Sweat dripped down Cael’s spine, despite the falling snow. It was freezing rain, he amended as the icy pellets pricked his face. The trek up the steep cliffs to Brushy Keep was next to impossible. His mate and her sister made it look easy task, and for harpies, it was. Their clawed feet were designed for gripping, and he cursed his leather boots.

Branches shot out among the rocky terrain, growing in an environment Cael didn’t think possible. The first time he grabbed hold of a limb, thinking it would support him, was the last. The roots immediately gave way, and he slipped. His quick reflexes were his saving grace, and Cael grabbed onto a large boulder, stopping his fall. He didn’t miss Brianne’s gasp or the panic in her dark eyes.

“Damn, who’d have known Dark Warriors were such pussies,” Raquel said with a shake of her head as she quickly scaled the mountain’s ledge.

Cael gripped a large rock and contemplated throwing it at the female’s face. Probably not the best way to win his mate, he surmised and released his hold.

“That’s easy to say when you have talons and wings. Remind me again who needed saving during the battle with the Crow Tengu,” Cade countered with a smirk.

Cael glanced over at his brother and smiled. “True that, brother. We aren’t fucking gymnasts performing on a balance beam.”

“You want some cheese with that whine?” Raquel sassed and rubbed her eyes as if she was crying.

“Stop, Raq. Remember, they’re out of their element here. And, these males kill demons in their sleep and eat skirm for breakfast. It’s amazing they’ve made it this far, if you ask me,” Brianne replied.

Cael looked to his mate, and saw the moonlight bouncing off her silhouette, and was temporarily dumbstruck. She was enchanting, her arched wings casting shadows across her face. He had the distinct impression that the way her face was half-hidden in shadows represented him and his brother.

He shook his head at his ridiculous notion, but couldn’t ignore the feeling that he was the dark half and Cade the light. Cael had lewd tendencies that craved submission and liked sex rough. Not that his deviance compared to Prince Kyran, but he preferred to give a touch of pain to his lovers. And, Brianne blossomed under his touch because she was made for him. Or, he was made for her. Regardless, he knew, without doubt, they belonged together.

“You’re in deeper than I thought, sestra. Maybe bringing Cade and Cael here was a bad idea. We need to get you away from them,” Raquel postured.

“Watch your tongue,” Cade growled. “One of us is her Fated Mate. There will be no separating us ever again.”

“Settle down, Vampzilla. My sister hasn’t chosen either of you. You are nothing more than a pleasant diversion,” Raquel spat.

Cael watched as Cade suddenly twisted, his hands clenched in anger. Cael’s heart stopped when he realized his brother’s mistake. Cade lost his tenuous grip and fell backward. In the blink of an eye, Cael envisioned his brother plunging to the ground, leaving Cael alone. An empty void consumed his chest as he acknowledged Cade’s role in his life. They had been inseparable since birth, and Cael refused to lose him. He would rather die than see his twin fall to his death. Without hesitation, Cael dove for Cade.

His hand clasped his brother’s. The flimsy limbs were the only things within reach. Instinct kicked in, and Cael shouted, “Grab a branch, now!”

Cael’s hand shot out and grabbed a bough at the same time as Cade. The fact that his twin listened and trusted Cael broke his heart. He’d been a complete jackass to Cade since Brianne walked into their lives. That was unacceptable and needed to stop. His brother was as much a part of him as his Fated Mate. They would have to make this work somehow. He couldn’t lose his brother.

Their joined bodies jerked, and their combined weight challenged the branches. Rocks rained down the cliffs, echoing around them. Brianne and Raquel were behind them before the branches snapped and sent them tumbling again.

Brianne’s arms were a warm blanket, holding his weight against the rock wall. His head lowered to make sure Cade was safe, and he sighed when he saw Raquel holding Cade.

“You have to let go of him,” Brianne gritted. “I’m too close to the cliff, and my wings are struggling,” she stated through panting breaths.

Their massive wings beat around them, slapping the rocks. Harpies needed air current to fly, and they couldn’t obtain enough momentum.

Cael met Cade’s gaze and nodded then released his brother’s forearm. Loose shale crumbled beneath his frantic fingers. He felt a surge of strength at his waist, and the air stirred around them as the velocity in Brianne’s wings increased.

His hair whipped around his face as Brianne’s front pressed against his back. “I’ve got you, mi león. Find a hold then worry about your footing,” she instructed and placed a kiss against his cheek.

Her patience eased his anxiety as much as her touch. Against his will, Cael’s cock hardened and his mate mark bellowed its desires.

He settled his frantic feet and gazed above, seeking space ample enough for his fingers. After finding finger-holds, he shifted his boots, seeking stability. More rocks broke free, rolling down the cliff.

“I think I’m good now,” he told Brianne when his boots planted firmly. “Thank you, love.”

Her wings fluttered rapidly before she settled on the wall a few feet to his left. Her talons clutched the cliff like a seasoned pro. He vowed to add repelling to his workout but thanked the Goddess for blessing him with a harpy. He and Cade would be dead if not for Brianne and Raquel. The sheen in Brianne’s eyes told him she was highly aware of that fact.

“Okay, that was too close for comfort,” Cade muttered to his right. Brianne’s head traveled from Cael and back to Cade rapidly, and her fingers twitched on the cliff.

Cael felt her desire to embrace them both. The more time they spent together, the deeper the bond settled. Regardless of her decision, neither he nor Cade would be free of Brianne. Thoughts of relinquishing her to Cade filled his head. Endless torment ran rampant through Cael’s mind as he experienced the torrents of pleasure Brianne would find with his brother.

Raquel’s laughter broke into Cael’s morose rumination. “Surely that didn’t scare you, warrior. You didn’t even fall ten feet,” she scoffed with a wink.

“You sure about that? It felt more like a hundred feet. Pretty sure I shit myself,” he replied with a chuckle. He wasn’t kidding, despite his care-free attitude. That scared the ever-living fuck out of him. “There is nothing normal about dangling from rocks,” Cael explained as he cautiously made his way up the cliff.

Brianne laughed and launched herself up. Her wings folded against her back and she landed on a five-inch ledge twenty feet above them. This was her natural environment. Her skill displayed how much time she spent climbing and flying up this mountain. She glanced over her shoulder, and smiled at Cael then graced Cade with the same brilliance. The way Cade’s energy flared matched his exactly.

“I believe she’s taunting us, brother,” Cade said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Cael nodded as he stared at his alluring mate. “I think you’re right. If we weren’t hanging off a cliff, I’d say we teach her who she’s messing with.”

“We’re almost to the top. You can teach me when we get there,” Brianne called out as she quickened her pace. There was no mistaking the excitement in her voice.

“I want to watch,” Raquel blurted. “Seeing twins go at it is strangely arousing. I’ll pretend it’s not you, Bri. Or you could always let them practice on me. I’m down for that.”

A flash of jealousy sparked before Brianne masked her reaction. Cael smirked at her, and his mate narrowed her eyes then shrugged. “I have no claim on these vampires. They’re free to be with whomever they want.”

Cael growled and increased his speed as he headed for the female. “When I reach you, I’m going to take you over my knee. You won’t be able to deny you’re mine after I brand your ass with my palm.”

“Mmmm. I’ve never been spanked before. Surprisingly, the thought doesn’t repulse me,” Brianne replied with a shake of her hips.

“Ooo, yeah, let’s go to Bite, sestra. I hear they have whips and chains to excite us,” Raquel added in a sing-song voice.

“Spank my booty, come on and spank my booty. Spank my booty, spank it real good,” Cade belted out as he ground his hips. The movement caused him to slip, but he quickly regained his balance. Once Cael knew Cade wasn’t in danger of falling, he burst into laughter.

“OMGeeee, that was hysterical,” Raquel blurted.

Cael wished for a minute that Cade was meant for Raquel and not Brianne. It would make life perfect.

“See, my love. You don’t need to go clubbing when you’ve got this at home,” Cade commented.

“Who’s gonna stop me?” Brianne asked defiantly.

“Once I get hold of you, you’ll forget about your desire for anyone but me,” Cade said as Brianne reached the top and climbed onto the ledge.

“I desire only two males, and you know it, Cade,” Brianne confessed as he and Cade reached the top, as well.

They clambered over the edge and Cade jumped to his feet and grabbed Brianne. She squealed and wrapped her arms around Cade’s shoulders. He squeezed and lifted her off the ground, and her wings fluttered rapidly. Cael recalled they did that when she was aroused.

Brianne suddenly lowered her head, placing her lips on Cade’s. Cael watched as his brother gripped Brianne’s ass, and pulled her tight against his body. Their mouths slid over one another as their tongues tangled with fervor. The moan that escaped the couple made Cael look away.

His gaze clashed with Raquel’s, and she gave him an understanding grimace. Cael was about to walk away when soft hands tugged his shoulder and yanked him off balance. He twisted and turned then came face to face with a heaving Brianne.

Cael stood there confused until she grabbed him, kissing him with enough passion to make a cambion blush. She stood on tiptoe and cupped his cheeks while his hands found purpose between her shoulder blades. His fingers teased the seam along her wings, and Brianne moaned in his mouth and writhed against him. He took control of the kiss and explored her mouth like he wanted to ravish her body.

Grabbing one knee, he wrapped her leg around his hip, bringing her core into contact with his erection. She tightened her limb and ground against his hard shaft. His eager cock kicked in his pants, and it took every ounce of effort to stop his urge. He wanted to fuck her right there and show his brother she belonged to him, but he knew that was wrong. He couldn’t intentionally hurt him.

Shifting his hold, he lowered her leg to the ground. Cade approached them and placed a hand on Brianne’s shoulder. Cael sensed her racing heart and wild desire, along with Cade’s reaction to her burning need. For one brief moment, a feeling of rightness settled over Cael. The three of them shared something bigger than Fate. It was inevitable.

“Okay,” Cael said, shaking off his epiphany, and refocusing on the pertinent issue. “How far is the village?”

“It’s about thirty yards that way,” Brianne replied and pointed to the east. “Anna and Jade live in the closest houses.”

“It won’t take much to convince them to join us. Anna and Jade already believe Aurora abuses her power and makes too many decisions without consulting the tribe,” Raquel shared as they walked toward the harpy community.

They traveled about fifteen feet, and Cael was suddenly surrounded by thick brush. He couldn’t extend his arms without touching tall evergreens. Another ten feet and Cael was overcome with an urge to turn and walk away. The impulse was fleeting, and he shook off the compulsion without much effort.

“We use aversion spells. Aurora felt that was better than paying for a more intricate invisibility spell,” Brianne explained as she watched him scan the area.

“That’s smart. The spell is a good one. No human would come within twenty yards of your homes,” Cael replied.

They came to a break in the trees and stopped to check for anyone in the area. For a supernatural village, it was awfully quiet. Unnaturally still, Cael thought. Brianne retrieved one of the yellow stones Suvi gave her and started toward the houses.

After several feet, Cael understood why no one was out and about. The atmosphere was smothered in dark energy. His skin didn’t prickle, so he knew it wasn’t skirm. There was malicious intent, but Cael couldn’t determine the root cause. He wondered if a portal had been opened into Brushy Keep.

Brianne and Raquel stilled their wings and walked carefully to a large tree between two massive evergreens. Cade and Cael were two steps behind them. They placed the first crystal in the dirt, careful to cover it with leaves then continued walking.

“How will we know if this works?” Cade asked. “Suvi never told us what to expect. Just that it would clear their minds.”

Raquel placed another stone and glanced at Cade. “If you’re asking, that means you can’t feel it. These crystals must be spelled specifically for harpies because my mind is sharper now than it was a second ago.”

“Yeah. I’m even more dedicated to our plan than when we left Zeum,” Brianne murmured in agreement.

After placing two more stones in the earth, they reached the center of the village. There were several ground-level establishments, including a café. His gaze snagged on Aurora, sitting at a table next to the window. Sweat dripped down Cael’s neck. The harpy leader wasn’t any better than the last time they’d seen her.

She was bruised, and her cuts hadn’t healed. Her gray skin was flaking off her body, and the black circles around her eyes were haunting. In the next blink, Cael shuddered when Aurora’s face morphed, and a skull replaced the dying flesh. She reminded him of the zombies from his favorite television series.

“I can see the demon inside her. This isn’t good. We need to save her, and fast,” Raquel whispered.

“No kidding,” Cade agreed. “If I didn’t know better I’d think she was the undead. I will give it to your leader. Aurora’s not making this easy for the demon. I’ve never seen anyone fight a possession with more vigor.”

“Yeah, but Raquel is right. We have got to act fast, or that demon will be expelled, and Aurora will be dead,” Cael added.

Brianne placed another crystal on the ground, and their group froze when Aurora’s head snapped in their direction. Cael couldn’t tell if she saw them, or not. No doubt the demon sensed the spell, but Brianne quickly hid the rock by kicking it under a pile of leaves. Aurora turned away, and Cael exhaled. She hadn’t detected them, after all.

“Are there demons in the area?” Brianne asked as they left Aurora and her warrioresses, walking to the other side of the village. “My skin is crawling with a million ants.”

“I don’t want to stick around and find out,” Cade said as he brushed dried leaves aside and cleared an area to place the next stone.

“Let’s get to your haven. I barely survived mountain climbing, and I’m quite certain I don’t have enough mojo to save me from a sunrise, too,” Cael admitted as he looked to the horizon.

“Follow me, my fair-skinned mates,” Brianne stated and sashayed toward a group of houses.

Cael looked at Cade, and they shared the same shocked expression. Did she just refer to them as her mates?