Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

T here was plenty of seating in the room, and Curi and Serath moved the sofas so we were gathered around the large oak coffee table facing Ivor. I sat with Serath, and Curi sat with Shar, while Levi claimed an armchair.

Tea was passed around, and we settled in to listen to what Ivor had to tell us.

"We should start at the beginning," Ivor said. "When the rift to the other place first opened. The gray began to seep into our world. It was their atmosphere, toxic to humans and home to terrifying beasts from their world. The gargoyles were able to withstand the gray to a degree, but the rift was guarded by creatures that even they couldn't best, and the atmosphere close to it was lethal, even to gargoyles. We were losing the war against what was essentially a terraforming of our world. But then the high council of witches made a proposition. They'd had contact with beings from this other world—disembodied entities called shedim. These shedim were the protectors of powerful relics that were housed in the world beyond the gray. They had the power to withstand the gray and fight the beasts but not in their disembodied states. The rift opening had pulled them through, stripping their souls from their bodies in the process. Their queen promised that they could close the rift if they were given hosts."

I could see where this was going now. "Gargoyle hosts?"

"Yes, but it wasn't as simple as gargoyles agreeing to be possessed. The shedim were not ghosts, they were the souls of living creatures. And so the witches created a curse that would strip the gargoyles of their souls, leaving their bodies empty and ready to house a shedim soul."

My scalp pricked because I remembered Carter and Lionel telling me about a curse. One that gave the guardians the power to fight the gray at the costs of their souls. The shedim must have been the powerful force they'd mentioned, but did Carter and Lionel know that? That the shedim were the force. All Carter had said was that it was classified information.

"But a curse can only be activated if something terrible is done," Ivor said. "It was agreed, by all a parties, that the sigma leader of the gargoyle army would be the one to activate this curse. He was bound by magic to his battalion so that the curse would strip his entire battalion of their souls, leaving their bodies free for the shedim. But to activate it, this sigma was forced to sacrifice his mate."

"Sacrifice?" Shar said. "How?"

"He killed her." Ivor blinked slowly. "She agreed to the sacrifice, knowing it was the only way to save her world and keep her son safe. They had one last night together, and during their lovemaking, he thrust a blade into her heart." Gasps filled the room, and my eyes heated with the threat of tears. Ivor quickly continued. "It was a blessing that the curse took the sigma immediately too, stripping his soul from his body and allowing him to reunite with his mate in the afterlife. Their sacrifice allowed the shedim to claim the battalion."

"They became the graynites," Curi said softly.

"Yes. Five graynites were chosen from five bloodlines and tasked to carry the energy of a mystical detonator to the rift. The covens sacrificed their strongest witches to create the implosion device. With a battalion to pave the way, they were able to use it to implode the rift and seal it. They gave their lives, and their sacrifice blessed their bloodlines with the ability to end the graynite who'd sparked the curse. The alpha…"

Which meant… "You're the alpha, so…you're a sigma, the one who killed his mate?"

He was also Lionel's father, so…Was that why Lionel hated him? For killing his mother? Did he understand the truth of what had happened? Of course not. The truth wasn't something we were told. It had been altered over the years. The narrative changed.

Ivor watched me process before speaking. "Yes, I am the alpha, but I am not the sigma who killed his mate. I am the shedim who claimed that sigma's body."

"Fuck…of course," Levi said.

So what did that make me? Was I shedim, goyle, or graynite?

"The curse created by the witches had an unexpected effect," Ivor continued. "It attached itself to every sigma in existence and all that have been born since. But the sigma gargoyles weren't the only ones affected by the events. Creating the implosion device killed not only the thirteen witches taking part in its creation but hundreds more. In the days and weeks that followed, witches dropped dead. There are only a handful of their kind left now. The covens gone. The power all but dead."

"So what happened then?" Shar asked. "Once the rift was closed?"

"The five gargoyles from the bloodlines that closed the rift were supposed to kill me, thus freeing all the shedim. My people hoped to be free of these bodies and find a new home, but those plans changed once we'd seen the rift up close. There was evidence to suggest it was not natural, that someone, or something, had opened it from this side, and until we knew who, until we could be sure it wouldn't happen again, it was agreed that we would remain. The relics my people guard cannot fall into the wrong hands. We had to ensure the rift stayed closed."

"It was agreed?" Levi said. "By who? The council?"

"Yes. Your gargoyle council agreed that we would remain. But…over the decades, something changed. There were attacks on humans, and the council blamed us. And then…then we discovered the existence of other graynites. We knew it had to be related to the opening of the rift. Over the years, we tried to impress this on the council, but they refused to believe us. We are not of this world. Alien to them, and they chose to believe the worst of us. But the faction is real. And it seems that they've discovered a way to create graynites using sigmas, and there is no doubt in my mind that the people responsible are integrated into the highest positions in your gargoyle government."

"You think the faction wants to reopen the rift?" Serath said.

"Yes. Five graynites closed it. Graynites from specific bloodlines, and from what we've learned, they have five graynites from those bloodlines too…at least they did until earlier today." He looked at Serath. "We've slowed them down, but they won't stop. They'll either come for you or they'll find another Halle sigma."

"There are no others," Serath said. "Not that I know of."

But that didn't mean much. "No one knew Romi was a sigma."

Silence fell for several beats.

"Are you saying that the thing inside me was a shedim?" Serath asked.

"No." Ivor sighed. "The shedim aren't the only inhabitants of my old world. We have been at loggerheads with the infernals for centuries. These higher beings are travelers of worlds. They consider themselves above us, better than us because they've created civilizations and left their mark in many realities. They believe they should be the relic keepers. Several must have been pulled through into this world when the rift was opened, but whereas we found the witches and offered to help close the rift, the infernals…well, I believe they may have allied with the faction who opened the rift."

"You think they want to open the rift and take the relics," Serath said.

"Yes. I believe so."

So the faction was replacing gargoyle souls with infernal ones, using the curse to do it. "What do we do now? We can't let them open the rift."

"When the curse was created, there was an anchor. Me. This body." He lightly touched his chest. "If the faction is planning to reopen the rift, if they're making graynites using infernals, then they too will have an anchor, one that must have been created when the witches were abundant." His gaze settled on each of us. "Your elite team will need to find their alpha and kill him."

"Or her," Shar pointed out.

Ivor inclined his head. "Or her."

Silence fell as we all processed what he'd told us. But something niggled at me. Something he'd mentioned but then dropped. Oh, yes… "You mentioned a queen? The shedim queen?"

He smiled sadly. "She is…no more. At least not in any form that is tangible."

"What does that mean?"

"She was never given a host. Her energy flowed free among us on the battlefield, and after that she weakened. She sleeps now, her essence locked in a relic we keep safe."

There was so much sadness in his tone that I couldn't help but ask. "Did you know her well? Were you close?"

He laughed, a soft breathless sound. "You could say that. She was my mother."

His mother was a queen? He was royalty, which meant?—

"Yes, Cameron, you have royal heritage," Ivor said. "You are a rare being indeed."

Silence fell over us once more, and this time I felt the heat of everyone's regard. I cleared my throat. "We can't let them get their hands on Serath or another Halle sigma."

"What we need to do is draw them out," Serath added. "Make sure I'm their only option and have them come for me."

I stared at his profile in horror. "You want to play bait?"

"It's the quickest way to root them out."

"But they'll know what we're doing," Levi pointed out. "They'll know we're trying to bait them."

"Yes," Serath said. "But if they need me that badly, then they'll risk it to get their hands on me."

"He's right," Ivor said. "And for that, I have a plan."

Adaline and Ignus joined us before Ivor could lay out his plan. Levi made a spot for his mother on the sofa beside him, but Ignus remained by the door.

"There are tunnels a few miles from the area where my graynites found you," Ivor said. "I propose we drop you all at the other end of those tunnels, where you will hopefully be picked up by the guardians sent to look for you by the academy.

"Your story will skate as close to the truth as possible. You'll tell them that you were attacked by graynites, Serath being one of them. Describe the attack as it happened, but that's where the story will change." He looked at me. "You'll tell them that your mate connection with Serath somehow allowed him to eject the entity that was inhabiting his body. And you"—he looked to Serath—"will tell them how your connection to Cameron allowed you to resist the entity's efforts to eject you." Ivor sighed. "This is where the lie will begin. You will say that more graynites appeared, intent on attacking the first batch."

"Which is what happened at the cadet trials," Curi said tightly.

"Yes, which will make it believable. You'll tell them that you ran and took refuge in the tunnels. You were hurt and healing."

"That's all very well," Curi said, "but what if they set the alchemist on us?"

"I might be able to help with that," Adaline said. "You've recently undergone an elite trial, and the invasion to your mind is too fresh to risk another. They have no rights to dive into mine, so we should be able to dodge that issue."

"It could work," Levi said. "If the council doesn't insist on taking Serath into custody to run tests."

"No!" My spine straightened. "I won't allow it. We won't allow it." I looked to the team for confirmation, from Curi, whose jaw was set in determination, to Shar, whose eyes flashed with fervor, and finally to Levi, who exhaled and dropped me a nod. "We'll make it clear that we don't trust anyone. That he belongs with us, where we can keep him safe. There are traitors in their midst. Someone who told the graynites the location of the elite trial. They can't deny that. We have the upper hand."

Ivor smiled, his eyes bright with pride. "Yes, Cameron. You do. I believe in you. I believe that you can do this. And?—"

A sharp crack filled the air, and Derek materialized by the door. His diamond eyes were tinged with crimson, and his chest heaved as if he'd been running. Wild energy pricked my skin as I leapt up and rushed toward him.

He flinched and stepped back, eyes narrowing in suspicion. I stopped, hands up in a placating gesture. "Hey, buddy…" He dipped his chin to meet my gaze, but I wasn't sure he saw me, not properly. "Derek, it's me. It's Cameron."

He shook his head. "It's a lie. This is a lie."

Sharniza joined us. "Derek, we're here. You're here. You're back with us now."

I stepped aside to make room for her as she reached up to cup his jaw. "You're home."

The crimson in his eyes dimmed, and the diamond hue bloomed bright. "Shar…" He lightly touched her cheek before turning his head to look at me. "My Cameron. I am back?"

I exhaled in relief. "Yes. Yes, you are."

"We were so worried," Sharniza said. "I thought…" Her voice cracked, and Derek folded her into a hug.

"I'm here," he said. "I'm safe. I'm back." I wagered the words were reassurance just as much for him as they were for her.

"Where did you go?"

His eyes flickered. "Nowhere. Just an empty place. But I'm back now." He looked down at Shar still in his arms and smiled.

Seeing them like this, seeing him like this, his focus wholly on someone else was bittersweet. Up until now, I'd been his sole focus. The person he looked to for comfort, the only person who could soothe him, but he'd grown and become his own person. He didn't need me as much now, and although there was a little sadness in letting go, there was joy in it too. To know that he'd found not only himself but also love. That part…that was the sweetest.

Heat bloomed at my back, and Serath's scent enveloped me as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He sensed my emotions through our bond. Understood what I was feeling right now. The proud mama watching her child leave the nest.

Derek spotted Serath. "You're back too."

"I am," Serath said. "Thank you for helping Cameron stay alive long enough for me to find my way back."

His gaze dropped to me, eyes burning brighter. "My Cameron…You were running, and I…I failed you." The torment in his tone tore at my heart.

"You did everything you could. You bought me time. I'm alive because of you."

He broke away from Shar to pull me into a hug filled with his familiar warmth.

"Love you," he said softly. "Love you so much."

"I love you too, Buddy. So very much."

"Great," Ignus said. "Everyone is safe and loved, but it won't stay that way for long if you don't focus."

He was right; we had decisions to make.

"I'll leave you to mull over the plan," Ivor said. "But don't take too long. The search party won't be combing the area forever. My scouts confirmed they were still searching an hour ago and had begun to expand their perimeter. Another couple of hours and they'll be ready to check the tunnels."

"Not trying to be negative here," Curi said, "but what happens if the faction somehow succeeds in opening the rift?"

Good point. "There are no witches to create a new implosion device."

"But if there were, then wouldn't we have to die to make it work?" Sharniza pointed out.

"No!" Derek growled.

Ivor held up his hands. "We have a plan. One that doesn't involve witches or implosion devices. If the need arises, then we will use it. Don't worry." He dropped me a nod. "Ignus will find me when you've made your decision. Don't take too long."

If we were going to put Ivor's plan into motion, we'd have to move quickly.