Page 45 of Mantle

“Yes. Reports have come to my attention over the last few years of other illicit actions they have taken against their own people, but I wasn’t able to substantiate them. Either they covered them up, or those involved were too afraid to speak out against their tyranny. What they did to their own son changesthings, and it has become the key to removing them from power.”

“I’m all for that. I obviously want that justice for Vorzyr. But I’m not going to act against his wishes. It’s political to you, but to him it is deeply personal. He’s traumatized by what he endured and also the fact that he’s been unceremoniously stripped of his birthrightandhis blood family all in one shot. This is all rooted in the Celestial abilities that he has, which extend beyond the Primal Celestial Resonance that you witnessed when he healed Ari. He displayed another—Command of Beasts—in front of them all. The way I left it, I’ve leveraged their silence. But any further action will jeopardize that.”

“He is not alone. The four of you are not alone. You will be protected.”

“You can’t promise that. People don’t like what’s different—what’s powerful and different. Beings they can’t control. Hence the hybrid crisis, and groups like Puritas existing.”

“Those fools don’t speak for the entire supernatural world, not by a long shot. And I am well-versed in protecting those who are different. Warlow was feared and persecuted because of his hybrid nature. The existence of hybrids was hidden deeply twenty years ago, but things have come a long way since. If we revert to hiding in the shadows, concealing who we are, that progress will not continue. It will be stifled, and those very fools will win by default.”

I shoved a hand through my hair. “What do you suggest?”

“We will walk the line between what needs to be done and Vorzyr’s reluctance rooted in his regrettable traumatic experience. I will send my contact to him, keeping the choice in his hands.”

“All right,” I agreed. “But if anything comes of this, any risk to him that—”

“Yes, you’ll raise hell.” He smiled. “And I’ll be right there alongside you. I have no doubt that my granddaughter will be also. You see? Even those fanatical fools won’t fail to recognize what a grave mistake it would be to target Vorzyr for what he is, should his parents expose him.”

“I see what you did there.” He was really something else.

And I respected the hell out of that.

He winked at me, then told me, “Come now. Time to bring you into Arcanum Order. The members are looking forward to meeting you.”

He went to call his power to teleport us to wherever the mysterious site of the meeting place was, but a sudden and violent reverberation through the floors and even the walls of the vault pulled us both up short.

“Someone of great power has breached the property line. And they weren’t careful about it either.” He gritted his teeth. “This unsettlement is the result of the wards being torn through with a brutal burst of power.”

In the next moment, he was teleporting us to the foyer.

To one hell of a sight.

There Cassius was in his full Celestial battle garb like an angel of vengeance, tossing an unconscious and badly beaten body across the floor.

As the being rolled and smacked into the wall on his back, I identified him as Sorin Tenebris.

That piece of shitPuritasacolyte. The one who V and I had punished for coming at Nyx, who Ariana had coerced. That coercion had then been reengineered and used to force a hybrid to unleash a Hellfire device in a bid to take out Crossborn and make a statement to the Guardian Movement as a whole.

Frantic footsteps descended the stairs, and I looked to see Velra Nox rushing down, her gaze flicking between her unconscious brother and Cassius glaring at him as he loomed,all powerhouse muscle and supreme power. He was breathing heavily, but given what he was, it couldn’t be from exertion. He was pissed, distressed, angry… reacting intensely emotionally.

And as he looked up at Velra, it became clear why.

All for her.

“Cassius,” she breathed. “I felt you.”

He didn’t speak to it, but I saw the struggle all over him not to.

He could barely stop himself from looking her up and down.

“As promised,little shadow,”he rumbled, gesturing at Sorin.

“How did you… I mean… holy hell.”

“You need not fear his foolish and despicable actions anymore.”

“Thank you,” she uttered, so much emotion bleeding from her.

Grief and relief collided with how touched she obviously was at what he’d done for her, along with a whole lot of disbelief that somebody would actually do anything of the sort for her.

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