AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sloane
Cord Ivanov may not be his biological son, but Sloane was, and Cord could always be expected to be protective of his little brother.
Cornelius closed the book and put it back carelessly. He was whistling as he left his adopted son’s room in the tower. He knew exactly how to get Cord to answer and come to him. He just needed Sloane.
“I’m just saying thatnexttime we get trapped inyourbuilding, you have provisions or something,” Sloane said as he raised his hands up as he shrugged.
“Iknowwhat you’re saying Sloane, you’ve been saying it continuously for three days.” Salem ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He looked at the younger Sentinel, who was confined in the room with him, in annoyance. “You think I know I should have stores of food in empty roomsunderHeadquarters on the off chance that Drakhyn attack my Headquarters and lay siege to it?”
“Forward thinking is what you’re known for, Salem. Me being stuck in a cupboard with you for three days is not what you’re known for, and to think I thought I hit the jackpot when I got trapped with you.”
“Why did I get you?” Salem cursed under his breath.
“Because the Ancients know you needed to learn patience?” Commander Bryce said wearily. Salem and Sloane looked at him. The Commander sat with his back to the wall, his head tilted back, leaning against it with his eyes closed. Sloane’s eyes dropped to the wound on the Commander’s arm. They had finally staunched the bleeding after hours, and although they were doing everything they could for him, the Commander needed a Castor to heal him.
“I have Zahra for a daughter, I know patience,” Salem replied dryly.
Sloane snorted humourlessly at the mention of his betrothed’s name. “I think I am almost ready to try again,” he said as he stretched his arms.
“Okay.” Salem got to his feet too, and they both approached the solid beam of fallen concrete against the door. “If we can just get one part moved…” he mumbled as he rotated his shoulders in preparation.
“Or you could call for your brother?” Cord’s mocking voice caused both Akrhyn to spin in alarm.
“By Delfar, brother,” Sloane swore as he crossed the small space to the Castor. “I’vebeencalling, where in the shade have you been?” Sloane pulled his brother into a tight embrace.
“I was incapacitated,” Cord told him as he briefly returned his brother’s show of affection. “Commander, you’ve looked better.” Cord looked the Commander over critically.
“And you’ve been absent for the whole time of the siege,” Bryce replied warily.
“As I said, I was incapacitated.”
“Where?” Salem asked him, noting how Sloane stood protectively in front of Cord.
“I can tell you here, or I can get you out and get Commander Bryce assistance? Basic healing, I can do, but from the look of bleeding, I think you need more than me.”
“Get us out,” Sloane demanded. “We need to find the others. Have you cleared the place of Drakhyn?”
“No.”
“What? Why?”
“I cannot, there are too many.” Cord refused to meet any of their eyes as he spoke. “But I can get you out.”
“Cord?”
“Not now, brother,” Cord told Sloane quietly.
“Okay,” Sloane clasped his forearm in support before he turned to Commander Bryce. “Let’s go, Commander, Cord can take us all.” He glanced at his brother. “Right?”
“Of course,” Cord replied, his smile forced as he checked the Flare within him. Still strong. Would he ever get over the feeling of it not being there? The last few days had been unnerving.
“Where’s my daughter?” Salem asked softly. He hadn’t moved from the doorway, his sharp eyes missing nothing.
“I left her in the woods.”
“You left her in the woods?” Sloane asked after a moment of stunned silence.
“She needed to return here,” Cord replied tersely.
