AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Really?”I project to Maximus.
“That’s the least he deserves,”Maximus’ deep voice vibrates back through my mind as he steps up to Kallen again.
This time though, Titus manages to get between them, raising his arms defensively to block his brother.
“Because that worked out so well the last time.” Titus sighs. “I know there’s a lifetime of bad blood between us all, but I can explain.”
“They did both fight on our side, Maximus,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest and cocking a challenging brow at my half-brother. “We should at least let them tell their story.”
Titus’ chest puffs up, newfound confidence brimming in his light brown eyes as a smug grin curls on his lips.
Dammit, now he’s going to think I can actually tolerate his annoying ass.
“Are you going to tell them the truth?” Maximus glares back at Titus, causing the latter to deflate. “Kallen wasn’t on our side at the start. He almost struck Adrian while his back was to him. Is that someone we should trust?”
“That was just a misunderstanding,” Titus groans, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Kallen made a choice in that fight, and I trust him to honor that decision.”
“And who says we trust you any more than him?” Adrian asks
“I’m not sure I trust Kallen either, but we found out that Titus was entrusted by Vale to hold on to theDescent of the Darkafter a vision showed him that I would free Seraphina, his heir,”I project to my mates, filling them in on what Mateo and I discovered.
“I fought with my brother, even when it went against what I’ve stood for my entire life,” Kallen snaps, stepping up beside Titus.
Titus lets his arms flop to his sides, groaning in annoyance. “If everyone would drop their egos, I’d explain everything.”
“Look who’s talking.” I snort. “I’m surprised your ego hasn’t physically manifested with how large it is.”
My outburst seems to lift some of the tension growing thick around us, and Mateo huffs out a breath of amusement and wraps an arm around my shoulders.
“You have the floor,” Mateo says, waving with a flourish.
Maximus grumbles something unintelligible under his breath and takes a step back to stand on my other side, his thick fingers twining with mine like he was pulled by a magnetic force. I squeeze his hand in support and comfort, the weight of today truly now sinking in as the adrenaline from the fight slowly seeps away. Adrian and Kyros stand behind me, their warm, comforting presence easing the tension radiating through my chest from all of the bitter sniping back and forth. My heart hums in contentment, my four mates surrounding me, together again like we were always meant to be.
Titus clears his throat and straightens his suit jacket, the gesture nervous despite his confidence just moments ago. As he sweeps a look over all of us, meeting each of our gazes, I can’t help but realize how drastically his world has changed. Earlier today, he had a family, and regardless of how broken and toxic the four of them were together, either following Romulus or pretending to do so, now they’ve been torn apart. Our mother is now standing across from him, patiently waiting for his truth, even though he kept secrets from her. It makes sense that he would try to cling to the one tendril of normalcy he has left—his brother by his side.
“I was with Romulus for the meetings with Vale and his court. I bonded with them. I saw the beauty the infernal realm once held before we tore it apart,” Titus begins, his eyes shining as his memories must play before him, envisioning the land I only know as a wasteland. “I visited on my own, explored the great libraries in the castle, losing myself in the history and culture, and learning the magic buried within their soil from Vale himself.”
My brows crease as I study Titus, his demeanor shifting from the pompous asshole I’ve seen before. He seems ... sincere? Shadows of guilt dance in his eyes and pain crosses his face for the friend he lost.
“Romulus never told me of his plans to claim the realm as his own, to split from the light gods and abandon our home. I was clueless until Vale came to me and revealed his vision, but it was already too late, he knew that, and he knew that no matter what he did, his fate was sealed. It didn’t stop him from trying though, from throwing everything he had at us when that attack came.”
The dagger. Vale created the blade, knowing that we would need it one day. He wielded it against Romulus with everything he had, knowing it wouldn’t be enough. My chest tightens for Seraphina, having been locked away for thousands of years waiting for me to one day find her, at having to watch her father sacrifice himself, just to know she would one day have to do the same.
She’ll return though, and I can’t wait until she does.
I glance at my father, the last beams of the setting sun lighting his hair to a golden blaze as he watches Titus intently. He and Nelle were all I had for so long. He did everything he could to keep me from this, to keep me safe, and now it’s my turn to do the same. These gods gathered beside me are my family, and no one will ever take them from me. Otherwise, they’ll have death on their heels … literally.
“He gave me theDescent of the Darkand told me to keep it safe for when a goddess with dark brown hair, sea-green eyes, and golden wings comes into her power,” Titus says, giving me a pointed look. “I didn’t believe him at first, I thought he’d lost his mind, but when I returned that night, I knew it was true. Romulus and the rest of the dark gods were already preparing for battle. He expected me to join in, to destroy the land and worlds I’d come to cherish, demolish the knowledge and magic they’d fostered for thousands of years before we invaded.”
He takes a staggered breath for the fallen leader, the one who fostered his love and knowledge of the infernal realm while his own father sought to destroy it.
“But Vale knew the infernal realm needed to fall to Romulus for his vision to ever work, for me to use my powers to make sure what he predicted came to fruition. I knew that the moment he fell to Romulus, vengeance flickered in his eyes, and I knew what I had to do. It wasn’t Romulus’ vengeance that drove me; that was my cover, my excuse for bringing you with me, Olivia.”
Silence sweeps over us as his words sink in, shaking my reality to its core. I spent so long thinking he was our enemy, only to now realize he was on our side this entire time.
“I’m sorry,” Octavia says. Stepping forward, she reaches a tentative hand out towards him. “If I knew—”
“Then we would’ve had someone to trust?” Titus laughs, his blasé tone betraying a note of pain, letting Octavia’s gesture of comfort go unanswered. “It was for the best though. Everything worked out as it should. We both had our parts to play, but our job isn’t done, not yet.”
