‘Uhh … babe?’I sent Rage a mind message.‘We’ve gotta talk about … stuff.’
His reply was instant.‘Okay. But can it wait until our date night tomorrow? I’m dealing with stupid Mageville drama.’
I winced because that stupid Mageville drama was exactly what we needed to talk about.
‘Sure.’
The meeting was dismissed, and Gramps and I waited until everyone else had left before I helped him to his feet once more. I didn’t think he wanted everyone to see him so weak, or maybe he didn’t want me to haul off and punch someone, namely Kian … and Snade.
“Thanks for sticking up for Rage,” I told him as we shuffled out the door.
He nodded, wincing as Reyna stepped in and took my place. I sidled up to his other side, and he pulled to a stop, his breath labored. “The shifters have always been the right hand of the high mages. Rage needs to toe that line—at least, for a little while. If he changes too much at first, I fear they would … take him out.”
Gramps offered me a sad smile, and even though I knew he wasn’t a threat, my wolf rose toward the surface. I sucked in a deep breath and pushed her down.
“Or they might only cut you off from him as punishment,” he added. “They could destroy the portals.”
I frowned, knowing that they could do it, but would they? “How would they go back and forth if they seal the portals?”
Gramps looked down at me. “They would be fine. Each of the high mages on the council can open portals to the mortal realms for themselves. But do either you or Rage know how to open a portal?”
I shook my head because … obviously not.
“Then it’s time you saw your mother for a lesson. She was the best portal creator this school has ever seen. She even repaired the one that leads to Montana when mages destroyed it.”
Whoa. My mom. A badass portal princess.
If the high mages could destroy the portals and keep me from seeing Rage, then I needed to learn how to make portals ASAP. Reaching up, I placed a kiss on my grandfather’s cheek. “Thanks, Gramps.”
I turned to race off to the castle and the spirit pools when my grandfather’s voice pulled me back.
“You can’t see your mother without first finding your soul stone. When and if spirit chooses you, your soul stone will help anchor the power fully into you for the first time. Without it, it may still just filter out divided among the other high mages.” Gramps swayed on his feet. “And I fear we don’t have much time left.”
I froze. “Say what now?” I mean Zia had said that I should probably work with Than on finding soul stones, but I hadn’t realized findingmysoul stone would need to happenso soon. “Should I work with the ancestors on that first?”
Gramps gave a big yawn and patted his shield’s arm. “No time for that. Reyna can go with you. You’ll need someone to watch your back lest Kian or Snade try to thwart you in that too. After you get your soul stone, you can have your first portal lesson with your mother tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I squeaked.
Soul stone hunting with Reyna.
No big deal.
Chapter Seven
Turnsout soul-stone huntingwasa big deal. Just like I’d feared. And while Gramps tried to explain it all to me, the whole thing sounded like mystical voodoo.
“How do you know it’s here, on High Mage Island? What if it’s really on Shifter Island? I am an alpha heir after all.”
Grandpa shook his head. Back at home, in his bed, he looked less frail—barely. After chuckling, a wheezing, asthmatic sound, he said, “High mage would be dominant.”
I thought of all the times when my wolf refused to come to the surface and shrugged.
“Your soul stone will be here, somewhere on the island. Trust me,” Grandpa went on. “Once you find it, you can put it with the others in the black pouch in the spirit pool room. That way, they’re kept safe.”
“So why are we going to the spirit pools if her soul stone is here on school grounds?” Reyna asked, her brow furrowed with confusion.
I was grateful I wasn’t the only one wondering that.
