Katie's Hope

"It's what we train for. Doesn't make it easier but …" Megan shrugged. "C'mon. We cleared out the basements. You can stay in your old room."

"I'd like that," Katie said. "Let me grab a few more things." She packed hurriedly and grabbed another of Toby's stuffed animals before meeting the female warrior in the hallway.

Megan spoke with a gentle British lilt, and her dark eyes took in everything as they walked. "How many are lost?" Katie asked as they walked.

"About half of Kris's warriors. Not sure about the others. Your mate can fight like a monster. Never seen anything like that before. He was shapeshifting like a maniac and just tearing demons' heads off. He kept up at it all night."

"I imagine." She suspected she knew what made Rhyn fight like a demon. For once, it wasn't his half-demon blood.

"He brought the Council back together," Megan said in a whisper. "At least, that's what some of Ancient Erik's warriors said. Ancient Kris would never admit to that."

"What do you mean, brought the Council together?"

"They split before the demon battle, and Rhyn rounded up all the brothers. The guy I spoke to said he beat the ever-living shit out of them all at once, until they agreed to come back and do what Kris says."

A laugh bubbled up. Katie tried to suppress it, not wanting to offend her friend, but it escaped. Megan looked at her curiously.

"Sorry. I guess I can see him doing that," she explained. She doubted it happened as the rumor mill said, but if Rhyn of all people had brought the Council together … She was impressed. He'd saved the Immortals that shunned him. She was pleased by the news, despite knowing none of his brothers remotely deserved to be saved.

"They went hunting for Sasha," Megan added. "I hope they find him."

Katie said nothing. She wanted to return to the Sanctuary, though not before she found out what happened to Ully. They descended to the warrior's barracks level of the basements. For the first time in three weeks, she felt safe and relieved as she looked around the tiny room that had been hers when she first arrived. The barracks area was heavily guarded, but she was struck by the lack of activity in the part of the castle that normally hummed with life.

"You know where everything is," Megan said at the doorway. "I gotta keep looking for demons or any other Immortal survivors."