CHAPTER NINETEEN
Saylor
In a gray tunic, leather pants, and twin swords behind his back, Soren is the epitome of a badass warrior.
“Did you find him?” I ask, swallowing hard. Bane reaches for my hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
“I did,” he replies, dragging out the word. He pushes off the wall where he is waiting for us and comes to stand in front of me.
“And he’s alive?” I gulp, my heart in my throat. If Shadow is dead, I don’t know how I will recover from that. I’ve pushed through these last few years telling myself he’s out there somewhere, and if he’s not…
“Yes, he’s alive,” he replies, his gray eyes softening. “But this whole thing is about to get very complicated for you both.”
“You saw him?” I ask, shifting on my feet.
“Tell us,” Bane demands, pulling me against him, like bracing himself to protect me from whatever I’m about to hear come out of Soren’s lips.
“He’s in The Circle,” Soren explains, his eyes cutting to Bane.
“What is he doing in the Demon Kingdom?” I ask, my brow furrowing. I turn to Bane, and our eyes connect and hold as our two worlds collide.
The Circle is the Demon Kingdom capital.
Where Bane was exiled from.
Where Bane is the rightful king.
“I saw him, yes, Saylor. But you aren’t going to like what I saw. He’s being held prisoner. I don’t know why or how, but he is,” Soren says, his fingers twitching.
“I know why,” I whisper, my voice hitching. “Shadow’s magic. They must be keeping him, just like Laurel is kept.” I lower my tone. “Shadow can see the past. They could use him to see everyone’s secrets and skeletons. Anything they have done and tried to hide, Shadow can see it all.”
“Fuck.” Bane snarls, letting go of my hand and placing both hands behind his neck as he starts to pace. “Axe told me the Demon Kingdom is getting stronger. And, of course, they are with Shadow. They could blackmail anyone onto their side with that kind of information.”
“We can’t tell anyone about this,” I declare, wrapping my arms around myself. “Aside from my brothers. We don’t want word to get back to the Demon Kingdom that we know. Me and my brothers can get in there and break him out.”
Bane stops pacing and pins me with a look, amber eyes angry. “If you think you’re going on a rescue mission to my kingdom without me, you have another thing coming.”
“He’s in the top tower of the castle. It’s heavily warded, eight guards and strong witch spells,” Soren adds, studying me. “Pandora and I want to help. However you want to do this, we are in.”
“We either go to war, or we try and get him out stealthily,” I mutter, tucking my hair back behind my ear. “Thank you, Soren. I really appreciate it.”
Stepping forward, I give him a big hug, ignoring the growls coming from Bane behind me. I’m a hugger—he better get used to it.
“You’re welcome,” Soren replies, his gray eyes flickering with amusement. “How did you end up with such a sweet little female, Bane?”
He laughs, zipping away before Bane can retaliate in any way.
“Fucker,” he mutters, turning to me and cradling my jaw with his strong hand. “We will get him back.”
“Are you sure you want to come? You’ll be facing your past, Bane. Your brother—”
“Is the king now, which means he’s behind this,” he grits out, closing his eyes for a second before reopening them with purpose. He rests his forehead against mine, then whispers, “They will pay for what they have done.”
Yes, they will.
***
I’ve heard the saying ‘too many cooks in the kitchen,’ but sitting around the table with Bane, Salem, Silver, and Sage is one too many alphas in a room. Working on a plan to save Shadow has ended up in screaming matches—all of them, but never at me. A vase was thrown at the wall by Salem, and Bane threatened him for breaking said vase. Salem gave us all a sarcastic demonstration of his invisible magic and how the wards won’t hold him. A throwing star is now embedded in my door from Silver, and all of my leftover food and cake is finished because one of them eats when stressed— Sage.
“If we go to war, we will win,” Bane states, pulling me onto his lap when I walk past him to sit back down. “We have the Witch along with the Fae and Incubus Kingdoms on our side.”
“I have no doubt we will win,” Silver replies, his light-green eyes narrowing on my mate. “But what are you going to do afterward? Are you going to be okay with your brother dying?”
Geez, that old elephant in the room.
I don’t want to sacrifice Bane’s brother to save mine, but if his brother is the reason mine was taken, I’m not going to have a problem making him pay.
But at the end of the day, Xan is still Bane’s baby half brother, and his father’s blood still runs in him.
Beautiful dark eyes speckled with amber turn to me. “It’s your call,” I say, nuzzling his neck. “Whether you want your crown back or not, I’m by your side.”
He nods once, masking the emotion in his eyes. “I told myself I was happy to step away, to let Xan lead, but maybe I was wrong.”
“We just want our brother. What happens with the kingdom after that is up to you,” I whisper, kissing his ear.
“At least wait until we leave,” Salem mutters, his chair squeaking as he pushes it back to stand. “Two nights from now, everyone get ready.”
“Do not touch Pandora,” I remind him, and he scowls.
“She was mine first,” he mutters.
“Salem!”
“I’m focused on Shadow. I don’t care about anything else,” he promises me, disappearing into thin air without so much as a wave goodbye.
“You both haven’t said what your magic is,” Bane suddenly says, studying my remaining two brothers.
“Silver won’t tell you what his is.” I smirk, but then look to Sage, who I know doesn’t mind sharing.
“I can heal myself, but not others, in both my forms,” Sage explains, stretching his neck from side to side. “So let’s just say that I’m very hard to kill.”
“And his wolf is humungous.”
“I still haven’t seen your wolf,” Bane murmurs, his fingertips teasing up my inner thigh. “Are you keeping her hidden from me?”
“The full moon is in four nights, so you will see her then,” I reply, feeling a little vulnerable about showing him my shifter side. What if it turns him off?
“I love you in any form, Saylor,” Bane says, somehow reading my mind. “You should know this by now.”
When I turn back to my brothers, they have both disappeared, leaving us to our private moment.
“You might need to remind me how much you love me in this form,” I purr, sliding my hand down his chest.
His responding smile steals my breath away.
I have my mate.
And I’m about to have my brother back.
Life is good.
Famous last words.