Page 136 of Gift from the Wing

“What do you mean?” I growl.

“When we expressed our concerns over Oakly’s defiance, the Everglows took our concerns back to our leader. His solution was to take her magic, gift, and element from her. Give them to someone more worthy. They explained the process and of course we agreed. She was supposed to be handed over the night we called her home for dinner, but she dropped the horrific news she’d already bonded. We thought that would be the end of our time in the Mastery, but it turned out to please the Summum-Master. It made the most sense to give another Primary the already strengthened gift. Then once one of them would’ve bonded the men, another boost would have occurred,” her mom states as if that’s obvious and grand fucking news, but I just continue to stare at Caspian. I see it in his mind he’s already working it out. Just like I am.

“Sounds an awful lot like the Summum-Master is trying to create Primaries that have more than one gift.”

“Yeah. An awful lot like our Primary,”he replies darkly before turning back to Oakly’s piece of shit excuses for parents.

“But why? For a society who hates females, why make them more powerful?”

“They’ll be his and their chosen Nexuses to control. Remember what Franklin said about Willow not being able to hurt any of them once she’s bonded? His self-made bond is one way.”

Smoke blows from my nostrils before I can stop it, and I can’t even find the gasps falling from these sorry-ass people funny in this moment. I hate absolutely everything that makes me think back to anything related to her kidnapping.

“I understand that, but it still doesn’t make sense. Why not give the men extra gifts? Why only the Primaries?” I ask through my anger.

“That I don’t know, dragon. Either he’s trying to replicate our Primary now that he got a taste of the power she packs or we’re missing something.”

We’re definitely missing something.

“Well, looks like I won’t be killing you all at your kitchen table after all,” Caspian groans like nothing about our little trip has gone according to his bloody plans.

All five of the disgusting fuckers in front of us breathe a sigh of relief that’s opposite to his of aggravation, and he snaps his head up, glaring at each of them. I do actually laugh at that because he looks personally offended.

“We’re going to need a room bigger than your favorite one,” I supply helpfully when I hop off the counter.

“Figured as much. Room three will do,” he grumbles as he stomps around the table and slaps his hand down on two of the dads. Ry takes Oakly’s mom, who won’t quit crying and asking what’s happening, plus another male. And I get stuck with the last one, who hasn’t spoken, just cried to himself peacefully.

Popping into the dungeon, Marissa…Marsha…whatever her fucking name is, instantly starts wailing like a dying animal and I cringe as the noise makes my ears ring.

Fuck, she will not hold up well under torture.

“Let’s leave them be,” Ry says after he finishes strapping them down to the chairs with the magical cuffs.

“What?” Cas asks, whipping around to look at him.

“It’s not my decision how we handle this outside of questioning and Tillman looking in their minds,” he says begrudgingly.

I snicker at the sneer on Caspian’s face and the groan that leaves him. Poor thing’s whole plan of kidnapping and torturing has been thrown to the wayside and he’s pissy about it.

And they call me the psycho one.

“Come on, Cas. There will be plenty more traitors where they come from.” I clap him on the shoulder as we turn our backs on the sniffling bunch.

That doesn’t please him like I thought it would and he shrugs my hand off him as he stomps to the door, me and Ry hot on his heels. As soon as he slings the door open, though, he halts, and I nearly crash into his back.

“No, dragon, now we’ve been busted.”

“You two…oh hell…three, have got to be kidding me,” my little wanderer says, crossing her arms and staring us down.

Corentin and Tillman stand behind her, smug fucking smirks across their faces like they can’t wait to hear the tongue-lashing we’re about to get. Both are in white shirts and sweatpants as though they rolled out of bed on her command, and I can’t help it as my gaze tracks down her body. She’s wrapped in her robe, matching pajama set underneath. Her wild curls are pulled on top of her head, and the pissed off look on her face just makes her even more sexy.

Fuck that, the two of us aren’t going down on our own.

“Tillman knew we were going and agreed to it,” I say quickly, shooting her an innocent look.

Which works because she snaps her neck around to stare at him while he glares at me.

“I told you both to stay with the recon team and watch.”

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