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“Easy,” Sebastian said, placing a hand on my shoulder before he turned to the kitchen. “Don’t overwhelm him. Let him get oriented.”
Jax blinked a few times, and my dragon roared inside me, desperate for answers. I forced myself to stay patient, giving Jax a moment to gather his thoughts. Finally, he spoke.
“Mariah's alive,” he said, and I felt the weight lift, allowing me to fully breathe for the first time in days. She was alive. That’s what I had to focus on. We could save her now.
“She's in danger, Evan. Tomas is planning something terrible."
“Where is she?” Everything I said emerged as a growl, and Jax flinched at my intensity.
Sebastian reappeared with a wet cloth, moving in to get Jax cleaned up a bit. He gave him more water, and after a few minutes, Jax seemed better able to talk, though he was still weak. Every time he moved, he winced and gripped his side.
“She’s hidden… in an underground facility on clan lands. I managed to escape,” he said, panting. “But I couldn't get to her.” His eyes flashed with pain and regret. I had no doubt he’d have tried if there was a way.
“You did the right thing, Jax. Now you’re here. With your help, we can find her.”
“But first,” Sebastian said, “Take a minute. We don’t need you overdoing it and passing out.”
Jax slumped back on the chair as Sebastian and I exchanged glances. Jax needed medical care, but the clock was ticking, and Mariah's life hung in the balance. We had a lead, a chance to save her, we just needed to know where she was.
Jax took several deep breaths, then opened his eyes again. “I need to tell you the rest. He’s keeping her in a cage.”
I couldn't breathe. “He put her in a cage?”
Jax nodded weakly. “That’s where I first saw her. After he captured me, he…he wanted me weak. Helpless.” He swallowed hard, and the movement looked painful. “He locked me in a cage, put a collar around my neck that prevented me from shifting so I couldn’t escape. There was nothing I could do to help her. To help either of us.”
“Then, how did you get away?” Sebastian asked.
“I couldn't let him hurt Mariah.” His eyes fluttered closed again. “But he could tell I was growing restless, unpredictable, and he moved me to another place, out of my cage. But by that point he’d deprived me of food and water. I barely had the strength to attempt an escape.”
“But you did,” I said, impatient to learn more.
He nodded. “They removed the collar once a day to give me a break, always under heavy guard. They knew I didn’t have any strength left, but what they underestimated was the strength of my will. The moment they removed my collar, I took to the skies, and as far as they knew, I was long gone. That was two days ago.”
“Where did you go?” Sebastian said.
“Not too far. Deep enough into the woods that I could hide,” Jax said. “I stayed hidden there for two days, try to regain my strength. Once I was strong enough, I shifted back into my dragon form and flew all the way here.” He pointed toward the ceiling, indicating the roof where he'd landed.
That explained how he’d gotten in. It also meant we needed more security up there.
“You have to stop Tomas,” Jax whispered, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. “Stop him before it's too late.”
“Where do we need to go? Where on the lands can we find her?” The question I wouldn’t ask aloud: how much time did we have left?
“File 832 on my drive,” Jax managed to say. “It shows the location of the underground lab. Stop him,” he said. “Save Mariah.”
“That’s the plan,” Sebastian said, squeezing his shoulder gently.
Exhaustion finally overcame Jax, and his eyes slipped closed.
“We need to call someone to come check him out,” Sebastian said.
“You take care of that. I’m going to check on the file.” I went into Jax’s room and located the drive, then took it up to my computer and pulled the location. It was a series of photos and a map, exactly what we needed to get to Mariah. Once again, Jax had managed to come through for us.
I hurried back downstairs, my thoughts racing. I was grateful for Jax's heroic efforts, but also beside myself after hearing his story, terrified of what Mariah might be going through right now.
“Sebastian!” I called out. “I’ve got maps. We have to act fast.”
“Already on it.” His dark eyes mirrored my own determination. “The team is getting the SUV ready.”
