Page 95 of The Magic of Betrayal
"Oh, but I think he will. Otherwise, I'll just kill you all." She shrugged. Fucking shrugged, like this was just a discussion about what television show we would watch later.
"Don't do this, Laurie," Cam growled, his face pained.
"Oh! But Cameron, I almost forgot! Must have slipped my mind earlier when we were discussing your dead family. Did you know that Montague Industries studies rare affinities?"
The hairs lifted on the back of my neck.
"This is actually good news, so don't look so pissed off." She walked over to him and knelt between his thighs. "Where did you hide that day we came and burned your little cabin to the ground?"
Cam's mouth fell open and nobody breathed.
"Don't get too hopeful, your mothers are still deader than doornails, but your brother? Hunter?” She tilted her head to the side, and my heart pounded in my chest.No fucking way.Cam was frozen in his chair, I wasn’t sure he was even breathing at this point. “You'll all return to the compound with myself and Bryce once Fischer does as I asked. It'll be a lovely little family reunion." She reached forward and smacked him patronizingly on the cheek.
"You're lying," he spat, venom dripping from his words.
She crossed her arms. "And why would I lie about that? Fischer can tell I'm being honest, can't you?"
Cam glanced at me, his face pale. I observed Laurie, not wanting to use my power to sort through her crazy, but this was important and I gasped as she literally pushed an image into my head of a young man, likely in his early twenties and my eyes flew to Cam's.
"He's alive. By the fucking stars, Hunter is alive, brother," I choked, emotion taking over.
Cam tilted his head back and roared like a beast. A feral, terrifying, murderous beast.
"Moving on, Fischer, let's focus. Erase everything from the moment before you were given this mission. I want them to have no memory of Emerald Lakes, Saige, my mother, nothing. Then you will plant in their minds that they work for Montague Industries and they'll leave willingly with me."
Bryce cleared his throat and Laurie snapped her head around to glare at him. "But he will remember. He will know even if he removes their memories," he unhelpfully pointed out, but my gut was already twisting with the words I knew she'd say next.
"That's why I'm going to kill him afterward."
All hell broke loose. Well, as much hell that could break loose when four incredibly powerful mages are powerless and strapped to chairs.
"Like fuck you are! I'm going to rip your gods damn head off!" Sloane screamed, the veins in his neck protruding.
"I'm going to rip your throat out!" Kai promised, his teeth flashing in the night.
"And if I refuse?" I questioned, trying to remain calm.
"That's why Bryce is here. I'll give you a moment to say your goodbyes because afterward, you’ll have one minute to do what I said, or he will drown them where they sit, you included," she sneered.
"Fischer, don't you fucking dare," Cam's eyes met mine, they were shining.Fuck.
"You don't want to do this, she'll never forgive you.” I tried to reason with Laurie.What the hell else can I do?
"You think I care about that, Fischer? We've already established that this plan has been in the works for years. Let's give them a moment, Bryce." She grabbed his arm and pulled him with her.
"This isn't happening," Kai breathed.
"Fischer, don't even think about it. We'll figure something out. Don't do it," Cam begged, his voice hoarse. Our gazes connected and he was pleading with his eyes, his expression pained. He must’ve seen the acceptance in mine and I watched a tear as it trekked down his red cheek. It broke my heart.
My eyes closed and I went over my options quickly, I had none. The amount of magic I had left wasn’t enough to try and break through Laurie and Bryce’s mental shields. Cam’s brother was alive, he was going to get him back. Asking me not to save my brothers was futile, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them, and I know if the situation was reversed, they wouldn’t hesitate either. I inhaled a deep breath and opened my eyes again.
"I love you guys—"
"NO!" Cam bellowed.
"And the past month has been one of the best of my life. Our bond, our brotherhood. Saige," I breathed.
"Fischer." Sloane's voice cracked, but I couldn't look at him. I wouldn't be able to do this if I did.
