Treoir Island realm hidden above the Irish Sea
Storm gritted his teeth and hung tight as Daegan zapped them from the Tribunal to the Treoir Island realm in a teleporting blast. He had no complaints though and welcomed anything that kept him moving quickly.
The dragon king landed the two of them on the grounds leading up to the castle, where Belador guards could see who had arrived.
The minute Daegan sent a hand signal to his guards that all was fine, Storm asked, “Okay, where is Evalle?”
“She’s in a realm created by Abandinu, a god who was cast out of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Dakkar’s bolthole functioned for any Celtic realm as well as in the human realm. Macha had better hope none of the other deities in her pantheon find out about what she did.”
Storm wouldn’t lose sleep over Macha getting piled on by her peers.
“Where is the realm and how do we break in?”
“I don’t know—” Daegan started.
Hell. Would this get any easier? “Are you kidding me? We could have drained every drop of information from Dakkar before Loki torched him.”
“Let me finish, Storm.”
“Sorry. Go ahead.”
“I am not overly familiar with Abandinu as we were forbidden from any association with that god, but Garwyli should be able to give me enough details for me to teleport into the realm Abandinu created.”
Blowing out a stream of air did little to lower Storm’s need to reach Evalle. He pulled himself together. “I understand, but it’s killing me to know where she is and not be on the way there.”
Daegan missed nothing. “I realize being this close to finding Evalle is testing your limits. It would test mine if I were fortunate enough to have a mate such as yours. Believe me when I say we will not squander any time in preparing to invade the realm and take her back. But if we jump in without a plan and into a place where someone is expecting me, we may all die in front of her.”
Growling in discontent, Storm made his jaguar a silent promise that their time would come soon. His animal shoved and snarled, sensing they were close to finding her.
Storm would love nothing better than to unleash his black beast, but Daegan was right.
Rushing into a trap would solve nothing and leave Evalle at the mercy of others forever if they failed.
“I’m good,” Storm said, stretching his neck to loosen tight muscles. “Let’s do this.”
With a short nod of agreement, Daegan turned toward the castle where his guards stood at attention. As the dragon king approached the steps leading up to the entrance, he told the men and women who watched over the Treoirs, “At ease.”
Inside, Tristan, Adrianna and Quinn were waiting and looked up as Storm and Daegan entered.
Quinn must have won the argument with Reese.
That made sense to Storm. Unless they were facing a wall of demons, Reese could not help at this point. He left it up to those two to know what was best for her, but Quinn had been right to prevent Reese from joining them if Storm was correct about what he sensed was going on with Reese.
Reese didn’t hit him as a woman who would leave Quinn in the dark for long.
“We know who has Evalle,” Daegan announced as he strode up to the rest of the team.
Everyone started asking where, who and other related questions.
Daegan held up his hand for silence. “Evalle is in a realm created by a god named Abandinu.”
Tzader came striding in with powerful steps. “A god has her? What the hell?”
“Not exactly,” Daegan clarified. “A man named Germanus resides in this particular realm. He has her. He was also my father’s steward, but after being captured by Queen Maeve I have no history of what happened to my father, his people ... or my siblings beyond bits and pieces I heard spoken while I was in Tŵr Medb.”
That was news to Storm. Eyebrows lifted around the room at the mention of siblings.
All except Tristan, who calmly listened as though he knew some of this. As the dragon king’s right-hand man, Tristan having more knowledge of Daegan’s past would not surprise Storm.
Quinn asked, “Is Germanus a nonhuman?”
“No. He was human when I knew him at my father’s castle,” Daegan replied.
Tzader scowled. “Then how did he capture Evalle? And why the hell did he do it?”
Daegan gave the group a quick rundown of all that had transpired, explaining about Perth and Dakkar.
It boggled the mind to think how Daegan was under constant attack, which meant his followers were targets as well. Storm thought back on a warning Daegan had made in the Tribunal that he intended to make a statement when he found Evalle’s captor.
Storm took that to mean Daegan wanted others to think twice about attacking him or his people. Storm would lend everything he possessed as a nonhuman to support that statement.
As Daegan explained how Germanus was setting a trap for the dragon king, Tristan’s expression underwent an immediate change from interested to concerned.
Tristan asked, “Can you just teleport us in?”
Daegan scowled at the Alterant. “No. You have heard me say more than once that I lead from the front, and always will.”
“Just sayin’ that we can handle this.”
Adrianna’s gaze had bounced back and forth, watching the byplay between those two. She asked, “Aren’t you most vulnerable in someone else’s realm, Daegan?”
That sent Daegan’s fierce glare her way, which had no effect on the witch. He said, “This is true, which I expect all of you to keep private. Some deities know this, but the less it’s repeated the better.”
“We know,” Tristan confirmed for the group. “But we’re your closest advisors. I’m sure I’m not the only one concerned. We need you, your power and your leadership. Losing you in that realm would leave the entire Belador organization and Treoir vulnerable.”
Much as Storm wanted to dislike Tristan, he had a grudging respect for the guy saying he’d sacrifice his life in place of Daegan’s for the greater good. From all that Storm could see, Daegan’s presence had really made a difference with that Alterant.
Daegan shut down the debate by saying, “I appreciate everyone’s concern, but getting into and out of this realm safely with Evalle will require a select group with specific abilities. Tristan, you are extremely capable, but you don’t have the teleporting ability that I do. You could get the team in, but you don’t know for sure you could teleport all of them and Evalle out, especially if you have to battle other beings first. We will need all of our powers.”
Quinn grunted in agreement.
Daegan called out, “Garwyli? I need your presence.”
Storm turned with the group as they waited for the old druid, who came ambling down from one of the long hallways leading to the entrance.
When Garwyli finally made it to them, he said, “What news, dragon? Have ya found our Evalle?”
With another brief rundown, Daegan explained what had gone down at the Tribunal. The old druid’s face flipped from a frown to surprise to anger.
As he wrapped up the details, Daegan said to everyone, “I’ve been asking Garwyli to look into the history of my father’s time. After the attack by Lorwerth and the Laochra Fola, I realized that until I know what happened during that time, everyone associated with me could be at risk from directions I would not expect. I do not want to make it easy for my enemies to harm my followers.” Daegan asked Garwyli, “What can you tell me about Germanus being in a realm created by Abandinu?”
Stroking his long, white beard, Garwyli asked, “Who is Germanus?”
“He was my father’s steward.”
“Germanus would have been human.”
“Yes, and we were forbidden from worshipping Abandinu when my father lived. It appears that Germanus worshipped him in secret.”
“That makes sense about your father’s rule. As I recall, Abandinu was banished from the Celtic pantheon.”
“Yes, he was.”
“I see.” More fooling with his beard, then Garwyli said, “It does not make sense for Abandinu to bring someone like Evalle to his realm.”
Storm argued, “Evidently he would, because that’s where she is right now.”
Lifting a wrinkled hand to request quiet, Garwyli said, “That is not my meaning. You see, Abandinu created more than one realm.”
What? Storm looked to Daegan, who seem unconcerned at the possibility of searching multiple realms.
Continuing, Garwyli said, “This is the first I’ve heard of Abandinu sending any human to a realm.”
“So you can’t help us?” Storm sighed, at the very end of his mental rope.
Storm saw his question reflected in the faces of the team.
Garwyli laid a hand on his shoulder. “Do not distress, Storm. Germanus will be in a specific realm, so you will not have to hunt to locate the correct one.”
This whole trip had been an emotional roller coaster from the start. Storm said, “That’s encouraging, Garwyli. It’s just ... you, of all people, know she is everything to me.”
“I know, son,” Garwyli said, patting Storm’s shoulder.
After Evalle brought Storm home from a demonic underworld, she forced him to overcome the influence of demonic blood he’d inherited.
Garwyli had been so impressed by the way Evalle fought for Storm, in the face of Macha’s anger among other things, that Garwyli called in a marker a thousand years old and had Storm’s soul returned to him.
The druid had cited Evalle as Storm’s champion.
She was far more than that to him.
She was his next breath. He had no life or any desire for this life without her.
“I understand your impatience. Give an old man a moment to explain and you can be on your way.” Garwyli winked to soften the reprimand.
“Yes, sir,” Storm answered in deference.
Turning to the entire group, Garwyli said, “As I mentioned, Abandinu created more than one realm. It seemed to be his hobby. He collected things that interested him such as majikal creatures.”
Adrianna sent Storm an apologetic glance before she suggested, “Wouldn’t Evalle fit that description?”
Little could bother Storm at this point and she was right to push for any details that might help them.
“Yes, but Evalle shifts into a human form. That did not interest Abandinu. He did enjoy flying beasts such as manticores, wyverns, gryphons and the like, but he had a particular interest in dragons.” Garwyli scratched his beard-covered chin. “I could be wrong on the not shifting part.”
Pushing the druid to move along, Daegan said, “What else?”
“My point is that taking Evalle would still not make sense. Abandinu had no interest in battling other gods or goddesses. He merely liked to be entertained, but not if he had to face an angry adversary. That’s what is so odd about putting Germanus in any of his realms. I have never heard of any other humans being taken for that reason.”
“Why would a human even want to live in a realm if he was alone?” Tristan asked. “Feels like we’re missing something in all this.”
“It’s hard to say, but a human living in a realm such as one Abandinu created would remain forever without aging. Perhaps when Germanus worshipped Abandinu, he asked for eternal life. If Abandinu heard that often enough he might have gifted Germanus with the god’s version of that by spending eternity in a place where the steward would not age, but I still find that odd. I wonder if it was done as a punishment, since it would be a very sad existence for Germanus.”
Moving ahead, Daegan told Tristan, “I need you to go immediately to the gryphons to ask for volunteers. With this god’s affinity for dragons and any other flying creature, there could be all kinds of ancient predators to battle in there. I will fully understand if your sister does not join us.”
Tristan said, “Thanks. I wouldn’t be happy to have her there.”
Storm blinked and the Alterant had teleported away.
Tzader asked Daegan, “Why are you taking so many when you might be more effective with a smaller team for inserting and snatching her?”
After witnessing what happened in the Tribunal, Storm had an idea why the dragon king wanted a larger show of force.
“This is not just a retrieval,” Daegan said. “I weary of my people being targeted and harmed. Those who know me have no doubt I will come for one of mine, but that isn’t enough. My enemies need to know that to touch one loyal to me is to bring the wrath of a dangerous dragon, the Treoir power, the entire Belador force and our allies.” Daegan gave a nod to Adrianna with that, then continued. “We are going in to save Evalle first and foremost. Once we are successful, I intend to make a statement that will spread throughout the preternatural community.”
Adrianna asked, “What is that statement?”
“For every one of mine who is harmed, prepare to lose a hundredfold if it is within my power.”
She gave him a thoughtful look. “I like that. Make a show of force and make others think about what they have to lose if they start a conflict.”
“With the exception of those who will war no matter what, a show of force will deter others who prefer life over attacking my kingdom.”
Storm asked Daegan, “How many are we taking with us?”
“Everyone standing here, except Tzader, and all of the gryphons that agree to join us.”
Tzader scowled, but he had his own job of protecting Brina and Treoir. No one thought any less of him for remaining behind, but that warrior and Quinn had been Evalle’s closest friends before Storm met her. To be more accurate, Tzader and Quinn treated Evalle as a younger sister.
Why the gryphons? Storm wouldn’t ask. Daegan had a plan in mind. Not that Storm would refuse the additional fighters, but did Daegan believe they had to be airborne to battle inside the realm?
Where would that leave Storm’s jaguar?
If they had to fly, Storm mentally counted Daegan, Tristan and what? One or two more of the seven gryphons who currently resided on Treoir Island?
How many creatures had Abandinu collected over centuries of playing with his realms?
It didn’t matter. Storm would go alone if that was his only option, but he was thankful for the bonds Evalle had built with all of these people.
Once Tristan had departed, Daegan asked, “How do I locate the realm with Germanus?”
Garwyli sighed. “As far as anyone knows, Abandinu created three realms for his entertainment.”
Daegan sounded just as impatient when he said, “He can have as many as he wishes, but how do we find this one?”
Garwyli frowned hard at the dragon king, but explained, “It was said that one realm had been created entirely under water and a second one was full of nothing but constant sunrises and sunsets. That would leave only one.” Turning to speak pointedly to Daegan, he said, “Keep in mind that if Abandinu is behind all of this, he will be undefeatable in his own realm, even by you, dragon.”
“I know my chances,” Daegan said, dismissing any more concerns raised about him. Then he asked the druid, “If you think she can only be in one realm, I need a way to locate it.”
“There is a very quick way in by offering your dragon to Abandinu, but—”
Everyone groaned.
“If that’s what it takes, that’s what I’ll do,” Daegan stated firmly.
“Bad idea,” Tzader broke in. “That would completely destroy any advantage you would have from the element of surprise.”
“That’s what I was about to say, Tzader,” Garwyli groused. “I do have another idea. It might not work if—”
Daegan growled like his dragon. “Druid, please do not waste time on what might not work. Just give me enough information to locate the correct realm.”
“I’m tryin’ to do just that, dragon. The way I see it, there is a simple path. Envision winged beasts around Germanus. Follow that to teleport in, but there is risk of being attacked as you arrive if you land too close.”
Storm had to admit that Garwyli had a point. He said, “Listen everyone. I know you’re all ready to go in there and battle. I’ll never be able to repay this debt, so thank you. But I’m the one who should be teleported in first. I not only shift into my jaguar, but I have majik as well. Give me time to distract any threat if we are landing in the middle of them, then follow thirty seconds later.”
Quinn said, “No.”
His reply was followed by the same response around the room, ending with Daegan saying, “Nice try, Storm, but I’m not facing Evalle if you died doing that. Let’s go.”
“One more thing, dragon.”
“Yes, druid?” Daegan said, sounding as if one more question strained what patience he had left.
“It is hard to imagine Abandinu allowing any activity in his realm without his knowledge. If Abandinu put Evalle into the realm, then he must be the one to take her out.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Storm ran a hand over his head in exasperation. “I don’t give a damn at this point. I’m going for her.”
“Me, too,” echoed around the room.
“Let’s see how many gryphons we have and get moving,” Daegan ordered and strode toward the double doors leading outside.
“Finally.” Storm and the others followed Daegan outside where ... seven members of the gryphon pack stood in human form. That was all of them with the exception of Evalle. Tristan didn’t look a bit happy about his sister being in the group. That was up to Tristan and his sister.
Storm wished for Evalle to see the support of her peers. That would make for one hell of an air attack.
Garwyli stepped up next to Storm. “I have complete faith in you bringing your mate home.”
While that was a nice vote of confidence to hear, Storm prepared for a one-way trip. If Abandinu would not release her, he was not leaving her in another realm forever.
Tristan stepped forward. “I have an idea.”
Quinn groaned loudly.