Jesse bursts out laughing and grabs Rafe’s arm as my brother lunges for my boyfriend, intent on violence. Jackson’s eyes go wide and he steps back, holding Marigold close. “Wait, what’s happening?” “Mooove!” Midnight whines, squeezing in on Jesse’s other side. “I want to see the fight!” But I
“That is not what I said,” Anton snarls. “That is verbatim what you said!” Jesse counters, glaring hard. “That was –“ Anton sputters out, his eyes going wide with horror as he flounders and then points at Jesse in turn. “That was a between-us, emotional moment, Jesse! Come on, man! Bro code!”
Things go easier after that. I conjure up a big breakfast spread for all of us and take a little time with everyone. Rafe spends a great deal of time with Anton in a corner, lecturing him a great deal, but I ignore it once I sense that the threat of violence has faded from my stupid Alpha brother.
I sigh and nod to him before turning to Faiza. “You want to do the honors?” “Not really,” she says, tilting her head at me. “You’re the all-powerful one, anyway.” I sigh and turn back to Blythe, hoping I get it right as I pull on some of my magic and will him back into ghost form. He turns towar
The six of us troop out onto the street, Orion and Anton looking with particular curiosity as Laila spreads her palm out flat in front of her, using only four of the objects from the divination bag this time, clutching them in her fist and asking her question about direction as she pulls on my magic
The people of this city watch us pass, quite interested, murmuring as we go by. I frown at that, looking around at them, wondering how they’ve identified us as anything worth their attention. But then I remember that I’m walking with a ghost, a super-hot Prince, two priestesses and a squirrel. And
The temple empties as we step inside. I frown at bit at this, feeling…I don’t know. Very visible? Very…vulnerable? Here, alone, in this wide empty space. My eyes move again to the back of the temple where a few priestesses skitter away into doors tucked into walls. I can’t hear them, but the way the
I nod, moving along with him, and together we walk slowly along the wall, studying the images drawn there. As we walk along the length of the wall, I at first assume that the images are simply decorative. The Goddess of Life is in most of them, doing magnificent things. I see some of her standing
“No!” she sputters out, stumbling a few steps towards me, shaking her head so hard her pretty blue-green hair flutters out all around her. “No, Junie, don’t make me go! I want…I want to stay here! And help! I mean…” she bites her lip. “It will be nice to be able to visit home. But I want to stay wit
“I’m sending you home too,” I say quietly, doing my best to look each in the eyes. “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m sorry if you’re disappointed that you didn’t get the wish.” They murmur a variety of responses back to me, most of them relieved. One by one they step forward and I take their ha
“Does…” I whisper, my eyes still fastened to Orion as my eyes move over him, feeling the powers that radiate from him now. “Does that mean you have all of the powers of Darkness too? From…from the wish?” “No,” Orion murmurs, looking down at his hands and flexing them, experimenting with the feel o
Beatrice is the last to go, staring at me in shock, realizing finally that she bet everything on the wrong horse. I bare my teeth at her, fangs extended, and Beatrice’s eyes go wider as she trembles and finally submits, going to her knees and bowing her head. “Good,” I say, my voice returning to n
Laila’s knife sinks deep between Death’s shoulder blades and the final scream of a God fills the air as Death falls to his knees. The magic stops mid-stream, like a tap being suddenly turned off. I groan and tilt forward against Anton, who catches me and holds me against his chest. “Shit, June,”
“Just a little longer, June. She’ll do it.” But what if she doesn’t? What if…what if I’m inches from oblivion, and this is it? My heart strains in my chest, my wolf shaking like a leaf from snout to tail. But still, I will myself to hope. To trust in my friend. “I know,” I reply, letting my ey
I gasp, my shoulders trembling under the sheer weight of Death’s magic that flows over and around us, my shield barrier straining and buckling under its might. “June,” Anton breathes, eyes wide as he looks up at the magic streaming over us in an unending torrent. “Shit – are you –“ I crouch besi
The wish presses against Death for a moment and then sinks into him, dissolving into his chest. He sighs with happiness and what looks like ecstasy, tilting his head back to the sky as the magic disappears into him. Beatrice steps away, tucking her hands behind her back, beaming at the God she jus
Before I can get more than three steps after Laila, Anton lunges forward, his paws landing on either side of me as he snatches at the back of my gown with his teeth, holding me back. His fierce growl reminds me that I need to stay here – that Death took Laila because he wants me to come rushing onto