Chapter 71: Starry Eyed

STORM

It killed me to see the way he looked at me, the pain that tugged on our bond, but I had to. They’d seen that I possessed magic far more advanced than I had originally let on to knowing.

The fact I was still drawing breath was an utter mystery.

Reign glared at me like she would disembowel me on the spot if she could, but she glanced at Axel, and her face filled with sorrow before going back to her cold deadpan expression.

She knew, they all knew, that if I were to die, then Axel would go mad before he would soon follow me. The mating bond we have would drive him to the brink of insanity before he would inevitably die.

Thus my life was spared, and yet I still had to ask, because with this family… I wasn’t really sure of anything anymore.

“You’re not going to die ~today~, Storm.” Her voice was almost as cold as those cells, and yet that hidden threat in her word had me hissing under my breath.

I jerked my chin up defiantly, daring to stare at her in a challenge. A low, rumbling growl rippled through her chest as she advanced on my cell door.

“You dare challenge me?”

“No.” I smirked. “I have my own power. What would I want with yours?”

“Why did you lie to us, Storm?” Pain laced Axel’s voice. It hurt my soul to hear it, and it broke my heart that I had caused him this pain.

“I didn’t exactly lie to you. I just didn’t volunteer all of the information. I didn’t think I would ever need to, to be honest. I had hoped I would never have to use that magic.”

I shrugged, looking down at my feet.

I had remained seated despite my challenge to Reign and my questions about death. Truth be told, I didn’t have it in me to fight anymore.

If they wanted me dead, so be it, but they risked losing Axel too, and I knew they would never do that.

…Not after a few weeks without him had driven them all almost to the brink of insanity themselves.

The fact that Gianna was still alive and breathing—not only that but also in sound mind—spoke highly of her gifts and abilities.

It takes a strong magical creature to survive such a loss, regardless of what faction you come from. Gianna, this family, they’re all a mix of two very powerful factions.

Power like no other courses through their veins.

“I didn’t know why Keir wanted to know the magic, and I am a wanderer; we teach other magic that we learn and trade our skills for others.

“Keir was thirsty for knowledge, and I had not yet experienced grief at the hands of others. I was a young girl, and he swayed me, so I taught him.”

I shrugged my shoulders again, still not looking up.

I peeked only slightly when I heard Axel sigh heavily. He was rubbing his hand through his hair. He looked tired. They both did.

This decision, what to do with me, weighed heavily on them, among so many other things.

Reign was so new to her position, having to deal with so much, along with the grief of losing her father in the process. It was a miracle she was still standing.

“Open the doors.”

Without another word, the door to my cell slid open. Unmoving, I looked up at them, not daring to breathe a word.

“I believe you were an innocent young girl who was charmed into expressing information and teachings without the full knowledge of what its intended use was.

“In light of this, I, as alpha, pardon you of all crimes. My decision is final and binding.”

Reign tilted her head slightly. Axel let out a sigh of relief and bundled me up into a tight hug.

“Just please don’t lie to us again,” he whispered, holding me close.

“I won’t,” I vowed.

My heart raced in my chest. Reign may have pardoned me, and Axel may have forgiven me, but there was still the case of the rest of his family.

“You let us deal with them. They’ll come around once they know the truth.”

Reign squared her shoulders, and Axel nodded in agreement. I hadn’t asked how she knew what I had been thinking. I guessed it was just written all over my face that I was worried.

The Grays weren’t just any family, and they had their reputation for a reason. I just hoped I didn’t get on the wrong side of them again.

Silently we all walked back up the stairs. Axel held me tightly, as if not daring to let go, in case I disappeared into the night without him.

“You sensed when Keir was coming before. How?” We had just reached the door to Reign’s office when she spoke.

“It’s difficult to say. I haven’t exactly honed that particular skill. But sometimes, I can sense the shift in the air, especially when strong magic like what Keir possesses is about to be used.

“But we did search for Axel and found him relatively close to Keir’s lair. Maybe we could do that again?”

Reign shook her head. “Grams barely wanted to do blood magic that one time. She made the exception because it was Axel, but she won’t go down that path again.

“The secret to finding him lies within you. You’re the key. That’s how we’ll find him.”

I stared at her like she had lost her mind. I’m pretty sure my mouth was open a little bit, my mouth going dry. I swallowed and cleared my throat. “And how exactly do you think I’m going to find him?”

Reign only smirked from across her desk. “That’s what we’re going to find out.”

I sank in my chair, not liking the sound of this.

~Oh, Goddess, help me.~