“I think he intended to, but there wasn’t time. He mentioned to Troy that as soon as he found Travis, he needed to get back to you,” Reggie explains quietly.
“Hang on!” Darwin exclaims. “Someone is video calling Beaver right now.” Darwin types feverishly on his keyboard.
Squirrel rushes forward and adds his own commands to the system.
“Answer it!” Anders snaps.
Darwin and Squirrel share a look. “Sir,” Darwin answers the call, pushing the video to the large screen. Squirrel sets Beaver’s laptop in front of Anders.
“Well, well, well. This is an unexpected surprise—the infamous Anders Knight, the most feared guard in all of the Luna Solar Realm.”
The voice triggers something in me. I’ve seen him before or saw someone who resembles him.
“Byron Niles,” Anders scoffs. “Why are you calling one of my recruits in the middle of the day?”
“I’m pretty sure you already know the answer to that. Let’s not dance around the obvious.” The camera shifts and zooms in.
My mother gasps and claps her hand over her mouth. Shadow hangs, suspended in the air from the rafters, with his hands shackled in chains. His head droops forward, and open wounds cover his entire torso.
I lean in. Are those burns? It’s hard to tell with the amount of blood trailing down his body.
“You son of a bitch!” Anders roars, jumping to his feet. “When I find you, I am going to rip your fucking head off!” he yells.
Byron’s coarse laughter makes my eyeballs itch. His amused face returns to the large screen. “I want my son back, Anders. You’ve been keeping him from me for over a year now. Bring him to me, along with my stupid nephew, and I’ll return your boy.”He looks over his shoulder and grins. “If he wants to return by the time I’m done with him.”
“Byron, I’m fucking warning you!” Anders growls.
Byron drops his false smile, and darkness consumes his features. “No, Anders.I’mwarningyou. Give me my son, or I will send an army of my men into your territory and eradicate all of your precious recruits and the royal family.”
Anders’s body trembles. Frost forms around his hands, and the room's temperature drops dangerously low. His irises begin to glow red, and his fingernails extend into claws. Liam and I glance at each other.
I’ve known Anders my entire life, and I have never seen him lose his composure like this. His jaw tics as he glares at the screen. A threatening low growl vibrates deep from within his chest. Abruptly, he stands, knocking over his chair, leaving deep grooves etched into the conference table. His lip curls in a snarl.
The soft click of a door freezes him in place. His head snaps to the side, eyes wide with panic, and he moves his body, blocking Jessica from view. But he’s a millisecond too late.
“I see your sweet daughter just entered the room. If you want to keep her alive and your precious guard, too, I suggest you do as I say and bring me my son. You have until midnight.” Byron refocuses the camera on Shadow’s limp body and slowly zooms in before he cuts off connection.
Jessica covers her mouth with her hand. Tears stream down her face. Emily wraps an arm around her. “Oh, Gods!” she moans.
“What part of stay in your fucking room did you not understand?!” Anders whirls around and yells at her.
She jumps, whimpering behind her hand.
“Anders!” my mother shouts, standing from her chair to comfort Jessica.
“No. Don’t coddle her, Shakti. This is the consequence when they don’t listen to me. I warned him. This is what happens when they defy my orders.”
Liam and I share a look. What the hell is he talking about?
My father stands, red in the face. “Anders, this doesn’t have anything to do with what you’re thinking.”
“Doesn’t it?!” he snaps. “Then tell me how we get Shadow back when Boris is dead! How do I prevent them from coming after you, the new guards, and your daughter?!”
Jessica screams, and she slides down Emily’s body to the floor.
“Anders, don’t say another word. I know you’re upset, but taking it out on?—”
Jessica’s cries get louder. A loud thunderous boom shakes the entire room. “This is my fault,” she bellows into my mother’s chest.
