Dem burst through the trees, his face pulled back into a grimace. His eyes quickly took in the standoff and moved to stand in front of Uncle Trenton. He dropped to his knee.

  “Your Highness,” he said.

  “Rise. What’s happening?”

  “There was an incident. The scouts and I ran across one of the King’s men. He was dispatched. But we do not know if he was alone.”

  “This is ridiculous!” Daddy snarled. “We need to do something about him now!”

  “Calm yourself, Brother. We will end him soon enough. We need to figure out who these men are and what we are going to do next.”

  “Your Highness, my name is Nixon. This is Rodsom and Branah. These are the lands of your brother, Lord Bartholomew, Leader of the Alaskan Polti-Kodiak Sleuth. As I said, the protection barrier - which is only passable if you bear no ill intent - was crossed and broken, so we came to investigate. We meant no harm, and no harm was inflicted.”

  “Where is Bart?!” Daddy asked, cutting the man’s next words off.

  “Your Highness, he’s - occupied elsewhere at the moment.”

  “And that means what?” Uncle Trenton’s voice was tight as he spoke. His body flexed and was ready to strike if needed.

  The men shared a look before they spoke again. This time it was the shorter of the three.

  “He is indisposed, Your Highness. We are unable to relay anything to him at this time.”

  I tilted my head and gave Talia a look. The air around us stirred slightly. The hair on my arms stood on end. I heard Talia growl and I turned to see what was coming. I didn’t see anything, nor did it seem that anyone else was worried.

  But, there was... something.

  My body jerked as a flash of images speared through me. I heard Talia gasp and in a blink we were standing with our hands clasped. The images were of a man who looked similar to Daddy and Uncle Trenton. He was in pain.

  “Your brother... has been taken... across the veil.”

  Talia spoke before I could. I blinked and shook off the feelings of nausea that flooded me.

  “We need to make a plan, now. He must not…” Daddy trailed off, his gaze set on Uncle Trenton.

  “So be it. Ramport, escort the girls back with Demetrius. Alexander and I will meet you in your tent. We need a few minutes.”

  “I will be staying, Your Highness, Joshua and the others will see them back.”

  “Fine.”

  Dem came to me and wrapped his arms around me. With a final look at our fathers, Talia and I walked back through the woods.

  14

  Demetrius

  Intense.

  Nerve wrecking.

  Chaotic.

  These words accurately describe the last few days. The brothers - Trenton and Alex - have been fretting, planning and then rethinking everything they’ve planned out since they discovered the King was holding their brother, Bartholomew, as a prisoner.

  Then King was adding insult to injury. He had been holding Natalie, Talia’s mother, since faking her death and now he has taken Bart. Everyone in this camp was on edge at this newest development.

  The girls had both seen visions of him inside the castle. Talia mentioned a room, one The Prince knew well. It was apparently the same room his long lost, thought to be dead wife, was being held captive. It seemed to be one cluster fuck after another. Complete craziness. We were all ready to storm the castle and rescue them both, but we couldn’t. Not yet. There was still much to do. Much to discover and a plan had to be made.

  The second we crossed the veil, Gregor would know. Things would get dicey, and our attention would be split. Not only would we have to worry about the immediate threat, but we’d have to worry about the girls. Whether they were with us, or left someplace safe, they’d still be in danger.

  This was why I suggested both Mari and Talia work with the shifters and a few of the vampires to balance out their skills in hand to hand. I knew Mari had a good fight in her, and Joshua had said the same for Talia, but I wanted to spice it up a little.

  With the Prince and Alex’s permission, Joshua and I devised a plan with Rixon to test the girl’s full powers. It was possibly a little underhanded but all was fair in love and war, was it not? We had to know if the girls would be able to protect themselves.

  I was waiting for it to start. A sneak, surprise attack was best. Everyone knew what was going to happen - in theory - except the girls. And Pyper… I had to tell the little bear because, I’m not scaring a kid. Even I’m not that bad. But I didn’t tell her what was going to happen. Just to not get scared if Mari and Talia got into a fight.

  I looked up when I heard a shriek. I stood, my eyes scanning the area. Talia and Mari both burst from their tents, followed by a few others. This wasn’t part of the set up. What the fuck?

  The little bear came shrieking across the open field before us. Thor went running to her aid, but that’s not what made me pulling my dagger free of its sheath. No, it was the monster of a bear following after Pyper. It was a shifter, I could tell by its eyes.

  “Pyper!” Mari took off towards her as did Talia and a few of the wolves. I moved to follow after them as did a few of the guardsmen.

  The monster bear had friends, Two other shifters came barreling towards us. Roars filled the open space as we collided. Talia’s panther struck hard, claws and teeth sinking into the beast. Mari hit one of the big behemoths with an uprooted tree. The bear rolled across the field, got to its feet and came to a sudden stop. It’s eyes latched onto Pyper. I swung myself toward the other bear as a wolf bit into its flank.

  The roar sent a shock wave through the field. Wolves howled, the panther snarled and Mari cursed like a sailor. The battle was fierce. The shifters kept coming. Paws flying, nails slicing, teeth marking skin. The girls both kept themselves on the upside of the fight. Then something… happened.

  Both Mari and Talia stood hand in hand, their eyes glowing and, with a shouted word in Latin, the battle was over as quickly as it had started.

  I looked to the where the girls stood shaking, chests heaving, as the bears they had been fighting turned to ash.

  Everyone stood frozen in shock, and maybe a little bit of awe, at what had just happened.

  Then the sky changed, dark clouds rolled in only to be pushed away again, revealing the purple hue of the sky above. Rixon made his way towards the girls. He had a scowl on his face.

  “Bravo, Rixon,” the Prince said as he and Alex came closer to where the girls stood.

  Talia and Mari turned to face their fathers.

  “What was that?” Talia asked. She glared between her uncle and her father. The Prince had the balls to grin at her.

  Rixon’s next words had us all on edge.

  “That was not my doing!” He hissed as he looked around. Everyone was eyeing the other.

  I raised a brow.

  “What wasn’t who’s doing? What’s going on here?!” Mari snarled. I moved towards her and took her hand. She was shaking from what I assumed was anger and worry.

  “Father!” Talia hissed as she turned towards him.

  Then she attacked her uncle, Alex.

  No one reacted fast enough to stop it. That’s when I saw the glamour over them. No one else seemed to see it. At least no one saw it before the headless body fell to the ground. The body turned back to its original form.

  “What the…” Rixon started before the form that was Trenton shifted. Talia attacked, her hands shifting to her animal as she dug into its body. With a punch and a shove she was holding the now dead vampires heart.

  “Fucking magic users…” Talia growled as she tossed the heart on the ground by the body.

  “Where is.. what’s happening?” Mari asked. Panic laced her voice. I pulled her closer to me and further from the bodies lying on the ground.

  Marissa

  This was not happening. Was it?

  “What’s going on here?!” Ramport snarled, coming to a stop beside us.

  “I don’t know,” Talia growled.

  She scanned the area and I saw it when she did. There was a mist. It was dissipating, but it was there.

  Thor started to run towards us, Pyper at his side. The little girl was crying and had blood on her face.

  “PYPER!”

  Talia took off running across the field towards the small girl.

  “What happened, baby? Joshua! Get your mother!” Talia screamed.

  I moved to her side and growled.

  “Pyper, what happened?”

  “Them pespoles hits me!” She frowned and curled into Talia’s arms.

  “We have to get her bandaged up and figure out what in the hell just happened! Where is my daddy? Where is Uncle Trenton?”

  “Uncle Rixon, what-”

  “There was magic here, but not something I’ve seen before. Either Gregor has some new tricks up his sleeve, or we are in deeper trouble than we thought.”

  “Mother is gone!” Joshua’s growl had us all turning to look for Ramport. He had just been here.

  “Ramport!” Talia stumbled forward as she looked for him. “What’s happening here?!”

  “It would seem….” Rixon’s voice trailed off.

  “Do you feel that?”

  “Them backs!!!” Pyper screamed.

  There was a loud crack of thunder and my eyes blinked open. I was sprawled out on the hard ground. What the hell? I groaned and shook as I sat up. I took a deep breath and shook my head. My ears were ringing. I blinked a few more times before I looked around.

  There were wolves, three big bears and us on the ground. What… Thor was on me in an instant, whining and licking my face. I pushed him back and huffed.

  “Demetrius!” My voice cracked as I called for my mate.

  I shifted and pulled myself to my feet. Talia was sitting up now. As if on some kind of timer, everyone got back to their feet and looked around.

  “Taya! Mawi! It worts! It worts!” She was grinning as she ran down the slight incline of the hill side.

  I looked to the little girl as she ran to Talia. Nothing but happiness poured off of her. I scrubbed my hands over my face and sighed. What the what, man? I rubbed my head. Talia and Pyper hugged. The little one was bragging about being a part of a big trick. Someone had some explaining to do.

  “Demetrius!” I snarled our his name.

  “That hurt,” I heard someone say from behind me.

  I glanced over to see the bears getting to their feet.

  “It wasn’t supposed to hurt,” Another said.

  I snarled as I got to my feet.

  “DEMETRIUS CAVANAUGH! You get your Irish ass out here right now!”

  The ground under me rumbled as I turned to look for him. He appeared at the edge of the trees with Daddy, Uncle Trenton and Ramport. I heard Talia curse behind me.

  “Taya, you habs wed eyes.” I heard Pyper’s words and I turned to Talia. Her eyes were ringed in red.

  “Mari’s are too…”

  I growled again.

  “Calm yourself, lass. You were in no danger.”

  “No danger? Have you lost your ever lovin’ fuc-”

  “Marissa Lynn. Calm yourself, now!”

  I met Daddy’s glare with one of my own. He had some nerve.

  “We were seeing how your new powers reacted to a magical attack. Seems even magic loses if you two are focused, as Talia was.” Uncle Trenton earned himself a glare with those words. I was cut off before I could say anything in response to them.

  “That is due to the shifter in her. The panther is able to stay more focused and see past a glamour. Or it should be able to.”

  Rixon moved to stand close to where the men were standing. I was taking in calming breaths before I blew them all up. This was low. Beyond low. It was an utter asshole move.

  “Joshua!” Talia called out to her mate.

  I watched as he sheepishly came towards her. His mother kept pace at his side. Talia leveled a glare on him that made him stopping in his tracks. I turned to glare at Dem and the old men. Assholes!

  “Did you know this was going to happen?”

  “Yes, love. It was known by all. It was a test.” His eyes met hers and I saw the hurt in hers. I was sure it matched my own.

  “I need to clear my head.”

  Talia started moving towards the forest.

  “Me, too.”

  I moved to follow after her. Thor butted his head against my leg and I reached down to wrap my fingers in the scruff of his neck.

  There were footsteps behind me, so I pushed out my power. It wouldn’t last long, I usually had to be looking at what I wanted to push away from me, but it would do for now.

  “You are not safe out there. Marissa. Come back here!”

  I ignored them all and picked up my pace as Talia and I walked off into the treeline. I was so mad. I wanted to skin them all.

  “Natalia! You get back here!”

  She, too, ignored her father.

  “Can you believe that shit?” I snarled.

  “Yes,” Talia said. She came to a stop around a couple of felled trees. She sat, placing Pyper on her lap. The little girl didn’t say anything, she just watched us both as she laid against Talia’s chest.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I can believe it. I kind of understand it. A surprise attack… it’s not something you can plan for. Not really. It’s happened to me before. When Daddy first came back.. There was a man. He was a shifter, but there was something off about him. I finally saw it one day. I attacked him. He was trying to spell me, or something, but it wasn’t working. Magic wielders are dangerous.”

  “There had to be a better way to do this shit!” I growled as I stomped around, my body was still vibrating with frustration and anger.

  “Look, I’m not happy about this either.. I thought…” Talia closed her eyes and sighed. Pyper snuggled into her. Talia wrapped the little one tighter in her arms. We had both thought that this precious baby was in danger, that was why we reacted so quickly. Asshole men, they thought they knew everything.

  “Wanna have a little fun at their expense?” I asked. I stopped pacing and looked her way.

  She gave me a curious look.

  “Well, as I see it… we have a few choices.”

  “Count me in.”

  “I heps toooooo!”

  Pyper chimed in with a giggle that sent Talia and I both laughing. This would be fun.

  15

  Demetrius

  “Dem Dem! Dem Dem!!”

  I spun when I heard Pyper calling for me. She was running towards us, Thor on her heels. I didn’t see the girls with her. I moved to the grass and scooped her up. She was breathing hard as she clutched my shirt.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked.

  “Where is Marissa?”

  “And Talia?”

  She shook her little head and looked up at me. It took her a minute to get her words to come out.

  “Them wuns dats ways and… and dats ways!” Her eyes got big as she pointed off into two different directions. My brow rose as I looked to the woods.

  “She’s not making sense,” Alex said.

  “Pyper, do you mean they went one way, then turned to go another way?”

  Her brows pulled together at my question.

  “No! Them gows dats way and dats ways.”

  “Do you mean they both went a different direction?” The Prince asked as he came up to stand beside me.

  Pyper nodded. “Yes. Mawi goes,” she looked around again before continuing, “dis way.” She pointed to the east.

  “And Talia?” Joshua asked.

  “Her goes dis way,” she said pointing to the north.

  I raised a brow.

  “Why? Why would they do that? Were they that mad? We should have never done that,” Joshua paced as he rambled on.

  I agreed. Why’d they do that?

  “Um, them-” she stopped and I watched her look around, a frown pulling at her brows.

  “What is it, little one?”

  “Them habs a fides…”

  “Son of a bitch. This is ridiculous. We need to go out there and get them. They’re not safe on their own. Hell, we can’t keep them safe when we are all together!” Alex snarled from behind us. Pyper let out a shriek and buried her face in my neck.

  “Alex, calm yourself. You’re scaring Pyper.”

  I gritted my teeth as I turned to stare at him. The Prince put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. Alex let out a slow breath and looked down at Pyper.

  “I’m sorry, Princess.”

  “You go geds thems!” Pyper nodded at him and wiggled to get down. I sat her on the ground and she ran up to the tents. Sheri scooped her up and took her into the the big tent.

  “We need to split up.”

  With that, we split into two groups and took off across the field to the woods. We had to find the girls, hopefully in one piece. I was angry that they’d run off, sure. We all were. Mari had never done anything like this before.

  “I have a scent!”

  “One goes this way.” Someone else yelled.

  I did too, but I stopped, looked around and opened up my senses. Something wasn’t right here. Her scent trail was weaker than it should have been. My eyes narrowed and I moved back in the opposite direction.

  An hour later I was in a small clearing in the wooded area with Joshua, the Prince, Alex and Ramport. Rixon was still looking around for anything suspicious. There was nothing suspicious. But something here wasn’t quite right.

  “Can’t you track them, or you,” Alex said looking from me to Joshua. “Can’t you sniff them out?” Alex growled. I raised a brow at him.

  “Don’t you think I have tried that?”

  “Quiet!” The Prince turned in a small circle and narrowed his eyes. “Natalia! Marissa!”

  Nothing. There was no sounds, other than the insects. With a huff he moved back towards the opening in the trees. He muttered the whole way out. We all followed after him.

  “Trenton! Where are you going?” Alex asked, a sharpness to his words.

  “They aren’t in the woods. I can’t feel the pull of their magic. If you would calm yourself, you would see I am correct.”

 

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