Darian sighed. “He is going to be so pissed.”
Oron pointed to their Unit Commander. “Get him out of here, Dari. You too, Thane.”
Darian shook his head. “Not without you.”
“Right now, I am not your brother. I am your guard. Prince Darian, leave. For the sake of our people and our mother, you must survive,” Oron said in a firm voice.
“I hate you for this,” Darian said, from between clenched teeth.
Oron gave him a crooked smile. “No, you don’t.”
Darian gave him a fierce hug, and both he and Thane lifted Aiden up and carried him toward the portal. “You come back to us, Oron! You hear me? You come back!” Darian yelled back, before he disappeared through the portal closing it.
Gage looked up. The light was now blinking quickly. “We don’t have much time.”
Priest looked at him. “Go, Gage. Oron can get you out of here. You have Zoe and the boys. Let me be the one to stay.”
“You have a mate on the way, and I outrank you, now hush. I’m trying to think,” he said, looking over the panel.
“There have to be at least a hundred combinations of buttons. The chances that we get the right sequence to turn this off is slim to none,” Oron said, shoving his hand through his hair.
“Prince Oron, one of the guards used a bracelet to unlock the cage,” one of the prisoners called out.
“Quiet! He’s an Eirson,” another reprimanded fearfully.
“Technically, he’s a Vi’Eirlea now,” Priest corrected.
“That’s not important,” Oron said, pointing to the ceiling. “We have maybe thirty seconds.”
“Fuck!” Priest yelled.
Gage looked at the cage. “We never found any cages.”
Priest looked confused. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Oron clapped him on the back. “It means they’re not welded to the floor.”
Gage nodded. “Can you open a portal there?” he asked, pointing to the wall.
Using a silver signet ring, he opened a portal on the other side of the cage. “It’s not as fancy as my brother’s, but it will get us the hell outta here.”
Gage, Priest, and Oron dropped their shoulders and pushed. Just as the crystal became a steady stream of light, they shoved one last time as an explosion behind them flung them and the cage through the portal into darkness.
*****
Zoe watched from the kitchen doorway.
Ari had returned looking pale and furious. He spoke to Kincaid first, who dropped to his knees.
“No,” she whispered.
Ari turned and hurried to her side. “We don’t know for sure. I came to explain things and bring you to the palace.”
Zoe spun to face Tierla. The older woman cuddled the boys close. “Go. Do everything you can, and go. We will be waiting for you here.”
She kissed both boys and began running with Ari. Seconds later, Kincaid was right behind them.
“What the fuck happened!” he demanded.