Gabe had saved the heaviest fighting for him, his brothers, and Alex. The brothers wielded their swords with skill, slicing and stabbing the black slobbering monstrosities while Alex blasted them. 

When her powers failed, Alex drew her sword and charged a black monster.

Gabe saw her and called in alarm, "Alex!"

With a two-handed grip, she thrust and pierced the monster's hide. "Yes?"

Another monster hopped over the vanishing dead body of its partner and Alex tried a one-handed swing only to have her sword bounce off an oily hide. The monster snapped at her throat and she hastily punched through it using a two-handed thrust.

Gabe shouted, "Fly the wounded east! You should see the healing tents."

Alex bit back a protest because others were near enough to hear and she wouldn't undermine Gabe. Her grudging attitude of being wrenched out of battle vanished when she saw the number of wounded.

She resumed battering herself with as many speed bursts as she could wrench from her system to carry the injured to the healers' tents.

***

The sun set as the last of the monsters were dispatched and no further portals opened. Alex, Rile, and Cale retired to the campfire outside their tent.

Rile rubbed her back and Cale smiled gently at her as he wiped his sword clean. Gabe and Gaza walked toward them, talking with their heads together.

Gabe addressed Alex. "Are you able to fly Clan Head Gaza and myself to the temporary camp? The generals want to walk so they can evaluate the grounds."

"I can always fly, no matter what my health." Alex stood and held out her hands to them.

Alex was too tired to speed, so Gaza was spared a neck-snapping take off. Once they landed, Gabe put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're tired and need rest. Please return to camp."

Alex nodded and turned to go.

"Certainly a useful creature." Gaza nodded at Alex.

Alex's shoulders tensed with the insult disguised as compliment, but she didn't bother to turn around.

"Her name is Alex and she is a valuable member of my clan," Gabe replied mildly.

"Your clan? Son, we shall talk about clans in the morning," Gaza said in the familiar way that upset Alex.

Alex walked on, dread knotting her stomach.

***

The next morning, the sun was over the horizon when Cale looked out flap of the tent he shared with Alex and Rile and, theoretically, Gabe, who usually slept with Clan Head Gaza and his family after late-night talks.

Cale listened to the angry murmurs spreading among the crowd outside. Alex was still asleep on the bedroll, in her usual 'dead to the world' state. Rile was awake and watching Cale, but refused to budge from his favorite spot of holding the warmth that was Alex.

"I don't like this," Cale complained to Rile. "Why is Gabe so late? Should we wake up Alex? I really don't like this."

"Cale, settle down." Rile stroked her hair until she stirred.

"I'm telling you, this doesn't look good. Where is Gabe?"

Alex startled, but Rile took the hand that would have struck him and kissed it. She gazed at him, sorting through her memories, then when recognition lit her eyes, she stretched and stood up.

"What doesn't look good?" She peered over Cale's shoulder. "Uh-oh, I think Cale's right. Remember the marketplace?"

Rile groaned.

"I'm staying inside," Alex declared. "Mornings are bad enough without facing an angry mob. Without coffee and beignets, I might add. I might blast someone, and with the red light."

Gabe shouldered his way through the crowd. "Rile, Cale, we must meet with the Clan Head. Alex, you better come, too."

"I say we fly express," Rile said.

Rile took Alex's hand and put one hand on Cale's shoulder. Gabe took a handhold on Alex, too, clearly with no desire to battle through the crowd again. Alex flew a speed-burst through the crowd.

Too bad if they're blown flat. They're lucky they weren't hit with the red light after all that grumbling about me and the brothers. I want coffee and beignets.

In Gaza's tent, Cale and Alex remained anxious. Cale clacked his claws while Alex ran her hands through her hair or clenched sparking fists, but Rile was busy eavesdropping on Gabe's talk with the Clan Head.

Finally, the noise outside grew so loud that Gaza sent a general outside.

"Honored leader," the general said on his return. "They're calling for the Guardians. They are afraid of further attack and want them gone."

"What?" Gaza slammed down the map he was holding. "Follow me!" He pushed out of the tent, his generals close on his heels.

The crowd grew quiet at his appearance.

"My clan! What is this I hear that you want the Guardians banished?

"They brought the monsters!"

"They'll get us all killed!"

"Our throats will be slit in our sleep by them or the monsters!"

Gaza stood straighter and fixed a stern look on his face. "Nonsense! Never has such a thing been heard of! Are we a clan of cowards now? Are we such miserable insects that we turn on the Guardians who protect us?"

Alex's estimation of the Clan Head rose a notch. Gaza ducked in the tent and beckoned to Gabe. The two exited the tent and then stood side by side.

"You know Gabe, son of Gideon. Has he ever acted dishonorably?" Gaza gestured up and down Gabe.

"I better stay in here," Rile said.

"Me, too." Alex pressed close to him.

"His clan was slaughtered by those monsters! He would never bring them here!" Gaza said, chest filling with air.

"They're following him!" a distant voice cried out.

Gaza raised a defiant fist. "Then we will fight! We will not be caught unaware like Gideon's clan! We will marshal our forces and defeat this evil! Our world has supplied Guardians for generations and we will not be cowed or defeated! We are Agama and this is our world! We stand and fight!"

"Pretty stirring speech," Alex told Rile.

"He's always been a great talker. Not a bad military leader either. He's smart enough to know that Gabe is smarter than himself and humble enough to use him."

"You like the guy?"

Rile shrugged. "He's always been good to our clan and Gabe was always his favorite. He never had a son survive. He would love for Gabe to succeed him, and now that our clan is dead, he sees the chance for that to happen."

"That would be good, right?" Alex asked.

"Very good. Of course, Gabe would have to unite to one of his daughters."

Alex mulled that over. "Does he love any of them?"

"What a romantic you are," Rile teased, and not entirely friendly. "What does that have to do with it?"

"Everything. Or it should. Would Gabe unite for political reasons?"

Rile shrugged again. "That's what Clan Heads do." At her troubled expression, he took her hand and kissed it. "Another reason not to be Clan Head. I never envied him that."

Gaza's voice boomed from outside. "Is there so little to do that you can stand around all day? It is time to fortify the encampment, as in times of war. We will not be caught unprepared again."

***

Dedicated to

ShadowsAfterglow

Who has read all the books to book 4! Thanks!

lindagalvin

and aliens21

For faithfully reading book 3 and may even make it to book four! Love y'all!