Jax nodded. “In fact, Phillen, make that two dillemsills. Royal protocol also requires me to send word to the Solis royals that we’re planning to visit their continent, so I’ll need to send a message to Norivun too. And as for Quinn, take more rulibs and pay the higher fee for their most magical bird.”
“Any news from Quinn?” Lars asked Jax.
Jax shook his head. “No, but I’m not surprised we haven’t heard from him. Trying to find out how the kingsfae knew about our raid in Possyrose Forest is probably going to take a bit of time.”
“Or rather, how thekingknew,” I corrected. After all, it was King Paevin who directed the kingsfae to seize Jax and his raider band that night. I’d found out what the kingsfae were planning and had managed to reach Jax in time, but we all narrowly missed that arrest.
But as for how the king had been aware that Jax and his band of raider friends would be there...
None of us could answer that. But hopefully Quinn discovered something soon.
Phillen ran a hand through his auburn hair, making his biceps bulge. “Will do, my prince. I’ll get two dillemsills first thing in the morning when the shops open.”
“I’ll go too and get that carpet,” Bowan offered.
Jax nodded curtly. “It’s settled then.”
Lander nodded toward the clock. “’Tis near midnight. We should all rest. It’s been a long day.”
“Agreed.” Jax crouched by his brother’s side again. “Bastian, we’ll move you to a bedroom chambers to sleep for the night.” He waited as though hoping against hope that his brother would suddenly respond, but of course, he didn’t.
Bastian continued sitting unmoving, staring docilely. It was such a strange position for a male who appeared so large and powerful.
Like Jax, Bastian was tall with broad shoulders and had a lean yet muscular build. He had fae-tipped ears and siltenite features, along with high fae limbs, feet, and hands. All of him appeared as any other siltenite would, except for the antlers. Unlike Jax, who could magically manifest his stag antlers at will and then make them disappear, Bastian’s antlers were permanent since he was a half-breed.
But their facial features were similar. Like Jax, Bastian’s eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, and his bone structure was rugged, his chest defined, his thighs muscled. His skin was a shade darker than his brother’s tanned complexion, yet Bastian’s hair was lighter than his brother’s. Whereas Jax had black hair, Bastian’s was dark blond.
Still, it was so obvious they were brothers. All one had to do was look at them, and the resemblance was apparent. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t recognized it initially when Jax had asked me to locate his brother in the Veiled Between all those weeks ago, but I’d never suspected such a thing was possible because, until Jax, I’d never heard of any royal siltenite in any kingdom having an illegal half-breed brother.No wonder the king of Stonewild Kingdom banished Bastian.If anyone saw him, they would likely question his lineage.
Pain puffed in my mate’s aura as Bastian continued to sit unmoving. I kneeled at my mate’s side, placing a hand on his waist. “We’ll save him, Jax. He’ll come back to you.”
Jax’s jaw ground together, and he nodded stiffly, but the movement looked forced. “I hope so. It’s hard to see him like this.”
My heart squeezed. “It is.” Even though I never met Bastian prior to our rescue tonight, the unwavering way Jax loved him and strove to protect him spoke volumes for the kind of male Bastian was.
Saramel, Phillen’s wife, had once told me that Jax and Bastian were incredibly close, that they spoke every day, and that they were fiercely loyal to each other. I couldn’t imagine having such an unbreakable bond with a sibling, especially since I had no brothers or sisters, not that I knew of at least, but the love Jax felt for Bastian was evident. It was why he’d abducted me from my guardian after all. Sheer desperation to find Bastian had made Jax seek out the only lorafin living on the Silten continent, someone who could travel to the Veiled Between and get him answers, someone who would surprisingly end up being his mate.
How much had changed since Jax and I had met.
I squeezed Jax’s hand again. “Come. It’s getting late. We should all get some sleep.”
Everyone finally stoodand retreated to their individual bed chambers for the night. Once Phillen and Lars had carried Bastian to an empty room, Jax used his magic to clean his brother’s soiled skin and change him into clean clothes. The fact that Bastian was streaked in grime and dust and didn’t even react when Jax bathed him or dressed him broke my heart all over again.
Jax’s pain drifted toward me along the mate bond as he cared for his brother, and I wished I could fix all of this for him, but it was as though Bastian was no longer there, that his large body was merely a puppet for whatever puppet master was controlling him.
Nerves coiled my stomach, and my gaze shifted to the anklet that Bastian wore. Similar to my collar, a purple stone was secured at its center.
We still didn’t have full answers from the semelees. All we knew was that someone was controlling Bastian with that gem, but we had no idea who, and it was possible we would never know.
But getting that anklet off Bastian was imperative. Nothing good came from jewels that had been placed upon fae to control them. The Goddess knew I’d learned that lesson over and over.
I ran my hand along the smooth metal at my throat. At my collar’s center, the purple stone barely throbbed. At least now it was mostly dormant, since my guardian had used his adaptor to release me from its suffocating hold. But it still suppressed my magic to some extent, and it would never allow me to become a queen of the semelees. With it in place, I would always be a lorafin princess only.
“Elowen?” Jax’s quiet question had my hand dropping. The room was dark, moonlight only penetrating the windows. Jax pulled the covers over his brother, who was lying motionless and supine. Bastian remained staring straight ahead, so Jax ran a hand over his face, closing his eyelids. Pain again reverberated from Jax into me along our bond.
Heart breaking, I questioned if Bastian had even blinked since we’d saved him. I reached for Jax, and when I spoke, my voice was slightly hoarse. “Come, my love. It’s late.”
Jax clasped my hand, his palm warm and smooth. A shiver raced up my arm, and my magic naturally billowed toward his. A low hum sounded in his chest as he led me from the room.
