Page 93 of Claim Me

“I see. And Fallon?”

“Fallon is… complicated.” Ayla swallows. “She’s powerful. Issy is, too. But their father has been siphoning their death energy since birth and using their twin bond against them.” She draws her jean-clad legs up and wraps her arms around her knees, an uneasy expression on her face.

That look alone tells me I’m not going to like what Ayla is about to say.

“Fallon and Issy care more about each other than anything else in the world, and Patriarch Doyle uses that to ensure their obedience—by torturing Issy.” She shudders at whatever vision is rolling through her mind. “That’s the only reason Fallon mate-bonded Nikolas. She could have fought the patriarchy, but they had Issy.”

I’m starting to see the picture in Ayla’s mind. Not literally, but one of my own making.

A picture where a father abuses his daughters in the worst way possible while playing with their lives as though they’re cards in a poker game.

“Fallon mentioned an obedience spell,” I hedge. “One that she couldn’t break.”

Ayla nodded. “Patriarch O’Neely added that to the mating to ensure Fallon couldn’t break the mate bond. They know she’s powerful. They’ll do anything and everything they can to maintain dominion over herandIssy.”

Which explains why Fallon hasn’t said anything over the last year despite the obedience spell being broken—she’s been worried about her sister’s life.

“They’re powerful links to the death plane,” Ayla continues. “Key sources of power. I’m fairly certain that’s the other reason Patriarch Doyle has kept Issy alive—they need her energy to maintain the patriarchy.”

“I’m going to need you to detail thispatriarchymore,” I tell her. “Names, structure, key players. Everything you can give me.”

“Why?” she asks, a humorless expression on her face that matches the incredulity of her tone. “Because you’re actually going to do something about it?”

“I might,” I tell her, my wings disappearing into my back.

“A House involving itself in a Supernatural Syndicate affair for altruistic purposes?” she snorts. “Right.”

“Weren’t you all just invited to participate in the Earth and Emerald Chancellor Trials?” I deadpan.

“That’s not the same. The leadership was bought. Or they attempted to buy it, anyway.” Her lips twitch as though amused. “Nikki didn’t play their game, though. To be fair, neither did I.”

I frown. “You participated?”

“I did.” She cants her head. “The Outcast Covennominatedme. And bynominated, I meanforcedme to participate. Because all the syndicates had to put forth a contestant, and they needed a female from our coven to be the face. Can’t risk anyone realizing the patriarchs are the ones holding our puppet strings, right?”

The bitterness in her tone rivals my own irritation over the entire situation.

But she’s right. Most Houses wouldn’t get involved with these trivial affairs. If a criminal organization wanted to control its members with dark magic, the world leadership would allow it—unless those activities started impacting someone or something important.

Someone like a House King.

“Gold and Garnet’s interference won’t be altruistic,” I tell her, returning to her sarcastic commentary about a House involving itself in syndicate business. “Fallon Doyle is mate-bonded to the Gold and Garnet King by an illegal dark magic spell. That’s grounds for interference.”

Ayla shivers. “She wouldn’t have done it on purpose.”

“I never said she did,” I reply.Nor am I confident it’s a spell,I think, still conflicted on that part. “But the fact remains that the Outcast Coven instigated all of this by placing Nikolas and Fallon in Gold and Garnet territory. I’m going to assume they had a reason. I want that reason.”

“I don’t have it.”

“No, but you do have some details I need—like the patriarchs’ names and other relevant information. You also mentioned being able to break the fated-mate spell.”

She runs her fingers through her dark waves of hair, the edges of which travel all the way down to her slender hips.

Definitely looks nothing like Fallon,I think, suddenly missing my mate’s curves.Fake mate,I correct myself.Maybe.

With a shake of my head, I add, “I need all the details you can give me, Ayla. Including information on how to break the spell.” If nothing else, I can use that information to test the veracity of the claim.

Or at the very least, offer it to Fallon.