The Falcon Prince

lifetime of fear in just a few hours.

There’s the van. Shintara landed on a branch in the wooded area at the edge of the compound.

Ria watched as they brought Kristor out of the back. If they hurt one hair on his head, she’d kill them.

Kristor! Ria called.

Do you really think he can hear your thoughts?

So maybe he couldn’t. Which was probably a good thing, but it had felt wonderful to call his name.

But damn, it had hurt to see him in handcuffs. If it was the last thing she did, she would help him escape.

We’ll wait until nightfall, Shintara said. There will be fewer people around.

Ria wasn’t a patient person. She was ready to storm inside the building right now. But Shintara was right. Besides, she would have to figure out a way to find clothes. She really doubted anyone would be afraid of a woman streaking through their building.

So what are we going to do until then? Ria asked.

Fly, Shintara said with more than a little exuberance.

Ria had to ask. She closed her eyes as Shintara dipped between the trees and dodged branches. After a while, she realized she could block out everything around her and let Shintara take complete control. Much better. Now she didn’t feel quite so woozy.

Wake up! Shintara screamed.

Ria jerked awake, looking around. Where am I?

For the last couple of hours you’ve been snoozing. You snore, by the way.

I do not.

Whatever.

What time is it?

Late. Around ten. The compound has pretty much shut down. By my estimations, there are only about twenty people inside C Building.

How did you figure that?

There are twenty cars in the parking lot.

Smart ass.

I don’t suppose you found me some clothes.

I’m good, but I’m not that good. Now, are you ready to shift?

As ready as I’ll ever be.

But nothing happened.

Hey, Ria, Shintara said in a serious voice.

What?

Thanks for shifting.

I think I would have anyway.

Yeah, I’d already guessed you would. She cleared her throat. I’ve got your back if you need me.

Warmth swelled inside her. Let’s do this.

Shintara swooped down closer to the building, landing around the corner from the door. Ria began to concentrate on her human form. Nothing happened at first, and there was a moment of panic. She didn’t want to remain a hawk.

Just concentrate, Shintara’s thoughts came to her.

Concentrate. Yes, that’s what she needed to do. She closed her eyes and thought about how it felt to have Kristor hold her close, to feel his hands caressing her.

The burning began in the pit of her stomach. She moaned as her body began to change. The hawk screeched. Their thoughts blended and for a moment, they were one, no separation between them. An incredible feeling of bonding flooded through her.

The burning eased, but not the feeling that the two of them had merged and somehow grown closer, stronger in spirit.

Did you feel it? Ria asked

Yes, I did. We are truly one.

Ria sat up and looked around. It was quiet, dark. She slowly came to her feet. Leaning the palm of one hand on the side of the building, she caught her breath, letting herself regain control of her body again.

We need to hurry, Shintara urged.

I’m ready. Ria peeked around the side of the building. No movement. She hurried to the door and tested the knob. Unlocked.

God, she was scared shitless. Clothes would be nice. It wasn’t cold, but goose bumps had popped up all over her body.

She eased the door open and took a quick look inside. No one was in the hallway. There were doors on either side. Maybe she could find something to wear in one of the rooms.

She slipped inside. The first two doors were locked, as well as the next three. She was halfway down the hall when she heard voices coming down one of the halls that branched off.

Oh, hell! Now what was she going to do? Shift!

No time!

Crap! She tried the next two doors.

Locked.

The next one opened. She slipped inside the room just as two men turned the corner. She left the door open just a hair to see what they would do. They stopped at the first door and unlocked it, then went inside. She breathed a sigh of relief, then looked around.

She was inside a lab of sorts.

Bingo.

There was a white lab coat hanging from a coat rack. She quickly slipped it on. A little too big, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. There was something in the pocket. She pulled it out: a name badge with a barcode. She looked at the picture. Crystal Webb was in desperate need of a makeover. She dropped the badge back inside the pocket and opened a few drawers until she found booties like medical staff would wear over their shoes during surgery. If she saw anyone, maybe they would think she was also wearing shoes and worked there.

She still felt really naked, but at least the coat fell below her knees and it buttoned up the front. Now to find Kristor.

The men she’d almost ran into had been carrying Styrofoam coffee cups. Cafeteria? She decided to go in the opposite direction. But when she rounded a corner, she came face to face with a set of double doors blocking her path. There was a sign that read RESTRICTED AREA.

Kristor had to be somewhere behind those doors. She pushed on them. They didn’t budge. To the right was a scanner, much like the ones used to slide a credit card through. Pffft, she knew how to use one of them. She reached inside the pocket of the lab coat and brought out the badge. It was worth a try.

She slid it through the slot. The doors beeped. She tentatively pushed on them, breathing a sigh of relief when they opened.

The hall was empty and dimly lit. On either side were doors again, but these had small windows. The first three were empty. She peered into the next window. It also looked empty. She opened the door to make sure.

Something grabbed her arm and dragged her inside. She opened her mouth to scream but a hand clamped over it.

“Don’t make a sound or I’ll have to silence you.”

She nodded.

He slowly moved his hand away.

“Kristor?”