Page 72 of King of Knights

“As you know, my brothers and I have not had mates. We have been discovered in the past and bound to a family here and there. We’ve never served them for long. Greed and foolishness have been their downfall each time.

“We cannot deny the bond once discovered and we cannot harm our master,” he says the wordmasterwith disgust. “Your great-great-grandfather was the one to find us.

“It was in the nineteen twenties. He walked right up to me as if someone told him exactly where to find me. He knew the words to speak and when to speak them.

“We have been in servitude to the Ricci family since. While gangsters from that time have fallen and others have risen and done the same, your family has only ever prospered because of us.

“There is one thing I think has been a result of my father. The bond has been more of a curse to the master in question. In order to hold us, there has to be a male heir. The problem is, the bond will ensure no males are born to the master, thereby freeing us from the bond.”

“Which is why my father wanted to marry me off.”

He kisses my forehead. “I do believe so.”

I look into his eyes. “But you have your mates now. What does that mean?”

“If we find our mate while bonded in servitude, we cannot be held. The bond will run out. When it does, all prosperity and good fortune is lost.”

“Oh, now I get it. I was a pawn to keep you. The irony.” I laugh sleepily.

“He loves you,”Venus says sadly.

“What makes you say that?”

“That was more than he has ever told me about his parents. I had to read old text to learn the things I knew.”

“That was a long time ago. Maybe he’s just had time to heal.”

“He loves you. We should both be able to accept that. Once we find Yanique, I will take my leave.”

“Venus?”She doesn’t reply.“Venus.”

I sigh. I would like to believe we’ve become friends. Hearing her sound so dejected makes my heart ache for her.

I’m just about to lose consciousness when Kendrick stiffens beneath me. I open my eyes to find a hard look on his face.

“What is it?”

“Stay here.”

Visitor

Ihave always believed Reilly to be the most unique of us all. His touch is truly one of a god. From childhood, he learned to keep his composure, to keep his powers in check.

Reilly is the only one whose powers cannot be fully concealed by blessed iron. He can lock down his lowest levels of power, but the others he keeps concealed on his own. Without a level head, this isn’t possible for him to do.

In his anger, death pulses from him. All it takes is one touch. If you have power, he will kill it—stripping it from your being, never to return unless he wills it.

Once your power is gone, with the snap of his fingers, he can take your life’s essence completely. If you are mortal, he will end your days with but a whisper. He is the yin and yang of life.

In his most peaceful moments, he breathes life. Walking upon barren lands, he will bring them back to vibrance and vitality. This is why the brothers are calling for me to help.

Reilly, for some reason, has lost his temper. He’s tearing the clubhouse up and no one wants to restrain him for fear of the death his touch could bring. Death to their power or death everlasting.

I am the only one who has ever been able to restrain him when he’s like this and even I have suffered consequences. I couldn’t fully release or transform for a week once. Another time, I lost control over the elements for a year.

Each time, I hid it from him, knowing the guilt he felt for losing his temper. While he could have undone the damage, I know him well enough to know it would have done more harm to him than what was done to me.

I enter the lounge area he’s currently wrecking. Immediately, I can see why the brothers have evacuated this level. His anger is pulsing off him. My powers are straining against his aura. I’m glad I left Ray upstairs.

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