10. Ten

Ten

Willow

"You don't have to see either of them. You can stay right in here with me, drink coffee, and stuff our faces. Let the guys handle the interrogation," Oakly says standing beside me, fixing me a cup of coffee with a calming tonic, in the kitchen at Rebel Castle.

Admittedly, when we got here a few minutes ago, I sensed Franklin's presence and I thought my breakfast was going to come up, so Corentin instructed us all to come in here and take a breath.

Rather than meeting at the academy like we normally would, Oakly, her guys, and Gaster were all at the mansion first thing this morning and we had breakfast together while the guys solidified the plan for today. It took major convincing, but I was finally able to talk them into letting me come in the room with them to talk to Trex.

Now I'm on the verge of throwing up and they're looking at me like they're preparing to rush me back home.

"No, I'm fine. Franklin's presence sent a bombardment of feelings through me when we first walked in. I didn't know or expect it to hit me so keenly, but I can block it out now that I know," I say sternly.

She and the others are paying ten times the amount of attention to everything I do and say right now, but I'm okay. I'm sick to my stomach thinking about what the evil Franklin is capable of and the atrocities he's already committed, but I don't have to see him today. That can wait a few more days.

"Come on then, Primary. Bring your drink and let's get this over with so I can kill him," Caspian demands darkly.

Giving Oakly a tight smile, I turn in his arms, and we walk out the door as the rest of the guys surround me. It's obvious, based on all their feelings, that's their plan. Gather as much information as they can from Trex, then end him, but something about that makes me incredibly uncomfortable. Like it or not, Trex isn't meant to die yet, and I guess I have to figure out why.

Walking down the corridor on the second floor, I'm prepared to take a right and head toward the interrogation rooms, when Draken gently grabs my arm and pulls me to the left, down a hall I've yet to see. Unlike the rest of the halls, this one is lined with bare stone. No cells, no other rooms, nothing but empty space. It just keeps going and going till a single left turn at the end leads us to a hazy doorway heavily guarded by Blaze and four other E.F. members.

"This is new," I murmur, staring at Trex as he lies back on his bed, more like a cot, twiddling his thumbs. He's not looking at or even focusing on the doorway. Unlike the other cells, he can't see out his door.

The room is incredibly scarce. There's a small toilet in the corner that poses no privacy, no illusion window, and that's it. His bed, the toilet, and a table in the center of the room.

"Max security cell. No one has access in or out but the five of us. The guards can only pass food and water through the barrier. They can't even enter fully. It serves as both his room and an interrogation room," Tillman informs me.

Nodding, because it makes sense they'd have Trex and Franklin on full lockdown, I continue to observe the barrier as Blaze dismisses the other E.F. members.

"Any issues?" Corentin asks him.

"None. He's done nothing but eat what's been provided to him, piss, then lie back in his bed."

"Stand by while we're in there," Tillman orders with a nod, then he and Corentin step through the shimmering barrier.

"You don't have to talk to him, little wanderer," Draken purrs softly.

"Yeah, I do. I don't know why yet, but I do," I tell him as I give his hand a comforting squeeze and we step through, Caspian close behind us.

"I'm only talking to her. Alone," Trex states firmly, sitting up from his bed with his eyes locked on mine.

"Not a fucking chance." Caspian sneers, taking a step toward him, but I latch on to his arm, pulling him back.

He could easily shake me off, but he doesn't. Instead, he looks down at me with eyes that scream ‘don't even fucking think about it.'

"Have Caspian conceal you all in the shadows in the room. I need to hear what he has to say."

"Little warrior—"

"Tillman, please. If he's only going to speak to me, we need to know what he has to say."

"Fine. But one wrong move and you know what will happen."

"I know."

"We'll give you a few minutes, but mark my words, you attempt any fucking thing, you'll be dead where you sit," Tillman says menacingly to Trex while he places his hand on Caspian's shoulder, telling him the plan.

There's a slight hesitation to all of them as they walk back through the barrier, each of them giving me long, worried looks, but seconds merely pass when I feel the energy change, knowing they've already come back in and are hiding under the cover of darkness.

Trex doesn't speak. We just stare at one another for an uncomfortable second before I finally break the silence.

"Will you come sit? I have some questions."

"If I move, can I expect to die within a few seconds?" he asks, arching a smart-ass brow.

"No, just don't make any sudden moves toward me," I say with a small twitch on my lips, knowing both Caspian and Draken are looking for an excuse.

Slowly, he rises from his bed and makes his way over to the table, seating himself just as gradually. His eyes roam all over me, both surprise and a small touch of relief evident when he doesn't see any of the damage done to my body. Honestly, his reaction confuses the fuck out of me.

"What are you doing, Trex?" I ask.

"That's a pretty stupid opening question. I'm imprisoned obviously."

I don't hide my frustration in the sigh I release, rolling my eyes because I see he's right back to his bullshit.

"Maybe letting them leave the room was a mistake if all you've got to say is your smart-aleck shit. I'm trying to help you, not go around and around with you. For five seconds, could you be serious and not a wishy-washy asshole?" I snap, letting my anger get the best of me quickly.

My chest slightly heaves as I'm flooded with calm and patience, dousing the rising tide of my temper. I close my eyes momentarily, soaking in everything Tillman's sending me, knowing if Trex tries to take advantage of my small pause, the guys will destroy him, no questions asked.

When I finally glance back at him, he's studying me curiously, trying his hardest to pick me apart, and I do the same.

"Help me." He chuffs, a fictitious laugh falling out of him before he carries on, "What do I get out of any of this? Telling you all my secrets. From where I'm sitting, it looks like it's going to be another one-way deal where I come out the loser in the end."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"It means I'm already a pawn to the Mastery and anything you attempt to promise me is only going to put me right back in the same position, just a different side." He snarls, at last showing some sort of emotion rather than indifference.

"Did you willingly choose this?"

"Yes and no."

"That's not—"

"That's the only answer you're going to get until you can promise me more than they did. I need guarantees, not fancy words or gruesome threats."

"Ask him what he wants, princess, but don't promise anything. Just hear what he wants. We'll decide what to do from there."

Corentin's words cause me to snap my mouth shut from the barrage of questions I was about to spew.

"I can't promise you anything if I don't even know what it is you want."

"Have you learned about a spell called The Vow since you arrived here?" he asks contemplatively.

"No, I don't believe so." It wouldn't surprise me if it's somewhere in my journal, but it'll take decades to go through all of that.

"It's a binding spell. Not like the kind that was threatened against you, but one that ties two people together based on a vow they make to one another."

"And?"

"Make a vow with me."

"No."

"Fuck no."

"Absolutely not."

"Over my dead fucking body."

The guys' overwhelming answers trample across my mind as Corentin's, Draken's, and Tillman's are spoken directly to me, while Caspian drops his block long enough to broadcast out as loud and clear as he could.

"Calm down. I'm not dumb enough to just easily agree to some shit like that."

"Why would I do that? What would you have us vow to one another?" I ask.

"I'll vow to tell you everything I can that isn't trapped away, and you'll vow no harm will come to me. I'll be set free and won't have to look over my shoulder every moment for the rest of my life for an assassination by the E.F.s or royals. I get what I want, and you get what you want."

"You've committed the highest form of treason against the realm, Trex, and there's no doubt the Mastery will be after you as well. Based on the runes we've come across so far, there isn't much any of you can give us before your hearts fall out. I'm not making that kind of vow with no guarantee either. I have no way of knowing if you even possess anything that could be of any use to me. Tell me why you joined the Mastery, and I'll think about the vow," I counter, hoping he gives me something.

I don't foresee the guys agreeing to a vow no matter what, but maybe, just maybe, his reasoning is enough to convince me that he isn't truly loyal to them.

"I was given an ultimatum, and I made my decision," he says nonchalantly.

"Does it have to do with your brothers?" I boldly ask.

His entire demeanor changes the moment I ask the question. The seemingly bored composure melts away to tension as tight as coils, and his eyes hold a level of hatred I've never seen on him before. It's not directed toward me, at least not completely, but my mention of them just roused something in him.

"Do. Not. Talk. About. Them," he grits out, punctuating each word with malice.

"We're coming in."

"No, Corentin, wait. Give me a minute. He's fine, but this will lead to something. Trust me."

They don't stampede right in, nor does he respond so clearly they're honoring my request…for now. I know if Trex doesn't cool down, though, that will change.

"So you joined the Mastery willingly, but under coercion, I assume?" I ask gently.

"Yes," he answers, clipped.

Nodding, acknowledging his answer even though he can't see me because he's looking down at the table where his fingers beat against the surface in a nervous tick, I try to piece together what I can say now since he's drawn his brothers in the sand as a hard boundary that he isn't going to speak about. That makes me assume one of two things.

One, the Mastery's holding his brothers over his head for whatever reason, and he wants to be free to find them. Or two, the Mastery killed them anyway after he agreed to their ultimatum, that's why he won't speak of them, and he wants to be free to enact some vengeance. We can help with that.

"What else can you—"

I go to ask what else he can tell me about his position in the Mastery when the sight sucks me in rapidly with no warning.

Trex is standing in the middle of three other men.

It's a joyous reunion and I can feel their happiness like it's my own. Some time passes as two of them embrace him, deep, elated laughter falling from their lips as they look him over like it's been years since they've seen him. Then they move their attention to the fourth man…

Oh shit. Oh shit.

Elementra.

"I'm not telling you anything else, Willow, until you give me something." Trex's voice startles me as I come flying out of the vision. He hasn't bothered looking up at me, so I know he didn't notice my eyes change, but based on the feelings from the guys, they know.

I have to regulate my breathing from the excited, nervous, overwhelming feelings coursing through me from what I just saw and my eyes snap over to the corner my guys are standing in.

"What guards have been on duty for Trex since he got here?" I ask.

"Blaze and the other four you saw," Tillman says.

"Where's Codi been?"

"He's been dealing with Franklin, keeping him knocked out for the most part. Why, Willow?"

"Will you send him in here? I don't know how you allow him entry, but just do that for me, please," I plead.

Their entire signature leaves the room and I know they're probably fuming having to do that, but I have no doubt they're standing right outside the panel, watching me.

My heart beats erratically because I don't know if what I'm about to do is going to go good or bad as fuck. I saw both possibilities. So this is a toss-up, a gamble I'm willing to take.

"I'm about to give you something, Trex, but I don't know if that's a good thing or bad thing honestly, given your position."

"What does that mean?" he asks as his eyes finally snap back up to mine, and I hold my breath.

"You summoned me, ma'am." An excited Codi announces loudly as he enters the room not a second later and I cringe at everything that just came from his mouth.

"Eww, please don't ever say summoned or ma'am to me again. Codi, this is Trex…"

His eyes narrow briefly as they slide to Trex, then widen.

The air is sucked out of the room as the two of them stare at one another. A single strand of pure, unfiltered magic shoots from the two of them in a spectrum of colors, like a rainbow pouring from their hearts. The collision of their power together ripples across my skin as the threads of magic tie themselves together in a knot, then fade between the two of them.

I've never witnessed a Nexus bond snap in place other than Draken's awakening and Elementra didn't show me the process. It's emotional, deep, sacred. They're a concoction of confusion, excitement, hope, but also apprehension as they begin to come out of the haze.

Stumbling back, Codi puts his hand to his chest, heaving hard as the realization of what truly just happened dawns on him. He bounces his eyes frantically between me and Trex, trying to figure out how this is possible. Turning my head slowly to Trex, his hands are trembling, and his face looks seconds away from crumbling, like he knows Codi is about to reject him.

"Willow…How did…No, this can't be. You're…you're a traitor to the realm. My supposed brother is a traitor." Codi gasps, staring at Trex with disbelieving eyes, backpedaling toward the doorway.

"Don't go. I can explain. I'll explain everything, I swear. Our brothers need us," Trex shouts out, standing fast as Codi finally reaches a hand through the shimmering door.

"This is probably a good time for you all to come in now."

No more than a millisecond passes as my men push in through the door, surrounding Codi in solidarity. When Tillman places his hand on Codi's shoulder. He sags, looking completely defeated.

"Whatever you want to do, I support you. You tell me and I'll make it work," Tillman swears as Codi looks at him for direction.

"You'll tell me, us, everything. Then…then I'll figure this out," Codi says, motioning his hand between him and Trex.

Trex's heartbreak and hope hit me square in my chest. Hard enough I struggle to breathe for a second. It's obvious to me now that Trex has his bonds with his other brothers, and Codi just solidified his missing piece. A moment that's supposed to be one of the greatest the two of them will ever experience is tainted from the way it appears. They're standing on two different sides of this war.

"I'll tell you all everything I can, but Willow was right. There isn't much I can say. The girl's rune isn't going to help me bypass the Summum-Master's tie. I just won't die quickly," Trex says, agreeing easily to Codi's term, although it may not even help us.

"Let's move this to the larger interrogation room. Caspian, go get Ry and the others, tell them to meet us there," Tillman declares as he walks over to Trex, standing him up and sealing his hands in stone.

Corentin comes to my side, holding his hand out for me to take while looking down at me with a small smile on his lips.

"You never cease to amaze me, princess."

"I didn't do much. The sight comes when it damn well feels like it. I hope I made the right decision."

"Don't doubt yourself, baby. This situation between the two of them may be shitty, but I promise you, all men want their Nexus brothers. Codi may be confused because of Trex's role in this, but I think you were right about him. We'll have to wait to hear what he says, but I do believe his brothers are the reason for his decisions. There isn't much any of us wouldn't be willing to do for our brothers. Especially if the bond is already in place."

Nodding and smiling at him rather than replying, he and Draken lead me out of the room behind Tillman and Codi, who have Trex placed in the middle of them. Looking at the two of them from this angle, I hide a chuckle because they both continue to secretly glance at one another, then quickly turn away when the other notices.

I'm sure when this happens during late teens, young adult years, it's not so awkward. You've been told about this moment your whole life and it's just overwhelming excitement. These two, though, seem to be caught in an uncomfortable stance where they are trying to size each other up without making it obvious.

"What did you do, trouble?" Ry asks as soon as we all enter the interrogation room, earning himself an elbow to the gut from Oakly and a hushed shut up.

Snorting, I shake my head, sassing back with my hand on my hip, "Me? Who's to say I did anything?"

"Caspian did, actually. He literally said come on, my Primary did something unheard of," San says curiously.

Glancing over at Caspian, he's leaning against the wall with his foot propped up, arms crossed. He doesn't join the banter but shrugs his shoulder with a teasing smirk on his face.

"You're their Primary?" Trex asks skeptically, suddenly whipping around to look at me.

Draken's between us in a millisecond flat with a claw pressed firmly to Trex's throat, growling menacingly in warning.

"I don't give a fuck you're his Nexus brother. If you ever speak to her like that again or make a sudden move toward her, I'll have your insides on the floor faster than you can blink, wannabe Primary thief."

Trex doesn't back down, standing tall just as he did with Donald, and I don't know if he has a death wish or if the threat of death just doesn't faze him anymore. Honestly, it makes me feel bad for him.

"It's okay, dragon," I purr, sliding my hands around his waist before meeting Trex's eyes. "Yes. I'm their Primary. Their true Primary," I state firmly, proudly.

Nodding, he meets Draken's glare head-on once again. "I have nor had any intentions of stealing her. I have no ill intentions at all, just…selfish ones."

"How about we sit down, okay? There's a lot that needs to be discussed," I say gently, pulling Draken toward a seat as Codi directs Trex to sit in the middle where he takes a spot beside him.

"He's my Nexus brother. The bond snapped in place when Willow summoned me," Codi says into the awkward silence, informing Ry, San, Nikoli, Jamie, and Oakly. All of whom whip their heads to me, then to Trex.

"Well, shit," San mutters.

"That's not going to be a topic of discussion for now. That'll be for Codi to do and decide with as he pleases after this," Tillman states firmly.

"How about you just start from the beginning, Trex, and go from there?" I ask after the awkward silence stretches on.

"The beginning…" he says, shaking his head like it's a daunting task.

"You got defensive with me a moment ago when I brought your brothers up. It's obviously a sore spot, and I'm sorry. I can't even imagine, but if they're the reason for your joining the Mastery's side, we need to know. Codi deserves to know," I say softly, knowing I'm possibly pushing a trigger, but I think this is the best place to begin.

The emotions that well in his eyes say it all. It was definitely for them, and when he turns his head to Codi, the last bit of convincing he needs to carry on is found in Codi's slight nod.

"Dec and Xavier. Those are their names," he whispers, holding Codi's gaze for a quiet moment. "We grew up together in Aeradora, literally our whole lives. I was a charge and Xavier's family took me in when we were seven. All our gifts emerged when we were sixteen, within four months of one another. It was no surprise when Dec and Xavier's bonds snapped in place, followed a few months later with mine. We'd known our whole lives. Dec said he'd been dreaming about it since he was a kid, and well…we believed him."

"How old are all of you?" Codi asks.

"Twenty-eight."

"Me too," Codi says softly.

"And you emerged when we did. Dec dreamed about you too. Said he got the best sleep of his life when he dreamed about you, but he was never given your name or knew anything about you, just that you were you."

"I'm a Sleeper," Codi says with a surprised look on his face.

"That makes sense," Trex says nodding, turning from Codi and back to me. "Dec is a Dream Walker but not your typical Dream Walker. He can pinpoint whose dreams he wants to infiltrate, and they'll never even know he's there. If he doesn't want to communicate with you, you're none the wiser. Xavier is an Illusionist. His illusions are so strong that they're tangible as if he truly created them."

"Fuck, this isn't good," Tillman murmurs in our minds.

"Why?" I ask.

"Those are extraordinary gifts, little warrior. A Nexus full of some of the top mind manipulating gifts."

"The Dream Walker, is it like what I do?"

"There're similarities, but no. From what I understand, with your ability from the sight, you're supposed to communicate with the person you're dream walking with. You go to them with a purpose. You don't choose. From what he's saying, his brother can basically spy on someone's, anyone's, subconscious, and they have no clue," Corentin says.

Well, shit.

"And your gift is mind transference," I say aloud.

"Yes and no. Not really, not like others. Not like yours," he says, nodding to Tillman. "I can't read people's minds like Donald told you. That's what I've always told people because technically I could hear what someone was thinking if I wanted to, but it would take a lot of concentration. I'm more of a Mind Blocker. The term isn't real. It's just grouped in with mind transference."

"You can block out sensory, auditory, and pretty much any other function of the brain," San says, eyeing Trex like an experiment.

"That's why you told me to open my mind to you and you'd make it all go away," I whisper, now understanding what he's saying.

"Yes. I could've blocked your pain receptors so you no longer felt anything."

We all sit in strained silence at his declaration. None of this information leads us anywhere closer to the Summum-Master or anything else about the Mastery, but it does prove that they have incredibly powerful allies. Or hostages, however you want to view it.

"So now with Codi, your Nexus is complete with four powerful mind manipulating gifts," Tillman says.

"Yeah, and the three of our gifts are what landed us in the clutches of the Summum-Master. Unbeknownst to us, Dec's parents have always been a part of the society, and when his gifts emerged, he started changing, fading from me and Xavier rather than growing closer. Day after day that we saw him, he was quieter, paler, quick to anger, and he wouldn't talk to us about it.

"He constantly rejected having us over to his house. He wouldn't join us for parties or anything. So, one night, me and Xavier staked out his house. It was after a huge fight where we tried to force him into talking to us, and he blew up on us, saying he wished our bonds never snapped in place and that his parents were right to keep him from us. None of it was true. He was trying to push us away on purpose. He was trying to protect us." Trex pauses, bowing and shaking his head as the memory bubbles to the surface. We don't rush him, all of us now enthralled with the story, so we patiently wait.

"That night, when we were staking out the house, we noticed the Mastery members show up. The black robes are a dead giveaway. So Xavier cast an illusion around us, made us look like the house staff, and we strolled right in through the staff entrance. Once we were in, we headed straight for Dec's room, but he wasn't there, so we kept looking. When we found him, they…"

Trailing off, his fear, his anger, resentment, everything hits me full force. Whatever they walked in on was bad. Devastating.

Hesitantly, Codi lays his hand on Trex's shoulder and it seems like that subtle move came with the weight of the realm because Trex crumbles. His whole body slouches down as his chest heaves uncontrollably like he's going to be sick at any minute.

"Sorry," he apologizes as he clears his throat and shakes himself out. "They were strapping him down to a table and he was begging his parents not to put him back to sleep. He couldn't sleep anymore. We quickly put it together that's what had been going on. They'd been forcing him to take sleeping tonics to infiltrate people's minds. It was killing him.

"Immediately, Xavier cast an illusion across the whole room, making it seem as though Dec was lying down willingly. The way his mind works is truly amazing. The way he's always thought quick on his feet, been able to cast out in a split second was always fascinating. So we didn't waste any time, running into the room and carrying Dec out. X knew he wouldn't be able to hold the whole room long, so we had minutes, maybe, to get Dec out of that house. We got him out without a hitch. No one stopped us or even noticed us, or so we thought.

"As soon as we hit the steps on the front porch, the Summum-Master was at the bottom of the stairs, slow clapping for us. That was a wrap. He got all three of us that night."

"So that explains that you all were captured, not that you were given an ultimatum," Codi says with a small sliver of hope in his tone.

"The ultimatum came later. Four years later, actually," Trex says, turning his eyes to me. Something about the look on his face makes my stomach turn uncomfortably.

"Our gifts were growing increasingly well, fast thanks to the undivided attention we all kept getting, but the three of us never stopped fighting them, never stopped trying to run away. One night, we finally were successful breaking out of one of the hideouts, and we went straight to Xavier's parents. They'd been going crazy with worry. They seemingly knew we'd been captured because that's usually what happens when teenagers go missing.

"We were there minutes before the Summum-Master showed up with a small army in tow. He was madder than usual. Livid. Someone else escaped that day as well, someone far more important than us, and then us running away set him off. Xavier's parents tried to stop him, protect us, but…" he says quietly. His silence speaks volumes. We all know they didn't make it.

"I'm so sorry," I murmur softly. There's not much else to say in a situation like this, but I feel like it's my fault he's having to relive it.

"I'm sorry too," he whispers, holding my gaze.

"For what?"

"As soon as he killed them, my gift flared out of me. My emotions were all over the place. X was screaming in rage, Dec was beside himself, and I was furious. So furious, my gift blocked out the rune that connected our hearts to our minds so completely, it faded away. Faded from our chests instantly, severing the connection. The Summum-Master was stunned but also intrigued so he dragged us to the forest and had the creature rebrand us, over and over that day. Each time, I tore it apart. Freeing me and my brothers.

"He brought in others, and he forced to me try to block theirs, but it didn't work. They died every time," he admits, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. When he opens them, looking at me, I feel his regret like it's my own. Regret over being forced to kill those people and something else.

"What is it?" I ask cautiously.

"When it became obvious that I could only destroy ours, he decided then we were to be separated. He said if I didn't fall in line from that day forward, I'd watch my brothers die. One wrong move and they'd be dead. He had his men drag my brothers away while I was held back in the forest for the creature to instill my new rune. That's also the day he decided my mind blocking skills were going to come in handy one day, and I was going to get new Nexus brothers. That was the day it was decided you'd be married off to Donald, our fates decided."

My mind runs across the timelines at the speed of light, trying to discredit what he just said, but I can't. And the more it all keeps adding up, the harder it is to draw air into my lungs.

"That…that was my eighteenth birthday. I tried to run away but was caught and brought back to Franklin. A month later, I was married off," I whisper.

His clipped nod says it all.

"I don't understand," Draken says, strained.

"The choices he made that day in this realm and the ones I made in the nonmagical sealed our fate in the Summum-Master's eyes. No doubt Franklin informed him immediately of what I tried to do, so he knew I was a flight risk and so was Trex. They'd need a way to control me, and Trex had the means to do so as long as his brothers were dangled over his head. I just don't understand my importance in all of this. It makes no sense."

Technically, I know there's some sort of importance involving me that we're all still missing given the purpose Elementra has dubbed to be mine, but there's still so much missing, and it just doesn't make any sense.

"Because of your—" Trex grunts, cutting his words off.

Blood begins to slowly drip from his nose, hitting the table with an audible splash, and Codi immediately makes a tissue with his element and passes it over to him as worry creeps through every surface of him.

"What's happening?" he asks frantically.

"The rune. I can't talk about her in detail," Trex mutters, cleaning up the mess of his nose.

"You've mentioned a rune multiple times now, but you were checked and there is no marking on you. And you said you could tear it down, so what are you referring to?" Corentin asks calculatingly.

"She can see it." Trex nods at me.

Cocking my head to the side curiously at him, I, in fact, don't see anything. If the guys said he's been checked and didn't see anything, I'm not sure what he could mean.

"You can see things others can't. If you couldn't, you wouldn't have been able to bring the structure's concealment down," he adds after a minute of me just staring.

What—Oh. Oh!

"Reveal to me their disguise, show their truth through my knowing eyes."

My gasp echoes around the room as my hands fly up to cover my mouth. My eyes water when I stare at Trex's forehead. Right there in the center, is the Mastery's M circled. Unlike the other runes that've been large white scars, his is blood red.

"Princess," Corentin says softly, rubbing my thigh.

"It's concealed, on his forehead."

"You said there are others who have runes like you," Tillman says.

"There are. Just a few. Those who are of more value to the Summum-Master."

"Shit. Layton," Draken states, wide-eyed.

"The Chameleon? Yeah. He was going to make him a spy, make him join the E.F." Trex nods.

"And the creature is the only one who's able to remove these runes?" Caspian asks, although we know that answer.

"Yeah. I'm not an idiot. I know you all know how important he is and you know more than what you're letting on, so I know your plan is to go after him, and it's the smartest plan. Getting to him would quickly damage a lot of the Summum-Master's plans. If you all can get into the forest to get him, that's your best shot at defeating the Mastery. The creature likes to make deals. He has half the Masters tied to him somehow by vows. He's sneaky in his words, though, always able to find a loophole. There's something in this realm he wants, and the Summum-Master isn't giving it to him, so he's trying to get it any other way he can," he says, sniffling as his bloody nose begins to drip again.

"Tell us what you know on the Summum-Master," Caspian demands.

"I don't know who he is. I'm not completely positive anyone does. Maybe Franklin. Franklin's his right-hand, and they have plans for Willow. His powers, though, they're different, not right. I've never seen or heard anything like it in my life. The more runes connect to him, the stronger he grows. They seem to cause his powers to evolve. I…I can't go into detail," Trex strains to say, holding the cloth back up to his nose as blood once again begins to pour. "What he wants is straightforward. He hates Elementra. He hates and holds a personal vendetta against the Vito line, swears he's the rightful ruler, and your family stole the throne from him. If my rune was removed, I could…" He grunts out in pain.

"That's enough, we need to take a break. He's going to kill himself giving us answers. His mark flares every time he says anything about me or the Summum-Master," I state firmly as Trex begins to pale. We can't get anything else of value from him right now without putting his life in jeopardy, and I'm not willing to do that.

"We'll take a break. Codi, you can take him to a lower cell and get him a healing vial," Tillman declares.

"Willow," Trex says, strained, as Codi stands him up.

"Yeah?" I ask softly. He looks seconds from passing out.

"You need to talk to Franklin, sooner rather than later. He won't talk about the Summum-Master, I'm sure, but he'll talk about you. Things you need to know. He can say more than me. You need to know before you go to the forest."

I stare at his back as Codi basically carries him out of the room. His rune is doing a number on his mind and I'm incredibly thankful for Aria's help in being able to block it enough to keep him alive.

Turning to my men, I find them already staring at me, waiting on my decision. I know they don't want me to see Franklin yet, but they aren't going to make the choice for me.

Fuck. Time to face one of my nightmares.