“He’s fine, I’m sure,” Maddox says, trying for a dismissive air to his words, but they come across shallow because he doesn’t believe it.
“Let’s hope,” Carrick says quietly.
“You have the Blood Stone?” Maddox asks, changing the subject. It seems the right time since I know Maddox and Carrick aren’t the types of brothers to discuss their feelings, and it was getting perilously close to that.
Carrick fills him in on everything that happened when we went to Micah’s realm, including a bit more detail on the battle between Micah and Lucien, to which Maddox once again reiterates his surety that Lucien will be fine. “I tried to separate the Blood Stone from the chalice, but they seem pretty bonded.”
“And the game plan is to protect them both,” Maddox concludes. “Maybe add some more protections to the condo, assuming you want to keep it here? Because one of us can take it to another realm. It would be hard for Kymaris to find us, especially if we hopped realms.”
“I’ve thought about doing that,” Carrick admits, rubbing his hand along his jaw. “But I feel like we’re better here with a big force around it, in the very off chance Kymaris could track us somehow. I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to move in here for a while.”
“I can do that,” Maddox says, and I wonder where he’s been staying the last few months. Probably at his Dark Fae lady friend’s house with the torture basement. “And then we sit around and wait.”
Carrick nods in affirmation, and that’s not exactly what I want to do. “I don’t think we sit around and wait.”
“Want me to help you practice your magic skills?” Maddox says with a waggle of his eyebrows.
This results in a growl from Carrick, and Maddox shoots him a wink. Carrick offers a glare in return.
But I’m not joking or in a playful mood as I pull my hand free of Carrick’s and step away so I can face them. “I need to establish some contact with Zora.”
My gaze moves back and forth between the brothers. Maddox looks intrigued, while Carrick seems dubious with a hint of stubborn refusal in his eyes. I immediately point at him. “And don’t think to try to tell me no. I agreed I would only try to contact her when you were around, but if you think you can deny me, I’ll do it when you aren’t.”
“Then I won’t leave your side,” he retorts ominously.
That pisses me off, so I give him a reminder I’m not without means. Envisioning the library, which I know will be empty—Rainey and Myles are at work and Zaid is out running errands—I latch onto the conference table, pull it hard, and step out of the gym and right into a chair.
I’m kicked back with my feet up on the table, hands laced behind my head, before Maddox materializes.
He grins, noting Carrick isn’t here. “He must have checked the bedroom first.”
I snicker because I’m sure that’s where Carrick went.
The expression on his face is not warm and fuzzy when he materializes. I think he might order Maddox out so we can have a “debate” about the safety of contacting Zora.
I’m sure it might go something like our talk went the night Rainey decided she wanted to get married and we had to go dress shopping. It devolved quickly, lines being drawn. Eventually, neither of us won as Carrick agreed to let me out of the condo after I threatened to do it anyway without me telling him where I was going. In turn, I had to agree to let him come with us, which, honestly, wasn’t a concession on my part.
It would be hilarious because Carrick would hate every bit of it, but truth be told… I love having him around no matter the situation. I just feel more settled when he’s within sight of me. This has been more so after realizing that he’s not indestructible with Lucien’s loss in the Crimson River.
Before he can say anything, though, I make the first move. “I feel very strongly about contacting Zora, and you’re not going to talk me out of it.”
He tries anyway. For five minutes, he prattles on about the possibility she could kill me through our connection and yammers that Zora could be in league with Kymaris. All arguments I’ve heard before.
While I listen, Maddox picks up the chalice still sitting in the middle of the table where we’ve left it. Carrick warded it against anyone handling it except Maddox and me. Part of it is he doesn’t have absolute trust in some of our team—like Boral—and part of it is it’s too dangerous to those without magic—which is everyone else but Titus, who has left to go back to his Annihilator duties.
I try to focus on what Carrick is saying but I’ve heard his overprotective speech before, so I get distracted watching Maddox try to pull the stone off the cup.