Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Seraphina
Phenex disappeared for almost an hour after walking me into the party.
And while I was enjoying meeting lost relatives and the many creatures my father spent time with, I was getting restless.
Small talk and parties weren’t really my thing.
If I hadn’t destroyed our bonds, I’d be cussing him out right now for leaving me here.
So until then, I’d cuss him out in my head and tell him about it later.
Nervous energy buzzed through my veins, and I flinched when someone’s arm brushed against mine.
This event was a little too similar to the one I attended recently, locked in a cage.
Just the thought of it brought other memories to the front of my mind, and my skin flushed with rage and shame.
The air around me grew heavy and cloying.
It was too much. I walked as quickly as I could, without drawing curious eyes my way, to the nearest exit.
Cool night air caressed my heated flesh as I sucked in several long breaths, but it wasn’t enough.
Belial’s voice whispered in the corners of my mind, and Laszlo’s touch lingered on my body.
In all my years plotting and planning my revenge, I knew there was a possibility of sexual assault.
Going up against some of the most vile and dangerous monsters like the Obscuritas Kings naturally put me in harm’s way.
I honed my body and my mind, preparing for any situation.
Except for this one. The one where those fuckers and the daemon were able to shatter me so thoroughly I consented to my own destruction.
It was my words that gave them the ability to break the bonds.
It was the fight in my eyes that provoked Laszlo to finally force himself on me.
In the end, the rift, no, the fucking chasm between my soul and those of the men I cared for more than anything was my fault. Salty tears burned the backs of my eyes, and I looked to the stars, begging for the forgiveness I didn’t deserve.
A vibration in the air was all the warning I had before muscular arms wrapped around my middle from behind. Rough hands clamped down on my mouth before I could scream.
“As much as I love to hear you scream, Seraphina,” Ty purred into my ear, his lips brushing against my exposed neck, “let’s save that bit of fun for later.”
Purest happiness filled my soul at the sound of his voice. I elbowed him in the stomach, and as soon as his grip loosened, I whipped around and slammed him to the ground, my knife at his throat. Leaning down, I pressed my lips to his, kissing slowly before biting hard enough to make him bleed.
“You found me.”
Ty threaded his calloused hands into my silvery blue hair, tugging hard. “I’ll always find you, mate bonds or not. I told you that, pet. If I have to chase you across all the worlds to bring you back to us, so be it.”
My gaze slipped from his at the mention of the bonds and the rift I created.
He gripped my hair harder, forcing me to look at him. “You listen to me, Seraphina Valdis. We know you did whatever you had to do to survive, and none of us hold it against you.”
Shame burned my cheeks, and I shook my head, the tears already in my eyes falling on his perfectly ferocious face. “But I didn’t. I wasn’t strong enough to keep them out of my mind. My body.”
“Belle femme,” Andras whispered, his voice filled with more emotion than he normally allowed. He pulled me from Ty’s arms, and I let the dagger clatter to the stone balcony. His dark eyes sparkled with relief as his hands roamed my body, as if needing to feel me to know I was really there.
The memory of his father’s hands on me slammed into my head, and I choked back a sob. Apparently, we were all getting emotional at this reunion.
Andras caressed my cheek. “When you’re ready, I want to know what he did to you. Every single detail of my father’s abuse against your mind and body. Give me your hurt, angel. Let me carry the burden. And when we see him again, we will cut him to pieces together.”
His words were laced with fury and pain.
I shook my head. “It was my fault. I—”
“Don’t you fucking dare, Sera.” Levi cut me off, coming to stand at Andras’s left shoulder. “I know what it’s like to have memories planted and your mind invaded. You’re the strongest creature I’ve ever known, but no one can be that strong all the time.”
Phen walked out of the shadows and joined us. My men surrounded me as one, creating a cocoon of love and safety.
“I know how strong my father’s ability to manipulate minds was,” Levi continued. He spoke softly, a dangerous edge to his voice. “And you were surrounded by monsters with abilities even more powerful than his.”
Phen nodded. “That you are as fierce and fiery as always only shows that they did not break you. Cracked your armor, perhaps, but you are not broken, my queen.”
I sighed, absorbing their words. “I can still hear Belial in my head. Still feel Laszlo’s hands…”
Even without the mate bonds, the rage coming off my men in waves was impossible not to feel.
Ty spoke first. “I will cut off his fucking hands and watch him bleed out at your feet.”
“You hold him down, and I’ll do the cutting,” I snarled.
Phen smiled, but it didn’t touch his eyes. The anger in his silver gaze pierced my broken heart. “We will make it so. Now, how about some good news?”
We turned to Phen, and I remembered his words from earlier. “Oh, yes. What is the secret you were keeping earlier?”
Phen crossed his arms, muscles bulging in the short-sleeved white shirt he wore. “Well, there is a way to restore our bonds.”
“Hell yeah!” Levi shouted, punching Ty in the arm, which earned him an elbow to the gut.
Phen grinned, smacking Ty on the opposite arm. “My thoughts exactly. Just one teeny tiny problem.”
Andras rolled his eyes. “Of course. Out with it, daemon prince.”
I slipped from Andras’s arms and into Phen’s, hope blossoming within me. There was a way to fix the mess I caused. Phen’s arms circled my waist, and he nuzzled into my neck. He smelled of the jungle, and desire surged through me as I remembered our moment alone. And the dagger.
I shoved off him and grabbed the beautiful dagger sheathed at his waist. “Phenex. Bring Devon back, right fucking now. The rest can wait until we’re all back together.”
Pulling me back into his arms, Phen plucked the dagger from my hand and tossed it to Ty. He caught it easily, brushing his thumb over the red jewel pulsing with Dev’s essence.
“Come on, then.” Phen smirked. “We’ll be bringing our beautiful brother back into his body with the help of your father’s family.