Page 159 of Gift from the Source
“I don’t know what you’re—”
“Maxima is here.”
That seems to sink in.
His feet stop moving, but his eyes bounce around the room wildly as though he’ll catch a glimpse of his brother.
“Not in this room, but we have him. He’s safe and his rune’s been removed.”
His chest rises and falls rapidly before he collects himself and starts moving us once more. Out my right eye, I spot Cas moving closer to us and I shake my head at him. I’m sure our pause in dancing and the silence between us spurred them all to move in.
“I saw the creature with all of you. It’s true you have his allegiance.”
“His name is Keeper, and you’ll not call him a creature again,” I growl.
“I don’t mean to offend you, but I’ve seen what it is he’s done. I’ve experienced it,” he says back firmly but with no hate behind it. That’s the only reason I don’t break his hand right now.
“I have seen as well. We all have had to do and endure things we didn’t wish to. He had no choice. There was a cord embedded in his neck that would’ve beheaded him at the first sign of treachery. He’s free now and has vowed to remove any of the runes placed.”
His eyes widen and lock onto mine once again. I nod, answering his silent question.
“It can all end tonight for you and Dillon. You can be free of them. Join Maxima. There’s no need for you all on the inside anymore. I can promise you, they will get what they deserve. But you don’t have to be a slave anymore to give it to them.”
“Is what she’s saying true?” another familiar voice says from behind us.
“Dillon, you’re supposed to be—”
“The bitch is running her mouth. Not the least bit concerned with us. We have our orders to speak with the Awaiting Matriarch and that’s what she believes we’re doing. Is what she’s saying true?”
Dillon’s tone is on the edge of desperation. His face is impassive for anyone onlooking, but his aura can’t lie. Even if Pran may still be on the fence, Dillon wants this to be the truth badly.
“Yes, I believe so.”
“I swear to you I am telling the truth,” I say to Pran before turning my full attention to Dillon. “You told my dad the day he died that your needfor revenge had morphed into a sense of responsibility to the realm because of him. You said the two of you would always honor your loyalty to him and any who came after. It was a vow. My Nexus is his after.”
“Stay on your path, Dillon. It will lead you where you need to go,” he says quietly, mimicking the words CC said to him. And I finish them for him.
“My time has come.”
“I would say so,” he mumbles before looking at Pran. “I’m tired, brother.”
“As am I,” Pran breathes, then looks at me. “We do still hold our vow to Orien and we will honor it, but from this point on, it’ll be from the side you stand on. We won’t be much help until our chains are removed.”
“I can have that arranged,” I say.
“Thank you, Willow Vito,” he says, bowing his head.
“Tell him…tell him you need Vicki Gale’s secret. I advise you not to let the guys hear for now,”CC says. The mixture of rage and sadness in his voice hits me like a ton of bricks.
If the guys aren’t supposed to hear this right now, I don’t believe I want this secret.
“I’ll have Tillman and Corentin arrange the finer details here in a moment. We have a lot of questions that’ll be best asked away from here and they’ll need to arrange removing you discreetly, but I need you to tell me something first.” I wait for his nod, then swallow the nerves CC caused to rise in my throat down. I close my mind off to my men, and whisper, “I need Vicki’s secret.”
Shatter.
That’s the only word I know to use to describe how his eyes just shut down. The hate, regret, and disgust rolling off him is potent enough, I’m actually catching a touch of it.
“I’m so sorry,” he mumbles before leaning in close and whispering in myear.
