Chapter 84

LUKAS

"Please, Lukas. I'll explain, I promise."

I regarded him darkly. "You had better."

I let go of him, and he stumbled back, still bleeding. "First, we had better get him some medics," Councillor Merrick cut in, his tone final as he cast one final glare my way. But this time, his eyes were serious.

Of course, I didn't expect him to admit that I was right. No matter what I did, I was just too reckless for Merrick.

"Take him back to my office. I'll get the first aid," Merrick instructed and started down the rest of the hallway. "And try not to kill him," he added, glancing at me over his shoulder.

I let out an annoyed sound and picked up my dagger, slipping it back into my pocket.

"Come on, kid." I slipped a hand around his shoulder and half carried, half dragged him back into the office. Jonah kept his eyes down, not looking at me. He tried not to lean too heavily on me, I noticed. I should kill him, I thought. Terek was dead, Orion was gone, my brother was captured. And he had a hand to do with it.

I wanted to kick myself for not putting the pieces together sooner. I set Jonah down on the chair and stepped back from him, my eyes steely.

"Lukas..."

"Don't," I waved my hand, turning away. I remembered him that night, coming out of his room, his eyes wide with fear.

"Can't sleep," I had asked, seeing nothing wrong with him walking out of his room that late in the night. I clenched my fist. Of course, it was a lot more than that.

Councillor Merrick came back, carrying a first aid box.

"Why bother stitch him up?" I wondered aloud.

"Because he's just a kid, Lukas," Merrick set the box down and pulled out spirit and bandages.

The "just a kid" was in reality nearly an adult, but the councillor wasn't very interested in that now, was he?

"How long have you been working for the order?" I asked, my eyes searching Jonah's for any form of hesitation.

Jonah gritted his teeth as Councillor Merrick wrapped his arm with the bandage, although the wound looked like it needed stitching.

"I didn't have a choice," came Jonah’s low reply.

"No, you always have a choice," I snapped. "Tell me, you were fully aware that Terek was going to die that night, weren't you? How much of our movements have you been betraying to the order? Did you know about the plot to kidnap Orion too?"

Jonah stared at the floor, not daring to meet us.

I stepped closer, thanking the heavens for his sake that I didn't have a weapon in my hand.

"You knew that the men would be back to search the house the day Vance was captured, didn't you?" I grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to look at me.

"Answer me, Goddammit, Jonah! If you don't, I'm sure the alpha would be very interested in speaking to you."

"Please, don't hand me over," Jonah's eyes snapped up to mine. We fought wars before, but now, a fear I had never seen in him before was reflected in his blue eyes.

"I didn't have a choice. My family, or what's left of them... The order locked them up and threatened me. They needed eyes in the Obsidian pack, to know what Alpha Kael is doing. I couldn't bear it, Lukas. I know it's wrong but I couldn't watch as my family went through the same tortures I did."

My grip loosened from his shirt. He was telling the truth, I knew. That doesn't erase anything, I thought. But the hatred I felt was no longer as strong as before.

"You should have told us," I shook my head. "It didn't change anything. You should have told me."

Jonah gave a rueful smile. "Viper swore to kill them, one by one, if I ever told anybody."

"You would find, young Jonah, that there are other fates worse than death," Councillor Merrick said, his voice neutral and oddly chilling.

He crossed the room and placed the first aid box on the shelf, his movements meticulous. When he turned back, there was no emotion on his face.

"I will hand you to the alpha. We haven't seen a traitor in years. According to the ancient texts, he should be scorched with fire in the center of the city, along with his family."

Jonah's voice paled, the color draining from his face. Councillor Merrick continued unconcerned.

He moved towards the table, arranging the maps scattered across it.

"You'll stand a fair trial in front of the council. Not that you have any reasonable side to present. But I suppose the council will plead for a lighter sentence, seeing that you're not a full adult yet," he gave a shrug.

I watched him. He couldn't be serious. This was the same man that was actively taking Jonah's side just a minute ago. Treat him and kill him? I don't think I hated Jonah to that extent.

He walked back to Jonah, placing a hand on his shoulder like he was giving advice. Jonah shuddered but didn't dare pull away. Merrick gave a contemplative tilt of his head.

"Maybe they would simply execute you, or lock you up for the rest of your life, torturing you till you slowly lost your mind." He shook his head in pity. "Very, very messy."

"Or you could do something for me, and we could avoid all that. Think of it as a way of recompense."

Jonah nodded. I knew that he didn't really have a choice.

"What is Viper planning?"

Jonah shook his head. "It's something bad. She's continuing from where Darian stopped, but I don't know the details."

Merrick considered. "You will work with us," he said at last. "We will lead a rescue mission for our captured, and your family. And you will infiltrate the order for us. You will report back to Viper only what I tell you. Any suspicious movement from you, and we give you up to the alpha."

Councillor Merrick leaned in, his eyes serious. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," Jonah struggled to his feet and bowed formally. "Thank you, councillor."

"Do not thank me yet," Merrick replied. "Go back to your room. I will call for you in the morning."

I watched Jonah go, wondering if the fear he had for the alpha was more than the fear he had for Viper. Would he really stay loyal to us? He betrayed us before after all.

"Isn't this gambling?" I asked, once the door shut behind us. I spun to face the councillor.

"Isn't everything?" Merrick replied.

I hated it when people replied to questions with questions.

"And you're so sure he'll be on our side because?"

"Because we offered him more than Viper and the order ever will."

"You don't know what Viper offered him," I pointed out, suddenly irritated.

"Who knew how many more were in on it that night? There had been about four boys in the room."

"Then you would do well, Lukas Walters, to keep an eye on him," Councillor Merrick said without looking at me.

He was back at his table, clearing up. "Done for the night," I guessed.

"And if you see anything close to suspicion, you have my permission to kill him," Merrick added.

I stared at his back, my lips pressed into a hard line.

"Fine."

I stepped out of the room, shutting the door with a bang. I still didn't like it. But there was little I could do about it.

I should tell Alpha Kael, I thought. That was what Vance would do.

But something stopped me from heading to the alpha's room and instead, I walked downstairs, unbolting the back door in the kitchen, letting myself out of the building.

Right now, Jonah was the closest thing I had to finding Vance. I thought. I couldn't just let him go like that.

Jonah would know a way to the order. We would find a way to get into it and rescue Vance and the child.

My thoughts were in a mess. Overlapping one another. After minutes of aimless walking, I found myself in front of a training ring. The back of a lady turned to me; she was stationary, might have been meditating.

My fingers badly ached for a weapon, long and strong. There was a battle brewing, and I was ready for it, as long as my little brother came out alive.

As though noticing my presence, Eria turned around.

"It's early," she relaxed when she saw it was me.

I stepped closer. That's when I saw the details. Under the moonlight, I could see Eria's eyes red and puffy, dried tears plastered across her face.

She was in battle gear, but she never looked more vulnerable.

"Eria," I started to say, but she shook her head and I fell silent.

"Kael took me to the mystic pack," Eria said. "I tried to hold it off and drag it on for as long as I could, but we have less than a week to find Vance."