Page 88 of Gift from the Wing

“I’ll give that a try. Now I need a favor from you.”

“And that is?” he asks suspiciously.

“Let Keeper and Aria help you. If they have a way to help you with the rune without removing it, allow them to. You can’t die, Trex. Not when we’re so close to…ending this.”

My voice breaks and I don’t bother attempting to hide it. We’re close, even if it doesn’t feel that way. Everyone I’ve come across so far in this crazy, hard journey has a purpose, a role to play, even if I don’t know what it is yet. I can’t allow him to die before he serves his.

“I’m not willing to do anything that puts them at risk,” he says firmly.

“This will put your brothers at no risk. The rune will remain but be weaker.” Keeper’s accent flutters through the room and Trex instantly tenses.

“I didn’t agree to seeing him,” Trex says, narrowing his eyes on me.

“I know and I’m sorry. I didn’t push it last time we were here, and I wouldn’t push it this time, but this is serious, Trex. You’re almost unrecognizable. I don’t mean to be rude or blunt, but you don’t have much time. I know it, you know it. If you hope for any chance of seeing your brothers again, we have to do something.” I see the argument forming on his tongue and my anger rises quickly. I don’t mean for it to, but he can’t be so damn hypocritical of Keeper. “He was put in an unwinnable circumstance just as you and you both have done what you had to survive. Let go of yourdisdain for him. At least long enough to let him help you,” I bark harshly before blowing out a deep breath and softening my final word, “Please.”

His eyes bounce between Keeper and me repeatedly, then they turn to Codi, who’s been quietly supportive throughout this whole conversation. His face now, though, is one full of pissed off determination and as bad as it sounds, hope rises within me.

“Willow’s right. I’m sure both of you have regret for what you’ve been forced to do, but you have no reason to punish him or be a dick when you were in the same situation. If you need someone to blame, fine, blame someone, but the right someone. The vampire isn’t the one. If you decide to not let him help when he can without jeopardizing our brothers, then you’re just being a selfish prick. Don’t do that to me, to us.”

My eyes nearly bug out of my head at Codi’s tone. I’ve never heard him angry and he sure as shit isn’t softening his words for his brother right now. Trex doesn’t seem to take any offense whatsoever. He just sighs and rolls his eyes.

“Fine. What do you have to do?”

Well, shit, should’ve just had Codi talk to him to begin with.

“I will need to mark your rune. It will weaken its power over your mind but only from your perspective. The Summum-Master won’t be able to tell the difference. Then the Soul—I mean Aria—can place her rune back on your mind and it will further separate the connection,” Keeper tells him, also not sounding the least bit offended over being the main topic of conversation.

“That sounds simple enough,” Codi says, nodding like he’s the one who gets the final say.

“Too simple. What’s the catch?” Trex asks.

“No catch. You just probably won’t like the method of marking the rune,” Keeper says, shrugging.

“Elaborate.” Trex hisses.

“I am the middle between the rune and the Summum-Master. I must mark your rune with my blood. As in, I’ll be smearing my vile, vampire, bright blue, royal blood all throughout your mark,” Keeper says with a mocking, unhinged smile as Trex cringes.

Indecision wars within his eyes, and just before Codi gets ready to go in on his ass again, Trex holds his hand up to him and mutters, “Fine.”

“Excellent.” Keeper claps.

In a blink of an eye, with no warning to any of us, he’s around the table, holding Trex’s head between his hands. Draken quickly steps around as well, I’m assuming to lend some magic if needed.

“No squirming, boy. This will only tingle. Maybe burn a little.” Keeper laughs as Trex’s eyes grow wide and I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh.

Should’ve known that Keeper’s calm indifference was just his way of mentally torturing Trex while he helped him. Draken most certainly inherited that sly psycho shit from him.

The rest of us fall silent as Keeper’s eyes begin to bleed red and glow brighter as he speaks in his native language. The sound is smooth like velvet and tranquil. As Trex’s body fully relaxes, basically slumps in his seat, Keeper presses his index finger to his fang, slicing it open.

I stare in unwavering fascination as he traces Trex’s M on his forehead backward, just as he did to Layton but with the dagger. The red outline of the scar turns blue as Keeper’s blood sits on the surface, boiling. Slight hisses fall from Trex’s lips, but other than that, he doesn’t budge or flinch. I don’t know if it’s the words Keeper spoke softly or his stubborn pride that keeps him from showing any signs of discomfort, but he stays statue-still.

Like water running down a drain, Keeper’s blood sinks beneath the M and glows brightly before fading to nothing.

“Aria now, if you will please,” Keeper says quietly.

She presses her fingers to Trex’s temples and her eyes shift into their white cloudy voids. Unlike Keeper, she doesn’t have to speak and her gift caresses my skin as it flows from her to him.

There’s a palpable release of tension in the room when they both step away from him. His chest expands, and the sharp inhale echoes around the room. Codi’s quick to pass him a healing vial, and without ever opening his eyes, Trex tilts it back in one shot.

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