AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That child. Ugh. “Because, I said,” I snapped, feeling like I’d suffocate from Nikkos and Blaze’s heat as they hovered too close to me.
“Because your aunt doesn’t trust us, and she doesn’t want us to know about your magic.” Draevyn sauntered into the cavern, his wings pinned behind him, his eyes as cold as a winter’s frost as he clutched a dead bird by its limp neck. “I assume it was a Tao stone.”
I turned up my chin, refusing to cower at the look of hatred reflecting in his eyes. “I thought you were supposed to be on watch.”
“I am.” He shrugged then tossed the bird to Nikkos. “And for the record”—he sneered in my direction—“I don’t trust you, either.”
Rage boiled my blood, and it took every ounce of willpower not to order him to fall on a sword, but that would’ve made me evil, and I wasn’t a bad witch, no matter what my parents thought.
“Drae,” Blaze warned, balling up his fists.
Draevyn spun on his brother with a snarl. “What?”
Blaze refused to back down, standing toe-to-toe with his brother, his nostrils flaring like a dragon about to pounce on a lamb. “Enough.”
The girls ran to me, clinging to my back while peering over my shoulders. My breath caught in my throat. I didn’t want to use my siren voice to stop them, but if they came to blows, I might not have a choice.
I cleared my throat. “Please remember there are children present.”
Blaze stepped away from Draevyn and mouthed an apology to me.
“Outside,” Draevyn snarled at his brothers. “Both of you.”
Nikkos tossed the dead bird on a nearby rock. “After I take care of Shirina and the girls.” He glared sideways at Draevyn. “And after you cool down.”
Draevyn swore and stomped out of the cavern like a toddler being sent to time out.
Blaze rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “I’m sorry about his behavior.”
“You don’t need to make excuses for him,” I answered, “but I thank you for defending me.”
“Of course.” His throat bobbled when he spoke.
He wasn’t fooling when he said he had a need to protect me, and I suddenly realized how much I liked Blaze and Nikkos. They were nothing like their other brother.
“Do your friends think Draevyn is bad, Em?” I whispered to my niece over my shoulder. “Because I do.”
She nodded.
Nikkos shared a look with Blaze. “He’s not normally like this.”
Trollshit. I had a feeling they had become so accustomed to his moods that they’d learned to tolerate him, hence the way Draevyn had thrown the bird to Nikkos, just expecting him to skin it. Not so much as a ‘please’ or ‘thank you.’ Well, that didn’t mean I had to put up with that kind of treatment.
“It’s okay,” I said. “The girls and I need to sleep.”
Ember tugged on my sleeve. “I’m not tired, Auntie.”
I turned to my niece. Her eyes were indeed heavy with fatigue and darkened with shadows. She blinked at me then stifled a yawn.
“Em.” I took her hand in mine. “We need to rest.”
Aurora pouted. “I want more candy.”
Feeling a sudden headache coming on, I gritted my teeth. “No more candy.”
The girls whined.
I closed my eyes, slowly counting to three.
