“Who’s that?”
Urian shrugged. “Don’t know, but she seems to know him.”
By the look on Blaise’s face, he did, too.
And they weren’t friends.
Falcyn narrowed his gaze on him. “Blaise?”
A tic started in his jaw. “I know that essence when I feel it. It’s—”
“My brother Brandor!” Brogan shot to her feet and ran to him.
A tic started in the mandrake’s jaw. “Are they kissing?”
Medea screwed her face up. “No, but she is hugging him like she hasn’t seen him in a really, really long time.”
Falcyn cocked his head. “Does kissing his cheek count?”
Medea popped him on the stomach as Blaise’s expression turned into one of extreme pain. “That’s mean! Don’t torture the poor mandrake!”
With a fierce grimace, Falcyn and Urian stepped around her to confront Brogan and Brandor. “What’s going on here?”
Brandor, who was the same height as Falcyn, put himself between Brogan and them. Even though his clothes were ragged and it was obvious he hadn’t been living well, he kept one arm on Brogan as if to protect her while he braced his body to confront them.
Extremely tall, he had chiseled handsome features.
Yeah, the fey and demons had a lot in common.
His long, wavy black hair was matted from having been living in the woods on his own. Yet even so there was still rebellion in those hazel eyes that were so green they all but glowed with an unholy fire. By his predatorial stance, it was obvious he knew how to fight and wasn’t afraid to bleed.
When he finally spoke, his words shocked Urian.
“I had Brogan bring you here so that I could speak with you.”
“Excuse me?”
Brandor tensed, watching them for any hint of a coming attack. “I know you don’t trust me. You’ve no reason to.”
Brogan finally stepped away from him. She cast a sheepish glance toward Blaise. “I told you it could have been much worse. My brother’s life makes a mockery of mine and my sisters’ combined. To protect me from their fate, Bran gave up the bulk of his powers at puberty—transferred them to me so that I’d be stronger and have more value.”
Sadness darkened Brandor’s eyes. “I’ve been trying to help Ro for a long time.”
“So what news do you have to share?” Medea asked.
“Apollo’s after the goddess Apollymi and intends to use her army of Charonte to kill Acheron and take over the world and Olympus.”
Urian scowled. That was all well and good, except for one thing. “And the Daimons protecting Apollymi?”
“Apollo has sent a plague to kill them and the gallu to punish them for their rebellion against him.”
He looked over at his sister. Well, that explained the foreign illness that was tearing through their ranks. No wonder they couldn’t fight it off.
Falcyn scratched at his chin. “Why do they want my dragonstone?”
“It’s the only thing that can stop them.”
“Yeah, well, they can rot.” Falcyn shook his head. “I’m not about to help any of them.”
Brandor gave him an arch stare. “Not even to save your own sister?”
Urian’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Xyn.
That cold steel hatred returned to Falcyn’s eyes. “Don’t go there.”
Brandor glanced to Brogan. “I would never taunt anyone with such a cruelty. Family should never be used as a bartering tool. But it’s what they will hold over you and use against you if you don’t do what they want. It’s why I told Ro to bring you here. I know where Sarraxyn is, and I will take you to her before they hurt her to get to you.”
At the confirmation that he’d been too afraid to ask, Urian felt his knees go weak.
Xyn was alive.
For a moment he couldn’t breathe. Those words slammed into him like a physical blow and left him reeling. Dear gods, was it true?
Even now, he could see her beautiful face. So much so that he barely registered their words.
“For what price?” Falcyn asked.
He took his sister’s hand. “You’ve already paid it. You freed my sister from her realm and brought her to me so that I can protect her from her master. I’ll help you free yours from hers. It’s the least I can do.”
Blaise shook his head. “Bullshit. I don’t believe you.”
Brogan’s cheeks brightened with color. “You can trust him, Blaise. He’s a good man.”
“I don’t trust anyone.”
Urian sighed as he cast his gaze around each of them. “Yeah, I don’t think anyone in this group can judge another for their past deeds.” And he damn sure wasn’t about to let them not give this bastard a shot if he really did have a way to free Xyn.
If there was any chance to see her again …
He wanted it.
“This is all well and good, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that Urian and I aren’t here on a vacation. I need your dragonstone, Falcyn. There’s still the matter of the plague that’s spreading through my people. I can’t watch my parents and best friend die. I’ve had enough of death and I don’t want any more of it.”
Brandor scowled at her. “You’re the daughter of Stryker?”
“How do you know that?”
“Apollo.”
Falcyn narrowed his eyes on Brandor. “How much have you heard?”
“Everything.”
“Well, if you know so much, any idea why we can’t turn into dragons right now?”
“No, sorry.”
“Blaise? Can you open the portal out of here?”
“My key doesn’t work here.”
Falcyn looked at him. “Urian?”
He made the sound of a warning buzzer. “Try again, Ringo.”
Without a word to them, Blaise headed for the trees. “Sylph?”
One of the reddish-brown trees in a twisted form awakened to look at them. Blaise jumped away with a curse.
“What is it?” Urian asked.
Transforming into a bleeding, demonic body, the sylph advanced on them with a round of cursing and hissing.
Blaise turned pale before he grabbed Brogan to pull her back from the tree. “She’s a gallu! Run!”
Light and sound exploded all around. It was as if the entire forest had come alive to consume them. Or at least tear them down. Everything was blowing up like some kind of sick heavy-metal light show.
They scattered into the fields.
For hours Urian and Blaise, with Brogan and Bran, searched for Falcyn and Medea. And as every minute passed, he worried more about Medea being alone with Falcyn. Though to be honest, he didn’t know what concerned him most.
The fact that they might get along.
Or that they might kill each other.
But the one thing that weighed heaviest in his thoughts …
“Brandor?”
“Aye?”
“What you said about Xyn? Is it true? Is she a statue?”
He looked offended by Urian’s question. “Why would I lie about that?”
“To manipulate Falcyn.”
Blaise slowed as the air around him became statically charged. “That’s not why you’re asking, Daimon.”
Urian threw up his own shields to keep the dragon from reading his thoughts.
But it was too late, judging by the intensity of Blaise’s stare. “Why did you never tell us that you knew her?”
Urian flinched at the way he said knew. “To what purpose? I thought she was…” He couldn’t say the word “dead.” The pain was too much for it, even now.
Brogan reached out to touch Urian’s arm. “You love her.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“Time doesn’t harm love. Love conquers all.”
Urian scoffed. “Love doesn’t conquer all. Only a quick sword does that.”
Brogan wrinkled her nose at him. “You can’t lie to a kerling, my sweet. We see straight through you.” She glanced over to her brother. “And Brandor isn’t lying. I would tell you if he were. Especially about this. No one should hurt for love.”
Urian inclined his head respectfully to her. She had a beautiful heart, and those things were rare enough that he knew to cherish the few people who managed to have them. “Thank you.”
Even so, Urian was afraid to let himself hope. To dream. He’d lived so long now without either that he didn’t know how to anymore.