A Crown Of Shadows And Secrets - Sloane Murphy Page 0,96

my ear and a mic linking me to all of them. This has to be the most tech shit I've ever used in my life. Thank god for Elijah and Danny sorting everyone out, and getting the tech to the other groups across the world as quickly as they did. This way I can monitor every fucking thing happening.

Witches were the first to head in, breaking the wards on the various sites we're targeting. I'm sure this isn't everything, but it’s as much as Bauer could remember off the top of his head, and Archer’s too fucking full of ego to think we'd attack him on such a grand scale, especially after last time.

Especially without my sister and her merry band of men.

Which is exactly why I can't wait to fuck his shit up. Archer Dotoro can eat my ass with his ego.

“Unit in position,” Elijah's voice crackles through, and the other team leaders confirm that they're ready to go too. I look at the time on my phone and as the minute rolls over onto the hour, I give them the signal.

“Light it up.”

The words are barely out before explosions rock the screens, and whoops cry out from our teams. When each site is up in flames, I reach back out to the teams. Bauer looks uneasy at it all, but I can't tell if that's because it’s happening, or because it’s happening to Archer because of him.

“Job well done everyone. Now get the hell out of there.”

Confirmations come through from everyone, advising they got the order, and the cameras shut down on the screens before me. Once everyone’s disconnected but the Elders, I say my goodbyes, with a confirmation that we'll catch up again in the morning to debrief and assess what our next steps are. Hopefully, we'll have heard from Archer by then. Though hopefully he was in one of the places we just blew to kingdom come, and this shit is over. At least, the shit here. I'm trying not to think too hard about everything going on in the Shadow Realm since it’s out of my control.

I've got enough to focus on here as it is.

“So... I did a thing,” Bauer says quietly, I look up to meet his gaze, and I already know I'm not going to like whatever the fuck it is he's about to tell me.

“What. Did. You. Do?” I grind out.

“I had a friend check on Dylan.” he says, almost looking afraid.

“You did fucking what!” I roar. “Are you fucking insane? I told you not to touch the kid!”

“Yeah, but he took Rebel. And I didn't touch him. My friend just checked in with him, with a message for Archer. Just enough for him to know that we know where his brother is,” He says softly, and I hate how much I wish I'd thought of that, but I'm beyond pissed that he did it without saying anything.

“If anything happens because of this Bauer...”

“I will take full responsibility. I acted on my own, but I knew if I said something, you'd shut it down, because of everything I already did, but it was a good idea. It will knock him off course. I know him, Colt. I know every weakness he has. Including me,” he says it quietly but firmly, and I realize that he's right.

Fuck.

I fucking hate being schooled. Especially by my big brother. Especially with everything that's happened.

“It’s also easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission,” I say begrudgingly.

“Pretty much,” he says with a shrug. “I'm not sorry. Between everything tonight, and reaching out to Dylan, Archer will start spiraling. He'll act brashly, and that's when he'll slip up.”

“It's done. We'll deal with any fallout,” I say and he nods.

“I really am sorry, about all of it. Especially about Fallon. I didn't know, but I should have,” he says but I shake my head.

“Like how we should've known about Remy and her guys? You had no more way to know about Fallon and me, than either of us did about her.”

“It doesn't matter, you and I... we've always been closer. Remy has always, well, been Remy. She was there, and when she was, she was like our missing link, but when she was off running around the world, apparently racking up allies and lovers, it was you and me. Always. And I missed this, because I was too wrapped up in my own bullshit.”

“I could say the same about you and Archer,” I say softly, sitting back down