Survival

"Frankly, I honestly thought you would all be smart enough not to take the bait," Devon mocked, his applause slow and mocking. "Apparently, I was wrong. And you even took Zoran with you. For that, I thank you for removing the hassle of killing him remotely from me."

"Devon," Nikolai growled. "So you knew this whole time?"

Ezekiel remained silent, his glare fixed on Devon. The pungent scent emanating from him confirmed Ezekiel's suspicions; it was the same scent he had detected on Tarah. 

Despite the betrayal he felt, he couldn't ignore the purpose behind continuing this mission. Tarah had shown him a vision where his sister Mineah broke her curse in this very scenario. Also, he was aware of the spell on Tarah, leaving her no choice but to follow whatever Devon wanted her to do.

"Of course, I did! What do you all think I am? Stupid?" Devon laughed as he rose from his chair, advancing slowly toward them.