Page 43 of The Brothers Bane

She nods, but only stares at me for several beats. “And?”

“And I was hoping you could help.”

“Are you asking, or demanding? Because my friends don’t respond well to demands.”

I heave a weary sigh. “Fine. Erika, can you please help find a replacement for my brother? Someone who is both fast and silent.”

She nods, and in as casual a tone as any, says, “Kol, this is up your alley. You up for it?”

I give a start when the shadows around us swirl and coalesce into a dark form with a face I recognize. It isn’t a solid man, but its face is unmistakably Kol’s.

“Explain what you need,” the shadow says. “I’m listening.”

Heavy wingbeats sound from overhead, and the black dragon who lurked high above lands with a thud outside our lean-to, kicking up dust. A moment later, the man himself strides in, his naked body wrapped in a shifting, inky veil that solidifies into tactical gear. He steps into the place where his darkened replica stood, the tendrils of this ethereal covering merging seamlessly with his form.

I can’t disguise how impressed I am with his command of the shadows. It isn’t the same as my brother’s, but will do the job, I think.

“You will be the go-between, taking custody of Chaos’ essence once Campe secures it and transporting it to me where I await by the vault. It sounds simple, but it must be done quickly and without detection. You won’t be able to teleport to the vault due to the security measures in place, but you’ll have to access it through ventilation shafts.”

“No problem. I can have backups at our disposal too. Sybil’s parties always include an open invitation to any higher races who wish to attend. It won’t be out of the ordinary to have more dragons present.”

“Too many additions can compromise the security of the mission. If you need a backup, choose one dragon you trust. Here is the layout of the resort.”

I stand and spread my hands across the open surface of the table in front of me. Purple light cascades from my fingertips, sketching a three-dimensional blueprint of the Pandemonium resort, from its highest penthouse floor where Chaos spends his days all the way down to the subterranean vaults, the lowest of which houses his personal vault.

“The party is being held in the penthouse. Sybil prefers to hold her orgies in the pool, but Pan will lure her into the saunas for a private tryst. When he does, Campe will take her place, seducing Chaos and extracting his essence. You’ll need to be nearby for her to hand it off to you.”

He frowns. “Campe, as in the sister to the Mother Dragon? She is powerful. More powerful than I am. Can she not manifest shadows to carry the essence to you when she captures it?”

“We’ll need her to ensure Chaos doesn’t catch wind of the ruse. She’ll need her full focus for that.” I don’t divulge the fact that Campe’s powers tend to be erratic. She’ll need every bit of focus to maintain her Sybil disguise. Her role is the one piece of the plan that can’t be improvised or substituted.

Kol nods. “I understand.”

“I’ll return here this time tomorrow to retrieve you both.”

We finalize our plans under the silent vigil of the Guardians. Erika’s alliance and her team’s competence makes me wish for the times when I had the same confidence in my own team. Her partnership and that of her team might just tip the scales in our favor against the Titans.

19

Nemea

Iblink my eyes open in the pre-dawn light, the soft sheets beneath me and a strong arm draped over my waist hauling me back to reality. Alcides’ steady breathing tickles the back of my neck, and for a moment, I just let myself enjoy the warmth and safety his presence offers. It’s strange waking up in his bed, feeling well-rested, when the last thing I remember is drifting off from near-exhaustion beside Cerberus in my sanctuary.

Turning in his embrace, I face Alcides. His features are relaxed in sleep, a rare sight for someone who always seems to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His hair is tousled, making him look less like a demigod and more like... just a man. A very attractive man, but still.

I should feel weird about this whole setup, but honestly? The weirdness train left the station a long time ago. Now I’m just rolling with whatever bizarre situation life—or fate—throws at me.

Alcides stirs, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal those deep eyes that seem to see all the way to my soul. He tightens his hold for a second before letting go and propping himself up on one elbow.

“Morning,” he grumbles, voice thick with sleep. He’s not much of a morning person either, I guess.

“Hey,” I reply, pushing myself up to sit. “Where’s Campe?”

He rubs a hand over his face before answering. “She had to take care of something for Vesh. Said she’d meet you on the training grounds later.”

My mind flashes to last night—the second round of crazy-intense sex with Campe, and her reluctant departure when Cerberus came for another taste. I hope whatever business she has with Vesh doesn’t ruin the afterglow for her.

Alcides is watching me now with a curious tilt to his head, as if he can tell I’m thinking about Campe and not him. Which is awkward, though I know it shouldn’t be. None of them were under any illusions about what we meant to each other last night when they were taking turns fucking me. I think a few of them were fucking each other too.

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