friend, either. Now I sought to remedy that problem because Dean had lost a lot today.
Danny and Dev were angry about what had been done to them, but they could handle it. It certainly wasn’t the first time they’d been betrayed, and they had each other to lean on.
Dean was so young, and there was an optimism about him, a light the world hadn’t had the chance to put out yet. If he was left alone, then the dimming would likely begin, and I didn’t like that idea.
My sons were safe at home. If there was one thing I was sure of it was that the minute they understood Danny and I were missing, my friends would circle around my children. My dad would likely have taken them back to his place, Albert in tow, or he would have stayed in the penthouse to give them a sense of normalcy.
Someone was watching over my babies. No one was watching over Dean. He was out all alone in the brutal world when he’d thought he was part of a group.
“Hey,” I said, cautiously approaching him.
His hand came up, wiping over his face, and his eyes were tinged with red as he turned to me. “Yes, Zoey? Or should I call you Your Highness?”
I shook my head. “Just Zoey is fine. I don’t have a crown out here. Honestly, I don’t much like the whole highness thing. I prefer my name. Anyway, I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. You haven’t eaten much today.”
“Not that hungry,” he replied. “Must be the aftereffects of having a stone pulled out of my brain. Kelsey showed me. It was weird. It’s been in there all this time. I guess Erna lied about having to be aware.”
“I think she’s proven to be pretty sneaky. Or used a similar method to how my husbands were placed in thrall.” I needed to ask him some questions, but there was something even more important than answers right now. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I know. It was her fault. I am well aware of that fact.” His jaw tightened. “I’ll be honest. If I hadn’t seen the proof myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. I thought I was important to Erna. I thought we were this weird little family.”
And I was sure that having grown up a human in a world filled with vampires had made him feel like an outcast no matter how loved he’d been. I knew all about finding an odd family. I knew how much it could hurt when one of them betrayed you.
“I don’t think it was the fact that Kelsey could show you the stone that made you believe. You felt different, and that’s what’s going to get you. That’s what’s going to make you angry with yourself. You’re going to tell yourself you should have known but you couldn’t.”
He stared at the tree behind me. “It was so easy to understand once that thing was out of my head.”
“Yes, but it was in your head and it was subtle,” I pointed out. “It’s one of those things that if she didn’t push you too hard, no one would have ever caught. Especially if she got to you early. Summer might not have had enough time to truly get to know you. Did Erna ever go home with you?”
“Only once. She seemed to prefer staying here. But my mom and dad wouldn’t let me leave if they didn’t meet her.” He seemed to realize what he’d said, and I got a glimpse of the boy he’d been before he settled into a stubborn expression. “Not that they could have stopped me. I’m a man now. I can do as I please. At least as long as I’m not under the influence of the thrall stone.”
Ah, there was a bit of rebellion in the kid. It had probably been exactly what Erna was trying to avoid. I didn’t mind a handful. I was used to it. The being who could kill Myrddin would have to be strong, and that didn’t usually go hand in hand with total obedience.
“Of course you are, but it’s nice to have people who love you.” I had to treat Dean carefully or we could lose him. We were about to go back to the plane where he’d grown up. It would be so easy for him to let it all go and tell fate to fuck off. Being fooled could play hell on anyone’s confidence. “What I’m trying