Chapter 9

The prisoners were safe in another realm, Bastian knew her name. He should be feeling some level of relief, contentment, or one of those feelings that said something was going right, but he wasn’t. He stood off to the side of the transport while Trendan talked to Troy. The fact the king was willing to help with their disappearing dad’s problem was a good thing—once they figured out how to get to him. Troy was offering up some assistance with his brother’s and their women’s amazing skills, which was a win for sure. They just had to get to dear old dad and get him out of this realm without being caught or alerting whoever was behind it. That was going to be hard, not letting anyone know that they knew the ginormous secret that would change their realm’s way of life, forever.

“Bas.”

He jerked out of his internal chatter to see Trendan glaring at him. He gave his head a shake and motioned to the king. What had he missed this time?

Troy was holding his phone. “Autumn just called me. Ava?” He glanced around seeing if anyone was going to call him out on the wrong name, “she called her. Nova’s last name is Gaines. Alona did some research and there’s a woman with that name, but there hasn’t been a trace of her in over seven years.”

Bastian’s heart felt like it paused inside his chest. “What does that mean?”

“She’s hiding,” Kara offered quietly.

He nodded. “Okay, she’s hiding, from what though?”

“You said she knew she was being hunted.” Trendan shrugged.

The idea that she’d been avoiding the lawless for that long pissed him off on so many levels. To live that way was wrong. Not only because she held the soul he had to find, but because they had failed this long in knowing about those stealing souls and hadn’t stopped them.

“He does this,” Trendan said, looking embarrassed. “Gets lost in his head for long periods of time.”

Bastian sent him an annoyed look and then turned to the king. “Does Ava know where we can find her?”

“No. One of the other women from their league does.” Troy looked skeptical. “But she’s not sure she should reveal it to you. Crystal, I think she said.”

“The Gemini League.” Bastian hissed out a breath as he closed his eyes for a moment. “I generally avoid them at all costs and now fate keeps tossing me at them like I’m some sort of frisbee.”

Trendan smirked. “You like challenges.”

He sent him another look asking him to stop helping. “Yes, but usually ones where I know I have a chance to be alive at the end. Those women scare me.”

Troy shrugged. “Chase said one of the women’s hair was alive.”

“Or something.” Bastian rubbed his hand over his hair. “Her powers I’ve never seen in action, but the mix of her DNA alone scares me.” He looked at his brother. “She has bits of every realm inside her, I’m sure of it—to the point that I can’t separate one from the other.”

Trendan didn’t hide his surprised expression. “That’s, well, a month ago I would have said impossible, but that is concerning.”

He nodded. “She said her women were all born in the time of Gemini.” Bastian scowled and looked at Kara. “What does it mean?”

Kara offered him a compassionate look. “I don’t know, but there has to be a reason all of them are.” She took a slow breath in. “I can hear thoughts. How is that possible?”

Bastian studied her for a moment. “I need to go speak with Crystal.”

“I don’t think going alone is a good idea.” Tor looked at him from the doorway. “I’ve witnessed what happens if you cross one of them and it’s not pleasant.”

Troy raised an eyebrow. “Hell, hath no fury like a Gemini woman scorned.”

Bastian bobbed his head like one of the little dolls that humans placed on the dash of their cars. “Why do you think I avoid them.”

“You do have a knack for annoying others.” His wonderful and at this moment, unnecessary big brother said.

Troy looked at Kara. “We could send someone with him.”

“Not the one with the pretty face, they weren’t very receptive to him.”

Kara smirked. “Raf.” She looked at Troy.

“And the big gruff one, he would end up as a chicken clucking and pecking at the street,” Bastian added quickly, not to mention he was zero fun.

Troy grinned. “Quint?”

Kara nodded, confirming who he had been talking about. “What about Leone? He’s used to dealing with difficult people.”

Troy nodded his head slowly. “He’ll be happy for a break from prisoner sorting.”

“Prisoner sorting?” Trendan asked.

“He’s been helping Arius move some with lesser crimes to a new facility.”

“And hating every moment of it.” Kara smirked.

Prince Leone had a softer, more understanding side to him, Bastian had noticed—he’d also seen him in battle and that was a plus in case they ran into trouble. “Okay, Prince Leone. I just need to check on the decorators doing Liri’s suite, call her, and then I’ll be over.”

“I’ll tell them where to meet you.” Kare went over to the porter plate on the floor.

“Decorator?” Trendan looked confused.

Bastian waved his hand around. “The latest stall I came up with for Auntie Bella when Liri was hiding in my room.”

“Ah.” Trendan looked amused.

“I promised her no girly colors would be used.”

“Your cousin is very nice.” Kara smiled.

“Just keep her away from swords.” He rolled his eyes. “Or a dusack as is her preference.”

“She fights?” the king asked.

“Not if anyone from here ever asks.” Trendan motioned to the porter plate. “Solrelm women are forbidden to put themselves into any harmful situation.”

“Forbidden?” Kara quirked an eyebrow at him.

Bastian clenched his teeth and sent his brother a ‘duh’ look.

“We should bring her to practice.” Kara smiled up at her royal brother-in-law as he walked over to stand beside her.

“Indeed.” Troy nodded to the technician on the other side of the glass.