Page 44

Epilogue

Almost delirious with energy expenditure, Quinn forced the last of his magic into Julian’s wound. Several major organs had been affected by the silver bullet. The wound would’ve taken his prime’s life if Quinn hadn’t immediately responded to his call.

He’d been here in Jade’s office, crouched beside Julian for the better part of two hours, ensuring the man survived.

Julian was most assuredly the villain. And yet, the Sagani needed him to live. He was holding together a society still reeling from the aftermath of losing their royal line, still edging closer toward destruction every day.

If Julian didn’t survive, Quinn doubted their society would remain intact.

Meticulous, he’d mended bone and tissue perfectly, repairing every damaged cell with the precision of a surgeon. Hours ago, the fire alarm had ceased, and after finding no trace of flames or smoke, business had resumed as usual.

Fortunately, no one had entered Jade’s office in the meantime.

Swaying with weariness, Quinn sighed in relief when Julian finally opened his eyes. The other man blinked rapidly before finally focusing on his mender. A coughing fit left a blood smear on his lips.

Forcing yet more of his waning energy into his prime, Quinn waited. Julian’s reopened wounds sealed once more, and the prime stopped trying to rise or shift positions.

For the moment, Julian was calm.

Quinn didn’t expect it to last.

“Where are they, Quinn?”

Deep in his soul, his bear warned against telling his prime the truth, but Quinn couldn’t abide the subterfuge.

“I let them go, Julian.”

“You would aid our enemy instead of detaining them?”

“They were fated mates.” Quinn knew explaining would win him no favors, but he had to try to get through to his prime. “I would never stand in the way of such a union, and neither should you. You must know that going against fate cannot possibly be the right course of action.”

Julian’s features turned pensive. And for that single moment in time, Quinn believed him to be weighing his response and re-evaluating his position on Jade and Niko.

“Then you’re not the man I thought you were.”

Electricity trickled up Quinn’s spine. He braced himself for whatever punishment awaited him. A demotion from Senior Mender, a public flogging, even exile.

He did not expect to see Kinnick.

Quinn always wondered why Julian had assigned Kinnick as governor of the holding cells.

Perhaps Julian had recognized the other man's innate cruelty and hunger for violence.

Despite both of them having the ability to heal and going through the same mender training, even as a youth, Kinnick had always delighted only in causing pain.

“Finally, a trust-worthy lieutenant arrives.” A maliciousness overtook Julian’s features, twisting them until they looked sinister. “This traitor needs to be reminded of who we are. Take him to the holding cells.”

Kinnick’s malevolent gaze tinged with red, his grin sinister.

“My pleasure, prime.”

***

Kneeling on the damp and dirty floor of a concrete cell, Quinn was discovering firsthand why Kinnick was uniquely qualified to be in charge of Julian’s prisons. He took personal pleasure in creating pain, grunting in foul delight as he continued the torture.

The whip slid unhindered through Quinn’s damaged flesh, already significantly bruised from the brutal beating Kinnick had given him several hours ago. Blood pooled on the stone beneath Quinn’s knees, trailing from the open wounds on his back.

His strength, already thin from healing Julian, leeched from his bones. Agony coursed through his body. His bear roared savagely, incapable of freeing itself in a shift.

His desire to remain conscious waned.

And yet, Quinn didn’t regret any of his choices. Jade was safe from Julian, and his only hope was that she stayed that way.

She would live, even if he did not.