Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Three - word count 2248 - Download PDF
33. The debriefing room was packed to capacity. Gabriel looked out across the room taking a mental tally of those that needed to be there. Good, all the Omega were present as were Fenn and Crimson. Thor lounged in chair at the back of the room and Rage sat next to him. Everyone was accounted for. Time to let them know what they were letting themselves in for. After talking to Fenn again, Gabriel could understand why the Elf was so upset about leading the Omega into the vale. He sat down on the armrest of the front chair folding his arms across his chest. He took in a deep breath, he knew he was about to loose any popularity contests that might be running. He cleared his throat and silence enfolded the room. “I’m going to get to the point. We know where the…” Gabriel looked at Fenn’s frown. “We know where Raven is hiding, and we know how to get there.” “Excellent.” Seth sat forward. “When do we leave?” “We aren’t all going.” Fenn stood up from the chair and moved to face the group in the debriefing room. “Before you all get irate with me let me explain.” He held up a hand to forestall the arguments. “The… place we are going to is one of the forests Elves refer to as forbidden place. Don’t get the wrong idea, the title is not just for shits and giggles, the forest is pure undiluted evil and those of us that go in will be lucky to get out alive.” Fenn looked around the faces intent on him and waited a moment before caring on. “Only a forest Elf has a chance of getting any one in or out of there, and only a powerful one. There are others more powerful than I am, but I doubt that they will agree to take you in. So you are stuck with me, and stuck with the rules I’m going to enforce.” He took in a breath knowing what was coming next was not going to be popular. “I’m not strong enough to take more than a few of you in. So Gabriel and I have discussed it and these are the people going in. Crimson, Marcus, Kyle and Sorcha.” There was an uproar as the names were called. Seth stood up and glowered at Fenn. “I’m the leader of the Omega, what gives you the right to decide I can’t go.” Fenn looked at Seth darkly before answering. “Are you that eager to die Seth?” Seth tensed, he was a hairs breadth from attacking Fenn. “Wait! Before this gets violent.” Gabriel smoothly stepped between the two men. “Fenn and I have good reasons for our choices. Crimson is born from evil, that might help, Marcus has some magical ability, at the very least he can share power to help Fenn when needed. Sorcha is a Walker Psy. That will help with the undead you’ll they’ll have to deal with…” “You’re not leaving me behind if Sorcha is being forced into that kind of danger.” Kyle spoke in a dark voice from the back of the room. Gabriel nodded his agreement. The danger to Sorcha and Kyle’s strength and new abilities had been the reason they’d decided to allow Kyle to go with, besides Gabe knew that Kyle would not leave his Nexus mate’s side. Now matter how many arguments or orders were thrown at him. “But wont it be better if we all go, the more fighters the easier to defeat an enemy.” Drew’s pointed out logically from her seat in the front. “You have a point, but I need to try and mask our presence, and the more people I’m masking the harder it is to keep us hidden. So I have to take the as few people as possible in with me.” Fenn explained. “Can’t the rest of us wait outside this forest?” Ross asked. Fenn was shaking his head before Ross had even finished his sentence. “The forest is - for lack of a better term - sentient. It would sense your presence immediately and that would only make my job that much more difficult.” “But…” Seth started. “No buts and ifs or any other arguments Seth. This has to be done this way.” Gabriel interrupted Seth before he could get going. “I don’t like this.” “Your objection is noted, but overruled. So take the time and go help your Nexus mate plan your wedding. It’s only a week away.” Gabriel teased with a smile. “I’m assuming the presence of two deities will cause too much of a stir in the forest?” Rage waved a hand to include Thor in the statement. “Stir would be a nice way of putting it. The forest would chew us all up and spit us out if you or Thor tried to enter.” Fenn agreed. “Damn, you know I hate missing the fun.” Thor grumbled but didn’t argue further. “What is our objective?” Marcus asked, he’d been unusually quiet through the meeting. “Do we want to capture Raven or is it a dead or alive situation?” Gabriel’s face sobered and his voice became deadly as he answered Marcus. “Take her out.” Two hours later the entrance hall of the compound reverberated with the sound of booted feet and rattling weapons as they checked and rechecked weapons while getting ready to leave. Fenn sat on the foot of the stairs the leg of his pants lifted as he slid a wicked looking dagger into his ankle sheath. He went over and over the plan in his head and tried to calm his mind so he could build the camouflage that was supposed to keep them safe. To pass through the Vale in one piece he had to make the Vale think that the people moving with him were part of the Vale, as evil as anything else that called the Vale home. That was going to be difficult enough, but what really worried him were the creatures of the vale. To find anything nastier you’d probably have to go into the bowels of hell itself. He pressed the release on his H&K .45 ACP and checked the clip, then slid the magazine back in and slammed it into place. Twelve in the clip and one in the barrel. He pulled the slide back to double check. The bullets were specialized, a tungsten core wrapped in a silver case would make this chore a little easier, it didn’t hurt that the bullets were blessed as well, blessed in the name of any deity that would bless them. There wasn’t much that could stand up against those bullets, and the armor piercing capabilities of the tungsten core made a tough hide a non-issue. “Nice gun.” Marcus commented as he came down the stairs and peered over Fenn’s shoulder. “Didn’t think you owned one.” Fenn smoothed his hand over the chromed barrel then looked up at Marcus. “You thought I’d take a bow and quiver of arrows?” Fenn couldn’t help the half smile that curved his lips. People tended to underestimate him, thinking that he was an Elf and musician so he couldn’t kick ass. Marcus barked with laughter at the comment. “Didn’t really think about it, just never realized you were so hard core.” “You aren’t exactly quiet.” Fenn pointed at Marcus. Marcus grinned and bounced on the balls of his feet. He sounded like a steal works. “Be prepared that’s what I always say.” Fenn had to grin, but he reminded Marcus. “Just try and chill the sound out a little, we are going to need to move quietly.” “Chillax my friend, I’ll muffle the steal.” Marcus smiled and moved past Fenn. “Here.” Sorcha looked up as Kyle thrust a black bag into her hand. She raised a brow at his gruff tone, but took the bag out of his hand. “And this is?” She asked looking down at the black material she realized it wasn’t a bag but rather a roll of thick canvas like fabric. Kyle took it back from her and tugged the Velcro on the edge open rolling the material out to show the steal tops of throwing blades. Sorcha counted fifteen blades. “I had this made for you, you wrap it around your waist like this.” Kyle leaned forward his hair brushing the side of her face as he bent and wrapped the wide belt around her waist securing it with the long edge of Velcro at the back. It was all Sorcha could do to keep her heart from bursting through her ribs. Damn Kyle and his effect on her. He just had to move close and she turned into a hormonal teenager. She had to mask it better than this. He’d told her in no uncertain terms he wasn’t available to her any more. Sorcha felt hot tears threaten when she realized again that she’d made a spectacular mistake. “There.” He stepped back to check the fit of the belt over her dark green tee shirt. “Now you have something to throw with your telekinesis. The blades are silver, so they’ll at least hurt most Mythos. Hell, if you lucky you’ll kill a couple and not just slow them down.” “Thank…” Sorcha cleared her throat as her voice broke and tried again. “Thank you.” He nodded but didn’t say anything else as he turned and walked over to Marcus. Sorcha you are a world-class idiot for letting Kyle get away. She berated herself. I could always try and tell him I do care enough. No, that would never happen, Sorcha was too proud to go to Kyle and admit she wanted to be with him. Gabriel came down the staircase. “Are you ready?” He leaned an arm on the banister and looked down at the assembled Mythos. Fenn rose and nodded his head. “I’m ready if Sorcha’s ready to teleport us close to the forest.” “I’ve got the coordinates fixed in my mind. We can go when ever we are all ready.” “Sorcha-” Gabriel moved down the stairs and faced the Psy. “If things get nasty. Use your telepathy and call me. Thor and Rage are standing by as are the rest of the Omega. Should things get out of hand we burst in guns blazing. Remember that.” “I will.” “Good.” Gabriel surveyed the group again and drew in a deep breath. All dressed in varying degrees of forest camouflage they were a motley crew, but the best people for the job at hand. If Sable was right and hell’s throne was at stake the fate of the world hung in the balance. Better the devil you know… Sorcha concentrated on the coordinates and the men around her, she felt for each ones essence so she could pull them through space with her. Something was interfering with her concentration. She would have blamed Kyle’s close proximity but he was as far away from her as he could get without leaving the area she was going to teleport them from. She felt the twinge of distraction again and opened her eyes and looked at the front doors. The feeling she kept getting was coming from that direction. Her eyes followed the wood paneling down to the marble it rested on and she frowned. Was there water pouring through the bottom of the door. Water that had black mist rising off of it? Crimson stood with his back too the door but as Sorcha looked down he spun and looked down too. “Do not attack” He told the others in a steel reinforced tone. Sorcha watched in awe as the water and the mist separated, the black mist coalescing into a man’s form as the water seemed to build and solidify as well. This time she felt the gees click into place, but she was still powerless to stop the effect the two men had on her. They were stunning, the one that had formed from black mist had ebony hair and his eye were a solid black, his bone structure like the other mans was something a Renaissance sculptor could never have duplicated, the man that had formed from the water was clocked in shades of blue from the pure cyan of his hair to the stormy color of his eyes. When Crimson stepped forward Sorcha felt herself start forward as well, seeing these three together was more than her brain could handle. She felt Gabriel’s hands close on her shoulder as he bent his head forward to whisper. “They are incubi Sorcha. Remember that.” Instantly the spell was broken and Sorcha drew in a deep breath. That kind of mojo was just not fair. They were beautiful enough, add the geis and no woman could ever stand a chance even if she was in love with a currently glowering wereleopard. Sorcha felt her whole body tense. Had she just admitted to herself that she was in love with Kyle? Oh god, I did. I’m in love with him. The thought made her stomach clench in a mixture of joy and pain. Great, it’s a day late isn’t it Sorcha. She bit her lip and tried to forget the realization that had just swept though her. Crimson glared at his brothers as he demanded to know. “Do you two always have to sneak into a place.” Cyan flashed a cheeky grin. “Sable said you told him to use the front door. That’s what we did.”

Chapter Thirty Three - word count 2248 - Download PDF

33.
      The debriefing room was packed to capacity.  Gabriel looked out across the room taking a mental tally of those that needed to be there.  Good, all the Omega were present as were Fenn and Crimson.  Thor lounged in chair at the back of the room and Rage sat next to him.  Everyone was accounted for.  Time to let them know what they were letting themselves in for.
      After talking to Fenn again, Gabriel could understand why the Elf was so upset about leading the Omega into the vale.  He sat down on the armrest of the front chair folding his arms across his chest.  He took in a deep breath, he knew he was about to loose any popularity contests that might be running.  He cleared his throat and silence enfolded the room.
      “I’m going to get to the point.  We know where the…” Gabriel looked at Fenn’s frown.  “We know where Raven is hiding, and we know how to get there.”
      “Excellent.”  Seth sat forward.  “When do we leave?”
      “We aren’t all going.”  Fenn stood up from the chair and moved to face the group in the debriefing room.  “Before you all get irate with me let me explain.”  He held up a hand to forestall the arguments.  “The… place we are going to is one of the forests Elves refer to as forbidden place.  Don’t get the wrong idea, the title is not just for shits and giggles, the forest is pure undiluted evil and those of us that go in will be lucky to get out alive.”  Fenn looked around the faces intent on him and waited a moment before caring on.  “Only a forest Elf has a chance of getting any one in or out of there, and only a powerful one.  There are others more powerful than I am, but I doubt that they will agree to take you in.  So you are stuck with me, and stuck with the rules I’m going to enforce.”  He took in a breath knowing what was coming next was not going to be popular.  “I’m not strong enough to take more than a few of you in.  So Gabriel and I have discussed it and these are the people going in.  Crimson, Marcus, Kyle and Sorcha.”
      There was an uproar as the names were called.  Seth stood up and glowered at Fenn.
      “I’m the leader of the Omega, what gives you the right to decide I can’t go.”
      Fenn looked at Seth darkly before answering.  “Are you that eager to die Seth?”
      Seth tensed, he was a hairs breadth from attacking Fenn.
      “Wait!  Before this gets violent.”  Gabriel smoothly stepped between the two men.
      “Fenn and I have good reasons for our choices.  Crimson is born from evil, that might help, Marcus has some magical ability, at the very least he can share power to help Fenn when needed.  Sorcha is a Walker Psy.  That will help with the undead you’ll they’ll have to deal with…”
      “You’re not leaving me behind if Sorcha is being forced into that kind of danger.”  Kyle spoke in a dark voice from the back of the room.
      Gabriel nodded his agreement.  The danger to Sorcha and Kyle’s strength and new abilities had been the reason they’d decided to allow Kyle to go with, besides Gabe knew that Kyle would not leave his Nexus mate’s side.  Now matter how many arguments or orders were thrown at him.
      “But wont it be better if we all go, the more fighters the easier to defeat an enemy.”  Drew’s pointed out logically from her seat in the front.
      “You have a point, but I need to try and mask our presence, and the more people I’m masking the harder it is to keep us hidden.  So I have to take the as few people as possible in with me.”  Fenn explained.
      “Can’t the rest of us wait outside this forest?”  Ross asked.
      Fenn was shaking his head before Ross had even finished his sentence.  “The forest is - for lack of a better term - sentient.  It would sense your presence immediately and that would only make my job that much more difficult.”
      “But…” Seth started.
      “No buts and ifs or any other arguments Seth.  This has to be done this way.” Gabriel interrupted Seth before he could get going.
      “I don’t like this.”
      “Your objection is noted, but overruled.  So take the time and go help your Nexus mate plan your wedding.  It’s only a week away.”  Gabriel teased with a smile.
      “I’m assuming the presence of two deities will cause too much of a stir in the forest?”  Rage waved a hand to include Thor in the statement.
      “Stir would be a nice way of putting it.  The forest would chew us all up and spit us out if you or Thor tried to enter.”  Fenn agreed.
      “Damn, you know I hate missing the fun.”  Thor grumbled but didn’t argue further.
      “What is our objective?”  Marcus asked, he’d been unusually quiet through the meeting.  “Do we want to capture Raven or is it a dead or alive situation?”
      Gabriel’s face sobered and his voice became deadly as he answered Marcus.
      “Take her out.”

      Two hours later the entrance hall of the compound reverberated with the sound of booted feet and rattling weapons as they checked and rechecked weapons while getting ready to leave.
      Fenn sat on the foot of the stairs the leg of his pants lifted as he slid a wicked looking dagger into his ankle sheath.  He went over and over the plan in his head and tried to calm his mind so he could build the camouflage that was supposed to keep them safe.
      To pass through the Vale in one piece he had to make the Vale think that the people moving with him were part of the Vale, as evil as anything else that called the Vale home.  That was going to be difficult enough, but what really worried him were the creatures of the vale.  To find anything nastier you’d probably have to go into the bowels of hell itself.
      He pressed the release on his H&K .45 ACP and checked the clip, then slid the magazine back in and slammed it into place. Twelve in the clip and one in the barrel.  He pulled the slide back to double check.  The bullets were specialized, a tungsten core wrapped in a silver case would make this chore a little easier, it didn’t hurt that the bullets were blessed as well, blessed in the name of any deity that would bless them.  There wasn’t much that could stand up against those bullets, and the armor piercing capabilities of the tungsten core made a tough hide a non-issue.
      “Nice gun.”  Marcus commented as he came down the stairs and peered over Fenn’s shoulder.  “Didn’t think you owned one.”
      Fenn smoothed his hand over the chromed barrel then looked up at Marcus.
      “You thought I’d take a bow and quiver of arrows?”  Fenn couldn’t help the half smile that curved his lips.  People tended to underestimate him, thinking that he was an Elf and musician so he couldn’t kick ass.
      Marcus barked with laughter at the comment.  “Didn’t really think about it, just never realized you were so hard core.”
      “You aren’t exactly quiet.”  Fenn pointed at Marcus.
      Marcus grinned and bounced on the balls of his feet.  He sounded like a steal works.
      “Be prepared that’s what I always say.”
      Fenn had to grin, but he reminded Marcus.  “Just try and chill the sound out a little, we are going to need to move quietly.”
      “Chillax my friend, I’ll muffle the steal.”  Marcus smiled and moved past Fenn.

      “Here.”  Sorcha looked up as Kyle thrust a black bag into her hand.
      She raised a brow at his gruff tone, but took the bag out of his hand.
      “And this is?”  She asked looking down at the black material she realized it wasn’t a bag but rather a roll of thick canvas like fabric.
      Kyle took it back from her and tugged the Velcro on the edge open rolling the material out to show the steal tops of throwing blades.  Sorcha counted fifteen blades.
      “I had this made for you, you wrap it around your waist like this.”  Kyle leaned forward his hair brushing the side of her face as he bent and wrapped the wide belt around her waist securing it with the long edge of Velcro at the back.
      It was all Sorcha could do to keep her heart from bursting through her ribs.  Damn Kyle and his effect on her.  He just had to move close and she turned into a hormonal teenager.  She had to mask it better than this.  He’d told her in no uncertain terms he wasn’t available to her any more.  Sorcha felt hot tears threaten when she realized again that she’d made a spectacular mistake.
      “There.”  He stepped back to check the fit of the belt over her dark green tee shirt.  “Now you have something to throw with your telekinesis.  The blades are silver, so they’ll at least hurt most Mythos.  Hell, if you lucky you’ll kill a couple and not just slow them down.”
      “Thank…” Sorcha cleared her throat as her voice broke and tried again.  “Thank you.”
      He nodded but didn’t say anything else as he turned and walked over to Marcus.
      Sorcha you are a world-class idiot for letting Kyle get away.
      She berated herself.
      I could always try and tell him I do care enough.
      No, that would never happen, Sorcha was too proud to go to Kyle and admit she wanted to be with him.
      Gabriel came down the staircase.  “Are you ready?”  He leaned an arm on the banister and looked down at the assembled Mythos.
      Fenn rose and nodded his head.  “I’m ready if Sorcha’s ready to teleport us close to the forest.”
      “I’ve got the coordinates fixed in my mind.  We can go when ever we are all ready.”
      “Sorcha-” Gabriel moved down the stairs and faced the Psy.  “If things get nasty.  Use your telepathy and call me.  Thor and Rage are standing by as are the rest of the Omega.  Should things get out of hand we burst in guns blazing.  Remember that.”
      “I will.”
      “Good.”  Gabriel surveyed the group again and drew in a deep breath.  All dressed in varying degrees of forest camouflage they were a motley crew, but the best people for the job at hand.  If Sable was right and hell’s throne was at stake the fate of the world hung in the balance.  Better the devil you know…

      Sorcha concentrated on the coordinates and the men around her, she felt for each ones essence so she could pull them through space with her.  Something was interfering with her concentration.  She would have blamed Kyle’s close proximity but he was as far away from her as he could get without leaving the area she was going to teleport them from.  She felt the twinge of distraction again and opened her eyes and looked at the front doors.  The feeling she kept getting was coming from that direction.  Her eyes followed the wood paneling down to the marble it rested on and she frowned.  Was there water pouring through the bottom of the door.  Water that had black mist rising off of it?
      Crimson stood with his back too the door but as Sorcha looked down he spun and looked down too.  “Do not attack”  He told the others in a steel reinforced tone.
      Sorcha watched in awe as the water and the mist separated, the black mist coalescing into a man’s form as the water seemed to build and solidify as well. This time she felt the gees click into place, but she was still powerless to stop the effect the two men had on her.  They were stunning, the one that had formed from black mist had ebony hair and his eye were a solid black, his bone structure like the other mans was something a Renaissance sculptor could never have duplicated, the man that had formed from the water was clocked in shades of blue from the pure cyan of his hair to the stormy color of his eyes.
      When Crimson stepped forward Sorcha felt herself start forward as well, seeing these three together was more than her brain could handle.  She felt Gabriel’s hands close on her shoulder as he bent his head forward to whisper.  “They are incubi Sorcha.  Remember that.”
      Instantly the spell was broken and Sorcha drew in a deep breath.  That kind of mojo was just not fair.  They were beautiful enough, add the geis and no woman could ever stand a chance even if she was in love with a currently glowering wereleopard.
      Sorcha felt her whole body tense.  Had she just admitted to herself that she was in love with Kyle?
      Oh god, I did.  I’m in love with him.
      The thought made her stomach clench in a mixture of joy and pain.
      Great, it’s a day late isn’t it Sorcha.
      She bit her lip and tried to forget the realization that had just swept though her.
      Crimson glared at his brothers as he demanded to know.  “Do you two always have to sneak into a place.”
      Cyan flashed a cheeky grin.  “Sable said you told him to use the front door.  That’s what we did.”

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