He would have to destroy anything that tried to harm her.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Didsomeone fill you in on everything?” Cole asked Brokk when they rejoined the others an hour later.
“Yes,” Brokk answered as his gaze ran over Lexi. “Quite an interesting turn of events.”
He set aside the Harry Potter book he was reading when they entered and rose to lean against the wall. Cole missed reading those books. Maybe, one day, he would get the chance to return to them, but he doubted it.
“That it is,” Cole muttered before shifting his attention to Sahira. “How long will it take you to cast the spell with the harrow stone?”
Someone had closed all the curtains in the manor, and they’d all gathered in the library. Sahira sat on one of the chairs with Shade on her lap. She had yet to look at Lexi as she ran her hand along the cat’s back and its loud purr filled the air.
Del sat in the other chair with his hands clasped before him and his head bowed. Orin stood near the fireplace with his arm draped across the mantle. His attention had been on the wall, but it shifted to Sahira after Cole asked the question.
“A few hours, at least,” Sahira answered.
“We have to get Varo here,” Cole said.
“I’ll get him,” Orin said.
“You’re taking someone with you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“You’ve been living a double life and keeping things from us. That isnotgoing to happen anymore. You either take Brokk with you willingly, or Sahira will track you. Who else do you have imprisoned?”
“No one of use to you.”
“I will decide that,” Cole growled. “Who else and where are they?”
Orin turned to stare at the wall again. “At a prison on an outer realm.”
“Brokk, go with him to get Varo and learn who else is imprisoned there. I have to return to the Gloaming to check in and see how the hunt for the rebels is going. Lexi is going to come with me. If we’re not back by the time you’re ready to start the spell, begin it without us.”
“I’ll come with you to the Gloaming,” Del volunteered.
“That’s not a good idea,” Cole told him. “No oneelse can know you’re alive. It will create too many questions about where you were and how you got free.”
“Then I’ll go with Brokk. I’d like to see my cell from the other side,” he said with a pointed look at Orin. “I can stay out of view of those imprisoned there.”
Cole was aware Del would only play nice with Orin for so long. But he would play nice as long as he believed that Orin could help keep Lexi safe. And Orin would do that, not only because she could be the key to bringing down the Lord, but also because it would destroy Cole to lose her.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Cole asked Del.
A small smile curved Del’s mouth. “I’m not going to kill him… yet.”
Orin smirked back at him and held out his hands to wiggle his fingers before him. “I’m so scared.”
“Don’t,” Lexi said.
“Don’t worry, Andi,” Del said. “There won’t be any fighting here.”
“Or anywhere anytime soon,” Cole said, but it would happen, and he wouldn’t try to stop it. He didn’t think Del would really try to kill Orin, but he deserved a little justice after what his brother did to him.
“Just out of curiosity,” Orin said as he shifted his attention to Sahira. “Did you ever plan to tell Lexi and utilize her in the war against the Lord?”
Sahira’s hand stilled on the cat as she stared at Orin with a look of such loathing that Cole wondered if she might be the one to kill his brother. Then her hand started moving on the cat again, and its purring resumed.
