Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

DG was running.

She knew it.

Cain knew it.

Azadellia knew it.

Jeb knew it.

Glitch, now with a full brian, knew it.

Raw definitely knew it.

Hell, it wouldn’t surprise her if the whole palace, even the whole city knew.

Her parents didn’t.

It had taken one question, just one, a few days after the witch’s defeat for everything she thought she knew to blow up in her face. For so many very different things to come spiraling together. The last piece of the puzzle, a trainwreck she couldn’t look away from.

She ached in a way she hadn’t known she could. An ache that went deeper than her bones, her soul. The numbness had been her savior. It had allowed her to push everything down, away, until they had made it to Central City. With it she was able to help her sister, to offer and receive forgiveness from each other and themselves.

Numbness was also useful in dealing with the Cain men. A few words here, a few there, and understanding ear and the two men were on their way to a truly deep and wonderful relationship.

Glitch had just needed someone to sit with him before the surgery, then to hold his hand when the pain was bad afterward. Raw had Kalm and they had actually managed better when the other Viewers had left. The answer to her question of why, was, while sad, not unexpected. Both Viewers wanted to stay with DG and the others and the other Viewers, especially the elders, weren’t very fond of the idea.

DG had nothing for her parents.

She acted the dutiful daughter, listening to what they said, obeying their orders, following their rules, and plotted, and if she didn’t leave within the next few days she would end up losing everything. So, now was the time to tell them.

“I’m leaving.” the words echoed around the small sitting room they had claimed as their own. Her boys, Jeb and Azkadella. Jeb set his weapons, the ones he cleaned every night down, Azkadella and Cain their books, Raw and Kalm set up from their pile of pillows, and Glitch, with a sigh, sat his pencil down at his design desk and moved to sit beside Azkadella.

“Raw and Kalm know.” Raw told her.

DG gave a dry chuckle. “Pretty sure the only ones in the whole city who don’t are the royal couple.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me, doll.” Glitch admitted throwing an arm over the back of the couch. “Seems they can’t really see much of anything right now.”

“King, Queen, good eye sight,” Kalm objected.

“Not what he’s talking about fuzzy,” DG told him gently and leaned forward slightly to run a quick hand through his mane. “He means that they are ignoring a lot of things and trying to just do things the way they want to do it.”

“Oh,” Kalm nodded. “Yes, bad seeing.” The adults all grinned slightly at his phrasing then went silent for several moments.

Azkadella took a deep breath and slowly released it. “How soon?”

“Day after tomorrow, the latest.” DG told them.

“Why?” Cain asked, not looking up at her.

DG took a deep breath and released it in a rush of air. “Cause I can’t trust them.”

“This have anything to do with that conversation that had you destroying an entire room?” Jeb asked casually leaning back against the couch closest to him. Cain’s head snapped up, eyes narrowed as he looked at Jeb. Jeb held up his hands. “Was a few days after the witch died. Saw DG coming from the royals rooms, pale, and shaking. Took her to one of the nearby rooms, asked her if everything was ok, and her magic broke everything in the room, even the solid wood stuff. Then said she didn’t want to talk about it right now. Told her I was always available to talk to her about.” He nodded to DG. “This that talk.”

“About half of it.”

“What happened?” Azkadella asked, leaning forward. “What did they say?”

DG’s laugh was harsh. “Not about what they said, so much as what they didn’t say.”

“Princess?” Cain’s one word was enough for the pain to hit strong.

“I asked a question.” She closed her eyes as the numbness that had been shielding her faded more and the ache became a throb as steady as her heartbeat. Her breath was shaky, her voice wasn’t. “I asked them why they had sent me with machines for parents.” Her eyes burned. “They said that robots were the only ones that wouldn’t veer from their programming.”

Raw made a wounded sound in the back of his throat and without opening her eyes she held up a hand. “If you touch me right now, I’ll break, and I can’t break yet. I need to get through this.”

Kalm stopped reaching for her as Raw wrapped his arms around Kalm’s waist and brought him into his lap, holding the youngling tightly to give as much shelter to him as he could.

“I asked what programming. They said,” her cheeks were wet and she had to clear her throat. “They said things like telling me the stories, loving me, making sure I was prepared to come back. I asked what that meant, and they gave me the run-a-round.” She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself, holding herself together from shaking apart. “I figured it out though. What,” she gulped back the cry building in her throat. “What is the one thing that would keep me from staying? The one thing that couldn’t happen, if I was to return and become their weapon?”

“Relationships,” Azkadella whispered her voice low, her eyes wide as she too began to shake. “You couldn’t have any sort of relationship you would want to keep, no friends, no lover, nothing.”

“Because if I did I might want to return, and I might not fight their battle. They chose robots because real people would end up encouraging me to make friends. Did you know,” she had to stop to calm her breathing. “I wanted to take defense classes. To learn things that would make it harder for someone to hurt me, roboparents always had an excuse, a reason. I wanted to move out, be one my own, things started breaking down faster so I felt like I couldn’t leave them. When I presented, the hospitals wanted to try to match me, roboparents said it would all come in time.”

Heads that had bowed with the story snapped up.

“Presented?” Glitch asked, eyes wide.

“Not alpha.” Jeb’s words were a statement of fact.

DG shook her head.

“You haven’t had a heat,” Cain said, a hint of desperation in his voice.

“Cause it wasn’t safe.” DG told them pulling herself together and open her eyes before giving them a small grin. “For everyone else around me.”
“Not sure I follow, doll,” Glitch admitted.

“A Blushing Omega!” Jeb said with awe. “You’re a Blushing Omega! No wonder you can’t trust your parents!”

DG blinked at him. “A Blushing?” Then her eyes lit up and she laughed. “Not what they call it where I come from, but I definitely like it more.”

“How much damage did you do during your first cycle?” Jeb asked, leaning forward.

“Before they realized they shouldn’t come within twelve feet of me?” DG asked with a sniffle and a short laugh. “Four busted noses, three broken femurs, two dislocated shoulders, a shattered jaw, and multiple lacerations, the largest of which took fifteen stitches to close.”

Jeb let out a low appreciative whistle. “First time I saw a Blushing Omega I had just turned twelve, and we were lucky enough to have a Viewer with us.”

“Blushing Omega?” Cain asked, brows creasing.

“Mom said she had never seen one before either, and the Viewer, a really, really old female said they had only stories.”

“They’re more common on my side thankfully,” DG told them. “Or I could have ended up in serious trouble. A Blushing Omega,” she preened a little at that. “Is the opposite of what it sounds like.”

“Except the fact that during their entire cycle they look like they’re blushing. What they are are violent little shits who will tear apart anyone they don’t deem as theirs who enters their territory.”

“Which,” DG took over, “can be as little as a few inches from them, to as large as several feet.”

“You said twelve feet.” Cain interjected.

DG grinned at him. “The largest territory for a thirteen year old ever recorded.”

“Not the largest?” Glitch asked tilting his head as DG used this new topic to control, or stuff, the remainder of the emotions down until she could deal with them.

“Territories grow,” Jeb told him, “and it doesn’t have to be just space. I once saw a Blushing nearly impale a guy's hand when he tried to touch someone he’d claimed as his from nearly twenty feet away. A really impressive throw considering he can only see about four feet in front of himself without the glasses he wasn’t wearing.”

DG nodded. “Once saw a Blushing shoot a guy right between the legs at five hundred yards, for the same thing, the first time she ever held a gun to.”

Cain gave a low whistle.

“So what makes different?” Kalm asked. “Just this?”

“Not even close, little one,” Jeb said leaning forward to tap the tip of his nose. “They have better instincts than most alphas. Learned really quick that when a Blushing didn’t like someone it was because they were no good. Found lots of spies just having a Blushing hang around a group for a few hours.”

“Caught a pedophile for the same reason.”

“A what?” Cain asked, frowning at her.

“Someone who is sexually aroused by children, what do you call them around here?” DG asked, tilting her head.

“Dead,” Raw growled.

Cain let out a sharp bark of laughter. “Pretty much. If the Tin Men ever ever ran into one, we had to hope we got to them before anyone else or they weren’t making it to trial. Most of the time they didn’t make it anyway.”

DG nodded. “They aren’t known to last very long in prisons. Turns out that even people who kill others don’t much like it when someone goes after kids.”

“You were near one!” Azkadella demanded jumping to her feet.

DG held up her hands. “Peace big sister! In order to learn more about what I am and what I can do, I was enrolled in a special school for a while. Me and a couple of other people went to a store to pick up some things and I told one of the adults with me that I didn’t want any of the other Omegas near him. She asked me why, and I told her cause he felt bad. Wasn’t till much later that I found out that having a Blushing say something like that is considered a tip for law enforcement. They had investigated the guy and found all sorts of bad stuff out. I wasn’t in the same room as him for more than five minutes.”

Azkadellia sat back down. “That’s not too bad then.”

“You said you didn’t trust your parents.” Cain said slowly.

“Not the same way.” DG immediately shot down. “Someone like that creep feels like tar to me. Thick, sticky and gross. The royals feel like ever shifting sand, somewhere you can’t get a good foot hold, where you’re always in danger of falling, and if you fall, it could swallow you.”

“Do you feel like that around them all the time?” Glitch asked quietly.

DG nodded. “Yah. I thought maybe it was one or the other the first few days, but,” she trailed off shaking her head. “That’s why I asked them about roboparents. I was trying to get a feel of why it was shifting.”

“They don’t know about Blushing Omegas though,” Azkadella said.

DG gave a harsh bitten laugh. “They don’t know I’m an omega.”

“You don’t trust them to keep you safe.” Cain said, hands fisting.

“I trust them to say all the right things and then make sure some spoiled bratling finds his way into my room, then, ‘Opps, guess you’re stuck now DG’.”

“You’ld hurt them.” Glitch said.

“I’d kill them.” DG told them all flatly. “When I was eighteen someone decided to add a very liberal amount of heat inducer to a party I was at. Fourteen omegas went into heat including myself. I corralled them all into the basement of the house we were at, called for help, and blacked out. Woke up in the hospital to discover I had badly beaten six alphas, neutered another 7 and outright killed twelve more.”

They all paled.

“Yah,” DG said, nodding. “It was decided that while I had done it all in the defense of myself and others I wasn’t to have another heat until I had a pack and an alpha.”

“Why does that make a difference?” Glitch asked.

“They could stop you from cycling?” Jeb asked at the same time.

“I’ll get there,” she told Jeb, holding up a finger before turning back to Glitch. “A Blushing Omega doesn’t submit to anyone but their alpha, so only my alpha would be able to stop me, which I don’t have.” Cain isn’t mine. She added to herself. “A pack, can in place of an alpha, not control, but help a Blushing to remain calm as long as there is no active threat. They can help bring a Blushing’s instincts under control enough to allow for medical assistance. I didn’t have one, which meant that in order to get me under control enough to allow emergency personnel to assist, I had to be tranquilized. Not a good thing.”

She turned back to Jeb. “There is a pill, when taken daily that can suppress cycles in both omegas and alphas. It is commonly used by those who do not have or do not want a bond mate, or if their cycles are physically harsh on them. While not expensive, they do have to be taken daily or they stop working. Not instantly.” She added before anyone could say anything. “They take about six weeks to completely clear the system.”

“You’ve been here for almost four months.” Cain was frowning again.

“I didn’t have the pill. Because it was a court order, and not by choice, I was given an implant that works the same way without the pill, that way I couldn’t ‘forget’ to take it.”

Glitch nodded. “Makes sense. It’s similar to what we would do here. Are there other differences?”

“A few very important ones.” DG told them sitting straighter. “An implant, for everyone else, lasts five years, sorry annuals, and can be removed at any time if you don’t want it anymore. It also takes less time for the side effects to clear your system. Somewhere between two to four weeks.”

“You said for everyone else,” Jeb said slowly.

“My first one failed within six weeks. The following two lasted a couple of months,the next two were six and seven months. The next one lasted almost an annual and the last one, the strongest type available which is supposed to last ten years, was estimated to last me a little over an annual and a half. Just in case, I was due to go in and have it replaced the day after the travel storm arrived.”

“Its failed.” Cain stated grimly.

DG nodded. “I can tell because my senses are getting sharper. I was hoping to last a little longer, but I’m pretty sure what’s been making them fail to begin with is my magic and now that I’m actively using it…”

Azkadella cursed startling the others. She ignored them as she ran a hand over her face. “You didn’t have access to your magic.”

“She just said that, baby cakes,” Glitch told Azkadella.

Azkadella shook her head. “No, she didn’t have access to her magic when she was eighteen. When she killed those creatures. Now she does.”

DG gave Azkadella a grim smile. “Why do you think I have to go? I have no idea what will happen now that I have magic, and I have to leave before I get too far gone.”

“Blushings need their own space, even if it’s only temporary.” Jeb stated face hardening, eyes sharpening. “There are a few types of magical creatures that have set up places for them all over the OZ, and the Resistance set up a network for everyone to help keep track of the Blushings and other omegas to make sure they have what they need. I’ve got a local contact who can tell me where the nearest one is. Don’t worry,” he added, seeing DG’s unease. “We worked it the same way we did with the Resistance, small groups, no one knows what anyone else is doing, and the only people who know where these places are are Blushings and their packs, and even then they don’t know everything.

“I won’t even mention you by name, it's too risky. Will have to say you're a Blushing cause they need a different type of space then an omega. How many of us do you want with you? I’ll need to tell them so we can make sure to have enough supplies.”

DG hesitated for several minutes, chewing lightly on her bottom lip before she blurted out, “I’ve never had a pack. I don’t even know what it feels like-”

“DG breath,” Raw ordered Kalm shifting off his lap so he could go to her. He kneeled next to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “DG scared, unsure. Is ok. Raw help. Close eyes.” He waited for her to do as instructed then continued. “DG what color sky?”

DG gave a short bark of laughter then, grinning, answered. “Blue.”

“What color grass?”

“Green.”

“What color DG hair?”

“Black.”

“Who DG second?”

“Az.”

“Who DG peacemaker?”

“Raw.”

“Who caretaker?”

“Glitch.”

“Who beta?”

“Jeb.”

“Who alpha.”

“Wy-” She slammed her lips shut at the last minute and the room went still.

“What Kalm?” Kalm asked, moving to kneel at the side of her chair.

DG gave him a soft smile, heart melting and brushed his bangs away from his face. “Cub.”

Kalm grinned back at her.

“Right,” Jeb said with a slight cough as he stood. “If we’re going to be out of here by tomorrow, I need to reach out, and someone should stay near DG just in case we have less time than we think.”

“I will.” Cain interrupted Azkadella before she could speak, eyes locked on DG. “I’m her bodyguard, and with a door to her room will be able to get in and out without anyone knowing otherwise. Besides, everyone else needs to pack, which means they need to do it tonight.”

Azkadella’s mouth closed with a click.

“DG,” Cain replaced Raw and gently took her hands then waited till he looked at her. “Darlin’ I need to know, are we coming back?”

Everyone froze, the breath caught in their lungs.

“Do we have to?” The whispered words were thunder in the room.

Cain shook his head. “No darlin’. Not if it’s not what you want.”

“Where would we go? The OZ needs us.”

Cain nodded. “You’re right there. The OZ needs competent leadership, and we’re all it’s got so we won’t be leaving the OZ.”

“What will we do?”

“Travel. Do what we can for the people we come along. Learn what’s really going on outside these walls, and then get that information to people who can do something about it.”

“The royals?”

Cain gave her a lopsided grin. “Darlin’ these people have been getting things done without the royals for a long time, don’t think they need them to get things done now.”

DG, eyes filling with tears, threw herself at Cain, the ache rising, the numbness melting and becoming a tsunami that rushed over her. She clung to him even as she sobbed, the wails building in her throat before tearing their way out. Kalm moved to put a hand on her, but Raw stopped in with a shake of his head, and one by one they filled out.

“Princess DG,” Azkadella told the guards at the door as she cast a silencing spell on the room. “Is not to be disturbed.”

The guard, an older man with a scar going over one eye, blinked at her. “Princess DG and her guard left an hour ago, and we don’t know where they were headed.”

“Good man,” Glitch said, slapping his shoulder.

“Thanks Broun.” Jeb said with a small tired smile.

“Anything for DG,” Broun told the group, his companion nodding. Jeb hung back as the others left.

“I need to know if El is still at the same place.” Jeb told him quietly.

“Yah, need me to get a message that way?”

“Just tell them I blushed really good, and that I’m eating six apples tomorrow.”

Broun gave a small chuckle then nodded.

“And, tell Mac if I see him again in the next twelve hours he’s got duty.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

Jeb gave him a quick pat on the arm then turned and strode briskly the other way. He had a lot of work to do, and very little time to do it.

Chapter Text

When Jeb had said he would take care of it, he had meant it, and anyone who knew anything about the Cain’s knew that when they say something they do it. The last sun had barely risen when there was a polite knock on her door. DG rose from her vanity, the only piece of furniture she liked in the whole room and moved to answer the door to her sitting room. A sitting room she would have liked a whole lot better if she had been allowed to turn it into an art room.

She froze before she opened it one of Cain’s lectures echoing through her head. “Who is it?” She asked.

“Maria Princess. I have a letter for you.”

Maria, a sweet maid a little older than her who did her very best to make sure DG did not look like a porcelain doll whenever she had to make public appearances. DG frowned slightly as she opened the door. Maria didn’t bring her mail, and it wouldn’t come until evening anyway when everyone else had already had a chance to look through it and get rid of anything they didn’t deem appropriate.

Maria smiled at her and offered her a simple, unadorned envelope. “From Commander Cain ma’am. He asked me to deliver it, said it was about your outing.”

DG blinked, brows furrowing for several seconds before understanding dawned and she took the letter. “Thank you Maria.”

“Commander Cain asked that I help you get ready. Should I get breakfast and bring it here?” Maria asked gently.

“Jeb did?” She asked, frowning slightly.

“I think he explained it all in his letter.” Maria told her gesturing to the envelope.

“Sure,” DG said slowly, eyeing the letter for a moment before looking up and giving Maria a smile. “That sounds great Maria, thank you.”

“Of course my lady.” Maria answered giving a small curtsy before turning away. She paused and glanced back at DG. “Pancakes and bacon?” She asked, eyes twinkling.

DG nearly whined. “You’re amazing.”

Maria laughed lightly then gracefully moved down the hall.

DG sighed. “Why is it everyone here is graceful but me?” She demanded outloud and the guards at the door made suspicious coughing noises. Turning just enough to eye the one on the right, Curtis, Broun’s son. “Are you laughing at me?”

Curtis’s face went blank. “Of course not Princess.”

“Uh huh.” She eyed him. “Your blank face isn’t as good as your father’s.” She informed him after several moments. “And I am totally telling him you laughed at me.”

With her intentions declared she turned and shut the door behind her as both guards struggled to contain their laughter. At least she could make someone in this stinkin palace happy.

Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts she opened the letter.

DG,

Everything is scheduled and good to go for the picnic today. We’ll be leaving at noon from the main garage. I know how much you still struggle with appropriate wear so I asked Maria to help you get ready. Don’t worry, she’ll know what to do and will take care of you. See you at noon.

Jeb

Huh.

When he had said he would take care of it she had thought for sure they would be leaving in the middle of the night, racing away in the dark.

Noon was a much better time.

No interrupted or missing sleep that way, and DG needed all the sleep she could get with the nightmares and dreams she had been having. She shook her head once more tossed the letter into the still bright coals and headed for her room. If they were leaving she wanted to make sure somethings came with her.

“What about your paints?” Maria asked, hand hovering over the box that held them nearly an hour later.

DG frowned. “Will that be too much?”

Maria tilted her head slightly, thinking. “I don’t think so.” She told DG. “Especially if we put them in the car and not the bag,” she indicated the bag they had been filling with her clothes and essentials. “It wouldn’t be unusual for you to take them, a small easel, and canvas with you. Jeb’s telling everyone you’re headed out of the city for the picnic and that you’re not planning on being back till dark. Given the view it would probably be odder if you didn’t take them.”

DG couldn’t help but sag a little in relief. It had taken forever to get those paints, and she had several self mixed colors that would be nearly impossible to replicate. “Sounds great, thanks.”

Maria set the paints aside and went to grab the canvas and easel as DG studied her bag.

“What am I forgetting?” She muttered mentally checking things off in her mind.

“We’ve got traveling clothes,” Maria said as she placed everything near the door. “Boots,” she began ticking things off on her fingers. “Sketch pad, pencils and charcoal, undergarments, socks, your journal, tons of hair ties, and,” she grimaced, “your hair brush.”

DG scowled down at the bag. “I hate that brush.” Her words were vehement and venomous.

It was a large, heavy wooden monstrosity, as likely to tare her hair out in chunks then actually do its job. The instant she had received it, from some simpering noble bart, whose family had fled at the first sign of trouble, she had wanted to see if it would make a good blunt force weapon. She was pretty sure it would.

“If you had another one, any other one,” Maria lamented, also scowling down at the brush. “I would gladly watch it burn.” She sneered at it. “Can’t believe they got away with giving you a brush with mobats.”

“You and me both sister.” DG agreed, glaring at the delicate and intricately carved mobats that decorated not just the handle but the back of the brush.

“Did I ever tell you he didn’t have a hot bath, or meal the whole time he was here?” Maria asked casually moving away to check the room.

DG’s head jerked up, eyes sparkling. “No!”

Maria nodded. “Oh, yes.” She gave a helpless shrug. “There were just so many people we kept forgetting who asked for what. And really,” she held her hands up in a helpless gesture. “None of us could imagine what anyone was thinking about allowing so many people to stay at the same time when the pipes and water heaters need so much maintenance, after all, you couldn’t possibly expect Longcoats to take care of such things.”

“Of course.” DG nodded wisely, lips twitching.

“The princess is not to be disturbed.” Curtis’ voice was a low rumbling of warning.

“Do you have any idea who I am?” A high pitched voice demand.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Curtis informed the man, cutting off any other words he was forming, and DG knew they always had more to say. “You’re not the queen or consort, and the princess asked not to be disturbed.”

“Who do you think sent me here?” the voice demand, and DG tensed.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” Curtis repeated. “Only ones allowed in the Princess’ rooms are her guests, the royal couple, her sister, and people that have been vetted by the guard. You aren’t her guest, you're not a royal, and you haven’t been vetted.”

“Of course I have!” The voice declared and DG clutched at Maria who had come to stand beside her as they held each other tightly. “Here. My paperwork.”

There were several seconds of silence before Curtis scoffed.

“Really?” His voice was incredulous. “This is the best you can do?” They heard the other man gasp. “The ‘royal seal’ is missing a piece, not to mention it doesn’t have the guard commander's seal or the stamp of approval from the investigation department.”

“That is-” the man began.

“A forgery,” her second guard Mac, a lean man with a nasty scar and a wicked grin that had even impressed Cain, and a love of all things explosive “The seal itself isn’t bad.” He admitted and she knew he was giving the man that same smile. “But you missed the rest of the important bits. You should probably go now, before my partner here starts thinking that you did it on purpose and you end up in prison for forging the royal seal.”

They heard the sound of shoes sliding down the hall and footsteps racing away. When it had been quiet for several moments DG and Maria started to relax and there was a soft tap on her door before Mac slipped in, crumpled paper in hand.He took a few quick steps and tossed it into the fire then stirred the embers to make sure it caught.

“The seal was real.” He told the women quietly turning back toward them. “Princess, this is really important,” he held her gaze. “Have you ever been tended by an alchemist or healer that isn’t Raw?”

DG froze mind racing before she paled and swayed, forcing Maria to hold onto her. “Right after the eclipse.” Her voice was a whisper. “Raw was healing the more critical patients and I needed to get my shoulder looked at. I’d pulled a bunch of muscles in my back and needed something for the pain and swelling.”

“Did they ask you about your sex?” Mac insisted, moving closer, eyes intense.

DG trembled harder, ice in her veins. “Said they needed to know if I was taking anything that might interact badly with the meds.”

Mac gave a grim nod. “We need to get you out now, before the royals show up.”

“How did-” DG began trembling harder.

“Jeb.” Mac’s voice was short and sharp. “Maria take the stuff down to the car for the ruse. My pack Omega is a Blushing,” he told DG as he moved through her rooms checking for something. “He told me you’re Omega and that we needed to get you out.”

“You didn’t believe him?” she asked drawing in on herself as Maria swiftly left the room.

Mac shot her a dark look. “I will always believe and trust Jebidiah Cain, and anyone who says otherwise can help me test my next batch of explosives.”

She nodded with a small smile as she allowed herself to sink into the couch.

“Besides, it isn't exactly a secret that you’ve been looking to run. Finding out your Omega just tells me why.”

DG gave a quick dry laugh. “Think the only ones who don’t are the royals.”

“Better for us they don’t,” Mac informed her as he dropped to the floor to look under the couch. “But I didn’t burn that paper just cause it would be really bad if we got caught with it.” He told her as he reached under the couch. “Burned it cause it had enough Nights Watch on it to put a Senior Omega into heat.” He paused then added. “That’s a really old Omega. One who’s past childbaring years.”

DG couldn’t help the whimper that rose from her lips as Mac stood back up.

“Are you taking any consumables with you? Hair products, lotion, anything?” He demanded.

“No,” DG told him, then gave him a rueful smile. “The ones provided hurt my nose and end up giving me headaches. Maria and some of the others have been bringing the ones they use in for me and taking them with them when they leave the room, and I never shower without one of them in here.”

Mac frowned. “Not safe?”

DG nodded. “It’s not that I don’t trust you and the other guards-” She began before Mac waved her off.

“Omega instincts are the way they are for a reason. If your instincts said no good, it was no good, it doesn't matter if we don’t know why.” The grin he gave was vicious. “Though, by the time you’re done with what’s next I’ll know exactly why, and whoever’s behind it, ain’t going to like the consequences.”

“You,” DG told him seriously. “Are amazing and terrifying at the same time, and I am really, really glad your on my side.”

Mac blinked at her then threw his head back and laughed. Before she could do or say anything else he spotted her brush.

He picked it up, frowning. “You’re taking this?”

DG grimced. “Don’t have much of a choice. It’s the only one I’ve got.”

“Do you like it?” he asked, still looking at it, his face oddly blank.

“Six no!” She blurted out. “I’d have burned the thing right after I got it if the royals hadn’t forbidden it.”

“Why would they do that?” he asked, voice neutral.

“Because some stuff brat gave it to me.”

He looked up at her and blinked. “So if I said I could have another one for you where you’re going…”

“It would be really obvious if we burned it now.” She brightened. “And if I don’t take it they won't think I’ve run.”

Mac grinned at her. “I’ll burn it for you.” He promised.

“Really?” Her face brightened and she bounced a little in her seat. “Promise?”

Mac laughed lightly. “Promise.”

She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck with a little squeal. “My hero!”

“Pretty sure that’s supposed to be me darlin’.”

DG pulled back only to pounce on Cain, holding tightly to him as she started to shake lightly. “He’s going to burn that horrible brush.” She muttered into his chest as he held her just as tightly. “Is it time to go?” She asked louder as she pulled away from him just enough to look up at him, beaming as she did so, even as she trembled.

“That’s why I’m here.” Cain told her, and though he was grinning back, his eyes searched hers. “Jeb says everythings ready to go when you are. Raw’s appointment didn’t take as long as he thought it would and we’re gathering everyone now.”

DG could see maids she didn’t know lingering nearby as she pulled away and linked her arm through Cain’s. “I’m so excited!” She told him. “I’ve been looking forward to this forever.”

“Hasn’t been that long since Jeb suggested it.” Cain said with a chuckle, eyes searching.

“It feels like it.” DG told him.

“Not much longer now though, princess.”

She beamed up at him as a hint of a blush touched her cheeks. “I can’t wait.”

Chapter Text

What once was will be once more.

Trees with buckets of different colors hanging from them covered a large field.

What is will be no more.

A large sleek cat went from running to walking and in the blink of an eye was dressed in a sharp gray suit complete with gloves, top hat, and cane. His golden eyes blinked at her.

Magic released.

A black tower shone bright, light covering the sky.

Magic returned.

The beam of light shattered as streaks of colored flame fell from the sky.

The Old will awake and rise.

A river shivered and a giant dragon, its body long and sleek rose from its depths and took to the sky.

The Light will rule no more.

The Ice Palace stood cold and proud and dark light pulsing from deep within its depths.

Or the world will fall.

The ground trembled, rumbled and began to break apart, the sky screamed and twisted, water rose higher and higher even as fire consumed everything within its path. Central City crumbled and fell, the Papay fields burned, its keepers eerie cries echoing with despair, as large tornadoes tore through fields, homes, and towns alike, and a desert slowly moved forward, eating the land before it, bite by bite.

“DG!”

DG jerked awake shaking so hard her teeth rattled. She pushed back and away from the shadow’s around her with a cry as a glowing, swirling barrier sprung up between them.

They were going to die.

All of them.

Every single one of them.

It was coming, and it would take them all.

DG whimpered, curling in on herself filled with the knowledge that everyone she loved would die.

“Darlin’,” the voice was calm, soothing. “DG, darlin’, I need you to breathe for me.”

Cain, a voice in her head told her, alpha, another echoed.

He needed her to do something.

She whimpered again. What a bad omega she was if she couldn’t even remember what he had asked of her.

“Oh no, darlin’,” his voice whispered closer to her. “You’re a good omega. Best omega.”

Her trembling began to slow as she cocked her head in the direction his voice was coming from. Was she? No, she decided with a shake of her head. Everyone knows good omega’s are soft spoken, submissive. She wasn’t either of those things.

A light chuckle. “First right thing you’ve said since you woke up. Doesn’t make you a bad omega though.”

Yes it did. Everyone said so.

“DG, you listen to me.” His voice was stern, with a hint of an alpha’s order in it. Then he was there, his hands on the side of her face, holding her, forcing her to look into his too blue eyes that burned into her in a way they never had before. “You are perfect.” She tried to shake her head. “You. Are. Perfect.” His voice was hard insistent. “You never hesitate to defend yourself and others, are braver than anyone I’ve ever meet, and so fucking strong that you leave me in breathless awe of you.” Her eyes began to sting. “The way you lead everyone around by the nose and make them think it's their own idea is the most brilliant thing I have ever seen. Your courage is boundless, your love endless, and your beauty inspiring. You are,” he leaned forward and kissed a tear from the corner of her eye, “the most,” he moved to the other eye, “amazing person,” he placed a lingering kiss between her eyes, “I have ever met omega or otherwise.” He pulled back calloused thumbs brushing tears from her face.

“Any alpha worth anything would be eager, happy to be with you for as little or as long as you chose.”

“Even you?” The whispered words were out before she could stop them, his wide eyed look had her pulling back excuses ripe to fall from her lips.

Cain yanked her back to him and slammed their mouths together. DG couldn’t help but tense at this sudden assault on her senses. What could have been an enternanty, and not nearly long enough at the same time, he began to pull back.

With a whimper DG threw her arms around his neck and pulled him back into her meeting him until, with a growl, he devoured her.

Lips and tongues meeting in an intricate dance, Cain was all too eager to teach her, his hands sliding from her face, one to the back of her neck to bring her closer, the other lingering on her neck before wrapping around her and bringing her closer with a tug. With screaming lungs she tore her mouth from his and his lips found her neck. Little nips and kisses, flashes of tongue that had her throwing her head back to give him more room even as she clutched at his head.

“So good darlin’,” He whispered against her. “You smell,” he ran his nose up her neck, “and taste,” his tongue followed it moments later, “so good darlin’. You’re so good for me darlin’.” He leaned her back against the seat of the car, mouth, and hands, never leaving her for long.

His hands trailed up and down her sides, circling her ever closer to her breasts. “Will you let me make you feel good darlin’? I’d make you feel so good.”

“Alpha!” She keened bucking up into him.

“Not my name sweetheart.” He told her his hands sliding up under her shirt giving her the contact she was craving. “You want me to make you feel good, you’re going to be saying my name.” His thumbs circled the underside of her breasts as he leaned back to look at her.

“Wyatt! Please!” She gasped, arching into his hands.

He growled low and slammed his mouth against hers once more, devouring, claming, as his hands, finally, cupped her through her bra. Seconds later he jerked away, hiked her shirt up with one hand, pulled her bra down with the other then began to feast.

DG cried out hands clutching at his head as he lavished attention on her breasts, licking and sucking till they ached with his every touch and ached more without it. Her legs moved restlessly under them as the fire he had started with that first kiss grew hotter and hotter. He took one nipple between his teeth and pulled the sting causing her to arch violently upward and for everything inside of her to burst.

For several long moments all she could do was lay there and gasp, panting for air.

“Fucking hell, darlin’,” He’s voice was deep and raspy, his eyes blown so wide she could see only a sliver of color around the edges. DG blushed hotly coming back to her senses. “You came for me didn’t you, sweet girl? Came for me, just from playing with these gorgeous tits,” He squeezed her breasts lightly to emphasize his words.

“Not just.” She couldn’t help but blurt out then went redder as she made a helpless gesture to her neck.

Cain’s gaze grew hotter. “Bet you could come just from that, couldn’t you sweetheart?” His low growl had her shivering, his eyes grew brighter and something she wasn’t sure could be called a smile spread over his face slowly before he leaned over her once more, lips placed next to her ear. “Not just your neck though was it darlin’?” DG shuddered again and grasped for his arms. “It’s my voice ain't it darlin’?” A moan tore from her lips as her nails dug into him and the fire started once more. “How many times have you made yourself come thinking about my voice?”

She shook her head with a whimper.

“You lying to me DG?” He whispered tilting his head slightly so his breath hit her neck full on.

“Haven’t.” She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to pull him further onto her.

“Haven’t what?” He growled nipping at her lobe.

“Come.” The words burst from behind her lips. “I’ve never come before.” She half sobbed the confession.

He froze over her and she felt a flicker of fear, that was squashed as quickly as it rose when he groaned and settled more against her, shoving his leg between hers, right up against where she needed him most.

“First one to make you come.” He growled yanking her hips toward his. “The last one ever.” He promised, claiming her mouth once more as he encouraged her to ride his leg, her pants pulling tightly against her center.

Once again she was forced to break away as he shifted slightly and the pressure, and pleasure increased.

“Wyatt,” She gasped into his ear as his head dropped to her shoulder.

“Feel so good like this sweet girl,” he muttered, peppering her neck with kisses. “Want you to come for me again. Can you do that?”

DG sobbed as the pleasure grew and shook her head.

“I know you can,” he told her, pressing her tighter against him, forcing her to move faster. “You’re going to come all over my leg sweetheart. Bath me in it.”

DG shook her head harder. “It’s too much.” She begged, hands moving to his back, fingers scrambling to dig in.

“Oh, darlin’ we’re just getting started, you and I. By the time I’m done with you this,” He thrust hard against her. “This is going to be nothing. You are going to come for me, then, we’re going to give you a few minutes to settle, after that, everyone is going to get back into the car so we can get to where we’re going, and when we get there,” he shuddered against her. “When we get there I’m going to take my time.” She whimpered and rode him faster. “Going to spread you out and feast. I’m going to make you come again and again and again, until you’re so sensitive, so full of pleasure, you’ll be mindless with it, and then, do you know what I’m going to do?”

“Alpha!” DG whimpered, arching up to press more firmly against him.

He nipped her neck, a harsh sting that only heightened her pleasure. “Not my name darlin’.”

“Wyatt.” She gasped.

“That’s it DG,” he rumbled, driving her higher. “When you’re mindless with pleasure, when you’re so wet you’ve drenched yourself, me, and everything else under you, only then is when I’ll claim you.”

DG froze, her breath catching even as Cain continued to move her.

“I’ll sink so deep into you darlin’ that you’ll feel me for days, fill you so good, you’ll be bursting with me.” He ground his leg up into her, pinning her with his hips as one hand moved up to crease her stomach. “Fill you over and over again till you’re round with me.”

DG bit back a scream.

“Then I’ll bite here,” his hand came up and brushed over her mating gland before he nuzzled into it. “I’ll sink my fangs, my cock, so deep inside you that you’ll never be rid of me.”

DG’s cry was bitten off as she came, arching up farther into him even as she pulled him down further into her.

“Good girl.” He whispered mouth , still lingering over her mating gland. “My best girl.”

DG couldn’t stop the shudder, the small orgasim that hit her at his words.

“Gods sweetheart,” he muttered with a groan, his forehead coming to rest against her neck. “And here I was thinking you couldn’t get any better.”

DG hummed as she ran her fingers through his short hair, scratching at his scalp lightly. “Well you know me, always another surprise.”

Cain huffed a laugh into her neck and shuddered against her as she gently scraped her nails along the bottom of his scalp.

“Do you,” DG started before trailing off, unsure how to finish her thought.

“If you touch me now darlin’ we aren’t going to make it to where we need to be and we need to get there.” He sat up, gently pulling her with him then brushed a hand over her mating gland. She winced lightly.

“Wasn’t that tender a few moments ago,” She muttered as she straightened her clothes, batting his hands away when he reached for her. “Pretty sure you should not be helping me with this if we want to be getting a move on.”

The grin he sent her was boyish and way too charming for her good before his face turned serious. “Need to talk about that to darlin’, before your heat really hits.”

“Talk about what?” DG asked as she looked around for her hair tie.

“Oh no darlin’,” his arm snaked around her waist and pulled her into his lap. “We’re not playing that game.”

“What game Cain?” DG asked, looking up at him, eyes wide.

Cain growled, the rumbling from his chest echoing through her, grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into him, nibbling at her lip. “We’re talking about this DG.” He ran a thumb down the back of her head brushing her mating gland. “I’m not going into this and having either one of us regret it later.”

DG dropped her eyes from his. “I don’t want to force you.”

Silence settled over them.

“Is this about Adora?”

She couldn’t stop the flinch that caused.

“Oh darlin’,” he pulled her gently against him and tucked her head under his chin. “Adora was my best friend, and an omega.” DG tugged against him and he held her tighter. “Hold still darlin’ we need to have this conversation and I promise it’s not what you think.”

“Don’t want to hear it,” she told him, struggling harder.

“Darlin’, Adora wasn’t my mate.”

DG froze and Cain ran a hand down her back.

“Adora and Ryan were my best friends growing up,” he said, beginning quietly. “We did everything together and everyone knew that Adora and Ryan were meant for each other, and when they presented as a beta and omega no one thought anything of it. Wasn’t that unusual, where I came from, for such pairings to form. In fact as one of two alpha’s, and the only one in our age group, it was acknowledged that I would help with heats.”

“How?” She demanded stiffening.

“Scenting mostly. I’d make sure the omega’s had things with my scent on them to help them through it. We had a few magic users who would come around and give the omega’s and their pairs toys that would help, and I would help make sure the toys worked and that everyone had what they needed. Or I would have if there had been any other omega’s then Adora. With just her things changed. Changed even more when we found out, for all they loved each other the thought of sex made them both sick. Only time she wanted anyone near her that way was when she was in heat, and even then, she preferred her toys.

“I hadn’t exactly been quiet about wanting to leave, to do something more. Wanted to be a Tin Man, one day Ryan told Adora and I he had something to talk to us about. He told us we were a pack, as unconventional as we might be and that we were all going to Center and now was as good a time as any. The Tin Man recruitment was coming up,he had a job lined up with an accounting company, had already filled out my application for the Tin Men, and Adora’s for school. She wanted to be a teacher, and the next thing I knew we were in Center.”

“What happened?” DG asked and when he stayed silent she continued. “You said there were toys and things they could do to make it so she didn’t need an alpha but she had Jeb, so…”

Cain squeezed her slightly and his head rested a little more on her head. “I was working a case. Found out it was bigger than I had known, lots of powerful players. When I wouldn’t back down they decided to teach me a lesson. They attacked our place one night when I was out, took Adora, knocked Ryan out and set it on fire. I got there just in time to see them pull Adora, screaming and shouting for Ryan, into a car. I went in after Ryan, figured he had less time then she did. By the time I got him out an alarm and gone up, every Tin Man in the city had been put on alert. It didn’t take long for us to find out where they had taken her and what they had done.”

“They drugged her.” DG said softly when he was silent for several minutes. “Put her into heat. Can’t rape the willing,” she hissed.

“Being in heat doesn’t make it willing,” Cain’s voice was firm.

“No, it doesn’t,” DG agreed softly. “Doesn’t stop people from thinking about it, or acting on it.”

Cain’s grip loosened. “We got to her, me and the rest of the men, but it was too late. She was deep in the mating fever with no sign she was coming out if it. Managed to stop the boss man from following through with forcing a mating bond. Rushed her to the hospital but they didn’t know what she had been dosed with. My Captain got the idiots who did it to confess to Nights Watch but, by then it was too late. Alchemists made it plain if she would need to be mated or she would die and I wasn’t going to let anyone but me do it.”

DG relaxed a little. “So you mated Adora to save her, and Ryan?”

Cain’s sigh moved her hair. “Beam had fallen on him. He ended up paralyzed from the waist down. Didn’t blame either one of us and when Adora told us she was pregnant, he was really excited, said he’d be dad and I’d be father. Reminded us we had always wanted children and just because we weren’t getting them the way we had talked about didn’t make this one any less of a miracle.”

DG blinked. “Huh.”

“Pretty much what we said. After things had settled down my captain came to visit us. Wanted us to know a few things.”

“What sort of things?”

“The fact that now that I had mated with Adora, even if the situation sucked, I could claim both her and Ryan as pack. Needed to be mated to an omega before we could legally be a pack. Said according to the law Adora would be my wife and Ryan my husband. Ryan wanted to know why he couldn’t be Adora’s husband to and why he had to be my husband. Captain said Adora could be Ryan’s wife, but if he wanted any of my benefits, including my medical coverage, he also needed to be my husband.” He chuckled lightly. “Took about two seconds for him to look at me and say, ‘What’s for dinner hubby?’” DG giggled, picturing it in her head and they fell silent.

“Did the witch kill him?” DG whispered shrinking in on herself after several moments

Cain shook his head. “Illness. Now that I think about it, that’s probably why you and your family were in Fanaqua.”

“They left when the city was suffering from a plague?” DG half asked, half demanded.

“Not a plague darlin’.” Cain corrected. “Not anymore then the flu is at least. More dangerous for kids and older people than anything else. Anyone with kids who could, were leaving, better safe than sorry. The thing is, Ryan never really recovered from the attack. He had severe burns and it lowered his immune system ended up catching everything and had a harder time recovering from it. It hit late summer and he never recovered. Lost him about a month after everyone was told you were dead.”

“I grieve with thee.” DG whispered, placing a hand on his chest.

He covered his hand with hers. “I loved Adora,” he whispered. “I will always love her, but she wasn’t my omega, she wasn’t the love of my life. You are. Whether you want me to share this heat with you or you never do. It isn’t going to stop me. I’m going to be here for you for as long as you live.”

“Promise?” her voice was equally soft.

“Promise.”

“You,” Jeb’s finger moved between her and Cain, “are not allowed to have sex in any car I have to be in.”

“Agreed.” Azkadellia nodded firmly as she pushed more air through the car they had left only moments before.

“Doll,” Glitch said gently. “There are some things even I don’t need to know.” He pointed to the car. “That, right there is one of them.”

“Kalm not understand. Kalm like DG and Cain share scent.” Kalm told them shifting slightly.

“Kalm not need know.” Raw assured him. “Kalm wait till not cub. Understand then.”

Kalm shrugged and hugged DG tightly. “DG bad dream.”

DG huffed a little. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“DG prophecy.”

The others froze for a brief moment before spinning to face her, their silence so loud it echoed.

“Kalm sure?” Raw asked gently, his soft voice betrayed by the tightening in his face and eyes.

Kalm nodded into her. “DG need whole prophecy. Kalm help.” Then he looked up at her. But it wasn’t Kalm who was doing the looking. Eyes swirling in a never ending kaleidoscope of interconnecting, interweaving colors with tiny motes of light, like distant stars in the night sky.

What once was will be once more.
What is will be no more.

Magic bound by evil embrace
Released with evils fall from grace

Land to long without rightful gift
Consumes it all as power shifts

Those of old who slumber deep
Will wake and rise as darkness creeps

The light has taken and not returned
So the light must be adjourned

If balance not restored
The world that is will be abhorred
To mighty fist all will fall
As elements begin to brawl

Change what is Sovereign ours
Before draws nigh the hour.

Like a string had been cute he collapsed onto DG who barely managed to get them to the ground. Raw rushed forward with a small cry as DG met Cain’s eyes over him.

“Fucking hell.”

Chapter Text

DG, Jeb had decided on the last little bit of their drive, had a gift for understatement. It had taken a matter of moments for all of them to get back into the car, windows rolled down, and continue on.

It was quite, still in the car even after Raw assured them that Kelm was ok, just tired.

No one spoke as they finished the drive, going through the Paypay fields instead of around as he had originally planned, to get to where they needed to be faster. Over and over again the prophecy circled through his head, and for a few moments he had cursed.

He had cursed the Six, the royal couple, the witch and anyone else he could think of, and when he ran out of beings to curse, he just cursed. They were all tense and solemn as they pilled out of the car, Raw and Azkadellia helping Kalm.

An Omega, an older woman named Mary, made a low crooning sound reaching for DG and Azkadellia. “Oh, you poor dears.”

Azkadellia hesitated, DG didn’t.

DG allowed Mary to pull her into a tight embrace and seemed to almost melt into her with a small sigh.

“Everything alright Cap?” Darrin, Mary’s alpha, and a man closer to his dad’s age than his, asked eyes shifting to the road behind them.

“If you’re asking if anyone’s following or looking for us, the answer is no.” Jeb informed him as he began to pull things from the car. “If you’re asking if everything is ok, the answer is also no.”

Darrin frowned and moved forward quickly, picking up a few bags. “What happened?”

“Did you know tiny Viewers can get prophecies?” Jeb aksed conversationally.

“Kelm not tiny!” Kelm informed everyone as he glared at Jeb. “Kelm growing!”

“Always be tiny to me fuzz ball.” Jeb informed him as Mary and DG separated, DG quickly grabbing her own bag before they began the last leg of their journey.

“Kelm grow bigger than both Cains,” Kelm told him. “Kelm grow big. Not be tiny then!”

“Don’t much matter how big or little you are if people have to listen to what you’re saying,” Cain told Kelm. “And given what you said, people are going to be listening.”

Kelm gave a low grumbling growl. “Kelm did not say, Unknown say, Kelm just let borrow voice.”

Instinct and habit was the only reason he didn’t stop at that announcement, though it did take him several steps to even process what Kelm had just said.

“Welp,” Glitch popped his ‘p’. “That makes it, and well, you, like ten times more terrifying.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Mary asked, voice filled with worry.

“Not really,” DG told her. “Not yet at least. I need to get through my heat, my pack needs to talk, and the two of you need to take the car, dump it into the Crack and hide.”

“Hide?” Darrin asked steps faltering for only a minute.

“Why?” Mary asked seconds later.

“Cause your princess, a Blushing Omega, told you to,” Jeb informed them, though it was news to him.

“We need to send word to Mac and the others. Tell them anyone who was on mine or Azkadellia’s protection details needs to scatter, as well as any maids that worked with us. If there is doubt, if there is any cause for anyone working in the palace to be even slightly concerned, tell them to leave. Speed more than stealth.” DG ordered, still moving, still following Jeb as they moved closer to the hideout. “Also, have one of the guards get Toto. He’s in the underground archives, and I’ll need him.”

“You want him in the nesting area?” Jeb asked, mind whirling.

DG hesitated, thinking, then gave a firm nod. “Not if there’s somewhere else he can go.”

“I’ll get it done,” Jeb told her.

“Without leaving our nesting area?” DG asked. “Cause that’s a very big no.”

Jeb shot her a grin. “Can get it all done before we get there.”

“How?” Glitch’s voice rang a little and from anyone else it would have been a demand. From him, it was pure curiosity.

“Darrin, activate bug out procedures for Center City and put everyone else on alert. Mary, send word back the way you got it, tell them to retrieve the dog from underground and get him settled into the nearest, non omega, hideout. We’ll either send for him when DG’s ready, or we’ll go to him.”

“Cheater!” Glitch cried out, pointing an accusing finger at him.

“Nope,” Jeb popped his ‘p’ as he smiled. “It’s called delegation.”

Azkadellia snorted, DG snickered, and his dad gave a huff of laughter.

“Kelm delegate to?” Kelm asked.

Jeb and his father exchanged a brief look over everyone else's heads.

“Now or in the future?” DG asked.

“What Kelm need delegate?”

“Minions,” DG’s voice was firm, a declaration. “You need minions.”

“Kelm don’t have minions.”

“Do you need to borrow Jeb’s?” She asked. “Need something done before we go in?”

Kelm titled his head slightly as he thought. “No, can wait.”

“You sure?” Jeb asked. “It won't take that much more to add anything if something needs doing.”

“Mac good, cleaver man,” Kelm told them. “All else wait.”

“What does…” DG trailed off.

“DG?” Cain prompted when she went silent.

“Kelm, does the hairbrush have magic on it?” DG asked slowly.

“Yes.”

“Is it tracking magic?”

“Yes.”

“Jeb, can you send word to Mac to burn the brush before he leaves.”

“What brush?” Jeb asked, frowning slightly.

“The horrible monstrosity of hair doom?” Glitch asked.

“That awful, despicable thing?” Azkidellia asked at the sametime as Glitch.

“Yes. Mac promised me he would burn it, if it’s got tracking magic on it, it needs to be ash sooner than later.”

“What’s brought all this one DG,” Cain asked gently.

DG pursed her lips and shook her head. “Not here.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’re where we need to be,” Mary announced cheerfully, and waved at a tree slightly larger than the other nearby trees. “Just walk forward and keep walking.”

“Platform 4 and three quarters,” DG muttered, eyes wide. They all frowned, Glitch opened his mouth, and DG stepped into the tree, then vanished, Cain at her heels, cursing under his breath.

Jeb waited until everyone had gone through then turned to the couple. “Do what needs done and get out,” he ordered. “Don’t wait for anyone else, just do and go. Take anyone vulnerable with you, and don’t stop.”

“I had hoped,” Mary whispered, hugging herself. “We would be done with all the running with the war being over.”

“Is that what this is?” Darrin asked. “Do we need to worry about another war?”

Jeb shook his head slightly. “I don’t know. The prophecy I heard made it very clear something big was about to happen. Till we can figure out what to do keep your heads down and your eyes open.”

They both nodded at him. Darrin offered his hand and they clasped arms.

“Magic bless.” Jeb offered the traditional farewell in times of trial and then turned and followed his pack.

“It’s the Tarrdis!” DG breathed as she looked around. “It’s a tree version of the Tarrdis!”

“The magic thing that travels through time and space?” Glitch asked.

“Yah,” DG agreed, only half paying attention. The other half was fully devoted to looking around at the house they had stepped into. And it was a house, one inside a tree, but a house all the same.

Comfy wooden furniture was scattered around one half of an open room, the other half taken up by a truly beautiful kitchen. Doors ran the perimeter of the room reminding her of the suites she used to see on TV of the fancy and expensive hotel rooms.

Kelm was already exploring, sticking his head into each room.

“DG take this room,” Kelm told her as he gestured to the one in the middle. “Has big bed, big bathtub. Good room.”

DG grinned at him. “Sure squirt. Sounds great. Which room is yours?”

“Kelm take far room. Uncle Raw take room next to Kelm, Glitch get next room, Dellia get room next DG, then Jeb.”

“Which leaves one room.” Cain added with a slight nod. “Unless…”

DG blew out a harsh breath and plopped onto one of the couches delighted to find they were as comfy as they looked. “Pretty sure you made me some promises Tinman. Promises I’d be very disappointed if you didn’t keep.”

She couldn’t even look at him while she spoke.

The others made themselves busy putting things away while Cain settled into a crouch in front of her. She dropped her gaze till she was looking at her hands, fingers clenching and unclenching.

He tilted her chin up and ducked to meet her eyes. “Told you princess, first and last.” He trailed the hand that had brought her face up down her neck until he reached her bonding gland. With a touch that was barely there he stroked it, as he eyes lit her up from the inside, sending a rush of heat through her. “How long before it hits?”

DG blinked and tore her gaze away, tilting her head up slightly to think. “Sometime tomorrow. I’m in the pre stages now. I’ll need to eat and drink as much as I can handle today, as well as sleep.”

“How long have you been having that dream darlin’?”

“The dream that is apparently some sort of partial prophecy?” DG asked, frustration creeping into her voice.

“That’s the one,” Glitch agreed and made himself bounce slightly onto the couch so he could fold his long legs under him.

Cain backed away and took the seat across from her the others trailing in.

“You thought of something back there,” Jeb added. “Something that had you given all those orders.”

DG blinked at him, ran the last ten minutes through her mind, and blushed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Jeb told her with a slight laugh. “Like I said you figured something out, besides pretty sure princesses are supposed to give orders.”

DG shook her head. “Not a princess, not to pack. Which means I don’t give orders.”

“Sure you do doll,” Glitch told her. “You give orders that help keep us safe long term, Cain gives us orders to keep us safe in the moment. Raw gives orders when we need healing, Jeb gives them when Cain can’t, Azkadellia when it’s got something to do with magic, and I give orders when it has something to do with gadgets. We give orders when we need to in order to protect the pack. I listen to the Cain men cause I trust them, same way I do you and Az.”

“What ‘bout Uncle Raw?” Kelm asked. “Why listen to Uncle Raw?”

“Because there are three people you never piss off. The Healer, the cook, and the person in charge of getting supplies. If any of those three are mad at you, they will make your life very, very, very difficult and laugh about it.” Glitch told him. “Besides, ignoring what your healer tells you to do is a great way to make sure you see a lot more of them, and spend a lot of time being forced to take vile concoctions while being forbidden to do anything interesting.”

“The point being,” Jeb interrupted, laughter tinting his voice, “Is that we will all give orders at one point or another, depending on our strengths and weaknesses. You giving orders isn’t a bad thing, and if I had any reason to think they were bad orders I would have asked you about it.”

“But you don’t know why I said to do those things,” DG argued. “How do you know they aren’t bad orders if you don’t know why?”

Jeb shrugged slightly, “Because I trust you. I don’t have all the information you do and the orders you gave were given to protect people, which meant questions could wait. If you had asked me to have someone killed I would have wanted an explanation before I passed the order down, but that’s not what you were doing.”

“If it had been,” DG began, curiosity quipped. “Would you have given the orders?”

“DG,” Jeb began, voice and face serious. “You are one of the few people in the world I can honestly say is truly good, if you wanted someone dead there would be a reason for it. If you ordered someone dead, and hadn’t talked to me about it, for whatever reason, I know you would have talked to someone and I would do my damndest to make sure that person was six feet under, even if I had to do it myself.”

Any words DG could have said against it, and there were quite a few, died in her throat as she met his eyes. The trust and conviction that shone from those hazel depths settled something within her and she found the only thing she could do was offer a small smile and a tiny nod.

“Since we don’t have to worry about any of that right now,” Glitch broke in after a few moments of silence, “Why don’t you tell us about that dream of yours, and how long you’ve been having it.”

DG relaxed back into the couch and blew out a long breath. “I knew I was having a nightmare of some kind a few weeks after we defeated the witch, I just could never remember much of anything other than vague impressions. What little I could remember never stayed with me for very long, or made any sense. I thought they were just random dreams till about three weeks ago.”

“That’s a long time darlin’.” Cain didn’t need to ask why she hadn’t said anything, she could hear it in the tone of his voice.

“Like I said, vague, indistinct nightmares that made little to no sense, and most of which I couldn’t remember after I woke up. I didn’t think they were anything important till I fell asleep in class three weeks ago.”

“You sent Toto to find out what he could about what you remembered.” Azkadellia half asked, half stated.

DG made a so-so motion with her hand. “He had apparently asked me a question shortly after the dream started and the things I said had him concerned. Told me to start keeping track of what I could remember, writing everything down the moment I woke up so I wouldn’t forget, and that he would do some research.”

Cain was frowning slightly, and DG had to force herself to look away, or risk loosing track of the conversation. “What did you say that had him worried?”

“Was it anything about the word dying?” Glitch asked. “Cause that part definitely worried me.”

“Pretty sure it was the part about the desert eating the land that did it,” DG told him. “But it could have been the natural disasters that all happened at the same time that did it.”

“The desert was eating the land?” Azkadellia asked sitting up straighter, eyes bright. “Are you sure?”

DG blinked at her. “Pretty sure. The OZ was getting smaller and the desert was getting bigger, not sure what else it could have been.”

“What are you thinking?” Jeb asked, head tilting slightly to look at her from his spot by her feet.

“The witch had a lot of knowledge, a lot of information about things that happened a long time ago, one of them was how the desert came to be.”

“It wasn’t always there?” Glitch asked. “I thought it had been.”

“Most people do,” Azkadellia told him. “The desert was actually created. It was made to kill everything in its path.”

“Did a witch create it?” DG asked, and mentally crossed her fingers hoping for a no.

“No.”

“That was not as reassuring as I wanted it to be,” Glitch told them.

“It shouldn’t be.” Azkadellia’s words were blunt.

“I am really, really, really, going to regret asking this,” Jeb said with a sigh. “Who did?”

“A goddess.”

“I’m sorry, what?” DG blurted out after several moments of silence.

“A goddess, or as close to one that it didn’t matter. The witch wasn’t there for it, it was three or four generations before her time, but the one thing that all the stories agreed on was that the desert was made by a woman of tremendous power who was very displeased with the way the OZ worked. According to the stories the witch was told, this woman, a light mage decided that the night, that darkness, was no longer needed, that it shelted too many horrible and terrible things. She used her light magic, amplified it somehow, and created a barrier around the OZ to burn out the darkness. The desert she created burned more than the darkness though, it burned everything, killed everything that touched it, by turning it all into ash.

“A group of magical beings banded together to create a barrier that stopped the spread, with the hope being that one day they would be able to get rid of it all together. Unfortunately the spell that was used to create it to begin with made it impossible to do so, and before you ask, she didn’t know the spell. If she had, she would have been able to coat the land in darkness before she was defeated the first time.”

“What would cause that barrier to fall?” Jeb was quick to ask.

Azkadellia shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t know how it was made to begin with let alone what might make it fall. I do know the witch was very, very eager to make sure it didn’t fall. She even spent a lot of time and energy trying to figure out how to stop or even get rid of it completely.”

“I don’t know what’s worse,” DG muttered letting her head falling back and closing her eyes. “The animals that become people, the dragons that come out of lakes, the cries of the Paypay when their fields burn, or the way the desert eats things.” She rubbed her forehead with one hand. “On second thought it’s the pails.”

Silence.

“The pails?” Cain asked, voice carefully neutral the way it did when he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

“There’s this forest with these pails hanging on to the trees, like some sort weird fruit.”

“Are the pails doing anything?” Jeb asked and she could hear the frown in his voice.

“Nope, just hanging there.”

“And that’s scary?” Azkadellia asked slowly.

DG’s head came off the back of the couch and she shot her sister a disbelieving look. “Do you have any idea what’s in those things?”

“Do you?” Glitch shot back.

“Not a fucking clue!” DG exclaimed waving her arms. “I keep waiting for something to break out of them and try to eat me.”

“How big are the pails?” Cain asked and she shot him a grateful look.

She held her hands about a foot apart.

“And they come in different colors?” Cain again.

DG nodded.

“I think,” he began, speaking slowly even as he thought, “I might know what’s in them.”

“Really?” DG sat bolt upright.

“How?” Glitch demanded at the sametime.

“Pretty sure you do to,” Cain told the lanky man. “Most people raised in the OZ would, if they saw them.”

“Well?” DG demanded with a growl.

“I think they’re lunch pails.”