Page 26 of Logan

Her fingers stilled on the safe. “No. Logan, he isn’t. He said his name in my head. He can speak to me the same way you do, and he said his name was Lothos.”

Logan glanced at the door as a roar echoed from the other room. “We have to go. This is a trap.”

She clicked the safe open as clapping echoed behind her.

She turned to see the face identical to Logan’s, except for the beard. “Lothos.”

The images rolled in her mind as if she were witnessing another era in time.

In the heart of an open expanse stood a large cabin, its rustic charm evident in the thatched roof that crowned its sturdy frame. Goats roamed freely around the property, their gentle bleats mingling with the tranquil sounds of nature. The landscape stretched out before the cabin, unmarred by the intrusion of modern construction, a nod to the simplicity and serenity of rural life.

A simple path led to the cabin, winding its way through the untouched wilderness with a sense of quiet reverence. Time seemed to stand still, the air imbued with a sense of peace and tranquility that enveloped the landscape like a warm embrace.

But in an instant, the roar of flames and the piercing cries of anguish shattered the idyllic scene. The once serene cabin was now engulfed in a raging inferno, its thatched roof ablaze with fiery tongues that licked at the sky.

Amidst the chaos, Logan’s voice rang out, a desperate plea that echoed through the flames as he screamed his brother’s name. His frantic search took him from the burning wreckage of the cabin to the dark expanse of the sky, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of his lost sibling.

But as he searched, the flames consumed everything in their path; the grass surrounding the cottage turned to ash, and the lifeless bodies of the animals lay scattered on the ground, their once peaceful existence cruelly extinguished by the merciless fury of the fire.

In this moment of devastation and despair, Logan stood alone amidst the ruins of his home, his heart heavy with grief and his soul consumed by the flames of loss.

“Oh god,” she whispered.

Lothos smiled, but there was no humor in it. “How touching.”

Logan stared at his twin in anguish. “How is this possible? What happened to you?”

Lothos sighed as if bored. He had obviously shared in the memory Logan had broadcast to her.

“You were always so pathetic. You always did what our parents wanted. It’s the reason you were their favorite.”

Logan looked as if he were about to be physically ill as he locked eyes with his twin. His brother’s gaze bore into his own with a venomous sneer, the depths of his dark eyes simmering with a seething hatred that sent a chill down Emily’s spine.

How could twins, born of the same blood and shared history, appear so alike yet harbor such profound differences in their souls? The question echoed in the recesses of her mind as she grappled with the bitter reality of their estranged bond.

As he stood face to face with his brother, the weight of their fractured relationship hung heavy in the air. She wondered how two souls so intricately linked could diverge so drastically along different paths.

Logan’s voice was barely a whisper. “How did you hide from me? Why did you? When did you turn dark?”

CHAPTER 12

Lothos sneered at Logan. His silence was meant to inflict more pain on a now-gaping wound in his soul. He never thought he would think this, but he wished his brother had died in that attack.

As Logan’s gaze locked with his twin’s, a surge of conflicting emotions coursed through him like a storm in his soul. The shock of seeing Lothos standing before him was enough to send a shiver down his spine. But what chilled him to the core was the darkness that now clouded his brother’s once-bright eyes.

Had Lothos fallen victim to the machinations of the dark dragon’s web of deceit and corruption on his own? Or had he been subjected to unspeakable horrors, tortured until his very essence was twisted and warped beyond recognition? The questions rolled through Logan’s mind, but he knew deep down that no answer would bring solace; no explanation could mend the gaping hole in his heart.

For his twin, the brother he had loved and cherished, had turned to the shadows, embracing a darkness that afflicted their race.

The weight of his resolve settled heavily upon his shoulders,a burden he bore with grim determination. As much as it pained him, he understood that there could be no redemption for his brother, no salvation from the abyss into which he had descended. Logan steeled himself for the battle that lay ahead, knowing that he would have to face his twin in combat to keep his mate safe.

“What happened to you, Lothos? Our home was destroyed, and you were never seen again,” Logan said.

Lothos stroked his beard, obviously enjoying Logan’s torment.

Lothos snorted. “That wasn’t our home. It was our parents’. They chose to leave us. We should have let the place rot, but you wanted to maintain it for hundreds of years after their death.”

“We grew up there. How can you not call it our home?”

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