There’s heavy silence as she reaches up and traces a single symbolic tear that escapes his eye and rolls down his cheek. He coughs to cover it, trying to pull back that hardened glare to shield the emotion she tugged from him. I see it all so clearly. That teen boy I knew, the loving brother. The shy, awkward wolf who protected me so fiercely; he’s still in there and battling so many internal conflicts. She dries it away gently, a slight blue glow leaving a faint shadow as her finger moves, seeping into his soul. Her healing touch, her balm, infused with her careful words. I know how powerful that combination can be in times of major distress.
Colton shifts restlessly behind me, unsure of what’s happening, and pulls me against his chest. Varro raises a brow and cocks his head to the side as Jasper lifts his chin slightly and dares to look Sierra in the eye for the first time. Probably the first time in his life, given when she was Luna, we were never allowed.
“I know it’s hard. I know there’s a fire inside of you that’s all-consuming and a war that’s twisting it all around. Trust me. I know how it feels. I know the loss. Take my hand, and let me help you find your way out of your own hell. It doesn’t have to feel like it does now.” Sierra slides her palm to his shoulder, down his arm, and glides her hand in his to grasp it tightly. This is where she always excelled as Luna in her ability to be what we needed and find the right way of getting in.
A mother’s touch, a protective gesture, and Jasper swallows hard and seems to crumble slightly, not letting go of that small hand in his.
I know this isn’t all words. I can see the glow and effects of Sierra’s subtle magic, and she’s diffusing him, filling him with that aura of warm feeling and security she has used on tearful pups. It’s like giving him a couple of shots of liquor and improving his mood for temporary relief. It’s instilling hope that she holds the secret to being free of his agony.
“Take her offer. Go find the wolf and his loyal. End this tonight.” Varro is curt and to the point. Shaking Jasper out of his odd quiet stance, he seems to visibly straighten himself up as he pulls his hand out of Sierra’s. Surprised by his filial behavior. He casts her an odd look, somewhat torn and confused, and then blinks at me as the steel returns a little. I can see the battle in his eyes.
“Fine… but you stay here. Pregnant? There’s no place for you here in that condition.” It’s a hint of brotherly love, and I’ll take what I can of it, even if it’s delivered in such a frosty tone. It’s a ray of hope.
Jasper wastes no time in polite chat anymore, turns on his heel, and lurking shadows instantly materialize with a click of his fingers. I shudder as several creatures appear out of thin air and take off after him. That wreaking smell and vulgar show of pale skin and long fangs. Sierra is hot on his heels without hesitation, turning to wolf, and Radar and two of the Luna’s guards immediately follow close on her heels without a word being spoken. I know Colton is in all their heads, directing and giving orders, and I relax knowing we have our abilities back.
“Shall we retire to your…… abode?” Varro breaks in and frowns up at the darkened manor, which seems shabby and deserted compared to how it used to look so many months ago. His sarcasm is obvious, and I catch that little flex in Colton’s body as he curbs his reaction to someone dissing his childhood home.
“Shall we?” I answer instead and push Colton off, motioning him ahead of me as we turn about, telling him to get moving. He does so after a second of stubborn stillness. His eyes cast around to take in the scene before us, and he grips my hand and tugs me close to his side. Always ready to shield me.
Our wolves are all standing ready, a huge semi-circle that has grown since Varro appeared, and I catch sight of Meadow in the lineup. Eyes ablaze, poised for the kill at a command. I smile her way softly, so glad to see her again, to tell her it’s okay, and impulsively scan the faces for the rest of the subs. They are all here now, watching, waiting, eyes amber, and standing in battle mode for the briefest of signs. My family all present once more.
The Luna’s guard follows close behind us, and Varro seems completely unfazed to be a lone Vampire walking towards this arc of the enemy without any accompaniment. It says a lot about his faith in his abilities.
“Lord.” A dark figure swoops down in front of us and lands with a gentle thud in our path, startling me with the stealth ninja-like intrusion. Tall, dressed in black tailoring, with an undeniable red glow coming at me from the darkness. Darrius. I guess he was never far away. He’s unmistakable, even sheathed in shadow.
He steps forward, bends a knee before fluidly moving into a kneel, and lowers his head, lifting one arm so his wrist touches his forehead to show respect for his master. It’s obvious that despite his arrogant and cold manner, Darrius is a loyal servant to my father, and it seems he knows how to be submissive in front of the right creatures. He still has that noble command, yet I sense no aggression or anything negative coming from him. Complete obedience.
“Stay here. I do not need your men anymore. Watch for Jasper if he needs assistance rounding up his charge.” Varro clicks his fingers and motions for me to walk around him. I falter and then do as I’m told and arc away from Darrius and around while he stays in that bowing position, unmoved at all.
“As you command, Lord.” A low husky voice that sends the fear of God through me. Even as a Lycan, Darrius scares me. He’s nothing like Varro. I thank my lucky stars Darrius and any like him didn’t interject in battle. There’s something so dark and terrifying about him that’s not even present in Varro. You can feel it in the air around him that he’s the true definition of a creature of the night.
Darrius stays unmoved when even Varro walks past him, and I glance back to see him motionless, like a statue, when we progress all the way to the gate of the Manor. As soon as we are at a distance, he stands up and takes on the stance of a guard, facing away, and doesn’t follow. His weird energy is still ebbing around me, though, and I shudder to shake it off. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say it’s what death feels like.
“What is he?” Colton is the one to break the tension, aiming his question at me because he is obviously feeling it too, and I lean in close, knowing fine well that Varro can hear me even if I whisper. Somehow, talking about Darrius, though, should be done in whispers.
“They said he’s a Shadow Knight. Some stealth assassin soldier.”
“A what?” Colton scrunches up his face and throws back a wary look over his shoulder at the formidable figure of that creepy man. A look of disbelief and yet a frown.
“A Shadow Knight…. A rare being. Darrius is the commander of my elite force of special, hard-to-find brothers. A born assassin from an almost obsolete bloodline. He’s the shadow in every nightmare, the eyes in the dark that scare you to death. Even for our kind, he’s special. A warrior to the core with little to no empathy for any life but a strong sense of obligation and a good moral code for a cold-blooded killer. He has his uses, as do his men. Darrius alone could take on fifty of your kind and not even get a scratch. I’m rather proud to have him.” You can’t mistake Varro’s pride in his tone as though he is discussing his prized collection of priceless artifacts. It’s odd.
“Leyanne said that if Shadow Knights fought the war against us twenty years ago, there would be no Lycans today at all.” I point out, shivering at the thought and gaining new respect and fear for that figure we are leaving behind. He’s mysterious and yet leaves a lasting impression.
“And she’s right. That witch isn’t one to lie or exaggerate. Meddlesome creature that she is. You can thank the fates that only two dozen exist nowadays in all the lands. I command most of them.”
Now that’s a terrifying thought. Two dozen Darrius’s. No, thank you.
Talking of which… or witch. I have no idea why she goes AWOL at the most important times and then seems to appear right when we truly need her. She’s weird, in a good way, but altogether infuriating that she takes off and goes to do her own thing. Where the hell is she now?
The words don’t make it out of my mouth as Carmen meets us at the main door, a look of fear on her face as she scans those coming towards her, then relief at seeing Colton and me. Her eyes move past us to Varro. There's no shock at seeing him, then off into the darkness behind him, and it’s no guessing who she’s looking for. Her mate bond will be telling her he’s close and feeling him in all kinds of ways.