Chapter 25

25

“ I can’t believe Zagan has mind control,” Eric said, his voice tinged with fear. “We really are screwed.”

Sabre concurred, though she didn’t say so. Jinx being taken the previous night had scared them all. So much so that they hadn’t left Jinx alone all day. There was always someone with her—multiple someones. That was, until ten minutes ago, when Jinx had shifted into her tiger form and growled at them until they carefully backed out of the room.

Sabre, along with Brax, Draven, Eric, and Gage, were a few doors down in one of the sitting rooms of the royal quarters. Mikhail should have been there, but he was talking with a couple of his guards—coincidentally right outside the door where Jinx was curled up on Mikhail’s shredded lounge with the pregnant hellhound and Styx.

When she’d left Jinx and Mikhail alone together in his room the previous evening, a part of her had hoped they’d have some nice life-affirming sex. But given the sadness in both their eyes and the renewed tension between them this morning, that clearly hadn’t happened. “Operation Cupid has stalled,” she muttered to herself.

“What was that?” Eric asked.

“Nothing,” Sabre answered. “I suppose we should talk about Z and his new powers.”

“He gets mind control, and I get an electric tin can,” Brax said, sounding put out.

“At least you got something. Mikhail hasn’t noticed any changes at all,” Sabre pointed out.

Brax perked up at that, standing straighter. “True.” But he deflated quickly. “And that doesn’t make sense. If what Z said is right—and I’m sure it is as it makes too much sense—then Mikhail should have some new weird ability going on, too.”

“For all the good it would do. You’ve only managed the feat once and have no control over it at all,” Draven reminded Brax.

“Way to build me up, man,” Brax said dryly.

Draven was completely unfazed as he continued, “I’m simply saying that you’re going to need to figure it out—both you and Mikhail—before Z succeeds in controlling more than one mind at a time.”

“He’s right,” Sabre said, ignoring the shocked look on Draven’s face. “It should be a priority moving forward.”

Brax was silent for a moment before he nodded. “Yes. I’ll see what I can do. It would be helpful to have more information about how the legacies work.” He turned to Eric. “There was nothing about any of this in the books you and Jinx looked through?”

Eric shook his head, his dirty blond hair flopping over his eyes. “Not even a hint.”

“Well, there was obviously a record of it somewhere at some point. Mother shared it with Z,” Brax stated evenly.

Knowing when her man was hurting, Sabre moved closer and placed a hand on his arm. “From what Jinx said, your mother was the mastermind behind all of this. She never mentioned it to you at all?”

“No. Never,” Brax replied, covering Sabre’s hand with his own. “And neither did Father.”

“History is long,” Gage pointed out calmly. “Things get lost or forgotten.”

Eric’s phone beeped, and he pulled it out quickly. “Oh shit!”

“Is it Jinx?” Sabre began moving toward the door.

“It is. But not in the way you think,” Eric called out quickly, stopping Sabre in her tracks. He held up his phone, showing the room the notification. “Speaking of things getting forgotten …”

Sabre looked at the words surrounded by balloons and hearts. “It’s Jinx’s birthday tomorrow! Fuck!”

“Her twentieth birthday,” Eric whispered.

“Why are you whispering?” Sabre said, automatically adjusting her volume to match his.

Eric’s eyes darted to the door. “Because I don’t want Jinx to hear us,” he replied.

“Jinx isn’t here,” Gage reminded Eric, also whispering.

“I know. But she’s a tiger. She’s sneaky. What if she’s outside the door listening?” Eric asked quietly.

“She’s not” Sabre whispered back. “We’d know if she was. Mikhail would be with her, escorting her.”

“Okay.” Eric nodded. “Then why are we all still whispering?” he questioned.

“Because you’re all idiots,” Draven drawled from behind them.

Sabre’s shoulders stiffened. She turned to face him, her glare icy and full of disdain. “Excuse me?”

Draven shrugged nonchalantly, his stupid, handsome face looking serene. “You heard me,” he said casually.

Sabre growled, palming a blade. “I’m going stab you in the fucking eye.”

“Sabre, my love,” Brax said, griping her hand. “No eye stabbing.”

She narrowed her eyes at a now smirking Draven. “Brax won’t always be here to save you.”

Draven rolled his eyes, unperturbed, and Sabre looked at Brax. “You keep ruining all my fun. You’re lucky you’re so pretty.”

And he was, she thought, feeling herself soften at the sight of him. His dark hair was a mess, and his amber eyes seemed to glow in the light. He had a sexy smile on his lips as he closed the small distance between them. His hand went to the small of her back, and she found herself pulled roughly against his hard chest. Her hand reached out to caress his cheek as she leaned in to meet his lips, feeling the warmth of his skin against her fingertips.

She felt herself melt into him, her body responding to his touch with a familiar ache that she couldn't deny. His hand slid down her back to her butt, pulling her even closer, and she let out a moan against his lips. The answering growl that rumbled in Brax’s chest vibrated through her body, causing a shiver. The intensity of their desire built, and her hands roamed freely over his chest, feeling his pecs flex beneath his shirt. His arousal pulsed against her stomach, and she wanted to tear his clothes off.

A loud throat clearing pierced through Sabre’s lust. She was tempted to flip them off and drag Brax away, but she remembered there was an unhinged demon on the loose and the birthday of a best friend to plan. Because there was no way she would allow Jinx to believe she was forgotten. She pulled back with a sigh before grinning at a smug-looking Brax. “We’ll finish this later.”

Brax nodded. “Damn right, we will.”

Sabre turned back to Eric and Gage, who had been watching the whole exchange with amused resignation on their faces. Draven, on the other hand, looked disgusted. It cheered Sabre immensely. “Now, what do we do about Jinx turning twenty tomorrow?”

“What do you think about a surprise party?” Eric asked excitedly, bouncing on his toes.

“A surprise party for a weretiger? Cats don’t tend to react well to surprises,” Draven pointed out. “Besides, this is no time for a party.”

Sabre watched Eric’s cheeks heat, and he muttered, “Oh,” before looking at the ground.

She glared at Draven. “You’re such a dickbag.”

Draven looked at Eric and winced. “Sorry, Eric. I don’t mean that it’s a bad idea. Just that surprising a tiger is a good way to get mauled.”

Eric was silent for a moment before he looked up and began to laugh. “I see your point.” His cheeks were still red from embarrassment, but his smile stayed in place. “It’s all good.”

“And although the timing isn’t optimal,” Draven continued briskly, “I think a celebration is an excellent idea. Jinx certainly deserves it.”

“Suck up,” Gage fake-coughed, earning a glare from the angel. He looked at Eric. “Did you have something specific in mind? Jinx doesn’t really like being the centre of attention.”

“I know,” Eric acknowledged. “What about something low-key? Maybe just a small gathering at the warehouse. We could have a BBQ and some drinks. You know, nothing too fancy, just a chance for everyone to hang out and celebrate her birthday—celebrate her .”

Gage bobbed his head. “Sounds good. I’m in.”

“Same here,” Sabre agreed.

“Me too,” Brax declared.

“Count me in,” Mikhail chimed in unexpectedly from behind them.

Sabre turned to find her charge just inside the doorway. His attire was simple yet stylish, with khaki slacks that fit perfectly and a crisp, white T-shirt that showcased his toned arms. It was a laid-back look that somehow still managed to exude sophistication. That was Mikhail to a tee.

“Uh, what am I agreeing to?” he asked, joining the group.

Sabre rolled her eyes at him. He could be just as goofy as Brax when he wanted to be. “A small gathering for Jinx’s birthday tomorrow.”

“It’s Jinx’s birthday? I had no idea.” Mikhail paused, brow furrowing deeply as if trying to solve a complex equation. “She’s going to be … how old now?”

“Twenty,” Brax supplied with a smirk. “And here you are, over one hundred. Talk about robbing the cradle.”

Sabre dug the heel of her boot into Brax’s foot, causing him to yelp and hop away like a wounded animal. Mikhail and Jinx had enough obstacles to overcome without being reminded of their age gap. Age didn’t mean dick to Sabre. She knew it was just a number and didn’t determine a person’s wisdom or experience. And she didn’t need Mikhail inventing another reason to deny his fated mate.

“Don’t do it,” she warned Mikhail, her tone serious.

“Don’t do what?” he asked innocently.

“Don’t start counting the years between you and Jinx. It’s irrelevant,” she said firmly.

“Ninety years of living is irrelevant?” Mikhail challenged, his expression turning mutinous.

“I wouldn’t say it’s irrelevant,” Eric said, joining the conversation. “I’d say it’s more relative . I mean, isn’t it how those years are spent that is important? The experiences one lives in a single day can be just as significant as those lived in a year.” Eric jammed his hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans, shrugging sheepishly. “I mean, that’s how it’s always seemed to me.”

Mikhail’s face softened, and he smiled at Eric. “Spoken like someone wise beyond their years.”

Eric grinned mischievously. “Proving my point that age doesn’t matter.”

When Gage and Eric began to banter about who looked more youthful, Mikhail spoke softly to Sabre. “I can see why Brax likes him so much.”

Sabre nodded, watching the interactions of her friends with satisfaction. “Eric is a pest in the best kind of way.”

“Like all little brothers are,” Mikhail commented.

She heard the pain in those words, as well as the resignation. She hesitated but finally said, “Brax isn’t trying to replace Zagan with Eric. And I can promise you, the thought would never have crossed Eric’s mind.”

“I know that,” Mikhail promised sincerely. “It’s just …”

“Hard,” Sabre supplied. “And complicated. And irrational. And all the things that make you feel like a tosser.”

“I do feel like a tosser these days,” Mikhail acknowledged, still speaking too quietly for the others to hear. “Except when I’m around Jinx.” He frowned. “Or maybe more when I’m around Jinx. Why do you think that it is?”

Sabre had a theory or two but decided he could figure them out himself. She was doing enough of the heavy lifting for him as it was. “Who knows?” she answered vaguely before changing the subject. “But her upcoming birthday slipped my mind. And, of course, she hasn’t reminded anyone. Thankfully, vamp-boy had it in his phone. Very Gen Z of him. We’re going to do a dinner thing for her tomorrow night at the warehouse. That cool?”

“Of course,” Mikhail said quickly, but he was frowning.

“Problem?” Sabre queried.

“No. It’s just … are you sure Jinx wants a gathering? And at the warehouse of all places? She was just kidnapped from there. I thought we agreed everyone would be staying here in the palace until Zagan is captured.”

Sabre considered that for a moment. After much back and forth earlier, Jinx, Gage, and Eric had agreed to spend their nights at the palace for the foreseeable future. She was already staying with Brax most nights anyway, so it was no big deal for her. But Gage hadn’t been overly enthusiastic about abandoning his home and business. Jinx had likewise put up a fight. She wanted the comfort and security of her own things. Eric, on the other hand, was thrilled to have a guest room with a jacuzzi.

“Fine. How about the training hall?” Sabre suggested. “It's safe and big.”

Draven frowned. “Why does it need to be big? It’s going to be a small gathering, remember?”

“Sure,” Sabre replied flippantly. Internally, she rubbed her hands together with glee. A party gave her another opportunity to launch the next step in Operation Cupid.

“Okay then, it’s settled,” Eric said with a smile. “We won’t make it a surprise party, but let’s keep the guest list from her. Best of both worlds.”

“Guest list?” Draven yelled. “Now there’s a guest list?”

Everyone ignored him.

“And in the meantime, we’re going to figure out these bonus powers. Plus, Z’s kill list,” Sabre said with determination. Things were gaining momentum, and she wanted to keep it going. She was sick to death of Z.

“And how do you propose we do that?” Draven asked drolly.

“We’re going to look for it,” Sabre informed him. She turned to Brax and Mikhail. “Have you checked his room?”

“What do you mean?” Mikhail asked with a puzzled frown.

Sabre tamped down her impatience. “Has anyone checked Z’s bedroom or suite?”

Mikhail’s eyes widened. “You think he’ll have an evil plan outlined in his underwear drawer or something?”

Sabre shrugged. “Why not?”

Mikhail huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Because …”

“Because why?” Sabre pressed, staring him down.

“Because he didn’t think of it, and now he feels like an idiot, that’s why,” Brax said, a wide grin splitting his face. “I didn’t think of it either. Babe, you’re a genius.”

“It’s been said,” she said demurely.

Brax laughed, ruffling her hair. “Come on, Genius. You’ve earned the right to snoop.”

“If we’re going to be checking Z’s room. We should probably check Mother’s quarters as well,” Mikhail said before anyone could move.

“I went through all of Maliq’s stuff when Brax hired me. Besides, I know you’ve both gone through his rooms multiple times over the years,” Sabre reminded him.

She knew King Maliq’s suite remained empty and largely untouched. She thought it was morbid, with the large space echoing like a mausoleum. But it wasn’t her place. Mikhail and Brax had the right to deal with their grief any way they wanted.

“Father’s rooms, yes. But Mother had her own space,” Mikhail revealed, looking uncomfortable.

“Your parents didn’t sleep in the same room?” Sabre thought that was odd as hell. And also very telling.

“Not for a long time,” Brax replied. “Mother’s choice, I believe.”

The room was silent, tension building with each passing second. No doubt, everyone was thinking the same thing: how batshit crazy and just plain evil the former Queen had been. And nobody had a friggin’ clue. Sabre wanted to discuss the maternal revelations, but she would wait until she could speak without tearing down the memory of the only mother Brax and Mikhail had.

“How about you guys divide and conquer?” Gage suggested quietly. “You and Brax search one room, and Mikhail and Jinx can search the other.” He gave the brothers a respectful nod, gesturing to Eric and Draven. “We’ll sit this one out.”

Sabre smiled at her perceptive friend in thanks. “Works for me. Brax?”

Brax took her outstretched hand, giving it a squeeze. “We’ll take Mother’s,” he said to Mikhail.”

Mikhail nodded once, his jaw clenched tightly. “I’ll take Zagan’s.”

Sabre walked beside Brax, ordering Mikhail over her shoulder, “Take Jinx with you. She’ll be going stir-crazy in that room.”

And you’ll need the support, she added silently.