“You and Dezlefthim here!” I yelled, watching Kaiden take a sudden step back. “Youknewabout him, and you didn’t even try to help him! Ababy, Kaiden!” His shoulders slumped in response as he stared at me. “Iamdoing this, and you have absolutely no say in it. Tristan, I want the guys herenow.”
Kaiden said nothing, but his eyes swam in darkness like he battled with them internally.
“With the soul bond, would we be able to break the wards keeping you here, then?” I asked Tristan.
“I-I think so. I hadn’t really thought that far?—”
“Once the soul bond is complete,” I turned to Kaiden, “Tristan, Malakai, and the rest of the lycan come home.”
Kaiden opened his mouth in clear protest, but I didn’t let him speak.
“I’m not asking for your permission, Kaiden. We will fix everything that the gods fucked up. And if you won’t help me, I’ll do it on my own. But godsforbid you get in my way, and I won’t stop myself from doing what I think is right.”
Sticking his tongue in his cheek, Kaiden took one more step back in surrender. “As you wish,Your Grace.”
Chapter 42
MORRIGAN
One by one, the lords appeared through Tristan’s shadows in the throne room.
Each of them looked as if they had been practically dragged through the mud. Eris leaned against the wall, clutching his head. Naaz had his arms crossed over his chest in a way that looked like he had something to hide. Cassius… the second he landed he began to puke, hunched over as he held himself up by his knees. And Dormius…Gods… Dormius sat in a crouched position on the floor with a pale face and glazed eyes locked in a faraway stare, like his mind was somewhere else entirely.
As I took in their disorientated states, I glared back at Tristan. “What did you do to them?”
He gave an unbothered shrug. “Nothing they didn’t deserve.”
“Tristan.” I lowered my voice to an almost hiss.
With a roll of his eyes, he shook his head. “Nothingpermanent. I just… gave them some humbling hallucinations to help reprioritize their intentions.”
I had to hold myself back from asking what exactly he made them see. There were more important things to worry about at the moment. At least they were in one piece. “And Cain?”
As Tristan began to smile, a loud thump echoed throughout the room. When I turned, Dez appeared. His body landed on the floor, flat on his back. But unlike the others, he lay there completely limp, skin as white as snow.
“Dez!” I yelled, running to him and dropping to my knees beside his body. Lifting his head onto my lap, I caressed his cheeks and felt the clamminess of his skin. “What is wrong with him?!” I turned to the others frantically.
Kaiden was the only one to answer. “He’s been having horrible nightmares since you were taken. He kept waking up, drenched in sweat, claiming he felt his bones breaking.”
“What?!” I gasped. The way Kaiden said it was so casual, but I felt my chest tightening as he approached us.
“I think it has something to do with the bond, but the others… None ofthemcould feel it.” He moved to the other side of Dez, leaning down to scoop him up. “He’s been practically starving since they began. He’s going to need to feed.”
Of course.“Right,” I turned around to Tristan. “I’m going to bring him to my room. Tristan, will you please get themsafelysettled into rooms? Once Dez is awake, we will figure out the rest.” I surveyed the room once more, checking on each of them. “Honestly, theyalllook like they might need some blood.”
“They’ll live,” Kaiden mumbled. “Let’s worry about Dez first.”
Tristan appeared hesitant, but eventually rolled his eyes and nodded. “Come on, little lords,” he announced with a loud sigh.
As Kaiden and I made it to my room, he placed Dez on the bed, and I crawled in beside him, pulling back my sleeve. I twisted toward Kaiden with my hand outstretched. “Dagger.”
Kaiden removed one from his side, the very same blade that I kept in my vanity, and I wasted no time in slicing a clean line across my palm. I draped it over Dez’s mouth, squeezing as hard as I could, and let the blood fall in a steady drip. Dez’s groan, as he tasted it, was music to my ears.
“I’m here, Dez,” I whispered to him, leaning down to place a kiss against his cheek. “Take what you need. I’ve got you.”
After a few seconds, his body twitched, and his hands shot up, grabbing my wrist. As his mouth opened wide, I saw his canines sharpen just before he dug them into my skin, and I let out a surprised yelp.
In an instant, Kaiden shot across the room to stop him, but I shook my head.
