by J. L. Weil
It was insane, but even after possibly traveling worlds, my ache for Devyn hadn’t lessened. I wanted the damn Shaman more. Everything about me—from my eyes to the way my cheek glowed at his touch—radiated desire. I bit my lip and asked, “Care to share?”
“Well, we either somehow created a portal, which is highly unlikely as neither of us is in possession of a key or . . . you used void to jump realms.”
“That’s a thing?”
“Which one?”
“Both!” I knew nothing about keys or “voiding” as Devyn called it.
He sat up and swung his legs over the bed. “In our world, they are very much a thing. Did you feel anything before?” he asked.
Oh, I’d felt all kinds of things. I sat up beside him, our shoulders touching. “Are you referring to the weird darkness that swept us away?” I didn’t know how else to explain what I’d felt.
He nodded. “Void. I thought I sensed your magic, but . . .”
The color deepened in my cheeks. I knew just why his senses had been off. “What is void exactly?”
“It’s the ability to summon shadows, to suck the light from anything, and that darkness allows the wielder to create a rip in the worlds without a key. It's a coveted power that very few fae have.”
“Wonderful,” I mumbled.
His eyes slid to mine. “It's the affinity for darkness that allows the wielder to merge shadows from one place and travel to another with a simple thought or image.”
Shit. I didn’t like where this was going as I recalled the sudden darkness and the flash of an image. “But that doesn’t explain how I ended up here of all places. I’ve never been to the Second Moon, let alone your room.”
“Me,” he stated.
I raised a brow.
His hand rubbed at the back of his neck. “I was thinking about how I didn’t want our first time to be in some cheap motel. How you deserved to be—”
“If you say ‘treated like a princess,’ I’ll hit you,” I interrupted him.
A smile tugged at his lips. “Fine. The point is, I was thinking about home—this room to be exact. You must have tapped into my memory during the void from our connection. It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”
“Which means I now have five tails, if your theory holds any truth,” I breathed.
“Indeed.”
This was good news. I should be happy. It was another stepping stone toward my goal. So why I wasn’t feeling joyful? “Do you really think it is possible that I acquired another tail without knowing?”
The glow from the windows at our backs gilded the side of his face. “Only one way to find out.”
Shift into my Kitsune form.
What crappy timing. Couldn’t I have earned the ability after I’d finally gotten the chance to sleep with Devyn? Now that I had been thrown into the Second Moon, our chances of being together was blown to smithereens. This world and all its stupid rules.
I’d think about that later. One goddamn problem at a time.
Was it safe to shift? Would my powers be detected?
It hit me then. I was so, so far from home. Farther than I’d ever been. Hell, I wasn’t even in the same world, and I didn’t know how to get back.
Could I get back?
Should I go back?
Panic clawed at my chest, raking over my lungs in a way that made it difficult to breathe. Would I ever see my parents again? Jesse? Hannah? I’d known traveling to the Second Moon was inevitable—the endgame to saving my mom’s life. But I’d assumed there would be more time. I never got the chance to say goodbye, to hear their voices again. Phones didn’t cross realms, and besides, mine was charging on the nightstand back at the motel.
“Hey.” Devyn’s soft voice pierced through my rising hysteria. “Hey, we’re going to figure this out. I won’t let anything happen to you. You’ll be safe. I swear it until we come up with a plan on how to get back.” He pulled me into his arms.
“We’re going back?” I muttered against his bare chest.
His hands came up to frame my face as he tipped my head up to peer into my eyes. Steady. Dependable. Fierce. He was my rock. “Trust me, Kitten.”
How could I do anything but trust him? But that didn’t mean I wasn’t wary of this place. In fact, the more time I had to dwell on it, the more frightened I became.
“Kitten, huh? How cute. You already have nicknames,” said a deep, sensual male voice.
I jerked in surprise, realizing we were no longer alone. The invader hadn’t made a single sound, not one that either my Kitsune ears or Devyn had detected, and that was disturbing. What other surprises would I be in store for?
God help me.
Devyn bristled against me, sending a series of alarm bells ringing inside me. I’d been with Devyn long enough to read his body language, and right now, it was screaming, “Beware!” The stranger was trouble.
My head lifted, sweeping across the room until my eyes landed on the face who belonged to the stranger. I gaped at the male standing in the center of Devyn’s room in all his impressive fae glory. He was attractive, if you were into tall blonds with sparkling azure eyes and cocky grins. His hair was chin-length and silky, offsetting his golden skin. Everything about him radiated sensual grace and wickedness, from the way he held himself to his sleek black tunic.
I shivered as he beheld me. Something behind his eyes made my skin crawl.
For a moment, no one said anything. A half smile played on the man’s lips. “Let me guess, you call my bro here ‘honey bear’ or something equally as sickening.”
Bro?
He hadn’t meant that literally, had he? Devyn didn’t have a brother. A younger sister, yes, but he’d never mentioned a brother. Perhaps he meant it in the sense of a brother-in-arms, a warrior brother of battle, not blood, for there was nothing of Devyn in him that I could see or sense.
Devyn tossed a blanket over my shoulders, scowling at him. “Kai,” he growled, the sound vibrating through his chest.
“Hello, little brother. We weren’t expecting you home so soon.” His voice was playful, like that of a cat toying with its prey.
Devyn shifted to his feet in front of me, blocking me with his body. “Neither was I.”
“It’s been so boring without you, but I can see why you’d want to keep her all to yourself.” Kai purred in a way that terrified me. He angled his head to the side, regarding me like a predator sizing up its next meal. “Unique isn’t she? Our little mortal queen?”
“I’m only half,” I retorted.
Kai pursed his lips, amusement lighting up his eyes. Deep blue irises rimmed with obsidian made his eyes quite unusual. “Does the kitten have claws?”
The use of Devyn’s nickname on his brother’s lips sent the Shaman into action. Wrath and Fury appeared at his wrists, hissing in the air with anger. “Leave, before I do something you’ll regret.”
“I see you still have your little pets.” Kai eyed the snakes with mild amusement.
“And you’re still the biggest asshole I know.”
“It’s good to know some things never change.”
“Go to hell,” Devyn snapped. Obviously, the Shaman and his brother didn’t get along.
“Oh, come on, Dev. I haven’t seen you in years, and that’s all you have to say to me? Where’s the love?” Kai crooned, enjoying every second of Devyn’s temper as if he fed off it.
I held my breath, afraid to move a single muscle and draw that feral gaze back to me.
“I didn’t know you had a brother,” I whispered, wisely keeping my eyes on Kai. I placed a hand on Devyn’s shoulder, and the muscle under my hand was taut with restrained fury.
“I don’t,” he replied.
Kai laughed. “Stepbrother. He likes to pretend I don’t exist. Isn’t that right, bro?” He drew out the word to irritate Devyn more.
“What are you doing here?” Devyn demanded.
Kai’s piercing eyes slid to me, and I cringed. “I felt a surge of dark
ness and came to check out the cause. Magic like mine isn’t common among our kind, as you know. I was curious.”
Magic like his. Did that mean Kai could void? Was he a Kitsune? I cursed my lack of fae knowledge.
“She is none of your concern,” Devyn said without an ounce of warmth.
Kai clucked his tongue. “How could I forget? You were born to protect the mortal queen. It appears our little Kitsune is quite skilled. Are you sure you can handle the job?”
“She is not yours,” Devyn seethed.
“Very protective. I guess it’s in your blood and all, but do you want to tell me what you are doing half naked in the sheets with the future queen of Katsura?”
Devyn was across the space in a single stride, his twin blades flashing in the air as he unsheathed them. “It’s none of your business. Now leave!”
The silver swords seemed to sing with power in his grasp, and I studied them. Had they always been so marvelous? I was enamored by the hum of magic they emitted.
Kai leaned a shoulder against the wall, giving no indication he had any intention of leaving. “I thought you were supposed to protect her not seduce her.”
“Get the hell out of here.” Devyn’s voice was laced with the promise of violence if he chose to linger.
Kai smiled for a heartbeat longer. “Touchy. I hope you get your temper under control because there will come a day when you will have to share your kitten with the entire fae race, brother.” Kai ran his eyes over me and winked. “I’ll be seeing you, little queen.”
The air grew cold and sharp as a shadow from the corner of the room swirled around Kai like a cloak. My magic hummed in response to Kai’s like a long-lost friend saying hello. Then he vanished into nothing as if the shadow had swallowed him whole, leaving behind my stunned silence and the unmistakable scent of magic. It hung thick in the air where Kai had been seconds ago.
I blinked. Just what kind of fae was Kai?
Words failed me as I gathered my composure. So much had happened in the span of a few minutes. I was in Ashland. I had a new ability. And Devyn had a stepbrother he despised. “Are you going to tell me what that was about?” I asked, turning to face the Shaman.
His back was still stick-straight, his fingers clenching the hilts of his blades. “Kai is an asshole. Stay away from him.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. A devilishness oozed from Kai with lethal arrogance. “Are you okay?” I asked, daring to place a hand on his shoulder. I wanted him to look at me, but he kept his back to me.
With slow movements, he lifted his eyes to mine. “We need to find a way to get out of here. It isn’t safe, especially now.” Regret shone in his expression.
Was he talking about this room or the Second Moon in general? “Because of Kai?”
He sank down onto the bed, the swords in his hands disappearing along with the fae creatures. “He is only part of the problem.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about him?”
“He isn’t my brother. Not to me.” He softened the edge in his voice. That still didn’t explain why he hadn’t ever mentioned Kai. “Here my abilities aren’t restricted as they are in the mortal realm. But just as I am stronger, so are the enemies who hunt you. We aren’t bound by the limitations of your world here. Magic flows freely in the Second Moon, unyielding and unforgiving.”
The stakes were higher now.
“Word will travel fast of your arrival,” he continued. “Unless I can find a way to keep Kai from talking, but even then, it will only buy us a few days at most. There are faes who will be able to detect your magic, your scent. I can shield you for the time being.”
Shield me? “How does that work?”
“As long as you’re near me, I can mask your scent with my own. It isn’t an ideal solution, seeing as most faes know what I am to you. They will assume I would never be far from your side. And it only works at a distance. If someone is close enough, they can pick out our individual scents.”
“Can’t you just zap us back to Earth?” I said, my fingers loosening on the sheet wrapped around my shoulders.
He shook his head. “If it worked that way, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
So many rules. This world was so foreign to me. “Then how do all those other faes do it?”
“Depends. Some, like you, have the ability to rip through the veil between our worlds. Others have keys that allow them to walk through. I was given a temporary key to find you.” His fingers scrubbed over his face.
What a shit show. “I could shift and try to get us back,” I offered.
Before Devyn could reply, his head whipped toward the closed door.
What now?
“My mom is on her way,” he said before I could ask.
Chapter Eight
I tried to keep the nerves from showing on my face. “What! Are you kidding?” I shrieked in a hushed whisper. This couldn’t be happening. First, his stepbrother. Now his mom? What luck I was having. I hadn’t had a moment to catch my breath or to absorb the severity of my situation.
Devyn twisted toward the door. “Sadly, no. She always knows when I am home.”
Oh, my god. I was still partially undressed. “You wouldn’t happen to have a shirt I could borrow? I’d rather not meet your mom half naked.”
“Shit,” he swore as if just remembering our lack of attire. He dug through a dresser and handed me the first T-shirt out of the drawer.
I made quick haste of pulling it over my head and smoothing down my hair. The material was so soft against my skin. I couldn’t figure out if it was my body that felt different or if it was the fabric. It smelled like spring rain—like Devyn. The last thing I needed to do was get caught sniffing her son’s clothes. More importantly, I hoped she didn’t notice that I was wearing his clothes.
Way to make a first impression, Karina.
At least we hadn’t gotten around to removing all of our clothes.
Footsteps sounded in the hall and just as Devyn was tugging a shirt down over his abs, the door swung open. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder beside Devyn, resisting the urge to interlace our fingers, seeking the comfort his touch always provided.
The woman who emerged was not stunningly gorgeous, but pretty in an average way. Well, average by fae standards. She had a feline grace with a warrior lingering beneath the curvy and voluptuous facade of her body, but make no mistake about it: Devyn’s mom was every inch a Shaman.
She was also a mother.
Devyn’s mother.
Her eyes were a shade darker than Devyn’s, more moss than forest green, and they went straight to her son’s. They did a quick and efficient sweep over him. Assuring herself he was unharmed, she framed his face with her slender hands. “Devyn, thank god you’re okay,” she sighed, giving him a hug.
“I’m sorry to pop in like this,” he said, returning the embrace.
She shushed him, pulling back to look at him again. A smile curved her full lips in a mother’s delight, her eyes glossy with fresh tears. “You’re always welcome home, but what are you doing here with her? It isn’t safe.”
“It wasn’t planned.”
I brushed the stray wisps of hair from my face. “It’s my fault for barging in like this. I—”
“Karina has been learning how to deal with her gifts, and we ran into a bit of a snag,” Devyn finished for me, sensing my hesitation.
Rosetta smiled at me. “Oh, I remember all too well what it’s like dealing with a Kitsune who is coming into her abilities.” A gleam of understanding and amusement passed over her features. A memory must have come to her mind because her lightness shifted to sadness. She stepped away from her son to stand before me and bowed her head slightly. “Your majesty, do not mistake my worry as rudeness. I am happy you are home, but I am concerned for your safety.”
My cheeks flamed at the formal title. “You were my mother’s Shaman?”
“I was. You look so much like her.”
A lump formed in my throat. D
on’t cry. Don’t cry. Seeing Rosetta caused a wave of emotions to crash over me, mainly missing my own mother. Her connection to Mom made me feel close to her.
Rosetta draped an arm over my shoulder and gave me a gentle squeeze. “We have much to discuss, and we must do so with discretion, but first, you need something to eat. If I recall correctly, using her abilities always made your mother hungry. Something about having to replenish her energies.”
My mother. It was nice to be near someone who loved her, and it gave me a sense of peace amid the chaos I found myself in.
Rosetta caught the flash of longing in my eyes before I could cover it with a smile, and she touched my cheek. “I miss her every day, but I understand the sacrifice she made for you.” Her eyes flicked briefly to Devyn’s before returning to me. “I only wish I had been permitted to go with her. Then the two of you wouldn’t have grown up apart.” She gave a nod with her head toward the door. “Come. We can talk after you’ve eaten.”
I let Rosetta lead me through the house with its many hallways to the kitchen where my Kitsune ears picked up other voices, one very young. It was then I remembered Devyn’s little sister.
My mind was too preoccupied to take notice of the house Devyn had grown up in, but a calmness overcame me as if I belonged here. I didn’t know if it was this particular home or the world itself that spoke to me.
Rounding the corner, the hall opened to a large room with a black-and-white tile floor. Herbs hung in front of an arched window drying and filling the kitchen with an earthy scent. Warmth flooded from the lit hearth, and the embers inside crackled and flickered.
The Shaman stayed close to me.
Food.
How long had it been since I’d eaten? The previous night, unless I counted the motel coffee I’d brewed before Devyn and I had set out for a run. We had stopped training to grab something to eat but had wound up devouring each other instead. Then . . . then we ended up here.
At the center of a long wooden table sat a meat pie cooling, the savory and hearty scent mixed with firewood and spices. Surrounding the table were six chairs, two of them already occupied. I tensed at seeing Kai sitting beside a little girl no more than eight or nine.