovers easily cut down a wide swath of attacking vampires and ghouls who are foolish enough to remain in their path. The Dragon continually casts out her senses to search for Dysnomia, but her magick and essence are no where to be found. For just a moment, Callie fears the goddess of anarchy might have tricked them all, and is even at this very moment upstairs threatening her child. But the part of her that is fully dragon confidently assures the worried mother that is simply not the case.
After downing a ghoul with her vicious talons, Callie turns to survey the battle scene behind her. No foes remain standing, but much to her dismay, Callie realizes one of their own has fallen. Cin, the demon halfling enforcer whom she rescued from Dysnomia’s stronghold in Chouteau is kneeling beside the battered and bloody body of Smoke. While Callie had not ever interacted with the seemingly shy Nordic wolf shifter, who was called Smoke because of his multi-hued gray coat while in wolf form, she is nonetheless heartbroken over the enforcer’s demise. Especially since this gallant defender met his end while protecting Callie and her family.
A desperately wounded vampire rises behind Cin with a vicious sword in hand, her evil intent telegraphed by her hate filled eyes and every slow, painful movement. Such perfidy rouses Callie’s ire so greatly that her eyes glow bright enough to illuminate the night. A fathomless abyss of pure, relentless fury in her draconian heart explodes onto the battlefield as an inhuman declaration of war upon her attackers. The ear shattering screech which fills the night literally shatters windows in the stately home behind the combatants. But more importantly, the sound strikes pure terror into the hearts of the few remaining invaders. It is a sound which tells all who hear it, interlopers will not find any mercy at her hands! There will be no chance for escape nor redemption! All who dared rise up against the High Dragon Queen will suffer and die.
Without thought or clear intent, Callie’s massive wings unfurl and she takes to the air to snatch Cin’s would be assassin into the night sky. With savage fury borne of being on the receiving end of one too many undeserved attacks, this newly made dragon queen literally rips the head from the vampire’s body with little effort and zero remorse. The triumphiant battle cry which fills the night heartens the protectors and in only a matter of moments, they easily dispatch the few remaining invaders.
Seeing the battle is at an end, Callie tosses the head and body of her victim to the ground before alighting to stand between Nyle and Kazar. Once she assures herself that her lover’s are unharmed, Callie looks around to survey the damage wrought by Dysnomia’s unholy need to spread anarchy in the human world. Most of the Twin Ravens enforcers have gathered near the body of their fallen comrade, but Morrígan is going from body to body, searching for survivors among the fallen foes. She discovers only two invaders who seem to be hanging on by a thread. After a moment, she announces that she was taking them to the cells below the MC. They will be interrogated later… if they survive the night. Callie simply nods her approval before facing the grief stricken group of enforcers.
Tara is cursing Nyx and all of her dark spawn as tears trail down her lovely face. Everyone gapes wordlessly as the spunky enforcer collapses under the weight of her grief. On hands and knees, Tara keens pitifully into the night. The depth of Tara’s grief moves Callie to offer comfort to her friend. A friend who saw her through the most horrific ordeal of her thirty-two years of life. Without any thought, she moves forward in her battle form and scoops the diminutive blond vampire into her arms and turns to face Blood and the other four enforcers.
“Thank you. Thank you for defending my family, and I am so, so very sorry for your loss.” She looks at the fallen enforcer now cradled in Blood’s arms much as Callie is holding Tara. The lump in her throat is difficult to swallow, but she manages to croak out; “We will avenge Smoke, and every other victim of Dysnomia and her horde. I promise you that.”
For several long moments, no one responds. Finally, a few nod and Blood speaks quietly. “We believe you, Ruathar Bànrigh. It is our honor to serve and protect, however,” he looks around the yard of the triad’s country home with grim determination etched plainly upon his blunt Native features. “… we must come up with a new plan. That bitch Dysnomia obviously knows about this place. It is no longer safe for your family.”
“Yes, and your enforcers are stretched too thin dealing with everything coming at you,” Callie agrees. “Let me see to my friend here and check on my child. We can meet you at the MC where we can discuss our next move.” Without waiting for leader of the MC to reply, she turns on her heel and marches into her home with her friend Tara still sobbing in her arms.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Three hours later, Callie sits with a light baby blanket draped over her shoulder to cover Clara nursing at her breast. Her heart is heavy as she looks around at the gathered enforcers. She knows this is just a skeleton crew, a mere fraction of their band of immortal enforcers. While she may be new to the world of the supernatural, in the last two months she has learned just how many threats the Twin Ravens and other bands of paranormal enforcers deal with on a daily basis just to keep their secrets guarded and to protect the clueless humans. However, it seems her arrival on the scene has thrown everything into high gear because the rogues seem to be crawling out of the wood pile and running the enforcers ragged. Callie realizes she must do everything in her power to fully embrace her new role to deal with those who seek to halt the rise of the Dragon Western Péntearchy.
“Morrígan, I need you and Valgullveig to help me find the answers in those ancient texts you mentioned. Since the gods, in their infinite wisdom, refuse to come and answer my questions, we must find our own solutions. I do not want another valiant soul to fall defending me and mine.”
Tara, who is sitting beside Callie glumly sipping on a tall glass of her famous hooch, reaches over to pat her hand. “It’s what we do, Callie.”
“Yes, but it is time for me to do my part. I’m supposed to be some kind of high queen and great leader, right?” She looks around the assembled group of battle torn and conflict wearied enforcers with an almost challenging air. When many of those gathered nod silently in agreement with her question she smiles darkly and announces; “Then it is time for me to be that high queen and take this fight to the bad guys.”
A dry snort from the back of the room has Callie looking to see Rage, the VP of the MC rise from his seat and light a cigarette. “Callie, Dysnomia’s horde has a stronghold somewhere in another realm or dimension. We have no way of knowing where they are hiding.” Everyone can plainly see the frustration in the face of the human enforcer as he begins to pace. “Ares and his team are tracking witch covens using blood magick all over the human world. Mara and the Beast Realm are ass deep in rogue shifter clans going on the offensive. The Spell Weavers at Airendell have been under near constant attacks by Trolls, Blood Wraiths, and rogue Dark Elves. Hell, virtually every band of enforcers in the human realm is reporting increased activity. Our own MC is scattered to hell and gone.” He takes a drag from his cigarette before blowing a thick plume of smoke into the air. “Boomer and Trinity are in OKC dealing with the aftermath down there. Tank has gone to Arkansas with a small group of riders to deal with a bloody shifter uprising. Wrath and Gin are chasing their tails trying to find some girl we think might be Gin’s sister and seems to be running from Dysnomia’s blood horde.” He exhales loudly before hitting the cigarette for another deep drag. Abruptly, the VP stops his pacing and turns to face the group at the massive table bearing the Twin Ravens sigil.
Dark circles under his eyes marr his handsome face. The sight of the cigarette smoke puffing from his nostrils and mouth as he speaks makes Callie think of a tired old dragon. But his next comment drives those thoughts from her mind. “The only places that are not under direct attack by Nyx’s minions are the home worlds of the gods.”
That bit of news causes Tara to snort. “Even Nyx’s whelps are not stupid enough to go head to head with full blood gods on their home turf.” She drains her whisky glass and leans her head back to close her eyes as though dealing with everything has just become too much.
“True,” Blood concedes. “But just because the gods are not inundated with aggressors, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be willing to jump in to aid our cause.” He snorts. “After all, Nyx and her spawn are gods as well. They all have this unspoken code among themselves to stay out of conflicts unless they have been directly harmed.”
Callie can’t help but snort derisively as she places a dozing Clara on her shoulder to burp. “Obviously, this code hasn’t stopped them from interfering in the lives of non-gods. I mean look at me… supposedly I am claimed by some Papa somebody or another, or Cockalicious, whatever name he’s going by this week. And yet, I have never laid eyes on the man… god…whatever.” She sighs tiredly and grumbles; “Okay, so our best allies are swamped with their own issues and divine intervention is out. Where does that leave us?” She closes her eyes and swallows hard to quell an unwelcome sob as her precious baby makes an adorable grunting sound in her sleep. In that moment, the need to protect her child and the defenders gathered here is nearly overwhelming. “I do not want another MC member to fall protecting me. It is my job to be the protector.”
“Callie, you are vulnerable until the dragon comes out,” Kazar reminds his lover gently.
“True, but tonight when I took my battle form to defend our home and child, I had a real ah-ha moment. I know exactly what it will take to bring my dragon forth.”
When she looks at Nyle, she’d almost swear the cocky wolf was blushing. “Aye, aingeal mine, but you know you just aren’t ready…”
She laughs naughtily and smirks at her lover. “Perhaps not in my human skin…” She allows her words to trail off and giggles when she sees her lovers’ eyes light up with dawning realization. After being captured by Finn Connor, she had told her mates about her raging hormones while in dragon skin. Callie quickly sobers and says; “But I need a place where our child will be safe. I need five minutes to gather my thoughts and develop an offensive strategy. Obviously, playing defense isn’t cutting it.”
She sighs tiredly, the effects of a long day filled with fight training, motherhood, emotional upheavals, sexy play with her two lovers, and a bloody battle to protect her home, have all left Callie too exhausted to think straight. “Perhaps we should just go get some sleep in your room here at the MC and then go home tomorrow where we can try to shore up our defenses?”
“Yes, Callie, you should rest tonight. Enforcers, go get some rest, drink, fight or fuck… whatever you need to do to relax. We can plan tomorrow,” Blood commands quietly. Without further word from anyone, the room empties, except for the triad, their daughter, and the leader of the MC. Before Kazar can even offer to help Callie to her feet, Blood stays them all with a silent gesture and moves to close the door to the gathering room. Once that is done, he intones a brief phrase in some language Callie doesn’t recognize but instinctively understands. Or at least, her dragon nature understands the words. The very ancient phrase is a spell to guard against eavesdroppers. This additional level of security on top of the magick which already protects the rooms in the MC makes Callie and her lovers very nervous.
“I did not wish to announce this in front of everyone, but we have a mole in the MC.” Blood’s expression reveals just how hard it was for him to admit that horrible truth. “Because of that, I feel it is essential we move you to a safe location. A location we will keep secret, even from our own brethren.” The massive sabretooth shifter and biker leader sighs tiredly as he drags a massive hand through his thick mane of shaggy black hair. “Morrígan and Valgullvieg know of this contingency plan, but no one else.” Callie can easily see that the very idea of not trusting his own enforcers weighs heavily on the soul of the male before her. “I’m almost certain I know who the traitor is, but I can’t make a move until I know for certain. I will need hard evidence before I act because among the Twin Ravens, treason is punishable by death.”
“But where?” Callie asks.
“As Rage mentioned earlier, Dysnomia doesn’t have the balls to make a move in another god’s realm.” Callie and her lovers simply nod. “And I happen to know of a full-blood god who has offered protection and a safe haven. And this tiny realm is here in the human world. In fact, it is practically in our backyard. But I doubt Dysnomia, nor the mole, will ever think of it. And if they do, this god has an entire band of enforcers capable of protectng the new dragon queen and princess.”
“Clever,” Kazar says quietly with a nod and pleased expression on his tired face. He has obviously figured it out.
In a just a moment, Nyle seems to catch on as well when his bark of laughter fills the room. “That’s just fucking brilliant!”
Blood whips out his phone and quickly dials a number from memory. Whoever he has called seems to answer quickly. “X? Blood here. Are you ready to take delivery of that package?” He grins at whatever the person on the other end of the call replies. “Good. We will meet you at the farmhouse in about fifteen minutes.” He disconnects the call and looks at the diaper bag on the floor beside Nyle’s chair. “You guys got everything you need in that bag, like bottles and formula, to take care of the wee one tonight?”
Callie snorts and rises to her feet. “I have diapers and a few changes of clothes in there for her. As for feeding requirements, as you witnessed earlier, my little dragonling feeds off the hoof, so to speak.” She winks. “Just call me Elsie the cow.”
Blood cannot help but chuckle. “Fine. I guess that was pretty stupid on my part to ask after bottles and formula.” He smirks at his two enforcers bookending their mate. “Which one of you is going first? As you know, I can only translocate with two adults at a time.”
Kazar takes the sleeping infant from Callie’s arms before leaning down to plant a chaste kiss upon her lips. “Go with Nyle and Blood, my love. I’m pretty sure I know where we are going.” He looks quickly to Blood, who simply nods. “I can flash Clara down there with me.”
When Callie opens her eyes she sees an old farmhouse in front of her. Turning to look at Blood with a question forming on her lips, she falls silent when Kazar materializes with their sleeping baby in his arms and a diaper bag looped over his shoulder. “What is this place?”
Kazar chuckles dryly. “Unimpressed with our temporary home, amica mea?”
Callie reaches for the baby who begins stirring at the sound of loud motorcycle pipes growling in the night. Obviously, the bikes are getting closer and Callie assumes they have flashed to a secret location somewhere in Tulsa and those are trusted TRMC riders approaching.
“This old farmhouse is located on fifty acres in a region known as Lightning Ridge. We are less than two hours south of Tulsa.” He smiles wanly. “This place was to be one of my reclaimation projects. I used to enjoy buying old houses and restoring them to their former glory. I bought this place shortly before I was trapped in the Nihility. But I haven’t been here in years.” Kazar looks over at Blood when he says; “We won’t even have electricity or…”
He stops speaking when Blood hops up onto the porch and quickly opens the front door of the old farm house to reach inside to flip a light switch, instantly bathing a neatly mowed front yard in soft light. “X had his boys get this place ready for this eventuality. They simply did not know who they were preparing the old farm house for.”
Callie picks that moment to respond to Kazar’s light taunt about the house. “I’m not unimpressed with the house, Kazar. You know I have lived in worse. I am simply curious to know what the plan is,” she says with a shrug. She turns to face the approaching roar of bikes in the dark expanse behind them. Obviously, they are very deep in the country because she cannot see a hint of illumination from street lights or nearby homes. “If we are not in Tulsa, then just who is that coming this way on motorcycles?”
Nyle turns to look down the long, dark driveway at the distant glow of headlights bobbing in the inky black of night and says; “Well, that sounds like three bikes coming our way. So, I’d hazard a guess that X-Man, Stealth, and Charmer are about to join the party.”
“Probably,” Blood admits. “I’m sure their goddess will be with them or at least put in appearance in the morning.”
“Goddess?” Callie asks. “Like a real, honest to god, goddess?”
The three enforcers chuckle at Callie’s apparent awe over the prospect of meeting a goddess. When the laughter dies down, Blood nods and smiles good naturedly at the former human female. “Yes, indeed.” Before he can elaborate, three motorcycles roll into the very edge of the lighted area where the riders kill the engines. Callie and her protectors watch in silence as the new bikers remove their helmets and gloves. They quickly dismount to approach and warmly greet their Twin Ravens brethren with raucous taunts, handshakes, and hearty back slapping.
Blood takes charge to make introductions. “Callie, this is X-Man, Stealth, and Charmer. Prez, VP, and Enforcer of Nox Legion MC. They will provide your security detail until we have dealt with our little Anarchy problem.”
“Nasty little Greek bitch,” spits the one called Charmer.
Kazar chuckles. “You won’t hear us argue that point, my brother.” He turns to once again shake the hand of the one called X-Man, who Blood had identified as the MC’s President. “Thank you X, for helping us out.” He pulls Callie to his side with an arm around her waist and Nyle instantly moves to her other side where he places a possessive, protective arm around her shoulder. “Allow me to present, Callie Boyd, Ruathar Bànrigh – Fierce High Queen Mother of the newly emerging Dragon Queen court… and our mate.”
X whistles loudly to show his appreciation while Stealth and Charmer move to slap Callie’s males on the back in a show of support. “Congrats, my brothers!” He turns to smile at Callie before saying; “We’d kneel in your presence, your majesty, but our fealty belongs solely to our lady goddess, Nox Fortuna. The Roman goddess of fortune and protection. We kneel only to her.” He chuckles dryly. “Well, we might kneel to Nox if we didn’t think she’d laugh her ass off at us for doing so.”
Callie simply chuckles. “I think I already like your lady goddess. I’m not one for kneeling myself. And yes, I heartily agree with Kazar. Thank you for helping out. Nyx and her minions have hunted, tortured, and murdered me in five past lifetimes. If she thinks her granddaughter can get away with the same in this lifetime, she has another think comin’!” She exhales slowly in a vain effort to cool her ire. “In those past lives I was mortal, but now I’m coming into my role as the dragon queen. Let me assure you, that I will not be a burden for long. I, no we, simply need a quiet place to set some things in motion and then we are going after that nasty Greek bitch to teach her some manners.”
“Damn straight,” Nyle affirms gruffly. “I’ve had enough of that bitch coming after my family.”