Fuck. This wasn’t pain. This was pure, unadulterated agony. He needed Farren. Needed her touch to soothe him.
Accept who you are. And be willing to lose everything.
Love—his love for Farren—would carry him through the worst of it. Because hedidlove her. He’d never love another. Eli pictured her in his mind as he focused on the final mark, the trinity knot over his heart. It had reformed as he’d lain unconscious in Farren’s bed, and this time, when it flared to life, it glowed as bright as the moon.
“Eli!”
No. Farren, get back!
He couldn’t speak. The power thrumming through him took everything he had to control, but he could see her. The air swirling around him whipped her hair back from her face, and she fought against the wind, rain, earth, and fire, taking one step after another until she was right in front of him.
“Focus,mo ghra.You can do this.”
If she could risk everything to stand by his side, he could endure the pain a little longer. The words came to him from deep inside, even though he had no memory of learning them.
“I call upon the power of earth, air, fire, and water. Apart, they are strong. Together, they are unstoppable. Let four become one so that none of us are ever alone.”
Blinding light stole his view of Farren, but he had to put all worry for her out of his mind. She was strong. She’d fight. She’d survive. Raising his hands high, he let the magic flow through them. Sparks burst from his fingers, but this time, they didn’t carry the total and complete destruction from before.
Warmth wrapped around him like a blanket, and his fear melted away. He’d been born to do this. The sigils that covered his torso pulsed, but there was no more pain. It was almost comforting. Like the marks were destined to be a part of him. He was whole now. Or…as close as he could be until the full moon.
A ring of light hovered above his palms, and he held it, turned it over and over again, stretched it and compressed it again, until he knew what to do.
Blinking hard, he focused on Farren. “This…will protect you, my mate.” He held out his hand, and when she placed her fingers in his, he sent the light into her.
Farren gasped and pressed her free hand to her heart. “What did you just do?”
With a snap, he created a second ring, then a third, and a fourth. “Get everyone out here. I don’t know how long I can hold this.”
One by one, the wolves and elementals appeared in front of him. Eli passed the charm on to each one of them in turn, and when he’d finished, he only wavered for a minute before the magic fell away and he was in Farren’s arms.
“Ya’ did it,mo ghra.” Farren kissed him, and suddenly nothing else mattered. He’d given his new family a fighting chance.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Farren
She could feel the full moon approaching as the plane touched down at a private airfield not far from Glasgow. One advantage to having a centuries-old vampire among your group? They generally had more money than they knew what to do with, and thus...all the fanciest toys. Like this plane.
There was even a private bedroom in the back, and more than once she’d thought about asking if she and Eli could nip back there to seal the mating. But one look at Cade, and she’d written the idea off as not only foolish, but completely inappropriate.
The man was in so much pain, he couldn’t see straight.
“Cade?” Farren approached him warily. He’d spent the two-hour flight with his fingers digging deep into the armrests of the plush leather seat, his eyes closed, the occasional low growl coming from his lips. “We’re here.”
The look in his eyes when he stared up at her shattered her heart into pieces. “I can’t feel her. I could always feel her...even if we were apart. I couldn’t sense her emotions over a distance, but just knowing she was there... Now, it’s like she’s gone.”
“They’re just hidin’ her. I know it.” Dropping to a knee next to his seat, Farren clasped her hands on her thigh. “When Fergus had me, I couldn’t feel the moon. If Eli can hide us from their spells, it’s just as likely they can hide themselves from anythin’ we might do to find them.”
Regulus came up behind her without a sound, but she sensed his presence. “Farren is correct. You cannot be certain of anything where the Thirteen are concerned.”
Liam cleared his throat. “We’ll find her, Cade. None of us will rest until she’s safe. Ya’ know that. She’s ours, and we’ll die before we give up on her.” The beta wolf held out his hand, and Cade clasped it, letting Liam pull him to his feet.
“I won’t survive losing her.”
“Then ya’ won’t lose her.” Jerking his head towards the stairs, Liam waited for Cade to exit the plane before following. One by one, the other wolves and Caitlin trailed behind until finally, only Farren, Eli, and the vampire were left.
“I must speak with you both, privately,” Regulus said. “Where we are going...even the land carries strong, dark magic. The protection spells Eliziam cast will only hide us until we pass through the Thirteen’s wards. After that, we are vulnerable.”
