“Don’t move,” he whispered.
Talu hesitated a foot away, his eyes staring at me as if he was uncertain whether to trust me being so close to Balen. Then the tiger licked his muzzle and made a leap toward us. I squeezed my eyes shut and hid my face in Balen’s chest as Talu’s form shot into Balen’s skin.
Balen took my hand. “Can you run?”
I nodded. Hell yeah. Even if both my legs were broken, I’d run to get away from these bastards.
“Let’s hit it,” Jedrik said, grinning.
We ran.
KILTER MUMBLED AND COMPLAINED in a drunken stupor as Jedrik assisted him into the Talde house. Everyone had slept on the plane except for the asshole, who drank himself stupid. I wasn’t sure if it was to cover the pain of his wounds or something else.
Anstice gave Keir a quick hug and kiss, and then was all business as she directed Jedrik to the Tomb where she said she had a place ready for Kilter. Before following after them, she came over to Danni and pulled her into a fierce hug. I watched my sister’s face, filled with concern and love for her friend. It was hard to stand and watch what I so badly wanted from my sister. But it was love I didn’t deserve.
Ryker came in last. He’d woken when we were getting off the plane and he looked like a bomb ready to detonate. The rage sitting inside him was ready to erupt any second or it could sit and simmer for years. It was anyone’s guess what he’d do with Hannah gone. Keir had tried to talk to him on the plane, and it took Jedrik and Delara to get Ryker off Keir.
Ryker pushed past Keir and walked straight to the kitchen then descended into the Tomb.
Until things settled in Newfoundland, Kilter and Ryker were staying in Toronto. Keir had decided it was better for the Talde to regroup and learn more about the compound before blowing it sky high. We didn’t know whether other Scars were being held there. Until they contacted the Taldeburu, Xamien, in Spain and figured out if any Taldes in Europe had warriors missing, the compound remained as is.
“You hurt anywhere?” Anstice asked, pulling back and looking Danni up and down.
“No. God, it was . . . Anstice, if I don’t see another knife, gun, or arrow, it will be too soon.” I pulled her back to me and rested my hand on the small of her back. “And there were these guys, shit, they wouldn’t die. I swear they were machines or something.”
Anstice frowned, her eyes darting to me and then Keir. “You never told me there were CWOs. You said men from the compound.”
Keir shrugged. “Yeah, a few. I’ll check on Ryker.”
“I’m sure Hack’s doing that,” Anstice shot back, but Keir was already headed for the kitchen.
The air in the room grew heavy and warm with a mild breeze. Fuck, they didn’t waste any time. I dropped my arm from Danni and rubbed the gold bands on my wrists. A constant reminder that I wasn’t free. That I was leaving.
“Balen?” Danni questioned at my sudden withdrawal.
“They’re coming.”
Anstice placed her hand on top of mine, which was still rubbing the band. I froze, unable to move at the sudden show of affection from the one person I’d wanted to know my entire life.
“I . . . I want to . . .” Anstice stopped in mid-sentence and threw her arms around me, burying her head against my shoulder. “We never got our chance. I want our chance to be brother and sister.”
I looked over at Danni, who smiled, and I slowly raised my arms and brought them around my sister for the first time. Tears pooled in my eyes as her warmth and kindness seeped into my body. I’d waited so long to be close to my sister. Years, I’d waited, watched, hoped. And then that hope had been fucked up two years ago. Did I have another chance with her?
I knew the answer; the proof was in the gold around my wrists. I finally had a chance at love with Danni, a chance to get to know my sister, and both were being ripped from my grasp.
I pulled back and Anstice wiped the tears from her eyes while sniffling back sobs. She leaned over and pressed her lips to my forehead, then whispered into my ear, “You’ll always be my brother and I’ll always love you. You made the right choice, Balen.”
There were no words I could express that would tell her how much that single sentence meant to me.
Edan appeared in a ball of fire, and Tor right behind him in swirling red dust particles.
Danni’s breath hitched.
Fuck. I had no recourse. I couldn’t save her from the hurt I saw in her eyes.
“You don’t waste any time, do you?” I said to Edan.
Edan snorted. “And you’ve wasted plenty of mine.”
Tor spoke as if Edan hadn’t. “You have earned back the trust of the warriors for the rescue of Ryker.” He looked to Danni. “Welcome to the Scars.” Tor turned his attention back to me, his expression lacking any sort of warmth. “Waleron has been released from the realm. You’ll accompany us to await the verdict.”
I approached Tor, unable to look at Danni. I felt her anguish and knew firsthand what this was doing to her—to us.
Walking those five steps was the hardest thing I’d ever done.
Danni grabbed my arm and tugged me to a halt. Fuck, it felt like I was being ripped in two. She threw her arms around my neck, burying her face in my chest, sobs racking her body. I held her to me, my hand at the small of her back, the other stroking her hair. “I have to go.”
“Release him,” Edan said stepping forward.
“No,” Danni cried, interlocking her fingers behind my neck. “He’s innocent. Can’t you bastards see that? Are you so stupid that you can’t see that this man saved me and Ryker? Why are you destroying his life? No, I won’t let him go.”