“The outskirts.”
I lift my head from the wall. “You still think Prospero’s there?”
Mentioning his name always stings. Prospero was my friend, or so I thought. We began as rivals during enforcer training. He’s a powerful blood mage, but I always beat him. Just. We became Council Members on the same day.
“No more sightings, but I have a feeling.” Wind cuts across the line as he begins to move. “He’s running out of options. He’ll have to make a move soon. And besides the cave, this is where the barrier bleeds weakest.”
“His men?”
“Useless,” he says, voice sour. “But Sai wants to keep them alive. For now.”
“For her,” I clarify.
Everything comes back to her. I softly tap my forehead against the wall.
“What if she doesn’t want us?” The thought escapes before I can stop it, spilling into the silence. “She hardly knows us.”
“She will,” he says, calm, eerily certain. “And the more she knows you, brother, the more she’ll know she made the right choice.”
My brother. The cynic. The apathetic demon who always expects the worst, and instead of feeding my fears, he says that.
“And you, Kane,” I add, keeping my voice steady. And before he can cut in with one of his self-sabotaging remarks, I press on, “And Julien, and—as much as it pains me to admit it—even Sai.”
I catch the faintest breath of his laugh, barely there.
“Speaking of the others,” he says with mild displeasure. “I suggest you respond. The constant messages are irritating.”
I smile, lips still pressed to the wall. But with a final inhale, I step away. “Speak soon, brother.”
Perching on the edge of the bed, I open the group chat Sai affectionately namedThe Dark Daddies.Letting him create it—let alone be the sole administrator—was a mistake we all still regret.
Sai: And if he thinks I’ll ever interrogate someone for him again, he can go fuck himself. I’m DONE doing anything for that selfish, pretentious prick.
I catch myself chuckling at Sai’s last message, he always has such… colourful ways of phrasing things. I could add more fuel to the fire, tell him I certainly didn’t need his help when it came to torturing, but decide against it.
Me: Sai, I’m sorry. Really.
Sai: …
Sai: Not like it’s just me you pissed off.
Me: Julien, Kane, I apologise for my selfish behaviour. I should’ve been better.
Julien: I’m no better. If I was given the same opportunity, I too would have taken it.
Me: Am I forgiven?
Sai: You’re lucky I know without my forgiveness you wouldn’t be able to go on another day.
Me: When did you want that punch?
Sai: Any excuse to touch me, huh? ;)
Sai: Anyway, what’s the plan for tomorrow?
Kane: I’ll take Jasmine and Kacey to the Council building.
Me: Ah, about that… Julien?
