He wished he could protect her from the unhappiness her decisions would cause when some of these refugees inevitably died.
“Can you put a tracking spell on him?" Cole asked Sahira as he waved a hand at Orin.
“I can,” she said.
“I'm not going to let that happen,” Orin said.
Cole grinned at him. “It’s cute you think you have a choice. You either allow this to happen, or I’ll take you to the Lord. I will not take the chance of you running away when the Lord is threatening the Gloaming.”
When Orin glared at him, Cole smiled in return. “The choice is up to you, little brother.”
Brokk released a snort of laughter, and Orin scowled at the wall.
Cole turned to Sahira. “What do you need to make it work?”
“A spell and my blood,” she replied.
Cole pulled the sword from his back and rested the tip on the ground. “We can use this for the blood.”
“That works for me,” Sahira said.
When they all turned to Orin, he stepped away from them but didn’t try to flee.
“Wise choice, little brother,” Cole said.
“I won’t give you Varo,” Orin said. “If the mission for the harrow stone fails, I won’t tell you where he is.”
“I didn’t expect you to,” Cole said.
Orin was a heartless prick most of the time, but they were all still brothers, and he wouldn’t give Varo up, even if it might save him, which it wouldn’t.
“Go ahead,” Cole said, and Sahira stepped toward Orin.
Her hands started moving through the air in a graceful dance as sensual as it was eerie. It had always unsettled him how the witches could weave their magic so intricately through the air.
He wasn’t the only one it unsettled as Orin shifted uneasily beside him and Brokk shivered. Goose bumps broke out on Cole’s arms when the damp chill in the air intensified and the flow of it increased around them until it plastered his shirt against his chest and ruffled his hair.
As the breeze escalated, Sahira spoke. “What wanders free will never truly be free as long as they are bound to me.”
Without any warning, she seized his blade. He scented her blood on the air before the red liquid slid down the silver metal to stain the ground.
When she stepped toward Orin, he backed away, but Cole grabbed his arm and jerked him back. Orin fisted his hands but didn’t try to hit him. They both knew it would be a colossal mistake if he did.
They were once nearly equal power-wise, but that time had come and gone. He was a lycan who had found his mate and a dark fae who’d survived the trials to become king. Orin didn’t stand a chance against him, and he knew it.
When Sahira grasped Orin’s arm, the air crackled with her power before a loud snap echoed throughout the tunnel. Lexi and the others looked around, but no one rose to come to explore. They were probably all too tired to bother.
Cole released his brother when Sahira started speaking again.
“What wanders free will never truly be free as long as they are bound to me,” she repeated.
Smoke wafted from Orin’s skin as the smell of burnt hair and flesh filled the air. Orin’s teeth skimmed back, but he kept himself restrained.
The power suddenly sucked out of the air and retreated into Sahira. When she removed her hand from Orin’s arm, the bloody handprint she left behind burned brightly before vanishing.
Sahira smiled sweetly at Orin. “Now, you’ll always remember that you’ve met me.”
Orin glowered at her as Cole and Brokk smiled.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Lexi leaned against the doorway as she watched Cole standing by the lake. He stood with his shoulders back, but she sensed a sadness to him that she yearned to ease. However, she didn’t think he wanted her anywhere near him.
He hadn’t spoken to her after they left the tunnels. Instead, he’d walked out the door and gone to stand by the lake.
Sahira came to stand beside her. “How could you not tell me about what was going on below?”
Lexi had known this was coming, but she still wasn’t ready to deal with it. “I was trying to protect you.”
“I’m the one who is supposed to be protecting you.”
“I’m not a child anymore. I don’t need protecting.”
“And neither do I. We’re in this together, Lexi. We’re all we have left of our family, and I can’t lose that.”
She braced herself to look at her aunt, who stared back at her with a desperation that tore at Lexi’s heart. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you or anyone else; I just… I… I couldn’t turn them away.”
“I understand, but you still should have told me.”
“How mad are you?”
“I’m not mad; I’m sad you didn’t think you could trust me.”
Those words were a knife to her heart. “I trust you, but I was trying to keep you safe.”
“I understand. From now on, no more secrets.”
“No more secrets,” Lexi promised.
Sahira squeezed Lexi’s hand before kissing her cheek. “I have to go pack.”
“Are you sure about this?” Lexi asked.
“Yes.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ll be fine.”
When Sahira walked away, Lexi focused her attention on Cole again. It was a few minutes before Brokk came to stand beside her.
“Do you hate me too?” she asked.
“Not at all,” Brokk replied. “I consider you a friend, but I wouldn’t have trusted you with the secret of those tunnels either.”
Lexi tore her attention away from Cole to focus on Brokk as he leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest.
“You helped save my life, Lexi, and you saved Orin’s,” Brokk continued. “And as much as I hate him, I also love him.”
“I get that.”
“You did what you felt was right, and my brother has a way of bending others to his will.”
“I’m not completely naïve. I know he was trying to manipulate me when he brought the refugees here, but I decided to help because I wanted to.”
“I understand.” He shifted his attention to Cole and nodded his chin at him. “Are you going out there?”
“I don’t think he wants to talk to me.”
“He does.”
“He accused me of sleeping with Orin.”
“Ouch,” Brokk muttered.
“Yeah, ouch. I would never do that.”
“You have to remember that we’re from completely different worlds. To the dark fae, that would be a normal thing to have happen. We’re not faithful to anyone who’s not our spouse, and we expect everyone else to be the same way, even if it’s not true. Plus, the lycan aren’t exactly known for being logical, and when it comes to you, the lycan is the more dominant part of him.”
“I know,” she murmured. “I’d still like to punch him.”
“Then do it.” When she shot him a dubious look, he chuckled. “He’s not going to punch you back.”
“True.” And it was extremely tempting.