It had taken Adriel nearly the full day to assemble the tracer spell, and it would take another few observant hours before it was done. Of course, he’d spent time first to ward his entire lab. No one could enter—not even his king’s guard—but it was the worth the price if it allowed him to focus on the spell he was concocting. It had also taken longer given the fact his spellwork was rusty. It had been months since he’d last brewed a potion, relying on others to do the work for him.
What kind of warlock does that? A stupid, lazy one.
After he was done admonishing himself, Adriel stirred the simmering liquid, entranced by the swirling magic building within. His head lifted as he realized he heard yelling outside his door.
Another assassin?
Adriel walked closer to the door.
The door burst open, and Noah stumbled in. A guard raced after him, but hit the wall of magic he’d put in place and was forced back onto the floor. Cannon rose to his feet, glaring at Noah.
“It’s alright,” Adriel said to his guard. Of course… my magic has no effect on him. No matter what I do, they can both just force their way into my life.
“I need to see Eilam,” Noah said.
“I don’t have time now.”
“I need to see him. It’s urgent.”
“Later tonight… closer to midnight. I can’t leave this potion. Not now.”
“We’re shuttering two more portals deep in the vampire district at first light and need to prepare. I want to review my plan with Eilam before we execute—and, well… I just want to see him.”
“So you can say your goodbyes… just in case something bad happens.” Adriel felt the color slip from his face.
Noah was silent, and the king had his answer.
Deep in the vampire district? I still haven’t finished the potion… what if there are more assassins? He doesn’t know what he potentially faces…
Adriel lifted his head, trying to hide the fear screaming through him. “No. You can’t do this. You’ll wait another day.”
“We have to move swiftly… we learned that the portals are moved every few days. The longer we wait, the higher the chances we miss it. They might already be gone.”
“This potion will tell us if there are more of the vampire warlocks in Midnight. You need to wait so you know what you and your team are getting into.”
“We wait, we lose them. We go in expecting the worst. If they’re there—we’ll be ready.”
“Fine. Your team can go in. You cannot.”
Noah frowned. “I won’t send them in to do a dangerous mission I’m not willing to take on myself.”
“I can’t have you hurt, too!”
“So suddenly you give a shit? I don’t buy it.”
The king returned his frown. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing,” Noah said. “I’m leading my team in a few hours, and I respectfully demand to see my brother bear.”
“No!” Adriel took a step forward. “I will take you to see Eilam when my potion is complete—and you will wait because you’re not risking your life.”
“Those portals could be the end of Midnight as we know it. If they’re given the time to bring in more reinforcements, they could overwhelm law enforcement.”
Adriel knew how important closing the portals was. Why does it need to be him? I told Eilam not to put him on the team…
“I almost lost one of you. I won’t risk it again.”
“I don’t plan to die.” Noah lifted his head arrogantly. “But if something goes wrong, you’ll have Eilam. You have nothing to worry about.”
Adriel frowned. “You think I wouldn’t feel your loss?”
“No. I don’t.”
Adriel sucked in a shocked gasp.
“I see what he means to you,” Noah said.
The king rounded his desk. “I was wrong to refuse your presence,” Adriel said. “I see that it’s hurt you—but it was hard enough to fight the feelings I had for one of you. Fighting you both would’ve been too much. I wouldn’t have survived it.”
Noah stared at him, his face impassive, but his eyes couldn’t lie. They glowed with emotion.
The king walked closer, stopping mere inches away.
Adriel placed a hand on Noah’s chest and could feel the bear’s heart beating wildly. It was almost as erratic as his own. “I thought… I thought putting up a wall was the only way to save Midnight. The only way to save myself. Because… if I had let either of you close, that wall would’ve shattered. Just as it is beginning to now.”
“I can’t believe I feel jealous of my own brother bear, but seeing the two of you together nearly broke me. I love him… but seeing the link you two share… and knowing I’ll never have that…” Noah looked away. “Your desire for him is palpable.”
“And we’ll never be able to share it. So perhaps I did you a service in keeping you away.”
Noah closed his eyes, pain haunting his face.
The king wrapped his arms around the big shifter, laying his head on the man’s chest. He could hear the sound of Noah’s heartbeat, and it soothed him.
Noah drew him ever closer, lifting him off his feet. The bear’s lips captured his. Hunger like nothing he’d dreamed of consumed him. Adriel was swallowed alive by need.
When Noah released him and took a step back, the king ached all the harder. Getting a few precious tastes of the men who were meant to be his was too much…
And nowhere near enough.
He turned to his potion, almost forgetting it. After a quick stir, he turned to Noah. “We go get Eilam and bring him back here. I can be gone for only a few minutes or this will be ruined.”
“Fair enough,” Noah said softly.
* * * *
Valen exited the interview room, leaving the human behind. He didn’t get a single answer that would lead him to believe the man knew anything about the vampires. Jeph’s heart had thundered in his chest, so loud Valen’s ears had easily heard the thumping. He’d seen true terror in the human’s eyes, but gotten nothing in return for it.
What if he’s innocent of the things you think of him?
He’d used fear to get answers, and he already regretted it. Valen shoved the thought aside, but his traitorous body wouldn’t let him forget.
“Where have you been?”
Valen turned his head and saw Theis walking closer. “Investigating a potential threat.”
Theis came to a stop before him. “What threat?”
Valen considered his words. Theis was mated to one of the humans and wouldn’t like to hear Valen’s theories.
“Well?” Theis asked.
“Possible conspirators with the vampires were found outside the walking portal.”
Theis froze. “Matioc told me it was Reese’s friends, returned.”
“One and the same,” Valen answered.
Theis frowned, anger making his eyes light. “Excuse me?”
“Consider the timeline, Theis. They arrived the same time the vampires began to infiltrate the city. They’ve been a distraction at a time when we could least afford to be distracted. Their minds have been wiped twice… yet they keep finding their way back here somehow. You don’t find all that odd?”
Valen watched as horror washed over Theis’ face. “You see why I needed to investigate.”
“No, I see a man I call friend accusing my pregnant mate of being a traitor to the City of Midnight. Do you truly think I would be bound to a man capable of that?”
“Perhaps he’s not truly your mate… the warlocks might’ve placed a spell on you.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he heard how ridiculous it likely sounded.
“A spell? Reese is pregnant with my child! He’s my mate—I love him with all my heart. My animal can’t be tricked to feel an innate desire. I won’t have you make these baseless claims against my mate unless you have proof!”
Valen eyed Theis, the confidence in his theory yet again wavering.
“And it’s not only me—Solomon and Garret are Hart’s mates. A spell on a dragon? Solomon is immune to magic.”
Valen hadn’t known the dragon had claimed the other human.
“Well? Do you have proof they’re involved? Concrete proof and not coincidence.”
Valen looked away. “No.”
“You’re wasting time when we have a true threat to overcome,” Theis said. “Are they inside?”
“Jeph is inside. The other two are in holding.”
“Report back to the castle,” Theis said, taking a step closer to Valen. “And you stay away from these humans. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal,” Valen murmured.
He handed Theis the case file and stalked down the hallway, anger growing in every step. Even if he was wrong in his theory, he wasn’t wrong in investigating what he considered a potential threat.
And he still wasn’t 100% sure his theory was wrong.
For his fellow guardsmen and the king, he hoped he was wrong.
Only time would tell.
* * * *
Jeph jumped to his feet and backed against the wall as the guard came into the room. He noticed it wasn’t the same man…
Great… another one.
“I’m sorry you’ve been held this long,” the armored man said. “Now that I’m aware you’re here, I can get this straightened out.”
“Just how are you straightening this out?” Jeph asked, fear growing.
“I know you don’t remember everything that happened before… but I’m on your side. I’ll take you to where Nick and Griffin are and go to the king. I can request you be released to my care.”
“And why would that be a good thing?”
“Because I’m Theis. Reese’s mate.”
Jeph froze at the name. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
Theis frowned. “Were Reese and Hart wiped from your minds, too?” He laid the file out on the table and searched it. “Damn. You had a more intensive wipe the second time in hopes you wouldn’t return.” Theis lifted his head. “Reese and Hart are your friends. And they live in Midnight now.”
“Can I see them?”
Theis closed the file. “First, I need to petition the king… and see what he wishes to do with you. If I can get him to release you three into my care, I can have your memories restored and allow you to see Hart and Reese.”
“And if you can’t get the king to agree?”
Theis’ face fell. “I don’t know how to answer that. You weren’t supposed to come back… yet we can’t seem to get you guys to leave. No one’s been wiped more than twice in our past.”
“So I hear,” Jeph said. “I’m really not interested in becoming a vegetable.”
Theis frowned a moment before laughing, as if he just got the joke.
“Are you… one of those… things?” Jeph asked him.
“Things?”
“A… monster.”
Theis frowned. “There are no monsters here.”
“The last guy that came in here… he… he turned into a beast. Or am I going crazy?”
Theis moved a little closer, and Jeph froze in fear. “Midnight is a place where non-humans live. We aren’t like you, but we’re not monsters. Valen is a gorilla shifter. That is what you saw.”
“And you’re like him?”
“Sort of. I’m a bear shifter.”
“So you turn into a bear.”
Theis nodded. “We have all forms of shifter in Midnight. Witches, sprites, nymphs… all the things most humans think are myths.”
“And vampires,” Jeph added.
Theis met his stare. “Do you know anything about the vampires, Jeph?”
Jeph shook his head. “The only vampires I know are the ones I’ve seen in movies or dressed up for Halloween. That gorilla guy pushed, demanding I tell you him about vampires and I don’t know anything.”
Theis grimaced. “Did he hurt you?”
Jeph shook his head. “Just scared the life out of me a few times.”
“I know that Valen can be a bit of a dog with a bone at times. While I’m angry at him, I also understand why he did it. He only wants to keep Midnight safe… and we’ve been having an issue with vampires coming in through illegal portals. It started about the same time you and your friends arrived here the first time. He saw a possible connection that I know doesn’t exist. I’ve already told him to stay away from you and your friends…” Theis moved to the door. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you back to Griffin and Nick and then go on to meet with the king.”
Jeph hesitated a moment before following Theis outside the room he’d been kept captive in for hours. Once outside it, he spied everything around him with a healthy dose of fear.
The moment he saw Nick and Griffin, he felt some relief. Theis stood in the doorway as Jeph moved inside.
“Is there anything you guys need? Food? Something to drink?” Theis asked.
“How about getting out of here?” Nick asked.
“I’m working on it,” Theis said. “Jeph can fill you in. Until then, hold tight and I’ll be back with news as soon as I can.”
As the door closed, Nick and Griffin turned to Jeph, expectant looks on their faces.
He had a story to tell, that was for sure.