Ryan
I leave Aviva in the bedroom and immediately walk outside into the cool, rainy morning air. I clutch the railing of the deck and hang my head, trying to steady my thundering heart. I can’t go into the village like this. I can barely walk in a straight line with this ache between my legs, but I sure as fuck can’t go back inside because I’ll rip her dress off and pin her to the bed like I wanted to only moments ago.
That little sliver of restraint is all I have left at this point.
I run my fingers through my hair, now wet from the rain. A thick fog hugs the valley, and only the outlines and pitched roofs are visible as my gaze sweeps the village. I had a long list of things to do this morning that are nearly impossible in my condition, and it’s my own damn fault. I didn’t mean to fall asleep with Aviva in my arms last night, but I did, sucked into a kind of peace I don’t think I’ve ever known
Aviva“I know that feels better,” Freya says, frowning at the frantically bleating sheep, who is now sheared clean and pretty much naked as it gallops off to join its herd. She wipes her brow, squinting into the sunlight as she gathers up an enormous handful of raw wool and carries it over to the creek where I’m crouching in the water, rinsing another batch of wool until it shines a soft white. “Who’s next?”“That one,” I laugh, tilting my head to the giant, gray and black ram with spiraling horns that looks like he wants nothing more than to kill us both. He stamps his hooves and lowers his head in emphasis, snorting and shaking his fuzzy head.“That fucker,” Freya growls, tucking her hair behind her hairs and stretching out her arms over her head. “He’s been getting in my way all morning.”“I can take him, if you want.”She shakes h
Ryan“What was that for?” Aviva asks breathlessly as I pull away.“I’m not sure. Sorry.” I clear my throat–clear my head, more like it. I’ve been out in the sun all day helping stack stone for a new house being built in the village, and apparently, that hadn’t been enough to wash Aviva’s taste from my mouth, and my body decided it needed more.We stare at each other for a moment. Her eyes shine like fine whiskey in the sunlight cutting through the shadow all around us. The clouds move swiftly to the south, which is why I had to talk to her.“Jacob and I are leaving in an hour with Shosanna. I sent scouts in every direction to monitor the weather, and it looks like there’ll be a break from the rain tonight.”“You said a week–”“I don’t really have a week to spare,” I admit, when in reality I need to get a
RyanWe’re met in Endova by warriors armed to the teeth. The sun has set, and the village is glowing with torches, the fire at the village center burning brighter than usual. I’d sent scouts ahead of us by several hours to inform Jerrod of our earlier than anticipated arrival, but they’re nowhere to be seen, and that sinking sensation in my stomach explodes as we walk into the village, and Jerrod rushes toward us, his eyes wide with both stress and relief to see Shosanna safe and sound.The wound on my back throbs as Jerrod wordlessly ushers us into his meeting hall. Still in our wolf forms, Jacob and I are given clothes and left alone to change while Jerrod scoops up Shosanna and takes her away to be tended to.“Let me see it,” Jacob insists, grabbing my arm to turn me around. He hisses out a breath. “It’s deep, man.”“It doesn’t hurt that bad,” I lie, pulling my
AvivaMoonlight ghosts over my skin as I stand at the highest point of the valley that overlooks Silverhide. Wind whispers through my fur, and my keen eyes scan the valley below for movement before I move along the narrow rocks, careful of the steep drop-offs hidden in the shadows. The stars are out in full overhead, bright and wild against ribbons of deep, swirling purple.It’s a perfect night. The kind of night I always longed for after days of rain and clouds. But I’ve realized why Ryan and his men came to Endova to join the spring hunt and get their fill of deer in a single night. The valley of Silverhide is empty, save for small critters like rabbits. I won’t be bringing home a deer tonight, not if I stay within the valley like I promised.But it feels good to be out in the wild after a very long day of village chores. All of the wool we sheared and washed this morning is hanging to dry so we can brush it out and
AvivaI wake in a cold sweat, finding it impossible to catch my breath. I didn’t dream last night, but I feel like my mind has been moving a hundred miles per hour without a moment’s stop in the hours I spent sleeping beside… sleeping beside Freya.I look around, pushing a patchwork quilt down to my feet as I take in a new space, a new room, memories of last night flooding back to the forefront of my mind. I’m in Freya’s cottage in the village. I came here instead of sleeping alone in Ryan’s house. I curled up in bed beside her after leaving the mountain, after swimming in the hot spring, after I felt like I had something sharp lodged in my chest….A shout echoes from outside. More shouts, all male, follow. It’s an argument.“Freya?” I hiss, feeling over the bed. It’s still warm, like she’d only been here moments ago, but it’s so early that the sun ha
RyanHadley’s blood is everywhere, coating the wallpaper, the floor, the fine furniture and gilded frames in the foyer of my brother’s house. Her neck snapped so easily. It bent like a blade of grass between my fingers. I’m still holding her. Her neck is limp between my jaws.Sarah’s voice is lifted in a scream. It echoes through my ears as pain ignites deep in my chest.I let go of my mate. She drops onto the floorboards with a smack, her arms limp at her sides. I feel dizzy, like my heart has stopped beating, and all of my blood is rushing to my head. I make the mistake of looking down at her before falling over on my side, her blood soaking into my fur.A white wolf stands in the shadow of the formal dining room just visible down the hall. It’s totally still, it’s glowing, silver eyes holding mine as it turns and disappears like it hadn’t been there at all. Inside, I feel my heart&hell
AvivaThe air in my old home is humid. The sucking, sticky kind that makes me feel dirty and uncomfortable. Summer swept through the Deadlands last night after what felt like weeks of rain, and now, what’s left of the moisture hangs in the heated air, weighing me down, making me sweat, stopping the tears from completely drying on my cheeks.I brush them away with the backs of my hands and press my back to the cool, stone wall in the center hall, trying to gather myself. My heart is still beating rapidly. I arrived in Endova less than an hour ago. Far less. I still can’t catch my breath, and my legs are on fire from running like my life depended on it–because Ryan’s life was in my hands… clenched between my teeth.I run my fingers over my knife belt, counting hilts. I absently reach over my shoulder and count each arrow in my quiver. I make note of the press of the bow against my back, the strength of the l
RyanI watch Jacob lead Mercy away. He’s careful not to touch her, but his hand hovers over her lower back as she lifts her skirts to pick her way out of the forest. I let out my breath and turn to Aviva, who has been sitting silently on a ledge surrounding the remains of the temple ruins she was guarding like a dragon defending its horde the first time we were ever able to speak to each other. I look at her like I looked at her that night after her father gave her to me in marriage. She’s still wild, still beautiful, and has an echo of that same furious look that cloaked her face during our first few days together. My heart beats slightly of rhythm as her scent is carried on the wind–lovely, soft, sweet. A scent that makes me curl my hands into fists to stop from touching her. This is remarkably unfair. To both of us. Because now I know what’s happening, and I still can’t bring myself to accept it. “Do you think they’re really mates?” Aviva asks. Is the first time she’s spoken t
ColeMisty falls into a dead sleep in my arms on Georgia’s old bed. I can’t sleep. I try, but it’s useless tonight. I’m not sure about leaving her here alone, so I bide my time, sliding out of bed and tucking her in tight before standing by the window and watching the square below as the fires turn to embers and warriors go back to wherever their comrades are bunking down for the night. Maybe it was selfish of me to take Misty here, to sleep in an actual bed, while warriors are literally sleeping outside in the square. The room starts to close in on me, and I make the snap decision to leave. The dorm is mostly empty. A few students mill about, their faces marred with confusion. Students who survived the attack but didn’t get away from Richard and his magic. Students who were turned into voiceless, mindless warriors and remember nothing of the weeks they spent in Richard’s clutches. With our bond back in place, I can sense that she’s still asleep, still safe, as I cross the square.
MistyCole doesn’t let go of my hand. He hasn’t since we left the infirmary, and I walked on unsteady legs for the first time in days, my healing powers finally reigniting to speed through the damage done by using every ounce of my powers to close the portal. He didn’t let go of my hand when Sydney whisked us through space and time to the tropical forest that hugs Serpentia, where the trees are so thick it blocks the moonlight on the forest floor. His fingers are knitted between mine, holding tight, as I follow Sydney, Ryan, and Aviva down a fresh wolf trail and into a clearing on a bluff with a view of Serpentia, and the battlefield. Ella’s kneeling at the edge of the bluff, Ryatt standing beside her, leaning down with a hand on her shoulder. Dad stands nearby, his head lowered as he runs his fingers through his hair repeatedly, his eyes locked on… on the clothing in the clearing. Cole lets go of my hand, falling in step with Ryan and Aviva, while I step forward with Sydney in s
RyanThree Days LaterTarsian is gone. That’s the only way to describe it. The cities, the packs… it’s nothing but endless, blood-stained desert now. Even the sea lapping against the shores of Serpentia is stained a dark red, but I watch it fade as I stand on what’s left of a deck overlooking the ocean. Behind me, the incessant chatter of the injured and healing overwhelm the sound of the waves. A few people walk along the sand–warriors of different ranks and alliances. A young man in tattered Arcane Umbra armor talks to a group of men in armor from the Roguelands, reunited with old friends. The curse is gone. The soldiers the Umbra Mortis turned into his puppets, his monsters, well… so far, they have no memory of the war, which is a blessing. The rest of us remember, though. How could we ever forget what happened here? How are we possibly going to move on? “Ryan?”I turn toward Kenna’s voice as she steps toward me, edging around a group of nurses from Moonrise here to help treat
ColeI choke myself awake. Smoke fills my lungs, smothering my senses for precious seconds I quickly realize I don’t have. Muffled voices fill my ears–a few shouts of pain, of surprise. People are calling out for friends and comrades.I’m not in the afterlife. I know that immediately. Pain echoes through my body like waves, driven by the tide of my heartbeat as my body claws back to life, my chest wounds knitting together in real time. But my hand is freezing. I squeeze the fingers tangled in mine and jolt back to reality, rolling with effort to curl my body around Misty. “No,” I breathe into her hair. “Come–Come back.” I can’t feel her anymore. My hand slides up to her neck, my fingers trembling as I feel for her pulse. It’s there, but barely. A weak thump that pauses for several heartbreaking seconds. “H-Help!” I try to shout the word into existence, but my voice cracks painfully, turning into a scream. “HELP!”Figures rush toward us in a blur. The battlefield erupts into view, sh
MistyI land on my feet in a sea of mist. Silver fog snakes around my ankles, around my glimmering armour made of pure light. For a moment, I think I’m… lost within the aether–in the misty, shadowed undercurrent that separates our realm from the Goddess’s kingdom. But wet grass squishes beneath my boots as I stumble forward, breathless, damn near in pieces. Rain pelts the top of my head as I grope for anything to grab onto before I careen toward the ground. I yelp as my body lands with a thud. Thunder booms, followed by its rolling echo as it bounces toward me. The rain fizzles to a gentle whisper as the mist begins to part. A great stone wall comes into view, and then two voices carry toward me, lifted in alarm. I sit up with great effort, kneeling as I gasp for breath that won’t fill my lungs. I slowly lift my head and see two women–one young and… stunning, with long, blonde hair and ocean blue eyes that seem to glow as she holds my gaze, her lips parted in surprise. The seco
Cole“Undo it,” I tell him. “Take the curse back and reinstate order.”He purses his lips to a thin line, confused. “But, Cole, I can’t. It’s not something you can just… stop. Think about it. Use that big brain of yours. Do you see this place? Tarsian is so much bigger than the rest of Eastonia. Riches beyond belief lay below the sand. There used to be mines and forges here, mines that pulled silver and moonstone from the ground and forges that turned that into magic. Yet, in our time, the magic is hoarded by the royals–the Allied Kings.” He sweeps his hand toward the battle. “But not anymore. Once I open the gate, it’s over. This world will be no more. You can come with me, Cole. Be a god instead of a king.”“You can’t, Richard. You failed. Misty is safe, with her family. You needed her to do this.”He smiles a bit sadly, but his eyes flare with mischief. “Yes, she is. Such a shame, really. It would have been easier to do it with her help. Quicker, less leg work for me.” He opens the
Misty“Forgive me, please,” I say to Mom as we walk side by side to the war room, which is really just a massive training area at the very base of the castle. “I know I just got back…hours ago….”“Bring them back for me,” she replies sadly, her hand ghosting down my back. She stops at the staircase leading to the furthest depths of the castle. I turn to face her, and she tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. “I’m okay here. I’ll keep the kids happy and comfortable.”That’s my mom’s power. Being the leader of this family. She has a knack for bringing everyone together, keeping everyone loved and… whole. I pull her into a hug and squeeze. “I’ll come home again, I promise. I’ll be bringing my mate home with me in time for Solstice, I promise.”Her tears fall into my hair. I reluctantly let her go and turn for the stairs, refusing to look back. I have to look forward–only forward–if I’m going to get through this. Ella’s already in the armory, sorting weapons, her eyes locked on her tas
MistyEverything else is a blur. Aviva’s screamed words. Ella’s rushed explanations. Grandma taking me by the shoulders and leading me away, tucking me in a sitting room somewhere in the depths of the castle. I barely feel her arm on my shoulder. I barely register sitting down in a chair, holding the bloody pages in my lap and watching the firelight dance over the untidy scrawl I know so well. I sit there for what could be hours. Eventually, I’m joined by Sarah and Kenna… and then Aviva. Still, I haven’t read the letter. I’ve read my name, addressed at the top of the first page, over and over again. This is his final goodbye, and I’m not ready to accept that. “What are we supposed to do?” Kenna grinds out. “The reports coming out of Tarsian are–”“I don’t fucking care what they are!” Sarah’s voice pitches with fury. “The father of my sons is fighting for his fucking life right now, Kenna.”“My mate, too!” Kenna shouts. “But we’ve been told to stay, to be prepared to defend Moonrise
MistyI wait in the hallway for Luke, not believing he’s actually here, in Moonrise, in the same place I currently am. Eventually, he’s escorted around a corner by two of Ella’s royal guards. His eyes go wide when he sees me, his cheeks flushing. “Misty–”“Luke,” I whisper, trying to smile at him, but my heart is skittering out of my chest. He glances at the guards before taking several swift steps ahead of them to reach my side. I pull him across the hallway to a set of windows and benches overlooking the city of Moonrise, now bathed in afternoon light. “You got out,” he says in disbelief. “I heard that you had, but I didn’t believe it–”“Is Georgia safe?” “Yes, she’s with her family. Her father’s fighting, but she and her mother went to Crescent Falls–”“What did Cole have you working on in the castle?” I rush out. “I was supposed to help you with it but never got the chance.”He pulls a small, oval object out of his jacket pocket and hands it to me. “It’s a cryptex. He said it wa