“What realm are you talking about?” Aimo, the Italy pack beta asked, his brow furrowed into a deep ‘v’.
Synica looked at the other djinn elders. Each nodded and then she answered. “The Realm of the Dead.”
“Damn,” Boain, who’d been quiet up to this point, muttered. “That doesn’t sound ominous at all.”
“I know of this realm.” Dragomir rubbed his chin. “It is a forgotten realm, one that we no longer speak of.”
Synica nodded. “For good reason. The djinn sealed it. At great sacrifice to our people. That’s how dangerous it was. We do not want that veil being opened.”
“What if some of Fane’s pack is in there?” Boain’s arms were folded across his chest. Lorna, his mate, stood beside him, her hands tucked into her jeans pockets as she chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. “We can’t leave it closed if there’s a chance they’re in there. What was so dangerous that you decided to seal it?”
Synica’s eyes dropped down as she took a deep breath, seeming to steel herself for whatever she was about to say. “The Ruler of the Realm of the Dead began to crave more power than he had as the being that he was.”
“So you’re saying that a very powerful being got power hungry?” Jeff asked dryly. “That’s not original.”
Synica’s lips turned up in a wry smile. “Evil never is original. All evil seeks the same thing. Power. And so we made it so he could not gain any more power.”
“I’m guessing he’s probably not happy about that.” Drayden narrowed his intense gaze on the djinn elder. “Powerful beings don’t like the word ‘no.’ So there’s a possibility we have people trapped in this realm with a ruler who’s been trapped there for centuries?”
Synica shook her head.
Drayden’s brow rose. “Millennia?”
The elder nodded.
“Shit.”
“Double shit,” Boain muttered. “We’re not leaving the veil closed. If all of us go, combine all of our power, there’s got to be a way to keep this ruler from getting out.”
“We could lose everything,” Synica said softly.
“Or we could take back everything that’s been stolen,” Tyler countered. He turned to the gathered alphas and allies, his voice firm. “If Shade is opening the veils, we need to be there. And if the Realm of the Dead is opened as well, then we will do what we always do. We fight.”
“So be it,” Myron, one of the other djinn elders said, his lips set in a resigned frown.
The room filled with murmurs of agreement, and Tyler felt a flicker of hope. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
“Then we head to draheim.” Tyler’s voice was steady. “And we make sure our people come home.”
After too many tense moments of arguing, the pack mansion was alive with action. The alphas had finally found common ground: they were going to draheim to help Shade open the veils. Whether they liked it or not, Shade’s reckless quest was their best chance to free the people Celise had trapped. But the decision didn’t settle the tension—it only shifted it. Now, the wolves, fae, warlocks, and djinn moved through the great hall like a storm preparing to break, their movements quick and purposeful, their voices low and taut.
Synica stood near the far wall, her eyes watching as the wolves geared up. Weapons clinked and clattered as blades were strapped to belts and shoulders. Bowstrings were tested, and arrows were counted. The room smelled of leather, steel, and wolf—earthy, raw, and potent. The air vibrated with suppressed energy—the kind that made the hair on her arms stand on end.
Tyler was at the center of the chaos, his dark eyes scanning the room as he gave orders. His mate, Sadra, stood close to him. She was a steadying presence in the whirlwind. Synica watched as wolves shifted into their forms, fur rippling over muscle and bone with practiced ease. Others stayed human, their postures tense but ready. The fae, with their ethereal grace, prepared their magic. The warlocks murmured incantations under their breath, and their hands glowed faintly with power. And the djinn—her people—stood apart, silent and still, their faces unreadable masks.
Synica’s mind churned, as her thoughts were a tangled web of memories and fears. She had told them about the Veil of the Dead, about Raja’s hunger for power, and how her people had sealed him away. What she hadn’t told them—what she couldn’t bring herself to say—was the full truth. That Raja wasn’t just bound to his realm. He was bound to theNushtoniaitself. And that truth, more than anything, was what terrified her.
Her fingers brushed the edge of the table beside her. The cool wood grounded her as she forced herself to speak. “There’s something else you need to know.” Her voice cut through the noise, drawing every eye to her.
Tyler stopped mid-step and turned to face her with a frown. “What is it?”
Synica took a steadying breath. “Raja isn’t just sealed in his realm. He’s bound to theNushtonia. When my people trapped him, we used the artifact to contain him. It became a part of him, and he became a part of it. That’s why theNushtoniais so powerful. It isn’t just an object of magic—it’s a living prison. And now Shade holds it.”
The room went still, the weight of her words sinking in.
“What does that mean?” Drayden’s deep voice was steady but grim.
“It means”—Synica’s throat felt tight as she spoke—“that every time Shade uses it, he’s feeding Raja. He’s waking him. And if Raja fully awakens, he won’t stay trapped. He’ll come for this world, and he’ll bring destruction with him.”
