His gut churned. Something told him it was more bad news. News he likely wouldn’t be ready to counteract.

15

Alexis

“But Lexi, we’d have our own bathrooms!” Daisy followed me as we made our way through Kieran’s illusion-riddled backyard. In the likely event Kieran was being watched, he didn’t want anyone to see us crossing the street to his house. So, we’d hiked down an overgrown trail on the cliff before trekking to the back of his house through the trees. The place was so secluded we didn’t see one foot print or dog poop.

I glanced around the well-tended backyard, half expecting to see a lurker nestled within the trees. Kieran had been distracted through the second half of the house tour. He’d left for the office to make some calls and take care of a few things, so everyone had broken up to get some training in, the kids with Jack and me with Bria. I’d struggled with focus, though, worried about what I was feeling through the soul link. Bursts of emotion had been blasting me ever since Kieran left. It troubled me that Bria, who was always quick to the draw, hadn’t seemed to notice.

Something had definitely gone wrong. Or maybe, something was continuing to go wrong. Kieran didn’t have everything sorted out, I could tell.

It struck me that Daisy could be right. Maybe Kieran did need some serious help, and we should take it upon ourselves to make that call to Sydney. What other options did we have? If Dara really was the only person standing in the way of Valens steamrolling the Peace Accord Treaties, wouldn’t it be better for us to unite our efforts?

“You don’t need your own bathrooms,” I said absently as I chewed my lip.

Then again, living in virtual ignorance as we were, would we do more damage than good? I’d gathered that the plans were intricate and Kieran was a master at disguising his trail from his father’s people. One wrong move might unravel the whole thing…

“Mordecai stinks,” Daisy blurted. “Air freshener and candles can only do so much.”

“That adds to the spice of life,” I said, letting us in through Kieran’s back door.

The sun was sinking over the not-so-distant water, painting the sky in beautiful layers of pink and orange.

“Umm, it smells good,” Daisy said as we walked through a back room, similar to the one in the house across the street, and made our way toward the food smell. “I’m starving!”

“You’re always starving,” I said as we entered a kitchen almost exactly like the one across the street, only a little bigger, if that were possible.

Jack and Donovan stood at the grill beside the stove, both wearing clean sweats and tight T-shirts. They were probably the most robust cooks I’d ever seen. The fan whirred and smoke rose into the stainless-steel hood as flame licked the steaks. Unlike usual, they weren’t chatting or bantering. Their shoulders were tight and their movements a little stiff.

A wave of nervousness rolled through me. This time I couldn’t tell if it was mine or Kieran’s.

Thane looked up from the large round table, similar to the one across the street, and gave me a tight smile before glancing back down at his laptop. Working, I’d bet. Bria paused from her salad station at the island, her face grim.

“Everything okay?” I asked the oddly quiet room. The kids stood behind me, making no move to file in and claim their space, clearly sensing the weird vibe.

Bria grimaced and started tearing lettuce. She clearly only believed in knives when they were being stuck in human flesh. “There’s a severe weather system bearing down,” she said. “It’s looking like a category five shitshow.”

“We’re keeping an eye on things,” Thane said, flicking his gaze up from the laptop. “There are a lot of moving pieces right now. It’s easier when we’re all in one place.”

Nervous flutters of a different kind ran through me. I tried not to think of how much the kids loved the rooms and bathrooms they’d get, or the privacy and convenience of the master suite. I tried not to think of that deep look in Kieran’s eyes when he’d offered me the house, open all the way down to the soul I had linked to my own. I desperately tried not to think of how close he was at that moment, probably just pulling up to the house, and how desperately I wanted to see him and never let him go.

I tried, and failed.

Before I could figure out what to say, the front door opened and a moment later Boman entered the kitchen with a grim face to match the others.

“Incoming,” he said, making his way to the counter.

Zorn’s form appeared in the entryway next, vicious and sleek, gliding forward like a phantom. He was clean and fresh, dressed down like the others, but his aura of ruthless energy would have given a horror movie villain pause.

Bria glanced up, and instead of making a quip or raising her brows in hello, like she would’ve done with anyone else, her gaze caught his and held it for a long moment. Much to my incredible dismay, her cheeks flushed red and heat lit her eyes. She looked down again, the first to do so, and her body tightened in a way I completely understood.

And then felt.

Kieran filled the entryway. Fire burned in his eyes as he beheld me, and suddenly the room seemed too hot, my chest too tight.

“We have a problem,” Zorn said to the room at large.

“How bad?” Jack asked without turning around.

I heard the front door click shut, and this time Jack did glance back, waiting until Henry strode through the door with a blank face and a laptop under his arm. Jack’s eyes widened.

“I pulled Henry, for now,” Kieran said, stopping beside me, his arm brushing mine and sending an arc of electricity between us. Primal energy crouched within him, emanating strength and power. Without trying, he stood out from even this group of exceptionable magical talent and fighting prowess. No one would have to ask which one of them was the Demigod—his radiance and air of command was all too clear. “Amber is active.”

Henry put his laptop down on the table in the suddenly still room.

“Who’s Amber?” I asked into the hush.

“Kimmie Draves.” Henry pulled out a chair. “Goes by Amber in the field. She’s one of three magical people heralded as the world’s best spies. Her skills at espionage far outshine most. Her attention to detail and ability to sniff out discrepancies is almost unparalleled. Word is, she has her team poring through digital files and records. No one knows what she’s hunting for, but she’s asking questions. Specifically, she’s asking about Alexis’s reassessment.”

My blood ran cold as Kieran stepped toward the island, putting himself in the middle of his crew. Something about him spoke of unwavering confidence, of his ability to control the situation, no matter how dire. His very presence calmed my trembling limbs. His hard gaze straightened my spine. He hadn’t said a word, but I trusted that he could lead and protect us.

I understood exactly why the guys put all their faith in him. His power of leadership was such that it really did seem like he had everything covered.

But Daisy had been right, too. He couldn’t do it alone. The pressure was increasing, and soon we’d be called upon to fight. We needed every advantage we could get.

“We knew this would happen,” Kieran said in a steady voice. “I prepared for it. I hid our tracks carefully—”

“I could’ve done better these past few months,” Bria mumbled, her expression frustrated. She shook her head. “I got sloppy a few times—”

Kieran put out his hand. “You’ve done fine. It’s taken them this long without any solid leads. It’ll take her a while longer to piece everything else together. He hasn’t discovered us yet. Jack, check that food.”

Jack started and turned.

“We’re procuring transportation as we speak,” Kieran went on, easily holding everyone’s attention even as Jack scrambled to calm down a steak engulfed in flames. “The bodies for our undead army have been magically sealed to stop further deterioration. Our land troops are watchful and ready. We have people swimming into the area from Europe. We may not have the numbers we’d like, but we’re prepared. My father is not expecting an internal battle. His strategies are geared toward politics and territory takeover. I will be a surprise to him, I am positive. That’ll give us an edge.”

I heard Daisy grumble but couldn’t make out what she said.

Kieran looked around the room. Spines straightened within the confines of his gaze. Just a look from him was enough to bolster his men.

But they didn’t feel what I did. They didn’t sense the anxiety rolling off Kieran in waves.

“We can do this,” he said. “We’re ready for this.”

Pressure settled on my chest, and Bria’s hard eyes met mine. I read her loud and clear—Kieran didn’t fully believe his own words, but I needed to keep that to myself for the sake of group morale. Part of leading was instilling your people with confidence in a dire situation. I’d practiced that with the kids often enough.

“We’ve done all we can for the moment,” Kieran said, reaching for a bottle of wine. “No one is scheduled to follow me tonight as long as I stay on magical soil. We have cameras set up all around the neighborhood—if someone comes spying, we’ll know in advance. Let’s enjoy a meal and some downtime. No wars will be starting tonight.”

His gaze hit mine, deep and open. A question lingered in their depths.

Another wave of anxiety rolled through me, and this time, it was all my own. I had a decision to make. A decision that might change my whole life.

16

Alexis

Dinner went by much too quickly. Despite the danger nipping at our heels, the guys could banter and chitchat with the best of them. My sides split from laughing so hard.

When everyone had finished and rubbed their bellies, they stood up slowly to clear away plates.

“No.” Kieran stopped me from standing with them. He shook his head. “Let the guys do it.”

“Lucky.” Donovan crinkled his nose at me in jest.