AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Brynn looked over at me. “Sophie said Tessa and Jeff went shopping for me. Your brother seems to be feeling a lot better now.”
“I hope so. He looked pretty bad.” I shivered at the memory of Jeff showing up in my dreams so bloody and weak. “Pretty bad” didn’t cover Jeff’s former condition.
The knock at the door came again. Since we were both dressed, I called for the person to enter. Cal stuck his head in the door. He looked tired with dark circles under his eyes, but otherwise, he looked much better as well.
“I’m on my way downstairs to call a formal meeting. I thought I’d see how you two were doing before I went down. Looks like we’re all getting back on our feet.” Cal gave a smile, but his eyes glimmered with worry, not happiness.
“Yeah, I’m concerned about that too.” I finished tying my shoe and stood.
Brynn glanced between my brother and me with confusion written all over her face. “What are you concerned about? Sorry, maybe my brain isn’t with the game yet. Not that it was before. I’m not following your line of thought.”
I couldn’t help but give her a smile. “You’re brilliant, baby. Don’t doubt that. Cal and I are worried about Mercy. She’s giving us too much time to recover.”
“Maybe she wants you less on your toes than you are now?” Brynn looked like she wanted to duck and hide after her suggestion. One day, I’d make that girl believe in herself if it was the last thing I did.
“It’s a good suggestion.” I wanted to hug Cal for encouraging my wife even if he didn’t agree with her idea. Brynn had no tactical or any other training. I’d dropped her into my world with no way to survive in it. Why hadn’t I trained her? Had I thought her so incapable of learning to fight? She was Neutral, not dumb. She could learn.
“Let’s regroup and feed Brynn and me. Then I’m taking Brynn to the gym for basic self-defense training if anyone wants to join us.” My lips quirked up at Brynn’s wide eyes.
Cal smiled. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Sylee stood on the balcony waiting for us. She didn’t look as rested as her mate. She’d stayed up watching over Cal, and I couldn’t thank her enough for caring for him.
Less than a year ago, Cal had taken Sylee off into the woods of Bard’s Forest. They’d left single and come back to our group bonded. Cal wouldn’t say it and probably wouldn’t have admitted it to himself then, but he was scared of the commitment the bond forced him to have. Even if he’d left Sylee at Mount Pickett, he wouldn’t have been able to stay away long. His determination to fulfill his duty had brought him the greatest happiness in his life.
Then Lady Life had abused that happiness by claiming we all needed mates.
We were still happy, but now we worried about our girls and we’d softened. Instead of being the bloodthirsty killers out for vengeance that would have destroyed her by now, we valued life and love.
Everyone waited for us downstairs. Cal must have put out a mental call to gather. The babies all slept in people’s arms, and Lacey sat on Grace’s lap with a doll.
In attendance were Carmon, Sylee, Drew, Jazz, Chris, Sophie, Jeff, Tessa, Dalton, Grace, Marcus, Zhaine, Onyx, Yavich, Alex, Olivia, Lilith, a healthier-looking Bard, Nate, and Victor along with Brynn and me.
Cal stood at the fireplace, Sylee at his side. “I know I’m not in a great condition, but I still carry the most dominant element. If anyone has a complaint…” No one said a word, even our uncles who were used to appearing tougher than their nephews. The deceit and betrayal of their sister had struck them deep. “Okay, most of us are in various stages of healing. We have five children to keep safe. Alex no longer has his immortality, and as a healer, that’s a detriment to our group as a whole. Make note, if we weren’t at war with Life, I wouldn’t care less.”
Alex glared daggers in Cal’s direction as the Lord of Life and Water cracked a smile. The rest of us laughed. Marcus gave a full belly laugh before Jazz and Grace shushed him. He didn’t care that Cal thought the same about him as Alex.
“Anyway,” Cal continued, sobering up, “we don’t know up from down with Life. She’s had centuries to plan and all of our lives,” he indicated my brothers and me, “to manipulate us.”
“Whose idea was it to imprison the Mindolin before?” Sylee asked the group.
Marcus answered. “Life’s. She said he was too strong for us to kill. Obviously now we know that’s a lie. Plus, Water begged us not to kill him as he was her mate. We should have killed him anyway. Fire, Healing, Lightning, and I almost did go after him ourselves.”
“We should have,” Lightning growled. “Maybe I could have raised my son then.”
“Where have you been all this time?” Carmon asked Yavich.
The Demon hung his head. “I was gathering and creating that army you saw. I led the attack on Mount Pickett. I’m sorry. I thought I was getting revenge on my parents for leaving me to die. Please, let me help you so I can make some sort of amends for what I’ve done. I won’t betray you.”
He speaks the truth.Jeff spoke to my brothers and sisters only.He wants to help. I say we let him. We could use all the help we can get.
Cal nodded at the Demon son of Zhaine and Onyx. “We’d love your help, Yavich.”
The Demon held up his hand and cringed. “Could you please call me by my given name, the name my parents gave me? Luka.”
Carmon nodded and smiled. “I’m looking forward to knowing you, Luka. Can you tell me, though, how are you still alive?”
Luka nodded. “Life made me immortal.”
