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Our friend group had been forewarned by Kiyomasa that while we were all appreciated, this was more of a courtesy since Michaelson was my brother. Our perspectives hadn’t been requested.
“I think they’re mates,” Aria spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention.
Atlan scoffed, and I could see the condensation before it even leaves his mouth. “Our records show that most mated pairs seal their bond within hours—or at most days—of their meeting. And—”
“And they were sleeping together before any of us realized because Mikey was drawn to her,” Aria sniped back.
The elder hybrid was so visibly ruffled that I chuckled. Kiran grinned at us both, and his glamor wavered enough that we caught sight of all four haunting red eyes glimmering with glee before it settled again.
“So both my brothers have mates. Interesting.”
Auren didn’t hesitate to validate Aria’s claim, and it earned him some points, considering Atlan looked like he’d swallowed something sour.
“Sounds like you should be careful,” I tried to tease, but it came out too serious.
Johnny snorted a laugh across the table while Auren grimaced like the idea was physically painful to imagine. “I’m more worried about my niece or nephew ending up on Tarragon’s radar at the moment, but I’ll keep my potential mate bond in mind.”
The dry response had Neo clearing his throat to mask his own laughter.
“How did you two end up making this deal, anyway?” Auren continued.
Aria halted her anxious movement to glare at me, and I cringed. “I jinxed us,” I admitted.
Kiran was the first to outright cackle, and Atlan slapped his brother’s shoulder, snarling. It was unnerving to see that many sharp teeth in a mostly human mouth, but Kiran couldn’t seem to contain himself.
“Anyway, I didn’t think they would ask for our firstborn when we were seeking asylum, but when we got there….” I shrugged, doing my best to ignore the snickering fae as Atlan finally cracked a smirk.
Auren swiped at his face beneath the aviators as if I’d said something ridiculous. Instead of taking it out on me, though, he turned his attention to Kiyomasa. “You didn’t warn them?”
Kiyomasa was eerily calm. “It wasn’t relevant at the time. They needed a way to escape the Upper Council, and the Free Kingdom was able to provide it when we could not.”
“Informed consent, Director,” Auren snapped, irritation leaking through his usually relaxed persona.
It had the twins straightening up, glancing between the two men. Zuzanna sighed, slumping into her seat like this was a regular occurrence.
“There was no other option for them if they wanted to live. It’s regrettable, but they did manage to escape, though the agreement will need to be satisfied somehow. Fae deals are notoriously difficult to wriggle out of without the right turn of phrase.”
Aurens jaw flexed, and then he nodded. They’re both right in their own way, but the situation had already happened and passed.
It seemed like my brother could accept that as he looked toward Zuzanna. “Try to find a way for us to nullify the deal. We need to get my brothers untangled from those two as fast as we can. Kiran, I want regular updates on Michaelson. Atlan, make sure that nobody is being…” There was a slight twitch of his head towards Aria before he continued. “...violated or abused. Don’t have anyone blow their cover, but I want my brother and the Princess whole when we finally get them out.”
The trio nodded, not seeming bothered by their assignments.
It’s a relief to hear that we’re going to save Mikey. The fact that he’d ended up stuck behind in the first place was a wound that hadn’t even begun to close.
He’s upset,Aria noted, and I glanced at her as she finally stilled beside me again.
I didn’t know how she’d noticed my brother was more bothered than he was letting on, but I nodded anyway. Auren was good at masking his emotions, apparently, but the fact that Michaelson's misadventures in the Free Kingdom were bothering him said a lot about how he viewed us.
We’re still his brothers, even if he did abandon us.
I could feel her eye-roll, but she didn't say anything to contest my opinion.
“Do we know when we’ll be able to go back for them?” I asked, making an effort to be pleasant.
“Not right now. The war is mostly on Upper Council turf, but if they managed to actually get close enough… I’ll have to think on it.” Auren sighed, rubbing at his neck.
“We could always try portaling them out,” Atlan said, eyeing his nails.
