Page 107 of Demon Found

“I . . . I wouldn’t mind,” Hewie says quietly. “I don’t trust myself otherwise. I’d have to take drastic action.”

Farrell snaps his gaze from Zephyr to the banshee, looking at him like he just met an alien.

“Seriously?”

“Oh, I take the protection of the last aether very seriously, sir. And your allegiance of five too.”

Chano growls and Hewie shrinks back.No luck, Hewie heard that part too.

“Fine.” I let out a tired sigh. “This is mostly to protect me. I’ll make the call. Zephyr, with Hewie’s permission please perform the binding. Wait, it’s not the slave-binding?”

“No, Lori. Not that.” Zephyr smiles sadly. “My research into it taught me enough to perform other types.”

Chano’s eyes narrow, and he pounces on Zephyr without warning. The two roll sideways, bashing into the desk and the beds before ending in a heap at my feet. Farrell simply crosses his arms and watches, expression impassive.

“A little help, Farrell?” Zephyr yelps as Chano’s weight pins him to the ground.

Farrell inspects his fingernails. “You’re the one who’s been taking the piss out of me for losing to this goliath at the Fight Club. You’re on your own.”

Within seconds Chano has Zephyr immobilized. He forces Zephyr’s head sideways and passes a hand over the nape of his neck, muttering an incantation. Farrell’s expression changes to panic and with two short strides he throws himself into the melee. Chano doesn’t move an inch despite the mass of spitting wyvern on top of him. A little burn of pride lights in the pit of my stomach.

“Now you fucking get it?” Zephyr snarls.

It’s too late. Chano’s spell completes, and Zephyr’s slave brand appears—an angry red mark on his pale skin. With a gasp, Chano falls backward, slipping off Zephyr and landing sprawled on the floor.

“I thought you were friends. But you, you’re a monster.” He glares at Farrell.

“It’s not like that.” Zephyr takes a wheezing breath. “Wasn’t Farrell. It was his father.”

Realization plumes across Chano’s face like a thunderstorm. He pulls me down to the floor with him, taking deep labored breaths in through my hair. I tilt his face toward me, peering into his eyes. Is he pissed that I knew?

“The Virrey gets nowhere near Lorelei. Agreed?” The half a second silence is too long for Chano’s temper. “AGREED?” he bellows, his tail materializing and lashing side to side.

Everyone in the room starts out of their shock, nodding fervently. Pissed-off Chano is hellishly scary.

“You should add that to the binding.” Hewie’s thin voice breaks through all our separate thoughts. Zephyr nods tersely and stands, tossing his long hair back and glaring at Chano. It’s not like Chano caused this.

My thoughts drift as Zephyr prepares his things for the spell.

I have to fight my brother. Seth. I have to think of him as Seth. He’s not my flesh and blood, and he’s betrayed me beyond redemption. Our pairing was not an accident. Heknewit was happening. And he wanted me to know that he was in on it. That creepy wave. I have no brother. I have no brother. I repeat it to myself, drumming it into my head.

I have no brother.

Chapter Fifty-four: Lorelei

“Youneedtotakea few days off,” Zephyr insists. “We all do. We’ve got study leave now, then we’re back for the exam diet. I vote we all take the long weekend holiday to unwind. You can’t cram everyday between now and the exams.”

“Watch me!”

He perches on my desk, blocking me from my books, earning himself a glare.

He’s probably right. I’m frazzled. A few days away from this place would be amazing. But it’s not like I have anywhere to go. “Fine. You’re right. A few days of doing nothing.”

Zephyr punches the air while Naeve does a little penguin dance, making me giggle.

She drags out her suitcase and starts packing enthusiastically. They weren’t going home unless I gave the okay? That’s sweet but entirely unnecessary.

“No packing any books,” Zephyr says as I reach for my pile again.

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