Archangel's Enigma (Guild Hunter)(88)

They continued to walk side by side until he scented a living being aside from him and Andromeda and the occasional large insect. He hadn’t mentioned the latter to his mate—she was tough but he’d seen full-grown warriors, male and female, shudder at the thought of insects. He’d test Andromeda’s tolerance later, when they weren’t trapped underground and she couldn’t see.

Releasing her hand, he touched her face to reassure her, then put the pack on the ground and moved forward on his own. The wing brother was standing at the entrance to a small cave, his eyes constantly scanning the tunnel and his crossbow held at the ready. No green youth this one.

By the time Naasir returned to Andromeda, her breathing was choppier than it had been, but she’d stayed in position. Hugging her, he cupped her nape and spoke directly into her ear. “There are two. One inside the cave, one at the entrance. I can take down the one outside relatively silently. You gag him and tie him up.”

She nodded.

“If the one inside hears, I’ll have to knock the first one unconscious and hope Alexander understands—our only advantage is surprise.”

Andromeda touched her hand to his jaw, ran her fingers up to his eyes.

“Yes,” he said. “They can see in the dark. Night vision goggles.” He rubbed his face against the side of hers. “We’ll steal you a pair. They’ll get rescued soon enough.”

She patted his chest in thanks and they separated to head toward the wing brothers after Andromeda pulled out some of the torn pieces of cloth.


*



It wasn’t until after Naasir left her that Andromeda realized she wouldn’t know if he’d taken down the wing brother and where, not without Naasir alerting her. And since the wing brothers were wearing night vision lenses, if she moved from this spot, she might give Naasir away. But she didn’t want him alone out there.

Biting her lip, she focused and realized there was the barest touch of light coming from somewhere. Not enough to really allow her to see, but that might change if she got a little closer. About to slide out her sword and creep forward, she felt something hit her lightly on the chest. She missed catching it but when she went to her knees and felt around on the sandy floor, her fingers slid over the distinct smooth curves of goggles.

Wasting no time, she put them on. The world around her was suddenly tinged an unearthly green, but she could see clearly.

Naasir had hauled his captive around and somehow managed to keep the wing brother contained and silent while he threw the goggles to her. Closing the distance to them on silent feet, she helped gag and bind the wing brother, the muscular man’s eyes furious with anger.

Task complete, Naasir jumped up onto the ceiling with such ease that she almost gasped. Winking at her, he went inside the cave. Creeping closer on foot, she watched as he dropped soundlessly from the ceiling and took down the wing brother, one hand over the other man’s mouth and a clawed hand around his throat as he used his body weight to pin the armed male to the earth.

Darting in, Andromeda tied and gagged the wing brother. Afterward, she whispered, “I’m sorry,” in his ear.

“Andi.”

Getting up at that low call, she crossed the cave to join Naasir at the mouth of what appeared to be a downward sloping tunnel. When she pushed up her goggles for an instant, it was clear to her that this was the source of the faint ambient light—it seemed to be coming from the rough stone of the walls itself.

Goggles back down, she released a shaky breath. “Yes, this must be it.”

“Start checking for traps. I’ll retrieve the pack.”

She was the one who finally found it, after five excruciatingly slow minutes that ended up with Naasir having to retie a wing brother who’d nearly escaped his bonds. In the ensuing scuffle, Naasir discovered the cave floor was a false one designed to collapse inward should the wing brothers activate the trap.

Depending on the depth of the fall, it would’ve surely broken any number of bones. That is, if the rockfall rigged to come down over the tunnel mouth didn’t bury them first.

“I’m starting to feel sorry for all the cave explorers,” Andromeda muttered, dusting off her arms after they stepped into the tunnel without setting off the booby trap, then deliberately collapsed the rockfall to impede pursuit by the wing brothers.

Alexander’s sentinels surely had other ways in but at least she and Naasir wouldn’t have to worry about danger at their backs—from that source at least. “I know they’ll come after us, but I hope the wing brothers don’t have to wait too long in the dark for rescue.”

“You have a soft heart,” Naasir said with an indulgent smile. “I’ll have to make sure people don’t take advantage of you.”

She should’ve scowled at him, but her heart turned to mush. He sounded so happy to have the task. And since he expected her to fight beside him, used her skills where necessary, it wasn’t as if he was being condescending. No, he was just being protective of the woman he wanted as his mate.

Her throat closed up, her face all stiff and hot. She was glad he’d turned his gaze forward and couldn’t see her. She should tell him she couldn’t be his mate, but the words kept getting stuck inside her, as if so long as she didn’t say them, they wouldn’t come true.

In front of her Naasir held up a hand. She halted.