“As is Sy,” Rowan snarled. “Let’s storm the fucking dark realm!”
“Not yet,” I said, meeting his heated glare. “I want to get to my mate more than anything.” My gaze swept over the other heirs. “Barbie and Sy mean a great deal to all of you as well.” Louis, Cade, and Silas all nodded in solemn agreement. Rowanstill fumed; without Barbie, Sy was lost, too. “But we need to be certain where all the bride candidates are and formulate a strategy. A smart one.”
“Then get to the plan!” Rowan shot back. “Every moment we waste talking here, our mates are pulled further away!”
My dragon growled in agreement.The fae has more sense than you.
“Let’s find Lady Ethel.” Cade’s calm voice cut through our frenzied thoughts. “She’s the mouthpiece for whoever orchestrated this. She’ll answer for it first.”
“We won’t forgive this betrayal,” Louis snarled, baring his fangs. I’d once wanted to pluck them all out for daring to sink into my mate’s neck. “They should have consulted us before moving the trial forward. This breaks every protocol...”
“Someone’s head will roll for this,” Silas interrupted, his muscles bunching as his wolf strained against his skin.
“Enough,” Cade said. His wand materialized in his hand, and with a complex gesture, a sound barrier enclosed us, muting the noise from the confused crowd. “I get it. I’m not just extremely fond of Barbie; she is also a valuable member of my house. And we all know how important she is to the realm.”
“And Sy is the future of the realm,” Rowan said, his jaw clenched in tension. “The last of the old magic. Barbie took my mate with her.”
“Blind action won’t bring them back,” Cade countered, his glare daring any of us to challenge him. “Or protect the other bride candidates! Every single one of them matters. We are responsible for bringing themallhome.”
The mage heir placed a hand on my shoulder and the other on Rowan’s before continuing. He stepped up when the rest of us were losing our heads. “Killian and Rowan, you two deal with Ethel. She’ll talk to you, or she’ll burn. Louis and I will returnto our courts. Our parents must know something, and we’ll confront them if they kept us in the dark.”
“And me?” Silas asked, his voice a low rumble.
“You track. Use that big wolf nose wisely,” Cade directed. “Use every shifter sense you have. There has to be some trace, some thread we’re missing.”
It was a good plan. Logical. Cade and Louis had the diplomatic touch needed for their monarch parents. Silas had the best tracking abilities among us. And I...
I had the reputation for extracting answers by any means necessary.
“Before we go,” I said, punching my fist into my palm. “The Covenant.”
Understanding dawned in their eyes. One by one, they placed their hands over mine. We spoke the words we’d sworn in secret, renewing our vow.
“We swear by blood and chaos,” I began.
“By crown and raven,” Cade continued.
“By fang and flame,” Louis added.
“By earth and beast,” Silas growled.
“By star and mist,” Rowan finished.
“To stand as one,” I concluded, the words a solemn promise. “No matter the cost.”
“The Covenant holds,” Cade affirmed. “Whatever comes next, we’ll face it as brothers.”
Power flared between our joined hands, sealing the vow.
“We’ll find them, all of them,” Cade said, punching Rowan and me on the back.
“If worst comes to worst,” I met each of their eyes in turn, “I’ll move against my father. I’ll take the throne by force if I have to. I need the crown’s power to protect my mate properly.”
Silas sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s treason, Killian.”
I’d mentioned this political move before, and Silas still hadn’t warmed to the idea.
“It’s survival,” I said brutally. “You all saw how our parents reacted to that fucking god’s invasion. Each kingdom huddled behind its borders, hoarding resources. We fought and bled alone while they played fucking politics.”
