Shadows of Discovery by Brenda K. Davies
Chapter Sixty-Nine
As much asCole wanted to kill his brother for harming Lexi, Orin spoke the truth. If he could return to the Gloaming to help Cole against this insurrection, he would, but it would only result in the Lord hunting them both.
There was a lot of animosity between them, but they were brothers. They might one day kill each other, but they would also fight to the death for each other.
“I have to go,” Cole said to Lexi. He clasped her uninjured hand tenderly in both of his. “Please, come with me.”
“What if….” She paused to swallow her sorrow before speaking again. “What if something happens to you while I’m there? I won’t be able to leave.”
“I’ll leave a portal open inside the palace. If something happens to me, you can return here. Hopefully, Sahira and Brokk will be back by then. Brokk will be able to get you somewhere safe and away from the Lord.”
Because his death would not guarantee her safety from that madman.
“So will I,” Orin said.
Cole gave him a nod of thanks before returning his attention to Lexi.
She bit her bottom lip before responding. “I’ve already asked George to stay on and help with the horses, so they’ll be fine. And I’d prefer to be there… to know… to….”
Her voice broke, and she stopped speaking to look at the window.
He brushed the hair back from her shoulder and clasped her cheek to turn her face to him. “I’m going to be fine. The dark fae have no idea what they’re messing with when it comes to me.”
“That’s for sure,” Orin muttered, but when Cole shot him a look, he saw the curiosity in his brother’s gaze.
“And there is Niall. I have him and other men there that I trust.”
Lexi turned the water off and carefully dried her blistered hand. When Cole lifted her palm to examine the red welt, he glowered at his brother again.
Orin rolled his eyes. “She’ll heal.”
“Prick,” Cole muttered.
“Then we should go,” Lexi said.
“I’ll be right back,” Cole said.
He released Lexi and jogged down the hall to the library. He’d left his sword leaning against the wall there after returning from the tunnels with Lexi, Brokk, and Sahira. That all seemed like weeks ago, but a day hadn’t passed.
Lifting the sword, he swung it onto his back and secured it there with the strap. He returned to discover Lexi filling her pockets with potions from one of the cabinets.
“What are those?” he asked.
“Sahira’s skin-melting potions. They could come in handy.”
He wouldn’t turn down anything that would help keep her safer. When she finished, Cole claimed her good hand.
“Stay below, stay out of view, and stay out of trouble,” he said to Orin. “I’ll be back as soon as this is over.”
“Don’t rush on my account,” Orin said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He dipped his spoon into the sauce before lifting it to take a small taste. “It needs some garlic, but you don’t have any.”
“Oh, well, I’m so sorry,” Lexi retorted. “When this is over, I’ll run down to the grocery store to get some for you. Oh, that’s right, they don’t exist anymore.”
“That’s okay,” Orin said. “I’ll make do without it.”
Lexi stared incredulously at him before looking at Cole. “Can you hit him again?”
Despite his growing urgency to return to the Gloaming, Cole chuckled. “Anytime you want.”
“Good.”
Cole drew her against his side as he lifted his hand and placed his palm out against the air. Drawing on his power, he focused it before him as he worked to tear a veil into the fabric separating this world from the Gloaming.
Only the king could open a portal into the palace, and he pictured a door forming in his rooms in his mind. She would be safest there, and he would lead her straight into them.
When the portal materialized, Orin set down his spoon. “Good luck, brother.”
“Same to you,” Cole said. “And don’t forget, Sahira can find you anywhere, so don’t try to run.”
Orin placed a hand over his heart as he feigned insult. “I would never dream of doing such a thing.”
Cole watched his brother as he led Lexi into the portal and toward the battle waging on the other side.