by Ophelia Bell
They were close now … almost there. The air shimmered with golden light that might have been the rising sun, but Aurum knew better. The power was the verdant, earth-focused power of Gaia and the four seasons that powered the Sanctuary’s protective barrier. The portal was opening with every step, and though it wasn’t a doorway they could see, she could feel it gradually seeping into their plane so they could access it.
Ahead of her, past Nicholas’s tall, wide-shouldered body, she spied the final milestone—the same one where they’d began their circuit—but this time the side that faced them was illuminated with a bright green glow, as though it had its own aura of power. All the others made excited sounds and their pace picked up.
The crackling of the energy around them increased, too, almost to a painful degree. The closer they got to the pillar, the more her skin burned, and the more her reserves of power felt like they were being drained. She’d begun this last part of the journey with a full well after her tryst in the garden with Nicholas, but that well was rapidly being depleted the closer they got to the tall, obelisk-shaped stone.
“Don’t stop!” Nicholas yelled back at them as Aurum and her siblings faltered. “It’s the barrier’s way of protecting itself. Vrishti, come take my hand—you aren’t immortal like the others. I don’t want it to hurt you.”
“I feel fine!” Vrishti called back. “Better than fine, even!” She laughed out loud and ran ahead.
The ursa female was nearly skipping with joy when Nicholas reached the pillar and pressed his hand against it. In that split second, Vrishti took one more step and then disappeared into thin air.
Nicholas cursed, then laughed. “I guess she wasn’t kidding,” he said. “She made it past. Your turn, Sunshine.” He grinned at Aurum and reached out to her.
Aurum felt like she was walking through hot sludge filled with razorblades, each cut leaching more of her energy, but she pressed on, gritting her teeth.
Finally, she took one last step and reached for Nicholas’s outstretched hand. He pulled, his strong grip dragging her through whatever harsh pool of power was trying to hold her back. Then suddenly she was free, falling into warm, humid air and collapsing to her knees with relief.
Nicholas was no longer holding her hand, and when she glanced back, she couldn’t see him.
“You made it!” Vrishti said, and the young woman was by her side, helping her sit up again and rubbing her back. “Was it that bad? I didn’t feel a thing. Well, I felt something like a … sense of acceptance, I guess. Like a steady wind pushing from behind and an understanding that I was where I needed to be.”
Aurum winced and closed her eyes, catching her breath. “Nothing like that. Sweet Mother, was that awful. Where are the others?”
“Coming, I think,” Vrishti said, turning to stare off into the forest behind them.
A strange, wet sound made her glance up in time to see Aodh appear out of thin air and immediately stoop over and groan. Then Gavra appeared, cursing and stumbling over to fall onto the ground beside her. He lay back and yelled more curses up at the sky. Numa came soon after, stumbling to kneel and clutching at her midsection while she dry-heaved.
Finally, Nicholas appeared, looking no worse for wear.
“Gaia, you guys look like hell,” he said.
“Well, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy to come through, but we did it,” Aodh said.
A deafening crack sounded, rending the air around them with a frigid gust of wind. In the spot where the others had appeared, a bright bolt of light spiked into the ground, arcing up over their heads and splintering out into a web high above.
Aurum stared, watching it describe a dome-shaped barrier almost a mile over their heads. The barrier flashed with lightning, flickering long enough for her to see gray clouds through the otherwise clear dawn sky.
A cold wind blew through from the north, causing goosebumps to rise up on her arms.
“Fuck. This isn’t good,” Aodh said.
Just then, the first snowflake hit Aurum’s cheek and more began to fall around them.
“This is decidedly bad,” Nicholas said. “It’s supposed to be summer in here. It shouldn’t be snowing right now.”
Gavra reached an arm up into the air from his prone position and spread his fingers to watch the snowflakes pass between them. “You know, I haven’t seen a white Christmas since before Christmas existed. This is pretty damn cool, if you ask me. But …” He hopped up into a standing position with one graceful movement. “We’d best get our asses in gear if we’re going to explain to the Queen what happened. You guys okay to fly?”
“I’ve got enough energy left for a few shifts,” Aurum said. She glanced sidelong at Nicholas. “You know the way to the Stonetree clan lodge, don’t you?”
He had a wide-eyed look of worry. Swallowing, he said, “Um … I do, but maybe it’s better for us to walk …”
“Nonsense,” Gavra said. “We fly. We can’t waste time, now that we’re here. If you can’t deal with the height, Numa and Aodh can give you a little magical cocktail to sedate you until we get there.”
“I never said I couldn’t deal with the height,” Nicholas protested.
Gavra laughed. “I’ve watched you, Nicky. Nothing scares you but the sky. I’m surprised you survived a month in the Glade, the way you react to it. You got us inside. The least we can do is get you the rest of the way.”
“It’s fine, Nicholas,” Numa said. “When my breath is mixed with Aodh’s, you won’t have a care in the world. The only thing you’d have to worry about is not falling off.”
Nicholas blanched.
“Sweet Mother, Numa, don’t tell him that,” Aurum said. “You can ride me, Nicholas. I won’t let you fall.” She resented the condescending tone in her voice, as if she were comforting a child scared of the dark. She wouldn’t let his fear hold them back now, though. If only their magic could obliterate it entirely, but the remedy Numa offered would only be temporary.
“Well, we have a bigger problem now,” Numa said. “Where are Vrishti and Aodh?”
Chapter 24
Vrishti
Vrishti’s ecstatic mood was quickly replaced by apprehension when she saw the path leading away from the lush, green clearing they’d arrived in. Snow was falling in round, fat flakes, mostly melting the second it hit the leaves of the trees, and the visual effect was strikingly beautiful. Above the clearing a bright, summer sun still shone down, yet it didn’t seem to have any effect on the steady fall of snowflakes.
Ignoring the griping dragons, she wandered down the path, somehow knowing deep inside that this was the way to her home. A little ways along she saw a break in the trees that bordered the path, and beyond it, a breathtaking vista that displayed mountain ranges for miles. There were dozens upon dozens of thin, pale lines etched into the deep green of the tree-covered ranges that must be the amazing waterfalls her father had written of in his journals.
She walked to the outcropping of rock and sat among the snow-dusted wildflowers, just gazing out over the beautiful valley. The mountains were cast in a bluish haze that made them look as though the more distant ranges rose up out of smoke, though she knew it was only a trick of the thick atmosphere. The air here smelled delicious, and somehow familiar.
“It smells like home,” she said, and her heart swelled with happiness she hadn’t felt since before her father’s death.
“It smells like you,” a low voice said behind her, making Vrishti start and look around.
The huge, white-haired dragon stood a few yards back, still in the shadows of the trees, the thickening curtain of snow making him look like some strange winter beast who had snuck up on her.
“Um … hi … I didn’t hear you come up … Ayeo…” She faltered over his name, realizing she’d barely heard it spoken by the others, and he’d never actually been formally introduced to her. The intense look he gave her now didn’t help a bit.
“It’s pronounced Eye-uv. Rhymes with I love…”
/> “Oh,” she said, giving him a hesitant smile. “That’s a nice way to remember it.”
They stared at each other for another moment, her heart pounding ever harder in her chest over the sense that he was here for a reason.
“Do—do you want to come sit? The view is amazing.” She gestured to the flat stone beside her.
Aodh nodded and moved toward her. A little frisson of energy buzzed through her when he crouched down and then sat, his arm brushing ever so lightly against hers.
“You can see the Rainsong lodge from here,” Aodh said. He raised a hand and pointed below them. Vrishti squinted, following the direction of his gesture, and made out the shapes of buildings that spread out amongst the trees about a mile away, deep in the valley below. One in particular was much larger than the others, with slight movement visible around it—figures bustling like excited ants.
“I wonder what they think of the snow,” she said.
“Probably as worried as we are about what it means.”
“What do you think it means?” she asked, stealing a glance at his profile.
She inhaled sharply at the otherworldly beauty of him. Not only was he a huge man, he was perfectly proportioned from head to toe, covered in thick muscles that not even the clothing he wore could disguise. The button-up, cotton expedition shirt he wore actually accented all that bulging strength.
But it was his face and hair that mesmerized her. His hair was a shimmering, almost translucent white that glowed in the right light. He wore it long, but always kept it neatly bound in a club at the back of his neck. His features were clean and strong, his nose straight, his jaw square and wide, and his pale eyes deep set and always filled with some unfathomable wisdom he seemed to be keeping to himself.
Vrishti was inexplicably drawn to him, but at the same time, intimidated by his silent, almost prickly demeanor. She found Nicholas far more approachable with his pale scruff and wayward white curls. She liked Nicholas, and there was no denying his masculine allure, but he didn’t make her feel the way Aodh did just by looking at her.
“I believe it means we overtaxed the barrier somehow,” he said, his brows lowering. “Coming through requires a toll, and we all felt it. My siblings and I sacrificed most of our energy during our passage. The barrier definitely knew we weren’t meant to enter. I think any individual not granted access would be killed, if they weren’t immortal like us.”
Vrishti’s eyes widened. “Killed?” She swallowed hard as she stared at him. “I could have died? But I didn’t even feel a thing. It felt like it wanted me to come inside.”
Aodh looked at her, his eyes filled with a subtle inner glow that pulsed somehow in tune with her heartbeat.
“It isn’t any wonder that it wanted you … you are the daughter of Summer. You belong inside the Sanctuary.”
The low, suggestive tone in his voice flushed heat into her veins, and she could only stare back, unable to form words under the spell of his smoldering gaze.
Aodh’s cheeks colored, and he suddenly turned to stare down at his hands. “I mean, the barrier was no doubt calibrated to accept you specifically. Your mother would have made sure you had access.”
The abrupt awkwardness he displayed put her at ease. Impulsively, she reached out and grabbed his hand. “Thank you for bringing me with you. I guess you guys need to go find Nicholas’s family now, right? And get Aurum to her mate too, wherever that is.”
Aodh’s brows drew together as he stared down at their joined hands. He drifted a thumb over her knuckles, the soft contact sending a pleasant warmth through her entire body. Vrishti sensed a hesitance in him that matched her own. Her home was within sight, just at the base of this mountain. But if her father’s journal sketches and maps were right, the Queen’s clan lodge was far to the east of that tall peak that was part of the spectacular vista before them. The others still had quite a journey to complete.
She could be in her mother’s house within the next couple hours, and yet she wanted this moment to last forever.
“Yes, the others are waiting for me,” Aodh said.
He paused for a moment, gently squeezing her hand. His lips tightened and he looked directly into her eyes. “There is more that I need to do, though. After seeing my sister and Nicholas to their destinations, I will have to leave the Sanctuary again. I made a promise to someone outside that I must keep.”
Vrishti’s heart sank. A promise to someone else …
“Oh?” she said in a brittle voice, pulling her hand free of his. She drew her knees to her chest and stared back down at the Rainsong clan lodge. “It’s important to keep your promises.”
His hand remained right where she’d dropped it and he clenched it into a tight fist. “Our world depends on it. I … shouldn’t tell you this, but I need you to understand before I leave you. Growing up as a human, you’ve been protected from the greatest threat to the well-being of the higher races. We finally know who our enemy is, and what I find out while I’m in here is the key to defeating her.”
Confused, Vrishti looked at him again. The earnest look in his eyes made it clear he wasn’t lying, and that she needed to listen.
“Why tell me at all? Is this enemy coming into the Sanctuary?”
“Not if we can help it,” he said. “This promise I made was to someone who can help us beat her—someone who has his own stake in seeing the enemy taken down. I need a favor from you, if you’re willing.” He dipped his head slightly, clearly waiting for her to give him some sign of acknowledgment.
She relaxed again, her mind spinning over what he’d just said. A threat, an enemy. None of her father’s notes said anything about an enemy, but then none of her father’s notes said anything about how he wound up impregnating an ursa woman—only that he’d loved her mother dearly. He’d loved her mother enough to raise Vrishti on his own and never see his soulmate again.
“How bad is it, Aodh?” she said.
“Bad enough that we hide our children for centuries at a time to protect them. Bad enough that the barrier to the Sanctuary is designed to kill intruders. And bad enough that the place I need to get into … the Haven where the nymphaea live … is inaccessible from the outside.”
“That’s the place Aurum is going, isn’t it? Why can’t you just go with her from in here?” After a beat, her eyes widened. “The man you made the promise to needs to get to the Haven, but he can’t come through the portal or he’ll die, and there’s no way for him to get in from out there. And he’s the one who can beat the enemy, right?”
Aodh nodded grimly. “That’s partly right. We don’t yet know how we can kill her, but he … Nikhil … is the one person we need to lead us to victory. The rest of us are ill-equipped for the kind of conflict on the horizon.” He let out a sardonic laugh. “You would think we’d be experts, but we opted to hide rather than fight when we were first faced with this threat. Protecting our children became our priority. Protecting the ones we love …” He reached out and gripped her hand again.
The gesture startled Vrishti, her mind spinning over his sudden burst of sharing. He hadn’t said two words to her since she’d first seen him, and now for some reason he felt the need to spill his heart out. She wasn’t about to object; his touch made her heart soar. Once his speech sank in, however, she realized the gravity of their situation.
“Oh, Aodh. I’ll do anything to help, but I don’t know what in the world you think I can do.”
“You might not think you can help yet … and you can’t right now. But you are the daughter of Summer. All I ask is that you remember my dilemma. And if you learn anything once you’re home that can help, come find me. I’m not leaving the Sanctuary until I find the answer.”
Vrishti nodded vigorously. “Definitely!”
Her mood improved drastically over the news that he would still be inside for the foreseeable future, and that there was something she could do to help him. She still had so much to learn—everything, really—about being an ursa. She’d been tol
d a few times about how her mother was somehow the embodiment of the spirit of Summer. That had to count for something.
Her skin prickled with excitement now—and not just the chilly tickle of snowflakes that were falling harder now. She stood up and brushed off her pants, looking down at the lodge far below with determination.
Aodh stood beside her and moved closer. He slid his hand across her shoulders and she looked up at him, startled by the contact.
“Please don’t tell anyone about this conversation,” he said, the gravity in his voice making her frown.
“Okay …” she said uncertainly.
“I have a sinking feeling the four of us are probably in trouble for even being here. If anyone knew I was trying to breach the Haven, too … well, it wouldn’t be good. But we need some way to get ahead of the Ultiori—to go on the offensive for a change—and that’ll take drastic measures that most of the higher races’ rulers aren’t prepared for.”
“H-How do the dragons’ rulers feel about it? Are you in danger from your own kind too?”
“The dragons aren’t an issue,” he said with a smile that perplexed her.
Before she could ask how he knew, his lips were suddenly pressed against hers in a kiss that made her legs turn to jelly. His arms wrapped around her, holding her tight against him like she weighed nothing. Vrishti couldn’t help but slide her arms around his neck and hold on tight, moaning as she sank into his kiss.
He broke away a second later, leaving her dazed and breathless.
Gruffly, he said, “I’m sorry … I couldn’t stand leaving you without knowing how it would feel to kiss you. I promise you the next time I won’t leave it this way.”
“Oh?” she asked, still clinging to his shirt to catch her balance. “How will it go next time?”
