9
It turned out that there was no need for any identification when you flew in an alien spac— I mean a private plane. We were ushered into two dark SUVs, and none of the officials who helped us blinked an eye. Not even when Daniel had to carry his semi-unconscious mate to get her off the plane.
Xander and Lexen were the drivers. I ended up in the back seat with Emma in the car behind Xander’s. We flew through the town. I barely even got a glimpse of the ocean and cute little houses, we were going at such speeds. I understood it though, and I wished Callie was in the car with us, because I wanted to check on her.
Panic was hovering at the edge of my mind. Emma was very pale, her eyes locked forward through the windshield. No one spoke. It was like we couldn’t until we knew that Callie was going to be fine. Lexen practically drifted around the corner, flying between two huge, ornate gates. We then raced along a fancy street. Near the end, we screeched to a halt and everyone was out in seconds.
“I’m taking her right through,” Daniel said without preamble. “When she’s recovered her energy, we’ll meet you at Darken.”
Callie’s body was limp, her head lolling against Daniel’s chest.
Lexen, Xander, and Chase just nodded and slapped their friend on the back. Daniel swiveled and ran, moving superfast. Within a few of my rapid heartbeats he was completely out of sight, disappearing down some green-covered lane.
“Holy shit,” Emma burst out, holding a hand to her chest. “I didn’t think we’d make it in time. But she’s fine, right? Unconscious is not dead….” Her eyes darted between us. “Right”
Lexen stepped to her, both of his hands cupping her face. She calmed as she stared up into his eyes. “She’s fine. Daniel will get her there in time. He will not let his mate go without a massive fight. Don’t forget he controls the underworld.”
Emma nodded as she swallowed roughly. “I know. But … he can’t control everything. Marsil still died. There is only so much Daniel can do.”
Lexen’s jaw tightened, his eyes almost glowing at the mention of his brother. “He could have saved Marsil, but nothing like that comes without a price. The same way he had to tie his soul to Callie’s to save her life, there would have been a price for Marsil as well. I know, without any doubt, my brother would not have wanted anyone to pay that for him.”
Lexen’s thumbs wiped away the tears trailing down Emma’s cheeks. I had to turn away because that moment was so intimate and sad. Holy shit. I actually felt like I might cry myself, and I never knew Marsil. Drifting a little further from them, I examined the beautiful street we were on. Surprisingly enough, I could still smell the ocean, so we had to be near water. It was probably behind all the mega mansions that lined one side of the street. Huge blocks of land. High privacy fences. This was definitely a street for rich aliens.
I walked along the asphalt until I reached the path. On the opposite side to the mansions, it looked like there were some small houses, and I was curious to see what they were like. It took me longer than I expected to reach their little section. They were grouped close together, their land a fraction of the size of the homes across the street from them.
I didn’t realize that the others had caught up to me until Emma startled me. “That’s mine.” She pointed toward one of the little houses in the middle. She then paused for a beat, her brow furrowing. “It kind of looks different,” she murmured, moving closer. “They all look different.”
The bright red door of her place flew open then and two people stepped out, a dark-haired African-American woman, and a red-headed, very fair-skinned man.
“Emma!” the woman exclaimed, racing down the stairs and throwing her arms around Emma. “We haven’t seen you for days,” she scolded as she pulled back. “You need to keep us updated.”
Joy replaced the sadness that had been etched across Emma’s face. “Sorry, Sara. We ended up in a safe house and it wasn’t that easy to call out in case it was traced.”
“But you’re all fine?”
Emma nodded. “Yes, we did have a run in with Laous, but we found Ava and got the stone back, so I’d say we came out in front.”
Sara’s eyes were on me then. She released Emma and took a step closer to me. “Ava … oh my, you’re absolutely stunning.” She flicked a glance at Xander. “Lucky guy, Xander.”
He just crossed his arms and shook his head, but he didn’t say anything. I expected him to deny it, but he didn’t. Which, of course, immediately had Maya and Emma shooting him knowing grins.
The red-headed man distracted everyone when he took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around Emma. “Missed you, sweetheart.”
“I missed you too, Michael,” Emma said, her voice muffled.
When they pulled apart, Michael moved to stand beside Sara, draping one of his arms around her. “So, what is the next part of your plan?” he asked, looking between all of us.
Lexen answered. “We’re heading to Overworld. First step is to uncover the map Ava holds, so we can figure out where the starslight stone is.”
“We have to get the stone before Laous and give it back to the humans,” Chase added. “They’re going to figure out a better way to hide it this time.”
Michael nodded, face serious. “Yes, we’ve been in touch with Maya’s parents. They said there is a new agreement all ready now—they’re just waiting on Daniel’s signature as the last overlord. They’re not going to let something like this happen again.”
Maya cleared her throat, drawing our attention. “Clearly someone is going to have to break the bond between us and the stone. Will that also break the connection the eight of us have?”
There were a few beats of uncomfortable silence.
“We have no idea,” Michael admitted, shrugging.
