Pointing at the inert body next to Kian, she growled, “His shield is already dead.” Then she kicked Kian in the side, but he was out cold and didn’t even flinch. Still staring down at him, she snarled, “You’ll never have another shield from the wolves again, asshole. Ever.”
Then she trotted over to me.
“Mother Mage, Nai. I’m so sorry,” she said, shaking her head and flinging drops of water. “I … he showed up and blasted me with a crushing wave. By the time I came to…” She swallowed hard and then asked, “Did you get your soul stone?”
I held up the crystal.
“Halle-frickin’-lujah.” She hauled me upright and then ducked under my arm to help support my weight.
Scanning the surrounding area, I looked at the dark waters of the large lake as it rippled in the moonlight.
‘Nai…?’Rage growled in my head.
‘I’m good. Slight hiccup. Is Honor okay?’I knew he would have taken the brunt of my injury.
‘I had to give him some mage wine, but he’s good.’
‘Okay. Let’s chat later,’I told him and then looked at Reyna. “I’m ready to go,” I said, shuffling forward. “Please.”
“You betcha.” As Reyna led me back toward Grandpa’s castle, I looked at the crystal in my hand. Maybe one inch wide and three inches long, it was optic-clear quartz, but the surface was dusted with sapphire blue dumortierite, and deep within the point was a blue inclusion … in the shape of a butterfly.
Gotcha.
Chapter Eight
The next morning,I woke up with the sun, so excited with the prospect of seeing my mom. Not only could she show me how to open portals between realms in case the high mages closed them to keep me from seeing Rage, but we werelongoverdue for a reunion. The one time I’d seen her in the Realm of the Dead when I went to get Honor, it was only for a moment. I’d never gotten to know her or my bio dad, and I wanted that. A lot.
But as I sat at the kitchen bar with my breakfast, fear crept in. Would I measure up to what she’d hoped for me? Would she be okay with me being mated to an alpha heir from Midnight? The nerves in my belly churned as I stared at my cereal.
“Are you excited to meet with your mom?” Sariah’s voice called from behind me.
I turned in my seat to see her and Donovan shuffle into the kitchen.
“Going to see Auntie Elia?” His face brightened.
I frowned, confused. “He knows her?”
But that was impossible; the math didn’t add up. She died before he was born.
To my surprise, Sariah nodded. “He’s seen about a thousand photos, and we have tons of home movies.”
“Really?” The thought of seeing my mom like that made me smile. “I’d like to see those too sometime.”
Sariah nodded. “Definitely.” She reached out and smoothed a piece of my hair. “I know she feels … a lot of guilt about not being there to protect you and watch you grow up.” Her voice cracked.
I frowned. “Guilt?” I looked at Donovan. “It wasn’t her fault.”
Sariah nodded. “Nevertheless, she wanted to be there for you all this time.”
Now more than ever, I wanted to see my mother and get to know her. She’d been waiting all this time for me to come to her. The weight of the soul stone in my pocket suddenly felt like a hundred pounds.
After wishing Donovan and Sariah a good morning, I left the kitchen and headed for the spirit pools. My favorite part about “school” here at High Mage Academy was that it was mostly self-led. No schedule, no books, just me and my ghostly ancestors.
After slipping into a bathing suit, I let myself submerge into the waters, clutching my soul stone this time, instead of a quartz crystal like Gramps had previously given me.
Taking a deep breath, I thought of the two times I’d seen my mother—the way she’d held my bio dad’s hand and how they’d run for me, her long, silvery-white hair flowing behind her as she looked at me with complete and utter acceptance and love.
Mom.
