Page 59 of Masked Fate

Having August and Salem on there is more than enough.

Bane’s dark eyes flicker over where my hands are on my mate, and his eyebrows raise, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Astrid,” he welcomes with a smile. “Nice to see you back here.”

“Where is my father?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

Bane tilts his head to the castle. “Come inside. We’ve prepared a dinner for you all.”

We follow him to their dining hall, where her two half-brothers and father sit. They all stand as we enter, and Zython looks at his daughter with nothing but love in his green eyes. Love and… regret.

Just what are we walking into right now?

I move, standing slightly in front of my little witch to protect her if need be. I notice Rave doing the same with Astrid.

Kai eyes me, lips curving up at the corners. “Has hell frozen over and Soren tamed? Never thought I’d see the day.”

I make sure my mental blocks are up because I know that fucker can mind read. Lowering my head, I whisper to Pandora,“Put your shields up, or he will know just how well I devoured your sweet cunt last night.”

Her cheeks flush, and she elbows me in the stomach.

“We want an explanation,now,” Rave demands, his dark shadows coiling around him.

Zython nods and swallows hard, his throat working. “I never betrayed you, Astrid. I love you. You are my only daughter and the best surprise of my life.”

“So you weren’t working with the old Vampire King? Didn’t tell him that I was a seer?” Astrid asks, lifting her proud chin. “And if so, why haven’t you come to see me? You’ve all just cut me off. I don’t understand…” she trails off, looking lost.

Rave bristles, squaring his shoulders. “I will kill everyone in this fucking kingdom if you’ve betrayed her. She stopped me from coming here and tearing you all apart, but I’m here now. So tread very carefully.”

Astrid places her hand on his arm, trying to contain him.

“Let us explain,” Axe says, stepping toward Astrid. When he goes to touch her, shadows dart out and push him back. “Remember before the vampires kidnapped you?”

She tilts her head to the side and nods. “Yes, you figured out I was a seer with your mirror magic.”

Axe is a mirror, which means he can copy the magic of someone he is near.

“Yes, I did that because I had a vision,” he says, running his thumb across the stubble on his jaw. “Astrid, I saw you in our kingdom being killed. I saw you die. And until we took care of it, we didn’t want you here. We couldn’t risk it.”

“And I never betrayed you… not on purpose. I wouldn’t—” Zython adds, rubbing the back of his neck. “When I met with Declan, he used his magic against me. He got the information he wanted out of me and messed with my mind. I’m sorry, Astrid. I never would have given up anything on you voluntarily.”

“So, is it taken care of?” Rave asks, his eyes flickering black. “Who tried to fucking kill my mate?”

Axe looks down at the floor, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “In the vision, Declan killed you, Astrid. He managed to take you, and when he couldn’t keep you in line, he killed you. And he took you from here. From our fucking kingdom!”

“Which is why you couldn’t be here,” Zython adds, pain etched over his face. “I spoke to Laurel, and she told me any changes we made could have changed either the timeline or the outcome. So we needed the situation to be as controlled as we could.”

“Is he dead?” Rave asks, struggling to contain his shadows, which start to fill the room, almost suffocating in their pulsing anger. Anger and fear.

In one future pathway, he loses Astrid.

And he’s scared.

I am too.

“No, but we have him,” Bane adds, his dark eyes pinned on Astrid. “He’s in the dungeons.”

“How?” I ask, wanting to know how they got their hands on the infamous warlord.

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