His food and water dishes were large containers that continuously fed and watered him. Both were still half full, which meant Shade was looking for companionship, which he never did from her.
Bending, she rubbed behind his ear and almost fell over when he rolled to let her pet his belly. She’d never been allowed to rub his belly before. Then he bit her, leapt up, and sauntered away.
“That’s more like it,” Lexi muttered as she rose. “Sahira and Brokk should be back by now.”
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Cole replied.
He said the words, but she heard the concern in his voice, even if he was focused on something else. She rested her hand on the counter while Cole stared down at the piece of paper sitting on it.
She frowned at the paper, but from her angle, she couldn’t see what was on it. Lexi didn’t think it was here when she returned for the healing potions, but she was in such a rush that she probably wouldn’t have noticed it.
Lexi glanced around the kitchen as if she could will her aunt and Brokk into being here. Anxiety gnawed at her gut as the house's emptiness became louder than the screech of the craz.
She shifted her attention back to Cole. “What is that?” she inquired.
He pushed the paper toward her, and she leaned over to read the words scrawled in a hasty hand on it.
We have to talk. You know where to find me. It’s IMPORTANT.
She didn’t recognize the handwriting, so Sahira didn’t write it.
“It’s from Orin,” he said as if reading her mind.
“Oh,” she murmured. “I’m assuming he means for us to find him in the tunnels.”
“He can wait.”
“Cole—”
“I still have rebels to hunt. Orin can wait.”
She didn’t particularly want to see Orin right now either—the man pissed her off—but if it kept Cole from a battle, she would talk to his brother.
“We should talk to him and find out if he’s seen Brokk and Sahira. Maybe there’s a chance they’ve already returned and we missed them, or they had to go somewhere else. Maybe that’s what this note is about,” she said.
“They would have left us one themselves if that was the case.”
“He still might have seen them. We have to talk to him.”
Cole shoved the piece of paper away from him. “Let’s make this quick.”
Lexi led the way to the fireplace and pushed the rock on it to open the tunnel. Ducking inside, she found the flashlight and clicked it on while the door slid shut behind them. Neither of them spoke as they made their way through the tunnels toward where the refugees hid.
Their shoes were silent against the concrete floor, and the familiar aroma of wet earth hung heavy on the air. She shone her light over the walls, but she’d memorized these catacombs years ago; her father made certain of it.
They were halfway there when Cole grasped her arm and pulled her to a stop. A second later, the shadows shifted and Orin emerged from the darkness. If Cole hadn’t stopped her, she never would have known he was there.
She had no idea what he planned to talk to them about, but his stony face and the hardness of his black eyes was anything but welcoming. Cole’s hand tightened on her arm as he pulled her back a step and moved to stand slightly in front of her.
Orin studied her before shifting his gaze to Cole. His eyes softened a little.
“We have to talk,” Orin said.
“That’s what the note said and why we’re here,” Cole replied.
“Have you seen Brokk or Sahira?” Lexi blurted.
Orin’s attention remained riveted on Cole as he replied, “No.”
A chill slid up her spine as an unsettling feeling knotted in her stomach. Something was not right here, and though Cole was doing a lot better, he was far from being ready to fight Orin.
But why would Orin want to fight him when things were fine with them before? They hadn’t been great, but they were working together and tolerating each other. What happened to bring about this sudden change in Orin?
“I’ll be back,” Orin said.
He turned and disappeared into the shadows. A second later, his reemergence was followed by the clink of metal as something shifted behind him. Cole’s shoulders hunched up in preparation for an attack, and his hand went to his sword’s hilt.
She couldn’t see what the darkness hid, but she felt the ripple of shock that ran through Cole as his hand fell from his sword.
A second later, the clanking of more metal was followed by her father’s emergence from the shadows. Lexi’s heart stopped beating before it lurched so forcefully it bruised her ribs when it knocked against them. Her breath caught, her hands started shaking, and something in her brain fractured.
It couldn’t be her dad. He was dead; they’d received notice of his death. Cole was there when it happened, but it was him.
That was his pale blond hair and brilliant blue eyes twinkling with love as they landed on her. Except, they weren’t as bright as she recalled. Now, shadows surrounded them, and they were filled with a sadness she’d never seen in them before.
Dirt streaked his face, a beard hid his jaw, and his hair was longer than ever before as it curled around his broad shoulders. He was thinner too, but not unbearably so.
He’d always been clean-shaven and had his hair neatly trimmed. She couldn’t remember a time she’d ever seen him disheveled… until now.
“Dad?” she croaked.
Though he looked so different, the brilliant smile splitting his face was all his. It was him!
A sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob issued from her as she lunged forward. Cole’s hand fell away from her arm as she staggered across the space separating them. She flung her arms around her father.
“Daddy,” she breathed as she buried her face in his neck and sobbed.
Chapter Thirty
Cole watched in disbelief as the father and daughter embraced. Then warmth spread through him as Lexi’s joy became palpable as she clung to her dad.
When Del lifted his hands to try to hug her back, the clinking metal drew Cole’s attention to the thick, metal cuffs encasing Del’s wrists. Another thick chain ran from the manacles to the shackles on his ankles.
Cole’s gaze shot to his brother, and his hand returned to his sword. With his shock wearing off, he realized Orin had kept things from him. He didn’t know exactly what was going on here, but he would find out.
“Step away from them,” Cole growled as he fixed his murderous stare on Orin.
“Easy, brother,” Orin murmured as he edged away from Lexi and Del.
It took a few more minutes, but Lexi finally released her dad and stepped back. Her hands fell to the chains on his wrists, and she frowned as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. With confusion marring her brow, she gazed from Del to the chains and back again.
“What’s going on?” she whispered.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Orin said. “Which is why Del is here.”
Lexi blinked at Orin before understanding settled over her. “You did this? You brought him back? How?”
“I have my ways, Kitten,” Orin said.
“Move away,” Cole commanded as he pulled his sword free.