Chapter One
Selena
“Where are they?”
“Selena…”
My Shadow’s black eyes narrowed, drilling into mine, his grip tightening on my sides. He pulled me closer, and our chests touched, a rumble vibrating through him into me. It was as if he was trying to ground me, but the grim expression on his usually stoic face made me freeze.
A faint, spectral aura radiated from him, similar to when he visited me in our dreamscape before we reunited. Yet, my Shadow was standing before me, now, our bodies touching, just as I remembered him. Only his pitch-black eyes, and the sinister near-invisible flames flickering around his body, were new.
It was as if he had become one with the Shadow—the darkness the Aldawi used to teleport between locations. The stronger an Aldawi’s dominant aura was, the greater the distance they could project their strength and teleport.
Had his appearance changed because he was now the Sovereign: the most powerful Aldawi in the empire? Or because I hadn’t been around to bring balance to his darkness?
Glancing at those around us, I found he wasn’t asserting his dominance upon anyone. They averted their eyes and gave quick nods whenever we looked, but no one was pinned to the ground by his influence like they often were in crowded areas.
His control on his aura both awed and confused me. How could he be surrounded by his darkness and, yet, spare his citizens from its pressure?
Nevertheless, this return wasn’t as welcoming or joyful as I had dreamed. My children were missing, and my clan was in disarray.
“They are safe and waiting for you to return.”
“Then why aren’t they here?”
Closing my eyes, I pressed my forehead against his chest, focusing once again, reaching through my Circuli nestmates’ mental doors. I traced their threads but lost them as they tangled in the golden web surrounding me.
Unfamiliar thoughts and feelings flooded me, pressing against my mental shields. Their weight suffocated me, making it harder to wade through what was theirs and what was mine.
The foreign presence feltalive, ebbing and flowing like waves crashing against my mental shields.
Joy. Wonder. Relief.
Overwhelming curiosity and confusion.
Echoes ofMy QueenandOur Queen has returnedrolled through my mind, along with stray questions about my princes and those with me.
Why was I hearing—and feeling—unfamiliar thoughts? What had changed?
Shaking my head, I reinforced the walls of my mental shields, just how my mates had taught me, strengthening them as I scrambled to escape the pressure. It didn’t feel right… too personal, too sudden, and not what I wanted, or needed, at the moment.
“All is well, Selena.”Vowel’s tranquil voice filled me with the reassurance I needed, reminding me that I wasn’t alone—not anymore. He was experiencing everything alongside me.“Your people welcome you home.”
“But what about my nestmates?”I pathed, hoping he had picked up something I hadn’t been told.“Why aren’t they here, welcoming me home?”
“Selena, what is it?” Zirene asked, shaking my shoulders. “What’s the matter?”
Snapping my eyes open, I shook my head in denial. There was no way I had lost my connections.
They can’t be dead.
“Where are they? Why can’t I feel them?” I pointed to the golden web in the sky. “Why can’t I find them?”
“All is well, Selena,” he promised, cupping my face. His eyes softened as I leaned into his hand, seeking the comfort he was offering me. “I promised you I would make sure they were safe when you returned to us. I beg you to continue to trust me.”
“I do… I want to, but I’m worried,” I muttered, my voice cracking. Scanning his abyssal eyes, my eyebrows drew down. “Why are your eyes still dark? Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“My recovery is not instantaneous, my little Nova.” He chuckled, smirking. “They will slowly return to normal, now that you are here.” Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he sighed and gently shook his head. When he reopened his eyes, they searched mine with the same intensity and coloring as before. “As long as you stay nearby, safe and sound, you don’t have to worry about me.”
