Sadness swept through their bond and Nexi felt Haven’s reluctance to leave her. But then both witches vanished through the portal.
Talon kept an arm around Nexi’s waist, and they teleported into the foyer, with Finn next to her. Nexi caught sight of Zia and Haven rushing into the Council’s Hall before Talon turned her into him.
“Go home,” he said to her, as if she even had the ability to move. “You’ll be called when the meeting has been arranged.” He released his hold on her and she wobbled as he strode into the Council’s Hall.
Before her legs gaze out, Finn gathered her in his arms. She sank into his embrace and wanted him to tell her that this was another terrible nightmare. He only said, “We’ll find him, Nexi. Trust in that.”
With that he, just as Talon had, left her alone when all she needed was someone to hold her and never let go.
She gasped as the pain of Kyden’s departure sank deep into her gut. The agony of realizing he was lost ripped her soul apart. Emptiness spread through her, strong enough that she had to force herself to keep breathing. Her legs buckled and she dropped to her knees, weeping.
All the things she wished she done—wished she’d said.
He’d put himself in danger for her.
Kyden…
Chapter Seventeen
Half an hour later, the gathering was called to order.
Nexi entered the Council’s Hall and Haven came barreling toward her. The sadness in Haven’s soul equaled her own. It became all consuming, but Nexi fought against Haven’s raw emotions. Now she needed to think straight, not crumble to pieces, and she’d wept until all that remained was emptiness.
Haven gripped Nexi with everything she had. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Nexi couldn’t believe it either, but there was no denying the danger Kyden had landed himself in, and there was no running from it. When she backed away from Haven, Finn took her hand, and Nexi looked up into his warm eyes knowing she wasn’t the only one suffering.
Finn and Kyden were close, and the torment he suffered showed in his expression. She squeezed his hand tight and he responded with a hold as strong, clenching her hand for all the same reasons she did his—survival.
Drawing in a long breath, she scanned the crowd in the Council’s Hall, which was overrun with supernaturals, most of them werewolves. “What’s with the wolves?”
Finn tucked Haven against his side. “It’s the Texas pack. Holten contacted them immediately after Kyden’s disappearance. They’re here to battle Lazarus.”
One of the werewolves stood out among the bunch. His importance showed, since the other wolves surrounded him in a protective manner. Gesturing toward the wolf with a jerk of her chin, she asked Finn, “Who’s that one?”
He followed her direction. “Thor, the Texas alpha.”
Nexi examined him and she sensed a powerful presence. She spotted an arrogant light in his eyes she couldn’t find in any of the wolves around him, which she suspected was his alpha status.
She turned her attention to Talon when he stepped out into the center of the Council’s Hall. He raised his hand, silencing the crowd. “The reason why Lazarus has Kyden has yet to be discovered, but that doesn’t mean we won’t rip the cities apart to find him. Hunt New York and Salt Lake City for any remaining Texas wolves. Go out in pairs to be safe, as anything less will likely get you killed. These wolves have proved to be brutal and fierce. Do what you must to find Kyden and show no mercy in the face of what has happened tonight.”
The wolf known as Thor stepped in next to him, his blue eyes surveying the crowd. “As alpha of Texas, you have my authority to destroy any of my wolves who’ve assisted in this treason. If you have the ability to bring any back to me, then do so, so I can deliver their punishment personally.”
A nudge on Nexi’s elbow had her glancing to the left and she discovered a grief-stricken Briggs next to her. Without thought, acting on pure instinct, she threw herself into his arms and he caught her, holding her close.
Somehow being near the supernaturals dearest to Kyden relieved her. “We’ll find him, darlin’,” Briggs whispered into her neck. “We’ve got many to help with this. The wolves, and Lazarus, will have nowhere to hide.”
Nexi leaned away from Briggs and his wolfish scent remained fixed in her nostrils, as Zia told the crowd, “I’ll send a witch along with each group to assist in casting wards. Boundaries, so if Lazarus crosses them, we’ll be instantly notified.”
She turned to Briggs. “How did you know what happened?”
“We were contacted by Thor immediately after the news broke. I came right away hoping I could offer my aid in the search.”
The news…
We’ll find him…
The wolves, and Lazarus, will have nowhere to hide…
Her thoughts spun with the realization of her reality. So lost in her anguish over Kyden, she hadn’t really considered all the reasons this situation troubled her. Not only was Kyden gone. Lazarus had taken him. The vampire had already taken so much from her. How dare he take more? The torment that had nearly crippled her now melted into pure rage.
Briggs brushed his finger over her arm, and concern dripped off his voice at whatever had crossed her expression. “You all right, darlin’?”
“No. I’m. Not,” she said through clenched teeth.
She couldn’t stand in one place, shifting her weight and pacing in front of their group. How had this happened? Who was this vampire so intent on destroying her life? How dare he take so much from her? What gave him that right?
Scanning the room as she continued to pace, she noticed someone was absent. To Finn, she asked, “Where’s Drake?” He should’ve been here. He would’ve known she needed him.
Finn scanned the crowd then shrugged. “Don’t see him.”
Talon continued to set out rules, offered instruction on the best way to deal with the wolves, and any co-conspirators that might be involved. Nexi couldn’t hear it. She couldn’t get past the red-hot fury burning in the depths of her soul.
Inhaling and attempting to control her rage, she was overwhelmed with the scent of so many werewolves, reminding her of the werewolves that attempted to kill Kyden…and the ones at her parents’ home.
Right when her anger threatened to detonate, a deep growl, followed by many more, sounded from the entrance of the Council’s Hall. She turned to discover that Trefan—Finn’s younger brother and fellow guardian—dragged a man by the throat.
She’d met Trefan only once when she first arrived to the Otherworld, and after that, she saw him every now and again. He looked much like Finn, with blond hair, blue eyes, and had an easygoing way about him, but being in his early twenties, he ran with a younger crowd.
Trefan threw the man at Thor’s feet. “He’s one of yours. I hope you get more out of him than I did.”
Talon grasped the man’s throat and lifted him an inch off the ground. “What’s your name?”
He groaned. “Bayne.”
“You’ll answer me truthfully, Bayne.” Talon brought the wolf close to his face. “Why has Lazarus taken the guardian Kyden?”
“I don’t know.” Bayne gasped, his voice sounding strangled. “Lazarus never told me anything. I already told the other guardian that, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“He’s not lying to you,” Thor stated. “As his alpha, I know him well enough to detect such a thing.”
Nexi’s fingernails bit into her palms, and she stayed that way for the next ten minutes as she endured time-wasting questions. Her patience fled with each passing second. They needed to find Kyden and they were asking all the wrong things.
Her frustration built to the extreme and the thin line holding her control together snapped when Talon asked, “How many wolves are with you?”
Yet again, not thinking but simply acting on instinct, Nexi shot forward. Finn reached out to grab her, as did Briggs. Spinning away from their attempts, she also dodged more hands as they tried to stop her. A foot away from Bayne, she kicked out and hit his chest, hard. Talon lost his grip, sending Bayne and her tumbling to the floor.
“Where do the others stay?” she shouted, getting in his face. “Where is Lazarus?” There would be hell to pay for interrupting Talon’s questioning, for that she was sure. She didn’t care. Her only concern was finding Kyden. She belonged to him, as he belonged to her. Nothing else mattered.
Bayne didn’t say a word.
Grasping his head, she smashed it against the ground, sending a loud crack echoing off the walls as blood oozed beneath him. “Tell me.”
The determination in his expression shifted to fear. “You need to find Efren. He’s the wolf that knows Lazarus’s whereabouts. But there are many wolves joined to Lazarus now—more rogues than I could even count.”
She didn’t care how many where there, only where they were, and Kyden’s condition. “Have you seen, Kyden? Is he alive?”
Bayne winced, his blood drenching the floor beneath his head. “As far as I know, Lazarus is healing him enough to keep him alive.”