Chapter 125
Nix
Uncle Frio lets out what can only be called a shriek.
Volik sighs from beside me. “What now?”
The great room is filled with shifters, both men and women, who are sprawled on furniture and the floor. Stomachs full of food that the old druid—Barth’s grandmother—managed to portal in, filling the table so full I’m surprised it didn’t collapse.
It’s nice having so many here.
And I finally got to meet the Alpha of Henry’s pack. Who happens to be incredibly handsome, in a slightly scary way.
“I found the videos.” Uncle holds a phone over his head as he walks through the bodies lounging on the floor. “Gather round, children.”
Orion drops onto the couch on the other side of Volik. “He’s kind of goofy, isn’t he?”
I grin. Because Uncle Frio is kind of goofy.
“Bridget, where’s the remote?” he shouts, then jerks back when he realizes she’s standing beside him.
“Da.” Volik finally replies to Orion’s question.
While Uncle Frio sets up the projector, I reach my hand up and touch the side of my horn.
I still can’t believe it.
After meeting everyone, I was too tired to do much more than listen to the conversations around me.
Barth finally relaxed, no longer fangirling, and he brainstormed with Dread about which druid could have been helping Morell with the portals.
Volik and Orion discussed the press conference that will be held when we return. They decided that since Henry is the only one who was seen shifting, he’ll be the one to stand beside Volik, allowing the rest to keep their anonymity as long as possible.
And Aunt Bridget spent some time on the phone with an old friend who works for the French Ministry of Culture. And although horrified by the damage to the Palace, they’re going to take this opportunity to do some updates during the restoration.
With Volik’s money.
I voiced my opinion that Morell should be responsible for the bill.
Volik pointed out that he’s dead. And for immediate purposes, so are his allies.
Uncle hits a button, and a projector turns on, lighting up the blank wall in front of us.
“Showtime!” He points to a shifter near the switch on the wall. “Lights.”
Before the shifter can get up, Dread snaps his fingers, and with a spark of gold, the lights go out.
“Right.” Uncle clears his throat. “I present to you, The Battle of Versailles.”
Volik lets out a groan as he drapes his arm over my shoulders, pulling me into his side.
“What is—” My eyes widen as a collage of videos fills the wall. Different angles, clearly taken from different phones. But all synced up to show the same scene.
Volik facing off with three vampires I don’t recognize.
I stare as I watch Volik rip a man’s throat out with his teeth.
I gape as I watch him drive a man into the ground.
And I have to clench my thighs when he holds his arms out, baring his teeth, prepared to take on a half dozen vampires.
But when a giant wolf jumps into view, the room erupts with cheers.
People slap Orion on the back as we watch the wolf rip a man’s arm off, and I assume the incredible animal on-screen is him.
Then he howls.
The speakers crackle with the volume of it. And as I watch, more and more wolves jump from the portal in the sky.
The shifters inside the castle tip their heads back and howl.
The sound is still magnificent in their human form.
And then I feel my mouth fall open, again, when I watch one wolf leap off another wolf’s back, to drag a vampire out of the sky.
“Which of you lunatics did that?” Uncle’s voice is manic with excitement.
Two women who are sitting side-by-side on the floor raise their hands.
More howls go up as Uncle applauds them.
“About this part…” Volik winces.
I narrow my eyes on the video, as Volik seemingly just talks to one of the bad guys.
Then I slap a hand over my mouth as the man’s face—
Half of the room recoils with sounds of disgust, the other half whoops.
Someone points to the screen with a laugh as a wolf hunches his shoulders as he runs past. “Shane almost puked!”
“I did puke!” a voice calls back. “You should’ve smelled that.”
More snickers.
I drop my hand from my mouth as Volik and Orion have a silent conversation.
A second later, Volik jumps up and out of view.
“You might want to turn the volume down,” Orion says to Uncle Frio as the video continues to play, showing the wolves tearing the last two assholes apart.
“Why would I—”
A supersonic boom blasts through the speakers.
The wolves on-screen, and in the castle, go nuts.
And I’m suddenly reminded of getting thrown off balance when Volik appeared at the cliff.
The camera angles spin as their owners fall to the ground.
Some of the phones land angled up, showing shattered windows all across the Palace.
Uncle slowly turns to face Volik. “Good gods, Boy. Was that… Did you…”
Volik shrugs as he pulls me tighter to his side. “I was in a hurry.”