“Shaw!” I said, cutting him off. “The alpha’s dagger can cut throughanything. AndI… am wielding it. I have enough power to do this.”
Shaw stopped and gave me a toothless grin. “As you say,Alpha.”
I didn’t miss the cunning gleam in his eye nor the smugness in his expression.
“Beta,” I said with a firm nod.
Turning to the crisscrossing winds of the open sea and the twinkling ebony sky scattered with stars above our heads, I readied myself to pass through the magical barrier separating our worlds. It was just as I remembered. Unable to find the veil with my sight alone, I closed my eyes to search for it with my magic.
“This is…” I paused as I felt Shaw come to my side. “Strange.”
“How so?”
“The veil is barely there.”
“You said it was connected to the trials and the Heart, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“But,” Shaw began, “doesn’t it make sense that it’s weaker?”
It did. However, the reality of this fact was more daunting than I had imagined. “I believe anyone with a thread of magic could pass through now. Which means the wilt—”
“The wilt will spread even faster,” Shaw said.
I turned to him and nodded. The fear in my beta’s eyes reflected my own. If I didn’t reach the Heart in time, the wilt might very well destroy our home before we had a chance to fight for it. With the veil gone, the dark magic consuming Valdor would undoubtedly spread like wildfire.
“No turning back now,” I said, steadying myself against the spiraling winds.
Holding out the dagger, I felt the blade pierce through the magic of the veil, creating an opening for Fjorda to sail his ship through.
“It’s beautiful,” Shaw whispered.
“It’s nothing compared to the first time I crossed with Daxton.” My heart ached at the mention of his name. “That’s when I first kissed him.”
“You…kissedhim?” Shaw asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Nothing. Just surprised it took that long.”
“He was being agentleman.”
Shaw cocked his brow at me. “I don’t need the details to denythatfact. Your scent gives that one away.”
I stuck my tongue at him. “Prude.”
Gods, I was beginning to remind myself of Castor. I smiled to myself at the thought of him and hoped he was all right. I hadn’t received anything in return on the parchment attached to Daxton’s letter before I left, which wasn’t surprising, but it still caused me to worry.
Shaw huffed a laugh, his toothless grin spreading to the corner of his mouth. “Perhaps I’m just a little jealous.”
“Really?” I rasped as we made the final push to pass through the veil.
“Really,” Shaw replied in earnest. “You found your mate, Sky. That’s not a guarantee for us in this life, and I’m happy for you.”
I could see the longing he had to find his own mate one day, not missing the disappointment that he likely felt when Neera wasn’t his.
“Don’t count yourself out just yet. If I can find mine, then—”
