by Jessica Cage
“Is that the life we’ve chosen to live together?”
“For now, and then we’ll be on to the next lifetime, and the next, and the next, until infinity.” Her warm lips pressed against his jaw. “Whatever the adventure is, I’ll be there.”
“Good,” he growled in her ear, “because I’d follow you to the ends of the earth.”
“I have to go. I need to help Nitara.” She pulled away, then leaned back into him for just a moment longer. “Okay, I really need to go, she’s waiting for me. Will you be okay here?”
“Yes. Actually, it’s good to have time with him even though he isn’t really aware that I’m here.” He looked at his father. “I missed him, all those years I was away.”
“Even if he isn’t his wolf is.” She nudged him. “Try meditating, you can let your body rest while your wolf does some roaming.”
“I think I will,” he agreed, but tightened his hold around her. “I’m not ready to let you go.”
“Yes, but you must. I will come for you when we’re ready.” She kissed him one last time before exiting through the double doors again. As she vanished, another bed appeared next to Kamshi’s, a gift from the phoenix.
Ardyn shook his head as he climbed onto the bed next to his father. She would do whatever it took to make sure the man rested. As he laid back, his eyes fell shut and the deep breath escaped his lips as his mind centered. Within moments he could feel the pull taking him away from the physical world.
A small bench appeared, similar to the fallen tree where he’d first meditated with her. Though the space around him felt real, he knew that he was no longer with his body. He sat on the bench, stilled his spirit, and cleared his mind again to allow himself to dive deeper into the meditation. Within minutes, he was back there in the open field where it all began, with his wolf by his side. Only this time, they were not alone. Across the distance was a man accompanied by a steel grey wolf. At first it seemed a mirrored reflection of himself, but with closer look, he could tell that it wasn’t. His father waved to him and he took off running.
“Dad.” Ardyn stopped just a few feet away from the Alpha male. “You’re okay.”
“Yes, I am.” Kamshi smiled and held his arms open to his son who then closed the distance between them to embrace him.
“How is this possible?” As Ardyn’s gaze moved around the field, he noted the changes. There were more trees, the grass longer, the wind calmer, and the sky held two moons.
“It seems that fire bird has been good for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You were never able to elevate before.” Kamshi could hardly contain his pride.
“Elevate?”
“Through meditation. Remember how much I used to push you to become one with your wolf? This is why. This plane exists for us to commune with our other halves in peace. You’re here now, which means you’re ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To become Alpha.” Kamshi’s chest swelled with honor.
“A-Alpha?” he stuttered. “I cannot be Alpha. Marcus is your chosen successor.” As much as Ardyn wanted the right, he had accepted that it was no longer his to claim. He’d given that up when he turned his back on his people.
“Marcus is no Alpha, and when you bested him, you proved that. Our people will not follow him, but they will follow you and your strength. Of course, that is a decision you will have to make on your own. I cannot force you to return to a home that is foreign to you now.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say.” His wolf stirred by his side, excited for the chance to return home, but Ardyn had never considered an invitation to go back, and he damn sure hadn’t expected one to lead.
“Say you will consider it.” Kamshi held his hand up before Ardyn could protest. “I’m not saying make a decision now. Just think it over. There is time still for you to make that choice.”
“Okay, I will.” Ardyn nodded.
“Good, we have a lot to catch up on, and as my physical body is unable to do so, I suspect we’ll have to do it here.” While Kamshi and Ardyn spoke about all of the time they’d lost together, their wolves ran free in the field; every so often, they howled at the two moons.
“Nitara.” Zaria arrived just outside of the border that had been erected around the Peaks where Nitara worked with Magua and others. “Sorry I took so long,” she apologized and embraced Nitara.
“No, you’re okay.” Nitara hugged her back. “How is Ardyn? Is Kamshi still the same as we left him?”
“Ardyn is good, not resting like he should be, but he is okay. Kamshi is stable. He hasn’t progressed any further in the infection, and at this point I think that is about as much as we can hope for.”
“Good, we need to work quickly.” Nitara glanced at the people who worked with them. “Word is that there are more cases appearing and rapidly. Everyone is on edge.”
“Have you heard from Jinn or Bruto?” Zaria questioned her. If everyone didn’t show up on time, their getting the area prepared and ready for the ritual would make no difference.
“No, neither. I tried reaching Jinn but nothing. I’m assuming that the fae are blocking his magic somehow.” She worried, remembering the chain created by fae magic, which Sarah tried to use to enslave her husband, but shook away the thought. He was there to offer them help. How could they ever seek to use that against him?
“I’m sure he is fine.” Zaria touched her shoulder, knowing where her thoughts were headed. “We all know how tough the fae are whenever they decide to grace us with an appearance, and we know less of their protocols in their home. Jinn is smart though. He’ll be able to handle whatever they throw at him. I’m sure he is okay.”
“Yeah, well, either way, we still need to move forward with preparations.” She muttered something under her breath about kicking Jinn’s ass if he didn’t come back to her before she returned to the conversation. “Luckily, they seem to be bringing most of what they need.” Nitara handed the list over to Zaria who reviewed it as Magua approached them.
“The witches have requested that we secure some of the Peliculous flowers that grow here which I have scouts out looking for now. They’re a new breed of poisonous flowers and are extremely difficult to find but the panthers know them well. We should be able to get enough. Our main focus is clearing this area, which I assume will be up to you two.” Magua pointed to the area beyond the border. None of his men would be volunteering to go there.
“Yeah, considering anyone who steps foot on that soil becomes affected … We don’t want anyone else harmed,” Zaria agreed. The two of them would be able to apply the potion to the land without ever setting foot on the ground.
“The potion arrived this morning as her instructions stated.” Magua waved a hand and two jaguars brought over a massive case that they set on the ground between them. They opened the case to reveal several glass bottles filled with a metallic purple liquid. The fluid shimmered as he lifted one of the bottles from the case. “I assume you just spray this around the zone marked on this map and that’s it?”
“Spray and wait, got it.” Zaria nodded as she read the instructions on the page that lay inside of the case. “Is there anything else?”
“Once the potion works, we have to repair the altar. That is when Magua and the others will be able to come help us. The potion will act as a barrier between them and Daegal’s magic and leave them unaffected. We also need to get anyone who was involved in the original spell here. Including Ryesen, Praia, and …” Nitara paused as she sounded off the list of names.
“Me,” Zaria finished her sentence.
“Yes.” Nitara nodded. “I know that you aren’t affected but you were a part of this. Actually, you were a pretty big part of it. Your flame was supposed to be the catalyst for his return.”
“Great, I should have known this wouldn’t be easy.” Zaria turned and looked out at the infected area. She didn’t want to be there. The feeling in her stomach told her that she should run b
ut she knew that she could not.
“Do you think you can handle it?” Magua’s concerned expression forced Zaria to straighten up.
“I don’t really have a choice in the matter, do I?” She grabbed the mix from the box. “Let’s get this done. I’ll take the north, you the south, and we’ll meet in the middle.” She tossed another bottle to Nitara.
“Sounds good.” Magua pointed to the men who were bringing over another case full of potion bottles. “Think it will take all of this to get the job done?”
“Even if it doesn’t, I say we use it all just to be sure.” Nitara shrugged. “Her instructions don’t say either way.”
It took the two djinn five hours to complete the task of soaking the land in Azalea’s magic as they had to be sure every inch was touched by the spray. By the time they finished spraying the center of the field, the effects of the magic could already be seen. Where life was devoid, it had begun to return. The land regained its green flourish and the smell of death was replaced by the fresh scents of botanical life. This was an illusion, of course, because just beneath the surface the sticky evil of Daegal still existed. This would only give them enough time to do what Azalea and the other witches needed to do.
“Guess we just wait for the rest to kick in.” Nitara tossed the final empty bottle back into the case. “I think it’s time we get Bruto back here.”
“Do you think he’s ready to return?” Zaria asked. “We still have another day before the witches will arrive.”
“He doesn’t have a choice. Just like you. One day is already gone, and once that stuff finishes working, we’re going to need more manpower with getting everything settled and ready at the altar. I still think it’s best if we limit how many of the shifters step foot inside of the perimeter, regardless of how safe Azalea believes it will be.”
“You’re right.” Zaria nodded in agreement. They couldn’t risk more people getting hurt or affected by the poison that existed beneath the surface of the land.
“You think you can handle checking in with Genesis?” Nitara asked. “I want to be sure he hasn’t decided to run off with Rosie. He hasn’t offered any update on her status either. We need to closely monitor her progression, or lack thereof.”
“I can do that. Then, I’ll stop on my way back to give Ardyn an update. I know he is anxious to get this done.” She also wanted to make sure that her wolf mate had done what she asked and gotten the rest that he needed. She was worried about his lack of concern for his own wellbeing.
“Sounds good.” Nitara turned to Magua. “Get only the strongest together. Keep a close eye on this place, and hopefully by the time we both return we can get that altar repaired.” She waved her hand and a living topographical map of the area appeared. “You can watch the progression of the potion here. It’s interactive so you can zoom in and out, also listen in, and even smell if you prefer. A little trick I picked up from Ardyn. Most of the area has already made the turn for the better, but there is still some that fights back, closer to where the altar was erected. I assume that will take some time. We did an extra layer of spraying there just to be on the safe side.”
“Nice.” Magua leaned in and played with the map. “I’ll keep a close eye on things while you’re away.”
“Thank you.” Nitara lowered her voice. “I tried to create one for the bear territory, but there is something blocking it.”
“Another gift from one of the king’s ex-wives, I’m sure of it.” Magua sighed. He would have loved an opportunity to check in on things inside of the polar territory but knew that the odds of that happening were highly unlikely. “Thank you for trying.”
“I know you two are close, I’m sure he is okay.” As Nitara laid a hand on Magua’s shoulder, she gave him a look that told him she knew more than perhaps he wanted, but also that she would keep her knowledge to herself.
“Yeah, no doubt.” He shrugged away from her touch, suddenly uncomfortable with the intimacy. As Nitara and Zaria shifted away, carried by pink and purple smoke, Magua took a moment to regain his composure before issuing the orders to his men. Things were about to get hairy, which meant he had no time to get swallowed up by hidden emotions.
“Back to your old hideout again, I see.” Nitara entered the cavern, surprised there was no music blaring through the halls. The lavish scene she’d expected turned out to be just Bruto sitting somberly alone in his former home and singing a melody in a moving timbre that she had no idea he was capable of producing. The single chair was set in front of an unlit fireplace, and in his hand was the liquor bottle, still unopened.
“Best place to be when you want to get away from the world.” Bruto stopped his humming and turned his bloodshot eyes on her. “Too damn cold here for most people to want to come through, or to drop by unannounced.”
“Since when do I need an invitation?” Laughing, she conjured a chair that appeared next to his solitary one. As she sat next to him a fire began to burn and warmed the space around them. He may have been okay with the freezing temperatures, but she wasn’t. “You can’t stay here forever. We need you out there. The final preparations have begun, and we’ll need you by our side for this.”
“So, you’ve come to retrieve me then?” He stared at the flames. “Work to be done and whatnot.”
“No sense in letting you slack off while we tire ourselves out.” She nudged his shoulder, hoping for a response that resembled his usual humor in return, but there was nothing. He didn’t even look at her.
“How is she?” His voice broke as he asked about the woman who was frozen in time with his heart in her possession.
“I don’t know. Zaria has gone to get her and Genesis while I’ve come to retrieve you.”
He grunted. “Right, that asshole.”
“You gotta get past this Bruto. You need to find a way to let this go.” She slouched back in her chair. “It doesn’t help anything.”
“Why do I have to just get past it?” He finally looked at her again. “Why do I have to push aside the way this is killing me? You have no idea what this is doing to me, and I don’t want to hear about you and Jinn. I don’t care about what happened between you two and how you rose above it. This isn’t the same and you all know it so spare me.”
“You’re right, this isn’t the same. That isn’t why I ask you to move forward. I ask because this is only going to eat away at you. It will fester inside of you until it becomes something dark, something unlike who I know you to be.” She leaned forward and dropped her head in her hands, suddenly exhausted from the events of the past few days. “Rosie doesn’t care about Genesis, not anymore. She loves you. And even if that all doesn’t work out, because we don’t know that it will, I love you, Bruto. You’re so special to me, to all of us, and we don’t want to lose you.”
“And I appreciate that, Nitara, I do. I don’t want anyone to think that I don’t, but this hurt me worse than anything I’ve gone through! She was silent to me, and yet, she responded to him.” He stood and sat the bottle on the empty chair. “I was by her side all that time and nothing, not a peep. He comes around and we get fireworks and a light show with audio included. What am I supposed to do with that, Nitara? I love that woman and I’m losing her to this demon, in every sense that I can imagine. I feel her slipping away from me.”
“You can’t know that for sure, not while things are like this,” Nitara tried to reassure him.
“You’re right, I can’t. What I do know, is that with Genesis back here, things between us will change. There is no doubt about that. He isn’t just going to go back to wherever the hell we pulled him from. He’s going to want to stick around.” That had been his fear all along. If Genesis hung around and tried to get his claws into Rosie, it could mean that Bruto would lose her. There was something major between them, they all knew it. Even though Bruto knew it didn’t end well between them, he also understood that Rosie’s heart was big and forgiving. There was nothing to say that in the time that had passed, she hadn’t already f
orgiven Genesis for whatever he did and wouldn’t happily accept him back into her life.
“We’ll deal with that when we come to it,” she stated in a low tone because there was nothing more she could offer. “That’s all we can do.”
“Will we?” He found her eyes again.
“Together, of course. You’re stuck with us, Bruto. You might as well get used to it.” A small smile touched her lips, and he smiled for the first time since she’d gotten there.
“You know, it’s not at all easy to sneak away in this place.” Jinn stood at the back of the empty hall and looked out over the busy city.
“Yeah, those little charms you have there are trackers.” Laurel lowered the hood from her head and pointed to his wrist. “Don’t worry, I logged you as being indisposed. That should give us about forty-five minutes before someone comes searching for you.”
“Okay, so what did you find?” Jinn was eager to get the information he needed to move forward. Time was ticking down, and soon, he would need to transfer Praia’s body back into shifter territory.
“Praia’s notes are very extensive. Toward the end there, when she started to really get weak, she had me catalog her stuff. I don’t think she realizes what she came across. As strong as she liked to pretend that she was, she was out of it.” She walked over to the small table that sat in the corner. The room was being prepped for a grand event so everything had been removed. They had just over an hour before the space would be flooded with busybody fae.
“Okay, so what is it?” Jinn joined her and took a seat at the table.
“She told me about the spell that you all had to use to bring Nitara back from the other side when she was trapped inside of that vampire. She said it called for a tether and an anchor.”
“Yes, what about it?”
Laurel laid out papers on the table and allowed him to look them over. The two documents lay side by side, and it didn’t take long for Jinn to recognize the similarities.