“Here,” she said, appearing at our sides, a familiar witch in tow.
“Aunt Kari!” Brielle hugged her, even as I wanted to take a step back. Witch power creeped me out, and Kari’s eyes… Well, she was a very powerful witch. It always felt like her power wastastingme. I didn’t know how Bri could stand to touch her, but I guess that was familiarity for you.
“Apologies for my lateness to the battle. I sensed it wasn’t time for me to arrive yet.”
“I wish you didn’t have to come at all, but I’m afraid it’s all hands on deck.”
“Indeed. I’ve consulted my scrying bowl on your behalf, niece, and time is of the essence. The one you seek lies wounded in the forest, hallucinating as he heals. The red-powered one is heading toward him, so your time grows short. If you wish to succeed, you must go now.”
“Can you show me exactly where he is?” Shay asked, brow furrowed. The weary lines etched into her face concerned me, but her voice was determined.
Karissma lifted her hands to Shay’s temples, and Shay shuddered. When Shay’s eyes opened again, Karissma turned to me. “I saw that you would need this.” She pressed a vial into my hand and curled my fingers shut around it. “You’ll know when.”
“Thank you,” I forced myself to say over my revulsion.
“Go now. Quickly. Time runs perilously short.”
Shay grabbed me and Bri by the wrist, and then time and reality twisted around me once more.
We landed in the forest, and for the first time in weeks, all was still.
But Brielle’s soft gasp told me it wouldn’t stay that way. I spun and spotted Bran Cadogan, legendary evil, mass murderer, immortal warrior of old, lying unconscious in the leaf litter.
Brielle raced to his side, and I kept pace, scanning our surroundings for threats. For now, all was quiet. Bri dropped to her knees without hesitation at the enormous male’s side, pressing one hand to his cheek, another to his wrist. Her eyes fell closed, and Shay and I had nothing to do but wait and watch.
Long minutes stretched in tense silence as Brielle worked. Her hair floated softly in the air around her, and white light emanated from under her palms, where they were pressed to his bare arms. I was nearly ready to lose my mind by the time Bran stirred.
He groaned low, one giant paw of a hand coming up to grab his now-healed neck wound. He mumbled something in a language I didn’t know.
“Do you speak English?” Brielle asked softly, using her gentle healer’s voice.
“Yes,” he said in a thick accent.
“My name is Brielle. You were gravely wounded, both body and soul. My wolf has healing talents, and… you needed them.”
“You are omega,” he said brokenly. “Your touch is that of the Goddess.”
She nodded slowly, and my hand tensed on the hilt of my staff. She might have healed him, but I wasn’t above gutting a man who was flat on his back if he tried to hurt her.
“Where am I?”
Oh shit, we did not have time for this. Karissma had warned us Narcissa was on her way.
“In the forest, not far from a battlefield where your people are attacking ours.”
“Your pack wars with mine? I don’t recognize this forest. We are not in my homeland.”
“No, we haven’t attacked you. You attacked us. And we’re asking you to stop, and stop your mate.”
“Mate?” He sat up, leaning back against the tree, blue eyes fixed intently on us. I swear to the Goddess, he was so fucking oversized that I heard the tree trunk crack and groan under his bulk. His biceps were the size of my head, his hands covered in scars from old knife wounds.
“Her name is Narcissa. You don’t remember her?”
He shook his head, genuinely confused. “I remember none of this.”
“That’s because she is an omega too, and her powers have… touched you.”
“You say this like it is not a blessing,” he said, tone sharp. “Why?”
