Page 158 of Twist of Fate

The narrow folio tucked beneath his arm made it clear he had not come only to celebrate. The very tall and handsome man beside him, however, drew nearly every eye in the hall.

Silenus motioned both of them closer.

Luke straightened beside Connal, his attention sharpening as he watched Koios cross the hall. The shift was subtle, but Connal had learned to recognize it. His mate had spent the past two weeks recovering from his injuries while working with Tyson to contain what remained of Hale’s operation.

Patrick had been cleared of any involvement. Hale’s legitimate company remained under the temporary control of its board and family, while the official account attributed the destruction to an attack involving unauthorized experimental equipment. None of them had discovered another copy of the tracking system.

Yet.

Luke’s former position had vanished with Hale, but his purpose had not. He had already begun building something new from its remains, moving between the human realm and the Unseelie with Tyson while helping both sides recognize threats that still existed there.

Connal had never seen him more certain of his place.

Koios bowed to Silenus, then acknowledged Luke and the brothers. “I apologize for arriving late. My mate encountered an emergency and was delayed.”

Cosmo noticed the new arrivals and his screech of joy nearly shattered Connal’s eardrums. He ran toward them and leapt at Koios’s mate. “Ben!”

Ben chuckled and untangled both Cosmo and the decorative vines the consort wore from around his person. “Hey, Cosmo.”

“Come with me. You’ve got to meet Gomez. He’s like…me and Ollie combined. You’re going to love him.”

Ben’s eyes widened and sent a slightly terrified look behind him as Cosmo dragged him away. “Combined?”

Before Connal could decide whether Ben required rescue, Silenus spoke. “You found something.”

“Possibly.” Koios opened the folio and removed several pages covered in symbols Connal did not recognize. “The anchor was not the source of the gate’s power. It received magic from elsewhere and gave that power shape.”

“Can you determine where it came from?” Zer asked.

“No. Whoever created the connection routed the magic through several layers before it reached the anchor.” Koios tapped one of the symbols. “That was deliberate. The path was designed to collapse with the gate and prevent anyone from tracing it backward.”

Asterius’s usual smile disappeared. “So the one who commanded those warriors expected us to recover what remained.”

“Or considered the fragment harmless once the route was destroyed,” Luke said.

Koios inclined his head. “Either is possible.”

Connal looked down at the sigil circling his wrist. The mark had remained silent since the rooftop, even while Koios and Silenus examined the fragment. No pull. No light. Nothing to reveal whether the staff had powered the gate or merely shared some connection to the Queen’s magic.

Luke covered the mark with his hand. Reassurance moved through their bond, followed by the quiet certainty that Connal did not have to face the mystery alone.

Connal turned his hand beneath Luke’s and linked their fingers.

“We will continue studying it,” Silenus said. “But tonight, the danger is contained and our people are safe. The rest can wait until tomorrow.”

Koios closed the folio. “I was hoping you would say that.”

Cosmo returned to Koios’s side and handed him a silver goblet. “Good. You are officially off duty.”

“I do not believe that is your decision.”

“I’m the king-consort. Almost everything is my decision if I sound confident enough.”

Silenus gave his mate a look that suggested this was not the first time he had made such a claim.

The musicians began a livelier song, and Asterius’s attention shifted away from the fragment. His gaze found Tyson standing near the edge of the dancers.

A slow smile spread across his face.