“What’s wrong?” I could tell from the pinched expression on Rage’s face that something was up. Something besides the fact that we’d slept way too long. The exhaustion of Rage’s injury and using my blood for all this healing was getting to us both.
“We’ve gotta go.” He tossed back the covers and stood.
Sitting up, I frowned. I didn’t hear any sounds of commotion. And clearly, Rage was fine—besides the clock ticking on Honor’s life.
“Okay, yeah. We need to get Honor back.”
Rage shuddered and then fixed me with his gaze. His green eyes were wide, and his expression stricken. “No, it’s not that. Declan is trying to find me.”
Hatred burned through me as my lips tightened and nostrils flared. “What do you mean?”
Rage sighed, and a look of agony crossed his face. “He’s … torturing Noble and Justice to find out where we are. Their screams woke me from sleep.”
Wait. What?
How did Rage know that? Oh mage. “How?”
I scooted closer. Rage pulled me onto his lap and rested his chin on my head. When he spoke, his voice was filled with anguish.
“We can speak telepathically. The king knows—” his voice broke “—and he knows I’ll come to help my brothers.”
Chapter 5
Rage and I got dressed,and by the time we stepped from the room, John stood at the end of the hallway, waiting. Was it his shifter hearing, or had he been keeping guard, watching for the king’s men? I tried to shake the anxiety crawling through me.
“We need to leave,” Rage told him.
John crossed his arms and frowned. “You’ve barely healed.”
Sara rounded the corner, appearing from the heart of the house, and sidled next to her husband as her gaze jumped from Rage to me. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” I said, glancing at Rage. When he didn’t explain, I faced our hosts and did the best I could without divulging the Midnight brothers’ secret. “We need to leave for Alpha Island at once. Our friends need us.”
John sucked in a sharp breath, and Sara’s eyes widened.
“You’re banished.” She shook her head. “They’ll kill you on sight.”
Rage sighed. “My brothers are there, and they need me. Ihaveto go.”
Just then, the twins appeared, one after the other, Sadie’s blond hair rumpled from sleep. It was early morning, the sun just shining in through the curtains, and we’d clearly woken the entire house.
John looked at his daughters. “Take Sadie and Audrey with you. The king’s men won’t know them since they were born here after we were banished. They can ferry you across to the island—give you a better chance in case there’s trouble.”
It was a good idea. If the king’s men found us, would they try to kill me and take Rage back? Did they all know about the shield oath? In that case, they might just imprison me. Either way, I knew what the king wanted: his first heir back.
“All right,” Rage agreed. “But once we get to the island, they come right back. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
The girls nodded, but I wasn’t sure if that was in agreement or a mere acknowledgment of his statement. We could discuss it later.
I hugged Sara tightly. “Thank you so much for your hospitality.”
“Anytime,” Sara said, offering me a sad smile. “And if you need a place to live once this is over—”
“We’ll welcome you with open arms,” John finished for her as he shook Rage’s hand.
“Maybe after Rage takes me to Hawaii. He owes me a vacay,” I said with a grin. Like Kaja and her sisters, these people were gold—total opposites of the shady occupants of Dark Row and the current alpha king.
First things first, we had to get Honor back. Then, we could think about the future.
