16. Sixteen

Sixteen

Willow

"You all look fucking ridiculous spread out on your asses. Taken out by two Primaries," Ry shouts at the E.F. members pushing themselves up off the mats.

"Hey," Oakly yells, while I chuckle. "Asshole."

Since our visit with Lyker and our mom's house three weeks ago, life has been quiet, busy, but quiet. Thankfully, Elementra has decided I needed a small mental break and I've had plenty of time to accept the revelations that have come to light. Lyker and I speak almost daily, and I've learned so much about the kind of woman our mom was and what her life was like with him and his dads.

He isn't ready to share the story of the wolf yet and I respect that, but he's been open with everything else. Listening to him explain how she trained and prepared herself for what was to come was the motivation I needed to get cracking on my own with no complaint.

Over the past three weeks, classes for Oakly and I have basically become nonexistent other than our mornings with Gaster, and Vince has incorporated shifter training in with my other training. I now get paired with the E.F. members that are shifters when we practice our dominance or any hand to hand in our partial forms.

My entire Nexus, mostly, has been forbidden from being in here while I train since day one because they almost killed an E.F. member that accidentally caught my arm with his claw.

I had to stand in front of the poor guy while he pissed himself because they surrounded him in seconds, threatening to split him apart on the spot for touching me. Really, my dragon was purring her pleasure over their protectiveness, but my logical side called them ridiculous because how else am I going to get better if everyone I face holds back out of fear of losing their lives.

Tillman still comes in here because he needs to check on everyone and he can restrain himself the best out of the four of them. He's better about separating the fact I'm his Primary when it comes to most of my training. Like moments like this when Oakly and I are working together.

"I'm not saying it in a bad way directed at you two. You both did perfectly. It's these six that are damn pitiful." Ry scoffs, shaking his head disappointedly.

"Damn, now I don't know if I'm supposed to be offended or go jump his bones over the compliment," Oakly says, eyeing Ry.

"I think in terms of compliments, that's as good as he's going to give us," I say, smirking.

"He compliments how I—"

"Don't finish that sentence."

We both burst out laughing, drawing everyone's attention to us, although they think we're laughing at the guys on the floor. The increased time we've gotten together from our training has given us the opportunity to basically perfect our mental connection. Most of our conversations now happen in the privacy of our minds. It drives the guys wild because they can tell when we're talking about something. We don't bother hiding our snickering or our sideways glances at one another.

They don't complain too much, though. Unless it's just our two Nexuses hanging out. Any other time, they're thankful for this because it gives the two of us a big leg up when it comes to combat. We communicate the entire time. Coordinating our next moves precisely and it gives us an advantage over the E.F. members we face.

"Willow, Oakly, back in positions. Next group," Tillman orders, shooting me a sly wink.

A low whistle sounds from the gym doors, sending a shiver down my spine, and I know without even turning around that the rest of my Nexus is standing there.

"Primary. Are you and your Perfecta Anima still decimating these poor men?" Caspian asks low, wrapping me in his shadows and pulling me to his chest.

"Decimating is a strong choice of word. Winning every sparring match, yes." I smirk, holding my breath as his chuckle fans across my cheek and he lays his lips to the corner of my mouth.

Damn tease.

"Little wanderer let us stay for the next match. I swear we'll be on our best behavior," Draken says as Caspian passes me over to him.

"Lies, dragon. We're sparring six on two. You know as well as I do the three of you won't be able to stand back and watch that." I laugh as he shoots Ry a deadly glare.

"Six on two?" he growls.

"This is exactly why you can't come in here. It's bad enough dealing with our steadfast leader grumbling in my ear the whole time," Ry says, rolling his eyes.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Corentin says as he sneaks in, pulling me away from Draken and hitting me with a mind-boggling kiss. "I've missed you, princess."

"I've missed you, your highness," I hum.

"Say it again," he commands lightly with a breathtaking smile on his face.

Giggling, I repeat myself and watch his eyes turn hungry. Since our bonding, there's been a drastic change in my most bossy of men. Yes, he's indeed still that, very bossy, but gone is the rolled tight tension that always surrounds him. One second, his blank mask can be in place, but as soon as I walk into a room, he looks at me like I'm the sun, no matter who's there to witness it.

"So what's brought all of you in here to interrupt my training?"

"Nikoli and Jamie messaged me. The Bane's ready. I figured we could all head to the lab together and thought you and Oakly may like a break. Help them start vialing it up rather than spend the whole day in the gym."

"Fuck yes. Tell him yes right now." Oakly squeals in my mind.

"A break sounds perfect," I agree, then lower my voice to ask, "He's for sure? It's really ready?" Not that I'm doubting Nikoli in the slightest. It's more of a nervous question than anything else.

It took a few days longer than we assumed to find the crimson root on Pyra. There was an entire area that was nearly impossible to explore, and the terrain posed a huge threat to our teams. On the assessable surfaces, we refused to just start digging holes throughout the volcano, so Nikoli had to physically go there, days in a row, to sniff out the best possible location.

Once it was located and brought back, Tillman sent another team with Nikoli to retrieve an Everest Tree. That was a whole day's trip as well since he had to use his gift on multiple occasions to check the age of the trees. After that, Gaster brought in the Noxious herb, then Walker went and retrieved some Gingko berries.

Poor Nikoli has been working around the clock and I know he's exhausted. He's been using his gift basically nonstop since we started collecting the ingredients and some other surprises have popped up along the way with this Bane. Like he noticed immediately when the smell was going off course, and stirring it, fixed it right back. It was then he realized, it had to be stirred every three hours. He and Jamie have been working in shifts on it, not allowing anyone else to interfere, afraid someone may mess something up.

"Yeah, princess. He's sure and it's really ready."

I blow out a subtle breath, nodding in acceptance. We've been waiting for a week and one day for it to ferment and be ready. Now it is. Now the countdown truly begins. In a matter of days, we'll be stepping into the Forsaken Forest.

Convincing everyone to walk to the lab instead of transporting so I can stretch my legs out, I use these few minutes to settle down the anxiousness that's creeping in.

I'm more confident in my abilities than I've been since being blessed or cursed with them, however you look at it, but the experience and knowledge that they're completely pointless if Keeper or any of the other vampires get their fangs in us linger heavily on my mind.

It's hard to have blind faith in an elixir that's unknown to the realm aside from the Mastery. Who's to say for sure that it works as well as assumed and it's not the allegiance with the creatures that is keeping them at bay.

"We're going to test that out before just going in blind, little warrior," Tillman murmurs.

"What does that mean?"

"We're sending a recon team in to test the strength of the elixir first."

My head swings around to him rapidly at that. We could be sending in E.F. members to their deaths if we aren't careful.

"Who? Why haven't you told me about this?" I ask.

"It wasn't decided officially until this morning. The remainder of the Duro, Remo, and Hedge Nexuses have asked, volunteered to do this," he says both reluctantly and pridefully.

Forcing down the saliva collecting in my mouth, all I can do is nod. I can't, or at least won't object to that. The Duros, Rems, and Hedges are the men who lost their brothers the day the academy was attacked. From what I've been told, they fought viciously that day, letting their grief lead them, and even now, they've essentially been signing up and volunteering for the most difficult of missions.

I deeply believe they have a death wish that's as strong as their need for revenge. I can hardly fault them. I'd be the same way if I lost any of my men or any member of my family.

"Eww, damn, what is that smell?" Oakly gags as we walk into the lab.

"Gingko berries," Jamie and Nikoli say dreadfully, causing all of us to chuckle.

"Walker brought a damn bushel of them and even though we disposed of the extra, we can't get rid of the smell. Hopefully, once the elixir is vialed up and we can circulate some air in here, that'll help," Jamie continues.

"I really, really hope it doesn't taste as bad as it smells. Gah, this is awful. And you two have been working in this for a week," I say with a scrunch to my nose.

The smell of rotting eggs mixed with some other incredibly unfavorable scents is about to cause me and my dragon to upchuck. I don't believe I've ever smelled something so vile in my life.

"They don't come home smelling this bad, I swear," Oakly says, smirking at the look on my face. She knows that's exactly what I was thinking.

"No, the smell is easy enough to get rid of in the open air. We just can't risk doing anything here that'll interfere with the fermentation. Also, no, it doesn't taste bad. Surprisingly, the finished concoction is sweet like nectar." Nikoli chuckles, pulling Oakly into a hug and kiss.

Thank fuck for that.

"The Duros, Rems, and Hedges will be here in a minute," Tillman announces, sobering the light and teasing moods.

"Right. Babe, Willow, you two come watch so you know what to do," Jamie instructs.

"We need a lesson in vialing up elixirs?" Oakly asks, arching a brow.

"Sort of. I guess the tediousness of this task wasn't explained to you two?"

We both glare over our shoulders at Corentin, who's not bothering to hide his smirk whatsoever. It's such a rare public sight that my gaze instantly softens. His happy, teasing mood is very much welcome and his little purposeful slip of information isn't harmful in any way. It gets us out of our endless training, so I'll call this whole thing a win-win for me.

"So what you have to do is each time you vial, you have to stir the mixture clockwise twice beforehand. We've tested two already just to see, and if you don't stir twice before lifting the ladle out of the cauldron, it becomes thick like honey and that's not the consistency we want.

"As you pour it into the vial, infuse your magic. Protective intentions work best. The ladle is precisely measured out, so one scoop is all each vial takes. No double dipping for the same vial and if you miss pour, dump it back in and start again. Then immediately cap it. We've also learned not capping quick enough will disrupt the consistency," Jamie explains.

"Well, this little Bane seems to have been more difficult than we assumed," I remark. No wonder people wanted to say it was a myth.

"Hell yeah, it has. We've been discovering something new about it at almost every turn. It's temperamental, to say the least, but if the steps are done correctly, then it comes out perfect to what I've tested," Nikoli says.

Oakly and I stand still, watching Jamie meticulously as he vials up the seven the three Nexuses will need. Although he just explained the process, he repeats each instruction with every move he makes and does this for every vial. Insuring we have the steps memorized.

"We'll all walk this out. They're outside, waiting," Tillman says as Jamie hands him the container he placed the vials in.

Emotion once again clogs my throat as we make our way out of the lab. It may not seem like it to most. I'm sure those who are used to the E.F. and missions such as this are a little desensitized to the situation, but to me this feels like a monumental moment.

We're sending seven good men, our men, into the trenches, so to speak, to test out whether we're going to be able to enter the enemy's territory in a matter of days. In just a few hours, we'll know if we've either successfully created a Bane that's been believed to be fake, or we'll have lost three Nexuses.

It's nerve-wracking, to say the least.

Not only that, but the yet to be nailed down plan of entering the forest, locating the strongest vampire known to us, and then apprehending him makes my stomach turn. I guess adjustments will be made once these three groups return and tell us what they learn.

So far though, the plan for the most part is as straightforward as we can make it with so many unknowns involved. We'll enter the forest, gage how close the vampire's approach, then once we have an idea of how far within, we can travel, we locate Keeper. Corentin will be the judge of whether to tell the vampires we are there for him or not. If he decides to do that, we hope they retrieve him for us, if not we locate him on our own.

Once locating him, Corentin's in charge of doing the talking. He's going to give him the option to come with us willingly. If he refuses…well, we'll basically hit him with our elements and kidnap him.

"Sir," all seven men say at once, nodding respectfully to the group of us—thankfully, not just me this time—then they focus all their attention back on Tillman.

They're decked out in a E.F. uniforms, weapons to the brim, and stern, no fucks given faces. Their lack of worry and thirst for this mission hurts my heart more than it reassures me they're going to be fine.

"Gentlemen. There's one vial for each of you. The longevity is six hours, but you're to report back in three. Do as we briefed. Enter the forest and walk along the ward first to see how close the vampires approach before venturing any farther. Do not, I repeat, do not take any unnecessary risks. If it appears the vial isn't working, get out immediately. They won't hesitate to kill you if they can, and your senseless death will not achieve anything. We need you. Be smart, be careful, and watch each other's backs," Tillman orders as he hands them each a vial.

"Yes, sir."

As one, all seven of them uncap their vials and throw them back. None even make the slightest face, so either it really doesn't taste bad like Nikoli said, or they just don't give a fuck. I don't know which.

"Thank you," I mumble out quickly as they go to transport out.

"Yes, ma'am."

Their softer echo rings in my ears even after they're gone and I convince myself to have complete faith in them, in Nikoli and Jamie's hard work. This will work. I won't believe anything else.

"Come on, Primary, back to the lab. They'll be fine," Caspian says nonchalantly and I roll my eyes. Between him and Draken, they're always down for a fight, so of course he believes everything will be fine.

Heading back into the lab, Corentin, Tillman, and Caspian give me kisses bye and promises of seeing me soon as they head off to take care of other things we need to have in order. Leaving me, Draken, Oakly, Nikoli, and Jamie in charge of getting the many, many vials ready.

According to Nikoli, we can't wait around to verify if it works or not because if we let it ferment too long, it'll go bad. I don't want that to happen at all and I'm not going to let any doubt creep its way back into my mind, so I just smile and agree to get to work.

There are two full cauldrons, so Jamie has me and Draken on one, Oakly and Nikoli on the other, and he's going to bounce between the two. collecting our trays as we fill them. He's also going to push his magic into each of them to preserve their vitality.

Much like when we brewed the deadly cures, Nikoli said when the ingredients were first added, it looked like a bucket of bloody forest foliage with some pops of color, but now that it's been sitting, the result is quite beautiful.

The shimmering magenta reminds me of some sort of fruity cocktail and its pinkish hues are stark against the black of the cauldron and ladle. Every few turns, I get a whiff of its sweet scent over the overwhelming Gingko berry. The sugary hint relaxes my worries about gagging or throwing it back up when we have to drink it.

Aside from a few jokes shared between Draken and Nikoli, we work fast in efficient silence. Focusing hard on the center of the cauldron where a whirlpool has started to form from our stirring, I try to empty my mind rather than let it wander off into all the thoughts that seem to constantly plague me. The longer I stare, it seems to work. Really, it becomes quite…hypnotizing…

Well, shit.

When I open my eyes, it's obvious I'm no longer in the lab but a familiar, dark, and foggy forest. Quickly patting myself down, I release a relieved breath that I have control over my limbs, so I'm not trapped in someone else's body, but I've definitely ventured my way into the past.

Again.

"Take your pick, Keeper."

My ghostly form jumps at the sound of the voice. I hadn't caught my bearings yet, so I hadn't paid a lick of attention to my surroundings, but there's no need to even look to see who's speaking. I've got that voice memorized well.

The Summum-Master.

"You believe a slew of women will make me happy? I want what was promised to me." Keeper grunts, irritated.

He looks…so different.

It's obvious based on his current appearance, he's been feeding well. Gone is the lifeless, pale skin and literal bloodshot eyes. His garnet hair and ruby red irises are, dare I say it, majestic. He looks more human than creature, and there's intelligence in those orbs. He's figured out he's being played. I don't know how many years it took him to understand that, but the disdain on his face screams it.

"Yes, yes, I'm aware and one day you will have what I've promised. Your treasure is being kept in good hands for now. Remember that. Once I finally get what I want, you shall as well," the Summum-Master says. His demeanor completely composed, not the least bit fearful of the pissed off vampire at his side.

Steeling my nerves, I slowly walk my way up to the Summum-Master. Logically, I know this event is a time that's already happened, but it's still frightening to just stroll right up to the man creating such evil and destruction within the realm.

To my utter disappointment, there's not a thing I can recognize or even make out about him. His face is hazy as if a concealment has been tattooed across his features. Despite knowing it won't work, I try to both reach out to touch him and mutter the concealment removal spell.

"Do not threaten her." Keeper growls, startling me enough I take a step away from the Summum-Master as if I'd been caught.

"Then I'd advise you to pick a suitable female companion and stop this pointless argument every time I come here."

"I do not wish for a companion."

"Fine. Creatures," the Summum-Master calls, waving Keeper off as though he's nothing more than a pesky bug.

Finally turning my attention around, I suck in a struggling breath at the sight. Five women are chained together on their knees with a burlap sack over their heads and are stripped to absolutely nothing. There're Mastery guards surrounding them, and vampires standing just mere feet behind them. Waiting, watching.

"Back off," Keeper demands, shooting his glaring eyes at the creatures beginning to make their way closer. "I will choose one and the others are to be let go. I will escort them out."

"Sensitive as always, vampire." The Summum-Master sighs. "Do as you please if this is the last of this argument. I tire of this tantrum."

"Fine."

Keeper stomps over to the females, all of whom shiver and cry at his approach. All but one. She'll be the one he picks. She doesn't quiver or shake. She's statue still, ready to hold her own until the very end.

I like her.

And just as I predicted, he reaches down, grips her by her elbow, and pulls her up. She attempts once to snatch her arm from him, but whatever he leans in and whispers halts any more attempts.

True to his word, he leads the others to the ward, somehow keeping the other vampires away with just a glare. He even stands there and watches the Mastery members remove their chains and order them to run. He holds his position right there until the women are no longer in his sight.

"Until next time, vampire. Do keep an eye out for your pet," the Summum-Master taunts, chuckling as he runs his finger sickeningly over the woman's stomach, then exits the ward.

Again, Keeper stands there, sneering at his back as he goes.

"Come," he commands to the woman, even though he's already pulling her in the opposite direction.

They walk in tense silence through the woods, and I follow along like a creepy stalker ghost. They don't speak to one another whatsoever. The only sound she makes is a muttered shit every now and then when she steps on something sharp.

Finally, we approach a house, and I'm shocked still for a moment. I don't know what I'd been thinking, but I guess in my mind, I'd just believed there were no dwellings here. Since the vampires have no elemental gifts, they wouldn't have built houses. But I guess they could be resourceful enough to do it the incredibly hard way.

"Can you breathe and see through that sack?" Keeper asks once he slams through the door, his door, I suppose.

"Well, I made it here in one piece, nor have I suffocated yet."

A surprised laugh bursts out of me at her sass, and I cut it off quickly before remembering they can't hear me, so it's okay. Her sweet voice just caught me off guard and it was paired with such attitude, I wasn't expecting that pleasant surprise.

"Yet being the key word. Do not make me ask again," Keeper says sternly, spearing her in her place with a deadly glare.

"I can see and breathe just fine," she grits out.

With a nod, he faces her fully, crossing his arms. "You will follow these two rules. Aside from that, you are free to do as you please. Firstly, you are to always keep that sack on if I am here. I do not wish to see your face, know your name, or speak to you unless necessary. Two and most important, if you value your life, do not run. You will not survive once you're out of my perimeter."

"Why did you even keep me? You could've let me go with the others," she says accusingly after she shakes herself out of her stunned silence.

"If I continued to refuse his offer, he would've given you all to the vampires just to teach me a lesson. He only allowed them to leave because I gave in to this nonsense, so he got his way. Now leave me. You may take the room down the hall and on the left," Keeper grumbles, waving her off as he plops down in a chair and leans his head back.

Of course my curiosity gets the best of me, and instead of standing here staring at Keeper, I follow the woman, who also seems to have a curious nature. She bypasses the door on the left and continues to open every other door she comes to, slinging them open as if she owns this place.

There're three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and the living room where Keeper is sitting. One of the bedrooms has seemed to be made into a small lounge, and I'm surprised to find books that are familiar to me. Obviously over the centuries, the Summum-Master or others in the Mastery have been supplying him with things from the realm.

The all-familiar pull of the sight doing as it pleases grips my mind, and despite my protest, time speeds ahead. Not all is lost to me, though, as I get to witness everything, just at an accelerated rate.

Over days, weeks maybe, I watch Keeper and the woman ignore one another like the plague. Then they fight over the simplest of things, like the way she prepares food. Countless times I've watched him complain over her cooking and she throws his whole-ass plate away every time, telling him to feed himself.

Time slows again in an incredibly tense moment, and I feel secondhand awkwardness for sitting here watching this because they're in the middle of a screaming match.

"Let me go. I'm over this fucking prison," she yells.

"And you don't believe I am as well? I've been a prisoner here for longer than you have even been alive. Now, instead of being able to live in peace at least some of the time, I must babysit a fragile girl."

"Fragile girl? Are you serious?" she says in a lower, calmer voice. One I instantly can sense is hurt. "Do not belittle my two hundred years because from where I'm standing, your thousand has taught you nothing. I'm a grown woman who was kidnapped from her home and brought here against her will. Then forced to live with an ungrateful, detached brute who cares nothing for anyone or anything but himself."

She walks away rather than standing there facing him any longer and I follow her to make sure she's okay even though there's absolutely nothing I can do for her. I watch in recognizable hurt as she pulls on her mask, silently screaming into the room before she starts up a feverish pace. She's trying to fight off the panic, the anger, the pain.

Then she makes a crazy, emotion-driven decision.

She breaks a rule.

Shoving the window in her bedroom open quietly, she sneaks out and begins running the moment her feet touch the ground. It's almost as if she senses the second she leaves his perimeter because her feet screech to a halt as she takes deep breaths, whirling around, scanning the darkness.

"It's unlike the Lord to allow his pet out to play. Mysterious mask and all. What a treat," a deep, sultry voice says from her right and she whips around, a shriek escaping her. Fast as lightning, he's on her, pinning her to a tree, covering her mouth with his hand.

"Now, now, none of that. The others are already aware of you, and I'd like a little alone time before I must share," he says, not giving her even a breath's notice before sinking his fangs into her neck.

Her screams are piercing as she attempts to fight him off, but it's useless. I see the energy draining from her. Unlike what I experienced, though, I know he isn't forcing pain through her veins but pleasure. Her silent tears and begging of no tell me all I need to know.

Suddenly, the vampire's jaw is ripped clean from his body, and he staggers back, bellowing in agony. Standing protectively and royally pissed off in front of her, Keeper clutches the torn half of the vampire's face, breathing heavily as he glares at the crowd beginning to gather.

"This will be the only warning you receive. Leave now or die."

Stupidly or maybe just blood crazed, his warning goes ignored.

And a slaughter ensues from there.

Faster than the sound of their screams can travel, Keeper tears through them like scissors cutting through paper. In a matter of seconds, headless bodies pile up and the silence of the forest is eerie. The only sound to be heard is the two of them panting.

"Keep—"

He has her over his shoulder, speeding back to the front of his house in mere milliseconds. Placing her on her feet, he crowds her into the door and uses his dagger-like nails to rip her mask right at her lips.

"You left me." He growls.

His eyes are bleeding red. Either from the need to feed or from the adrenaline of what just happened, he's preparing to devour her. In more ways than one.

"You don't want me here," she whispers.

"Incorrect. I don't want something to happen to you. There's a difference. To be close to me is a death sentence. I can't allow that to happen to you."

"So what? I'm just supposed to live out the rest of my life here as a guest kept at arm's length?" she says tearfully.

"You are not a guest. When it is safe, you will be free again. For now, you are mine."

Her gasp is cut off as he seals his lips to hers, devouring the sounds in the back of her throat. It isn't long before he damn near tears the door down to get them inside.

And thank fuck, for the first time since the sight has emerged, it listens to my pleas not to have me watch what I know good and well is going on in there.

It spares me from watching every time this happens, which as the days pass by, is often. When there isn't much else to do in a scary-ass forest, they've found a much more desirable way to spend their time.

"Where are you going?" she asks as time for me slows down again.

He's yet to use her name and she's yet to give it up. There's a lingering knowledge between the two of them that this is all temporary. It's honestly sad to watch because I'm firsthand witnessing two people fall in love but fight it tooth and nail.

"I've been summoned. Stay in while I'm gone, please."

At her nod, he leaves, zooming through the forest, and my ghostly form follows right along with him until we stop feet in front of the Summum-Master.

"Keeper, you look well."

"What can I do for you?" he asks boredly.

"Just checking in. Word has spread that you're still keeping the company of the female I left here for you some weeks ago," the Summum-Master comments casually, but I hear the undertone in his voice.

He's fishing for something, and Keeper recognizes it as well. His body tenses slightly, but he forces his shoulders to stay relaxed.

"She keeps me well fed. I appreciate your offer," he says, clipped.

"Yes, well, some of the creatures say her scent has changed, as though a claiming has been placed. Tell me, Keeper, the truth. Have you claimed the female?"

"Of course I haven't. Even so, what would it matter to you?" Keeper asks, letting his anger slip through.

"She'd need to be recruited properly. Brought into our ranks as all the other females are," the Summum-Master says with a small chuckle.

My stomach drops. I have a very good mind of what that entails.

"That won't be necessary. The girl is useless at best, so there'd be no benefit to that other than a constant source of food, and I have that in plenty if I desire it. She's outlived her welcome. I've been growing tired of the endless company," Keeper says coldly although I can see it for what it is.

He's panicking and trying to hide the fact he cares about her. Any other scenario I'd probably scoff and talk shit about him not standing up for his woman, but I can admit the last thing I'd want is for the person I loved to be anywhere near the Summum-Master. There's no telling what he'd do to her.

"Pity, but it's no surprise. Women are useful for one thing, and even then, they can't seem to perform properly." He sighs disappointedly, and I really wish I could fucking punch him and he feel it. "Well, I'm glad that's cleared up. I knew you'd never make such a decision without my permission or keep such vital information about your love life from me, but you know how these men can talk when they grow bored. Anyway, I must be going. Business in the nonmagical realm. I'll return in a few days."

With that, the Summum-Master, followed by a gang of other Mastery members, continues into the darkened forest, leaving Keeper standing there, unraveling by the second.

Either he can tell when the Summum-Master has passed through the portal, or he just doesn't care because he snaps. Zipping through the forest, he approaches a group of not only vampires but Mastery members dressed in their robes as well. They all give him a laid-back, carefree nod when he steps in front of them, oblivious to his seething, and that costs them their lives.

He demolishes them. Obliterates them as if it's nothing more than a stroll in the park. The entire time, he bellows his rage, and I can see the heartbreak happening right before my eyes.

Once he's finished, he rushes back home. Back to her.

"Oh, Elementra. What happened?" she squeals, jumping up from her seat and rushing to him, scanning the blood drenching him. He pulls her in close, pressing his face into her neck, taking a deep breath.

"It's time for you to go," he murmurs softly.

"What?" she asks, surprised, pushing away and tilting her head up to him.

"The others have told the Summum-Master about you, about us. He's showing keen interest now. You must go."

Her head shakes back and forth furiously, and she latches on to the burlap sack still hiding her identity with white knuckles.

"Why…why can't I stay with you?" she asks, choked.

"Because he will use you against me. He will make you suffer, just to control me. I can't allow that to happen. I can't watch that happen because I won't be able to protect you from what he will do. My life is in his hands, and he will continue to hold whatever he can over me. That now includes you."

"Keeper. I don't want to leave you." She cries.

"I wish you didn't have to, beloved, but you must. You must live for yourself. For us. Please, do not fight me on this. It'll only make it harder."

He holds her close while she cries, trying his best to hold her heart together while it pours out all over the floor. He doesn't rush her or try to tell her it'll be okay. Nor does he keep attempting to convince her why this must happen. They both know that it does, and they're both accepting and breaking over it.

Gently picking her up, her arms wrap around his neck, while her legs circle tightly around his waist, and they're off. Miles and miles stretch between his home and where he takes her. It's as if he attempted to get her as far away from the portal as possible.

"Do one thing for me before you go, beloved," he whispers when he sets her down.

"Anything."

"Take off the mask."

Her breath shudders at the request, but she obliges. With shaky hands, she slowly pulls it off, handing it to him as she runs her fingers through her long black hair.

Well, fuck me.

"You're the most gorgeous creature I've ever seen," he mumbles with wide ruby eyes, then leans forward to lay a kiss on her forehead. "Do not wait for me, my beloved, but know that one day, I will find you, and I will give you all of me."

"I'm already yours, Keeper, and I'll love you even after my last breath. There is no other."

She presses her lips to his fiercely as tears stream down her cheeks, then before she can change her mind, she moves through the ward, disappearing through the darkness.

He stands there. Watching. Waiting.

He's still there minutes after her silhouette disappeared in the night and when he turns around with a single tear dripping down his cheek, my body begins to fade.

Oh, Elementra…so we're just going to reunite families everywhere, huh?

Coming out of the vision, there's no answer from Elementra or CC other than an unyielding warning that swirls in my gut and instincts that I don't understand telling me I can't tell anyone about this. Yet.

Damn, that was like watching a tragic romance.

I only like happily ever afters.

The soft, cushiony surface below me is familiar and just one deep breath tells me I'm in Corentin's office and everyone's here.

"Little wanderer."

"I'm here, dragon," I mumble. My voice is thick with emotion as I blink my watery eyes open, and they collide with his worried cobalts. "How long this time?"

"Three hours," he whispers.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I knew after a few seconds, since you didn't snap out of it that it was going to be a long one."

"Yeah. It definitely was," I say gloomily as he gives me a hand and helps me sit up.

"You shrieked, laughed, and cried out loud this time, Primary," Caspian says, kneeling in front of me and wiping away my tears.

"I believe that. That was a whirlwind of a journey."

Glancing around the room, everyone's here. My guys, Gaster, Oakly, Ry, Jamie, Nikoli, and San. This level of love and support piles onto my heavy heart and I swallow roughly.

"Are you okay, princess?" Corentin asks, concern lacing his voice when he feels the emotions coursing through me.

"Yeah, I'm okay. That was just a heartbreaking blast to the past," I tell him.

I don't tell them the woman's identity or anything about her. That will stay Keeper's secret for now, but I do explain that he has a house, and I'm not sure if the other vampires do, but it's a possibility. Despite their immediate disagreements, I hold on strong to the belief that Keeper isn't a bad person. Much like Trex, something is being held over his head and he's being forced to comply. I refuse to believe anything else after what I just saw.

They relent a little when I grow more and more passionate about it, but I don't believe they're one hundred percent convinced.

"We can't stick to the original plan of removing him with that cord in his neck anyway. I have no doubt now that the Summum-Master will kill him or destroy whatever it is that's being held over his head. Our plan will have to shift to a negotiation rather than capture, kidnap, whatever the hell we're calling it," I say adamantly.

"Negotiate for what, princess? We have no clue what it is he wants or what the Summum-Master has on him," Corentin says softly but factually.

"Then we ask. We ask flat out what he has, then we agree to retrieve it in exchange for his loyalty. And in the meantime, we find out how to get that cord out," I command. I'm not backing down from this.

"Okay, princess."

"Okay?" I ask, a little taken aback he's giving in.

"Yes, okay. If you feel this strongly about him, then I believe you. We go with your plan."

"Thank you," I whisper, relief washing over me.

"You don't have to thank me, princess. It's my fear of letting someone else dictate the plan and figuring out how I'm going to keep everyone safe that I struggle with. I trust you and your decisions completely," he says with full conviction, in a room full of people.

"I don't want to dictate the plan or make all the decisions. I just wanted you to believe me and what I'm feeling. If you do, then I'd like for you to do the actual organizing of executing that. I don't think I'm the best person to oversee anything. Too much random shit happens to me."

Although he laughs along with everyone else at that very true statement, his shoulders drop a fraction and my heart swells. He was completely out of his comfort zone just now, but he was willing to hand over control to me and not force me to listen to him. And I'm pretty sure that just made me fall more in love with him.

"How did the Bane work? Are they back? Is everything vialed up?" I rapidly ask when I remember what I was doing when the vision hit.

"They were successful, little warrior. The vampires stayed more than twenty feet away from them at all times, although they did stalk their moves. And the others were able to finish up vialing all the vials about an hour ago," Tillman says, his smile growing to mimic mine.

That's amazing news. News I really needed.

"One step closer," I say.

Forsaken Forest…Keeper…We're coming.