I grabbed a bunch of power and shot it at him, coating him and sending as much of it into him as I could.
He shuddered.
“By the fates,” Airia breathed, looking from Brodine to me. “Is he . . .”
I rushed over and jumped onto the sofa beside my friend, cupping his face, turning his head to make his gaze meet mine. Gathering up more power, I blasted it into him again.
He sucked in a deep breath, and his eyes cleared.
“What the fuck are you doing, Tempest?” he asked, ripping his face from my hands.
Reyla and I burst into tears.
7
TEMPEST
Brodine was back.
Complete joy.
Vexxion was not.
Endless sorrow.
I’d saved two of my friends, and I would never give up on the man I loved. This showed me it could happen.
While Airia gaped at him, we filled Brodine in on what happened since the Claiming, including the flying dregs.
“Wings, huh?” he growled. “Why would anyone give those nasty things the ability to fly?”
“To capture more Nullens,” Reyla said. “And, boy, doesn’t this make it much easier for them to hunt us.”
After we’d finished catching him up, Brodine huffed out a sigh. “I still can’t believe it.” His fingertip traced across his neck that held a pink mark from where he’d scratched it. “You’re sure the collar I’m wearing now will come off?”
“Take it off if you want, though you’ll probably need to wear it until we leave faerie.” Would that time ever come? If we succeeded in killing Ivenrail and placing Zayde on the throne, assuming he would take it, would we need to leave or could we remain here forever?
Vexxion would come back to me, and we’d decide what we’d do together. I wouldn’t believe anything else was possible. I suspected he’d want to live at Weldsbane. This meant I might need to wear the fake collar forever.
I didn’t know how I felt about Lydel, the court that should’ve been my home. The place was a great unknown, an island covered with thorns that may or may not protect a people turned to stone. Even if I could wake them, was I foolish to think I’d find welcome there?
“The clasp is in the back,” I told Brodine.
Frowning, he ran his fingertips across his nape, stopping in the middle. A subtle sound rang out, and he pulled the collar away from his skin. It had remained invisible while he wore it. I wasn’t sure how the fae would know it was there, though they must possess magic that would tell them.
I was fae. I had to keep reminding myself that. But I didn’t see the collars or the ownership marks on everyone’s forehead—assuming they were there now that our Claiming collars had been removed. There must be a way to tell.
Brodine stared down at the thorny vine with red flowers. “I don’t like wearing anything, but you’re right. We can’t risk anyone seeing that we’re not collared.” As he returned it to his neck, he shot me a goofy grin. “All the gorgeous guys are wearing them.” His smile wavered when his gaze fell onVexxion. “Seeing him staring at nothing like that reminds me of these odd dreams I’ve been having. I feel like I’ve been lost forever with only silence echoing around me and fear clawing down my spine.”
I hoped I never had to visit the ether.
“Was Vexxion drained like me?” Brodine asked softly, as if he didn’t want to wake the other man up to the reality of his current situation.
My love was inside his body somewhere. Reyla said she didn’t remember much of that time, but she’d interacted as needed. She’d occasionally responded when I asked her a question. She’d obeyed commands. Did those lost in the ether hold onto a fragment of themselves?
“Ivenrail did it,” I said. “Like he did with you.”
“Is that who collared me?” Brodine scowled. “I remember a man stalking over to me. The slick smile on his face.” His brow furrowed. “Him reaching toward me and then . . .” His frown didn’t lift. “Not much after that.” His gaze sought Vexxion again. “I wouldn’t wish this even on my worst enemy.” Back at the fortress, he hadn’t liked Vexxion, but his feelings had been driven by jealousy. Had he forgotten that he liked me in a way that made me uncomfortable? I hoped so. We had enough to deal with. Cluttering up our lives with stuff like that would only make this a bigger challenge than it already was.
