Amelia looked up, her eyes distant. "I don't think they would have risked a fight with two units. Besides, I think they have plans for your souls."
Colton pulled Aiden to his feet. "We'll get his soul back."
Aiden nodded. "Yes, we will, right before I destroy every single one of them," he promised.
The men nodded looking at each other.
Oron helped Darian stand, but Darian refused to hand Keelan over. He carried his friend's body to the car and gently laid him in the backseat.
Aiden turned to Lorcan. "How did you know to come?"
Bishop, Beta's vampire, shook his head. He turned to Gavriel and Aiden. "Your mates. They were uneasy and said something was wrong. They sent us after you."
Aiden looked shocked. "She never ceases to amaze me."
Lorcan clapped Aiden on the shoulder. "Wait until you hear this. Sascha kept us updated as we drove out here. Meryn moved everyone from the Alpha estate into Council Manor, evacuated the city, then proceeded to set up on the roof as a sniper before working with the witches to release this particle spell that made all the invisible ferals visible."
Aiden opened his mouth and closed it.
Gavriel shook his head and turned to Bishop. "How'd you find us?"
Bishop rubbed the back of his neck. "GPS locator beacons that Meryn made us install on all the vehicles."
"Let's go help my baby sister-cousin," Amelia said, her voice sounding flat.
Darian turned to his mate. "Love? Are you okay?"
She nodded absently.
Kade walked over and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder; he immediately pulled it back as if he had been burned. "Gods above, her magic is completely unfettered. It's as if something stripped her of every discipline or restraint that she built to control her magic. What in the hell did they do to her?"
Darian cupped her face in both of his hands. "Baby? Do you know what that machine was that you were in?"
She nodded, her eyes unfocused. "He said it would steal all my magic."
Kade turned to Darian. "We need to get her to Quinn. He uses earth magic like Amelia. He can help her get her magic under control."
All at once, the men were moving.
Oron took the seat next to Keelan's body. He met Darian's eyes and nodded. Darian knew that his brother would look after Keelan while he helped his mate. Once Amelia was well, he'd face what had happened. Later, he'd face it later.
*****
Just outside the city, Darian heard Colton start cussing.
"We have company," Gavriel said from the drivers seat, keeping an eye on the rearview mirror.
"Maybe they changed their mind about a fight." Aiden cracked his knuckles.
Colton's phone buzzed, and he answered it putting it on speaker, it was Lorcan.
"What do you want to do, Commander?"
"Punch it. Let's put some distance between us. Then I want to pull over and transfer Keelan and Amelia to your vehicle. Your only objective is getting them to Adam and Quinn as quickly and as safely as possible. Alpha Unit will handle our guests," Aiden said, his face dark with emotion.
"Roger that," Lorcan confirmed before hanging up.
Aiden turned in his seat to face Darian. "I'd understand if you wanted to go with Amelia."
Darian looked over; his poor mate stared into space, tears trailing lightly down her cheeks. He kissed the top of her head then turned to Aiden. "No. I owe them for what they did to my mate and for what they did to Keelan. With any luck, Keelan's soul is with them, and we can set him free."
Aiden nodded and turned back in his seat. Gavriel pushed down on the accelerator, and the van behind them became smaller and smaller. After about ten minutes, Gavriel brought the SUV to a stop, and the men moved quickly. Darian had time to kiss Amelia before Lorcan picked her up and carried her to their SUV. Larik, Beta's fae warrior, nodded at Darian, his eyes flicking to the silver ring on Darian's right hand. Larik raised his fist to his chest in salute before picking Keelan up. Darian trusted all of his unit brothers equally, but he felt relieved that it was another fae looking after Keelan and Amelia.
Doors slammed and the SUV carrying the most important person in his life, his mate, turned left and sped toward Lycaonia. Everyone, including Oron, got back in the SUV.
Aiden looked around. "Let's take this off the main road. I don't want any innocents to get hurt."
Gavriel nodded and turned left down the same road where the other SUV had just disappeared. They drove slowly for about five miles before they saw the dark van coming up fast behind them. Gavriel pulled off to the side of the road, and the men got out. They stepped into the road and watched as the van got closer and closer. Less than a mile before the van reached them, it came to an abrupt stop, and the front of their car collapsed in on itself like an accordion. Steam from the radiator created a cloud that was barely seen in the grey pre-dawn light.