House of Leights (Secret Keepers, #3)(57)

I’d have to talk to him about it later. Maybe Chase would have some insider knowledge, so I could feel less concerned that my friend was about to suffer his first heartbreak. Not that he didn’t deserve to know how it felt all the times he’d crushed women with his lack of caring, but he was my best friend. I didn’t want him to hurt.

“Now that everyone is back, let’s move out.” Lexen’s voice was loud enough to be heard by all. “If we get the tracking just right in the network, we should be able to find the fourth. I’ve also called in Jero, my brother, to assist us, because I’m not sure how easily we could lose control.”

Turning to where he pointed, I found a somber, gorgeous, dark-haired male. He looked like Lexen, just a little shorter, with fuller lips and a faded scar on the side of his face. He gave us all a nod but didn’t join in with any discussion. Emma crossed over and wrapped her arms around him, and Jero squeezed his eyes shut tightly for a moment while they hugged, before he pulled back and re-crossed his arms over his broad chest.

I wondered if he was naturally reticent, or if maybe he’d shut the world out since his brother’s death. I knew all of the Darken siblings were suffering. I could see the pain in their eyes. But Jero looked broken.

“It’s so unfair that they haven’t had time to grieve,” I whispered to Chase.

The skin around his eyes tightened, and while I had no idea what he was thinking, there was definitely something stormy brewing in those green depths. “Laous needs to suffer for that, more than anything else he’s done. Marsil was a good guy. He didn’t deserve what happened. His family is so close as well. This will devastate them forever.”

“I heard their mom hasn’t left her room since it happened,” Callie murmured. She’d drifted closer. “I keep picturing the moment in my head … when he died … all of the blood. I can’t bury the images…” She broke off in a rough sob, and Daniel enclosed her tightly in his arms.

She buried her face in his chest, taking a few moments to pull herself together. When she finally lifted her head, her eyes were red and her cheeks flushed, but she had stopped sobbing. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there like a moron, trying not to cry myself in sympathy.

Before it turned into a huge tear-fest, Lexen ushered us toward the transporter and I actually flinched as I realized I’d have to travel through it again. Chase noticed. “I will not let you go,” he promised, taking my hand. “There’s more than enough of us to get everyone to House of Darken safely.”

I believed him, and I had faith that if I got lost, I’d find my way out again. So, with a few deep breaths for confidence, I placed my hand in his, and then we were stepping back into the world of darkness.





17





House of Darken was so freaking pretty. Legit. Like Switzerland but slightly more rugged. It was natural, no obvious towns or cities. Similar to House of Leights, but with far less in the way of trees. Its landscape was mainly mountains and valleys. Snow and trickling streams flowed through passes. The Daelighters explained that they had very strict rules in Overworld about messing with nature. Earth’s technologies, for the most part, were not allowed here. No cars. No cell phones. Daelighters communicated through the network, or via a postage system that was delivered to the platform between the lands.

Despite those small inconveniences, I really liked their way of living. It made me feel comfortable in my skin. Although, I would miss organic sheets. The transporter had taken us right into Lexen’s home, a beautiful dwelling made of a marble-like stone. Even more crazy, his castle was inside of a cave that had been completely carved into a city. Yep. A freaking mountain city, everything chiseled from the rocks. We stopped long enough for sandwiches, which were filled with a creamy cheese-like spread, and then we were heading closer to the network.

A lot of locals watched us as we walked through the city, most of them half-bowing with their hands pressed to their heads when they saw the Darken siblings. Probably, that’s what I should have done when I met Chase’s parents.

The bowing was a huge reminder that I was now bonded and friends with royalty. Chase just winked at me, a crooked grin in place, and I felt better about it. It was all worth it to have someone like him in my life. Once we were through the city, we took a path out of the mountain and down into the valley below it.

“You know, you could have stayed behind and rested,” I told my parents, who were marching right beside me.

My father just shot me the “look,” the one he reserved for the times I broke the rules. “Maya, little one, you know that’s not going to happen. We need to be here in case you run into any danger.”

My mother gave a deep head nod, as always, on the same side as her husband. I learned about teamwork from my parents; they always supported each other.

With a sigh, I turned back to face the way we were walking – fairly important when trailing down a mountain path. There was nothing my parents could do to help in this situation; neither of them had magical powers. But I liked that they were here. Despite all of the ups and downs, I’d spent more continuous time with them over the last few days than I had in the last few months. Maybe this would bring us closer now that they could share this world with me.

“Will you guys continue to work for the government agency?” I asked, curious about how much might change for them now. Everything had changed for me, but maybe they’d go back to their normal lives.