Page 20 of Owned

“We don’t,” I said. “Bastian’s right. They’ll do all the work for us.”

The room had begun to empty around us, but every glance over a shoulder was a dagger aimed our way.

“Cowards.” Bastian spit out the word like poison as he strode from the chamber and headed toward the stairs that would lead us out of the catacombs and back to the surface.

Valen’s expression was grim as he met my eyes. “Titus—.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” I snarled.

Lucian couldn’t know what we had planned—but I wondered if he could sense the blood magic that now bound us to Avril.

To his future bride.

Valen’s lip curled at my rebuke and he turned on his heel to follow Bastian, leaving me alone with the dead man sprawled on the blood-soaked stones.

“Clean this up,” I spat at one of the Council members. “Get it the fuck out of my sight and cleanse this space—I don’t want to be able to sense any trace of what happened here the next time the Council is called to assemble.”

“Of course—”

Cloaked figures sprang forward to do my bidding, and I turned away rather than watch them.

My footsteps echoed off the stone walls as I followed my brothers. They’d be waiting in the parking lot.

Lucian could find his own way back to Withermarsh.

Bastian’s words repeated in my mind.

“Let them tear each other apart.”

They would.

And Lucian would revel in the chaos.

Let him.

We needed time to plan.

As long as whatever happened kept his eyes off us and his focus distracted from what was happening under his own roof—that was good enough for me.

I’d been lookingfor them for what seemed like hours—but the house had been strangely empty.

Cavernous.

The garage was empty and dark, and even the pale violet glow of my magic hadn’t brought me any comfort as I ventured inside.

The secret room beneath the mansion—empty.

Titus’ room. Valen’s loft.

Empty.

The library was the last option.

The doors were slightly ajar and the warmth of firelight spilled into the hallway.

Rage pounded in my ears as I approached the room. The low murmur of masculine voices reached my ears. I should havetaken some relief at finding them… but there was only anger and desperation clawing for dominance within my chest.

Finally.

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