I took a step back, worried he might actually shift in the dorm, but after a few seconds of controlled breathing, he was able to pull his scales in.
“What do we do?” I asked. My mind was in fight-or-flight mode, and I couldn’t form a cohesive thought.
His eyes snapped to mine, and he let out a roar. “I’m sending Tabitha over to put up wards around your room, stronger ones. Whoever this is has been watching you since way before you came to Fate Hollow. We find out who this is, and we eliminate them.”
“Wren can’t come with us to the Demon Capital anymore,” I croaked.
Rowan sighed, and his muscles twitched. “What we want doesn’t matter right now.”
“It’s not about what we want. It’s for her safety!” Tremors forced themselves down my body in waves.
He let out a humorless chuckle. “I’ve tried to explain what’s best for her safety, but that didn’t work. Perhaps my approach is what fucked it up. What matters right now is what she wants. She’ll be heartbroken if I stop her from going now. You saw how upset she got when I tried.”
I sucked in a breath and nodded. “So what do we do?”
“Thorn is able to phase, so he’ll be on standby, watching the bond and the tablets. If at any point you need him, he’ll note it in the bond or you can message us. He’ll get me and take us to her. Damien can shadow travel too. I don’t believe that this person will show their face to you. They are having too much fun watching you from a distance. But Rhett, I don’t care if Wren is going to the bathroom, you or Damien go in with her.”
“Of course, but Rowan, I’m so fucking scared. I couldn’t protect Eevie from this person.”
He grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and snarled in my face. “Don’t fucking say that. You will protect Wren. There is no other option. Damien will be with you, and we will be here if you need us. Wren will be safe.”
“Thank you.” My voice broke as my tail flicked up behind me.
Rowan nodded towards it. “It’s been a while since you’ve been in your full demon form.”
“What do you expect?”
There were a few minutes of silence before he let go of my shoulders and rubbed a hand down his face. “There’s something else you need to be aware of. Wren going to the Demon Capital means that she’ll find out about Damien.”
My chest throbbed. I hadn’t thought about that. “I don’t know how Wren will react. She loves him.”
Blackness faded in before Damien stepped out of the wall with a deadly look on his face. “She won’t find out. She can’t. I’m fucked up enough as it is.” A rumble vibrated through him as he shoved his hand through his hair between his horns and back again. “If I can get in here this easily through Tabitha’s ward, they need to be stronger,” he told Rowan before turning to me. “I haven’t seen anyone yet, but Iwillkill the bitch if I see her.” He faded out without giving us a chance to reply.
Rowan and I were left staring at each other with so much on our shoulders.
Kalista was going to shit, and our sweet mate was in so much fucking danger.
EIGHTEEN
Wren
Thegoldenraysofsunlight beat down on my skin as soon as Damien’s icy shadows uncovered the three of us. A haze doused the atmosphere as heat waves slithered across my vision. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the harsh sunlight, but once they did, my mouth dropped.
The Demon Capital was the exact opposite of Briesia, with the environment barren and dry. Demons had taken a desert void of most life and formed it into a remarkable city. Clay-type buildings cascaded into the sky, and where there weren’t any designated roads, it was clear where to walk with cracked clay beds, where it seemed like water used to flow, leading between the large buildings.
We were in the heart of the Demon Capital, the urban side of the territory. I would’ve bet that the more rural locations were difficult to live in.
Demons scattered throughout, some in their full demon forms and some not. There were a few little lizards sunbathing over on the edge of the path, and people seemed to make way for them. An older man with black twisted horns stopped when a lizard darted in front of him, blocking the flow of traffic, and the three other men he was with stopped as well.
He turned his head toward us, and recognition flashed in his eyes.
“Fuck,” Damien muttered, sliding his arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his chest.
Rhett stepped forward, blocking me as they approached us.
“I didn’t think I’d ever see you here again, Everhart,” the man said in a shaky tone. “Business or pleasure?”
“Business,” he bit out.
