Amaya's Storm (Book One)

She trotted over, shifting midstride, “A jaguar?”

I nodded, she rushed inside the structure. I bent the chains off of her and the remaining drugged shifters. “What’s your little sister doing here?”

Alanza shook her head, she tried to speak but couldn’t through the emotion. Jax whined at the entrance. I moved to the side to let him into the structure. He went to comfort his mate, but let out a growl when he saw who was on the floor. “We didn’t know she was missing,” he mind linked me. He sniffed the air, “The other is a wolf. I don’t recognise him, but his wolf is strong despite the wolfsbane in his system.”

I nodded, “Alanza, do you need help?” She shook her head and gathered her sister in her arms, and left with Jax out the entrance. I moved on to the wolf and picked him up, moving him outside onto a bed of plants I bent to us. I created three more, “Alanza,” she turned to me and I bent one of the beds to her, “put her in here.” I went back in for the other two dragons. As I walked back inside one of the remaining women was starting to wake up, but when she spotted me, she started inching away from me, shaking her hands and head. I put my hands up in front of me trying to show her I meant her no harm. “You’re okay. I’m here to rescue you. The others that were in here have already been taken outside. The chains that were on you have been taken off, we’re going back to the village for now.” She started shaking her head, “Joseph isn’t in control anymore. I took him down and when the village was attacked we followed the scent here. We’re going home, back to Virginia.”

I bent in some more water for her, again taking a small drink for myself. She took a drink and motioned to me with a quizzical look on her face. “My name is Amaya Wardwell. I’m the daughter of the rightful king, and technically Joseph’s niece. We’re nothing like him.” She nodded her understanding, “What’s your name?”

She shook her head and motioned with her hand as if it’s coming out of her mouth.

“You’ve lost your voice?” She nodded, “Can you stand?” She motioned for my hand and I gave it to her. I pulled her to her feet, she was shaky but she steeled herself and walked with me out to where Johnny and Claire were sitting on some chairs. “Do you guys know her name?”

They nodded but looked at her and after she nodded they looked back at me, “Finley.”

I smiled at them, “Thanks.” I went back for the last dragon, she didn’t wake up, so I carried her out as gently as I could and set her on the bed I made. I walked over to Alanza and Jax, “How’s your sister?”

She wiped her tear stained cheeks, “She’s weak. They injected her with a lot of silver, I can smell it. I don’t know why my parents didn’t tell me.”

“It might be possible,” Niamh’s voice sounded in my head.

I started rummaging through things until I found what I was looking for, an unopened syringe. I walked back over to Alanza and her sister, “Let me see her arm.” Alanza gave me her arm, I stuck the syringe in her arm and focused on her bloodstream. I singled out the silver and pulled it through her body into the syringe. I put the cap on the syringe and looked at Alanza. “She’ll be fine, I think. I’m pretty sure I got it all but what I didn’t get out she should be able to process now.”

Alanza launched herself at me, “Thank you Amaya. You have no idea what this means to me.”

“Anything for family,” we pulled apart and Alanza went back to tending to her sister. “What do you guys think about flying out? Just a big ass basket for everyone and you guys run back.”

“What about shit pot? What did you call him? Doesn’t matter. What about him?” Alanza asked.

“I carry him in a foot and if he gets on my nerves I just drop him,” I said with a shrug. Jax whined and I gave him a heavy sigh, “I know. I know. We need him for information but you have to admit it sounds like a lot more fun to drop him into the jungle from really high up.”

“Yeah explain that to Daniel when he hears about it, and you know he’ll hear about it. He’ll have you on the bench for weeks and on some shitty duty just to top it off like working in fire dragon territory.” Alanza made a disgusted sound, “King Aaron still trying to get in your pants?”

“Is this really the place?” I asked, completely done with my friend.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She went silent for a moment and I thought I had finally gotten out of this conversation. “Jax is running back alone. I’m riding with my sister and the others. Is that cool?”

I nodded and started bending more vines and branches together creating the largest hot air balloon basket on record, “I’ll grab one end, you get the other.”

“The door was a nice touch,” she said with a small smile on her face.

“I do what I can. Can you and Jax load up the other two? I’m going to shackle the hunter and go through some stuff I found in one of the tents.”

She nodded and Jax shifted quickly, throwing on the pair of pants he brought with him. I went back into the lean-to and grabbed the iron chains off the floor. I headed to the hunter and removed his ground restraints and started to remove the whip from around his neck when he came to and started swinging. He only got in two good blows before I knocked him out again with a hard right hook. I put the chains around his wrists and headed to the tents. I rummaged through everything, grabbing files, a laptop, and a few journals.

I came out to see everyone loaded and ready to go, including Jax. “What? Why should I have to run back when everyone else gets a free ride? They said it was okay.”

“How did you ever make it into the SEALs? Seriously, I’m genuinely curious. Lazy bum,” he gave me a lazy smile as his only reply.

I walked away to the very edge of the campsite and shifted. “Holy fuck she’s massive,” Johnny said.

I bent the hunters I killed so they went under the earth and slid the leader to me to pick up before taking flight. As gently as I could I picked him up in my front foot. “Everyone seated with hands, arms, and feet inside the basket?” I mind linked Alanza.

“Yep, we are good to go.”

“Great. Hang on,” I flew up then came back down to grab the basket in my other front foot.