Thankfully, Dauro was already returning from his quick swim to make contact with Nibi. She’d felt his approach before she heard him forcing his way through the hell-spawn bushes. Despite her best intentions for taking their relationship slowly and deliberately, their connection grew stronger with each passing hour. If he decided he didn’t want her in his life, it would hurt like hell.
Moments later, he appeared, just as twilight started to take hold. “The flamingos found Nibi, Rosinette, and the others. They also have the specialist standing by where the hunters entered the portal this morning.” He handed her the charmed chain. Based on his bone-dry clothes and hair, he’d obviously used it to good effect after leaving the water.
“I’m glad they’re safe. We need all the support we can get.” She slipped the chain into the bag with the other treasures she carried for the group. “Ready?”
Dauro took the hand she offered, then stepped closer to face her. “It may be the wrong time to speak of it, but I’m not missing the chance again. I love you.”
She tried to tell herself that he meant it like he loved his friends, but she knew it was more. Felt it in her beat-skipping heart. “I want to–”
Fairy magic spasmed and lanced pain through her head. The portal glowed blindingly bright. The pearl in her bra stung her breast like a white-hot ember, and the crystal in her shirt heated.
She fought to keep control. “We have to go now.”
He nodded once, then turned and released her hand to link his elbow with hers. They walked through quickly together.
The crystal felt like a furnace against her stomach as they cleared the portal that closed behind them with a pressure-popping snap. Chill settled in her bones in the inky blackness.
Dauro blew out a loud breath. “I can’t contact Sunscar through your shield.”
“What if lowering it makes you go slothy on me? That would be three forced shifts in one day for you.” Their voices echoed in the silent hall.
“The demesne promised Sunscar not to enforce the rule.” His confident tone was belied by the undercurrent of unease she felt via their connection.
“Okay, but don’t squish me with your magnificent furry self.” She let the shield go and breathed a sigh of relief when he stayed human.
He probably felt her worry through their connection, but he was sweet enough to pretend he didn’t notice. The same way she pretended not to notice his undeniable fear of returning to his prison.
Light suddenly blazed brightly about fifty feet in front of them, illuminating a rectangular shape on the wall.
“That’s for us,” said Dauro. He caught her hand in his as they walked briskly down the hall. Her headache faded with each step, but her stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten all day.
The light turned out to be another portal, this one barely wide enough for one person to slip through sideways. On the other side stood Sunscar, impatiently waving them forward. “Quickly. We’re out of time.”
She shushed her possessive inner leopard and let go of Dauro’s hand. “I’m right behind you.”
He side-stepped through and headed for Sunscar.
The moment she stepped through, the portal vanished with a tiny flare of light and magic.
Once again, they were in the castle’s big hall of broken cabinets, torn tapestries, and charms scattered everywhere. One charred wall now had a web of spider cracks in the stone. Unsurprisingly, no one had cleaned up the mess.
Before Sunscar could say another word, Dauro enveloped him in a long bear hug. “Thank you for helping us all escape.”
Sunscar pushed himself back and scowled. “Wraiths don’t hug.”
“Of course not,” said Chantal. Sunscar’s arms had been just as tight around Dauro. “You’re very terrifying.”
A tremor passed through the castle floor. Empty plastic water bottles rolled and danced.
The castle’s disembodied voice echoed through the hall. “Go to the bridge.”
Sunscar turned and glided toward the exit, his feet not quite touching the ground. She and Dauro followed with alacrity. Being crushed by a collapsing fairy castle wouldn’t be a pleasant way to die.
Outside, they had to dodge the hunters’ big trucks left haphazardly in the front yard. Gusts of wind tried to steal their breath as they ran toward the bridge. The sun looked like a pink watercolor smear in the sky.
At the top of the bridge, the statue of the small, malevolent cherub beckoned stiffly.
Sunscar scowled. “Fairy magic is clusterfucked.”
Chantal laughed at his disgruntled tone. “Magic is magic. Fairies are fairies.”
The cherub’s jaw dropped like a nutcracker’s, revealing serpent-like fangs. “Open the guest portal here,” said the castle’s voice.
The ground shook, making it a challenge to stay on her feet. Below the bridge, the river looked choppy and swollen.
As she slowed, she opened her senses to the demesne magic. Alien anguish and fear poured into her. She’d have fallen to her knees if Dauro hadn’t been there to catch her and pull her close.
Struggling to shape her thoughts as magic, she tried to send comfort with words. We’re bringing someone in to help you.
“Open portal here,” demanded the cherub.
The ground shook. The wide, heavy stone bridge swayed.
She spoke the activation spell as fast as she could. Pain lanced through her head, making her dizzy. She leaned into Dauro’s solid strength. “Pearl, please open the external guest portal to this location.”
“Portal commencing.”
Magic coalesced. Winds increased to gale force as a ring formed.
Dauro grabbed Sunscar’s arm to save him from blowing over the side of the bridge’s railing. He pulled both her and Sunscar back to the foot of the bridge.
The surging magic made her bones ache. Demesne magic sparked, then spun out of control like a bag of lit firecrackers. She fought to form an image of a wide door, urgently asking the demesne to solidify the outline.
The demesne tried to help, but there weren’t enough threads. She poured as much of her free magic as she could muster into the image, but only the frame solidified. The door itself remained stubbornly insubstantial.
A cold lump formed in her stomach. Her magic wasn’t enough. She’d failed. She’d doomed Dauro and Sunscar to die with the mortally wounded demesne that had held them captive for so long. She sank to her knees.
The next thing she knew, she was wrapped in Dauro’s warm embrace. Use my strength. Use my magic.
The demesne’s anguish and her own despair crushed her hope. I don’t know how.
Your leopard does. We’re mates, blessed by the Heart of the Sky. Dauro sent her a wave of love so strong it brought tears to her eyes. I want to live with you. Love you. Bond with me, and together, we’ll open the clusterfucking portal.
Want and need swelled in her, overwhelming her rational brain’s stubborn insistence that shifters couldn’t bond without the physical connection of making love. Golden shifter-mate magic threads didn’t lie. This is for life. Are you sure?
Yes. His hold tightened around her. By the moon and the ocean, yes. By the sun and the wind, yes.
Tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t care. “I love you. Yes.”
Her shifter magic twined with his, gold threads weaving a sinuous glowing cord between and around them.
Magic and strength flowed through her, washing away fears and doubts. Chantal and her leopard fused with Dauro and his sloth, becoming one for a long moment, then returning, each with a piece of the other in their shared hearts.
The ground shook. Overhead, the pink sun leaked watercolor rivulets as the sky dimmed.
The cherub emitted a high-pitched whistle. “Warning! Warning! Portal failure!”
Clinging to Dauro and meshing her magic with his, she helped the demesne stabilize the door and connect to the real world.
Sunscar grounded his feet and fought the winds to climb the bridge to the portal
. A translucent field blocked his hand from reaching through into the darkness.
“Key required!” shouted the cherub.
“The crystal,” said Dauro. “Nessireth didn’t trust anyone.”
He helped her to her feet. Together, with their arms wrapped around each other, they forced their way up the bridge.
She pulled the crystal out of her shirt and put it in Sunscar’s hands. “You need this.”
As he stepped toward the portal, she asked the demesne to open the door. The translucent field faded. Dark winds howled from the sudden opening, blowing a cloud of dust right into her face.
Fairy magic flared from the other side. A slender hand reached through. “A little help here!”
Sunscar stepped into the threshold, holding the glowing pink crystal. With his free hand, he grabbed the outstretched hand and pulled.
A slender figure slammed into Sunscar, sending him staggering back into Dauro’s solid bulk.
“Close portal!” demanded the cherub.
Chantal struggled to visualize shrinking the portal opening like a camera shutter. The portal pearl in her bra burned like fire. Despite Dauro’s added strength, the portal fought to widen.
A powerful wave of fairy magic smoothed over the doorway and erased it completely. The wind stopped abruptly.
“There, that’s better,” said the fairy as she disentangled her long, varicolored curly hair from Sunscar’s silvery coils. “Thanks for the assist.”
Fine red dust coated everything. Chantal sneezed so hard she stumbled into Dauro. He caught and held her while she tried to find where she stashed her bandana. Her eyes watered and stung from the dusty grit.
“Who are you?” Sunscar’s tone mixed challenge and respect.
“Zephyr.” The voice sounded irrepressibly cheerful. “You can be none other than the gorgeous but grumbly Sunscar.”
Chantal looked up in surprise, blinking to clear the haze. “Any relation to wind fairy Magister Zephyr of the legendary Battle of Siroc Academy?”
“Ah, the price of fame,” said Zephyr. “Stop one djinn army from taking over a school, and they graduate you to get rid of you. As if I brought the invasion. I’m only part wind fairy, by the way. I am enchanted to meet the noble Dauro and intrepid Chantal. Nice work with the portal.”
“Can you fix the demesne?” asked Sunscar.
“Maybe,” said Zephyr. She pointed to the cherub. “Tell me about the rock magic.”
“I think the castle and the demesne are symbiotic.” Sunscar held up the crystal. “The castle has the logic, and the demesne has the… heart, if that’s the right word.”
Zephyr’s eyes widened in surprise. “Fascinating. Probably explains why it didn’t implode. This will be fantastic. I can’t wait!”
Chantal couldn’t help but smile at Zephyr’s enthusiasm. “Can you let Dauro and Sunscar out? They don’t deserve to be imprisoned a moment longer.”
“Collectors,” said Zephyr with deep disgust. “Makes you ashamed to have fairy heritage, doesn’t it?”
Dauro grumbled low in his chest.
Zephyr held up her hands apologetically. “No offense meant to your new mate. All the ancient races have collectors. Or worse.” She cast her gaze upward at the remaining streaks of the fading pink sun. “Give a minute.” Waves of fairy magic began flowing from her.
Sunscar turned to stare at Dauro, jaw dropped. “You’re mated? Why didn’t I know? Why didn’t you tell me?” He glared at them both. “And why can’t I read your thoughts anymore?”
Dauro smiled. “I don’t love you any less because I’ve fallen in love with a kind and clever leopard woman. I no longer take my gifts for granted.” He snugged his arms around Chantal. “The Heart of the Sky has shared with me her gift for shielding, including mind speech.”
She turned in his arms to look up at him. “Really?” She hoped he’d teach her how to use her shield for herself.
He kissed her. “Yes.”
She’d have felt his love even if he hadn’t pulsed their mate bond open when their lips touched. Which immediately revved her hormones into overdrive.
Cupping his beloved face with her hands, she returned the kiss with interest. The taste of him rocked through her core. My leopard demands that I drag you off to our lair and play with your naked body. Does the castle have a bed?
He chuckled and nuzzled her ear, making her nipples diamond hard and aching for his touch. My sloth wants to sing to announce our territory, then slow-walk you to a thousand orgas—
“Okay,” said Zephyr. “Here’s the situation.”
Chantal dragged her attention back to the fairy and tried not to resent the interruption.
“This place has enough stored magic to rip open reality and make it bleed. The demesne needs a new conductor, which can be me for a while, but I can’t handle the living rock.” A grimace flitted across her expressive face. “The castle knows and trusts its charges, meaning any of you six who were in the collection. I imagine none of you want that job until we can get a trustworthy rock specialist, but without one, I can only slow the inevitable demise.”
Sunscar’s shoulders squared. “I will stay.”
Dauro’s alarm and dismay echoed across their mate bond. “I don’t care what that dung-throwing witch said, you are not a sacrificial goat! Your life is your own.”
Sunscar waved placatingly toward Dauro. “I won’t stay forever. Just until the specialist gets here.” He closed his eyes for a long moment. “I’ve seen the real world. It’s not yet ready for me.”
Chantal suspected it was the other way around, but Sunscar was finally free to make his own choices. She wouldn’t try to tell him what to do. “If you want to just visit, Kotoyeesinay would be a safe place to go. I’ll introduce you to the laughing wraith.”
“Speaking of your hometown,” said Zephyr. “The demesne has one failing anchor left. We can add more here, or we can move the demesne to someplace that’s not in the path of Category Five hurricanes. I was thinking one of the sanctuary towns would be the best shot at finding new permanent owners. Kotoyeesinay would be great.”
Chantal shook her head. “Way above my pay grade. I’m just a deputy sheriff. I’ll introduce you to the town council.” She tilted her chin toward Sunscar. “If there’s any justice, the demesne should benefit the former captives.”
“Good idea.” Zephyr beamed, then frowned. “I wish I could port you there directly, but it’s going to take decades to find all the portal blocks Nessireth hid around the island. She was one paranoid fairy.” Zephyr pointed at Chantal’s chest. “If you give me the pearl node, I’ll open the guest entrance on top of the hill. The flamingos should be still waiting, if they haven’t gotten distracted.”
“Gladly.” Chantal dug in her bra for the still-warm portal pearl and handed it to the fairy. “I’m probably going to have burn scars for days.”
Zephyr squinted as she examined it. “That shouldn’t have… oh, I see. Its secondary shell is Alfar metal. What an odd choice.”
“Probably meant to deter one of us from stealing it.” Dauro shook his head. “Nessireth had thousands of years to dream up things like that. Ask Rosinette to lend you the book.”
“And you’re dreaming if you think a wyvern is giving up a book of magic.” Zephyr laughed. “I’m negotiating for copies of selected pages.”
“Not to be rude or anything,” said Chantal, “but is now a good time to open the portal? I haven’t eaten all day. I can’t even smell my mate because of Nessireth’s stupid scent-suppression rules built into the demesne. Dauro deserves to be free and stay that way.”
“Oh, right.” Zephyr held up the pearl with one hand and waved Sunscar toward the bridge with the other. “Do me a favor and go tell the cloud-fairy statue it’s okay.”
Chantal was glad she’d never compared an actual cloud fairy to a malevolent cherub. It likely wouldn’t have gone well for her.
Sunscar glided to the top of the bridge to put a hand on the statue’s head
. After a moment, he nodded.
Zephyr blinked once slowly. A tiny whorl of magic grew to a spinning circle, then settled on the walkway. The center faded to black. Beyond the portal, light from the demesne spilled like a giant search beam onto the dirt and rocks of Vieques.
A faint voice came from the other side. “Magister? Are you okay?”
“We’re just ducky, thanks. Sending two through. The eye-candy wraith is staying to help for a bit.” Zephyr nodded to Chantal and Dauro and pointed her thumb toward the portal. “Thank you for flying Zephyr Air.”
“Wait,” said Dauro. “How can we talk to you and Sunscar once you close the portal?”
“Oh, good point.” Zephyr’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. “I can hop sound and image through a plane or two to get to Earth, but Sunscar should have his own means.”
Chantal considered her resources. “I’m carrying a ‘find-me’ paired set of a bracelet and charm. Feels like witch magic. Could we build on it to make a trans-plane connector?” She opened the bag of treasures and pulled them out for Zephyr to see.
Zephyr nodded. “I can work with that, if you can handle the charm part of the magic.”
“I’m not as good as my mother, but I think I can tease apart the magic so you can lay in the end points.”
Zephyr looked to Sunscar. “Tell the rock… castle what we’re about.”
Sunscar’s chest thrust out in affront. “I already did.”
Zephyr turned her face away, but not before Chantal saw her rolling her eyes.
The paired charm proved well made, so it only took Chantal a few seconds to open the ethereal magical connection. Meanwhile, Zephyr spun demesne threads into an elegant, complex line. Together, they coiled it into the charm’s magic, and Chantal sealed it shut.
Chantal slipped her hand into Dauro’s. “Come set the ringtone.”
Together they climbed the bridge to where Sunscar hovered near the cherubic cloud-fairy statue.
Chantal held out her hand. “Both of you touch the charm and the bracelet. Say a phrase in unison. You each take one. Whenever one of you says that phrase, it’ll open a nano-portal with your voice and image to the other.” She blew out a breath. “That’s the theory, anyway. If it doesn’t work, Zephyr promises to work with my mother to make one that does.”
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