speak ill of someone you care for, but I won’t let my unwillingness to say something here hurt all of us.” Joshua swallowed hard but inclined his head, acquiescing to Theo’s statement.
Drake cleared his throat, swiping at his eyes. “There’s no cost. No plan. If I live through this, I have no desire to stay in Alaska. I’ll return to the island with the other basilisks and live out my days among my own kind. I have no place among the shifters here anymore, no right to ask it of them, and no desire to.” His voice broke slightly, and he looked into the flames. “The few of my extended family who joined me will return with me as well. They only braved this place for duty to our own kind, not to shifters as a whole.”
Interesting, but not surprising if they were as reclusive as I told. Considering how Joshua had been treated despite being a councilman’s son, I could understand their desire to live apart, to have a life without fear or disgust aimed at them for every move they made.
Damien inclined his head slightly, indicating he was telling the truth, and we all slowly settled into the chairs around the conference table. I curled my feet underneath me, fighting the urge to clench my hands into my thighs.
Drake shifted, reaching up to rub his temples. His gaze remained on the dancing flames in the fireplace as though he couldn’t bear to look at us directly. “This story is rather convoluted, and I’m sorry if I do not answer things in an order that addresses your immediate concerns first, but laying everything out at once may be the most effective solution.”
My Phoenix hissed, but I could only nod. I wanted answers, but constantly forcing him to jump around to address my questions would not get us everything we needed.
“The Council was never supposed to turn into what it has become,” he began slowly. “Even when Gaspard sat amongst us, a darkness had already crept into our midst. If we are honest with ourselves, that darkness was seeded back as far as The Landing.” I stiffened, considering him. Did he know The Landing had been mentioned in Stepanov’s invitation? I knew my mates had known the location, but for him to bring it up now made it seem like there might have been more to the location than I’d believed.
“Boys, I know you are aware of our history, but I’m assuming none of you have filled in Nix.” The guys shifted slightly, and I could see color tinge the arch of Theo’s cheekbones. I lifted my chin as I spoke to Drake.
“Unfortunately, we have been busy running for our lives and attempting to salvage a culture you had a hand in destroying. History lessons haven’t exactly been a subject of discussion.”
One corner of his lips quirked into a smile. Apparently, I amused him.
A hand squeezed my thigh, and I didn’t have to turn my head to know it was Hiro offering me his silent support.
Drake continued on as though I hadn’t interrupted, spinning his tale. “There was a time when shifters were hunted by humans—it’s why our kind still remains hidden. Many of us fled the more populated areas of Europe and Asia, seeking refuge from the wars that were plaguing us. What we found was the wilderness of Alaska.” He stared into the dancing flames, his eyes seeing something I couldn’t. “That discovery was titled The Landing, and the name grew to encompass the area where our kind arrived. It was the first major settlement for shifters from other continents, you see, and when word traveled back to the settlers’ brethren of the safety to be found here, many others made the journey.”
I considered that for a moment as I glanced between my guys. It did make sense if I considered their origins and my own. Even Rini’s roots weren’t local, though I hadn’t really thought much about it in the past. “Okay, so you joined with local shifters?”
“Yes.” Drake inclined his head. “Few mythologicals lived in North America at the time, and the area was mostly populated by animal shifters. Our people merged easily, insulating ourselves to prevent any humans from stumbling upon us. In time, however, the need for order became apparent. Fights and challenges were breaking out, there was discontent amongst the different species, and there were territory disputes that had begun to span the continents. A decision was made that a Council would be