It took him a moment and a reassuring nod from Grandma, and then he said, “As you wish, baby girl.”
With noticeable reluctance, the two of them headed out.
Torvek hung back. “I’m sorry, snow cub,” he said, coming to me and stroking the arm of my coat.
“I did this. It is what it is.”
“You didn’t do this. The Realm’s stance on something not properly understood did.”
“Semantics right now, I guess.” I lifted a shoulder. “Either way, I’m good, flame bite.” I gestured out the door where Dad and Grandma were already striding away in ruler-mode. “Go. Do your thing.” I grinned. “And kick ass while doing it.”
He chuckled. “Will do.”
He hugged me to him, then headed on out too.
As I watched him go, forcing myself to suppress a heavy sigh so that the three of them didn’t hear it, a distraction thankfully came along right when I needed it in the form of my phone buzzing.
I pulled it from my coat to see a text from Zayn had come in.
Not in the Group Chat.
In a private message to just me.
Zayn:Win isn’t answering his phone. He went to meet with Ketheron and it’s been a communication blackout situation for the last couple of hours. Texts are left unanswered and when I dialed out, it just cut out after only a partial ring. I even tried Ketheron and the same thing happened. Vaxan says we shouldn’t try Sylas yet or it will out Win’s whole investigation into his glitching. Maybe you can scent-track Win?
I steadied myself at his report.
He was absolutely panicking. Like, really fucking badly, and that was bleeding into me. It was also raw for all three of us because of Winter taking off on us recently.
But he wouldn’t do that again.
He wouldn’t.
He’d made us a promise. He wouldn’t pull away again. He wouldn’t disappear on us.
At least not intentionally.
And as for theunintentionally option… it had only been two hours since he’d sent us that message telling us that he’d gone to meet Ketheron. For something so magically complex, that wasn’t an undue amount of time.
Evira:Breathe, little hellion. It hasn’t been that long. They had a lot to discuss. Heavy things to discuss. Give it more time. I’m on my way back now. Where is Vaxan?
Zayn:Icicle! I wasn’t sure when you’d be able to message back! Thank fuck. You’re coming back already? Good. Really fucking good. Vaxan is in his dorm. He said he had to make a check-in call to his parents while we wait for Win and you. Apparently, it’s a once-a-month thing with them only, but it’s like a report he has to give, not just a chat with family. He gave me the keys to get his Lambo out of the garage, but I decided to wait.
What?Vaxan had made it clear he didn’t like the idea of Zayn—or me—driving his prized possession. Why would he suddenly—oh fuck,what was going on?
Zayn was wracked with anxious concerns about Winter, so he hadn’t been able to notice anything amiss with the Lamborghini situation. Was Vaxan actually more anxious about Winter not responding to their communications than he was letting on?
Two hours only, though? Why would he be in that state when he was usually the most calm, collected, and rational of all of us?
Unless he knew something more… had felt something more.
But the only way that would be possible for this particular circumstance would be if he had some sort of watch over Winter. Or a magical tracker attached to him, like one of those Nexus Bands.
Hmm.He had displayed possessive tendencies, his territorial nature, and even jealousy. The issue with Winter feeding on others atPolarisbeing a prime example.
But I felt all that too, and I hadn’t done anything like that.
It had to be more than that for Vaxan.
