He shifts, and there stands Levi. Amira’s fucking brother. He grabs a pair of pants hanging from a branch and starts talking.
“I know you’re there, Beta. I can smell your magic,” he calls out, voice calm and low. He looks in our general direction, but it’s clear he can’t actually see us.
“Something’s wrong at the palace. I’ve been looking for you for days. All the warriors are under the King’s Alpha Command, acting weird. My sister’s spreading lies — said the King’s true mate cheated on him with you,” his gaze cuts toward Sin’s general direction, “and that you attacked him in a jealous rage. And now the King is going to mark her. Make her Queen.”
He pauses. His jaw clenches.
“I don’t know what the hell is happening, but I know when Amira is lying. I don’t believe her bullshit about you being a traitor.”
His arms cross over his chest, muscles twitching. He waits, his eyes darting around. “I know something shady and dangerous is going on. The King wouldn’t give up on his true mate so easily, I saw them together. I’m guessing you know what’s happening and you have a plan. I want to help.”
We stand there, frozen.
We should be moving. We should be running. But Sin lifts a hand, stopping me mid-breath, and drops the shield with a flick of his fingers.
“You can smell my magic?” he asks Levi, one brow raised, voice low and sharp.
Levi nods once. No hesitation.
Sin exhales hard, like that answer just confirmed something for him. “You’re way past Head Warrior rank, then,” he mutters. “You should be aiming for Gamma. Should’ve kicked Jurgen out a long time ago. Old bastard hasn’t smelled a drop of magic in years.”
“That’s not exactly the priority right now,” Levi replies, jaw tense. “Everyone’s walking around like enchanted puppets. Even Jurgen. They’re all under the King’s Command.”
My chest tightens. Draven, what is that witch making you do?
“I dodged it,” Levi adds, “only because I stayed behind in Mirenwulf for a few days after the funeral. By the time I got back, the palace was crawling with programmed warriors and stories of betrayal. You two are top of the wanted list—” his eyes land on me “—for treason.”
“Well,”Neris snorts in my head,“aren’t we important.”
I sigh, already tired of this conversation. “Long story short? Your sister and her twin are working with their psychotic witchy birth-mother to steal Draven’s power, who happens to be a hellhound, so they can create hellfire and torch the world on behalf of the God of War.”
Levi blinks.
And then blinks again.
But I keep going. There’s no time for dramatic pauses.
“We need to stop the marking ceremony and break the spell that Draven is under. Tonight is our only chance.” I cross my arms, gaze sharp. “So tell me, Levi — how do we know you’re not already under the King’s command?”
Sin steps up beside me. “I can test him,” he offers. “If my Alpha Command lands, it means he’s clean.”
“I’m fine with that,” Levi says with a shrug, chin lifted.
“Alright. But next question — how do we know you’re not working with your sister?”
Levi’s jaw ticks. His eyes darken.
“First, I’m not a fucking traitor,” he snaps. “Second, Amira made my life hell growing up. When I came to the palace for warrior training, I thought I’d finally escaped her. Instead, she followed me here and started fucking my life up again. What was I supposed to do? March up to the King and whine,‘Please, Your Majesty, don’t mate the devil incarnate because she used to steal my toys and slap me in front of my friends’?”
“Draven would’ve listened,” I mumble under my breath. He would have. I know he would have.
“I would’ve been laughed out of the barracks,” Levi grits out. “So I just tried to suck it up.”
“Alright, back to business,” Sin cuts in, turning toward me. “If he betrays us, I’ll burn him to ash.”
“Shadow Fire,” I add. “Quick and crispy.”
Levi pales. “You have Shadow Fire?”
