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Dominik grinned. "We could start with lots of things, but why don't we start with Shadow World first. What's going on there?"
As I methodically went through the events, their faces contorted in disbelief. I almost didn't go through with telling them but I needed their advice now more than ever, especially after my failed attempt at getting them out of the void.
Altair widened his gaze, gazing into my soul as he questioned me, "Just to be clear: our father came to Nebulae looking for us and attempted to take you?"
I gulped and looked away. I knew this news wasn't going to be received well. "He did," I said quietly in response.
Morpheus advanced, his voice hostile. "And then you negotiated with Finn to get the spell to get here and failed to mention it when you visited us last!"
I bit my lip, not in shame for not telling them, but in shame because I made the decision to let Finn go just to get what I wanted. I wasn't sorry about it either.
"How could she have, brothers?" Dominik stepped between us, coming to my defense. "Look at where we are. Don't youremember what happened? We all ran out of time. Simmer down. Let's all calm down and not let emotions get the better of us. I thought I was the one with anger issues."
Altair sighed. "You're right. I'm not angry with Sadie, but anger with myself for not finding our father and killing him before all of this. That was our mission, and because we let him get away, now he's going after our queen."
"That's not all. After I came to you here, I went to go find out what happened to my sister," I started.
"There's more, you mean..." Morpheus groaned. "Always...there's more to all this chaos."
I forced myself to go on, my words trembling. "Sydney was trying to locate an old dagger that was linked to Nostro's vampire clan. I went to Nostro's mansion and he informed me that Sydney's mission to find the blade could be deadly."
Altair cursed under his breath and shook his head while Morpheus looked at me with a mix of concern and disappointment.
"I don't think Nostro had any intentions of physically harming me, until..."
"Until what, Sadie," Dom demanded, eyes blazing.
"While I was at Nostro's mansion, a small demon horde attacked. Most of them were shadows, but after inquiring with Tokin, he confirmed that the attacking horde had not come from Shadow World."
Altair nodded. "Yes, that's right. We commanded all of the shadows to stay in the shadow world, and they are not allowed to come out. Unless..." He tapped his finger on his chin thoughtfully. "Unless they had escaped before we took control of it from our father."
"That makes sense," I said. "At first, I thought I had somehow done something to summon them. After all, when I arrived, the vampires locked me up before Nostro would come to speak tome. I thought I might have summoned the horde even in my unconscious state. But now I know it wasn't me. You're not going to believe this, but I think the demons were there to brand me...and after they branded me with a mark, they took off and Nostro accused me of being responsible for the attack."
"Never go back to Nostro, Sadie," Morpheus snarled. "I can sense now that he has touched you and I assure you he will be a bloody mass whenever I get my hands on him."
"Don't." I held up my hand. "He knows something about Sadie. About that dagger. Something he's not saying. My aunt tried to put him away and I doubt their conflict of interest revolving around stray orphans is the only reason."
"The vampire will be dealt with. Where did the shadows mark you?" Altair boomed suddenly, dismissing the first issue to deal with the second.
The tension was palpable as Dominik echoed the command in a sinister growl, "Yes, show us."
Standing upright, I pushed my straps down to reveal my breasts and sensitive nipples. I was no longer timid in front of them; I had grown past that. With three desirable, assertive, very eager demon kings for lovers, there was no reason to pretend to be coy.
I leaned in a bit, displaying my uncovered back. "You can't see it, but I can sense the mark beneath my flesh."
"It's not visible to the naked eye." Morpheus's fingers lightly brushed my back as he spoke, his touch comforting me, but I felt something else stirring beneath my skin where the shadows had marked me. "You have to command the mark to appear."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Auxiial," Morpheus whispered, holding his palm high above my back.
A sharp wave of pain hit me, like a hot iron against my skin. I felt the familiar sensation of my brand, searing my flesh and sending sparks of light radiating around me.
"You've been marked by Apollyn himself. It's our father' brand," Morpheus exclaimed, his voice trembling.
I gasped.
The air around us crackled with invisible energy as the gravity of this revelation sunk in. There was about to be another location shift and I already felt the forces of magic trying to pull me away from them.
