Koda nods and, darting forward, grabs my hand and gives it a tight squeeze. Both of us appear to have found a grounding in our energies with a simple touch, and I’m happy to see some of the tension around his eyes fade. He might control the power of bliss, but somehow, the nightmares seem to soothe him too.
“I’ll be back soon,” he says, and then he strides in the direction of the bamboo path that leads toward Jareth’s cage. That leaves Roman, Taniya, the five demon wolves, and me standing near the table, wondering how we should fill our time until Malia returns.
“I need to run,” Taniya announces. “Maybe our wolves can explore this forest a little more.”
Roman drops a hand on my arm. “I’ll go with Koda. Keep an eye on him. You run with your pack.”
My heart warms again. This demon just gets me. Giving me time with my sister and protecting my brother all in one gesture. I don’t know what I did to deserve Roman, but I’m thankful.
Lifting up on my toes, I kiss him hard, relishing in the brief taste of his lips before dropping down again. Fire burns deep in his eyes and a smile plays across his lips, but he doesn’t stop me as I head toward Taniya. As hard as it is to leave Roman, it’s been too long since I’ve run with my sister, and it will be good for my energy to let my wolf loose a little.
“Let’s do this,” I say, and Taniya shoots me a genuine smile as she reaches for the rune on her wrist to unclothe herself.
I do the same and within seconds, we’re each shaking out our fur and stretching our four legs, ready to run. Taniya might choose her harpy side more often when she shifts, but her wolf is just as majestic, its fur a similar amber to her harpy’s feathers.
Ace and Ruby settle in on my left while Temple, Blitz, and Luca veer to Taniya’s right, and then we’re a true pack of beasts.
When we set off, it’s around the back of the cabins, through the pastel trees, and into the darker green foliage. Adriel warned us not to leave the forest, but so as long as we stay within its borders, we should be fine.
It’s cooler as we head deeper, shaded in a way that the clearing isn’t, and I relish the reprieve from angel light.
We run for what feels like hours, allowing our wolves to take control and give our human minds a rest from our worries.
Escaping one’s mind is a luxury offered to few, but shifters can take advantage of it, and with everything that’s happened lately… I’m ready for this brief reprieve.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
We run three miles before we reach the end of the forest. On the other side, angels are in the middle of skill training. We don’t interfere or leave the shade of the trees, choosing to return the way we came.
We don’t shift back into our human forms until we reach the clearing outside the cabins again. The breakfast table has been cleared of food and dishes, and the sun sits higher in the sky, but the others haven’t yet returned.
Our runes clothe us in seconds, and then we take a minute to stand in silence. One thing my harpy sister is great at is silence that never feels empty.
“Our future has always been uncertain,” Taniya says softly. “In Vegas, we were constantly battling demons and trying to survive conflict with the other packs. But we were always together.”
I wait for her to continue, not wanting to push.
“Roman is part of your life now. And Koda. Your family is growing. When you rescued us from the prison, I sensed a change in you, Noves. Like you’d found a part of yourself that makes you… whole. So I wonder, if we survive the coming battles, what choices you’ll make. When the Elimination finally ends.”
I know exactly what she’s asking. If returning Jareth to Mortem and reuniting him with his soul doesn’t somehow lift the Elimination, then I’ll have no choice but to keep fighting for the demon crown. Winning the throne means staying in Mortem—and not being on Earth like we’ve always planned.
If Mortem doesn’t have a ruler, the Balance will break, and everything we’ve been through will be for nothing. It’s the same responsibility that I’m certain forced my father to leave when I was a baby.
“I don’t know,” I say with a shake of my head. “I guess, for a while there, I had no choice. To survive, I had to fight. But now… if Jareth can’t resume the throne, well, Koda has more honor than I expected. I would be comfortable leaving the crown in his hands.”
Taniya nods. “But your mate is a demon—and a powerful one whose energy doesn’t belong on Earth. Not in the long-term. He will need to be in Mortem, so it could make sense for you to rule. No one has your heart and empathy, Nova. You could transform Mortem into a world that’s a true equal to Stella-Astrum.”
I doubt the demons of Pyra-Mortem want their world to be like the angels’ realm, but I understand she isn’t referring to it quite so literally. Pyra-Mortem needs a ruler who respects their duties and will rule fiercely but fairly.
“You’re my family,” I tell her. “Just as Roman is. I’m going to have to figure out a way to split my time and energy because Earth will always be home, but I have more in my life now.”
“Earth is home to me,” Taniya says softly. “The mountains, the desert air…”
“And a certain eagle shifter,” I add, smiling as I speak.
I wait for her to deny it, but there’s a hint of brokenness and desperation in her gaze now. “I miss him, Noves. Fuck. More than I ever thought I’d miss anyone outside of our pack. I spent a mere night in his home, but that’s all it took for my heart to decide.”
Wrapping an arm around her, I hug her close, offering the small comfort I can.
