“Cheaters!” Odette squeaked. “We said that was off-limits!”
Ethan changed back and lifted Kalina into his arms. “Well, fae aren’t known for our compelling honesty— any of us, really. It’s not surprising they’d cheat to win a game.”
“It’s all in good fun. I’ll go get them.” I stood up from the table and walked inside.
I wandered the halls, calling out, “Ozzie! Jasper! Where are you guys?”
There was no response. How drunk were they? “Game’s over. Time to stop playing around.”
Worry knotted in my stomach when no one answered. This was a big house, so they probably didn’t hear me calling for them. I checked the kitchens, and their bedroom, but didn’t find them.
I circled the bedroom, taking in my surroundings. All of their stuff was still here. It wasn’t like they’d just up and leave… right?
“Guys?” I called out again, louder this time. Ozzie would hear the fear in my voice. He wouldn’t let me be worried. He’d say something back.
Except all I got back in return was the quiet.
Okay,nowI was starting to panic. Had something happened to them?
Check the vault, a voice inside whispered. Panic turned to absolute terror as I broke into a run, heading toward the basement. I flew down the steps, my heart in my throat as I took the stairs in a rush.
A wretched breath escaped from my lungs as I saw that the vault door was open. I ran inside, clutching at my neck as I surveyed the nightmarish scene. I wanted to believe this was a dream… but the blood rushing through my veins told me this was nothing more than my cursed reality.
The vault was empty. All of the stones were gone. Even my sword was missing.
I gave a horrible cry of grief, and tears poured from my eyes as I hit the floor. Ozzie’s words about his mate’s strange behavior came flooding back to me.Traitor, I thought, and sickness welled inside of me.
I realized the truth. The Crystals of Harmony were nowhere to be found, and Jasper had betrayed us all.
Chapter Thirteen
Ethan
An enraged scream from inside the house immediately caught my attention. The other side of our bond gave a pulsing sensation of bitterness and betrayal that nearly knocked me off my feet.
Emma was infuriated— on the edge of insanity. Her emotions coursed through me in such a storm, I had the fiercest inclination to kill anyone who dared get in my path.
I was still holding Kalina, and I worried what I might do with these kinds of feelings racing through me. I hurriedly handed her off to Evonna before I left the party. I wasted no time and ran full-speed into the house, following the sound of Emma’s furious screams all the way down to the basement.
Horror inflicted the very core of me when I saw that the Crystals had vanished. Emma was in the middle of the vault, tearing her hair out and swearing worse than I’d ever heard her before.
Within the vault was the thin remnant of Jasper’s scent. My friends swarmed behind me, going white-faced at the scene before us.
“Godsdammit!” Emma kicked the wall, then grabbed a box of jewels that were lying on a table and tossed it. Coins and gems scattered across the floor as she cried, “They took them! They fuckingtook them!”
“Emma! Calm down.” I raced to hold her firmly under my grip, before she hurt herself.
“I can’t be fucking calm!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “The work we’ve done for the last two years is ruined! They’re taking the stones to Gabby! If she gets her hands on them, it’s fuckingover, do you understand?!”
I was well aware of the crisis, and panic surged within me at the terrible thought of it. I had to keep a cool head, because Emma was losing it.
I began giving orders. “All of you, we must find them immediately!” I barked at the people around us. “Search everywhere!”
“What if they took a portal?” Alexei asked weakly.
“We’ll see the signs, and hopefully be able to follow the magical traces,” I said. “The point is, we need to know where they went once they left the estate.”
“I’ll stay in the nursery with the children,” Evonna offered. She carried Kalina off, taking Isaak from Delmare and tucking him into her other arm. Arthur followed her with Kazim.
