Shared Mercy Book 5 of the Guardians Saga

CH. 19.3 Saving Drake...Again

The door burst inwards from Alex's boot. The Anolis smoothly twisted Drake against her and held her dagger to his throat. That warrior stood as solid and balanced as any karate master.

"Back away mammal or I'll cut his throat," she warned. Her voice was low and steady, like a snake coiled and ready to strike.

"If I let you leave with him, you'll butcher him slowly. What would you rather, Drake? Slow death or slit throat?"

"Is there a third option where I don't die?" he asked with a clear voice and lack of fear that impressed Alex deeply.

Alex splayed her fingers out on her sword hilt. Cale, Gabe, and Rile saw it and dove for cover a split second before Alex exploded in light. A shock-wave of energy blasted outwards from her in a bright, searing light.

The Anolis female was a crumpled heap of armor and limbs, but Drake and Alex were alive, if a little worse for wear, with the aftermath of the general burst throbbing in Alex's head and Drake, who lay on the floor, unconscious.

Rile dashed to Alex, Cale to Drake, and Gabe stood with his sword drawn over the Anolis female.

"Ugh, that always takes me out." Alex sat up and held her fingers to her temple. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out the figures of Cale and Drake. She saw Cale kneeling over Drake and sweep his fingers over his throat. When they came up bloody, she struggled against Rile to reach them. "Drake? Cale? Was I too late? Did he bleed out?"

"It's only superficial," Cale said. "But let's get out of here. Maybe Drake found out something useful and he'll remember it when he comes to."

With Rile's help, Alex reached Drake's side. She felt his pulse and nodded, satisfied. Then she picked up the fallen dagger.

"Alex, what are you going to do?" Gabe asked, face and voice full of suspicion.

She opened her eyes wide with fake innocence and said in a syrupy tone, "Just a reminder not to cut up my friends."

But Gabe narrowed his eyes at her. "Please remember we're Guardians."

"That's why I'm not killing them." Alex replied. She yanked off the ornate breastplate, cut an opening in the Anolis' shirt, and carved into her hide. "Two for one." Then she sliced off two of the Anolis' fingers before Gabe could stop her. "Can y'all read that? Does the Portal Guardian translate my writing as well as my words? Is that clear enough that I'll repay double damage for any that they inflict?"

"Loud and clear," Rile said in quick approval.

"Yes," Cale said. "The Portal Guardian does translate writing as well as words."

Alex allowed Gabe to disarm her, letting the dagger slip from her grasp.

Gabe huffed like an angry dragon. "That's not what we're supposed to be doing as Guardians."

"Sure it is," Alex said. "I'm stopping violence at the source by the threat of greater retaliation. Works really well on Earth, liberal whining aside."

"She neither executed her nor inflicted a lethal wound," Cale said. "She is protecting the innocent from future harm. I approve." He looped Drake's limp arm over his shoulders and stood with difficulty.

"Time to fly," Alex said. "Good thing I always can, no matter how drained I am."

Rile helped her to a stand and she also looped Drake's arm over her shoulder.

"Gabe?" Alex asked.

"I'll stay here and cover for you."

Alex bit her lip and thought of the Anolis warriors waking up and finding their marked friend. "That answer does not fill my heart with joy," Alex said.

"Do you want to leave Razz, Lok, and the others without any protection?" Gabe asked.

"Point taken. Once we're back at my quarters, Rile or Cale can rejoin you, if that's okay," she added at his piercing look.

"Team, remember?" Rile gazed at his oldest brother steadily.

"Agreed."

Alex shot up and disappeared with her crew.

Drake stirred on the bed and Alex sat next to him. Eyes closed, he rubbed his throat. Then his eyes shot open and he looked at his hands.

"Throat and hands still intact," Alex told him. "Third option, like you asked."

"I'm grateful," he said. "You had me worried."

"Was I that convincing? Yay for me," she said.

"Did you learn anything?" Rile asked.

"Other than those Anolis females are as bad as Alex said and that Alex is really scary around them?" Drake asked.

"I cut off two of that female's fingers," Alex said sweetly. "And carved 'two for one' on her chest. Just for you."

Drake flinched. "You're even scarier than I thought."

Alex smiled. "They still haven't learned to not threaten my friends. Time to escalate the lesson."

Drake stared at her a minute.

"You see why I love her?" Rile asked.

"What's not to love?" Drake said mildly. "Anyway, they aren't working with Morgan. They haven't seen another human. They were so disgusted at the idea that I doubt they would work with him even if he did show up."

"That's good news," Rile said. "So The Adversary supplied them with that cloth by another means."

"Cla must be a direct agent of The Adversary," Alex said.

"I wouldn't put it past her," Rile said. "But that means she could have abilities you don't know about, Alex. More reason to avoid her."

"Even more reason y'all should avoid her," Alex said. "The Portal Guardian said that The Adversary hated sharing power. Since I've never beaten her, I hope he didn't see any reason to give her more power."

"Just those camouflage cloths," Drake said.

"Those seriously screw with my latest plan to take down the Anolis females," Alex said. "I wonder if there is a way to see through them. If we return to Earth, I'm looking up Grange and finding out."

"Not him."

"Yes him. Better than agents we don't know, who would prefer to see me dead. Now, shall we return to the party and dance?"

"You need to rest, Alex."

"I need a show of strength," Alex replied. "Nothing like dancing on your enemies' fallen bodies."

Drake sat up on the side of the bed. "I think I can dance." At Alex's worried look, he said, "You're not leaving me here alone, are you?"

"Of course not," Alex said. "Let's rejoin our teammates and have some more fun."

"Preferably blood-free," Drake said.

"Speak for yourself," Alex said. "As long as you avoid those Anolis females so I don't have to worry about you. You learned what you needed to about those cloths."

"Can I tempt you with a bath?" Rile said. "Followed by a nap?"

Alex stroked his chest. "Later. Let's make sure that Gabe, Cale, and the others are okay."

They entered the party together. Alex waved to the band leader, who nodded and signaled his band. When the song finished, the opening chords of a group dance were struck. Alex walked to the center of the dance floor and shot a sparkling blast straight into the air. Razz, Trac, Kress, and Lok cheered and jumped onto the floor. A tidal wave of dancers followed them and followed their dance steps.

***

A/N

Dedicated to faithful reader

IanReeve216

Who noticed the  missing chapter!