Chapter 26 #3
“A fenryr.” Kaeleron’s deep voice had my gaze jerking to him. “The wolf of Lucia shadows. They call the mountains their home. They are night hunters, as you can tell by their eyes.”
Those eyes glowed bright blue, as if a light shone within them, as it swung its head in my direction to study me.
My hackles rose as I stared right back at it, refusing to be cowed.
“They are extremely dangerous and aggressive, and are perfect predators, their colouring allowing them to blend into the mountains and the shadows,” Kaeleron continued, watching the interaction between us with interest. “This one is older than you, little wolf, and is not challenging you, despite what your wolf instincts might say. He is merely curious. You are the first wolven he has met. You must allow him some curiosity, as you are surely curious about him too. He has been the faithful companion of Tan’ith for his entire life. ”
I dragged my gaze from the fenryr. “Tan’ith isn’t the name of the herbs he’s using to make Braxton tell us the truth? It’s the lich’s name?”
“It is both.” His lips quirked into an amused smile. “When Tan’ith was a babe on the other side, he spoke so boldly, so honestly, regardless of the consequences or the audience, that his mother said it was as if the gods had sprinkled Tan’ith on his tongue. The name stuck.”
I inched closer to Kaeleron when the beast returned to its blanket in front of the fire and curled up again.
To stare at me.
Kael used his shadows to sweep me closer to him, dark amusement shining in his eyes, and I knew he was going to bring this up later, when we were alone—how I was afraid of a Lucian wolf.
I went to push against him to break free.
Froze when Braxton’s body lifted from the slab on ribbons of violet and black light that twisted and chased around him.
His arms hung at his sides as he rose into the air, and then rolled outwards, his left one coming towards me.
I leaped back. Or I would have if Kaeleron’s shadows hadn’t held me firm, keeping me in place beside him.
The hand I had feared might hit me missed me by feet, but I didn’t breathe any easier as Braxton continued to drift upwards.
And then his feet dropped.
Making him appear as if he was standing in the air with his head bent, his arms slack at his sides.
Chills skittered down my spine as he slowly rotated towards me.
Pitch-black eyes opened as his head lifted.
They settled on Kaeleron.
I was glad of that as I stared at Braxton, relieved I wasn’t the subject of his focus or his scrutiny as his lips twisted for a split second before the chanting of the lich grew louder and his expression went slack again.
“You are Braxton of the Hunt Pack?” Kaeleron stepped in front of me a little, his head tipping back and the silver that capped his pointed ears glinting in the magic light of the orbs that hung above Braxton.
“Yes.”
Braxton’s voice was monotone. Lacking life.
He sounded nothing like the male I had known. But what had I expected? That he would bite and bark at me for what I had done? He was nothing but a soul trapped in a vessel that was now a cage. The barest flicker of life that had yet to be snuffed out.
“You planned with your cousin to murder the former alpha in a coup?”
“Yes.”
I swore his lips twisted again, a sneer that was gone when I blinked. Kaeleron must have noticed it too because he glanced at Tan’ith, who joined the chanting of the other lich.
“That cousin is fated to this one?” Kaeleron glanced from Braxton to me.
“Unfortunately,” Braxton replied. “Unworthy as she is.”
I glared at him even as I flinched at that blade he flung at me with the precision of an assassin, nailing me in my foolish soul. Apparently even in death he hated me. I hated him back, with every fibre of my being.
His words meant nothing to me. Let him throw his barbs. He couldn’t really hurt me now, only if I let him. Words were his only weapon, and they meant nothing to me. Nothing.
Kaeleron glanced across his shoulder at me.
I straightened my spine and kept my glare fixed on Braxton, holding his dead black gaze.
Tan’ith broke his chant to say something.
Kaeleron answered, “His will might be exceptionally strong, but you are to contain him. Do you understand? Another response like that and I will be looking for a new royal necromancer.”
I barely knew Tan’ith, but I didn’t want to get him killed, so I schooled my expression and shut down my fears and locked away that stupid instinct that still flinched over what Lucas had done to me.
I had no fated mate, and I didn’t need one.
I had someone who loved me for me. Who hadn’t needed fate to make him want me.
“Why did your alpha dispatch Morden Snow to retrieve Saphira Harper?” Kaeleron lifted his gaze back to Braxton, his handsome face darkening as his other side began to emerge.
“To sell her again.”
Nothing I didn’t already know.
I wanted answers.
Impatience gnawed at my insides, shredding my ability to keep still. I flexed my fingers.
“Who wished to purchase her?” Kaeleron said.
“Where are Everlee and Danica?” I snapped, not caring that I had just spoken over Kaeleron.
Braxton’s black eyes shifted to me. “At the mansion.”
“What mansion?” I dared to move a step closer to him, my heart pounding as the thought of getting some answers from him filled me with adrenaline.
“Owned by Lucas. Bought with coin he gave us.” Braxton slid his dead gaze to Kaeleron.
“Where is it? Will Lucas be there too?” I moved in front of Kaeleron, trying to keep Braxton’s focus on me. “Where is it?”
Braxton just stared at me.
“Where is it!” I barked.
Gaining no reaction from the dead wolf.
Tan’ith said something to Kaeleron, and I looked over my shoulder at him.
Kaeleron shook his head. “The wolf cannot answer. He does not know.”
I growled.
“Not good enough. He knows. He’s just holding it back.” I turned on Braxton again. “You must have been there.”
“No.”
I bared emerging fangs at him. “You’re his beta. He would have taken you there.”
“He toured it alone. The sale was only recently concluded. I remained to keep the business running.”
Business. He made it sound as innocent as the females he was selling.
Females like Everlee and Danica.
“Lucas said he wanted a better price for my friends. Who is the buyer?”
Braxton’s voice remained flat. “Fae.”
“What fae? Who?” I clenched my hands and my pulse quickened as I felt I might get somewhere, might get a clue that would lead me to my friends, and to Lucas.
“The fae who is looking for you.”
“I know that. At the… celebration,” I hated using that word, but it was one that might be familiar to his soul and might help get him to answer my questions, “your alpha said that a very persuasive male had marched half an army into your territory looking for me. Lucas said I was worth a whole kingdom, and that a fae lord was willing to pay whatever it took to get me to his lands.”
“What?” Kaeleron grabbed my arm and pulled me to face him, his expression blacker than I had ever seen it as the flagstones trembled beneath my boots and the room darkened, the air vibrating in a way that distorted everything, making the contents of the room seem to shrink and grow.
“I was going to tell you everything once I had the pack settled.” I placed my hand over his, hoping the soft touch would loosen his bruising grip on my arm as something dawned on me—the real reason I had avoided telling him.
“I thought I had more time before we questioned him. I wanted everything to feel… normal… again and then I was going to talk about what had happened.”
“Saphi,” he whispered, concern lacing his voice, and released my arm, lifting that hand to my face to brush his knuckles across my cheek. “I wish you had told me… but I understand how hard things are for you right now. I know how difficult this is. But by the Great Mother, I wish you had told me.”
“I’m sorry. Things have just been so crazy and you’ve been so busy… I didn’t want to disturb you.”
And maybe part of me had been afraid of how he might react.
I had just lost my parents. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him too, and I feared I would if he went after the fae who were looking for me.
“I think it might be a trap for you,” I confessed and didn’t hide the fear that coated my voice or my expression as I looked at him. I wanted him to see it. I wanted him to see just how afraid I was of losing him.
“A trap,” he snarled, crimson ringing his irises even as his eyes softened further.
He lowered his head, his hand tipping mine up at the same time, and brought his mouth to my ear and I shivered as he whispered into it.
“Nothing and no one could take me from you, my little wolf. My Saphira. And you are the only one who can disturb me whenever you please. I would have made time for you.”
I knew that, but I had so desperately wanted to avoid facing what might happen.
I had known as soon as Kaeleron discovered why Lucas had wanted me that he would gear up for war again, and I had selfishly wanted just a little longer with him in the way we’d had before Morden had arrived.
I craved that more fiercely than I had ever craved anything in my existence.
It had become my new normal, and that new normal had been wonderful. I didn’t want to lose it.
I wouldn’t lose it.
I told myself that as I pulled back to look into his eyes—eyes that were now the colour of blood.
I wouldn’t lose him.
“I believe the fae ‘lord’ this wretch speaks of is either the one I saw the night of the auction, who fled upon sensing my presence, or his master. I am not sure this is a trap for me, but rather a trap for you.” His fingers drifted down my cheek.
“I am not sure why they seek you, but there is a chance it has to do with the vision Neve saw of you. It is possible you have a role to play in my vengeance, and these fae might also be a part of it.”
“Do you think Neve might be able to see more if we told her everything we know? Might it trigger a clearer vision?” I had to believe it was worth a shot, because the only reason I could think that another fae might want me was as a trap for Kael, a weakness they intended to exploit somehow.
“Could they have their own seer who saw me with you?”
He nodded, a grim twist to his lips as they flattened. “It is very possible. No unseelie of my court were born with the powers of foresight, but there are those who possess such talents. I have read of them in documents taken from the Summer Court.”
“So there’s a chance the Summer Court has a seer, that this seer saw me here in the Shadow Court, in your possession, and decided to track me down just as you did.” I wasn’t sure what to make of that when he nodded again, but I knew two things.
One, I was going to try to help Neve have a clearer vision of my purpose and what my future might hold.
Two, there was only one thing that was really important right now, and it wasn’t my safety or even Kaeleron’s.
I turned a glare on Braxton and growled.
“Tell me where Danica, Everlee and your alpha are.”
His black eyes shifted to me but before he could snap at me or even think to smirk in my direction, Tan’ith chanted loudly.
“I do not know.”
“You have to know something,” I snarled, anger mounting, twining with the frustration I felt as he fought to keep his secrets. “Tell me, and I’ll end this.”
His eyes widened slightly.
I thought I saw a flicker of hope in their black depths.
I didn’t hate that I was lying to him. He deserved it. He deserved to feel hope and have it crushed, just as he had helped crushed mine.
“Tell me, and this will be over,” I sweetly said.
“A mansion near Vancouver. He had paperwork. That is all I know.”
It was enough for me, for now. A place to start my hunt.
I turned my back on him, and glanced up at Kaeleron. “Do what you must with him.”
Kaeleron slowly nodded, lips stretching in a vicious grin as an unholy light entered his crimson eyes.
He turned to Tan’ith as I strode for the door, suddenly needing air.
His barked order ringing in my ears as I broke out into the open.
“Hold him.”