“How many fighters do you have?”
“Not enough.”
“How. Many?” Cole bit out.
“A couple hundred at most, and that’s being generous.”
“Not enough,” Brokk murmured.
Nowhere near enough, Cole thought. Their father died for the rumors of a rebellion that could do nothing to the Lord. He would change that.
“You look familiar,” Orin said as he prowled toward Sahira. “Do we know each other?”
“I’ve never seen you before,” Sahira said.
Orin stopped circling to stand in front of her as he rubbed his chin. “Are you sure we don’t know each other?”
Lexi’s brow furrowed as she watched them; Cole absorbed her reactions as he tried to ascertain if they were real or not.
The witch frowned when his brother grasped a strand of her mahogany-colored hair. She yanked it away and glared at Orin.
“I’m positive I don’t know you,” she spat.
“I swear I’ve seen you before, or maybe I’ve been inside you. There’s been so many over the years, and they all blend together.”
Sahira looked like a tiger tossed into a bubble bath. “I’d never fuck a dark fae.”
“Never say never, beautiful lady. We are quite… intriguing.”
“That’s enough,” Cole growled.
Watching the interaction between them was enough to convince him that Sahira did not know of Orin’s presence down here. Orin’s black eyes gleamed when they shifted back to him.
“Have you claimed the throne yet?”
“I have.”
“Did the throne or the trials infuse you with so much more power?”
“The trials.”
“Interesting,” Orin murmured as he studied him. “You feel stronger than Father; is that because you recently completed the trials, or is it permanent?”
“Time will tell,” Cole said. “Where’s Varo?”
“Elsewhere.”
“Is he well?”
Orin shrugged. “Are any of us? Well… I guess you’re well. You are the king of the dark fae now. Father would be so proud.”
“I had no choice. Unlike you, I can’t throw my duties and family aside for the sake of my pride and a chance at glory.”
Orin’s jaw clenched, but Cole continued before his brother could speak.
“When the Lord killed our father, he made it clear I either took the throne or he would destroy the Gloaming.”
“And if you died during the trials?”
“I’m sure part of him wishes I did.”
“And I’m sure part of you is thrilled to have so much power and all the glory that will come with it.”
Chapter Fifty-Six
Lexi never saw Cole move before he seized Orin by the throat, lifted him off the ground, and bashed him into the wall. She gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth as Cole leaned forward until their noses almost touched.
Orin’s feet dangled above the ground. He was about four inches shorter than Cole, and those inches separated him from the ground. Lexi wanted to tell them to stop, but this was between them.
Still, she wouldn’t mind slugging Orin over that last statement. Cole would gladly give up every bit of his newfound power to have his father back. Orin knew it, too; he was just being an asshole.
“Do not fuck with me,” Cole snarled in a tone that raised the hair on her arms.
Somehow, even with his toes dangling above the ground, Orin managed to retain an air of dignity.
“I never wanted this,” Cole said. “Father never wanted this.”
“Maybe if all of you had taken a stand against the Lord, instead of playing along with him while secretly plotting behind his back, none of this would have happened,” Orin retorted.
Lexi’s eyes flew to Cole. She would have been less shocked to learn aliens were playing hopscotch in her yard than she was by that revelation.
“What?” she blurted.
Cole didn’t acknowledge her question as he rested his other hand beside Orin’s head on the wall. His claws clicked against the concrete.
“Or maybe, if you hadn’t been a stubborn asshole who ran off to play little war hero… No, failed war hero, we could have kept all our forces together and brought the Lord down. Instead, you got it in your head that you were right and Father was wrong, and you were going to prove it.
“But all you succeeded in doing was becoming one of the hunted. And now, you’re living beneath the earth and manipulating others to do your bidding. I never wanted this, but I did what was right; you turned against your family and have nothing to show for it.”
“I have my dignity; what do you have?”
“My dignity, my duty, my family, and a throne.”
Orin’s eyes flicked to Lexi, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he spoke. “What about a queen? Or have you decided she’s not worth it? You were always quick to throw aside those who didn’t fall into line with you, and Kitten has been keeping a big secret.”
Lexi contemplated giving him to the Lord herself. She didn’t care if he killed her too, as long as she got to watch one of those dragons eat Orin first.
“I never threw you aside,” Cole said. “You walked away. You made your choice, and now you’re facing the consequences of that choice. That is not my fault, Father’s fault, or Brokk’s.”
“So, are you going to turn me and her in to the Lord so you can keep your throne? And be the good little lapdog he expects you to be?”
Blood trickled from Orin’s neck when Cole’s claws pierced his flesh. “You’re a fool. Brokk and I have been hunting for you because Father wanted to make sure you were safe. You turned your back on him, but he still worried about you. He’s dead because the Lord knew he would protect you even though you abandoned him.”
“And the Lord put you in his place because he knew you would end me.”
The sound Cole released caused Lexi and Sahira to step away. Pulling his hand back, Cole drove his fist into the wall centimeters from Orin’s head. Orin flinched and turned away as broken concrete sprayed his face.
“Fuck you!” Cole spat and shoved Orin away.
Orin staggered forward as his feet hit the ground, and his hand flew to his throat. His eyes glinted with fury as he looked up at Cole, but he was smart enough not to attack. Lexi suspected Cole would kill him if he did.
Then Cole’s silver eyes found hers. They stared at each other for a minute before he turned and paced away.
“I think we should all calm down and figure things out,” Brokk said.
“Well, look at you, little brother. Still playing peacekeeper, I see,” Orin drawled.
“Honestly, if I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut. Right now, I’m more likely to turn you in to the Lord than Cole.”
Cole stopped pacing and looked at Brokk over his shoulder while Orin quirked an eyebrow.
“Is that so?” Orin asked.
“You’re the reason our father is dead. I can barely stand to look at you right now.”
Orin placed his hands over his heart. “Right through the heart.”
“You’d need a heart for that.”