“Or maybe Odette was trying to get away from Theo first, before she tried summoning a portal on estate grounds,” I mused. “Because she knew he’d try to stop her if she got caught.”
Theo gave a ragged sniff. “This is all my fault! If she was that insistent on going to the Pool, I should’ve let her, and accompanied you all. At least then, she’d be where I could protect her.”
“And mine,” Alexei said. “She wanted to help us look for the silver crown, but I told her to stay behind. She tried to help in another way, and now, she’s in danger.”
I gave a frustrated noise and said, “There has to besomethingwe can do.”
“We’ve got everyone gathered at the house,” Theo said. “We can go over what we know there.”
The group appeared rather worried as Emma and I entered the dining room. Multiple eyes were on me as I asked, “Any leads at all?”
“We’ve searched everywhere, and nothing,” Delmare said sadly. “If their abductors forced them into a portal, Kiara and Odette are long gone by now.”
At the mention of their names, Alexei broke into full-out sobs, and Theo’s eyes watered. Stefan grimaced and said, “We’ve even tried the locating spell Kiara invented, but it doesn’t work for any of us. We aren’t sure how to pull it off without her.”
“Is it possible they’re lost in time, like Emma was?” Evonna suggested.
“Both of the twins are here,” Lucien said. “Kalina would’ve went with them, if she used her time powers to transport them elsewhere.”
“There’s one way we haven’t tried,” Emma started. “I might be able to contact one of them, probably Odette, through Edinmyre. If she or Kiara have meditated to my cottage there, and left a note or a clue, it could help us find them.”
“But that won’t work. None of us can meditate to Edinmyre anymore. We’ve tried, and we can’t pull it off. The connection between the two realms is too weak,” Stefan objected. “The only one who still might be able to get there is you.”
“Odette is a prophet. She has just as strong a connection to Edinmyre as I do,” Emma insisted. “There might be a chance she’s been by.”
“It’s our only shot,” I agreed. “We haven’t found any other leads.”
“Are you sure a portal will even support the journey? You had a difficult time returning when you came back from Eiragrad,” Delmare said doubtfully.
“We need to take our spirits there through meditation, and leave our bodies here on Earth. I don’t want to put any undue stress on the portal by going there physically,” Emma said.
“Then you have no time to lose,” Vocheck said. “This is the only idea we haven’t exhausted. Let us pray that it works.”
Emma didn’t waste time. She immediately led me to a secluded room. We sat on the rug in the middle of the space in preparation for the meditation.
“Do you think we can both go there?” I asked.
“I don’t think it’s safe for any of us to cross into Edinmyre alone. We don’t know who Droga has waiting there for us,” Emma said.
We slipped into meditation. I felt Emma’s spirit vanish on the other side of our bond instantly. She was still able to slip into Edinmyre with relative ease.
I, however, had a much more difficult time. I sat there for long moments, waiting for the shift, but it never came. I felt like I was blocked off from the spiritual realm— that no matter how hard I tried to cross over, my spirit was not allowed through.
There was a strange sensation, like a hand wrapping around my middle and yanking tightly. I gasped as I found my soul pulled straight out of my body and into another dimension. I stumbled into my shifter form at Emma’s side, barely keeping my balance against the tall grass. Her cottage loomed in the distance.
“I’m unsure what happened,” I said, breathing hard.
“I had to use our bond to pull you through,” Emma said. “There was no other way.”
I hadn’t seen Edinmyre in so long, and it felt like home. But there was no time to be nostalgic. I told Emma to stay back as I advanced toward the cottage, keeping my wits about me as I wandered forward.
I pushed open the door with my paw. I was about to give Emma the all-clear before there was a slight peep of surprise. Odette was sitting by the fireplace in the cottage, appearing quite alarmed.
“Odette!” I cried, and Emma came running. When Odette saw her, she gave a wild yell.
“Emma! You’re here!” Odette screamed, and she threw herself upon my mate. The two girls hugged tightly as Odette wept.
“I’m all right.” Emma squeezed Odette’s arms. “It’s so good to know you’re okay.”
