Team Changes by Erin R Flynn

14

A scream woke me. I bolted up and rubbed my chest, thinking it was a nightmare as it certainly wouldn’t be the first time I’d woken that way. But normally, it was my scream—or need to scream—that woke me. This sounded unfamiliar and distant.

And then it happened again, far enough away that I could barely hear it. That wouldn’t have been loud enough to make me wake… Which meant something was wrong and the scream itself didn’t rouse me.

Someone giving me a vision of it probably did.

Fuck.

A different scream broke the quiet of the night, and I was already on my feet. It might have seemed weird to have the windows open in late summer given where the castle was—which was the only way I could have heard the screams with the soundproofing of the tower—but my tower was pretty tall. Heat might rise, but the wind was colder several floors up than it was on the ground.

And I had awesome cross-ventilation with the design of the place. The whole castle did so we didn’t waste precious utilities.

Also, it was apparently best for an early warning system so I could book my ass if there was a problem. I was dressed in a flash and about to ask my security what they could also hear when a few more screams rang out.

Screams that were closer.

Kristof appeared in the doorway, making me realize he hadn’t been in bed when I’d woken. He nodded as if confirming he’d left to check out what was going on before looking at Vitor. “Get her out of here. It’s hordes of corrupted.”

“Corrupted we couldn’t sense?” Tian asked, his tone making it clear that had to be a mistake as the idea was insane.

“Yes, and too many for us,” Kristof admitted. “Get her out of here and we’ll give you time.”

“No!” I bellowed, his meaning hitting me hard. I went over him and slapped him across the face. “Don’t you dare even think of it. Don’t you dare leave me!”

“I’ll join you later,” he whispered as tears filled his eyes, making it clear to me that it was a lie.

“No. No! Everyone I love is here. No, this is stupid.” I raced for the elevator when he reached for me.

“Get her out of here!” Kristof shouted behind me.

“I will never forgive you if you take me from here,” I warned Vitor as he jumped on the elevator with me.

He pressed his lips in a thin line. “You have to live, so you have the length of this elevator ride to come up with a better plan, My Princess. That last scream doesn’t give us much time. Five minutes until they’re on the castle. Maybe.”

I didn’t even need that to come up with reasons for a new plan. Not what he asked but still important. “They might not be coming for me but my tree. If that is destroyed, how many would use that as an excuse that I’m not a real house and come for me? What if that’s His next move? What if they don’t follow me, but the goal is to take out all of my support? No one can survive on the run forever.”

“You’re right, but none of that is a plan that has you survive. The rest we can fight tomorrow, but you must survive today.”

I nodded. “Go make sure they’re not any faster than normal. Nothing else is different besides you cannot sense them, and meet me in the armory.” I reached over and grabbed his arm when he looked like he’d argue. “Please? I’m asking you to please do this for me, Vitor. You helped me learn the barrier, so let me use it now. We can deal with the ghosts tomorrow instead of death.”

He let out a slow breath. “Okay, if you’ll use the barrier. Okay, that is a better plan and protects the tree.”

The doors opened and he was gone. I ran right for the armory and trusted he would complete his task.

Probably before I could even gear up with how fast he was.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” James shouted as I walked into the room. “You were already supposed to be gone.”

“You’re smarter than that,” I snapped.

“He’s not thinking logically, and even I’m having a problem not demanding you get out too,” Trisha defended as she strapped on more guns. “They’re here for you.”

“What if it’s the tree as much as me, and I take fighters like Vitor and Petre with me? What happens then?”

“We agree on that,” Tyson promised.

I looked at him in horror. “Is Chris here?”

“Right here,” Chris said from behind me.

“Fuck that,” I growled, giving Tyson a hard look. “You lock the human you love up in my safe room in my tower. You are not risking he gets infected because they came for me or the tree. That is an order.”

“I love you,” he rasped. “Thank you.”

He was gone in a flash, dragging off a pissed off Chris who demanded to fight. Fuck that. No way we were being stupid. There were many ways to destroy a coven or what people had built, and my knights falling apart was one of them.

Which was why I looked at Simon and Eddie who were as slow as I was. “Any kids here? You take them to my tower, get to the top, and stay there to guard Chris. Any other humans here too. We are not being stupid.”

“You being here is pretty damn stupid, Inez,” Eddie whispered under his breath.

I shook my head and focused, putting up the barrier I’d used a few times now. “Vitor helped me learn to put up a power barrier to kill corrupted. I cannot be the one to kill them all, so I need people to help me. But we’re not losing to those fuckers. Not tonight. Not ever again. No more deaths from them. We’ve all suffered enough.”

“Damn straight we have,” James agreed. “Good, then we set up a kill site with your blood and shoot the shit out of them from windows before they reach your line or whatever. Just like Canada, and the nobles help get what they can.”

“Good, yes,” I agreed as the others did.

“This is why people adore you,” Vitor said from the doorway. “They are not faster than normal, but they are… Fresh. Almost like they’re recharged in some way. “Winston is the oldest visiting noble staying at the castle. Older than Kristof. He was here and ran to Salt Lake to get reinforcements. We don’t have to hold out long before we have many.”

“Then we really got this,” I said as I reached for one of the massive guns, nodding for Trisha to get the ammo boxes. “Hey, just like Alaska.”

“I’m going to get fucking punched again,” James bitched.

“No, because my wife is smarter than all of us and made the right call,” Kristof said from the doorway.

“I’m not sorry for slapping you,” I lied as I walked past him.

“I love you too.”

“Then don’t ever think to leave me again,” I snapped. “I wouldn’t have the will to live without you. We survive by being smarter. I couldn’t leave you to die any more than you could me.”

He grabbed my arm and kissed me. “You’re right. I knew we had to protect Aether’s champion, and I would give my life to save yours because I love you. Just like you jumped in front of a punch that almost killed you.”

“Fine, but that was kneejerk. Don’t plan things knowing you would probably die.”

He nodded, but I saw in his eyes he would gladly do it to keep me safe.

Idiot. Fucking idiot. I loved him just as much too, but we should plan things that kept us both safe, not be so stupid and one of us die to save the other.

Clearly, Aether was smart enough to understand why women should always be the boss if men did such dumb things.

We set up off the huge sets of terrace doors at the back part of the castle. The front might have given us better angles, but construction was already going on there. If we needed to redo it to save lives, so be it, but it made more sense to have the nobles fighting there with swords and us using the big guns in back with my blood as the lure.

The terrace might be toast at the end of it, but again, life was more important than replacing the damn concrete and stones. Kristof cut my hand and took several jars of my blood that he didn’t fill much. Smart.

“I see them but cannot sense them,” Sisay whispered, his voice shaking. “What new hell is this?”

I didn’t know, and I wasn’t going to waste time answering. We could worry about that when we survived. Someone was smart enough to use bottles of booze to set stacks of wood and building materials ablaze that were hundreds of feet away from the castle. We needed the light, and it was one more obstacle for the corrupted to have to deal with.

“I got this,” Maggie told Trisha as she went to take over. She shook her head when Trisha argued. “You’re a better shot than I am. It’s smarter I help reload Inez.”

She swallowed loudly and nodded, taking a machine gun from one of the kitchen staff. They were non-combatants, but they were still former military and trained. We had just enough time to set up who was reloading and handing new mags to people before we were out of time.

Gunfire broke out from not far away as Kristof returned, and I shot him a confused look.

“I set up a spot by where the M-ATV assault vehicles are parked. Shifters are manning them, but there are vamps there ready to get them out and fall back to here should they need it. I swear it. No life will be lost tonight if we can help it.”

I nodded but then swallowed loudly. “Those screams weren’t ones of fun.”

“No, in fear as they saw them coming by the trailers where they’re all hooked up. We have no reported deaths though, as the corrupted were focused on here,” Kristof told me.

He didn’t know for sure, but that still gave us hope we could get out of the night without loss of life… And I would take it. I also didn’t have much time to think about it as the gunfire got louder, clearly another spot Kristof had set up.

Then they were on us.

“Hit it!” James bellowed from the other doors before firing.

My blood must have already been down by one of the larger wood piles on fire because the corrupted were crazed when I looked down the sighting. I didn’t hesitate or let my fear at what I was seeing get to me. I flicked off the safety and let the massive gun do its job.

They were cut down, but the others didn’t stop to eat their injured buddies like normal again which freaked me out. These changes weren’t a coincidence. Something was going on that we didn’t understand.

And it worried me that it would get us dead.

Kristof moved to meld against me so I didn’t stop or jump away and pressed his lips to my ears. “I’m going to go help at the front. Darius will stay in case the worst happens. The order is we all bail if things go wrong. We grab everyone and bail. I will not leave you, my love.”

I stopped firing and stole a kiss. “Make sure someone will get those I put in my tower and safe room.”

“We know,” he promised. “Chris, two other humans, and three children. They’re covered.”

And then he was gone, Darius moving into my view so I saw him. I nodded I understood and went back to shooting. We were doing pretty good for another minute, but then I felt corrupted hit my barrier.

“Third tower, go,” I ordered Vitor, giving him a gaze I knew was full of fear. A lot were already to the castle and dying on my power.

That wasn’t good.

He nodded and went with Sisay. Tian had gone with Kristof and… And I didn’t know where the rest were. I didn’t know if Jaxon or Cerdic had even been at the castle or were dead because they’d been drunk. I sent up a prayer to Aether that She watch over them as I blinked back tears and focused on helping to keep the others I loved alive.

Relief filled me when corrupted stopped hitting my barrier.

Until nobles showed up with several of my knights to help us.

Meaning they’d had to bail on the M-ATV assault vehicles idea.

“There were too many,” Wilson confirmed. “We’re not military, and it wasn’t smart to risk it just because we know how to use the guns.”

“You made the right call,” James called over. “Now get over here and help us reload. Someone get more big guns from the armory and boxes of ammo!”

Glad he had a plan and could keep calm. I was freaking out. Though I would have been freaking out anyways if I’d made the connection that it was the Begley cousins that weren’t military who were the shifters Kristof referred to. Of course it was them in more danger than the siblings who were military.

But I had a feeling Kristof had said shifters so I didn’t worry and figure that out. We had a lot of shifters after all.

They came back with what we needed to help and started setting up, but they weren’t fast enough. The corrupted beat them.

I gasped as I let go of the trigger, too many corrupted hitting my barrier at once. The jolt of how many were coming so fast knocking me on my butt. “Vance, take it for me.”

He helped me get out of the way and took my place.

“We need to get you out,” Darius said as he moved his arm around me.

“No, please, no,” I rasped. “I can do this. I know I can do this.”

“We cannot lose you. I cannot watch you die, Inez,” he begged. “I love you. Please. We will leave a trail of your blood to follow. Whatever you want.”

“I leave and the barrier goes with me,” I argued. Everyone would not get through the amount of the corrupted around the castle alive. There was no way.

No, I could do this. I feebly pushed him away as I moaned as power gushed out of me.

And then it stopped.

“Thank Aether,” Darius breathed. He nodded when I glanced at him. “Backup’s here.”

“Hold your fire!” Winston demanded as he appeared by us.

“Do it,” James confirmed, and everyone immediately stopped.

I saw corrupted simply fall in droves. Whoever was with Winston was so fast that they were racing along and taking legs of corrupted so they couldn’t run for us. That would immobilize them for the moment. Sure, they would crawl to us, but the slower vamps could take heads or handle that for sure.

I blinked back tears and didn’t fight Darius when he pulled me against him. He discreetly moved his wrist to my mouth and again, I didn’t argue. I bit him and took the blood I needed, muttering a thank you. He simply kissed my hair and didn’t push me.

But also didn’t let me go.

Vitor squatted down in front of me with a relieved smile. “You can lower the barrier, My Princess. The threat is over.” He nodded when I hesitated.

I nodded, giving a shaky breath as I pulled back my power. It snapped back at me since I hadn’t been charged up like before and so scared this time. It caused me to lose consciousness for at least several moments but not too long as not enough changed.

Lots also did, Jaxon and Cerdic there when I opened my eyes, both covered in blood and splatter of yuck.

“We need to check every outpost and make sure they weren’t attacked and are fine,” I ordered when people looked at me like they were waiting for me to decide what came next. “We also need new security plans, like yesterday, if now we can’t fucking sense them. I don’t want to be selfish and the castle is all that matters—the dread I felt about them getting the tree…” I shook my head.

“Your gut tells you that it was the target?” Trisha checked, blowing out a harsh breath when I nodded. “Without you, the tree would die, right? All the fight changes if you die.”

“Does it? Haven’t we done enough that if I die, you guys still have a good foothold to kill the corrupted?” I argued. “But if that tree dies while I’m alive, more falls apart. Every coven who hates us says it’s because I declared myself Aether’s champion and we’re fucked.”

“It makes sense,” Winston agreed. “If Erebus acts too outrightly, then you become a martyr and more join the cause you fought for. We’ve seen it many times. Assuming the belief you are Aether’s champion, and I do believe that.”

“Strategically, it’s smart. It’s just…” Trisha trailed off and blew a harsh breath.

“A bit more involved than you think a God would be,” I offered. “Yeah, I feel the same and like…” It wasn’t worth saying.

“Getting the food store that uses corrupted being killed as the currency set up by us is even more important now,” Winston muttered. “Which my princess is absolutely on board for. She thinks you are worthy of being Aether’s champion and more than that, adores you as a friend.” He said it formally and even bowed to me, which I had a feeling meant something too.

“She’s awesome to hot tub and drink with,” I replied, winking at him. “She’s always welcome here to vacation or whatever. I adore her too. She’s honorable and nice. Whatever you guys need is good with us.”

There was a flash of relief in his eyes before he hid it, so clearly they needed something. I nodded I understood and I was good with it.

Especially now. We needed to be unified and good to our friends even more now. Their coven had so much age that would help us survive.

“Then we start in the morning,” I told everyone. “Tonight, make sure we get every corrupted and check our outposts, tend to any wounded and…” I swallowed loudly. “We will celebrate our dead if any. Come up with plans so we won’t have any going forward, and I want all the knights and visiting nobles representing their princesses, along with the nobles of Safie’s and Bahati’s courts, at the ballroom first thing.”

Everyone agreed, even if I saw some reservations with the list of who I included. I wasn’t promising to listen to all of them, but good ideas could come from the strangest of places, and this was definitely an all-hands-on-deck moment.

I thanked everyone and let Darius help me to my feet. I tried to show strength even when my legs felt like jelly and I wanted to pass out. I was too stressed for too long to keep using new powers on the fly, and this had been bigger than before. More pressure because I loved so many people there whereas I hadn’t at Bahati’s coven.

Kristof made it seem like he needed to hug me even if he was caked in gross, but we both knew it was to help me. The moment we were in the closed elevator, I was up in his arms. “You did well, My Princess. You led and kept your head. I’m so damn proud of you and to be your husband.”

That was exactly what I needed to hear right now. Not that he was proud of me, but that I hadn’t fucked everything up. I hugged him tighter and ignored everyone else as I tried to soak up his strength and confidence.

He carried me right into the bathroom once we got off the elevator and didn’t even set me down as he turned on the shower. It was as if he couldn’t handle the idea of letting me go either. That was fine with me.

Kristof undressed me and brought me to Darius who was already in the huge shower stall… And he wasn’t the only one. Jaxon and Cerdic were both in there naked and cleaning up as well. I wasn’t sure what was going on, and I shot Kristof a worried look. He simply nodded and carefully bagged up his own destroyed clothes that probably had all of theirs already inside.

I turned away from the other three, but they ignored me, Jaxon’s hands getting my hair wet and then lathering it with shampoo while I felt Cerdic washing my legs. Darius started to do my arms, but I yanked back and covered my breasts. He let out a shaky breath and simply washed my back.

What the fuck was going on?

I didn’t have the energy to try and figure it out, and I honestly wasn’t sure I cared with how much they’d hurt me.

A total lie, but I wanted to believe it and not hurt. Was that really so wrong?

“You had your chance to hog her, and she’s not even comfortable around you now,” Petre grumbled as he moved someone out of the way and held me against him.

“I just needed to know she was okay,” Cerdic choked out. “I wanted to rush to her too, okay? I went to fight at the trailers and make sure our coven was safe.”

“Were they? How many got hurt?” I asked, snuggling up against Petre because I was tired, but also I was glad he seemed to understand my feelings.

“None,” he whispered, reaching over and petting my hair. I wasn’t sure how I knew it was him, I simply did. “None at the trailers by here were attacked by corrupted. A few bumps and bruises getting out of the way and inside. I ordered several to check and double check while thinning out the numbers heading here.”

“Good, that was smart.”

He didn’t respond right away. “This time I was.”

I heard the shower door open and then close, not even about to respond or try to help whatever he was feeling.

“Ask Lara if she’ll have a talk with Chris,” I muttered to whoever would handle it. “He was pissed Tyson dragged him off, and that will be a thing. If she can, let her talk to him about the human she loved that she lost. I see the guilt she carries that she couldn’t protect him.”

“It’s unfounded,” Branko said, smiling when I glanced over my shoulder at him and couldn’t hide my shock he was there. “He was on the other side of the ship from her when someone who didn’t report their infection turned. Four were injured and he demanded they all admit it with him. There was nothing she could have done. It’s a shame. He was a good man.”

I nodded I heard him, still searching his eyes for the questions I couldn’t seem to ask.

“You are a silly woman if you think my not pursuing you when you’ve been dealing with so much means that I am no longer interested.” He leaned in and kissed my nose. “I’m interested, simply not heartless.”

I gave the barest of nods and turned back to Petre. I didn’t think it was assuming Branko was heartless, simply I wasn’t easy to deal with, and I could understand why people bailed.

I honestly had no idea why most of them liked me at all, but whatever.

“Just a bit longer,” Jaxon demanded.

“No, you’ve done enough,” Vitor grumbled, careful on keeping his anger in check.

That was when I got clued in, glancing over at Kristof who nodded. He was trying to stay calm and not get pissed. He didn’t want me scared after what I’d been through, and he was pissed at Cerdic, Jaxon, and Darius being demanding with me now. I reached my hand out to him and let him know it was okay.

The relieved smile he gave me helped me as well because I’d been confused and didn’t like he’d left me with them. He hadn’t felt like he could deny them access to me since they were my husbands too… Which made it all the more amusing Vitor and Petre did for him.

Still, he came to me and finished washing me as they kicked out Jaxon and Darius. Moon snuck in and then a few kisses, muttering he was glad to see with his own eyes I was unharmed.

I saw Tian and Sisay duck in as well. It made sense they would need to check their princess was safe.

Unharmed? Sure.

Safe? Debatable.

Okay? Fuck no. I was far from okay, and a lot needed to be done and fast. Too fast.