My frown grew. Timith would likely never see me mistphase, not unless I found the Stone.
“I promise you’ll be fine.” When I didn’t reply, Kole’s eyebrows drew together. “Prim, what’s wrong?”
Startled, I smoothed whatever expression I wore. “Nothing. Sorry. I was just thinking of my uncle. He would have loved to see me learn how to mistphase.”
“There’s no reason you can’t show him one day.”
“You’re right. I shall learn how to mistphase, save him with the Stone, and then I’ll show him how I can disappear in a blink.”
“So optimistic.” Kole’s tone was gentle, almost tender. He cleared his throat. “You know, I could mistphase us to wherever that seekerill is leading you if you’d like?”
Hope surged through me, but then I paused. I didn’t know for certain that the seekerill was leading me to Silventine Wood. It was just a hunch. And I also didn’t know what mistphasing would do to my uncle’s device. For all I knew,transporting the seekerill like that could disrupt its anchor on the Wishing Stone, and I couldn’t take that chance.
“Actually, as tempting as that offer is, I better leave the seekerill here. I don’t know what mistphasing will do to it.” I took the device out of my pocket and carefully stowed it near my bag. “There, now I’m ready.”
“I’m going to pull you close to me since this is your first mistphase. Okay?” A rough edge filled his tone.
I nodded, and Kole pulled me into his arms, his scent flooding me.
His large frame closed around mine, his chest hard and rigid with steel-like muscle. Strong arms encircled my waist, andStars Above, my body instantly responded.
A wave of arousal crashed over me, and the warrior sharply inhaled. Just as fast, a flare of magic zapped his wrist.
He gritted his teeth, then rasped, “Close your eyes.”
I did as he instructed, and in a rush of magic, the ground dropped out from beneath me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Kole kept his grip on me, and I clung to him tightly even though my entire body had morphed into mist and shadows, air and wind. The realm was a blur, and then?—
Snowy sand shifted beneath my feet. Nighttime sounds filled my ears. Fresh air brushed over my cheeks.
My eyes flashed open.
A dark and beautiful sky with the three moons blazing in its depths and colorful waves of magic from the galaxy greeted me.
I sucked in a breath, and Kole’s unique fragrance pummeled me anew. My fingers dug into his top’s soft material, but his clothing did little to hide his steel-like strength beneath it.
His muscles clenched, but he didn’t release me. “Are you all right?” His mouth drifted down to my ear, and he waseverywherearound me. His chest, his arms, his face, the long length of his body. He held me so close, and I didn’t want him to let go. “It can be quite strange, especially for those who’ve never mistphased before.”
Nodding, I moistened my lips. “I’m okay. I think.” I had the craziest urge to sink into him until our bodies were molded as one. I wanted to bury my face in his neck so I could kiss him. Lick him.
His grip on me tightened. In the moonlight, his face was dipped into shadows, but there was a glimmer in his eyes. It was almostprimal. And I could have sworn thathungerfilled them too.
A huge flare of magic sparked on Kole’s wrist.
In my next breath, he stood several feet away.
My eyebrows slammed together.What in the realm?Similar magical flares had come from his wrist enough that I was beginning to wonder if it was another type of magic he possessed. Perhaps a Solis affinity that I was completely ignorant of.
I opened my mouth to ask him, but he said, “Would you like to learn how to mistphase now?” An edge filled his voice, and he rubbed his wrist.
I hastily surveyed where we’d traveled to. It took me a moment to actually comprehend what I was looking at since the warrior’s energy was pounding into my back.
Kole had mistphased us to just outside of the rocky enclosure,to an open area littered with pebbles and scattered shrubs. Soft light from my fire flickered through our cave’s opening, the only light in the dark night apart from the moons. We hadn’t gone far at all.
“We’re just outside the cave,” I managed, but my voice sounded funny. Too breathy and light.
