“That’s enough,” Lexi interjected. “Iunderstand you may be able to help, but these are my friends andfamily. I won’t let you treat them like shit. I’d prefer you didn’thelp with this if it means you’re going to treat them badly.”
Which meant Cole would have to kill her orlock her away somewhere.
Kaylia’s shoulders went back again. “You needmy help, and I can give it. Few are more in tune with nature andmagical abilities than me. I am the oldest living witch, and I cansense and intuit things no others can.”
“This is true,” Sahira said. “Kaylia is anextremely powerful witch who has helped many master theirabilities.”
“Manywitches,” Cole said. “She knowswhat witches are capable of doing; she doesn’t know what the arachcan do.”
“That is true, but I can help her figure itout,” Kaylia insisted.
“And why would you do that?”
“She is”—Kaylia’s eyes locked onLexi’s—“youare needed to defeat the Lord, and that issomething I want. He has to die.”
CHAPTER 4
“Why do you want him dead?” Lexi inquired asshe studied the beautiful woman across from her.
Her aunt had called her Kaylia. The nametugged at Lexi’s memory. She’d heard it in one of the many storiesSahira used to tell her about the different realms and theimmortals who resided in them. She couldn’t remember what Sahirasaid about this woman, but she had spoken of her.
“Because witches are about life andprosperity; the Lord represents nothing but death and destruction.If he has his way, he’ll kill us all and destroy everyone andeverything I love, and I won’t allow that.
“I may have withdrawn from the witches’ realmand most immortals, but I will not allow him to destroy us all whenI can help stop him. And I believeyouare the key tobringing him down.” Her gaze flicked from Lexi to Cole. “You bothare.”
Lexi frowned. She sensed something darkerabout Cole; it was as if something had slipped into him….
Or maybe it broke free.
Slipping her hand into his, she squeezed asshe tried to will the darkness away. When he met her gaze, his eyescrinkled, and the familiar twinkle lit them again. Though he wouldstill kill Kaylia as quick as she could blink, he finally relaxed alittle.
Then, Kaylia shifted her stance, and thetwinkle left his eyes. Silver flashed through their Persian bluedepths as the lycan half of him briefly broke through the composeddark fae half. Then, the silver vanished, and he collected himselfonce more.
A muscle twitched in his jaw when he returnedhis attention to Kaylia. His short, neatly trimmed, black beardcovered the bottom half of his face, but it didn’t hide thatjumping muscle.
The dark fae part of him retained control,but not by much. It would only take one small thing to push himover the edge.
“I can help you learn your powers and how tocontrol them,” Kaylia said. “But I have to return to the cronerealm before I can help; if I don’t, they’ll hunt you down.” Shestared pointedly at Cole.
He laughed, but the sound was far fromamused. “Let them come for me.”
“Cole,” Lexi murmured.
“A war between the dark fae king and thecrones and witches will not go unnoticed. I’m sure the Lord wouldbeveryinterested in learning why it started. If he somehowhears that I gave you the harrow stone, then he’ll figure out whyyou used it. He’ll come for you and your brothers.”
Lexi almost recoiled when Cole released asound somewhere between a man and a wolf ready to pounce. His handcontorted in hers; the bones popped as the fingers bent intosomething different. Claws grazed her flesh before theyretracted.
“Don’t threaten me,” Cole snarled.
“It’s not a threat; it’s the truth. Theyexpect me to return. They know who I left with, and they saw whatyou could do. They know you are the Shadow Reaver, and theywillcome for you if they believe you’ve hurt me.”
“Shadow Reaver?” Lexi asked as her fatherstepped forward, lifted his hands in a placating gesture, andspoke.
“No one is going to fight anyone,” her dadsaid. “Kaylia could be a very valuable resource for us, and we areall on the same side of this. Or at least we all want to see theLord taken down. Working together will benefit us all, and fightingeach other will most likely ensure the Lord wins.”
“And none of us want that,” Brokk said.
“No, we don’t.”
