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  Disclaimer

  Names, characters, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 Rayne W. Grath

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1-7336714-4-7

  ISBN-13: 978-1-7336714-4-6

  Author’s Note

  This book is dedicated to my sons, G2 and G3. May you always chase your dreams and never settle for less than you deserve.

  To my readers visit my website to get the latest on new releases and what’s coming next. www.RayneGrath.com

  Chapter One

  Aarik

  “Don’t touch that,” snapped Anna, swatting at Aarik’s hand as it hovered inconspicuously over a gold butterfly hairpin.

  Aarik pulled his hand back and jokingly cradled it against his chest before he said, “Ouch! What did you do that for? I wasn’t going to touch it.”

  “I don’t believe that for a second. Quit being a baby, it didn’t hurt. Here is your one and only warning: everything on this table should be considered dangerous so, until I have explained their functions, please don’t touch,” scolded Anna, motioning towards the objects on the table like she was Vanna White.

  Donning a pair of gloves she said, “With the skimpy outfit you’re wearing, Kiya, I didn’t have many options when it came to hooking you up. I was able to come up with a few obscure accessories, but I’m afraid Aarik will get the majority of my nifty gadgets.” Anna picked up the delicate-looking pin by its body and said, “The wings are actually coated with an immobilizing poison when you combine it with water. Make sure your hands are dry before you touch it, any moisture activates the reaction. The effects can last anywhere from two to four hours depending on the size of the victim and believe me when I say it’s no fun not being able to move a muscle for hours on end.”

  Anna was moving to put the pin in Kiya’s hair when Kiya stepped back, held up her hands and said in a panic, “Wait a second. How safe is that to wear in my hair? What if it rains?”

  “Put it somewhere dry if it is rains, would be my suggestion,” responded Anna, before she attached the barrette with a dramatic flair and turned back to the table. Holding up two silk ribbons in each hand, she added, “Now these babies are special.”

  “Don’t tell me. They’re for tying up my victims after I immobilize them with the poison?” interjected Kiya sarcastically.

  “Funny AND kinky, but no. These are my version of emergency band-aids. They can be used to seal any kind of wound, allowing the injured to receive the care they need at a later time. Saved a life or two around here from time to time. Again, all you need to do is add water to activate them. Once they dry out they’ll lose their suction, but if they are attached to a wound, they’ll stay wet,” Anna replied, as she slapped the ribbons around Kiya’s wrists and they slid into place as if they were alive.

  Anna picked up a gold necklace with dangling spikes and, as she unfastened the clasp, Kiya asked, “Pretty, are the spikes dipped in poison as well? My spy code name could be Poisonatra.”

  “No, but there’s nothing stopping you from adding it to the ends, after you do this,” replied Anna, before she flicked the necklace and it took the shape of a sharp knife with serrated spikes along the edge.

  “Holy shit! Now that’s cool. How do I turn it back?” Kiya asked, as she reached for the weapon with a look of reverence stamped on her face.

  Anna pulled it back from Kiya’s reach and said in warning, “Patience. Let me show you first before you get all grabby and lose a finger. It might not look like much, but it’s very sharp. If you pull the clasp back there is a release button located here.” Anna pointed it out and pushed the button. The knife disassembled itself one clink at a time and swung loosely from her fingers in its original form before she handed it over to Kiya and said, “Now, you try.”

  Kiya accepted the necklace, eyeing it with caution she said, “Where do you hold it? I mean which side is the pokey end?”

  “Always hold the clasp in your hand. It will still work the other way, but it’s harder to get to the release trigger when it’s not on the handle,” Anna answered and then nodded her head toward the necklace and added, “Give it a go.”

  Kiya held the necklace as far from her body as possible, away from the crowd before she flicked her wrist and wolf whistled when it transformed to the wicked looking weapon, almost the length of her forearm. Brandishing it about with a few slashes through the air, she brought it to rest in front of her and said, “I’m hoping I won’t need to use this, but if I do it looks like it will do some damage.” Kiya used the release button and, when it hung limp, she looked at Aarik and asked him to put it on for her, “Would you mind?”

  Aarik took the jewelry from Kiya in one hand as he twirled the other in a circle, waiting for her to turn around. She pulled her hair up out of the way and, after he clasped it into place, he trailed his fingers gently over her skin before pulling away slowly with a smirk when Kiya shivered in response. Looking up at Anna he winked when he found her staring at him with affection and said, “What do you have for me?”

  Taylor poked Anna in the arm and said, “Hey now, I’m standing right here.”

  Anna chuckled jovially before she looked at Taylor and said, “You’ve got nothing to worry about sweetie. I’m all yours. I was just admiring how sweet he was being. Sort of like admiring a cute puppy. It’s the ‘aw’ factor. You know what I mean?”

  Taylor pulled Anna in for a smoldering kiss and whispered against her lips, “Was that an ‘aw’ generating moment too?”

  Anna pulled back in a daze and replied with a grin, “That was an ‘mhm’ moment, but we can work on ‘aw’ later.” Patting her hair into place, she turned back towards the gadgets, put her hands on the table and took a deep breath. She cleared her throat and picked up two contact lens cases, handing one to Aarik and Kiya she said, “These contacts are special. They are colorless, so no bizarre eye effects, but they translate speech and the written word for any language known to man. Until today those languages were specific to Earth, but we were able to update them with a few new ones with the help of my father. He’s sending me and Taylor back to Teotihuacan, Mexico, where he has promised me that I’ll have access to hundreds more. Hopefully what we loaded will be sufficient, but something is better than nothing.”

  Aarik fisted the case and scrunching up his face he groaned, “Damn. I hate sticking things in my eyes. Got a different version handy? Like something I can put in my ear or something?”

  “Really?!? I just unveil a way for you to understand a different language instantly and you complain about the delivery? This is all I’ve got, so you’ll either have to get over it or go without! Your choice,” chided Anna. Holding her hand out in annoyance, she tapped her foot while she waited for Aarik to make a choice.

  “I’m sorry, Anna. I’ll wear them,” Aarik consented, wiggling his eyebrows charmingly.

  “Um... no offense, Anna, these are a spectacular invention, but how the hell do they work? Will I see something flash across my field of view, forcing me to read it like a teleprompt? I’m easily distracted and would hate to only pick up half of the conversation,” asked Kiya, as she opened the case and eyed them mysteriously.

  “Don’t freak out because they are perfectly safe. I’ve tested them on myself with no harm done,” edged Anna nervously.

  Aarik snapped his head up from that comment and said, “When you start a statement with don’t freak out it usually makes the person on the other end start to freak out or, at a minimum, panic. Explain yourself.”

  “Geez. Excuse me for trying to reassure you first.
Fine. You don’t have to worry about reading it across your eye. In fact, it doesn’t impair your vision whatsoever. Little nanobots translate and transmit the material you are seeing through the optic nerve.”

  “No way!” stammered Kiya, bringing the contacts in for a closer examination.

  “Impressive, but it won’t make it any easier for me to put them in my eye. I will, I promise, but Kiya may have to tie me down to do it,” joked Aarik half-heartedly, trying to act like it didn’t matter by throwing levity into the mix to hide how freaked out he was.

  “I bet that’s not all you’ve got planned,” Anna replied with a chuckle before adding, “Let’s get back to business, shall we?” Passing her hand over a few items, she paused for a brief second over a knife and thigh sheath before she removed it from the table and said, “This is meant to be worn around the thigh but in your case, Aarik, it might only fit your calf, but your robes should hide it.”

  “How come she gets a wicked blade and I get that?” questioned Aarik, regretting his choice of words immediately.

  Anna gave him the evil eye and pulled the knife from its sheath and said, “Hers doesn’t do this!”

  Palming the knife, she placed each finger into the grooves dramatically and, as the last finger connected with the handle, the blade shot out of the hilt, extending into a long glowing white sword. She smiled devilishly when Aarik jumped back in surprise and said, “Now would you quit doubting my abilities, it’s starting to hurt my feelings.”

  Taylor gasped in amazement and said, “Can I try it?”

  “Not this one. It’s only programmed to respond to three different set of handprints. Aarik’s, Kiya’s, and mine, but don’t worry, before we head off to Mexico I’ll make sure you’re outfitted with one of your own. It might come in handy if we need to break into or outta something. The blade is surrounded by hot plasma and will cut through anything. It was developed to cauterize wounds on the battlefield, but it has other uses, as you can imagine, especially since it minimizes blood loss. All fingers must be in contact with the sensors in order for it to work, so keep a firm grip during use or people might make fun of how big your stick is,” explained Anna, as she shifted her grip on the knife and waited until the blade resumed its original form before handing it off to Aarik by the handle.

  Aarik wasted no time firing up the blade and nodded his head in acceptance before he said, “I’ll never doubt you again, oh wise one.”

  “You better not, or I’ll change my mind about sending Zander and Ira with you,” Anna teased before she snorted and said, “Although I bet they’ll look better on you than they do on me.” Reaching behind her she pulled out two rigid gold arm bands shaped like cobras. Kissing each of their heads, Aarik did a double take when they raised their heads in response and tasted the air with their tongues. Slithering about, they turned to stare at Aarik with their glowing eyes made of rubies and emeralds. “The one with red eyes is Ira and this beauty with green eyes is Zander,” explained Anna, as she stroked Zander under the chin affectionately. Using her arm like a spiral staircase they coiled their way up to her shoulder and surveyed the room and its occupants with curiosity while she explained their importance to the mission. “Usually we send Zander and Ira out on separate assignments but figured you could use all the help you could get. They have the capability to shrink or grow in size depending on the obstacle they face and are used for reconnaissance missions. Made with the newest AI capabilities they are always on and awaiting your command.”

  “They look pretty attached to you at the moment,” commented Aarik nervously.

  “I am their creator so that makes sense, but they are aware of who they will watch and protect during this objective. They are also equipped with enough lethal venom to take out a small army if necessary,” stated Anna, removing Ira from her shoulder gently and holding her out for Aarik.

  Aarik expected Anna to place the pet AI snake in his hand, but as he reached out to take the snake it slithered up his arm and solidified into place around his upper bicep. Unsure how to respond, Aarik held his arm out away from his body uncertainly until Anna walked over and lowered his arm and said, “Just act like they’re not there, but remember they’ll always be listening and ready for whatever you need them to do.”

  “How will they know we require their assistance? Do we have to use a code word or something to wake them up?” Kiya asked as she approached Zander with her hand out like she was confronting a rabid dog for the first time, barely containing a gasp when it tickled her hand with his tongue in greeting.

  “Ahh he likes you Kiya. Nothing complicated like a code word to worry about, they’re actually very intelligent. Speak to them like you would Ailla, but I should warn you they prefer to be asked instead of told to do something. I’m not saying they won’t do it, but you’ll get better results if you ask nicely. Please be careful with them, they are one of a kind,” warned Anna, caressing Zander again before handing him to Aarik reluctantly. Zander wasted no time coiling into place around Aarik’s upper bicep before he froze into place like he was just an ornamental piece of jewelry.

  “I’m assuming they don’t speak, so how are we supposed to know what they saw if I send them in to spy on something? We won’t have access to computers, will we?” Aarik asked while pulling down the sleeves of his robe to conceal his new friends.

  “Who sssaid we don’t ssspeak,” hissed Zander from under the robe.

  “Um...no one did I guess I assumed incorrectly. Sorry I meant no disrespect,” said Aarik apologetically to the lumps under his clothes. Glaring at Anna he whispered through his teeth, “You could have warned me.”

  “And miss seeing your reaction when you found out? Not on your life!” Smirking, she turned back to the table and grabbed an innocent looking corded rope and said, “Going with the minimalist approach I’ve added this beautiful item to your wardrobe. Made from an unbreakable substance, it can handle immeasurable pressures. So use it however you see fit.”

  “It’s a little short, but I can see using it to tie up a single person,” replied Aarik, accepting the belt eagerly. He stretched and pulled the material, testing its flexibility before he looped it around his waist and knotted it on the side for stability and said, “It’s stretchy. I didn’t expect that.”

  “It might seem short, but it stretches out to a distance of two football fields and maintains its strength. Truly a remarkable material, but since its origins are not from this earth we only have the one so don’t lose it.”

  “Where did you get it?” asked Taylor.

  “Roswell, New Mexico circa 1947,” admitted Anna with a grin.

  “You’re kidding!” exclaimed Kiya.

  “Not at all. It also happens to be where these babies are from. Although I was able to duplicate them, so they’re not as precious as that rope around your waist,” replied Anna, spinning around with three small disc-shaped buttons held up in each hand. “These are the wavelength eliminating discs, I told you about earlier, usually shortened to WEDs. They can be worn anywhere on the body, but I suggest somewhere with easy access and preferably not on the skin. They have tiny teeth that can and will impale you, when activated. Although microscopic it is very irritating.” Eyeing Kiya’s outfit she added, “You might want to hold your nightie out a little when I put this on. It’s awfully thin.”

  “Thanks for the warning, I guess,” Aarik replied with a grin as Anna secured the remaining five around his collar and, when Anna didn’t smile in return, he added, “Wouldn’t happen to have some x-ray vision goggles or bomb bubble gum you’d be willing to part with?”

  “Not gum, but these leather knee high boots are loaded with enough explosives in the heel for any small job you might have. I’m all out of x-ray vision goggles, but I do have something that will enhance your hearing, allowing you to hear up to a mile away,” Anna stated with a smirk. “Annalee, have I told you lately how amazing you are?” Rh’ael called out as he entered the room with Thomas and Jones hot on his heels.
/>   “Not lately. I think I’m due for a deposit,” teased Anna before she added, “I was just finishing up. Are you ready to give ‘em a pep talk before you send them on their way?”

  “Your phenomenal intelligence could make even a saint jealous,” Rh’ael assured her with an affectionate smile. before he turned to Aarik and said, “I had Jones send you and Kiya some light reading, you should review the maps at a minimum, before making the jump. I included things like a rough blueprint of the castle and the last known location of the watchers. Chances are high they’ve moved their main base, but if all else fails, head to the Port of Commondone and ask around for Bet’teal. For the right price she’ll tell you anything you need to know.”

  “What are we supposed to pay her with? Our bodies?” asked Kiya incredulously, pointing to her scantily clad silk dress.

  Rh’ael tossed a leather bag toward Aarik and when it landed in his hands with a clank he said, “There’s enough gold in there to live comfortably for months, so don’t squander it away in one place.”

  Aarik tugged at the cord around his waist with some discomfort and said, “Is this typically what you wore on a daily basis? I can appreciate how airy it would feel on the nether regions in hot weather, but I think I’d chafe if I had to wear it everyday.”

  Rh’ael choked back a laugh, cleared his throat and said, “I would recommend wearing briefs, it’s what I usually did. Never did understand how the Highlander’s fared so well going commando under their kilts, or women for that matter. We usually only wore the robes for travel, the purple and gold spoke of our lineage and demanded respect, but no one should stop you for wearing it out of context or anything. As soon as you are able, you should probably find other clothes to wear. Something a little more suitable for combat would be my suggestion.”

  “If we are literally only going to be there one night AND we have the wavelength eliminating disks...Why can’t we wear something more suitable now. My nipples are on constant high beams over here,” complained Kiya, as she rubbed her arms vigorously for emphasis, trying to cover her breasts in the process.