The one introduced as Beth rolled her eyes. “I told you the city was bigger than you thought. We’re talking about miles and miles and miles of caves.”
“Stupid beehive,” Meryn grumbled.
The area around them had thinned out after the men knew what level was best to start looking.
Meryn’s cell rang, and she quickly picked it up. “Ello? No, I never know why he doesn’t answer his phone. What? Well, fuck. I’ll see what I can do. Yeah, yeah, I’ll stay safe.”
Zoe waited expectantly. “Well?”
Meryn strummed her fingers on the table. “That was Dav. After Aiden realized the amount of ground they had to cover, he called in the units he had in Éire Danu from Lycaonia. That only left the Chi unit and the old guard and Auntie’s imperial knights back in the city.”
“Something has happened back home, hasn’t it?” Zoe was scared to hear the answer. Were they ever going to catch a break?
“Yup. A new portal is trying to form. Right now, it’s hazy, but it could solidify at any moment.”
“And most of the warriors with thermal goggles are using them to find Gage and the others,” Zoe guessed, feeling ill.
“Yup.”
“What did Dav advise?”
“They need backup,” Meryn said, then pointed to the now empty market area. “We’re short on warriors right now.”
Zoe debated it for all of about two seconds. Currently, everyone was doing everything they could to save her mate. She couldn’t heal or search or shape stone, but she could use her magic to defend. She stood. “I’ll go.”
Meryn’s brows lifted. “Bad. Ass.”
Yuki stood. “Me too.”
Meryn nodded. “Baby badass.”
Zoe pointed to his chair. “No. Stay here and wait for your father.”
Yuki just took her hand. “I promised I would look after you and the house and grandmother. I have to go.”
“Oh baby, that doesn’t mean you risk your life. You’re too precious to us to chance you getting hurt.”
“I can help,” Yuki nodded once. “Yes. I can help.” He turned to his brother, and a blue mist floated between them. Looking up, he smiled. “I’m ready.”
“Fine, but you stay behind me the entire time. If for one second it becomes dangerous, you run. Do you understand me, Yuki Fabre?” she asked, using his full name for the first time.
He looked a bit surprised but smiled. “Hai,hahaue.”
She looked at Ame. “And you, Ame Fabre, you listen to Meryn. Don’t get hurt, and help if you can.”
Ame beamed. “Hai,hahaue.”
“Let’s go,” she said to Yuki, then turned to Meryn. “Call me…”
The smaller woman nodded. “The second anything happens.”
Together she and Yuki walked toward the open portal that would take them home.
*****
Priest had been tapping out SOS for over an hour until he fell asleep. Oron was able to doze, but pain kept Gage awake. Burns were like that. They hurt too bad to let your mind shut down. In the cage, people would occasionally whimper, but for the most part, they stayed unconscious.
To take his mind off the pain, he thought of Zoe and the boys. He wished he could see them one more time. The little time they had together wasn’t enough. He grit his teeth together as another wave of pain threatened to overwhelm him. He was scared that the pain would break him before they were found.