27. TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-TWO

Kian

"Yeah,heactuallyused shadows to, um, hide us, but he took me here.” Wren’s face was bright red as she ran her finger across the desk that we sat in on the first floor of the library.

My brows furrowed as I adjusted the glasses on the bridge of my nose. “He took you here?”

“Yeah, like, took me.” Her voice raised an octave.

Took her?

My heart lurched to my throat. Oh. Took her.

“Are you serious? You know what? Of course you are. That actually makes total sense with Damien. I mean, I figured he’d be into something like that. And I’m honestly kind of surprised he hasn’t done that to you before.”

“Kian,” she mumbled, shutting her textbook with a thud as she glared at me. “You’re not supposed to defend him.”

“I don’t mean to upset you. I’m just saying that… It sounds fun. I mean, I bet you had fun. I mean, you came, right? He made sure you were… pleased?” My heart pounded in my chest as I bit my lip and looked up at her cautiously. I’d hoped I explained that correctly.

She giggled and rolled her eyes. “Yes. He always makes sure I do. You all do.”

“Good.” I cleared my throat, pulling at my tie.

“Thorn spoke with his brother, and they’ve arranged everything for the crystal extraction.”

Thorn had actually told me earlier today since he was supposed to be at our study session, but his brother wanted to go over a few things with him for when we go and obtain the crystal.

She reached over and grabbed my hand.

“What’s wrong?”

Her hand trembled in mine, and her eyes glossed over. “I was just wondering… have you tried looking for my dad at all?”

I lowered my head as I met her sad gaze and nodded. “I have, sweetheart. I see a flash of someone, and I think it’s your father. If it is, he looks okay, but I can’t be sure where he is.”

Wren ran a hand through her long hair a few times before sighing. “Yeah, that’s what Blair said.”

“I’ll keep looking. I won’t stop looking until he finds you or we find him. Okay?” I squeezed her hand tighter.

“Thank you, Kian.” She swallowed hard.

“So, was Damien able to get the specimen to do anything?” I sensed her need for a subject change, and Damien’s torture methods seemed to be a good alternative.

“No, but he didn’t really expect to be able to… Kian, you know, I wanted to apologize to you about how I acted when I had dark magic inside of me—”

I interrupted her with a heavy sigh. “Sweetheart, you’ve apologized before, and my answer is going to be the same. You have nothing to apologize for. I love you, and you couldn’t help the influence that it had over you. In all honesty, you fought it really well. I’m proud of you.”

I moved my other hand up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

‘I’m getting really tired of you guys ignoring me.’Nightshade huffed, crossing his little arms over his chest as he flicked his tail between our books.

We broke apart with nervous laughter, and Wren poked his nose. “Sorry, Shade.”

‘It’s okay, mistress,’he practically purred.

“Thank you, though, Kian. I needed to hear that.” Her gaze flicked back to mine as relief swooped through the bond.

Safe place. Wren was my safe place.

“I had a vision about my father,” I blurted, glancing down.

She slipped out of her chair and into my lap in one movement that made my heart flutter. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she pressed her forehead against mine. “What was it about?”

“He and Claude were talking to Roak about the relic. Roak seems to think that the Necromancer Village can figure out a way to control the dark magic inside of the relic so it only takes magic at will.”

“Is that even possible?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea. I suppose since the creator was also a necromancer, he thinks they should be able to do it. All I do know is that consorting with the dragons is practically a death sentence.”

“He’s still your father, so of course it still hurts.”

I pulled her closer and inhaled her bearberry and snow scent, the combination lessening some of the tension tightening my frame. “It does, but the father I knew died when my mother did. I just wish my mother wasn’t a corpse.”

Empathy glazed over her eyes as she pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “I love you, Kian. We’re going to figure this out and put your mother’s body to rest.”

My Adam’s apple bobbed in my throat. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

For an arctic shifter, she was always so warm. All her mates just wanted to give her the world, but we had to make sure the world was at peace first.