“Where were you?!” Isaac hurled an old pristine vase from a long bygone era, sending it shattering to the hardwood floor in jagged pieces across the comfortable lounge level of the Tower. “We were out-manned,” Isaac paced back and forth, while I stood aside him. “We needed support, and it was nowhere to be found!”

  Callum and Treven stood idly by, the elder seemingly unfazed by the developments, while the younger looked down awkwardly.

  “That support,” Callum spat out, the most emotional I’d ever seen him, “was eliminating all forces at each and every farm in the local area. We’ve dealt an irreparable wound in Perrault’s operation tonight, do you disagree?”

  “That wasn’t what we discussed!” Isaac yelled, marching up to Callum and getting in his face.

  “Would you have gone through with it, had we told you the truth?” Callum looked down on Isaac with an all knowing air of truth.

  “You put Annabelle in danger tonight. You put us both in danger,” Isaac snapped. “Do you not share contempt for me, brothers? For what other purpose would this speak true.”

  “Isaac,” Treven said, more mellow and seemingly disappointed in himself, “C’mon, you know that’s not—“

  “Not true?” Isaac turned to his younger brother, growling. “Then why do you insist on keeping me out of strategy! Hmm? Why do you continue to put the life of the one I...” Isaac looked at me trailing off, his cheeks slightly reddening, or was I imagining it? “Why put her at risk. Do you not value her skills? Her abilities?”

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  “If we did not value her,” Callum spoke up, “we wouldn’t have sent her with you.”

  The room quieted at the heavy weight of such words. Multiple implications. I opened my mouth to speak of the soul farms and Perrault’s increasing power, when suddenly, the elevator chimed.

  “What?” Denaux cackled, “I’m not interrupting a family spat, am I?” He sauntered in through the doors and lowered his glasses to wink at me.

  Isaac’s lip twitched with rage as he retreated and resumed his wild pacing.

  “What’s the word?” Treven said, standing up straight and running his hands through his perfectly straight hair, before shaking it out again with his head. He pulled a a tiny stick from it and flicked it on the floor. Must have been from earlier.

  “Well, my people in the street have seen it before, some have even used it in small doses. Some...in not so small doses,” his expression frowned down. “Said men in suits have been distributing it. Pretty potent stuff, if ya ask me.”

  “What does it do?” I finally pipped up.

  Denaux sighed. “Mostly just relaxes you, to an almost catatonic state. Some said they are out like that,” he snapped his fingers,” and didn’t wake up till days later.”

  “Perfect for kidnapping. For sacrificing. On a large scale,” I said, my face rapt with tension.

  “The farms are incapacitated,” Callum said, “for now. Once the flames have been extinguished, they’ll start anew. For all we know, he has other locations in use. He’s certainly planning something on a grand scale.”

  “Perhaps we should’ve all been there tonight to aid him in contemplating his ways...” Isaac said. “Forcibly.”

  “Perhaps,” Callum coughed, “you should retire for the evening, Brother.”

  Isaac scowled and charged toward the elevator, pounding the button with his fist, and sending the doors flying open again.

  “Wait,” I said, trotting to follow him inside before the doors closed behind us.

  I innately grabbed his arm, his coarse hairs gently caressing my fingertips, and came in close, almost hugging his side.

  “What do we do now?” I beckoned, gazing into his furiously glimmering eyes.

  The elevator reopened in his living space. “Bourbon,” he said, entering in personal home.

  “Wait,” I said again, stepping forward to follow him in, and turning his gaze upon me from over his shoulder. I brushed my hair back behind my ear. “Can you make that two?”