“Agreed,” Jewel, Stella and Anna, the one healer who hadn’t said a word so far, said in unison.
“Gah.” Jen grinned. “They’re so bloodthirsty. I love it. We’re totally keeping them.”
“I’m not even going to ask what she means by that,” Myanin said. “What’s taking Nissa so long?”
“I’m here,” the high fae in question said as the group parted. Beside her stood Thadrick, the djinn, and his mate, Jezebel.
“Thank you, Nissa,” Jacque told the fae. “I appreciate your willingness to help get them here. And thank you Thad and Jezebel for coming.”
“I also have these.” Nissa held out her hands to show five fae stones.
“Those fancy rocks are busy lately,” Jen said.
Jacque nodded. “It’s a good sign that they’re here with us.”
Lucian’s attention was drawn back to Thadrick as the djinn started moving toward him.
“Nissa has explained about the draheim veil,” Thadrick said, his eyes holding Lucian’s. “I will use what power I can to see if we can open it. But I cannot use too much or the destruction I will cause—”
“Will make Peri’s cold fire look like child’s play,” interrupted Jen. “We get it.”
“Understood,” Lucian said and then waited to see what the djinn would instruct.
“Form a circle, please.” Thadrick motioned to the group to spread out. Lucian appreciated the djinn getting right down to business. The wolf’s skin crawled with the need to see his mate, and though the earlier chatter distracted him, that’s all it was—a fleeting distraction.
When everyone had created a circle, Thadrick walked over to the veil and motioned for Nissa and Disir, who stood in front of it, to spread apart and make an opening. “This is not an exact science,” the djinn told the group, his back to them as he looked at the space between the two large trees. “Considering the amount of mixed power in this group—sprite, wolf, witch, warlock and fae—I think holding hands to combine the power will be useful. Jezebel will hold my hand, as well as Nissa’s, and she will funnel the power from you all into me. I will attempt to blend it with my own, hopefully reducing the amount of my magic I will need to use.”
Lucian looked beside him and saw Jacque on his right and Jen on his left. He took their hands and ignored the way his wolf growled, disliking the touch of any other female besides their own. If this is what it takes to get her back, then we will hold their hands, Lucian told his beast. The wolf didn’t respond.
“Considering my lack of magic,” Myanin stepped up beside the veil, “I’m just going to stand here and be ready to cut something once the veil comes down.”
“Myanin,” Gerick, the warlock general, called. Lucian noted the intensity with which the man fixed the female djinn and saw the same possessiveness in Gerick’s eyes that he saw in the eyes of other true mates.
“I won’t do anything stupid,” Myanin assured him, her eyes softening a bit.
“Liar,” Jen mumbled.
“It would be good to have someone ready in case there is draheim waiting on the other side,” Thadrick said. “Thank you, Myanin. Magic or not, your fighting skills are unparalleled.”
Myanin looked at the male djinn, and Lucian saw something pass between them, but he didn’t recognize what. “Thank you, Thadrick.” Weariness, maybe, but also respect.
“Focus,” Thadrick said, his voice deepening. He reached for his female’s hand. “Picture the magic that lives inside of you as something that flows like water. It starts in the center of your chest and runs throughout your body,” Thadrick continued. “Now focus on pushing it down through your arms and into your hands. See it flowing into the person next to you. Jacque, pull on the pack bonds. Your mate will answer you, as will your pack.”
Lucian did as the djinn instructed. He saw the magic that made him the supernatural being he’d been created to be. But that wasn’t the only thing he saw. He also saw a current of blue power running through him. Confusion filled his mind. He’d never seen that power inside of him when he looked at his bond or his pack magic. This was new. He reached out with his hand in his mind’s eye and let his fingers run over the current. Lucian sucked in a sharp breath when he felt his mate’s magic fill him. Then he felt her. All of her.
Lucian dropped to his knees, but Jacque and Jen didn’t release his hands. His head fell forward. So many emotions, memories, and thoughts filled his mind.
“Thad, we’ve got an issue.” Jen’s voice sounded like it was coming from somewhere far away.
“Don’t stop,” Thadrick called back. “Whatever it is, we will deal with it after the veil is open.”
“We’ve got you, Lucian.” Jacque’s voice was soft but strong next to his ear. “We won’t let go.”
Lucian got the strange feeling that Jacque knew what was happening, or she at least had an idea. He could feel her empathy through the pack bonds that were currently wide open. As more of his mate’s magic slammed into him, he realized he had no choice but to trust Jacque, because he was lost to all that happened inside of him. His wolf attempted to take over, but Lucian kept control of the beast and just let himself sink into the moment. What more could he do? He didn’t want to fight it. He wanted her, needed her close, and this was the closest he’d felt to her in far too long.
“My mate,”Lucian said through the true mate bond that currently wrapped itself around the blue magic, threading itself in and out until the gold and blue were a single cord.“Come back to me.”
Another pulse of power hit him, so strong that it knocked the wind from his chest. He felt himself tip back, and he would’ve been knocked down if Jacque and Jen hadn’t held him upright. Lucian clenched his teeth against the onslaught, trying to breathe air in through his nose. His lungs burned with the need of the precious oxygen.“PERIZADA.”Lucian’s wolf roared in his mind, reaching to her through the now joined cord.
