Page 165 of Gift from the Nexus

“We kill them all,” Caspian declares, and a growl from Draken quickly backs him up.

“Stay between us at all times, Willow. We all may be targets, but you’re his main. Tillman, tell Ry and Lyker’s Nexus to move forward with us. Have Zane stand behind Willow to shield her. The E.F. will hang back for the signal. He already knows we have Keeper or he wouldn’t have shown up straight here, so no point in hiding him. If shit breaks out, he’ll be an asset,” Corentin orders.

“No unnecessary risk today. We’ll get her out safely, I promise. And stay away from him if you can. He may have a way far worse than the cord to force you to obey him,” I whisper to Keeper as his eyes begin to shift. It’s not a sign of hunger for food but a hunger for revenge.

“I understand. It won’t be that simple to get to him anyhow. He stays guarded with many amulets, protections, and other such relics or runes from the realms. If I could’ve killed him, he’d be dead. My life be damned.” Keeper’s accent draws even deeper, his fury evident for any to hear.

Another wave of fear crawls up my neck, causing my hair to stand on end. I’d love nothing more than for us to charge in gifts blazing and take him out, here and now, but not a single part of me believes it’ll be that easy. It’d be rushed, poorly planned, andsomeone’s life could be taken. There’s still far too much we have to learn about him before we’re going to be able to defeat him.

“Ready?” I ask and an echo of grunts is my only source of acknowledgment.

Caspian’s shadows begin to lower like an unveiling, and I pull my shoulders back, releasing a tension-filled breath. Every part of me wants to shiver or shake, but I repress the urge. Even my dragon, knowing she’s the fiercest predator in this realm, is guarded, fully aware of the danger that’s in front of us. She senses just as much as I do, he’s evil. Pure and simple. His willingness to do any and everything for power knows no bounds and that makes him far more dangerous than we are.

We walk until there’s about a fifteen-foot distance between us and the beginning of the Mastery soldiers, all of which, turn to face us at once. These aren’t the grunts that lined up at Donald’s offering of them getting their revenge on me. No. This is a taste of the fully trained army.

“You’ve gone too far this time, Willow. First you kidnap my son and now my creature. Enough of this at once.” The Summum-Master sighs, lifting his palm and waving it to Keeper as if I wasn’t aware of who he was speaking about.

“I don’t believe I’ve gone far enough. What can I do for you today?” I ask with my best customer service voice. If he’s anything like Franklin was, or if Franklin got his personality from his father, then that tone will irk him enough to get to the point.

“You may start by returning my son and explaining how it is you have him blocked from me?”

My face falls for a split second before I fix it. We thought for sure he would’ve known that Franklin was dead, so he’s either reeling me into some sort of off the wall trap, or he really doesn’t know and I’m going to royally piss him off.

Leaning back a little to where Keeper is standing behind, but very close to Draken and Tillman, I ask in a low whisper, “Does he not feel when a rune is removed?”

“He’d notice, although, and I mean this with no offense, any rune I left, you wouldn’t be able to remove. Franklin is different, though. Stronger. They’re woven so tight, he basically knows his every move,” Keeper informs me.

Oh fuck, Elementra. What did you do? Or what did I do?

“Obviously not,” I grumble. “He’s no longer in this realm.”

A small whistle blows through Keeper’s lips. “Where did you send him? Even traveling the realms, I’d think he could feel him.”

“He’s dead.” I just come out and say it so we can quit with the roundabout. The Summum-Master is staring daggers at me for my obvious disregard to him and his impatience is growing. His face doesn’t have to be visible to know it. His aura is somehow bleeding blacker, slithering across my skin like a disease.

In my mind, I figured he would’ve known the moment it happened, and he just didn’t care enough to react immediately. Seems my assumptions were wrong or Elementra played a little interference.

“Prepare for battle then,” Keeper says nonchalantly with a smirk on his lips.

The sweet but crazy is genetic, I see.

“You can have him back in exchange for Keeper’s treasure,” I call out, pretending to be oblivious to who or what’s inside that cave.

“That is not—”

“That’s all you’re getting.”

“Be wise with your next words, Willow. We will do this my way or the hard way. The choice is yours,” he warns. Shaking his hands out of his robes, linking his fingers in front of him, I finally get a glimpse of something of him. It’s just hands. Handsthat are paler than my own, sickly skinny, but powerful, I know. “You can come willingly, with my creature, my son, the dragon boy, and shadow boy, or everyone you brought with you will die today, and you will watch it all happen.”

Another choice.

One that can go so many ways. Ways I have no insight to because I didn’t see this coming.

Scanning the well-trained, stoic soldiers, I have complete faith in our men behind us, but I can’t count out the fact that these men aren’t going to be as easily bested as the ones at the compound I was rescued from. They’ve held themselves statue still, waiting for their orders. There isn’t a flinch or twitch of fear coming from any of them.

They’ve prepared for this.

My eyes reach the end of the runway, colliding with a brown almost black set that I loathe more than anything in this realm. Of their own devices, my fist clenches tightly, leaving crescent moon shapes in my palms. The air leaving my lungs comes out faster and faster the longer I stare at him. I’m proud to say there’s no fear to be found in me, though, only anger. How could I still fear him when he’s nothing compared to the monster he’s standing beside? He’s nothing compared to the men surrounding me.

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