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He waits and moves aside for me, letting me get into The Abyss first.
The charred flesh smell hits me before I see the smoke rising from the huge pile of ash that’s starting to drift away on the wind.
The bodies are gone. Someone, or something set them on fire.
Snake hisses next to me, complaining at the smell.
I move over to the pile of ash, crouching down to see if there are any recognizable remains.
It doesn’t take long to determine there’s nothing but ashes beneath the smoke.
“Orion could not have survived what I did to him,” I start, before I realize my logic is flawed.
A shifter could not have survived what I did to him.
They can heal many injuries, and even regrow severed limbs, but they could not survive having their heart torn out. There are not many species who could.
The chimera are not shifters. Their ability to take other forms for trickery makes them seem similar, but in reality, they are very different. There are many different types of chimera. Many subspecies.
If Orion has the special ability I think he must have, he is a very rare subspecies with a very specific talent.
I get back up. “He didn’t survive it. He died and came back to life.”
Snake hisses, telling me we need to get back to our mate’s side.
He sounds worried, and I cannot lie, I am feeling the same way.
We did not take care of the threat properly because we were missing a vital piece of information.
Lita is still in danger.
I turn, ready to exit the portal.
A hand pushes me back inside, and a woman steps into The Abyss with a tranquilizer gun in her hand.
Valerie. Orion’s mother. Of course. They must have the same special abilities.
She smiles. “Back right up boys, and don’t make my trigger finger itch unless you want to be added to our little ash-pile.”
“You are a phoenix chimera.”
“I would clap to make you feel clever for working that out, but I don’t want to put this pretty little gun down.”
Snake hisses nastily at her, making threats to her life.
She rolls her eyes at him. “Predictable little reptile. No, you’re not going to murder me a second time. It wouldn’t do you any good, considering I’ll just come back again. Besides, I’m the one who can put you to sleep for several hours or drain every last drop of your life energy with a single touch.”
“What is it that you want?” I ask, while I assess the best way to gain the upper hand here.
She is right that she has it now, with that gun full of sedatives and her life-draining abilities.
“I want my son to be in charge of this town,” she says. “It’s what he deserves. Those other children were not worthy of being named Alpha, but Orion always has been.”
Snake hisses out some choice insults, but I stay quiet.
I do not think goading her will distract her.
I am not sure anything will.
