Page 20 of Gift from the Nexus

I want nothing more than to run off, me and my brothers, and tear this realm to pieces looking for her. I don’t want to form a plan, check on E.F. members or students, or anything else. I want to hunt down every member of the Mastery and destroy them.

No interrogation, no trial, no forgiveness. Just pure eradication.

Wipe their existence so far off the map like they were never even here.

But that’s not what I get to do. No, instead, I have to fucking talk to my men, talk to the Caster, form a plan, figure out how my little warrior is being shielded from us. Then and only then do I get to hunt.

“Bring me the Caster,” I order as soon as we step up to the rest of team one, who’s huddling around the students being healed.

“The healers are attempting to wake him, sir,” one of my members immediately responds.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“He was found unconscious, sir. No physical signs of injury, but out cold, unresponsive.”

A wave of power suddenly flows through the academy grounds, sending everyone who isn’t my Nexus to their asses. Turning my back on my men, I glare at a brightly lit Corentin, asking him with my eyes what the hell that was for.

“We’re on full lockdown. He was inside the academy and was rendered unconscious. Someone inside these wards had a hand in that. Caspian, go round up the students and staff from their rooms. Gaster, the library. Dad, the admin building. We need a head count and some questions answered,” he instructs without a second thought.

His light slowly fades back into him as he reins his power in and with a clipped nod, he lets me know he’s got it under control.Barely.

“Ry, take your Nexus and go pull the files on the four hotspot locations. We’re going to start there and work our way through,” I order, turning and marching in the direction of the healers.

With each step, I inhale and exhale in a controlled rhythm, trying to hide the rapid beating of my heart. The thought that someone inside this academy has also betrayed us has my fist clenching and teeth grinding together.

The primal need to rip people to shreds passes through Draken and into me. His bloodthirsty want to destroy someone, anyone, is flooding me and I can hardly contain the urge.

“Do you need to shift?” I face him fully and ask. I understand what he’s feeling. I need her back. I’m livid on a whole other level, but it’s fucking distracting me completely, and it’s slowing us down.

“I can’t,” he grits out.

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both. If I shift, he’ll take full control.”

The effort it’s taking him to say those words is obvious. His face is straining painfully, and his eyes bounce back and forth between glowing slits, to fiery round cobalt orbs. I see the truthto his words in both sets, his beast openly showing he’s ready and willing to burn it all to the ground.

I need him to focus on something other than murdering everyone since he can’t contain his own thoughts. Even in his mind, his voice is deepened, laced in an animalistic tone that tells me all I need to know about who’s truly in charge.

Steeling myself, I call forth my magic and gift and fucking pray what I’m about to do will help rather than get me laid out, but something has to give. When his eyes flash to slits, I release my power.

“Give Draken back full control. I swear to you, we’re going to find her. Calm down,” I command.

A growl has Draken’s lip tipping upward in a vicious snarl and I brace myself for his attack, but slowly, the growl fades out, and his eyes gradually shift back to normal. Leaving mournful, bright cobalt eyes staring back at me.

“That was a risky trick,” he murmurs.

“Worth it. You good?”

“For now.” He sighs in both relief and desperation.

I take that as my sign to get moving. We can’t linger any longer as the minutes seem to be ticking by at the speed of light. It feels like seconds ago I watched her disappear right in front of me when really, it’s been over thirty minutes and she’s already been hurt.

Striding back toward the healers, I approach Dr. Evie, who’s working on the Caster. Her focus is sharp as she gently moves her fingers in circles around his temples. There’s a slight gleam of sweat forming on her brow and her concentration is unwavering even as I step up and clear my throat.

“Something’s keeping him in a stasis and blocking my efforts to wake and heal him. There’re drugs streaming through his blood, but I can’t heal that until I can get his mind back,” she reports without glancing at me.

“May I?” I ask, reaching my hand out to place on his forehead.

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