Page 50 of Only You, No One Else

Mark looked at their joined hands. “Yes.”

“How is it possible that Caster can occupy the same space with his wolf?” Dean asked, and Mark was glad to have him. It was impossible for him to think straight enough to ask the pertinent questions, and Dean in full Prime Alpha mode didn’t miss much.

“The protection spell.” Edie’s reply was a small whisper devoid of the effervescent energy Mark had come to associate with her.

He heard Dean’s sharp intake of breath, a signal that his patience was at an end, and he glanced at his brother, a subtle shake of the head, stopping whatever explosion of anger he’d been about to unleash. “Then why didn’t he come before?” His question was a small whisper instead.

“What do you mean?” Amelia asked, her eyes widening.

Mark closed his eyes, summoning his strength. “When Zeke came back, I was stuck in that darkness for three days. I don’t remember much, but I remember calling for Caster, and he never came.”

Edie gasped, and his attention shifted to her, only to be met with the same shocked looks from all the witches in the room. He opened his mouth to reiterate his need for an explanation, but the witch he was unfamiliar with spoke first. “Three days?” She asked.

He nodded.

“And you have no memory of what occurred in that time?” The slight accent, the rhythm of her words spoke of a different time, like she was older than time allowed.

He nodded again, urgent energy in her words, her sharp movement as she pushed every book on the coffee table to the floor, clearing the space for something.

“What is it, Amara?” Edie asked.

The orange haze around her deepened to almost red as she mouthed words in a language so unfamiliar, it didn’t seem like a language at all. She repeated the chant twice, and a blue flame covered her hands, spreading to engulf the table without consuming the wood. She turned to Mark with a gasp, and he was held captive by eyes blazing with a blue flame. “You were in the Underworld.”

Mark started to shake his head, but the look of utter devastation on Amelia’s face stopped him cold. His wolf retreated to its corner in his mind, subdued, terrified. He recognized that as his own fear, and when he glanced at his brother for some assurance, the same fear was mirrored in his face. His breath caught. He’d never seen Dean afraid, not even at the height of the war when they all lived with the abject terror of imminent annihilation.

CHAPTER 31

Caster couldn’t get into the reason he had failed to tell Mark of this meeting. A niggling moral part of himself knew why, but he couldn’t get his conscious mind to articulate it yet. They were in Damien’s house, having teleported here when Mark stepped outside to speak with his brother. He hated himself for it, but if Mark saw Bastian, there would be nothing to talk about. Did that mean he had chosen his family over his soulmate? The complications of their situation compounded by the minute, and although he was certain keeping this meeting from Mark had been the right call, he didn’t like it.

A restless Damien paced the length of his study with enough frantic energy to wear out the expensive carpet.

His cousin stopped as the sound of the front door opening, many hallways and rooms away, invaded the silence. Julian and Kyle were the first line of defense, their instructions to keep anyone accompanying Bastian from entering the house. The same caution and the lack of forethought on Bastian’s motives had also necessitated the small army of Born-Vampires surrounding Damien’s property.

Bastian’s footfalls were the only thing Caster allowed his mind to focus on. If his young cousin tried to attack them in any way, there would be no saving him. He nodded at Riley, whose casual stance hid all the power they would need to subdue the witch if she made an appearance. But Bastian had assured his brother that he was coming alone. It was nonsensical, and Caster didn’t like things that didn’t make sense.

The door to the study unlocked with a click, and Bastian walked in only to stop mid-stride when he saw Riley. He glanced at Damien. “This wasn’t necessary. If I wanted to attack you, I would have brought an army.” The thunder of his heartbeat, one that he couldn’t hide fast enough, spoke of his fear, a fear he tried to conceal with a smile. “And we have an army, you know.” He nodded in Caster’s general direction. “Caster.”

Damien sighed. “What are you doing, Bas? This will not end well for you. You have to know that.”

Bastian shrugged, his confidence striking. Did he know something they didn’t, or was he simply counting on their familial connection to keep him safe? He walked further into the room, even disregarding the palpable threat that was Riley’s power. “I am here to accept your surrender.”

Damien’s sigh was a display of an exasperation that only appeared when the topic of discussion was his youngest brother. “Told you this was a fucking waste of time.”

Bastian stepped into his brother’s space, halting Damien’s determined stride towards the door. His voice dropped to a whisper. “I am not supposed to be here. But I don’t want you to die.” He glanced at Caster. “I don’t want either of you to die. This is beyond everyone’s control.”

“What are you talking about?” Caster couldn’t contain himself.

Bastian sighed, his blue eyes blazing with something Caster could only describe as regret. “Ahh fuck! Just listen to me and give her what she wants. It’s the only way.”

Damien grabbed his brother’s arm. “Bas, explain yourself, right now!”

He closed his eyes, took a breath, his confidence still sky-high even as he displayed his conflicting emotions. “I shouldn’t…” He pulled his arm away from his brother’s tight grip with a snarl. “Damn it.” He paced, balled his hands into fists, and stared at the door as if willing it to suck him out of the room. “She will win.” He stopped, stared at them, and pointed at Riley. “You couldn’t stop her.”

“That was a momentary failure on my part. I can assure you it won’t happen again,” Riley said, his demeanor still too calm, despite the disruption of Bastian’s frantic energy.

Damien tried to reach for his brother again, but Bastian brushed him off. “No. You don’t get it…”

“Explain it to us, Bas.” Caster kept his tone gentle. It was clear his young cousin was conflicted. Perhaps this was their chance to bring him home. “You called for this meeting for a reason.”