Omega’s Gamble by Claire Cullen

Chapter Thirty-Five

When Darien spottedLord Alton hovering outside his father’s study late in the evening, he didn’t think too much of it.

“I believe the king is with Lord Varken in the armory,” he told the other man. “Is there something I can help with?”

“I’m not sure it’s anything…” Lord Alton hesitated.

“Tell me,” Darien insisted.

“Two airships due to land here for refueling overnight appear to have… changed their flight plans.”

“Two? What were their destinations?”

“Mulveen and the Trident.”

Both kingdoms of the royal alliance.

“We were informed of the reason for the change?”

“No, actually. That’s what’s so troubling. We weren’t told there had been a schedule change. I was only made aware because a friend of mine is an avid airship spotter in the Ashen Isles. He noticed one of the flights failed to take off as scheduled even though the airstrip has it marked down as departed. He asked around, and another hobbyist noted the second flight was still on the ground despite being reported as departing on schedule. They have different origins, different destinations, and different flight paths. There are no storms forecast in their paths. The only common factor for both flights is refueling at Stormshield.”

A single canceled flight wouldn’t be a concern. But two in one night, and their cancellations concealed…

“The armada—they’re coming. Tonight. Get my father and Lord Varken. I’ll find my brothers. We’ll meet back here.”

He pulled a touchstone from his pocket and called the guards on watch to advise them to be on alert. It was likely the alliance intended the armada to be at their shores come dawn. They’d planned to catch Stormshield unawares, the island still asleep. Well, they weren’t going to get their wish.

He sent a servant to the south wing to fetch his brothers and made his way to the north wing. He pressed the charm around his neck three times while he walked so Raine would know he was coming. The omega met him in the main corridor, dressed like he’d chosen his outfit in a hurry. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“There’s an armada incoming. Tonight.”

“What?”

He filled Raine in while he hustled the omega toward the king’s study. His father and brothers were already waiting with Lords Varken and Alton.

“Nothing on the horizon at dusk according to the guards on watch,” he explained. “We think they’ll use night as cover to approach and attack at first light.”

“There’s a storm building in the west,” Thorne said. “Visibility will likely remain poor even after dawn.”

“Then that’s where they’ll come from.” Spelled ships of the quality the alliance’s navy possessed would survive anything but the most severe of storms.

“We don’t know that anyone is coming,” Rex said. “Maybe we should take a minute to think this over.”

Thorne disagreed. “Darien is right. The whole Gentry family took off in that airship days ago. Like rats leaving a sinking ship. They wouldn’t have gone until the last possible moment so as not to alert us. The alliance won’t risk their airships getting caught in the chaos, so they’ve grounded them and are hoping we don’t notice until it’s too late.”

“We need to finalize preparations,” their father said, interrupting their debate.

They’d been working nonstop since the attempt to abduct Raine, but there were some things that, by necessity, had to wait until the last possible moment.

“Rex, alert the castle guards. Thorne, brief the coastal patrols. Lord Alton, send word across the island. We’ll have to evacuate the citizens from the coast and into the interior. Fit as many into the castle as you can. Darien, you and Raine stay here. We’ll head down into the tunnels shortly.”

“The shield?” Rex asked.

Darien looked to Raine, already knowing the answer.

“It’s not ready,” Raine said, staring back at him with wide eyes.

“There’s time yet,” he assured him.

The others hurried out while Darien paced from the island’s map to the battle plans laid out on the central table.

Their father stepped outside to speak to Lord Varken, returning a few minutes later.

“A risky move, attacking us so boldly.”

“Not if they have spelled ships and spelled armor,” Darien replied.

“How much progress have you made with the shield?” his father continued.

Raine’s shoulders fell. “The machine works but the shield doesn’t, not yet. There’s damage to the seams of silver at intermittent points along the spokes. I’ve been locating the damaged areas and repairing them, but I need more time.”

To Darien’s untrained eye, the damage looked deliberate. He suspected it was sabotage by their previous alchemist, his parting gift to their kingdom.

“How much time will it take?” his father asked.

Raine looked like he wanted to cry. “I don’t know. As far as we understand it, it doesn’t take all the spokes being active for the shield to work, but if there’s a minimum number, we haven’t reached it yet.”

“How long to fix all the spokes?”

“Three or four days, maybe? We don’t have that kind of time.”

“We won’t need it,” Darien assured him, putting an arm around his waist. “Once enough of the spokes are fixed, it will work. We’ll buy you as much time as we can.”

Beside him, he felt the omega stiffen. With a sigh, he turned, putting his hands on Raine’s shoulders.

“I have faith in you, Raine. You can fix the shield. You will fix it. We’ll hold the armada off for as long as possible.”

“Come with me, you can help.”

“I’m needed out there. I’ll be more use to them than I will to you.”

Raine shook his head, tears in his eyes.

“No, Darien, please…”

He took Raine’s hands in his. “I’m sorry, Raine. I know this isn’t what we planned for. I thought we’d have more time, much more time. I love you, so very much. But I have a duty to our kingdom. I have to protect them, and you. Father will go with you to the chamber…”

He watched as the omega pulled himself together, brushing the errant tears from his cheeks and standing straighter.

“He can’t,” Raine insisted. “His place is with you. The people need him. I’ll be okay—I know what to do.” He squeezed Darien’s hands. “Be safe out there. I’ll know.” One hand left Darien’s to touch his amulet. Darien felt the answering pulse of his own.

“Work as fast as you can. Focus on the main spokes and the ones with the least interruptions. Remember, you just have to reach critical mass to activate the shield.”

“I remember. I’ll do my best, I promise.”

“Here, take this touchstone. That way, you can listen in, and you can get help down there if you need it.”

Raine’s fingers closed around it, his eyes not leaving Darien’s. “Where will you be?”

“Sailing west,” Darien told him. “We’ll meet them out on the water and keep them away from the shoreline for as long as we can. We’ve trained for this, Raine. We’re prepared.”

“If I’d had more time, I could have made more weapons…”

“Your attention was needed elsewhere. We’ll make do. Just try to get that shield up.”

They shared a kiss, Raine finally giving in to tears, and Darien wishing he didn’t have to let go. He wanted to stay by Raine’s side, to be right there no matter what. But that was the man talking. The future king knew there was more than just Raine relying on him. His men needed him to lead, and the kingdom’s citizens needed him to fight. He would meet this challenge head-on, his brothers by his side.

Rex and Thorne returned, already decked out in their armor and carrying their weapons. The three of them would head out together.

“Go, Raine,” he told the omega. “I’ll see you on the other side of the storm.”

Raine was already opening the entrance to the underground chambers, disappearing from view without another word.

Their father called them to him.

“My sons. I hoped this day would never come. But I know this is a challenge we can meet, as long as we stand together, shoulder to shoulder. Lord Varken will coordinate the protection of the castle. I’ll oversee our fleet and our land guards from here. I’d rather be taking the fight to them…”

“The kingdom needs you here,” Darien insisted, and his brothers agreed. “You’re our king. You’ve trained us well, Father. We’re ready.”

“Yes.” Their father’s smile was tinged with sadness. “You are. Be strong, and be smart.”

Darien nodded and turned to his brothers. It felt like they’d been waiting for this moment all their lives. They were ready. “Let’s go fight a war.”

* * *

Raine’sfrantic work was punctuated by updates through the touchstone. On the battlefront, not much happened for the first while with no sign of the coming armada. But there was activity all over the island as the guards took up key positions and the people took shelter.

He found the frequent interruptions distracting so it was with reluctance that he silenced the touchstone. If Darien wanted to contact him, he could, but Raine would be free to focus on his work until then. He’d been repairing seams for days, finding the points where pieces of inert metal had been hammered into the rock to disrupt the signal. The metal had to be removed without disrupting the seam and a silver patch created. It was exhausting work, taking every bit of his attention. When he started, only five of the sixteen spokes lit up when the machine was activated. Hours later, when he tested it again, that number had gone up to eight. Half, but not the critical mass Darien said they needed. Raine wasn’t sure how many it would take. Ten? Fourteen? All?

The time passed too quickly, hours racing by in what felt like it should have been minutes. When the quiet got too much for him, he activated the touchstone again. There was far less chatter over it now, every message purposeful and short. Until the words he’d dreaded but had always known were coming.

“Engaging the armada now. Just south of Eylin Island.” Darien’s voice sounded strong and determined. Raine couldn’t but feel proud of his husband.

King Tiberius answered, strength meeting strength.

“Godspeed, my son. We await word of your victory.”

But it wasn’t their job to turn the tide of this fight. It was Raine’s. He worked harder, pushing himself to the limit, and ran to the chamber to test the machine again.

Thirteen. Thirteen spokes and still nothing. The noise from the touchstone gave a horrible window into what was happening out at sea. They were fighting the battle of their lives. And they were losing.

The charm on his neck warmed and then he heard Darien’s voice through the touchstone.

“Raine?”

He scrambled for it, almost dropping it in his haste.

“Darien?”

“If we’re going to pull this off, it’ll need to be soon.”

“I still have three to go,” he told him, almost in tears. “I don’t know why…” It should be working. They were far past half, past what should have been critical mass, so why wasn’t it working?

“Which three, Raine?”

He thought quickly.

“Um… west-northwest, west-southwest, and south-southeast.”

There was a short silence, and Raine thought he’d lost the connection.

“South-southeast, Raine.”

“Darien?”

“South-southeast. Trust me. I’ll explain later. Hurry, please.”

Raine dropped the touchstone and ran to the tunnel, following the seam and searching for the disruption. He didn’t know why this one, what Darien knew that he didn’t, but he trusted the alpha with his life. He’d trust him with this, too.

He found the breach, pulling the pliers from his tool belt and working the metal wedge out of the wall. It took all his strength, yanking and pulling, before it jerked free without warning and sent him slamming into the tunnel wall opposite. He didn’t let it wind him as he jumped upright and pulled the container of heated silver from his belt. He worked the silver into position, bit by bit, making sure the bridge was strong enough to carry the signal clearly. It would do no one any good if it failed when they most needed it. Once he was certain it was as strong as he could get it, he ran back to the chamber and, for one final time, lit the paper in the cup to activate the machine.

It cranked to life, the map lighting up. Raine watched the white lines along the shield’s spokes turn blue, one by one.

When the fourteenth spoke lit up, the whole map changed, a shimmering blue coating everything. They’d done it; the shield was up, the island protected.

He retrieved the touchstone, desperate for news.

“Darien? Anyone? The shield…”

“We see it, Raine. You did it.”

He recognized Rex’s voice, torn between relief that the shield worked and worry at not hearing the voice he expected.

“What’s happening? Is…?”

“The enemy ships outside the shield are trapped out there. The ones inside have been disabled. The shield must disrupt their spells.”

“Darien?”

The long silence was telling. “He shifted and boarded one of the ships, Raine. I’m sure he’s fine. Give us some time to get everyone back to shore. Will the shield hold?”

“I… I think so.”

“Do what you can to keep it that way.”

His words weren’t Darien’s, but Raine knew his duty. He’d start by activating the remaining spokes and then reinforce all the patches.

He kept the touchstone near at hand the whole time, waiting to hear Darien’s voice. The amulet around his neck stayed frustratingly cool but that didn’t mean anything. Darien might have been too busy to think of it or in his shifter form where it was inaccessible. He could have lost it. Even now, it might be sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

Footsteps hours later alerted him to someone’s approach. He stood from his crouch next to the machine, where he’d been scouring the map once again, looking for faults. King Tiberius entered the chamber.

“The kingdom is safe, Raine. Thanks to you.”

“The shield is holding for now,” he told him.

“Excellent work. The armada is circling the island, looking for a way through.”

“They won’t find one. Unless the shield fails, and if that happens, it will fail everywhere.”

The king grimaced. “Then let’s hope it stays the course. Is there anything we can do to help that?”

“I’m reinforcing all the patches. We have some redundancy as well.” He gestured to the map. “A few of the spokes can fail before it collapses. There should be enough warning to fix them.”

“Good, that’s good.”

“How did we fare against the armada?” He was hesitant to ask, having heard bits and pieces through the touchstone.

“We lost five ships and maybe two dozen men all told. Most of the rest were picked up or got to shore. A few are still missing. The storm is disrupting search efforts, as is the fact that we can’t send boats out beyond the shield.”

“Darien?”

He still hadn’t heard the alpha’s voice.

King Tiberius stepped closer, his hand clasping Raine’s shoulder gently. “I’m sorry, Raine. He’s counted among the missing.”

Raine’s heart ached, fear chilling him right down to the bone.

“I’m sure he’ll turn up soon, no worse for wear,” the king added.

He nodded, trying to take the words to heart. “I’ll stay here, keep the shield up.”

“Until morning. When the light of day returns, we’ll take stock of where we are.” The king patted his shoulder once more and turned to leave. “You saved many lives today, Raine. Many, many lives. You have our eternal gratitude. I couldn’t be more proud.”

The words should have warmed him, but they didn’t. Nothing could touch his heart—not until he knew Darien was safe.