Page 58 of Cheating Fate

“Yes, I want Gavin,” he replied with a conviction that left me reeling.

I hadn’t discussed with Vahleryon the conversation our fathers and Ghan had with Gavin in his hospital room after he finally awakened. When Dad revealed how they had been grooming my mate for years to stand by my twin, I realized Vahl had not known either. They wanted him to freely choose who he believed would best help him achieve his monumental task, just like they had kept Gavin in the dark.

I also always believed that Trehvus would be his first officer, as I didn’t see anyone else at the time who could fulfill that role. And yet, as amazing as Trehv undoubtedly was, he never quite matched my vision of another Ghan, not like my mate did.

“The twins and Lenora are an essential part of my team. But I want… no, I need Gavin,” Vahl said forcefully.

“Gavin has been suspended for insubordination,” Ghan said calmly.

Just as I rolled my eyes, Vahl and Rhad snorted dismissively in almost perfect sync.

“Gavin is suspended with the Sentinels, not the Tuureans. So it’s irrelevant,” Vahl deadpanned.

Everyone chuckled, and Dad nodded with an approving smile.

“Good point. Then let’s go home and discuss the matter with your first officer,” Dad said.

The entire journey home, my mind kept racing. A part of me wished Vahl, Rhadames, and I could be alone, like when we were very young. We had an almost symbiotic connection, reinforced by the constant rage and bloodlust that threatened to engulf us until Grappa Eryon saved us by teaching us kaa. Vahl had always been the most powerful and most violent one. Rhad and I would spend a lot of time and energy soothing him, which further reinforced our unbreakable bond. Not a day would go by without him expressing his gratitude for keeping him grounded every time he felt on the verge of going feral.

And right now, it wasn’t violence destabilizing him, but the type of burden and responsibility no eighteen-year-old should be forced to carry.

We walked into the house to find Gavin standing outside by the pool with a confused expression as he stared at a holocard. Sensing our presence, his head jerked up to look in our direction even before I could open the patio door. His face immediately lit up the moment he saw me. Arms spread wide, he caught me as I threw myself into his embrace.

Ignoring my stupid brothers’ retching sounds, and Dad’s annoyed grunt, we exchanged a long kiss. To my dismay, he broke it before we could deepen it. Although I understood his restraint—and actually agreed that it was more respectful—I also wished he would be less in control and especially bolder in front of my family. My Dad and siblings needed to make peace with the fact that we were a couple, with all that it entailed.

“Is everything okay?” I asked when he released me.

Gavin nodded in greeting at the others then returned his attention to me.

“Something weird just happened,” he said, waving the holocard in his hand. “I just received a special invitation for a private audience with the Divine of Fallhaven.”

“What?!” Vahl exclaimed.

Where Rhadames and I also recoiled at such a stunning declaration, Dad and Ghan merely narrowed their eyes at the card. Although the news also surprised them, they weren’t shocked like us. What else did they know?

“Have you ever been to the Capital City of Dantor before?” Vahl asked.

Gavin shook his head. “No, never.”

“Do you know someone there?” Vahl insisted.

“No. I’ve never had anything to do with them,” Gavin replied, a frown creasing his brow.

“It’s interesting that they should send that invitation just now,” Dad said pensively.

“Why?” I asked. “What else is going on?”

“They were attacked,” Vahl said. “There was a marker on Dantor on the maps Dad displayed.”

“Good observation,” Dad said approvingly. “And yes, Dantor sustained a couple of attacks. And this is forcing them to shift away from their neutral stance. It looks like they are finally going to have to choose a side in the upcoming war.”

“They sent us a cryptic message earlier today,” Ghan explained. “As members of the Galactic Alliance, they requested the Sentinels’ protection, they but want to have a say in which troops will come.”

“That still doesn’t quite explain why they want you,” Vahl mused aloud while giving Gavin an assessing look.

My mate shrugged. “I’ve been trying to figure it out for the past half hour since that message arrived. At first, I wondered if it had anything to do with my friendship with Keran, but it’s such a long shot that I doubt it might be the case. Then I wondered if maybe the Divine saw a tragedy that they think I might help avert?”

“But that’s the whole point of the Divine. He can foresee natural disasters, plagues, and various other tragedies and provide pre-emptive solutions to mitigate or to flat-out prevent them,” I argued.