Finding the Dragon (Dásreach Council Book 1) (10 page)

“So, you two ready? We’re going to be late.” Nat said as she brushed quickly past Al on her way into the room.

“I wish I could say no, but Rogue said we have to go to this thing.”

“I guess someone didn’t wake up well after last night. Did you take some pain reliever, Al?” Nat asked, concern showing on her face.

“Yeah. I just want more sleep and this isn’t one of those things I want to do when it looks like the day of the dead out there. It’s so gloomy today." Al said as Rogue re-entered the room.

“Okay, drama queen, time to go.” Rogue laughed as she grabbed Al’s arm.

“Why are you in such a good mood all of a sudden?”

“Because, my best girls are takin’ me to see Marie Laveau’s grave today.” Rogue led her out their door, “I’ve never had the chance to go before, so now I’m goin’ and I’m goin’ to make my wish. My life is goin’ to change for the better startin’ today.”

Al understood her friends desire to have some good come her way, but it still didn’t make her feel better about going to a cemetery.

“Why can’t we go to the Café Du Monde? It’s just as historic as St. Louis Cemetery #1.”

“Because, as the good friend you are, you want me to get my wish.” Rogue said sweetly while batting her eyes at Al.

“Ugh. Does that actually work?” Al said as she fought a smile.

“Yep!” Rogue replied as they walked out of the Melrose Mansion. The two-story, white Victorian stood stark against the gray sky and Al could totally believe the haunting stories she had heard about this city. Oh, lucky her to be going to a cemetery, when she’d rather continue dreaming about Kai.

*

The girls had made it just in time to catch the coach to the cemetery to Al’s disappointment, up to that point she was still holding out for the beignets. Her mind was full of stories that she had read and heard about New Orleans and its supernatural side. As they traveled the short distance to the cemetery, she began to wonder if she was more upset because she was hung over and didn’t want to be on a tour or if her imagination was taking her fears to an unhealthy level.
Sheesh! I never knew I was such a scaredy cat. Ugh.
She looked across the aisle at her friends; they didn’t seem to be having any problems after the evening of drinking and didn’t seem to be afraid of anything. Nat was always cautious but never afraid, and with her training in the Marines she was a force to be reckoned with. Then, Rogue always seemed to find the silver lining to any situation and had her self-defense training for when she couldn’t. Nothing fazed either one. As she watched them talk animatedly about what they wanted to see at the cemetery, all Al could do was hope that they would rub off on her and she would find her inner Valkyrie. She wanted to be a warrior like her friends.

When they pulled up at the cemetery, everyone got off the tour coach quickly. Al walked slow and stayed towards the back of the group. Rogue and Nat walked slightly ahead of her and kept looking back and motioning for her to catch up. After a few stops on the tour and a lot of facts and spooky stories, Al was wishing for Café Du Monde even more. When Rogue and Nat dropped back, while the tour guide told about Marie Laveau and the other tourists took pictures of the famous tomb, Al was afraid that she was ruining their tour. Instead, Rogue patted her on the shoulder and said, “We’re going to wait for everyone else to finish, so I can get some pictures without anyone else in them.”

“Okay.” Al replied weakly.

“Are you really hatin’ this that much?” Rogue asked with concern.

“Nah, not really. It’s actually been pretty interesting. I think I’m just feeling sorry for myself.” Al reassured her. Rogue gave her a one armed hug before going up to the tomb as the last pair of tourists continued along the alley with the rest of the group.

“You know how I mentioned my wish?” Rogue asked and waited for Al to nod, “They say that if you mark an
X
on Marie Laveau’s grave that you will have good luck.” Rogue said as she placed a hand over a mark.

“I believe that you make your own luck. Besides, you saw that sign that said you would be prosecuted for defacing property, right?” Nat asked, always aware of the rules.

“Why do you think we waited for everyone to move on?” Rogue replied with a grin. “It’s a perfect day to be here. The weather is keepin’ a lot of people inside, so no one will see me. And, I really need some good luck.”

“Just hurry up and do what you’re going to do Rogue.” Al sighed. “I still think this place is creepy and personally would much prefer going to the Café Du Monde for beignets. I’m still trying to figure out how you talked me into coming on this tour.” The overcast sky looked like a storm was coming, and Al just hoped it held off until they could finish the tour and get back to the hotel or someplace else inside. She would hate to have to travel back to the hotel all wet. Not to mention that they most likely had to walk back to the Melrose.

“Al, the tour will be over shortly and I promise we’ll go for those beignets on the way back to the hotel.” Rogue said as Al watched a man dressed in black and wearing a ski mask come up behind Nat.

She started to say something when she felt a hand grasp her mouth and another arm pulled on her from behind. She looked on in horror as two men grabbed her friends, just as the man who had her pulled her off balance and began dragging her between two tombs. Al felt frozen. Only her mind was moving at the speed of light, frantically searching for information on what to do.
Damn it! Why didn't I take that self-defense class when Rogue told us about hers and suggested we all take one? Struggle, damn it. Fight, don’t let him take you. Didn’t I see on some show that they said not to let them take you from the scene?
At that thought, Al’s muscles seemed to re-awaken and she began to struggle, but the man didn’t seem to be affected by her attempts to twist out of his hold. She kicked out at him and jerked her arms, but he just dug his fingers in harder.

She frantically searched for her friends and saw Nat bring back her elbow into her attacker’s stomach as she swung her leg around in some sort of kick that landed her foot square on the man’s knee. He went down quickly.
Idiot... taking on an ex-marine.
Al thought in a detached inner monologue.

Rogue was in the process of kicking her assailant in the balls.

Al pulled towards her friends, throwing all of her weight in the direction she wanted to go. The man struggled to hold on to her as she finally pulled him off balance. He was a large man and recovered quickly, working to pull her down the walkway between the crypts. When he wasn’t having any luck moving her, he stood still for a split second taking in his downed accomplices and Nat running full boar for them. Between one second and the next, the man had dropped Al on her ass. Everything seemed a blur to Al and she sat on the ground shaking.

***

Kai silently crept around a tomb just in time to see Alvena fall to the ground and a man quickly running in the opposite direction of a quickly approaching Nat.

What the fuck!
Kai began to run to Alvena when he felt Dar’s hand on his shoulder. He jerked around to Dar ready to do what it took to get to his mate, when he caught sight of Charlie as his black panther racing down another alley to head the retreating man off.

“Charlie has him Kai and a few other Dásreach are positioning themselves to catch the other two before they get away. Besides, look… your mate’s friends have gotten to her. You don’t want to cause them reason for concern before you can get them to the shop.” Dar reassured him.

Kai knew Dar was right, but all he wanted was to have his mate in his arms. Lightning flashed in the sky over his head as he fought back his fear.
I should strike them all dead.

Jesus, he could have lost her and all because of the fucking council and their phone call.

Everything had happened so quickly. He and Charlie were following the lasses when both their phones rang with the incoming call from the Council. They had had to take it. Once their phone call had ended, Charlie and Kai had split up to find the women. They were both fuming about the pointless conversation, but Kai kept telling himself that they really didn’t have any reason to worry. Even so, his dragon had not agreed and his gut was telling him something wasn’t right. He had learned early on to follow his gut, so he had contacted Dar.

Just as Kai had come across the tour group, he had received a text from Dar, letting him know that him and a couple of other enforcers from the local Dásig were in the cemetery. Kai realized that Alvena and her friends weren’t with the group and had turned in the direction from which the group had come. He had just picked up his pace, tracking his mate, when he came upon the lasses, just in time to see Nat and Rogue taking out their opponents and his mate fall to the ground.

Fucking phone call. They didn’t even really needed to talk to us, it was a question that any of the Thirteen could have answered. Have you found your mates yet?
And the distraction of the council asking that question had almost caused Kai to lose his. The next time the phone rang, Kai was going to let it go to voice mail. Screw anybody who tried to distract him from protecting his mate. Because he was starting to wonder if someone was after one or all of the women. First the blown tire and now this attack. Because those men did not look like some street thugs that wanted to grab a few purses. They were after something much more.

Kai regretted telling Charlie not to worry about the women being out of their sight; that their mates were on a tour with a lot of other people and would be fine. It hadn’t been an intelligent assumption, what with the evidence that had been found this morning. Evidence that Rogue’s tire had actually been blown by a small explosive and another device had been found still attached to the bottom of the car. Luckily, it had malfunctioned or his and Charlie’s mates along with their friend would have been dead. Burned.

After the news, Charlie had become even more hot tempered, and had adamantly demanded that they get the women under their protection. Emotionally, Kai agreed with him, but as the Leader of the Thirteen, he had been trained to be patient and analyze every situation. He couldn’t let himself be ruled by emotions. He had to be logical. And, if they rushed in and tried to strong arm the women, he might just lose his mate. He couldn’t take the chance. So, he had chosen to stand back and wait for his and Charlie’s mates to come to the shop. What would it hurt to give them their time and space? The women had had a good time the night before, and since the blown tire there had been no other trouble. That was until now. Dar was investigating, working to find out why someone had put the devices on the car. With this new attack, Kai would have him double the resources. They would seek answers and they would start with these men.

“Dar.”

“Yes, Kai.”

“I want
you
to interrogate those men. I need answers. Something is wrong here and I need to know what.”

“I’m on it.” Dar disappeared into the shadows, heading for a rendezvous with the other enforcers.

Kai knew Dar would take care of the arses who had thought to attack his mate. With his bear spirit guardian, Dar could be very persuasive. He would get the answers they needed. And, Kai needed those answers quickly, before his dragon spirit guardian opened him from the inside and came out to take care of things himself. The dragon was full of claws and fire, tearing Kai up for his stupidity at letting his mate out of his site, again.

His eyes were glued to the lasses in front of him. Rogue and Nat were kneeling on either side of Alvena. Nat scanned the tombs around them, obviously watching for the men to return. Kai moved further back in the shadows to make sure she wouldn’t see him. Rogue patted Alvena’s hand and spoke quietly to her. It was twisting Kai’s insides in a knot to see his mate in shock on the ground. They were going to find out what the fuck was going on and then he was going to make his mate his so he could protect her properly. That was all there was to it. She had to be in his arms, in his house, in his bed.

Eventually Rogue and Nat got Alvena to her feet. She was shaky and he was grateful when her friends supported her and headed down the alley towards the entrance to the cemetery. As he followed them, staying in the shadows, Charlie came up beside him. His eyes were bright with his panther and he clenched his hands at his sides.

“This was no accident, those men targeted our mates. They weren’t trying to mug them.” Charlie growled.

“I agree and Dar will get the answers we need.”

Kai watched Alvena stumble as she boarded the coach they had brought to the cemetery.

“Dar better get those answers quickly.” Kai said coolly. “But until then, let’s make sure our mates get back to their hotel safely.”

“Kai, I know you are trying to do this by the book, but what if something else happens? We can’t be with them every minute? Today proved that.”

Kai fought back a shift, he could feel that his eyes were changed and he flexed his clawed fingers. Kai still agreed with Charlie emotionally.
Fuck it.

“If they don’t contact the shop and come in within the next couple of days, we’ll go to plan B.”

“What’s plan B?” Charlie asked.

“I don’t know yet, but it will end with our mates in our protection.” Kai growled.

“Amen to that brother.”