The library door slammed shut. I blinked, and Sariah, Jane, and an advanced mage I didn’t recognize placed their hands on the door. There was a flash of light around the edges, and then they all stepped back.
“It’s sealed,” the advanced mage said.
Then a loud crack shattered through the library, and all of our attention went to the black onyx door as a giant split appeared down the center of it.
“What the hell?” Justice growled.
“That’s … not possible,” Sariah muttered, looking terrified. I knew my aunt worked with portals every day. If she looked scared, we should all be.
Rage paled, but I couldn’t fathom why until he spoke.
“Kalama. She … I gave her my blood, and she did some spell work on the door,” he muttered under his breath.
Sariah held Donovan to her chest and pointed at the splitting door. “Rage, we need to evacuate the island.Now.”
Her words shook him, and his arms tightened around me.
What the hell had just happened? One moment, we were sleeping after having make-up sex, and the next … we needed to flee our home? Gramps was dead…
“Yes, you’re right.” His voice held defeat—resignation—and the sound wrung my heart. Then, through the incessant pounding at the door appeared another crack.
“Everyone to the docks,” Rage shouted. “We need to evacuate!”
My mind went to Kaja, my father, Mack, Lona, Rue, Fiona … so many people on this island that I cared about.
“My dad,” I whimpered, struggling in Rage’s arms as weakness and fatigue kept trying to pull me under.
All around us was the cacophony of mourning. People sobbing, screaming, wailing. There was so much death, I just wanted to fly away.
‘Shhh, my love. I’ve got this. We’re not giving up. I need everyone safe. Then we can plan. They’ve messed with the wrong king.’Rage deposited me into Justice’s arms and brushed his lips against mine. Then he took off running.
I tried to keep my head up, to look around, take it all in, to do something to help.
Reyna sat with her head in her hands, bawling. Kian’s son Julian stood leaning against a bookshelf, staring at the cracking door. The three other asshats who’d tried to kill me were slumped next to one another, possibly in shock, and all looking at the floor. Others shoved their way out of the alcove and into the library. I blinked, and my head suddenly weighed two hundred pounds.
Oh.
The blank stares on the other high master heirs made sense as a heavy weight settled over me, pushing into my very being. They were reeling with their new power too. And like me, they’d just lost their fathers or grandfathers.
“My dad. Kaja,” I whimpered, jerking my chin up as I fought to stay awake. My limbs grew heavy.
“Shhh,” Justice cooed. “Rage won’t let anything happen to them. I promise.”
I had to trust him because sleep captured me into its sweet embrace, and the world and all my worries disappeared.
Chapter Twelve
As I came to,the first thing I recognized was the hushed voices of Rage and my father.
Thank the mage they were okay.
My eyes popped open, and I scanned my surroundings. I lay wrapped in a sleeping bag, on a cot in a cream-colored canvas tent. Sitting up, I trembled with the power coursing through my veins, and I bit my tongue to keep from sobbing.
Grandfather.
He’d … saved me. He’d saved us all.
The momentary pride I felt—that spirit had chosen me—was squelched by his death.
