Xander hadn’t wanted Lori or the Coven there. They were an absolute last resort. But Lori had ignored him and come anyway, intent on saving her friends, family, and husband. Yet as the hours had passed and devolved into more chaos, Brody realized why Xander had tried to keep Lori away. The Mimic baited her into shifting and then took her form.
“What kind of shifter is she?” I asked.
“Well, seeing as how she and Xander are twins, I’m assuming you can guess,” Brody said dryly, and my eyes went wide. He nodded. “It went from really bad to catastrophically bad.”
But then there’d been a lull, and the Northbane shifters had collapsed gratefully on the ground, almost insensible to the healing ministrations of the Orlov family and the Coven. The Mimic had retreated, perhaps having achieved its purpose. But Xander wasn’t so sure.
Brody fell quiet for a moment, and I didn’t press him. His face was strained as he relived whatever had happened next, and lines of guilt, fury, and anguish played around his mouth as his jaw reflexively clenched. His gaze was vacant, lost.
“They blame themselves for what happened next,” Brody finally said, and his eyes closed. “Especially Xander.”
Spent from fighting, yet still raging with adrenaline, the Alphas had experienced a schism, as they’d sided against Brody, who’d wanted to keep fighting. He’d insisted on going after them.
That’s when all hell had broken loose between the men who’d considered themselves brothers.
Xander and Brody had brawled, throwing punches recklessly, and furiously. First as men, and then Brody had thrown himself at Xander and shifted. My heart leaped into my throat, and I recalled the quiet fury on Rett’s face as he stared down the teenagers who’d flouted Winfyre’s rule. No wonder the Alphas insisted on absolutely no shifter fighting.
“Xander wouldn’t shift,” Brody said in a choked voice. “Not at first. But then Luke and Kal did because I wouldn't stop. The crian shard had a hold of me, then. And Lor realized something was wrong. But Xander…I mean, even the most patient of men have a breaking point. When he saw his sister run out to try and stop me, he shifted.”
"And that's when the Mimic and its cohort of creatures came back."
I could see it, the two shifters snapping and snarling at each other, the winged lion trying to take on the dragon, who was trying to hold back and not hurt his friend, but also not take a swing he wanted to take. Then the fake dragon lashing out and attacking, along with the other Excris who smelled blood on the rain-soaked air.
“They didn’t go for me. They went for Xander. That’s when I understood, and so did Lori. We looked at each other.” He swallowed and tried to smile. “Spend enough time with someone, love them—there’s an intuition you share. I saw the Excris go for him, the Mimic, trying to drag him into the Rift…it would’ve killed him…”
Brody fell silent again, and my nails dug into my palms with impatience.
"But I leaped into that fight and took the blow. I couldn't let Lori's brother, my friend, die because of me." The fire crackled between us, and I jumped. Brody allowed himself a small smile. "So that's the whole of it. I woke up and realized I'd been snatched into another world. Some kind of spiritual plane, lying inches from this curtain of moving darkness.” His gaze shuttered then, and I knew that’s all he would tell me of that place, although I was insanely curious. “Ayani and Lazu found me, took me away from it. Agreed to give me a second chance, a way to earn my shifterdom back and maybe one day return to Winfyre.” He sighed. “That’s all that kept me going.”
“Do you know—” I started to ask and stopped myself. Brody gave me an encouraging look. “Do you know how long it’s been?” I asked in a soft tone.
“Too long,” Brody answered. “But I deserve it. I'd taken a shortcut, let myself believe I was best equipped to handle things as always, since I'd been looking after them our whole lives. And it almost undermined everything." He blew out an angry breath. “The wards fell that night because of my actions. Excris come from disharmony; they’re stitched-together pieces of corruption and hate. It’s easier for them to linger in darkness, but they really don’t belong anywhere. They can never find peace, though they try, always roaming through different planes and places, attracted to anything or anyone who gives in to the dark places inside themselves.
“Is it any wonder they came to Winfyre?”
Neither of us said anything for several moments. I was digesting Brody’s story, trying to understand and not judge. After all, who could understand taking a shortcut better than I could?
“I wanted Winfyre to be special because of me,” Brody said, abruptly. “But it was Xander. He was always a deep thinker, a down-to-earth guy who was compassionate and smart as hell in one. He was always interested in helping people.
“That's why he did well in the Navy. Special Forces was harder, which is why he opted to be a medic with Kal. But Xander was better suited to planning and big ideas. He finished out his required time, and that was it—he was off to school. The others followed.
"I think I resented that a little. I was a good soldier. But Xander is a good human.”
“He is,” I agreed softly.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Tiani
“How close are we to Winfyre?” I asked, emerging like a hatchling into the light of the new day and squinting at the light. It was early morning and bitterly cold, the air nipping at my bare skin. Every breath puffed into a bright cloud in the air, and I shivered. We were up higher than I’d realized—there was a sheen of frost on the rocks, and I could see the tips of mountains poking through banks of clouds. “Are these the Farthing Mountains?”
From where we were standing, the blue smudges in the distance looked both impossibly huge and far away. Green and blue land stretched beyond us, half-hidden by the cloud banks. A solitary mountain jutted up to our left, wreathed in mist and snow, glowing like an ember on the eastern side and a sullen gray on the western one.
“Almost,” Brody answered and shielded his eyes. “I knew Orion and Lind would be looking for you, so we curved east, then north. These are the foothills of the Cassiar Range.” He pointed southwest. “Winfyre is that way, although I believe Veda is more or less directly in front of us, give or take a few mountains. That’s where the bulk of the Northbane patrol probably are, too.”
Ayani and Lazu reappeared then, loping up the narrow trail to us and plopping down at Brody’s feet. He squatted down and ruffled their ears, gently butting his head against theirs.
“Spirit wolves, huh?” I asked.
“They’d prefer guardians of the wood. There’s not a word for them in our language, honestly. Not that it matters; to me, they are just ‘friend.’”
I sucked in a breath. Oh, damn. That hit me right in the heartstrings.
Yet there was also a note in Brody’s voice that raised the hair on my neck and sent a sharp pang of longing through me. Again, I wondered what it was like, what lay beyond the Rift.
Maybe I can go there after all this is done. Find some redemption of my own.
“How did you escape?” I asked. “And do you know what’s coming?”
“Later,” Brody said, and rose. I had to tilt my head back to look up at him, just like with Xander. A fresh surge of misery and uncertainty gripped me. He must have seen it in my face because he raised an eyebrow, and his lips quirked in a smothered smile. “Worried about Alex?”
“Feels like we’re talking about two different people,” I muttered and bit my lip.
I hadn’t had the heart to tell Brody that only flashes of the Xander he knew still existed, that his Xander had become a distant, benevolent, and steel-hearted guardian of Winfyre.
Probably ten times more distant after what I did.
“Mm, I imagine not.” Brody rubbed his chin. “Xander has probably taken on a façade, what he thinks he needs to be in order to keep Winfyre and the other Alphas safe. The perfect shifter.”
“How did you know?” I asked.
Flushing red, I began to stammer and shake my head. “I didn’t…I’m not—we’re not…” I hadn’t said anything about Xander that could imply what we were, because, well, we weren’t anything. Not yet. “What exactly do you think—who do you think I am?”
“It’s not for me to say,” Brody said in a more serious tone, though still smiling. “But I do know you were willing to walk into the belly of the beast and sacrifice your own life for one of Xander’s oldest friends.” I stared at him in disbelief. I’d thought Orion and Lind had said they’d tricked me. “Yeah, I was the bait, but I was also the red herring. I let the Bloodfang catch me so that I could find out what they were up to—because once I heard about you, I knew I had to stick around in case you needed help. I’m sure you could’ve gotten out of there on your own, though.”
“That was a huge risk—what if I hadn’t come?” I asked.
“But you did. For me and him,” Brody said. “That’s how I know who you are. Badass and hardheaded with a big heart.” My mouth popped open in protest. “That’s good. Xander needs that.”
“Uh-huh, good to know,” I muttered and kicked at the ground. “Maybe we should go, hm?”
“Plus, I kind of need you to stick around,” Brody said. “If you think he’s gonna be furious with you, imagine how he’s gonna feel about me.”
“Oh, so now the truth comes out,” I retorted, and Brody let out a loud laugh. Still, some of my dread had fallen away, and a small blossom of hope unfurled in my chest.
I’d stick with the Lion and his optimism for now.
After hours of traveling north, by the way of a thin, winding trail through the steep Cassiar Foothills, we finally made our way down and into the stretch of land between the Eastern and Western Farthing Mountains. I’d always assumed it was a valley, but Brody enthusiastically explained how it was, in fact, a plateau, the flattened tops of mountains well above sea level.
From the base of the foothills, we crossed wide fields turning green, where the air was mild and warm. The farther we went into the plateau, the warmer the air got and the richer the land became, until I forgot about the cold, hard reaches of the mountains at dawn. Early flowers had already bloomed, with bright green leaves everywhere, and the whole land felt washed clean.
“This is wonderful,” I said as we came upon a clear and winding river. “I’m surprised more shifters don’t live here.”
“Well, it would be a bit lonely. And technically, this part of the plateau is part of the Tiselk, although farther south, the Northbane territory extends east a great deal.” Brody’s lips pulled to the side. “Or at least, that’s how it was.”
We continued on for a while, then finally took a break, and I sank down thankfully on the soft ground, settling my back against a tree. Massaging my tight calves and flexing my tight feet, I looked around. We were sitting at the edge of a forest, the trees tall and old, covered with newly sprouted vines and lichen, with Douglas firs sweeping long, feathery branches down and ferns uncurling at their feet.
Brody handed me a small snack of an apple and some stiff packed granola that I recognized as being the preferred choice of the roaming Tiselk Rangers, who covered anywhere from ten to thirty miles a day. I ate slowly, distracted by my surroundings and a belated sense of relief.
No matter what happened next, at least I wasn't indebted to that monster anymore. For the first time in years, I could make choices without having to take Orion's sick whims or retribution into account. I didn't have to worry about Iris or Winfyre as collateral damage.
It was bittersweet, but I was finally free.
“Wonder what Xander is doing right now,” Brody mused out loud and shot me a grin when I jumped. He was lounging in the grass, a long stem of grass in his mouth and head tilted back. “You wouldn't know, would you, Tiani?”
Once again, I was annoyed to find heat flushing up my chest and into my cheeks. “Why would I know?”
“Didn’t know if you could sense him,” Brody said.
“It’s not like that,” I said. “I can’t—we’re friends, Brody.”
“Aw, I like you, too.” Brody twitched the stem of grass. “You don’t have to pretend with me, darlin’. You called out for him enough.”
Mortification scalded me from head to toe. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Last night, after you passed out. You must have been dreaming.”
“You’re making that up.”
“Tell yourself what you want.” Brody hopped up and glanced southward. “Imagine if Xander knew two fugitives were hanging out on the border.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “And that it was the two of us. He’d have a conniption.”
“Why don’t we go straight there?” I asked, suddenly realizing I’d been following Brody without so much as one single question since the morning. “Why not call out to him? Can’t Alphas do that?”
“We can, but it’s not the right time.” Brody sighed. “I have to wait to reveal myself; otherwise…well, it’s a long story. As for our route, if the border patrol or Tiselk Rangers catch us, that is the fastest way of ensuring Orion’s spies know where we are. Ayani and Lazu are taking us this way to avoid all that. Secrecy is paramount right now.” He gestured. “There are eyes all through these mountains. In fact” —he nodded to the north—“I’m going to go take a look around. You stay up with Lazu. Ayani and I will be back before it gets dark.”
“Have fun,” I said.
Brody nodded, then walked off. I watched him go and then cast an eye at the gray wolf, snoozing not even a foot away. I didn’t think Lazu would take kindly to my taking off.
Still, I got to my feet and wandered away a little bit, following the edge of the forest. I should at least try to take note of landmarks in case I needed to escape back this way. My eyes wandered over the field, and I forgot what I was doing.
There was something about the mellow evening that wouldn’t allow me to keep my mind on the task. Sweet, cool eddies of air lifted the loose tendrils around my face. I had my hair back in a messy bun, and it desperately needed a good scrubbing. But I didn’t feel as grubby as I’d thought I would—we’d stopped and cleaned up a bit at a river earlier.
Brody had lent me a dark, long-sleeved shirt that was very long on me but, smartly belted, could pass as a dress, and a pair of warm leggings that fit surprisingly well. Pair that with my calf-high boots and Xander’s jacket, and I felt reasonably well-groomed.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that Lazu had vanished from sight and pushed a little farther, sure he’d appear at any moment. Overhead, the sky was an opalescent coral, with a smudge of blue and gray to the west, and long tendrils of gold clouds to the east. A full moon was rising over the foothills, and my breath caught.
I tried not to think about how, two full moons ago, I’d stumbled upon a dragon on a dark winter’s night. But the memory was too bright, as sharp and alluring as a spark in the night. Longing pierced through me.
What was Xander doing right now? Was he okay? Did he hate me?
Had he read my letter?
Shaking my head, I stopped and looked around. I’d been walking without watching where I was going and was standing in a copse of young trees. Spread far apart in their youth, I could tell that one day they’d be crowded together and their branches entangled.
A small exclamation of surprise left my lips as color leaped out at me. Bleeding heart flowers were nestled in the roots of one of the trees. Breaking off a small offshoot with tiny, precious bulbs of pale mauve dangling down, I tucked it into my hair.
Picking another, purely for the pleasure of it, I began to walk around and gather what early flowers I could find. Not too many, since I didn’t want to denude the little wood of flowers, but a couple of blossoms here and there.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d picked flowers. If I ever had.
A breeze rustled through the trees, and I shivered, suddenly feeling a bit foolish. I’d wandered pretty far from the camp, and Lazu was probably looking for me. My neck tingling suddenly, I turned and searched the darkening woods for the tell-tale glow of wolf eyes. There was nothing, yet I couldn’t shake the sense I wasn’t alone.
Casually, I cast a glance over my shoulder. Again, nothing, but I was even more certain.
Something moved, and I whirled with a gasp, the flowers raining down around me.
Hyperawareness prickled over me, and I let out a shaking breath, not sure how I was still standing. This time, there was no mistaking the tall figure. Everything in me cried out to him.
“Xander?”
His name left my lips on a leap of incredulous hope.
It pierced through his armor, and his mask slipped, his dark blue eyes locked on mine. I was running, reaching for him and wrapping my arms around his neck. Xander didn’t react, didn’t move or hug me back. I didn’t care. The warmth of his skin and the familiar cadence of his breath, of his heart and body, told me I wasn’t dreaming. He was here, and I pressed my face into his shoulder, savoring him for this stolen moment.
Only when I went to pull away did Xander snap awake and wrap his strong arms around me, growling into my hair. A heavy, comfortable, and familiar weight. Pressure built in my throat, and my grip tightened even more, as did his.
Every part of me had missed him, and the last thing I wanted to do was let go. However, my rational brain was making inroads, and worry spiked through me. Hadn’t I taken enough advantage of him? And why was he here?
With great reluctance, I leaned back and searched his face. Xander let me go only so far, his hands tight on my waist as I stepped back. My own slid down to his arms, and I went to speak, then stopped. Do I apologize or—?
I didn’t get any further because Xander had closed the distance between us in the span of a breath and kissed me. A hard, demanding, and intense kiss that had me boneless in his arms. It didn’t matter, though, as Xander caught me up against him.
Dragon's Oath (Northbane Shifters Book 5) Page 23