A Surrender Of Hope (Umbra Hunters #3)

32. Razar

THIRTY-TWO

Razar

“ T hat was not Archer!” Mom hisses at Father as he paces the dais in the throne room, his enormous black wings flexing behind him and his curled horns sparking with black magic. Nox leans on Father’s throne, watching Mom lose her mind over her encounter with our formerly “dead” brother. “Is he dead?” Nox asks, and Father shakes his head, sending a burst of pained relief through me, which only furthers my self-hatred. On the one hand, I want to kill Archer myself. He almost took my Pup from me, and he’s betraying our family and everything we stand for. But on the other… It's my brother, the boy I have had with me all my life. The one person who always loved me no matter what I said or did.

“And no one will do a thing to change that!” Mom snarls.

“Viv,” Father growls in warning, and she snarls at him, gold magic sparking in the air like tiny fireworks as she strides up to him, standing in the middle of his path and forcing him to stop moving.

“No! That was not my son! I saw his eyes. I felt that magic… the cold look on his face! That was not Archer!” she practically screams, tears streaming down her cheeks, making me cringe and step back at the burst of emotions and stress that courses from her in waves. Shoving the pain I feel down, I swallow hard and try to tune out their words, my Beastia prowling inside me, wanting to be set free to take our own revenge and hunt my traitorous brother down.

Before Father can say anything else, the doors to the throne room burst open, causing him to release a threatening growl as he turns on whoever is stupid enough to appear before him without approval. A growl breaks between my lips as I watch several of my father's Lords stride into the throne room, all dressed in fine clothes and looking far too clean for men who were supposed to be out protecting our Kingdom.

“My King!” Lord Arawn shouts, his shiny black boots thumping on the ground as he strides toward us, a group of five other Lords at his back. “What is this rumor of your son? And the Wraiths breaking into the castle? My wives and children were here and could have been hurt!” he snarls, his tone demanding, eyes accusing as he comes to a stop a few feet away from my father's dais.

I can’t help but lean forward, excitement rushing through me when I see my father's eyes flash at the blatant disrespect shown to him in front of the other Lords. Nox chuckles, and his claws grow as Father gently tugs Mom to stand behind him. He then turns on the snobbish Demon Lord before him, wings slowly extending to their full size, making Nox’s look tiny in comparison as he slowly descends the stairs.

Magic curls around the room, growing until it stifles every corner, and even I have to step back in an attempt to not bow my head and submit. “Orcus,” I hear Mom warn, following closely behind him as he stalks toward the stupid man. Lord Arawn holds my father's gaze, his hands fisting at his sides, and I grin. I can't decide if his blatant idiocy is entertaining or pathetic. No one, not even Nox, could go head-to-head with Father, not in his regular form and definitely not in his shifted one. Yet this pathetic sniveling Lord thinks he can talk to my Father like that in his own castle?

Nox stands to his full height, moving to the top of the steps. He keeps a protective eye on Mom as she stands at Father's side, glaring at the Lords standing before them. I watch as most of the Lords, who strode in here like they had the fucking right to an audience, cower before their King's dark magic, most of them lowering their heads, one even bowing and stepping away from Lord Arawn as if to show he doesn't support the man.

Sound comes from the doors left open at the Lords’ entrance, and I watch as Jesthren, covered in black blood, strides into the room, his brow furrowing when he senses Father's magic out in full force.

“Lord Arawn,” Mom snaps, crossing her arms over her chest and glowering at the man as Father's magic swirls around her, lifting a lock of her brown hair as it gently caresses her cheek. “Is there a reason for this sudden display of disrespect?”

“I…” Lord Arawn pauses, shifting his glare from Father to Mother, looking confused about whom he should be speaking to.

“Do. Not. Look. At. Her,” Father rasps, his deep voice almost unrecognizable, making Lord Arawn step back, his legs quivering at the amount of magic Father uses.

“And why not? My family was here! Your son—” A blade appears at Lord Arawn’s throat, his mouth falling open like a gaping fish as Jesthren sneers down at him. Fury alights in his dark eyes as he leans down, bringing his lips to the man's ear and whispering something I can't quite make out. But from the way the Lord's eyes practically bug out of his head, I know it must have been some kind of entertaining threat. I’ll have to ask him what he said after these simpering fools leave.

“Was never in the castle!” Father roars back, making Arawn stumble away from Jesthren, who glowers at him like the piece of shit he is. I scoff and lose interest in the man as he finally looks at his feet. Looking around the room, I grab my favorite blade, flipping it in my hand as I study the guards, wondering which one told the Lords about Archer's appearance. It isn't a surprise that our secret is now public knowledge; there is no way to silence all the guards who bore witness to Archer's surprise resurrection and betrayal, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this fast.

“But the Wraiths?” Lord Arawn rasps. Father steps even closer to the Lord and tears a terrified squeak from the man as he crumples to his knees and bows his head.

“Infiltrated the caverns and broke the spells placed there by the founding King. They gained access to the castle and immediately went to the roof, seeking out the Queen and Princess! Your family was and has always been safe, no thanks to you,” Father sneers, rolling his eyes at the cowering Lord before looking up at the men still standing there.

“How were the Caverns breached?” Bryton asks, looking to Mom instead of Father like he always does. My uncle is not the wisest man, and he should know better than to aggravate my Father more in this. Instead of answering, Mom looks to Father, who glowers at his brother-in-law.

“I’m not sure if they were weakened by age or not, but that is what I was trying to figure out when you so rudely interrupted!”

“It was Archer. Only the immediate royal family has access to the Caverns!” Bryton scoffs, frustration lacing his tone as he looks at Father.

“You can’t access the Caverns from the outside. Someone must have let them in from within,” Lord Carver mutters. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself, and I know where this conversation is going.

“Be wise with your next words,” Father grinds out as all eyes in the room turn and look at me. I ignore them, my attention moving to the doors where Creed leads Meyer into the room, his hand clutched tightly around hers. Their happy faces fall when they hear all the shouting, and my Beast snarls in my chest, not liking that these idiots have made my Pup upset.

I grind my teeth together, forcing my legs not to move when the predator inside me wants to grab her and sling her over our shoulder to get her away from these bastards. I knew his interest in my Pup was growing, but Meyer Smith obliterated all choices for her future the moment she threw that knife at the Wraith that had snuck up behind us. Not only had this been the second time she saved my life, but she had done it as I was shifted into the worst monster possible. One that had haunted her throughout her life. She hadn't cared about the dangers to herself, only to save a worthless monster she deemed good enough to continue living.

My Beastia decided then and there that she was ours; he didn't care if she disagreed. He looked forward to the fight she would bring at being claimed, loved the idea of her strength and anger, the way she hissed and clawed almost as much as our little orange feline back on Earth. And unfortunately, I’m having a hard time disagreeing with him.

“He is the logical choice! Three Lords have been killed in the four days they have been back, their magic drained, and bodies nothing but ash! How long must you ignore our concerns about the sons you have brought into your home? Our concerns were valid! Archer has turned on you, his death a ruse to gain access to the castle! That thing!” Bryton points at me with so much anger I can't help the manic smile that crosses my face as I imagine how many ways I could end his life. “Should never have been allowed to live past birth! His father created the very monsters seeking to destroy us, yet you welcome him into your family with open arms. You both are fools, and if you won’t kill him, then I will!”

Smack!

Shocked silence follows the loud crack of my Pup’s hand as it connects with Bryton’s cheek, her strike holding more strength than I would have thought since the Lord cries out and clutches at his now pink cheek. Either my Pup has grown in strength, or Bryton is the biggest pussy I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. Creed's mouth forms a perfect ‘O’ as he jumps forward and snags a now furious Meyer as she lifts her leg and tries to nail Bryton in the crotch.

Jesthren steps back from her, startled by her sudden appearance, and holds up his hands like he’s afraid he’ll be attacked just by standing too close. He moves closer to Mom, watching my Pup with an almost proud smile, chuckling under his breath as he clasps his hands together and eyes the scene with gleeful amusement.

“You did not just call Razar a thing and threaten his life!” she rages, twisting and trying to break free from Creed's arms, doing a relatively good job of it if my brother’s cursing is any indicator. “I’ll fucking kill you!” I lean back with a smirk, happy to watch my Pup go feral on my pathetic Uncle, but he recovers quickly, and my smile fades as he whips his head in her direction, fingers flexing and magic pooling in his palm.

My feet are moving before Father and Nox can even sense the threat. My hand wraps around Bryton's thin throat, squeezing just as he reaches out to grab Meyer by the arm. Nox’s dark magic is only seconds behind me, winding around our uncle's chest and squeezing.

“Aw fuck!” Creed whispers, eyes wide with surprise as he tries to keep Meyer under control. She's still cursing at Bryton, who now turns comically large eyes on me. All the bravado is gone now that I have my hand wrapped around his throat, his life quite literally in the palm of my hand.

“Don't touch what is mine,” I growl, my Beast lurking just under the surface, salivating at the thought of ripping his throat out and watching the life bleed out of those pathetic eyes. Pup pauses at my words and swings that delicious glare at me, making me relish in her anger.

“I’m not yours,” she snaps, and the chuckle I release sounds insane even to my ears as I swing my attention back over to her. She’s dressed in a simple black shirt and pants, the thigh holster I gave her last week strapped to her leg, and a new knife, which I didn't give her, sheathed at her waist. I glare at it, then look to Nox, who slowly stalks down the stairs toward us, murder in his eyes as he stares at Bryton. Did he give her that? I glower at him and then back at my Pup’s new blade.

Well, that won’t do. I’ll have to steal that one from her as well.

“Bryton!” Mom snarls, her voice low with an odd growl to her tone. I think she’s upset with us for a moment, but when she stalks toward her brother, I smirk as her glare stays on him. Father stalks protectively at Mom’s back, happy to let us handle this situation as Jesthren eyes the rest of the Lords, bloody hand resting on the hilt of his broadsword, waiting to see who will be stupid enough to move to help Bryton first. “Are you mad? You would use your magic on the Princess?” she hisses under her breath, stepping up to Bryton, toe to toe.

“That girl is not my Princess! She is a human! This is why we should have destroyed the Veil and eliminated them. Now, your son, my nephew, thinks he can mate a fucking human and declare her as his Princess? No! The people will not stand for this abomination. You weaken your bloodline with this filth!” he hisses, moving his attention to Father with his last words.

I squeeze my hand around his neck just a little more. Obviously, he’s not scared enough if he can still speak about my Pup like that. I look down at my mom, silently asking her permission to kill him before Nox intervenes. He’ll only take all the fun for himself and not share. Instead of moving to Bryton and ensuring he has a fast and painful death, Nox sidesteps us, walking over to where Meyer fumes in Creed’s arms, and cups her jaw, his enormous hands dwarfing her petite face as he bends down and presses a kiss to her lips.

“Calm down,” he whispers, hand moving to her wrist, hiding the now glowing red mark as he shakes his head at something she whispers. “No, you may not kill him. That is my right,” he responds, making me huff an annoyed sigh and glare at him. He better fucking share in the death, or I’m going to make sure our next sparring session hurts more than normal.

“You wouldn’t,” Bryton sneers, looking from Nox to Mom with way too much confidence in his situation. Mom only glares back at him, refusing to come to his aid despite the pain I see lingering in her eyes. “Viv, you can't be serious!” he snarls, his face paling when she doesn't say a word.

“It's not my choice. Nox has every right to take your life. You just tried to hurt his mate, you fucking idiot!” she whisper-yells, leaning closer to him. Bryton's eyes bounce back to Nox, and then he looks at Father, who grins from ear to ear, his Demonic form slightly smaller now that he’s not as upset. The only reason Bryton still draws breath and didn't die centuries ago is because he knew it would hurt Mom, and since he was a Lord, he needed an actual excuse to kill the fucker. But it looks like Bryton’s luck is about to run out.

“No! You can’t,” Bryton shouts when Nox steps away, Creed's hand now covering Meyer's glowing red mark. I chuckle and turn, forcibly moving Bryton with me, my hand still wrapped firmly around his neck. “I have supporters in court! They will riot if you do this! Vivian!” Bryton screams as Nox stalks toward him. Long claws extended, horns curling from his temples, and wings outstretched, my brother paints the perfect picture of the Devil. His glowing eyes are full of magic, and his evil smirk is the cherry on top as he stops in front of our Uncle, towering over the man by a foot at least.

At the mention of Mom’s name, Nox growls, eyes flicking to her with hesitation, knowing what her brother's death will do to her, despite him deserving it. Mom swallows hard and turns away, not intervening with Nox’s decision, letting her son choose her brother's fate as she steps into Father’s outstretched arms. Father watches Nox with a critical eye, probably wondering what he will do, and Nox curses, hands fisting, claws puncturing his own skin as he starts to pace in front of us.

“Bryton, I challenge you to a duel without magical interference. It will take place the moment I come back from the Earth realm,” Nox finally says, and I deflate a little at the lack of immediate bloodshed. “You will be held in solitary until the challenge can take place,” Nox grinds out, his voice deep and sure as he stares down our uncle.

“What? No! That could be months or more! You were gone for over a year. You cannot hold me captive for that long! Vivian, do something!” Bryton screams, immediately struggling against my tight hold.

“Be glad to keep your life for that time, Bryton. My son shows compassion where none is due,” Father grinds out, Mom sagging in relief at Nox’s words. Her hands fist in Father’s shirt for only a moment before she stands tall and turns, face the picture of calmness, all pain and devastation wiped clean as she looks over the room with an air of authority.

Nox looks at Mom, and she meets his eyes with a nod, making him huff and sigh and looks at Meyer, who smiles at him. “This is bullshit,” he grumbles so low under his breath I’m pretty sure I’m the only one close enough to hear it. The frustration on his face is clear, and I know he is itching for blood, but he chose to wait in order to calm down and think rationally. The guards that line the room spring forward at Nox’s nod, grabbing my uncle from me, careful not to let me touch them as they drag him from the throne room.

“No! You can’t!” Bryton snarls, struggling against them as they drag him away.

“Anyone else have something to say about my brother or family?” Jesthren asks, chuckling when all the Lords, including Arawn, shake their heads, lips clamped shut. “Good, I believe the door is that way,” he adds, clapping his hands together and dismissing the Lords without so much as a nod as he turns his back on them and climbs the dais, perching on Father’s chair and winking at me when I roll my eyes at his theatrics.

The moment the Lords cross through the doors, my father turns on General Vega and nods, dismissing his personal guard and leaving only family in the room. “Thank you,” Mom whispers, moving over to Nox and wrapping him in a hug. He pats her on the back, but glowers at the door that just shut, and I can see the need burning in him to go after Bryton and kill him.

Creed walks over, Meyer’s hand in his as he steps up next to me. I glance down at my Pup not at all surprised to find her glaring at me.

“What?” I clip out, eyeing her as she leans closer to me. Her soft scent wraps around me and makes my chest constrict, frustrating me all the more.

“I’m not something you can just claim, Razar,” she mutters, and I scoff and roll my eyes. A sudden pain in my ankle makes me jump back, and I glower at the girl as I reach down and rub my now sore ankle.

“Don't kick me,” I grind out, my Beast rumbling in approval at her fighting spirit.

“Don't roll your eyes at me,” she snaps back, and I fight the urge to wrap my hand around her throat and tug her curvy, damn distracting body against mine. My attention falls on that slim, tempting neck, then catches on the twin red crescent shapes, and I freeze. A low snarl breaks from my throat as I dart my attention to Creed, who looks like a proud fucking peacock, his fingers moving to dust over his claiming mate mark.

That little fucker mated her.

“Problem, Raz?” he asks innocently, and I lunge, my Beast's jealousy rearing its head before I can control it. Creed and I go tumbling to the ground, and Mom gasps, then starts scolding us as I punch Creed in his smug face. He only laughs and spins us, my back hitting the ground hard as he straddles me. “What’s wrong, Raz? Are you finally starting to let those pesky emotions to the surface?”

“Jesus,” Pup groans, hands falling to her hips as she watches the two of us with an annoyed sigh. Jesthren stands and nods in our direction as he steps to Father’s side.

“Ten on Raz,” he bets, always looking to place money on a fight. Father frowns, eyes moving to where I lie under Creed, and shakes his head.

“Nope.”

“Get the hell off each other! There’s been enough fighting today,” Meyer hisses, crouching beside us and shoving at Creed’s shoulder.

“Ten on her,” Father adds, making Jesthren roar with laughter. Nox tightens his arms on Mom, not letting her go as Creed pouts.

“This is just brother bonding time, Lemon Drop,” he complains but moves, standing and offering me his hand that I take and let him tug me to my feet. Heat flushes my cheeks as I grab my hood and bring it over my head, allowing the shadows to calm me as Meyer watches me. Her attention makes me want to murder something, all while soothing something in me, I didn't know could be soothed. My Beast is practically purring as she walks over, brushes some dirt off my cloak, then reaches down and grabs something off the floor. My eyes widen when I see her Kalis has fallen out of its sheath when I tackled Creed and tense as she holds it in front of her, eyes narrowing on the expertly crafted blade before slowly handing it back to me.

I frown in confusion, eyes bouncing from the blade I took as my own, to her and back before I reach out and grab it. It’s still warm where her fingers were wrapped around the handle, and I suppress the need to hold onto it for as long as possible before sheathing it at my side.

“I will be getting that back,” she promises with a tiny growl that sounds far too adorable coming from her lips. “But I’ll earn it,” she adds, standing in front of me with not a speck of fear. Her challenge is clear as I nod, a flicker of excitement and heat coursing through me at her words. Then she’s gone, moving over to Nox and letting him tug her into his arms, kissing the top of her head as she snuggles into his embrace.

The door to the side of the dais leading directly to the Royal quarters opens, revealing Valen as he strides into the room. His eyes immediately move to where Meyer stands in Nox’s embrace, and I watch his shoulders relax simply from being in the same room as she is. I scowl back at Meyer, hating how I feel the same way, wondering how the hell something so small and annoying holds so much power over us all.

“And?” Father asks, walking back up the stairs and lounging in his seat with a heavy sigh. His Demonic form melts away, leaving him in the fighting leathers he wore into battle.

“The spells were still intact. Nothing was broken until the Wraiths came through, meaning they were brought into the Caverns and waited for us to leave before they broke into the castle.” Valen announces, making me stiffen and look at Father, knowing this isn’t good.

“Who else has access to the Caverns?” Mom asks, walking up the stairs and sitting on Fath’s lap as she frowns at Valen.

“Only us and about six of the higher-ranking Lords,” Father whispers.

“Bryton?” she asks, and Father shakes his head.

“No, I never trusted him enough to allow him access. It’s someone from our inner circle,” he growls, bringing his fist down on his armrest with a loud curse. “You need to leave,” he finally says, looking at Nox, and he nods in agreement. “We need that tomb back before whoever this is, gets their hands on it.”

“Do you have the other half?” Valen asks, and Father nods, looking to Jesthren, who sits down on the steps by Father’s feet, tugging off all the weapons he has strapped to his chest.

“I hid it under the Caverns, which is why the breach is so disturbing. If whoever did this found it there, it would have been lost to us.”

“And what do we do when we have both halves?” Creed asks, sitting next to Jes and helping him tug off the holster that’s stuck on his shoulder, so encrusted in dried blood that Creed has to yank hard to remove it.

“We destroy it,” Father whispers, making me frown.

“There’s no way to do that,” I remind him, and he nods.

“There is. And we will, but I need both halves here. Inanis’ soul and body were split in two to avoid him coming back. I wasn't strong enough to destroy him back then, and Verack had been mortally wounded. There is a chance now that Nox is old enough to help me.”

“We’ll leave at nightfall. I don’t want anyone to see us go just in case whoever is doing this follows,” Nox mutters, and I nod in agreement.

“Tell the courts Creed and Nox have taken their leave of absence and that Valen and I stand guard so they don't know we’ve left the realm,” I add, making Valen frown and look to Creed.

“Why Creed?” he asks, his magic whipping out from him and wrapping around Meyer, his eyes widening in realization before anyone can answer.

“Oh really!” Mom gushes, standing up and hugging Creed. Creed winks at Meyer, who blushes a little in Nox’s arms. Valen looks to Nox with a raised brow.

“You good?” he asks, and Nox sighs, looking from Creed back to Valen with a half shrug.

“I felt it the moment it happened,” he admits and Meyer looks up at him with wide eyes. “Surprisingly, it's you and Raz I’m having the issue with now. Creed's presence is like an extension of her. He’s not adding to the stress.”

“Once Creed bonded her, he is no longer a threat and a full Legion mate. You will find the same thing happens with your brothers,” Mom whispers, squeezing Creed so hard in her excitement that it looks like his eyes might pop from his skull. Nox’s shoulders sag almost in relief, and I frown, wondering how much he’s been hiding from me. I’ve seen the stress and frustration on his face whenever Valen and Creed have touched my Pup, but his control has been remarkable. I thought for sure we would have a few injuries by this point.

“This is a good idea. Jesthren, maybe you can take over some of Nox’s roles again, just to help the Lords not be so suspicious,” Father suggests, but he shakes his head.

“No, I want to go with them,” he says, shocking me. Jesthren hates leaving the Demonic realm, and he loathes humans. Father frowns at Jesthren’s words and leans back in his chair, brow arching as he studies his oldest son.

“Why? You are needed here, with me,” he adds.

“I want to see this through. I actually enjoyed myself there, and I feel like my presence can be helpful. Creed and Nox are newly mated. And I’ll be surprised if Valen’s not by the end of the week; they will be distracted by no fault of their own and will need someone to watch their backs. If this plan is to succeed and we are to destroy Inanis, I feel like we need to give it everything we have, and that includes me,” he says simply.

Nox frowns, looking at Jesthren, his magic winding around our brother, and I know he’s seeking out a lie. After a moment, Nox slowly nods, looking slightly confused but agreeable to Jesthren's suggestions.

“As long as you understand you are not in charge, I think you might be right,” he admits and winces. “My control is shit, and if Meyer is in danger, I know it will become worse.” Nox looks to Meyer, raising a brow as if to ask what she thinks.

“Ditto,” Creed adds, moving closer and lacing his fingers through Meyer’s. He brings her hand to his lips and kisses her tiny fingers as she smiles at Jesthren.

“I think it’s a good idea. If he hadn't helped me with Inanis, I don't think I would be here,” she whispers, making Father shoot Mom a look I don't understand.

“Very well,” he mutters and stands looking at me. “Get everything ready. I want this done before the castle returns to normal capacity. It will be easier to sneak you lot out while everyone is still seeking shelter from the battle.” I nod and turn to leave, not missing the way my Pup watches my every move or how having her full attention wakes something inside me that I don’t think she’s ready for. Not that it matters; the Pup is mine, and there is nothing she can say or do to stop that now.