“Maddi!” she cried, practically throwing herself at me, wrapping her long, slender arms tightly around my neck.
The hot pressure in my chest started to swell again, and I squeezed my eyes tightly closed, hoping that would stem the tears. I could have sworn there were no more left inside me to cry, but somehow they kept falling.
“I’ve been so fucking worried about you,” Ilia said as she pulled back.
Calen snorted. “I wouldn’t stop worrying yet. She just lost her soul mate.”
My gasp was audible. It would have hurt less if he’d just punched me in the chest. Jesse’s growls filled the early morning air. Rone even had his fangs out as they glared at Calen. The wizard shook his head, eyes falling. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Mads. I just … I’m a screw-up.”
I shook my head, needing to comfort him even through my own grief. “No, no. It’s okay. Apparently the truth hurts. Who would have thought it?”
Axl opened his mouth, clearing his throat to no doubt tell us how many people had used that phrase before, but a subtle shake of the head from Jesse stopped our resident genius.
Ilia drew my attention back to her when she also cleared her throat. It wasn’t like her to make such a nervous gesture, and I was immediately worried about what she was going to say. “Princeps Jones is on his way over here,” she said, voice low and steady. “He has some news for you. He sent me ahead to make sure you were conscious and able to hear it.”
I nodded, hoping she would continue.
“What’s the damn news?” Rone snarled, out of patience.
She took a deep breath. “Atlantis is rising again. The tip has just surfaced. We’re all called to head out to the site and wait for the final emergence.”
I blinked. “It’s rising again? When did that start?”
She bit her lips, working her plump red bottom lip through her teeth.
“It started the moment Asher exploded,” she finally choked out. “I’m not sure how it’s connected, but Asher’s death was clearly the catalyst needed to push past that final block.”
Holy fucking gods.
How was that possible? What did it mean? Had Asher been the target of the attack after all?
Or was it supposed to be me dead now, my power used to bring about the rise of Atlantis?
17
Before I could voice the horrors running through my head, there was another bang on the front door. “Princeps Jones,” Ilia said, straightening to her six-foot height. “He did say he was only giving me a few minutes’ head start.”
Shit.If Atlantis was rising again, that meant I had to go there. I’d promised Connor I would be there to help it rise.
But that was before…
Before…
Fuck!
There was no time to hide or anything, so I sucked in a deep breath and waited. A hand snaked down and grabbed mine. I didn’t have to look to know it was Jesse. His energy was almost as familiar to me as my own.
It made me feel marginally better to know that I wouldn’t be dealing withwhateverwas coming my way alone. Meeting Asher was still the best thing that happened to me. Losing him would always be the worst thing. But knowing that I’d made lifelong friends in the other Atlanteans—it might just be the only thing that got me through however long this mourning period would last.
The rest of my life, I was guessing.
Sucking in deep breaths, I worked to keep myself calm. Princeps Jones was here for a reason. The last thing he needed was the sobbing hysterical mess trying to burst from me.
So I kept it together as he crossed the porch and came down the steps. “Maddi,” he said softly, halting right before me. His blue eyes regarded me with soft sympathy. “I’m so sorry.”
I hated that look. That look meant that people were feeling sorry for me. Of course, since I was busy feeling sorry for myself, I couldn’t really muster up any anger.
“What news do you have about Atlantis?” I asked in that husky voice that might be permanent at this stage. “And is Louis nearby? I seem to have lost my necklace.”
