side, and his eyes become unfocused. At first, I think he’s simply contemplating my offer, but after another second, I realize he’s listening to something. His lips purse minutely, and then he turns his attention back to me.
“You make an appealing case, pet, but the one thing you fail to realize is what you have is already mine. You wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t made it so. I own you and have even before your conception.”
I glare at him and open my mouth to tell him as eloquently as I can to fuck off, but he cuts me off.
“You don’t believe me?” He laughs, and the sound of it makes every hair on my body rise with alarm. “Ask him yourself, then.”
Doors open behind me, but I don’t immediately turn to see what Adriel is talking about. He looks entirely too triumphant, and I’m terrified that when I turn around, he’ll have one of my Chosen—or worse, all of them.
24
I breathe through the wave of fear that permeates me and finally turn when I hear Sorik gasp in shock. Every thought in my mind stutters to a stop. I stare open-mouthed at the dark haired, seafoam green eyed male who stares past Adriel like he’s not even there. I run my unbelieving eyes over the runes on his finger and trace his familiar features until the neurons in my brain fire up so I can process what I’m seeing.
I look from Vaughn to Lachlan, who’s still on the ground practically catatonic. I ache for what he must be going through, having just lost Keegan, but Lachlan has spent almost half his life looking for his twin, and he’s standing right there in front of us. I crouch down to get in Lachlan’s line of sight. “Vaughn is alive,” I tell him, and my voice is both filled with awe and shaky from nerves. I force Lachlan to sit up, and he doesn’t fight me, which I take that as a good sign. I direct his blank gaze toward his brother. “He’s right there,” I state the obvious, and I watch as Lachlan’s eyes run over his twin. They don’t light up with hope the way I expect them to, and I’m confused as fuck when Lachlan drops his gaze and looks away.
“Vaughn is dead,” Lachlan announces, his voice monotone and devoid of all emotion, and his eyes drop to the floor.
“What the hell are you talking about? He’s right fucking there,” I snap at him, and I look up to make sure I’m not fucking imagining things. Vaughn stands tall, a healthy version of what Lachlan looked like before he was caught by Adriel.
“Ask that monster what he did to him!” Lachlan shouts, his tone equally as furious as mine.
I stare at Lachlan, horrified for a moment as I realize what’s going on. “You knew,” I accuse, and Lachlan puts his head in his hands and says nothing. “You told me he was dead, you…fucking asshole. You let me believe that when you knew it wasn’t true!” I push him away from me and move to get as far away from him as I can. “You knew this whole time that Adriel had him, and you let me think he was gone? Why?”
“Because he is fucking gone! Look at him!” Lachlan bellows.
I turn to Vaughn, trying to understand what the fuck Lachlan is talking about. He looks healthy, and he’s right there standing in front of me, staring off past Adriel like he’s waiting for a command. That thought sends a spark of warning throughout me, and I take a step closer to Vaughn, my eyes searching, my soul uneasy.
“Vau—” I stop, and suddenly I have to swallow the lump that rises in my throat. “Dad?” I ask instead, my voice smaller and frailer than I’ve ever heard it. He doesn’t respond in any way that would make me think he heard me. No stiffening of his shoulders or clenching of his jaw. His eyes don’t flicker to mine for the briefest of seconds. He just stands there stoic and frozen.
Adriel walks over slowly, enjoying the pain and confusion. “What a beautiful family reunion,” he coos, and it sends my heart racing even faster. “I always knew I’d get the family back together, didn’t I, Vaughn?” he asks as he wraps an arm around his shoulders and pats him hard on the chest, like they’re good buddies that go way back. Vaughn doesn’t respond in any way to Adriel’s touch