Page 93 of Tethered Fates

“Summer’s here?” Teagan asks as we make our way down the hallway. His curls a mess from my fingers running through them, his cheeks flushed from his orgasm. Little wonders impossible to memorise; they can only be experienced.

And I plan to have more of them.

“Not just Summer,” Kai replies.

As we reach the front of the house to find Vidar glaring out the window, arms folded, I know violence is the only way this is going to end.

Luc and Ramy are on either side of our Maker.

Teagan and Kai join Golden further back, Apollo’s forget-me-not tattooed arm slung over Golden’s shoulders.

Bran sits on a side table, watching us all with a calculating, amused expression.

“Want to tell us if your little prophecy predicted this?” I snark as I pass him, making the ancient vampire chuckle low. Like it might’ve been my joke, but I’m the one who doesn’t understand the punchline.

Elio bristles beside Bran, but nods when he spots Teagan, who nods back.

For now, I stand between Luc and Vidar. Out the window is Summer, standing tall between the iron gates, the First Blood Mage Tome hovering beside her. Her obsidian rings glow faintly—not by emanating light, but by swallowing it.

And beside her is a woman with dark hair, shot through with white—Emma.

But it isn’t only Emma and Summer.

“Looks like Summer brought friends,” I grind out.

“We were wondering what she was doing,” Vidar remarks, his rough voice hard. “And now we know.”

Luc’s jaw tics. “She made more blood mages.”

There have to be about twenty of them standing behind Summer. All with black rings, yet none wear as many as she does.

“Not just that,” Elio cuts in. “She’s turned other shadow mages.”

“Her family,” Ramy whispers as if he can’t believe it. I look them over, and realise that Ramy is right. Some have darker or lighter skin, or have curly, wavy, or straight hair, but there is a familiar bone structure to all of them. “She turned her own family.”

“And they all have new spellbooks,” Elio spits, disgusted.

The last time my family fought mages created by the powerful tome Summer holds, they were homeless kids Emma manipulated, and who died in a warehouse fire. Not this time.

“They aren’t as strong as Summer,” Elio says. “It’s obvious. But they’ll still cause trouble.”

I look back at Teagan, his large eyes staring at me with complete trust. A look I’ve only seen on my brothers and Maker, and never to this depth. “We need to get you out of here,” I tell him.

“And Golden,” Luc adds.

Golden sucks in a sharp breath. “Lucero, no—”

Luc is by his mate’s side within a split second. He cups Golden’s face to whisper sweet words of protection and devotion, while Golden clings to Luc’s forearms, shaking his head from side to side.

“I’ll follow Teagan,” Kai announces to Vidar.

My Maker turns to his mate. They share a fierce look, then Vidar gives Kai a single nod.

“That’s all well and good,” Apollo pipes up. “But how are we going to get them out?”

“Ask nicely?” Bran jokes.

“Are you actually on our side?” Elio snaps.