Cloud Riders(61)

‘So, don’t tell me, the sons have linked up with his enemy Orion. And Orion is offering them hunting privileges on his land in return for loyalty,’ Woody cut in.

‘You’ve got it in one. Orion heard of the squabble and befriended the brothers immediately as a tactical advantage. He gave them his sympathy with an offer that was obviously too good to refuse. Now, as you can guess, the boys accepted, blinded by whatever was on the table as an offer. Now to rub salt into the wound they have deliberately become allies, prepared to take up arms against Aldebaran to protect their new friend Orion.’ Kayden switched on another screen, showing them the location where they would be going. ‘Anyway, the sons have put Aldebaran’s back to the wall. He and Conom have reacted unfavourably and have now put in place a plan to wipe the Cross family from existence.’

‘Can’t you threaten to put out their stars if they refuse to stop?’ Cassie asked.

Kayden shook his head. ‘The wizard is pulling his power from the dark side and our efforts to get even near his home world have been useless. He has a protection up that is impenetrable by good. All we can do until Zoren finds a way around it is to stop his assault.’

Woody let out a huff. ‘Why they thought they could go up against Aldebaran has me beat. Orion needs a kick in the pants for involving them.’

Kayden agreed, turning back to the laptop and punching in new coordinates.

Woody played with his jaw in thought. ‘Yes, and I for one would definitely be willing to hand out such a punishment.’

There were a few snickers and whispered comments from Conor, Jase and Ethan who were already laying bets down in Woody’s favour.

Kayden put up his hand for quiet. ‘Okay, settle down, men. The last thing I need is a price on any of your heads after Orion regains consciousness.’

Woody still had a gleam of amusement but kept quiet as Kayden moved everyone’s attention onto the screen on the opposite wall. The rolling images focused on the far side of the galaxy. Kayden pointed out the rogue star that was on its way to the Southern Cross.

‘This is the star that Aldebaran and Conom have now deployed to seek out and destroy the whole of the Southern Cross constellation. They aim to wipe out the entire Cross family. The star is at the end of its existence and its ruler is on a suicide mission, wanting to go down with his ship so to speak.’ Being Cassie’s first real mission riding solo, Kayden wanted her to understand the dangers. ‘This particular star will not be easy to control or even destroy. It’s an eruptive binary explosive star. Abbreviated name is RSCVN. When ready to expire it sends out flares and shrapnel at massive speeds until it blows up. Due to the problems in the past, Zoren has requested you personally be on guard for anything we might miss.’

Cassie got how unpredictable the situation could become yet with her and Starburst’s magic combined she felt confident they would handle their part in the mission. Kayden ended the session by closing down the computers.

Back inside the house, they all lay around resting although it wasn’t easy. There was a lot of anticipation and speculation because they were coming to grips with a new rider. Cassie would have her own horse so it was becoming a drawn-out topic of concern. When Kayden felt the topic was done to death, Cassie could feel him calming them and knew it wouldn’t be long before they would all be put into a restful sleep so they could recharge, giving them all an extra boost in power for the mission ahead.

When he woke them, the sun was setting in the sky. Refreshed and feeling like she could take on whatever was thrown at her, Cassie walked outside with the guys to drink her coffee and watch Zoltan lead out the horses. They trotted in formation and then stood in a perfectly spaced row before them. They almost kneeled on one knee as they bowed their heads to show their loyalty. Even Starburst did it and she thought he looked particularly cute doing so.

The men bridled their horses and jumped up. Kayden gave Cassie a magical golden bridle for her ride and waited to help her.

Once she put the bridle on Starburst he transformed into the most glorious of all. As with the other horses, the pearl-beaded armour covered him entirely. His white wings, although massive, looked so much softer, maybe due to his young age. The outstanding feature was the saddle. She would be sitting on a golden saddle while the others sat on black ones. Also while the other horses had coloured beads identifying them as individuals, Starburst had blended-gold beading that swirled around his body. His normally dark tail and mane changed to pure white and he had golden beads marking a crown across his head. He looked magnificent.

‘My prince,’ Cassie curtsied, and it made him snort and nod his head at her as if he agreed.