Page 73 of Broken

Chapter 30

Late the next morning, Cole and Ireland marched up to the Big House once more, this time with Boomer, Karisma, Gunn, Mikey, DB, Switch, Rex, Dobe, and the Sanchezes at their back. He’d already briefed them with everything he’d found out, and what he meant to say to Thanatos.

For the first time, Cole went up the steps and straight in without knocking. He might as well let Thanatos know right off that they weren’t leaving until he’d heard what they had to say.

As he expected, they were intercepted in the cavernous Great Hall by Sugar. Thin—almost cadaverous—with a shock of white-blond hair, he looked like you could knock him down without even breaking stride.

But he was strong, fast and deadly, and no one messed with him.

He’d been Thanatos’ right-hand man since anyone could remember.

They all halted. Sugar crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. “Have you mistaken this for the Rec Center? Because that’s down the hill about half a mile.”

“We need to see Thanatos.”

“Have you ever heard of the phone?”

“Just let us talk to him.” Cole held up the dispatch bag he was carrying. “I have the location where Illyria is imprisoned.”

Sugar wasn’t usually impressed by anything, but Cole had sort of expected him to be a little excited by that. Instead, Sugar ran his hand through his hair—and for the first time since Cole had known him, he looked uncertain.

He said, “Before you go storming into Thanatos’ study like the barbarians you are, there’s something you need to know.”

“Is it the part about Illyria’s prison being in the heart of Bright Fae territory? Or the part where she was Thanatos’ girlfriend?”

Sugar winced. “Girlfriend is such a… juvenile term. Fae don’t have mates the same way wolves do, but…”

“But they were in love,” Ireland said softly, putting a hand on Cole’s arm. “That’s what Cole meant.”

Well, yeah, he supposed he did. Although, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of Thanatos being in love. They’d just recently discovered he might possibly have a heart.

Sugar nodded. “He was with her when she went to see the Council, to try to tell them that what they were doing was wrong, and would end in disaster. And when they attacked her…”

“Thanatos fought them,” Gunn said.

“Of course,” Sugar said. “But it was only the two of them against the whole Council, and Illyria didn’t want to harm them.”

“Oh my gods,” Ireland breathed. “Thanatos was the ally. He did the protection spell.”

Cole said, “And he’s the one who took that piece of her soul. And then lost it.”

That was a crap-ton of guilt. He couldn’t even imagine how he’d feel if something like that happened to Ireland, and he was responsible.

“Yeah. But there’s even more you don’t know. Obviously, Thanatos and Illyria lost the fight. He did cast those spells—both of them—but he used up most of his power doing it. He was away from his mountain—”

“Excuse me?” Sanchez said. “What mountain?”

Sugar ran his hand through his hair again and lowered his voice. “Thanatos is a Bergmönch.”

“A what, now?” That was Boomer.

Sugar rolled his eyes. “They embody the spirit of a mountain, and can call on its power. In a sense, they are the mountain. Only, he’d used himself up protecting Illyria. One of the Fae—or maybe more than one—did a forbidden curse. It tore him away from the connection with his mountain and cast him out of the Fae world, stuck in the most hideous of his forms.”

They all went silent. Holy shit. No wonder Thanatos was so bitterly against the Bright Fae.

Cole said slowly, “So they were hypocrites right from the beginning. And, ironically, they used violence against Illyria, who really did follow their supposed values.”

Sugar shrugged. “Yeah, well. Unlike you do-gooders, I’m never shocked when people turn out to be liars and assholes.”