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To get past the spells that were programmed to keep intruders out…
And allow only the owners and their Familiars inside.
Shit.
Nothing like this had ever happened before. Until today, Max had no clue it was even possible to steal a Familiar.
Max pulled Grim close, wrapping his arms around the mountain lion’s thick, fuzzy neck.
Grim buried his face against Max’s shoulder, his lean body trembling, each shaky breath whistling through his black nose. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.
“It’s not your fault,” Max said, holding him tight. “It’s not your fault.”
The crunch of tires on the gravel driveway had Max pushing to his feet. He grabbed his gun and took the safety off…pointed toward the busted front door as the sound of rapid footsteps drifted into the house—
Travis was the first to come in, followed by Lace and Jewels.
Max lowered his gun. “Travis?” His voice was a broken sob, and his legs shook so hard he almost fell.
Travis lowered his own gun, Lace doing the same at his side, and bit out, “Max?”
“Fuck you!” Max shouted, pointing between them. Tears stung his eyes, blinding him. As he spoke, Travis crossed the room. “Fuck you both,” Max went on, chest heaving, lungs scalding, “I thought you guys were dead—”
And then Travis was there, pulling him into a hug. “No,” Travis said, squeezing him tight, “but they gave it their best shot.”
Max held his friend—his brother—tightly, his heartbeat still rapid and painful, his gunshot wound aching like a son of a bitch. After a couple minutes, and after reality had set in enough that his heart was no longer bursting with dread, he pulled back. “Who did this?” he asked, gesturing with his gun to the destruction of their home.
Now, it was Travis’s turn to look like he wanted to throw up. “The imperator, I think. Gaven, maybe?” He shrugged one shoulder. “Jewels and I were attacked, and Lacey was hired by some fucking fakes.”
Lace crossed the room, Jewels behind her. “It was a close one,” Lace said, reaching out to give Max’s hand a squeeze. Max squeezed back. “I almost fell for it.” There was blood all over one side of her face, and her hand was shaking. Gods.
Max’s gaze swept through the destroyed house. “This was not what I expected to come home to.”
“Did you find Maya?” Lace asked him.
“No. But we found the facility where they were keeping her—her and Blue. I’m going to Yveswich.” There was no point in staying here anymore, not after this. They were better together, and wherever Darien was, was where they needed to be.
Travis said, “To find Darien?”
“And Maya. A couple Elementals were at the Facility.” He still couldn’t catch his breath. “Nearly killed us. They said Maya and a few of the others staged a breakout and were on their way to Yveswich.” His gaze flicked between Travis and Lace. “You’re coming with me. There’s no way you’re staying here—not after this.”
Travis was staring at the fridge—at the empty space on top of it. The tipped-over cereal boxes, their contents scattered across the kitchen floor among shattered glass.
The rumble of a motorcycle drifted into the house. Whoever it was, they were programmed to get down the driveway. Malakai, probably.
“Where’s Mortifer?” Travis’s free hand curled into a fist, his other tightening on his gun.
Max felt like he couldn’t breathe as he forced out a reply. “Gone.”
When Travis’s eyes snapped to Max’s face, they were burning like embers. “Gone?” he snarled.
Max nodded. “They fucking took him.”
“That,” Arthur said as he staggered off Malakai’s bike, shaking a trembling finger in the air between them, “is the last darned time I will ever get on one of these blasted things!”
Malakai couldn’t help but laugh as he propped the bike up on the kickstand. “You can’t tell me you didn’t have even a little bit of fun, old man.”
“Fun?” Arthur repeated, his face ghostly pale. “Fun? This is reckless! Public endangerment, is what it is—”
