You know why, his wolf offered as Ronin stalked from the bar, the blonde’s disappointed gaze tracking him through the tavern door.
Ronin didn’t bother answering as he slipped into the night, shifted into his wolf, and went for a run through the city streets.
He examined every face he passed, hoping against all odds that one would be his twin’s.
He’d already lost one of the females who’d made his life worth living.
He couldn’t stand the thought that he might have lost Selene as well.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Cael used a fire opal to journey to the church ruins in southeastern Brachos, just across the border from the Desolation, where Tristan had asked to meet today.
Cael had been on the brink of sleep last night when Tristan’s message floated into his ear. He hadn’t expected to hear from his friend again. Especially not after he had ignored all Tristan’s previous windwhispers.
This was Cael’s last stop of a very long day, as he’d spent most of his morning and afternoon meeting with prospective buyers.
Such a fucking joke of a job.
Visions of his soporific future unspooled daily: aimless meetings followed by his father’s tirades followed by Elodie’s inane prattling.
He wanted to escape more than he ever had. He’d leave tomorrow if Xenia didn’t still have that fucking tracking device in her neck.
They’d made little progress over the past few days and therefore, he’d been in a foul mood this morning when he’d sifted through the new business inquiries. Though his mood had boosted slightly when he’d found another affirmation on his breakfast tray.
I am in control of my happiness and my destiny. Say it at least three times today, pterodactyl. Believe it.
He’d chuckled into his coffee as he’d read it. Again, the words were complete and utter bullshit. Cael had never feltlessin control of his destiny. But he’d dutifully said the phrase when he left the estate and at the end of each waste-of-time meeting.
Said it again as he’d arrived in this abandoned stone ruin on the outskirts of nowhere.
Though he was looking forward to seeing his friend again, he wanted this meeting finished as quickly as possible so he could return to Stoneridge.
The thought of leaving Xenia there alone had his anxiety rising. Especially after Tomas had nearly made her his midnight snack the other night.
Before Cael had left this morning, he’d seriously considered asking Erik to watch over her. But the thought of confirming Xenia’s importance to him, even to his younger brother, seemed too dangerous.
Cael’s anxious thoughts were interrupted when a shimmery portal appeared in the center of the crumbling nave and two Fae stepped through it.
One, Cael didn’t recognize, but the second…
Cael was shocked into stillness at the sight of Tristan, whose face broke into a broad grin as he swallowed Cael in a bone-crunching hug.
“Long way to travel over a few missed windwhispers,” Cael croaked out, Tristan’s vise-like grip squeezing his lungs. “You’re not in the colonies.”
“Neither are you,” Tristan answered, pounding his friend on the back before pulling away, his face falling as it landed on Cael’s sole wing. “What happened to your?—”
“I’ll tell you later. In private.” Cael flicked his gaze to the other Fae male watching their reunion, then back to Tristan. “What are youdoinghere? Where’s Cassandra?”
A devastated grimace stole across Tristan’s face before he turned to the male behind him. “Business first. This is General Felix Tanius.” The male flared his feathered wings in greeting, kicking up a cloud of dust. “An associate of mine with the Teles Chrysos.”
Cael’s brows rose. He’d heard the name of the rebel group who were weaving their influence throughout the continent. Had even heard about the few deals they’d made with Arran these past months, the money they’d paid his father for information about weapons shipments to the Empire. He’d overheard a conversation between Arran and Viktor regarding a shipment of missiles heading through the Staurien Pass yesterday that the rebels were supposed to intercept.
Based on the timing of this meeting and General Tanius’s pinched face, Cael suspected the interception had not gone as planned.
He hoped they weren’t about to ask Cael to convince his father to refund thedrachasthey’d paid for the intel. No fucking way would Arran agree to that.
Tanius stepped forward to clasp Cael’s hand. “Master Zeph?—”
