Page 11 of Tangle of Lust and Lethargy

The gravel crunched under my feet as I shifted my weight, trying to find the words.

“They were captured?” Scott asked, his voice gruff with worry. His blue eyes darted between me and the SUV as if expecting Brody to suddenly appear with a grin, explaining it was all a misunderstanding.

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat feeling like it might choke me. My hands trembled, and I clenched them into fists to steady myself. “No,” I managed to say. “Lisa…she betrayed us.”

Shock rippled through the group. Grady’s eyes widened, and Scott’s jaw clenched visibly.

“She gave the Crown of Envy to Maci,” I continued, each word a struggle. “The Aegis serpent became angry.” I had to take several deep breaths. The memory of the cavern’s collapse flashed before my eyes, the sound of falling rocks echoing in my ears.

Justice placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. I drew strength from his touch, forcing myself to meet Grady and Scott’s increasingly alarmed gazes.

“It started a cave-in,” I whispered. “And Brody…he got us all out. But…” The words stuck in my throat, refusing to come out. How could I tell them their brother-in-arms wasn’t coming home?

The silence stretched, heavy and oppressive. I heard the rapid breathing of those around me, saw the growing dread in Scott’s eyes and the dawning realization in Grady’s.

Damon shifted behind me, the leather of his jacket creaking. Zara’s quiet sniffle broke the silence, a sound so small yet so laden with grief that it seemed to shatter the last vestiges of hope in Grady and Scott’s expressions.

“But what?” Scott’s words splintered with panic. “Where’s Brody? Where is he?”

I drew a shuddering breath, steeling myself for the revelation that would change everything. “Brody saved us, but…” My throat constricted, choking back the truth. I swallowed hard and willed myself to continue. “He didn’t make it. Brody’s gone.”

The words hung in the air, final and devastating. At that moment, as the color drained from Grady and Scott’s faces, as gasps and muffled cries came from the team behind them, I knew nothing would ever be the same again. The safe haven of McDuff Manor suddenly felt like the eye of a storm, with the true tempest of grief and consequences yet to come.

The devastating news of Brody’s sacrifice hung over us like a dark, threatening cloud, and I became aware of two figures standing slightly apart from the group. Garrick, the king of the Unseelie, had been silent as he watched the scene unfold.

He was as tall and muscular as Scott and Grady, his presence radiating an aura of power and barely contained wildness. An air of arrogance clung to him like a second skin, evident in the set of his broad shoulders and the tilt of his chin.

Garrick’s sharp, calculating green eyes surveyed the unfolding drama with an unsettling intensity. His light brown hair fell in a shaggy mane over his shoulders, giving him a leonine appearance that only added to his regal bearing. Despite the gravity of the situation, he seemed coiled with energy, ready to spring into action at any moment.

At his side stood his mate, Maggie, a wolf shifter whose presence I had almost overlooked in my focus on Grady and Scott. Her dark hair was intricately braided, the plaits adorned with small silver beads. Tears swam in her eyes, her usual fierce demeanor softened by genuine sorrow.

I had been so focused on Grady and Scott, on delivering the painful news, that I had nearly forgotten the broader implications of our situation. The world seemed to hold its breath as the full nightmare of our loss settled over the group.

Suddenly, Garrick moved. The Unseelie king wrapped his arms around Maggie in a rare display of public affection, pulling her close as if to shield her from the pain radiating through our team. Yet as he comforted his mate, his gaze hardened, those piercing green eyes scanning the horizon with growing concern.

Then, his arm shot out, his finger pointing toward the dark, grumbling sky. The abrupt movement drew everyone’s attention. “Something’s coming,” he announced, his voice carrying the unmistakable tone of command. “We need to get back inside.”

His urgency unleashed chills down my spine. I followed his gaze to the menacing clouds above, now tinged with an unnatural, greenish hue. The air seemed to thicken, charged with an energy that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

Grady and Scott looked up, and confusion glossed over their eyes. I stirred uneasily, torn between the fresh wound of grief and this new, unseen threat.

“What is it?” Justice asked, moving to stand beside me, his body tense.

Damon whistled, his face twisting into a sardonic smirk. “Great. ‘Cause our day wasn’t craptastic enough already. What’s next, we gonna have to fight off Voldemort and his band of merry douchebags?”

Garrick’s eyes locked onto mine, his gaze so intense it felt almost physical. The lines around his mouth deepened as he spoke. “Unfortunately, yes. Something’s hiding in those clouds.”

He paused, glancing at the murky mass above. The sky had darkened to an ominous pewter, shot through with flashes of sickly green light. When Garrick looked back at me, his expression contained hope and desperation. “Sawyer, can you ask the Mirror of Aethereal what to do next?”

My face contorted into a scowl, frustration and fear battling within me. “Now?” The word escaped like a sharp-edged shard, laden with the echoes of our mounting setbacks.

Garrick’s shoulders tensed. “The mirror might give us a clue how to handle what’s lurking up there.” A slight uptick in his tone made it more of a question than a statement. Clearly, he was grasping at straws, but who could blame him, considering our situation?

I gritted my teeth, feeling a familiar ache in my jaw from the constant tension. Logically, his request made sense. The mirror had guided us before, its cryptic visions often proving crucial inour darkest hours. But now, after everything that had happened, after we had failed so spectacularly…

The thought of facing the mirror filled me with dread. What if it refused to help, deeming us unworthy after our recent catastrophe? Or worse, what if it showed us a future so bleak it shattered what little hope we had left?

I inhaled deeply, steeling myself. Despite my reservations, we were out of options. With Lisa’s betrayal and Brody’s loss still raw, we needed any advantage we could get. Even if it meant risking further disappointment.

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