Chapter 32 Daddy Issues
Daddy Issues
Ronan
“‘Hi, Dad?’ Is that really all you wanted to say to me?”
I closed my eyes as all the alcohol I’d just consumed hit my bloodstream at once, helping me release every shred of dignity I’d manage to weave together in the past ten years. “No. You’re… you’re right, I need help.”
I could hear the smile in his voice, the murmur of background noise quieting and the heavy door to his office sliding shut. “How interesting. What is it then? Do you need me to dispose of a body?”
He interrupted me before I could answer. “No, don’t tell me! I want to guess. Hm, is it debts? Gambling? Drugs, perhaps?”
“Dad…” I growled.
“What could be so impossible for my son to get out of that he’d call his old man to beg for help—you will be begging, won’t you?”
I gripped my phone and gritted my teeth, trying not to break either. “If that’s what you need, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
He chuckled darkly, taking a drag of vaporleaf. “Alright, why don’t you just spit it out then. I’m dying to know.”
“My mate.”
He paused, waiting a few moments before responding. “Yes, well, that would definitely be something worth calling about.” His tone had softened just a touch, whether due to surprise or respect for a mating bond, I didn’t know. “What do you need help with? Is she in trouble, then?”
Garrick’s eyes were wide, and all he could do was shake his in disbelief while I continued. “The vampire Premier has her, and he won’t let her go.”
“Corvane has your mate? But why? Did she piss him off? Did you piss him off?”
“It’s hard to talk about over the phone. I can be in Ignareth by tomorrow evening.” I was already too drunk to drive anywhere tonight.
“I look forward to it. It’s been far too long, son.”
He hung up, and I put my phone back down at the table, staring at it.
Ten years of striking out on my own, ten years of steadfast refusal to ever have anything to do with that man or my family again.
But it didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered until Sage was with me again.
Garrick and I sat in silence, the sound of laughter, conversation, clinking glasses, and ice rattling in cocktail shakers filling the space between us, until our phones both chirped.
I picked mine up. It was a notice from my bank that nine million, two-hundred and fifty thousand runics had just been deposited into my account.
I put it back down with a disgusted scoff, while Garrick just looked at his screen, unblinking at the handler’s cut he’d received. Finally, he spoke, returning his phone to his pocket. “You’re Ronan fucking Oniguro?”
I took another swig from his bottle. I probably should have gone by a different first name, too, if I’d wanted to remain more anonymous. But considering no one had guessed thus far, or cared enough to out me, I supposed it didn’t really matter. “Technically.”
He growled low. “Oldest son of Kenzo Oniguro, heir to—”
“Heir to nothing,” I interrupted. “I gave up all rights to the Oniguro empire ten years ago. My sister’s next in line now.”
I didn’t have any beef with Maia like I did with my dad, but it had been safer to cut her off, too. Besides, her temperament suited the “business” far better than mine ever did.
“Gave up all rights aside from the one to call a war against the Premier of Noctis,” he hissed, his eyes shifting to make sure no one could overhear our conversation. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
“She’s my mate,” I yelled, slamming my fist on the table. A few patrons turned to look at us, their expressions annoyed at the ruckus.
“Keep your Vorrak-damned voice down,” Garrick grumbled.
He poured himself another shot and downed it, wincing slightly at the burn.
Then he turned the small glass in his hands and spoke softly.
“I’ll admit it—I’m pissed at this whole situation.
Whether she’s your mate or not, I was a hunter for eight years, then a handler for thirteen, and not once have I been hired to track down someone like this. ”
“That we know of,” I snorted. That’s what Morgana Vale did, wasn’t it? Help people like Sage escape bad situations? Their abusers.
Garrick continued. “Corvane lied about the nature of the deal, and if you want to do this without involving the Oniguros, I can get a lawyer to comb through the contract again. Maybe see if there isn’t some way we can free her legally.”
“You wanna take the Premier of Noctis to civil court?” I asked with a sneer.
“The man killed at least two people—that we know of—without any repercussions, just to keep her hidden. He kidnapped her, imprisoned her, and…” Just thinking about it all made my stomach churn, the Appletini and whiskey threatening to come back up.
“And Ravaric knows what else. You think a judge’s orders would mean anything to him? ”
“It’s better than starting a war!”
Easy for him to say; he didn’t have a mate who was currently being tortured. “Agree to disagree.”
Garrick crossed his arms and huffed, his leg bouncing as he thought and processed everything. Not that I needed his help, his opinion, or his blessings, but I had to admit, I was kind of surprised he was still here. I’d thought the minute he saw those zeros in his bank account, he’d be gone.
It was almost touching.
“Let’s say you’re correct, that you and Sage are mates. It at least explains how weird you’ve been about her. So then why does Corvane also think she’s his mate? How can that happen?”
There had been loads of studies about mate bonds over the years and how they developed.
All we knew was that they could only happen between two different types of Magiks, and that they were rare.
Rare because not everyone got a mate or rare because it was difficult to find your mate—take your guess.
And there weren’t any patterns to follow that would make the search easier, either. It wasn’t about your DNA, or your looks; it was just a connection between souls, recognized by scent.
Wait… Sage’s scent. The green apple had called to me immediately, but the layer of jasmine underneath hadn’t.
Cold understanding slammed into me, pulling me under and chilling me to the bone.
“Her scent,” I said in a choked whisper.
“What’s that?”
“Her… her scent. Garrick, she had a heart transplant eight years ago. The donor… what if the donor was Victor’s mate? What if that affected her scent?”
He paused, his ears twitching. “How is that possible?”
“Fuck if I know, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. Victor feels some kind of mate-level connection to her, and it’s obvious his body believes it. He looked like he hadn’t had blood in weeks under that glamour.”
“He was glamoured?”
“Shh, yes, let me continue.” I held out my hands to keep him silent.
“Okay, so his body reacts to her like she’s his mate, but obviously there’s something severely fucked up with their bond because not only has he been…
” I ground my teeth together, “… abusing her, but he’s also married and has a kid.
And that all happened recently, after he’d found her. ”
There was no way someone with a real mate bond could marry someone else. Sleep with someone else. Have kids with someone else.
I mean, before even meeting Sage, just a whiff of her had ruined all other women for me. I couldn’t even get it up for that hot fox familiar while in a rut, for Ravaric’s sake.
“He’s getting the perks of the bond, and that’s why he’s gone to such lengths to keep her, but she can obviously walk away.
None of this is benefiting her. She doesn’t have a familiar, and she didn’t have her cauldron, either.
He’s keeping her weak. And the only reason you keep people weak is because you’re afraid of what they’ll do to you if they can fight back. ”
Garrick released a deep breath, rumbling his lips. “I don’t know, man. That sounds like a lot of conjecture.”
Yeah, it was a lot of conjecture. But what else could explain Corvane’s claim on her?
Because Sage was my mate. We’d both felt it, and while it had taken me a little longer to figure out why, she’d known it the second we’d met at that bar.
That’s why she didn’t want me to die, why she’d sacrificed her freedom for my soul.
And it was time for me to do the same.
* * *
The road cut straight through ochre sand and black rock, heat shimmering above the asphalt.
I kept one hand on the wheel, the other tapping restlessly on my knee, eyes fixed on the road as the land flattened.
Grass gave way to scrub, to thorny brush and pale, stubborn weeds clinging to cracked earth.
The scent of sun-baked stone and iron-rich dust wafted in from the open window, while the wind grew hotter, sharper, and harder.
This was Ravaric’s domain, a world waiting for my spark to burst into flames.
It felt wrong to bring her scent here, so I rolled up my window, my jaw tight as I turned on the air.
The sun set, a palette of pale blue, bubblegum pink, tangerine, and indigo stretched as far as the eye could see. Stars slowly blinked into existence, first above, and then on the horizon, as towering silhouettes rose out of the sand like a mirage that refused to disappear when you blinked.
The closer I got, the louder the city became, even through the sealed car.
Power and vice thrummed through the air, thick and oily, crawling under my skin.
Neon ignited the dusk in violent color, and massive billboards floated above rooftops, rotating slowly, etched with promises of pleasure, fortune, excess.
Everything had a price here—most people just didn’t read the fine print.
I slowed as I reached the city gates. Two colossal statues of Ravaric flanked the entrance, carved from obsidian and gold.
His horned visages grinned wide, hands outstretched to beckon you closer.
Another massive sigil burned between them, flaring briefly as my car passed beneath it, recognizing my Magik and logging my entry.
The floating “Welcome” sign flickered out, coming back to life with one more word attached to it:
Welcome home.
I felt it settle over me like a brand as the grand circle exploded into view.
Lights blazed against the night, casinos alternating with night clubs, each louder and more garish than the last. Music thudded from every direction, with overlapping rhythms designed to keep hearts disoriented and wallets open.
This city fed on appetite. On weakness. On Magiks who thought they were strong enough to walk away.
But they should have known better. Once you crossed into Ignareth, you’d never be the same.