It was now or never. He’d come this far, and there was no turning back. If this didn’t work, it would soon be his blood filling that fountain.
Cole shrugged Orin’s body off his shoulder and let it hit the ground. It thudded off the stones before its hand slapped against the side of the stone fountain. He set the head down on the clone’s chest before dropping Varo’s duplicate beside it.
The Lord studied him with a tilt to his head and narrowed eyes that brimmed with maliciousness.
Finally, the Lord shifted his attention to the duplicates while Cole studied the fountain. Though they weren't his real brothers, he could barely stand to look at their bodies.
"You know I can sense magic too," the Lord said.
Cole looked the Lord straight in the eyes as he replied, “I know.”
Chapter Sixty-Two
The Lord stepped closerand bent to touch Orin’s head. He poked at it with his index finger before inspecting Varo. After ten minutes of poking and prodding, sighing, and smirking, he lifted his gaze to Cole once more.
"It looks like they put up a fight," the Lord said.
"There is a reason they lasted this long," Cole said.
“Until you.”
“Until me.”
“I wouldn't have thought the light fae could fight," the Lord murmured.
“Neither would I," Cole agreed. “But Varo was always full of surprises.”
“Not anymore,” the Lord chuckled.
Cole remained stone-faced. “Not anymore.”
"And all they needed to do to die was come up against their brother. I made the right decision in killing your father; heneverwould have allowed this to happen.”
Despite his attempts not to let it happen, Cole’s face hardened. The Lord’s eyes danced in amusement as he waved a finger at Cole.
“But you, you, Cole. You’re a good lapdog. But then, there isn’t anything a lycan won’t do for their mate, even kill their brothers. So much for blood being thicker than water, am I right?”
The Lord clasped his hands behind him and rocked from his heels to his toes and back again while he waited for Cole’s reaction.
Think of Lexi. He’s trying to bait you into attacking him. If you fall for it, you won’t make it out of here alive.
Cole pictured Lexi’s striking green eyes, radiant smile, and the way she warmed the coldest recesses of his soul. He recalled the awe on her face as she held her glowing hands before her and the confusion on her face as she gazed at him.
She needed him too much for him to ruin it all now. But one day, he would rip this fucker’s throat out and piss down his windpipe.
When Cole remained unresponsive, the Lord grew tired of his taunting and focused on the bodies once more.
“I'm curious how you had time to track them while fighting a rebellion in the Gloaming," the Lord remarked.
"Brokk tracked them."
“Is Brokk the one who killed them?"
"No, that was me," Cole said.
"So, I’m not able to count on your brother to do what has to be done?"
Cole buried the rage that rocketed through him. He was a fae, they lived to taunt and toy with others, and he was still tired of this man's games. And he would not allow this bastard to put a bull’s-eye on Brokk’s back.
