After a deep breath, I shook it. After all, this was what our people needed—even if part of me still wanted to punch her. “Well met, Jane. I’m Nai.”
“Carson.” The brunette dude kicked off the shed and shook my hand. “Earth.”
“I’m Xavier,” the final dude grumbled. His handshake was brief and clammy, and his thin body trembled. He forced a swallow, and his red-rimmed eyes filled with fresh tears. “Fire,” he croaked.
Yeah. He wasn’t handling Snade’s death well, but right now wasn’t the time to tell Xavier that his father was a douche.
“So, we need to question Julian about his involvement in the attack and see if he knows anything that can help us make a plan to get the Island back. Do you guys want to come in, or would you rather go find a tent and get some rest?” I glanced at the door and frowned. “I’m going in with the alpha king, but each of you is on the High Mage Council now, so we should all be on the same page.”
Jane’s expression turned vicious. “I’m going in with you. If he knew about the attack beforehand, I’ll kill him.”
Well, it was good to see her loyalty was flexible.
“Me too. I’m going in with you,” Carson said.
Xavier shook his head and waved dismissively at the door. “I’ll pass. I trust Jane and Carson to find out what Julian knows. I don’t even want to see his face right now. I need some time alone.”
I could respect that too.
“We’ll come get you when we start to make a plan to get our home back. Okay?” I offered Xavier a tight smile.
He shrugged and then walked away.
I turned and scanned the trees to see Rage leaning against one, watching us. I beckoned him over, and after terse introductions, we stepped over to the front of the shed.
‘Got my back?’ I asked Rage with my hand on the door handle of the shed.
He grinned, eyes going yellow. ‘Always.’
I pulled the door open, and light flooded into the windowless space. Justice stood from where he’d been sitting in front of the door as a guard and faced us. Behind him, in the center of the small shed, was Julian, hands tied behind his back with a towel around his mouth, gagging him.
“Watch the door for us?” Rage asked his brother.
Justice nodded once and then slipped outside, allowing Jane and Xavier in before closing the door behind him.
The space was maybe ten foot by ten foot, and the only light seeped in through the cracks between the walls. Several gardening tools sat on the back wall with a few bags of fertilizer. The four of us crowded around Julian, and his eyes widened as he took us in.
‘He’s been given the spell powder so he has no power,’Rage told me.
Good to know. But with all the power coursing through me, I had a hard time believing Julian could one-up me right now.
‘Why is he gagged, then?’ I wondered. The last thing I wanted to do was unbind him and cause havoc.
‘Justice got tired of listening to him whine,’ Rage replied.
Not that I could blame him for that.‘Right, then, follow my lead,’I told Rage.
‘Yes, Agent Crescent,’he joked.
I rolled my eyes.‘Shut up.’
Crouching down, I ripped the towel from Julian’s mouth and then wrapped my fingers around his throat.
“Listen closely,” I growled. “I’m going to give youone chanceto keep your life. Tell me everything you know about the blood magesandyour father’s involvement with them, or I’ll tear your soul from your body.”
Julian’s eyes widened like a bug, and his throat bobbed as he forced a swallow.
Was I capable of such a thing? Maybe. Maybe not. But he didn’t know that, and it sounded badass.
