"Where is my brother?" he repeated, locking eyes with the shifter.
Aiden stared at him for a moment then stepped back. "This way." He turned and started walking up the stairs.
Kendrick nodded at Amelia before following Aiden. Why was his brother's body being kept at the Alpha estate? Aiden stopped and opened the door.
"We brought him back to his own room." Aiden raised an arm, inviting Kendrick to step inside.
Kendrick shouldered past the massive commander and walked into the room. Lying serenely in the bed in the center of the room was his baby brother. Wires and tubes were everywhere, connecting him to the many beeping machines.
"He's alive?" Kendrick felt his legs give out. A strong arm kept his knees from slamming into the hardwood floor. When he looked up, a large fae supported him effortlessly.
"He's still breathing, but we don't know if he's alive," the fae admitted.
Kendrick shook his head, trying to make his exhausted mind work. He had researched his brother's unit decades before and kept close tabs on them, but for the life of him, he was having a hard time remembering the fae's name. Darian! The fae member of the Alpha Unit was named Darian Vi'Alina. "What in the hell is that supposed to mean?" He forced his legs to support him, and he stepped away from the men.
Darian spoke first. "Our enemy released a spell that strips a person's soul from their body. Keelan was protecting us from that spell when he fell victim to it. The enemy took his soul, for what reason, we don't know."
Kendrick froze in shock. What the fae described was forbidden. To separate a soul from a person's body was an affront to the Gods. No wonder the entire city was coated in black magic. He turned to find that the room was now filled with bleak-faced couples. The men he knew and, of course, his Amelia, but the other women, he did not know.
"What you're describing is forbidden." He met the eyes of each of the warriors.
"Well, there seems to be a lot of that shit going around lately, Keelan-From-the-Future." The small woman said sarcastically.
Kendrick blinked. "I'm not Keelan. My name is Kendrick Ashwood. Keelan is my younger brother," he explained.
The woman rolled her eyes. "Whatever, clone boy."
Kendrick stared. Was this woman damaged?
Amelia stepped away from Darian and wrapped her arms around his waist. Kendrick took a moment to enjoy a spurt of satisfaction as anger flashed in the fae's eyes. Who was he to keep his godsdaughter from him? Wait? Didn't Caiden say that Amelia had mated? So much had happened in the past couple of days. He returned the embrace and pulled back to pat her on the head like he always did. Her smile was wobbly, and her eyes were filled with tears.
"Can you help him?" she asked.
Kendrick forced a smile. "Of course, that's what big brothers do."
"We can get the guest room ready," Aiden offered.
Kendrick shook his head. "No. I'll stay in here with Keelan." He pointed to a sturdy looking recliner then turned back to them. "Who is in charge of those machines?"
A dark haired woman stepped forward. "I am. My name is Rheia Bradley. I'm a doctor. If there's anything you need, you have only to ask. We all want Keelan back."
Kendrick searched her face for deception and couldn't find a trace of it. She exuded sincerity and strength. She was a good doctor.
"We can leave him as he is tonight. I expended a lot of magic getting here so quickly, but tomorrow, I would like to know what each machine does. I may be able to cast spells to replace them depending on what they are doing."
The doctor stared. "There's healing magic like that?"
Kendrick was about to retort with sarcasm about humans meddling in the paranormal world when he noticed the looks of disbelief on the men's faces. It dawned on him that he wasn't in Storm Keep. Only younger witches were allowed to serve outside the city, and most of them weren't trained in healing.
He clenched his fists in frustration then forced himself to relax. There was no point in being rude to the woman who was caring for his brother, despite her lack of magical ability. He should be thankful, not judgmental. He knew from his own surly thoughts that the day was catching up to him.
"Yes, maybe in the next couple days I can show you different spells," he offered, trying to make his voice sound gentle.
"I would really appreciate that. The more I can do for the Keelan the better," Rheia said, wiping her eyes.
Kendrick felt like an ass. The poor woman obviously cared for his brother, and despite being pregnant, her focus was solely on Keelan.
"Thank you," he said simply.
Rheia sniffled then shook her head. "You're about to collapse. Get a good night's sleep, doctor's orders." She wagged a finger at him playfully.
He nodded. "I agree."
The couples waved goodnight and started to leave.
"Goodnight, Keelan-From-the-Future," the small woman said as she walked out the door.
Kendrick was about to reply then stopped himself; he was too tired. When he looked up, he noticed that only Darian remained.
"Can I help you?" he asked flatly.
"I have a message for you from Keelan," Darian said quietly.
Kendrick frowned.
Darian continued. "He knew. Somehow, he knew what was going to happen. Before the spell went off, he said, 'Tell my brother he was right, but this was the only way I saw where you all lived. Tell him I'm sorry for what I've done, but I'd do it again.' He created a shield that protected us from the spell; without him, we'd all be dead, or worse, feral."