12. Twelve

Twelve

Tillman

“You were perfect this morning, little warrior,” I whisper low to Will as I wrap her in my arms when we leave Aunt Rory and our uncles’ gym.

The feeling of her earth element still flowing through my blood makes me feel invincible. The power packed into her tiny little body is fucking insane and I swear everything within me swells with pride.

I chuckle at the blush crawling across her cheeks as she peers up at me through her lashes. She’s a bashful thing when she wants to be, and I’ll forever eat this shit up. Between my praises and dirty words, I could have her colored pink all day every day.

“You weren’t too bad yourself,” she purrs as her eyes travel the length of my body.

“Don’t go there, little warrior. I have work to do,” I groan low in my mind.

“Fine, but remember you started it.”

Her laugh fills my heart, and I lean down to cut the sound off with my mouth. I’d much rather just carry her back to our wing and spend the day with her in one of our rooms, but Uncle Roye’s already waiting for me at the end of the hall .

“You think the two of you fortified the gym enough we won’t break it anymore?” Draken asks when I back her into his waiting arms.

“No doubt. We used pretty much the full force of our elements together just then. I don’t think anyone, except maybe our Nexus, will be able to break it. Even then it’ll have to be intentional,” I tell him as I smirk down at her warmly.

“Don’t put any ideas in the little Primary’s head. She’s already gung-ho on mastering this in a week,” Caspian says sarcastically as he and Corentin move in to surround her.

“I’m right here, you know,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“I can clearly see when there’s a goddess in front of me,” he says low, causing those sassy-ass eyes to dilate.

“Enough, all of you. We’ve all got things to do. I’ll see you soon, princess,” Corentin says before getting himself a quick kiss, followed by Cas.

“You all are mine later,” she purrs, pulling groans from each of our chests.

Corentin transports to his office and Cas takes to the shadows as Draken slings his arm over her shoulder and strolls her down the hall away from me. The two of their laughs carry back my way and I can’t help but watch her as she goes. The way that woman enthralls me is crazy.

“Fix yourself before you go out there showing everyone what’s mine,” she says slyly, shooting me a wink before turning the corner to leave.

Fuck. Me.

I let my head fall back, groaning, but I do what she says. She’d kick my fucking ass if I walked out there sporting a hard-on. Even if she is the reason it’s there.

It’s ridiculous how she makes us all act like teenage boys.

Although it takes considerable effort to push the thought of my foul-minded little warrior out of my head, I have everything under control by the time I make it down the hall and out the door that leads to the training fields .

There’s a small army of E.F. members mulling around, waiting for orders, and I make my face stern before they can see anything other than their steadfast leader.

“Formation,” Uncle Roye and I bellow at the same time.

The double command has the young E.F. members scattering like mice to get in their assigned positions and the more well-seasoned ones do exactly as they should. Uncle Roye chuckles and I see his smirk out the side of my eye, but I keep my gaze focused straight. If these recruits see my more relaxed side this early on, they’ll think they can joke and fuck around with me as well.

Not happening.

“Three laps. Go,” I command, sending them on their way.

“You’re so much like her, it’s scary sometimes.” Uncle Roye again laughs. At least this time he waits until they’re all out of earshot.

“Well, she was the best of the best, so I got it honest,” I say before turning and walking toward the next group of soldiers.

“That she was,” he agrees quietly with a small sigh.

I don’t bother saying anything else. Not willing to open that can of worms out in the open for any of our men or the few women out here to hear.

It’s no secret that I’m a legend amongst the E.F. members. Besides the fact that I’m the youngest to ever hold the role of E.F. Leader, my mom made quite the name for herself, and I’ve followed those footsteps closely.

This is the longest stretch of time we’ve stayed at the palace since we started at the academy all those years ago, and apparently, it has everyone feeling nostalgic. I’ve heard my mom’s name plus the nickname she gave me more times in the few days we’ve been here than I have in the last decade. It has not only me on the edge, but Will’s picked up on it quickly and she wants answers. Answers I don’t know how to give her.

Every morning during our Nexus training with my aunt and uncles, something is said that has Will’s eyes cutting to my pinkening cheeks. Every comparison, every compliment, is coated in a small comment about how they’d be so proud or something along those lines.

It’s not that I’m trying to hide anything from her. It’s just simply a subject I don’t talk about. I’ve accepted what I’ve had to accept and that was that. I grieved and overcame it.

Or at least that’s what I thought.

Every morning after training, when I come out here with Uncle Roye, I see the envious looks the recruits shoot my way. I hear their thoughts about the stories they heard of my mom and her Nexus. They make remarks about how cool it must have been to have a mom and dads who were badass, revered, and to be feared when their teams arrived at missions. How everyone knew shit was about to get real when they arrived.

It’s the truth. That’s exactly how it was for them, how it’s becoming for my Nexus now, and I can’t help the sadness that rises in me, wishing they were here to witness it.

What would they have taught us?

Would they have been proud of me for winning the E.F. Leader trials so early or would they have told me to wait?

Would Mom want to take over this crazy-ass war we’re in or would she let me lead like Uncle Roye’s been doing?

Their whispers make me ask myself questions I haven’t considered in a long time, and I just fucking wish my mind would block it all out. Ignore it. I want to just continue to accept what I can’t change, believe that they would’ve been proud of me and my Nexus without any of the other feelings surfacing with those thoughts.

“Got your eye on any of the recruits to take back with you?” Uncle Roye asks, snapping me out of my mind.

“Not sure yet. Are they all as needy as that other little shit you recommended?” I ask, cocking my brow.

Based on his recommendation, I placed a fairly new but hungry E.F. member at the south wing gates to see how he does. He went to a third-year academy in Aeradora, graduated early, then transferred here to the palace, but he’s Nexus-less still.

He wants to transfer to the academy, hoping to find his brothers, and I’ve already approved for him to accompany us to see for himself, but damn, he’s got to learn some independence before I agree to let him transfer there full time. He calls me damn near every few hours. For absolutely nothing. I don’t need to give him permission to piss.

Uncle Roye swears the kid’s worth the headache, but I’ve yet to see it.

He’s not really a kid. Damn, he’s freshly twenty-nine, older than Draken, but fuck if he doesn’t act as immature as a teenager.

“Rich is only needy because he wants your attention. His water element damn near competes with Cas’s. Well, would have prior to him bonding, but still. He just needs some guidance and his brothers.” Uncle Roye defends, although he’s smirking. He knows the kid is needy.

“We’ll see. As for the others, regardless of whether I truly think they’re capable or not, they’ll have to get their shit together at the academy. The missions aren’t for the weak. Especially if we’re getting ready to face shit from other realms.”

“Uh. Thought about how you’re going to approach that? You know I’ll help however I can, but even we haven’t had to face relics not of Elementra,” he says, finally gaining a sense of seriousness.

“Gaster and Cas are working overtime to comb through information on any relics they can come across. That’s step one. We have to get a sense of the threat and how to destroy them. Not knowing what all Willow’s blood is capable of is a huge unknown, but we do know that we have to get rid of that supply. Cutting off the Summum-Master’s ability to continue moving through realms is the main priority.”

“So you all believe the mind reader?” he asks.

There’s no accusation in his tone, but I’m not surprised with us being betrayed at every turn that he’s hesitant to believe someone who’s still technically under the Mastery’s control.

“Yeah, we do. There’s no reason not to. His intentions may still lean on the selfish side, but all of ours would be if our brothers’ lives were at stake. More than that, though, he, just like Keeper, wants the revenge owed to him. He wouldn’t lie to Willow. He needs her to find his brothers. That’s his sole motivation.”

“Then we’ll start implementing harder trainings just in case you need the recruits. I’ll get Theo out here and start working with the groups on deflections. I’m sure his forcefields will be different than whatever the relics do, but they’ll have a sense of defending themselves against a power that can shove your ass across hundreds of yards.”

“Yeah, there’s no fucking telling. I can tell you, though, I won’t be taking any of the completed Nexuses to the academy or Mastery missions,” I say as I watch one of the few Primaries out here in the training field flip a man twice her size over her back.

I hide my smirk behind my hand so none of them see me laughing at him, but I make sure to watch this moment keenly so I can show Willow later. She’ll eat this shit up.

“Why not? The one you’re staring at right now is one of the fiercest members we’ve got. She kicks ass and takes names.”

“I don’t doubt that one bit, but you now know what the Mastery is doing. Primaries, females in general, are targeted so they can decide who they want paired and which men get power boosts. They don’t give a fuck they’re fully bonded. They can mark them and force them into a life of misery. We can’t risk having completed Nexuses ripped apart. It’s senseless and would kill her. What would her skills mean then?” I ask.

It’s sickening and it makes my stomach revolt. The thought that Willow came so close to experiencing that herself makes me see red.

No. Fuck no. We won’t be risking anyone like that.

If I could, I’d wrap Will up in soft moss and lock her away. Obviously, I know that’s a reality that’ll never happen, but I can dream.

“We’re gonna end them, Tillme. I swear.”

“I know, Uncle Roye. I know.” I sigh, clapping him back on the shoulder as we focus back on the sparing and drills being run.

He’s done phenomenal with every member here truly. I just don’t say it out loud for the recruits to hear. They’ll get that, minimally, from me if they return to the academy with us.

That’s everyone’s goal, well, for any who want to see the fight up close. Most members who are stationed here at the palace are responsible for territory patrols and smaller scale missions. Those who come to the academy know what’s in store for them .

While walking through the large compound observing the E.F. members, I keep both my eyes and my ears open, but my mind wanders to everything else.

I’ve been running through the possibilities of what Trex said to Willow nonstop. I fucking hate the idea of her attempting to coax Dec into her dreams, but at the same time, it seems that’s going to be the fastest way to find them. Once we find them, I have a feeling we’ll find out a shit ton more. Simply because we can remove all their runes.

The three of them have been Mastery pawns for over ten years now. The information they may hold could be invaluable. The fact that Trex was able to give us what he could on her blood while still having the rune in place just tells me they know shit we need to know. Even if it’s something as simple as the Summum-Master’s fucking eating habits, it’ll be more on him than we currently have.

Not only that but also their gifts will be useful to us in this battle. Fucking top notch mind manipulating gifts. I won’t force them to fight, but Codi certainly will, so there’s that.

Draken and I made a quick stop by Layton’s when we left Trex, and the kid looked brand-new. He’s completely different than the scared little chameleon we first found. I didn’t want to pry too far into his mind, fearful that I could harm something that was just fixed, but I did peek.

There isn’t much left in there that we don’t already know now, but the one thing that stuck out is that the Summum-Master does have monthly meetings with the two families that are on the council. It seems they plan their meetings after they’ve met with the royal family and it’s never the same time, place, or location. That would be far too easy, and the Summum-Master is far too smart to do some stupid shit like that.

Despite all of us already assuming some sort of correspondence was taking place between them, it’s helpful to know it’s a definite occurrence. We immediately informed Aunt Rory and our uncles since they have people watching all the families, but still, none of them are acting any sort of way. Even the Everglows who we know for sure are traitors haven’t done anything to draw attention to themselves or the Mastery.

So as of now, we’re at a dead end on family two .

The buzzing of my communicator pulls me out of my thoughts, and I forget myself for a second as I let a long, drawn-out groan escape me that has the group in front of me straightening their shoulders.

This kid, man.

Again.

“Yeah, Rich,” I grunt.

“Sir. There’s an individual outside the gates attempting to get in. He claims he’s your second-in-command’s brother, but your second isn’t with him.”

“I am his brother, you fucking newb. Tillman, get out here now before I kill this fucking kid.”

The sound of Nikoli screaming has me moving through a transport without even ending the call. Never have I heard him bellow in rage like that and my stomach bottoms out. I’ve heard that tone before, though. Plenty of other times in my line of work.

Something’s happened to his brothers.

My best friend.

My steps stagger as I appear in just enough time to watch Rich wrap Nikoli up in a globe full of water. My eyes do widen at the punch of power behind it, but his biggest mistake wasn’t unleashing that power and holding onto it.

Within a second, Nikoli’s bursting through the encasing with his own water element and lays the kid out with a single punch. His body thuds to the ground beside another motionless form.

Jamie.

“Get me a fucking healer here, now,” I bellow out to the E.F. members charging this way, causing them to halt their run before nodding at me. “Nikoli, what the hell is going on?” I yell as I latch onto his heaving shoulders just as he goes to continue beating into the unconscious guard.

“Tillman, they’re gone. They’re fucking gone,” he shouts, shoving away from me, snatching at his roots as his anger completely takes over.

Drawing my gift to the surface, I shove it out full force.

“Calm down and talk to me,” I command .

Slowly, impressively so, Nikoli’s fight gives out and he drops down to his knees beside Jamie. He lays his hand to his neck, checking for a pulse before his rage-filled eyes snap up to meet mine.

“They were drugged and taken. I didn’t detect it in my drink before it was too late. By the time my gift burned through, they’d already taken Oakly, San, and Ry, plus Oakly’s parents. I was barely able to grab Jamie and transport here. They’re alive. For now…” he says before another hair-raising scream of rage passes through his throat.

All the blood in my body rushes to my ears and I barely hear the pounding footsteps of my men running toward us. My vision blurs to the point I can’t make out the healer kneeling beside Jamie, and I have to force stone around my boots to stop my swaying.

When an E.F. member attempts to pull Nikoli off the ground away from Jamie, another fight breaks out, spurring my mind back into reality.

“Get the fuck off him. The next one of you to attempt to keep my second from his Nexus member will be answering to me directly,” I say deadly low, but they all hear it, and their fearful gazes snap up to mine as they slowly back away from Nikoli.

Deep breath. Deep fucking breath.

Leader Tillman is needed.

Focus, Tillman.

“Tillme, focus. Your emotions are everywhere.”

“Where else should they be, Mom? They’ve got him. They got Cas,” I scream, pulling at the roots of my hair as the ground trembles beneath me.

“And we are going to find him, son, I swear. But first you must calm down. Center yourself. Focus on the earth beneath your feet. Pull on its strength. Clear your mind. Deep breath for me now.”

Deep breath. Deep breath. Center yourself.

“There you go. You got it. Now focus on the minds around you. Hear what you can. Make sure none of the guards were aware of this.”

“I can do that.”

“I know you can, Tillme. We’re going to find him.”

Deep breath .

Snapping my eyes back open, I let the calm and center strength I’ve always had to find in moments like this wash over me. I clear away the fucking panic coursing through my veins and focus on the order of operations that now have to take place.

“Where’s Willow?” I ask my brothers through our connection, attempting to keep my voice level.

“Sitting with Tanith reading. What’s up, T-Man?” Draken asks in his natural chipper tone and my heart clenches painfully.

“Leave her right there for now. Don’t say anything. The rest of you get to the gates at the south wing now.”

“What’s happened, Tillman?” Corentin asks, instantly picking up a problem.

He doesn’t give me enough time to respond before he and Caspian pop up just a few feet from me. Their stoic and angry glares crumble for a split second as they see the healer working hard on Jamie. Their calculating eyes watch as Nikoli hits the ground on his knees again and rocks back and forth.

When they both look at me at the same time, all I can do is nod.

They already know something’s happened to the others.

“You’re lucky she’s all transfixed in her book right now or I wouldn’t—” Draken starts as soon as he steps up behind Corentin and Caspian until he sees what’s happening. “What the fuck is going on?”

I relay the small amount of information Nikoli has given me to them and they each morph into different men. Their anger, worry, and need for revenge are instantaneous and then the profound realization of why I didn’t want Willow here just yet sets in.

“She’s going to burn this fucking realm down,” Caspian says without a hint of his normal giddiness at the prospect of trouble. Even he in this moment understands how bad this could go.

Our Primary’s sister, her Perfecta Anima, has been kidnapped.

“Exactly. As soon as Jamie’s healed up and stable, we’ll get as much information as possible from them both. I’ll look into their minds to see what transpired leading up to the kidnapping. You,” I bark, pointing at a random E.F. member, “go to the palace compound. Tell Commander Roye to begin rounding up teams for an emergency mission on my orders. Tell him my second has been taken hostage.”

“We can’t keep this from her long, Tillman. I understand and agree until we know more, we don’t tell her, but we have to tell her as soon as possible,” Corentin says.

“Tell me what?”

That sassy, “ha-ha I got you” tone has the four of us freezing in our spots. Our bodies instinctively try to press closer together and block the sight of Jamie and Nikoli from her.

One look and she’ll know.

To my complete and utter fear, one look and she’s going to make this entire palace crumble.

Caspian commands his shadows out to block the scene in front of us and we slowly turn to face her. It’s obvious that we’re attempting to hide something from her, and it becomes even more pronounced as we all slam our blocks into place. She instantly feels it, even if we aren’t capable of truly blocking her out because of our bond, but she doesn’t push us.

The feisty smirk slides off her face, leaving behind a mixture of confusion and hurt skirting across her features. It slices my fucking heart open and I want more than anything to make it better because what we’re about to tell her is going to cause her even more pain.

When she stumbles back a step, naturally, we all reach out toward her.

“Why…What’s going on?” she asks in a voice so small my throat closes.

“Listen to me, Primary,” Caspian says so softly, her eyes well with tears when she whips her head to him. “I need you to stay calm. Push your emotions to the side and bring just logical thoughts forward. Can you do that for me?”

“Cas…what is going on?”

“We’ll tell you as soon as you promise me that. We aren’t trying to hide anything from you. We just wanted to be more prepared before telling you what’s happening, but since that’s not going to be the case now, you have to listen to me. Put your emotions away, Willow,” he commands gently.

She takes multiple breaths, trying to calm the erratic rise and fall of her chest. She slams her eyes shut, just as I had done, as she clenches her fist at her side. We give her all the time she needs and fuck me, I wish it took longer for her to collect herself than it does.

In just a few seconds, she’s opening those deadly silver eyes that are crystal clear and focused, ready for whatever news we’re about to share.

At her nod, Caspian pinches his lips together. Pulling his shadows back, the four of us part for her to come stand in the center of us.

The second she’s between us, I feel her flinch as her eyes land on Jamie and Nikoli.

“Oakly…” she murmurs.

The sound of her voice has Nikoli’s head whipping up toward her, and fast as lightning, he’s on his feet, coming to stand in front of her.

“Willow, I need you to track her. Please find her. I can barely feel her now,” he begs, gripping onto her hands. We attempt to move him away from her because in his own worry and panic right now, he doesn’t see her storm rising to the surface.

“Nikoli, what happened to my sister?” she asks.

Eerily calm.

“We were drugged at breakfast. They took her, Ry, and San, her parents. I don’t know where they are.”

She staggers back from him as though he’s burned her, and she tries to catch her breath. The battle that just began raging in her is obvious. Just as fast as that calm demeanor came, it vanishes with that news. We all try to reach out and grab her, but she crashes down faster than we can.

The moment her knees hit the ground, the grass splits open and the fissure travels its way through the forest in front of us. Although we can’t see it, we hear the limbs breaking apart like bones snapping and we feel the vibrations in the earth as the trees are uprooted. They hit the forest floor with deafening thuds that make my chest pound in sync.

Falling to my knees in front of her, I lock my gaze on her now purple irises. They aren’t slits, so I know it’s still her in there, but barely. Just fucking barely. There’re no sobs falling from her chest or tears streaming from her eyes, but the flames burning in their depths are brutal.

Deadly .

“Come back to me, little warrior. We’re right here. We’ve got to get down to the bottom of this and begin searching for them. You have to be in your right frame of mind to find her. She needs you right now. I need you,” I whisper as I grip her cheeks.

I need her. My best friend needs her.

Her body startles underneath my hands and a small silver ring forms around her pupils, but that’s as far as the color travels. The deep, drawn-out exhale that fans my face is strong enough to nearly blow me over, but after it’s finished, I know I have her back.

“I’ll find them. I’ll find them for us. I swear.”

“I know you will, little warrior. I know you will.”

Her features close off from me. From everyone. She drifts deep inside of her mind, and the fear pumping through her chest is strong enough to take my breath away.

I don’t dive in her mind, but I know she’s reliving what she’s already been through.

“Draken, get her to the compound command room,” I say softly while kissing her head and pulling her to her feet. She doesn’t so much as blink as I pass her into his arms, and we all share a look. “Go. I’ll be there in a moment.”

“You, healer,” I bark as soon as Draken transports out. “What’s going on?”

“Immobilizer drug. A hefty dose,” he grunts.

“Get him moved to the command room now. Call in another healer and someone get Rich a healing vial. I want word if anyone shows up at any of the palace gates. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” the entire group echoes.

“Core, go get the rest of your parents. Cas, go find Keeper and Gaster. Meet at the command room,” I order, pulling my communicator out.

In the blink of an eye, they’re gone, followed by the small group of E.F. members, along with Nikoli and Jamie.

“Tillman, I didn’t—”

“Get to the palace command room. You, Aria, and your Nexus will have entry.”

“What’s happened now?”

“Ry, Oakly, and San have been taken.”

“Fuck,” he shouts, barking commands at whoever’s around him. “Fortune teller?”

“Okay for now. Shutting down.”

“Elementra help any who get in her way. We’ll be there in five.”

I end the call without anything else and press the device to my forehead while I breathe through the fucking turmoil rolling through me.

It’s a battle to collect myself once again, but I finally do, and I push my gift out.

“Oakly, come on, you little shit. You know you hate it when I’m in your head.”

Nothing.

I’m met with unforgiving silence. There’s not even static on the other end. Just empty fucking quietness and I clench my teeth so hard I’m surprised one of them doesn’t break, but I don’t let it deter me. I try again.

“San, come on, man. You’ve read everything you could get your hands on about this shit. Just talk back to me.”

Nothing.

The pebbles that decorate the walkway up the south wing drive vibrate around my boots with every step I take. It’s just a little leak of my element, but it needs an outlet. It needs somewhere to bleed.

Come on, man. You got this.

“Ry…Please, brother, answer me,” I murmur.

Nothing.

Whipping around, I bellow as I unleash my earth element on the forest in front of me. The trees that survived my little warrior’s slip of control stand no chance as I let my anger out. I let it pour out of me until the red tint that’s obscuring my vision clears and I can see the sea of green laid before me.

Heaving, I shake my head and place my hands on my hips. Then pace. I search, beg, plead for the balance that’s been my constant for nearly my whole life. The settle my parents taught me to find .

It seems elusive until I tilt my head up and stare at the side of our balcony that now will have a view of a destroyed forest.

My better half. My true balance.

She needs me. She needs my strength. And I need hers.

Blowing out a deep breath, I walk back out the gate and cross the small distance to the tree line. Or well, what was a tree line. The small trek gives me enough time to catch my breath and get the rage I feel under control fully.

Taking a knee, I close my eyes and focus my mind.

We’ll find them.

My earth element flows into the cool dirt as I dig my fingers into the forgiving ground. My breathing levels, my mind silences, and my heart rate slows as one of the blessings I’ve been given fixes the senseless destruction I caused. It fixes the bleeding rage pouring through me and I find the side of myself that everyone else is waiting on.

Hang on, guys. Your family’s coming.