Flames of Cobalt and Crimson

Family

Azriel

Since Caspan lived just a few streets over from Madja, I made my way to him first. Conveniently, Dox was there as well, so I quickly briefed them both on the attempted kidnapping. Dox swore when I told him about the Darkbringers breaching the borders of Velaris. "It must be some old magic Keir found," Caspan said, as he paced around the small living room. "The wards here are ancient, and well beyond any knowledge we have today. I don't like it. The only other enemies to breach the wards were-"

"Hybern's Ravens," Dox whispered.

Nodding grimly, I explained the spell book, and Caspan's face drained of color as I spoke. "So he could control you ?" he asked incredulously, and I nodded again.

"You see why he is so interested in getting his hands on Antares, and why it is imperative we keep him safe. Cassian and I are moving him to the House of Wind with us, but I need you two to investigate where and how those Darkbringers got into the city. The last thing we need is another surprise," I explained.

They both nodded and saluted as we rose to our feet, and I headed toward the door, anxious to be on my way. "If you find anything, let me know right away. Even if it's the middle of the night," I ordered as I opened the door. Although I didn't need verbal confirmation, their affirmative replies followed me out onto the street.

I spent the better part of the afternoon checking in with my other spies around Velaris - a dockworker, a jeweler, several city officials, and even one of the servers at Sevenda's restaurant - but none of them had seen or heard anything untoward that morning. My hopes sank with each report, but I again urged my people to practice vigilance and report back on any suspicious activity, no matter how innocuous it may seem.

As I left the jeweler's store I noticed how late it had gotten, the sky beginning to show the first blush of twilight. A shop down the street caught my eye as I remembered the ragged clothing Antares had been wearing, and I strode purposefully toward it. The female at the counter inside was very helpful picking out a few shirts and pants that would fit the young male, and I thanked her profusely as she wrapped up my purchases for me. At least the entire afternoon hadn't been a waste.

With my packages securely in hand, I leapt into the air, ready to make my way home. I tried to push aside the frustration of the afternoon as I flew; the feelings of inadequacy that always threatened whenever I couldn't provide answers. I tried to clear my mind, and slowed my breathing to match my wingbeats as I glided toward our balcony. A dark figure stood there, looking out over the city, and the tug in my chest told me it was Cassian. I touched down next to him and he immediately enveloped me in a tight hug, crushing me against him.

"It's okay," he murmured against my forehead. "No one expects you to have all the answers, and we are going to figure this out together." His words were more soothing than any amount of controlled breathing had been, and I heaved a sigh as I hugged him back. Warmth, security, and my mate's unwavering faith in me surged down the bond, and I sent my gratitude and affection back.

"Together," I repeated, basking in his embrace for another long moment before pulling away. "How is he?"

"He's fine. Madja looked him over, but he just had a couple of scrapes. Poor thing was more frightened than injured," Cassian replied. "He's in the library if you want to see him before dinner. I meant to give him the full tour, but that's as far as we made it," he continued with a chuckle.

I returned his smile, then held up the wrapped packages I'd been carrying. "I assumed he might want something clean to change into, so I picked up a few things on my way home."

Cassian laughed again. "Clearly you've been spending too much time with Rhys and Mor if you're so worried about clothes," he teased, but wrapped his arm around my waist as we both turned toward our rooms.