"She wasn't look for a
knight. She was looking
for a sword."

~~Atticus

****************

~Nevada~

"I feel kind of like an assassin in an action movie," Nova commented as he finished tying his boots.

I rolled my eyes. "Assassins are quiet, stealthy. You on the other hand…"

"At least I don't stub my toes on invisible nothings," he scowled playfully. "Do you need help with that?"

Huffing out a breath, I glared down at the strap in my hand that belonged to one of the leg holsters August had thrust at us moments ago. I wasn't bad with a sword but the ones we currently had in our possession were a bit too large for me so I had opted for an alternative since August wanted everyone in battle mode. Dark clothing that was easy to move in but not loose enough to snag if we were forced to run; weapons strapped on and the larger ones at least next to us at all times.

"I've already got this twelve inch dagger on my hip," I complained. "Do I really need throwing knives on my legs too?"

"They have more experience than we do so I'm just going with it," Nova replied, taking the tangled holster from my hands and smoothing it out. "Besides, what's the point of learning if we never use it?"

"I don't particularly want to use it," I pointed out, taking the blasted thing back from him and fastening it around my leg. "I'm not a fan of violence."

"You can't smile and hug your way out of everything, sis," he said, standing up and reaching for the katana Robbie had gifted him with. "And unless you want to drain yourself, we can't use magick for everything even if it is easier."

I focused my attention on slipping the smaller blades into the sheath, doing my best to keep my voice nonchalant. 

"I know, I just don't want what I saw at Michael's to come true."

"Just because we can kill everyone doesn't mean that's the only option," Nova reassured me while securing his own sheath across his back. "And we have no idea what it was that you saw. It seems more likely to be some sort of stress induced hallucination combined with the strain of being away from August at the time."

I looked at him skeptically.

"Ok, fine," Nova said with a grin. "If you make sure I don't go all psycho killer on everyone, I promise to do the same."

A smile tugged at my lips, a small flutter of relief bloomed in my chest despite his teasing tone. 

"Deal," I promised.

"Are you two ready?" Robbie asked as he stepped into the room.

Nova and I both nodded, neither of us speaking as we followed him out and down a short hall that I had never bothered to venture further into. Two wide double doors, the wood heavy and stained dark, stood at the end and I watched curiously as Robbie slid them open with familiarity. My eyes widened as we followed him in, trying their best to take in everything at once.

The walls were lined with weapons and shields, a suit of armor on a rack in one corner. There were a few shelves that bracketed the fireplace, books and scrolls of parchment crammed together precariously on the shelves. A large, stone fireplace was set into the back wall, but no flames burned. 

In the center of the room sat a large table,the ancient wood worn and chipped in places as if it had been struck on more than one occasion. A giant map was spread across the surface, the more rolls of parchment littering the edges as if awaiting their turn. Dominic and August stood on one side of the table, brows furrowed as they studied the map. They both looked up as we came in.

"Welcome to the fight club," Robbie sang, sidling up to one side of the table and looking down. "So, what have we come up with?"

Nervously,  I stopped on the opposite side of the table and looked down at the map like I knew what I was doing. It was a hand drawn image of our entire continent, designed on a sheaf of canvas that had yellowed with age.  The land was segmented in pieces with different symbols indicating each territory. It was easy to spot the kingdoms on either side, which were the largest sections with castles in the center. My mind registered the mark for the vampire council along with the human government headquarters. 

"What are these?" Nova asked, gesturing towards small metal figurines scattered across the map that reminded me of monopoly pieces.

"The last known locations of the packs and tribes, mainly the larger ones," August answered, returning his focus back to the map in front of us. 

"If Alana is on foot, and headed towards the Braelyn Kingdom, we can assume she's in this area, correct?" Robbie asked, pointing towards a more or less vacant expanse of the map to our west.

"Most likely," Dominic agreed, his frown deepening. "But there are a few towns between here and there which means she could have hitched a ride. Hopefully not, but right now I won't rule it out."

"And we have to remember the clans," August pointed to two tiny markers on either side of the path they were referring to, "the Riordans and the Allards, could be hostile or opposing each other. They don't normally associate with each other but aren't exactly known for their close bonds either."

Robbie frowned as his phone suddenly cut into the conversation, reaching into his pocket to retrieve it. Cocking his head at the screen, he slid his finger across it and pressed it to his ear.

"Gran?" he greeted, questioningly. He listened for a moment before he spoke again, everyone's eyes focused on him. "Hold on, let me out you on speaker."

Robbie pulled his phone away and tapped the screen before placing it on the table. With bated breath, we waited.

"Alright gran, tell us what happened."

"A girl came to me," a woman's voice said slowly through the phone, but I could hear the anxiety in her words. 

"My gran is a medium," Robbie hastily, but quietly, explained after seeing my slightly confused expression.

"She was young and very beautiful, a fae," Robbie's gran continued but was interrupted again.

"What was her name, Rosie?" Nova cut in as our father's face lost all its color. "What did she look like?"

"Long blonde hair and blue eyes," Rosie answered confidently. "But her name… I'm not sure, honey, I'm sorry. She was already crossing over,but was determined to get a message before she went. There wasn't time for introductions and most of her features were blurred by her passing."

Dominic sagged against the table, looking like he was on the verge of throwing up.

"What did she say?" I asked, my voice almost a squeak.

"A darkness is coming, a long forgotten evil," Rosie warned ominously, a chill running down my spine. "It has the face of a man she had never seen and a name that she didn't know. The girl said that pain was in his heart and revenge had eaten away his soul."

"Rosalyn…," Dominic said quietly, dread coloring his voice and dulling his eyes, "was it Alana? Do you think it could have been?"

My heart stopped, every muscle and nerve in my body ceasing to move or even remember how as well waited for her to answer. I could hear the rattled of a tired inhale through the speak, the sound explosive in the deadly silent room.

"No, Dom, it wasn't her," Rosalyn finally answered and the relief in the room was practically tangible. "I'm sure it wasn't her."

"Oh, thank the fuckinf gods!" Dominic breathed. 

"Did she say anything else, gran?" Robbie asked, shoulders tense.

"No, that was all. If she had had more time, maybe she would have but that was all she could manage before she slipped away," Rosalyn replied sorrowfully.

"Do you have any idea what or who she may have been talking about?" August asked, a hand resting on Dominic's shoulder in subtle support. "Do you think it could have anything to do with Torch? I believe it was most likely Alana's sister that came to you, which I'm sure you've heard the news?"

"I have and I had the same thought but I didn't want to be presumptuous." Rosalyn replied carefully but only to part of the questions.

"And Torch?" August prompted again with a hint of impatience.

The phone was quiet for so long that Robbie thought she hung up but the call was still counting time. Soon after he had checked the screen, a deep sigh resonated from the other end.

"Have you forgotten the name?" the woman finally asked in a curious yet clipped tone. When no one answered, she huffed out a dry laugh. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Does that answer your question, sir?"

"Gran…," Robbie admonished, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "If you know something, you really need to tell us!"

"I know nothing that will help you, son. We've been through this and I deal with it from your brother daily thanks to you," Rosalyn snapped angrily. "Now, I kept my promise to the girl so if you'll excuse me, I need to go."

"Wait, gran," Robbie started but wasn't allowed to finish his thought.

"I love you, and you as well Nova," Rosalyn continued, ignoring Robbie's protests. "All of you, take care of each other."

The line went dead, the call disappearing from the screen with a beep. I looked over at Nova beside me, his face mirroring my own stunned state of mind. Unsure of what to make of Rosalyn's warning of the princess's message, I glanced at the other men in the room. August scowled in frustration at the map and I had a feeling he wasn't really seeing the images in front of him. I could feel the tension rolling off of him, slowly becoming my own.

"Was that helpful? I'm not entirely positive that was helpful," Nova said after several more minutes of heavy silence. "Maybe? I don't know about all of you but I think that just gave us more questions, didn't it."

"Agreed, but I don't think it's Torch," Dominic admitted after recovering from his overwhelming moment of panic, "at least not as the main ringleader. That doesn't rule him out completely though."

"Who else could it be?" I asked, finally finding my voice. "A long forgotten evil could literally be anything or anyone."

"We should talk to the warlock, see what he knows," August answered grimly. "This doesn't bode well. The rug has been pulled out from under us and we might as well be back at square one."

"Come on, Nev," Nova sighed, nudging my arm with his elbow, "let's leave them to whatever battle plans they need to make while we talk to Michael."

"I'll come," Robbie chimed in, moving away from the table.

Nova stopped him with a shake of his head. "You make him nervous, babe, and we need him to talk. Besides, they need you here."

Robbie relented with only minor grumbling, giving Nova a pointed look that must have held a thousand words. 

"You worry too much," Nova complained good naturedly as we left the three of them behind.

I was eager to comment about the real life strategy room we had just been in, almost exactly how I had always imagined the ones in the books I've read. But I held my tongue, reserving trivial topics for a less stressful moment. 

We found Michael in the living room, multicolored eyes glued to the television as he sat on the couch with his legs pulled beneath him. He seemed so much smaller than he had before, a fragility to him that hadn't been there when we first met and now made my heartache. 

"What are we watching?" I asked conversationally as I plopped down beside him, making him jump. 

"Oh, uh, just the… just the news," Michael stammered nervously.

I glanced at Nova as he took the spot on Michael's other side, sadness tugging down the corners of his mouth.

"Sounds dreadful," Nova commented, blandly.

"It is," Michael agreed with a twitch of his lips. "You just missed the press conference that the humans held."

"Yeah? How did that go?" I inquired, thinking I already knew the answer.

Michael shook his head in disgust.

"They're telling their citizens to go underground, move to their bunkers until further notice because of the violence. There have been multiple fires, arsons to be exact. The death toll is rising and they don't want the humans involved."

"No, they need to stay out of it." I agreed with a frown.

"Probably but their government isn't requiring it, like it's not a law or forcing anyone to do anything," Michael informed me, irritated as he glared at the news reporter. "They know some humans are involved in this and will end up dead but they can't force them to be smart, which makes them all idiots."

"If it were possible to stay out of it, I know I would definitely take it," Nova added with a weary sigh. "Speaking of which, we needed to talk to you… about what happened…"

Michael's face paled slightly but otherwise he didn't react, holding his glare on the television. Nova and I shared a quick look, neither of us looking forward to pressing him but we knew it needed to be done. We needed every scrap of information we could get, no matter how trivial it seemed.

"That night, after you took off," I began slowly, trying not to scare him away, "where did you go?"

"Cecile's," Michael answered instantly without moving his gaze. "She was the first person I thought of."

There was an undertone of sadness in his answer, tendrils of grief slipping through his mask. I knew Nova felt it too, his eyes narrowing as he studied Michael's profile.

"Michael, what happened?" Nova didn't appear actually to want the answer, dread swimming in his cerulean orbs.

Long minutes went by, no one of moving or saying a word as the reporter droned on in the background. More fires and riots had started, shops and restaurants along with homes and even schools, had fallen victim to the rising anarchy. Fights and theft were in a competition with the increasing numbers of rapes and murders, a destructive cloud sweeping across the land as it poisoned everyone's minds.

"I fucked up so bad that night," Michael finally said, his admission full of regret. "Everything hurt, my heart was broken and I believed I had ruined even my chances to be your friend. Nothing mattered and Cecile took me in without questions."

His eyes, an enchanting shade of turquoise, were bloodshot and bright with tears, a distant look on his face. 

"I spent two days wallowing in my pain on her couch before she forced me up, promising to help me fix what I had done." Michael shook his head and looked down at his hands. "Cecile fed me breakfast and told me that she knew someone that could help me. The next thing I knew, I woke up in an iron cage that smelled like piss and vomit."

"Did she drug you?" Nova asked in shock.

"She must have," Michael replied somberly. "Anyway, wolves came and questioned me, beating me until I passed out. Over and over, every time I woke."

"What did…," I paused, struggling to swallow passed the thump forming in my throat, "…what did they want to know?"

Michael let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes, pressing his lips together as if to hold back his words. Nova placed a hand gently on Michael's shoulder, kneading softly as he offered the fragile man strength. A single tear slipped from beneath Michael's closed lids, silently dampening a path down his pale face.

"Michael, what did they want from you?" Nova prompted quietly.

"They're looking for the God Stone," Michael finally answered, his bottom lip quivering, "and my brother."

I felt my jaw nearly hit the floor and my eyes widened in shock, my reaction echoed on Nova's face. But before either of us could form words, the reporter on the screen suddenly caught our attention.

A picture of Dominic flashed upon the screen with the caption 'Suspect Wanted' flashing beneath in bright red lettering.

"Breaking News! The first suspect in the murder of the Braelyn royal family has been named. Dominic Drakos, the eldest Folmorian prince who has been unaccounted for in over two decades, is now being named as a suspect in the brutal murders. Drakos disappeared with the Braelyn Princess, Alana Cordeaux, just over twenty years ago after an altercation with the King, Lavarius Cordeaux.

"Authorities now believe that Drakos kidnapped the princess, who has not been seen since that night as well, and then later killed her. Sources say that Drakos has most likely spent the last two decades plotting the assassination. A warrant for Dominic Drakos has been issued and all man power has been directed towards his apprehension. If you or someone you know has any information regarding his whereabouts please call the number on the screen below.

"Drakos is wanted for kidnapping and murder. He is believed to be armed and highly dangerous. If you see him, do not attempt to engage. Contact your local authorities immediately."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Nova growled, as the woman repeated the information once more. "That's complete bullshit!"

"This complicates things a bit," Dominic's impassive voice came from the doorway, all three of our heads snapping towards him.

His face was blank, green eyes dark and shuttered as he watched the tip line information scroll across the screen. I wanted to say something, anything that could lessen the blow that had just been landed. But my mind was empty, no words coming to my aid to comfort my father as the world turned against him. After a moment, Dominic looked over at us with a small, sad smile.

"Guess I'll be going alone after all." Raising a hand to silence out protests, he turned toward the stairs but not without leaving a few last parting words. "If it's the monster they want, it's the monster they'll get."

********************

A/N: Ooohh! Things are getting good now! Finally getting somewhere! Omg I'm excited!

Thoughts on the God Stone?

Michael has a brother?! Who could it be and why would wolves be looking for him?

Dominic is a wanted man and Alana is in the wind!

😈😈😈😈

Vote and comment! Love to know your thoughts and theories!

Thanks for reading lubbies!❤❤

XOXO🖤❤🖤❤

~SM~