Page 307
“She’ll never know what hit her, Brand.” Her words were mumbled, Luna already half asleep. “You’ll see.”
Brand hardly registered it. He didn’t give a single fuck about Okthana when the only thing he had eyes for, the only thing he could see was his blessed mate.
And the two, shimmering puncture marks above her breast, glowing amidst her softness and scars.
Thaddeus followed his father down into the Keep’s cellar, Caius darting wary glances every time someone blew by in the chaos. At the bottom of the dank staircase, his da relaxed, his broad shoulders sagging, and Thad finally felt like he could breathe again.
“What are we doing down here, da?”
Caius shook his head, scrubbing a hand down his face. “I hope you can forgive me lad, but I lied about the dreadbeasts in the north. I knew some of your cousins would be around, maybe even Lyriat, and I didn’t want to cause a kerfuffle if it turned out to be nothing.”
“If what turned out to be nothing?”
His father waved a hand to follow and led him on a weaving path through the Keep’s decimated stores. Thad dodged torn sacks and broken barrels until they reached the nearly empty ale vault beyond where, at the far end, there was a massive hole in the wall.
Thad’s stomach clenched. No matter how drunk he’d been when sneaking around with Mag to pilfer snacks, he would’ve noticed that. Sure as shite, that opening in the stone wasn’t there before.
—Nay, sweet one. We would remember—
Can’t decide if your reassurances worry me more or make me feel better. I feel like I’m going mad.
—You’re hale as ever, my lad. Just tread carefully. The air is…foul in the space beyond—
Aye, Sorcha, and no mistake.
Smelled like arse and rotting flowers had made an ugly baby and left it there to rot, the stench getting worse the closer he got to the opening.
“What is this?”
“A maid came to report that she passed Vann on her way out, which is fucking off for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is that he was meant to be with you.” Caius pinched his brow. “Found this when I came down and immediately summoned you because if your own cousin is crooked, you’re the only one I can trust anymore. I needed you safe, and I needed help. Here we are.”
Shite. Vann was with him. But he apparently left suddenly and, now that Thad thought about it, it was some time since he actually laid eyes on him.
“I think we’re about to discover an ugly truth, lad.” Caius sighed, looking absolutely sick over it. “Let’s hope it at least leads us to something that makes it worth it, aye?”
Thad nodded, thoughts spinning. “You sure you want to go down there just the two of us?”
“No, I don’t fucking want to,” he snapped, mood changing just like that. “I just don’t see any other choice with all the other shite going on.”
He fought the urge to roll his eyes. His father had been like this, flopping between fine and not, ever since his mother died. Foaming at the mouth one minute, entirely pleasant the next. Even worse the last few months. Understandable, considering the absolute state their realm was in, but still. It gave Thad the cold creeps every time, never knowing which version he was going to get.
“What do you need me to do?” he asked, doing his best to remain neutral to avoid more of his father’s ire.
“Just keep quiet and stay close.”
Thad followed him in, his feet sure as they followed the sloped ground into the murky dark. “Shite,” he murmured, his voice disappearing into the tunnel with an eerie, muffled echo. “Do you think we should—”
His father turned on him and hissed, “Fairly certain I told you to keep quiet, Thaddeus.”
“Aye.” He ground his teeth together. “Sorry, Da. I figured we might make a plan of some sort before we venture too far into the clammy damned hole that shouldn’t be here.”
He regretted his sass almost immediately, bracing himself for Caius to lash out again.
“We’ve likely got a long walk ahead of us,” his father said, bland as anything. “I suggest you save your breath for when we reach whatever destination.”
“All I wanted—”
Caius had Thad pinned to the wall so fast his head spun. “I said, save it,” he growled, looking every which way like someone might be listening.
