Branches of Life

The sorcerer—most likely Wyatt—leaned casually against a tree, his arms crossed over his broad chest. His stance was relaxed and casual, but his stormy gray eyes told a different story.

I'd put him at around Ander's height. Even wearing clothes, I could tell he was ripped as hell. It'd be a safe assumption, thinking a sorcerer wouldn't be so muscular because they could use magic instead of hand-to-hand combat. Why would a sorcerer need to keep in shape when they could portal anywhere, and send someone flying with the wave of their hand? For some, this assessment was accurate, but for him, it wasn't. His clothes only accentuated his muscular frame. Wearing an unbuttoned flannel, the sleeves pushed up his forearms, over a gray t-shirt. A well-worn pair of jeans and a durable pair of boots completed his look.

Whoever this sorcerer was, he was gorgeous. With sun-kissed skin, complimenting the blonde waves that reached his ears. High cheekbones and full lips only added to his beauty.

Normally, I would've been ready to climb this man like a tree, but today that wasn't the case. I still found him sexy as hell and loved staring at him, but my body wasn't responding to him. Not the way it had been with Koa. I was really starting to hate him for this. If this affected my sex life, I'd kill him.

Both Ander and Koa moved to stand at the front of the group again, blocking us from Wyatt. Ari, Harmony, Starling, and I leaned around them and continued staring. Wyatt's only response was a raised eyebrow, waiting for us to explain ourselves.

"Time to put your big plan in motion," I whispered to Koa, patting his back.

"Are you Wyatt, or are we wasting our time talking to you?" Ander cut off whatever Koa was about to say. A low warning growl rumbled from Koa, he did not like being cut off.

Wyatt crossed his right leg over his left, furthering his appearance of being at ease. I didn't believe his casual act for a second. He was ready to kill us if we made one wrong move.

"So it wasn't an accident?" He drawled, sounding almost bored. Like he would rather be anywhere else but here. At our confused looks, he continued. "Bringing the vampires and demons—yes, there were more than one—to my proverbial front door."

I scoffed at his accusation, rolling my eyes. "We didn't lead anybody anywhere."

"And yet, they showed up at the same time as you." He gestured toward the still-dead demon.

"How do we know that it wasn't you who brought them here?" As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I realized how stupid they were. Why would he have brought them here to attack us, only to kill them and save us in the process?

Ander snorted at my blunder, and if he were close, I would've smacked him.

"Do you ever think before you speak?" Koa asked, disbelief coloring his tone. I couldn't see his face, but I imagined his expression matched.

Ari hadn't laughed at my screw-up, instead, she played with her bottom lip as she considered something. "She's got a point in a roundabout way. Just because he stopped them, doesn't mean we should trust him." Ari stepped around Ander, glaring at him when he tried to stop her and muttered her actual name. "Are you Wyatt? And did you know anyone was visiting today?" She came to a stop over five feet away from him.

Wyatt raised a brow as a slight smirk tipped his lips. "You think there's more than one sorcerer living out in the wilderness?"

Ari huffed out an impatient breath, placing her hands on her hips. She waited him out, even going as far as tapping her toe impatiently. Wyatt scoffed and shook his head. "No, I didn't know creatures would be showing up here today. Now you guys? I knew. I could feel your sorcerer's weak spell as soon as he cast it."

"And you said that was the strongest sorcerer you trust?" I whispered as low as I could.

Wyatt still heard me, the corner of his lips lifting into a smug smirk. It didn't remain long, vanishing when Ari asked her next question. "Are you working with the necromancer's creatures?"

I could tell the last thing he wanted to do was answer our questions. Especially since in his mind, we were the ones that brought the creatures here. I half expected him to disappear or do some sorcerer shit, with the way he looked equal parts annoyed and bored.

"You caught me. I've been working with them for years. That's why I just killed a whole group of them; to gain the trust of strangers. Ones I know absolutely nothing about." Wyatt raked his fingers through his hair, letting out a noisy exhale and shutting his eyes. "Unbelievable. The first Mythics I come across in years and they're a bunch of halfwits."

I pursed my lips, cocking my head to the side. "So that's a no, on the whole working with them thing?"

He shot me an incredulous look, checking to see if I was being serious.

"Other than the halfwits part, is he telling the truth?" Harmony asked Ari as she rejoined our group, having turned her back on Wyatt. She gave a small nod, not that she had much to go off of. He didn't technically answer all of our questions. He evaded most of them with a skill that rivaled Ari's.

Starling and Koa shared a glance, Starling's expression was full of doubt and confusion.

"Ari's our personal lie detector. If someone tries lying to her, she'll know," I explained.

"Right." Koa didn't sound convinced, not that it was surprising. Most people scoffed when we told them.

"How accurate? Like five times out of ten? Lower? Higher?" Starling's face was contemplative as she considered us.

"All my life, I've never seen her be wrong when it comes to someone lying to her."

Koa scoffed, looking off to the side, almost like he was searching for patience.

"I've never heard of someone being able to do that," Starling said. She wasn't outright dismissive like Koa, but it was clear that she didn't believe my statement either. Kind of rude of them in my opinion.

"I've never heard of the shit you two were claiming at the pub," Ander pointed out, tension lining his shoulders

Wyatt didn't say a single word as he watched us, the amused interest on his face clear as day. He was enjoying this, even if he didn't understand all that was going on. I half expected him to bust out some popcorn.

"Our information is based on facts that others can verify." Koa turned his attention to Ander.

"And where are these people?" Ander looked around in an exaggerated manner. I choked back a laugh. I knew it wasn't appropriate to laugh right now, not with how they were probably going to try and kill each other. That didn't stop my shoulders from shaking with restrained laughter though. There was probably something wrong with me.

Ari shoved her way between Ander and Koa. "Ander, let it go, it's not worth it."

Ander tried to step around her, but she kept blocking him. "You'd better listen to her. I doubt you want to get your ass kicked with so many witnesses." A cruel smirk lifted Koa's lips, and dammit if it wasn't hot as hell. Yep, there was definitely something wrong with me.

"You shut up!" Ari pointed back at him without looking his way, choosing to send a pleading look at Harmony and me. Harmony joined Ari in pushing Ander away, talking to him in low and calming tones.

I wasn't in the mood for calming Koa or stopping him from being a dick, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side nonetheless. It wasn't lost on me, that he allowed me to move him. I wasn't under the illusion, that I was stronger than him by any means.

Crossing my arms, I just stared him down. He mimicked my actions with a raised eyebrow. I didn't bother telling him to try and get along with Ander. That was something they needed to work out amongst themselves. "Why do you have to be such a fucking dick?" I asked instead. Surprise flashed across his face.

"Contrary to what you may think, you don't know everything. Especially when it comes to us." I laughed in derision, looking off to the side to keep my growing frustration in check. "Ari has never failed us when it comes to the truth. You may not believe it, and that's fine. But you don't have to be such an asshole about it."

"I'll keep that in mind." His tone didn't give away his emotions, or whether or not he was being sarcastic.

When I glanced back at him, I noticed he was closer than before. He no longer wore an expression of careful indifference. Taking a measured step forward, his body was nearly touching mine as he tilted his head down so our faces were inches apart. A part of me wanted to lift my face and close the distance. It would've been so easy.

The heat from his body, coupled with his alluring scent, drove my body wild. It wasn't fair how delicious he smelled.

Using every scrap of willpower I possessed, I took a step back shaking my head. I forced myself to look anywhere but him, in the hopes it would clear my head. It seemed whenever I was close to him, I lost all train of thought, and that was something I couldn't allow to happen right now.

I met Ari's gaze and she nodded, letting me know Ander had calmed down. I brushed past Koa, rejoining the others. Ander's body was still tense, but his face had smoothed out to a stoic expression. The one he wore when he hid his emotions. If it weren't for the tension in his body, I wouldn't have known he was still frustrated.

"As entertaining as this all is, you need to tell me why you went through all this trouble just to find me," Wyatt said, pushing off the tree and moving to stand a few feet away from us.

Koa surprisingly came to stand beside me. "The other morning, vampires came through the rift with the help of demons. The damage was minimum, but they shouldn't have gotten through in the first place."

Wyatt's eyebrows shot up as he gave a long whistle. "Now that is surprising, but what does that have to do with me? Why did you come all this way looking for me specifically? Is it because you thought, I was the one to let them through? If so, you've wasted your time and mine. I would never do something so careless." He paused, cocking his head to the side in contemplation. "No, that's not why you're really here... I'll ask one more time; why did you come here?" His voice and face lost all pretenses of being relaxed, taking on a darker and more dangerous edge. There's the powerful sorcerer that killed a demon only minutes ago.

I waved my hand at the siblings. "It was your plan to come here."

"Fuck it," Starling muttered under her breath. "We think the creatures are hiding in another realm."

Wyatt let out a short and surprised laugh, running his hands down his face as the tension that had been building in his body vanished. "Let me guess. You thought I was the one helping them since I have enough power to open a rift."

I gave a slow clap. "You're right Koa, he isn't dumb." Wyatt smiled a little, becoming even sexier.

"We also thought you might be able to help us find out who is helping them, or where the rift is," Starling added.

"In that case, we might as well make ourselves comfortable." Wyatt waved his hand toward a swirling silver portal. One that wasn't there before. None of us moved toward it. "You can always walk the fifty miles to my place. It's your choice."

"Absolutely not." I'd rather take my chances with this being a trap than do any more hiking. I hurried through the portal before anyone could attempt to stop me.

Going through portals was always a weird sensation. Like I was being pulled in all directions, my insides feeling like they were swirling around. I was never able to keep my eyes open, I'd tried several times.

The sensations stopped, and when I opened my eyes, I found I was in the living room of a cozy cabin. Dark brown wood made up the floors, as well as the bookshelves, and coffee table. The bookshelves lined two of the walls, filled with books. Several of which were stacked on the coffee table. All of the furniture was various shades of brown and black. The coffee table sat several feet back from a large stone fireplace, where the fire had died down to embers.

With the furniture choices and decor, it was clear to me that a man lived here. Alone.

Behind me, someone stepped from the portal, storming toward me and spinning me around to face him. Koa's eyes traced over my face, his expression unreadable. "You're going to end up putting me in an early grave."

How the hell was I supposed to respond to that?

I was still trying to process his words and their meaning, when Ari stepped out of the portal, shortly followed by the others.

"I would say make yourselves at home, but based on my interactions with you all so far, I feel that would be a mistake." He waved his hand at the portal, and it folded in on itself. We stared at him in silence as he left the room.

Well, not complete silence, Ari made a coughing choking sound and Harmony let out an indignant squeak. No wonder he lived alone, he sucked at talking with others. This definitely lowered his hotness rating.

We wouldn't get any answers to our questions, sitting here in his living room. We'd have to talk to him. Even if I'd rather take an arrow to the leg than deal with him right now. I followed his trail through the narrow hallway to his small kitchen. All the while mentally preparing myself for his rusty conversational skills.

The kitchen was built in shades of light brown and white, with the floor being the same dark wood as the living room. The whole place had a surprisingly homey feel. Wyatt stood before a light brown island counter preparing ingredients. "Nice place you got here." I plopped down on the middle chair in front of the island counter. Sitting across from where he was working, not bothering to look up or even respond.

"Please tell me you plan on sharing whatever you're making," Ari said as she joined me at the counter.

Wyatt huffed out a laugh, softening the harsh angles of his face ever so slightly. "I figured having a conversation with you lot, will be difficult enough without adding hunger to the mix." He tossed a hunk of raw meat to where Rowan sat in the back corner of the kitchen.

Spirit familiars could eat food? After this damn mission, I was going to research the fuck out of spirit familiars.

Harmony joined us at the counter, taking the final seat. "Looks like I'm just in time for the insults." She placed her arms on the counter, before resting her chin on her crossed forearms. "You know, my little sister has better conversational skills than you, and she's five." Harmony gave a sweet smile as if she hadn't just insulted him. It was a skill Harmony excelled at, and one nobody expected from her.

He ignored her, opting to focus on whisking the egg wash in the bowl instead. I hoped he was making french toast. It's been so long since I had any, and now it was all I could think about.

I was so busy fantasizing about food, I didn't notice the others entering the room. Nor did I notice Ander sneaking up behind me until he poked my sides. I let out a sharp shrieking laugh, smacking his hands away. "You fucking dick! I expect this shit from Reed. Not you." I continued laughing and yelling as I spun around, and kept swatting at him.

Ander chucked as he moved out of striking range, knowing once he was out of range, I wouldn't attempt getting out of my seat. "I'm sorry Jay, I just couldn't help myself. It's too easy."

I turned my back to him, and Koa, who was now standing against the wall to my left. If I angled my head slightly to the left, I was able to watch him through my peripheral vision. Not that I did that.

Maybe I should just fuck him and get it over with. Chances were, he wouldn't even be that good. More times than not, people didn't live up to the fantasies we built up in our heads. This had to be one of those times. I could just fuck him, realize he wasn't as good as I imagined several times over the past day—I tried to stop myself, I really did—and get back to normal. Instead of spending so much time wondering what he looked like shirtless, or how his bare skin would feel under my hands and against my body...

Shoving aside those thoughts, I returned my focus to Wyatt. "I think now is a good time for answers."

Wyatt flipped the sizzling bacon in the skillet, muttering under his breath, "So impatient."

"You didn't seem surprised when Starling told you her theory," Harmony cut in, preventing Ander or Koa from pissing him off. Ander's temper had been on a short leash this past day, and from what I gathered from Koa, he liked to be in control.

"No, I wasn't. I've known about it long before any of you were even born." The bowl of pancake batter floated off the counter and into his awaiting hand. "I can't tell you much about the ones helping them. I never bothered to find out."

Fuck. It looked like we wasted our time coming here. Fucking dragon siblings.

Wyatt scooped the bacon from the skillet onto a paper towel-covered plate, placing it in front of us. "Be careful, it's still hot." Apparently, he thought we were dumbasses.

My mouth watered, it had been a long time since I had bacon. We didn't have it in our realm. I laced my fingers together to prevent myself from reaching for the still-sizzling food. Ari didn't have that restraint. In typical fashion, she snatched a hot piece of bacon and took a bite. "Yep. It's hot," she confirmed breathing through her mouth open as she continued to eat the bacon. Turned out, Ari was as dumb as he assumed.

"You dumbass" I chuckled, nudging her shoulder with mine."

Wyatt placed a full platter of pancakes in front of us, and with a wave of his hand, glasses full of ice water appeared in front of us. Ari immediately gulped down some of hers.

"Why didn't you bother to find out?" Ari demanded once she was done with her glass of water.

"As I said, I can't tell you anything about who's helping them, but I can tell you about their realm." Wyatt dodged Ari's question, but none of us minded. Not when he was going to give us some answers.