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“I agree,” Luca added. “The human military could bomb the shit out of the area, but it wouldn’t do that much. They aren’t equipped to handle vampires and shapeshifters, so more people would meet a senseless death. I think they’ll let us take the lead if we involve them.”
“Put the humans in a command tent,” Viktorija suggested. “Humans love command tents. They need to feel like they have control of something.”
Ash giggled. “I mean, you’re not wrong.”
Maerlin cleared her throat, looking grim. “It’s worse than I thought. More than two hundred thousand vampires and ten thousand Therians are waiting for you, spread throughout the towns, caves, and abandoned villages on the peninsula. They’ve even got a decommissioned military base under their control.
“Maksim retreated to a town to the north to watch things play out, and all I saw was darkness. I didn’t see Jules anywhere. The soldiers have laid many traps, and they have rocket launchers to down any dragons who fly into the area.”
“Fuck me.” Ash started pacing. “Massive international incident. Horrific mass murders. Seemingly insurmountable enemy numbers. No time to plan.”
Everyone stared at her in shock. Maerlin grabbed her ankle and pulled Ash back to the floor. She blushed, having been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed how far off the floor she was hovering.
Thank you.
Anytime, dear. Maerlin responded.
“So, no big deal, right? We can do this,” Ash continued lamely.
Dani started laughing. “You are a badass, but your awkward recovery was awful. Own the weird.”
Dani’s comment relieved the tension, as usual, and Ash slipped back into planning mode. The officials at SPARK were expecting a call, so they had the essential players in place when the Gaia Trianon leaders discussed how their nation-states could assist.
“Thank you for being available on short notice,” Ash began.
“We are always on call, Your Majesty. What can we do?”
“Human justice is about due process and upholding the rule of law. I respect that and hate that things in the supernatural world aren’t always as civilized. When dealing with creatures who possess paranormal abilities, we sometimes have to employ swift, brutal justice. These atrocities cannot be allowed to continue.” Ash’s copper eyes blazed with fury.
“Is our FBI guy there? We need him.”
“I’m here, Your Majesty. My name is Ervin Patillo. I have a call with my superiors and the President immediately after this to secure permission.”
“We share the need to strike back after such a devastating loss,” Eiko agreed. “The nations of the Gaia Trianon remain steadfast in our dedication to peace with humanity.”
“To be clear,” Luca added. “We will respond to this attack, with or without approval, but we hope to move forward together. Those terrorists do not represent any of our nations.”
Ervin chuckled. “The call is just to make it official. The President of the United States personally told me, ‘Ask her to give that bastard hell for all of us.’ America is with you, Queen Ashlynn.”
“These monsters will keep killing until someone stops them. SPARK can do that. Luca and I will come, along with a substantial portion of our forces. I would also like our knight squadron involved.”
After two hours of discussion and negotiations with SPARK and the American officials, they reached an agreement. Humans from SPARK, the FBI, and the United States military would occupy a command tent to observe the proceedings and offer tactical advice from a safe distance. Vampire, witch, and Therian teams would move into the occupied peninsula and overcome the hostile forces.
When the last call ended, Ash stretched and let out a weary sigh. She turned to Viktorija, who’d stayed to keep her company while Luca spoke to his advisors. “Well, we have a plan. That’s a lot of bad guys. Are you ready for this?”
The dragon warrior scoffed. “Please. I fought for centuries before you were born. I will take down so many enemies and fight so valiantly that the royal awards will leave me covered in jewels. War is the one thing I’m good at.”
“It’s not the only thing you’re good at, Viktorija. It’s just the only thing you were ever encouraged to do. You’re brilliant and can do anything you want to.” Ash yawned. “Let’s go see if Luca is done with the council. I’m exhausted.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Nome, Alaska, Wednesday, February 13, 2013, Morning
It took three days to mobilize enough vampires, Therians, and witches loyal to the Gaia Trianon to attack with any chance of success. The forces would be equally matched…if the good guys didn’t have Ash and Maerlin. With them, the fight would be one-sided. Neither could be everywhere at once, and Ash was terrified of the losses they might suffer. Everyone she loved except Maerlin could be killed. She had no guarantees.
Her parents and Dani insisted on accompanying them but promised to stay in the command tent with the other humans. Uuka and the rest of the Queen’s Guard had vowed to stay with them and provide protection. They were as safe as possible, and Ash had to focus on other matters. She led a group of ten through the streets of Nome, stopping to fight the enemies they found entrenched in each building. Jules had been spotted in the town two days ago, but no one had seen him since. The hyena was her team’s primary target. He couldn’t be allowed to escape again.
The only way Luca and Zia had agreed to lead their own teams was if Viktorija went with Ash. She’d ended up with Niletean, Viktorija, Euan, and six volunteers they’d hand-picked. Ash thought their protectiveness was ridiculous, seeing as she couldn’t die, but she didn’t make an issue of it. If taking them along made her loved ones feel better, it didn’t hurt her and helped them.
