Page 74 of Between Imminent Fates

Rukia didn’t respond. She began to tremble before her gaze dropped to her mate’s head as it lay in her lap, a trail of blood trickling from his nose.

“And Nina? Key?”

Looking toward those who stood beside them, Derikles realized it was Lucius who’d asked. One glance confirmed the same fate for the two other Raeths who’d sacrificed themselves. None of them would ever wake up.

It was a fact that delighted the Raeth named Rayn who was held prisoner between Riaz and Nova. His wicked grin lined an ageless face.

“I hope his mind rots and your clan crumbles from within. You’ll have no choice but to end his life because you can’t function without your precious sovereign.” Another sneer. “Enjoy killing him.”

Derikles was on his feet before he’d even consciously made the decision. Reaching Rayn, violence drummed through him, baiting him to claim a life.

But he couldn’t—not when there were so many unanswered questions.

Instead, Derikles simply drew all the energy from Rayn’s defenseless body. Having his abilities locked, the other Raeth had no defense against psychic gifts. There was a sick sort of glee that filled Derikles as the traitor slumped unconscious against the muddy ground.

Pivoting, he took in the scene before him. Nero and Luna were working to keep Key alive. Nina was in the arms of her distraught mate, surrounded by those who loved her. Ringed by those of his clan, Isaiah was still while Jaeda continued to heal him.

“Since they are destruction, their recoil must have inadvertently cast back on her in the end,” Nero said, his words hollow. “Key must’ve known what was going to happen.”

“She’s creation, not destruction,” Luna whispered. “She’s not built for a recoil of that magnitude.”

“Neither were Isaiah or Nina,” Derikles hissed. “None of us are built to withstand the recoil from taking more than a thousand lives, no matter how strong.”

Somewhere in the night, an owl called, the sound forlorn and chilling. For a minute, he simply stared into the darkness. It seemed to swallow him whole. Legs numb beneath him, it was all Derikles could do to keep standing.

“Will my son ever speak to his father again?”

Rukia’s question broke through the stilted silence. Jaeda didn’t respond—and that was an answer in and of itself. She simply pulled the Elemental into her arms.

“My mate?”

It was too much to bear, and Derikles had to turn away. His gaze fell on Zeke who still cradled Nina’s motionless form. Beside him sat Kaien, his features wiped clean in shock and despair.

“I’m taking Nina home.”

When Zeke stood, his face was empty of all emotion. He looked as if his heart had been ripped from his chest and what remained was a mere shell. The Raeth cradled his mate delicately to his chest, pressing his lips to her forehead.

And then he was gone, followed by most of his clan.

The remaining Raeths circled Isaiah and Key, while the battlefield around them revealed the fate of the enemy that had come here to kill them. Only then did Derikles realize the truth. It became apparent what Key had meant when she’d said that concealing the bodies was a question for after victory, not before.

There were no bodies.

“Let’s take him home, Rukia.” Voice low as if he’d disturb Isaiah’s slumber, Derikles gently squeezed her shoulder. “He deserves to go home.”

Derikles teleported them all into Isaiah’s home. Carefully, he and Lucius placed the fallen sovereign on his couch while Rukia hovered within an arm’s reach. Jaeda continued to ensure Isaiah’s body was healing, having noticed that his palms were badly burned. The brilliant flame that’d killed theCitizens’had marked him.

Gideon gathered Rukia in his arms.

With the vast change in the neural network that linked the clan, the level of confusion that streamed through those bonds was nearly debilitating. Though the links had Isaiah’s print, no one in his clan was confused about who they were now linked to: Derikles.

It would fall onhimto inform the clan and Isaiah’s lieutenants of what’d occurred.

Those lieutenants were already teleporting in. Derikles realized only moments later that he’d somehow given them an unconscious call to gather—something he’d been unaware of until that very moment.

Sia arrived first, followed swiftly by the rest of them. The debilitating swarm of their fear and confusion reverberated back on him through their connections. Flinching, Derikles attempted to create what Isaiah had mentioned many times: a psychic valve.

Even as he struggled to form it, he could feel the weight of the clan’s lieutenants focus on him. Sia’s voice was rough when she asked, “What’s happened to the network, Derikles? Why does it seem as though you’ve taken the sovereignty from Isaiah?”

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