“What exactly did Aerén tell you?” Brenna asked, picking up her coffee and sipping the steaming brew.
“Not much, just that he’s from another world—a dying world—searching for a lost artifact that crashed on Earth.” Leya palmed her mug, trying to warm her cold hands. “He mentioned the Stone of Light shattering and choosing human women to house its magic. It all sounds so farfetched.” She cast her friend a wry smile. “He thought I was one of them. I’m the least magical person ever.”
About to take another sip of her beverage, Brenna paused. She lowered her mug. “He’s not wrong. I’m also one of them.”
Leya froze, blood crashing in her ears, hearing her friend confirm everything so unequivocally. “What? Is that why you’re in this world? They’re keeping you here for the magic?” The questions rushed out, everything in her rebelling at the thought.
“Oh, no, no!” Brenna lifted a hand, a chain dotted with diamonds dangling from her wrist. She smiled, her expression soft. “I’m here because I fell in love with my husband or mate, as we call our other half…” A tiny V formed between her eyebrows. “What did you mean when you said Aerénthoughtyou were a Chosen, too?”
Leya shrugged, her grip tightening around the hot ceramic. “From the moment we met, he insisted I was one of the Chosen. I called his bluff. So, he took me to Exilum. I did the scroll test and nothing. Lucan, the mage, explained a human psychic could sometimes cause this confusion. Aerén disagreed.”
“How odd. They never make a mistake like that.”
Leya lifted a shoulder because she didn’t know anything about it. “I mean, I do have these tingles in my palms…” She set her mug down and stuck out her hands as if Brenna could see the phenomenon. “But this was from a childhood accident, nothing more…unless he picked up on that. But I’m not psychic or telekinetic, though Aerén seemed to think otherwise because a bunch of keys I reached for slammed into my hand then fell.” She rolled her eyes.
“Hmm…” Brenna swept her bangs from her eyes, still frowning. “I don’t have any visible powers either, though my plants do flourish amazingly well… Wait, do you perhaps have a little, half-moon scar?”
“With my job, scars are a given.” Leya laughed, rubbing a blemish between her thumb and pointer. “Not something that shape, though.”
“No, I mean like this.” Brenna pushed up the sleeve of her blue gown and held out her limb, revealing a small crescent-shaped scar on her inner arm.
Leya peered at it, then traced the shape with a fingertip. “I don’t think so. Why?”
“It’s how the Chosen are recognized. One of my best friends is a Chosen, and she also mated a warlord. They still live on Earth. And Taegér brought news a while back that my other friend, Kat, mated another warlord and lives on Kalasder, here on Empyrea. It makes me so happy…” Her smile dimmed a little. “I wish I could visit her.”
“Why don’t you?”
She sighed. “The Darkreans and Empyreans have been lifelong enemies, though they’re at a truce currently, trying to save Empyrea. But a visit? That’s out of the question. Anyway, one of our enforcers, Paxyn—you met him at the cave—recently bonded with a Chosen. They—he and Taegér—saved her from a near-fatal tragedy,” Brenna murmured. “She also has a half-moon scar.”
Leya was happy for the girl, but… “Brenna, I’m not one.”
“Yes, so you said. Okay, but remind Aerén to look out for the scar.” Her gaze skimmed Leya again. For what? Leya didn’t know, didn’t ask. She was probably searching for the non-existent half-moon.
Something else struck Leya. “Brenna, how am I going to get back home?” she asked, anxiety tangling her nerves. “Exilum was just a few hours difference, but being here, I could be gone days, weeks!”
“It’ll be fine, Leya,” Brenna assured her. “Taegér can take you back, but you’ll have to wait until midnight or noon. It’s the only time the portal allows you entry back home at around the same time frame you left, give or take a few hours. But any other time, there will be a few days or more passing on Earth. If that occurs, the warriors can do a memory wipe if needed or instill new thoughts about you going away for a break or something.”
“Really?” Leya blinked, rubbing her temples, not sure if she should believe this.
“Yes, they can. And don’t worry about anything,” Brenna said with a reassuring smile. “If you really want to leave, I’ll explain everything to Aerén when he awakens. I’m sure he’ll come and find you again.”
No, he wouldn’t. He was about to say goodbye when the rebel attacked.
Her gaze shifted to where he lay unmoving on the bed. A beautiful statue. She inhaled deeply. The urge to go home gripped her by the throat, but Aerén had risked his life for her. No one had ever done that…well, not like she lived a dangerous life, but still…
She bit her lip, torn. “How can I leave when he’s hurt because of me?”
“Then stay,” Brenna said softly. “You won’t regret it, Leya, I promise.”
She wasn’t so sure about that, given her inconvenient attraction to him, but this was the right thing to do. As long as she could go home with no one the wiser, then it would be okay. And she could forget all about his lips on hers, that kiss… Really, she could. “I’ll wait for him. He can take me back—wait, he can do the memory thing, too, right?”
Brenna huffed a laugh. “I think it would be child’s play for one like him.”
And there she sensed it again, something about Aerén she was missing. “What do you mean? I know he’s immortal.”
“Well, everyone on Empyrea is, hon,” Brenna said with a smile.
Oh. “But there’s more, isn’t there—”
