Resentment seethed in Orin’s eyes as he inched further away from them. Cole kept his gaze on Orin as he walked over to them.
“Are you okay, Del?” he demanded.
He clasped his friend’s hand and shook it as he kept his attention on Orin. He and Del clapped each other on the back before stepping apart.
“I’m fine.”
“Where have you been?”
“Your brother decided I was better off behind bars. He imprisoned me on an outer realm.”
Lexi’s mouth parted as she stared at where Orin stood, half in and half out of the shadows. “You jailed my father?” she demanded.
Orin shrugged. “The consequences of war aren’t pretty.”
Lexi’s hands fell away from the chains as rage clouded her face. “You imprisoned my father and hid it from me! I saved you. I brought you in here and took care of you. I’ve taken in refugees with you; I kept your secret and protected you, and throughout it all, you knew my father was alive and kept it from me!”
Before Cole knew what she intended, she flew across the distance separating them from Orin. Del’s chains rattled as he lunged after his daughter, and Cole ran after her.
Before he could catch her, she kicked Orin in the shin. When his brother lifted his leg and grabbed it, she gave him an uppercut that caught him under his chin and snapped his head back. Standing on only one foot, the blow caused Orin to stagger into the wall.
When Lexi lunged for him again, Cole wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her away. Orin’s head came slowly back down, and he put his foot back on the ground. Malice shimmered in his eyes as he stared at Lexi, but when Cole turned her away and placed his body between them, some of the wrath eased from Orin’s face.
“Put me down!” Lexi commanded.
When Cole set her down, she tugged her tunic back into place as she glowered at Orin. If he stepped out of the way, Cole had no doubt Lexi would go after Orin again.
And as irate as she was, she might take him down. But he wasn’t going to take the chance Orin might hurt her in the process.
His brother rubbed the reddening spot under his chin as he looked from her to Del and back again. “I’m not the only one keeping secrets, Kitten.”
“Fuck you!” she spat.
She may have been too mad to catch Orin’s words and the direction of his gaze, but Cole did.
“What secrets?” Cole inquired as he stared between Del and Orin.
“I don’t know, brother. Your general will not share what he knows with me, but he said he would with you. That’s the only reason he’s here.”
The hair on Cole’s nape rose as his attention shifted to Del. Lexi had made her way back to her father and was examining the manacles. She was still too emotional to really pay attention to the conversation.
“Take these off,” she commanded.
“Not until he talks,” Orin replied. “And then I’ll decide if they come off.”
“They’re coming off,” Cole said.
He had no idea what secrets Del held, but he wouldn’t let his friend and Lexi’s father remain chained.
Orin didn’t move. “Not until he speaks.”
When Cole stepped toward him to beat his brother into submission, injuries or not, Del’s words stopped him.
“The chains are fine… for now.”
“Has he had you imprisoned this whole time?” Cole asked Del.
“I have,” Orin replied.
“How could you?” Lexi whispered.
Orin rolled his eyes. “It’s called the spoils of war, Kitten. I captured one of my brother’s most powerful generals and strategists. I wasn’t going to let him go to plan against me again. I’m not a fool.”
“But you are a dick.”
“Oh, relax, it’s not like I killed him. I found him injured on the battlefield and took him.”
When Lexi looked about to fly at him again, Cole rested his hand on her arm. Like a leaf in a hurricane, she trembled beneath his touch.
“Unchain him,” she commanded again.
“Not until he talks,” Orin replied.
“Talks about what?” Lexi exploded.
“Andi,” Del said kindly, calling her by the childhood nickname he’d given her. It worked at defusing her a little as her shoulders softened and tears filled her eyes again. “It’s okay.”
“See, he’s perfectly fine with being chained. Stop making such a big deal about it,” Orin said flippantly.
“Watch it,” Cole warned.
For a second, Orin maintained his air of aloof indifference, but he wilted a little beneath Cole’s glare.
“Let the man speak,” Orin said with a little less bravado.
“Not in front of you,” Del said.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Orin retorted. “I brought you here to hear what you have to say, and I will hear it.”
“Not if I decide that you won’t,” Cole told him.
Orin’s eyes flashed with fury when they met his, and the set of his brother’s jaw told him he would fight over this. Cole was still weak from his wounds, but he would tear Orin apart.
Chapter Thirty-One
When Orin stepped from the shadows, Lexi lurched forward, and Cole grasped her arm to keep her from getting too close to Orin again.
“No!” she shouted. “There will be no fighting!”
Cole’s hand tightened on her arm. “Lexi—”
Her eyes were full of fire when she spun on him. “You are in no condition to fight right now, and if this is about me, then I will decide who gets to hear it.” She turned to her father. “This is my decision to make. And as much as I’m beginning to loathe him—” She thrust a finger at Orin. “—he is an ally in this.”
“He also has no qualms about using anything and anyone to achieve his goal,” Del said. “I won’t have that be you.”
“It’s too late for that,” Lexi said. “If it comes to it, and we decide it’s better he didn’t hear what you have to say, then we’ll kill him before he leaves here.”
Her father’s eyebrows shot up, and Cole chuckled while Orin did a double take at her declaration.
“It seems Kitten is becoming a tiger,” Orin murmured.
“Shut up,” Cole told him.
“Tell us what it is that you have to tell us,” Lexi said to her dad.
“Did you teach her to fight?” Del asked Cole.
“Brokk did,” Cole answered, “while I was going through the trials.”
“Your father is dead,” Del stated.
“He is.”
Del released a small breath. “That one—” He waved a hand at Orin. “—said you were now king of the dark fae, but I wasn’t sure what to believe from him.”
“I do not lie,” Orin said.
When they all shot him an irritated look, he shrugged. “I may embellish, but I don’t lie. Well, not unless it benefits me.”
Deciding to ignore Orin, Del focused on Cole. “I’m sorry to hear about King Tove. Your father was a good man.”
“He was.” Cole pulled Lexi closer. “What is it you have to say?”