Chapter Six
Sage
The first to arrive are Eira, Winston, and Jace, arms full of heavy books. Maeve follows close behind, her eyes scanning the room, then flicking between the three of us like she's already piecing together what happened.
"Thanks for coming, Maeve," I say, trying to keep my voice level. "I know we already asked for your help before, and now we're asking again…"
She lifts a hand, cutting me off with a wave that's more blade than breeze. "You're lucky I'm here at all," she says coolly. "And for the record, I didn't promise to help you again."
"Then why show up?" Kayden asks, his tone edged in mockery that borders warning. "Here for the fireworks?"
Asher, who's quietly helping the others stack books on the dining table, shoots Kayden a sharp look with a message: not now.
"We can pay you," Asher says. "Whatever you ask. We just want to protect Sage."
Maeve gives a single, unreadable nod. She doesn't sit, doesn't relax. She paces instead, her gaze restless, examining the room, the windows, the walls.
My eyes follow hers. Outside, the trees are blooming wildly, lush, overripe for this time of year.
Flowers opening like they're drunk on magic.
I wince. Yep. Still happening. Apparently, wild sex with two vampires triggers climate anomalies.
Thankfully, blossoms don't give away exact positions or acts, or I'd bury myself under the floorboards right now.
Minutes later, the rumble of another engine announces the arrival of Astrid, Tomas, and Donna. They walk in carrying weapons like they're groceries.
"There's more in the car," Astrid says, tossing a mix of axes, a javelin, and something that looks like ninja stars onto the rug like it's no big deal.
"Ninja stars?" I raise a brow.
Astrid shrugs. "They're rune-enchanted. All this shit is. Blades, bolts, the works. Just in case."
"We've been building a magical weapons stash," Asher explains as he shuts the door behind them. "Contingency planning."
"Very tactical of you, Colonel," I say, and when I meet his eyes, the flicker there, quick and private, is enough to send heat straight down my spine.
We settle in with that uneasy, pre-battle tension humming through the air. Couch cushions shift. Floorboards creak. Everyone finds a place—some seated, some standing, all bracing for whatever I'm about to say.
Asher nods toward me. "Floor's yours. Tell them what you know about Darius and his people."
"I still can't get over the fact that you were engaged to him," Donna blurts, wide-eyed. "Like—fiancé fiancé? That's… that's insane. Sorry. Not sorry."
"We've talked about it," Asher says evenly before I have to open my mouth. "It's not the focus right now."
"Yeah. Talked about it," Astrid mutters around a swig of beer, side-eyeing me hard.
I ignore the prickle of heat crawling up my neck. I can already feel the silent speculation about who touched who, who claimed what, how far the bonds have stretched since Darius's visit, but I shove it aside. We have bigger things to face than the post-coupling politics of this odd little faction.
"Darius is over two thousand years old," I begin, steadying my breath. "He draws power from nature. Sun, moon, flora. He doesn't usually show off the full extent of his abilities, not directly. His people do most of the work. That's part of his strategy. Delegation, control from the shadows."
I glance at Asher, Kayden, Tomas and Donna in turn. "I didn't know he could burn you like that. Not at night. Not while you were wearing nightstones. That wasn't supposed to be possible."
"Overpowered nature-drunk asshole yadda-yadda," Kayden cuts in, rolling his eyes. "The real question is, how do we kill him?" His voice drops, and his eyes go obsidian-dark with menace. "Because if we can catch him and make it slow, I volunteer as executioner."
The words hit me like a cold blade. Sharp, instinctive rejection curls in my gut.
I want freedom from Darius, yes. But killing him? It doesn't feel right. Not just because of what we had, but something deeper and older. Like some thread between us would snap and drag something terrible down with it.
"I don't know," I admit quietly. "Not about Darius. He's... beyond anything I've seen. As for his team, at least some of them have weaknesses. Wildbane powder affects nymphs. Enough of it can render Darlene and others in the crew unconscious."
"And the guy who shot Jace?" Asher prompts.
"Johnny. He's a faun," I say. "Similar lineage, but I don't know if wildbane works on them. I've never seen him affected."
"If anyone here might have this knowledge," Tomas says, voice smooth, "it would be the lady druid." He nods politely toward Maeve.
Maeve's expression tightens, arms crossed over her chest. "Look, helping you with the crystal was one thing. This?" She shakes her head. "I'm not helping you kill a satyr. I'm a guardian, not a soldier. There are rules. Vows. Nature doesn't take sides—"
"Bullshit!" Kayden explodes, stepping forward. "Your 'guardian of nature' is running the green-thumb mafia, killing for profit, raking in billions while trying to force-marry someone who clearly wants nothing to do with him, and that's totally cool with your sacred balance?"
"Kayden," I snap, warning.
"What?" he fires back. "You want to play civil while the dawn's breaking and your psycho betrothed is gearing up to collect you like a lost pet? We don't have time for druid diplomacy, sunshine. We need to know if she's helping, or are we flying blind?"
Maeve exhales, slow and sharp. Frustration flickers in her gaze. "I'm bound by nature's laws, as is Darius. This situation is beyond precedent. Vampires siding with a nymph to fight a satyr. Everything about it is upside down."
"The supernatural world's always been a bit topsy-turvy," Donna says with a shrug. "But right now, we're just trying to protect one of our own."
I shoot her a grateful smile, and she tosses one back, bright and easy like it costs her nothing.
Maeve stays silent for a beat longer. Then reluctantly nods. "I won't help you kill him. But I'll reinforce the perimeter around this house. I can weave a barrier a satyr and those with him can't cross."
Relief blooms in my chest.
"Good," Asher says, his voice clipped but grateful. "That'll help."
"And now we've got a pile of weapons we can point at them," Astrid says, lifting a gleaming throwing axe with an appreciative whistle. "So at least we're not walking into this defenseless."
"Yeah, I'd like to return the favor to the one who shot me," Jace mutters darkly, rubbing his thigh where the bullet hit. His eyes flash amber, a warning glow of coyote temper.
"Let's not go shooting just yet," I say gently, choosing my words carefully. My thoughts drift to Johnny. He wasn't acting out of malice, just following Darius's orders. Protecting his people, the same way we are now.
Jace's gaze cuts to me, sharp and simmering. He doesn't reply, but the tension in his shoulders speaks loud enough.
"Sage is right," Asher says firmly, stepping in before the air can get heavier. "If we start a fight, it ends in blood."
"And if we don't, we get picked off one by one," Kayden snaps back. "Or do you expect them to politely turn around and head back to whatever forest fortress they crawled out of just because we put up a magical do-not-enter sign?"
"No. The barrier is only the first line," Asher responds. "We need more than defense. We need leverage. Something that shifts the field in our favor without forcing a full-scale war."
Winston leans forward, eyes thoughtful. "The man said he wants to marry Sage, didn't he? That's the key. If we can break that intent, maybe undermine it, we might be able to shake the foundation of whatever he's planning."
"He said Spring Equinox," Asher confirms, shooting me a glance.
The mention of it makes my stomach churn. I hate being the source of this chaos. But now isn't the time to spiral, so I steel myself.
"I learned that if he marries me, he gains power. Is that true?" I ask, turning to Maeve.
"Yes," she says plainly. "He would. But so would you. The bond works both ways. Spring Equinox heightens the power exchange and strengthens the bond."
My breath hitches. I didn't know that the power exchange went both ways. Darius said I didn't understand enough, and I hated him for that smugness. But maybe he wasn't entirely wrong. That stings more than I want to admit.
"Then why her?" Astrid asks, flicking her bottle cap across the table. "Doesn't he have a whole damn harem of nymphs to choose from?"
"It could be her nature," Maeve replies. "Sage wasn't born a nymph. That changes things unpredictably."
"Or maybe," Eira murmurs, her voice so soft it cuts through the room like a bell, "he loves her."
Silence. The kind that holds its breath.
I swallow hard. Asher's jaw tightens. Kayden's fists clench.
Eira meets their stares unflinchingly. "You were incapacitated, but I watched him. He's obsessed, yes, but it's more than that. More than power or entitlement. It looked like heartbreak. Like someone who thought they'd already won, and doesn't understand why he's lost."
Astrid hums. "Then at least we know he won't hurt her. That's leverage."
Kayden glares at her like he's ready to launch a dagger. Asher speaks instead, voice ice-edged. "Sage isn't leverage."
Astrid shrugs. "We're outnumbered. We've got one reluctant druid, four vampires who burn when he looks at you, two shifters who didn't shift when needed, me, and a handful of knives. So yeah, anything is leverage."
I lift a hand, stopping them both before it spirals. "Enough. I get it. I'm part of the equation whether I like it or not. But if we're going to stand a chance, we need more than swords and moral debates. We need intel."
I gesture to the mountain of books. "And that means diving into every damn one of these."
"If there's nothing else for now," Asher says, his voice steady with command, "I suggest we split up. Maeve, you take charge of the perimeter wards. Can you also help us make wildbane powder?"
Maeve hesitates. A flicker of inner debate crosses her face before she nods. "Yes. It's not lethal to nymphs, so I'll help gather what's needed and guide the preparation."
"Good," Asher replies with a short nod. "If any materials are missing, take Astrid, Tomas, and Donna with you to retrieve them.
The rest of you, start combing through the books.
We're looking for anything that can give us an edge against satyrs, dryads, fauns, and any other woodland creature Darius might throw our way. "
Kayden groans like he's been sentenced to the seventh circle of hell. "Great. A war where our top-secret weapon is a book club."
"Knowledge is a weapon in itself, Kayden," Tomas says mildly, stacking a few thick volumes like he's assembling an arsenal.
Kayden smirks. "Sure. You hit me with a sack of facts, and I'll swing a mace. We'll see which wins."
"How about we skip the head trauma entirely and start reading?" I interject, dropping a heavy leather-bound book into Kayden's arms. "Time to nerd out."
Kayden lets out a dramatic sigh but doesn't argue. His grin softens, eyes flicking between me and Asher as he follows us into the kitchen. The three of us settle into a quiet rhythm around the table, the low rustle of pages and murmured commentary replacing the earlier chaos.
Around us, the house is alive with motion—Maeve organizing herbs and stones for the wards, others flipping through tomes, weapons being quietly laid out and checked.
We're preparing for war, and we're doing it together.