Chapter Thirty-Two: HomecomingWhen they reached the cabin a while later, it was strange to come back and find it looking exactly the same, though North had changed so much in such a short amount of time. She looked around as she stepped out of the van, fearing there would be another attack, but Orin and Eamon caught her attention.They stood facing each other, their palms touching, and their fingertips resting lightly against each other. As she drew closer, she realized were both mouthing the same spell, though they werenโt speaking audibly. Purple magic flowed from Eamonโs fingertips, and green magic burst forth from Orinโs a moment later.It twisted and entwined with each other, and then arched up into the sky in a straight shot before spreading outward. It was almost like being in a dome composed of sparkling purple and florescent green mingled together. With a whoosh, the visible dome disappeared, and her lovers stepped away from each other. She assumed they had warded the proper
Chapter Thirty-Three: In Hot WaterThe tempting smell of food woke North, and she rolled out of bed before realizing she was alone. That caused a mild surge of disappointment, but the pleasant ache between her thighs went a long way toward assuaging the feeling of abandonment. No doubt, Ryland had been practicing discretion, or perhaps heโd left to help the others with something.She stretched and yawned, feeling calm and refreshed after her nap. Her head felt stuffy from all the crying, and there was a slight pain in her chest, but the grief had faded again to a more manageable level. It was the first time sheโd really had a chance to process and cope with it, so she doubted she wouldโve been so composed if Ryland hadnโt fed from her negative emotions and then found another way to soothe her with their lovemaking.Her clothes remained in the closet where sheโd left them, so she quickly slipped on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt, not bothering with anything else as she left the roo
Chapter Thirty-Four: A FirstNorth wasnโt certain where to find him in the beginning, but he was waiting in the pole barn when the van pulled in. She didnโt have to ask for privacy. Her men were sensitive enough to take it on themselves to quietly melt into the darkness, presumably heading back to the cabin.It was just the two of them, and she shivered at the chill in the air. Her coat was in the van, but she didnโt reach for it since she was still damp. Instead, she focused on the water and caused it to evaporate using a bit of fire magic. A hiss accompanied the steam pouring off her for a second before it was all gone.Eamon grinned, and his hair was suddenly completely dry too. โI do like that trick of yours.โNorth stepped forward and put a hesitant hand on his shoulder. โIโm so sorry that I didnโt notice right away that you had left. It wasnโt that I forgot aboutโโHe brushed his finger against her lip to silence her. โI know. You were definitely occupied, and I slipped out. Iโm
Chapter Thirty-Five: TiranogThey left the cabin the next morning, and North prepared herself to face another contingent of Pytorโs people. They reached the edge of the ward, which Eamon and Orin quickly stripped. There was a faint shimmer in the air, and she could tell a difference, as though the barometric pressure had dropped. A moment later, the van crossed the invisible threshold, and she sensed they were vulnerable once again.A bright flash made her cry out, and she clenched her hands around Ryland and Eliโs thighs, since she sat between the two of them in the backseat of the van. A group appeared before them, and she didnโt recognize them, but they werenโt wearing magical camouflage. โWho are they?โEli patted her thigh. โThey look like Council guards.โโI sent a call to Caius last night and asked him to send a rift to the edge of the ward, so we could avoid the danger of traveling.โ Marek offered that information without looking away from the guards.North frowned. โIf they c
Chapter Thirty-Six: LifeforceDinner with his family was enjoyable, and somewhere between restrained and boisterous, depending on the moment. It didnโt take North long to realize Gwali was the more disciplinarian of the two mothers, while Selwa was the more curious and open one.It was interesting to see Orin and Mariwyn treat both women as equals, though Selwa was their biological mother. She could imagine having children someday with her men and was certain it would be the same as Orin and Mariwyn treated their mothers. There would be no distinction based on biology, which was how it should be in an arrangement such as theirs, or the one Fain shared with his wives.After dinner, Orin took her hand and led her away from the table. โI thought we might practice some Elven magic?โShe nodded, though a little intimidated after remembering the problem she had putting out the fire the night before. Still, she was here to learn Elven magic, if she couldnโt intuitively tap into it, and she c
Chapter Thirty-Seven: BindingNorth woke feeling confined and first assumed it was just the last tendrils of a dream she was having trouble shaking off. She opened her eyes and learned it was no dream. Vines tangled around her, originating from the plants growing on the walls. She started to struggle and managed to roll over enough to see Orin was also in a similar position. The others remained free of the encumbering vines, though an occasional one trailed across the men around her. โHelp. Whatโs happening?โAs one, all their eyes opened simultaneously. She saw confusion and fear on five of the six faces surrounding her, but Orin seemed calm. โWhat is this, Orin?โHe gave her a lazy grin as he brushed one of the tendrils, which released its hold on him at the tender caress. โItโs the binding, North.โShe frowned. โWhatโs that?โโIn fae culture, itโs how we recognize and claim our mates. The plants are in tune to us, so they responded to the power flowing between you and me. Thereโs n
Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Gray RealmWhen they stepped through the portal back to Earth the next morning, North girded herself to face the Council and the Oracle, ready to put an end to the uncertainty and claim all the men as hers. Unfortunately, she was denied that chance, because only Caius waited for them and seemed to be there only to facilitate opening another portal for them.โWeโre going to Nourak already?โ It seemed so quick, without any downtime in between. On the other hand, Earth wasnโt the safest realm for her at the moment, so perhaps it made sense not to linger. Before she could offer another protest that no longer seemed valid, she stepped through the portal directly behind Ryland. She hadnโt even exchanged a word with Caius, which was kind of how she liked it.Her first impression of Nourak was blandness. The streets were gray, the buildings were slightly lighter gray, and even the sky had a grayish cast to it. It was a grim and depressing place, and she was unsurpris
Chapter Thirty-Nine: BloodThe reception was as dull and tepid as the rest of the city had been so far. North looked around the semi-crowded reception room, which was sparse in decorations. That didnโt surprise her after seeing the rest of the monotonous gray world these people lived in, but she couldnโt help interpreting it as a sign of her unwelcome as well.She was still looking at the other attendees, noting Parsh was far across the room, when Eamon slipped up beside her to put his arm around her waist and offer her a drink. She was surprised to see it was a rich plum color rather than gray, like everything else seemed to be. โWhat is it?โ She couldnโt help the note of suspicion in her tone.โIt appears to be some variation of wine,โ said Marek as he joined them, sipping his own glass. โItโs not bad.โHer other lovers were going through the pretense of mingling, and though she knew she should be doing the same, she hadnโt yet managed to peel her feet from the floor where she had t
Chapter Fifty-Three: ReunionIt was over, and relief swept through her. Her spine stiffened, and she managed to stand upright again. โWeโll do our best.โ Persephone nodded and disappeared into the crowd of people who were triaging survivors or stacking the dead to be jettisoned into Noirvald. North turned away from all the chaos, no longer wanting in part of it. Other people could clean up, but she needed the reassurance of her mates. โI need to be alone with you. All of you.โโOf course.โ Eamon took the lead, and they ended up back in the bedroom she first used at her arrival at headquarters. North waited until the door closed before she started undressing.โNorth, maybe you shouldnโtโฆโ Ryland looked uncertain.She managed a small smile. โI should. I definitely need to. I was denied contact with you for the last two weeks, and I need to renew our bonds. This is what I need right now. Trust me.โAt her words, their resistance evaporated, and they started undressing too.Orin was the f
Chapter Fifty-Two: Find Your WayNorth stared around, vaguely aware the place was familiar. When Pytor moved from her side, she felt nothing but a wave of relief. Even that was a dull sense, and emotions barely penetrated her. Her mind was thick and heavy, like it was shrouded in fog.She remembered opening the portal, and how it had drained her for several minutes. Sheโd had to regain her strength before Pytor could lead her through it. She remembered thinking she should resist, but hadnโt been able to do so.She remembered the moment when the portal had torn open, though it hadnโt been a neat hole. Even now, the edges were ripped, and the energy felt wrong to her. She still had her physical senses intact, even if she couldnโt really access her emotions. Her arm remained hanging, and she willed it to fall at her side, but couldnโt without his permission.Anger stirred in her that she needed his authorization for such a mundane task, and she glared at his back. It was easier to think
Chapter Fifty-One: AttackOrin paced around the cell, sick to death of the confines of the small room. Theyโd been trapped in there for two weeks, let out only on a one-by-one basis in order to shower and see to hygiene needs three times per day. He was amazed they still let them do that after the last couple of escape attempts, but perhaps Caius had some remaining compassion.Just not enough to risk weakening the Council to a level that made them uncomfortable even if it meant rescuing North from Pytor. He didnโt understand how Caius could justify that decision, even though the Council had little love for North. They should realize that the longer North was with Pytor, the more vulnerable she was to falling under his command. Apparently, that wasnโt worth risking their control.Before he could stop himself, he paused, rammed a fist against the bar, and cursed. The curse was a combination of frustration and pain from colliding with the bar. There were wards placed all around them, plu
Chapter Fifty: FrenemyTwo weeks. Two miserable weeks had passed, and North was no closer to recovering her memory. Each time she had a flash of something important, Pytor seemed to realize it and ordered Kira to adjust her dose of the โsolution.โ She still had no idea what that was, but each dose made it harder to think and harder to resist his horrible orders.โDo it.โ He raged at her, waving at the body crumpled on the floor. โKill the yaogui.โShe closed her eyes, her body trembling from the torture heโd already forced her to inflict on the small creature huddling on the floor before her. โWhy?โโDonโt question. Never question me. You do as I say. Now kill it. Show me the range of your power.โ His temples throbbed with the force of his anger.North looked down at the pitiful creature, which had been broken for at least an hour. She wished she could say it was the first time heโd made her use her magic to hurt others, but it wasnโt. This was the first time heโd told her to kill for
Chapter Forty-Nine: Memories (Lack Thereof)North woke with a throbbing headache. It hurt so badly that she couldnโt think clearly. The pain centered in a spot on top of her head, so she lifted a hand to touch it and flinched when she encountered something metallic in nature. She whimpered and started to thrash.โEnough, Nara. You must be calm.โ The male voice was authoritative, but it didnโt make her want to listen.Instead, she wanted to run away. Panic filled her as she opened her eyes, unable to see anything. โWhatโs happening? Who are you? Where am I?โ Who am I? That question echoed around in her head. Heโd called her Nara, but that didnโt feel right. In fact, it felt wrong on so many levels that she rejected the name immediately.If she wasnโt Nara, who was she? She tried to think, but couldnโt remember anything beyond being certain her name was North.โCalm please.โ The soothing female voice had a gentle touch to match. โLet me make some adjustments.โNorth froze as those hands
Chapter Forty-Eight: BetrayedKriss was the one to knock on the Allisesโ door, since there was a chance they didnโt know him. He was taking no chances of them recognizing Eli and trying to keep them out. They wouldnโt be denied entry, but heโd like to make things as quick and neat as possible.Carol was the one to open the door, and she left the chain on. โWhat is it? Do you have any idea what time it is?โโItโs time for you to tell us what you know.โ Eli burst past Kriss, ripping the chain from its plate as he collided for the door.So much for subtlety. With a shrug, Kriss entered behind him and closed the door as the sound of bare feet running down the hall reached them. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for Jim to join them.Eli held Carol by the back of her shirt, ignoring her ineffectual struggles. When Jim burst into the kitchen, he nodded at Kriss.Kriss moved quickly, intercepting Jim and twisting his arm behind his back before forcing him to stand wi
Chapter Forty-Seven: OpeningThe fighting was brutal, with an overwhelming number of soldiers. If it hadnโt been for Eliโs brethren joining them, they would have been wiped out by the sheer numbers that poured through the portal in the short time it was opened before it closed. Marek fought as hard as the others until all he could see was a pile of fallen and smell the coppery tang of blood in the air.โWe have to get back to the Council.โ Eli looked wary, but seemed determined to ignore the reality of exhaustion.Marek could relate. It was finally safe, so he returned his fire sword to the scabbard hidden by his wings. โWhat about all this?โ He gestured at the pile of bodies.Eileen approached, looking grim. Blood smeared her face, but it didnโt seem to be her own, since there were no visible injuries. โYou go after North. Weโll sort out our dead from theirs for a proper burial and then burn the rest.โโThanks, Ma.โ Eli leaned forward to hug her. โIโm sorry to run.โEileen nodded. โI
Chapter Forty-Six: ImpossibleThe next night was a full moon, which meant a gathering for the wolf-shifters. She had the fae fabric become a comfortable outfit, in case they ran. She had no idea what to expect as they all followed Eli to the square of the village. Someone had started a huge bonfire, and there were several naked shifters cavorting around it. Others had already shifted.โTry this.โ Eli handed her a glass of something pale purple.She sniffed it. โWhat is it?โโPink yarrow wine. Itโs good for you.โShe took a cautious sip and gasped. โI didnโt expect it to be so strong.โEli laughed as he handed glasses of the wine to the other men. โIt has a kick, but it tastes great.โNorth wasnโt entirely sure sheโd use the word great, but it wasnโt bad. She ended up finishing the glass over the next twenty minutes as they all mingled. She interacted more with Eliโs family and saw her other husbands were getting along with the wolves too. It was important to her that they all get alon
Chapter Forty-Five: UntamedThey entered a thickly forested area. This wasnโt the same kind of almost-tamed forest that had been on Bael. It was dark and primeval, with the fecund scent of soil, and everything looked rough around the edges. Even the buildings visible in the distance were on the primitive side.They moved closer to the settlement as they walked carefully through the wild forest. Most huts were clearly fashioned from material provided by the forest, and someone appeared to have carved the bare niche of land forming the space for the buildings from sheer brute force. Everywhere she looked, she could see signs of the forest trying to encroach again and reclaim its territory.The smell of soil gradually faded from her nostrils to be replaced by a less pleasant scentโwet fur and shifter bodies, combined with the unique musk that she had never noticed on Eli, but could only assume emitted from each of the shifters and joined together to create a strange musk.Ryland sneezed