Page 121 of Alastair

“Know what would makemeglad?” Castor motioned to the dining room. “If you’d get your asses in here. I’m hungry.”

“Yeah!” Gray bounced up beside him. “Unless meanie Laz is too good to eat all this yummyhumanfood.”

I felt my smile widen. I both loved and hated the feelings blossoming in my chest. But instead of dwelling on the bleak future, I led Alastair into the dining room to join the others.

Talk of the war would cease for the rest of the evening. Tonight would be spent with each other. Everything else could wait.

Chapter Nineteen

Alastair

Night Fall’s obsidian blade shone like glass, smooth and glossy. Shadows moved along the razor-sharp edge, traveling up to the black hilt, where eight clear stones rested. I ghosted my fingers over them as a chill settled deep in my core.

Lazarus tensed beside me, staring at the stones too.

“I don’t like that thing.” Gray sat on the rug, his arms around Kallias’ leg, who stood beside him. “It gives off dark energy.”

“Night Fall,” Daman said. “Guess they don’t call it that just for shits and giggles.”

We had gathered in Baxter’s study that morning—my brothers, Lazarus, Michael, Baxter, Sirena, and Clara. Their mates hadn’t been allowed in the meeting, which had understandably caused suspicion to arise. My brothers still hadn’t told them the truth of what we had to do. They didn’t know how.

If Lazarus hadn’t pushed me like he had, I wouldn’t have known how to tell him either.

“This is amazing.” Clara sat at the desk, flipping through the thick book of spells Michael had brought from the celestial realm. It contained the spell we needed, one not easily attained since it was more or less forbidden. “Necromancy, love potions, not that I need that, hexes… wow. In the wrong hands, this spell book would be very, very bad.”

“Yes, very,” Michael said. “Which is why it was confiscated from a coven of dark witches centuries ago and placed in the celestial vault so it could never be used again.”

She glanced up at him, her blonde hair spilling over one shoulder. “And you trustmewith it?”

“I do.” No hesitation. “A golden aura surrounds you. Your magic is warm and calming. The markings of a healer.”

“She healed me.” Gray touched the scar across his neck. The memory of him lying on the stairs in our mansion, his throat slit with a celestial blade, still pained me. It was also the first time I had started to trust Clara. She’d saved my brother.

“Me too,” Castor added.

“She’s patched me up too.” Bellamy.

“Me as well,” Lazarus said. When all eyes moved to him, he snarled his upper lip. “What?”

Unable to contain my smile, I stepped away from the sword and rested my head on his shoulder. He slipped an arm around my waist, and there was a light pressure to my hair. A kiss.

Daman arched a brow. “Yeah, I’m not sure I’ll get used to that anytime soon.”

“I find it sweet,” Kallias said.

“Sweet?” Castor rolled his eyes. “That’s a word I’d never think to use for Lazarus. Sour, maybe.”

“Actually, he’s sweet with a slight tartness,” I said. “Like freshly picked apples on a crisp morning.”

“Laz tastes like apples?” Gray asked. “Gross.”

Michael laughed. He enjoyed it when Lazarus was the target of jokes.

“You say it’s an energy transfer spell? Oh, I think I found it.” Clara wiggled excitedly in her chair. She then cocked her head to the side, stilling. “Wait. This sayssoultransfer. I thought you were transferring some of your energy.”

Baxter had reclined on the leather couch and sat up, interest piqued. Sirena seemed equally perplexed. They didn’t know either… but they were about to find out.

“What I say must stay in this room,” I said. “It’s a sensitive matter and must be kept between us.”