"Right back at ya, kiddo."
Aiden stood. "Come on, you two. I have a feeling the briefing and drills will run well into the evening," he said, oblivious Ari's low growling.
She shook her head and stood pulling her mate to his feet. "The sooner we start, the sooner we finish."
On either side of them, Kincaid, Gage, and Priest also stood.
"Come on, 'oh deadly one'," Priest teased.
"Don't worry, Priest, I have a cool name for you too based on my image," Meryn smiled at him.
"It can't be any worse than Gamma Kitten One. Hit me, short stuff," he said, holding out his arms in invitation.
"Pandora."
He blinked. "Seriously?"
She winced. "I saw a box with a lock that I knew shouldn't be opened. All I got from that was Pandora."
Brie and Ari chuckled as they steered a pouting Priest from the room. "Come along, 'Dora'," Ari teased in retaliation.
Priest groaned. "You can't tell the guys."
Ari pushed his unit brother from the room so he fell in step with Gage and Kincaid. Shaking his head, he took her hand as the group made their way through the palace heading toward the warrior villa.
Brie shivered a bit. All her jackets were at the home she shared with her Dad in Monroe. Maybe they'd have something here in the city she could buy.
"Ari, can we stop in some shop? I'd like to get a jacket or a sweater."
"I guess it is still spring in Monroe." He smiled at her. "You may have better luck finding something like that there, we don't have much need for jackets here in Éire Danu," he waved his hand to the buildings. "Land of the Eternal Sun and all that."
Brie frowned and glanced around. It was dimmer here than when she arrived. She looked up; there was no cloud covering the sun. She squinted. Where was the sun anyway? As they hit the Border City, she noticed that some of the street lamps were flickering. She checked her watch; it was barely noon.
"Ari, if this is the Land of the Eternal Sun, should the street lamps be turning on at noon?" she asked, pointing to the lamps.
Ari stopped, turning slowly to stare at the lamps. When he faced her, he was milk white, and pure fear filled his eyes. "No, they shouldn't be."
EPILOGUE
Gage kept pace with Ari as they flat out ran back toward the palace. Between the murders and the city lights, he didn’t want to know what the future held.
A flash of red as they ran past a clothing store had him shuddering. In his nightmares his mate turned and walked into a blazing inferno.
He could only pray that she was safe and that despite the chaos in their world, that he could keep her that way.