Page 34

Kairos

Downstairs, Enko’s feet pounded on the treadmill, practically making the entire house vibrate, trying to run off his feral haze of worrying about Dove. Upstairs, Rhys had locked himself in his office for the past hour, not a sound coming out.

And I wandered around the library, unsure what to do with myself as my fingers grazed along the titles, wondering which one Dove would pick to read. Probably Lore of Legendary Yokai, her favorite topic, if she hadn’t already read it. Since we’d moved in, she seemed to finish about a book every other day…as long as it didn’t interfere with her studies.

In just the couple months I’d known Dove, my entire life had changed, and now I didn’t know what to do without her. If she were home, I’d probably be bossing her other Fated mates around, making sure she was comfortable and had everything she needed. Scolding Seven for teasing her, ordering Enko’s feral instincts to calm down, or arguing with Rhys. Now, she had a new Fated mate I’d need to learn how to deal with. My cheeks lifted. Dove always kept things interesting.

Tires sounded outside and I zipped into the foyer, watching the closed door anxiously, quickly shoving the copy of Lore of Legendary Yokai onto a table, planning to ask Dove about it later. Rhys appeared at the top of the steps, right in front of his egocentric portrait. And Enko appeared with a sweat-stained shirt from the basement.

“Is she home,”

Enko demanded with his usual growl and fire in his eyes.

“Yes,”

I answered as we all waited for the door to open.

Rhys descended the stairs, checking his watch. “She better be, it’s eight fifty-four.”

But instead of our beautiful white-haired Fated mate, Seven’s panicked eyes met mine. Followed by the Lord of Nightmares looking tired and out of breath.

I peered around their bodies, expecting her to come around them as if this was some kind of cruel joke she would play. But that was unlike my Dove.

“Where’s Dove?”

I asked, trying to remain calm for Enko’s sake.

But the Fire fox raced forward, slamming into Seven’s shoulder as he searched for her outside.

Seven shook his head, dropping his eyes to the floor in shame.

The Lord of Nightmares opened and closed his mouth several times.

“Where the fuck is Dove?”

I repeated, charging toward them as Enko shoved the Lord of Nightmares against the wall, his arm pressing against his throat. And, very unlike him, the Lord of Nightmares didn’t fight back.

“She’s missing.”

“I lost her scent outside the back of the club—”

Enko’s fist wrapped around Seven’s throat, going full feral. I allowed it. “You were supposed to be watching her.”

Rhys aimed his anger at the Lord of Nightmares, striding across the foyer and staring firmly at him. “What happened? Did you upset her?”

Seven and Damon shook their heads, looking at each other and then back at the floor. The Shadow fox choked against Enko’s hand, but didn’t ask to be released or make a run for the Shadow Vale. The Lord of Nightmares was still slammed against the wall, also choking.

Like they both were ready to die for their mistake.

I was almost ready to let Enko kill them.

“Enko, let them go,” I said.

The Fire fox snarled, and it took both Rhys and me to pull him off and pin him on the floor.

“We looked everywhere we could think. Anywhere she might have gone,”

Seven began, a hand raking through his hair like he was ready to rip his own head off.

“How long ago?”

Rhys asked, pulling out his phone.

“Thirty minutes? Maybe more,”

the Lord of Nightmares responded. “She’d gone to the bathroom and she thought-yelled for us. She was gone by the time we got there.”

Enko snarled and snapped at us like a rabid beast as he tried to free himself. “You lost my little fox? You didn’t protect my small, innocent Fated mate? What if she’s hurt? What if she needs me? My little fox needs me!”

“You didn’t hear her Mind?”

I asked as Rhys furiously pounded a text into his phone.

“No, not after she screamed for us. Could have been a Mind demon blocking me,”

the Lord of Nightmares defended.

I turned my interrogation onto Seven. He was the one responsible for losing her. “You didn’t scent her?”

Seven bowed his head shamefully again. “I told you. I lost her scent outside the back of the restaurant. There was no trace of it after that.”

“You let her out of your sight?”

I questioned.

“She was going to the bathroom, Kairos. I was giving her some privacy. And you told me to watch Damon.”

“I’ve reported her missing. We need to see the Council,”

Rhys said, glancing at me.

I nodded. “Enko, calm the fuck down or we’ll chain you up in the basement. Everyone, get in the car.”

We sped the entire way, arriving at the Council chambers quicker than I ever had. Normally it wasn’t a place I rushed to go.

The Holy Fox opened the door as our car pulled up and we all raced inside at super-speed. The Council was shocked by our sudden appearance, some of the members missing.

“The Disciple is missing?”

one of the Elders asked immediately. “We need to find her straight away. Every minute is crucial. The longer a victim is missing, the more likely they are to be killed.”

Enko snarled in a pained way but managed to control himself.

“This is why we wanted her to have extra protection,”

one of the Elders reprimanded. “You may view yourselves as capable, but a kitsune as important as her for the war against demons…We can’t afford to lose her.”

Afford, as if Dove were a commodity, and not the most important thing in our lives. Irreplaceable.

The door opened again and Elder Allen entered the room. “Sorry I’m late, got held up—”

Enko enraged, slamming into the Elder and pinning him against the wall. “I smell my little fox on him.”

Rhys and I dashed forward, pulling him off, letting Seven and Damon hold the man down.

“He’s right, he smells like Dove,”

Seven reported, his red eyes flashing dangerously.

“Where is Dove?”

I snapped.

Elder Allen looked around, confused, hoping the Council of Elders would defend them, but none stood in our way. He shook his head, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Rhys’ nose pinched upwards. “We’ll handle this the old-fashioned way.”

The Elders were suddenly in an uproar. “You can’t, he is in a respected position.”

and “That hasn’t been performed in almost a century—”

Elder Allen flinched at the suggestion, continuing his own defense. “If you do this, the armies will rebel. Just like the last time an Archfox overstepped his station. Now call off this beast before we derank him from Major.”

We ignored him and the man began to panic, wiggling to try and free himself from our custody.

“He knows something about our Fated, and he will answer, or he will face the ultimate punishment. Call all nearby kitsune to the academy, Council. Ninth Order of the Goddess,”

Rhys ordered, his face full of disgust for what we had to do.

Order Nine, death for disobedience. But we would do it, anything for Dove. And it was Rhys’ turn to prove himself. To prove that he was worthy of Dove.

When we arrived at Foxfire Academy, a voice rang out over the loudspeaker, the reveille playing in between each announcement. “All kitsune to the stadium as ordered by the Archfox. Order Nine: those found in noncompliance will be executed.”

Elder Allen was strapped to a pillory at the center of the stadium as it filled and Rhys snatched the microphone violently from Elder Peter. Three rows of Holy Foxes were in attendance, more than I’d ever seen. All together, they looked the same. The perfect white robes, with belts of black, white, and red, to denote their rank.

“The Disciple has been kidnapped,”

Rhys announced, and whispers broke out among the student body. “Anyone who has seen anything is required to come forward immediately.”

Nobody came forward, and Rhys retrieved his staff from Elder Peter. He slammed it against the ground, calling the power of all the previous Archfoxes to his aid. The magic within his scepter was much stronger than the average weapon. It was a weapon used by every Archfox. It was said the goddess herself had crafted it a thousand years ago when she ruled our kind, giving it to her strongest general to command her armies. The goddess dictated it to be passed down to each Commander to keep the kitsune together, and to hold the demons at bay.

Rhys’ magic crept out, calling the earth to his aid, every living thing to obey his directive. Vines crept from the unseen earth, around the pillory at the Archfox’s will. A vine stabbed into Elder Allen, wiggling beneath his skin as the man screamed. His blood leaked out onto the white platform, easily visible for the entire stadium to see.

Some of the students gasped. All were too young to have seen the ritual. Even I had never seen an Inquisition. We only read about them in History and Religion as though the custom had been lost to us.

Another vine pierced the man and Rhys turned onto him, yelling over his shrieks, “Tell me why you smell like my Fated mate!”

Elder Allen’s head shook as he screamed, “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.”

I almost felt bad for him. Almost. But he had been around Dove recently and if he had no excuse then he knew something about her disappearance.

Another vine stabbed into him, jerking itself inside the man, under his skin, through all his veins, not damaging anything significant, keeping him alive as he bled through the torture. I forced myself to watch.

Enko, Seven, and Damon observed with glee. They craved the darkness. I watched the Archfox flinch. Him and I were similar in that sense at least.

“I made a deal!”

Elder Allen screamed and bawled. “I traded her to the demons! She is in Hell, guarded by an archdemon! Please let me live!”

Enko rushed forward, his eyes glancing to me and the Archfox, begging us.

Rhys left this decision for me. My head titled, satisfaction and terror within me. “Finish him, Enko. And don’t make it quick.”

Enko’s sword blazed as he began the slow and torturous execution. The first to be performed in almost a century.

I hurried to Rhys, whispering, “How are we supposed to get her out?”

Seven appeared next to us. “We’ll need something to trade, and for Dove, it won’t be cheap.”

There it was again, like our Fated had a number on her head. But she was priceless. She was worth more than the entire world. And we all knew it.

“Me.”

Damon stepped forward. “Trade me for her.”