Next they met with Chase, the snow leopard, and the two elves on the shift that night—Bart and Alder.
“Welcome to the team,” Bart said.
“Thank you,” she said.
They bundled up, grabbed walkies, and headed outside.
“Oh crap,” she said when they were out in the cold.
“Yeah, I would say that you get used to it, but cold is cold,” he said.
The others left for their rounds, each starting at a different point and circling the perimeter as well as checking the various buildings.
He and Emberlin walked to the Well and then past it to the Portal, which was a dull whitish gray because it wasn’t activated at the moment.They’d know when the witch opened a portal to come to Northernmost because the Portal would glow bright white.
“It’s so freaking beautiful here,” she said, her head tipped back as she looked at the sky of stars and the glowing Northern Lights.
He thoughtshewas the most beautiful female he’d ever met in his life.“You sure are.”
She lowered her head and arched a brow.“I said it was beautifulhere.”
“I think you’re more beautiful than anything else up here or anywhere else.”
“Sebastian,” she whispered, “compliments like that will get you a sexy dinner break.”
He grinned and pulled her close, their bulky coats stopping him from feeling her warmth.“You’re a sexy, gorgeous female.That’s your burden to bear and mine to enjoy as your mate.”
He gave her a quick peck on the lips and they moved around the Portal so she could look at the magical perimeter.He couldn’t see the perimeter itself because he wasn’t magical.To him, it looked like a hazy dome over the town, but he could walk through it without feeling it.A magical person could see the magic itself, which Emberlin said looked like electricity.
The Portal activated, the ancient bones powering as the center of the big structure turned black and began to reveal where the witch was located.
They moved closer to the Portal entrance.“I’ll go through and make sure it’s safe before she comes across, and then we’ll do the same when she’s done.”
“Sounds good.Be careful.”
He nodded.
The portal cleared and a cabin much like Emberlin’s was behind the witch.
“Honor?”Emberlin asked.“I thought you already replenished your magic back in November?”
“She’s from your coven?”Sebastian asked.
“I’m sorry, it’s your sister,” the young witch said.Then she screamed as Talia, wild-eyed and frantic, shoved her aside and raced through the Portal, heading right for the Well.
* * *
“Talia!”Emberlin shouted as her sister ran between her and Sebastian.“Stop!”
“I’m sorry,” Honor said as she got up from the ground, “she told me she had to come see you!”
Emberlin ran after her sister and shouted to Sebastian, “Call for backup.Something’s wrong!”
She gave chase to her sister as she headed for the Well.She saw something in Talia’s fist that looked black, and it appeared to be oozing with dark magic.
Sending a blast of her magic in front of her sister, she threw up a wall of fire, and Talia screamed and fell backward, protecting herself from the heat.
Emberlin stepped gently on Talia’s wrist and reached down, wrenching the stone from her grasp.
