“I owe you all the biggest apology. There’s something about me that you don’t know, something I only just recently found out myself.”
Braxton moved closer and I could tell that he wanted to jump in and smooth this over with his brothers. To protect me from their anger and pain. But this was my thing and I needed to alpha up and take the punishment.
“Mischa and I are twins and we are dragon marked,” I blurted. My sister straightened and crossed her arms over her chest. She was waiting for the fallout too.
Silence descended over the room, a heavy silence that was filled with angry thoughts and three thunderous expressions.
I hurried on: about how Louis had spelled us, and Lienda had fled to save our lives. That I’d only found out that morning in the forest, and how Jonathon thought it was best to keep it secret. The entire time I was babbling I continued to hope they would interrupt and give me a break from the guilt.
Maximus did finally speak, but it wasn’t what I thought he was going to say. “You told Braxton?” Hurt poured off him. “Why did you trust him but not the rest of us?” ‘Why not me?’ was his unspoken question.
Tears were burning my throat again. My wolf and dragon both wanted to howl.
Braxton interrupted him. “It wasn’t like that. We were in Vanguard and she needed me to know so I could protect her. Pull your heads from your asses and stop and think about the situation she was in. This is a topic so controversial our own father thought all dragon marked should be imprisoned or dead.”
I could see just the slightest relaxation in Jacob and Tyson’s rigid features. But Maximus shook his head and stormed from the room.
I pressed my hand to my chest, my body trembling slightly. Somehow, this moment felt worse than when I’d been held captive by Vlad. As If I was being stabbed repeatedly in the chest. Jacob and Tyson stepped right up to me.
Jacob’s voice was low. “It’s okay, Jessa babe. We understand. Just know there is nothing you could ever tell me that would change the love I have for you.”
“Ditto,” Tyson said as he kissed me on the cheek. “Max will come around, he just needs a few moments to think about it.”
I squeezed my eyes shut then and howled like a baby, hot gushes of tears. Arms encased me and I let free all the emotions that had been building for days. After a while I managed to pull myself together; the quads had moved back and I was standing next to my bed. I decided that now the secrets were out, it was time to ask a few questions.
“Did you hear about the prison breakout?” I asked my dad. “Was it dragon marked?” I’d been needing an answer to this for days.
Jonathon moved over and brushed my hair off my cheek, his warm hand lingering for a moment. “We’ve received bits and pieces of information. Two women were seen outside the perimeter, and then the next thing anyone knew they’d disappeared, and the account is that some prisoners are missing also.” He brushed a hand over my hair. “Strange thing is, everyone in the main area was accounted for.” His growl was low. “Which leaves me to guess that it had to be your secret area.”
Louis, who’d had an unreadable expression on his face during my little breakdown, stepped further into the room. “I have contacts around the world. It is the same in all the prisons. Prisoners escaped, but none from the main prison.”
“So the most logical conclusion,” I mused, “they’re freeing dragon marked.” I was strangely relieved about this. No more babies in chains.
Tyson spoke up. “We’ve had some other drama here also. Kristoff has been arrested. The council’s a bit of a mess at the moment.”
I turned to my father. “Kristoff was arrested?”
He nodded. “Yes, caught trying to plant a spell on Jacob.”
I searched for the blond fey. He was against the wall, looking perfect. Not a hair out of place. “What was the spell?” I asked him.
“An influence spell. He wanted me to attack Tyson and Maximus. He had some sort of dark-fey crystal, which we all thought were destroyed. It made me very susceptible to influence.”
Jonathon cleared his throat. “Of course he didn’t know we were watching him. Caught him in the act.”
Tyson straightened. “Which was lucky, since this crystal would have hidden all of his magical essence. There would have been no way to trace the spell back to the sorcerer.”
“But it’s over now?” I asked.
Lienda and Jonathon exchanged a glance. “He still has to be tried, but he’s off to Vanguard right now.” My father grinned. “I’ll bet now he wishes that he hadn’t pushed for that quick little law change about holding those awaiting trial in the main prison.”
A grin also crossed my face. Nice to see karma was still doing its job.