CHAPTER TWENTY
Bane
Two nights later, we’re all gathered outside the Incubus Castle’s gates, dressed in our battle leathers and armed from head to toe. Saylor is dressed in tight leather pants and a vest-looking top that has had me hard for the last hour.
Salem stands in front of me, cracking his knuckles. “I’m ready.”
I nod. “If anything goes wrong, get out of there. I’m not telling my mate she’s lost another brother.”
Salem simply smirks, his thumb running along the scar on his cheek. “The castle will crumble before I do.”
Saylor walks over and hugs him tightly. “Tonight is the night. We’ve got this.”
He kisses the top of her hair. “You stay safe, baby sister. Without you, we all fall apart.”
And then he’s gone. Saylor takes a deep breath in and out and then looks up at the almost full moon. “I don’t want anything that happens tonight to come between us.”
“It won’t. You are my priority, Sunshine. However it plays out, nothing will change that,” I promise her.
Pandora comes over, offering Saylor a small smile. “You doing okay?”
Saylor nods. “Yeah, I just want all of us to be safe and Shadow to be back home where he belongs. Thank you for coming to help.”
“What are friends for, hey?” She grins, tucking her short black hair back behind her ear.
Astrid leaves Rave’s side to come and stand with us. “I’ve never been to the Demon Kingdom before.”
“I don’t think any of us have,” Saylor replies, glancing up at me. “Wonder what else they are hiding there aside from my brother.”
I’ve been wondering the same. It’s been a long time since my father was king, since I was the heir, and I haven’t stepped foot in The Circle since then. I don’t know what we are walking into, but Saylor and I are doing it together. I won’t let any harm come to her.
“How long are we giving Salem?” Astrid asks, her ruby-hilted dagger on her hip. She touches Saylor’s shoulder to gain her attention, and then stills, her brow furrowing.
“What is it?” I ask her.
She shakes her head, letting her hand fall. “Nothing.”
“Astrid, what did you see?” I demand quietly.
“Nothing to worry about now,” she repeats, gasping at something in front of her. Following her line of direction, I’m as surprised as she is to see Laurel step out of the shadows.
“What are you doing here?” Saylor asks, hugging her. Laurel is much shorter than her, so she has to bend down.
“I’m coming to save my mate,” she declares.
You could hear a pin drop.
“Shadow is your mate?” Saylor asks, frowning as she processes that. “Why didn’t either of you say anything?”
“It’s a long story,” Laurel replies and touches Saylor’s shoulder with a gentle look. “I’ll explain everything later. For now, we need to go in and get Shadow. Now.”
“Salem?” Silver asks, his long hair blowing in the wind.
“I don’t know, I just know the timing is now,” Laurel replies, looking over to Astrid. “You always wanted to save me, and now is the time. Save Shadow, and him and I will disappear.”
Astrid nods, swallowing hard. “Rave, let’s go.”
Rave turns from Soren and their conversation, and comes to hold her hand.
Ready or not, Xan, here we come.
***
Soren and I help zip everyone over so they don’t land somewhere random, and we all hide around the castle perimeter.
“I’m going to go and find Salem,” I tell Saylor, words I never thought I’d be saying, and zip to the tower before she can argue with me. Standing at the door, peering through the bars, I see Salem standing there next to an enormous black wolf, fangs barred. The two of them are staring at each other, almost like they are having a conversation. Wait, can they mind link? I know that wolves can pack link when they are all in their shifter form, but Salem isn’t.
Salem glances up when I tap on the bars and walks over. “He won’t shift, and he won’t zip. He’s hurt, and he’s too heavy for any of us to carry him.”
“Where are the guards?” I ask him, glancing around.
“There were only two here, and they are dead,” he replies without remorse, nodding to the corner of the cell that I can’t see. “They unlocked the door to bring him some water, and I got them when they came in. I broke the wards, so the door should be open.”
I turn the handle and push it, but then Shadow loses it, howling aggressively. Fuck. I close it and look at Salem.
“What do you need?”
“Bring Laurel here,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “We have about fifteen minutes before they switch guards.”
“Fuck.”
Landing back next to Saylor, I turn to Laurel. “He’s in wolf form and won’t shift.”
“Take me to him,” she commands, raising her hand to mine.
One touch and we’re back at the cell doors, and Laurel steps inside. “Shadow,” she whispers, her voice hitching.
Shadow tilts his furry head to the side, then steps closer to her, sniffing. A pained growl comes out of his snout before he rubs himself against her legs, whining.
She reaches down and pats his head. “My love, we need to get out of here. Now . The wards are broken.”
“He can’t shift. They did something to him,” Salem snarls quietly, starting to pace around the cell. “They tattooed him.”
Laurel leans down and runs her hands over his fur, looking for something. After about a minute of searching, she finds a mark on his stomach. “Fuck!”
“What?” Salem rasps, looking on the verge of shifting himself.
“Hand me your dagger. I’m going to have to cut this rune off.”
“Will that work?” I ask, looking down the stairs to make sure no one is coming up.
“Yes, I think it will. I’m sorry, Shadow. This is going to hurt, and you need to be quiet.”
Shadow lays on his back, understanding her words. I look away as she cuts off a chunk of his skin, getting rid of the rune.
He shifts instantly, turning into a tall, thin male with long black hair and the same light-green eyes as his brothers. I notice how all four brothers have the same facial structure. Aside from clearly being malnourished, dirty, and now sporting a big cut on his stomach, he doesn’t look too injured.
“Lolly?” he whispers, his voice hoarse.
She steps into his arms, her body so small next to his, and starts to cry. Shadow’s eyes lift to his brothers, a tear falling from them. “Baby brother.”
Salem’s throat works as he swallows, reaching out to wrap his arm around his big brother. “Time to go home, Shadow.”
Feeling like I’m intruding on their moment, I look back at the stairs.
“Fuck,” Salem grits out, turning to Laurel. “Can you get him back home?”
“Not to the Shifter Kingdom,” Shadow rasps, shaking his head. “Take me somewhere else.”
“Why?” Salem asks.
“We can’t trust King Bax, Salem,” Laurel explains quickly, her lips trembling. “He knows Shadow is here. He’s been using him to blackmail me into staying and being his seer. He’s not the male you think he is.”
Shit.
Salem loses his cool and slams his fist against the iron bars. “I’m going to kill that motherfucker.”
“He’s mine,” Shadow barks, then looks down at his mate. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, what about Xan?” I ask him, and he looks up, only now realizing I’ve been standing here.
“Who the fuck are you?” he asks, moving Laurel behind him.
“This is Bane, your new brother-in-law.” Salem smirks, nodding his head to me. “And the true Demon King.”
“Xan is a piece of shit and isn’t fit to rule. He hurts his own people, he has a cruel streak and only cares about himself,” Shadow says, his teeth drawing back in revulsion. “Go and ask your people what they think of him.”
“Come on, Lolly. I need you.” She nods, and they disappear.
Salem steps outside the cell and looks at me. “So what’s it going to be? Are we going home, Bane? Or are we starting a war?”
“We’re starting a war.”
Salem grins. “I was hoping you’d say that.”