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“Yes, sir.”
“Brax, this isn’t your fault. I need you to know that,” Rhys breathes, swiping a hand down his face. “They may be in the Realm of Shadows, but it’s not because they’re dead. I’ve spent a long time trying to bring your parents back. I haven’t been successful, but I’ve never had a necromancer on my side either,” he states, turning to glance at me.
“You knew they were there?” Brax’s voice is raspy as he glares at Zane’s father, who hangs his head in defeat for a moment before he looks back at him.
“Not the whole time, but things didn’t add up when I continued to pursue their research in honor of them. About six years ago, I learned of their existence, but I didn’t want to stoke hope in a situation I may have never been able to resolve. I’m sorry for that, Brax. Truly. We’ve never had anyone travel through the gate before, the risks were unknown. Technically, they still are.”
Brax glares at him, nodding once, sharp, harsh, not yet forgiving, and Rhys doesn’t push him any further.
“The gate disappeared, Rhys. We don’t know where they are,” I murmur, my chest clenching so tight I’m sure I’m going to pass out.
“Yeah, it does that,” he replies with a half smile.
“We need your help. Now more than ever.” It’s obvious, it always is. He’s helped us every step of the way, but things are different now. I’m being torn apart at the seams and need someone to hold the stitching together. That’s Brax. But at the same time, we need someone to help us complete the pattern ingrained into my soul. A pattern that can only be fixed with Creed, Eldon, and Zane present too.
“You have it. Always.” I take a deep breath, relieved at his promise. “Is Erikel awaiting our arrival now?” he asks, already seeing the big picture and guiding us.
“Yes. He’s already called the students from Shadowgrim Institute into action. I’m sure he’s banking on your arrival at this stage. As much as I want you to come to save us, I don’t think now is the time,” I admit, and he nods in agreement.
“Let me reassess, but don’t utter a word of this to anyone else. I’ll keep it to myself here too. If you have any emergencies, use the shell. Otherwise, keep it close. I’ll call when I can.”
I nod and he turns to Brax, waiting for the same acceptance from him too. It takes a moment, but once he has it, he disappears. The room goes quiet. The two of us are alone again, staring at one another with more questions and fewer answers fluttering between us.
The clock is ticking, time is running out, and I fear the end in sight is far from the one we wish for.
FIVE
RAVEN
Soft sunlight, the warmth of it euphoric, dancing along my eyelids, stirs me awake as I stretch out my aching limbs. I can’t remember when it ever felt this good before and it takes a moment for my eyes to focus as I take in my room.
It lasts for the shortest moment before I remember the current state of my life, the pain determined to follow me around, and my bones run cold. Clutching the sheets to my chest, I roll to my side, lifting my knees as I curl in on myself.
Eternity came and went last night. The ability to fall asleep continued to evade me until the early hours. I wasn’t alone, though. Brax seemed to be struggling just as much as me. The call with Rhys last night helped somewhat, but it only added further questions to my over-wired brain, making it impossible for me to shut it off.
Another day. Another overwhelming pang of the unknown.
How are we supposed to figure out how to get back to Zane, Eldon, and Creed when we have to be present here? More than that, how are we going to explain their absence?
Shaking my head, I force the thoughts to the back of my mind, storing them for later. They’ve run on a loop, keeping me awake most of the night, but I can’t allow them to take my focus from the day too.
I give myself an extra ten seconds curled up in a ball before I force myself to my back, staring up at the ceiling helplessly.
Grunts rumble through the room, dragging me to the present and leaving me confused as I glance around, unable to see the source of the sound.
Despite the desire to fall back asleep or simply lay here feeling sorry for myself, I follow the sound, crawling to the foot of the bed where I find Brax. I catch him dropping down into a push-up, the grunt slipping from his lips as he repeats the process again and again.
Hot.
Too hot.
What I would do to hear those sounds with him dipping low to thrust his cock inside me instead. The thought makes my cheeks heat and my thighs clench. A tiny squeak tickles my throat and I find wide eyes staring up at me in the next breath.
Startled, Brax drops to his knees, reaching for the bottle of water beside him. His gaze remains locked on mine as he downs most of the bottle in one gulp. The darkness in his pretty eyes is like a shot to the heart, reminding me of life as we currently know it.
The bed sheets instantly feel cold against my skin. The bed empty. My heart aches.
“Sorry,” he grunts. “I didn’t mean to wake you, but I needed to work out and leaving you in here alone wasn’t an option.”
