Alex pulled us towards where Isabel was staying in the Night Life building on our floor. “How the fuck can you forget me?” Isabelle yelled.
“Maybe we should come back later.” I said.
Alex smirked. “No, I want to watch this.” He stepped into view of the door where we could see the inside but weren’t actually in the room.
Ant stood there with his hands behind his back in the military at-ease pose. I only ever saw him stand that way when he was with his mother. He shook his head, “I never forgot you. I thought Nox was you. It wasn’t the first time you’d come back as a man.”
“I’m fucking obviously not a man. Why do you think he was me?” She shouted at him.
“Because I am drawn to him. But I was wrong, I feel the pull with you so close. And I know he’s close. So is Alex. Together they pull stronger than you. You could see why I thought so.”
“So you are saying he’s,” She gestured to us in the doorway, “your soul mate?”
I frowned and looked at Alex. “You knew this didn’t you?”
Alex nodded, “Ant told me we three were soul mates yes. But I’m not drawn to him like I’m drawn to you.”
Isabelle stomped out of her room and stopped in front of us. “I feel nothing Anthony.”
“A soul mate is energy that once possessed a body and then was split after death and brought together again in separate bodies. So what happens when it’s split three times? Ant has half of one soul, Izz has the other. Alex and I share another, and a third is split between the three of us?”
Isabelle gasped, “A triumvirate. And you already are bound twice.”
“What happens if the third is completed?” Alex asked.
Isabelle shrugged, “The legend says a triumvirate is a powerful source to be reckoned with. And to have the apex be the third Ascendant.”
“Who says Nox is the apex.” Ant griped with a fanged grin.
Isabelle didn’t think it was funny. She rounded on the vampire and growled, “You need to keep your mouth shut vampire.”
Ant looked at her and opened his mouth but he said nothing. Isabelle punched him in the shoulder harder than I thought possible. Ant shifted his stance to remain standing. “Nox is the third Ascendant his is and always will be the most powerful in any union.” She looked at Alex and frowned, “Our King, The Alpha Omega, the Last Phoenix, Mors Praetor, The Imperordo.”
“Wait, wait, wait. I’m not the Imperordo.” I corrected, the others I had been called before or I understood.
“Are you not the most powerful Magnus of the Venatori. Is that not who the Imperordo is?”
“I’ve been exiled from the Venatori. Any titles would have been stripped had I had any to begin with.”
“But you are the most powerful Cesari born to the Venatori in a long time.”
“You know an awful lot about me.”
Ant laughed, “Nox, you are know throughout the tri-state area. If a supernatural creature doesn’t know of your name, then they haven’t been here long. And now you are king.”
I sighed. “I’m not king.”
Alex laughed, “Yes you are. You should have heard all the people down stairs. Ooooh he’s so cute, a strong jaw, oooh those eyes.”
“You sure that wasn’t you?” I asked.
“Oh maye that was. Those weren’t the thoughts you wanted to hear. He’s king, he’s so young, feel that power. ooh those eyes, a strong jaw.”
Ant rolled his eyes, “There he goes again.”
I kissed Alex to express my love for him. “I’m still not king.”
“And that is why you are king.” Isabelle said.
Alex rolled his eyes. “We came to ask about about making a charm for Hunter, Isabel.”
I held out my hand where I’d drawn the symbol. “I don’t want to draw it on Hunter’s skin and do this until he’s able to understand what it truly does and make that decision himself.”
Isabelle took my hand and looked at it. “I can give you spelled steal to fit to him. I imagine you can do the rest?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I can do the rest, I was thinking a pendant is better and we wouldn’t have to change it as he grows.”
Isabelle nodded. “Whatever you want. I’ve never seen it, I’m surprised by it but it works?”
Alex nodded fervently. “Too well. I think he freaks out a little more because of it. What did you say the runes were?”
I wove fire in the air and drew the overlapping symbols. “Magic. Emotions. Senses. And Balance.”
Isabelle nodded, “And you just decided to lay them all on top of each other.”
I shrugged. “I just did it.”
“What else did you learn in the book?” Ant asked.
“A lot of things, but I can’t really tell you cause I don’t understand it.”
Isabelle growled at me. “You need a teacher.”
I sighed. “The man who can teach me is the same man who sent Alex to spy on me. He has eyes and ears here. And his hacker has breached the security. I won’t be taking any lessons from him. So either you are going to have to teach me, or I’m going to keep stumbling through it like I have been.”
There was a large smile on Isabelle’s face. “It would be my honor to teach you.” She grinned at me and then flourished a bow and giggled softly, “My liege.”
I rolled my eyes, “Get with Jin and schedule time. Eleven to Three is taken unbreakable and uninterpretable.” I grinned at her and grabbed Alex’s hand. “Thank you, Isabelle, I’ll take that metal now.”
Isabelle stepped quickly into her room and came back out quickly with a small chunk of metal. “Good luck. Maybe you should make a few for all your collection.”
“My collection?”
“Laker, Rider, Drake, Cass, Hunter, Quinn, Matt.” Isabelle gestured to the wolf curled up on the floor. “Him.”
“His name is Faelen.” I said.
“Part of your collection.”
“They are my family, not my collection. You are part of my family now too. So unless you like being called part of my collection you’ll not spread that rumor.”
Isabelle put her hand on her stomach and nodded, “It is an honor really Nox. Alex. I’m sorry.”
Alex laughed and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “We are his fucking collection. He just keep getting more of us.” Alex grabbed my hand and pulled me towards our room. “We got things to do. You two can resume fighting. Just keep it down.”
The Mind of Nox 