Chapter 22

Everest closedhis laptop and stood. He needed to get out of there for a bit, or he’d burst into flames. He didn’t bother to check that his bodyguard was following. He would be. He wasn’t sure why the power in the castle had gone out, only that the backup supply had kicked in.

The power wasn’t supposed to go out.

Kaine and Dalmon were supposed to stop this. He ignored the flicker of fear that thinking they had failed caused. They were his back up. The ones who would make sure this didn’t all go to hell. He hadn’t expected the bombing in London, either. For the first time, he worried he had bitten off more than he could actually chew.

It was one thing for the Coven to use him to get close to the Shadow Board, but another for him to use the Shadow Board to get close to Olier.

He made it as far as the corridor and came face-to-face with Jacob and Orion. Behind them was Quentin. Because they were babysitting him, or because Quentin had come to question him?

Was he wrong about him being Kaine’s fated mate? Had that been a lie so Kaine could sneak a mind reader into the castle?

Had he been out-maneuvered? That didn’t seem possible. No one had beaten him at anything since he was sixteen.

“I was about to find out why the power?—”

“Don’t bother,” Jacob said. His expression was grim. Even when he’d been shot, he hadn’t looked as though the world was about to end.

Everest nodded. So Kaine had worked it all out, which meant the power was off deliberately. No doubt, the entire fucking country was in the dark. He glanced at his bodyguard. He had a sneaking suspicion that the bodyguard wouldn’t do jack shit if the orders came from Kaine.

“Put your hands on the wall,” Jacob said in a tone that suggested he should comply. If it had been coming from one of his bodyguards, that would’ve been quite the turn on.

He put his hands on the wall and Orion did a very quick and thorough and impersonal job of frisking him.

Everest forced a smile. “I believe the last time you manhandled me, we had a lot fewer clothes and a lot more fun.”

Orion growled and yanked one of Everest’s hands behind his back. “I’m no fucking lawyer, but I would advise you to keep your smart mouth shut, as it’s gotten you in a lot of trouble.”

He pulled Everest’s other hand behind his back, and the other cuff closed around his wrist. He let the shifting heat rise to the surface and shimmer over his skin, but no flames formed.

“What have you done?” There was more panic in his voice than he wanted to share.

“They prevent you from shifting. Unpleasant, isn’t it? The Shadow Board prevented me from shifting for months.” Orion’s words were little more than a hiss in his ear. “And you helped them.”

“They have Olier. I’ve seen him.” He was so close to getting his brother back, to making up for the mistake he made two centuries ago.

Jacob put his hand on the wall next to Everest’s head. “Do you know what this ring is?”

“An engagement ring?”

“Does it look like I’d buy my mate a fucking gaudy bubble like that?” Orion’s hand was between his shoulder blades, keeping him pressed against the wall.

He couldn’t shift, and even if he could, where the fuck was he going to go? His emergency plan was always shifting and flying away.

“When Lucian gave up his magic, it was put into three rings. One for the Coven, one for Lucian, and one for the kingdom to use. Do you know what his magic is?”

Everest would’ve shaken his head, except he didn’t have room to. “No.”

He was beginning to think there was a reason he wasn’t told. What other secrets had Kaine kept from him?

“Lucian is a finder. Orion and I aren’t here to go through the library and collate history. We are here with a specific purpose, to learn how to use this magic and to find eggs.”

Orion growled in Everest’s ear. “Take the time to think about what that means. And how badly you fucked up.”

“You haven’t found him.” If they were meant to be finding eggs, why the hell hadn’t they found Olier and brought him home already? “Lucian hasn’t found him.”

“You’re probably aware we took a little trip not that long ago, and we did bring home an egg. Not a phoenix egg, but a dragon egg. Unfortunately, it appears phoenixes can’t hatch dragons, so now we are searching for a fire witch.”

“Why are you wasting time with dragons?” Everest struggled against Orion’s grip and achieved nothing.

“I haven’t learned to differentiate between dragon eggs and phoenix eggs yet, but I have the location of about half a dozen other eggs. Of course, at the moment, I don’t have the luxury of travelling anywhere. And because of you, Olier will most likely be moved, which means I will need to start tracking him again. You can’t just walk into a Shadow Board?—”

“I can. I can walk in and take my brother.”

“Only if you were successful in handing over the control of several major nations to the Shadow Board. You were prepared to sell out every paranormal for your brother.”

Everest closed his eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to go this far.”

“Save it,” Orion snapped as he jerked Everest away from the wall.

Quentin stared at him.

“Are you even Kaine’s mate, or were you sent to spy on me?”

“I’m here to read your mind.”

“I don’t give you permission. I’m the acting bloody king.”

“I have permission from the Chief of Security, and you’ve been arrested for treason.” Quentin’s voice was quiet. His gaze flicked from Everest to something behind him.

Treason?

Everest lowered his voice. “Kaine wouldn’t dare.”

“I would,” Gerrit said.

Until that moment, Everest had always thought the phrase of the world falling away was a bit dramatic for people who didn’t fly. But given his current lack of wings and the way his stomach was in freefall, he understood exactly what humans meant.

Orion turned him to face Gerrit.

“It’s not as bad as it seems, Papa.” Okay, it might be as bad as it seemed. And from Gerrit’s expression, it wasn’t going to get any better.

“Don’t bother. I have realized that was an act.” There was more than enough pain in those few words to leave a wound that would be hard to heal in this lifetime. Were they destined to keep wounding each other?

He needed to break the cycle but hadn’t figured out how. Not yet anyway. “It wasn’t an act. You are my father as I was yours.”

Gerrit stared at him, and Everest wished he could burst into flames and disappear. “Yet you couldn’t trust any of us when we said we were working on getting Olier back.”

“Because you’ve been working on it for over two centuries. You didn’t even want to tell me this time.”

“Because it has become an unhealthy obsession. I knew you last time, and I knew you would be worse this time.”

Worse? Gerrit didn’t know him. But how could he? “So why didn’t you stop me?”

“Because we thought you’d like to help in some capacity. That working for the Coven would be good for you. We were wrong.” Gerrit turned to Orion. “Take him downstairs, make him comfortable. He might be there a while. Quentin, do what you need to.”

“You can’t do this to me. People will wonder where I am. You aren’t going to publicly try me for treason, are you?” That needed to be avoided at all costs.

The hurt in Gerrit’s eyes was almost unbearable. “I haven’t decided what I’m going to do. Nor will it be only my decision.”

“Please, don’t make this mistake. I’m so close to getting Olier back.”

But Orion was already walking him away.

“I don’t want to live with this for another life. It’s not a bruise. It’s a festering, gaping wound.” It would kill him. He needed to rescue Olier. That was all that mattered.

“Because you didn’t listen and didn’t let it go,” Gerrit said.

“He’s our brother,” Everest shouted, not caring who heard him making a scene as he was marched along the corridor, hands behind his back, like a common criminal.

Gerrit didn’t answer, which was so much worse.

Silence was always worse than shouting.