“We found these two discussing how they need to getthemout of here while you’re still recovering.” The guard gestures to me on the wordthem, and Adriel’s features grow dark.
He narrows his eyes at Sorik, and his fists tighten around the armrests of his throne. “Explain,” he demands, and he leans forward like he’s ready to pounce. I have no fucking clue what Adriel will actually do to Sorik and Siah, but I doubt it will be an enjoyable experience. I look at Sorik, hoping he has some kind of story that will get them out of this, but his features are stone-like, and there’s an air of resignation to both of them.
I learned my lesson about how Adriel operates, and I whisper to Becket to guard their backs. He moves behind Siah and faces off with Adriel’s guards as I step wordlessly in front of Sorik.
Adriel shoots up out of his throne, and we all tense at the sudden movement. “So the baby Sentinel thinks she can protect traitors in my nest?” he jeers, but he doesn’t take a step closer.
“If you ever hope to get what you want from me, then yes, I can most definitely protect them,” I counter.
Adriel raises an eyebrow at that and motions for me togo on.
“You want to be marked, and I can mark you. You can’t force me; I have to do it of my own free will, although I’m sure you’ve figured that much out by now,” I challenge. “So give me a reason to want to mark you. Torturing and murdering the ones I care about will just have me tapping into my stubborn as fuck side until I look like him.” I gesture to Lachlan who’s still lying on the ground, staring off at nothing. “You want to force my hand, but have you ever tried simply earning what it is that you want?”
Adriel’s features tighten ever so slightly, and it’s clear he doesn’t like what I’m saying. No surprise there, as he’s a jealous, entitled prick who thinks we should all just bow to his every whim.
“You can keep trying all the same tactics that you tried on the others, and when I die or escape, how long will you have to wait for your next chance? How many female Sentinels are still out there in the world? I mean, maybe you’ll get lucky and only have to wait another twenty-two years, but will she be as powerful as me?”
I decide to shut the fuck up and stop trying to sound so enticing. I want to convince him that if he lets Sorik, Siah, and Becket go, that I’ll mark him, even though I never would. I want him to convince me that he’s going to do exactly that, even though I know he’s calculating right now how to use each of them against me. Really all Ineedto do is keep this asshole talking so my Chosen, Aydin, Evrin, and hopefully a pack of wolf shifters can make their way inside of this place and decimate anyone who thinks like Adriel thinks.
Adriel tilts his head to the side, and his eyes become unfocused. At first, I think he’s simply contemplating my offer, but after another second, I realize he’s listening to something. His lips purse minutely, and then he turns his attention back to me.
“You make an appealing case, pet, but the one thing you fail to realize is what you have is already mine. You wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t made it so. I own you and have even before your conception.”
I glare at him and open my mouth to tell him as eloquently as I can to fuck off, but he cuts me off.
“You don’t believe me?” He laughs, and the sound of it makes every hair on my body rise with alarm. “Ask him yourself, then.”
Doors open behind me, but I don’t immediately turn to see what Adriel is talking about. He looks entirely too triumphant, and I’m terrified that when I turn around, he’ll have one of my Chosen—or worse, all of them.
24
Ibreathe through the wave of fear that permeates me and finally turn when I hear Sorik gasp in shock. Every thought in my mind stutters to a stop. I stare open-mouthed at the dark haired, seafoam green eyed male who stares past Adriel like he’s not even there. I run my unbelieving eyes over the runes on his finger and trace his familiar features until the neurons in my brain fire up so I can process what I’m seeing.
I look from Vaughn to Lachlan, who’s still on the ground practically catatonic. I ache for what he must be going through, having just lost Keegan, but Lachlan has spent almost half his life looking for his twin, and he’s standing right there in front of us. I crouch down to get in Lachlan’s line of sight. “Vaughn is alive,” I tell him, and my voice is both filled with awe and shaky from nerves. I force Lachlan to sit up, and he doesn’t fight me, which I take that as a good sign. I direct his blank gaze toward his brother. “He’s right there,” I state the obvious, and I watch as Lachlan’s eyes run over his twin. They don’t light up with hope the way I expect them to, and I’m confused as fuck when Lachlan drops his gaze and looks away.
“Vaughn is dead,” Lachlan announces, his voice monotone and devoid of all emotion, and his eyes drop to the floor.
“What the hell are you talking about? He’s right fucking there,” I snap at him, and I look up to make sure I’m not fucking imagining things. Vaughn stands tall, a healthy version of what Lachlan looked like before he was caught by Adriel.
“Ask thatmonsterwhat he did to him!” Lachlan shouts, his tone equally as furious as mine.
I stare at Lachlan, horrified for a moment as I realize what’s going on. “You knew,” I accuse, and Lachlan puts his head in his hands and says nothing. “You told me he was dead, you…fucking asshole. You let me believe that when you knew it wasn’t true!” I push him away from me and move to get as far away from him as I can. “You knew this whole time that Adriel had him, and you let me think he was gone? Why?”
“Because heisfucking gone! Look at him!” Lachlan bellows.
I turn to Vaughn, trying to understand what the fuck Lachlan is talking about. He looks healthy, and he’s right there standing in front of me, staring off past Adriel like he’s waiting for a command. That thought sends a spark of warning throughout me, and I take a step closer to Vaughn, my eyes searching, my soul uneasy.
“Vau—” I stop, and suddenly I have to swallow the lump that rises in my throat. “Dad?” I ask instead, my voice smaller and frailer than I’ve ever heard it. He doesn’t respond in any way that would make me think he heard me. No stiffening of his shoulders or clenching of his jaw. His eyes don’t flicker to mine for the briefest of seconds. He just stands there stoic and frozen.
Adriel walks over slowly, enjoying the pain and confusion. “What a beautiful family reunion,” he coos, and it sends my heart racing even faster. “I always knew I’d get the family back together, didn’t I, Vaughn?” he asks as he wraps an arm around his shoulders and pats him hard on the chest, like they’re good buddies that go way back. Vaughn doesn’t respond in any way to Adriel’s touch or question, and my heart drops even more.
“What did you do to him?” I ask, my voice broken, my heart hurting. My dad is standing right here, but Lachlan is right, it’s like there’s nothing inside of him anymore.
“Do you know how lamia are made, pet?” Adriel asks me, his eyes drinking up my pain like it’s water in the desert.
I think back to what Siah told me in the car. “When they make another lamia, they need to pull all the magic from the being they’re draining, but not overload themselves so that it will kill them. They then need to force their magic into the drained, but not deplete their stores so much that it results in death too.” I look from Adriel to Vaughn and try to put together what the question has to do with anything. Then, suddenly it hits me. I turn to Adriel, horrified, and he laughs.
“The draining part went accordingly. I’ve never felt so full of power and ability, but when it came to forcing my power into him…” He shrugs nonchalantly.
