Rowan stepped next to me. “And as long as it doesn’t break our mate bond.” He added.
Uranus grinned. “Can’t add caveats now, wolf.” He held out his hand.
I looked at Rowan for a moment. I begged him with my eyes to understand. “Rowan.”
He looked at me with pain in his eyes. “I just got you…what if the favor is that you become his mate?”
Uranus looked surprised. “Oh…OH NO.” He stepped back. “Look, I am a god, not a monster. And I have a wife.” He looked away. “One I love very much.” He turned back to me. “Do we still have a deal?”
Rowan let out a sigh of relief and nodded. I smiled and slid my hand into his. “We do.”
Uranus pointed to the greyed-out bubble. “You will have to be out in the open for the spell to work. This bubble doesn’t allow you to connect fully to me.” He smiled as he stepped back. “Cast your spell, godling. Out in the open for all to see. I will whisk your spell to the other packs.” Then he stepped out of the bubble, and his body drifted away like smoke.
I puffed out my cheeks. “That was…”
“Insane.” Ronnie looked around. “I don’t know how you all are just okay that fucking gods keep showing up randomly now like this has always been normal.” He paced a little. “I’ve prayed to the Moon Goddess more times than I can count. But all of a sudden she comes and hangs out in our cells, and my niece is calling her by her first name. THIS IS NOT NORMAL.”
My dad snorted as he patted his best friend on his shoulder. “Times are weird, my friend.” He looked at his watch. “We have less than ten minutes before they hit our borders.”
Alpha.Someone called down the mind-link.
Maybell, what’s wrong?My father called back, staring at me.
I see a bunch of trucks flying down our road.
Where are you?
About a mile off our border. They are about nine miles out, driving at full running speed. They have what looks to me like a mine sweeper running point.
My dad sighed in relief.Monitor it, but stay hidden.He pointed at me. “We have to do this quickly. Once they breach our lands, hiding the pack will be impossible.”
I nodded. “Is there anything to say before we drop this?” I waved at the bubble.
No one said anything, but then my father grabbed me. “You are going to be vulnerable when you are doing this, I assume.” I nodded.
“You are probably right.” I looked around. “This is a huge spell.” I looked at the map. “I don’t know how much power it’s going to take, or how long it will take. The faster we get this started, the better.”
My dad nodded. “I was just thinking of the spy. The person is still on our lands, and you having to do the spell out in the open will pull them to you.” He looked around. “We have to be on guard.” He rubbed the back of his neck, and I could see the exhaustion eating away at him. “We have all been running onfumes since before the cave-in. I just need you all to be extra alert. Amy needs to finish the spell. Or else we are all screwed.”
One by one, everyone nodded. Once my father was sure everyone understood how serious he was, he dropped my hand. “Let’s go.”
The bubble dropped, and we all stepped out. My chest gave a tug, and I knew where it wanted me to go. I walked away from everyone in front of the pack house to the middle of the killing field.
The clearing’s grass, once tall, green and lush, now looked trampled. It held a rusty color that everyone knew was old blood. I heard the crackling of the fire behind me, and the sizzle of bodies being burned.
I let all the pain and revulsion I felt have its moment. Because I knew once I started the spell my entire concentration would be on my magic. My stomach rolled when the smell hit me, and that too got its moment.
I heard soft footsteps of people walking closer, but I closed myself off from everything happening around me. I needed to focus. I allowed my family to worry about everything else. I looked at my dad once more, and once he gave me his nod, I closed my eyes.
I shifted my feet into claws, so I could dig into the soft grass. Then, I wiggled my feet side to side until I was sunk down ankle deep into the earth. I knew I didn’t have to do it, but it just felt right.
Before I called out to the gods, I wanted to take a few seconds to connect to the ground under me. I focused on the battle that was fought here, the lives that were lost, the blood spilled. I drew in a breath, and as I did, I pulled all of that power to me. The sacrifice of lives for protection, for family. For love. I pulled all of it to me. The power that the goddesses gave me in the abyss wasalready overflowing from me, and with the power in the ground, I felt my entire body buzzing.
I took one cleansing breath, and then I started the spell. “Isla fo int ye per ta na shado.” The familiar words fell from my lips, and I pictured the first shield I ever created. The barrier protecting Carl’s grave glowed with a soft blue. I focused on our pack lands first. “Yi ka dum.” The second part of the spell I used to expand it over the cabin. The spell I created to protect my family. Carly’s face sprang to my mind, and I smiled. I was protecting not only my pup. My mate. I was also protecting all the packs across North America, but a simple expansion wasn’t going to do what I needed. “Orsha do ni ki por darla.” I felt my connection to the earth ripple, and I gasped when I felt the ground shift under me. It was waking up with my magic.
Keep going godling.Gaia’s voice was a strong, comforting presence. I drew more power to me, and I drank the spilled blood around me. I needed every drop to do what I came here to do.
“Ift sa cor ni keita bleg shorn cova.” I felt my power slam into the ground. The soil under my feet became soft. I sank into the ground until I was running through it. I ran deep, Gaia running beside me. Her laughter egged me on to go faster. We ran deeper and deeper until we exploded out the other side. Darkness was replaced by a blinding light.
