Page 2 of Deceived

“My body may be three thousand years old but I’m not. Until you’ve been trapped at the mercy of your psychotic twin brother your entire life, keep your assumptions to yourself.”

That leaves me with even more questions. “What does that mean?”

“Later. We can’t linger here for conversation. It sounds like you’re describing an Absque Stone which nullifies magic and is illegal. If it’s in this house I’ll find it,” Aksel says.

“What if it’s not here?” Ryan asks.

“If it’s not, then I guess we are leaving you behind.” His normal attitude is in full effect. He unleashes his shadows before anyone can comment.

I have no idea what he’s doing or how it works. I’m unable to ask while trapped in his darkness.

When it dissolves around me, I see Aksel striding out the door without a word.

“What just happened?” I ask.

“He’s able to sense magical objects or people that are under his magic. It’s how he stops it from strangling us,” Griffyn explains.

Blaze finally stands up and even though I see him wobble slightly, his face is emotionless. I don’t comment.

Minutes later, Aksel stalks back into the room with the stone in hand. “It’s your lucky day.”

He unlocks the cage, releasing Ryan but blocks his exit. Aksel reaches into his pocket and silently passes him a pair of cuffs that are slightly blue with magic.

Ryan glares at him.

“They were meant for your brother, but you’ll do,” Griffyn says.

Ryan quickly glances at me, where Blaze and Griffyn are both glued to my side before locking them into place.

Aksel steps back and pulls out transport charms, passing them out to everyone but Ryan. He grips his arms before saying, “You’re not getting your own. You can’t be trusted.”

Seconds later Aksel has disappeared with Ryan.

“Where did he take him?” I shout.

“Relax, Vixen, they’re back at the house. Let’s join them,” Griffyn says.

They both wait for me to use my charm which means they appear at the house seconds after me.

“Akshole, you can’t just take him and leave like that! Communicate!” I shout.

The glare he levels at me should be terrifying but I know his bark is worse than his bite.

“Yes, I can Anna. I am the leader of this team who is in charge of this investigation. You’re just a bothersome tag-along.”

Griffyn stiffens next to me but it’s Ryan who speaks up. “Don’t fucking talk to her that way!”

Now I’m nervous about the way Aksel is looking at Ryan. “You don’t speak. You’re a suspect in our investigation and will be treated as such.”

I am about to lay into him about power trips when there’s a slight popping sound. The next second, Felix is in the room with us.

As soon as he sees Ryan in handcuffs in the middle of the room his face shifts to fury and he clenches his fists. I’ve never seen the dark gleam in his eyes.

“You got him?” Felix says as he prowls closer to his prey.

“No,” I say firmly, “It’s not him, Felix. There are… There are apparently two of them. Twins. This one was locked up in the second room.”

The snow leopard shifter’s eyes widen before shooting me a disbelieving glance. “We believe that?”

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