“Well, that’s one less thing to worry about at least,” I say, sitting back in my stool when Kain places a glass of amber in front of me.
“I thought you might need this today.” He smiles at me with a small shrug.
“Thank you,” I say, taking a sip, sighing at the beautiful burn from the smoky, spicy taste. “Macallan 25?”
“Only the best.” He winks at me before sitting down again.
“Thank you. Okay, so everything is sorted with you guys, has anyone heard from Creek or my brother?” I check my phone again to make sure I’ve not missed anything.
“No nothing,” Roman says, and the others shake their heads, so I fire off a text to Creek to check in. It’s the first time the new Elder council has met, and for this to be the first thing they handle, god the butterflies in my stomach just hit hyper speed.
My phone buzzes in my hand with a reply from Creek, there’s just a heart emoji and the words, “I’ll be back soon.”
Awesome.
Nice and informative.
“He says he’ll be home soon,” I tell them, rolling my eyes. “I guess we should head to bed, it’s been a long ass day, and I am dead on my feet.”
I look around the room, and I can see just how tired they are too. That’s when I decide that no matter how much I’d like to fall asleep in their arms, or in something akin to a puppy pile with all of them at this point, I’m going to sleep in my own bed. If I go with any one of them, I’m not getting any sleep.
“I’ll see you guys in the morning,” I say as I stand and make my way to each of them and kiss them goodnight. “Sweet dreams.”
Chapter Two
Remy
The house is so busy, and I’ve never seen Everly look so alive. She really does love having a lot of people here. The Alphas, plus Tobias and Theron, and the Generals arrived late yesterday. Thanks to Marie, everyone just came through via portal, via the compound and Kain’s castle. Marie didn’t even have to be here for it to work. Her power is a little terrifying, not going to lie.
I hid in the gym first thing this morning, working out my nerves, and just thoroughly enjoying the burn, leaving the guys to deal with the butting of heads that started over breakfast. I want nothing to do with it. While it’s been the Hunters against the other factions for thousands of years, apparently the factions themselves have some inner battles between them. I’ve got enough to worry about without dealing with their politics too.
“Enough!” I hear Levi’s shout, so loud the walls practically rattle. I climb down from the treadmill and run towards the direction of his voice.
What the hell is going on?
I find him in the sitting room, steam practically coming from his ears, with the Lycans on one side and the Dracul on the other.
“This is fucking pathetic, you should all be ashamed of yourselves. Get your shit together and start acting like the leaders you are meant to be or get the fuck out of here. We do not have the time or the want for your pathetic childish squabbles. I’ve had e-fucking-nough.” I hover in the doorway at his words. Apparently when I left earlier, the petty fights didn’t leave too. Woe betide anyone that pisses my Angel off this much.
The supposed warriors in the room all look a mix of pale, or meek. Big bad Dracul and Lycans, but one pissed off Angel is enough to make everyone scurry off with their tails between their legs. I try to keep the smirk from my mouth, but I’m pretty sure I fail. Not that anyone is paying any attention to me when there’s a very close to exploding Archangel in the middle of the room.
“Well, now then ladies and gents, it seems we’ve got to the point where tensions are running just a little high. How about we all separate for a little while and come back when the Hunters and the Witches arrive in a few hours?” I casually say as I stride into the room, trying to be lighthearted in the wake of Levi’s anger.
“That sounds good to me,” Luc says with a wave.
“What he said,” Tobias says, winking at me.
“Oh look, they can get along,” Levi says, his chest rumbling and I try not to laugh.
“Thank you, I’ll have Everly come round and check on everyone once you’re settled back down. And then, once the others arrive, we’ll come and get everyone. Hopefully by then people can act like adults.” I laugh as people grumble, leaving after being glared at by my guys.
Once the room clears, just the four of us are left. Creek had dropped by to say hi yesterday morning, not having made it back that night as he said there were some issues, and then headed back out. I imagine the Hunters are imploding a little with everything that’s going on, like they haven’t had enough to deal with recently as it is. And with Creek being Colt’s best friend, and Bauer being unavailable, I get why he’s gone and helping so much. I just hate not having everyone here.
Even if I do have more important things to worry about.
“Any word from the Archangels?” I turn and ask Levi who shakes his head.
“Nothing yet, Angel. Sorry.” I wave him off, because he has nothing to be sorry about. He’s here. Even if his brethren, our brethren technically I guess, aren’t.
“It’s okay, I’m not really holding my breath for them anyway. Would just be nice, considering they typically handle Demon issues.” I shrug and walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “I’m not holding you accountable for them.”
“Is there anything I’m missing, anything else we need to know before everyone else arrives in a bit and all hell, pun intended, breaks loose?” I ask the three of them.
“We should probably have a rough idea of who is covering what areas, or are packs, Generals, and guilds going to work together to cover their own territories?” Roman asks.
“I guess, it makes sense to work that way. People know their own lands better, and we can cover more ground. We don’t know what Archer has planned, or how far spread it is. So far he’s only attacked here, but fates only know what he has lined up. I wish I’d managed to get more information from Bauer.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, mon amour. There was a lot going on and a lot to take in. You got the information he was willing to give at the time. But your brother is another thing to discuss. Do we try to extract him from Archer, and potentially use the information he feeds us? Can we be sure he’ll even tell us the truth?” Kain’s words hit me like small blows, because I have no idea what to do about Bauer, and that hurts me.
“I guess we take it to a vote later tonight. Personally, I know my choice, but I’m not going to weigh in and sway anyone else. That’s not my way. And if we leave him, he made his bed. Fallon didn’t, she is my main priority right now. I’d already be gone if it wasn’t for you guys.” I shrug and head back to the sofa to sit down.
I lift my legs up on the cushions and wrap my arms around my knees. “What do you think it’s like where she is?”
Roman and Kain both pale a little but shake their heads. Levi looks me in the eye and smiles sadly. “It’s not going to be a picnic, I won’t lie to you to make you feel better Angel. But she’ll be alive and unharmed for now, that’s what Archer said, and he’s counting on you helping him still. He won’t jeopardize that. That said, Demons are Demons. The sooner we find her, the better. What we really need to know is who Archer is working with, as much as we need to find out if you can even still come back from there.”
“Awesome, not too much to do while Fallon just sits down there, experiencing fates only knows what.” I let out a deep breath and rest my forehead on my knees. While I won’t let anyone else see me fall apart if I need it, I know these guys don’t need me to be on for them all the time. I can just be myself. Later on is going to be exhausting enough.
“We’ll get there, Angel. You’ll see.”
A few hours later and the house is teeming with people, which is why I’m currently hiding in the utility room, scoffing a few bites of cheesecake Everly sneaked to me, while the guys round everyone up and herd them outside.
I never said I was a people perso
n, and this is a lot of people.
I take a deep breath after I finish my naughty snack and brush the crumbs off of my t-shirt. I mean, the fact that is says, ‘Sass, Class, and a whole lot of Badass’ just kind of sums up my whole mood today. Everly tried not to laugh when she saw it, but I managed to dodge everyone else since I got dressed again. These people know who I am, I have no need to prove anything to them.
So I run my fingers through my hair and make myself presentable before I open the door from the nook off from the kitchen and peer around the door to see if anyone is around.
“Hiding out, princess?” Roman’s voice makes me jump and I stick my tongue out at him.
“I was, just for a minute. So many people.” I shake my head and take the hug he offers. His arms wrap around me, enveloping me as I sink into him.
“We’ve got this, Remy. We’ll find the solution. Just please, promise me you won’t go running off and do something stupid and rash just to make things move quicker. I know she’s your friend, but if anything happens to you. At this point, we’d probably burn the world to the ground between us.” I sigh at his words but mumble my agreement.
“Thank you, now come on, lets head outside before everyone kills each other and we have no-one left to fight for us.” He winks at me and I roll my eyes as he takes my hand and leads me outside. The group of people gathered quiet as I approach, and I wonder when it was I became the appointed spokesperson for this shit, but I guess since I started it, past me appointed me.
God she’s such an ass. Past me has a lot to be held accountable for.
I stop my eye roll at my inner thoughts and stop with Roman at my side, next to where Levi stands. Roman kisses my hand and goes to stand with his Lycans. Kain is with his Dracul, and Creek with my brother. At least everyone is here again.
“Thank you all for coming here today. By now, I’m sure you know the reason for me calling upon you. Fallon, my best friend, a Witch, has been taken by Archer, a Hunter gone rogue. She is being kept in the Shadow Realm.
Now, for the bits you guys don’t know yet. I’ve asked you all to gather here, to help us keep Archer and his rogues in check, while I travel to the Shadow Realm to get back Fallon.” Murmurs start up in the crowd, and I let them have a minute, because the Shadow Realm is no joke.
“I recently discovered, that I was not always a Hunter. I had another life, as Amantara. Those Hunters among us may recognize the name. Amantara was an Angel, the right hand to the Archangel of War, and a big part of the War of the Fallen. My blood was used to seal the portal to the Shadow Realm, all those years ago, which is why Archer has taken Fallon. He wants me to open a portal for him, for her safe return. Which is where you come in. When he realizes I am gone, all hell is quite literally likely to break loose here. We need as many people as we can to keep him in check until I’m back and can seal the portal for good.”
Shouts go up and questions are thrown at me, but I can barely make out one voice from the next. This is why I’m not good with a lot of people. Put me on a battlefield with a ton of people, fine, I will cut through them until I’m covered from head to toe in blood.
Make me talk to them? Yeah not quite the same story. The packs were different, they arrived in groups, and I only had to really deal with the Alphas. This is…well it’s a lot.
“Please, look, I know it’s a lot to take in. Trust me, I know. We found all of this out two days ago. I’m sharing it as soon as I can, but we all have a part in this. Archer gathered the rogue Lycans and Dracul. He is working with Witches to keep his locations concealed, to help him create his abomination hybrids, and more so, to open the portal, even for the smallest amount of time. Each of us has a role to play in what’s to come, each of you gave your word that you would help when it was needed. This is the call. We need your help.”
I wait for what I’ve said to sink in. While they all might acknowledge the role their factions have played in this subconsciously, hearing it laid out like that will be new, and having each other’s roles laid out in front of everyone here, yeah, people aren’t going to like that, but at this point, I don’t give a shit. People need to step up.
“Thank you, Remy, for going to get her. We will do what we can to help in any way,” Marie says, stepping forward from the crowd of Witches.
“You already know that we will do what we can,” Kain says, followed closely by Roman.
I look to the Hunters, Nasari and Colt both look uncomfortable, and it makes my stomach knot. “And the Hunters? Considering it could be said that this is our problem, since Archer is responsible for all of this fucking chaos?”
“We will do what is asked of us. But I ask to come with you to the Shadow Realm.” Colt says, and I shake my head.
“No, brother. You are needed here. Trust me, I will do everything in my power and beyond to bring her back to us.” What I don’t tell him, is that I have no idea how I’m going to do this. I really need to speak to an Angel, or find something from my life then, and hope it triggers some form of memory.
Colt bows his head, accepting what I’ve said, at least in front of everyone, I have a feeling he’s going to give me hell when we’re alone. But that’s for later, for now, we need to prepare.
“Thank you everyone. Now, we need to go through details.”
Chapter Three
Remy
I wake up and stare at the ceiling. Alone again, but by choice. I almost feel guilty considering where Fallon is right now, for even being a little miserable that I’m alone. At least I’m here in my own bed.
I let out a breath and throw the comforter off. I need to run, maybe then I can clear my mind and I won’t feel quite so restless. I throw on my workout gear and pull my hair up into a ponytail, not caring how tired I look. So what if it’s four in the morning, I can’t sleep anyway.
I head to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator before I start my stretches. The quiet in the house is almost eerie after the insanity that was yesterday. Everyone headed back to their own territories last night, after we coordinated who was where, and how people would work together. To say it was a clash of wills is an understatement. Thankfully, I have the Archangel of War on my side—he kind of trumps all strategic minds if he really wants. We used that to our advantage when people were being dicks.
And my god were they being dicks.
I’ve never seen so many people agree to work together, and then fight so hard to not actually work together. It was unbelievable.
But it’s done now, and I can get back to my own worries. How the hell I’m getting everyone into the Shadow Realm, how the fuck I’m finding Fallon once I’m there, and then, how, by some miracle, I’m managing to get everyone out. I’m sure for Amantara, at least two of these things were simple, but I’m not her, and even if I was, I don’t know that I still have her powers. For all I know, we could all end up trapped in the Shadow Realm.
And isn’t that just the kicker of it all.
I finally get my own world to start working together, to accept that I love people from factions that aren’t my own, and I might have to give it all up. It’s exactly why I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure my guys don’t come across with me.
I know they don’t want me to go alone, but what if I can’t get them back. Their people need them. I can’t ask them to give up everything to save my friend. For me, it’s a sacrifice worth making, she wouldn’t be trapped there if it wasn’t for me, and even if I can’t get her back, at least she won’t be alone.
There’s also the fact that creeping through the Shadow Realm on my own is going to be a lot easier to hide than it will be if there’s five of us. I shake my head and finish the bottle of water, heading outside for the run I so desperately need.
I start slow, letting my limbs get used to the burn, I finish my first loop of the manor before I push. Push so hard my lungs burn as hard as my legs, I loop it three times, using my Hunter speed, pushing myself to my limits before I start to slow. Once
I stop, I bend over and suck in lung fulls of air, before I flop down on the grass and enjoy the feel of the dew from the early morning on my red-hot skin.
“Are you okay sweetheart?” I roll over and groan, seeing Everly standing in the doorway in her dressing gown. “It’s awfully cold out here, how about you come in and I’ll fix us some tea?”
“That sounds lovely, thank you.” I push myself back up onto my feet, ignoring the slight shake of my legs, apparently I really did push too hard this morning. The time with no thoughts but the burn was worth it though. I check my phone and realize I’ve been out here two hours. Nothing compared to the amount of time I used to train, but still.
I follow Everly through to the kitchen, and sit at the counter, slipping off my sneakers, while she potters around putting together a pot of tea. I don’t even remember the last time I had a cup of tea. Coffee is usually my drink of choice, even this early in the day.
She pats my arm as she sits beside me and pours out the tea. “Now then, why don’t you unload a little. Tell me what’s got you up and running at this time of the day.”
The face she pulls makes me chuckle, as if running is a ghastly thing to be doing. I sigh and shake my head before taking a sip of the hot sweet tea.
“I just, I’m worried. About Fallon. About fucking up. About not being enough. What if we all head down there, guns blazing, and all hell breaks loose here? What if we end up trapped? I can’t risk them like that. I’d rather go alone, just slip out in the dark of night, and go on my own. The thought of putting them at risk like that, it makes my heart turn cold,” I tell her and she smiles softly at me.
A Crown of Shadows and Secrets Page 2