Chapter 5: Bane

Chapter Five

Bane

H ow do you kill something that turns to shadows and feeds on nightmares? Fuck if I know, but I am going to find out.

My time as the High Commander of the Shield for the dragon’s court taught me that, with a little determination, anything will bleed. With a whole lot of it, you can kill just about anything, including angels and demons.

They may resurrect in Heaven or Hell, but everything that made them who they were is wiped clean in the process.

That’ll have to do.

It’s too bad Wraith likes Malice. They’re clustermates, meaning my chances of convincing the reaper to devour the nightmare are very low.

Although, I have heard the talk about Hazel, one of Nadia’s twins. According to the conversations I’ve listened in on, the baby is supposed to be a full-blown devourer.

There’s a solid chance Charity would never forgive me if I borrowed her friend’s baby with the intent of extinguishing the nightmare’s life force. As such, killing Malice and sending him for rebirth in the pit will have to do.

My clawed hands wrap around the iron bars of the cage, giving it another solid shake.

That motherfucking nightmare is going to pay for trapping me in this box.

“Sorry about the delay.” Malice’s voice rings through the air as the bars melt into the ground. The black sheet he threw over the box slowly disappears until I can make out my living room. “I can understand your fury, but after listening to their exchange, I believe it’s time you come to terms with things.”

My head tilts as my eyes glow, signaling my dragon is close to the surface. No matter how hard I search, I can’t pinpoint Malice’s location as he darts around the room.

“She’s my fucking mate,” I snarl, swiping a clawed hand over my face.

“I know,” Malice agrees. “Why haven’t you told her who Veryn’s father is?”

My chest gets tight.

If I had it my way, she would never have to learn the truth about Cyril.

The first time I scented Veryn, it was clear he was of royal blood.

The only male royal who has spent any time in the human realm within the last several decades is the heir to the throne.

Daddy dearest, King Cadryn, refused to pass along his birthright until the prince proved he could carry on the line of succession by producing an heir. Which Cyril’s mate has been unable to do over the course of several hundred years.

Cyril would have known he laid an egg with Charity. He’s a drunk, with no true leadership skills, but even his disorganized ass couldn’t have missed it.

He knows there’s a chance he has a son or daughter.

The day the fae snatched Veryn and Ember to lure Aline back to Faere ruined everything.

There was no stopping the rumors that a dragonling exists in the human realm that smells of the royal line. There’s also no way that whispered gossip hasn’t made its way back to the prince and his wife.

The leaders I served for hundreds of years will see the repercussions of training me into a deadly weapon if they even think of trying to invoke the old laws.

I will die before I let Cyril tear Veryn away from Charity.

Malice hums. “I see.”

“Stay the fuck out of my head,” I roar, spinning in a circle.

“The problem is, you’re a terrible team player,” Malice taunts, still ensuring I can’t pick out his true location. “What scares you the most, Bane? Being forced to watch as the monarchs steal the boy you’ve come to think of as your own? Or knowing Norah will never stand for allowing Charity to live?”

Norah is Cyril’s mate, and according to dragon law, she could choose to call for Charity’s life to correct the slight against her matebond.

Dragon law always manages to punish the innocent party.

Too fucking bad for them.

I’ll never allow any of it to happen.

My dragon is in agreement, and he has an even worse temper than I do.

My chest heaves as I suck in deep lungfuls of air, trying to settle my monster.

By our laws, if Cyril was anyone else, other than a member of the royal family, I could call for him to meet me in the dragon pits—the aptly named fighting rings where our kind handles disagreements.

I’m sure the king, Cadryn, would never override that long-standing law, so I’ll have to come up with some other method of making Cyril pay.

“It scares the hell out of you. All of it,” Malice says. “You’re not as unaffected as you’d like the world to believe.”

“Are you trying to force me to shift?” I growl, stretching my hands as I will my claws away. “Do you want me to destroy my fucking house?”

“No.” Athos’s top half appears, levitating in a cloud of silvery-blue smoke. “We want you to help us understand what’s coming.”

“Haven protects its own,” Malice says, like I haven’t lived here longer than he’s been in the human realm. “The two of you, along with the wyvern, share a mate. I’m fond of Veryn. Charity is Aline’s friend. You may have been a one-man island, but that’s not how we do things here.”

Would wishing be a viable option to end the nightmare?

My eyes fly to Athos, but he disappears and reappears, slapping a hand over my mouth before I can speak.

His silver hair slides over his bluish-silver shoulders as his head shakes. “You cannot use the W word to annihilate Malice. How many times do I have to tell the lot of you? No personal gain.”

“It appears you aren’t ready to be friends just yet.” Malice chuckles darkly, materializing in the dark corner of the room. “Don’t worry. I’m an acquired taste. We’ll get there, eventually.”

“You’re fucking delusional.” I slap Athos’s hand away from my mouth.

Athos sighs. “You heard what happened in the cave. I had the privilege of watching. It was a very intimate moment. Charity cares for Eldritch, and he might not remember her, but some part of him can still sense their connection. I’ve always been a bit of a hopeless romantic. They yearn for each other, Banyan. How can you ignore that?” Hearing him use my full name annoys me to no end.

He might have sympathy for that fucking asshole, but I know exactly who Eldritch is and what he was sent here to do. If the warlock’s torture hadn’t corrupted his mind, there’s no way he wouldn’t have followed through.

“You are a wealth of information.” Malice siphons his way to the couch, taking a seat. “What I can’t comprehend is why you wouldn’t want assistance if the need should arise. And, perhaps, I should remind you, you came here with an agenda regarding my mate.” His shadows swirl around him in a darkening pattern as he rests his head against his palm on the arm of the sofa. “Considering the similar circumstances, it makes you seem hypocritical. We’ve all forgiven you for your original mission.”

I was ordered to the human realm to retrieve Aline and return her to her sister. However, I met Charity, and the risk seemed too large that she wouldn’t forgive me if she found out about my mission.

As a result, I gave up all the prestige I had earned in the dragon court to live in the human realm for merely the chance to court my mate.

“Maybe it’s time you follow suit and do the same for Eldritch?” Malice suggests. “Forgiveness can be healing.”

If only it was that simple.

Wyvern are taken from their parents and trained for a life of servitude to the crown. Charity doesn’t even understand that her supposed mate is her kid’s biological uncle.

Half-uncle?

Cyril and Eldritch have different mothers, but Eldritch is technically the first born. If he’d been a dragon, he would have been heir to the throne, no matter who his mother was.

I have no way of verifying it, but my instincts are convinced Cyril ordered Eldritch to the human realm to find his heir.

If not Cyril, then their father was behind the command.

My head tilts as my eyes narrow on Malice. “What did you do to me?”

I’m usually excellent at shielding my thoughts.

“Me?” He chuckles. “Nothing. Silence is the one with the gift for soothing beasts.”

It reminds me I have no idea how I got here to begin with.

I vaguely remember climbing into bed, then I was in that cell in the cave, and now we’re back in my living room.

Dealing with demons is always a mindfuck.

Athos pats my shoulder. “Doesn’t it feel better now that everything is out in the open?”

“If they’re going to come for Veryn, and possibly Charity, you should understand the value of having an army at your side.” Malice raises an eyebrow.

I do, but no one in this fucking town knows how to keep their mouth shut. The last thing Charity needs is something else to worry about. There’s no reason she needs to lose sleep over possibilities , when I’m taking care of it. The poor woman barely gets any rest as it is.

“You’re not the only one who cares for them,” Malice repeats needlessly.

“He’s right,” Athos agrees. “I would get down on my hands and knees to beg Wraith and Knight to help if the need arose.”

“My cluster is powerful,” Malice says, sounding quite smug. “But you’re overlooking possibly the greatest weapon we’d have on our side. Aline may have no desire to return to Faere, but she would for Charity. Her magic is more powerful there than it is in the human realm.”

I scoff, swiping a hand over my face. “I know she’s your mate, and I’m not saying Aline’s magic isn’t dangerous, but you really think she’s a bigger threat than a sin eater and a reaper?”

“I know she is,” Malice says simply. “I’ve watched her magic in action, just like I’ve seen Wraith and Knight reap. They have limits and rules the universe has imposed, while Aline will always be able to act on the side of those who’ve been wronged.”

“I think you’re overestimating your mate.” I sigh, shaking my head.

It’s a running theme.

Every male I know turns to a blubbering pile of goo when they find their fated mate.

“Sometimes, I’m surprised how little attention others pay.” Malice hums. “Other times, I’m grateful for it. Aline was the universe’s attempt to restore balance to Faere. Only, those in power were too afraid of her gifts to allow her to enact her destiny.” He shrugs. “I’m sure the powers that be will try again at some point. But, really, none of you have given any thought to the fact that she can resurrect the dead? Which, by the way, is a gift far beyond Wraith’s capabilities. Aline’s magic is balance . She’s the universe’s great equalizer for the weak and abused. The extent of her power isn’t governed by the same laws as ours. She’s essentially a force of nature.”

Athos bows. “She would have made a magnificent queen.”

“She’s more content living in Haven than she would have been ruling her people,” Malice says. “Now, I suggest the two of you check on your mate.” He turns into a smoky cloud of shadows and promptly disappears.

Athos snatches my hand, and the next thing I know, we’re siphoning.

There are two things I really hate—portals and siphoning.

Motherfucker.