“Get Zior!” Aerén barked and strode indoors. “And let the Darkrean through!”
Aerén zipped upstairs to his quarters and settled his sire on the bed in the guest room.
Zior burst inside and rushed to the bed.
“Take care of him. I’ll be back—”
“Sire, wait.” Zior pivoted to him. “Don’t leave.” The male vanished.
Aerén glared at the spot where his mage had been. He didn’t have time for this, he stalked out.
Zior reappeared in front of him and shoved a small bottle into his hand. “Drink that. It will aid you until I can undo the remnants of a spell I sense in you.”
“Thanks.” Aerén tipped the contents of an earthy-tasting liquid into his mouth, handed the bottle back to Zior, and flashed downstairs to where Taegér waited, still on the terrace, a glint in his eyes as Lykon stood guard, flipping his dagger. More guards stood nearby.
“Sire, the queen?” someone asked.
Aerén shook his head. “She wasn’t there—”
“Leya!” Hana burst outside. “Where is she? Where’s my sister!” She glanced between the enforcers and bodyguards, the Darkrean, and back to him. “Where is she?” she yelled.
Aerén shook his head. How the hell could he tell her he’d lost her sister? The sorcerer’s curse echoed in his head.She will forfeit her life.
Fuck! He shut out the thought and met Hana’s fierce wet eyes. “She’s trapped in a dead volcano—”
“What?” Color leeched from Hana’s face, so like Leya’s that he couldn’t breathe. “No—no!” She hit him, fists pounding his chest, and he let her. “You left her behind, left her to die there, alone!” She hit him again and again.
“Hana, stop.” Taegér grasped her by her upper arms.
She spun around and shoved him. “You let this happen! You could save her!” she spat her venom at Taegér, tears streaming down her face. “If Aerén carried his father, you could have carried my sister out!”
Taegér remained silent. Didn’t correct her.
“Leya,” Aerén said quietly, his heart hurting. “Taegér wasn’t with me. We were on our own.”
“What?” she snarled.
“I can’t explain now. We have to find Leya. I promise I will bring her back. Thiorr, Drav, with us. Lykon, guard the castle. Keep Hana safe.”
“I’m coming with you!”
Aerén shook his head. “No—”
“She’s my sister!” she cried, almost hysterical now.
“Hana,” he tried again, “this is a dangerous realm. We must cross into—”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do!” She flung out her hands.
A hard swish of air shoved Aerén and Taegér back a step.
He blinked. Damn, of course, she’d share the same power as Leya, when both of them bore the same blood magic. “Wait here, Hana. Please.”
She glared at him with tear-filled eyes. “I wish we never heard of you, Empyreans. I wish you never came into our lives. Then I would still have my sister.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I love Leya. I will give my life for hers.”
Her flat expression didn’t change.
