He snorted out a plume of smoke toward my feet. Perhaps Thames wasn’t the only one losing his mind. I must be too, because there was no way Lucien could be here.
The glittering oval pulsed, widening slightly as a torrent of commotion surged through. Storm, Raya, Ian, and Lana stumbled through the same spot, collapsing on the floor, followed closely by Jax and Kalliah.
“You’re on my foot, Jax,” Kalliah scolded, as the group of them jumped to their feet and scanned the room.
My jaw hung open in disbelief at the chaotic sight in front of me. “What the actual fuck.”
“Kade!” Lana called out to me, and the few shadows that had returned jolted toward her, crawling up her legs and wrapping themselves around her. “You’re okay,” she reassured herself as she met my gaze. Her eyes checked on my own as she reached up, stroking my face. “We’re going to get you down.”
“I’m fine, or I will be fine,” I replied, my heart pounding. “We don’t have long; Thames is trying to find Cassandra. I don’t know when he’ll return. He’s given me that same magic-dampening poison Hale used on us before. I don’t have access to all of my magic, or I would have been out of here a long time ago.”
Storm chuckled. “He will have a hard time finding her, but I agree we have to be quick.”
Jax, Raya, and Kalliah stood guard at the entrance to the room, while Ian, Storm, and Lana inspected the locks on my wrists. I’d never seen Thames produce a key, so Fates only knew if there actually was one.
“Tits and daggers,” Lana cursed. “I don’t see a way to get these cuffs off of him, do you?” she asked both Storm and Ian. “Don’t worry, Kade, we’re going to get you down.”
I grinned down at my perfect, beautifully bold mate. “I feel like the damsel in your fairy tales.”
Lana cast me a stern look. “Not the time.”
I shrugged, unable to stop smiling. She was here, unharmed, and with Thames gone for now, he couldn’t get to her. In this moment, Lana was safe.
Ian and Storm stood there for a minute, debating what to do.
“I could try to melt them off,” Storm suggested, and he reached his hand toward the iron shackle on my wrist, clasping his fingers around it. “It may get hot?—”
“I heard he likes it hot,” Jax whispered far too loudly from where he stood next to Kalliah.
She shoved him. “I’m going to let Leif beat the shit out of you.”
“Promise?” Jax laughed, and she shoved him again.
Storm rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored them. “Hold on.”
He gripped the chains and concentrated his fire power on the rivets holding together the shackles, melting them instead of the chain as a whole. The heat burned my flesh, but once they fell to the ground, I felt immediate relief, keen to rub the aching skin. Storm did the same thing on the other side and eventually, both of my hands were free.
Blood rushed back into my fingers, which tingled as they reacclimated to being held at a normal angle. Lana threw herarms around me, and I couldn’t help but breathe in the very scent of her. My entire body relaxed against her, the tightness in my chest eased as our bond settled. “Hi,” I whispered against her hair.
“You said you’d never leave me again, liar” she murmured in my ear.
My throat tightened with emotion, but I pushed aside the thoughts from earlier. I’d deal with them later. Right now, she stood before me, and I never wanted to let her go. “Let’s get out of here so I can grovel and worship you properly.”
Jax gagged. “Ugh, come on, guys. Get a room.” He winked at Kalliah before coming over to me and clapping me on the shoulder. Ian moved to replace Jax as lookout and gave Kalliah a look I could only imagine meaningreally?
Storm peeked over the edge of the railing, and his eyes widened in shock. “What in the Fates’ names is happening down there?”
Reality set back in as the momentary happiness we all felt at reuniting dissolved. My face turned grim, and I released Lana from my grasp. “That’s the weapon. Those dark ones are sacrificing their blood and their magic to fuel the volcano. Whenever he deems it ready, it will erupt, and darkness will spread across the entire world, infecting anyone it touches. No longer will it have to be injected into their bodies; it can be breathed in.”
“Fuck,” Ian and Storm said in unison.
Lana looked like she was about to lose herself, but then something flashed across her face and determination set in. “Let’s put this mate bond to good use, Kade. I have an idea.”
Chapter 34
Kade
Hell if I knew how to destroy a volcano without making it erupt.
