“That would mean that Lucien is either a thousand years old—” My mind whirled at the insane possibility.
Lana cut me off. “Or pugrons in Lucien’s line were here before the world split in two.” She reached down and scratched behind his ears. “How old are you, sweet thing?”
“Old,” Cassandra chuckled. “Pugrons live extremely long lives for such little creatures. It is likely his parents were here with Evelyn.”
Honestly, it just seemed insane, but after everything…was it really? Who knew what we should and could believe anymore.
“So all we have to do is ask little Luci here to make us a portal and it can take us to Firestone?” Jax asked incredulously. “That’s it?”
Vivienne straightened her gown. “I would suggest Illiana ask, he is loyal to her. If you ask, he may incinerate you.”
Lana stuck out her tongue at Jax in a move so unqueen-like for such a serious situation, it reassured me that the Lana I knewand loved was still in there. We hadn’t lost her yet to the anguish of being separated from Kade.
She glanced at me, then to Storm. “I’m assuming you both have ideas on who should undertake a portal jump to Firestone?”
Storm’s lip twitched as he crossed his arms. “Perhaps.”
“Out with it, then.”
“Jax and Ian,” Storm answered immediately.
Lana’s eyes narrowed, but I didn’t miss the slight furrow in her brow. She was surprised. “Because?”
“We’re shifters,” I answered for him. Storm nodded. He was a damn good leader, and I appreciated his quick thinking. It rivaled my own, and I was grateful to have an equal navigating these circumstances. “Meaning we can physically retreat faster than all of you. We also possess the ability to be stealthier in our animal forms. We can get in and out, hopefully without being noticed.”
“Just the two of you alone?” Lana asked.
Raya flipped her sword around in her hand like she was bored. “I’ve gotten pretty good at my babysitting duties with you, Your Majesty.” She winked at Lana, and though it wasn’t directed at me, my heart skipped a beat at her beauty. Since she’d accepted our bond and stopped punishing herself for what happened in Mysthaven, she’d been lighter despite the challenges and dark path that lay ahead.
“I don’t like this.” Lana wrung her hands together. “You’ve never even been to Mysthaven, Ian.” She stepped toward me and whispered, “What if you don’t come back? I’m barely hanging on right now. If I lose you too…”
My fingers found hers, and I interlaced them. “It’s a risk we have to take. This is for our world’s survival.”
“He won’t be going alone,” Raya added. “He’ll have Jax and Lucien. They’ll get the information we need and report back in no time.”
“I can’t believe you’re not worried about me too.” Jax crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.
“Have you always been this needy?” Lana retorted.
He grinned. “For my queen’s attention? I haven’t had a queen in a long time, so I’m going to say yes.”
I let Jax’s humor soak into the tension-filled atmosphere. It allowed me a moment to hide my own fears. I couldn’t show Lana or Raya how worried I was. What if we didn’tsucceed? Not only in finding whatever this weapon was but in getting the information we'd need to destroy it. We couldn’t lose this war, but right now, there were too many outliers. If we didn’t find a way to eliminate this threat or destroy the darkness in Kade, defeating Thames wouldn’t matter at all because it wouldn’t be possible. Beyond that, Lana would never recover. I didn’t know how many more losses she could take and still maintain her sanity.
Losing her mate? That wasn’t even on the table.
I’d had less time with Raya than she and Kade, and already I knew if either of us lost the other, there’d be no place for us here. It wasn’t just a deep-rooted feeling; it was as if accepting the bond intertwined our souls together. There was no longer one without the other.
I couldn’t help but flick my gaze to Cassandra. Knowing this feeling, I wasn’t sure howshecontinued functioning. Especially for a thousand years.
“Well, since that's settled,” Jax said, rising to join me next to Lana. “How does one travel through a portal?” Jax’s expression shifted and filled with mischief. “Can I continue to use it after this? Or is it a one-time thing?”
Cassandra rolled her eyes. “For you? Fates help anyone if Lucien lets you bounce around our world on a whim.”
Jax winked at the seer, eliciting a sharp, brisk chuckle. The first I think we’d heard from her in weeks.
Lana worried her lip between her teeth, her gaze floating between Lucien and Vivienne. “You believe this is the right move?” she asked her. “That I stay, and they go through a portal like this?” Her gaze turned icy when she looked over at Cassandra. “Because if I send my friends into this unknown portal and they come back harmed—or worse, dead—I will not hesitate to banish you from this kingdom, or the next.”
I held my breath, unsure of how Cassandra would respond. Vivienne seemed to be the tolerant one, but the more Lana pushed Cassandra, the moodier she became.
