Khol

Khol

Everyone looks at us, and I shift uneasily, the weight of Khal’s glare anchoring me to the spot. He folds his arms across his chest—a clear sign he’s not letting this go—and I can’t blame him. My hand runs through my hair, a nervous gesture that betrays my guilt.

Ignoring this side of the Veil wasn’t my intent when we headed to Faerie for the tour; it just happened.

“Give us a second,” I say as I jerk my head at my twin. He rolls his eyes, but both girls look pleased, so we walk off behind the trailer where the bloodsucker and our Fae disappeared earlier. I guess this is the ‘talking’ spot, and by the way Louie pokes his head out, then throws his hands up to walk away in a snit. We should get on with this.

“I know I should’ve checked in more,” I start, avoiding Khal’s penetrating gaze. “You’re right, and I’m sorry.”

He huffs, the sound sharp in the charged silence. I press on, feeling a responsibility that has been mine since we were kids fighting for scraps in the alleyways.

“Khal, I never meant to leave you holding everything together.” There’s a raw edge to my voice as I say it, an acknowledgment of the burden I’ve placed on him. His eyes soften just a fraction, but his stance remains rigid.

“Taking some time off... I thought it wouldn’t hurt. You know, with us hopping realms and all.” I let out a dry chuckle, though humor feels out of place. “But you didn’t expect it and weren’t ready for the overload. That’s my fault. But when we get back from all this… shit… we have to sit down and figure out how to mitigate the work load. Things have changed…we’ve got families and that will mean we need to re-jigger the responsibilities equally.”

The word ‘families’ reminds us of our journey and the increased stakes.

“You’re right. I had no idea how much shit you field day-to-day until now.”

“Once we’re rid of Uncle Krystos,” I say, my resolve hardening, “we’ll sit down, hash out the business stuff. Fair and square, for both our sakes.”

Khal nods slowly, the tension in his shoulders ebbing away. It’s not forgiveness, not yet, but it’s a start. With the specter of our uncle looming over us, I know reconciliations are premature, but it’s a promise I intend to keep.

For now, it’s enough.

Giving my twin a side hug, I grin. “Time to go back out and answer your question.”

“No surprise you stole the show—as usual—and now you want to circle back to me,” he says wryly. “But you’re right; we have bigger things to focus on.”

Everyone gives us a wide berth until Khal heads to his seat without incident and I drop back onto the Fae’s lap next to our girl. I know this is probably raising a few brows, but honestly? She’ll feel better with us closer and will never say it out loud. Sitting here makes it easy for her to have most of us nearby.

“The story you guys told about the portal wigs me out,” I admit. My blood runs cold at the thought—Khal and his lot tumbling through space, landing in a godforsaken ice cave.

It’s one thing to toy with trinkets in Faerie; another entirely to orchestrate an entire landscape as a trap.

“You think it freaked you out,” Torben mutters as he takes a drink of his beer.

“How did… whoever… arrange it?” I mutter in confusion. “How did they know Feray would take the bait? The scent trail, the lure—it wasn’t a sure bet, so it wasn’t happenstance.”

“There’s a purpose here, something designed that requires our presence, our eyes on whatever twisted spectacle they’ve set up. We’re all pawns on someone else’s board,” Dezi says as shakes his head.

“Revelin,” I prompt, needing to piece more of this together. “Tell them about our… portal thingy.”

Revelin, regal as ever despite the circumstances, unfolds the story with the grace of a courtier. “The ball was splendid, but after fending off some old handsy royals, Fiadh needed a time out.” He glosses over details that might reveal our time skip, but the story still holds. He describes the vase—a goblin-forged relic, exuding a silver glow like moonlight—and I can almost see it, feel the tug of its otherworldly charm.

But I’m not the one who touched it, so why is it pulling at my gut? Fucking weird.

As Rev talks, I’m still nursing the soreness where Khal’s punch landed—a bruise that’ll serve as a reminder of today’s frictions. Fi’s gaze flits to me, a silent message not to dwell on it. I arch a brow at her, but she just smirks. She understands the unspoken pact between me and Khal: family scuffles are ours to resolve. We wouldn’t get in between her and Feray, either.

Diaval and Dezi exchange one of their cryptic looks as Revelin finishes. They possess a silent language that speaks volumes in the arch of an eyebrow or the flicker of a glance. I have no idea what the hell they’re talking about, but I’m sure it’s some sort of mythical old dude shit. Meanwhile, Torben and Tiernan radiate calm in the storm, their postures relaxed as they listen. The phoenix watches us all carefully, but he’s studying the map as the sisters go over it together.

Fi’s marked map of Briarvale has magic hotspots noted, and my mate points to them with slender fingers. Her sister nods in agreement as they plot our next moves in a world that seems to shift beneath our feet. It makes me smile to see them jump right back into their groove without missing a beat; even if this stupid time jump is a bad thing, giving them a bit of sister time is worth it.

“An entire grid of possibilities,” Fi mumbles, more to herself than anyone else, her finger lingering over a pulsing point on the parchment.

“Where to begin?” I echo, feeling the weight of decisions yet made. “That’s the question, Sassy.”

We’re all pieces on the board as Dezi said, but if they think us mere tokens to be shuffled and spent, they’ve underestimated the cunning of this combined family. We’ll navigate the treacherous terrain of Briarvale, uncover their schemes, and turn the game back upon them.

I’d bet my favorite leathers on that, and I take that shit seriously.

Dezi’s voice slashes through the tension like a commander rallying his troops. “We can’t continue to linger,” he declares, his eyes scanning over us with that authoritative glint I’ve seen countless times on our party bus. He strides forward, his hand outstretched for the marker Fiadh holds. With swift, decisive movements, he divides the map into sections, each grid a territory we must scour for clues. “Time is not our ally,” he adds, pressing the tip of the marker onto the parchment as if punctuating the urgency.

“Explain,” Tiernan urges, his voice threading with the same haste that has crept into Dezi’s actions. His gaze is locked onto the vampire, waiting for him to explain his statement.

Fiadh steps closer, her words quick and low. “Tonight, the veil between worlds thins. It’s not just about Faerie—it’s every realm. If there’s a moment ripe for disaster, it’ll be as the energy peaks.” Her eyes meet mine, and there’s a flicker of something solemn there. Revelin nods in agreement, and even from here, I can see the gears turning behind his thoughtful expression.

They’re worried some big magic hoo-doo is going down tonight and we’ll be caught up in it.

A shiver runs down my spine, but it’s not from fear—it’s instinct. The air crackles with an unseen force, and I find myself hissing softly, almost imperceptibly, tasting the electric prelude to mayhem on my tongue. Beside me, Khal mirrors the gesture, his own senses attuned to the shift in the atmosphere. We exchange a glance, no words necessary; we both know this night’s hunt will be unlike any other.

“Samhain,” I murmur, half to myself, acknowledging the complexity of what lies ahead. The town will soon become a carnival of the supernatural, a masquerade where malice blends seamlessly with revelry. Distinguishing friend from foe amid the celebrations will take more than keen eyes—it will take all our wits.

I rub at the cuff encircling my wrist—a gift from Dezi meant for protection. The scent of fall leaves and bonfires mingles with the less tangible aromas of magic and moonlight, a herald to the festivities—and the dangers—that await us in the heart of Briarvale. Unsure if it will work here like in Faerie—magic differs, yet others show no concern.

Hopefully, it does its job here, too.

Sassy’s gaze sweeps across the room, her sharp eyes catching on the restless movements of our companions. Tiernan is shifting weight from one foot to the other, an uncharacteristic twitch in his usually stoic demeanor. Rev is thumping his leg under me, bouncing me a bit as his jitters get the best of him. The only one of us who is still is our fearless leader, but he’s a vampire and they’re so damn close to statues, anyway.

“Alright, everyone,” she begins, the authority in her voice cutting through the undercurrent of unease. “My guys are feeling the pull of Samhain’s energy. It’s stirring up more than just the dead tonight. If you haven’t noticed, everyone but Dezi is getting keyed up as the night goes on. That puts a bit of a deadline on this adventure, too.”

Revelin settles somewhat when he realizes what he was doing, though the air remains thick with tension. “Well, shit.”

Feray’s hand flies to her mouth, her eyes wide as she gestures towards Tiernan. “That’s why you can’t keep still! The holiday has you all wired through the bond.”

Fiadh nods solemnly, acknowledging the truth in Feray’s words. “Yes, and that energy could make us a little more... reactive.”

“Understatement of the century,” I interject with a snort. “The two of us are ‘punch first, ask questions later’ as it is.”

“Keep it together, Khol,” my witch chides me gently, though there’s no proper heat behind her words. She turns to Dezi, whose calm seems almost out of place among the fidgeting crowd. “I need you to help balance the teams. If things go sideways tonight, we’ll need level heads prevailing.”

Dezi nods, his expression unreadable but his resolve clear in the set of his jaw. “Consider it done, witchling. We’ll make sure everyone stays on task—and out of trouble.”

“Hopefully,” she adds with a wry grin, her eyes meeting each of ours. “Stay sharp, stay safe, and watch each other’s backs.”

“And use your damn phones,” Khal adds grumpily, making us all chuckle.

Man, my twin is really turning into a big bad now that he has a mate ; I’m kind of impressed.