Chapter Twenty-Four
“All right. First thing’s first Good morning, I hope you all slept well, Secondly, I wanted to update you on the spell we did last night,” Kat said, her voice gentle..
“We should have the results by the time Ani’s finished her training.
That gives her enough space...enough time...
to come to terms with everything before we add more weight to her shoulders. ”
Rian inclined his head, sincerity written plainly across his face. “Thank you for helping her through all of this, my queen.”
Kat only nodded, but there was warmth there, approval, even.
Dominik, Rian, Joshua, and Cameron sat shoulder to shoulder on the same couch they’d occupied the day before, the one that now felt permanently etched with tension and relief alike.
Anabelle was resting in one of the adjoining rooms, finally safe, and the absence of her presence left a strange hollow in their chests.
They’d been summoned by their High Leaders for a meeting at first light. And none of them had been looking forward to it.
The room itself felt heavier now, less like a home, more like a chamber of judgment. Alastair stood first, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp as they settled on Cameron.
“So,” he began calmly, “we called you here to discuss your case. We noticed some… anomalies in the timelines of your locations.” His gaze flicked briefly to Kat before returning to Cameron.
“We’re aware you located Anabelle around the same time.
Given the circumstances, you won’t be reprimanded for that. ”
All four of them released a breath they hadn’t realized they were holding. That relief barely had time to settle before Lennox spoke.
“However,” he said, his eyes cutting between Rian and Joshua, “we were informed that the High Queen requested you return Anabelle here and then proceed to finish your assignment.” His jaw tightened.
“Not only have you not left...” Lennox continued coolly, “But we found it… curious that the moment you disabled Anabelle’s tracking weave, the demon’s tracker went offline.
” He paused, letting the silence stretch. “Anyone care to explain that?”
Shit. The word echoed through all four of their minds in unison.
They exchanged quick glances: silent, taut, calculating. How the hell were they supposed to explain this without condemning her? Or themselves?
“Oh,” Mareken chuckled, breaking the silence in a way that made Dominik’s spine stiffen. “It didn’t just go offline, did it?”
His gaze locked onto Dominik with terrifying precision.
“His essence can’t be found anywhere. Not on Earth. Not in the other realms.” Mareken crossed his arms, shadows stirring faintly at his feet. “Now, Dominik. As team leader, I suggest you start speaking. Quickly. And don’t insult us by lying.”
Dominik swallowed hard.
“When we found Anabelle,” he began carefully, “the demon had already forced her vehicle off the road. She had crashed.” His hands clenched briefly before he forced them to relax. “We separated. Rian and Joshua stayed with her brother. Cameron and I went to assist her.”
Alastair’s brows knit together. “Are you telling us that because you were feeling protective, you killed the demon?”
Mareken let out a low laugh. “That would be quite the fuck-up.” His eyes flared, heat rolling off him in waves.
“An offense that is highly punishable. You were all aware the demon was awaiting trial, were you not? You are not judges. You are not executioners. You do not have the authority to bypass the High Queen’s jurisdiction. ”
The pressure in the room became suffocating.
“Okay. Let them speak.” Kat said sharply. The words cracked through the tension like a whip. She stepped forward, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. “They haven't told us exactly what happened yet and I will not hear talk of punishment until I have all the information.”
She turned her gaze to the four males, her eyes settling on Dominik last.
“I have overlooked a great deal with you,” she continued, her tone stern now.
“My instructions were quite clear. As head of this team, it was imperative you reported all anomalies to us.” Her eyes narrowed.
“and though you informed us of Anabelle. You did not mention the demon. Care to explain yourselves?”
Fuck. She’s angry. Dominik didn’t blame her. If anything, the restraint in her voice made it worse.
“We did not kill the demon,” he said firmly.
That earned them all a pause.
“When we arrived,” Dominik went on, “there was a four-walled barrier erected between us and the demon. By the time we crossed it… the demon was already gone.” His jaw tightened.
“ Our assessment is that Anabelle created the barrier to protect her brother. She was dangerously close to burning out. We intervened as best we could, secured her and the child, and brought her to you as requested.”
Rian leaned forward slightly. “We intended to report it before she left for the program. We were… trying to figure out how and when. But it would have been today.”
Lennox’s expression hardened. “That is an excuse, Rian. You should have informed us the moment you stepped foot in this house.”
“Okay…” Kat began, pacing the length of the room now, bare feet silent against the floor. “That is unusual.”
Alastair straightened subtly as his expression hardened.
“Unusual is an understatement.” He crossed his arms. “What you’re describing shouldn’t be possible.
Casters do not have that level of output.
Their abilities revolve around the manipulation of energy but it does not manifest physically...
Specially not like that.” His gaze flicked to the four males.
“For something like erecting a barrier, she would have had to be anchored. Drawing power from an external source. A ley line. A conduit. Something supernatural.”
Mareken’s shadows stirred at his feet as his voice rumbled low.
“Which brings us to the real problem.” His eyes cut sharp.
“An untrained caster displaying abilities outside every known parameter. A caster who just so happened to obliterate Krix, a demon of mid-tier caliber.” His jaw clenched.
“That doesn’t paint her as stable. It sounds like she’s dangerous. ”
The word landed heavy in the room.
Kat stopped pacing and turned slowly. “Describe the barrier for me.”
Rian answered without hesitation. “From a distance it looked like a hurricane made of light. Power twisting in on itself. We couldn’t see through it at all.”
Dom picked up seamlessly. “Up close, that’s when the structure became clear. Four walls. Separate but overlapping. They rose straight into the sky and connected overhead, sealing everything inside.”
Kat resumed pacing, faster now. “Anything else?” she pressed. “Was there a focal point? Did the energy vibrate? Pulse? Glow?” She stopped abruptly and looked at them. “When you crossed through, what was she doing?”
Alastair frowned. “Kat?” His tone sharpened. “What are you thinking? Do you know something?”
Kat didn’t answer him. She spun toward the four males so suddenly that all of them straightened instinctively. Cameron swallowed and forced himself to speak.
“It didn’t glow,” he said. “And it didn’t vibrate. It was… steady.” He paused, jaw tightening. “Each wall was a different colour.”
Cameron continued quietly, “When we stepped through… she had one hand extended toward the demon. He was already down. The other hand was raised above her head, like she was feeding the barrier. Or holding it up.”
Kat froze. Then she turned on her heel and ran up the stairs.
Her sudden departure left the room suspended in stunned silence.
Alastair, Lennox, and Mareken watched her go, exchanging sharp looks, each clearly calculating what could possibly send their mate fleeing without a word.
On the couch, Cameron, Dominik, Rian, and Joshua held their breath. This was bad. They’d known reporting the details would be dangerous, but they hadn’t expected this. They never wanted to put Anabelle under scrutiny like this. They never wanted to give the council ammunition.
But they also knew the truth would surface eventually. Krix had deserved a trial. Even if none of them mourned him, after what he’d done, after threatening their mate like that. They hated that Anabelle had faced him alone. Hated that she’d been forced to draw on power she didn’t understand.
Worst of all, they saw it now. The way Mareken’s words had sharpened. The direction the conversation was turning. Dangerous.
The thought made all four of them clench. If Anabelle was classified as Dangerous, everything changed. And for the first time since this nightmare had begun, they wondered if honesty, no matter how necessary, might cost her more than silence ever could.
Kat came down the stairs two at a time, the sharp rhythm of her steps cutting through the heavy silence in the room.
A thick folder was clutched beneath her arm, its edges worn as if it had been pulled from storage more than once.
She crossed the space without slowing and thumped it down on the low table in front of the couch.
The sound made all four males straighten instinctively.
She dropped into the chair opposite them and began flipping through the pages: fast, precise, like she already knew exactly what she was looking for. Paper rustled. Pages slid past one another. Her brow furrowed as she skimmed, then she shook her head and kept going.
“No,” she murmured under her breath. Another page. Another scan. Then she stopped.
Her eyes widened just a fraction as she reread the page more carefully this time. Slowly, deliberately, she leaned back in the chair.
“Holy fucking shit,” she muttered. “I knew it.”
The four males went utterly still. Every muscle locked. Every instinct braced. Whatever she’d found, it mattered.
Kat lifted her gaze to them and smiled. Not a nervous smile. Not a strained one. A calm, knowing smile. Before any of them could speak, she stood and turned toward her mates. “Alastair,” she said evenly, “can you erect a privacy bubble for me, please?”
Alastair didn’t hesitate. With a smooth flick of his wrist and a murmured word of power, pale blue light blossomed outward, wrapping the room in a translucent sphere. The air shifted, thicker, quieter, until the outside world ceased to exist.
Kat turned back, her expression sharpening.
“Before I say what I’m about to say,” she continued, her voice steady but weighted, “I need all of you to keep calm.” Her eyes moved deliberately from Mareken to Alastair to Lennox. “All of you.”
She gestured to the folder. “This is unprecedented. But unprecedented does not mean dangerous.” Her gaze hardened slightly. “Sometimes the unknown isn’t a threat, it’s simply something new. Something that requires adaptation.”
She stepped closer, hands resting on the back of the chair. “What I’m about to tell you does not leave this room. Not yet.” Her voice softened, but the authority beneath it remained absolute. “I trust you to understand why. I trust you to be the men who made me fall in love with you.”
A beat.
“I don’t think the community is ready for this.
Maybe in a few years. But people fear what they believe shouldn’t exist.” She straightened.
“There’s a reason the gods choose me for this.
There’s a reason why my opinion matters.
” She looked at each of them in turn. “I need you to trust me the way I trust you.”
Silence followed. Thick. Charged.
Then Mareken exhaled slowly. “Gods, Kitten…”
Alastair nodded without hesitation. “Of course, Sweetheart.”
Lennox stood and crossed the room in three strides, pulling Kat into a tight embrace. “Baby,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers, “we trust you. Whatever this changes, we’ve got your back. Always.”
Kat’s throat tightened. She turned toward Mareken, who sighed deeply and held out an arm. She went to him without hesitation, settling onto his lap as if it was the most natural place in the world. His arms wrapped around her, solid and grounding.
He leaned in, his voice low and intimate as he spoke into her ear.
“Kitten, I love you. Never doubt that.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.
“We don't believe in you because the gods chose you for us. We trust you and follow you because you’re an incredibly smart woman, not to mention everything you’ve done since being queen, is nothing short of a miracle. ”
He pulled back just enough to look at her.
“If you say she isn’t dangerous, I believe you.
And if someday it turns out she is?” His mouth curved into a dark, feral smile.
“We’ll handle it then.” He brushed his thumb along her cheek.
“There is nothing, nothing in this world, that would make me place my faith anywhere else.”
Kat’s eyes filled as she leaned in and kissed him, deep and fierce, grounding herself in the certainty of it.
When she finally pulled back, she shifted slightly in Mareken’s lap, but she didn’t stand.
One arm remained loosely around his neck, grounding herself there as she turned her attention back to the room.
To the four males on the couch. They were doing a truly terrible job of pretending they hadn’t just witnessed something profoundly intimate.
Rian stared at the wall. Joshua focused far too intently on a spot on the floor.
Cameron’s jaw was clenched, eyes deliberately fixed anywhere but the High Queen.
Dominik… well, Dominik was at least trying not to look amused.
Kat noticed. Of course she did. A small, knowing smile tugged at her lips before she straightened her shoulders, her tone shifting back into something sharper. Queenly. Focused.
“Okay,” she said. “Now let’s test my theory.”