“The journal explained it,” Graham said.“Our great-great-great or whatever grandfather found the stone.He didn’t go into details in his journal, but from the little Carlyle told us and what I know of the situation, I believe he was there right after your fight with Carlyle.He mentioned several unconscious men.”
That gave Dallin the creeps.There had been someone there, someone who could’ve helped them while they were unconscious, but instead, the man had stolen the gemstone and had abandoned them there.
“I guess that Carlyle was still strong, even though he was stuck inside the gemstone,” Graham added.“From the journal, it’s clear that he talked to my ancestor.He told him that bad mages had imprisoned him and that he would need his help to escape.”Graham scoffed.“I doubt he expected it would take us so long.It didn’t matter in the end, though.He got free.Simon took care of that.”
The situation wasn’t great, but at least now, they knew what happened.Dallin and the other mages had never imagined that someone would willingly let Carlyle out of the gemstone, but they also hadn’t expected the gemstone to vanish for decades.Carlyle had found a way out of his prison, and he was back.
“The gemstone has been in our family since then,” Graham explained.“Apparently, it’s been passed down from generation to generation.I guess it should’ve gone to my great-aunt’s children, but she didn’t have any.It found its way to us instead.”
“Thank you for telling me all of this,” Dallin said, knowing that it had to hurt Graham to talk about his brother.Dallin didn’t know if Simon believed everything Carlyle had told him, but even if he didn’t, he was on Carlyle’s side.At the same time, he was the only family Graham had.
“I never wanted to hurt anyone,” Graham whispered.“I just wanted to be with my brother.”
“You saved Sol.As far as I’m concerned, that’s all that matters.I can’t promise anything, but I’ll stand up for you.You don’t deserve to be locked up.You don’t deserve to get hurt for what Carlyle did.”
“I’m pretty sure your brother disagrees.”
Dallin snorted.“Tyne disagrees with a lot of things.Sometimes, I think he does it just to be contrary.”
A ghost of a smile played on Graham’s lips.“Simon was like that before.I always found it infuriating, but I wish we could go back to what we were then.”
There would be no going back for him and Simon.They’d both made their choice, and, unfortunately for Graham, his brother had chosen the wrong side.That didn’t mean he would die, but it did mean that the mages would have to ensure he didn’t hurt anyone.
Whatever happened, Graham would lose his brother—the only family he still had left.
Chapter Ten
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“SOMETHING’S WRONG,and I want to know what it is,” Tyne declared as he walked into Dallin’s office.
Dallin looked up and glared at his brother.“I could have been doing something dangerous.”
Tyne arched a brow and stared at the book in Dallin’s hands.He didn’t have to say anything for Dallin to know what he was thinking.
Dallin huffed and put down his book after placing a clean napkin between the pages.“I said Icouldhave been doing something dangerous, not that I was doing it.You know better than to barge into someone’s office without knocking or warning them, though.”
Tyne raised his hands.“You’re right, and I apologize for that, but I listened and could only hear the music you listen to when you’re reading.”
Dallin enjoyed movie soundtracks when he was reading.He didn’t want music with words because they would distract him from what he was studying, but he liked recognizing famous pieces.He hadn’t realized that his brothers had made the connection and knew that when he listened to soundtracks, he was reading.
“What do you want?”he asked Tyne.
Tyne put his hands on his hips and stared at Dallin long enough to make Dallin squirm.Dallin wanted to snap at him, but things had been tense between them, and he didn’t want to make them worse.He had no idea why Tyne was here, but if he needed anything, Dallin would help him.
“You broke your promise,” Tyne eventually said.
“What promise?”
“That you’d stop isolating yourself.”
Dallin narrowed his eyes.“Unless I’m wrong,youbroke that promise first.You said you were going to talk to Meyer, and as far as I know, you haven’t yet.”
“I’ve been a bit preoccupied.”
“We all have been.I promised that I would stop isolating myself, and I have.I’ve been having meals with everyone else.You’ve seen me.Hell, I even watched a movie with you guys the other night, even though there’s nothing more boring than people shooting at each other.”
Tyne snorted.“I disagree.”
