Page 20 of Shifter’s Promise (Devourer of Magic)

Chapter

Sixteen

“ W e should head back to Twinlin’s,” Leona said, making me jump.

I’d been staring at the ledger for half a minute, trying to decide whether or not to open it.

Whatever lay inside, it would only hurt the triplets.

Fingers tightening around it, I couldn’t keep this from them.

But I wouldn’t bring it up out here—not with tensions high and three jaguars ready to tear home and maul their father.

“Yes,” I agreed. Between my father and Leona, we should be able to contain them long enough to get through this and make a plan.

“It’s late,” Raxa complained.

That same shadow laid over his eyes. With the darkness thick, I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking.

“So?” Taka grunted, pushing away from his brother at last.

“Let’s go,” Aya added .

Without even exchanging a glance, Taka and Aya flanked their brother like bodyguards.

Raxa sighed. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure you don’t run off again,” Taka snapped.

Raxa grumbled so quiet I couldn’t make out the actual words.

Leona cleared her throat, drawing their attention. “No more running. I’ll tie you up and carry you if I must.”

I blinked in surprise, gaze darting to her deliciously broad shoulders. It was easy to imagine her wrapping me in those muscular arms, throwing me over her shoulder to take me home to ravish— I cut my own train of thought off, cheeks flaring with heat.

Raxa tsked, but didn’t make a move for the alleymouth—the only sign he might be compliant.

I cleared my throat. “Let’s hurry.” Though I was sure no one was following us, we couldn’t be too careful.

We quickly made our way through Auroi’s capital. Heading north, it wasn’t long before my family home came into view. With lights still flickering in the living room downstairs, my father had clearly waited up for us.

I pushed inside, and not a moment later he appeared in the living room doorway.

“You’re home,” he said, gaze darting to each of my companions. “Hurry in.”

We did just that, closing the door softly behind us. It wasn’t until we had taken our seats, just as we’d been before, that Father finally spoke.

“What happened? It’s the middle of the night.” He narrowed his eyes at the triplets instead of me, of course finding them at fault. It brought an amused smile to my lips. Father never was good at blaming me for anything.

“We ran into an old friend on the way home,” I said, drawing his attention and calming his ire.

“A friend?”

I nodded. “From my time as—” I cut myself off as his gaze saddened, guilt twisting his rugged features. “You know.” I sighed. “Her name is Willow and she took us to a secret hideout beneath the city.”

Father’s eyes widened as I explained our rendezvous with the rebellion, including the information about Jeremiah we’d learned. Before his rage could shake the house with his telltale bellow, I held up the ledger I’d kept in my pocket.

“Lifal gave us this,” I said. “We haven’t had the chance to look at it yet.”

More like, I didn’t want to send the triplets into a fit by reading it sooner.

Shaking his head, he took a calming breath before answering. “I can’t believe it. That bastard.”

Mumbles of agreement filled the room. The triplets had been entirely silent while I told our tale. Only Leona interrupted to add details about the base’s location. It was smart to tell my father. If we went missing, he’d know where to find us.

“How long has he been…” Father trailed off, realization lighting his gaze. “Twin, hand me the ledger.”

My brows furrowed, but I did as he asked. Father unwove the leather thong from around the small book before peeling open the rough parchment.

Leona craned over the couch, having chosen to stand as usual. However, she wasn’t behind her charges this time, but father and I. As if she were our protector instead. The thought brought a small smile to my face that quickly disappeared with my father's sharp inhale.

“What is it?” I leaned over the same as Leona, my stomach sinking.

Jeremiah. His name was written in messy scripted letters at the top of the page, a list of names and clans beneath it.

My eyes widened and my heartbeat sped up as cold sweat descended my spine. I knew it.

“I fucking knew it.”

Fists shaking, I snatched the ledger out of my father's hands. He didn’t budge, hands staying exactly where they were as I closely inspected the list of slaves Jeremiah had handed over to the slave trade.

Among the list were Twinlin of Leopard Clan and Johanna of Jaguar Clan—the triplet’s mother.

I couldn’t stop the trembling of my hands, the pages a blur as despair and rage flowed through me. My leopard snarled and raged in our shared mind, demanding blood—demanding revenge .

“It was all his fault,” I whispered. “He did this to me.” My fingers brushed the scar at my neck.

I wasn’t seeing the ledger anymore, tears blinding me. A hand descended on my shoulder, kneading the muscle. I recognized Leona’s gentle touch, but couldn’t bear to turn my gaze on her .

“Stop holding us in suspense here,” Taka attempted a joke but it fell flat.

“So it’s true,” Raxa intoned. I couldn’t make out his expression through the water blurring my vision, but I could hear the pain in his voice.

“Wait,” Aya said, voice higher than I’d ever heard. “This can’t be… it has to be a mistake.” His footsteps echoed in the silence before the ledger was snatched from my hands.

A soft bang told me the ledger didn’t stay in hand long. Father shifted beside me, retrieving it for all I knew.

“How could he?” Aya asked no one in particular.

“Our own mother,” Raxa growled.

“Take a breath,” Leona commanded, making me jump a little. She squeezed my shoulder in apology before joining me on the sofa. She took my hand, keeping me grounded as my world spun with questions.

“Leona, how can you be so calm right now?” Taka ground out.

Her fingers twitched around mine for a painful moment. She loosened her grip almost immediately, soothing the back of my hand with her thumb.

“I’m not calm.” From the quiver in her voice, she was anything but.

Taking a deep breath, I swatted tears from my cheeks and rubbed my eyes until I could see.

“I’m not calm at all,” Leona’s voice cracked. Her gaze was trapped on the coffee table, despair written all over her face. It was my turn to offer her a comforting squeeze .

“You all trusted Jeremiah,” Father said, drawing our attention. “You had no reason to think he’d be capable of something like this.”

It was true. Even my father seemed shocked into silence rather than pushed into rage. In fact, from the war happening in his eyes, he must feel just as burdened by this information. After all, they’d once been friends.

Silence rested as each of us warred with our thoughts.

While I wanted to focus on the triplets and Leona, it was difficult when anger raged through me so intensely.

I had never suspected one of my own kind had given me up.

I’d thought it was a random incident, a surprise kidnapping. But it was all planned.

My fingers clenched until I caught Leona’s wince in my periphery. Sighing, I loosened my hold.

“We have to stop him,” I said. “This can’t go on.”

“We will.” Raxa’s response was firm and immediate.

There was no room for hesitation here. Lives were at stake.

“He really gave up our mother.” Taka seemed the least likely to believe, or the one clinging to hope the most. But even he couldn’t deny this.

“How will we do it?” Aya asked, posture as rigid as his voice. “Kill him, I mean.”

Taka shot a wide eyed look at his brother, but he didn’t refute him. Instead, his face crumbled with the certainty of his father’s impending demise.

“We can’t attack at the clan house,” Leona said. My heart hurt hearing the lack of emotion in her normally light tone. “Jeremiah is too well protected there. ”

Father nodded sagely. “We’ll have to lure him out.”

“We can do that,” Raxa said. “We’ll get him to meet us somewhere.”

“He’ll bring guards,” Aya warned.

“At least three or four,” Taka added, resigned.

“We can ask Willow and Lifal for back up,” I said. Though I wasn’t sure they’d help us, if we brokered a deal to help them , I was sure they’d help us get another slaver off the streets.

“Where should we ambush him?” Raxa asked.

Brow furrowing, I thought over the possibilities. A busy, public place wouldn’t be ideal. Jeremiah could hide additional guards in the crowd, or worse, civilians might be injured. But a remote, isolated place, Jeremiah was more likely to be on guard. If he showed up at all.

“The beach where mother used to take us,” Taka said. He avoided our gazes, hands clenched around his knees. “The anniversary of her disappearance is coming up.”

“He wouldn’t expect us to use that against him,” Aya agreed.

Raxa’s frame shook, trembling as if he wanted to object. I understood. I wouldn’t want to sully the memory of my mother either. But this was for her. They would avenge their mother.

“Okay,” he finally said. “It’s near the cliff where we went diving.”

“You mean where Aya pushed Twin off a cliff,” Leona deadpanned.

Aya sighed. “I said I was sorry.”

Father rumbled, but didn’t say a word. He already knew what had happened between all of us. That didn’t mean he had to like it.

“When is the date?” I asked.

“Three days from now,” Aya said.

I nodded and exchanged a look with my father.

“That’s enough time to set up a trap,” Father said. It was scary how he could read my mind like that.

“Then we’ll contact Willow and Lifal tomorrow,” I said, a plan forming in mind. “And plan for the ambush on the anniversary.”

With everyone in agreement, silence once again settled over us, heavy with the knowledge of what was to come.

“We should get going,” Taka said after a while. “It’ll be suspicious if we’re not home soon.”

We all mumbled our agreements, but as we rose, Father held up a hand. “Can I speak to you three alone for a moment?”

I blinked in surprise. What for? The question rang in my mind, but no answer came to me.

“Sure,” Aya drew out the word, confusion plain on his face. He looked for answers in my gaze, but all I could do was shrug.

I had no idea what my father was up to either.

“We’ll be in the other room then,” I said slowly.

Leona squeezed my hand, still unable to let go. She led the way, pulling me gently from the room. With a glance back over my shoulder, tension was clear in every male we left behind.

Just what did he want to talk to them about… alone?