Page 15 of Magic Claimed
He threw his gaze at me in challenge. I had no more wish to be his mate than he had to be mine. There really was nothing to think about other than how fast I’d get away. “I’ll do it. Whatever. You want.”
Alrick’s mouth thinned as he stared his Second down. “The only reason you’re not flat on your back on the floor with a broken nose is that will scare her.”
Jarom smirked, “Somehow I think little scares her.”
All of this bickering was one thing, but Esoti wouldn’t wait and I could barely breathe. “Tell me. What to do. Then let me. Go.”
The muscle ticked at Alerick’s jaw as he clenched his teeth. He placed me on the couch and paced the length of the room while I ignored Jarom’s icy stare and did my best to breathe.
Surely he could feel that I wanted to be their mate as much as he did through the fledgling bond. If he should be angry with anyone, it should be himself for not keeping his hands to himself.
“What I’m about to tell you is high treason. Are you sure you want to proceed?” Alerick said.
I nodded. Whatever this was, their secret was safe with me. Esoti rarely asked me anything, probably thinking I had nothing to say. Being invisible had its perks as everyone looked past me and forgot I was there most days.
Alerick hesitated and I wished he’d get on with it. My fingers unconsciously grazed the constricting metal. Alerick’s expression tightened.
“Are you privy to Esoti’s movements? In particular, do you know when and where he receives visitors and if he makes unplanned journeys from the castle?” Alerick asked.
“Yes.” I was absent when the wolves came and on any errands he had me run. Other than that, I was close at Esoti’s side. Especially when The Six came to visit. I shuddered, thinking of them. Those were the days he kept me closer than usual.
“Are you all right, my mate?” Eike said.
“I’m fine.” I stiffened when he reached for me as though he couldn’t stop himself. He was dangerous. I could get used to someone caring how I felt, touching me because they wanted to, not forced by Fate. He deserved to find a female who would genuinely care for him. I was not that person. I never would be that person. I didn’t know how to be anything other than what I was. “No time. Hard to. Breath.”
“Then we shall continue before our mate suffocates. Alerick?” Jarom said.
“We want to know his movements. All of them, no matter how insignificant you think they are,” Alerick said, his jaw clenching.
If these wolves wanted to assassinate Esoti, they wouldn’t be the first. There’d been a few over the years. The would-be assassins usually met grizzly ends when they were inevitably caught, and Esoti always came out on top. He wasn’t the only one of The Six who had attempts made on their lives either. They were untouchable. Untouchable and unstable. “Immortal. Can’t be. Killed.”
“All we’re asking for is information,” Alerick said.
“Kill you,” I said. Surely they knew the risks. Esoti might not stop at the Alpha and his seconds. Esoti could take out their entire families to make a statement.
“Not if you don’t tell him,” Jarom said.
“Has ways. He’ll know,” I said. Esoti wasn’t just magical. Hecommandedmagic. It imbued every cell in his body. His magic was born from the original ancient magic directly from the Fae kingdom. “Power of. The Six.”
If these wolves managed to take down Esoti, there were another five beings as strong and powerful as him to get through. Together, they were indestructible. They looked out for each other. Being alive for millennia together, they were a family of sorts. An insane, evil, immoral family.
The Six forced all shifters to live in poverty and work hard for humans, so I could see their motivation. If I’d discovered a way to end Esoti and The Six, I would have done it a long time ago. Gods knew I’d dreamed of ending his existence. I wanted it so badly I could taste it.
“What if I were to tell you there was a way?”” Alerick said.
“Suicide,” I whispered.
Alerick ploughed his fingers through his hair. A muscle ticked at his jaw as his stare bored into me, weighing me up. “Many good men have lost their lives for this information and if I didn’t have to ask you to do this, I wouldn’t. Jarom is right. We need your help. What we know could end the reign of The Six.”
“Nothing ends. Reign of The Six,” I said. Apart from being indestructible, they took great pains to fortify their territories.
“The magical need to renew their power once a year to remain strong and The Six are no different,” Anise said.
I didn’t keep the surprise from my face. If that was true, it was the most closely held secret I’d discovered. Nobody magical would call attention to themselves by speaking about a weakness like that. Especially The Six.
“This information has been tracked over years and pieced together. Once a year, The Six must congregate to renew their power together,” Eike said.
“At that time, they will be at their weakest,” Anise said.
