Megura and Evie led the two groups through the dense underbrush that would take them to the camp where they would find the members of the team for this area. They were fast, faster than Natsu was used to because there were no trees to dodge around; he really should have asked to train more in this sort of environment. Still, he was able to keep up with Ava, Megura, and Roland, one of the exiled angels they’d rescued from an abandoned settlement several weeks ago. Toji, Lukas, Arla, and Evie were coming in from the left, another hundred yards away. They needed to be as quiet and as inconspicuous as possible if they wanted to succeed in this job.
The intel they had received two days before had said that a caravan was transporting an anishif lioness when she somehow managed to escape. She hadn’t gotten far before she was recaptured, and when she was threatened with the life of her son, she attacked and killed most of their captors before being knocked out. The boy had disappeared into the darkness and none of the transporters could find him.
As it turned out, he had run for almost two days straight until he reached the nearest Anishif Army Corp camp. It was another two days before he could even speak. The demon in charge of the camp had contacted the valley base and they had immediately relayed it to Helman Hall. The entire team was on a plane that night.
Now, as the two squads made their approach, all senses on alert for any hidden enemies, Roland, gave out a distinctive whistle that was answered almost immediately.
Clear, Natsu informed Toji, and both squads made their way into the large camp.
“Captain,” a demoness greeted Natsu, giving a slight bow. He waved it away and shook her head. “I’m Brigit, head of the Anishif Corp team here. It’s good to see you.” She caught Toji’s eye and bowed with her fist over her heart. “My Prince.”
“Please don’t,” he groaned. “Major is fine.”
“Sir,” Brigit said, nodding her understanding.
“We’re glad we were able to make it here so quickly,” Natsu said. “How are the rescues?”
She sighed. “Scared, confused, tired.”
“Any injured?”
“A few, yes, but nothing too serious.”
Toji glanced back at Arla and nodded. “Go with Roland.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, following the angel deeper into the camp where the medical tent was located.
Lukas kept his head on a swivel as they made their way through, taking everything in, from the surplus tents, to the weapons, and to the small band of Corp members walking around or in their tents.
“How many are here?” he asked.
“About twelve,” Brigit said. “Not nearly enough, but more than where we started.”
“When did angels start joining?” Ava asked, picking out the two or three that were talking with other Corp members, demons, and not seeming to be bothered at all by it. “I thought they would have built their own encampment somewhere.”
“They did,” Brigit said. “But it was attacked by some pretty pissed off poachers. We took in several, but many of them have already left, as you can see.”
“Couldn’t stand to be around demons?” Evie mumbled bitterly.
Brigit chuckled. “Surprisingly enough, no. They left to find more survivors from the town that was destroyed last week.”
“What do you mean ‘survivors’?” Lukas asked. “Are you telling me that town was—”
“Decimated, yes.” She stopped and turned to face them. “I don’t know how much you know, Officers, but the situation has become a lot worse than you can imagine.”
Natsu and Toji exchanged a look.
“You may want to educate us a little,” Toji said. “The reports and intel we get suggest that the settlements are getting hit, not to completely kill the inhabitants, but to destroy their homes and make them scatter.”
“People are still dying, regardless,” Brigit pointed out.
Natsu sighed. “Yes, they are.”
“They may not be attacking to kill in the states, not yet, but it is happening elsewhere. Come with me.”
She led them toward a large tent with a conference table, a large map spread out and covered with writing. They all gathered around while Brigit pointed out several different locations that had been circled in black.
“There are the areas where the settlements are being attacked but not terribly hard. Everyone manages to escape, and most return to repair and rebuild.” She pointed to the ones circled in blue. “These ones are the settlements and towns that are being attacked even harder and relatively few deaths are reported.”
She tapped on several of the ones circled in red, all of them outside of the United States. “These are larger settlements,” she said, her tone flat. “These are being hit the hardest, and every last inhabitant has been wholesale slaughtered. They’re also angel settlements, so…you can guess what that means.”
Ava shuddered. “Their wings were taken.” Angel’s wings aren’t just trophies for those who remove them. The act itself is a sign of disrespect to the angel.
“When you say ‘relatively few’ deaths,” Toji said quietly, pointing to one of the blue circles and then to a red one, “you mean as compared to these?”
Brigit nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“There aren’t that many red areas,” Megura observed. “The number of the lighter-hit areas is much larger.”
“Correct. We believe the Rogue Divine are sending a message at this point.”
“No one is safe anymore,” Lukas said, running a hand through his hair.
“I still don’t understand,” Ava said, shaking her head. “Why are they doing this in the first place? What is their goal? They were targeting angel settlements for the longest time and they’re only recently starting to go after the demons. It’s only a matter of time before they go after the mythics.”
Natsu shook his head. “No, they’re not exiles,” he said. “They are only going after exiles, no one else.”
“But why is the question,” Toji said. “For centuries, exiles have been relatively ignored by the Divine realms. They were being punished for their crimes and no longer had a place within them. Many of them just had to atone and earn redemption in order to return. Very few have been exiled for life.”
“So why the sudden interest in them now?” Evie asked. “They’re just trying to get by like the rest of us.”
Toji sighed, running a hand through his hair before letting it rest on the back of his neck. “I think we may have something to do with that.” He glanced between Ava and Lukas.
Brigit nodded. “I hate to admit it, Highness, but you may have a point.” Her eyes widened. “Apologies…Major.”
Toji waved it away.
“As you know, the number of exiles have increased steadily in the last twenty years since your fathers became their protectors. It’s only gotten worse in the last five.”
Toji nodded. “The archangels and Devil Kings don’t want to deal with even the smallest infraction so they exile the offender and leave it to us to deal with instead.”
“And now, someone is trying to either increase their suffering, or killing them outright,” Natsu said. “But…why? It makes no sense!”
“Toji.” Arla’s voice drew them to the opening of the tent, her face grim. “He’s ready to talk to you now.”
Once at the medical tent, Toji and Natsu asked their Guards to remain outside. Megura and Evie offered to continue the tour with Brigit and they allowed it before ducking inside.
Roland was sitting at the side of a bed where what appeared to be a normal teenage boy was sitting propped up against some pillows, a cup of water in his hands, his head lowered, despondent and sullen. The angel stood and walked over to them.
“He hasn’t said a whole lot,” he said. “He said he was told to find you and speak to you directly.”
Toji glanced over at the boy. “Why me?”
“Possibly because you’re the leader of this little outfit?”
Natsu did his best to suppress a grin, scratching his nose in a futile attempt to hide it. It always amused him when other Divine talked to Toji the way Roland did. He was only a Prince, the son of the God Kings, and a brat at that. However, he still was a respected military leader and had fought several battles and won, so they did afford him some level of respect in that regard at least.
Toji didn’t bother to react to the statement, just kept his eyes on the boy in the bed. “That’s the boy that ran from the caravan a few days ago, right?”
Roland nodded. “One and the same. He said one of the shifters led him here as soon as he got far enough away.” He turned sideways to look at the demon boy. “He said his mom stayed behind to give him a chance to escape.”
Toji’s jaw clenched. “It was one thing when it was just the anishifs, but now they’re getting the cubs involved.”
“Cubs?” Natsu asked, furrowing his brow.
“That’s what young anishifs are called,” Toji explained. “No matter what animal they change into, they’re all called cubs. They don’t mature until they’re around sixteen or seventeen and by then they’re already highly skilled killer beasts.” His fists curled at his sides. “Even so, they’re not as efficient as the adults. So why the fuck did they take him?”
“We won’t know unless we ask,” Natsu said as he sent waves Toji’s way in an attempt to calm him down. He knew it was working when the tension in Toji’s jaw eased.
They stepped past Roland and cautiously approached the boy. Closer, they could finally see that he was covered in black markings, similar to leopard spots. His short dusty brown hair was pushed away from his face, his black and gold eyes piercing and sad. His upper fangs hung over his lower lip, but they weren’t terribly large. Toji could tell he wasn’t a cub anymore, but a recently matured anishif, probably around seventeen or eighteen.
Arla made her way to the side of the bed and gently laid her hand on his back. “Cain?” she said gently, getting his attention. “They’re here to see you.”
The anishif boy, Cain, slowly raised his head to look at the two visitors standing at the end of his bed, his eyes glancing between them.
Toji lifted one hand in greeting, offering a small smile. “Hey,” he said. “I’m Toji, and this is Natsu, my partner.”
“Your mate.”
Toji jerked slightly, looking down at Natsu who shrugged. “Uh, yes, actually, he is. I guess I forgot that’s known throughout the Divine.”
Cain shook his head, tapping a finger to the side of his nose, a tiny grin touching the corner of his mouth. “I can smell it.”
“Ah,” Natsu said, returning his small smile. “I didn’t think that sort of thing could even be sensed.”
Cain raised a brow, tilting his head, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, well,” he looked up at Toji. “I mean, I understand we all have different scents but I didn’t think a relationship could be read in them.”
“Of course they are,” the boy said. “All anishifs can smell the mates of others. It lets us know who we can and can’t attract.” His gaze went to Toji. “I’d think you would have told him that, Master Toji.”
Toji’s entire body stiffened. “Why would I know that? I’m not…” he swallowed, the denial stuck in his throat. “I’m…not…”
Cain stared at him, not sure if Toji was playing dumb, or really was as dense as a stone. Or maybe it was a secret? If so, he had just outed Toji unintentionally. He covered his mouth, eyes wide. “I apologize…” he pointed to Natsu. “I didn’t mean to call you out like that, Master Toji. I didn’t realize your mate didn’t know. Although, I’m not sure how since he has so much of your energy within him—”
“I think now would be a good time to change the subject, don’t you?” Toji said, his voice low, a warning in his eyes. Natsu glanced over at Arla who stared at her cousin, unblinking.
Natsu tugged the back of Toji’s shirt, his eyes on Cain. “It’s Cain, right?”
The boy nodded.
“Cain, there is a lot going on right now and we don’t have time to worry about who and what we are. Believe me, I know a hell of a lot more about Toji than anyone else in this entire universe, and I know what information is meant not to be shared in front of people who don’t need to know.” His eyes shot to Arla who tactfully looked away.
“I should go join the others,” she mumbled. She squeezed Cain’s shoulder gently, giving him a kind smile. “Remember what I said about getting rest, okay?”
Cain smiled up at her. “Yes, ma’am.”
Arla walked past them, not daring to look at Toji as she did. When it was just the four of them, Roland moving to the side of the bed so as not to crowd the other two, Toji seemed to visibly relax.
“I placed a barrier,” the angel said and they all thanked him.
“Listen,” Toji said softly. “I’m well aware there’s something very different about me, something I don’t understand and something I’m not quite willing to accept. I also know that Something is being transferred into Natsu and he’s taken on a lot of those qualities even though he isn’t now, nor will he ever be, a demon of any kind.”
Cain nodded. “Yes, sir, I know. I can smell that, too.”
“That being said, I’m going to ask you not to tell anyone about this. Ever. I don’t need any rumors spreading about me, my mate, or my family. It might seriously damage my fathers’ kingdom and that’s something I can’t risk. Understand?”
Cain nodded. “I swear on my core I won’t tell anyone.”
“Okay,” Toji sighed, folding his arms over his chest. “Now, we need to ask you about the night you managed to escape from the caravan.”
Cain averted his gaze, his face pinched. His hands tightened around the cup, the water rippling. “Of course,” he said quietly. “I’m sure you already know of the attacks on the exiles all over the world. That really isn’t news, nor is the kidnapping and trade of our people for the sole purpose in aiding those attacks.”
“We also know what is happening to those who have tried to escape,” Natsu said gently. "That’s why we’re here.”
Cain nodded. “Yes, I know,” he said. “There is a group of Divine that is doing this, the Rogue Divine, I guess they’re calling themselves. Dumb name, if you ask me.”
Even Roland had to suppress a laugh. Cain was definitely a teenager.
“Anyway, in the truck, the driver kept telling me that they were taking part in a great cause and that I could be a part of it, too. If I did what I was told and didn’t fight them, then me and my mother would be released and we could go back home. Of course, I was tied up and gagged at the time, so it was hard to believe any of that.”
“Did he say what this cause was exactly?” Toji asked.
“Not really. All he said was that they were trying to protect their world from those who were out to get them. They were trying to suppress rebellions, stop any exiles from sneaking back in to attack the ones who threw them out in the first place.”
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