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Yavich nodded but didn’t elaborate. I didn’t give away his Lightning element either. This was a conversation for father and son. Neither of them asked for me to become involved though as they stared at each other, sizing the other up.
“Well, well, well. Zhaine, it’s been a while.” My father stepped out of the woods from behind the three of us on the opposite side from Cambria. The army of men and women we’d brought with us scrambled to know what their orders were while Cambria prepared for battle. Yavich no longer felt inclined to do his job while his teeth ground together.
“Is it true?” The Demon didn’t need to elaborate on the question.
Aaron shrugged, his black eyes humored that his apprentice had finally found out the truth and confident he would stick around. The Mindolin didn’t know what years without a father felt like. Years of lies could tear apart a relationship in seconds, and the trust would never be the same again. Dad was so far gone he didn’t know that anymore.
On Aaron’s right, a woman in a shiny, silver dress stepped forward. Her tiara glimmered in the last of the day’s light, which had also turned her dark hair an orange color.
“Sister,” Zhaine growled at Lady Life. “It seems you are a backstabbing, evil—"
Mercy held up her hand. “I think you should stop there if you’d like to live, little brother.”
Lady Life rubbed in the “little” part. Zhaine was much larger than Mercy, but the more powerful Elemental took her shot to remind Zhaine she was the one at the top of the food chain and he was in the middle. The only one who could attempt to go head to head with Mercy would be Cal. Was that why Aaron had stolen Cal and had him beaten? He had weakened Cal for sure. Would Carmon be strong enough to take Mercy on? The strongest I’d ever seen him be was when he took down the old Warlock and stopped Dad’s release the first time. He’d had to drink from all of us, his mate, and Nate to become that strong.
“Does Water know?” Zhaine asked. “Does Clara know her sister is sleeping with her mate?”
My eyes widened when Mercy didn’t deny the charge but instead looped her arm through Aaron’s. Did Mom know? Was that why she hated the six of us so much? Only a conversation with Mom would lead to the truth.
Shouts behind in the field alerted us to the fight now starting there. I hadn’t stopped the battle, but maybe now that Yavich hadn’t given the go-ahead and Cambria had advanced warning, the damage wouldn’t be as bad. I couldn’t turn around to check the status of the rebels. They were on their own.
“I wasn’t stolen then, was I?” Yavich stepped up to my side. “You lied to me too.”
Mercy rolled her eyes. “Of course you were stolen. Better for you that you were. Zhaine proved how good he was with kids when he tortured Water’s sons.”
My uncle actually looked ashamed. What he’d done wasn’t good, but I understood where his emotion had come from. I gave his shoulder a squeeze. We couldn’t afford to hate each other anymore. Life and the Mindolin would rip us apart if we separated now.
Yavich rested his hand on my shoulder. Weird, but okay.
Hold on.Zhaine’s warning came before our view changed. He’d jumped us.
Before us, a ragtag bunch of young people, dirt and blood covering every part of them, sat and stood. They were weary, and hopelessness bore down their shoulders. Their eyes, which once sparkled, were tired. Lips no longer tipped up in laughter.
At our arrival, most of them attempted to rise. Some fell back down with a wince. One, a tall, auburn-haired beauty, tackled me to the ground and squeezed my neck in the tightest of hugs.
“Brynn, baby, you’re suffocating me.” I smiled while complaining. She could suffocate me all she wanted to. I didn’t care. My wife, my beautiful mate, was alive and hugging me.
“Adam.” Her voice shook on my name. Brynn wasn’t an emotional person, but the last few days had pushed her farther than she could handle.
My nose picked up the scent of smoke on her. She was a fire Elemental and could carry a scent of ash, or so Dalton told me I did sometimes, but this was different. I sat up and held her in my arms. Her clothes were dirty and had ash smeared on them.
Brynn’s clothes weren’t the only dirty ones. Victor, Dalton, Grace, and the two little ones my brother and his mate held were all dirty.
“Who are they?” I asked Dalt before anyone else could speak.
Dalton looked down at the sleeping little girl he held. “This is Lacey and that’s her baby brother, Brady. Their parents were killed in a town near here. We barely saved them.” Dalton’s lips turned up into a little smile. “Lacey won’t let Grace be too far from us.”
Carmon cleared his throat, and he looked far from pleased at my companions.
“Oh, yeah, you all know Uncle Zhaine.” I pointed to the man.
“Yes, Adam, we know him.” Chris didn’t normally speak with so much sarcasm, but I let it slide. His shirt was still covered in blood and ripped.
“Yeah, I know, but this is his son, Yavich.” This time, I pointed to the Demon who I’d been sent to Mount Pickett to stop.
No one moved. Some didn’t even breathe.
“Um,” Chris scratched his head, “didn’t Life say he was dead? No offense, man.”
