“In bed. He made a breakthrough with Yellow Eyes today, but then he fell asleep.”
“Good. He needs rest. Are we still going to see Mikey this afternoon?”
“Yeah. And Nick’s coming too.”
“Yes. I’m meeting with Jedrek while Nick and Sawyer sit with Mikey.”
“It’s weird, him being…. Well, Nick was always just Nick. I knew he was a shifter but I just… I don’t know. It was just barely there and I knew he wasn’t a threat to Sawyer so I just didn’t think about it. And now all I think of is Henry and what they did to those kids and to know there were more. I mean, maybe I could have—”
“Stop,” Eduard said. “If any of us had known, we would have assisted. No one would leave children in that situation, Draco. If Sawyer’s mother— his foster mother, I mean, had revealed Nick’s past to you, you would have done something. But she didn’t.”
“Why?” Draco asked. “Why didn’t she get help for the others?”
It didn’t make sense with the woman he’d known. Mama Thea would never have left kids behind. Hell, she stood up for Sawyer once when he’d been accused of cheating at school. He hadn’t cheated, and had provided a perfectly logical explanation. He’d told Draco later how Mama Thea had taken the teacher down a peg or two, defending him like a mama bear protects her cub. And yet, she’d left kids— she’d leftHenry— behind to be hurt.
Eduard didn’t answer. He wrapped his arms around Draco’s waist instead.
Victor cleared his throat and rose, drawing Draco’s attention.
“Pardon me for intruding, but I believe… I could be mistaken, but I believe Sawyer’s mother knew exactly what she was up against. She protected her son from a god. I’ve spoken to the hellhounds. Iftheycould not defeat this magic, how couldshehave done it on her own?”
He’d heard the explanation before. He’d even had the same thoughts himself. But hearing it from Victor somehow made it easier. She’d had to make the most difficult choice of her life, he was sure. She had to choose to save Nick and protect Sawyer and Mikey. However she’d found them, whatever had been involved to get the brothers in her care, it somehow must have told her she couldn’t help them. It was the only thing that made any sense.
“She couldn’t,” Draco confessed. “She had to keep Nick, Mikey, and Sawyer safe for as long as she could.”
Draco understood more than he wanted to admit to himself. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for Sawyer.
Eduard tightened his hold on Draco, and he drew strength from his mate’s touch. “Victor, can you finish what we were doing on your own? I’m going to go sit with Sawyer and Draco for a while.”
“Of course,” Victor said.
Eduard grabbed his laptop from the corner of the desk and before leading Draco back to the master bedroom. Sawyer and Pearl hadn’t moved, but both Henry and Saeward had arrived in their absence. Henry was on the bed with his tablet in his hand while Saeward lay across the foot of the bed.
“He is getting worse,” Saeward said.
“Yes,” Draco replied. What else could he say? It was obvious to all of them.
Andvari and Loch joined them a short time later. They squeezed in, all finding places on the bed. Draco found comfort in their presence, each of them a balm to the fear deep in his soul.
Puteri blinked into being, looking sheepishly at them all. “Pardon me, guardians. I felt a strong magic and wanted to be sure the Chosen One was safe.”
Eduard and Draco shared a look. Henry sat up straighter.
“What did you say?” Henry asked.
“My apologies, young mage. I am clearly mistaken—”
“No,” Henry said. “Tell me. Explain. It’s important.”
“Magic. Moments ago.”
Draco glanced at Henry, who seemed to be processing things. “Henry?”
“We’re all not this close all the time,” Henry said slowly. “I don’t think we’ve all been in the same room in a few days. Maybe a meal or two here or there. Andvari?”
“You’re right. We’ve divided the watch so someone is always on duty. Loch and I should technically be outside now, but seeing Draco carry him inside—”
“We had to check on him for ourselves,” Loch said.
