by Jessica Cage
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s had some negative after effects from our run in the shifter territory. It seems she hasn’t recovered well from the idea that Daegal was trying to come back,” Nitara provided the explanation. “She’s locked herself away, and we just want to know how to get through to her. How can we save her from this?”
“I’ll need your hand.” Sybella held her palm face up at Bruto.
He looked from the bottle to her hand and then up to meet her gaze. Simply from the look in his eyes, Sybella could see that there was so much more to his story, so much more he wouldn’t want to share with her or anyone else. But that was how most people were, guarded and terrified of their secrets being displayed for the world to see. She said nothing, offered no words of comfort or encouragement. It would not sit well with him to know that his fears of her abilities were valid, with one touch she would have access to all there was to know about him. Instead, she kept her hand out to him and waited for him to comply.
Just a moment later, Bruto gave in and lifted his hand to her, palm up. She took the large mitt into her own and ran the tip of her finger across his palm. As she felt him relax from her touch, she pulled his palm to her chest and held it there against her heart with her right hand. With the other, she touched his forehead, and from the moment her fingertip made contact with him, the room became lit with the orange light of his magic. Jinn and Nitara shielded their eyes though Sybella looked at him head on. She let him spill into her and accepted all that he had to give.
When their connection ended, she fell back from him, landing in the seat that Nitara conjured to stop her from hitting the floor. “Thank you,” she whispered, but kept her focus on Bruto who sat straight faced in the chair, hand still wrapped around the bottle.
“There is something dark coming for Rosie, but I cannot see what it is. Something like I’ve never felt before. You’re going to need a lot of help to save her from this.” Sybella wiped beads of sweat from her brow.
“How can we save her if we can’t even get through to her?” Nitara asked as her eyes swept over Bruto who seemed more broken than before.
“There is another, someone from her past, a dark figure. He is the only one who can reach her now. He is the only one dark enough to cross that barrier.”
“Who?” Nitara questioned.
“Oh, shit,” Jinn sighed before Sybella could respond.
The sound of the name Sybella spoke couldn’t be heard over the agonizing scream that came from Bruto before he vanished into nothing. The bottle of bourbon crashed to the floor beneath the chair where he’d sat and shattered.
Zaria’s eyes fluttered open to see the shadowed back of Ardyn who sat on the edge of the bed. This had become a common occurrence. When the space beside her chilled from his missing form, it pulled her from the depths of her dreams. He ran his hands through his thick hair that held a sheen from the sweat caused by his nightmares. This had been his routine since she’d returned to Earth. Each night they climbed into bed, wrapped in the love they shared for one another, and each night he would wake with terror and chills. His mourning for the assumed loss of her had transformed to guilt, over the woman he felt he turned his back on. Ryesen. Each night the guilt driven nightmares worsened.
Ryesen was his mate, before he was forced to leave his home thanks to the actions of Daegal, the man who would ruin his and many other lives. His wolf was turned djinn, and because of that, the bond between them was broken. Still, when he returned, there was something there, a connection that still existed for her though he hadn’t known it. When it came down to it, he’d turned from her in hopes of saving Zaria, and when he thought he lost the woman who lay in his bed now, he ran from his home, leaving Ryesen and his pack in the dust again.
Even with meditation, the nightmares haunted him, images of his former mate strung up and bleeding from the wounds inflicted on her. Despite the disconnect between them, she was still someone who meant a lot to him. They grew up together, trained together; they were friends, lovers, and more. Ardyn beat himself up for not being there to help her and for not having gone back to make sure she was okay. He’d run away from shifter territory when he thought he’d lost Zaria. He hid from the world and forgot about all of the people who had counted on him. It was never his intention, but emotion overshadowed rationality, and by the time the cloud had cleared, it seemed too late.
“You had the dream again,” she sighed, reaching out to touch his back. “Ardyn, you cannot go on like this.”
“Yes, I did, but I'm okay.” He looked over his shoulder to her with bloodshot eyes. “Please, go back to sleep.”
“I’m up now, I’ll make us some tea.” She sat up in the bed but paused before escaping the hold of the covers. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“There really isn’t much more to say. It’s the same thing as before. I feel guilty for leaving her, and I feel guilty for feeling guilty, because I’m with you now and that shouldn’t matter.”
“I told you already, don’t worry about me or have any guilt about how you feel. I understand. This woman was a major part of your life, of course you still care for her. That doesn’t just go away, Ardyn. As much as we may want it to, some people just have a way of lingering on the soul. Not to mention that you two are wolves, you were mated, you were supposed to be bonded to each other for the rest of your lives, and that was taken away from you.”
Ardyn’s head lowered as the deep breath escaped him, “It’s still not right.”
“I told you, we can go there and check on her. You’re welcomed home now. I think it would be a good thing for you to go back. Good for you and your family. They need to know that you care Ardyn.” She laid her hand on his back, and for the millionth time smiled at the contrast between their flesh—hers dark like the night and his as bright as the moon that hung above them.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” He lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling where the shadows of the curtains danced in the moonlight. “Forget the tea, let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow we can head out.”
She climbed back into the bed and snuggled into his side, allowing her phoenix to warm her just enough to calm the wolf spirit she felt stirring inside of him. “I’m glad you’ve decided to return. This will be good for you. I know it.”
“Yeah, I hope you’re right.” Pulling her closer to him, he kissed her forehead. She slipped into an easy slumber, but he was still awake when the sun rose again.
“Graham took that a lot better than I thought he would,” Zaria remarked as they appeared on the borderline of wolf territory. “He threw a fit the last time you were pulled away from Reverie, though I’m starting to think that had more to do with Nitara than it did with you. Did you see how he looked when he asked if she would be joining us?”
“Yeah, I’m not even going to dig into that pile of mess. He’s also a bit preoccupied with the coming summit.” Ardyn too a deep breath to analyze the scent of the air and could tell there hadn’t been a recent patrol of the border, which meant one was coming soon. “Honestly, I don’t think he believes I will hang around Reverie for much longer. He’s been consulting me a lot less on matters since I returned.”
“Is that a good thing?” Zaria asked. Ardyn had formed an alliance with the new vampire ruler, but even she hoped it wouldn’t last forever … though she never voiced it.
“I think it may be. The vampires need to have some type of normalcy again. Having a djinn with their leader isn’t what anyone would call normal. If the rest of the world found out it would result in further suspicion of him and his ability to rule. After what Sarah did there is no way to spin this in a good way. They might think he was trying to follow in her footsteps.”
“I suppose you’re right. That’s not something we want to have happen. The world attacking the vampires would only lead to the fae getting involved.” In a strange turnabout of events, the vampires’ magic negatively affected the fae. If the vampires’ activity got to
be too much, the fae became blocked from the source of their magic, the moon. For this reason, since the battle that ended with the vampires in what was formerly Canada, and the fae in former Alaska, the fae closely monitored the vampires. Something they would no doubt be taking heat for since there was a lot of shit going down in vampire land that went unchecked.
“They aren’t the best lot, the vampires, but Graham can lead them well. He’ll be able to keep them out of trouble,” Ardyn said with confidence. Graham had his faults, but he also had a clear head when it came to the safety of his people. He would lead them with good conscience.
“What’s wrong?” Zaria could feel Ardyn’s spirit become restless.
“There hasn’t been a patrol, and one should have happened by now. It’s been so long I can barely scent the boundary.” He took a deep pull of air and frowned. “Nothing.”
“That can’t be good,” Zaria said as a gust of wind caught her hair and sent the mane of curls flying into her face.
“Something is wrong here.” Ardyn froze as he caught the scent brought in on the wind that came from the direction of the heart of the territory. He knew the stench well, it was one that had no place in his home. Fear, and lots of it. Something had terrified the members of the pack, and the more he focused, the worse the feeling got.
“What is it?” Zaria’s eyes darted around, trying to catch sight of whatever had caused the tightness in his jaw and the chaotic pulsing of the wolf beneath his flesh. She saw nothing, and yet he still looked as if he would shift at any moment.
“I don’t know, but something isn’t right.” Ardyn pulled her hand into his, intending to use his magic to carry them forward into the town.
“I thought you said no magic here.” Zaria raised a brow at his urgency. “Won’t that set off the locals?”
“We don’t have time for that, they can spank me for it later.” Ardyn grunted, and as another strong burst of wind slammed into them, his flesh lit up in green.
When the unnatural smoke cleared, Ardyn and his mate stood in the center of pack territory, just outside of the Alpha’s home. Their arrival nearly went unnoticed by the people who ran frantically around them. Hushed whispers of urgency repeated one name that caught in his ear and stabbed him in the chest—Ryesen. Ardyn bound up the steps to the large cabin and burst through the door. Protocol be damned, something was going on and he needed to know what it was. He quickly made his way to the massive room that sat at the top of the stairs; his father’s office.
“Ardyn, you’ve returned,” Kamshi, the Alpha of the pack and Ardyn’s father, greeted him. This time, unlike the last, he gave in to the desire to be a father, happy to see his son returning home. He crossed the room quickly and pulled the younger version of himself into his arms. “You’re okay, good. I was worried that you were affected as well.”
Ardyn allowed himself just a moment to enjoy the feeling of his father’s embrace before his mind checked back into the matter at hand. “Affected? By what? I could tell something was wrong the moment I got here. There have been no patrols.”
“Something weird is going on here, ever since the occurrence at the Peaks. There have been reports of people losing their shit. People are going feral.” Kamshi nodded to a passing beta wolf who headed out the door. “We’ve tightened our perimeter for the time being. The farther we venture out, the more at risk we are.”
“Feral? What do you mean feral?” Zaria asked over Ardyn’s shoulder and received a raised brow from his father who decided to answer the woman.
“Yes. They are turning into their animal counterpart and remaining that way. Not only this, but they’re attacking their friends and family. Reports are saying it’s as if they don’t recognize anyone around them, the animal has taken over completely. As you can hopefully understand, everyone is a bit on edge, and we’ve had to take precautions to try to calm this as much as possible. This is a place full of people who at any moment could turn into a wild and uncontrollable beast. Quite a few people have taken off on their own for fear of what may happen to them or their families.”
“Where are these reports coming from?” Ardyn’s jaw tightened as he avoided the question he really needed to ask, the one that was burning at the back of his throat. It was the fear that had been keeping him up at night.
“All over. Cats, bears, birds, you name it.” Kamshi pulled a document from his desk, one that grew with every passing moment. “Look, every time someone is reported, their name appears on this list.”
“It’s over five pages long.” Ardyn glanced back at Zaria. “Are there any from here?” Ardyn met his father’s eyes with intent.
“Yes, here as well.” Kamshi stiffened. “Just one so far.”
“Ryesen …” There it was, the answer to the question Ardyn hadn’t had to guts to ask, but he let her name slip past his lips. She was the reason for his nightmares. His former mate was in trouble.
“Yes, son—”
Before he could say anything further, Ardyn vanished from the room, leaving a wide-eyed Zaria there for just a moment before she understood what the exchange meant. She reached out to the smoke that lingered behind him and used it to follow him, leaving the Alpha alone in his home.
Zaria found her love inside of a small room where an unusually pale she-wolf lay surrounded by frantic bodies. Ardyn fell back against the wall as he watched the members of the pack try to sustain the woman who was clearly fighting a losing battle. In the middle of a brightly lit room, Ryesen lay with her arms and legs strapped to the bed beneath her. Her flesh had taken on a grey tone and her body was covered in a layer of sweat.
“What’s going on? What are you doing to her?” Ardyn’s voice frightened the woman who he appeared next to, and she dropped the bowl of water, sending the liquid splattering across the room. Everyone paused, shocked to see the changed wolf in the room. They didn’t know whether they should fear him or be happy to see him. Ryesen’s new mate, Marcus, was the one who finally spoke up.
“They’re trying to stop the shift. It’s there, just beneath the surface, we can feel it. Her wolf is trying to take claim of her. I’m afraid that if she shifts now, that will be it for her. I don’t know what to do, I can’t feel her wolf anymore. I can’t feel her. I’m unable to reach her … it’s like she just isn’t there anymore. I’m looking right at her, and there’s only emptiness in front of me.” His eyes bulged. “Can you feel her? Is that why this is happening, is it like before? Is she with you?” His questions were more hopeful than angry. The last time Ardyn had arrived in the pack home the bond between Marcus and his mate was broken as her wolf spirit ran to embrace that of her former mate. As much as Marcus didn’t want that to be the case, he would accept it over the alternative—losing her completely.
“No.” Ardyn’s response crushed the man who stood before him. “I’m sorry, but I don’t feel her either.”
“What can we do?” Zaria asked. “There has to be some way we can help.”
“We’ve been trying to figure out the cause, but our healers have found nothing.” Marcus turned from the newcomers to continue staring at his mate. “There is something dark at work here and it’s trying to take her away from me.”
“Her wrists, they’re bleeding,” Zaria pointed out. “Have they been this entire time?”
“No, that started yesterday. We thought it meant the efforts were working, but then she started to attack and we had to tranquilize her and restrain her with the straps. She injured quite a few of the aides.”
“It’s where they cut her,” Ardyn offered. “The exact same locations that Akasha used for the spell.”
“That can’t be good, right?” Zaria looked up to Ardyn who had taken on a shade of green. He looked as though he would either vomit or blow something up. Neither outcome was preferred.
“No, not at all, but at least it gives us somewhere to start.”
“Can you do something?” Marcus turned to the two djinns as if just realizing what they were. “You two are of g
reat magic, right? You have powers, you can fix this, reverse it.”
“I don’t think it works that way. I can try to help, but one magic doesn’t simply erase another. We’ll have to get to the root of the spell and understand how it works before we can really fix this.” Zaria spoke with a sympathetic voice, one that told the grieving man that she was on his side and would work to help figure things out for Ryesen.
“I need to speak with my father.” Ardyn hadn’t taken his eyes off Ryesen the entire time they were in the room. His thoughts ran away with questions that he wouldn’t get answered if he stayed there battling emotions that were both his own and not.
“Go, I will stay here and try to help as best I can.” Zaria touched his arm, pulling his attention to her. The palm of her hand warmed just slightly in that reassuring way that told him they would find a way to save his former mate. She was by his side and would stay there.
Quickly pulling her into his arms, he pressed his lips to her ear. “Thank you, for being so amazing,” he whispered before leaving her side.
“You saw her,” Kamshi commented as Ardyn reappeared in his office. He handed off a packet of documents to a large man who gave Ardyn the side eye as he exited the room, proving that he wasn’t welcomed by all. For the first time, that thought didn’t bother Ardyn. There were bigger issues at hand.
“Yes.” Ardyn decided not to comment on the look he’d received from the nameless man and several others since his arrival. “She doesn’t look good.”
“I know that expression.” His father chuckled as he sat on the large desk that took up most of the floor space in the center of his office. “I’ve seen it before.”
“What expression is that?” Ardyn paced the floor. He had far too much on his mind to remain still. Movement calmed the wolf.
“Guilt. Don’t do that to yourself, Ardyn. This isn’t your fault."