"Peanut butter," she called over her shoulder.
Dammit. Darian trailed her into the kitchen, unable to turn down her peanut butter cookies. Maybe they would fill the hunger inside him.
"Now, what did Sofi say?" he asked and seated himself at the breakfast bar.
"Just that you need us," Yully said.
"Darian, you know better," the Oracle said from the doorway.
He twisted to look at her. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and her aura was beyond agitated. Bianca and Yully shared a look. Darian was left out of whatever secret knowledge they shared.
"C'mon, Sofi, spill it," he ordered.
She shook her head. "My hormones are going crazy today."
It was a lie. They both knew it. Darian grabbed a few cookies, now frustrated by four women rather than one.
"Sofi, I can't get ahold of Dusty," Bianca said, uncertain gaze on the Oracle.
"Nor I Jule," Yully added.
"I know," Sofi said. "They're safe."
He sensed their fear. No one else said anything for a long moment. Sofi made herself a milkshake consisting of frozen blood from Damian, chocolate syrup, pickles, and a scoop of ice cream. Yully stared into space, troubled, while Bianca stacked more cookies on the plate before Darian, unstacked them, then restacked.
"I think I'll go now," he said, rising. Something was going on. Everyone around him held secrets, even the normally open Bianca.
"Be safe, Darian," Sofi said.
Darian shook his head. He needed a distraction from the odd interaction with his brothers' mates and the thoughts of Jenn. Her kisses had made his body sizzle. He'd meant what he said about finding out what her problem was, only he suspected he now knew. Their friendship had turned into something else, something she wasn't comfortable with.
Oddly enough, he wasn't as upset by it as he thought he should be. He Traveled to the Others' portal to the immortal world. He sensed none of the creatures in the mortal world, and he still had Jenn's necklace in his pocket. He had to return it as promised, even knowing it was a bogus rule.
The heat of the desert disappeared as he dropped through the portal to the immortal world. Darian felt the magic of the world bombard him, both welcoming home the man that had been its king and trying to figure out what he now was. He shuddered at the feeling.
His gaze took in the beautiful apple orchard that had been planted by a foremother of his and Damian's. The orchards stretched from the palace to the city and had been open to the public for immortals all over to visit and enjoy.