Page 16 of Dermot

“It might not have anything to do with Parrish,” Rowan pointed out.

“But I can’t find Celeste or Rose anywhere in the village,” Bastien told him. “It’s like they’ve vanished. I don’t really care if it’s because Rose is working with Parrish or for another reason, but I want my sister found.”

“We will find her,” Rowan said, a promise in his tone. “But you’ve fought Kudlaks before. You know how dangerous it would be to go in there without preparation. You don’t want to get your sister back just to get yourself killed when you do.”

“No one is dying,” Dermot said.

Everyone turned to look at him. His cheeks turned pink, but he raised his chin high and looked straight at Bastien as he spoke. “Look, I might have made a mistake when it comes to Rose. I assumed that since she was a Vila and was clearly distraught, she was on the run and would be a worthy addition to our clan. Maybe she was, or maybe I was wrong. I don’t think that’s what matters right now, though. What does, is that if Rose really took Celeste, we need to get Celeste back, if anything, because if we don’t, Parrish is going to use her against us.”

Bastien almost snapped because Dermot was thinking about the clan rather than his sister, but could he really blame him? Of course Dermot’s priority was the clan. Celeste technically wasn’t a clan member, and she might never be one, depending on what Parrish did to her.

But at least Dermot agreed that they needed to get Celeste away from Parrish. That was all Bastien cared about. He and his mate would have to talk, and they would, but not right now. Hopefully, by the time they did, Dermot would be willing to admit that he’d been wrong. Bastien was convinced that Rose was involved. It was too much of a coincidence for a new Vila to arrive at the clan, instantly befriend Celeste, then force her to disappear. Rose was definitely involved, and while they didn’t have any proof that Parrish was behind it, who else would want Celeste? No, there was only one explanation. Parrish and Rose were working together, or Parrish was somehow forcing Rose to work with him, and to that end, Rose had taken Celeste back to Parrish.

Chapter Four

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DERMOT WANTED TO FIX things with Bastien, but he wasn’t sure how to do it or even if he could. He’d told Bastien that he believed his sister had willingly gone back to Parrish, and while he still believed that was a possibility, he could admit, at least to himself, that there was a chance that Celeste hadn’t done that. With Rose being gone, there were two possibilities. Either Celeste had used Rose, or Rose had used Celeste.

Dermot didn’t want to believe that Rose was involved because he could see himself in her. Once, he’d been in her position, too. He’d been on the run all alone, hunted by Kudlaks. He’d only survived because he’d found a group of people who’d taken him in and protected him. In turn, he protected them, too, but even that hadn’t been enough. It was why, when they heard about the village and clan, they’d decided to come. They’d known it would make it easier for them to survive, and they’d been right.

Dermot and the other Vila had been able to stop running. Of course, Parrish was still out there, threatening all of them, but they were able to put down roots. As soon as Parrish was dealt with, they could focus on their futures.

But Parrish wouldn’t be dealt with if they couldn’t get Celeste back. He would use her magic to ensure he stayed free and strong, and he might even win the fight against the clan.

Dermot couldn’t allow that to happen. This was his home now, and he would fight to keep it. He’d already lost too much. He wasn’t losing his new clan and his home.

Not again.

It didn’t really matter what Celeste wanted or didn’t want, or what she’d done or had done to her. He probably shouldn’t have trusted Rose, but it was too late for that now, and there was only one solution to this mess. Celeste needed to come back, and Dermot would work with Bastien to ensure she did. He didn’t even care if she was working with Parrish or not, although if she was, it would make things harder.

But she’d been hurt by Parrish many times. Bastien didn’t seem to believe that she would go back willingly, and even though Dermot’s first instinct had been to believe that she would, he couldn’t say that he knew Celeste better than her brother. He didn’t know her at all. The only thing he knew about her was that she was bonded to Parrish, but now that he’d met his mate, he had an insight into that, too.

Even though Bastien wasn’t talking to him or even looking at him, Dermot couldn’t deny that he felt drawn toward him. He wouldn’t say that if Bastien asked him to do something, he’d do it without question, but they weren’t bonded yet, and Bastien wasn’t Parrish. It was too easy to imagine how charming Parrish had been when he’d first met Celeste. He probably couldn’t believe his good luck, having a Vila as a mate. He’d known that he couldn’t let Celeste escape, which meant he’d probably put everything he had into seducing her. He’d known he needed to get her away from her family. Once he had, she’d lost her support system, and it had been easier for him to use her. Once they were bonded, especially, there had been no way out for her.

Dermot already felt like there was no way out for him, and he and Bastien had barely spoken. Their bond was in its infancy, and Dermot wasn’t even thinking about deepening it, but the thought of Bastien being out there somewhere made his skin buzz. He wanted to find his mate and press against him, reassure him that everything would be okay.

“The council wants to be involved,” Rowan said, getting Dermot’s attention. Dermot blinked. He probably should’ve been paying more attention to what was happening around him, but it wasn’t easy when his thoughts were busy with questions. Was Bastien ever going to forgive him? He suspected that he might, but only after they found his sister. That was one more reason to get Celeste back, wasn’t it?

“We can’t wait for them to get here,” Bastien argued. “You know that Parrish is hurting her right now. He might even kill her.”

“He won’t,” Dermot said.

Everyone turned to look at him. He felt his cheeks flush again, but that was his fault for losing track of the conversation. His priority, as odd as it sounded, was Bastien. Dermot had a hard time believing it because they’d met only a few days ago, but apparently, being his mate meant that Dermot’s world now rotated around Bastien, and since Celeste was part of Bastien’s world, she was part of Dermot’s world, too.

Bastien glared. “You can’t know that.”

“Parrish might be a monster, but he’s smart. Just ask Rowan. He’s been dealing with the man for a long time.”

“A long time is an understatement. He decimated my birth clan,” Rowan said. He sounded casual, but Dermot knew the pain that hid inside those words. He still felt that same pain himself.

“I heard about the Harper clan,” Bastien murmured.

“I don’t advertise it, although a lot of people do know about it. It’s why Parrish has been so focused on this village and clan. He wants to kill me, too, so he’ll be able to boast that he wiped out the entire Harper clan.”

“Don’t forget that you have a cousin,” Clay said before sipping on his coffee.

Rowan shook his head. “If Parrish doesn’t already know about Emory, I hope he never finds out. Emory’s safe.”