Page 10 of Gift from the Source
“Let your beautiful chaos reign, Primary. Set the darkness free. Your light will shine through.”
My Nexus hums around me as the blessings that live within me stand at attention in my chest, ready to obey his command even before my own.
Surrounded by the protection and love of my men, we walk to the threshold of the double doors that started my torture. With a small glance over my shoulder, I raise my hand through the veil of shadows that continue to grow darker.
I command the power sitting on my fingertips to destroy it all.
Two
Willow
“What are we doing?” I ask as the five of us materialize outside right at the tree line that separates the two estates.
Everyone’s already standing around, waiting for us, and my head whips toward the sound of sloshing water before Gaster’s magic cuts the noise off with a silencing bubble.
I track the line of the robotic vacuum as it slowly makes its way around the crystal-clear pool, cleaning the nonexistent mess just as it always did every single morning.
Panic, a flashback, nor a shiver passes through me as I glare at the shimmering sight.
No. Those may be easier to manage than what I experience now.
Rage—the becoming all familiar emotion—burns through my blood as I recall what that piece of shit did to me that night.
How could he, anyone, be so vile to do that to someone who didn’t deserve that treatment? Just for catching an attitude. He knew there was a possibility I possessed the magic that does in fact run through me.
Was that just another way for him to see if he could forceit out of me?
“Look at me, little wanderer,” Draken commands softly, coming to stand in front of me to cut off my sight. “It’s just water, flowing broken and whole. You command it. It doesn’t command you.”
His soft words soothe the beast ruffling her beautiful body out in my chest, and I nod repeatedly as I latch onto the fire in his eyes that matches the flames burning in mine. The elusive but loving element living within me swirls, practically telling me to listen to my dragon man.
Never again will the water harm me.
Exhaling sharply on my last nod, I ask again, “What are we doing?”
“Fourteen of the fifteen inside wore the mark. The last was a nonmagical being contracted to work for the estate. House maintenance and whatnot. Gaster gave them a memory tonic and sent them on their way with instructions to go home and never come back here,” Tillman states and I smile appreciatively at him. I don’t need to ask about the other fourteen.
“That still doesn’t tell me what we’re doing out here rather than going under the house,” I say softly, and his eyes move to Corentin, so I follow his direction.
“According to the information we pulled from the others, the entry to get under the house from this estate is locked with an enchanted key that belongs to Drin. He took it with him when the Summum-Master collected him. We potentially could break through it, but they have no clue about the protections or wards in place that would react as soon as we broke through. We won’t have to face that going through the other estate,” Corentin says matter-of-factly.
“What makes that one—oh.” Realization instantly hits me when his eyes soften on me. “My blood will unlock the door or whatever through Donald’s estate.”
“Yeah, princess.”
Of course it will.
Rolling my eyes, I catch fidgeting out the corner of my glare, and the harsh breath that wanted to fall from my lips halts as I take in Trex’s jittery body. Codi is silently soothing him, standing right at his side, but I see the toll it’s taking on both of them.
It’s not just my blood we’re here to find.
That mental reminder instantly shoves away my anger at the sick and twisted shit I was put through. What happened here doesn’t matter anymore. Not in the sense that it’s forgivable or forgettable, but it’s not a barrier that should slow our mission anymore today.
The man who put me through hell and back isn’t inside. He’s back in my realm, and his days are numbered.
Right now, there’re two innocent men waiting to be reunited with their brothers and a stockpile of my blood that’s being used to do disgusting, unspeakable things.
That’s all that matters right now.
