Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

As they approached the Tymera mansion that night, Keegan clenched his fists, knuckles turning white. Jaron might be blaming himself, but Keegan knew who had really brought all this misfortune upon this family, and he was going to set things right.

One way or another.

The door opened, revealing Jaron's parents, both of them looking distraught. Their eyes darted to Keegan, and Mrs. Tymera sneered.

"Do you really think this is the time to be parading your vampire boyfriend around, Jaron?" she spat, an icy edge to her voice.

Ignoring the barb, Jaron stepped forward. "Keegan is here to help. He's a seer."

Jaron's father crossed his arms, distrust evident in his posture. "You think this bloodsucker can be of any use?"

Keegan swallowed the reply he wanted to make. He was here for Jaron and his siblings, not to engage in petty arguments.

"Listen," Jaron said, voice firm. "Keegan's visions can lead us to Casca and Fei. We have nothing to lose by letting him try."

"Nothing to lose?" his mother snapped. "Our reputation?—"

"Means nothing if Casca and Fei are dead!"

Silence followed that truth, thick and oppressive.

Keegan glanced at his mate. Jaron might not be able to breathe fire, but he wasn't a dragon to be taken lightly, and Keegan was so proud of him.

Stepping forward, Keegan addressed Mr. and Mrs. Tymera. "I just need access to their rooms. Their belongings can help me focus my visions."

Another strained moment passed before Jaron's father sighed heavily, shoulders slumping. "Fine. But if this backfires?—"

"It won't," Jaron interrupted. "Keegan, let's go."

They made their way up a grand staircase, Jaron's parents following. Keegan felt their scrutiny intensely, but he ignored them.

He didn't give a fuck what those stuck-up dragons thought of him.

Jaron opened the door to Casca's room first, and Keegan stepped inside.

It was the typical space of a pre-teen boy, with Lego blocks scattered across the floor, some finished and some half-built creations standing proudly on shelves. A soccer ball rested in the corner. On the desk, a laptop sat closed, surrounded by a few gaming controllers and a stack of comic books.

Turning to Jaron's parents, Keegan cleared his throat. "I need some time by myself. Please leave the room."

Jaron's mother opened her mouth to protest, but his father placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at Keegan. "You had better not be messing with us, you hear me?"

Keegan shot him a look. "You want me to find your sons or not?"

"Of course." Mr. Tymera didn't look pleased, but he took his wife and stepped out of the room.

Jaron stayed with Keegan. "What's your plan?"

"I think the kidnapper made a fatal mistake," Keegan said.

"How so?"

"I've always had the easiest time seeing the future of those most closely connected to me. Casca and Fei might not be my brothers by blood, but through our mating bond, they technically are."

Jaron's eyes widened. "So you think…"

"The kidnapper now has two people closely connected to me. That might be enough for me to cut through their warding spell. I might finally be able to see who it is."

"Really?"

"It's our best shot," Keegan said. "I'll give it everything I've got." He placed a reassuring hand on Jaron's shoulder, feeling the tension there, feeling it through their bond as well.

This mattered so much to Jaron.

Keegan wasn't going to let him down.

"I need your blood again," he said. "I've got to be as juiced up as possible if we want this to work."

Without hesitation, Jaron tilted his head, exposing the pale skin of his neck. "Take what you need."

"Think of Casca," Keegan instructed.

As Keegan's fangs sank into Jaron's neck, the familiar taste of dragon blood, of Jaron, filled his mouth. It spread through him, igniting his senses. Images began to rush in—visions blending together in a chaotic swirl.

He focused on Casca, letting the threads of the young dragon's future pull him deeper into the vision. It was almost too easy; visions cascaded like a waterfall, each one vying for attention. There must have been a million of them.

This particular dragon had the potential to live a very long life, a thought that made Keegan optimistic.

In one vision, he saw him operating on someone as a surgeon. In another, he lifted his daughter above the crowd at a festival.

Keegan didn't linger on those far-off visions. He needed something more immediate if he wanted to make sure that those futures had a chance of coming to pass.

Finally, clarity emerged.

Casca and Fei appeared before him in a brightly lit lab—the same one he'd seen in his earlier vision. They were huddled together, clinging to each other. And there stood their captor.

Malkira.

The witch who had raised Jaron. Sadness clouded her eyes as she gazed at the two young dragons.

"I wish there was another way," she said as if she meant it.

Keegan pulled back from the vision with a gasp, releasing Jaron's neck. His mind reeled from the revelation.

"Malkira," he whispered. "It's Malkira."

Keegan watched Jaron's face carefully as he revealed the truth about Malkira. Shock, disbelief, and then a flicker of anger passed over his mate's features.

His immediate reaction was denial.

"No," Jaron said, shaking his head vehemently. "That can't be right. Malkira would never do something like this."

"I know it's hard to believe, but I saw her with my own eyes. She had Casca and Fei in a lab."

Jaron began to pace the same way Keegan had before, his movements agitated. "Malkira took me in when I couldn't stand being with my parents anymore. She's like a mother to me! She wouldn't hurt anyone, let alone my brothers."

Keegan reached out, placing a hand on Jaron's arm to still him. "I get that this must be a shock, but I know what I saw. We have to face the possibility that Malkira isn't who you thought she was."

Jaron pulled away, his eyes flashing with a mix of emotions. "You don't know her like I do. There has to be another explanation. Maybe someone is forcing her to do this. Or maybe it's an imposter."

Keegan felt nothing but sympathy for his mate. To have someone you trusted, someone who raised you, betray you like this…

He wanted to let Jaron hang on to his denial, but that wasn't going to do anyone any good. "I know you want to believe the best of her, but we have to consider the facts. My vision was clear. Malkira had Casca and Fei, and she seemed to be in control of the situation."

Jaron shook his head again. "We have to get her side of the story."

Keegan hesitated, unsure if confronting Malkira directly was the best course of action. But he could feel Jaron's determination through their bond, and he knew there would be no dissuading him.

"Alright," Keegan said finally. "We'll go see her. But we need to be prepared for the worst. If Malkira really is behind this, we can't let our guard down."

Jaron nodded, his jaw set. "I know. But I have to believe there's more to this. The Malkira I know would never hurt anyone. There has to be an explanation."

Keegan hoped, for Jaron's sake, that he was right.

Keegan followed Jaron into Malkira's home, a sense of unease settling in his gut. What would the witch tell them when they confronted her?

As it turned out, they weren't about to find out. The place was eerily quiet. No one was home.

"Malkira?" Jaron called out, going up the stairs.

No response.

Jaron glanced back at Keegan, an unspoken question on his face. Do you think she knew we were coming?

"Let's just see if we can find any clues as to what's going on," Keegan said. "Can we look at her room?"

Jaron didn't seem to like that idea, but he nodded. It was commendable that he didn't want to invade the witch's private space, but if it increased his chances of finding his siblings alive and well, he would open the door to Keegan.

"I still think this is insane," he muttered as he led Keegan inside.

Keegan didn't say anything, he only looked around.

The room was a mess. Papers were scattered everywhere, covering every surface. Books lay open on the floor, their pages marked with hastily scribbled notes. The air was heavy with the scent of incense and something else, something sharp that made Keegan's nose wrinkle.

"This isn't like her," Jaron said as if he needed to defend Malkira while he walked to the window and opened it to let some fresh air in.

Keegan picked up a nearby piece of paper, his eyes scanning the dense text. It was filled with complex magical formulas and diagrams, the kind of advanced magic that was way beyond his understanding.

"What was she working on?" Keegan muttered, more to himself than to Jaron.

Was this the kind of spell that could alter the fate of the universe?

"I don't know," Jaron said. "I didn't think she was working on anything other than her garden…"

"Well, this isn't nothing." Keegan gestured at all the papers.

Jaron picked some of them up. "I can't make sense of this."

Neither could Keegan. "Maybe something here will mention a location…"

"We should take all this to the office," Jaron said, clearly referring to his work-place. They probably had mages there.

"We will," Keegan said. "Let's just look for a moment longer. Help me with this."

Jaron nodded, though he still seemed uncomfortable rooting through Malkira's things.

After a few minutes, Jaron uncovered something that made him go still.

Keegan walked over to him and looked over his shoulder. Jaron was reading an old newspaper article called "Promising Researcher Dismissed from Institute."

The article talked about Malkira, painting a picture of a brilliant but controversial researcher. There were mentions of unethical experiments involving a magical virus.

"We talked about this a little while ago," Jaron said softly. "She claimed she wasn't really at fault, but what if she was?"

Keegan met Jaron's gaze, seeing the pain of betrayal in his eyes. He rested a hand on his mate's shoulder. "We don't know for sure."

Jaron's brows furrowed. "What if she's really kidnapped my little brothers? What if my mom was right about her?"

Keegan heard the words he didn't say: Then it would be all my fault.

"We'll get to the bottom of this," Keegan assured him. "Your brothers will be okay."

"Can you promise me that?" Jaron asked. "Can you look into the future and promise me that?"

That wasn't how his powers worked. He saw possibilities, not definites—most of the time. But that wasn't what Jaron needed to hear now. "When I searched for Casca," Keegan said, "I saw a very long life for him."

Not a lie.

There was a chance Casca was going to live a very long life, and that hope was what Keegan needed Jaron to cling to.

The muscles in Jaron's jaw tensed. "Let's keep looking."

Keegan sifted through the papers with Jaron, frustration mounting as nothing useful surfaced. Nothing but incomprehensible spells. Then, without warning, his vision tunneled. The papers in his hand slipped through his fingers, fluttering to the floor.

The world around him dissolved, replaced by a stark, sterile lab. Malkira stood in the center, surrounded by glowing runes and arcane symbols etched into the floor. Her hands moved with precision as she prepared ingredients for a ritual. Keegan could see Casca and Fei bound to chairs, their faces pale and eyes wide with fear.

A clock ticked loudly in the background, each second a hammer blow to Keegan's heart.

He understood what his powers were trying to tell him.

They were running out of time.

The vision shattered like glass, and Keegan staggered back, gasping for breath. His knees buckled, and he would have collapsed if Jaron hadn't caught him.

"Keegan!" Jaron gripped him tightly. "Are you okay?"

Keegan steadied himself. "Malkira… she's preparing the ritual now. Casca and Fei are there."

An expression of horror settled on Jaron's face. "Where? Did you see where?"

Keegan shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his mind. "No… just the lab… it's happening soon."

Before they could process further, Keegan's phone buzzed in his pocket. He fumbled for it and held it to his ear without checking who was on the other end of the line.

He was surprised to hear Mordyn's voice.

"I found them," his friend said.

"Mordyn," Keegan said. "Where are you? Are you all right?"

Mordyn ignored the second question. "Apollo's people told me what district to look in, and just a few minutes ago I sensed an unnatural surge of fear. Tracked it to a building."

"You think the victims are in there?"

"My mate is not a victim," Mordyn said sharply, "but he's in there. I know that. The place is crawling with wards and enchantments. I'm going to find a way in."

"Mordyn, wait. We?—"

"I'm sending you the location. I've sent it to Altair and Apollo's people as well." That was all he said before the call cut off.

Keegan turned to Jaron. "We got a location," he said, showing him the text from Mordyn that had just arrived on his phone.

Jaron seemed to commit the address to memory. "Let's go."