Chapter 12
Jet
We’d returned to the house at Emberhold. Zeke and Zane went to find Chloe, Oliver, and Deshawn to update them on everything that had happened.
I went to the basement, where Emberhold had seen fit to put a full workout room for our benefit. It seemed that every day I came home to a new addition of some kind or another. Growing up human, it was hard to get used to some of this shit.
I needed to relieve some stress, and for now, this was all I had.
There were no new DF to torture, and I needed an outlet badly.
If we didn’t find a way to Reverie soon, I was afraid I was going to lose my mind.
Seeing a piece of her in a box left me in a murderous rage.
If I ever got my hands on that bitch Selene, I would pluck her eyes out and shove them up her ass.
I’d just started running on the treadmill when I heard shouting from upstairs. “What the fuck now?” I muttered, stopping the treadmill and heading upstairs.
Oren stood frowning at the twins, “What are you yelling about?”
“Chloe and the guys are G-O-N-E!” Zane spelled the last word, obnoxiously.
Oren frowned at him. “Maybe they went to help out at one of the relief stations.”
Zeke started pacing. “We checked, Mom hasn’t heard from them, and neither has Adelaide.”
“They could be anywhere. There’s no reason to panic," Oren said with little inflection in his tone. He’d been mostly unresponsive since we got back from the Hawthorne’s. I knew his mind was working overtime trying to find a way to reach our Nexus.
I hated seeing Zeke and Zane become so agitated. Both were dangerously close to losing control, and with the Draxon inside them, we were concerned about what might happen if they didn’t keep a firm grip on themselves. Transforming now wasn’t a good idea.
Well, everybody but Nathan was concerned. He was constantly fucking with the two men, hoping they would change.
“We’re not panicking without reason; it’s not like Chloe to disappear without leaving at least a note.
She knows, ever since Reverie was taken, that we’ve been on edge about her safety.
” Zeke continued more calmly. “And with Mom and Adelaide not knowing where she is, we’re both understandably worried. ”
Oren’s cell rang. I don’t know how he managed to have a working phone, but at this point, I’d come to realize Oren was more powerful than he let on.
“What the fuck?!” We all came to attention at Oren’s tone. “Mira said WHAT?!” Oren was near screaming at this point.
Before he could say another word, a portal appeared in our living room, and Mira stepped out. The Fellat looked a little bedraggled, and the expression in her eyes was more than weary.
“Don’t shout at my Nexus, Storm. It wasn’t her decision to send them; it was mine.” She sent the message out so forcefully that I winced in pain.
Oren narrowed his eyes at her. “Why?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you, but since I understand what it means to be separated from your Nexus, I’ll excuse this behavior and tell you.” She lowered herself to her haunches and shrank her size down to that of a large bobcat.
“Why is the door wide open?” Nathan walked in with blood on his shirt.
I guess he needed to blow off some steam, too. I narrowed my eyes. Was that bastard hiding DF from me?
“I’m not completely sure, but it has something to do with my sister and her guys not being here,” Zane growled low, never taking his eyes off of Mira.
Once again, his pupils had narrowed to slits, and his Draxon was in control. I didn’t know who would win in a fight, but if Mira’s explanation didn’t satisfy the animal inside him, we might find out.
“Chloe, Oliver, and Deshawn were needed there now. You are needed here for the time being.” Mira stared into Oren’s eyes and slowly blinked.
“What do you know that you’re not telling me?” Oren gritted out.
“Wait, are you telling us that you found a way to send Chloe to Aurathia?” Nathan asked in a voice almost devoid of life.
Mira just looked at him and nodded.
Nathan went off like a bomb.
One heartbeat, he was standing there, trembling with tension.
Next, the cabinet door burst off its hinges and slammed into the wall with a crack that shook the entire house.
Then the chair. He shattered it into splinters, flames flickering along his arms as the air grew hot and sharp, heavy with the threat of disaster.
None of us moved.
Zeke leaned against the counter, eyes slitted, radiating cold that had ice forming on the walls near him. Zane stood near the couch, a deep, guttural growl rolling through his chest. Oren’s shadows slid across the floor like a living thing, coiling around his boots.
“She—” Nathan’s voice broke before turning jagged. “You sent Chloe?" He punched through the drywall with a sickening thud, dragging his hand downward and leaving a smear of blood and scorch marks. Fire seemed to consume him completely.
Zeke muttered softly, with a hint of Draxon, “This is new. He’s going to torch the place.”
“Let him,” I said, feeling the need to join my Faction brother in his destruction. “Better the walls than one of us.”
Nathan turned on us, flames flickering across his skin. His gaze locked on Zeke. Zeke’s Draxon flared, pupils narrowing, cold rippling off him.
Zane’s growl grew deeper as he saw Nathan’s focus on his brother. The room seemed on the verge of an explosion.
And then the shadows shifted.
Mira had stood once again, at her full size. Her sleek gold fur glimmered in the light, only outshone by her golden eyes burning with something older than time. From each shoulder, a tentacle flexed slowly, alive and tasting the air.
The temperature dropped. Even Nathan’s fire hesitated.
Her fierce roar slammed into my head like a physical blow.
“Enough.”
Nathan froze—not because he wanted to, but because none of us were capable of ignoring that voice.
“She was needed. You all need to stay. You’re not finished with the tasks that are vital to saving this world.”
Nathan’s fire sputtered around the edges, caught between fury and confusion. His chest heaved, heat bleeding off him in waves.
Zeke’s Draxon energy rippled beneath his skin, but he didn’t challenge her. Zane’s growl faded to an uneasy hum. Oren’s shadows withdrew like loyal hounds, giving her space.
Mira prowled closer to Nathan. One tentacle brushed his cheek, with what looked like affection. “You will get to your Nexus when the time is right. This I vow to you.”
Nathan didn’t raise his voice or escalate further. He simply remained there, trembling amidst the wreckage, with his rage no longer raging intensely but instead smoldering quietly, no less dangerous.
Mira scanned the rest of us—a look that held each of us in place. Then, she slipped back into a portal and disappeared.
The silence left behind in her wake was deafening.
The quiet lingered for a few seconds more, then Zane blew out a breath, shoulders rolling like he was shaking off the Draxon’s control. “Well,” he muttered, “that wasn’t even a little fucked up.”
Zeke let out a sharp exhale through his nose. “She knows more than she’s prepared to say. What are we going to do?” His voice was low and careful, as if he were trying to wrestle back control from his beast.
Oren stayed by the wall, shadows still coiled tight. His eyes were locked on Nathan.
Nathan hadn’t moved. He stood in the wreckage, hands bloodied, shoulders heaving. The flames were gone, but the heat lingered, clinging to him like a second skin.
I stepped closer, slowly, like approaching a cornered animal. “I want to be with our Nexus as badly as you do, brother.”
He looked up at me, eyes still burning faintly, something raw behind them. “I can’t go on without her for much longer.”
I didn’t have an answer to that. I didn’t think any of us did. I hoped we could face whatever challenge awaited us and reach Reverie before we all imploded.
Iwoke up the next morning and had an urge to check in with Josh.
He’d been invaluable in helping me stay up to date with all of the military operations.
We’d even been involved in planning several counterattacks when we received information about DF encampments.
Unfortunately, after most attacks, the opposing forces returned to Aurathia through a portal, preventing us from returning the favor.
I got dressed quickly and found Oren already at his desk, working. Zane was in the kitchen rummaging through the cabinets. “Can I use your phone? I need to contact Josh.”
“Is something going on I need to know about?” Oren retrieved his phone and handed it to me.
“No, I just felt the need to talk to him.” I took the phone and dialed Josh.
Oren raised his brow. “This might be an ability.”
Zane walked over to us, chewing on a chicken leg. “It’s about time something showed up. I was beginning to think his ability was being a giant dickhole.”
I listened to the phone ring from the other side and flipped Zane off. “No. I’ve always had feelings about certain things. That’s what made me a good soldier.” I smirked. “Dickhole comes naturally.”
“What the fuck?! Did he make a joke?” Zane laughed in disbelief.
“Hey brother, good to hear from you.” Josh’s cheery voice came across the line. “I was just about to contact you.”
“What’s up?” The man was happy in the middle of a gun battle, so just because he sounded cheerful didn’t mean we weren’t thirty seconds away from an apocalypse.
“I found out about an attack on one of our last two air bases, Joint Base Langley in Virginia. If they destroy that base, it’ll be over for us, and we’ll lose the capital.” He snorted, “Our leaders don’t like to give credit to your friends, but we’d already be done if it weren’t for them.”
“How can I help?” The man took forever to get to the point.
“You know, sometimes a man likes to be romanced. Not just jump straight into the action.” Josh sighed in exasperation.
“I’m not that kind of guy. Now what do you need?” It was my turn to sigh.
“Could you, Deshawn, and the rest of the Fantastic Five head this way to help us plan the base's defense? It might be a chance for you to save the capital and get a ride through a portal into Aurathia a week before Copper Creek.” I could hear the pleading in his voice.
“Also, you still owe me for saving your life.”
My heart started beating faster. This would get us into Aurathia much sooner than anticipated. And maybe the attack was the reason we needed to stay behind.
“Let me talk to Oren.” I sighed. “And you most definitely didn’t save my life.” He was still talking when I hung up. The man could go on for hours, and I didn’t have that kind of time.
Oren was watching me closely. “What’s got you looking positively giddy?”
Zane snorted, “How can you tell? Looks like resting bitch face to me.”
I ignored him. “Josh has heard word of an attack coming on an air base in Virginia and wants our help deterring the DF.” I saw his eyes light up with the same excitement as mine.
“Maybe that’s why we needed to stay behind. If we stop the attack, we can use their portal to get to Reverie.” He was reaching for his phone even before he stopped speaking.
“Gather the guys and let’s head to the Hawthorne’s. We can get to Virginia and Josh and start making plans.” He began speaking into the phone, and I knew I was dismissed.
That’s part of the reason I liked the guy, straight to the point and on a mission. None of the bullshitting everyone else around me so enjoyed.
Hold on, Angel. We’re coming.