As if he’d heard his name, Bach appeared. “You’re going?”
I spun and hugged my other brother. “Yeah. It’s time.” I bit the inside of my cheek, so I didn’t do something as ridiculous as cry. I gave Bach a tight smile. “Can you do me a favor and find Acacia? Make sure she has a good night? She might need some good nights to remember soon. The world isn’t a kind place for the Twelfth Line.”
Bach hugged me back tightly. “I will. You’ll come home as soon as you can?”
“Definitely. I miss Cook’s pastries,” I teased. “You guys too, I guess.”
“Brat,” Bach grumbled, scruffing my hair like I was just his annoying little sister and not a fully grown adult. “Be careful, okay?”
I crossed my heart solemnly.
Kian hugged me once more, then pushed me toward the shadows. “Go. Be safe or else.”
“Oh!” I quickly reached into my pocket and pulled out two bars of chocolate I’d had at the bottom of my pack. I pressed one into each of their hands. “We deserve to be happy too.”
Kian stared down at the wrapped candy and swallowed hard as he placed it in the pocket of his shirt. “We’ll share it together when you come home.”
Fuck.I was going to cry.
Hayle, clearly picking up my turmoil through whatever Third Line magic he possessed, placed a soft hand on my spine, urging me into the darkness. Some silent conversation passed between my brothers and my lovers, and while I’d normally roll my eyes at the machismo, if it made them feel better, I could give them this small thing.
Once we were far enough into the darkness, Hayle picked me up easily. I wrapped my legs around his waist and buried my face in his neck, breathing in his comforting scent as my emotions went haywire.
“It’ll be okay, Avie. We’ll see them all soon enough,” he whispered, stroking my back. He strode easily through the darkness, surefooted even with my added weight. I looked over his shoulder at Vox, who sent a tendril of air to push back my hair from my face.
“Hayle is correct. I’ll get you back to them, so you can live happily ever after.”
I frowned. “You better be there too then, because there is no happiness without you.” I trailed my fingers down Hayle’s back, so he knew he was included in that statement.
We walked silently through the dark, until we made it to the back side of the Baron’s manor. I saw Lierick just beyond the treeline, our packs spread between him and Iker. I wiggled, and Hayle let me slide to my feet. I bricked all the softness up behind the hardened walls of my heart.
When we made it to Lierick, his eyes ran over my face, but he didn’t ask if I was okay. Lierick already saw too much, things I didn’t want to say out loud, and it scared me.
“Ready?” My voice was far more upbeat than I felt. He nodded, and Hayle patted my butt.
“Let’s go see what Daddy Zier wants,” he teased, and I slapped his chest.
“You have to stop calling him that. Can you imagine if he heard you? I’d die from embarrassment.”
Someone cleared their throat. “That would be unfortunate.”
I closed my eyes, hoping this was all a bad dream, or maybe I’d tripped and hit my head on the way to Boellium, and this was all an elaborate coma hallucination before my inevitable demise.
But as I turned, a solemn-faced Zier stood behind us in the trees.
Hayle’s shoulders were shaking, and I swore to the Goddess if he laughed out loud right now, I was going to punch him in the balls.
Three
Hayle
Avalon flushed so red that I was fairly sure you could see it in the darkness, even without my night vision. Zier Tarrin leaned against a tree, and though his expression was flat, I saw the mirth in his eyes.
Avalon let out an exasperated sigh. “Of course you’re here. Why would my luck change now?” she muttered to herself, and I tried not to laugh. She put on a pleasant mask and turned to face the Baron. “Baron Tarrin, your guard suggested you’d like to see us?”
“Please, call me Zier. I insist.” He was definitely teasing her now, and I watched as his lips curled as she grimaced. Vox had accused me of being animalistic many times, but you’d have to be blind to all five senses not to sense the pheromones that buzzed between the two of them.
I understood; Avalon had this endearing strength about her. She was captivating in a way I didn’t fully understand. I’d put it down to our Soul Tie connection, but it was more than that. She had a light about her that emanated even in the darkness. I was surprised she didn’t have dozens of men trying to steal her from us.
