Tyson laughed. “Jessa is more of a charge-in-and-worry-about-the-details-later kind of supe.”
I chuckled. “Yes, I can see that, but I’ve had a little experience with demons before. There was a war many years ago where a lot of magic users decided to team up with the dark side. We lost many good supes, my parents included, and I don’t want you all to underestimate the dangers we’ll be facing.”
All eyes were on me then, and I did my best not to fidget. I wasn’t used to this sort of attention; it was disconcerting. I hurried to fill the silence. “I will of course help you all navigate. My power rivals Louis’s, and I’ll do everything I can to bring him back to his vessel safely.”
Tyson cleared his throat. “Your power actually rivals Louis’s?”
My lips twitched as a smile threatened to break my serious expression. “You don’t need to sound so shocked. Women can do the sort of magic men can do. It’s a proven fact.”
Before I could reprimand him on his arrogance any further, Grace piped up to defend her mate. “It’s not that you’re a woman,” she told me, shaking her head at Tyson. “It’s because Louis is this scary legend, someone spoken about in hushed whispers while most supes wonder if the stories could even remotely be true.”
No one talked about me like that because I’d never shown them what I could do, but somehow they’d still known I was powerful enough to bring me out to try and wake Louis. Reputations have a way of getting around without any help.
Jessa stepped closer to me. “Release the hold you have on your power,” she said, smiling at me. “I think some of the supes in this room need a lesson on underestimating you just because you’re tiny and absolutely gorgeous and a woman.”
She clearly thought that was the reason Tyson was underestimating me too.
“I’m not sure you’re ready for that,” I admitted. I’d been holding my power down for most of my life—my parents hadn’t trusted me to wield that sort of energy.
Jessa looked disappointed by my refusal to let it all go, but sometimes old habits are the hardest to break.
“We should get moving now,” Mischa suggested, clearing her throat. “Louis needs us, and Josephina said she can only hold time in Faerie for the next few hours. That way we won’t be leaving our kids for weeks.”
I was relieved to know the babies weren’t coming with us. And not because I disliked children—the opposite actually—but I would not like them to go to a world of demons.
“I’ve never heard of anyone holding time in Faerie,” I cut in, hoping that they weren’t putting their faith in something that might be impossible.
Jessa locked her blue eyes on me. “Josephina is the queen of the dragons. She controls the original magic and can do many things that no other could. I trust her word. We’ll leave our babies with their grandparents. They’re in good hands.” Her beautiful face was troubled though.
“The queen of the dragons,” I said, amused. “Your pack likes to collect powerful allies. I can see why Louis was drawn to you.”
The twins blinked at me, and I knew they were wondering if I had given them a compliment or an insult. Truth be told, I also felt drawn to their pack in ways I couldn’t explain. Power calls power, I guess.
“Okay, well, let’s head out,” Maximus cut in, his voice a deep rumble. “As Misch said, Louis needs us. There is only so much time left for him.”
It was the truth. The longer his soul was held away from his body, the less chance he had to return to it. The vessel only had so much power inside before it would fade completely.
“I’d like to open the doorway,” Cam said, speaking up from where she stood close to the other princesses. “I feel like I’m ready now to embrace the sapphire princess part of myself.”
Gretley nodded, her blond ponytail bobbing behind her. “I feel the same way. When we left the jeweled lands, I couldn’t handle dealing with one more thing, but a good night’s sleep does wonders for a person. I’m ready to explore this side of myself, which has been hidden for … years.”
A scoffing sound from nearby drew our attention. Justice crossed her arms, her face devoid of emotion even though her eyes were flaring. We waited for her to expand on that scoff, but she didn’t say anything. She just stared out into the space between us all. There was a dark history there, but it didn’t look like she was ready to share yet.
Grace drew our attention from Justice. “Okay, well, I’m all for letting Cam have a shot at the doorway to Faerie. And I’m ready to save Louis. We all owe him, one way or another. Now it’s his turn to be saved.”
I’d heard the myth that Louis had hidden the princesses away, and in my experience a lot of “myths” were just stories that hadn’t been proven true yet. I really should have expected that the princesses were real.
Braxton led us out of the room—he had to duck his head to make it under the doorframe. When we were outside, he moved toward the forest. “I wasn’t sure if you needed nature for this doorway,” he called over his shoulder. “But this will give you privacy at least.”
Cam and Gretley were on my right side. “I have no idea if nature helps,” the smaller brunette princess said. “But it couldn’t hurt.”
We stopped in a small clearing, and the tightness I always carried in my chest eased slightly. Nature was a soothing balm to my wounded soul. I had no doubt that if I was human I’d have given myself a heart attack by now, with so much stress and worry held in my chest. Luckily, I was a supe and could live as unhealthily as I wanted and my heart would keep kicking for many more decades.
Cam released Gretley’s hand and closed her eyes. She sucked in a few breaths, and the blue shimmer of her skin increased. All of the princesses wore crowns on their heads—the stones set in them would increase their strength—and Cam’s sapphire stones were now glowing.
But there was no doorway.
After a few minutes she let out a long sigh. “I can feel the energy there, but I have no idea how to connect from this world to that one.”
