“But I need you to let Zamorra have control now. She’s trying isn’t she? She’s pushing for it?”
The last thing she wanted was to give up control. What if she got locked away again? Just the very thought made her tremble with anger. She needed to be in power. The idea of handing it over made her twitchy. Paranoid. Anxious.
Luther sensed that. He sensed the unease flitting through her at the figures surrounding her, encroaching on her space. He held a hand up, signalling them not to come any closer.
“Ignore everyone else. Just focus on me. I know you don’t want to give up control. You’ve been forced down not once, but twice. I get that you’re worried if you hand over control, you might never get it back; that you’ll be locked away again. But I promise you, I will never let that happen again. You can trust me to take care of you. Both of you. Let go, Little Alpha.”
The anxiety in her heart and mind disappeared at his words, the soothing sound of his voice helping to calm her chaotic emotions. She released control and shimmered away.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
Zamorra’s footsteps echoed throughout the small space with each step she took down the stone staircase, the angry, looming presence behind her a constant reminder Luther was not happy she was doing this.
Droplets of water trickled down the walls. A dark, rancid smell lingered in the air, seeping into her nostrils and making her nose wrinkle. The further down she went, the worse the stench became, until she felt like she was going to puke. For once, she hated her heightened sense of smell.
“You know you don’t have to do this,” Luther said, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine.
Oh, he was beyond mad. He wasfurious.He didn’t want her down here, anywhere near them. If it were up to him, she’d be locked away in a room somewhere, far away from any danger.
After her werewolf relinquished control back to her, she’d spent the day getting her bearings. Understanding and processing everything that happened. And Luther stayed plastered to her side the entire time. Not that she minded. She liked his growly, overprotective side. It gave her all the tingles.
Some might find it overbearing, smothering. But not her. It made her feel loved. Treasured. After being alone since she was sixteen, it was nice having someone in her corner.
“I know I don’thaveto. I want to. You’ve got to relax. They can’t do anything to me when they’re locked down there.”
When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she nodded in greeting at the dark mage on guard duty standing next to the archway into the next room. He nodded back, waving a glowing red hand through the air. The force field protecting the entrance flashed red before blinking away. She walked ahead, heading for the rows of cells along the back wall that held Faxon and the other fae warriors, always conscious of Luther’s dark, angry mood behind her.
When the Ancestrals opened the portal and no one came through, they went on the offensive, sending Thaddeus, Ryker, Elias and Lenore to help. And thank God they did. Without them, they would have been stranded, stuck for who knows how long in a world filled with enemies.
Once the chaos from their return settled down, she was given a complete rundown of everything that happened after she was taken by the fae—including an update on the whereabouts of her brothers. Turned out they bolted the first chance they got. No surprise there. They fled to Italy, hiding behind the Shifter Regent of Europe, Matteo. Iris managed to somehow survive the fae attack and she told Zvetari where they could find Roman, who was still in deep hibernation thanks to his injuries. Without blood, he was slowly withering away. He was on the brink of death when he was found and was now recovering in a state of the art med bay.
The light mage also removed the silver cuff locked around her wrist and apologised profusely for the role she played in Zamorra’s confinement.
Zamorra accepted the apology. She understood why Iris had done it, and she didn’t hold any anger towards her. Luckily, they managed to find Iris’ daughter locked away in one of the thousands of rooms located on Barnabas’ Estate. Zamorra was glad the two had been reunited.
With the fae invasion imminent, the Ancestrals called a worldwide council meeting to inform the supernatural world of the coming war. The Ancestrals would address them all at once, and from that point on, everything would change. It would no longer be vampires vs shifters or demons vs mages. They would all have to come together to defeat the fae. Otherwise they were all doomed.
Faxon tracked her approach with angry eyes, an air of arrogance surrounding him. He sat with perfect posture on the cot, his back ramrod straight and arms resting lightly on his thighs. He was no longer wearing the fae golden armour. Instead, a pair of grey sweats covered his body, a few sizes too big for his athletic frame.
She stopped in front of his cell and crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s Faxon, right?”
He didn’t answer; just stared at her with a look of pure contempt.
“I’m Zamorra,” she began, sitting down on the cold, hard floor, “from what I’ve been told, you haven’t said a word since Lenore dragged your ass through the portal. Doesn’t feel good, does it? Being dragged to another world against your will?”
Faxon stayed silent, not uttering a single word. That was okay. Zamorra had enough words for the both of them. She was a regular Chatty Cathy.
“For some reason, the OGs thinkImight be able to get you to talk. No idea why. It’s not like you and I are besties or anything. Maybe it’s because I’m the only one who’s actually heard you talk before. Or maybe it’s because I’ve got a real knack for getting people to open their mouths, even if it’s just to tell me to ‘shut the hell up’. Whatever the reason, I’m here now. You might as well talk to me. Otherwise, I’ll just keep chatting away.”
Getting to his feet, Faxon slinked to the iron bars that separated them, his narrowed eyes never once leaving hers.
A deep growl rumbled from above her. She looked up, seeing Luther standing over her like a seriously pissed off guardian angel. Only, he wasn’t an angel. More like the devil.
She leaned back against his powerful legs, making him look down at her. She gave him a bright, beaming smile. “You’re so tense,” she whispered.
“Wonder why,” he grunted, glaring back at Faxon. Luther made it clear he did not trust the fae. Even though the room was Warded, prohibiting them from using their powers, he refused to let his guard down around them.
“Nothing is going to happen. Not with all that magic floating around in the air.”