I didn’t care who it was.
All I wanted was Reverie back in my arms.
Imagining what she was going through kept me up most nights. I’d survived it and knew she could too. But Reverie was the daughter of Selene’s most hated enemy, and there was no telling how she was treating her.
I saw Zane coming towards me, mumbling and laughing to himself. What the fuck was the crazy bastard doing now?
“Hey fuckwit, who the hell are you talking to?” I grinned, anticipating his answer.
He tilted his head and just stared at me for a few moments, then a huge grin overtook his face. “Drakk says to tend to your own business.”
“Who the fuck is Drakk?” This dude was losing it. There was no one here but us. The Passives roaming the hallway around us didn’t even register with me. They were completely insignificant.
“My Draxon.” He mumbled under his breath, then grinned once again. “Drakk the most incredible Draxon ever to grace us with his presence… to be exact.” Zane smirked. “He likes a more elaborate introduction.”
I shook my head but couldn’t contain my grin. “Sounds like someone I’d like to meet.” I raised my brows, “Just when does he think he’s going to make an appearance?”
Zane tilted his head, listening to a voice only he could hear, “In good time.”
“That’s it…in good time, really?” I rolled my eyes.
Zane just shrugged. “That’s what Drakk the Incredible said, so I guess that’s all the answer you’re going to get.”
“Well, I think the first meet-cute between us should be a ride. We’d both look amazing flying through the air, charring our enemies to ash.”
“Fuck no—and that comes from both of us,” Zane growled at me. “No one is riding us but my precious girl…no one.”
“No need to answer in haste, both of you take your time, mull it over.” I slapped him on the back.
“There’s no?—"
“I’ve got places to be… talk to you both later!” I rushed off before he could deny me again.
I was determined to ride a Draxon, and if my Faction brothers weren’t willing, I might have to find my own in Aurathia. The idea of riding into battle and leaving our enemies a pile of blackened ash appealed to me greatly.
I decided the most likely place to find Jet was in the dungeons, so I headed in that direction. When I got to the bottom of the steps, that’s when the smell hit me.
“What the fuck?” I gagged.
The smell of shit and puke mixed with copper was so strong I could actually taste it. I’d have to brush my teeth immediately upon leaving.
I followed the terrible smell to a room at the very end of the long corridor. When I opened the door, surprise-surprise, that’s where I found Jet. He was standing in front of an enormous fireplace, heating a branding iron in the hot coals.
Two men were hanging from shackles that were attached to the high ceiling. Both were naked and covered in burns that were red and bleeding, and in some cases, actually smoking. One word branded into their skin over and over.
I squinted my eyes and tilted my head to the side... what was the word? Was that an R, E, ... holy shit... Reverie? The crazy fool had covered them in our Nexus' name.
Vomit and shit covered the area under both men, and I was pretty sure they were both dead.
Before I could pull myself from my astonishment at what I was seeing, Jet had pushed the brand into the closest man’s forehead.
The sizzle, along with the smell, almost made me lose what little I’d eaten today. “Damn man…” I gagged, “I think you’ve gotten everything from them you’re going to.”
Jet just shrugged and returned the iron in his hand to the coals, presumedly to brand the other man’s forehead next. “You never know for sure—until you’ve made damn sure.”
I blinked, then looked back at the two men hanging from the ceiling. “I don’t think either one of them can tell you anything more… and I’m prettydamn sure.”
“How can you know?” Jet walked to the second man and stuck the brand to his forehead. When he removed the iron, ‘Reverie’ appeared clear as day.
