Chapter 30 TWENTY NINE
(KEIRAN'S POV)
“Okay," Zoya begins, settling in the seat opposite mine. " I didn't tell you this earlier because I didn't want Nyra to feel traumatized, but…”She trails off hesitantly.
I drum my fingertips on the desk impatiently.
" But I have every reason to believe that whatever thing opened that portal for Isolde, she was aware of it."
“You're saying…"
“She was a part of the plan," she completes the thought in my head. " Lucien built the wards strong enough that even foreign magic from the portal could have been sensed. It definitely wasn't a break in.”
I drum my fingertips faster on the desk top. If it wasn't a break in, and Isolde wasn’t compelled to leave through the portal like I would have loved to think, then there is only one explanation.
Isolde is working for Xorus.
Talk of being a good nother to her child.
I lean back in my seat. “How did you find her, Zoya?" Isolde?”
" Oh, her? In a mental asylum in Chicago.” She replies.
" Go call everyone. ASAP!” I order and she leaves instantly.
Left alone to the silence in my office, my mind wanders. To the mate the Moon goddess chose to give my brothers and I. To how different things were before Riven returned from the forest with her all bruised over and demanded she be taken care of. To how things have changed ever since she stepped in. To how she's slowly tearing down our carefully built walls and I filtrating our space.
The moon goddess might have had a reason for sending her our way, or she might not have, but nevertheless, she is ours to keep and protect.
All the more reason why, finding the location of the fragments of the Lunar Crystal is of utmost importance. I already have men out, scouting every possible archive on earth there is. If they can't get me anything, then I'll have to resort to other measures.
In the next five minutes, my brothers calmly filed into my office, followed by my sister. Lucien heads towards the corner where he leans against the window, his shadows surround him, as usual. My gaze finds its way to his wrist and I see what looks like Nyra's hair tie. For someone with the highest walls amongst us, he sure didn't take long to crack.
Kade flops onto the sofa and runs his fingers through his already disheveled hair. Looks like he's been fighting, judging from the fresh bruise at the side of his lips. He looks pissed.
Riven stays by the door, leaning against the doorframe with folded arms and his signature blank expression.
“I think Isolde is working for Xorus," I tell them. They all look surprised except Lucien. “The portal wasn't a coincidence, it was a well planned event."
Kade looks pensive for a full five minutes. “She didn't take anything from Nyra, physically or mentally. Not that we know of anyway. So why was she here?”
“If she didn't come for Nyra…”
" She came to weaken the wards,” Lucien cuts me off. He steps forward lazily and brings out something from his pocket. A kind of substance wrapped up in a white cloth. He places it on the table and his shadows do the opening. “How do y'all feel?"
His question is heard at the far end of my mind. My vision is blurry and I feel lightheaded. I can't bring myself to concentrate. It's like whatever is in the substance is draining me out, sucking my energy.
Lucien nods and his shadows tie up the bundle. He thrusts both hands in his pockets and looks at us. I lift my gaze to my other brothers and it's obvious they are also affected by whatever the fuck was in the bundle.
“What the fuck is that? You trying to kill us or something?” Kade growls as his pupils dilate and his body trembles lightly.
“I had the guards clean up the room Isolde occupied and they found this."
“What the fuck is that?" Riven growls.
Lucien pockets the substance and gently dusts his hands. “A magic substance made from wolfsbane and some other kind of ancient magic. It's scentless but very dangerous. It weakens your magic essence and can go as far as draining your energy.”
" Isolde used this to weaken our powers that's why the wards were weakened, enabling the assassin to get in,” Kade reasons.
“What does Xorus stand to gain in all these?" I ask. It can't just be Nyra or he'll just have to look for an opportunity to kidnap her and not go through this trouble.
“She's the Lunar Heir," Riven states like it's something we don't know.
Lucien shakes his head softly. “There's more. He won't go through the trouble of planting Isolde on our path, sending the assassin who conveniently arrived when she was with Riven and stabbed him.”
“Are you trying to say he wanted her to obtain the Voidsteel?" I inquire.
Lucien shrugs lightly. “I won't say for sure, but it makes sense. I mean Xorus is anything but stupid. He must have calculated the outcome before sending the assassin. He knew she'd jump at a chance to save one of us. Doing so puts her at a risk of obtaining the Voidsteel. Xorus knew that but still went ahead with his plan anyway.”
I nod.
He makes a lot of sense. I mean he must have a plan in doing all this. But what could that plan be?
Before any one could speak further, the door bursts open and Nyra rushes in panting.
“The first fragment…I…I know where it is.”