I took a deep breath and pulled back as Silas cupped my face and thumbed away the tears. “Matthieu will pay for everything he’s done. Foreverylife he’s taken. I can’t keep doing this. He’s killed everyone close to me, and he would’ve killed the five of you if you hadn’t been bonded to me.”
Silas's touch was a tender reminder of the love that surrounded me. "Matthieu will face justice," he whispered, his voice a vow that resonated deep within my soul. "For her, for all of us. But we do it together."
“We’re going to kill him, goddess,” Jasper promised, his garnet gaze filled with determination.
“And make him suffer,” Casper snarled, his golden gaze heated as he stared at what was left of my sweet friend’s home.
“Don’t worry, bug.” Aimon stepped closer, and his earth magic brushed against mine. “We’re here for you.”
“And we’re not going anywhere,” Bastian finished.
I sucked in another deep breath as the start of a magical outburst ebbed away.
No matter what happened, Iwasn’talone anymore. Our souls were bonded, which meant the five of them were going to be by my side until the very end.
“Let’s go home for a little bit,” Jasper suggested.
My heart swelled at the thought. I’d missed our home, my cottage, and I wanted to have time to breathe after this.
“Let’s go,” Silas agreed, and Jasper’s shadows wrapped around us before we appeared inside of our home, the wards we’d placed washing over us.
Familiarity wrapped around me, and it flooded the bond from all of us. This cottage wasn’t only mine anymore; it had become home for them too.
Casper stole me from Silas, picking me up off my feet before dropping me onto the couch and sinking into the cushion beside me. “Cuddle me, sunshine.”
I didn’t hesitate to lean into his open arms, and Jasper snagged the spot next to me before joining in on the snuggles.
Aimon smiled softly at me. “Are you hungry? I’ve missed cooking in our kitchen.”
“I could eat,” Silas murmured. “Need some help?”
“I’d love that.” He grinned, and the two of them made their way into the kitchen.
Bastian plopped down on the other side of Jasper. “I got the vortex turtle shell before we sensed your distress.”
“I have glow wisps, lava lizard scales, and glidaton acid in storage,” I mumbled against Casper’s chest. “You can go get them if you’d like.”
“I’d love to,” Bastian said with urgency before bouncing back to his feet and going to raid my ingredients.
We hadn’t been home for more than a few minutes, and my spirit felt more at rest with my bonded mages than it had the whole time we were in the Lethium Empire.
My runes tingled before my four sweet cats made their appearances, and they nuzzled me before making themselves at home again.
Cosmo and Charm flew toward the kitchen to bother Silas and Aimon while Oz went over to Bastian next to the cauldron. Karma curled up in a ball on my lap between the twins with me, and everything seemed to click into place.
I hated that Samantha’s life was taken too early, but I understood what she had meant by knowing I would be happy and loved with these men. I was thankful she met them, and I knew they would be the ones to help me carry out my vengeance when it came to ending Matthieu’s chaos and destruction.
7
JASPER
My goddess wasn’t onlystunning, powerful, and kind. She was also sentimental—and it made my heart bleed with affection for her more so than it already did.
I flipped the old journal page, completely entranced by the story being told by her from before she was cursed. She was much more innocent then, and it hurt to think she had become so strong because of what she’d been through.
“What are you snooping through now?” Silas snorted as he shuffled out of the bedroom.
We’d stayed at the cottage last night to give Fawn time to recover after Samantha’s loss. Silas contacted Emperor Lloyd to let him know.
