‘Devinyx is my mother and Queen of all the netherwraiths,’Axton admits with a cocky wink.‘We’re the only ones you need to know. But I guess I can ease your curiosity. There are a few noble families here that are below us and about ten small families here as well.’
“It does sound like you’re doing a great job growing your numbers,”Knots nods as he looks up at the trees. “Do you normally stay in your shifted forms a lot?
‘Some are too weak to shift, so we try to stay in animal form so they do not feel uncomfortable. We only go into human forms for special occasions or when we are in our private dwellings.’
Leave it to Axton, the big ass showboater, to show off when he didn’t need toand make the other netherwraiths feel bad about their strength.
‘Hey, I call offense to that!’Axton calls me out.
‘Oh shit. Did I say that out loud?’I ask, not really caring if I did or not.
‘YES!’Axton’s nose wrinkles.
“Good. Then I don’t have to worry about repeating it to your face,” I shoot back, giving him a pointed look, and his jaw drops.
“And with that, maybe it’s time to get some sleep,” Zeke asserts.
“Yeah, we have another realm to get through, and I’m not looking forward to it,” Knots admits, yawning as he turns and walks toward our sleeping area.
“Well, bird boy, no one told you that you had to be here,” Lynx points out, following him.
“I wasn’t about to have a rug beat me with all the fun,” Knots continues, and their banter volleys back and forth, but I block them out.
‘When the time comes, Golden One, we will be there to help,’Devinyx says, standing up and stretching.
‘I need to know,’I start, standing up also.
‘Yes?’
‘How do you know I’ll need help in the future, and why are you calling me, Golden One?’
‘Ah, I see.’She bows her head slightly as she sits down, bringing her head to my shoulder height.‘The vines speak to me as I am their Queen. They are moving—’her blue eyes look off in the distance for a moment before seeking out mine once again‘—preparing for war, to be used in a great battle that I am not privy to the location of yet. But when that time comes, we will be ready.’She nods.‘As for the name Golden One.’Her muzzle curls up on one side like a smirk, and she stands up, her whips lying flat along her back like folded hands.‘Thatyou will have to find out on your own, and soon, I gather.’
‘So when you say Queen, are you talking about the Vines Queen or the netherwraiths?’I ask, biting my bottom lip, feeling a little self-conscious.
‘Both.’
Fuck. I just insulted her son, the prince.
‘You’re also mated to the left hand of War, so no harm done. And besides, I’ve been trying to knock Axton down a few steps myself, so thank you, Golden One. Rest now, while we protect you. We will not be able to travel with you, but we can show you the correct path to the portal.’
I shyly smile and say my thanks. Turning around, I walk to the sleeping area and find Levi holding up a corner of a sleeping bag.
“Can I offer you a warm place to cuddle?” he asks with that cute dimple on display.
Who am I to turn down a cuddle with a mage I almost lost? It’s not like we are far apart anyway; we practically all sleep in a huge pile now, but snuggling up with Levi does soothe something deep inside of me. Reaper lies across our feet, acting as an extra blanket and a stirrer for our fire. His tail flicks out and hits the embers, keeping the fire going, and it’s the most ingenious thing ever.
While everyone starts to drift off to sleep, Levi and I give each other make-up kisses. I’ve missed his attention and just being close to him.
“So, this doesn’t hurt you anymore? Me being around you?” I whisper against his lips.
“No,” he answers, before lightly kissing me and smiling. “Famine taught me how to heal myself of it. I’m able to swap some of the taint that Emer gave me with the Earth and heal that way.”
Joy fills me, and I have to bite my lip to keep from screaming with excitement.
“That’s amazing.” I cup his face and give him a deeper kiss, needing to express myself completely.
“There is one thing that might shock you,” he tells me, grabbing my hands, and immediately I hold my breath as my eyes go wide.
