Page 31 of Taken By the Twins

Our twin bond is barely there. I only hope the fledgling one that stretches between my twin and our mate is enough to keep him from losing the last of himself.

“Damien?”

“She will choose.” His lyrical voice has gone flat. “I have sensed it.”

No. I refuse to believe that. “We are the doppelseers. What I see, you see, brother. Adn what you sense, I know.”

Damien steps away from the stovetop. “Look into your heart, Lucian. And ask it why it hides this vision from you. Your eyes might see, but your mate’s essence blinds you.”

“My mate? She isourmate.”

What happened upstairs was a fluke. A fleeting moment made up of relief that Tandy is back in the cabin, and hope thatshe’ll never want to leave again. She is my mate, but she isn’tmine. She isours.

If only my twin would agree.

His white eyes dim. “We are an abomination,” he whispers. “Essence split between two males. Cursed to see… cursed toknow… and I know that our Tandy isyourTandy. She will choose. And she will not choose the demonic twin.”

“You are not demonic,” I tell him.

“No?” His eyes flash. “I gave up the last of your essence when I opened the portal to the human world. I knew it was a risk. I knew that Haures will be able to tell I left. You weren’t supposed to come after me.”

I wasn’t.

Moving toward him, Damien stays still as I lay my hand on my twin’s shoulder. “You are my twin. The other half of my essence. I will always come for you.”

He shakes his head, then shakes off my hand. “Promise me. Promise me that, when the shadows claim me, you won’t follow me there.”

“Damien. Brother. I can’t do that. Don’t ask me?—”

“You must, Lucian. For Tandy’s sake, if not for the years that we’ve spent together as the doppelseers. I’ve never asked you for anything before now. So promise me. Promise me that you will keep her safe, and when I can no longer be trusted around her, you’ll let me go and not follow.”

“I—”

“Please,” he says softly—and my heart breaks for the pain in his voice. “It will happen. Whether you see it or not, itwillhappen. I love you, brother. You’ve given me more than I ever deserved. I never asked, but I never had to. You were generous enough to share. With me. With Sombra. Just this once, be selfish.”

I shake my head. “You ask for too much.”

“I know. And you are the good twin, Lucian. You will give it to me just like you’ve given me everything else. So, please,promise.”

I can’t use my gift to see a clear future that includes me, Damien, or Tandy. I never have. They’ve either been hazy or mere glimpses of images that flash too quickly to actuallysee. That doesn’t stop me from trying now, but when all I see is black, I’m not sure if it’s because the gods are hiding what will happen to the three of us from me entirely—or I am.

One thing for sure?

Damien is correct.

There isn’t anything I won’t give him.

So I shudder out a breath. “I promise.”

CHAPTER 12

LET’S GO

TANDY

As much as I want to grab Damien by the horn, pull him into my room—that, if everything goes according to plan, will be me and my demons’ room before long—and show him just how hot it makes me to have someone stand up for me, I only just manage to resist the urge.

I haven’t forgotten the way that Damien couldn’t handle a kiss. It makes more sense now that I compare it to Lucian’s reaction, and everything that happened at Jared’s place. It’s obvious that my demons have never been kissed before. If Lucian was a virgin, I’m betting Damien is, too. I have to remember that.

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