"So, the Fae realm really is dying?" Nicki asked quietly. Surprisingly enough, her question was directed towards Adelina.
She rubbed at her eyes and peered at the werewolves around her. I knew how she felt without asking, that uneasy sensation from being in an entirely different world. I could see the affect she had on everyone else, especially Michelle. Fae were inherently beautiful, but fae children resembled the greatest works from artists in both realms. They had the glowing skin, shimmering eyes, and pointed ears of the High Fae, but also the youthful innocence that allowed them to see the world differently.
"The source of our magic is deep within the earth. Lately, it's been growing weak. No matter how many pathways I see, I can't figure out how this all began; why it started fading in the first place." Adelina sighed, looking more exhausted than she had before she fell asleep.
"There's a connection between this realm and the fae realm. Some of the Fae wan
'How come you don't feel like you're going to throw up?' I muttered to Atlas, merging our thoughts together. His amusement trickled in first, followed by a hint of concern. Even in his head, his deep chuckle managed to raise goosebumps. I felt his touch along my arms, and felt his looming presence behind me. "I was born and bred to be an Alpha, kitten. Public speaking is part of the job." He smirked, tugging my wrist to turn me around. As the knot of nerves, I had currently settled in my stomach, I wished I could prolong this moment for just a while longer. It wasn't so much the public speaking I worried about, but the potential reaction our words could have. Unfortunately, we had mere seconds before Dustin came in the room, telling us it was now or never. This was the first stop of five. Five identical announcements that would spread throughout the pack and the world. The rogue attacks that plagued our lands were more than met the eye. Puppets being
As we all walked around the southern perimeter of the pack, warriors in their wolf forms stepped forwards. Fur coated heads and snoutsemergedfrom the brush, with intelligent eyes that noticed and tracked our differences. Many were bold, stepping forwards to greet their Alpha. Others sensed the change before they truly saw it, their ears twitching and turning.Surprise rippled across their faces, one by one as they realized what their Alpha and Luna had become. Even with the shock and dismay, the power here was clear. There was no mistaking the power that radiated from Atlas was not solely do to his fae heritage. The power and strength of an Alpha ran through his blood; fire and ice as they mixed and transformed into something new.
We couldn't stay there amongst the rubble and bones of the house, waiting for more Fae or rogues to seek us out. There wasn't a single part of the house that was salvageable. Every last bit, charred and broken beyond repair.I felt the weight of those bones, of the memories obliterated from the house just as I felt the severity of what I had done.The house had belonged to one of the pack members in town, but once this war was over, they no longer had a home to return to. This was also the fate I had placed on my friends; on Tyra, Liam and Dustin.Like a plague with the electricity of magic, I had completely changed them.Unchanged by the blast of spirit that demolished the house and altered my friends, Alpha Marcos and Luna Tessa were escorted back to their lands by Atlas's men. The rest of us had no other option but to leave, to fortify the borders around us and come up with a plan should they find another way in.Not only had the Fae come this t
There was no longer any time to wait. We had no clue whether or not our Fae attackers had come through a portal, or if they had been trapped here in this realm.With myself as the exception, portals were incredibly difficult to create and took large amounts of power depending on how many you had to transport, and how far you wished to go.It was obvious Tamara had come through a portal, but had she brought these Fae along with her? Even worse, had she somehow managed to bring an entire army?That same night; Atlas, Alette, Adelina, and Dustin went outside to train under the moon. Atlas was continuing his training, while Dustin would be starting from scratch.I was positive that for the entirety of my immortal life, I'd feel guilty for taking that choice from my friends, no matter if they seemed to be enjoying themselves or not."Do we have to wait until morning to begin my training?" Tyra asked just an hour after Atlas and the others had left. She
Nicki stood out front of Dean's family home, a goddess cloaked in flames and light as she carried her wounded mate on her shoulder. Strands of mahogany and maroon stood out in her chestnut hair, tucked behind human ears.There was something chillingly beautiful about it, seeing the eruption of flame from the house in the background as Nicki stood impassive and unreadable.For that brief time, whatever had triggered this power within her, she had become pure heat and flame.Slowly, the embers faded from her eyes. Coals of angry red simmered down to a pale orange, and then finally back to her usual cool tone. Her clothes were still singed, falling apart in some pieces, but the flames around her feet had finally sputtered out.All that was left was the fire that raged on in the background, crackling and snarling as it devoured all of the dry fabrics, woods, and furniture in the house.The fire wasn't spreading, that much was evident. Whether it was lu
As I woke up just a few short hours later, I wondered how on earth everyone here had managed surviving three months on this little sleep. I had my answer nearly an hour later, when I piled into the already crowded kitchen in Atlas's family home. The mouthwatering scent of coffee filled the air, sweetened by the protein shake both Nicki and Dustin were drinking. When everyone had chosen to meet here was beyond me, but it did make things easier. There was no exhaustion in any of our eyes, even Atlas's, who had stayed up all night as he scoured the territory lines with Duke, Dustin, Liam, and a group of warriors. We were all too on edge, to focused now that the Fae were here. Nicki looked better than she had last night, already geared up and focused on training. Once Finn arrived just ten minutes later, we all left for town. The part of town we were training in had already been evacuated, thankfully. We would have no witnesses, and should any rogues or F
It was chaos when the first thread of cobalt water magic twisted and writhed in the air, invisible to all but myself.The Fae never truly explained now natural it felt using magic, how it was like unlocking a piece of yourself that you hadn’t known was missing. Like an arm or leg, it did as it was told and had limits—only magic offered a bit of spice with its unpredictability.If you had the strength and creativity, there wasn’t much you couldn’t do.I pondered that thought as I darted to the side, all but diving head first into the water. I felt Duke’s rather forceful blast mist against the side of my face.Adelina’s giggling sounded in the background, and even Alette gave a small chuckle. From the corner of my eye, I could see Nicki and Liam halt their training, grinning as they watched the three of us.“Let's get creative?” My wolf suggested, feeling a tad vain at the moment.I obliged, snic
We were thrown back nearly ten feet, skidding against the earth like human-sized stones. The scrapes along our knees and forearms were nothing compared to what was to come. The sound of crumbling earth filled our ears, trickling down as dirt and stone finally began to settle. Three rogues snarled at us, but there was no thick and musty odor—in fact, there wasn't any smell at all. The fully grown wolves frothed at the mouths, dark eyes narrowed and hackles raised as they caught sight of three snooping prey. "I can't smell them." Nicki whispered sharply, her eyes darting to where I sat, between her and Tyra. A jolt of realization hit me when I noticed something shimmering in between the rogues, a thin film that caught the light at a certain angle. It blanketed the rogues, and was almost lavender in color. "Someone is using spirit to block their scents." I replied just as the lead rogue took a step towards me. I was sure of it